Mayasura
In Hindu scriptures, Maya ( sa, मय) or Mayāsura () was a great ancient king of the Asura, Daitya, Danava and Rākṣasa races. Maya was known for his brilliant architecture. In ''Mahabharata'', Mayasabha – the hall of illusions – was named after him. in Folk hinduism version some stories Oladevi is believed to be the wife of Mayasura, the legendary king and architect of Asuras, Danavas, and Daityas in mythology folktales. In the ''Mahabharata'' Mayasura had befriended a Nāga named Takshaka and lived with him in the area of Khandavprastha along with his family and friends, but when the Pandavas came there after the partition of Hastinapur, Arjun burnt the entire forest, forcing Takshaka to flee and killing everyone else. This made Mayasura decide to surrender to the Pandavas. Krishna was ready to forgive him and in return, Mayasura built a grand palace named Maya-Mahal / MayaSabha, where the Pandavas would perform the Rajsuya Yagna. Mayasura also offers him gifts ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Mandodari
Mandodari ( sa, मंदोदरी, , lit. "soft-bellied";) was the queen consort of Ravana, the king of Lanka, according to the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. The ''Ramayana'' describes Mandodari as beautiful, pious, and righteous. She is extolled as one of the ''Panchakanya'', the recital of whose names is believed to dispel sin. Mandodari was the daughter of Mayasura, the King of the Asuras (demons), and the '' apsara'' (celestial nymphs) Hema. Mandodari bears three sons: Meghanada ( Indrajit), Atikaya, and Akshayakumara. According to some Ramayana adaptations, Mandodari is also the mother of Rama's wife Sita, who is infamously kidnapped by Ravana. Despite her husband's faults, Mandodari loves him and advises him to follow the path of righteousness. Mandodari repeatedly advises Ravana to return Sita to Rama, but her advice falls on deaf ears. Her love and loyalty to Ravana are praised in the ''Ramayana''. In a version of Ramayana, Hanuman tricks her into disclosing the locatio ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Danava (Hinduism)
In Hindu mythology, the danavas are a race descending from Kashyapa and his wife Danu, a daughter of the progenitor god, Daksha. It is mentioned that there are one hundred danavas. Origin The danavas are a mythological race of demigods, the half-brothers to the devas and daityas that are found in a range of Hindu texts. The danavas are a part of a larger group of the asuras, and are typically portrayed as opposed to the Hindu deities. However, historically, their role in Hinduism is varied and at times, the distinction between the danavas and Hindu deities is complex and they are difficult to distinguish from one another. Etymology The name ''danavas'' stems from the mother's name: Danu. Both danavas and Danu are derived from the Vedic word ''Da'' meaning 'to give.' Ananda Coomaraswamy suggests this word connotes generosity. Another interpretation of their name is associated with Danu's relationship with her first son (and demon), Vritra. In Indian mythology, in an at ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
List Of Characters In Ramayana
''Ramayana'' is one of the two major Sanskrit ancient epics (''Itihasa''s) of Hindu literature. It was composed by sage Valmiki. This is a list of important characters that appear in the epic. A Agastya Agastya was a son of sage Pulastya and brother of sage Vishrava. He was an uncle of Ravana. Agastya and his wife Lopamudra met Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana during their exile and gave them a divine bow and arrow. Ahalya Ahalya is the wife of the sage Gautama Maharishi. Many Hindu scriptures say that she was seduced by Indra (the king of gods), cursed by her husband for infidelity, and liberated from the curse by Rama (an avatar of the god Vishnu). Akampana Akampan was a maternal uncle of Ravana. He was one of ten sons of Sumali and Ketumathi. He also had four sisters. He was one of the survivors of the battle between Khara and Dushana along with Shurpanakha. After escaping the deadly carnage, he instigated Ravana to kidnap Sita, thus indirectly making him one of the maste ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Patala
In Indian religions, Patala (Sanskrit: पाताल, IAST: pātāla, lit. ''that which is below the feet''), denotes the subterranean realms of the universe – which are located under the earthly dimension. Patala is often translated as underworld or netherworld. Patala is described as more beautiful than Svarga (subtle dimensions, loosely translated as heaven). Patala is described as filled with splendid jewels, beautiful groves and lakes. In Vajrayana Buddhism, caves inhabited by asuras are entrances to Patala; these asuras, particularly female asuras, are often "tamed" (converted to Buddhism) as dharmapala or dakinis by famous Buddhist figures such as Padmasambhava. In Hindu cosmology, the universe is divided into the three worlds: Svarga, Prithvi or Martya (earth/mortal plane) and Patala (gross dimensions, the underworld). Patala is composed of seven realms/dimensions or lokas, the seventh and lowest of them is also called Patala or Naga-loka, the region of the Nagas. T ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kaurava and the Pāṇḍava princes and their successors. It also contains philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or ''puruṣārtha'' (12.161). Among the principal works and stories in the ''Mahābhārata'' are the '' Bhagavad Gita'', the story of Damayanti, the story of Shakuntala, the story of Pururava and Urvashi, the story of Savitri and Satyavan, the story of Kacha and Devayani, the story of Rishyasringa and an abbreviated version of the ''Rāmāyaṇa'', often considered as works in their own right. Traditionally, the authorship of the ''Mahābhārata'' is attributed to Vyāsa. There have been many attempts to unravel its historical growth and c ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Oladevi
Oladevi is the goddess of cholera and is worshipped by people of Bengali region (consisting of the present-day Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal) and Marwar, Rajasthan. The goddess is also known as Olaichandi, Olabibi and Bibima. She is venerated by Hindus and Muslims of Bengal. She is also worshipped in Rajasthan as Maa Shitala, saving her devotees from diseases like cholera, jaundice, diarrhoea and other stomach related diseases. She is called Ori Mata. In Marwari tradition, she has no fixed iconography but generally she is depicted like Shitala. Oladevi is an important part of folk tradition in Bengal, and is honoured by communities of different religions and cultures.Ralph W. Nicholas. ''Fruits of Worship: Practical Religion in Bengal''. Page 205. Orient Longman, 2003. Deity Oladevi is believed to be the wife of Mayasura, the legendary king and architect of Asuras, Danavas, and Daityas in mythology folktales. Devotees consider her to be the guardian deity ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Ravana
Ravana (; , , ) is a rakshasa king of the island of Lanka, and the chief antagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' and its adaptations. In the ''Ramayana'', Ravana is described to be the eldest son of sage Vishrava and rakshasi Kaikesi. He abducted Prince Rama's wife Sita and took her to his kingdom of Lanka, where he held her in the Ashoka Vatika. Later, Rama, with the support of vanara King Sugriva and his army of vanaras, launched an invasion against Ravana in Lanka. Ravana was subsequently slain and Rama rescued his beloved wife Sita. Ravana is widely portrayed to be an evil character, though he also has many qualities that make him a learned scholar. He was well-versed in the six shastras and the four Vedas. Ravana is also considered to be the most revered devotee of Shiva. Images of Ravana are seen associated with Shiva at some temples. He also appears in the Buddhist Mahayana text ''Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra'', in Buddhist Ramayanas and Jatakas, as well as in Jain Ra ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Dhanyamalini
In Hindu scriptures, Dhanyamalini or Dhanyamala () is the second wife of Ravana. Her true identity is unknown, but some stories refer to her as the daughter of Mayasura and a sister of Mandodari. In some versions of the Ramayana, Dhanyamalai had four sons from Ravana. They were Atikaya, Narantaka, Devantaka, and Trishira Trishira ( Sanskrit: त्रिशिर, IAST: triśira, lit. ''he who has three heads'') was a Rakshasa (a demon), and reference to him is found in the Ramayana. He was one of the sons of Ravana and Dhanyamalini and his brothers are Atikaya .... References Women in Hindu mythology {{Hindu-myth-stub th:นางกาลอัคคีนาคราช ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Dhanyamalini
In Hindu scriptures, Dhanyamalini or Dhanyamala () is the second wife of Ravana. Her true identity is unknown, but some stories refer to her as the daughter of Mayasura and a sister of Mandodari. In some versions of the Ramayana, Dhanyamalai had four sons from Ravana. They were Atikaya, Narantaka, Devantaka, and Trishira Trishira ( Sanskrit: त्रिशिर, IAST: triśira, lit. ''he who has three heads'') was a Rakshasa (a demon), and reference to him is found in the Ramayana. He was one of the sons of Ravana and Dhanyamalini and his brothers are Atikaya .... References Women in Hindu mythology {{Hindu-myth-stub th:นางกาลอัคคีนาคราช ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Takshaka
Takshaka (Sanskrit: तक्षक, IAST: Takṣaka) is a Nagaraja in Hinduism and Buddhism. He is mentioned in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is described to be a king of the Nagas. He is one of the sons of Kadru. Takshaka also known in Chinese and Japanese mythology as being one of the "eight Great Dragon Kings" (八大龍王 Hachi Ryuu-ou), they are the only snakes which can fly and also mentioned as the most venomous snakes, amongst Nanda (Nagaraja), Upananda, Sagara (Shakara), Vasuki, Balavan, Anavatapta and Utpala. Hinduism The King of the Nagas Takshaka is mentioned as a King of the Nagas at (1,3). Takshaka is mentioned as the friend of Indra, the king of gods, at (1-225,227,230). Takshaka, formerly dwelt in Kurukshetra and the forest of Khandava (modern-day Delhi) (1,3). Takshaka and Ashvasena were constant companions who lived in Kurukshetra on the banks of the Ikshumati (1,3). Srutasena, the younger brother of Takshaka, resided at the holy place called M ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Shambara
Shambara is an asura featured in Hindu history. He abducted the infant Pradyumna, the son of Krishna and Rukmini, in an attempt to kill him. Pradyumna was raised by Bhanamati, who was Shambara's cook, and the consort of his deific form as Kamadeva. After eventually growing up, Pradyumna killed Shambara and returned to his family in Dvaraka, along with his wife Rati. Legend Kamadeva was burnt to ashes formerly by Shiva's anger. According to the 55th Chapter of the 10th Canto of the Bhagavata Purana, Kamadeva was born as Pradyumna, the son of Krishna and Rukmini. The demon Shambara learned of the prophecy that Pradyumna was born to kill him. Shambara came to the palace of Dvaraka in the disguise of a woman, took away Pradyumna, who was hardly ten days old at that time, and threw him into the ocean. Pradyumna was swallowed by a large fish. Shambara later bought the same fish from a fisherman. Bhanamati, the incarnation of Rati, who worked in Shambara's kitchen, found Pradyumna in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Rajasuya
Rajasuya () is a Śrauta ritual of the Vedic religion. It is ceremony that marks a consecration of a king. According to the Puranas, it refers to a great sacrifice performed by a Chakravarti - universal monarch, in which the tributary princes may also take part, at the time of his coronation, as a mark of his undisputed sovereignty. Description The rajasuya is associated with the consecration of a king and is prescribed as a means to establish a king's sovereignty. It is described in the Taittiriya corpus, including Apastamba Srauta Sutra 18.8–25.22. It involves ''soma'' pressing, a chariot drive, the king shooting arrows from his bow, and a brief "cattle raid". The newly anointed king seizes cattle belonging to his relative, and then gives part of his property to that relative. There is a telling of the tale of Shunahshepa, a boy who was nearly sacrificed to Varuna on behalf of the sonless king Harishchandra. Also included is a game of throwing dice with the Adhvaryu priest in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |