Hindu mythology

Puranas () are a vast genre of Hindu literature that include a wide range of topics, especially legends and other traditional lore. The Puranas are known for the intricate layers of symbolism depicted within their stories. Composed originally in Sanskrit and in other South Asian languages, several of these texts are named after major Hindu deities such as Devi, Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma. The Puranic genre of literature is found in both Hinduism and Jainism.

body of myths existing in Hinduism

thumb|300px|The golden abode of King Ravana

thumb|Carved conches or Vamavarta shankhas, , Pala Empire|Pala period, India: The leftmost one is carved with the image of [[Lakshmi and Vishnu, and has silver additions.]] thumb|A shankha, 19th century thumb|A Shankha (conch shell) with Vishnu emblem carved

thumb|A Shiva Nataraja idol in Tamil Nadu, India

sacred forest in Hindu literature

Anasuya () is an ascetic, and the wife of Sage Atri in Hinduism. She is the daughter of Devahuti and the Prajapati Kardama in Hindu texts. In the Ramayana, she lives with her husband in a small hermitage on the southern border of the Chitrakuta forest. A pious woman who leads an austere life, she is described as having miraculous powers.

The Karkadann (Arabic كركدن karkadann or karkaddan from Kargadan, Persian: كرگدن) is a mythical creature said to have lived on the grassy plains of India and Iran.

Atharvan ( , nominative singular: अथर्वा ) is a legendary Vedic sage (rishi) of Hinduism, who along with Angiras, is supposed to have authored ("heard") the Atharvaveda. He is also said to have first instituted the fire-sacrifice or yajña. Sometimes he is also reckoned among the seven seers, the Saptarishi. His clan is known as the Atharvanas. Atharvan married Shanti, daughter of Prajapati Kardama, and had a great sage Dadhichi as a son. He is referred to as a member of the Bhrigu clan.

Bakasura (, ), also rendered Baka, is a rakshasa featured in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The rakshasa lives in a forest which nowadays known as "Gangani" located near Garhbeta town of the Indian state of West Bengal. In exchange for protecting the kingdom from invaders, he terrorises its citizens, eating them at will. The weak king is rendered helpless. The people come to an arrangement with their tormentor: They would send him large provisions of food every week, which he would consume, along with the cart-driver who delivered them. In order to save the life of their Brahmin host when it is h

thumb|273x273px|Painting of Vishnu wearing the kaustubha, accompanied by Lakshmi|Sridevi, Bhudevi, and [[Niladevi]]

thumb|Shiva drinks the kalakuta poison Halāhala (Sanskrit हलाहल) or Kālakūṭa (Sanskrit कालकूट, ) is the name of a poison in Hindu mythology. It was created from the Ocean of Milk when the devas and the asuras churned it (see Samudra Manthana) in order to obtain amrita, the nectar of immortality.

thumb|260x260px|Iconography of the Panchajanya on a temple wall Panchajanya (, ) is the shankha (conch) of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, one of his four primary attributes. The Panchajanya symbolises the five elements, and is considered to produce the primeval sound of creation when blown.

Manasaputras (, ) are a class of beings in Hinduism, referring to the 'mind-children' or the 'mind-born' sons of Brahma. In Hinduism, Brahma is believed to have created a number of children from his mind.

Dvipa (, ) is a term in Hindu cosmography. The Puranas describe a dvipa to be one of the seven islands or continents that are present on Earth, each of them surrounded by an ocean. The same terminology is also used to refer to the seven regions of the cosmos.

Shatarupa () is the daughter of the creator deity, Brahma. According to Brahma Purana, Shatarupa is regarded as the first woman to be created by Brahma, marrying Manu, the first man. Their descendants are called manushya, the Sanskrit term for mankind.

Vel () is a divine spear associated with Murugan, the Hindu god of war.

Upamanyu () is a rishi (sage) in Hinduism, best known for being a devotee of the deity Shiva, and being the leader of the ganas (Gāṇamtya).

Pippalada () was a sage and philosopher in Hindu tradition. He is best known for being attributed the authorship of the Prashna Upanishad, which is among the ten Mukhya Upanishads. He is believed to have founded the Pippalada school of thought, which taught the Atharvaveda. He is regarded to be an incarnation (āṃśa) of Shiva in some Puranas.

Kakawin are long narrative poems composed in Old Javanese, also called "Kawi", written in verse form with rhythms and meters derived from Sanskrit literature. Poets used a formalized literary language, rather than the vernacular. Poets composed and performed the poems at the courts of central and east Java kings between the 9th and 16th centuries, and in Bali.

Kalanemi (, ) is an asura in Hindu mythology. He is the son of Virochana, and the grandson of Prahlada. He is slain by Vishnu in the Tarakamaya War, in which he is described to be a commander. In one of his rebirths, in various traditions, he is born as Kamsa, the son of Ugrasena, and becomes the king of Mathura. His nephew, Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, slays him for his tyranny. Kalanemi's daughter, Vrinda, becomes Jalandhara's wife....

thumb|Bhringi (left) worshipping Shiva as Nataraja.|260x260px Bhringi () is a rishi in Hinduism, described to be a great devotee of Shiva, the Hindu destroyer deity.

Khyati () is one of the 24 daughters of Daksha, born to his wife Prasuti. Her father is regarded to have another 62 from his wife Panchajani (Virini/Virani). One of his daughters is called Khyati, who is married to the sage Bhrigu. Khyati bears her husband two sons, Dhata and Vidhata, as well as a daughter, Bhargavi.

mythology of brahmanism

Collection of folksongs (faked)

thumb|A statue of Kubera

LGBT themes in Hindu history

Iravati (, ) is a figure in Hindu mythology. She is a daughter of Kadru or Bhadramada and Kashyapa, as featured in the Ramayana. She is also associated with a sacred Iravati river, which was one of the names of the river Ravi of modern-day Punjab during the Vedic period. It is possible that the river Irrawaddy of Myanmar traces its name to this name for the Ravi river.

Brahmahatya (), also rendered Brahmanahatya (), refers to Brahminicide or killing of a Brahmin, one of the varnas (social classes). The Manusmriti regards the murder of a Brahmin to be one of the five greatest sins (maha patakas).

Vyaghrapada () is a sage featured in Hindu literature.

thumb|Panchamukha Shiva, 16th century, Ayutthaya. Photograph from the National Museum, Bangkok, Thailand. Panchamukha (), also rendered Panchamukhi, is a concept in Hindu iconography in which a deity is represented with five heads. Several Hindu deities are depicted with five faces in their iconography, such as Hanuman, Shiva, Brahma, Ganesha, and Gayatri.

thumb|Sculpture of Vishnu slaying Madhu-Kaitabha|Madhu and Kaitabha thumb|Madhusudana (Vishnu) and Madhusudana Kāminī (Lakshmi)|260x260px Madhusudana () is an epithet of Vishnu and is the 73rd name in the Vishnu Sahasranama.

Rukmavati () is the daughter of King Rukmi of Vidarbha and the second wife of Pradyumna in Hindu mythology. Pradyumna is the son of the deity Krishna and his chief wife Rukmini, the sister of Rukmi. Rukmavati has a son named Aniruddha, who is a member of the chatur-vyuha.

lotus attribute of Vishnu

mythological event in which the god Daksha arranges for his daughter Sati to immolate herself

thumb|Granite figure of Vishnu, India, 16th century CE. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.

Vajranga () is an asura in Hinduism. According to the Puranas, he was born to Diti and was fathered by the sage Kashyapa. Diti, being the mother of the asuras, sought revenge for the deaths of her children by the hands of the devas. Diti is said to have undergone severe austerities for ten thousand years in exchange for a boon which granted her a child who would slay the devas. Kashyapa granted her wish and they birthed Vajranga, whose body was like Indra's weapon, the vajra.

The kalakeyas () or kalakhanjas () are a sect of danavas in Hindu mythology, referring to the children of Kashyapa and Kala. Sixty-thousand kalakeyas are said to exist, and they are described to fight under the asura banner, under Vritra, as well as other rulers.

Durukti () is the sister and wife of the asura Kali in Hindu mythology.

thumb|260x260px|Murti of Bhrigu, founder of the Bhargava race. Bhargava () or Bhṛguvamsha refers to a Brahmin race or dynasty that is said to have been founded by the legendary Hindu sage Bhrigu. Bhargava भार्गव is also the gotra of Kakan Rajputs They are Raghuvanshi Kshatriya decendants of legendary lord Shri Ram.

thumb|The motif of the sacca-kiriyā presumes a natural moral force operating in the world. Sacca-kiriyā (Pāli; , but more often: satyādhiṣṭhāna) is a solemn declaration of truth, expressed in ritual speech. Most often found in Buddhism, it can be an utterance with regard to one's own virtue, or with regard to a certain fact, followed by a command or resolution. Such a statement is believed to effect a wonder-working power that can benefit oneself and others, depending on the truthfulness of the person making the statement. The sacca-kiriyā is a motif found in the scriptural stories from the Pā

thumb|Yama's court.|260x260px Mṛtyu (), is a Sanskrit word meaning death. Mṛtyu, or Death, is often personified as the deities Mara (मर) and Yama (यम) in Dharmic religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Mara (Hindu goddess), the goddess of death according to Hindu mythology. Mṛtyu-māra as death in Buddhism or Māra, a "demon" of the Buddhist cosmology, the personification of Temptation. Yama () is the god of death and the underworld in Hinduism and Buddhism. Yama in Hinduism. Yama in Buddhism.

thumb|Gajendra Moksha, a Hindu legend where [[Vishnu saves an elephant from a crocodile|263x263px]] Gaja () is a Sanskrit word for elephant. It is one of the significant animals finding references in Hindu scriptures, as well as Buddhist and Jain texts.

Durgama (), also called Durgamasura (), is an asura king in Hindu mythology. His legend is associated with the origin of the goddess Shakambhari.

thumb|The Mohiniyattam of Kerala is an example of the Lasya dance thumb|Nupi Challi Pareng (basic feminine movement) Lasya forms important part of Manipuri dance.