Hindu gods are singers, dancers and artists
Updated On: 08 October, 2023 07:05 AM IST | Mumbai | Devdutt Pattanaik
In Hindu mythology, all the gods are associated with musical instruments
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Illustration/Devdutt Pattanaik
Sanatani Hindutva is obsessed with war. So, every action is a violent metaphor: Exam warriors, Moon warriors, Election warriors, Corona warriors! The assumption is that gods are warriors too—so Ram, Krishna, Shiva, Durga are shown with weapons, all the time, ready to do battle. But, in Hindu mythology, gods also sing, dance and make music and this is what makes Hinduism stand out from most other religions.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Hinduism eventually eclipsed Buddhism and Jainism in India. Buddhism, Jainism are monastic orders, and therefore, silence is appreciated, stillness is appreciated, meditation and contemplation is appreciated. Singing and dancing is seen as the realm of courtesans for kings, for gods and lesser beings. The higher being does not enjoy these traits. One can imagine the contrast: Going to a Jain shrine or a Buddhist stupa, where people would be at best chanting but mostly in silent meditation stances, and then entering a Hindu temple, where there would be music, singing, dancing, along with chanting all through the day with festivals celebrating the triumph of the gods at war, their marriage, their birth, and their many adventures.
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