Delsaber
Dec 27, 2003, 03:15 PM
Varuna -- In Hindu myth, Varuna was the supreme god preceding Indra. He was the keeper of rta, an all-encompassing force representing cosmic order. Varuna was eventually usurped by Indra as supreme deity, and subsequently became god of the oceans and rivers.
Mitra -- In Hindu myth, Mitra is the brother of Varuna and co-guardian of cosmic order. Good-natured and friendly with humans, Mitra was viewed as the mediator between the gods and man.
Surya -- In Hindu myth, Surya is the deity who dwells in the body of the sun. He is the son of Indra, the sky god, and dawn, who is also his wife.
Vayu -- In Hindu myth, Vayu is the god of wind.
Varaha -- In Hindu myth, Varaha is the avatar of Vishnu, represented as a boar. When the demon Hiranyaksha dragged the earth into the depths of the ocean, Varaha battled to return the earth to the surface.
Kama -- In Hindu myth, Kama is the god of love, comparable to the Greek Eros, or Cupid.
Ushasu -- In Hindu mythos, Ushasu is the goddess of the dawn.
Apsaras -- In Hindu myth, Apsaras are female nature spirits, described as beautiful and seductive. They dance to the music of Gandharvas, male spirits of the air, forest, and mountains.
Kumara -- In Hindu myth, the Kumaras are seven sons born out of the limbs of Brahma. They refused to procreate the species and chose to remain Yogis, earning their name which means "virgin boy" in Sanskrit.
Kaitabha -- In Hindu myth, Kaitabha is one of the two demons who sprung forth from the ears of a sleeping Vishnu. Along with Madhu, Kaitabha sought to kill Brahma, but Vishnu destroyed them before they could.
Tapas -- In Hinduism, "tapas" are ascetic meditations, roughly comparable to prayers.
Bhirava -- More commonly known as "Bhairava". In Hindu myth, Bhairava is a form Shiva was forced to take as penance for cutting off one of Brahma's heads. In the form of Bhairava, Shiva became a wandering ascetic, using Brahma's skull cap as a begging bowl.
Kalki -- In Hindu myth, Kalki is the tenth and final incarnation of Vishnu. Equivalent to the Christian "Second Coming", Kalki will descend from heaven on a white horse to destroy the wicked and renew creation.
Rudra -- In ancient Vedic myth, Rudra is the malignant god of storm, wind, and death. With the emergence of Hinduism, the perception of Rudra changed drastically. He became a beneficent god, and would eventually become known as Shiva.
Marutah -- In Hindu myth, the Marutahs were storm deities, sons of Rudra and attendants of Indra. The story goes that their mother, Diti, wanted to give birth to a son who would rival Indra in power. To achieve this, she planned to remain pregnant for a full century. Indra learned of this, and in order to foil her scheme, hurled a thunderbolt at her womb while she was still pregnant. The fetus shattered, and thus the Marutahs were born.
Yaksa -- More commonly known as "Yaksha". In Hindu myth, Yakshas are semi-divine beings, half-god and half-demon. They live beneath the Himalayas where they guard the treasures of the Earth.
Sita -- In Hindu myth, Sita is an incarnation of Lakshmi and wife of Rama, seventh incarnation of Vishnu. Sita was abducted by the demon king Ravana and rescued by her husband.
Garuda -- In Hindu myth, Garuda is a fierce bird of prey, enemy of all snakes including the Nagas.
Nandin -- More commonly known as "Nandini". In Hindu myth, Nandini is the cow of plenty belonging to the sage Vasishtha.
Ashvinau -- A very awkward translation of "Asvins". In Hindu myth, the Asvins are the twin sons of Saranyu and Surya. They're known as the "divine physicians" and represent the morning and evening stars.
Ribhava -- Probably another awkward translation, this time of Rhibus. In Hindu myth, Rhibus are the craft gods, equestrian and solar deities.
Soma -- In ancient Vedic myth, Soma is a sort of "chi" or lifeblood that flows through all living things. Vedic gods gained their immortality through the consumption of Soma, and humans were also able to obtain it through the intoxicating sap of the Soma plant. As the Vedic age ended, Soma was reduced to simply being god of the moon.
Ila -- There are a number of conflicting legends in Hindu mythology involving Ila, but most involve some sort of frequent sex-changing. According to the Puranas, Manu Vaivaswata instituted a sacrifice to Mitra and Varuna to obtain a son. However, the priest in charge of the sacrifice screwed it up, and Manu was instead blessed with the birth of a daughter, Ila. Through the favor of Mitra and Varuna, her sex was changed and she became a man, Su-dyumna. Shiva cursed Su-dyumna, whose gender was once again reversed to Ila. Later on, through the favor of Vishnu, Ila was transformed back into Su-dyumna. No hot or cold water needed.
Durga -- In Hindu myth, Durga is a fierce form of Devi, created by all the other gods and embued with their combined powers.
Vritra -- In Hindu myth, Vritra is among the most powerful of the asuras. He takes the form of a giant dragon or serpent, and is said to be so huge that his coils surround mountains.
Namuci -- In Hindu myth, Namuci is, like Vritra, among the most powerful of the asuras. In the time of Indra's attack on the asuras, Namuci resisted and was finally able to beat Indra. Indra was let go, but only after Namuci forced him to swear that he would never again attack the asura by day or night, with wet or dry. Indra was able to defeat Namuci by cutting off his head precisely at twilight with a column of foam from the ocean, considered neither wet or dry.
Sumba -- I was unable to find any connection to Hindu mythology, but the real-life Sumba is a small island in Southeast Indonesia...
Naga -- In Hindu myth, Nagas are a race of half-human, half-snake deities whose duty is to protect springs, wells, and rivers. They cause rain, and are thus worshipped as the bringers of fertility, but also of disasters such as floods and drought. They are thought to live in the underground city of Bhogavati under the rule of Sesha.
Kabanda -- Have no clue. My research came up completely dry. If you possess knowledge regarding the mythos of Kabanda, please feel free to share.
Ravana -- In Hindu myth, Ravana is the king of Ceylon and the Rakshas, evil spirits occasionally known to be not-so-evil. The ten-headed demon king Ravana kidnaps Sita, and is subsequently killed by Rama, Sita's husband and seventh incarnation of Vishnu.
Marica -- Probably a mistranslation of "Marici." In Hindu myth, Marici is chief of the maruts, one of the seven sons of Brahma. (Incidentally, Marica, in Roman mythology, is an Italian nymph. She is said to have possessed a sacred forest near Minturnae.)
Andhaka -- In Hindu myth, Andhaka is a demon born from a drop of Shiva's sweat. Andhaka develops an incestuous lust for his mother, Parvati, and is subsequently slain by Shiva.
Bana -- In Hindu myth, Bana, or Banasura, was an Asura king and staunch devotee of Shiva. Shiva offered Bana a boon for his devotion, and the oh-so-clever Bana asked Shiva to guard the gates of his city. Banasura's newfound arrogance would ultimately lead to his downfall... when his daughter Usha saw a handsome prince in her dreams, the prince was identified as Aniruddha, grandson of Krishna. The two were married without the king's knowledge, and when Bana found out, he imprisoned Aniruddha. Krishna subsequently attacked Banasura's city, defeating Banasura himself.
Naraka -- In Hindu mythology and Buddhism, Naraka is the place of torture for evil souls. The Christian equivalent would be hell, although Naraka consists of many different kinds of hells, both hot and cold.
Madhu -- In Hindu myth, Madhu is one of the two demons who sprung forth from the ears of a sleeping Vishnu. Along with Kaitabha, Madhu sought to kill Brahma, but Vishnu destroyed them before they could.
Mitra -- In Hindu myth, Mitra is the brother of Varuna and co-guardian of cosmic order. Good-natured and friendly with humans, Mitra was viewed as the mediator between the gods and man.
Surya -- In Hindu myth, Surya is the deity who dwells in the body of the sun. He is the son of Indra, the sky god, and dawn, who is also his wife.
Vayu -- In Hindu myth, Vayu is the god of wind.
Varaha -- In Hindu myth, Varaha is the avatar of Vishnu, represented as a boar. When the demon Hiranyaksha dragged the earth into the depths of the ocean, Varaha battled to return the earth to the surface.
Kama -- In Hindu myth, Kama is the god of love, comparable to the Greek Eros, or Cupid.
Ushasu -- In Hindu mythos, Ushasu is the goddess of the dawn.
Apsaras -- In Hindu myth, Apsaras are female nature spirits, described as beautiful and seductive. They dance to the music of Gandharvas, male spirits of the air, forest, and mountains.
Kumara -- In Hindu myth, the Kumaras are seven sons born out of the limbs of Brahma. They refused to procreate the species and chose to remain Yogis, earning their name which means "virgin boy" in Sanskrit.
Kaitabha -- In Hindu myth, Kaitabha is one of the two demons who sprung forth from the ears of a sleeping Vishnu. Along with Madhu, Kaitabha sought to kill Brahma, but Vishnu destroyed them before they could.
Tapas -- In Hinduism, "tapas" are ascetic meditations, roughly comparable to prayers.
Bhirava -- More commonly known as "Bhairava". In Hindu myth, Bhairava is a form Shiva was forced to take as penance for cutting off one of Brahma's heads. In the form of Bhairava, Shiva became a wandering ascetic, using Brahma's skull cap as a begging bowl.
Kalki -- In Hindu myth, Kalki is the tenth and final incarnation of Vishnu. Equivalent to the Christian "Second Coming", Kalki will descend from heaven on a white horse to destroy the wicked and renew creation.
Rudra -- In ancient Vedic myth, Rudra is the malignant god of storm, wind, and death. With the emergence of Hinduism, the perception of Rudra changed drastically. He became a beneficent god, and would eventually become known as Shiva.
Marutah -- In Hindu myth, the Marutahs were storm deities, sons of Rudra and attendants of Indra. The story goes that their mother, Diti, wanted to give birth to a son who would rival Indra in power. To achieve this, she planned to remain pregnant for a full century. Indra learned of this, and in order to foil her scheme, hurled a thunderbolt at her womb while she was still pregnant. The fetus shattered, and thus the Marutahs were born.
Yaksa -- More commonly known as "Yaksha". In Hindu myth, Yakshas are semi-divine beings, half-god and half-demon. They live beneath the Himalayas where they guard the treasures of the Earth.
Sita -- In Hindu myth, Sita is an incarnation of Lakshmi and wife of Rama, seventh incarnation of Vishnu. Sita was abducted by the demon king Ravana and rescued by her husband.
Garuda -- In Hindu myth, Garuda is a fierce bird of prey, enemy of all snakes including the Nagas.
Nandin -- More commonly known as "Nandini". In Hindu myth, Nandini is the cow of plenty belonging to the sage Vasishtha.
Ashvinau -- A very awkward translation of "Asvins". In Hindu myth, the Asvins are the twin sons of Saranyu and Surya. They're known as the "divine physicians" and represent the morning and evening stars.
Ribhava -- Probably another awkward translation, this time of Rhibus. In Hindu myth, Rhibus are the craft gods, equestrian and solar deities.
Soma -- In ancient Vedic myth, Soma is a sort of "chi" or lifeblood that flows through all living things. Vedic gods gained their immortality through the consumption of Soma, and humans were also able to obtain it through the intoxicating sap of the Soma plant. As the Vedic age ended, Soma was reduced to simply being god of the moon.
Ila -- There are a number of conflicting legends in Hindu mythology involving Ila, but most involve some sort of frequent sex-changing. According to the Puranas, Manu Vaivaswata instituted a sacrifice to Mitra and Varuna to obtain a son. However, the priest in charge of the sacrifice screwed it up, and Manu was instead blessed with the birth of a daughter, Ila. Through the favor of Mitra and Varuna, her sex was changed and she became a man, Su-dyumna. Shiva cursed Su-dyumna, whose gender was once again reversed to Ila. Later on, through the favor of Vishnu, Ila was transformed back into Su-dyumna. No hot or cold water needed.
Durga -- In Hindu myth, Durga is a fierce form of Devi, created by all the other gods and embued with their combined powers.
Vritra -- In Hindu myth, Vritra is among the most powerful of the asuras. He takes the form of a giant dragon or serpent, and is said to be so huge that his coils surround mountains.
Namuci -- In Hindu myth, Namuci is, like Vritra, among the most powerful of the asuras. In the time of Indra's attack on the asuras, Namuci resisted and was finally able to beat Indra. Indra was let go, but only after Namuci forced him to swear that he would never again attack the asura by day or night, with wet or dry. Indra was able to defeat Namuci by cutting off his head precisely at twilight with a column of foam from the ocean, considered neither wet or dry.
Sumba -- I was unable to find any connection to Hindu mythology, but the real-life Sumba is a small island in Southeast Indonesia...
Naga -- In Hindu myth, Nagas are a race of half-human, half-snake deities whose duty is to protect springs, wells, and rivers. They cause rain, and are thus worshipped as the bringers of fertility, but also of disasters such as floods and drought. They are thought to live in the underground city of Bhogavati under the rule of Sesha.
Kabanda -- Have no clue. My research came up completely dry. If you possess knowledge regarding the mythos of Kabanda, please feel free to share.
Ravana -- In Hindu myth, Ravana is the king of Ceylon and the Rakshas, evil spirits occasionally known to be not-so-evil. The ten-headed demon king Ravana kidnaps Sita, and is subsequently killed by Rama, Sita's husband and seventh incarnation of Vishnu.
Marica -- Probably a mistranslation of "Marici." In Hindu myth, Marici is chief of the maruts, one of the seven sons of Brahma. (Incidentally, Marica, in Roman mythology, is an Italian nymph. She is said to have possessed a sacred forest near Minturnae.)
Andhaka -- In Hindu myth, Andhaka is a demon born from a drop of Shiva's sweat. Andhaka develops an incestuous lust for his mother, Parvati, and is subsequently slain by Shiva.
Bana -- In Hindu myth, Bana, or Banasura, was an Asura king and staunch devotee of Shiva. Shiva offered Bana a boon for his devotion, and the oh-so-clever Bana asked Shiva to guard the gates of his city. Banasura's newfound arrogance would ultimately lead to his downfall... when his daughter Usha saw a handsome prince in her dreams, the prince was identified as Aniruddha, grandson of Krishna. The two were married without the king's knowledge, and when Bana found out, he imprisoned Aniruddha. Krishna subsequently attacked Banasura's city, defeating Banasura himself.
Naraka -- In Hindu mythology and Buddhism, Naraka is the place of torture for evil souls. The Christian equivalent would be hell, although Naraka consists of many different kinds of hells, both hot and cold.
Madhu -- In Hindu myth, Madhu is one of the two demons who sprung forth from the ears of a sleeping Vishnu. Along with Kaitabha, Madhu sought to kill Brahma, but Vishnu destroyed them before they could.