Another name for Arjuna

A river in ancient India as per Mahabharata Bhishmaparva Chapter 9 verse 26.

A bird.

Indra’s brother Twashta did not agree with many of his actions. To teach him virtues, he created a son called Vishwarupa. Vishwarupa had three faces and was also called Trishiras. He used one face to recite the vedas, the second for drinking soma and the third to watch the world. He started to meditate and though Indra was scared and sent apsaras to distract him, it didn’t work. In the end, Indra mounted the Airavata, went to the forests and killed him with the vajra. He was so angry that he got a carpenter named Thakshaka to chop off all three faces of Trishiras. From the veda spouting face flew out Kapinjara birds, from the soma drinking face Kalapinga birds and from the third face flew Tithiri birds as per Mahabharata Udyogaparva Chapter 9.

Another name for Shiva.

Once Brahma and Vishnu had an argument over the mastership of the three worlds. Suddenly a light appeared before them and a divine voice said that he who found its final form would be considered the master of the three worlds. Vishnu set out to find the head and Brahma set out in the other direction, but even after a long time, both were unsuccessful. Brahma was surprised to see a flower suddenly appear. It said that it had set out from the end of the light and it had been three pralayas since then. He took the flower and walked back. he finally saw Vishnu who asked whether he had seen the end of the light. Brahma replied that he had. Immediately the flower took Shiva’s shape and hacked off one of Brahma’s five heads. Brahma was angry and cursed that Shiva would beg with that skull from then on. Shiva cursed back that no one would worship Brahma.

One of the eleven rudras. He was the son of Brahma’s son Sthanu as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 66. According to Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 66 verse 2, the others were Mrigavyaadha, Nirriti, Ahirbudhnya, Pinaki, Sarpa, Dahana, Ishvara, Ajaikapat, Bharga and Sthanu.

A holy place in Kurukshetra on the banks of the Saraswati as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 88.

See Brahma

One of the ekadasha rudras. As per Agnipurana Chapter 18, Hara, Bahurupa, Trayambaka, Shambhu, Vrishakapi, Kapardi, Raivata, Sarpa, Kapali, Mrigavyadha were the others.

A fake sanyasi. The Kathasaritasagara has an example.

Makandi was a town on the banks of the Ganga, and there lived a bhikshu (mendicant) who maintained a vow of silence. Once, when he set out for begging, he saw a maiden in a trader’s house. He was infatuated with her, but said “Pity’ and came back. The trader, who was standing nearby asked him why he had broken his vow of silence. The bhikshu said that the man’s daughter was accursed and if she ever got married, that would kill her parents and siblings. He said it was better to lock her up in a trunk and float it away on the Ganga with a flame on top. The trader agreed. The bhikshu went back to his hermitage and asked his disciples to watch the river for a trunk with a flame and bring it to him unopened. They watched the river but upstream, a prince came upon the trunk and replaced the maiden with a large monkey. The disciples brought him the trunk and he said there was a ceremony to be done in private before it was opened. He took the box inside and lustily opened it, only to be attacked viciously by the monkey as per Kathasaritasagara Lavanakalambaka Taranga 1.

A group of asuras. They were killed by brahmins.

Once the Ashwinis came to earth and gave sight to Chyavana. That was when Indra had refused to give soma to the Ashwinis. Chyavana said he would help them and began a yajna. The devas came down for the offering. But Indra stillr efused to give soma to the Ashwinis. Chyavana was furious and created an asura named Mada. He had teeth that measured 100 yojanas and he swallowed the devas. Chyavana took control of the earth and the Kapas conquered swarga. The devas approached a few brahmins and thus began a war. The kapas sent a messenger named Dhani to the brahmins, who said that the kapas were virtuous and it was not right for the brahmins to fight them. The brahmins disagreed and killed the Kapas. The devas thus got swarga back as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 157.