[Advaita-l] Chronology and Traceability

[Anand N]

Namaste,

I was a little hesitant about posting this question in a Vedanta group, but
I am doing it anyway. Ishwara is Brahma Sahita Maya, and this question can
be ignored too :-)

We say that Vedas, being Apaurusheya and timeless are the basis from which
even Smrutis and Puranas have developed. Ramayana and Mahabharata being
events which actually took place.
I was interested to know if there is a linear chronological development of
these works.

For example:
If we look at Rudra Prashna, we see Rudra as wielding bow and arrow and
other weapons. The same Rudra then transformed into Shiva who is wielding a
Trishul. So if we take the Veda's Rudra Prashna as the source, and then the
source gets multiplied by the later literature, we are arriving at what we
have today as the Pradosha Puja, Shivaratri etc.

We could take any other God too. For e.g. Garuda who is there in the
Shatapatha Brahmana, further in the Mahabharata as the son of Kadru. There
is the whole Garuda Purana too.

So can we do a bidirectional traceability between our current image of Gods
and the Vedic Gods? Is there a clear chronological development and
transformation of our Gods and our practices?

Om Namo Narayanaya,
Anand