Hindu Mythology

Ok! So, this is my first post on Indian Mythology :)

Mythology is something that I have always been fascinated reading about and interpreting in our regular lives. Although could be defined as a collection of myths dating / originating to a period in history, I consider them as a guide to philosophy and knowledge. That which basks in knowledge, edifies doctrines of philosophy and teaches simple ways of life.

It is astonishing, how some of these quintessential texts, recorded tens of thousands of years back, talk of Astronomy, the Cosmos, Technology (weaponry, metallurgy,etc.), Political science and of today's most sought-after, Management; some topics that most conceive (or should I say misconceive) to be of recent origin!

The origins of mythology could be roughly attributed to the erstwhile Vedic civilization, predominated by the four principle Vedas of Hinduism (Rig, Yajur,Sáma, Atharva).We have epics like the Rámáyana and the Mahábharatha, one of the longest epics of the world, apart from the Vedánta Sútras, Sangam (literary works in Tamil) and other scholastic works.

The 'Vedás' date back to almost the Bronze Age (as per official records) or even much before. It is, however, difficult to give an account of the exact period of composition, considering that Vedas like Rig and others were mainly followed as 'Sruti' (literally translated as 'to hear') or through disciplic succession rather than in written form. It is only a few thousand years ago that 'Smriti' (scriptures) came into being. It is believed that Lord Brahmá, the progenitor of mankind, recites the four Vedas through each of his four heads, a belief insinuating the primitivity of the Vedás. However, for our understanding, we can say that the Vedas date back to the beginning of human civilization on Earth.

I would mainly concentrate on the Mahabharatha, which also contains the essence of all the Vedas in brevity, the Bhagavad Gita. Literally translated as 'the God's song or poem'/ 'song of God', Srimad Bhagawad Gita contains great lessons on Leadership, Self-Management, Austerity, Code of Conduct, Yogas and so much more to list down! I believe, it has its application in any field under the sun. The Gita is for those who look for adopting a pragmatic approach to life. While continuing to do what one is, he still manages to find happiness, which is but, a state of mind. Likewise, the whole of the Mahabharatha consists of great lessons on 'dos' and 'donts' and getting acquainted with the higher order of life. In my opinion, the text, through its narration, alludes to the things one needs to keep from doing in order to avoid failure or catastrophe rather than explicitly saying otherwise, with the exception of the Gita.

In the following blogs, I shall write about my interpretations of some excerpts from the Mahaharatha, relating them to our lives today and also how they can be applied in our lives to achieve a better purpose.