Hindu Mythology

In Hinduism there are many beliefs regarding gods. But in most of them a supreme god is regarded as an entity that exists and gives life to all things. It is believed to have created the universe and many other gods and goddess to be his helpers.

Different forms(Avatars) of the supreme god are worshipped, depending on the Hindu tradition. The other gods who are helpers of the supreme god, are also worshipped. Gods in Hinduism are thought as highly advanced spiritual beings and are often represented in human form or partially human and partially animal forms. Sometimes they are also represented as Nonliving things and plants.

The male gods are called Devas and the female gods are called Devis. Other names such as Ishvara, Bhagavan, Bhagwati and Daiwa also means Hindu gods. Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma are the major gods and lakshmi, parvati and saraswati are the major goddesses in Hinduism. Many Hindus believe that Brahma is the Creator, Vishnu is the preserver and Shiva or Maheshswar is destroyer.

Adharma

Adharma

Adharma (unrighteousness) In Hindu mythology, a son of the god Brahma. He personified unrighteousness or vice, being called “the destroyer ...
Adi

Adi

Adi In Hindu mythology, a son of Adharma. He tried to avenge his father’s death at the hands of Shiva ...
Aditi

Aditi

Aditi (free, unbounded?) In Hindu mythology, a goddess, the “mother of the world,” who, according to some Hindu texts, is ...
Agneyastra

Agneyastra

Agneyastra In Hindu mythology, a fire weapon given to Agnivesa, the son of Agni, the fire god. He then gives ...
Agni

Agni

Agni literally means “fire”: the name is etymologically related to ignite. Because Agni is fire, he is a deity with ...
Akupera

Akupera

Akupera (tortoise, turtle) In Hindu mythology, the name of the tortoise on which the earth is sometimes said to be ...
Alakshmi

Alakshmi

Alakshmi Best; Eldest; First; Senior Wife ALSO KNOWN AS: Jyestha ORIGIN: India Official story: Lakshmi is the spirit of joy, ...
Asha

Asha

Asha Asha is the Hindu goddess of hope venerated in Afghanistan since time immemorial. There has been a Hindu presence ...
Ashura

Ashura

The Ashuras are spirits from India who are the hostile rivals of the Hindu deities, the Devas. Ashura is now ...
Bagalamukhi

Bagalamukhi

Bagalamukhi The Crane Headed One ALSO KNOWN AS: Bagala ORIGIN: India Bagalamukhi is Queen of Witchcraft, poison, and deceit. She ...
Bahuchara

Bahuchara

Bahuchara ALSO KNOWN AS: Bahucharaji; Bahuchara Mata ORIGIN: India Hijras are India’s third gender, straddling the threshold between men and ...
Bharata

Bharata

Bharata In Hindu mythology, the name of an Aryan tribal group prominent in early vedic times; also a king devoted ...
Bhima

Bhima

Bhima (the terrible) In the Hindu epic poem The Mahabharata, a hero, second of the five Pandu brothers. Bhima, the ...
Bhishma

Bhishma

Bhishma (the terrible) In the Hindu epic poem The Mahabharata, a hero, commanderin-chief of the Kauravas in the war with ...
Bhrigu

Bhrigu

Bhrigu In Hindu mythology, a Prajapati, a son of the god Brahma, sent by the priests to test the characters ...
Bhuta

Bhuta

Bhuta In Hindu mythology, a ghost, imp, or goblin. Bhutas are malignant and haunt crematoria, lurk in trees, animate dead ...
Brahma

Brahma

Brahma In Hinduism, creator god in the triad of deities called Trimorti, including Vishnu and Shiva. Brahma in present-day Hinduism ...
Brihaspati

Brihaspati

Brihaspati (lord of sacred speech) In Hindu mythology, originally an epithet of Indra, or Agni. It later evolved into a ...
Camunda

Camunda

Camunda, dread goddess, is venerated and propitiated in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Her name derives from Canda and Munda, the ...
Chandi

Chandi

Chandi - Queen of Dust Chandi, goddess of birth and death, is a tribal and village goddess partially incorporated into ...
Chandra

Chandra

Chandra (moon) In Hindu mythology, moon god, source of fertility, often identified with the magic drink of the gods, Amrita ...
Chinnamasta

Chinnamasta

Chinnamasta The One Who Fulfills All Wishes; The Decapitated ALSO KNOWN AS: Chinnamastika ORIGIN: India Chinnamasta, Tantric wisdom goddess, is ...
CHURNING OF THE OCEAN

CHURNING OF THE OCEAN

Churning of the ocean is in Hindu mythology, a term used for the cosmic struggle between the Demons and gods ...
Chyavana

Chyavana

Chyavana In Hindu legend, a sage, opponent of Indra, restored to youth by the twin gods, the Aswins. The Rig-Veda, ...
Dadhyanch

Dadhyanch

Dadhyanch (Dadhica, Dadhicha) In Hindu mythology, a sage who was taught certain sciences by Indra but was not allowed to ...
Daityas

Daityas

Daityas In Hindu mythology, giants who inhabit Patala, the lowest region of the underworld. They warred against the gods and ...
Daksha

Daksha

Daksha (able) In Hindu mythology, a Prajapati, one of the sons of the god Brahma; he sprang from his father’s ...
Dambhodbhava

Dambhodbhava

Dambhodbhava In the Hindu epic poem The Mahabharata, a king who was punished for his pride. Dambhodbhava had an overweening ...
Danavas

Danavas

Danavas In Hindu mythology, giants who warred against the gods. They are descendants of Danu by the sage Kasyapa, and ...
Dayamava

Dayamava

Dayamava was the beautiful daughter of a learned Brahmin. A street sweeper, a man from a much lower caste, fell ...
Deva

Deva

Deva In Hindu and Buddhist mythology, a term for a deity or divine being, from the Sanskrit root div, to ...
Devadasi

Devadasi

Devadasi (female slaves of the gods) In Hinduism, dancers and courtesans who are connected with various ceremonies devoted to images ...
Devak

Devak

devak In Hindu folklore, a guardian deity or spirit, such as an animal, tree, or implement of trade. Those people ...
Devala

Devala

Devala In Hindu mythology, the personification of music as a female. The name also is used for several sages who, ...
Dhumavati

Dhumavati

Dhumavati - The Smoky One She’s called “the Smoky One” because Dhumavati is surrounded by the apocalyptic smoke of the ...
Gada

Gada

Gada In Hindu mythology, the younger brother of Krishna (an incarnation of the god Vishnu). SOURCE: Encyclopedia of World Mythology ...
Gajasura

Gajasura

Gajasura - Elephant of the Asuras Ganesha’s head didn’t come from just any old elephant. Gajasura, an elephant Asura, adored ...
Gandharvas

Gandharvas

Wild, rambunctious, male forest spirits, the Gandharvas are the sexy counterparts and companions of the Apsaras. Many, although not all ...
Ganesha

Ganesha

Ganesha - Lord of New Beginnings; Lord of Obstacles; He Who Bestows Blessings Elephant-headed Ganesha may be the most beloved ...
Ganga

Ganga

Ganga is the goddess of India’s holiest river, the Ganges. She is a spirit of abundance, health, and vigor, bestowing ...
Garuda

Garuda

Garuda -The Devourer Garuda’s mother and the mother of the Nagas shared the same husband. He offered to grant each ...
Hanuman, spirit of victory, heroism, and determination

HANUMAN

Hanuman, spirit of victory, heroism, and determination, may be a tribal monkey god incorporated into the Hindu pantheon. He is ...
Hayagriva

Hayagriva

Hayagriva - The Horse Necked One Hayagriva is a primordial horse spirit too powerful to fade away: • Hayagriva was ...
Ida

Ida

Ida In Hindu mythology, goddess of speech and, in some texts, the earth. In the Rig-Veda, an ancient collection of ...
Kabandha

Kabandha

Kabandha In Hindu mythology, an evil goblin slain by Rama. Originally, Kabandha was a good spirit or Gandharva, in the ...
Kacha

Kacha

Kacha In the Hindu epic poem The Mahabharata, a man who wanted the power to restore the dead to life ...
Kadru

Kadru

Kadru ORIGIN: India Kadru is the mother of the Nagas. She has over one-thousand powerful snake-spirit offspring. Her primary myth ...
Kali

Kali

Kali is India’s Great Mother: goddess of time; creation; destruction and contradictions. Kali was a tribal goddess prior to the ...
Kaliya

Kaliya

Kaliya (black) In Hindu mythology, a serpent king subdued by Krishna, an incarnation of the god Vishnu. Kaliya lived in ...
Kama

Kama

Kama Lord of Love; Churner of Hearts; Stalk of Passion; Lord of All Seasons ALSO KNOWN AS: Kama Deva; Manmatha ...
Kartikeya

Kartikeya

Kartikeya ORIGIN: India Kartikeya is a complex, mysterious, powerful spirit. Under the name Skanda or Murugan, he is the most ...
Kubera

Kubera

Kubera Lord of Wealth ALSO KNOWN AS: Kuber; Kuvera ORIGIN: India Kubera, Golden Lord of Wealth, is considered the richest ...
Marichi

Marichi

MarichiGoddess of Dawn; Queen of Heaven; The Diamond SowAlso known as:Marici (Sanskrit); Mari shi; Marishiten (Japanese)Classification:Buddha; YidamMarichi is a goddess, ...
Maruts

Maruts

Maruts (flashing) In Hindu mythology, wind gods who form part of the entourage of Indra, the storm god, or of ...
Mura

Mura

Mura (Muru) In Hindu mythology, a Demon slain by Krishna (an incarnation of the god Vishnu). Krishna not only killed ...
Naga

Naga

NagaOrigin:IndiaAlso known as:Naginis (females)Naga means “snake,” and the Nagas are a vast class of powerful snake spirits featured in Hindu, ...
Parvati

Parvati

Parvati Daughter of the Mountain ORIGIN: India Parvati is most famous as Shiva’s bride and Shakti, but she is a ...
Pashupati

Pashupati

PASHUPATI : LORD OF THE BEASTS The earliest documented appearance of Pashupati is on a seal from Mohenjo-Daro in the ...
Rahu

Rahu

Rahu (the seizer) is in Hindu mythology, a Demon who seizes the sun and moon, causing eclipses. It is also ...
Sati

Sati

Sati ORIGIN: India Sati, Shiva’s first wife, is the first incarnation of Parvati. The youngest of Daksha’s sixteen daughters, Sati ...
Shasthi

Shasthi

Shasthi Sixth ALSO KNOWN AS: Skandamata ORIGIN: India Shasthi is a goddess of fertility, childbirth, fate, and good fortune. She ...
Sita

Sita

Sita ORIGIN: India Sita, the wife of King Rama, accompanied her husband to his exile in the forest, together with ...
Ushas

Ushas

Ushas Leader of Light ALSO KNOWN AS: Ushus; Usas; Usha ORIGIN: India (Vedic) Ushas, Goddess of Dawn, is the twin ...
Yukshee

Yukshee

Yukshee (YUC- she) Yukshee is a singular and specific vampiric demon from the Hindu lore of India and she is ...