Mythology (Epics) and Puranas of India

Three great epics of India are the Srimad Bhagavatam, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It is said that to understand these stories is in large measure to understand India. Certainly, all three epics have exercised a profound influence upon India. Her poets and dramatists, have found a rich source of material in the legends of the epics, the national heroes whom the stories celebrate, and the truths of which they are a dramatic expression.

The Srimad Bhagavatam is about the divine child Gopala, later the adult Krishna. As it begins, the forces of evil have won a war between the benevolent devas (deities) and evil asuras (demons) and the demons now rule the universe. Truth re-emerges as Krishna first makes peace with the demons, then creatively defeats them, bringing back hope, justice, freedom, and good - a cyclic theme that appears in many legends.Wikipedia.

The Ramayana is an epic, traditionally ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki, that narrates the life of Sri Ram Chandra, the legendary prince of the Kosala Kingdom, his banishment from the kingdom by his father, King Dasharatha, his travels across forests in India with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, the kidnapping of his wife by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, resulting in a war with him, and Rama's eventual return to Ayodhya to be crowned king. Wikipedia

The Mahābhārata is an epic narrative of Krishna and the Kurukṣetra War and the fates of the Kaurava and the Pāṇḍava princes. It also contains philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life". Among the principal works and stories in the Mahābhārata are the Bhagavadgītā, the story of Damayantī, an abbreviated version of the Rāmāyaṇa, and the story of Ṛṣyasringa, often considered as works in their own right. The Mahābhārata is the longest known epic poem and has been described as "the longest poem ever written." Wikipedia

These ancient stories are a thrill to read even today and capture the imagination of millions of people throughout the world.