But there were also quite afew who went east including a group we know were called the Aryans who settled in India and Iran. Although, the title of God of Sun in also shared by Helios in Greek mythology. 32 http://www.ancient.eu/Indra/ In Indian Mythology, in spite of all the other Gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwar are considered to the three most important Gods. [15] Also Chinese murals are known which describe Emperor Wu of Han worshipping Buddha statues brought from Central Asia in 120 BCE. Popular Greek legends incorporate the mythical beings Hercules, Theseus, and Achilles. Shiva as a figure rippling with muscles, bearing a trident; Skanda as a tall youth grasping a gleaming spear; Durga as a goddess slaughtering a buffalo. In his book, "Olympus: An Indian Retelling of Greek Myths," Pattanaik put together a number of Greek mythological stories, underlining comparisons we can draw between them and their Indian counterparts.As a field of study, comparative mythology has been in existence for the past couple of centuries among scholars who wanted to draw attention to the common origin of different cultures. Thus, that portion of his heel was not washed by the waters of the magical river and remained vulnerable, proving to be the cause of his death by a poisonous arrow that lodged in his heel. Like many mythologies around the world, Hindu and Hellenic mythologies too sharesome fascinating similarities. Rhea is the mother of Gods including prominent gods like Zeus and Poseidon and also the goddess of female fertility, motherhood and generation. Greek too have similar gods for every kind. Datation of Greco-Buddhist statues is generally uncertain, but they are at least firmly established from the 1st century CE. Similarly, in the Greek context, Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon are the most important. The dancing girls on some of the coins of Agathocles and Pantaleon are also sometimes considered as representations of Subhadra, Krishna's sister. Plutarch also presents Menander as an example of benevolent rule, and explains that upon his death, the honour of sharing his remains was claimed by the various cities under his rule, and they were enshrined in "monuments" (, probably stupas), in a parallel with the historic Buddha: "But when one Menander, who had reigned graciously over the Bactrians, died afterwards in the camp, the cities indeed by common consent celebrated his funerals; but coming to a contest about his relics, they were difficultly at last brought to this agreement, that his ashes being distributed, everyone should carry away an equal share, and they should all erect monuments to him. They flew into the sky to become the cluster of stars that today has their name. The Greek God of love is often depicted in the pictures or statues as a young, handsome male with wings. [5] Indra, the king of the Hindu gods has his court and castle someplace in space. Greater Iranian culture and religion seem to have been rather influential among the Western Indo-Greeks, who, located around the Paropamisadae, lived in direct contact with the Central Asian cultural sphere and the eastern reaches of the Parthian empire. 9/38 9 4. Rhea secretly gives birth to Zeus and arranges for him to be brought up in exile. Thats true, Alok. From their character traits to their weapons, the similarities are too many to ignore. Going to the beach can be a fantastic way to relax and unwind. The name Iranian is definitely related to the name Aryan. She left Shantanu as he had broken the vow. On his sword appears the Buddhist symbol of the three jewels, or Triratana. However, another version of the story says that Thetis dipped Achilles in River Styx to make him immortal24. have given us an insight into the Greek Mythology. 25 http://creative.sulekha.com/birth-of-bhishma-story-from-mahabharata_67978_blog While Zeus is the ruler of Olympian gods30, Indra is the king of Indian Gods31. The capital has been found with a reliquary and a coin of, "The beginnings of Buddhist Art" Alfred Foucher, Plate I, Text and photographic reference: Terre Lontane > O2, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indo-Greek_religions&oldid=1142880372, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 21:06. Who wrote the four Gospels in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)? There are lots of other significant Hindu gods connected with the Trimurti. Whats more, in their history is that the Greek gods and goddesses are connected with individuals frequently. 21 http://blog.matrabhasha.com/2012/08/name-of-planets-graho-ke-naam.html Athena sprang out fully grown in full body armor when Hephaestus split open Lord Zeuss skill on suggestion of Hermes to relieve his headache15. This is how they comprehended the world. Different divine gods had their positions. 1.05M subscribers Subscribe 40K 657K views 10 months ago #greekgods #bigbrainco DOWNLOAD KUKUFM. The clothing too is Greek, complete with tunics, capes and sandals. It is one of the oldest mythologies known. 29 http://www.indianetzone.com/39/lord_varuna.htm [12] This usage was adopted by Strato I, Zoilos I, Heliokles II, Theophilos, Peukolaos, Menander II and Archebios. In Hindu mythology, King Kamsa of Mathura is foretold that the eighth son of his sister Devaki will kill him, hearing which, King Kamsa not only imprisons both Devaki and her husband Vasudeva, he also goes about systematically killing all new babies born to his sister, till the eighth - Bhagwan Krishna - is born. 7 http://bibhudev.blogspot.in/2014/03/hercules-and-balarama-symbolic-and.html Kamadeva, like Eros, is also known to be carrying a bow made of Sugarcane and arrows of flowers. Romans originated from Greeks, so their Gods too. In German it is wasser. Both the religion have the mention of the netherworld and there is a special dog that watches the gate of it. Hindu mythology and Greek mythology is also very similar in a number of fascinating, mind-bending ways read on to know more. Saraswati on the other hand is the Indian goddess of knowledge, wisdom, learning, music and arts14. Duringthese wars, both lose men who they deeply loved. Menander I, the "Saviour king", is documented to have converted to Buddhism, and is described in Buddhist texts as a great benefactor of the religion. This would tend to suggest that the first statues were created between 130 BCE (death of Menander) and 50 BCE, precisely at the time when Buddhist symbolism appeared on Indo-Greek coinage. 13. Moreover Balarama in Hindi refers to one with enormous strength. Heracles killed man-eating Stymphalian birds with bronze beaks (sixth labor), very similar to Krishna killing Bakasura, a man-eating crane with sharp beaks. Taking care of your home means more than just maintenance; its a reflection of Have you ever come across an area that was completely empty and looked very dry in New Mexico, but that had some trees growing Bottom salwar pants are some very important attires that should definitely give a lot of thinking while buying them. Hindu Gods seem to occupy some specific world that isnt the Earth,Just God Shiv lives in the Himalayas with his Goddess Shakti. After the Greco-Bactrians militarily occupied parts of northern India from around 180 BCE, numerous instances of interaction between Greeks and Buddhism are recorded. They both have their dwelling above mountains Mount Olympus for Lord Zeus and Swarg above Mount Meru for Lord Indra. I give it to the Hindus just for the coolness factor. Stupavadana, Chapter 57, v15. Similarly, in the Greek context, Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon are the most important. [21] Although they are known to have been sympathetic to Indian religions in general, the Indo-Greeks apparently chose, for whatever reason, not to represent Indian deities on their coinage anymore. 8 http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-gods/apollo/ Hindu Gods vs Greek Gods. There is a story of a many-headed dragon that had taken control of water and was later slayed with the thunderbolt. Why Lord Ram Send Mata Sita to Forest? Curses are flung about with gay abandon, the dead brought back to life routinely, with beings half-men, half-women, and babies born to human moms and animal . Hinduism has its three Supreme Gods - Brahma (The Creator), Vishnu (The Protector), and Shiva (The Destroyer). In Greek, the word "pleiades" means "doves". Stupa constructions of the time of Menander, such as the Butkara stupa, incorporated niches which were intended to place statue or friezes, an indication of early Buddhist descriptive art during the time of the Indo-Greeks. The Hindi word for father is pitar as stated already. Also, Hera unknowingly tried to breast feed Hercules, but as soon she knew of his identity she withdrew. They were portrayed as men or women, but they were thought to be immortal and to hold special powers. Zeus governed the sky, Poseidon assumed responsibility for the ocean, Hades managed the Underworld. Majundar "The casket of the reign of Menander", Epig.Ind.XXIV. This symbology has led some to conclude that Menander adopted the Buddhist mantle of a "Chakravartin" during his lifetime; lit., "one for whom the wheel of law turns," translated as "King of the Wheel" in Western texts. Well, the Greek Gods have Zeus, who could attach a chain to the whole world and then haul it up into the clouds even if all the other Greek gods were pulling on the other end. Hinduism has its three Supreme Gods - Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu, the Protector and Shiva, the Destroyer. on the contrary, Hindu Gods seem to occupy some specific world that isnt the Earth. Chokshi focuses on the Vedic gods from Rig Veda in the series . Also, he is known to travel real fast and show up almost anywhere. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. The Greek goddesses also number three: Hera, Hestia and Demeter. Kronos, Greek god of many things, is also the god of destruction. Greek Mythology has an assortment of stories about their gods, saints, and the world. Greek gods are mainly based on human personality traits likes love, hate, honor and dignity, and myths related to them are shaped by these traits. 2 http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/hmvp/hmvp32.htm Greek Gods appear to live on the planet, which includes mountains.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'askanydifference_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',658,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-askanydifference_com-medrectangle-4-0'); There are twelve Important Greek gods. Difference Between Greek Gods and Hindu Gods, Main Differences Between Greek Gods and Hindu Gods. Gods & Human Relations Conversely, the bull is probably associated with Shiva, and often described in an erectile state as on the coins of Apollodotus I. It is quite possible that Megasthenes who travelled to India during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya, Maurya Dynasty, after his observation of Indian culture, took back the legend of Krishna (Hare Krishna) which due to language barrier got converted to legend of Heracles6. 34 http://www.pitarau.com/nd/Girl/aditi She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Ganga had forced Shantanu to take a vow that he would never question his actions. Hindu Gods are the gods and goddesses in Hinduism and/or Hindu mythology. The amazing similarities between the Hindu and Greek mythologies frequently crops up in comparative mythology - or the comparison of myths from different cultures in an attempt to identify shared themes and characteristics. Both religions believe that a special river separates the netherworld. They were creatures who dived regularly, This meant they only had one Human Parent. Hercules wrestled and captured Cretan Bull, whereas Krishna wrestled and killed a demon called Arishta who attacked Vrindavan in the form of a monstrous bull. (Keown, Dictionary of Buddhism). In Greek mythology Hades is the king of Underworld (where the dead ones go), the god of death and the dead16. Both the ancient civilisations had trade, movements of people, traders. In the Greek myth of the Titanomachy, the Olympian gods defeat the Titans, an older and more primitive divine race, to establish cosmic order. Therefore, it is reasonable to use that analogy when considering or understanding the 330 million deities of . Altogether, the conversion of Menander I to Buddhism suggested by the Milinda Panha seems to have triggered the use of Buddhist symbolism in one form or another on the coinage of close to half of the kings who succeeded him. During the reign of Menander, the Greek (Pali: Yona, lit: "Ionian") Buddhist monk Mahadhammarakkhita (Sanskrit: Mahadharmaraksita, lit. "Some scholars suggest he (Maitreya) was originally linked to the Iranian saviour-figure Mitra, and that his later importance for Buddhist as the future Buddha residing in the Tusita heaven, who will follow on from Sakyamuni Buddha, derives from this source." The anthropomorphic representation of the Buddha is totally absent from Indo-Greek coinage. In addition to the worship of the Classical pantheon of the Greek deities found on their coins (e.g., Zeus, Herakles, Athena, Apollo), the Indo-Greeks were involved with local faiths, particularly with Buddhism, but also with Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. - Quora Answer (1 of 6): In my opinion For contending with all the Greek gods I just need one Hindu god. NAAM-RAMAYAN: Singing or Listening of These "108 Ramayan-Verses" Fulfills All your wishes! In early religious texts, Indra plays a variety of roles. Following hiscomrade Patrocluss death, Achilles pledges to kill Hector. Keep in mind, the Greeks didnt have current science. The inscriptions were found on a vase inside a stupa, dated to the reign of Menander or one of his successors in the 1st century BCE (Tarn, p391): "The meridarch Theodorus has enshrined relics of Lord Shakyamuni, for the welfare of the mass of the people". Zeus is known for siring a lot of heroes from different mortal women, and also with different goddesses. The last ten days of Ramadan are especially important because the Hadith says it was during this time that We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. In Hindu context, the name of the dog is Sharvara that is the dog of Yama, god of death. Despite both of them being nearly invulnerable they died as heroes in the respective wars. Varuna is the God of water, oceans and aquatic animals28. This list includes Etruscan, Greek, Roman, Norse and Meitei versions of similar gods and goddesses. Supposedly, around 2,000 BC, there was a great migration of the Indo-Europeans, most of whom went west to become the ancestors of most of the traditional European people. The Relationships between Greek Gods and natural ladies are rough as kidnapping, enchantment, and assault. Athena is often seen with her companion owl, while Saraswati is seen with a swan (hansa) or a peacock. They are both god of gods, have the same weapons - the thunderbolt - and also both reside on mountains. 173179. 27- http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Poseidon.html I n the ancient world, just as today, gods were pressed into political service. Greek gods reside on Mount Olympus, while Hindu gods inhabit various celestial realms. He is founder of Zigverve. Zeus is also worshipped on Thursdays! Yama and Hades Source: Wikipedia (left); Wikipedia (right) Aditi is also considered mother of many gods including Indra (Indian counterpart of Zeus) and Varuna (Indian counterpart of Poseidon) 35. You can improve your grasping ability by doing some basic exercises. Zeus was regarded as the sender of thunder and lightning, rain, and winds, and his traditional weapon was the thunderbolt. He is famous for his dialogues with the Buddhist monk Nagasena, transmitted to us in the Milinda Panha, which explain that he became a Buddhist arhat: "And afterwards, taking delight in the wisdom of the Elder, he (Menander) handed over his kingdom to his son, and abandoning the household life for the house-less state, grew great in insight, and himself attained to Arahatship! Another conspicuous similarity is their weapons. After battling the Titans, he administered the world with his family. Hera sent poisonous snake to kill Heracles when he was a child but Hercules killed them. However, only six stars are visible in the sky without a telescope. Both Sita and Persephonewere abducted against their will Sita by Ravana and Persephone by Hades. Messenger Source Greek gods reside on Mount Olympus, while Hindu gods inhabit various celestial realms. In Hindu gods, The relationships are beautiful with tragic endings For Hindu gods, like Lord Shiva and Parvathi or Lord Krishna and the cow housekeepers. 35 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/5981/Aditi Next interesting thing is that Hades is also called as Pluto20, especially by the Romans, which is also the name of a planet. Thus Achilles lived and got invulnerability except for the heel. ", Another Indian writing, the Stupavadana of Ksemendra, mentions in the form of a prophecy that Menander will build a stupa in Pataliputra.[3]. Want to save this article for later? In order to avert this fate, he begins to swallow each one of his children as soon as they are born. The terms and epithets for deity within the diverse traditions of Hinduism vary, and include Deva, Devi, Ishvara, Bhagavan and Bhagavathi. He is prayed to on Thursdays. Thats true. No big surprise he is so famous!if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'askanydifference_com-leader-3','ezslot_21',665,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-askanydifference_com-leader-3-0'); Ive put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. 20 http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/roman_vs_greek.html All rights reserved, Hindu And Greek Mythology: How Similar They Are, REMEMBERING SATYAJIT RAY ON HIS JAYANTI: HAIKU INSPIRED BY WORKS AND WISDOM, MICRO-POEMS IN HINDI ON LET GO, LET LIVE, PURE MIND, UNDERSTAND WHAT-IS BEFORE TREADING THE PATH TOWARD WHAT-OUGHT-TO-BE OR THE TRUTH: HAIKU AND QUOTE, pravrttim ca nivrttim ca karyakarye bhayabhaye, HINDI MICRO-POEMS ON BEING MEDIUM, VIRTUOUS AND EQUANIMOUS. He uses the thunderbolt as his weapon to create rain. While the Hindus believe in an uncountable number of gods and goddesses, the ancient Greeks believed in only twelve major gods and goddesses. "De l'Indus a l'Oxus: archaeologie de l'Asie Centrale", Pierfrancesco Callieri, p212: "The diffusion, from the second century BCE, of Hellenistic influences in the architecture of Swat is also attested by the archaeological searches at the sanctuary of Butkara I, which saw its stupa "monumentalized" at that exact time by basal elements and decorative alcoves derived from Hellenistic architecture". While in Greek mythology it is Zeus. An interesting fact is that in both these mythologies, both good and evil are fathered by the same person. Since it already displays quite a sophisticated iconography (Brahma and akra as attendants, Bodhisattvas) in an advanced style, it would suggest much earlier representations of the Buddha were already current by that time, going back to the rule of the Indo-Greeks (Alfred A. Foucher and others): "It seems highly probable to me that the unknown artist who created the initial model [for the Buddha] was a Yavana, both artist and philosopher, who belonged both to Greece and India.". By using the power of constructive journalism, we want to change India one story at a time. When we look at the sky in the night, the milky way seen is regarded as the river. We at The Better India want to showcase everything that is working in this country. The water of the Yamuna became poisonous because of the snake. No bird or beast would go near it and just one solitary Kadamba tree grew on the riverbank. Quoted in "Indo-Greeks, Indo-Scythian and Indo-Parthian coins", Bopearachchi, p.19. 115-95 BCE). Poseidon is the name of the Greek god of the ocean, and in both cultures, they protect sea life. But some believes are that Helios and Apollo are same9, while other believe them to be different and since Helios was a Titan, the title of God of Sun passed to Apollo after Titans defeat. The vision is to cover all differences with great depth. The Greeks additionally accepted the Olympians governed over various regions of the planet. For millennia humans have followed different cultures and have practiced diverse religions. In both contexts, it is believed that the mount is the center of the earth. The table is ordered by the Greek god's name. It is said that Indras weapon is made by Tvastar later known by Vishwakarma in modern Hindu religion. In absence of documented records, we dont know the details. The first known statues of the Buddha are also very realistic and Hellenistic in style and are more consistent with the pre-50 BCE artistic level seen on coins. BothIndra and Zeus are the kings of the gods. Likewise, the supreme gods of Greek mythology are also three - Zeus (The Lord of the Skies), Poseidon (The Lord of the Seas) and Hades (The Lord of the Underworld). Read more at her bio page. In Hindu mythology, the constant fight is between good and evil - the good represented by the devas (the gods) and the evil represented by the asuras (the demons). Both of them slay a sea-monster: Indra's opponent is the serpent Vritra; Zeus fights and vanquishes Typhon. Both of them were heroes in the biggest wars of their respective mythologiesAchilles in Trojan War and Bhisma in Mahabharata. Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, skills, war, arts, industry, and justice etc.13. The Greeks are not far behind. These "Greek-looking foreigners" are also described in Susan Huntington, "The art of ancient India", p. 100, "They (the niches) were intended to hold a figured panel, relief-work, or something of the kind" Domenico Facenna, "Butkara I", Also "The Buddhist art of Gandhara", Marshall, p101. Now, lets compare the events from their lives. 28 http://hinduonline.co/HinduReligion/Gods/Varuna.html All these depictions were shaped by a place that confounds unitary nationalist imaginations: Greater Gandhara. In a similar manner, Indian mythology also has a position for a love god taken by Kamadeva2. In Greek mythology too, there is a famous scene where a character, Achilles, was killed by an arrow that pierced his foot. The Greek Trinity Likewise, the supreme gods of Greek mythology are. Greek gods are anthropomorphic, whereas Hindu gods can have human and non-human forms. Hinber (2000), pp. Another difference between the two pantheons is the way the gods are depicted. 14 http://www.koausa.org/Gods/God10.html At that time relations with the Shungas seem to have improved, and some level of religious exchange seems to have occurred. 5 outstanding haldi outfit designs you should know that were worn by celebrities, Feel and look younger as under eye filler boosts your confidence, 2 Greatest Human Inventions That Should Never Have Been: Religion And Politics, 8 Amazing Overnight Beauty Tips to look pretty as a Princess, Incredible Clothing Options for the Kids on Formal Occasions, Maximizing Your ULIP Returns: Tips and Tricks for Using a ULIP Calculator Effectively, The benefits of personalized learning through education apps, Revolutionizing the Dental Industry: Cosmetic Dentistry and Its Impact. Since Surya is not associated with music or prophesies like Apollo, it would be safer to compare Surya with Helios than Apollo, who is the Titan god of Sun. Later in his life Bhisma gained a blessing from his father (for giving up his claim to throne so that his step brothers can take up the throne) that he could only die when he wished to die26, thus making him invulnerable like Achilles was. There are three main Hindu goddesses - Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. The main difference is that Greek divine entities appear to live on the planet, which includes mountains. In the first place, there is Brahma, who is the maker god. Zeus is the god of sky, and has control over weather phenomenon related to sky and air like storms, tempests, darkness, thunders, lightening and rain30. After several years, Zeus intervened and transformed the women into doves to help them escape. Zeus, in ancient Greek religion, chief deity of the pantheon, a sky and weather god who was identical with the Roman god Jupiter. The Hindu gods, though, have ancient spaceships and magical nuclear weapons. They are called the Olympians. The Gods of Mount Olympus represents good while their antitheses are the Titans, representing evil. Some coins of Agathocles in the Indian standard also show a six-arched stupa and a tree in a railing, typical symbol of the Bodhi tree in early Buddhism. When Krishna playfully swung down a branch of the Kadamba tree, he fell into the river. The Rig Veda proclaims Indra as Hindu God of thunder, who rides a grand chariot and lives on Mount Meru in Swarga. In Hindu mythology, Kaliya was the name of a poisonous snake or naga living in the Yamuna river near Vrindavan. This god is Ganesha, who is the child of Shiva. Hindus have a God presiding over death and afterlife, and he's known as Yama. The Indo-Greeks practiced numerous religions during the time they ruled in present-day northwestern India from the 2nd century BCE to the beginning of the 1st century CE. From that time, Menander and his successors may have been the key propagators of Buddhist ideas and representations: "the spread of Gandhari Buddhism may have been stimulated by Menander's royal patronage, as may have the development and spread of Gandharan sculpture, which seems to have accompanied it" (Mc Evilly, "The shape of ancient thought", p378). 16 http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Haides.html Felix Baumgartner: Free falling from space, Om Jai Jagdish Hare: Basic mantra for Hindu puja. The planet Pluto is called Yama in Hindi21. As king, he leads cattle raids against the dasas, or dasyus, native inhabitants of the lands over which his people range. The impact and effect of the Greek Gods on the Greek society were substantially broader, but on the other hand, For the situation of Hindu Gods, such effects and impact are restricted to one specific Vishnu. In addition to the worship of the Classical pantheon of the Greek deities found on their coins (e.g., Zeus, Herakles, Athena, Apollo ), the Indo-Greeks were involved with local faiths, particularly with Buddhism, but also with Hinduism and Zoroastrianism . One day, the Pleiades were traveling with their mother and met the hunter Orion. Hasn't this been a beautiful journey? However, whichever the culture it might be and how different they may seem from the other, there are always some similarities that make us wonder if all the cultures are branches of the same tree. According to one story, one of the Pleiades, Merope, deserted her sisters because she was ashamed of having a mortal husband, who also happened to be a criminal. Greek mythology has a pantheon of 12 main gods, while Hinduism has a trinity of three principal deities. Thetis had six sons prior to Achilles, and while in her attempt to make them immortal she burned them in fire. I think that much of these similarities go back to common origins of the Greeks and Hindus to the Indo-Europeans or Aryans. According to the epic Mahabharata, the stars of the Big Dipper were the seven sages or rishis. In Indian mythology God of Sun is known as Surya. Traits. They are all celebrating at the entrance of the stupa. At the of it all, all these ancient civilizations used to believe in the grand scheme of 3 supreme . Rhea means Flow and ease33 while Aditi means boundless, limitless and freedom34. Both, however, are extremely skilledwarriors and heroes and do ultimatelytake part in war.