Indian Mythology – A great inspiration for the world

Indian mythology is as old as man and has its sources in ancient Indian texts. Its characters face and resolve dilemmas that have an uncanny resemblance to the moral problems that are present even today and are common to all mankind. Thus Rama, in the Epic Ramayana, has to fight and prevail over evil. His life resonates with the principles of truth, sacrifice, and overcoming human follies. Rama, regarded as the best human being ever, is considered to be a role model. He remains today the ideal son, the perfect king, and his reign was called 'Ram Rajya.'

It is the benchmark for all governments. The great Indian epic, Mahabharata teaches how a greedy quest for power, led to a feud within a family, with tragic consequences for one group. Interwoven in its stories is the importance of ethics and duty. Krishna is the quintessential favorite and most well-known figure in Indian mythology. Narratives of his sojourn on earth as a child, his adolescence and adult life reflect the stages in the life of man and the challenges therein. The even older Vedas provide a remarkable view of ancient science and the importance of astronomy. There exists an uncanny resemblance to other mythologies of the world; Indra the King of the gods in the Vedas is similar to the Greek god Zeus. Events in Vishnu's incarnation as Matsya or the fish, closely parallel Noah's Ark and the Great Flood mentioned in the Bible.

Mythology is a source of rich stories that entertain and teach moral science. They connect us with the divine as we struggle to understand the immense diversity of human foibles in our daily encounters. Other than learning about Indian culture, or about good and evil, Indian mythology encourages curiosity by the simple expedient of unlocking the imagination. While this is particularly applicable to children, adults may find that their spiritual potential is heightened.

The dissimilitude of India contributes to the wealth of its mythology - uniquely different, yet paradoxically similar. Tamil Nadu has its Periya Puranam, and Bengal has added the Mangal Kavya. This outpouring of mythology has global implications for the lessons conveyed.

As a proudly independent nation, India offers much more to the world than the redundant concepts of a pre-1947 education system that ignored the richness of the Indian mythological tradition. What makes Indian mythology universally relevant is that it embeds moral boundaries, provides positive life interpretations, and foments culture, and universal core values. These truths remain the moral foundation of a global system of values in a rapidly shrinking world. No nation today can remain unaffected by events separated by miles and oceans! And neither can the world remain unaffected by the richness of Indian mythology that channels views on life in a uniquely positive way.