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Maya (Sanskrit: मय) or Mayāsura (मयासुर) is a figure in Hindu mythology. He is king of the danavas, a demonic race, and famous for his brilliant architecture. His most important creations include the Mayasabha (the hall of illusions) for the Pandavas and Tripura (the three cities) for the sons of Tarakasura. He is also mentioned as the father-in-law of Ravana in the epic Ramayana.

In the Mahabharata

Mayasura is mentioned to be a son of the sage Kashyapa and his wife Danu. Mayasura had befriended a Nāga named Takshaka and lived with him in the area of Khandavaprastha along with his family and friends, but when the Pandavas came there after the partition of Hastinapura, Arjuna burnt the entire forest, forcing Takshaka to flee and killing everyone else. This made Mayasura decide to surrender to the Pandavas. Krishna was ready to forgive him and in return, Mayasura built a grand palace named Mayasabha, where the Pandavas would perform the Rajasuya Yagna. Mayasura also offers him gifts like a bow, a sword etc. He gives a mace to Arjuna's brother Bhima named Vrkodara. In some versions of the Mahabharata he also gives Arjuna the Gandiva bow.

In the Ramayana

The Uttara Kanda of the epic Ramayana mentions that during his visit to Svarga (heaven), Maya married an apsara (heavenly nymph) named Hema. They had two sons — Mayavi and Dundubhi — and a daughter Mandodari, who later married Ravana, the Rakshasa ruler of Lanka and the main antagonist of the epic. In some versions of the Ramayana, Maya had another daughter named Dhanyamalini, who also married Ravana.

In Folklores

In some folktales from Bengal, Mayasura is married to Oladevi, the goddess of cholera.

See also

• Mara (demon)
• Mamuni Mayan
• Oladevi

References

1. ^ Māṇi 1998, pp. 580–581. sfn error: no target: CITEREFMāṇi1998 (help)
2. Mittal, J. P. (2006). History of Ancient India (A New Version). Atlantic Publishers & Dist. ISBN 978-81-269-0616-1.
3. P. G. Lalye (2008). Curses and boons in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa
4. "2 Wives of Ravana – and Their Legends".
5. Oladevi - Banglapedia
6. "Corona Mata and the Pandemic Goddesses".

v t e Ramayana
Ikshvaku dynasty	Dasharatha Kausalya Sumitra Kaikeyi Rama Bharata Lakshmana Shatrughna Sita Urmila Mandavi Shrutakirti Lava Kusha
Vanara	Hanuman Sugriva Vali Angada Tara Rumā Nala Nila Kesari Anjana Makaradhwaja
Rakshasa	Ravana Vibhishana Kumbhakarna Indrajit Akshayakumara Atikaya Kabandha Khara Dushana Mandodari Dhanyamalini Lavanasura Malyavan Maricha Mayasura Narantaka-Devantaka Prahasta Sarama Subahu Sulochana Sumali Shurpanakha Tataka Trijata Trishira Viradha
Sages	Agastya Ahalya Arundhati Bharadvaja Kambhoja Parashurama Vasishtha Vishvamitra Rishyasringa Valmiki
Other figures and concepts	Lakshmana rekha Jambavan Janaka Kushadhvaja Jatayu Manthara Maya Sita Sampati Shabari Shanta Shravana Kumara Vedavati Shambuka
Places	Ayodhya Mithila Dandakaranya Kishkindha Lanka Oshadhiparvata
Books/Kandas	Bala Ayodhya Aranya Kishkindha Sundara Yuddha Uttara
Versions	Adbhuta Ramayana Adhyathmaramayanam Adhyatma Ramayana Ananda Ramayana Bhanubhakta Ramayana Bhaṭṭikāvya Bilanka Ramayana Hikayat Seri Rama Jagamohana Ramayana Kakawin Ramayana Kamba Ramayanam Krittivasi Ramayana Maharadia Lawana Molla Ramayanam Phra Lak Phra Ram Raghunatha Ramayana Ramakien Ramayana Kalpavruksham Ramcharitmanas Ranganatha Ramayanamu Reamker Saptakanda Ramayana Sri Ramayana Darshanam Sri Ramayanamu Trai Bhet Yama Zatdaw
Related	Ramlila

v t e Mahabharata
Traditional author and narrators	Vyasa Vaisampayana Ugrashrava Sauti
Books (parvas)	Adi Sabha Vana Virata Udyoga Bhishma Bhagavad Gita Drona Karna Shalya Sauptika Stri Shanti Anushasana Ashvamedhika Ashramavasika Mausala Mahaprasthanika Svargarohana Harivamsha
Tribes	Main tribes Bharata Kauravas Pandavas Yadu Kunti Gandhara Matsya List of tribes Janapadas Mahajanapadas
Places	Capitals Hastinapur Indraprastha 48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra Kurukshetra Jyotisar Panchagrama Indraprastha Pranaprastha Swarnaprastha Tilaprastha Vyagaprastha
Events	Svayamvara Kurukshetra War Vishvarupa Chakravyūha
Characters	Abhimanyu Amba Ambika Ambalika Arjuna Ashwatthama Babruvahana Bahlika Balarama Bhagadatta Bharata Bhima Bhishma Bhurishravas Chitrāngada Chitrāngadā Damayanti Dhrishtadyumna Dhritarashtra Draupadi Drona Drupada Duhsala Durvasa Duryodhana Dushasana Dushyanta Ekalavya Gandhari Ganga Ghatotkacha Hidimba Hidimbi Iravan Janamejaya Jarasandha Jayadratha Karna Kichaka Kindama Kripa Krishna Role in the Mahabharata Kritavarma Kunti Lomasha Madri Nahusha Nakula Nala Pandu Parashurama Parikshit Purochana Pururavas Rukmi Rukmini Sahadeva Sanjaya Satyaki Satyavati Savitri Shantanu Shakuni Shakuntala Shalya Shikhandi Shishupala Subhadra Sudeshna Ulupi Upapandavas Uttara Uttarā Vichitravirya Vidura Vikarna Virata Vrishaketu Vrishasena Vyasa Yayati Yudhishthira Yuyutsu
Related	Avatars Kingdoms Vedic era Epic-Puranic chronology Sarasvati River
Category

v t e Hindu deities and texts
Gods	Trimurti Brahma Vishnu Shiva Agni Ashvins Chandra Dattatreya Ganesha Hanuman Indra Kama Kartikeya Krishna Kubera Rama Shasta Surya Varuna Vayu Vishvakarma Yama more
Goddesses	Tridevi Saraswati Lakshmi Parvati Aditi Bhumi Chhaya Durga Ganga Shachi Kali Mahadevi Mahavidya Matangi Matrikas Radha Rati Rohini Rukmini Sanjna Sati Shakti Shashthi Sita more
Other deities	Apsaras Asuras Daitya Danava Devata Dikpāla Gandharvas Gana Kuladevatas Gramadevatas Rakshasas Vahanas Yakshas / Yakshini
Texts (list)	Vedas Rig Sama Yajur Atharva Upanishads Puranas Ramayana Mahabharata Bhagavad Gita Yoga Sutras of Patanjali more
Hinduism Hindu mythology

• Danavas
• Rakshasa in the Ramayana
• Characters in the Mahabharata