There are, as it happens, multiple renditions of both the Trisiras slaying and the Vritra slaying to be found within the Vedic canon. And there are a few reasons for that. Partially it is the result of having multiple Rsis drawing from the underlying mytheme in order to evocatively express Their take on it. But … Continue reading ON THE INDO-EUROPEAN TYPOLOGY OF IOLAUS – THIRD DRAGONSLAYER Part Four – Ritual Renditions and Mythic Memorializations : The Underlying Yet Obscured Ritualine Sense Of The Myth
Hinduism
Durga Near Ghazni – A “Buddhist” Representation Afghanistan’s Hindu Past – Arte-Facts #10
Further art and artefact representation for Vijayadashami - a fragmentary Durga MahishasuraMardini depiction from Tapa Sardar in modern-day Afghanistan near Ghazni; then part of Zabul. Even though most of the statue is now missing (all that is blue or green in the reconstruction), it's still impressive! Especially considering that head, alone, is about 64 cm … Continue reading Durga Near Ghazni – A “Buddhist” Representation Afghanistan’s Hindu Past – Arte-Facts #10
Shaivite Coin Of Kushanshah Peroz II – A Hindu God In Hindu Garb – Arte-Facts #9
Every so often, we happen across an artefact that seems to demand its own commentary-piece - both because of its sheer visual or historic impressiveness, yet also because it illustrates something … indeed several somethings … quite important for our ongoing work. This fine coin of Peroz II, the King of the Kushano-Sasanians, is just … Continue reading Shaivite Coin Of Kushanshah Peroz II – A Hindu God In Hindu Garb – Arte-Facts #9
On The Misunderstanding Of Maya As Mere Mirage
An associate earlier this week made a remark about the concept of Maya - and the 'matronly' associations he'd felt for it, coming at it from a Buddhist context. Now, Maya is often misunderstood - in no small part because it's grown so hugely as a term over the millennia … so it seemed as … Continue reading On The Misunderstanding Of Maya As Mere Mirage
ON THE INDO-EUROPEAN TYPOLOGY OF IOLAUS – THIRD DRAGONSLAYER Part One – Indra And Iolaos : Hydras, Helpers, Heroes, Hercules
If you were to ask somebody the question "Who slayed Vritra", you would be presented with quite a simple answer. "I don't know, who's Vritra", probably. But for those even cursorily aware of the Indo-European mythology - more specifically its Vedic formulation - the reply would almost certainly come "Indra". And that is not (necessarily) … Continue reading ON THE INDO-EUROPEAN TYPOLOGY OF IOLAUS – THIRD DRAGONSLAYER Part One – Indra And Iolaos : Hydras, Helpers, Heroes, Hercules
The Divine Wrath Of Devi Dhari And The Salvation Of Shaivite Kedarnath [Incredible Indo-European Holy Sites Series Part II ]
Jai Mata Di ! Facing of the Dhari Devi (Kali) murti ['Living Image'] in Uttarakhand. Now, the Temple there is … interesting, because of what happened there in 2013. That year, Her Shrine was due to be relocated in order to make way for a hydroelectric dam - following a Supreme Court decision which overruled … Continue reading The Divine Wrath Of Devi Dhari And The Salvation Of Shaivite Kedarnath [Incredible Indo-European Holy Sites Series Part II ]
“I Bend the Bow for Rudra that His Arrow May Strike and Slay the Hater of Devotion” – On Ugra Manyu And Perhaps Angra Mainyu
[Author's Note: This continues our excerpts series from #MahaShivRatri And The Mytholinguistics Of War - The Mind, The Mania, The Manyu. In this extract, we take a look at what's probably one of the least surprising potential Zoroastrian literal-demonizations of a Vedic Deity - the War God charged with the protection of piety against 'the … Continue reading “I Bend the Bow for Rudra that His Arrow May Strike and Slay the Hater of Devotion” – On Ugra Manyu And Perhaps Angra Mainyu
On Svarog As Sky Father – The Indo-European Sky Father As Song-Smith Of The Cosmos
In many ways, the enigmatic figure of Svarog is emblematic of both the difficulties that we face when reconstructing Indo-European mythology … and also the marvelous enduring features that make it so easy - if you know where and how to look. I say "difficulties", because Svarog is a seriously under-directly-attested figure, even by the … Continue reading On Svarog As Sky Father – The Indo-European Sky Father As Song-Smith Of The Cosmos
On Disregarding The Puranic Mythology For Allegedly Denigrating Vedic Gods
Quite frequently, we hear it said that people may like Vedic religion, Vedic mythology - but they balk at the later developments upon same. Often because they claim that these subsequent scriptures "denigrate" various Vedic - and therefore Indo-European - Gods. I have already addressed elsewhere the arguments that the Puranas contain all manner of allegedly "non-Aryan" elements … Continue reading On Disregarding The Puranic Mythology For Allegedly Denigrating Vedic Gods
The Mantras Of ‘Ganesha Namah’ – A Techno-Theology Exegesis Of A Psytrance Track
Something I have neglected to do for a few observances over the past year or so … is TECHNO-THEOLOGY. In this instance, for Ganesh Chaturthi, Mumbai-based Shivadelic's 'Ganesha Namah'. Which is an absolutely excellent track in its own rite. Opens with an incorporation of first line of the Gayatri Mantra - ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः ; … Continue reading The Mantras Of ‘Ganesha Namah’ – A Techno-Theology Exegesis Of A Psytrance Track
arya-akasha 