Hindu mythology

The Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity comprising of Brahma (the creator, left), Vishnu (the preserver, centre) and Shiva (the destroyer, right).

Hindu mythology is the collection of traditional narratives related to the religon of Hinduism and Southern Asia.

Cosmology

Hindu mythology is similar to Norse counterpart. Its cosmos is divided in a series of realms. These worlds or realms are called Lokas. The three main Lokas are Swarga loka, Prithvi loka and Patala loka, these correspond to the realms of Devas (gods), humans and Asuras (demons). This mythology comes from what used to be the erstwhile Indian subcontinent which comprises of modern day Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It is no longer recognised as a part of the history of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh due to the predominance of the Islamic faith which frowns upon any other belief system.

One of the main differences between Indian mythology and other mythologies from around the world is the fact that the stories are not generally linear in nature. Many of the characters feature in various different texts at various timelines leading to a complex and highly interconnected series of stories.

Hindu Pantheon

The Tridevi, Hindu Triple goddess comprising of Lakshmi (wealth, consort of Vishnu, left), Parvati (motherhood, consort of Shiva, centre) and Saraswati (wisdom, consort of Brahma, right).

Devas

Some Devas of the Hindu pantheon are:

• Brahma (Creation)
• Vishnu (Preservation)
• Shiva (Destruction)
• Agni (Fire)
• Brihaspati (Counsellor of the Gods, Planet Jupiter)
• Budha (Planet Mercury)
• Chandra (Moon)
• Chitragupta (Recorder of Fate)
• Dyaus (Sky)
• Ganesh (Remover of Obstacles)
• Hanuman (Monkey god/ Trickster god)
• Indra (Thunder)
• Kama (Love)
• Kubera (Wealth)
• Mangala (Planet Mars)
• Murugan (War)
• Parjanya (Rain)
• Rudra (Storms)
• Shani (Planet Saturn)
• Shukra (Counsellor of Demons, Planet Venus)
• Surya (Sun)
• Varuna (Ocean)
• Vayu (Wind)
• Vishvakarman (Architect of the Universe)
• Yama (Death)

Devis

Some Devis (goddesses) of the Hindu pantheon are

• Saraswati (Creation and Wisdom)
• Lakshmi (Preservation and Wealth)
• Kali  (Destruction, form of Parvati)
• Shakti (Primordial Cosmic energy from of Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati)
• Aditi (Mother of Gods)
• Bhagalmukhi (Goddess who can control her enemies, form of Parvati)
• Bhairavi (Feroctiy, form of Parvati)
• Bhuvaneshwari (World Mother, form of Parvati)
• Brahmacharini (form of Parvati)
• Chamunda (form of Parvati)
• Chandrakanta (form of Parvati)
• Chhinmasta (Self-Control, form of Parvati)
• Dhumavati (Widowhood, Death, form of Parvati)
• Diti (Mother of Demons)
• Durga  (the Invincible, form of Parvati)
• Ganga (The Ganges River)
• Gauri (Relief from suffering, form of Parvati)
• Kamala (Grace, form of Parvati)
• Mara (Death)
• Matangi (Impurity, form of Parvati)
• Parvati (Motherhood)
• Prithvi (Earth)
• Rati (Love)
• Ratri (Night)
• Shachi (Beauty)
• Saranyu (Dusk)
• Shailputri (form of Parvati)
• Shodashi (Beauty, form of Parvati)
• Tara (Salvation, form of Parvati)
• Ushas (Dawn)
• Varuni (Nectar)
• Yami (Death)

Asuras

Asuras were demons in Hindu mythology

• Bali
• Hiranyaksha
• Hiranyakashipu
• Mayasura
• Mitra
• Rahu
• Raktabija
• Tarakasur
• Ravana
• Varuna

Species

• Apsaras
• Asura
• Deva
• Gandharva
• Garuda
• Martaya
• Nāgá
• Rakshasa
• Vanara
• Vishve amrta
• Yaksha
• Yajata

Gallery

Tridevi

Saraswati

Lakshmi

Kali

Trimurti

Brahma

Vishnu

Shiva

Brihaspati

Budha

Chandra

Chitragupta

Dyaus

Ganesh

Hanuman

Indra

Kama

Kubera

Mangala

Murugan/Kartikeya

Parjanya

Parvati

Prithvi

Rati

Ratri

Rudra

Shani

Shukra

Surya

Ushas

Varuna

Vayu

Vishvakarman

Yama

Literal meaning

In Old Persian, Hindus means Sindh which is a river in the Indo-Australian Plate which include South Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the East Indies, the Indo-Pacific, and some parts of South China. By the natives of these areas, Hindusim is a collective name for all lifestyles and belief/unbelief systems there, but in scholarly discussions, Hinduism is just the Santana Dharma since Buddhism, Jainism, and New Ageism alongside Aboriginal (Austro-Asiatic), Sino-Tibetan, and Dravidian mythi are excluded, but the common origin explains the similarity between Buddhism and Taoism.