Philosophy - - Posted on October, 23 at 12:03 pm
Hinduism is all about dynamism and diversity, which it has achieved through assimilation of various influences, beliefs and philosophies over the millennia. It is very disturbing to see the changing face of Hinduism and Hindus who are becoming more and more intolerant as days pass; Hindus who stick to one facet of the religion and refuse to shift their stance even a bit to accommodate change.
To change this mindset it will be worthwhile to look into the process of assimilation, which gave rise to the complex and colourful Hindu pantheon and the mythology and rituals surrounding it. Lets have a look at Vishnu, the sustainer.
The Vaishnava cult is one of the biggest of the assemblage, though not a homogeneous entity. The character of Vishnu has spread itself in Indian mythology with his ten incarnations and numerous other forms depicted by various Puranas. Vishnu as Rama and Krishna and his various forms is widely worshipped deity across the subcontinent. With this background it is curious to know that in the Rigveda Vishnu is almost non-existent compared to the Vedic gods Agni and Indra. In the Rigveda, which compiles 1028, hymns, only six are addressed to Vishnu.
Vishnu in the Rigveda is referred to as Upendra, assistant of Indra. He was the one who helped Indra during the killing of Vritra when no other god came forward. He is always mentioned as ‘One who occupies/ encompasses the world in three strides’. He is a protector, always ready to help the needy, especially Indra.
This concept of a benevolent protector who repeatedly reaches earth in three steps became the ideal space for assimilation of various popular cults, practices and beliefs. In the Brahmanic period Vishnu had already surpassed Agni. He was equated with Yajna, which was the centre of Vedic religion. His coming for rescue could be put forth as incarnations in which a variety of cult figures, personalities and totems could be accommodated.
Many legends were thus formed around Vishnu and his incarnations. One has to remember that it may not have been a well-planned process by a person. The assimilation happened over the centuries because of our innate tendency to accept rather than reject or suppress any faith. The number of the incarnations and also the persona in each incarnation differed widely till it was finally stabilised. One can see this process reflected in the Puranas and the epics. In the Ramayana there are five incarnations mentioned: Varaha, Krishna, Rama, Parashurama and Trivikrama. The number even went upto 14 or 16 before being zeroed down on 10. The Matsya, Agni and Vayu Purana mentioned ten incarnations but Matsya and Agni do not mention Krishna while Vayu does not have Buddha.
Krishna in itself is a beautiful example of assimilation. He comfortably accommodates three personas - Mischievous and beloved cowherd of Vrindavana; Krishna the extraordinarily virile husband of many wives and Krishna the Yadava king who participated in the battle of Kurukshetra.
The story of mount Govardhana during his childhood reflects the conflict between the cowherds with their beliefs represented by Govardhana and Vedic rituals represented by Indra. Through the story the popular cult was accommodated in the legend of Krishna and thus in Vishnuism. The story of Kalia can also be interpreted in the same way. It is noteworthy that in the story Krishna does not kill the serpent but reaches an understanding for coexistence. The cult of serpent worship was thus assimilated not destroyed.
The marriage of Krishna with 16,000 princesses can be interpreted as acceptance of mother goddess worship in the mainstream. There are various patron goddesses of the village or the region. These may have been accepted by way of marriage. Similar examples are seen also in the Shiva cult like the Meenakshi-Sundareshvara and Shiva-Sati myth. On the societal level they must have eased the transition of some groups from mother right to the mainstream patriarchal right.
Balaji in South India, Panduranga in Maharashtra and Jagannatha in Orissa are more examples of local cults, which were accepted in the mainstream as forms of Krishna by building legends around them.
Our pantheon and all the beliefs, festivals and rituals are a result of a similar process of assimilation. The pantheon developed because we accepted new influences, because we were open and dynamic. It is unwise to take the existing form of the religion as ‘the religion’ and cling to it. Shunning off influences, being wary of innovation in the socio-religious processes will only lead to stagnation and further disintegration.
by Devayani Tirthali
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