[originaltext] The recorded civilization of India is one of the longest in t

The recorded civilization of India is one of the longest in the course of world history, and its myth, linked to its religions and to the development of its civilization, spans an even greater length of time. Unlike the myth of most countries, particularly western countries, Indian myth is still a part of the living culture of the people on all levels of society, from the illiterate masses to the educated elite, and from the poverty stricken to the nation’s wealthiest.
    The Indians have always tended to retain early be life and mold them to reflect new social conditions or to fit these early beliefs into a new philosophical scheme. This tendency has led to a phenomenon in which the number of gods and the myths attached to them are constantly increasing, despite attempts over the centuries of priests and philosophers to impose on the people the idea of materialism or of a single god. Indian myth is truly a living myth, evolving as a consequence of historical circumstances like the changes of dynasties, economic conditions, and the resultant social changes experienced by the Indian people. In other words, the myth changes to explain and record actual historical events.