Alakānandā (Alakananda) is the name of a pilgrimage site, named after the river. It is said that the river is situated in heaven. Mandākinī (Mandakini) emerges from the feet of God Viṣṇu (Vishnu). After falling upon Merupṛṣṭha (Meruprishtha), the same Mandākinī comes to be known by four names, as it flows in four different directions. […]

Alarka is the youngest among the four sons born of the womb of Kuvalāśva (Kuvalaswa) and Madālasā (Madalasa). The other sons of Madālasā were disinterested in Rājadharma (Rajadharma; duty of a king)and Saṃsāradharma (Samsaradharma; duty of a householder). So, as per the request of Kuvalāśva, Madālasā adviced Alarka regarding the responsibilities of an ideal householder […]

Amarka was one of the sons of Śūkrācārya (Sukracharya), guru of the Daitya(Demons). He taught Prahlāda(Prahlada), son of Hiraṇyakaśipu (Hiranyakasipu) and other Asura-boys about Daṇḍanīti (Dandaniti; codes of law and administration). [See Prahlāda(Prahlada)]

Amarṣa (Amarsha) was the son of Sugandhi, in the genealogical line of Kuśa (Kusa), son of king Rāmacandra (Ramachandra) of Ikṣvākuvaṃśa (Ikshvakuvamsa; the Iksvaku dynasty). He had a son called Mahasvān (Mahaswan). In Bhāgavatapurāṇa (Bhagavatapurana) he is mentioned as Amarṣaṇa (Amarshana), son of Sandhi.

According to Bhāgavatapurāṇa (Bhagavatapurana), Jaya was the youngest of the sons born of the womb of Urvaśi (Urvasi) , and sired by Pururavā(Pururava). Amita was the son of this Jaya.

Amitrajit was one of the kings belonging to the Ikṣvāku (Ikshwaku) dynasty, who ruled in Kaliyuga. He was the son of King Sutapā(Sutapa) (or Suparṇa) of the Ikṣvāku dynasty. Vṛhadrāja (Vrihadraja)was the son of Amitrajit. In the reading of Vāyupurāṇa (Vayupurana), Bharadvāja (Bharadwaja) is the son of Amitrajit.

Once sage Durvāsā went out travelling across the world, and he met Indra. Durvāsā had in possession a divine garland of Pārijāta flower (or Santānaka flower) which he received from God Viṣṇu (in another opinion, from an Apsarā). Durvāsā gave the garland to Indra, which he took and placed on the head of Airāvata. The […]

Ghṛtapṛṣṭha (Ghritaprishtha), son of Priyavrata, divided Krauñcadvīpa (Kraunchadwipa) in seven varṣa(s) (varsha; a vast plot of land). There is a varṣanadī (varshanadi; a major river flowing across the varsha) in each varṣa. Amṛtaughā (Amritaugha) is the name of the varṣanadī of Madhuraha varṣa (varsha).

In Bhāgavatapurāṇa (Bhagavatapurana), we get the name of one Rājarṣi (Rajarshi; a king with the attributes of a sage) Amūrtarayā, who was blessed with the knowledge of the Supreme Self.

Amvara is a valiant Asura. During the battle between Vṛtrāsura (Vritrasura) and Indra, Amvara helped Vṛtra as one of his generals.

In Mahābhārata and most of the Purāṇa(s), Amvarīṣa is the son of Nābhāga belonging to the Ikṣvāku clan. amvarīṣañca nābhāgam (nābhāgim) In Matsyapurāṇa, this Nābhāga has been called the son of Vaivasvata Manu, and elsewhere in the same chapter, he has been referred to as the son of Bhagīratha. In that line, Amvāriṣa would be […]

Amvarīṣa (Amvarisha) is one of the Nāga(s) (Naga; Snake) belonging to the order of Nāga(s), mentioned in Mahābhārata (Mahabharata), though his name is not found in the chapter of describing snake-names, in Mahābhārata. However, in Vāyupurāṇa (Vayupurana), while mentioning the sons of Kadrū (Kadru), the name of Amvarīṣa has been referred to. When the great […]

According to Mahābhārata (Mahabharata)and Manu, Amvaṣṭha (Amvashtha) is the hybrid child born of the womb of a Vaiśya(vaisya) woman, and sired by a Brāhmaṇa (Brahmana) man – brāhmaṇād vaiśyakanyāyāmvaṣṭho nāma jāyate. They are quite ancient as a jāti (jati), since they are mentioned in Aitareya Brāhmaṇa (Aitareya Brahmana). Maharṣi (Maharshi; Great Sage)Parvata and Devarṣi (Devarshi; […]

Amvālikā (Amvalika) is the daughter of the king of Kāśī (Kasi), she was the youngest among his three princes. Bhīṣma took by force the three daughters of the Kāśī — Amvā (Amva), Amvikā (Amvika) and Amvālikā, from their Svayamvara-sabhā (Swayamvara-sabha; an assembley where the bride chooses her own groom), in order to to get them […]

Amvikāvana(Amvikavana) is a forest on the bank of the river Sarasvatī (Saraswati). God Śiva (Siva)and Goddess Amvikā(Amvika) are worshiped here. A snake called Uraga, cursed by a Brahmaṇa (Brahmana), got rid of his curse here, in this forest, by the touch of the feet of Kṛṣṇa (Krishna) , and got his handsome form back. Before […]

In the ninth Manvantara of the future, when Dakṣasāvarṇi (Dakshasavarni) will be Manu, ruler of the Manvantara, God Viṣṇu (Vishnu) will be incarnated on earth, in the name of Ṛṣabha (Rishabha). His father will be Āyuṣmān (Ayushman) and mother will be Amvudhārā (Amvudhara).

Ānaka(Anaka) is one one of the sons of Māriṣā (Marisha), sired by Śura (Sura), a valiant hero of the Vṛṣṇi (Vrishni) clan. He is the younger brother of Vasudeva — father of Śri Kṛṣṇa (Sri Krishna).

One kind of musical instrument covered with leather. This instrument is also known as mṛdaṇga. When Vasudeva was born, the gods were playing ānaka(anaka) or mṛdaṇga (mridanga). In Mahābhārata (Mahabharata) and the Purāṇas (Purana), it is found that this instrument was played before some festivities, celebrations, before the beginning of a battle or to celebrate […]

Śaryāti (Saryati) is one of the sons of Vaivasvata Manu. Ānarta (Anarta) is the son of Śaryāti. The region ruled by Ānarta is known as the land of Ānarta. Reva (According to Viṣṇupurāṇa and Bhāgavatapurāṇa, the name is Revata) was the son of Ānarta. According to Matsyapurāṇa (Matsyapurana) , Ānarta established Kuśasthalī (Kusasthali), capital of […]

Ānarta is a locality in the western part of India. The inhabitants of that region are also called Ānarta. Ānarta is the abode of Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa. The alternative name of this place is Antargiri. The name of the son of Śaryāti is Ānarta. The land is named after him. Raivata is the son of Ānarta. […]

Andha is a nadītīrtha(a river-pilgrimage). It is a sacred river of India. Having a bath in this river yields fruits of high virtue. Another name of this river is Āndhilā (Andhila) or Chāndan (Chandan) or Chandrāvatī (Chandravati). This river was known as Āndomatī (Andomati) to the Aryans. The river Andha or Chandrāvatī has got assimilated […]

Andhaka was one of the sons born of the womb of Kauśalyā (Kausalya), and sired by Sātvata (Satwata), belonging to Yaduvaṃśa (Yaduvamsa; lineage of Yadu). According to Matsyapurāṇa (Matsyapurana), daughter of Kaṅka (Kanka)was the wife of this Andhaka. She gave birth to four sons –Kukura, Bhajamāna (Bhajamana), Śaśī (Sasi) or Śuci (Suchi) and Kamvalavarhiṣa (Kamvalavarhisha). […]

Andhakūpa is the name of a naraka (hell), one of the twenty one naraka(s).  

Andhatāmisra is the name of a naraka (hell). If one takes away by deceit another person’s wife and property and enjoy them, one is thrown into this naraka.

In the genealogical line of Turvasu, the second son of Yayāti (Yayati), Marutta was without a son. So he adopts Duṣmanta (Dushmanta) of Puruvaṁśa (the hereditary line of Puru), as his son. According to Vāyupurāṇa (Vayupurana), this adopted son is Duṣkṛta (Dushkrita). According to Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa (Brahmandapurana), Sarupya is the son of Duṣmanta. Āndīra (Andira) is […]

An ancient sage-king. Most Purāṇas (puranas) have identified him as a descendant of Svāẏambhuva Manu (Swayambhubha Manu). Aṅga (Anga) was the child of Ulmuka of Svāẏambhuva Manu’s lineage, conceived by Puṣkariṇī (Pushkarini). Another version, however, recognises Aṅga as the child borne of Agneẏī (Agneyi) and Uru. Some Purāṇas, on the other hand, identify him as […]

Vali was the son of Titikṣu (Titikshu) who belonged to the bloodline of Anu, Yayāti’s (Jajati) son. Aṅga (Anga) was the eldest of the kṣetraja (kshetraja; literally, child borne of a surrogate) sons conceived by King Vali’s wife Sudeṣṇā (Sudeshna) from Sage Dīrghatamā (Dirghatama). King Bali appointed Aṅga as the ruler of a newly formed kingdom […]

Aṅgirā (Angira) or Aṇgirasa (Angirasa) is one of the six sons born to Brahmā (Brahma) at the beginning of Creation— marīcyatryaṅgirasau pulastyaḥ pulahaḥ kratuḥ; ṣaḍete brahmaṇaḥ putrā bīryavanto maharṣayaḥ. Numerous tales can be found in Purāṇas (Puranas) about the birth of the great sage Aṅgirā. Apart from describing him as a spiritually conceived son of […]

According to Bhāgavatapurāṇa (Bhagabata Purana), Vāstu (Vastu) is one of the sons of Vasu, daughter of Dakṣa (Daksha). Āṅgirasī (Angirasi)is Vāstu’s wife. Visvakarmā (Viswakarma) was born of Āṅgirasi’s womb, sired by Vāstu.

Aṃśu (Angshu) literally means ray or glow of light. According to Ṛgveda (Rigveda), when a certain portion part or aṃśa of the sacrificial moon-plant or somlatā (somlata) is grounded, what we have is known as aṃśu. Therefore, aṃśu is that which flows from the moon— pra syandasvba soma biśbebhiraṁśubhiḥ.  The word aṃśu literally refers to the moon, […]

One of Kṛṣṇa’s (Krishna’s) childhood playmates.

According to some Purāṇas (Puranas), all but four of the sixty thousand sons born of King Sagara’s first wife perished by the fire of Sage Kapila’s wrath. Pañcajana (Panchajana)(Pañcavana or Panchabana according to Vāyupurāṇa or Vayupurana) was one of the sons of King Sagara who survived. Śivapuraṇa (Shivapurana) states that Pañcajana became king after Sagara. Aṃśumāna (Angshuman) was Pañcajana’s […]

It has been mentioned in Purāṇas (Puranas) that in the first stage of creating the populace of the Earth, Dakṣa (Daksha) was born out of the right thumb of Prajāpati Brahmā (Prajapati Brahma)  — *aṅguṣṭhād brahmaṇo jajñe dakṣaḥ kila śubhavrataḥ. *dakṣo’ṅguṣṭhat svayambhūvaḥ. Brahmāpurāṇa (Brahmapurana) mentions that Dakṣa’s wife was created out of the left thumb […]

Anīha (Aniha) was a scion of the great Ikṣvāku (Ikshvaku) dynasty, the son of Devānīka (Devanika), grandson of Kuśa (Kusa) and great-grandson of Rāmacandra (Ramachandra). He sired a son called Pāriyātra (Pariyatra). 

Māṇḍavya (Mandavya) was a Puranic hermit, wise and honest, calm and composed. One day when he was engaged in performing austere tapasyā (tapasya) by stretching his arms up and observing the vow of silence under a tree in  his hermitage, a band of thieves entered his hermitage with a load of stolen goods. They were […]

Aniruddha was a grandson of Kṛṣṇa (Krishna) and son of Pradyumna. He took training of martial arts from Arjuna, the third Pāṇḍava (Pandava) brother. When the Pāṇḍavas had scarcely got the kingdom of Indraprastha, along with many other kings and noblemen, Kṛṣṇa’s progeny also visited King Yudhiṣṭhira (Yudhishthira) there. Some of them stayed back at the city to receive […]

While describing the reigns of the notable rulers of the Kali era (kaliyuga), Bhāgavatpurāṇa (Bhagavatpurana) mentions that in kaliyuga the kngdom of Magadha would be ruled by a lowly-born (śūdra; sudra) king called Bali after the fall of the Śuṅga (Sunga) and Kaṇva (Kanwa) dynasties in Magadha. Aniṣṭakarmā (Anishtakarma) was a scion of this lineage, the son of Aṭamān (Ataman) and […]

Añjali (Anjali) is a gesture made during worship. This gesture demands both palms to be joined together to pay respect in the form of praṇāma (pranama). There is a warning that one who offers praṇāma to the gods with one hand has that hand of his severed in the afterlife. 

Annāda (Annada) is one of the sons sired by Kṛṣṇa (Krishna), and born of the womb of Mitravindā (Mitravinda).

Antardhāna (Antardhana) is the son of king Pṛthu (Prithu). A son named Havirdhāna (Havirdhana) was born of the womb of his wife Śikhaṇḍinī (Sikhandini), and sired by Antardhāna. According to Bhāgavatapurāṇa (Bhagavatapurana), Vijitāśva (Vijitaswa) was the original name of this son of Pṛthu. He received the lessons of Antardhāna (the art of disappearing from the […]

Ṛṣabha(Rishabha) was born as a partial incarnation of God Viṣṇu(Vishnu) , in the lineage of Agnīdhra (Agnidhra), king of Jamvudvīpa (Jamvudwipa). Antarīkṣa was one of the sons sired by Ṛṣabha, and born of the womb of Jayantī (Jayanti). He was the younger brother of Rājarṣi (Rajarshi; a king wth the attributes of a sage) Bharata. […]

Anu was the second son sired by King Yayāti (Yayati) to Śarmiṣṭha (Sarmishtha).  When Yayāti, cursed of acquiring untimely senility by Śukrācārya (Sukracharya), requested each of his sons to exchange his youth with the king’s old age, Anu directly refused this plea of his father. He said that old men, like infants and lowly people, eat whenever […]

Anu was an ancient king-turned-sage. According to Bhāgavatapurāṇa (Bhagavatapurana), he was one of those few people who were familiar with the full extent of Viṣṇu’s (Vishnu) powers and influences. 

Anu was son of Kuruvaśa (Kuruvasa) of the Vṛṣni (Vrishni) clan. He sired Puruhotra (or Purumitra), who was the grandfather of the famous Vṛṣni warrior Sāttvata (Sattwata). 

Anu was son of Vilomā (Viloma) in the line of Andhaka of the Vṛṣṇi (Vrishni) clan. He was a friend of Tumburu, a noted gandharva (a kind of demigods) musician. This ancestor of Vasudeva apparently was also known as Ānakadundubhi (Anakadundubhi). But the Bengali edition of Viṣṇupurāṇa (Vishnupurana) identifies the son of Viloma as Bhava.  This […]

One of the seven primary rivers flowing through the seven lands (varṣa; varsha) of Śālamalīdvīpa (Salmalidweepa). 

Anumati is one of the daughters born of the womb of Śraddhā, and sired by Maharṣi Aṅgirā (Angira). She was the wife of Dhātā (Dhata), and mother of Pūrṇimā (Purnima), as described in Bhāgavatapurāṇa (Bhagavatapurana). According to other Purāṇa(s), Anumati was the daughter born of the womb of Smṛti (Smriti), sired by Aṅgirā (Angira). According […]

In Vāyupurāṇa (Vayupurana), Anumlocā (Anumlocha) is referred to as Anumlocantī (Anumlochanti). She is one of the distinguished Apsarā(s) (Apsara; Celestial Courtesan) of Svarga (Swarga; the heavenly abode). According to Purāṇa (Purana; Mythological Scripture), Apsarā Anumlocā stays in the chariot of Sūrya (Surya; Sun).

Anutāpana (Anutapana) is a dānava (danava; demon) sired by Kaśyapa Prajāpati (Kasyapa Prajapati) to Danu.