In Search of Eternity Myths of Creation and Afterlife

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The basic question that poses in ancient mythologies all the world over is the creation of the universe and together with it, the speculation about man's afterlife, he being 'the best creation'. Ideas about the creation of the world have varied in mythologies, including those of the tribal ones. The tribal accounts of creation, despite taking the sap from the bigger mythologies, display unparalleled freshness. The myths of creation indicate, the coming from Eternity, and the myths of the afterlife going to Eternity, seen as the common tie between the two. The present book takes the readers on this search for Eternity, which has remained an urge from ancient times.

Dr. (Mrs.) Sindhu Sadashiv Dange had been R. G. Bhandarkar Professor and Head, Department of Sanskrit, University of Mumbai. She has several books and over 170 research articles to her credit. Well-known in India for her contribution to the field of Sanskrit, she has been the recipient of many honours, to mention a few, the Certificate of Honour from the President of India (2005), an Honorary Fellowship awarded by the Asiatic Society of Mumbai (2017), the Degree of Mahamahopadhyaya conferred by the Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Ramtek (2013), Silver Medal from the Asiatic Society of Mumbai (2005 for the publications, as sole author, of the years 2003- 2005), and Shri Guru Gangeshvarananda Rashtriya Veda-Vedanga Puraskara by Sarada Pratisthan, Nasik (2004).

I am glad to present to the readers the long-cherished dream of mine to write on a mythological topic. The Post-graduate Diploma Course in Comparative Mythology was started in the Department of Sanskrit, University of Mumbai during my Headship (1984-1997), as per my proposal to the University. To my knowledge, up to recent times, there is no such course in any Indian University. The response of students for this course has remained amazing to this day.

It is beyond words to express the support given and the help rendered by my husband (late) Dr. Sadashiv A. Dange, former R.G. Bhandarkar Professor and Head, Department of Sanskrit, University of Mumbai, while conducting the course. His book Towards Understanding Hindu Myths (Aryan Books International, New Delhi, 1996) has been a great help to our students of Comparative Mythology Course.

The basic question which poses in ancient mythologies all the world over is the Creation of the Universe and together with it the speculation about the after-life, of 'man', he being 'the best creation'. Creation of the Universe has always been a subject of curiosity, mixed with a feeling of wonder for this great exploit of God. As the Vedic text Atharvaveda says-"Look at this great exploit (kāvyam) of the God, which has never died, nor will it turn old" (AV X.8.32a). This is obviously the world, coming from Eternity. The study of the myths of 'Creation and After-life' is just for this Eternity.

Ideas about the creation of the world have been varied in mythologies, including the tribal ones, for the people are naturally influenced by their respective immediate environment. This environment created by the two rivers-Tigris and Euphrates-or the great river Nile or the vast ocean, at times serves as the basis of the Creation accounts, while there are certain points, which commonly occur in such accounts. The tribal accounts of Creation, in spite of taking the sap from the bigger mythologies, display unparalleled freshness in treating the topic.

My sense of gratitude for the scholars, whose works were of great help to me, though some Vedic-Hindu myths required more probe.

My thanks to Dr. B.L. Lokeshwar, my son-in-law, who has always been glad to make available to me the rare books on mythology. For knowing the history of Mexico and the Aztec mythology, the book-The Conquest of New Spain-by Bernal Díaz, translated with an introduction by J.M. Cohen, and for reading the 'tribal mind, the book-500 Nations (An Illustrated History of North American Indians), have been my choicest treasure, gifted by him.

My brother Dr. A.G. Page and my sister-in-law (Mrs) Veena A. Page, in their visit to New Zealand brought for me the recent books on Maori mythology and culture, which otherwise would have been inaccessible to me. I am thankful to them.

With the word 'story' or 'tale' (katha), our mind goes to Shantiniketan and to the great poet Dr. Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). His story of a child ("Tell me a story") translated by Bhabani Bhattacharya from Bengali, points out the exact significance of 'story' in man's life. The story in short runs as follows-on the loving insistent demand of a small child, "Tell me a story, the grandmother starts telling the story of a prince and his friend the minister's son. And there comes the school-master, dinning in the child's ears-three times four make twelve. Repeat and mug up." But these words fail to impress the child, for his mind has already flown away to that distant land, where the prince has killed the demon and no arithmetic has wings to fly there. The well-wishers say that the child is totally spoiled and rod is the only remedy for him. Years roll on from primary to high school and then to college. But nothing can stop the demand of the child for a story. Tagore tells further that all over the world, in every house, stories pile up from year to year, in writing or by word of mouth and they outweigh every other heritage of man. In fact, to compose stories has been a hobby of the Creator himself, says Tagore. Thus, the Creator first laid his hands on the five great elements to build out of them. Then came the beginnings of life-grass and trees, birds and beasts and fishes. And one day, after many ages, the Creator made man and began to unfold the human soul through fiction. Man's life moved through varied story materials. As a river is a running stream of water, so is man a running stream of fiction.

Thus 'story' or 'tale' (in English) or 'kathā' or 'kahānī (in Indian languages) holds a unique place in the life of man. And there are several types of tale such as fable (beast-tale), parable (didactic tale), allegory (metaphorical tale), legend (tale having some historical basis), purely historical tale, fiction (purely imaginary tale), folktale (tale coming from folks and travelled by word of mouth) and myth. Myth, though a tale, stands apart from all these types, because of its innate nature.

Several scholars have laid their hands on defining the terms 'myth' and 'mythology' and have tried to arrive at the final system for the interpretation of myths. But there is no such definite system, for as pointed out by Joseph Campbell, mythology is like the god Proteus, an ancient Greek Sea-god, who assumed many shapes to evade having to foretell the future. This wily god never discloses even to the skilful questioner the whole content of his wisdom. He will reply only to the question put to him, and what he discloses will be great or trivial, according to the question asked (Joseph Campbell, 1973 (1949), p. 381).