Mythology of India: Gods, Spirits, Heroes

Ksenia Nikolskaya – candidate of historical sciences, associate professor, area of interest: history and culture of ancient India, cultural and social anthropology. Today, Hinduism is the religion of the majority in India. However, from the perspective of a religious scholar, it is hardly possible to define it as a single and coherent system. Composed of various sects and directions, by its nature, it turns out to be a complex intertwining of beliefs from the Vedic period of the late 2nd – early 1st millennium BC and numerous aboriginal traditions and cults. The author narrates from the ancient Vedic tradition to the images and plots of classical Hinduism. In an accessible form, the book reveals themes of the creation of the world, cycles of time, teachings about dharma and karma. Readers will get acquainted with the most important gods and their spouses, with spirits, demons, and beloved heroes of India. The presented material relies on original texts, research by philologists, historians, and anthropologists. The publication is addressed to the widest audience interested in the culture and mythology of the East.