The Inherent Meaning of Mythology

By Pradip Kumar Ray

In Manusamhita Arthashastra the Puranas are treated with reverence and placed on par with the Vedas. Even in modern times, the importance of mythology has not diminished. For research on sociology, theology, philosophy, ethics, we have to look to Purana. Purana is a text not only for research but also for theatrical practice. As a result of various setbacks of Indian culture over the ages, the foundations of Indian culture have been strengthened by Purnyashari rituals, behavior, beliefs and life consciousness. Emancipation from the cycle of birth and death is the main theme of Indian philosophy. The only path to liberation is the path of devotion. This Bhaktibhava is briefly stated in the Gita and elaborated in the Puranas. Mythological stories are created to teach people about various things, to create awareness and maintain social order, above all for the welfare of people.

 

In such a situation, the author's own ideas, the interest to know various unknowns, and the interpretation of various learned people are gathered together for the entertainment and awareness of the readers; I think that the effort will be successful.

• Language: English
• Publisher: PKRBUR PUBLISHER
• Release date: Apr 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224503780

Pradip Kumar Ray

The author decided to voluntarily retire from banking services after many years of service. At that time, he was posted as Chief Manager (Offing) in the Purshura Branch of SBI. At SBI, he worked in various assignments like Branch Manager, HR Manager, Systems Manager, etc.  His first book "Prerana" was published in 2013. His various articles and essays have already been published in many widely circulated newspapers and magazines. I The educational qualifications of the author are B.Sc. (Hons. in Physics), M.Sc. (Computer Science), Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Application (PGDCA), Cisco Certified Network Associates-Global (CCNA), Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Banking (CAIIB). He has also done various certificate courses such as photo, video, and audio editing, animation, hardware, COBOL programming, Hindi Praggya courses, Cert. course from IRDA, etc. After retiring, the author worked with several academies in different parts of India as an expert instructor in "Banking" and also he continues his work on his YouTube channel, Facebook page, Website, Blog, Stock Photography, writing various articles, self-published his written books, Various types of internet-based work, etc. Some of the Books which are written by Authors have already been published (More than 95 books) and are available at different Online Outlets. 

Book preview

Chapter 1 - Introduction

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Myths are just that, stories that never happened in the real world. These stories are made to teach people about different things; For example, Aesop's fables, where animals talk like humans. Now if anyone really thinks that animals talk like humans, what can one say but stupid and ignorant? The end of all accumulation is destruction, the end of worldly progress is decline, the end of connection is subtraction, the end of life is death. How can happiness be obtained from that which is minus? The one who is connected is also deprived, enjoying the connection is the same thing, when you get respect you are satisfied, you get only pain when you are insulted.

Vedamurthy Sreenarayana descended on earth as Vyasa and divided the Chaturveda. Then Vyasadeva thought, those who are involved in pilgrimage, reading, those who are intelligent, devoted - they will gain liberation by grasping the meaning of the Vedas. What will happen to women, Shudras and less intelligent or who do not have time to read the Vedas or are not suitable for acquiring Vedartha knowledge? Thinking about all this, Vyasadev wrote the Mahabharata and the Puranas through stories, sermons, stories, etc., so that by understanding the Mahabharata, Purana, the less intelligent people, women, Shudras, etc. can overcome illusions and gain liberation/bhakti. And intelligent, rational, their Vyasadeva wrote the Brahmasutras in order to explain the metaphysics. Vyasadeva's purpose in writing these books was - renunciation, attachment to God and liberation.

In Manusamhita Arthashastra the Puranas are treated with reverence and placed on par with the Vedas. Even in modern times, the importance of mythology has not diminished. For research on sociology, theology, philosophy, ethics, we have to look to Purana. Purana is a text not only for research but also for theatrical practice. As a result of various setbacks of Indian culture over the ages, the foundations of Indian culture have been strengthened by Purnyashari rituals, behavior, beliefs and life consciousness. Emancipation from the cycle of birth and death is the main theme of Indian philosophy. The only path to liberation is the path of devotion. This Bhaktibhava is briefly stated in the Gita and elaborated in the Puranas. Mythological stories are created to teach people about various things, to create awareness and maintain social order, above all for the welfare of people.

Chapter 2 - Signs of Religion and the Righteous

1. Most people think that religion is just a set of beliefs and practices.

2. According to atheists, religion is an old thing, which teaches only superstition and superstition. Whatever is bad or its origin from religion!

Now we will see what religion actually means! Dharma is a Sanskrit word, derived from the Sanskrit dhatu 'dhru', meaning to possess. That is, the object that has the characteristics is the religion of that object. For example: the religion of fire is heat, the religion of ice is cold etc. Similarly, the religion of man is humanity. Is there any superstition in this humanity? Not in reality. Kanada Muni in Vaisheshika_Darshan defines religion as, 'Yato abhyudaya nishreyassiddhih sa dharma' - Vaisheshika Philosophy 1st Chapter, 1st Ahnik, 2nd Sutra i.e. that which leads to proper progress and ultimate welfare is Dharma. Then you can see that by which not only our progress but also the welfare of the world lies, that is religion. Religion is not a set of beliefs, superstitions or superstitions. Now if we look at the signs of religion it will be more clear.

In Manusamhita Chapter 6, Verse 92, the signs of religion are described as follows-

Dhrithi: kshama damosteyong shoucham indriyanigraha. dhirvidya satyamkrodho dasakong dharma laksamnam. That is, 1. Dhritti (being satisfied with what you get and always being patient), 2. Forgiveness, 3. Dum (self control i.e. controlling yourself from pride), 4. Asteya (immoral things i.e. deception, hypocrisy, betrayal etc.) ), 5. Shuchita (being physically and mentally pure and clean at all times), 6. Indriya Nigraha (preventing the body's senses from greedy objects), 7. Dhi (drugs and other mind-destroying substances, vices, laziness and 8. Vidya (acquiring correct knowledge in all matters), 9. Honesty (thinking the substance as it is, speaking as it is and doing as it is), 10. Akhrodha (peace by abandoning anger or anger). taking qualities etc.). These ten are signs of religion.

Got any superstitions or superstitions here? Rather, if you acquire these ten signs, you will become a real person. Only then will you and the world achieve ultimate welfare and prosperity. So those who blame religion until they wake up and go to sleep really do not know what religion is and what are its signs! So I say first know the religion. Without religion, the welfare or development of this world is not possible. Because whatever good is done by people in this world is basically the religion of those people.

Why so many religions in the world?

Although there are many religions practiced in the world under many names, a careful review of the basic tenets of each religion reveals that the religion is essentially one. Killing is prohibited in all religions of the world, lying, stealing, illicit intercourse are described as sins, there is an afterlife, in the afterlife there is a system of judgment as a result of our actions, God is watching everyone's actions, the world is eternal, the divine name of God is chanted. One can be loved by God, God is one and He is omnipotent, He has many names etc. There is no difference between any religion and any other religion. Yet there are different religions by different names because the merits of all recipients are not the same. All religions have been propagated in the world by God himself or by one of his messengers. So no religion is inferior. But according to place, time and potra, the esoteric matters of religion are discussed very generally in some religions, and in other religions in great detail. Since behavioral differences are observed due to the influence of various qualities like human characteristics, mentality, lack of knowledge like understanding of advanced philosophy, etc., God has introduced religions by different names for the religious behavior of all.

A first or second grade student's knowledge of mathematics is not the same as those who study higher mathematics. For example, if a question is asked how many numbers are there between 1 and 10, the usual answer is 8. But a superior mathematician will find many numbers in between. eg ¹ ½, ² ¼ are thus numerous. So it appears that not everyone has the same capacity. What is true for a first class student is seen differently for a higher class student.

In the field of religion also for this reason different religions have been introduced for different classes of people. Evangelists only reveal as much as their listeners are able to absorb. But the principles are all the same. All are children of God, so God gives opportunity to all so that they can gradually return to God.

A review of the history of Islam shows that this religion was propagated 1300 years ago in the desert region of Arabia. People of that time worshiped various idols. There were numerous sects centered around the worship of this idol. And because of the various differences between each community, the conflict continued forever. Due to the importance of everyone's own opinion, wars on religion, death of many people, riots and anarchy in the society continued. In such a situation, peace among the people was highly expected.

It was at that time that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the messenger of God, preached Islam as a religion of peace and called God formless. Because otherwise the dispute over idol worship could not be removed. Since God is omnipotent, He can also be formless. But the main meaning of saying this is that God does not have physical form like us. But at the end of the Qur'an, the main scripture of Islam, some descriptions of God's form are given. It has been foretold in the Vedas that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would come and preach this religion. Atharva Veda, Kanda-20, Sukta-127, Mantra-1-3.

Christianity was spread about 2000 years ago. The Bible, the main scripture of this religion, says do not kill. This is the kind of advice that killers need. They even killed the preacher of this religion, Jesus Christ. If the advanced philosophy of religion were propagated among this class of people, they would have remained ungodly forever instead of following it.

So God has given religion advice differently for people of this level so that they can go to a slightly higher level and understand the main purpose of religion. Jesus Christ is described in Bhavisya Purana. Buddhism was introduced 2500 years ago. At that time a class of people used to kill animals indiscriminately for the sake of Vedas. To control this situation, Buddha preached non-violence as the supreme religion. This is also described in Srimad Bhagavatam 1/3/4.

There is no history of when Sanatan Dharma was introduced. This is Nitya Dharma. It is not exclusively prescribed for any sect or any nation. It is for all people. Service to God, returning to God is the organic religion of every living being.

So no matter what religion a person follows, if he loves God, surrenders to God and prays for mercy, remembers God as the only benevolent one, respects every living being as related to God, serves those who are devotees of this form of God. But he follows all the principles of religion and is the best religious person. God will take him back to his eternal abode. If there is no self-interest in worshiping God, if devotion is not hindered by any worldly reason, then this form of dharma is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as the best dharma.

10 prophecies of ancient Hindu scriptures that have been proven true-

Purana was composed about 1500 years ago. This Purana talks a lot about how Kali Yuga will be. According to Hindu scriptures, Kali Yuga is going on now. Bhagavata Purana is one of the eighteenth Puranas of Hinduism. This Purana talks a lot about how Kali Yuga will be. Many of these predictions of the Bhagavata about the Kali Yuga seem to be true if we look at the present time . Here are some such predictions -

1. Dharma, truthfulness, tolerance, kindness—all these will disappear from the heart of man in Kali Yuga. (Shrimad-Bhagavatam, 12.2.1.)

2. In the Kali Yuga, money will become the sole determinant of a person's social status. (Shrimad-Bhagavatam, 12.2.2.)

3. Femininity of women and masculinity of men will be determined in Kali Yuga on the basis of sexual ability. (Shrimad-Bhagavatam, 12.2.3.)

4. A person's spiritual position will depend on some external ritual judgement. (Shrimad-Bhagavat, 12.2.4.)

5. Poor people will be considered impure, and modesty will be considered a virtue. (Shrimad-Bhagavat, 12.2.5.)

6. The only goal of religious practice will be to gain social reputation. (Shrimad-Bhagavat, 12.2.6.)

7. Only the worst of corrupt people will gain political power. (Shrimad-Bhagavatam, 12.2.7.)

8. People will suffer from drought. (Shrimad-Bhagavat, 12.2.8.)

9. People's lives will become oppressive due to excessive heat or excessive cold and plagues of diseases, disorders and mental disturbances. (Shrimad-Bhagavat, 12.2.9.)

10. Unscrupulous people will earn money in Kali Yuga by pretending to be righteous. (Shrimad-Bhagavat, 12.2.38.)

Let's see what religion says about human food and bad food.

Lord Krishna says in 3/13 of Gita - Yagnyashishtashinah santo muchyante sarvakilvishaih, bhunjate te tghang papa je pachantyatakanaranat. That is, the devotees of God are freed from all sins, because they take Annadi with Yajna. Those who are only selfish and eat food for the gratification of their senses eat only sin, and those who eat various delicacies for their self-gratification are called thieves in the scriptures. It is also said in the Vedas – Aharshuddhau Sattshuddhi: Sattvashuddhau Dhruba Smriti: Smritalambhe Sarvagranthinang Bripamoksha". That is, by performing the Yajna, the foodstuff is purified and by eating it, the being is purified.

By purifying the being, the memory is purified and then he finds the path to salvation. That is, if we don't want to sin, if we don't want to become a thief, then we have to offer food to Lord Krishna. In the verses of the Gita, Lord Krishna says - Patrang pushpong phalang toong yo me bhaktya prayachchati, tadhang bhaktyupahvatamshnami prayatatmanah. 9/26 That is, the pure-hearted devotee who offers me leaves, flowers, fruits and water with devotion, I accept his devotional gifts with love. If one thinks that fish, meat, egg, raw material can be offered to God, it will be completely wrong. The Supreme Lord Krishna has forbidden such arbitrariness in the Gita by verse 9/26.

Food or foodstuff Trigunatmika ie, Rajguna's food or foodstuff is fish, meat, onion, egg, garlic etc. Tamogun's is rotten food, dry food, liquor, gazza etc. Sattguna is vegetarian, vegetables, fruits, grains, milk or milk products etc. Above this trigunatmika food is the non-gunatit food. And innumerable food is the enjoyment offered to the Lord, which is the favorite Mahaprasad of the pure devotee of the Lord. That is why Lord Krishna said to Arjuna, O Arjuna, you rise above this triguna, become innumerable. Now judge what you will eat, if we do that then stupid dumb animals will be saved.

Why do we do vegetarian bhajan? Is there a scientific reason for it?

It speaks to the diversity of living species and the complex ecosystems they inhabit. From very arid deserts to tropical rain forests, from ice-covered mountains to deep oceans, various species of living organisms have been living without disturbing the natural balance despite the diversity of colors, shapes, sizes etc. According to American biologist E. A. Norse (EANorse) and his colleagues, biodiversity is the diversity of all types of organisms and plants in all environments, water and land. 50 million species of animals and plants live in one part of the 10 billionth part of the world. As usual, I can understand that there are more harm than good in non-vegetarian diet. In fact, its proof matches However, God says that killing living beings or consuming gluttonous food is a sin only in the case of human beings Not for animals and animals, it is clearly stated. Veda—Jivasya Jivasmritam" means that one living being will accept another living being as food. The main reason for saying this is, why are we suffering, dying from diseases and epidemics? There is only one reason, it is due to sin due to uncontrollable Chinese food habits and activities, we all have to suffer it, the proof of it is Corona virus. If we had followed the path shown by God, maybe we would have survived such an epidemic.

Who is the founder of Hinduism?

Although the word founder is in the question, it would actually be promoter; Because the founder is an institute or organization, and the promoter is an opinion or path, true religion has none of these; Because, when nature creates or has made anything, it has created or made it by adding its rules of operation, then there is no need to add anything else to it. If you read this post of mine you will understand all these things slowly.

Like Nanda Gopal Sarkar, I too was speechless when I heard this question from a Muslim in Class Seven Eight. I also had a question in my mind, who is really the promoter of Hinduism? Because, until then, I did not know the details about all religions, but I knew that the founder of Islam was Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Christianity was Jesus Christ, the founder of Buddhism, Gautama Buddha, the founder of Judaism before him, but who is the founder of Hinduism? This question came to a small Hindu boy and girl that everyone has a father but why not his father? But it is a matter of deep thought and even deeper frustration for those who do not have the answers to these questions in adulthood.

For a child or a boy to live with dignity in the society, just as his father's identity is important, because everyone has a father, so he also wants to have a father, so there are promoters of all religions, like children or boys and