Hinduism

•  ca.  4000  BC  part  of  Indian  subcon5nent  (the  Indus  River  Valley)  was  inhabited  by  people  of  Harappan  culture.  

•  Ca.  1500  BC,  Aryan  invaders  brought  their  own  belief  system,  which  was  integrated  with  that  of  the  Harappans.    

•  Aryans  developed  a  system  of  “cosmic  law”  or  dharma  which  governed  all,  including  social  order  (caste  system)  

•  Vedas  –  sacred  texts  da5ng  between  1700  –  500  BCE.  Upanishads  are  the  collec5on  of    Hindu  founda5onal  thoughts  and  tradi5ons,  wriNen  pre-­‐Buddha,  ca.  500  BCE.  

Indus River Valley/Harappan Civilization

•  The  least  known  of  the  3  great  ancient  civiliza5ons  (along  with  Egypt  and  Mesopotamia/Babylonia)  ca.  5000  –  1900  BCE  

•  Copper  metallurgy,  ceramics,  stone  sculpture  and  coins  found.  Undeciphered  wri5ng  system  found  on  stone  seals  since  ca.  2600  BCE  

•  Advanced  grid-­‐paNern  city  plans  (at  Harappa  and  Mohenjo-­‐daro)  and  last  but  not  least–  sewers!    

Harappan seal with writing •  These  were  merchants’  marks  to  iden5fy  the  owners  of  goods  or  shipments.  

Mohenjo-daro

Dancing Girl, ca. 2500 BC

•  Found  in  Mohenjo-­‐daro  •  Lost-­‐wax  process  •  Predecessor  to  Hindu  Goddess  

figures:  Shak5,  Kali,  etc.    •  Dancing  pose  seen  throughout  

Indian  sculpture,  including  both  Hindu  and  Buddhist  sculpture  

Left: Harappan linga, ca. 3000 BCE; Right: Hindu linga, ca. 200 BCE

•  Symbol  of  Hindu  God  Shiva  

Hindu deities •  While  there  is  one  Divine  Being  (Brahman),  there  are  

many  dei5es  who  each  embody  some  aspect  of  the  Divine  Being.    

•  Hinduism  has  grown  and  evolved  through  regional  tradi5ons,  so  that  each  has  dis5nct  gods;  even  the  common  ones  may  have  different  aNributes  or  incarna5ons    in  each  tradi5on.  VERY  confusing!  

•  Since  each  incarna5on  of  a  god  is  a  separate  being,  there  are  virtually  limitless  gods  in  the  pantheon  –  hundreds  and  hundreds.  Main  ones  are:  

•  Shiva  (the  Destroyer)  •  Vishnu  (the  Preserver)  •  Brahma  (the  Creator)  •  Goddess  aka  Shak5  

Brahma •  The  Creator  (the  first  god  

–  created  good/evil  and  light/dark  from  his  own  person.  

•  Created  gods,  demons,  ancestors  and  men,  along  with  all  living  creatures.  

•  Abstract  or  metaphysical  god,  so  few  myths  about  him  exist.  Less  important  in  modern  5mes,  except  in  southeast  Asia.  

•  Brahma,  ca.  1700,  northern  India  5.5  x  3.75  inches,  wc/paper  

Vishnu

10  reincarna5ons  (avataras):  •  Matsya  the  fish  •  Kurma  the  tortoise  •  Varaha  the  boar  •  Narasimha  the  man-­‐lion  •  Vamana  the  dwarf  •  Parasurama  the  Brahman  •  Prince  Rama    •  Krishna  the  god  •  Krishna  as  Buddha  •  Kalki  (future  –  end  of  world)  

Vishnu, ca. 900 – 1000 AD

Everyone’s  here!  •  Vishnu  at  center  (his  aNributes:  chakra,  conch,  mace,  abhaya  mudra)  

•  Upper  lej:  Brahma  (4-­‐headed)  

•  Upper  right:  Shiva  (trident  &  chakra)  

Shiva Nataraja: Lord of the Dance Chola  period,  ca.  1000  AD,  South  India,  following  precepts  of  Shilpa  Shastras  (Science  or  Rules  of  Sculpture)    

Shiva - Lord of the Dance  •  Ca.  900  AD  •  Figure  set  in  center  of  

universe  •  Creator:  hand  drum  in  

upper  right  hand  •  Preserver:  lower  right  

hand  gesture  of  abhaya,  protec5on.  

•  Destroyer:  agni,  fire  of  dynamic  destruc5on  

•  Right  foot:  tramples  illusion  and  ignorance  

•  Lej  hand  points  to  leg  in  gaja  hasta:  refuge  for  troubled  soul  

•  Ganga  caught  in  hair  

Linga and Yoni

•  Linga  =  phallus  =  male  crea5ve  energy,  symbolizing  Shiva’s  role  as  Creator  

•  Yoni  =  vaginal  form  =  female  crea5ve  energy,  symbol  of  the  Goddess,  or  Shak5  (energizing  force  of  the  universe),  par5cularly  Parva5  

•  This  18th  century  pain5ng  shows  2  women  worshiping  the  god  Shiva  at  a  linga-­‐yoni  (most  sacred  part  of  a  Hindu  shrine)  

Linga with one face

•  9th  century  •  Linga  is  the  most  sacred  object  in  a  temple  dedicated  to  Shiva  

•  Emphasis  on  male/female  energy  led  to  an  abundance  of  ero5c  Hindu  art  –  both  metaphoric    and  lusty.  

Krishna

The Goddess

The  Goddess  is  the  manifesta5on  of  female  primordial  cosmic  energy  or  feminine  crea5ve  power,  called  Shak5.    She  can  be  personified  as  a  goddess  named  Shak5,  and  there  are  some  Hindu  sects  in  which  she  is  synonymous  with  Brahman,  the  Divine  Being.      When  Shak5  is  presented  as  a  goddess,  she  has  many  aNributes  and  roles,  as  protector,  healer,  and  bringer  of  well-­‐being.  She  also  has  many  incarna5ons,  including:  Ganga  (of  Ganges  River)  and  Manasa.        

Shakti Manasa

Duality of Hindu gods

In  her  various  forms,  the  Goddess  is  the  consort  of  the  Great  Gods,  and  considered  to  be  the  female  energy  of  each:  •  Saraswa5  –  knowledge  (Brahma  -­‐  creator)  Lakshmi  –  wealth  and  prosperity  (Vishnu-­‐  preserver)    

•  Parva5,  Durga,  Kali  -­‐  power  (Shiva  -­‐  destroyer)  

Saraswati

•  Consort  of  Brahma  •  Known  from  Vedas  

•  Also  revered  in  Jain  religion  and  some  Buddhist  sects  

•  Goddess  of  knowledge,  music,  arts  and  learning  

Lakshmi

•  Consort  of  Vishnu  •  Goddess  of  wealth,  fortune  and  prosperity  (material  and  spiritual)  

•  Revered  in  Buddhism  and  Jainism  as  well  •  ANributes  include  lotus  blossom  (ojen  shown  standing  on  a  lotus  blossom,  due  to  her  origin  myth)  and  4  arms  

•  Apparently  Scythians  worshipped  her  too!  

Lakshmi Carving  300  BCE  

Goddess as Durga

•  Like  her  male  counterparts,  the  Goddess  has  many  names  and  personas:  Devi,  Durga  (warrior/protector),  Kali  (destroyer  of  evil)  

•  It  is  believed  she  evolved  from  a  mountain-­‐goddess  worshipped  in  the  Himalayas  

•  A  war  goddess,  usually  pictures  with  10  arms  and  astride  a  lion  or  5ger  

•  Consort  of  Shiva    

Durga Killing the Buffalo

Demon Mahisha

•  12th  century  •  Argillite  •  She  holds  a  variety  of  weapons,  including:  

•  Spear,  arrow,  sword,  chisel,  hammer,  thunderbolt,  goad,  discus.    

Standing Parvati

•  Chola  period,  ca.  925  AD  •  Note  similarity  to  Harappan  

dancing  girl  •  Cast  copper  •  Parva5  is  the  gentle  aspect  of  

the  Goddess  (usually  2  armed),  while  Durga  is  the  protectress  and  Kali  the  ferocious  destroyer  

•  Note  her  aNribute  of  the  mountain-­‐shaped  hat,  deno5ng  her  origin  as  a  Himalayan  mountain  god  

•  She  has  108  names!  

Goddess as Kali

Shiva and Parvati

•  Jaipur  school  16th-­‐  17th  century  

•  Shiva  and  Parva5  personify    male  and  female  crea5ve  energy.  

Um,  it’s  a  metaphor.  Mostly.  

How do we know who is who in Hindu iconography?

•  ANributes  •  Mudras:  symbolic          hand  posi5ons  •  Mudras  are            shared  with            Buddhism