Jeffrey Rable

Deven Patel
RELS 066 Hindu Mythology, Recitation Section 404
1 May 2016

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Jeffrey Rable

May 2, 2016

Hindu Creation Myths Over Time: Evolution and Implications

Mythology originated not only as a method of explaining natural phenomena like the
creation of the universe, but also as a method of reinforcing social norms and alleviating
existential anxieties. Even today, society struggles with the ideas of creation - we even argue
over what to teach our children in schools and whether or not certain ideas are appropriate. In
the Hindu mythological tradition, the sheer magnitude of the anxieties experienced by ancient
Hindu peoples shows through the number of different creation myths that pervade it.
Throughout the history of the religion, the creation of the world, the creation of all creatures
(including humans), and the creations of the gods have been written and described again and
again, through both alterations of existing stories and the creation of new ones. Through the
changes in these creation myths over time, one can also begin to see how the primary forms of
worship changed, how social norms progressed, and how the societys anxieties evolved.

The earliest myths in the Hindu tradition, those from the early Vedic texts such as the
Rig Veda, demonstrate a fairly simple worldview. In the story of Purusha, the cosmic man,
creation occurs through the primordial sacrifice of him the gods sacrificed the sacrifice to the
sacrifice. In this tale, a being of mysterious origins is sacrificed to create everything, ranging
from the gods and heavens to the earth and people. In some traditions, Purusha is regarded as
an ancient, powerful deity like Prajapati or Brahma, truly reflecting the idea of the gods
sacrificing the sacrifice to the sacrifice. (OFlaherty 10.90)
The story of Prajapati, the lord of the beasts, tells a similar creation myth (to the extent
where Thomas Trautmann actually equates Prajapati with Purusha). (Trautmann 33). However,
instead of Prajapati himself simply existing, the golden egg from which he arises has no origin
story. The Rig Veda, in this hymn, regards Prajapati as the ultimate origin of everything when
the hymn repeatedly and rhetorically asks, who should we worship with all our oblation? it
refers directly to him. Thus, while this myth fails to emphasize sacrifice, it does stress the
worship of the gods, which functions as a type of ritual act (OFlaherty 10.121)
Another creation myth in the Rig Veda revolves around Visvakarman, who acts as a
cosmic builder, a combination of architect, blacksmith, carpenter, potter and other productionbased classes. In his myth, Visvakarman creates the world by hand out of a mysterious cosmic
material of unknown origins, effectively sacrificing himself through his work, and thus, his
dharma. The author even asks, Do you sacrifice yourself for yourself? (Maurer 278).
Additionally, like the Prajapati myth, oblation plays an important role at one point, the author
declares that it makes Visvakarman strong. (Griffith 10.81)

In all these myths, the tension over the origin of the universe is palpable and reflects the
sacrificial worldview Vedic society possessed. The Purusha myth equates the creation of the
universe with the act of sacrifice itself, while the Prajapati myth repeatedly affirms that the
gods require worship (done through sacrificial rites). The Visvakarman tale again reaffirms both
these motifs, placing further emphasis on both ritual sacrifice and the worship of the gods.
These recurring themes serve to demonstrate the social values of the time both sacrifice and
ritual took on important roles in the social order and helped to reinforce the position of the
Brahmin caste. Furthermore, all three of these myths still leave unanswered questions
regarding the origin of the universe itself none of the myths actually state where Prajapatis
golden egg, Purusha, or Visvakarmans cosmic construction material came from.
This doubt about the creation of the universe extends not only throughout the myths
that explicitly explain creation, but also through the actual creation myth itself. Throughout the
entire creation myth of the Rig Veda, the author not only discusses the sheer blackness and
nothingness the existed before creation, but also emphasizes the existence of some potential
for being (which could be possibly be viewed as Purusha, the golden egg, or some other source
of creation). Ultimately, the myth closes with uncertainty and skepticism - the author states
that He who is highest in the heavens surely knows or perhaps He does not! emphasizing
that not even the gods may know the source of creation. (Maurer 284)
Though not explicitly a creation myth, the hymn in the Rig Veda that discusses Visnus
three great steps meting out the world could be viewed, in some ways, as a creation myth
demonstrating even further uncertainty in the Vedic worldview. Through his three great steps,
Visnu meters out the heavens, the earth, and the underworld, giving the gods, humans, and

asuras space to live and act in. (Griffith 12). In the words of Devdutt Pattanaik, The Vedic seers
saw Visnu as a life-bestowing, world-affirming sun-god, demonstrating the overall importance
of Visnu and this tale in the Vedas. (Vishnu: An Introduction 1). This simple myth, while
diverging from the previous three, adds an additional mechanism through which the world
came into existence and casts more doubt over the ultimate origins of the universe.
As time progressed, these creation myths continued to evolve with Hinduism. The
Upanishads introduced a new paradigm into Hinduism that of atman, the self, Brahman, the
universal self, and through the rectification of these two opposing ideas. However, at the same
time, these myths barely affected the existing creation myths, which continued to emphasize
concepts like Purusha. The primary change is that now, the myths elevated Purusha, Prajapati,
and Visvakarman to the level of Brahman, giving them a relation to the ultimate goal of all
beings.
Through the introduction of Brahman and Atman, one can begin to see the anxieties of
the culture evolve. Though the ritual order of the original Vedic mythology acted as an ultimate
life goal through which one attained heaven, the act of ritual sacrifice became progressively less
important. With the spread of the concepts of Brahman and atman, one now had to attain
some understanding of the ritual act in the larger scheme of the world. The Brhadaranyaka
Upanishad exemplifies this concept through the first part of its first chapter here, a horse
sacrifice acts as a metaphor for the creation of the universe. Rather than being a simple
sacrifice, however, it becomes a piece of contemplation, and thus an idea to meditate on.
This horse sacrifice can also be viewed as analogous to the sacrifice of Purusha, and thus
provides a new perspective on the existing mythos. (Krishnananda 36-43)

Additionally, the fourth Brahmana of the first chapter of the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad
begins to shed some light on the doubt over creation. Now, instead of the ultimate source of
creation being completely unknown, it becomes atman, an always-existing, ever persistent
substance. The Upanishad goes on to state that atman and Purusha are the same, and that
humanity views the source of creation as the gods solely because we lack the frame of
reference required to truly understand what the atman is (because it lacks relation to space,
time, and causality). Progressing forward, the chapter refers to Purusha as the god of creation,
further relating Purusha with Prajapati. Thus, the Upanishad offers some clarification on the
creation of the universe while simultaneously posing more philosophical questions, none of
which man can ever truly find the answer to. (Krishnananda 114-131)
Regardless, through the discussion of the creation of the universe through a Supreme
Being, the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad helps clarify, in some ways, how the general views of
Vedic society changed between the early days of the Rig Veda and the Upanishads. Firstly, the
Brhadaranyaka Upanishad heavily emphasizes the conscious acknowledgement of the sacrifice,
rather than just the act of sacrifice itself, demonstrating a subtle societal change. Additionally,
the Upanishad acts to provide some form of framework for the evolution of ones conscious
throughout life via Purusha. Purusha steadily gained self-awareness and self-consciousness, and
like Purusha, one should seek to understand atman and Brahman in the Upanishadic worldview.
Finally, we begin to see the Vedic pantheon evolving through the Upanishad, Purusha and
Prajapati are combined and equated with atman and Brahman as the source of everything.
Continuing forward in the Hindu tradition, one arrives at the Puranic texts. The Puranas
represent some of the greatest extensions of the Vedic lore, reducing the old pantheon in

power while strengthening Visnu, Siva, and Brahma, the latter two of whom have little
presence in the Vedas (Dimmit and van Buitenen). With the addition of these new gods, the
existing creation myths changed, adding in new aspects to them and changing the major
characters within them. On top of this, the Puranas introduced new creation myths, such as the
Churning of the Ocean tale, which explains the origins of the cosmos, as well as multiple myths
regarding the creation of man. Thus, the Puranas acted to diversify and solidify the act of
creation.
Firstly, the Puranas altered the Golden Egg creation myth. Instead of the original
creation of the universe occurring at the hands of a single Prajapati who deserves all of ones
oblation, it now occurs at the hands of a vast group of Prajapatis created by Brahma, the
creator god. Additionally, similar to the idea of the golden egg, Brahma simply exists rather
than arising out of nothing, he emerges from a sleeping state in his golden lotus (which one
could view as similar to the golden egg) and begins to create. As another extension to the
original idea of creation, this time, Brahma realizes he must create a feminine half to creation
as well, and thus creates the first woman, Usas, to allow the Prajapatis to produce the world.
Further enriching the creation myth, Usas, through the interference of Siva, becomes partner of
Brahma in creating the world, and together they become responsible for everything that is
everything ranging from the cosmos and the animals to the immutable laws of nature, such as
what one eats and death. Through the creation of death also comes the creation of rebirth and
Samsara, leading, in a sense, to additional cycles of creation mediated by Shiva and Visnu.
(Shiva: An Introduction 1-5)

The Visnu Puranas continue to add details and confound this originally simple myth by
adding even more details to the origins of Brahma. Now, instead of Brahma being eternal and
creating the earth upon the emergence from a deep slumber, Visnu now exists as the eternal
being to emerge from sleep. In this addition to the mythology, Visnu, during each pralaya, the
period of nothingness between the destruction and creation of the world, exits sleep and
Brahma emerges from a lotus from his navel. Then, Brahma, with the subtle influence of Visnu,
creates the world out of Visnus energy. In order to create the world, however, Brahma realizes
he needs a sacrifice, and Visnu accepts this task, being sacrificed through himself to himself by a
being that emanated from himself. Thus, in this story, Visnu takes on the ultimate cosmic role
of Purusha, further combining, altering, and extrapolating on the older Vedic myths. (Vishnu:
An Introduction 15).
Through the sheer amount of details added to the relatively simple Prajapati and
Purusha creation myths of the Vedas, one sense a feeling of unease among the society that
developed the stories. Through the extra details, one can sense a general need to solidify the
myths in an attempt to assuage anxieties over the general uncertainty of the concept of
creation, adding in details of what Brahma created and why it he created it, answering
questions left completely unanswered by the Vedas and partially unanswered by the
Upanishads. Additionally, these details further reinforce the changes being made the pantheon
of the gods. Now, through the overall evolution of the religion, Siva, Visnu, and Brahma take on
roles surpassing those of Prajapati, who becomes not one being but many, dividing up his
waning influence even further. Thus, the older Vedic gods, ranging from Prajapati to death,
become subservient to the wills of the new main triad of gods.

These myths also create extra space in the mythos for even more tales of creation.
Through the ideas of Samsara and Pralaya, the Puranas open up room in the mythology for an
infinite number of tales of both the creation and destruction of the universe, making the whole
idea of creation more of an eventuality than a spontaneous event.
With these details also comes the reinforcement of the Vedic social structure to some
extent. Visnu, as the great king, takes on an important sacrificial role, demonstrating the overall
importance of the king and other members of the rigid, hierarchical caste structure of the
Vedas. Though the importance of yajna, the sacrifice, faded over time, the overall importance
of the sacrifice as Visnus dharma emphasized the need for properly performing ones social
responsibilities.
Some of the other Vishnu creation tales continue to stress the overall importance of
dharma in the Hindu world order. The great flood myth of the Puranas, the tale of Manu and
Matsya, acts as an example of this. The story begins as the world nears the end of an age,
preceding the dissolution of a fragmented universe tainted by humanitys breaking of dharma.
At this time, Visnu comes in the form of a fish, Matsya, who, in return for saving him, assists
Manu in assembling a massive ship loaded with the seeds of all beings. Thus, shortly after,
when Siva destroys the world by unleashing the flood and plunging the universe into pralaya,
Manu, Matsya, and what they need to remake creation survives. After some other adventures,
including Matsyas recovery of the Vedas from beneath the ocean, Visnu comes in a new form,
recreating the world in a fresh, pure form. (Vishnu: An Introduction 12)

Similarly, Visnu takes multiple major roles in the churning of the ocean creation myth. In
this story, after the creation of the gods and asuras, the world exists in an otherwise empty
state. Upon wondering what to do, Visnu instructs them to churn the ocean using the
legendary Mount Meru, and, when they fail to recover it, ultimately ends up taking on the form
of the boar Emusha and digging it out for them. Additionally, after then forming the churn,
Visnu takes on the form of the turtle Kurma in order to support it, analogous to the turtle
supporting the world in Hindu cosmology. (Shiva: An Introduction 95). At this point, after the
churning begins, a destructive poison emerges, harming all the gods and asuras. Here, Siva
takes on the important role of Nilakantha and swallows the poison, sparing the other gods and
neutralizing it through his intense asceticism. (Shiva: An Introduction 51-52). Then, after this
point, creation begins to emerge from the ocean out comes the cosmos, the seasons, life, the
elements, the Goddess Lakshmi, and the rest of the world. (Vishnu: An Introduction 19)
In both these myths, Visnu takes on a central role in a creation myth that fits into the
Vedic mythology because of the addition of Samsara. Additionally, dharma plays a central role the breaking of dharma causes the destruction of the world in the flood story, and in both tales
Visnu performs his dharma by entering earth through his avataras. Shiva also performs his
dharma in the churning myth, taking on the poison and suffering for the sake of others. Both
stories continue to add to the existing mythos of creation by adding new, elaborate tales
behind all that exists, and in two different, diverging ways. On one hand, in the flood myth, a
pure form of humanity, Manu, takes on a central role in allowing creation to carry over into
the next iteration of the universe, fixing a world scarred by humanity and reintroducing a new,
cleaner form of existence. Conversely, in the churning of the ocean, the gods act as the

protagonists with the asuras as their antagonists, and creation, rather than being carefully
preserved, emerges through the self-serving actions of the gods, who desire Amrta, the nectar
of immortality.
These myths thus add additional uncertainty into the concept of creation much of
creation could have come at the hands of a god who truly wished to create, like Visnu, Brahma,
Prajapati and Purusha, or it could have come at the hands of gods and demons attempting to
one up another in an unending conflict. In a similar vein, there exists a number of other Puranic
stories regarding creation, such a tale of Visnu crushing the heads of two demons looking to
interfere with Brahma during creation (Vishnu: An Introduction 23). However, these beliefs still
assert the overall supremacy of Visnu and the other gods, continuing to assert the social order
they support and the need to follow ones dharma.
As time passed, the creation myths of Hindu mythology became more and more
complex. Through this increased complexity, one can begin to see a handful of trends in the
evolution of the belief system and of the importance of various practice and values within the
society itself. Initially, with the Rig Veda and the Brahmanas Hinduism centered around a
handful of Vedic gods and the heavy use of sacrifice and ritual. The overall simplicity of the
early myths, coupled with their similarity and general focus on a subset of very ancient gods
helps to support this. Over time, the society began to worry more and more not about heaven,
but about the escaping of the cycle of life itself through realization - thus, with the Upanishads
came a slightly more complicated variation of the myths which focused on the why of
sacrifice. Finally, through the Puranic texts, one can see the almost complete emergence of
modern Hindu beliefs and practices the great triad of gods, Brahma, Visnu, and Siva, take over

the spotlight and both the complexification of the existing myths coupled with the emergence
of new ones demonstrates the new beliefs that formed over time. Still, however, at all stages of
the development of the creation mythos, there exists a strong emphasis on dharma and duty,
demonstrated through a combination of sacrifice and other necessary tasks. Ultimately, these
myths provide rich insight into both the static, immovable elements of the Vedic culture and
the evolving elements of Hindu society over time, allowing one to gain a new perspective on
them.

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