Hindu Myths: A SourcebookRecorded in sacred Sanskrit texts, including the Rig Veda and the Mahabharata, Hindu Myths are thought to date back as far as the tenth century BCE. Here in these seventy-five seminal myths are the many incarnations of Vishnu, who saves mankind from destruction, and the mischievous child Krishna, alongside stories of the minor gods, demons, rivers and animals including boars, buffalo, serpents and monkeys. Immensely varied and bursting with colour and life, they demonstrate the Hindu belief in the limitless possibilities of the world - from the teeming miracles of creation to the origins of the incarnation of Death who eventually touches them all. |
Contents
INDRA 1328 | 54 |
AGNI 2933 | 98 |
RUDRA AND SIVA 3446 | 117 |
DEVI THE GODDESS 6469 | 238 |
GODS AND DEMONS 7075 | 270 |
APPENDICES | 301 |
Bibliographical Notes | 310 |
91 | 326 |
THE EPIC MYTH OF THE TRIPLE CITY 37 | 333 |
Glossary and Index of Proper Names | 339 |
RĀMA AND KṚṢŅA 5661 | 350 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Agni ambrosia Andhaka anger Angiras ascetic power asceticism Aśvins battle became Bhāgavata Bhava Bhrgu boar body boon born bowed Brahma Brahmāṇḍa Brahmavaivarta brahmin Brahminicide Bṛhaspati buffalo demon celestial chariot Compare created creatures cursed Dakṣa daughter demons destroyed Devayani Devi Devibhāgavata dharma Discussions earth elephant embryo energy epithet father fire Gaṇeśa Garuda Goddess gods and demons guru Hari head heard heaven Hindu honoured husband immortality incarnation Indra Kaca Kālikā Kāma Kamsa Kavya killed king Kṛṣṇa Linga lord magic Mahābhārata Manu Matsya moon mother mountain Muir myth mythology Nandin Nārāyaṇa noble O'Flaherty oblation obtained ocean Padma Parvati practising asceticism Prajapati Purāṇa Purāņas Rāma Rāmāyaṇa refuge Ṛg Veda Rudra sacrifice Śakra Sambhu Śankara Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa seed serpent Śiva Śiva's Skanda Soma speech Sukra supreme Taittiriya Samhitā thunderbolt took triple world universe Vedic Visņu Vivasvat Vṛtra wife wish woman worshipped Yakṣas Yama Yami