Thank you for visiting. This article is one installment in a series that explains the “original texts” of the world’s myths and religions — an index page summarizing the original texts of “Hindu mythology.”
Hindu mythology — Shiva, Vishnu, and Vishnu’s avatars Rama and Krishna — is one of the world’s richest and most vast mythological systems. Its original texts too are made up of many scriptures accumulated over a long history of more than 3,000 years.
Because these are extremely vast in content, this series explains them in detail, following the original texts, in seven articles.
You can view the full list, including each myth and religion, from the complete index below.
The Big Picture of Hindu Mythology’s Original Texts
The Hindu scriptures divide broadly into two: “Shruti (revelation — scripture said to be received directly from the divine)” and “Smriti (tradition — books handed down by sages).”
Listing the major original texts gives the following.
| Original text | Category | Content | Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Vedas (4 kinds) | Shruti | Hymns to the gods and ritual. The oldest scriptures | Article 1 |
| The Upanishads | Shruti | Philosophy of Brahman, Atman, rebirth, liberation | Article 2 |
| The Puranas (18 great) | Smriti | Creation myths, the trinity, the deeds of the gods | Articles 3, 4 |
| The Mahabharata | Smriti | The world’s longest epic. A great war among kin | Article 5 |
| The Bhagavad Gita | Smriti | A scripture within the Mahabharata. The song of the Lord | Article 6 |
| The Ramayana | Smriti | The story of the hero Rama | Article 7 |
Now, let me introduce what each article explains.
Indian Mythology: The Gods of the MahabharataView on Amazon →
Indian Myth Stories: The Mahabharata, Vol. 1View on Amazon →
Article 1: The Vedas
The first part of the series explains the oldest scriptures, the “Vedas.”
It covers the structure of the four Vedas (Rig, Sama, Yajur, Atharva), their making as orally transmitted revelation, the nature gods such as the thunder god Indra and the fire god Agni, the ritual (yajna) that connects to the gods through fire, Indra’s slaying of Vritra, and the two creation hymns, the Purusha Sukta and the Nasadiya Sukta.
Article 2: The Upanishads
The second part of the series explains the philosophical texts at the end of the Vedas, the “Upanishads.”
It covers “the oneness of Brahman and Atman,” that the cosmic root “Brahman” and the true self “Atman” are one; the teaching “Tat Tvam Asi (that thou art)”; rebirth, karma, and liberation; the dialogue of the boy Nachiketa and the death god Yama; “neti neti”; the sacred syllable Om; and the influence on later Buddhism and Vedanta philosophy.
Article 3: The Gods of the Puranas and the Creation Myth
The third part of the series explains the “Puranas,” which richly convey the myths of the gods.
It covers the structure of the 18 great Puranas, the “trinity” of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer, the “churning of the ocean of milk” over the elixir of immortality, the cosmic cycle of yugas, Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha, and the war goddesses Durga and Kali.
Article 4: The Ten Avatars of Vishnu
The fourth part of the series explains the “ten avatars of Vishnu (Dashavatara),” who appear in various forms at times of world crisis.
It introduces, one by one, the ten avatars: the fish Matsya, who saves humankind from the great flood; the boar Varaha, who lifts up the earth; the man-lion Narasimha, who defeats a demon; and the heroes Rama and Krishna, and the future savior Kalki.
Article 5: The Mahabharata
The fifth part of the series explains the world’s longest epic, the “Mahabharata.”
It covers the feud of the five Pandava brothers and the hundred Kaurava brothers over the throne, the vow of Bhishma, the exile by gambling and the humiliation of Draupadi, the 18-day great war of Kurukshetra, the terrible deaths of the heroes, and the emptiness of victory and the great departure.
Article 6: The Bhagavad Gita
The sixth part of the series explains the scripture contained within the Mahabharata, the “Bhagavad Gita.”
It covers the teaching of all 18 chapters: to Arjuna, who loses his will to fight on the eve of battle, the charioteer Krishna teaches the immortality of the soul, the karma yoga of not clinging to results, the bhakti yoga of devotion, the jnana yoga of knowledge, and the form of the Lord revealing the whole cosmos.
Article 7: The Ramayana
The seventh part of the series (the finale) explains the other great epic, the “Ramayana,” following its structure of seven books.
It covers, book by book, the birth and marriage of Prince Rama, the 14-year exile, the abduction of his wife Sita by the rakshasa king Ravana, the deeds of the monkey hero Hanuman, the decisive battle on the island of Lanka and the defeat of Ravana, and the aftermath following his return.
To Learn More
Here are some related books. Reading them alongside this series lets you savor this world even more deeply.
The Easiest-to-Understand Indian MythologyView on Amazon →
Indian Mythology from ZeroView on Amazon →
Conclusion
In this article, I introduced the big picture of Hindu mythology’s original texts and what the seven articles of the series cover. How was it?
Hinduism is one of the world’s foremost religious and mythological systems, supported by two wheels: the profound philosophy of the revealed scriptures the Vedas and Upanishads, and the rich stories of the Puranas and the two great epics.
I also explain the original texts of other myths and religions. For the full list, see the complete index of the world’s myths and religions.
For the strength of the gods and heroes, please use this ranking article as a reference too.
I hope you’ll read the next article too.
📚 Series: The Original Texts of Hindu Mythology (1/8)
