Devalok

Stories 10

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 240 South India 81 West India 37 East India 37 North India 28 The Himalaya 17 Northeast India 8 Southeast Asia 6 Central India 5 Sri Lanka 1
✕ rescue cursesacrificedevotionpridebooncreationdisguisemarriagetestbirthsupremacybargaindeathfirehealingpenancepilgrimagerivercraftfestivaldancegiftrivalryearthemanationfriendshipnightdesirefear

Tradition: All traditions · clear

Origin · 4 tellings · contested

Aditi and the eighth son, Martanda

Aditi bears eight sons, goes to the gods with seven and casts away the eighth, Martanda, then brings him back. Later texts explain why.

Aditi, Martanda, The Adityas, Vivasvat

Pan-India

Legend · 5 tellings · contested

Aditi's earrings and the killing of Naraka

Naraka of Pragjyotisha steals Aditi's earrings; Krishna kills him and returns them, and Aditi blesses Krishna and Satyabhama.

Aditi, Narakasura, Krishna, Indra

Northeast India Pan-India South India

Legend · 1 telling · contested

Atri in the burning pit

Atri, a seer honoured by the five tribes, is cast down into a narrow, burning pit by a hostile Dasyu.

The Ashvins, Atri

Pan-India

Legend · 3 tellings · contested

Bhujyu, son of Tugra, saved at sea

Bhujyu is abandoned in the middle of the ocean.

The Ashvins, Bhujyu

Pan-India

From the epics · 1 telling

Chitrasena the Gandharva captures Duryodhana

Duryodhana goes to the forest to gloat over the exiled Pandavas; the Gandharva king Chitrasena takes him prisoner on Indra's order, and the Pandavas free him.

Chitrasena the Gandharva, Arjuna, Indra, The Gandharvas

Pan-India

Legend · 4 tellings · contested

Ghosha calls the Ashvins

Ghosha has grown old unmarried in her father's house.

The Ashvins, Ghosha, Kakshivat, Bhujyu

Pan-India

Legend · 4 tellings · contested

Manu, the fish and the flood

A small fish comes into Manu's hands in his washing water.

Manu, Prajapati, Brahma, Vishnu

The Himalaya Pan-India South India

From the epics · 1 telling

Saraswati carries Vasishtha and is cursed to run with blood

Vishvamitra orders the river Sarasvati to bring Vasishtha to him so that he can kill him.

Saraswati, Vasishtha, Vishvamitra

Pan-India

Legend · 5 tellings · contested

Trita in the well

Trita calls on the gods from a well and is freed; later texts add the brothers who left him there.

Trita Aptya, Brihaspati, Ekata, Dvita

North India Pan-India

Legend · 1 telling

Varuna's servant seizes Nanda

Nanda bathes in the Yamuna before dawn after an Ekadashi fast and is carried off to Varuna; Krishna goes to Varuna's court and brings him home.

Varuna, Krishna

Pan-India