Hindu Myths

CONTENTS Introduction I PRAJĀPATI AND BRAHMĀ, 1–12 CREATION IN THE Ṛg Veda, 1–2 CREATION IN THE BRĀHMAṆAS AND UPANIṢADS, 3–6 CREATION IN THE Mahābhārata, 7–8 CREATION IN THE PURĀṆAS, 9–12 II INDRA, 13–28 THE VEDIC CYCLE OF INDRA AND VṚTRA, 13–26 THE DEGRADATION OF INDRA IN THE LATER EPICS, 27–28 III AGNI, 29–33 IV RUDRA AND ŚIVA, 34–46 THE VEDIC MYTH OF RUDRA, 34–36 THE EPIC MYTH OF THE TRIPLE CITY, 37 THE PURĀṆIC MYTHS OF liṅga-WORSHIP, 38–40 THE PURĀṆIC MYTHS OF ŚIVA AND PĀRVATĪ, 41–45 THE SAGE MAṄKAṆAKA DANCES FOR ŚIVA, 46 V VIṢṆU, 47–63 THE VEDIC AVATAR OF VIṢṆU: THE DWARF, 47–49 THE BRĀHMAṆA AVATARS: THE FISH AND THE BOAR, 50–55 THE EPIC AVATARS: RĀMA AND KṚṢṆA, 56–61 THE PURĀṆIC AVATARS: THE BUDDHA AND KALKIN, 62–63 VI DEVĪ, THE GODDESS, 64–69 VII GODS AND DEMONS, 70–75 VEDIC MYTHOLOGY: THE BATTLE FOR IMMORTALITY, 70–71 EPIC MYTHOLOGY: THE CHURNING OF THE OCEAN, 72 PURĀṆIC MYTHOLOGY: THE SECRET OF IMMORTALITY, 73–75 APPENDICES A Abbreviations B Selected Bibliography C Bibliographical Notes D Glossary and Index of Proper Names