Vedic Mythology

by Arthur Anthony MacDonell

1. INTRODUCTION. § l. Religion and mythology. - Religion in its widest sense includes on the one hand the conception which men entertain of the divine or supernatural powers and, on the other, that seme of the dependence of human welfare on those powers which finds its expression in various forms of worship. Mythofogy is connected with the former side of religion as furnishing the whole body of myths or stories which are told about gods and heroes and which describe their chaTacter and origin, their actions and surroundings. Such myths have their source in the attempt of the human mind, in a primitive and unscientific age, to explain the various forces and phenomena of nature with which man is confronted. They represent in fact the conjectural science of a primitive mental condition. For statements which to the highly civilised mind would be merely metaphorical, amount in that early stage to explanations of the phenomena observed. The inteltectual difficulties raised by t

Genres: Hinduism, Mythology

180 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1897

About the author

1854-1930

Reviews

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the first things that I realised after reading this book is, we, i.e. the ordinary Indians, know practically nothing about Vedic Mythology! In a country where logic is surpassed by faith and conviction (mostly misplaced) and where the Vedas are often taken to represent the cardinal truth, that's a truly sobering notion. But the truth is, our ideas regarding these deities and their activities come from the Puranas. Vedas, as I came to understand, are altogether different stuff.
The book under review is truly brilliant. It discusses the mythology without being too judgemental, while retaining the accuracy in depiction of the deities. We find the discussion under the following chapters:
1. Introduction
2. Vedic conceptions of the World and its Origin
3. The Vedic Gods
4. Mythical Priests and Heroes
5. Animals and Inanimate Objects
6. Demons and Fiends
7. Eschatology
With etymology, index and sources, this book is a proper treasure to be read and re-read.
Highly recommended.

[Rama Rao · Rating 5 out of 5]

The religion and mythology of RgVeda (Rig-Veda)

This is a scholarly work of Sanskrit scholar and Oxford University Professor A.A. MacDonell. In this book he examines the religion and mythology of RgVeda and describes methodically the origin of the concept of gods, and enumerates on Vedic cosmology and eschatology. The author gives a good introduction to the fundamentals of the Vedic religion and compares it with the Avesta mythology. He lucidly explains the general characteristics of Vedic Gods (and their classification) and spiritual evolution through the period of Brahmanas.

RgVeda is one of the ancient cultures of humanity which gave rise to the concept that the humans were created by the divine power. The sense that human’s existence and welfare depends on those powers made the Vedic Aryans feel the desire to worship gods in various natural forms. One of the most commonly evolved methods was to make offerings to the gods and perform sacrifices and follow certain ritualistic practices that became the part of the Vedic culture. In the evolution of faith and the belief system, the interdependence of gods in protecting the universe was essential. The Vedic tradition also provided for the existence of forces that are disruptive to the rule of gods. Hence, according to the Vedic literature gods had to engage these destructive forces, called rakshas, in constant battles to preserve the divine order and bring peace to the world he loves so dearly. Vedic gods were friends and guardians of honesty and righteousness, and morality in general. They are upholders of the moral law. Gods are angry with evil-doers, but they are also forgiving. Agni is supposed to free us from sin; Varuna and Indra are punishers of sin, and so on.

Nature became the major form of Vedic worship. Earth, mountain, river, plant, air, sky, sun, wind, fire, cow, horse and other animals became symbols of divine power. In some verses gods are described as human beings with supernatural powers and the difference being that gods are immortal. The ancient Vedic interpreter Yaksha (Nirukta 7:4) states that the Vedic deities are not necessarily anthropomorphic as we observe in the case of earth, sun, wind or water.

The author has a given a brief description and discussed the nature of several RgVedic gods in categories; Celestial gods (Varuna, Mitra, Surya, Vishnu, etc.); Atmospheric gods (Indra, Rudra, The Maruts, etc.); Terrestrial gods (Agni, Prithvi, rivers (Sarasvati), Soma, etc.); Abstract gods (Prajapathi, Aditi, etc.); Mythical priests and heroes (Manu, Bhrgu, Angirases, etc.); animals and inanimate objects (horse, bull, cow, goat, birds, serpent, etc.); and finally demons, rakshas and fiends (Vrtra, Vala, Asuras, Panis, Dasas, etc.)

This is by no means an exhaustive work but an excellent introductory book to understand the religion of RgVeda from one of the leading Sanskrit scholars of nineteenth century. For a more in depth study, I recommend “The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads” (2 Vols) by Arthur Berriedale Keith.

[Ryan Schaller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is 125+ years old at this point and it shows its age; however, I've had trouble finding anything more recent that is highly reviewed. I struggled between giving these 3 and 4 stars because it does have issues, but it still may be more useful than other alternatives.

Many of the entries in this book are long lists of quoted descriptions of the traits and attributes of various Vedic figures. With MacDonell's citations to specific Vedic sources, the book can still serve as a useful reference if you're trying to locate a specific hymn that talks about a certain aspect of a god. This may be the book's lasting value.

If you already own a scholarly copy of the Rigveda, there's a chance that the introductory materials may give you a more comprehensive and contemporary analysis of the Vedic figures.