Indian Pantheons: Crash Course World Mythology #8

In which Mike Rugnetta continues our unit on pantheons with the complex Indian pantheon, focusing on stories that were written in Sanskrit. We start with a violent creation story. We talk about the concept of Brahman, and the personification as three deities: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Then, the goddess Durga teaches us how to behead a buffalo demon while riding a lion.

Sources:
Brockington, John, World Mythology, the Illustrated Guide.

Thanks to the following Patrons for their generous monthly contributions that help keep Crash Course free for everyone forever:

Mark, Les Aker, Bob Kunz, William McGraw, Jeffrey Thompson, Ruth Perez, Jason A Saslow, Eric Prestemon, Malcolm Callis, Steve Marshall, Advait Shinde, Rachel Bright, Ian Dundore, Tim Curwick, Ken Penttinen, Dominic Dos Santos, Caleb Weeks, Kathrin Janßen, Nathan Taylor, Yana Leonor, Andrei Krishkevich, Brian Thomas Gossett, Chris Peters, Kathy & Tim Philip, Mayumi Maeda, Eric Kitchen, SR Foxley, Justin Zingsheim, Andrea Bareis, Moritz Schmidt, Bader AlGhamdi, Jessica Wode, Daniel Baulig, Jirat
--

Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet?

[AasthaBhansali]

Shiva has only one wife. All the women you mentioned are avatars of the same wife. Shiva and Parvati are like yin and yang. One is incomplete without the other.

[themadwriter]

I love that Durga finally loses it and brings the total smack down when her cat is threatened. I'm with you Ma'am.

[ameyb]

Just to add,
Vishnu's Avatars depicts the evolution of life -
1. Matsya(fish) :- Marine Organism
2. Kurma(tortoise) :- Amphibian
3. Varah (Boar) :- Terrestrial animal
4. Narshimha (half Lion half man):- transition phase of animal to man.
5. Vaman( drawrf man) :- First phase of early humans.
6. Parshuram (angry man) :- Wars and violence
7. Ram ( Righteous man) :- Calmness and justice
8. Krishna ( Pleasant man) :- Love & Intelligence.
9. Buddha (The enlightened man) :- Peace & meaning of life
10. Kalki :- The Mystical man.

[sharangrane]

Only one correction. Shiva has only one wife. Those were the Avatars of his wife.

[Namburiadityasairam]

Nastik (atheist) Hindus represent! Hinduism is so flexible even the bhagwad gita gives us the right to question the gods, that’s why I love Hinduism.

[meghand]

7:50 ok but aren't Parvati, Durga, and Kali all just different aspects of each other?

[melodicnostalgic]

As a Hindu, I will leave you people with this quote from Hindu Scripture -
"Sarvey Lokaha, Sarvey Janaaha, Sukhino Bhavantu" (May all the People of all the Worlds, Live in Peace, Happiness and Prosperity).

[spoonneedsahug]

are we going to ignore the fact that the indians invented 0:22

[mohitdaga]

1) The rock scripture you mentioned Is not in sanskrit.
2)Lingam is not penis.
3) Shiva just have one wife (all others are different persona of the same and no one is above in rank among others )
4) Ram is central to Ramayana not Mahabharat

[Keepedia]

Rama is central to the Ramayana, not the Mahabharatha. For what it's worth, a few characters from the Ramayana make an appearance in the Mahabharatha, but only Krishna is central to the Mahabharatha.

[gana]

GOD
G- Generator - Brahma
O- Organizer - Vishnu
D - Destroyer - Shiva

[sharmilaghatak]

Oops u made a mistake, shiva didn't got the game.. sati, durga, kali, parvati are the same women together as shakti. Hindu belives that a man or a male god needs shakti or power to complete themselves. Intrested people can have a look on Shivapuran. Namastey 🕉️🙏

[tanyasingh]

Parvati was the re-incarnation of Sati, Durga and Kali were forms of Shakti, I believe. :)

[roberthelck]

I wish they would do one on Australian Aboriginal pantheons. Theirs is a dying and marginalized culture that deserves more understanding.

[baruchkata]

There's no way to understand Sanatana Dharma without tasting it. Greetings from Brazil🇧🇷

[CharismaBlue]

Durga just became my ultimate role model

[harshabastola]

About Shiva's consorts:

Sati and many other previous female forms were of the goddess Adi Shakti, whom complimented the other half of Shiva. She was reborn many times to attain Shiva, but undoubtedly failed as they weren't pure. (By pure I mean rid of arrogance, ego, etc.).

In her Sati form, she managed to attain Shiva, but her father Daksh severely hated Shiva because of some past relations I'm not going to get into. After Sati was married to Shiv, Daksh held a ceremony in which all gods, sages, and people, in general, were invited. This was except for Sati and Shiva. When Sati went there forcefully, Daksh hurled insults at both Shiv and Sati. Angered by her father's ignorance and his attitude towards the GOD SHIVA and the fact that he was her husband, she jumped in the fire.

And if you don't know what happens next, Shiv lets his anger loose, which should never happen, and Daksh is inevitably killed

So then Adi Shakti finally comes in the form of Parvati and tries again to attain Shiv. Shiva, however, distraught about how he had fell in love with Sati and then it all ended tragically, refused to fall in love. So Parvati attained him by doing severe penance in front of him.

So Durga, Kali, and other forms of Parvati are all one. Parvati is the form of Adi Shakti that was meant to be united with shiva/

[RubelliteFae]

7:41 Sati contains (or is an avatar of) Shakti, power itself, who is also known as Mahadevi. She is reincarnated as Parvati who represents the fertile and motherly aspects of womanhood, while Durga/Kali (aka Mahakali) represents a woman's wrath. All of these aspects live together in one "being, " but do not show up simultaneously. As power or force itself, she is also Brahman.

Since there's so much material available, I'm shocked that Crash Course hasn't done a whole series on the myths and epics of Bharata.

[vakreswar]

Sati, Parvati, Durga and Kali are all the same female. Sati kills herself and then reincarnated as Parvati. Durga is another name for Parvati. And Kali is Durga who manifests to kill two demons the demigods could not kill. Just a little correction

[JayceeChax]

I appreciate your attempt at simplifying the Hindu mythology. A common theme in the comments is that Shiva was definitely not a "Playboy".

They repeatedly took birth on Earth to fulfill their duties as Gods, and to guide humans on the path of what is right. Shiva would go in disguise more often than not, while Parvati changed forms, or took birth on Earth. Thus, the many different names of Parvati.

Shiva, as mentioned by others, was an extremely loyal husband, and Shiva-Parvati is also considered one of the very first successful love stories. In many subsequent myths, women would meditate and pray to Shiva, and ask for a boon that they get a husband like Shiva.