Incorporated here, in addition, are standard, meticulously worked-out diacritical marks -- as rather mechanical aids in comprehending the transliteration of Indic sounds, more specifically of the Sanskrit alphabet, into English. In its alphabetically arranged articles of varying lengths, the Dictionary tries to encompass the vast Hindu pantheon, in all its complexity and symbolic/metaphorical representations. Covering a whole mix of mythological characters: gods and demons, prajapatis and raksasas, it also presents explanatory accounts of important events/episodes, legends, literary works, and even geographical locales, associated with Hindu myths and religious beliefs. Acclaimed worldwide ever since its first appearance, the Dictionary continues to appeal to scholars and general readers seeking to discover for themselves the awesome world of Hindu mythology and the grand cosmogonic design it unveils. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Author: John Dowson M.R.A.S. (1820 -1882) was a British orientalist. A noted scholar of Hinduism he taught in India for much of his life. His book Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology remains one of the most comprehensive and authoritative works on the topic.