Stories 4
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
✕ ocean
cursesacrificedevotionpridebooncreationdisguisemarriagetestbirthsupremacybargaindeathfirehealingpenancerescuepilgrimagerivercraftfestivaldancegiftrivalryearthemanationfriendshipnightdesirefear
Temple legend · 3 tellings · contested
Saraswati carries the Vadava fire to the sea
Sarasvati, as a river running under the earth, carries the world-burning Vadava fire to the western ocean.
From the epics · 2 tellings
The gods install Varuna as lord of the waters
In the Krita age the gods ask Varuna to rule the rivers and the ocean as Indra rules them, and Narada later describes his white hall under the sea.
From the epics · 1 telling · contested
Utathya drinks up the waters
Varuna carries off Bhadra, wife of the sage Utathya; the sage drinks the waters dry and turns the land to desert until Varuna gives her back.
From the epics · 3 tellings
Varuna gives the bow Gandiva, and takes it back
At Agni's request Varuna gives Arjuna the bow Gandiva, two quivers and a chariot before the Khandava fire; at the end Arjuna throws the bow back into the sea for him.