Greek vs Hindu Mythology: Semele and Sanjna

 Zeus was the king of Olympus, but even being married he liked to go around and have lots of children with mortals(maybe he liked being a homewrecker, I guess?). One day, he fell in love with a woman named Semele, who eventually became pregnant. His wife Hera, was very angry and jealous(who wouldn't be?) and made a plan. She seeded her mind with the thought that Zeus was holding back from her and not showing his true glory and love to her, and she demanded to see his true form. Zeus told her that she would be obliterated by it and that it was not worth it, but in her infected fervor, she continued to plead and beg and said that she would leave him if he didn't. Zeus eventually gave in, because apparently he didn't use his brain and realize that if he showed her she'd be dead anyways and he wouldn't have her at all either way, and revealed his true, godly form, killing her almost instantaneously. There is more to this story, but we won't really dive further, only such that Zeus took the baby, and sown it into his thigh before it was born, becoming the god Dionysus.


 (Semele dying from the glory of Zeus)

Sanjna was the daughter of the craftsman deity Vishwakakarma, and she fell in love with the Sun god Surya, as did he. They got married, and had children. However, Surya's heat and radiance became overpowering for her(so that's why my parents tell me not to look super good and awesome in front of my brother), and she left, creating a image of herself called Chhaya to raise her children. One of her children eventually disliked her, and she cursed them. When the curse came true, Surya became suspicious, as no mother would ever curse their child. Chhaya confessed to Sanjna's actions, and Surya diminished himself, before leaving to find her. Then they fell in love again and all was well. 



(Sanjna rejecting Surya because of his brightness and strength)

So our good old compare, contrast, and conclusion. Both stories contain a god being too awesome for their wife/girlfriend to handle, however, they both have opposite starts: Zeus is holding back at the beginning and reveals himself at the end, while Surya is fully revealed at the beginning but diminishes himself at the end. But basically both stories have a "too cool for you to handle" vibe, which is why kids, you should never make yourself look too cool in front of your friends/siblings, because then they won't like you(although in some cases that is a blessing). 


Don't give off the "Too cool for you to handle" vibe




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