The term asura is so ancient that it has a separate mythology among the Aryans’ cousins in ancient Persia. In the Avesta, the word ahura (asura, Sanskrit) was a positive term that meant the gods. But the ahura were mainly gods of agrarian values, and the greatest ahura was…
Asikni must be ranked among the most fertile of all wives in Hindu myth. The myths only gave her this one dimension. Daksha, an alternative creator to Kasyapa, found that he could not create all of the species from his own mind. So he married Asikni and immediately begat five…
Bhisma enquired Sage Pulastya about the mighty King Prithu upon whom the earth was named as Prithvi. Sage Pulastya replied—Anga-Prajapati was the descendant of Swayambhuva Manu and Sunitha was his wife. In course of time, Sunitha gave birth to a son, who was named Vena. After growing up, Vena turned…
Sage Uddalaka daughter Sujata married his disciple Khagodara, and to them was born Ashtavakra. The word ashtha-avakra means “one with eight bends,” referring to his deformed body. There are two versions of how he acquired the eight bends. According to one version, once Khatodara was reciting holy mantras. Sujata…
See TAPAS. See also discussions in chapter 1 of “The Upanishadic Period,” “Theomachy,” and “Renunciation, Sacrifice, and Magic.”
A sandhi was instituted in the name of Saluva Narasimha in return for the gift of the Svamadaya tax from a village (II-4). I’division was made by a donor in 1461 A.D. for burning a lamp on i m i y Saturday (11-10. Mention is made in a record of…
