Encyclopedia
Persons & Deities
Figures of Hindu tradition, deities, avatars, rishis, kings and asura lineages, as first-class encyclopedia entities.
Warrior
Abhimanyu
Son of Arjuna and Subhadra
Devī
Aditi
Mother of the Adityas
King
Aja
Son of Raghu; father of Dasharatha
Queen
Ambalika
Mother of Pandu (by niyoga)
Queen
Ambika
Mother of Dhritarashtra (by niyoga)
Nāga
Ananta
Endless serpent; bed of Vishnu
Sage
Anasuya
Wife of Atri; mother of Dattatreya
Sage
Angiras
Saptarshi; ancestor of Brihaspati
Warrior
Arjuna
Third Pandava; hearer of the Bhagavad Gita
Deva
Aryaman
Aditya
Deva
Ashvins
Twin physician-gods; fathers of Nakula and Sahadeva.
Warrior
Ashwatthama
Son of Drona; survivor of the night massacre.
Sage
Atri
Saptarshi; husband of Anasuya
Avatar
Balarama
Elder brother of Krishna
Daitya
Bali
Daitya king of the Vamana episode
Daitya
Bana
Thousand-armed Daitya; son of Bali
Deva
Bhaga
Aditya
Prince
Bharata
Son of Kaikeyi; regent of Ayodhya
Warrior
Bhima
Second Pandava; son of Vayu
Warrior
Bhishma
Son of Ganga; vow of celibacy
Deity
Brahma
Four-faced creator; grandfather of beings
Deva
Brihaspati
Preceptor of the Devas
Deva
Budha
Son of Candra; father of Pururavas
Deva
Chandra
Moon; origin of the Lunar Dynasty
Gandharva
Chitraratha
Gandharva king mentioned in the Mahabharata
Prajāpati
Daksha
Prajapati; father of many daughters given to Kashyapa and others
Dānava
Danu
Mother of the Danavas
King
Dasharatha
King of Ayodhya; father of Rama
Sage
Dattatreya
Son of Atri and Anasuya; avatara tradition
Queen
Devaki
Mother of Krishna
King
Dhritarashtra
Blind king; father of the Kauravas
Daitya
Diti
Mother of the Daityas
Queen
Draupadi
Wife of the five Pandavas
Sage
Drona
Acarya of the Kuru princes; later Kaurava senapati.
Princess
Duhsala
Daughter of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari
Prince
Duryodhana
Eldest Kaurava; rival of the Pandavas
Prince
Dushasana
Brother of Duryodhana
Queen
Gandhari
Wife of Dhritarashtra; mother of the Kauravas
Deva
Ganesha
Lord of ganas; remover of obstacles
Devī
Ganga
River goddess; mother of Bhishma
Daitya
Hiranyakashipu
Daitya king slain by Narasimha
Daitya
Hiranyaksha
Daitya slain by Varaha
King
Ikshvaku
Founder of the Ikshvaku (Solar) line
Deva
Indra
King of the Devas; an Aditya
Rākṣasa
Indrajit
Son of Ravana; conqueror of Indra
King
Janaka
King of Videha; adoptive father of Sita
Nāga
Kadru
Mother of the Nagas
Rākṣasa
Kaikasi
Mother of Ravana and his siblings
Queen
Kaikeyi
Queen of Dasharatha; mother of Bharata
King
Kamsa
Tyrant of Mathura; maternal uncle of Krishna
Nāga
Karkotaka
Principal Naga of Kadru's line
Warrior
Karna
Son of Kunti and Surya; ally of Duryodhana
Deva
Kartikeya
Commander of the divine hosts
Prajāpati
Kashyapa
Progenitor of Devas, Daityas, Danavas, Nagas and others
Queen
Kausalya
Chief queen of Dasharatha; mother of Rama
Sage
Kratu
Saptarshi; mind-born son of Brahma
Avatar
Krishna
Avatara of Vishnu; speaker of the Bhagavad Gita
Yakṣa
Kubera
Lord of Yakshas; half-brother of Ravana
Nāga
Kulika
Principal Naga
Rākṣasa
Kumbhakarna
Brother of Ravana; giant warrior of Lanka
Queen
Kunti
Mother of Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna and Karna
King
Kuru
Eponym of the Kuru dynasty
Prince
Kusha
Son of Rama and Sita
Prince
Lakshmana
Constant companion of Rama
Devī
Lakshmi
Goddess of fortune; consort of Vishnu
Prince
Lava
Son of Rama and Sita
Queen
Madri
Mother of Nakula and Sahadeva
Nāga
Mahapadma
Principal Naga
Prajāpati
Marichi
Mind-born son of Brahma; father of Kashyapa
Dānava
Maya Danava
Architect of the Danavas; builder of the hall at Indraprastha
Deva
Mitra
Aditya; companion of Varuna in Vedic liturgy
Warrior
Nakula
Fourth Pandava; son of the Ashvins
Dānava
Namuci
Danava adversary of Indra
Person
Nanda
Foster-father of Krishna in Vraja
Sage
Narada
Divine sage; messenger among the worlds
Nāga
Padma
One of the principal Nagas
King
Pandu
Father of the Pandavas (by divine niyoga)
Sage
Parashara
Father of Vyasa
Devī
Parvati
Daughter of the Mountain; consort of Shiva
Daitya
Prahlada
Devotee-prince among the Daityas
Sage
Pulaha
Saptarshi; mind-born son of Brahma
Sage
Pulastya
Saptarshi; grandfather of Ravana
Dānava
Puloman
Danava listed among Danu's sons
King
Puru
Ancestor of the Kurus and Pandavas
King
Pururavas
First king of the Lunar Dynasty
Deva
Pushan
Aditya; nourisher
King
Raghu
Eponym of the Raghuvamsha
Daitya
Rahu
Eclipse-graha; son of Simhika
Avatar
Rama
Prince of Ayodhya; avatara of Vishnu
Rākṣasa
Ravana
Ten-headed king of Lanka
Queen
Rohini
Wife of Vasudeva; mother of Balarama
Queen
Rukmini
Chief consort of Krishna at Dvaraka
Warrior
Sahadeva
Youngest Pandava; son of the Ashvins
Person
Sanjaya
Dhritarashtra's charioteer-seer; narrator of the Gita.
Devī
Saraswati
Goddess of speech, learning and the arts
Queen
Satyavati
Queen of Shamtanu; mother of Vyasa and Vicitravirya
Deva
Savitr
Aditya; the impeller
Person
Shakuni
Prince of Gandhara; architect of the dice game.
Dānava
Shambara
Danava of Vedic and Puranic conflict narratives
Nāga
Shankha
Principal Naga
King
Shantanu
King of Hastinapura; father of Bhishma
Prince
Shatrughna
Youngest brother of Rama
Deity
Shiva
The auspicious; lord of yoga and dissolution
Daitya
Simhika
Daughter of Diti; mother of Rahu
Queen
Sita
Daughter of Janaka; wife of Rama
Princess
Subhadra
Sister of Krishna; wife of Arjuna; mother of Abhimanyu
Queen
Sumitra
Queen of Dasharatha; mother of Lakshmana and Shatrughna
Rākṣasa
Surpanakha
Sister of Ravana
Nāga
Takshaka
Naga who bites Parikshit
Manu
Vaivasvata Manu
Current Manu; son of Vivasvan; father of Ikshvaku
Sage
Valmiki
Adi kavi; author of the Ramayana
Deva
Varuna
Aditya; lord of waters and cosmic order
Sage
Vasishtha
Family priest of the Ikshvakus; Saptarshi
King
Vasudeva
Father of Krishna and Balarama
Nāga
Vasuki
Naga king; rope in the churning of the ocean
Deva
Vayu
Wind deity; divine father of Bhima.
Rākṣasa
Vibhishana
Dharmic brother of Ravana; ally of Rama
King
Vichitravirya
Son of Shamtanu and Satyavati
Person
Vidura
Wise counsellor; brother of Dhritarashtra and Pandu
Dānava
Vipracitti
Danava; husband of Simhika; father of Rahu
Daitya
Virocana
Son of Prahlada; father of Bali
Deity
Vishnu
The preserver; source of the dashavatara
Sage
Visravas
Son of Pulastya; father of Kubera and Ravana
Deva
Vivasvan
The Sun; an Aditya; source of the Solar Dynasty
Sage
Vyasa
Compiler of the Vedas; author of the Mahabharata
King
Yadu
Eponym of the Yadavas
Deva
Yama
Lord of dharma; divine father of Yudhishthira.
Person
Yashoda
Foster-mother of Krishna
King
Yayati
Ancestor of Yadu and Puru lines
King
Yudhishthira
Eldest Pandava; son of Dharma