Editing Hindu mythology (section)

== Meaning of "myth" ==
'''Myth''' is a [[genre]] of [[folklore]] or [[theology]] consisting primarily of [[narrative]]s that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or [[origin myth]]s. For folklorists, historians, philosophers or theologians this is very different from the use of "myth" simply indicating that something is not true. Instead, the truth value of a myth is not a defining criterion.<ref>Deretic, Irina. “Why are myths true: Plato on the veracity of myths.” Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies (2020): vol. 36, issue 3, pp. 441–451.</ref> Hindus see this as not just tales, but their proud history and tradition told in great literary form.

Hindu myths can be found in the [[Vedas]], the [[itihasa]] ([[Ramayana]] and [[Mahabharata]]), and the major [[Puranas]]. Other sources include the Bengali literature, such as [[Mangal-Kāvya]], and the [[Tamil literature]], such as [[Divya Prabandham]], [[Tirumurai]] and the [[Five Great Epics]].  These narratives play a crucial role in the Hindu tradition and are considered real and significant within their cultural and spiritual context, offering profound insights into the beliefs and values of Hinduism.