Battles In Hinduism

• June 20, 2017
• Pt. Telluckram Maharaj

Introduction
Most Hindu scriptures relate detailed battles between the Gods (Devas) and the Demons (Asuras). Sometimes the Devas are victorious and sometimes they are not. A student of Sanatan Dharma has to interpret these descriptions not only as possible historical occurrences, but also seek out the symbolic meaning behind these stories.

Did these battles actually take place in history?
It is quite possible that some of these battles are based on actual events in the past. Very often the saints and sages used these events as a backdrop to weave together great philosophical teachings and created the scripture as we know it today.

A good example is the Mahabharat. Quite likely there was an actual battle between cousins for the control of the kingdom. The actual history combined with some myths and legends, taken together with the philosophy of the culture make this scripture the great work that we have.

Sometimes geological and environmental events can be described as battles. In the Ramayan, it is said that mountains could fly until Indra Deva clipped their wings This is easily seen as a Puranic description of the time in the history of the world when the movement of tectonic plates in the earth cause the rise of mountain ranges. When the earth’s crust stabilized over time it was described as Indra removing the wings of the mountains.

In the Vedas a period of drought could have been likened to a demon who swallowed up the waters of the world. Indra vanquishing this demon and releasing the water is described as the Indra/Vrittaasur battle. These are a few of the examples of actual events in the history of the world forming the basis of a description of a battle in Hindu scripture.

Where did these battles take place?
There may be actual locations described in the scripture that pinpoint where on earth these historical events took place. Sometimes these locations can still be found today. However, if we are to interpret the majority of these battles as symbolically representing the eternal struggle of good and evil within the human consciousness, then these events are really taking place in the mind of the devotee on an on-going basis.

Kathas in the scripture such as:
The Churning of the Ocean,
The destrution of Daksha’s yagya,
The penance of Parvati Devi,
The burning of Kaam Deo,
The wedding of Lord Shiva and Parvati Devi, and,
The destruction of Tripurasur,
have to be studied as lessons that show the spiritual path and progress of an individual as he or she lives in the world.

Who are the devatas and who are the rakshasas?
The devatas are the positive tendencies and the rakshasas are the negative tendencies of the devotee.

Where is the location of the battle?
The battle takes place within the mind of the devotee.

When does the battle occur?
The battles are on-going, there is a constant struggle between these two tendencies of an individual.

Are weapons necessary?
In a physical battle between the devatas and the rakshasas, weapons are necessary. For example the majority of murtis depict the deity holding spears, trishul, bows, swords, etc in their hands. In a battle between good and evil within the mind of the individual so too weapons such as knowledge, sense control, tapasya, etc., are needed.

What do the physical weapons represent?
A good example is the bow and arrow. Lord Shiva used a bow and arrow to destroy Tripuraasur. These are three components to this weapon:
(i) the arrow,
(ii) the target,
(iii) the bow itself.

To be successful, the arrow must meet and become one with the target. The bow is the means by which the arrow travels to meet the target and become one with it.

In spirituality, we talk about Atma and Paramatma becoming one or about the realization of this unity. Atma (the individual soul) must realize its identity with Paramatma (the Supreme Soul or God). The Atma is likened to the arrow, Paramatma is likened to the target and the tapasya is described as the bow that brings Atma and Paramatma together. This is the philosophy outlined in the Vedas. Manduka Upanishad says PRANAWO DHANUHU, (Om is the bow). SHARO HYAATMA, (The Atma is the arrow). BRAHMA TALLAKSHYAM UCHATE (Brahman is the target).

In other words, Om, or prayer and meditation, is the means by which Aatma realizes its unity with Paramaatma. In the Shiva Purana this very concise philosophy and analogy is translated into an elaborate katha involving a physical battle with Lord Shiva using a bow and arrow to destroy the Tripurasur.

Is a war chariot necessary?
In the battle with Tripuraasur Lord Shiva requested that the Devatas construct a chariot for His use against the demons. All the devatas joined together in the construction of the chariot. The Purana says that everything in the universe went into building this chariot.

In this case the Devatas can be interpreted as the senses of the human body. The original Gods or Devas created were the elements that make up the universe (space, fire, air, water and earth). These found their home as the senses and faculties of the body. Therefore in the analogy the chariot is the human body with its various senses, mind and intellect making up the driver and the horses, etc. Of course the rider or passenger is the Atma or soul. In the story, the chariot is used to enable the Deity to utilize the weapon to bring arrow and target together. In spiritual development the body is used to come to the realization of oneness of Atma and Paramatma.

This analogy of the human body as a chariot occurs in the Katha Upanishad of the Vedas. AATMAANAM RATHIMAM VIDHI (know the soul as the rider), SARIRAM RATHAM EVA CHA (the body is the chariot on which it rides). This concept is repeated many times in the Gita and other scriptures.

In the Durga Saptasati, one of the main characters is named Surath which means he who possesses a wholesome body. (Su – good, rath – chariot). Surath becomes friends with another individual named Samadhi. Samadhi refers to the bliss of meditation. So the entire scripture becomes an analogy showing how a person with a wholesome body (controlled senses) and a meditative mind (samadhi) becomes God realized.

Conclusion
The scriptures and the stories they contain, can be interpreted in a variety of ways depending on the spiritual development of the student. In the early stages, the various kathas are great episodes where history, myth and philosophy are combined in a story where God is the hero. This develops a love for God in the heart of the devotee. With greater spiritual maturity, greater understanding of the philosophy behind the story becomes clear. As this understanding evolves and develops, it is easily seen how the philosophy and teaching of the Vedas are expanded into the kathas of the Puranas and later scriptures.

To be continued: Who is Tripurasura and what do these cities represent in the individual.