There is no clear start point for Hinduism, no single prophet or messiah who taught
people how to worship and the forms to follow. Nor is there a single text containing
the universal truths; instead, there are many different practices and innumerable
variants of common myths and tales.
From the ancient Sanskrit texts of the Upanishads, Vedas, Mahabharata and Ramayana, the characters, gods and narratives of Hinduism emerged to demonstrate
the moral precepts, duties and correct behaviour of Hinduism. Learn about Vedic
cosmology, which is divided into four cyclical Yugas, or epochs, and which has no
beginning or end; or the creation myth of Varaha, a powerful boar who saved the
earth from primordial waters; or the legend of Rama, who against great odds rescues
his love Sita from the demon-king Ravana; or Vishnu, the greatest god in the Hindu
Trimurti (triad), who takes the form of nine different avatars and stops the earth from
being destroyed through preserving Atman, the unchanging ultimate reality.
Illustrated with 120 photographs and artworks, Hindu Myths is an accessible,
engaging and highly informative exploration of the complex mythology underlying
one of the world’s oldest and most influential religions.