If you’re a fan of mythology I’m sure you’ve already figured out what this article is about.
For millennia humans have followed different cultures and have practiced diverse religions. However, whichever the culture it might be and how different they may seem from the other, there are always some similarities that make us wonder if all the cultures are branches of the same tree. The question of origin of life and the existence of Gods has dumbfounded the scholars, researchers, philosophers and scientists for ages.
In this list we’re going to compare 10 Greek Gods and/or heroes with their best possible match from Indian mythology. Some of the comparisons indicate towards a parallelism between the two cultures, while other comparisons hint towards a direct collaboration/inoculation of the deities/heroes from one culture to another. No matter the thousands of miles’ distance between the two, the parallelism is certainly striking and some fuel to the thoughts.
Eros and Kamadeva
In a similar manner, Indian mythology also has a position for a love god taken by Kamadeva2. Kamadeva is known by several other names including Manmathudu, Madan, Ratikanta amongst others. Kamadeva, like Eros, is also known to be carrying a bow made of Sugarcane and arrows of flowers. He shoots humans using this bow to intoxicate them with love. The Indian God of love is either shown as a young, handsome male with wings, or flying on the back of a parrot.
Hermes and Narada
Though, Hermes is attributed with many departments to control, but he is commonly known as the God of messengers, travels, mischiefs and thieves3. Hermes is known to travel distant places in quick times and show up almost anywhere4. He often plays tricks on others either for his own entertainment or as part of a bigger plan which in the end help humanity. Hermes is also said to have invented astronomy and music among other skills. Also, there’s a famous story according to which Hermes invented a string instrument called Lyre to quench Apollo’s anger.
When we take a look at Narada from Indian mythology, he is not much different from Hermes. In Indian mythology Narada is considered as the first Indian postman/journalist/messenger. He can never contain secrets, thus is known to spread news from one place to another5. Like Hermes, he also plays tricks on others triggering a bigger event making his role significant in a great many Indian stories. Also, he is known to travel real fast and show up almost anywhere. In a manner similar to Hermes, Narada was proficient in music and invented musical instrument called Vina. He was also a seer.
Heracles and Krishna/Balarama
In the book Indika by Megasthenes, he wrote that an Indian tribe Sourasenoi worshipped Herakles in their land with two great cities Methora and Kleisobora, around the river Jobares. Herakles here clearly refers to Hari Krishna, who was born in Mathura (Methora). Kleisobora and Jobares may correspond to Krishna Pura and Yamuna respectively.
Moreover Balarama in Hindi refers to one with enormous strength. Similarly Hercules also refers to great strength.
Now, let’s compare the events from their lives. Although there may not be direct correspondence, we can find symbolic resemblance7.
- Hera sent poisonous snake to kill Heracles when he was a child but Hercules killed them. Also, Hera unknowingly tried to breast feed Hercules, but as soon she knew of his identity she withdrew. On the other hand, a demon Putana was sent by Kamsa to kill Krishna. Putna tried to breastfeed him by poisonous breasts, but was killed by Krishna.
- Heracles defeated Hydra (second labor), a serpent with multiple heads. Similarly Krishna defeated Kaliya Nag, also a serpent with multiple heads.
- Heracles killed man-eating Stymphalian birds with bronze beaks (sixth labor), very similar to Krishna killing Bakasura, a man-eating crane with sharp beaks.
- Hercules wrestled and captured Cretan Bull, whereas Krishna wrestled and killed a demon called Arishta who attacked Vrindavan in the form of a monstrous bull.
- Hercules in his eighth labor captured man-eating Mares of Diomedes, which is a little similar to the legend of Krishna defeating a demon Kesi, who took the form of fire breathing horse.
- Hercules killed earth-born giant Antaeus by holding him in air and squeezing the breath out of him. Krishna also killed a demon Trinavarta by strangling him to death while in air.
Apollo/Helios and Surya
In Indian mythology God of Sun is known as Surya. Surya is also known by other names like Aditya or Bhanu. In a manner similar to Helios or Apollo, Surya is also known to ride a flying chariot with seven horses12.
Since Surya is not associated with music or prophesies like Apollo, it would be safer to compare Surya with Helios than Apollo, who is the Titan god of Sun.
Athena and Saraswati
However, what separates them both is that being a goddess of war, Athena is sometimes shown carrying weapons and her shield Aegis. On the other hand Saraswati is shown carrying a book, mala (rosary), water pot and veena (a musical instrument) in her fours hands.
Hades and Yamaraj
Hades is the master of Cerberus (three-headed dog18 who guards the entrance of Underworld, while the gates of Yamaraj’s abode – Naraka are guarded by two insatiable dogs with four eyes and wide nostrils19. Next interesting thing is that Hades is also called as Pluto20, especially by the Romans, which is also the name of a planet. The planet Pluto is called Yama in Hindi21. So, even miles apart both cultures named a planet after the similar Gods, a little strange, isn’t it?
Achilles and Bhisma
Now, the tale of birth of both of them is quite similar too. Thetis had six sons prior to Achilles, and while in her attempt to make them immortal she burned them in fire. In the case of Achilles, Peleus arrived in time and saved him by holding him from heel. Thus Achilles lived and got invulnerability except for the heel. However, another version of the story says that Thetis dipped Achilles in River Styx to make him immortal24. Peleus left Thetis after knowing her doings.
Similarly, Ganga dipped all her children prior to Bhisma25. Ganga had forced Shantanu to take a vow that he would never question his actions. When she was about to dip Bhisma, Shantanu stopped her from doing so. She left Shantanu as he had broken the vow.
Later in his life Bhisma gained a blessing from his father (for giving up his claim to throne so that his step brothers can take up the throne) that he could only die when he wished to die26, thus making him invulnerable like Achilles was.
Despite both of them being nearly invulnerable they died as heroes in the respective wars.
Poseidon and Varuna
Zeus and Indra
Another conspicuous similarity is their weapons. Zeus has a thunderbolt as his weapon. Indra has Vajra as his weapon32 which has the same power as thunderbolt.
Zeus is known for siring a lot of heroes from different mortal women, and also with different goddesses. And for that reason his wife Hera is jealous of him. Similarly, Indra is also known for his virility and has been unfaithful to his wife Indrani on several occasions32.
They both have their dwelling above mountains – Mount Olympus for Lord Zeus and Swarg above Mount Meru for Lord Indra.
Zeus parents are also Kronos and Rhea, like Poseidon while Indra’s parents are Kashyapa and Aditi like Varuna. Their parents can also be directly compared between the mythologies, hence making the evidence of parallelism stronger.
Rhea and Aditi
[su_note note_color=”#efefef”]Also read: 2 Greatest Human Inventions That Should Never Have Been: Religion And Politics[/su_note]
Refrences:
1 – http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Eros.html
2 – http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/hmvp/hmvp32.htm
3 – http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Hermes.html
4 – http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Hermes/hermes.html
5 – http://www.hindutemplesc.org/balagokulam/BGDownloads/Sage_Narada.pdf
6 – Page 5, http://books.google.co.in/books?id=0z02cZe8PU8C
7 – http://bibhudev.blogspot.in/2014/03/hercules-and-balarama-symbolic-and.html
8 – http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-gods/apollo/
9 – Page 120, http://books.google.co.in/books/about/Greek_Religion.html?id=sxurBtx6shoC
10 – Homeric Hymns, http://www.theoi.com/Text/HomericHymns1.html
11 – Homeric Hymns, http://www.theoi.com/Text/HomericHymns3.html
12 – Page 65, https://books.google.co.in/books?id=1iASyoae8cMC
13 – http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/athena.html
14 – http://www.koausa.org/Gods/God10.html
15 – http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/The_Myths/Birth_of_Athena/birth_of_athena.html
16 – http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Haides.html
17 – http://books.google.co.in/books?id=b7Meabtj8mcC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA171
18 – http://www.pantheon.org/articles/c/cerberus.html
19 – http://veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/dying.htm
20 – http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/roman_vs_greek.html
21 – http://blog.matrabhasha.com/2012/08/name-of-planets-graho-ke-naam.html
22 – http://www.mythindex.com/greek-mythology/A/Achilles.html
23 – http://creative.sulekha.com/birth-of-bhishma-story-from-mahabharata_67978_blog
24 – http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Sp-Tl/Thetis.html
25 – http://creative.sulekha.com/birth-of-bhishma-story-from-mahabharata_67978_blog
26 – http://books.google.co.in/books?id=bgHuDL0ONWEC&pg=PT88&dq=Iccha+mrityu&hl=en&sa=X&ei=7wMDU4DYLI-UhQewooDQCw
27- http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Poseidon.html
28 – http://hinduonline.co/HinduReligion/Gods/Varuna.html
29 – http://www.indianetzone.com/39/lord_varuna.htm
30 – http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Zeus/zeus.html
31 – http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/286640/Indra
32 – http://www.ancient.eu/Indra/
33 – http://www.theoi.com/Titan/TitanisRhea.html
34 – http://www.pitarau.com/nd/Girl/aditi
35 – http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/5981/Aditi
36 – http://www.hinduhumanrights.info/goddess-aditi-the-primal-creatix/