Stories 5
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
✕ boons
cursesacrificedevotionpridebooncreationdisguisemarriagetestbirthsupremacybargaindeathfirehealingpenancerescuepilgrimagerivercraftfestivaldancegiftrivalryearthemanationfriendshipnightdesirefear
Legend · 3 tellings · contested
Nachiketa in the house of Death
Given to Death by his angry father, the boy Nachiketa waits three nights at Yama's house and receives three boons.
From the epics · 6 tellings · contested
Savitri and Satyavan
Savitri marries a prince fated to die in a year, follows Yama when he takes him and wins his life back with her words.
From the epics · 2 tellings · contested
The Yaksha's questions
Dharma, disguised as a Yaksha guarding a lake, strikes down four Pandavas and restores them when Yudhishthira answers his questions and chooses fairly.
Legend · 6 tellings · contested
The child Hanuman leaps at the Sun and later studies with him
The hungry child sees the rising sun, thinks it a fruit and leaps.
Festival story · 4 tellings · contested
Yama dines at Yamuna's house
Yamuna's long-refused invitation is accepted on Karttika bright second; Yama frees the hells for the day and grants her wish for all brothers and sisters.