“Shhh! Stahhhhp,” said Aru, fighting back a laugh. “It’s my story. I’ll tell it however I want.”
PHEW. End of the series. How. When. What is existence. I have…so many emotions. I also never want to write a glossary again. (Narrator: Roshani Chokshi went on to write glossaries for the rest of her life.) No doubt you are all experts by now, but kindly indulge me one last time….
This glossary is by no means exhaustive or encapsulating of all the nuances of mythology. India is GINORMOUS, and these myths and legends vary from state to state. What you read here is merely a slice of what I understand from the stories I was told and the research I conducted. The wonderful thing about mythology is that its arms are wide enough to embrace many traditions from many regions. My hope is that this glossary gives you context for Aru’s world, and perhaps nudges you to do some research of your own. ☺
Agni (UHG-nee) The Hindu god of fire.
Airavata (AYE-rah-vaht-uh) A white elephant! And no, not the terrible Christmas tradition where someone steals the present you were secretly excited about because they’re actual Grinches. Airavata is said to be the king of the elephants, and he spends his time joyously knitting clouds. He supposedly arose out of the churning of the Ocean of Milk.
Amaravati (uh-MAR-uh-vah-tee) So, I have suffered the great misfortune of never being invited to/having visited this legendary city, but I hear it’s, like, amazing. It has to be, considering it’s the place where Lord Indra lives. It’s overflowing with gold palaces and has celestial gardens full of a thousand marvels. I wonder what the flowers would smell like there. I imagine they smell like birthday cake, because it’s basically heaven.
Ammamma (UH-muh-mah) Grandmother in Telugu, one of the many languages spoken in India, most commonly in the southern area.
Amrita (AHM-ree-tuh) The immortal drink of the gods. According to the legends, Sage Durvasa once cursed the gods to lose their immortality. To get it back, they had to churn the celestial Ocean of Milk. But in order to accomplish this feat, they had to seek assistance from the asuras, another semidivine race of beings who were constantly at war with the devas. In return for their help, the asuras demanded that the devas share a taste of the amrita. Which, you know, fair. But to gods, the word fair is just another word. So they tricked the asuras. The supreme god Vishnu, also known as the preserver, took on the form of Mohini, a beautiful enchantress. The asuras and devas lined up in two rows. While Mohini poured the amrita, the asuras were so mesmerized by her beauty that they didn’t realize that she was giving all the immortality nectar to the gods and not them. Rude! By the way, I have no idea what amrita tastes like. Probably birthday cake.
Apsara (AHP-sah-rah) Apsaras are beautiful heavenly dancers who entertain in the Court of the Heavens. They’re often the wives of heavenly musicians. In Hindu myths, apsaras are usually sent on errands by Lord Indra to break the meditation of sages who are getting a little too powerful. It’s pretty hard to keep meditating when a celestial nymph starts dancing in front of you. And if you scorn her affection (as Arjuna did in the Mahabharata), she might just curse you. Just sayin’.
Ashvin Twins (ASH-vin) The gods of sunrise and sunset, and healing. They are the sons of the sun god, Surya, and fathers of the Pandava twins, Nakula and Sahadeva. They’re considered the doctors of the gods and are often depicted with the faces of horses.
Astra (AH-struh) Supernatural weapons that are usually summoned into battle by a specific chant and are often paired to a specific deity. These days, I’m pretty sure it just means any weapon.
Asura (AH-soo-rah) A sometimes good, sometimes bad race of semidivine beings. They’re most popularly known from the story about the churning of the Ocean of Milk.
Bansari (buhn-SUH-ree) A flute, the instrument played by Lord Krishna.
Bhanumati (BAH-noo-MAH-tee) The wife of Duryodhana, the main antagonist of the epic poem the Mahabharata.
Brahma (BRUH-mah) The creator god in Hinduism, and part of the triumvirate represented by Lord Vishnu, the preserver, and Lord Shiva, the destroyer.
Carnatic (kahr-NAH-tick) A type of music with roots in southern India.
Danda (DAHN-duh) A giant punishing rod that is often considered the symbol of the Dharma Raja, the god of the dead.
Devas (DEH-vahz) The Sanskrit term for the race of gods.
Dharma Raja (DAR-mah RAH-jah) The Lord of Death and Justice, also called Yama, and the father of the oldest Pandava brother, Yudhistira. His mount is a water buffalo.
Diadem (DAI-uh-dem) A type of crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by monarchs and others as a badge of royalty.
Gandharva (GUHN-der-vah) A celestial being, specifically a divine musician.
Hanuman (HUH-noo-mahn) One of the main figures in the Indian epic the Ramayana, who was known for his devotion to the god king Rama and Rama’s wife, Sita. Hanuman is the son of Vayu, the god of the wind, and Anjana, an apsara. He had lots of mischievous exploits as a kid, including mistaking the sun for a mango and trying to eat it. There are still temples and shrines dedicated to Hanuman, and he’s often worshipped by wrestlers because of his incredible strength. He’s the half brother of Bhima, the second-oldest Pandava brother.
Himavant (HEE-mah-vahnt) The personification of the Himalayan mountains, also known as the Himavat Mountains. He is the father of the river goddess Ganga and of Parvati, one of the most powerful goddesses and the consort of Lord Shiva. Himavant’s wife is Menavati, the daughter of Mount Meru. If I were descended from a literal mountain, I bet I would never have been picked last for dodgeball.
Indra (IN-druh) The king of heaven, and the god of thunder and lightning. He is the father of Arjuna, the third-oldest Pandava brother. His main weapon is Vajra, a lightning bolt. He has two vahanas: Airavata, the white elephant who spins clouds, and Uchchaihshravas, the seven-headed white horse. I’ve got a pretty good guess what his favorite color is….
Indraasana (IN-drah-ah-sah-nah) The throne of Indra.
Ixtab (eesh-TAHB) Indigenous Maya goddess of the underworld.
Jambavan (JAHM-bah-vuhn) The divine king of bears, created by the god Brahma to assist the avatar Rama in his struggle against the Lanka king Ravana. Jambavan wrestled Lord Krishna for twenty-eight days straight….Can you imagine? Just thinking about that makes my feet hurt.
Kalash (kuh-LESH) A metal pot with a large base and a small mouth.
Kalpavriksha (kul-PUHV-rik-shaw) A divine wish-fulfilling tree. It is said to have roots of gold and silver, with boughs encased in costly jewels, and to reside in the paradise gardens of the god Indra. Sounds like a pretty useful thing to steal. Or protect. Just saying.
Karna (CAR-nuh) Karna is the son of Surya and Queen Kunti, mother of the Pandavas. He is the archenemy of Arjuna. When Kunti found out that she could use a divine boon and ask any of the gods to give her a child, she didn’t believe it. So…she tested it out on Surya, which resulted in Karna’s birth. But Kunti was unmarried and a teenager. Out of fear, she abandoned Karna in a basket by the river, where he was found and raised by a kind charioteer. Karna became one of the most gifted and noble of warriors. He was a loyal friend of Duryodhana, the archenemy of the Pandavas. Karna was a rather tragic figure to me growing up. He’s someone who was rejected a lot because of his perceived low birth, and yet he tried his best to honor and love the people who loved him back. Was he perfect? Nope. But I think he tried to do more good in the world than evil. And perhaps that’s what matters most.