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History 8 India Ancient India Workbook

17. From the hymn shown here, what sort of god do you think Indra was supposed to be? What attitude towards the god does this hymn take?

-The hymn shown portrays Indra as a powerful god of creation, life and war in addition to the king of the other gods. The hymns shows Indra as a powerful god of many things, but the The hymn shows Indra as the king of the gods by the fact that it states he strove to protect the gods with his strength.(CF Manual 173) Furthermore, the hymn states Indra was, "The one who made the firm quaking earth; the one who made fast the shaken mountains; the one who measured out wide the atmosphere; the one who propped up heaven..."(CF Manual 173) This illustrates Indras as making the earth, the mountains, the atmosphere, and the heavens, all of which imply he is a god of creation. Furthermore, the hymn states that Indra was the one who made all things here moving, suggesting not only him as a god of creation, but as a god of life.(Cf Manual 173) Finally, the hymn states that Indra was a victor in battles and has taken the enemies possessions, revealing Indra as a warrior god in addition to a god of creation and life.(CF Manual 173) The hymn shown suggests that Indra was supposed to be a god of war, creation, life, and a generally powerful god. The hymn, however, leaves out a key fact that Indra is also a god of weather and rain, which is why the hymn shows the type of god Indra was supposed to be, a powerful god of war, creation, life, and the other gods.(Indra dictionary)

-This hymn also takes a respectful attitude towards the god Indra. The hymn portrays Indra as a mighty god responsible for the creation and life of all things through saying that he was responsible for the creation and life of all things.(CF Manual 173)

-Cf Manual 173 -http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/indra's Grayson Christ

18. Many Hindus today believe Indra to be one of several forms taken by the Hindu deity Shiva. A 12th century statue of Shiva is shown here. What ideas about Shiva or Hinduism in general do you get from the way this statue is designed?

The way this statue is designed reveals many ideas about Shiva and Hinduism. Shiva is the god of yogis, self control, and celibate, while at the same time a lover of his spouses. The four arms of Shiva in this statue show the idea of Shiva having many duties at once. It looks as though Shiva, in this statue, is dancing to music (coming out of his ears) while standing on an animal he has previously defeated. Shiva was believed to have been a very powerful god if he couldn't defeat living things. Also, he is depicted as a happy god because of his dancing and joyfulness. Hindu belief and practice can be divided into three major stages of development, and each stage has its own form or mode of spirituality. Of the three stages: the Vedic, Upanishadic, and Gita stage, this statue reveals the Gita stage. The Gita stage is theistic, communal, devotional, ethical, and it focused on average cast members. The statue shows the worship of one god, the emphasized love and devotion to this god, and shows that Shiva fulfilled his duties.

Bibliography:

-CF Manual 173

-http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses/shiva.htm

-http://www.world-religions-professor.com/hinduism-3-modes.html

Camille Dawson