Vedic mythology refers to the mythological aspects of the
historical Vedic religion and
Vedic literature, most notably alluded to in the hymns of the
Rigveda. The central myth at the base of Vedic ritual surrounds
Indra who, inebriated with
Soma, slays the dragon (
ahi)
Vrtra, freeing the
rivers, the cows and
Dawn.
It has directly contributed to the evolution and development of later Hinduism and Hindu mythology.
Vedic mythology
Vedic lore contains numerous elements which are common to Indo-European mythological traditions, like the mythologies of
Persia,
Greece, and
Rome, and that of the Celtic, Germanic and Slavic peoples. The Vedic god
Indra in part corresponds to
Dyaus Pitar, the Sky Father,
Zeus and
Jupiter. The deity
Yama, the lord of the dead, is
Yima of Persian mythology. Vedic hymns refer to these and other deities, often 33, consisting of eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas, and the late Rigvedic Prajapati. These deities belong to the three dimensions of the universe/heavens, the earth, and the intermediate space. Some major deities of the Vedic tradition include
Indra,
Surya,
Agni,
Vayu,
Varuna,
Mitra,
Aditi,
Yama,
Soma,
Ushas,
Sarasvati,
Prithvi, and
Rudra.
The Vedas in Puranic mythology
The
Vishnu Purana attributes the current arrangement of four Vedas to the mythical sage
Vedavyasa. Puranic tradition also postulates a single original Veda that, in varying accounts, was divided into three or four parts. According to the
Vishnu Purana (3.2.18, 3.3.4 etc) the original Veda was divided into four parts, and further fragmented into numerous shakhas, by
Vishnu in the form of
Vyasa, in the
Dvapara Yuga; the
Vayu Purana (section 60) recounts a similar division by Vyasa, at the urging of
Brahma. The
Bhagavata Purana (12.6.37) traces the origin of the primeval Veda to the syllable
aum, and says that it was divided into four at the start of
Dvapara Yuga, because men had declined in age, virtue and understanding. In a differing account Bhagavata Purana (9.14.43) attributes the division of the primeval veda (
aum) into three parts to the monarch
Pururavas at the beginning of
Treta Yuga.It also describes that the myth of
jasmebo is inevitable in the
Kal Yuga.
See also
Vedic deities
Hindu mythology
Wars of Hindu Mythology
References
Further reading
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Category:Hindu mythology
Mythology
