Hindu mythology is the body of myths and literatore attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana, the Puranas, and regional literature like the Tamil Periya Puranam and Divya Prabandham, and the Mangal Kavya of Bengal. Hindu myths are also found in widely translated popular texts such as the fables of the Panchatantra and the Hitopadesha, as well as in Southeast Asian texts.
A full and trustworthy account of the mythology of the Hindus; but though I read various works in which some information of the kind was to be found, I sought in vain for a complete and systematic work on this subject. Since then two classical dictionaries of India have been published, one in Madras and one in London; but though useful books of reference, they do not meet the want that this book is intended to supply. For some years I have been collecting materials with the intention of arranging them in such a way that anyone without much labour might gain a good general idea of the names, character, and relationship of the principal deities of Hinduism.
Vedic Age appear under the same or other names in the Puranas; whilst others spoken of as belonging to the Puranic Age have their origin, traceable indeed with difficulty in some cases, in the Vedas. The Vedic gods are those whose description is chiefly to be found in the Vedas, and whose worship was more general in the Vedic Age; the Puranic are those who are more fully described in the Puranas, and whose worship was more general in the Puranic Age. Any very rigid classification it is impossible to make.
WILKINS, William Joseph. 1843 1902. British Missionary in India. In service of London Missionary Society worked as teacher in Bhownipur College in Calcutta. In his books explained Hinduism as pantheism.
Publications: Hindu Mythology, Vedic and Puranic. 411 p. Calcutta 1882, rev. ed. 18+500+60 p. Calcutta 1900.
-Modern Hinduism. Being an account of the religion and life of the Hindus in northern India. 494 p. L. 1887; Daily Life and Work in India. 288 p. 1888.
- The Brahman's Plot: Or the Story of Two Friends. 255 p. 1893?; Harry's Trip to India. 128 p. 1895. - Paganism in the Papal church. 8+245 p.L. 1901.
Ox reaching India, one of my first inquiries was for a fall and trustworthy account of the mythology of the Hindus; but though I read various works in which some information of the kind was to be found, I sought in vain for a complete and systematic work on this subject. Since then two classical dictionaries of India have been published, one in Madras and one in London; but though useful books of reference, they do not meet the want that this book is intended to supply. For some years I have been collecting materials with the intention of arranging them in such a way that any one without much labour might gain a good general idea of the names, character, and relationship of the principal deities of Hinduism. This work does not profess to supply new translations of the Hindu Scriptures, nor to give very much information that is not already scattered through many other books. In a few cases original extracts have been made; but, generally speaking, my work has been to collect and arrange translations ready to hand. It has been my endeavour to give a fair and impartial account of these deities, as far as possible in the words of the sacred books; such an account as I should expect an honest-minded Hindu to give of God from a careful study of the Bible.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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Vedas (1279)
Upanishads (477)
Puranas (740)
Ramayana (893)
Mahabharata (329)
Dharmasastras (162)
Goddess (475)
Bhakti (243)
Saints (1292)
Gods (1283)
Shiva (334)
Journal (132)
Fiction (46)
Vedanta (324)
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