Indian Mythology is an
ambitious book – ambitious in its subject matter and ambitious in its scope. Veronica Irons has attempted
a veritable tour de force in a mere 140 pages, which is all the more remarkable as the text is generously illustrated. This is no coffee table book, but a useful reference / guide for the student and teacher alike.
The
author has attempted to follow and to explain the development of Hinduism over the centuries and millennia. Her narrative follows a sequential order, and the narrative flows logically from one era to the other. Color Plates have been intelligently woven into the fabric of the text, in what is undoubtedly a fine effort by the author.
The creation myths, dealing with time, the creation of man and the universe have been lucidly explained and the difference between pantheism (as the Hindu religion is properly described) and polytheism has been adequately covered. . The section on Animal Deities is both interesting and absorbing, as is the section on Mountains and Rivers – testimony to the close links between Hinduism and Nature / Nature Worship.
The chapter on Early Vedic Deities has presumably been included to make the book more comprehensive, but at the cost of confusing the uninitiated reader as someone unacquainted with Hinduism may find it all somewhat perplexing. The potential danger in cataloguing all gods and goddesses is to lose sight of one’s purpose (an illustrated introduction to Hinduism) underlying a book of this type, especially as the same God / Force of Nature is worshipped by different names in different eras.
As in any book of this magnitude, there are bound to be certain areas that have received less attention than others. As the name itself suggests, this is a book on Indian Mythology, so that the student looking for an exposition on Hindu Philosophy is bound to be disappointed. (Nonetheless, this book serves as a useful companion volume to any text on Hindu Philosophy.) The chapters on Buddhism, and especially on Jainism, are rather short – they deserve a more detailed exposition as both these creeds have played an important role historically. Perhaps, what is also missing is an explanation of how traditional Hinduism and the newer creeds of Buddhism and Jainism have interacted with and influenced each other. I was surprised that no mention had been made of Sikhism, which is very much a part of the mosaic of Modern India; I dare to presume this is because the creed is not ancient enough?
As far as the structure of the book/organization of the material is concerned, I would have devoted a separate chapter to the ten avatars (incarnations) of Vishnu, instead of including them as part of the Hindu Triad. And, surely, the epic of Ramayana deserved a separate chapter dedicated to it – as has rightly been done with the epic of Mahabharata.
A final caveat is that there is some duplication of material, which is probably unavoidable given the number and variety of topics covered. The index is quite useful, and the author has rightly dispensed with a glossary for there can be no greater incentive to read the book!