Myths of Ancient India

Indian mythology is a vast array of plots and images immortalized in the monuments of ancient literature. The authors of this edition, like N. A. Kunt with his "Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece," have presented the myths of Ancient India in an accessible form. Their main sources include the "Mahabharata," the "Ramayana," the Puranas, and other texts.

The plots of the myths of Ancient India partially resonate with ancient mythology. Here is the tale of the creation of the world by Brahma. The tale of the war between the gods and the asuras, which occurred due to the abduction of the beautiful Tara. There are also stories about the adventures of Indra and many others. The myths explain the structure of the world: why each month the Moon god Soma grows thin and then plump. Why the dragon Rahu devours the Sun and the Moon. What causes solar and lunar eclipses. And why the night came into being due to the death of the god Yama.

Despite some similarities with the myths of Ancient Greece, Indian myths are original. Holy sages and ascetics play a significant role in them, imposing severe vows on themselves, thus becoming more powerful than the gods. Demons also often resort to asceticism. Only through cunning do the gods manage to defeat the treacherous asuras and regain their influence over all three worlds.