The story of Vamana Avatar is a common story in Hinduism. Lord Vishnu takes the Vamana Avatar in order to subjugate the powerful Mahabali, the king of the demons, who had defeated the gods and conquered the heavens. Vamana is a dwarf boy who outsmarts Bali by asking for only three steps of land as […]
Only Three Steps: Vamana Avatar and Bali Read More »
Samudra Manthan is one of the most well-known tales in Hinduism, a tale told and retold time and time again. The Samudra Manthan was a joint effort of the Devas (gods) and Asuras (demons) to churn the ocean for Amrita, an elixir of immortality. But as you will see, along the way, they discovered many
Samudra Manthan: Churning the Ocean for the Elixir of Immortality Read More »
Today, I bring you another family drama, this time about the Moon. If there’s any god in Hinduism that has constantly committed sins and took the immoral path, it is Soma, the Moon god. In this story, Soma kidnaps his own Guru’s wife, eventually leading to a whole war between the Devas and Asuras. I
Tarakamaya: The War Over Tara Read More »
The story of the sun and the shadow, two polar opposites, is Hindu mythology’s version of a family drama. It has everything from a wife upset with her husband to a husband arguing with his in-laws. But even if the story sounds like it is a dramatic retelling of a soap opera, it is truly
Surya and Chhaya: The Sun and the Shadow Read More »
In Hindu and Indian mythology, there is one subject that is a recurring theme across various different stories of gods: Indra’s ego. Indra is always both proud of his position as the king of the gods, but also afraid that he will lose his position. Whenever anyone else gains the slightest inch of power in
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Urvashi is the most famous of the beautiful Apsaras, heavenly nymphs, that serve Indra. She was often described as “the most beautiful woman in the entire Universe”, and her looks were very enchanting. The story of Urvashi and Pururavas is one of the most famous tragic love stories in all of Hinduism. The nymph falls
Urvashi: The Enchanting Heavenly Nymph Read More »
There are up to 33 million gods in Hinduism. From a multi-headed creator god, to a destroyer with a third eye, to an elephant-headed deity, Hinduism is full of unique gods and deities. Each of them has their own backstory and their own attributes. Read this post for an introductory guide to the Hindu pantheon and its most significant gods.
Ultimate Guide to the Many Gods of Hinduism Read More »
Previous Read: Tarakasura Tripurasura refers to a trio of three asura brothers that were collectively known as Tripurasura. The individual names of the brothers are Tarakaksha, Vidyunmali, and Kamalaksha. They were the sons of Tarakasura and after he was killed by Kartikeya, they built three cities and attacked the devas. In the end, they were
Tripurasura: Asuras of the Three Cities Read More »
Jayanti is the daughter of Indra and Shachi. Her name means “victorious” and she is the sister of Jayanta. She was married to Shukracharya. Family Father: Indra Mother: Shachi Brother: Jayanta Former Husband: Shukra Marriage with Shukra Once the devas had completely destroyed the asuras. Shukra, being the preceptor of the devas, started doing penance
Maya is a Danava. He is a great architect of the Danavas, Daityas, and sometimes even devas. He is one of the kings of Danavas. During the Mahabharata, Maya built the Indraprastha sabha for the Pandavas and Krishna. He has a lot of mystic powers. He is known as the acharya of all the mayavis.