Hindu mythology

The term "Hindu mythology" refers collectively to a large body of Indian literature (essentially, the mythology of Hinduism) that detail the lives and times of legendary personalities, deities and divine incarnations on earth interspersed with often large sections of philosophical and ethical discourse. Though they are often classified as 'Hindu' or 'Indian' 'mythology,' the label does not capture the centrality of religious and spiritual affiliations of the texts that ring true today for most Hindus. They are replete with long philosophical discourses and are often seen as sourcebooks for Hindu ethics and practice. Many Hindu stories seem mythological only because they have been passed down generation after generation. It is also to be noticed that many Hindu stories are not mythology, and historical evidences of many acts or places have been found recently. A parallel would be to term the Old Testament 'Christian mythology'.

Related Topics:
Myth - Hinduism - Divine incarnations

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The most important of these are a voluminous group of works known as the puranas, of which there are eighteen. The two great Hindu Epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, are other major works of Hindu mythology although recent evidences are conclusively proving that both are accounts of real events, not merely mythological.

Related Topics:
Puranas - Hindu Epics - Ramayana - Mahabharata

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The epics Mahabharata and Ramayana are very much religious scriptures. Their stories are deeply embedded in Hindu philosophy and serve as parables and sources of devotion for Hindus into the present day.

Related Topics:
Religious - Hindu philosophy - Parable - Hindus

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