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RIDDLES IN HINDUISM<br />
The result of this degrad<strong>in</strong>g and defamatory attacks on Brahma was to damn him completely. No wonder<br />
that his cult disappeared from the face of India leav<strong>in</strong>g him a nom<strong>in</strong>al and theoretical member of the Trimurti.<br />
After Brahma was driven out of the field there rema<strong>in</strong>ed two parties of Brahmanas, one engaged <strong>in</strong> favour<br />
of Shiva and the other engaged <strong>in</strong> favour of Vishnu. Let us see what they did as protagonists of their rival<br />
deities. Neither party succeeded <strong>in</strong> driv<strong>in</strong>g out the cult of its rival God. The cult of Shiva and the cult of Vishnu<br />
have cont<strong>in</strong>ued to exist and flourish. Notwithstand<strong>in</strong>g the many cults that have subsequently come <strong>in</strong>to<br />
existence they have not been eclipsed. This is largely due to the propaganda and counter-propaganda carried<br />
on by the Brahm<strong>in</strong> protagonists of Shiva and Vishnu. How well matched the propaganda and counter<br />
propaganda was, can be seen from the follow<strong>in</strong>g few illustrations.<br />
Vishnu is connected with the Vedic God Sun. The worshippers of Shiva connect him with Agni. If one has<br />
Vedic orig<strong>in</strong> the other must have Vedic orig<strong>in</strong> as well. One cannot be <strong>in</strong>ferior to the other <strong>in</strong> the matter of<br />
nobility of orig<strong>in</strong>.<br />
Shiva must be greater than Vishnu and Vishna must not be less than Shiva. Vishnu has thousand names[1 See<br />
Vishnu Sahasranama.]. So Shiva must have thousand names and he has them[ They are mentioned <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Padma Purana]. Vishnu has his emblems[ They are (1) Flow<strong>in</strong>g Ganges (2) Chandra i.e. Moon and (3) Shesh<br />
(snake) and (4) Matted hair. ]. So must have Shiva and he has them[ They are (1) Flow<strong>in</strong>g Ganges (2) Chandra<br />
i.e. Moon and (3) Shesh (snake) and (4) Matted hair.].<br />
In the performance of deeds of glory the propaganda <strong>in</strong> favour of one is fully matched by counterpropaganda<br />
<strong>in</strong> favour of the other. One illustration of this is the story regard<strong>in</strong>g the orig<strong>in</strong> of the holy river<br />
Ganges[ Moore: H<strong>in</strong>du Pantheon pp. 40-41]. The devotees of Shiva attribute its orig<strong>in</strong> to Shiva. They make it<br />
take its orig<strong>in</strong> from Shiva's hair. But the Vaishnavas will not allow it. They have manufactured another legend.<br />
Accord<strong>in</strong>g to the Vaishnavite legend the blessed and the bless<strong>in</strong>g river flowed orig<strong>in</strong>ally out of Vaikunth (the<br />
abode of Vishnu) from the foot of Vishnu, and descend<strong>in</strong>g upon Kailasa fell on the head of Shiva. There is a<br />
two-fold suggestion <strong>in</strong> the legend. In the first place Shiva is not the source of the Ganges. In the second place<br />
Shiva is lower than Vishnu and receives on his head water which flows from the foot of Vishnu.<br />
Another illustration is furnished by the story which relates to the churn<strong>in</strong>g of the oceans by the Devas and<br />
the Asuras. They used the Mandara mounta<strong>in</strong> as the churn<strong>in</strong>g rod and huge serpent Shesha as a rope to<br />
whirl the mounta<strong>in</strong>. The earth began to shake and people became afraid that the world was com<strong>in</strong>g to an end.<br />
Vishnu took the Avatar of Kurma (tortoise) and held the earth on his back and prevented the earth from<br />
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