Hindu Deities and Epics

Varuna is the Vedic and Hindu god of the oceans, seas, and water bodies. He is also associated with cosmic order and truth. Garuda is the divine eagle and vehicle of Vishnu, Narada is a divine sage, and Indra is the king of gods associated with thunder and rain.

According to Hindu iconographic traditions, Agni (the fire god) and Kubera (the god of wealth) are both depicted with three legs. Agni is typically shown riding a ram, while Kubera rides a human or sometimes is shown with various mounts including a horse or man.

In Hindu tradition, Lord Vishnu is believed to have descended to Earth in nine avatars (incarnations) so far: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, and Buddha. The tenth avatar, Kalki, is prophesied to appear at the end of the current age to restore dharma.

According to Hindu mythology, Brahma originally had five heads. Shiva plucked out one head when Brahma lied about finding the supreme pillar of light. This is why Brahma is depicted with four heads in most iconography. The fifth head issue relates to Brahma's arrogance and Shiva's role as the destroyer.

Kalki is the tenth and final avatar of Vishnu in Hindu tradition, prophesied to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga to end the current cycle of time. Varaha (boar) and Matsya (misspelled here as 'Mastya') are earlier avatars in the sequence, while Valmiki is not an avatar at all but the sage who composed the Ramayana epic.

The Bhagavata Purana (Srimad Bhagavatam) describes 22 primary avatars of Lord Vishnu in Canto 1, Chapter 3. While the more famous list contains 10 avatars (Dasavatara), the full text enumerates 22 incarnations including lesser-known ones like Dhanvantari, Mohini, and various sages. This reflects the expansive Puranic tradition beyond the standard 10-avatar list.

In Hindu mythology, Lord Yama (god of death and justice) is the son of Surya, the Sun God, and his wife Sanjana (also known as Saranyu). Yama's twin sister Yami (or Yamuna) is also associated with the Yamuna River. This parentage is established in Vedic texts and Puranas, making Surya the correct answer.

In the Ramayana, when Lord Rama was building the Sethu (bridge) to reach Lanka, his army of Vanaras (monkeys) carried large stones. A small squirrel wanted to help and rolled in sand, then shook itself off on the bridge, filling gaps between stones. Pleased by its devotion, Rama blessed the squirrel with the three stripes on its back, marking it as a dedicated helper.

In the Mahabharata, Duhsala (Dushala) was the only sister of the 100 Kaurava brothers, born to Queen Gandhari. She was married to Jayadratha, the king of Sindhu. Dhruvi, Manthara, and Tataki are characters from other contexts in Hindu mythology and not related to the Kaurava lineage.

In the Mahabharata, Pandu is the earthly father of Arjuna and the Pandava brothers. While Arjuna is spiritually born to Indra (making him a demigod), Pandu is legally considered his father. The question asks for father in the standard familial context.

Shailaputri literally means daughter of the mountains (Shaila = mountain, putri = daughter). She is the first form of Durga worshipped on Navratri day 1.

Brahmacharini means one who practices penance/meditation on the Supreme Being. She performed severe tapasya to attain Lord Shiva and is worshipped on the second day of Navratri.

Chandraghanta means one with a crescent moon (Chandra) shaped like a bell (ghanta) on her forehead. She represents the warrior form of Durga and is worshipped on the third day of Navratri.

Kushmanda means little energy of the universe (Ku = little, shma = energy, anda = universe). She created the universe with her divine smile and is worshipped on the fourth day of Navratri.