Today, we're going to tackle one of the most difficult and fascinating pantheons in

今天我們要討論的是所有神話中 最困難、但也最神奇的神系。

all of mythology.

這裡有跳舞的侏儒、牛魔王 還有好幾位不只兩隻手臂的人。

It's got dancing dwarves, buffalo demons, and some many armed folks.

這個神系裡面非常的有趣，

Yessir there's a lot going on in this pantheon!

可能比埃及眾神還要有趣。

Maybe even more than in the Egyptian pantheon.

歹勢，圖特。

Sorry Thoth.

這一集，我們要來討論印度神話裡的眾神。

In this episode, we'll talk about the pantheon of deities in Indian myths.

與埃及和古近東神話不同，

Unlike myths from Egypt and the Ancient Near East, there are living people for whom these

這些神話對於許多人有著深層、切身、 以及宗教上的意義。

stories have deep, personal, religious meaning.

記不記得我們討論聖經故事時的感覺？

Remember how it got a little uncomfortable when we discussed the Bible's creation story?

就是那樣的感覺。

Well, it's gonna be a bit like that.

但是我們會盡量降低尷尬的情況。

But we're gonna try to minimize the awkwardness.

不信就問... 等一下！ 沒有尷尬之神嗎？

Just ask--wait, there's no god of awkwardness?!

ღ(ఠ^ఠღ)

Ruh roh.

〈速成班主題曲〉

INTRO

《神話速成班》

Discussing the Indian pantheon is tricky for two reasons: first because it remains a living

討論印度神話的有兩個麻煩：

belief system for about a billion people.

首先，印度教如今仍然是近10億信眾的信仰體系。

And second because Indian religious and mythic traditions are not only abundant but also

其次，印度教的神話不僅豐沛，而且很古老。

ancient.

與埃及相似，在不同時段， 會有不同神系崇拜。

As in Egypt, there are different sets of gods and goddesses that were worshipped at different

與埃及不同的是，印度的語言差異性很大。

points in time.

所以會有很多不同的神話， 而且每則神話還會有不同的版本。

But unlike Egypt, India was and is home to many different languages, which means we have

我們會著重在梵語版本的神話。

a lot of different stories, each with many different versions.

梵語是印度教的神聖語言。

We are going to focus mostly on stories that have been written in Sanskrit, the sacred

最早的梵語文字大約在公元150左右出現。

language of Hinduism.

這些石頭上刻的文字， 比我能在石頭上劃出來的痕跡還要複雜。

Sanskrit first appears in written form around 150 CE in a series of rock inscriptions that

上面刻的應該不會是 「雪山神女到此一遊。」或

look much more complex than what I've inscribed on rocks.

「毗濕奴+吉祥天女　 　比永遠還要久。」

This probably doesn't say “Parvati wuz here!

記得，梵語是一種很複雜的語言，

Vishnu + Lakshmi 5eva.”

對於我們來說，他們的詩歌聽起來很不順耳。

Let's remember that Sanskrit is a complex language and its poetry may sound unusual

但是，我們承受的了。

to English ears.

出發吧，布拉基（北歐神話的詩詞之神）。

But we can handle it.

最早的印度神話中，

Lead the way, Bragi, Norse God of poetry.

是以「天父」特尤斯與 「地母」頗哩提毗為中心。

In the earliest Indian traditions, Dyaus the sky father, and Prithvi the earth mother were

嘿！又是「天父地母」！

central.

很高興又見到你們了！

Hey, sky dad and earth mom!

我可以把大氣層留下來洗一洗嗎？

Nice to see you over here, too!

不過不久之後，「太陽神」蘇利耶、 「火神」阿耆尼和「戰神/神王」因陀羅

Do you mind if I drop off some cosmic laundry?

取代了整天吵架的天父地母， 成為最高地位的神。

Later, however, Surya the sun god, Agni the fire god and Indra the warrior king of the

天老爸、地老媽，

gods took top God Billing from mom and dad, who were arguing all the time!

拜託，別吵了。

Sky dad, earth mom, knock it off!

可不可以不要相敬如兵？

Just stop the fighting!

因陀羅是天地之子，負責將他們分開。

We can all get along.

但是他自己也和其他神有過節。

Indra was the child of the sky and the earth, and was responsible for keeping them separate,

比如說：被因陀羅擠下神王之位的伐樓拿

but had his own beef with another god, Varuna, who may once have been the ruler of the gods,

神祇之間也是有競爭的，不是嗎？

but was supplanted by Indra.

不知道他們人有沒有寫過指桑罵槐的歌...

Hey, even god's got beef, right?

不過，因陀羅最著名的是他與 巨蛇（一說巨龍）弗栗多之間的戰鬥。

Wonder if one of them recorded a diss track...

因陀羅殺了弗栗多， 創造了太陽、黎明和天空。

Anyway, the most well-known myth about Indra is about his battle with Vritra, a giant serpent

（我知道，我也以為已經有天空了， 但是神話就是這麼奇怪。）

or dragon, whom Indra kills, thus creating the sun, the dawn, and they sky.

弗栗多的死也產生了渾沌（混亂）。

(Yeah, I know – you thought we had sky covered but, mythology is tricky.)

不錯，

The death of Vritra also gave form to chaos.

這又是我們老朋友「創世神話」， 但不是情色版，而是暴力版。

Which is nice.

許多的神話中，因陀羅都是在與各種敵對的神魔大戰。

So yup, it's our old friend the creation story, but with violence instead of sex.

總是要有人打掃，不是嗎？

In a number of stories, Indra is described as battling and destroying hostile minor deities

也許你會想：

and demons.

「耶～因陀羅是正義的化身！」

I mean, someone has to, right?

但他同時也違背誓言、殺害家人、

And so maybe, you're thinking yay, Indra.

喬達摩仙人的妻子阿訶厘耶通姦。

He fights the good fight.

為此他付出了切JJ的慘痛代價。

But… he also breaks oaths,kills family members and commits adultery with Ahalya, the wife

「櫻桃」表情符號。

of the sage Gvautama.

「剪刀」表情符號。

For which he lost his testicles.

「慘叫」表情符號。

Cherries emoji.

不過還好，另一個神話裡 他用公羊的JJ修復了自己的JJ...

Scissors emoji.

「公羊」表情符號。

Face Screaming in emoji.

這樣，應該還能用吧？

But hey wait, it's OK. in another myth he has them replaced with those of a ram.

他的武器與宙斯相似，都是雷電（金剛杵）。

Emoji.

到了印度的古典時期， 因陀羅又同時擔任「雨神」的職權。

So...um...guess that worked out.

在印度神話中，這種職權的變換 象徵著時代的變化。

Indra's weapon of choice is a thunderbolt, similar to Zeus, and by India's classical

印度教神話與埃及的神系一樣， 很難去定義一套「正統」的神系。

age he becomes a god of rain.

因為這些神祇常常會以許多形式、名稱出現。

And this changing function over time is generally emblematic of Indian myth.

這裡又是另一版的神系：

Like the Egyptian pantheon, it's difficult to pin down one canonical set of myths or

最古老的印度典籍《吠陀》中 記載了「創世神」生主。

characters because they appear in so many forms, often with multiple names.

然而稍晚一點的另一套梵語典籍《奧義書》 則提到了非人形的抽象概念

Here's another version of how things get going: In the Vedas, which are the most ancient

「梵」。

Hindu scriptures, Prajapati was the creator god, but over time, and especially in the

「梵」不是神祇，而是包含萬有、 宇宙的超越本體和終極實在。

Upanishads, another collection of important Sanskrit texts, the less anthropomorphic concept

酷不酷啊，圖特？

of Brahman developed.

這不是石板刻字能表示清楚的，

Brahman isn't a GOD so much as the all-encompassing essence of reality, the supreme cosmic spirit.

但也和一神教的「神」相去不遠。

Pretty cool, right Thoth?

「梵」有時候會被翻譯成「世界之靈」

It's not something you can easily represent on a sandstone relief, but then again it's

而單一的個體「小我」之靈，則需要與「梵」合一。

not that dissimilar from “god” in monotheistic religious traditions.

別這麼快就鬆了一口氣。 因為在之後的印度神話中，

Brahman has sometimes been translated as the “world soul” and all individual souls

「梵」人格化，分成三位神祇：

are one with it.

「創造神」梵天、

Don't get too comfortable, though, because Brahman, in later classical Hindu mythology

「守護神」毗濕奴、

and religion, is embodied and personified as three deities: Brahma, the creator, Vishnu,

「毀滅神」濕婆。

the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer.

他們都是單獨、各有各的神話故事，

They are all distinct, with their own stories, and yet also represent aspects of the more

但也代表「梵」的玄妙、 包含萬有的各個面向。

esoteric and universal idea of Brahman.

這個...三頭政治？

This triumvirate?

三振？

Trifecta?

三分球？

Divine Hat Trick?

印度教稱為「三相神」。

Hindus call it the trimurti and Vishnu and Shiva loom largest in Indian myths.

「三相神」當中的毗濕奴與濕婆 佔了印度神話裡是最活躍的

So then, why is Brahma third banana?

為什麼梵天會被冷落呢？

Well, once the universe is created, the work of the creator is done.

或許是因為，宇宙創造完畢後， 就沒創造神什麼事了。

True, The concept of cyclical existence is central to the Hindu and Buddhist worldview,

照理說，既然印度教和佛教的中心思想是生死輪迴，

so you'd think a creator would be considered among the most important gods.

作為創造神的梵天應該會是最重要的神祇。

Still, Brahma's significance declined in comparison with that of Vishnu and Shiva,

然而，與毗濕奴、濕婆相比， 梵天顯然沒那麼受歡迎。

perhaps because, according to John Brockington: Essentially he is a fusion of a creator deity

或許和約翰‧布羅金頓所說的： 「基本上，梵天是創造神與

with the impersonal Brahman propounded in the Upanishads, which see the goal of religious

《奧義書》裡的抽象概念「梵」的結合體。

endeavor as some kind of union with the absolute, whereas the popular forms of religion attested

《奧義書》討論的宗教修行是 進入「梵我合一」的途徑。

to in the epics prefer a more personal and devotional approach.

而詩歌中的熱門宗教形式 則比較偏於切身與奉獻。

In other words, Brahma doesn't really get involved in the juicy stuff-- battles and

換句話說，梵天比較沒有什麼玩到

quests and adultery.

「搶錢、搶糧、搶女人」的遊戲。

So let's turn to Vishnu, the preserver.

接下來是「守護神」毗濕奴。

Stories of Vishnu often involve his consort Shri, also called Lakshmi, a goddess of prosperity

毗濕奴的神話通常都會包含他的妻子： 室利，或吉祥天女

and good fortune, which is pretty terrific as dowries go.

吉祥天女是「幸福與財富女神」。 她的嫁妝一定很豐厚。

Vishnu protects the world from evil, and he often appears in different forms called “avatars”.

毗濕奴四處與邪惡戰鬥，守護這個世界。 通常以「化身」的型態出現。

Avatars are the human or animal form of a god on earth and they are very, very rad.

「化身」是神祇以動物或人的型態行走於人間。 非常、非常的悶騷。

By the classical period, Vishnu had 10 or so avatars:

古典時代的毗濕奴有「十大化身」：

Matsya, the fish, who we'll hear more about when we talk about floods

魚化身 ─ 摩蹉 之後講到洪水的時候會討論到。

Kurma the tortoise, who played a role similar to the tortoise in the earth diver myth that

龜化身 ─ 俱利摩 跟之前講到的「大地發掘者」裡面的巨龜差不多。

we saw Varaha, the boar who is a boar and does boar

野豬化身 ─ 筏羅訶 做...野豬做的事。

stuff Narasimha the man-lion who kills the demon

人獅化身 ─ 那羅希摩 殺死希羅那迦屍普魔王。

Hiranyakashipu Vamana, the dwarf who defeats the demon Bai

侏儒化身 ─ 筏摩那 用計謀除掉魔王跋利。

through trickery Parashurama who kills the hundred-armed Arjuna

持斧羅摩，用斧頭（或許還有強健的二頭肌） 殺死了一千隻手的阿周那。

with an ax and probably has amazing biceps Rama and

聖王羅摩。還有梵文史詩《摩訶婆羅多》裡的 重要角色奎師那（黑天）。

Krishna who are central to the Mahabaratha, one of the great Sanskrit epics

釋迦牟尼佛，也就是佛陀

The Buddha who is the Buddha.

佛教的創始者。

You know.

未來化身 ─ 迦爾吉 會在將來開創一個新的千禧時代。

From Buddhism.

但不是Y世代的千禧年代...

Kalkin who is a future avatar and a millennial figure that will establish a new era.

迦爾吉沒有上非死不可。

But not like, a millennial millennial.

「毀滅神」濕婆 在吠陀時代時是「主宰風暴之神」。

Kalkin is not on Snapchat.

他是「憤怒的復仇者」和「靈魂的放牧者」。 靈魂聽其來就比羊還要難放牧。

Shiva, the destroyer, had his origins in the Vedic era as a storm god who was a “wrathful

濕婆也是瑜珈、苦行和性慾之神。

avenger” and a “herdsman of souls,” which definitely sounds trickier than sheep.

聽起來好像很矛盾...

Shiva is also associated with yoga, asceticism and erotic love.

或許只是很有彈性。

Which definitely sounds contradictory.

濕婆的標誌「林伽」就是 他在「性慾」這一面最強而有力的證明。

Or maybe just flexible.

完全是不言自明，你去看看就知道了。

This erotic aspect manifests most concretely in Shiva's symbolic form as a linga, which

這也能解釋為什麼濕婆有許多妻子和小三，

is self-explanatory if you look at it, and might explain why Shiva has numerous female

包括娑提、雪山神女， 有時候還有難近母、時母。

deities as either wives or consorts, including Sati and Parvati, and sometimes Durga and

基本來說，濕婆很吃得開。

Kali.

濕婆最著名的形象是 納塔羅闍──宇宙舞王。

Basically, Shiva has game.

不，不是這個舞王。

One of the best known images of Shiva is his depiction asl the lord of the dance–no,

這張才對。

definitely not, yes.

有學者認為：「他的舞步是為了讓信徒了悟而解脫。

According to one scholar: “His steps are intended to relieve by enlightenment

因此他的腳踩在象徵無知的侏儒身上。

the suffrage of his devotees: hence he balances on the back of a dwarf who symbolizes ignorance.

他的手勢和身上的飾品象徵他的神性。

His gestures and the attributes he is holding symbolize aspects of his divinity; the drum

他右後之手持的鼓象徵創造。 左後之手持的火舌象徵毀滅。

in his back right hand [symbolizes creation], the tongue of flame in his back left hand

右前方的手勢象徵守護。

[symbolizes destruction], the gesture of protection [of his front right hand symbolizes] protection

抬起的腿象徵解脫。」

and his raised leg symboliz[es] release.”

麥可‧佛萊利（踢躂舞王）有踩在侏儒身上嗎？

Has Michael Flatley ever balanced on the back of a dwarf?

我說的已經夠多了。

I rest my case.

這一整集幾乎都在講三相神 還有他們曼妙的舞姿。

Now we've spent most of the episode discussing the three key gods of the trimurti and their

可是印度神系裡面也有女神。

amazing dance moves, but Indian pantheons feature goddesses, too, who usually have qualities

她們的神力通常與丈夫的神力互補。

that complement their husband's powers.

之前提到了濕婆的老婆： 雪山神女、烏瑪、娑提，

I mentioned Parvati and Uma and Sati, the wives of Shiva, and Laskshmi, who is married

還有毗濕奴的妻子吉祥天女。

to Vishnu.

有些傳說中，提毗（即「女神」） 或摩訶提毗（即「大女神」）

But other traditions describe the goddess Devi, which translates to “goddess” or

被視為是所有這些女神的原形。

Mahadevi, the great goddess, who is occasionally associated with these other consorts and sometimes

有時候還被視為創世神，

seen as a world creator in her own right.

有些傳說裡，提毗基本上就是「梵」。

In some traditions Devi is essentially the same as Brahman.

與之前討論過的神祇一樣， 提毗在不同人眼中可以有不同職責。

Like many of the deities we discuss, Devi can be many things to many people.

既然我們還沒看過幾位女戰神，

We haven't seen too many female warrior goddesses yet.

我們就用女戰神的故事做結尾。

So let's wrap up with a story that features one: Durga, also known as Kali, who is unapproachable

難近母（杜爾噶）又名時母（迦梨） 是位冰山美人，而且在戰場上所向無敵。

to her suitors and invincible in battle.

還有，她的坐騎是隻獅子，

Also she rides a lion.

所以很明顯，沒有人泡的了她。

So clearly - no one is cool enough to date her.

〈思緒泡泡〉，放馬過來吧。

Thoughtbubble, do your thing.

難近母最著名的傳說就是 她與牛魔王摩醯濕的戰鬥。

One of the main stories about Durga is that of her killing the buffalo demon Mahisha.

摩醯濕征服了其他比較弱小的神和女神。

Mahisha conquered the other lesser gods, the Devas, and then the Devas went to Vishnu and

女神們救去求助於毗濕奴和濕婆。 兩位大神非常生氣。

Shiva for help, who listened and grew angry.

你不會喜歡他們生氣的，因為他們的怒火化身成為...

And you wouldn't like Vishnu and Shiva when they're angry, because their anger takes

難近母 難近母挑戰了摩醯濕和其他妖魔鬼怪。

the form of Durga, who confronted Mahisha and the other demons.

各種妖魔鬼怪不斷湧向她， 但她把它們全部翦除。

“The demons rushed towards the goddess who killed them in hundreds, felling some with

有些用杖打死、有些用索勒死、 有些用劍砍死、有些用叉戳死。

her club, catching others in her noose, slicing others with her sword, and piercing others

此時，摩醯濕化為牛身，攻擊了她的軍隊，

with her trident.

還傷害了她的獅子。 難近母氣炸了。

Meanwhile, Mahisha himself, in buffalo form, terrorized her troops.

她用繩索捆住摩醯濕， 他從牛身化為獅身。

Then he attacked her lion, and Durga became furious.

她把他的獅頭砍掉， 他又變成手持刀劍的人身。

She caught him in her noose, whereupon he quitted his buffalo shape and became a lion

她刺穿摩醯濕的人身，他又變成象身， 用長鼻子抓住了她的獅子。

himself.

她用劍砍斷了他的象鼻， 他又回復到牛身。

She cut off its head and he emerged as a man, sword in hand.

她閃開了他丟過來的山， 用腳採住他的脖子、

As she pierced the man, he became a great elephant, seizing her lion with its trunk,

用她的叉刺穿他，

but she cut off his trunk with her sword as he resumed his buffalo form.

最後用寶劍砍下他的頭。

Lightly tossing aside the mountains he hurled at her, she leaped on him, pinned his neck

謝謝〈思緒泡泡〉。 （好像很痛的感覺...）

with one foot and pierced him with her trident.

我猜第二次砍頭才算數。

Then she cut off his head with her mighty sword.”

這集只能觸及印度教神話的皮毛，

Thanks, Thoughtbubble, that was... harrowing?

印度教神話是很複雜的。

I guess it's always the second beheading that sticks.

不僅僅是因為有這麼多的版本， 而且與上週的埃及神話不同，

CONCLUSION This episode could only scratch the surface

這些是活生生、現在還在流傳的神話。

of the complexity of Indian mythology.

這些神話很複雜是因為 人們將一個或更多的屬性/現象歸於一位神。

Not only does it come from so many sources, but for many people these are living myths,

例如智慧與風暴（之神）。

unlike the deeds of Egyptian gods that we saw last week.

這些神也有許多型態， 有時候會是另一位神的化身，

These stories are complex because people associate one god with one or two attributes or phenomena,

甚至所有的神都是單一大神的化身。

like wisdom or storms.

印度教是個神奇多采的宗教， 有許多的神話，但也是個複雜的蜘蛛網...

And these gods take many forms and are often seen as versions of each other, or maybe of

表情符號。

a single universal god.

謝謝收看。 我們下週見。

Hinduism is a fascinating religion and a rich source of myths, but it's also quite the

web.

Emoji.

Thanks for watching. We'll see you next week.