By the Gods!
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The Churning of the Ocean
In Indian mythology, the demons were older than their half-brothers, the Gods.
The Gods and the Demons knew that they could gain the Amrit, the Water of Life, if they churned up one of the seven oceans that, ring beyond ring, encircles the worlds. They came down to the Ocean of Milk. They took the Mountain Mandara for a churning-pole and the hundred-headed serpent Vasuki for a churning-rope.
For a thousand years the Gods and the demons churned the Ocean of Milk. All the time Vasuki, the serpent, from his hundred heads spat venom. The venom bit into the rocks and broke them up; it flowed down, destroying the worlds of Gods and men. Then all creation would have been destroyed in that flood of venom if it had not been for the act of Shiva
Shiva took up the venom in a cup and drank it. His throat became blue with that draught of bitterness.
Still they churned.
And then there appeared the sage Dhanvantri, and in his hands was the cup that held the Amrit, the Water of Life. The demons strove to seize it. They almost overpowered the Gods in their efforts to seize the Amrit. Then Vishnu changed himself into a ravishing form; he seemed to be the loveliest of the nymphs of Heaven. The demons went towards where the seeming nymph postured for them. Even as they fought amongst each other for the maiden, the Gods took the cup, and, sharing it, they drank the Amrit.
And now they were filled with such vigour that the demons could not overpower them. Many they drove down into hell. That was the beginning of the wars between the Gods and the Demons…wars that went on for ages.
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Prajapati
In Hindu mythology, Prajapati is the master of created beings. Now: let me stop right here, and say that Hindu mythology is a complex thing, with several layers of religious texts written in different periods and locations, often conflicting (not that this is any different than most religions). I don’t personally have the confident grip on it that I do with other cultural mythologies, but hey: I’m workin’ on it.
Back to ol’ Prajapati. In the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, he is the protector of the sexual organ (not the worst job).
He produces a number of children including a daughter, Ushas (“dawn”) who he then attempts to do a lil’ incest on/with. Now, when Ushas sees Prajapati coming at her in a lustful rage, she transforms herself into a deer and hauls ass out of there. Prajapati, to match her speed, turns himself into a stag, and catches up to do the deed. The offspring they have, predictably, is a baby deer. This cycle repeated itself not once, not twice, but 200-bajillion times; every time Prajapati got the urge, Ushas would pick a different female form and run, and Praj’ would pick the corresponding male form, catch her, and make a baby in said form. In this fashion, Prajapati and Ushas gave rise to all living creatures, including man.
Another myth tells how Prajapati rose, weeping, from the primordial waters. His tears that fell to the water became the earth, whereas those that the god wiped away became the sky and air. Prajapati then created the night and day, the seasons, death, and people to relieve his loneliness. This story conflicts with other Hindu stories, such as the creation by Brahma. The name Prajapati, however, sometimes refers to a variety of gods, including Indra, Shiva, Garuda, Vishnu, Krishna, and Brahma. Brahma, specifically, is often attributed with myths that later became associated with Prajapati. Whether or not it’s viewed as a title for the master of sex organs/the creator or a specific deity’s name depends on which text you’re looking at.
Jainism and Tirthankaras
Jainism is an Indian religion and philosophy which offers an austere path to enlightenment. Much of its mythology was inherited from Hinduism, including huge numbers of gods, and ideas on the structure of the universe, but Jains differ from Hindus in that they do not believe in the idea of creation, considering that time is cyclical. Jain ascetics attempt to conduct their lives following five vows: to injure no living thing (because everything has a soul), to speak the truth, to take only what is given, to be chaste, and to achieve detachment from places, people and things. Sounds easy.
Their examples in following this discipline are 24 Tirthankaras, or “spiritual teachers,” who have appeared in the present cycle of time. A tirtha is a ford or crossing-place, or a sacred place, person or path which enables believers to cross over into liberation from an endless round of rebirth: for Jains, the Tirthankaras were the builders of the ford. Boom. Metaphors.
The swastika is one of the main symbols of Jainism, and is the symbol of the seventh Tirthankara, Suparsva. It existed as this symbol long before those guys adapted it to their cause. An easy analogy for the Tirthankaras is like they’re the Saints of Jainism. That’s an over-simplification, of course, but the comparison is helpful.
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