The Religion of the Veda: The Ancient Religion of India (from Rig-Veda to Upanishads) c5.9

c5.9

Two prehistoric periods bearing upon Hindu religion—Scepticism about Comparative Mythology—Difficulties in the way of Comparative Mythology—Comparative Mythology and Ethnology—The myth of Cerberus—The Indo-European period—Prehistoric words for god—Father Sky and Mother Earth—The Thunderer—The Vedic Açvins, or "Horsemen," the two Sons of Heaven—The Dioscuri in Greek mythology—The Lettish myth of the two "Sons of God"—Common kernel of the myth of the two "Sons of Heaven"—The Aryan, or Indo-Iranian period—Important religious ideas common to the two peoples—The dual gods Varuna and Mitra—Ahura Mazda and Varuna—The conception of *ṛta*, or "cosmic order"—The Ādityas—Aditi, the mother of the Ādityas—Mitra, a sun god—The sun, the moon, and the planets—The Ādityas and Amesha Spentas—Early ethical concepts among the Indo-Europeans—Varuna and Greek Ouranos (Uranus)—The origin of man—Sundry parents of man—"Father Manu"—Yama and Yamī, the "Twins"—Interlacing of the myths of the first man—The human character of Manu and Yama—Yama, the god of the dead—Soma, the sacrificial drink of the gods—The myth of Soma and the Heavenly Eagle—Value of the preceding reconstructions . . . . . . . . . 99–149