The Indian Theogony A Comparative Study of Indian Mythology from the Vedas to the Puranas

This book is concerned with the triad of classical Indian mythology, Brahma the Creator, Visnu the preserver and Siva the destroyer. These gods did not always dominate the Indian religion; the way in which the gods of the Vedic pantheon many of whom are recognizably related to other Indo-European gods' were changed over time and with the cultural and social needs of the population they served, is traced in broad outlines. The gods of the triad assimilated lesser gods, and their attributes, in this process, until they reached their positions of major importance.

Preface; Abbreviations; Introduction; Part I. Gods of the Śiva Group: 1. Varuna; 2. Yama; 3. Yama and Eschatology; 4. Yama and his female counterparts: Nirrti and Yami; 5. Yama's identity; 6. Rudra-Śiva (1); 7. Rudra-Śiva (2); 8. Rudra-Śiva's Consort: the Mother-Goddess; 9. Śiva's rise to power; Part II. God's of the Visnu Group: 10. The Solar gods; 11. The Aśvins; 12. Indra (1); 13. Indra (2); 14. Visnu; 15. Krsna; Part III. Gods of the Brahman Group: 16. Component Vedic gods; 17. Vedic and epic Brahman; Part IV. The Epic-Purānjic Triad: 18. The Neo-Brāhmanical triad; Select bibliography; Index.