View source for Hindu mythology

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[[File:Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva seated on lotuses with their consorts, ca1770.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|The [[Trimurti]] ([[Brahma]], [[Vishnu]], and [[Shiva]]) seated on lotuses with their consorts, the [[Tridevi]] ([[Saraswati]], [[Lakshmi]], and [[Parvati]]).]]
{{Hinduism}}
[[File:Krishna and Rukmini as Groom and Bride in a Celestial Chariot Driven by Ganesha LACMA M.74.13.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Krishna]] elopes with Princess [[Rukmini]]]]
[[File:1150 CE Hoysaleswara temple Halebidu Karnataka, Gajasurasamhara Shiva.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Shiva]] slays [[Gajasura]]]]
[[File:Matsya Avatar, ca 1870.jpg|thumb|[[Vishnu]]'s [[Matsya]] avatar, a prominent Hindu myth.]]
{{Hindu mythology}}
{{Mythology}}

'''Hindu mythology''' refers to the collection of [[myth|myths]]{{efn|{{Myth FAQ}}}} associated with [[Hinduism]], derived from various [[Hindu texts]] and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the [[Vedas]],{{sfn|Macdonell|1978|p=1–9}} the [[Itihasas]] (the ''[[Mahabharata]]'' and the ''[[Ramayana]]''),{{sfn|Washburn Hopkins|1986|pp=1–3}} and the [[Puranas]].{{sfn|Bonnefoy|1993|p=90–101}} They also appear in regional and ethnolinguistic texts, including the [[Bengali language|Bengali]] [[Mangal-Kāvya|''Mangal Kavya'']] and the [[Tamil language|Tamil]] ''[[Periya Puranam]]'' and [[Naalayira Divya Prabandham|''Divya Prabandham'']]. Additionally, Hindu myths are also found in widely translated [[Fable|fables]] like the ''[[Panchatantra]]'' and the ''[[Hitopadesha]]'', as well as in [[Southeast Asia]]n texts influenced by Hindu traditions.{{sfn|Olivelle|1999|p=xii–xiii}}{{sfn|Waldau|Patton|2009|p=186, 680}}

== Meaning of "myth" ==
'''Myth''' is a [[genre]] of [[folklore]] or [[theology]] consisting primarily of [[narrative]]s that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or [[origin myth]]s. For folklorists, historians, philosophers or theologians this is very different from the use of "myth" simply indicating that something is not true. Instead, the truth value of a myth is not a defining criterion.<ref>Deretic, Irina. “Why are myths true: Plato on the veracity of myths.” Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies (2020): vol. 36, issue 3, pp. 441–451.</ref> Hindus see this as not just tales, but their history and tradition passed on in literary form.

Hindu myths can be found in the [[Vedas]], the [[itihasa]] ([[Ramayana]] and [[Mahabharata]]), and the major [[Puranas]]. Other sources include the Bengali literature, such as [[Mangal-Kāvya]], and the [[Tamil literature]], such as [[Divya Prabandham]], [[Tirumurai]] and the [[Five Great Epics]].  These narratives play a crucial role in the Hindu tradition and are considered real and significant within their cultural and spiritual context, offering profound insights into the beliefs and values of Hinduism.

== Origins and development ==

=== Indus Valley Civilisation ===
{{See also|Religion of the Indus Valley civilization}}

According to [[Joseph Campbell]], the [[Indus Valley civilisation|Indus Valley]] (2600–1900 BCE) may have left traces in the beliefs and traditions of Hinduism. Artefacts have revealed motifs that are also employed and revered by Hindus today, such as primary male deities worshipped by a ruling elite, mother goddesses, nature spirits, [[Nāga|snake]] worship, as well as the reverence of other theriomorphic (animal-shaped) beings.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Opler |first1=Morris E. |last2=Campbell |first2=Joseph |date=January 1962 |title=The Masks of God: Primitive Mythology |journal=The Journal of American Folklore |volume=75 |issue=295 |pages=82 |doi=10.2307/537862 |jstor=537862 |issn=0021-8715  }}</ref> These themes would be maintained by the [[Dravidian folk religion]] even after the decline of its parent civilisation around 1800 BCE.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Decline of the Indus River Valley Civilization (c. 3300–1300 BCE) |url=https://www.science.smith.edu/climatelit/decline-of-the-indus-river-valley-civilization-c-3300-1300-bce/ |access-date=2022-07-31 |website=Climate in Arts and History |language=en-US |archive-date=31 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731074042/https://www.science.smith.edu/climatelit/decline-of-the-indus-river-valley-civilization-c-3300-1300-bce/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Vedic Period ===
{{Main articles|Historical Vedic religion}}

A major factor in the development of Hinduism was the Vedic religion. The [[Indo-Aryan migrations|Indo-Aryan migration]] brought their distinct beliefs to the Indian subcontinent, where the [[Vedas]] were composed around 1500 BCE. The Indo-Aryans [[Rigvedic deities|Vedic pantheon of deities]] included the chief god [[Indra]], the sun deity [[Surya]], [[Ushas]], as well as [[Agni]].{{sfn|Williams|2003|pp=6-7}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Macdonell |first=Arthur Anthony |title=Vedic mythology |date=1974 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=0-8426-0674-2 |edition=Reprint, 1995 |location=Delhi |oclc=1951729}}</ref>

=== Brahmanical Period ===
{{Main articles|Brahminism}}
This period saw the composition of commentaries referred to as the [[Brahmana]]s.{{sfn|Williams|2003|p=7}}

=== Upanishad Period ===
{{See also|Upanishads}}
According to Williams, from 900 to 600 BCE, the protests of the populace against sacrifices made towards the Vedic gods and rebellions against the Brahmin class led to the embrace of reform by the latter and the composition of the [[Atharvaveda|fourth Veda]] and the [[Vedanta]] texts. About half of the Upanishads were mystical and unitive, speaking of experiencing the divine as the one (ekam), while the other half promoted devotion to one or more deities. New gods and goddesses were celebrated, and devotional practices began to be introduced.<ref name=":0"/>

===Sramanic movements===
Elements such as those emerging from [[Buddhism]] and [[Jainism]] made their "heteroprax" contributions to later Hindu mythology, such as temples, indoor shrines, and rituals modeled after service to a divine king. Renunciate traditions contributed elements that questioned sacrifices and the killing of animals, and promoted asceticism and vegetarianism. All of these themes would be incorporated by the Brahmin classes into the later [[Hindu synthesis]], which developed in response to the sramanic movements between ca. 500–300 BCE and 500 CE, and also found their way into Hindu mythology.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |date=2004-05-01 |title=Handbook of Hindu mythology |pages=10 }}</ref>

=== Epic Period ===
{{Main articles|Ramayana|Mahabharata}}
The era from 400 BCE to 400 CE was the period of the compilation of India’s great epics, the [[Mahabharata]] and [[Ramayana]]. These were central manifestations of the newly developing Hindu synthesis, contributing to a  specific Hindu mythology, emphasising divine action on earth in [[Vishnu]]'s incarnations and other divine manifestations. The lore of the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]] and the [[asura]]s expanded. Epic mythology foreshadowed the rich polytheism of the next two periods. The Mahabharata contained two appendices that were extremely important sources for later mythological development, the [[Bhagavad Gita|Bhagavad Gîta]] and the [[Harivamsa]].

=== Puranic Period ===
{{Main articles|Puranas}}

According to Williams, the mythology of the [[Puranas]] can be broken into three periods (300–500; 500–1000; 1000–1800), or the whole period may simply be referred to as the Hindu Middle Ages. This age saw the composition of the major Puranic texts of the faith, along with the rise of sectarianism, with followers amassing around the cults of [[Vishnu]], [[Shiva]], or [[Devi]]. The three denominations within this period help locate in time historical developments within the sectarian communities, the rise and decline of Tantrism and its influence on mainstream mythology, the tendencies in Puranic mythologising of subordinating Vedic gods and past heroes to ever-increasing moral weaknesses, going on to be identified as a period of exuberant polytheism. However, this was also accompanied with the belief in monotheism, the idea that all paths lead to the Ultimate Reality, [[Brahman]].<ref name=":0" />

=== Tantric Period ===
{{See also|Tantras (Hinduism)}}

According to Williams, during the Tantric period from 900 to 1600 CE, the mythology of [[Tantra]] and [[Shaktism]] revived and enriched blood sacrifice and the pursuit of pleasure as central themes. Tantra’s stories differed radically in meaning from those of epic mythology, which favored devotion, asceticism, and duty. There was either a revival or emphasis that was placed on the shakti or the cosmic energy of goddesses, a concept that had emerged during the Indus Valley Civilisation.<ref name=":0" />

=== Modern Period ===
In the contemporary era, the mythologies of the dominant traditions of [[Vaishnavism]], [[Shaivism]], and [[Shaktism]] prevail.<ref>{{Citation |last=Bishara |first=Azmi |title=Ibn Khaldun's 'Asabiyya and Sects |date=2021-08-01 |work=Sectarianism without Sects |pages=199–220 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/oso/9780197602744.003.0007 |isbn=978-0-19-760274-4  }}</ref> Several myths were found or invented to make tribals or former "outcastes" Hindus and bring them within the cultural whole of a reconstructed Hindu mythological community.

==Mythical themes and types==
[[File: Depictions of episodes from Hindu mythology.jpg|thumb|Depictions of episodes from Hindu mythology]]

Academic studies of [[mythology]] often define mythology as deeply valued stories that explain a society's existence and world order: those narratives of a society's creation, the society's origins and foundations, their god(s), their original heroes, mankind's connection to the "divine", and their narratives of [[eschatology]] (what happens in the "after-life").  This is a very general outline of some of the basic sacred stories with those themes. In its broadest academic sense, the word ''myth'' simply means a traditional story. However, many scholars restrict the term "myth" to sacred stories.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~mmagouli/defmyth.htm#SACRED |title=What is a Myth? |access-date=2007-06-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807181158/http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~mmagouli/defmyth.htm#SACRED |archive-date=2007-08-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Folklorists]] often go further, defining myths as "tales believed as true, usually sacred, set in the distant past or other worlds or parts of the world, and with extra-human, inhuman, or heroic characters".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~mmagouli/defmyth.htm#DEFINING%20MYTH |title=Defining myth |access-date=2007-06-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807181158/http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~mmagouli/defmyth.htm#DEFINING%20MYTH |archive-date=2007-08-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In [[Ancient Greek language|classical Greek]], ''muthos'', from which the English word ''myth'' derives, meant "story, narrative." Hindu mythology does not often have a consistent, monolithic structure. The same myth typically appears in various versions, and can be represented differently across different regional and socio-religious traditions.{{sfn|Suthren Hirst|1998}} Many of these legends evolve across these texts, where the character names change or the story is embellished with greater details.{{sfn|Suthren Hirst|1998}}{{sfn|Doniger O'Flaherty|1975|p=11, 21–22}} According to Suthren Hirst, these myths have been given a complex range of interpretations.{{sfn|Suthren Hirst|1998}} While according to Doniger O'Flaherty, the central message and moral values remain the same.{{sfn|Doniger O'Flaherty|1975|p=11, 21–22}}  They have been modified by various philosophical schools over time, and are taken to have deeper, often symbolic, meaning.{{sfn|Suthren Hirst|1998}}

== Cosmology ==
{{Main|Hindu cosmology}}
{{Expand section|date=May 2021}}
{{div col}}
* [[Brahman]] The Ultimate Reality in [[Hinduism]]
* [[Satyaloka]] The abode of Brahma
* [[Hiranyagarbha]] The golden egg from which creation emerges
* [[Vaikuntha]] The abode of Vishnu
* [[Goloka]] The abode of Radha Krishna
* [[Kailasa]] The abode of Shiva
* [[Bhūmi|Bhumi]] The Hindu name for Earth.
* [[Patala]] The netherworld
* [[Svarga]] The Hindu concept of "heaven", but not strictly related to afterlife, but more like "utopia" in real world.
* [[Naraka (Hinduism)|Naraka]] The Hindu concept of "hell", but not a site of permanent damnation

{{div col end}}

=== Deities ===
{{Expand section|date=July 2021}}
'''[[Pantheism]]'''
*[[Brahman]] The Ultimate Reality

'''[[Vaishnavism]]''' (Vishnu-centric)
*[[Vishnu]] The God of Preservation
*[[Lakshmi]] The Goddess of Prosperity
*[[Dashavatara]] Ten incarnations of Vishnu, chiefly [[Krishna]] and [[Rama]]

'''[[Shaivism]]''' (Shiva-centric)
*[[Shiva]] The God of Destruction
*[[Parvati]] The Goddess of Power
*[[Ganesha]] The God of Auspiciousness
*[[Kartikeya]] The God of Victory and War

'''[[Shaktism]]''' (Goddess-centric)
*[[Mahadevi]] Supreme Goddess
*[[Saraswati]] Goddess of Wisdom
*[[Lakshmi]] Goddess of Prosperity
*[[Parvati]] Goddess of Power
*[[Durga]] Goddess of War
*[[Kali]] Goddess of time and destruction 


'''[[Henotheism]] and [[Polytheism]]'''
* [[Brahma]] The God of Creation
* [[Vishnu]] The God of Preservation
* [[Shiva]] The God of Destruction
* [[Indra]] The King of the Devas and Svarga
* [[Saraswati]] The Goddess of Wisdom
* [[Lakshmi]] The Goddess of Prosperity
* [[Parvati]] The Goddess of Power
* [[Ganesha]] The God of Auspiciousness
* [[Krishna]] The God of love and protection
* [[Radha]] The goddess of love, chief consort of Krishna
* [[Rukmini]] The first queen consort and principal wife of Krishna<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vemsani |first=Lavanya |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4fw2DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA91 |title=Krishna in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Hindu Lord of Many Names: An Encyclopedia of the Hindu Lord of Many Names |date=2016-06-13 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-61069-211-3 |pages=91 |language=en |access-date=2 March 2023 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326164823/https://books.google.com/books?id=4fw2DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA91 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Satyabhama]] The third queen consort of Krishna
* [[Kalindi|Yamuna]] one of the main sacred river goddesses in Hinduism and the fourth queen consort of Krishna
* [[Bhumi (goddess)|Bhudevi]] Goddess of the Earth
* [[Kartikeya]] (Murugan) God of Victory and War
* [[Rama]] The seventh incarnation of  [[Vishnu]]
* [[Kali]] A terrible aspect of [[Parvati]] 
* [[Durga]] A principal aspect of Mahadevi 
* [[Ashvins]] Twin gods of medicine
* [[Agni]] God of Fire
* [[Rudra]] God of the storm 
* [[Shakti]] Personification of power
* [[Vayu]] God of the wind
* [[Surya]] God of the Sun
* [[Varuna]] God of the oceans
* [[Lakshmana]] Younger Brother of Rama
* [[Hanuman]] Highest devotee of Rama
* [[Sita]] Consort of Rama and incarnation of Lakshmi
* [[Sati (Hindu goddess)|Sati]] An incarnation of the goddess [[Shakti]]
* [[Kubera]] God of Wealth
* [[Parshurama]] The sixth incarnation of [[Vishnu]]
* [[Yama]] God of Death and the Underworld
* [[Chandra]] God of the Moon 
* [[Balrama|Balarama]] incarnation of [[Shesha]] and in some traditions an avatar of Vishnu 
* [[Prajapati]] Creator deity
* [[Kalki]] Prophesied final incarnation of Vishnu
* [[Dashavatara]] (Ten Incarnations of [[Vishnu]])
* [[Narada]] Divine sage, messenger of gods
* [[Sundaravalli]] Daughter of Vishnu, consort of Murugan
* [[Devasena]] Daughter of Vishnu, consort of Murugan
* [[Kamadeva]] The God of love and desire
* [[Rati]] The Goddess of love and desire
* [[Shani]] Divine Personification of the planet saturn
''[[Dravidian folk religion]]''' (Indigenous Dravidian faith)

* [[Mariamman]] Mother goddess
* [[Aiyanar|Ayyanar]] Guardian deity
* [[Ayyappan]] God of Dharma

=== Connections to other belief systems ===
{{Expand section|date=July 2021}}
[[Hinduism]] shares [[mytheme]]s with [[Buddhism]], [[Jainism]], and [[Sikhism]].

==See also==
{{Portal|India|Hinduism}}
{{div col|small=yes}} 
* [[Dashavatara]]
* [[Greek mythology]]
* [[Hindu cosmology]]
* [[Hindu deities]]
* [[Hindu eschatology]]
* [[Hindu scriptures]]
* [[Meitei mythology]]
* [[Proto-Indo-European religion]]
* [[Proto-Indo-Iranian religion]]
* [[Puranic chronology]]
* [[Saga]]
* [[Vedic mythology]]
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{noteslist}}

== Citations ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== General sources ==
{{Refbegin}}
<!-- B -->
* {{cite book|last=Bonnefoy|first=Yves|year=1993|title=Asian Mythologies|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-06456-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r4I-FsZCzJEC|access-date=28 December 2017|archive-date=24 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424033253/https://books.google.com/books?id=r4I-FsZCzJEC|url-status=live}}
<!-- D -->
* {{Citation | last =Doniger O'Flaherty | first =Wendy | year =1975 | title =Hindu epics: A Sourcebook translated from the Sanskrit | publisher =Penguin | isbn =978-0140449907}}
<!-- H -->
* {{cite book|last=Washburn Hopkins|first=Edward|year=1986|title=Epic Mythology|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-0227-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ingAMQAACAAJ|access-date=28 December 2017|archive-date=24 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424033307/https://books.google.com/books?id=ingAMQAACAAJ|url-status=live}}
<!-- M -->
* {{cite book | last =Macdonell | first =Arthur Anthony | year =1978 | title =Vedic Mythology | publisher =Motilal Banarsidass | edition =(reprint) | isbn =978-81-208-1113-3 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=b7Meabtj8mcC | access-date =28 December 2017 | archive-date =24 April 2023 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20230424033251/https://books.google.com/books?id=b7Meabtj8mcC | url-status =live }}
<!-- O -->
* {{cite book | last =Olivelle | first =Patrick | author-link =Patrick Olivelle | year =1999 | title =Pañcatantra: The Book of India's Folk Wisdom | publisher =Oxford University Press | isbn =978-0-19-283988-6 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=-BQj8cz0vvMC }}
<!-- S -->
* {{Citation | last =Suthren Hirst | first =Jacqueline | author-link =Jacqueline Suthren Hirst | year =1998 | chapter =Myth and history | editor-last =Bowen | editor-first =Paul | title =Themes and Issues in Hinduism | publisher =Cassell}}
<!-- W -->
* {{cite book|last1=Waldau|first1=Paul|last2=Patton|first2=Kimberley|year=2009|title=A Communion of Subjects: Animals in Religion, Science, and Ethics|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-13643-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5k6rAgAAQBAJ}}
* {{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=George M. |title=Handbook of Hindu Mythology |date=2003 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-19-533261-2 |language=en}}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last1=Bhairav |first1=J Furcifer |author2=Rakesh Khanna |year=2020 |title=Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India |url=https://www.blaft.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/ghosts-monsters-and-demons-of-india |publisher=Blaft Publications Private Limited |isbn=9789380636467 |oclc=1259298225}}
* {{cite book |last=Brockington |first=J. L. |title=The Sanskrit Epics |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HR-_LK5kl18C |year=1998 |publisher=BRILL Academic |isbn=90-04-10260-4}}
* {{cite book |last1=Buitenen |first1=J. A. B. van |last2=Dimmitt |first2=Cornelia |year=1978 |title=Classical Hindu Mythology: A Reader in the Sanskrit Puranas |location=Philadelphia |publisher=Temple University Press |isbn=0-87722-122-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZBUHAAAAQAAJ}}
* {{cite book |last=Campbell |first=Joseph |author-link=Joseph Campbell |year=2003 |title=Myths of Light: Eastern Metaphors of the Eternal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OWdqt29UDGYC |location=Novato, Calif. |publisher=New World Library |isbn=1-57731-403-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Dalal |first=Roshen |year=2010 |title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-341421-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Dallapiccola |first=Anna L. |year=2002 |title=[[Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend]] |isbn=0-500-51088-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Dimitrova |first=Stefania |year=2017 |title=The Day of Brahma: The Myths of India—Epics of Human Destiny |publisher=Alpha-Omega |isbn=978-954-9694-27-7 }}
* {{cite book |last=Dowson |first=John |year=1888 |title=A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature |url=https://archive.org/stream/aclassicaldictio00dowsuoft#page/n27/mode/2up |location=London |publisher=Trubner & Co.}}
* {{cite book |last=Krishna |first=Nanditha |author-link=Nanditha Krishna |year=2009 |title=The Book of Vishnu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f9cSlaLMlgEC |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-306762-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Krishna |first=Nanditha |year=2010 |title=Sacred Animals of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J3NU35nngxEC |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-306619-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Macdonell |first=Arthur Anthony |author-link=Arthur Anthony Macdonell |year=1995 |title=Vedic Mythology |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |location=Delhi |isbn=81-208-1113-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b7Meabtj8mcC}}
* {{cite book |last=Pattanaik |first=Devdutt |author-link=Devdutt Pattanaik |year=2003 |title=Indian Mythology: Tales, Symbols, and Rituals from the Heart of the Subcontinent |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zdkswFlJtjQC |publisher=Inner Traditions/Bear & Company |isbn=0-89281-870-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Rao |first=T. A. Gopinatha |year=1914 |title=Elements of Hindu Iconography |volume=1: Part I |location=Madras |publisher=Law Printing House}}
* {{cite book |last=Walker |first=Benjamin |author-link=Benjamin Walker (author) |year=1968 |title=Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism |location=London |publisher=Allen & Unwin}}
* {{cite book |last=Wilkins |first=W. J. |year=1882 |title=Hindu Mythology, Vedic and Purānic |url=https://archive.org/details/hindumythologyv00wilkgoog |publisher=Thacker, Spink & Co.}}
* Goldberg, Philip. ''American Veda''. Harmony Books, 2010

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* [http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org Clay Sanskrit Library] publishes classical Indian literature, including the Mahabharata and Ramayana, with facing-page text and translation. Also offers searchable corpus and downloadable materials.
* [http://sanskritdocuments.org Sanskrit Documents Collection]: Documents in ITX format of Upanishads, Stotras etc.
* [https://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fairytales/indian_mythology_stories/ Hindu Mythology Stories from Ancient India]

{{Hindu Culture and Epics}}
{{Hindudharma}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Hindu mythology| ]]