| List of Illustrations | xiii |
| Guide to Pronunciation | xiv |
I. | Introduction: The Interpretation of Hindu Mythology | 1 |
A. | The Challenge of Hindu Mythology | 1 |
B. | The Central Paradox of Saiva Mythology | 4 |
1. | The Resolution within the Texts | 6 |
2. | The Iconic Resolution of the Paradox: The Ithyphallic Yogi | 8 |
C. | Problems and Methods | 11 |
1. | Various Methods of Mythological Analysis | 11 |
2. | Variants and Multiforms | 16 |
D. | Motifs of Hindu Mythology | 21 |
1. | Chart of Motifs | 22 |
2. | Explanation of Motifs | 23 |
3. | Interconnections between Motifs | 27 |
4. | The Saiva Cycle Analysed by Motifs | 30 |
5. | The Value of Motifs and Variants | 32 |
E. | The Nature of Mythological Contradiction | 33 |
1. | The Equivalence of Opposites | 33 |
2. | The Resolution of Mythological Contradictions | 35 |
3. | The Failure to Resolve Mythological Contradictions | 36 |
4. | The Irrational Solution: Bhakti | 38 |
II. | Asceticism and Eroticism in Early Indian Mythology | 40 |
A. | The Importance of Chastity and Creative Tapas | 40 |
B. | The Seduction of the Ascetic by the Prostitute: Rsyasrnga | 42 |
C. | Chastity and the Loss of Chastity: Agastya | 52 |
D. | The Erotic Powers of the Ascetic | 55 |
E. | The Rejuvenation of the Ascetic: Cyavana | 57 |
F. | Sexual Pleasures as the Reward for Asceticism / the False Ascetic | 64 |
G. | The Importance of Procreation | 68 |
H. | The Prajapati and His Ascetic Sons | 70 |
I. | Narada and the Sons of Daksa | 74 |
J. | The Two Forms of Immortality | 76 |
K. | The Attempt to Reconcile the Householder and Ascetic in Society | 78 |
L. | The Forest-Dweller: an Inadequate Compromise | 79 |
III. | The Vedic Antecedents of Siva | 83 |
A. | Rudra, God of Destruction | 83 |
B. | Indra | 84 |
1. | Indra as Phallic God of Fertility | 85 |
2. | Indra versus the Ascetic | 87 |
C. | Agni, the Erotic Fire | 90 |
1. | Agni and the Pine Forest Sages | 93 |
2. | The Seven Sages and their Wives | 98 |
3. | Siva and Parvati as the Parents of Skanda | 103 |
4. | The Golden Seed of Fire | 107 |
5. | The Birth of Skanda and the Birth of the Maruts | 108 |
IV. | Siva and Brahma: Opposition and Identity | 111 |
A. | Siva as Sexual Creator | 111 |
B. | The Incest of Siva | 112 |
C. | Siva Opposes the Incest of Brahma | 114 |
D. | Brahma Versus Kama | 117 |
E. | Siva Versus Brahma at the Wedding of Sati/Parvati | 121 |
F. | The Beheading of Brahma by Siva | 123 |
G. | The Beheading of Daksa by Siva | 128 |
H. | The Castration of Siva | 130 |
I. | The Competition Between Siva and Brahma | 136 |
J. | The Complementarity of Brahma and Siva | 138 |
V. | Siva and Kama | 141 |
A. | The Chastity of Siva--and Its Contradiction | 141 |
B. | The Burning of Kama--and Its Reversal | 143 |
C. | The Lust of the Chastiser of Kama | 145 |
D. | The Victory of Kama Implicit in the Burning of Kama | 148 |
E. | The Seduction of Siva by Parvati | 151 |
F. | The Revival of Kama by Parvati | 155 |
G. | Kama Reborn as a Tree--Rebirth From Fire | 158 |
H. | The Revived Kama's Power Over Siva | 162 |
I. | The Erotic Appeal of the Chastiser of Kama | 164 |
J. | Kama and Agni Transposed | 166 |
K. | The Partial Identity of Siva and Kama | 169 |
VI. | Siva in the Pine Forest | 172 |
A. | Siva, the False Ascetic, Seducer of the Sages' Wives | 173 |
B. | Siva, the Passive Ascetic, Unmoved by the Sages' Wives | 175 |
C. | The Apparent Lust of the Ascetic Siva | 178 |
1. | The Destruction of the Sages' Powers by the Seduction of their Wives | 178 |
2. | The Transference of the Sages' Powers to Siva: The Pasupata Cult | 182 |
D. | The Sexual Destruction of Demons by Siva | 184 |
1. | The Sexual Death of Adi | 186 |
2. | The Death and Transfiguration of Andhaka | 190 |
E. | The Enlightenment of the Pine Forest Sages | 192 |
1. | Siva opposes the Forest-dwellers' kama | 193 |
2. | The Temptation of the Devotee by God | 196 |
3. | Siva opposes the Forest-dwellers' tapas | 199 |
4. | The Balance: Santi and Linga-worship | 201 |
F. | Enlightenment by Sexual Impersonation | 204 |
VII. | Siva as Ascetic and Householder | 210 |
A. | Siva's Failure to Reconcile His Two Roles | 210 |
B. | Siva's Trouble with his Parents-in-Law | 213 |
C. | The House of the Ascetic Siva | 218 |
D. | Parvati's Conflict with the Unconventional, Ascetic Siva | 221 |
E. | The Quarrels of Siva and Parvati | 224 |
F. | The Adultery of Siva | 226 |
G. | The Reconciliation of Siva and Parvati | 233 |
H. | The Horrible and the Erotic | 236 |
I. | The Transformation of Siva's Ornaments | 238 |
1. | Snakes and Nakedness | 243 |
2. | The Ashes of Siva | 245 |
3. | The Third Eye | 247 |
J. | Siva as Ascetic and House Holder: the Reconciliation | 251 |
VIII. | The Control and Transformation of Desire | 255 |
A. | Sexual Satiety: the Linga in the Yoni | 256 |
B. | Yoga and Bhoga | 258 |
C. | The Transformation of Desire by Self-Temptation | 259 |
D. | The Retention of the Seed | 261 |
1. | The Separation of Fertility and Eroticism | 262 |
2. | The Unnatural Creation of Siva's Son | 267 |
3. | Creation by Blood, Sweat, and Tears | 271 |
4. | The Drinking of the Seed | 273 |
E. | The Seed as Soma and Poison | 277 |
F. | Food and Sex | 279 |
G. | The Control of Excess | 282 |
H. | The Distribution of Siva's Tejas | 283 |
I. | Siva as Fire Under Water | 286 |
J. | Siva as the Submarine Mare | 289 |
IX. | Cycles of Asceticism and Sexuality | 293 |
A. | The Danger of Siva's Excessive Chastity | 294 |
B. | The Danger of Siva's Excessive Sexuality | 296 |
C. | The Interruption of Sexual Activity | 302 |
D. | Quiescence and Energy | 310 |
X. | Conclusion: the Pendulum of Extremes | 314 |
Appendix A. | Connections Between Episodes in the Saiva Cycle | 319 |
Appendix B. | Major Occurrences of the Main Episodes | 321 |
I. | Sanskrit Texts | 321 |
A. | Siva and Kama | 321 |
B. | The birth of Skanda | 321 |
C. | The Pine Forest | 322 |
II. | Non-Sanskrit Texts | 322 |
Appendix C. | Glossary | 323 |
Appendix D. | Bibliography | 326 |
I. | Abbreviations | 326 |
II. | Sanskrit Texts and Translations | 326 |
III. | Secondary Sources | 330 |
Appendix E. | Bibliographic Notes | 341 |
Appendix F. | Index of Motifs | 375 |
Appendix G. | Index of Characters | 381 |