Hindu
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Akupara
Akupara is a legendary creature from Hindu myth. He is seen as the immortal king of all tortoises living in Lake Indradyumna in the Himalayas. The top of its shell holds the sky, and the flat bottom of the shell is the earth’s surface. Akupara dove to the bottom of the primordial ocean and supported the mountain the gods were using to churn it. He is known to have reorganized the reincarnated king Indradyumna in the Mahabharata. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Mada
Mada is an enormous monster from Hindu myth, whose name means “drunkenness” “frenzy” “madness” “lust” and/or “insanity.” When Chyavana got into a fight with Indra, which resulted in him having a mountain thrown at him, he created Mada in retaliation. It was described as being made of the “substance of oblivion” and was divided into the four vices, being hunting, drinking, gambling, and women. It’s said its mouth was so large its top fangs pierced the heavens, and the bottom fangs pierced the earth. The gods were so terrified of Mada that Indra gave in to Chyavana’s demands, allowing the Ashvins to participate in the Soma Offering ceremony. Once the…