LESSON LEARNT #2: HOW THE 'PURANAS' FROM INDIA ARE DIFFERENT FROM WESTERN MYTHOLOGY (Sharing some insights from two weeks of introspective experiences)
LESSON LEARNT #2: HOW THE 'PURANAS' FROM INDIA ARE DIFFERENT FROM WESTERN MYTHOLOGY
(Sharing some insights from two weeks of introspective experiences)
I had previously thought that the Sanskrit word 'purana' was a simple translation of 'mythology.' But, when I learnt the correct interpretation, the pieces fell into place. At the Mahabharatha Immersion conducted by Raghu Ananthanarayanan a few days ago, a long standing question got answered.
When I travelled to Egypt and Italy, while I marvelled at the history, I felt a sense of sadness that these fabulous tales were just that....tales from the past. In both places, I regretted that the rich myths had no connection with life unfolding around the pyramids or the great temples.
The Indian 'Puranas', on the other hand, pervade all sections of our life in so many ways. References to the Mahabharath and Ramayan form part of popular culture and are integral to our lives in a subliminal manner.
So, to finally learn that while both 'mythology' and 'puranas' refer to stories that form tradition culture, the latter has one important difference:
Puranas = ancient, yet nascent!
The 'history' is actually a living entity. Here, these are not just stories of yore, but very much in the hear and now!
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