WI: Greek gods incorporated into Hinduism

The story of the Greeks in Central Asia and northern India focuses on the development of Buddhism - The synthesis of northern Indian Buddhism and Hellenic aesthetics and philosophy gave rise to a more colorful and outward-looking form of Mahayana Buddhism which helped Buddhism spread beyond its heartland into East Asia in order to become a world religion. The Greeks influenced Indian artwork and astrology in particular, but their legacy was limited. The Hellenic population of Central Asia and India was assimilated into the vast mix of cultures living in and passing through the Silk Road and is no longer visible today.

What if, as the Zoroastrian migrants from Persia and the Bene Israel Jews and the Syriac Christians from the Middle East succeeded in doing, the Greeks in India survived as a visible minority (Yavana or Yona), practicing a variant of Hinduism that continues to revere some of the Greek pantheon mixed with Hindu rituals, practices, cosmology, and aesthetics? What would it look like, and what impact might it have once it comes to the attention of Western scholars?
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
Hinduism and the religion of the ancient Greeks don't really have a lot in common. Hinduism is so amazingly complex that calling it simply "a polytheistic religion" doesn't remotely do it justice. It contains elements that are not well understood by Westerners, even today.
 
Hinduism's predecessor, the Vedic religion was much closer to that of the Greeks, both being descended from an early proto-Indoeuropean religion. There is close to a one-to-one correspondence between the main gods and goddesses of the two religions.

But by the time of Alexander, the Vedic religion had radically altered into an early version of its present form, with the Vedic gods largely pushed aside by Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu and Shakti, together with the extraordinary development of religious/spiritual philosophy one sees in the Upanishads.

So I think that by the time of Alexander, it was too late for the Greek pantheon to be reintroduced to mainstream Indian religion.
 
The Greek Pantheon had similarities to the Vedic Pantheon with almost parallel members like Zeus and Indra, Hermes and Surya, Poseidon and Varuna, Vulcan and Agni, Athena and Saraswati, Cupid and Kamadev etc. But later the Vedic gods lost their prominence and the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva became supreme with the gods becoming their followers or servants or attendants. In the present day Hinduism Vedic gods are irrelevant and may be compared to the angels in Christianity. The term "god" is still used to call them, but the letter "g" is always small and never capital "G"!
 
Yes, I think it would be less a matter of Greek gods being incorporated into Hinduism and more the Greeks somehow encouraging a revival of the Vedic gods.

The Greeks did have some influence, for instance in regards to the popularisation of physical temples, so it isn't out of the question that they could seriously influence Indian religion.
 
Having Greek gods being incorporated into the pantheon, or, more likely, Greek names being used as synonyms for local gods, is possible, I'm sure. It's going to have almost no effect on the evolution of India or Hinduism, though, since, as others have noted, those old Vedic gods were marginalized, so having a few additional gods or names is almost irrelevant. IMO.
 
As Mongo said (aside: I imagine myself at a symposium quoting the brute from Blazing Saddles), the various strains of the religions descended from that of the proto-Indo-Europeans were generally compatible. Even with religions not directly related, you saw easy syncretism (Ammon Zeus being a particularly notable example).
 
As Mongo said (aside: I imagine myself at a symposium quoting the brute from Blazing Saddles), the various strains of the religions descended from that of the proto-Indo-Europeans were generally compatible. Even with religions not directly related, you saw easy syncretism (Ammon Zeus being a particularly notable example).

Exactly. The Vedic religion would have worked, but it would require much earlier contact. It would be no difference than equating Zeus with Jupiter, Odin, Perun, etc.

Hinduism has Dravidic influence in it which made it diverge from European paganism. Of course, over time the various tribes would have innovations and changes in their religion (e.g. Greeks lack the idea of a world-tree).
 
Like everyone before said, the Devas and Asuras were very similar to the Greek pantheon. Overtime the Vedic rituals became heavily altered, the main reason being the Puranas.

You can see many similarities in their names;

Jupiter - Zeus - Dyaus Pitar

Aurora - Eos - Ushas etc.
 
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Well speaking historically it was more the Greeks adopted Vedic gods.
Zeus and Indra...

Though hey, if Boreas can become Japanese Fujin it is highly probable for more later gods to make it to India.

After all Greek settlers worshipped Athena, Hercules, Zeus, and Tyle along side Buddha.

Edit:

Actually wait. Tyche was equated with Hariti and Hercules with /Vajrpani/Baladeva.

So comgrats. This POD actually happened in OTL.
 
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The vedic religion of rgveda was similirr to greek blelief. Indra=Zeus, Dyaus=Ouraneous, and like Ouraenous Dyaus was killed by his son Indra, and the creation myths of the two religions was the same since both had indo european routes. However it appears that the dravidian gods vishnu and shiva eventually superceded the above vedic beliefs du to simply larger number of agricultural dravidians than vedic nomads and the relegation of the devas to minor roles in modern hindu cosmology may have occured as a reaction to the greek invasion for it was il the puranas which were written during the time of te greek states that do we see devas being superceded by Shiva or Vishnu, probably as a reaction to the greeks who believed in zues and the various pantheonic dieties. But yes the orignal vedic gods have hteir identical greek counterparts thus greek gods are already incorporated into hinduism.
 

PhilippeO

Banned
For Greek Survival in resisting absorbtion, a more sophisticated theology might be needed, perhaps one of mystery religion ? cult of Orpheus or Bacchus ?

one of two Greek Gods survive in some region would be undistinguishable from other Gods or temple, it is unlikely anybody would recognize its Greek roots.

Hinduism theology is very successful that it managed to eliminate Buddhism, and teaching of hundreds of Guru in centuries, only several (Sikhism, Lingayats) is recognizable to outsider.
 
Actually there is a theory that the cult of Hari is derived from the cult of Heracles who was popular among the troops of Alexander, many of whom settled in north-western part of the subcontinent.

Later on it got subsumed into the Vishnu and Krishna cult.

I don't think Indian and Hellenic polytheism are incompatible. Actually one of the peculiarities of Hindu polytheism is that it is compatible with virtually every theistic tradition you can throw at it. It is this very ability that has allowed it to survive over 3000 years undergoing multiple transformations and never being fully co-opted by either of the two proselytising Abrahamic traditions.

No offense, but Hinduism is like a living breathing organism which grows and transforms. It just assimilates ideas from every other religious ideology it comes in contact with, or even transforms the alien ideologies themselves.
 
No offense, but Hinduism is like a living breathing organism which grows and transforms. It just assimilates ideas from every other religious ideology it comes in contact with, or even transforms the alien ideologies themselves.

Kind of like the English language in that respect, then. :)

But yes, the Astika religions have proven to be very resilient and adaptive in the face of massive pressure.
 
Hinduism and the religion of the ancient Greeks don't really have a lot in common. Hinduism is so amazingly complex that calling it simply "a polytheistic religion" doesn't remotely do it justice. It contains elements that are not well understood by Westerners, even today.
Actually, the Indo-European religions have a good deal in common.
 
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