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Riddles in Hinduism

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RIDDLES IN HINDUISM<br />

Here we have eleven different explanations regard<strong>in</strong>g the orig<strong>in</strong> of the Vedas—<br />

(1) as orig<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g from the mystical sacrifice of Purusha,<br />

(2) as rest<strong>in</strong>g on Skambha,<br />

(3) as cut or scraped off from him, as be<strong>in</strong>g his hair and his mouth,<br />

(4) as spr<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g from Indra,<br />

(5) as produced from Time,<br />

(6) as produced from Agni, Vayu and Surya,<br />

(7) as spr<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g from Prajapati, and the Waters,<br />

(8) as be<strong>in</strong>g the breath of Brahma,<br />

(9) as be<strong>in</strong>g dug by the Gods out of m<strong>in</strong>d-ocean,<br />

(10) as be<strong>in</strong>g the hair of Prajapati's beard and<br />

(II) as be<strong>in</strong>g the offspr<strong>in</strong>g of Vach.<br />

This bewilder<strong>in</strong>g multiplicity of answers to a simple question is a riddle. The writers who have come forward<br />

to furnish these answers are all Brahm<strong>in</strong>s. They belong to the same Vaidik school of thought. They alone<br />

were the guardians of the ancient religious lore. Why should they have given such <strong>in</strong>coherent and chaotic<br />

answers to a very simple question?<br />

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