Ancient gods in different cultures - some parallels

For example, in "Popol Vuh", sacred book of Mayans, which encompasses a range of subjects that includes creation, ancestry, history, and cosmology, we'll also find about certain religious rituals with frequent festival occasions in honour of the gods of the winds, the rain, the cardinal points, the harvest, of birth, death, and war, etc.

It is known that Popol Vuh is retold and re-written many times before we got a version to read about now, so it is questionable if we're dealing with the story as it was told originally. For this reason, this story may be considered non-authentic, and yet for the knower of Vedic literature who can draw parallels from this story, these 'gods' are actually known as demigods, and this story tells more than enough about 'classic' ancient battles between demigods and demons, and sometimes, fierce battle would occur even amongst demigods themselves. So the root of this story was derived from Vedas and Vedic culture and re-told in native language of any ethnic group on earth.

That's why we have an impression that every nation is talking about different God or different 'gods' in charge, while they're talking about the same ones actually. The difference is in the names and the ability to re-tell the story according to the level of understanding of the narrator as well as that of listeners. So, there are different levels of stories of creation or rather - different levels of purity of the Truth in those stories. Nevertheless, all of them try to explain the Ultimate Truth from their point of view, i.e. their level of understanding of that same Truth.

If you observe these gods from the point of view of envy and rebel, you may only see them as unsuccessful gods since your eye is focused only on fault findings in others. You search for other's faults in order to magnify them. But if you observe them with a clear eye wanting to see the things as they are, you'll find that they're empowered administrators in charge of all universal affairs and servants of God whose service is successful despite of their personal flaws and weakness sometimes.

If we consult Bhagavad-gita on this issue, in chapter 3, which covers issues of karma-yoga, the verses 10 - 12 tell us the following:

"In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Viṣṇu, and blessed them by saying, 'Be thou happy by this yajña [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you all desirable things.'

The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you; thus nourishing one another, there will reign general prosperity for all.

In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being satisfied by the performance of yajña [sacrifice], supply all necessities to man. But he who enjoys these gifts, without offering them to the demigods in return, is certainly a thief."

For more, see this link:

http://causelessmercy.com/?P=Bg3#10

The point is to be and remain in relationship with the Supreme Lord, Prime Creator, Source of all that is, while living on Earth or any other planet. The word yajña [sacrifice] is actually offering of love and gratitude of human beings to the Supreme Lord who supplies all necessities for life via demigod's service to humankind and who are at the same time executive servants of the same Supreme Lord. One can offer that love and gratitude to the Superme Lord in the form of the Universe, or Creative Nature that sustains all.

In Bhagavad-gita, it is said that sacrifice performed for Viṣṇu, Supreme Personality of Godhead, satisfies all: humans, demigods, planet Earth, and the whole Universe. Everyone is satisfied if God is satisfied. So it is our duty to be grateful and do anything to reciprocate the love of God in any way we can. This makes us ascend and uplifts our soul to higher dimensions, as we try to associate more with the Highest Being, which in turn makes us more godly - more to the image of God, pure spirit of pure Love in pure consciousness.