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