Author(s): Gökhan AKMAZ
In Indian mythology, the issue of death was very important and many gods and goddesses were associated with death. The first ones that come to mind are Yama, Rudra-Shiva, K?l?, Durg?, Agni, P?shan, Savit?i, Nir?it?, M?ityu and Varu?a. One of the first writings on this subject is located in ?igveda (X, 14-18). When the issue of death is examined in Indian mythology, the first notions that we will encounter are; death, immortality, immortality drink, after death, gods and goddesses related to death, descriptions of heaven and hell, reincarnation, ?tman, karma, nirv?na, sams?ra. It is also necessary to examine these issues by dividing them into two separate periods: the Vedic Period in which Sa?hit?s, Br?hma?as, ?ra?yakas and Upanishads were written; and the Epic Period in which the epics of R?m?ya?a, Mah?bh?rata and Hariva?sha were written. As it is seen, Indian mythology and religious belief are so rich that it is very difficult to classify a subject according to its examples in other geographies / societies. On the other hand, the goddess named Chinnamast? occupies a very important place among death-related imaginations. According to this, Chinnamast? is standing or sitting on the bodies of K?ma (God of Love) and his wife Rati (this pair is sometimes replaced by K?ish?a and Radh? ve) and is shown in his own blood with a cut head. She also feeds two more women with her own blood. In this form of the goddess; birth, life and death are shown in a single frame. This is extremely important in terms of explaining the beginning, continuing and ending of life completely independently from concepts such as karma, sams?ra and nirv?na. Although the description is shown as belonging to the later periods, it can be taken back to early times in terms of the expression it emphasizes.
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