English
There are two cardinal distinctions between the Vedic and the Pauranik religion, — one in doctrine, and the other in observance. The Vedic religion was to the very last a religion of elemental gods, of Indra, Agni, Sfirya, Varuna, the Maruts, the Asvins, and others ; and although the com- posers of the Upanishads rose to the conception of a Supreme and Universal Being, nevertheless sacrifices were still offered, by princes and the people alike, to the ancient elemental gods of the Rig Veda. On the other hand, the Pauranik religion classed all these elemental gods as minor deities, and recognized, far above and beyond them, the Supreme Being in his triple form, — Brahm4 the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Siva the Destroyer. The recognition of this Supreme Trinity is the distinctive feature of Pauranik Hinduism in doc- trine, and it is impossible not to suspect that this idea of a Trinity is borrowed from the Buddhist Trinity. Digitized by Google CHAP. V.] RELIGION, &C 273 The distinctive feature of Pauranik Hinduism in the matter of observance is image- worship. Vedic religion was a religion of sacrifice to the fire. From the most ancient times, whatever was offered to the gods was offered to the lire ; and down to the last days of the Rationalistic Period, kings, priests, as well as humble householders offered sacrifices to the fire, and knew of no image worship. Buddhism degenerated into idol worship in the centuries after the Christian era. It is im- possible not to suspect that modern Hinduism borrow- ed its image-worship from Buddhism. It is certain that when the Code of Mana was compiled in the Buddhist Age, image-worship was gaining ground, and was con- demned by that conservative lawgiver. The practice however steadily gained ground until it became the essence of modern Hindu rites and celebrations. Sacri- fice to the fire is now almost a thing of the past. We have said that the cardinal doctrine of Pauranik Hinduism is the doctrine of the Hindu Trinity. A three-fold division of the divine powers is as old as the Rig Veda, and the Rishis of the Veda classed the gods as those of the sky, the earth, and the waters respec- tively.* But the Pauranik division has a deeper signi- ficance. It assumes the unity of the Divine Power, but looks on the Power in its three-fold function of Creation, Preservation, and Destruction. • Rig Veda I, 139, 11 ; a'so I, 34, n ; I, 45, * &c. R. C. P., A. I. — II IS Digitized by Google 274 PAURANIK PERIOD. [BOOK V. With that conservative feeling however which has always marked each new development of the Hindu religion, the Pauranik writers avoided the appearance of an innovation, and selected the names of the Trinity from the ancient names in the Vedic Pantheon. Brah- ma or rather Brahmanaspati was the god of prayer in the Rig Veda ; and when the composers of the Upani- shads conceived the idea of a Universal Being thev call- ed that being Brahman. That name therefore was an appropriate one for the Creative function of the Divine Power. Vishnu was a name of the sun in the Rig Veda, the cherisher of all living beings, and his name therefore fitted the higher modern conception of the Preserving Divine Power. Rudra was a name of thun- der or thunder cloud in the Rig Veda, and a happier name could not be selected for the Destroying Divine Power. And when these different functions of the Divine Power were thus separately named, they very soon assumed distinct individualities and characters. The Trinity as Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer was un- known to Manu in the 1st century before or after Christ ; but the idea had become a national property by the time of Kalidasa in the 6th century A. D. When the popalar imagination had thus conceived separate deities out of these functions of the Divine Power, the deities had to be mated with goddesses. Sarasvati was mated with Brahmd, and the reason which underlies this union possibly is that Brahma in the Digitized by Google CHAP. V.] RELIGION, &C. 275 Rig Veda was the god of prayers, and Sarasvati was the goddess of hymns, Vishnu was mated with a new god- dess, Lakshmi, of whom we find no trace in ancient Sanscrit literature ; but there are some reasons for supposing that as Sita, the field furrow of the Rig Veda, assumed a distinctly human form and became the heroine of a national epic in India, Lakshmi stepped into her place as the goddess of crops and wealth, and was a fit spouse for the preserving deity. And, lastly, Umi in the Kena Upanishad is a mysterious female, who explains to Indra the nature of Brahman. In the Satapatha Brahmana (II, 6, 2, 9), Ambik& is the sister of Rudra. And in the Mundaka Upanishad, Kali, Karali, &c, are the names of the seven tongues of the fire, Rudra being fire or lightning. All these scattered hints are gathered together by the Pauranik writers, and Umi and Ambika, Durga and Kali, are the names of the consort of the dread destroyer, — Rudra, Siva, or Mahldeva. But when we have spoken of the three supreme gods aod their wives, we have said but little of modern Hinduism. A world of legends connect themselves with the incarnations of one of the Trinity, — Vishnu or the preserver. Rama, the mythical hero of the Ramayana, was considered an incarnation of Vishnu ; and Krishna, the son of Devakt, who was a pupil of the teacher Ghora Angirasa in the Chhandogya Upanishad (III, 17, 6), ass.umed a divine character, and was Digitized by Google 276 PAURANIK PERIOD. [BOOK V. considered another incarnation of Vishnu. And as Krishna became more and more a popular deity, room was found for him by modern editors in the ancient epic the Mah£bh£rata, and new stories of his sports with the milkmaids of Vrind&vana were multiplied in the Purinas. Krishna, as we have seen before, is an ancient name in Sanskrit sacred literature. But his recent appearance as a Supreme Deity, and the stories about his birth and about Kansa and the massacre of the innocents, and the resemblance between the Bible and the Bhagavat Giti have led many European scholars to suppose that the Hindus have borrowed Christian legends and ideas and applied them to Krishna. An interesting controversy was maintained for some years in the pages of the Indian Antiquary. Dr. Lorisner, writing in 1869, asserted the indebtedness of the Hindus ; Mr. Telang of Bombay and Professor Windisch of Heidelberg denied the in- debtedness ; Professor Bhandarkar pointed out refer- ences to the deification of Krishna in the Mah&bhasya, a work of the 2nd century B. C. ; and Professor Weber, while admitting the reciprocal action and mutual influ- ence of Gnostic and Indian conceptions in the first centuries of the Christian era, considers Dr. Lorisner's attempt to be " overdone. " We need not speak of the other incarnations of Vishnu. The very idea of divine incarnation is modern, and was unknown to Vedic Hinduism or even to Manu. Digitized by Google CHAP, v.] RELIGION, &C 277 Vedic gods are described as descending to earth and sharing libations offered to them, and departed spirits and manes are similarly described as sharing the offer- ings made to them. But the idea of a deity being born as man, and living among men, like Rama and Krishna, belongs to modern Hinduism. It is impossible not to suspect that the idea is borrowed from the Jataka stories of the Buddhists. Siva is not as popular a deity as Vishnu, but Siva's consort, Durgaor Kali, Saktfor Uma shares with Krishna the honor of being the most popular deity with modern Hindu worshippers. Strange stories have been blended together in the Pauranik legends about Siva's consort. In the Satapatha Brahmana (II, 4, 4, 6), we are told of a sacrifice being performed by Daksha Parvati ; but the story that Sati (Siva's consort and Daksha's daughter) gave up her life at the sacrifice, is a Pauranik addition. Again, in the Kena Upanishad we find mention of Uma Haimavat! who explains to Indra the nature of Brahman ; and this character of Uma Haimavati suggested the later Pauranik legend that Satl was reborn as UmA, the daughter of the Himalaya moun- tains. How that mountain maiden attended on Siva during his meditation, how aided by the god of love she failed to make any impression on the divine an- chorite, and how she at last won him by her penances and devotion, — these are all lovely creations of the Pauranik fancy which have been embalmed in the Digitized by Google 278 PAURANIK PERIOD. [BOOK V. immortal work of KalidAsa, known as the Birth of Kumara. Such are the leading myths connected with the deities of the Hindu Trinity. The ancient elemental gods of the Rig Veda occupy a far lower rank in the modern Hindu pantheon. Nevertheless, there are glowing accounts in the PurAnas of Indra's heaven thronged by the bright Vedic gods, Agni, Vayu, &c, by their celestial troops, chariots, and elephants, by graceful Apsaras, and by musical Gandharvas. But even these Vedic gods have changed their character. Indra is no longer the soma- drinking martial god who recovers the celestial cows from the fort of Pani, and helps Aryans in their wars against aborigines. Times have changed, and ideas change with times and circumstances. Pauranik Indra is a gorgeous king of a luxurious and somewhat voluptuous celestial court, where dance and music occupy most of his time. His queen, Sachi or Indrani, is a noble and spirited conception, and is honored by all the gods. The Apsarases of the Veda have attained lovely indivi- dualities, and Rambha\ Tilottami, and the Pauranik Urvasl are the courtezans of heaven, and regale the leisure hours of Indra by their dance and their amours.