Amavasya in mythical and philosophical thought
By Maryla Falk
Summary
This essay investigates the concept of amavasya (new moon) by weaving together mythological narratives and philosophical speculation. It argues that early Indian thinkers did not draw a rigid line between myth and philosophy; instead, philosophical ideas evolved through reinterpretation of mythic motifs. Focusing on the Suryasukta and other hymns of the Rg Veda, the author analyses the motif of the marriage of the goddess Sūryā. In one hymn she chooses the Ashvin twins as husbands, reflecting a matriarchal custom, but later versions introduce Soma (the moon) as her suitor. The disappearance of the moon at new moon is reinterpreted as its merging into the sun. The essay traces how this idea develops in the Atharvaveda and Upanishads: amavasya becomes a metaphor for the individual self returning to the Absolute, and the moon’s ‘death’ is transformed into a blissful reintegration with the ultimate reality. The author situates the amavasya myth within broader cosmological themes, linking it to goddess worship and the cycles of nature. He also draws on Purānic traditions and folk beliefs to show how the new moon retained both auspicious and inauspicious connotations. Throughout, the paper emphasises continuity between myth and philosophy and shows that cosmological events served as powerful metaphors for psychological and metaphysical concepts.
Conclusion
By tracing the amavasya motif from Vedic hymns to later philosophical texts, the article shows that new‑moon myths evolved into sophisticated metaphors for liberation and unity with the Absolute. The essay underscores the continuity between myth and philosophy and highlights how natural phenomena were used to express complex metaphysical ideas in Indian thought.