large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb_90
large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb
English
12430
The earth is a goddess. The waters are goddesses. THE EARTH IS A GODDESS THE WATERSOR GODDESSES
ersensuous, moral conceptions that were connected with the former gradually faded from the minds of the people, and Varuna erelong became quite a subordinate figure in the Pantheon. [Sidenote: Number and relations of deities uncertain.] The deities are generally said in the Veda to be "thrice eleven" in number. We also hear of three thousand three hundred and thirty-nine. There is no _system_, no fixed order in the hierarchy; a deity who in one hymn is quite subordinate becomes in another supreme; almost every god becomes supreme in turn; in one hymn he is the son of some deity and in another that deity's father, and so (if logic ruled) his own grandfather. Every poet exalts his favorite god, till the mind becomes utterly bewildered in tracing the relationships. We have already spoken of Agni, Varuna, and Indra, as well as Soma. Next to these in importance may come the deities of light, namely, the sun, the dawn, and the two Asvina or beams that accompany the dawn. The winds come next. ARUNA WAS NOT INDEED DETHRONED BUT HE WAS OBSCURED BY THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE WARLIKE IBRA AND THE SUPERCENSUOUS MORAL CONCEPTIONS THAT WERE CONNECTED WITH THE FORMER GRADUALLY FADED FROM THE MINDS OF THE PEOPLE AND VARUNA ERE LONG BECAME QUITE A SUBORDINATE FIGURE IN THE PANTHEON THE DEITIES ARE GENERALLY SAID IN THE WAGA TO BE THRICE ELEVEN IN NUMBER WE ALSO HEAR OF THREE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED THIRTY NINE THERE IS NO SYSTEM NO FIXED ORDER IN THE HIERARCHY A DEITY WHO IN ONE HYMN IS QUITE SUBORDINATE BECOMES IN ANOTHER SUPREME ALMOST EVERY GOD BECOMES SUPREME IN TURN IN ONE HYMN HE IS THE SON OF SOME DEITY AND IN ANOTHER THAT DEITY'S FATHER AND SO HIS OWN GRANDFATHER EVERY POET EXALTS HIS FAVORITE GOD TILL THE MIND BECOMES UTTERLY BEWILDERED IN TRACING THE RELATIONSHIPS WE HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN OF AGNE VARUNA AND INDRA AS WELL AS SOMA NEXT TO THESE IN IMPORTANCE MAY COME THE DEITIES OF LIGHT NAMELY THE SUN THE DAWN AND THE TWO ASCINA OR BEAMS THAT ACCOMPANY THE DAWN THE WINDS COME NEXT
large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb.flac