How entries are written
Each Apam Napat entry retells an established figure, story or idea from Hindu mythology drawn from the classical primary texts and standard reference scholarship. We aim to summarise the traditional accounts faithfully, note where versions differ between texts, and cross-link related figures so readers can follow a story across the tradition rather than read it in isolation.
Where myths exist in several recensions or regional variants, we describe the most widely attested version and flag significant alternatives rather than presenting a single account as definitive.
Primary sources we draw on
The Vedas
The Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas, including the hymns (suktas) and their associated Brahmanas and Aranyakas, the oldest layer of the tradition.
The Upanishads
The principal Upanishads (Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka and others) for the philosophical and spiritual material.
The Epics
The Mahabharata (including the Bhagavad Gita) and the Ramayana, the principal sources for the heroes, dynasties and great narratives.
The Puranas
The major Puranas, among them the Bhagavata, Vishnu, Shiva, Markandeya (with the Devi Mahatmya), Devi Bhagavata, Matsya, Garuda and Brahmanda Puranas, for the deity cycles, cosmology and devotional legends.
Reference scholarship
Standard dictionaries and encyclopedias of Hindu mythology and the writings of recognised scholars and translators are used to corroborate names, relationships and chronology.
Transliteration
Sanskrit names are given in their most commonly recognised English spellings for readability (for example “Krishna”, “Shiva”, “Vishnu”) rather than strict diacritical transliteration, with common variants noted where they help readers searching for a figure.
Corrections
Mythology is vast and its texts are many; if you find an error or an account that conflicts with a source you trust, please tell us. We review and correct entries, and we would rather be accurate than quick. Contact the editorial team via Marketing the Change.