“Myths are about the human struggle to deal with the great passages of time and life – birth, death, marriage, the transitions from childhood to adulthood to old age. They meet a need in the psychological or spiritual nature of humans that has absolutely nothing to do with science. To try to turn a myth into a science, or a science into a myth, is an insult to myths, an insult to religion, and an insult to science. In attempting to do this, creationists have missed the significance, meaning, and sublime nature of myths. They took a beautiful story of creation and re-creation and ruined it” – Michael Shermer

“He said myths and mythology wasn’t to give meaning to life but to give us an experience of life, an experience of vitality in being alive” – Joseph Campbell

Yadihāsti tadannatra yannehāsti na kutracit (“There is nothing in the world which this book does not capture; and what is not there in this book is not to be found in the word”) – Mahabharata

Indian mythology offers a labyrinthine and intriguing world of human experience. It lures the philosopher with the mysteries of human and divine life, ensnares the sociologist with the intricacies of ancient human societies, leaves a reader awed by its larger-than-life presence and consoles a bereaved heart with magnanimous warmth. A number of encyclopaedic works have been attempted before with the intention of capturing this mammoth but mercurial world, but none of them have been as composite, comprehensive and holistic in approach towards the entirety of this mythos as this project of ours. The research would have remained incomplete had the research team decided to confine itself only within the Puranas and leave out the two seminal texts, i.e. Mahabharata and Ramayana. Similarly, centring around Mahabharata and Ramayana exclusively, without looking at the Puranas, would have failed to address the wholeness of the world of mythology. The Puranas, Mahabharata and Ramayana cross-refer to each other. So we have tried to bring the essence of this entire world to you in this project. This is a world on which there is no monopoly of intellect, for Indian mythology runs in the blood of every Indian individual. That is why in spite of this being an encyclopaedic project, we have tried to keep all scholarly jargons and innuendoes away from our Puran Kosh as much as possible.

Do you want to make yourself familiar with Indian philosophy? Do you want to have a glimpse at the socio-cultural, political and spiritual history of India? Do you want to know the soul of India? We welcome you to our project – Puran Kosh.