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This book interprets for the Western mind the key motifs of India's legend, myth, and folklore, taken directly from the Sanskrit, and illustrated with seventy plates of Indian art. It is primarily an introduction to image-thinking and picture-reading in Indian art and thought, and it seeks to make the profound Hindu and Buddhist intuitions of the riddles of life and death recognizable not merely as Oriental but as universal elements.
INDRA slew the dragon, a giant titan that had been couching on the mountains in the limbless shape of a cloud serpent, holding the waters of heaven captive in its belly. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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In many places the text simply jumps around without any transition and in a seemingly nonsensical manner, making it difficult to read in a linear fashion. There does not seem to be any real organization to the text, with bits and pieces of the text's various elements thrown into the book at what feels like haphazard points. The photographs of the art which Zimmer discusses is useful, but are hidden at the back of the book in small, hard to see, grainy, black and white photos. I found to be a real pain constantly to flip to the back of the book to see what he was talking about and having to squint to make out the intricate art in the poor quality pictures. It would more useful if the photos were on the page where they were discussed, were in color, and were bigger. One final quibble is that the sheer volume of information makes taking notes as you go along crucial to obtain a real understanding of the text.
While I think these points are valid, do not let them scare you away. The text possess an immense wealth of information about Indian mythology and incredible analysis of its stories. An strong reference and research for students and scholars or for anyone who has a real interest in mythology, myth-art/religious art, or the psychological universality of myths. To any of these people I would highly recommend this book. If you are just starting on these or any other field that might be pertaining to the book, you might wish to start with some primary sources or books that are strictly myths and legends (i.e. the Mahabhrata or the Bhagavad Gita)or books on mythic/religious art before trying this book.
The author explains how the conception of time that underlies Hinduism and Buddhism differs from the West's linear conception of time. Rather than a continuum that starts with the Act of Creation, time is conceived of as an endless series of cycles, in which everything repeats itself throughout eternity. The universe, as we know it, is a cosmic illusion (Maya) that continually renews itself (Shakti). The gods and goddesses - such as Vishnu, Shiva and their consorts Lakshmi and Parvati-Kali - are personifications of the processes of construction and destruction. They represent the wonders and energy of the life force in dualistic masculine-feminine forms, and they also point to the ultimate release from the suffering of being trapped in space and time, attainable through intense meditation or by practicing yoga.
Contrary to the Abrahamic traditions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam there is no need to maintain that the stories of the gods and goddesses actually happened the way they are told, or whether the subject matter is the literal Word of God. It is clear that the gods and goddesses are masks, and that the stories are myths from which we can infer lessons on life experience. Some of these masks have a distinctly different conception from that of the West. In the Garden of Eden, for example, the serpent represents the accursed one who lures Eve into disobedience. But in Buddhism the serpent acts as the protector of the Buddha once he has attained enlightenment. In this sense, Nature is not considered separate and apart from the Creator and ultimately dust, but one with the Creator. Another major difference in mythic conception concerns the Goddess. In the Old Testament there is hardly any reference to her except as an idol whom it is a crime to worship. In Indian mythology the Goddess plays a prominent role, dating back to pre-Vedic days.
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