The Divine Pantheon:

Hinduism is best imagined as a rich, complex and intricate tapestry with multiple, crisscrossing threads; it is challenging to isolate one of these threads and follow it from start to finish. Just like the vibrant traditions that come together to make up the ancient faith of Hinduism, the careers of the Hindu gods are like a kaleidoscope, ever-shifting and endlessly fascinating. Each god has not one, but many, sometimes contradictory, origin stories—the religious texts embrace and celebrate this extraordinary narrative richness and diversity. The good news for readers is that there is ample evidence available that allows us to trace the evolution of the Hindu gods reasonably reliably. We have well-preserved historical evidence, in the form of religious texts, statuary, archaeological, inscriptional and numismatic records that reveal the extraordinary ways in which on-the-ground political and social developments affected the way Hindu gods were conceived, re-conceived and worshipped over time. To be sure, tracing the changing fortunes of a god is sometimes like solving a cosmic jigsaw puzzle with plenty of missing pieces. Sometimes we can only make educated guesses and tread lightly on a path filled with abundant mysteries and challenging uncertainties. As a devout Hindu, I like to think of the gods, not as human constructs, but as dynamic characters, fully capable of responding to the evolving needs of devotees. Hindu scripture affirms the progressive nature of revelation and there are plenty of examples in the texts where deeper and more profound truths are revealed gradually over the course of time and in line with believers’ evolving capacity for religious understanding. The Aristotelian notion of God as the un-moved mover is a profoundly un-Hindu idea. Hindu gods move with the times and showcase different aspects of their personality at different times and depending on the needs, desires, and understanding of their devotees. We will see plenty of examples in the pages to come. The pages to follow demonstrate that Hinduism is best imagined as a scintillating and ongoing dance between two worlds: one, rooted in the ancient religious culture of the Aryans, and the other, teeming with the rich, localised spiritual traditions of indigenous, non-Vedic communities. As we will soon learn, the Aryans’ religious culture focused on the ritual sacrifice traditions established in the ancient Sanskrit scriptures called the Vedas. These sacrifices involved the offering of oblations into the sacred fire to the accompaniment of Vedic chants. As the Aryans established themselves in their new environment they borrowed from the rich tapestry of local beliefs and interwove those elements into their own religious fabric. It wasn't just the Aryans who were open to change, however. Local tribes and communities, often considered outside the Vedic fold, adapted their religious practices to resonate more closely with Vedic norms. The gods that we worship today, the way we worship them, the stories we tell about their deeds, all of this is the result of an extraordinarily rich but complex interplay between Indo-European religious culture and the practices and philosophies of local, non-Vedic traditions. There may be some merit in conceiving of the Hindu pantheon as participants in an ever-evolving divine talent show, where gods rise to stardom or fade into obscurity based on how well they connect and resonate with the audience—that is, the people who worship them. This book focuses on the divine careers of the Hindu gods to uncover why some have earned top billing while others have become mere footnotes in the annals of Indian spirituality. The gods who managed to secure their place in the spotlight (at least for now) possess an arresting blend of attributes and mythology that captivate and resonate with a broad swath of devotees. Key to their success, however, is their shape-shifting prowess – they have been able to absorb qualities or even identities of other deities (including rivals!) to become even more compelling to their worshippers. Hinduism’s greatest strength has been its ability to adapt to meet the changing conditions of time and place; we will come to see that this knack for adaptation might be a divine inheritance, passed down from gods who are ever adept at adapting their personas to meet the ever-changing emotional and religious needs of their followers.