By the Gods!

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.

Alright, we don’t normally do stuff like this here at By the Gods!, but this video was brought to my attention, and it’s worth sharing (partly for lolz, partly for a slew of images and basic deity information). For more substantial Ganesh content, go here.

Please enjoy the song “Ganesh is Fresh.”

“If you think Ganesh is super-fresh, when I say ‘Jai’ you say ‘Ganesh.’”

Indra

One of the chief deities of Indian mythology was Indra. God of war, storms, and rainfall, he was also known as the king of the gods in the Rig Veda, the ancient hymns forming part of the sacred knowledge of hinduism. His role as king of the gods would diminish, however, as Hinduism matured, and the role of the Trimurti (the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) came to the fore. 

Indra is usually depicted as red or gold-skinned, and is usually an intimidating deity to look upon. He’s big, he’s fierce, he’s warlike; he wants to eff you up. He carries a thunderbolt in his right hand, which he uses to either slay his enemies or revive those killed in battle, depending on his mood. He was said to ride through the heavens in a chariot, (often said to be the sun itself) but in later depictions he was often shown riding the elephant, Airavata. 

Indra was born from heaven and earth, which he then separated forever. He challenged the old order of gods and became king of the new, and led the gods against hordes of demons and the Asuras. He was credited with bringing light and rain, worshipped in some ways as a fertility god and god of creation. His importance declined in time, however, and though he remained a terrifying god of thunder and war, he came to be regarded as a divine earthly monarch, rather than divinely conceived god.