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Indian Mythology
By: Beant Gill, Pierce Han, Kavi Jivan, Ryan Troeschel, Aneesh Venkat
Creation
• All matter in the world is pure energy.
• A cosmic energy has created all matter present in the cosmos.
• Hinduism and Indian Mythology are interchangeable; they are a way of life for
adherents.
• Everything occurs in cycles. Instead of actual creation, Indian Mythology tells
of a Big Bang.
• In the Bhagavad Gita, the holy text of Hindus (written around 2500 BC) tells of
an expansion (lasting 4.3 billion years) and a retraction lasting another (4.3
billion years).
Creation
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1 human year = 1 Deva (angel) day
12,000 Deva Years = 1 Chatur Yuga
1,000 Chatur Yugas = Brahma’s (Creator) Day
1,000 Chatur Yugas = Brahma’s Night
Each of Lord Brahma’s days is an expansion, while the night is a contraction. In his wink occurs the Big Bang.
According to Lunar and Solar position, the Bhagavad-Gita from around 4500 years ago states that Big Bang
occurs every 8.6 billion years. NASA’s JPL states that this time period is estimated to be 8.8 billion years.
Creation
• Indian Mythology tells of evolution, but not the spontaneous generation of
beings on the earth. The same cosmic energy that is within the cosmos is also
within all beings of the world (we all have God inside of us, therefore all life is
equal). The Dasha Avatar, or many incarnations of Lord Vishnu show of
evolution on earth. From a fish (simple creature of the sea), Lord Vishnu later
incarnates as a turtle (amphibious). After this Lord Vishnu incarnates as a boar,
then a half-man/half-lion, then a dwarf.
Creation
• Following this, Lord Vishnu incarnates as a man who does not know he has God
within him (he is not enlightened, like us humans today). Then Lord Vishnu comes
back as a savior who knows he is God (as Lord Krishna whose words make up the
Bhagavad-Gita). The last of Lord Vishnu’s Avatars has not come yet. In this Avatar,
he will come and cleanse the Earth of evil. Indian Mythology states that life on the
Earth closely parallels that of Vishnu: life started in the seas, and has evolved into
humans. We will soon realize that we have God within us.
Arrival of Evil
• Brahma is the god of creation.
• One KALPA (Day or Night of Brahma) corresponds to 4,320,000,000 earthly years.
Earthly time is divided in YUGA or Ages.
• TRETA-YUGA 3,600 years
• DWAPARA-YUGA 2,400 years
• KALI-YUGA 1,200 years
• TOTAL 12,000 years
• Each Yuga's length, decrease progressively in relation to moral and physical decadence
in each age.
Arrival of Evil
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Each Yuga's length, decrease progressively in relation to moral and physical decadence in each age. Throughout
the SATYA Yuga virtue prevails and evil is unknown; in the TRETA Yuga virtue falls by a fourth; in the
DWAPARA Yuga virtue has diminished by half; in the KALI Yuga, the current age, only a fourth of virtue
remains. This is the evil period, which will later be cleansed by Lord Vishnu in his 10th Avatar. He will make
the world a virtuous place again.
Death and Destruction
• Shiva is the destroyer of the universe and part of the Hindu Trinity.
• Shiva is the lord of the cosmos; he is infinite.
Death and Destruction
• Yama is the god of death and is the lord of the infernal regions visited by man after
cessation of life.
• As being the judge of the dead, he is said to hold a court, in which he is the presiding
officer.
• He has another small god to assist him, who is called CHITRAGUPTA.
• Chitragupta is supposed to keep an account of the actions of men.
• If the actions of the deceased in his lifetime have been wicked, he is sent to suffer in a
particular part of hell, while a man with noble deeds is sent to a part of heaven. Following
this is the cycle of reincarntion.
Death and Destruction
• Yama symbolizes death in Hinduism. He carries the soul to where it is judges
as to what circumstances an individual will have go through in their next life
(Karma)
• In truth, Indian Mythology does not tell of one period of death and destruction,
all processes go in cycles.