Abigael Rotich

The Rig-Veda is a collection of Hindu hymns which is one of the four canonical sacred texts known as Vedas. It mainly contains praying hymns to the Vedic Gods such Agni, Indra, Mitra and Varun. God Indra is a powerful Hindu God referred as the kings of the gods ruling in the highest heaven in the Hindu Mythology. Mundaka Upanishad is an ancient Vedic text containing sixty four verses that is under Atharva Veda, The Mundaka has three parts: the first defines science of higher knowledge this is the imperishable truth and lower knowledge which deals with rituals and sacrifices. It states that its knowledge that frees. The second part describes the nature of the Brahman which has the inner self, the relation the empirical world and the Brahman the goal of the higher knowledge, Brahma who is declared the first gods and creator of the universe. The third part expand on the second Mundaka and asserts that knowing Brahman is one of freedom, fearlessness, complete liberation and self-sufficiency QUESTION ONE Indra was attributed the following functions: 1. He is the creator and sustainer of the world and the supreme ruler of other gods. 2. He separated land from the ocean when he killed the serpent Vitra who had swallowed all the waters of the world and brought about drought. 3. He had authority over the sky, atmosphere, thunder and storms. 4. He had powers to make rain which he made using his weapon the thunderbolt. 5. He is said to be the god of battle who drank vast soma which was a divine juice that empowered him to accomplish his heroic missions. 6. He is attributed as a defender of gods and mankind against forces of evil. In other religious tradition the roles is very much similar to one another. In Buddhism the god Sacra who rules thirty three gods; in Cambodian tradition the god Pah En is the god of the sky and the most popular god; in Vietnam Cham religion have the god of thunder and rides the white elephant same as the god Indra. The roles of Indra are interrelated to that of German god Wotan, Norse Odin, Geek Zeus and Roman Jupiter. Where this gods held supreme positions and controlled the utmost actions like the atmosphere for the better welfare of human beings. This then suggest greater similarity among the roles given to the gods and the difference being drawn in the way it is expressed in various religions QUESTION TWO COMPARISON. They both accepted the existence of a supremacy creature in the universe as the creator and sustainer of life. They both accepted the supernatural world such as existence of heaven where mortals go after death. CONTRAST. The Mundaka viewed access to mystical knowledge was the definition of true freedom which was referred to as the higher knowledge whereas the Rig Veda saw that connection to the sacrifices and rituals was what brought about knowledge this was known as the lower knowledge. The Mundaka world view and thoughts that knowledge has to be acquired for total awareness and liberation whereas the Rig Veda saw a clear distinction between the humans and gods and that the gods are in control and humans improve lives by praising and appeasing these gods. Mundaka believe of non-permanency of action and thoughts in the continuity of death even in heaven whereas Rig Veda stand with permanency of death. References www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Indra http://yogananda.com.au/upa/Mundaka_Upanishad.html http://www.hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/hinduism/upanishads/mundaka.asp https://www.ancient.eu/Indra/ http://nirmukta.com/2012/02/16/deconstructing-the-inanity-of-brahman-and-the-vedantic-worldview/