This study traces the complex development of a relatively "minor" pan-Indian deity---Hayagriva---who, by the 14th century C.E., is revered as a full form of the Supreme Lord Vis&dotbelow;n&dotbelow;u in the Sri Vais&dotbelow;n&dotbelow;ava tradition of South India. From the perspectives of mythology, iconography, and ritual, the analysis examines both the diachronic and synchronic dimensions of the images of the deity corresponding to the three-fold division of Hindu texts: (1) pan-Indian "mainstream" (Vedas, Epics, Puran&dotbelow;as), (2) pan-Indian sectarian (Agamas), and (3) regional sectarian (hymns of the Al&barbelow;vars and Sri Vais&dotbelow;n&dotbelow;ava Acaryas). / Firstly, the study questions the structural interpretation of Hindu mythology by showing that there is no single unilinear history of the deity; rather, one can only speak of the various "histories" of Hayagriva. Secondly, the study reconstructs the particular "religious history" of Hayagriva as he appears in Sri Vais&dotbelow;n&dotbelow;avism, more specifically as the presiding deity in the Swami Hayagriva Temple at Tiruvahindrapuram. The reconstruction reflects the Sri Vais&dotbelow;n&dotbelow;ava theological understanding of the five different forms the Supreme takes in five different locales (which I term as topotheism). In the process, the study demonstrates that (1) mythology is not simply an abstract historical process, but may be purposively adapted in the service of theology---as in the case of Sri Vais&dotbelow;n&dotbelow;avism, and (2) although the gods change according to sect, emblems and the function of the different images remain the same.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.37721 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Nayar, Kamala E. |
| Contributors | Young, Katherine K. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Faculty of Religious Studies.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001807006, proquestno: NQ70111, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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