Devalok

Stories 6

All kinds Origin Legend Local story Folk tale From the epics Festival story Temple legend In stone and bronze How a tradition frames it
Everywhere Pan-India 95 South India 67 West India 30 East India 22 North India 15 The Himalaya 12 Northeast India 5 Southeast Asia 4 Central India 4
devotionbooncreationdisguisesupremacycursemarriagepenancepridetestdancepilgrimagesacrificebirthemanationfirebeheadingdemon slayingdesireiconographyausteritychurningcombined formcosmogonyhomecominglingapoisonrebirthriveratonement

Tradition: Shaiva · clear

Legend · 4 tellings · contested

Andhaka, the blind demon who wanted his mother

Parvati in play covers Shiva's eyes and the worlds go dark.

Andhaka, Shiva, Parvati, Hiranyaksha

Pan-India West India

Legend · 4 tellings · contested

Ganga comes down through Shiva's hair

King Sagara's sixty thousand sons, hunting his stolen sacrificial horse, accuse the sage Kapila and are burnt to ash by his glance.

Bhagiratha, Ganga, Shiva, Sagara

The Himalaya Pan-India West India

Legend · 5 tellings · contested

Parvati wins Shiva

Sati is reborn as the daughter of Himavat and Mena and grows up loving Shiva.

Parvati, Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu

North India Pan-India South India West India

Legend · 3 tellings · contested

Ravana lifts Kailash

Flying home in the Pushpaka after beating Kubera, Ravana is halted by Kailash.

Ravana, Shiva, Parvati, Nandi

Pan-India South India West India

Legend · 4 tellings · contested

The burning of the three cities

The gods build Shiva a cosmic chariot with Brahma as charioteer and Vishnu as the arrow to destroy the three cities of Taraka's sons; the Shaiva prelude has Vishnu send a heretical teacher to strip the cities of merit, while the Bhagavata has Vishnu as a cow and Brahma as a calf drink the demons' reviving well dry.

Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, The Tripura demons

Pan-India South India West India

Legend · 2 tellings · contested

The three cities burnt with one arrow

Taraka's three sons win from Brahma three flying cities of iron, silver and gold, built by Maya.

Shiva, The Tripura demons, Taraka, Maya Danava

Pan-India West India