Sumerian gods and the corresponding Hindu gods

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Enki and Narayana

Enki is the Sumerian God of deep water, creation, wisdom, magic, and mischief. Eridu was the home of Enki and his temple was called E-abzu, an aquifer, from all life was believed to stem. In Indian milieu, life originated from Narayana's hiranyagarbha (golden egg) in a deep sea. It created Prajapati Brahma first and then creation goes further. 

Nara means water and Ayana means dwelling.

Enki was sometime considered male deity or sometime female. Enki adopted Sea faring people as his children and become their mother. Original divinity for Hunters and fisher folks of Arabian litterols was Abzu (fresh under water current) or Apsu. Abzu is broken in two as Ab= far and Zu= water. It a fresh and sweet water string. It is hypothesized that Abzu's attributes were later taken by Enki. Enki had taken all function s of Abzu and her fertilising power also. Enki became creator god and all creation stem in water.

Abzu, Saraswati and Enki

Goddess Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge and wisdom, flow like river/water stream in her purest form. In tantric tradition, Neela Saraswati is a form of Tara Devi in her fierce form. She is also called Bhava Tarini or crossing the ocean of life. She is far away from magic as all magic is her own creation. Saraswati is the veda mata and the three vedas are the parasakti or feminine supreme power of Vishnu.

In Akkadian cylinder seal, Enki was depicted with 2 streams of water flowing into each of his shoulders: one is Tigris and other is Euphrates. Alongside him are 2 trees, symbolising the male and female aspects. Here Enki was associated with flowing water of wisdom and knowledge that create and sustain life. Creating and sustaining life is the feminine aspects of Abzu. When did Enki replaced Abzu?

Utu was powerful Sun god for hunters and gatherers of Eastern Arabia. Eastern Semitic people were Angiras progeny. Utu himself was transition of Sherida (Dawn/Usha)-a female goddess. Most of ancient cultures and civilizations were matriarchal in nature because of their capability of generating life. Atri/Mohini adopted Utu as his children settled them at Eridu. Thus, Enki became their god and Abzu's attributes were transferred to him. Enki represented both male and female gender  and that complied with their own beliefs also.

En/An was the Semitic sky god or heaven god and Ki means Earth in Sumerian language.  Enki shows the exchange of Sumerians and Semitic beliefs and cultural cooperation.

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Location of Dilmun or Ikshawaku

Exact location of Dilmun is highly debatable. One prime location could be Shatt-al-Arab or Arrvand river some 200 km in length, formed by the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris in the town of Al-Qurnah. Then it get down to discharge water at Persian gulf. Take a note, ancient geography was quite different from what we see today. The Karun river, a tributary joins the waterways from the Iranian side. Between Quarnah and Basarah is Dilmun, in the midst of marshes.

In Arabic the word  Basarah means "the over watcher" over watcher of all 10 directions on his 10 ratha! The name is derived from the Aramaic word Basaratha, and its modern Arabic corruption is Basarah. Its meaning is place of huts or settlement. it  could be reeds huts and small settlements at marshy and wet land areas.

A number of scholars have suggested that Dilmun originally designated the eastern province of Saudi-Arabia. Eastern Arabia historically known as Al-Bahrain until 18 century. This region include south of Basarah along the Persian gulf coast and that included the regions of Bahrain, Kuwait, Al-Hasa, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Southern Iraq and Northern Oman. They were fisher folks of Arabian littoral.

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Mohini &Rudra and their Kshatriya Sons

Lord Vishnu had taken Mohini avatar and married Storm God Rudra (Enlil). Enlil was the powerful Mesopotamian god which was adopted form of Semitic god Adad or Bel. Enlil was the son of Sky god "An". An was East Semitic God. He was referred to as 'Father of the Black Headed people'. He was father of Samarrans so was father of Sumerians (black-headed people).

Mohini is the female avatar of lord Vishnu. She was Atri too! They had a son named Kartikeya. He was a warrior God, commander of Devas army. He was Angaraka and Angaraka  is the son of Agni. Son of Agni is war god and commander of Gods like Neela was in Rama army and Dristhdumna in Pandavas and Skanda (Kartikeya) in Indra army and they crushed their enemies. 

Kartikeya's army won many wars for Yagneya Indra and established a powerful Kshatriya kingdom, Uruk. Yagneya was powerful Yagna god Indra who was Inanna of Uruk! So changing statuses of Gods from Enki to Inanna made civilization changes from Eridu to Uruk. Urbanization and new state formation had created stratified society, bureaucracy and central administration. Sumerian Kshatriyas  might and hegemony extended all over Sumer and surpassed Mesopotamia and Syria.

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Dilmun and Ikshawaku

In Sumerian cuneiform, the mythical Dilmun was known as the bright and pure land. Dilmun was the land of abundant fresh water. It was known as land of rising Sun or where the sun rises first. It was a paradisaical land! It encompassed Behrain, Kuwait, Qatar, neighbouring Arabian coast and Persian gulf island. 

Bahrain in Arabic means twin water. Persian gulf is the salt water and Abzu or Apsu is an Arabian aquifer, is a fresh water stream. There are various theories have been given to identify the location of Dilmun. It's hard to get any substantial archaeological evidences to establish the exact location of Dilmun.  Climatic changes, several migrations, wars and civilization changes make archaeological findings a rare feat.

There were an extensive trade connection between Dilmun, Indus valley, Mesopotamia and Meluha. Dilmun seals are found at Lothal, Gujarat. Surprising things are weights and measures that were found at Dilmun were identical to those of Indus valley and not to Mesopotamia. There was more than mere trade connections between Dilmun and Indus-Saraswati civilization.

Dilmun appears first in Sumerian cuneiform clay tablet at the end of 4th millennium BC. The adjective Dilmiun is used to describe a type of axe and one specific official. Dilmunites were bow and axe carrier hunters. The elites of Dilmun civil were considered true royalty by the Mesopotamian. They were Kshatriya of Solar dynasty. They established first city at Eridu and cult of Enki. Dilmuns were the Ikshwakus! Connections and civilization exchanges between Sea faring people and Su people had long been established which gave rise to many cultures and civilizations around.

Our great heroes like Rama, Baharta, Sagara, Bhagiratha and many others belonged to Ikshawaku dynasty. Twenty to out of twenty four Jain Thirthankara belonged to this dynasty. Ikshawakus founded solar dynasty.

Ikshawaku's literal meaning in Sanskrit is sugar cane though in marshy land it represented REED. Reed is a tall, slender leave plant of grass family, which grows in water or on marshy ground. As the civilization developed and spread wide it would adopt  local norms and meanings as a substitute and weave stories around them, but the basic theme remain same in every culture.

Inzak was the chief god of dilimunite pantheon. He was the god of Agaru, a land in Eastern Arabia. He was a Saptarishi Angira. Their main cult centre was at Failaka island which is in Kuwait, the extreme southern end of Iraq.

Agni (Eastern Semitic) daughter (Angira daughter) had six sons by her Ikshawaku husband. Ikshawakus were the mixed breed of sea faring people and Samarrans/Su people. Ikshawaku's son expanded and created several other solar kingdoms.

 Among the six sons of Ikshawaku, the prominent one was illustrious Prajapati  Prachinbarhi. Atri son  is Prachinbarhi (the ancient fire) or Prachin Behrain.

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Arabian littoral and Sumerians

The extreme south of Mesopotamia is extensive marshes and reed swamps which probably served as an area of refuge for displaced peoples after great deluge. Southern part is unsuitable for plant cultivation because of very low rainfall but these days overflow reservoirs and escape channels have regulated rivers for growing cultivation there.

Manu was the first human and the progenitor of humanity who was saved from great deluge by Matsya avatar Vishnu. He got refuge at the marshy land of Persian Gulf coast.

People living on Persian gulf coast were basically living amphibians life. They lived in reed houses near rivers and in wet land area. They lived a Kurma lives! They were hunters and fisher folks of Arabian littorals. They  survived on their might and their hunting skills to kill animals and fishes for their livelihood. They were first Kshatriyas and protector of their land and people. They started agriculture, built extensive canal systems, facilitated trade with foreign lands, and co-laboured with gods to maintain orders.

Vivaswan was  the ferocious kshatriya warrior from the land of Angaraka (Agaru-Arabia), well known for his Super human labours and heroism. He married Sang-gya or NinhurSang.  Ninhursang was the Earth goddess for Sumerians who  dwell on mountains. Enki/Atri married NinhurSang and established first city at Eridu.

Volume of trade had increased which facilitated the rise of many cities-states such as Kish, Nippur, Sippar, Isin, Larsa, Shurruppak, Uruk, Ur, Larak etc. Sumerian hegemony subsided other religions and other speakers but Sumerians.

Hindu Gods and the Corresponding Sumerian Gods

Sumer is the  earliest known civilization in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia. Modern historians have suggested that Sumer was first permanently settled between c. 5500 and 4000 BC  and they spoke the Sumerian language.

Pre-historic people of Southern Mesopotamia were called Ubaidians. All their male and female figurines represent snake faces. Serpent worship was prevalent amongst ancient civilizations. They are wearing some kind of helmet or kind of pagadi on their heads and have padding on their shoulders that may represents serpent skins. They lived in a large villages in mud-brick houses. 

They used to dwell on marshy areas, wet land areas or sea areas. Mastaya life style and hunting and fishing led them to survive in water. Water was their god and protector! Their heaven lies under water or in Netherworld (Patala loka). In Hindu mythology, Patala Loka is more prosperous than Swarga Loka. Patala Loka is called Naga Loka!

Lord Vishnu sleeps on Shesha Naga in a deep sea. Nagas adopted Vishnu as their God because Mastaya avatar Vishnu saved them from deluge of oceans.

They drained out the marshy land and made it suitable for agriculture and started trade and other crafts work for their livelihood. They were Ubaidians (Nagas of Indian mythology), saved by Mastaya avatar Vishnu from a great deluge. They were the progenies of Shraddhadeva Manu (the first man)!

They carried their God Utu with them. Utu was the oldest Sun god. The land of Southern Mesopotamia or Su people accepted them. Atri adopted Utu as his son. Atri means 'I am third'. Atri was lady Mohini-avatara of lord Vishnu. Utu married Sunitha of Su people who were native of Southern Mesopotamia. Their marriage alliance created Dilmun, a very prosperous city on a marshland. They built Ziggurat for their god Enki at Eridu or Iritu or Aratta of "Enmerkar and Lord of Aratta" tale. Aratta was the land of prosperities, land of precious metals and gemstones.

The first settlement in southern Mesopotamia was established at Eridu around 6500 BC by Sea faring people. They came in contact with Sauma/Soma/Su people and pioneered agriculture and trade at southern part.  They cleaned marshland for agriculture, built canals, developed trade, made potteries, weaving, and other craft-works, mud-brick houses for large population settlements.

Arabian littoral and Sumerians

Dilmun and Ikshawaku

Mohini &Rudra and their Kshatriya Sons

Location of Dilmun or Ikshawaku

Sumerian referred the mixed culture of original "Su"  people and ancient Mer or Mari of north eastern Semitic population. Mari were nomadic and Semitic pastoralist culture living in tents and following herds of sheep and goats. Samarra and Sumeria have same etymological origin. Sumerians called themselves "the black headed people".

Sauma/Soma/Sama was god of herbs and vegetations. Land of agriculture and grains was the land of Soma. They were called "Su" people.

A cultural symbiosis happened between two different cultures and a new culture emerged out from them. Semitic population infiltrated Mesopotamian territory, added themselves with the Su people/Sauma/Soma. Soma and Mari of Semitic herds mixed up and created Samarran culture. Samarra culture was prominent at Central Mesopotamia. Samarra culture flourished alongside the Ubaid period. There is a close similarities between Samarra pottery design and Ubaidian pottery design. Ubaidians and Samarra cultures assimilated and emerged as Sumerians cultures. Samarra culture ended around 4500 BC and Sumerian culture came into existence from Uruk.

Due to arid climate and alluvium, land was not good for agriculture. They needed extensive canal network to channel river water in different directions to each villages and cities. It was the Ubaidians or the collective efforts of Ubaidians and Sammarans, whom we now safely can say Sumerians, developed extensive canal networks for major settlements. These people pioneered the growing of grains in extreme conditions of aridity. It was a centralised coordination of all city states. As per Puranas, it was Prithu started milking of Earth to obtain the crops.

Sumerian civilization emerged in Southern Mesopotamia and Uruk was the oldest city established by Sumerians. They had invented wheel, writing, the sail boat, agricultural processes such as irrigation, vast canal system, and concept of the city.

Interpretation of ancient Scriptures

We have vast written text that explains human origin, its development, and civilizations building through the medium of stories. India had produced an alternate version of telling history in the form of Shruti and Smriti traditions, through generations. The knowledge was orally transmitted by Gurus and remembered and interpreted by their Shishyas of different schools of Veda and philosophy. These knowledge demands devotion, hard work, practice, and service from their seekers. It was not supposed for at random readings by anyone without grasping the essence. 

Indians were evolved to see world from different perspectives that's why they invested on exercises of knowledge and truth than on the exercises of building big pyramids and Ziggurats. 

Our scriptures have always been misinterpreted and wrongly translated. There is different way to reading and understanding the text. These scriptures are written in a way to give three interpretations:

Upachariradi (higher interpretation)--transcendental so every Puranic story, Ramayana, Mahabharata have their transcendental, metaphysical interpretation.

Astiakdi (historical interpretation)-- Mahabharata, Ramayana and chronologies of ancient kings given in Puranas are the actual history penn down.

Manvadi (dharmik or bhakti interpretation)-- and here are Rama, Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, shakti  the manifestation of supreme power and truth and we worship them as our gods. They have transcendental concept but in Bhakti we give them Manavadi roop and worship them.

Once we shed our prejudices and think beyond stereotyped readings and researches, we will see a lot more similarities in Mesopotamian gods and their counterparts in Hinduism and its sister religions.

Enki and Narayana

Sangaya Vs Sang-ngiga

Sumerian referred to themselves as Ug sag gig ga/un sangi ga, sang-ngiga that literally means 'black headed people' and their land as place of noble lords. We only assumed white Nordic race are noble and superior!

Sang-gya was Sumerian. Ninhursang, goddess of trees and vegetation was the Earth goddess. She was Soma/Sauma/Su people.  Sang-gya married to Utu/Vivaswan of wet land area where Sun rises first, and gave birth to Vaivasvata Manu and Yama-Yami pair.

The Sons of Vaivasta Manu set up four main solar empires which became Nine kingdoms called the Surya Mandala under the rules of Great kings like Ikshwaku, Vikukshi, Nabhaga, Nrga, Saryati, Pranshu-Karusha, Nabhanedishta and Narishyant. These later developed into smaller and smaller kingdoms but the main stem was still Surya Vansha. 

Transition of Uruk from Eridu made a cultural changes and civilization shifted from Priestly culture to Kshatriya-priest culture.

Conclusion

There is a close connection and continuity appears in near eastern civilization development, belief system, and rituals with the Indus-Saraswati civilization. Different stories from different regions and various eras depict the true history with different characteristic and details.

We will have little or probably have no archaeological backing for 5,6 thousands years old civilizations which buried deep down under layers and layers of further developments. If we closely and diligently study our ancient text and the corresponding Mesopotamian text, we can dig out many surprising truth. It's high time to change the stereotype approaches to solve the historical mysteries.  We need to change our vision to see history through new and refined lenses.