Vedic Mythology - Hardcover

Arthur Anthony Macdonell

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Hardcover

ISBN 10: 8120811135 ISBN 13: 9788120811133

Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass, 2015

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Religion in its widest sense includes on the one hand the conception which men entertain of the divine or supernatural powers and, on the other, that sense of the dependence of human welfare on those powers which finds its expression in various forms of worship. Mythology is connected with the former side of religion as furnishing the whole body of myths or stories which are told about gods and heroes and which describe their character and origin, their actions and surroundings. Such myths have their source in the attempt of the human mind, in a primitive and unscientific age, to explain the various forces and phenomena of nature with which man is confronted. Vedic Mythology presents the earliest stage in the evolution of beliefs which constitute the source of religious concepts of the majority of Indian people. The book is divided into seven Chapters. Chapter I is intro-ductory. It deals primarily with the sources and traits of Vedic Mythology. Chapter II states the Vedic concepts of the world and its origin. Chapter III classifies deities into different categories: celestial, atmospheric, terrestrial, abstract, dual and tutelary. Chapter IV relates to mythical priests and heroes. Chapter V details the lower species, birds and animals as well as inanimate objects and describes their general traits. Chapter VI treats of aerial and terrestrial demons and fiends, asuras, pa is, raksasas,pisacas, etc. Chapter VII deals with heaven, hell, yama, pitrs and the life to come. Documented with Sanskrit and General Index, this work consti-tutes a valuable contribution in the field of Vedic mythology. VEDIC MYTHOLOGY presents the earliest stage in the evolution of beliefs which constitute the source of religious concepts of the majority of Indian people. The book is divided into seven Chapters. Chapter I is introductory. It deals primarily with the sources and traits of Vedic Mythology. Chapter II states the Vedic concepts of the world and its origin. Chapter III classifies deities into different categories: celestial, atmospheric, terrestrial, abstract, dual and tutelary. Chapter IV relates to mythical priests and heroes. Chapter V details the lower species, birds and animals as well as inanimate objects and describes their general traits. Chapter VI treats of aerial and terrestrial demons and fiends, asuras, panis, raksasas, pisacas, etc. Chapter VII deals with heaven, hell, yama, pitrs and the life to come. Documented with Sanskrit and General Index, this work constitutes a valuable contribution in the field of Vedic Mythology.

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Arthur Anthony Macdonell, M.A., Ph.D. (1854-1930), of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, was Boden Professor of Sanskrit and Fellow of Balliol.

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