Who is the most powerful negative character in Hindu mythology?

 Most here are saying Ravana because they are either not aware of other Asuras or simply because Ravana is the most infamous cause of the popularity of Ramayana.......

I would say Hiranyaksha was the most powerful Asura in Hindu mythology cause of following reasons
1. He took the earth or (embodiment of earth) and hid her at the bottom of the 'Cosmic Ocean' or Primordial Ocean, this Primordial Ocean is what existed before creation of the Universe. Most other Asuras or Rakshasas were at best able to rule the earth and some defeated devas, but none is ever known to have taken earth to the bottom of Cosmic Ocean or Patala.
2. Lord Vishnu had to take birth as a Gigantic Varaha in order to Lift earth out and kill Hiranyaksha, this is the first time Lord Vishnu had to incarnate to kill a demon
3. The Varaha avtara and Hiranyaksha fought for over a 1000 years before Hiranyaksha was finally defeated. No other demon thereafter was able to fight either Vishnu or Shiva for so long.
4.If we were to take a closer look at Hindu scriptures all races become weaker with time or as time passes from Satya Yuga to Kaliyuga. Hiranyaksha was an Asura of Satya Yuga. Ravana was a very powerful Asura of Treta Yuga. Lord Rama had to fight and kill him as a human by means that were possible for humans to achieve without using his divine powers.
Other powerful Asuras were Andhakasura (son of Hiranyaksha), Hiranyakashipu( brother of Hiranyaksha), Mahishasura and Raktabeeja

How strong was Hanuman in the Hindu mythology Ramayanam?

 Hanuman is physically the strongest vanara and his strength and speed exceeded even that of Garuda according to Valmiki Ramayana

1. Hanuman was unfazed by the sunrays of Suryadev and about to devour him thinking it as a fruit
2. Indra furiously attacked Hanuman with his Vajra
3. Indra was impressed by Hanuman's strength after seeing him unfazed by the vajra and granted him a boon
4. Hanuman defeated Ravan in their first encounter but spared him
5. Then he lifted the cosmic body of Lakshmana which weighed more than Three worlds combined
6. Hanuman also broke the divine spear of Kumbhakarna which he used to crush the gods like Indra and Yama . Kumbhakarna was frightened seeing his spear getting broken like a twig
7. Hanuman lifted the celestial mountain Sanjeevani and revived the dead vanaras and healed both Rama and lakshmana . Loud angry roar from Hanuman shooked the three worlds and terrified gods like Indra
8. Hanuman once again brought the same mountain in less than an instance to heal lakshmana .
9. Hanuman helped Lord Rama's army in defeating the Ksatriyas around the earth
10. Hanuman defeated nandi in the encounter and fought lord Shiva and impressed him .
11. Hanuman once again defeated Garuda and Sudarshan chakra in Parashara Samhita .
12. Hanuman broke the pride of Arjuna in Mahabharata narrated in Bengali manuscripts .
13. Hanuman was blessed with immortality by Lord Rama

What can you tell me about Kansa from Hindu mythology?

 Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!

According to Vedic history, he was a demonic character.

Once upon a time, Kansa became king of Mathura and, as a result, became increasingly tyrannical.

At his sister Devaki's wedding, a divine prophecy announces that Devaki's eighth son will kill Kansa.

Terrified, Kansa threatens and imprisons Devaki and her newly-wedded husband Vasudeva and kills their newborn children one after another because he fears the prophecy.

Krishna is eventually born as Devaki's eighth child, and Vasudeva secretly carries Krishna across the Yamuna River to Gokula, where Krishna is raised by Nanda and Yashoda.

Kansa learns that the eighth child Krishna has been born and repeatedly sends demons to kill Krishna, but Krishna defeats them all.

Eventually, Kansa decides to summon Krishna and his step-brother Balarama to Mathura.

Krishna defeats Kansa's wrestlers and ultimately kills Kansa and rightfully restores Ugrasena, Kansa's father, to the throne.

Hare Krishna

Which are the top 10 strongest demons in Hindu mythology with their powers explained?

 This would be a ranking of ascending order. The texts considered will be Puranas and Itihasas.

10.) Kumbhakarna

• He was a walking giant of destruction. As soon as he was born he started consuming all the beings in the three worlds. He had no boons from anyone but still defeated Yama, Varuna etc in battle.
• When he was consuming many creatures, Indra became angry and he struck Kumbhakarna with Vajra but nothing happened and the enraged Kumbhakarna uprooted a tusk of Airavata and struck Indra with it and defeated him.
• The gods fled to Brahma and complained about Kumbhakarna and Brahma nerfed him by cursing him to be asleep all the time.
  [1]

9.) Ravana

• Practicing severe penances for 10,000 years got invincibility against all beings except humans as a boon from Brahma. Also got a divine armor, spear, chariot from Brahma.
  [2]
• Defeated all the gods beginning with Indra, Kubera, Yama and Varuna multiple times and lifted up Shiva and Kailasa and was undefeatable until he met Rama as per Ramayana.
  [3]
  He commanded all the deities to work as per him yet made them retain their powers.

8.) Jalandhara

• Received a boon from Brahma that he’d be undefeatable against gods, defeated all the devas beginning with Indra taking a huge army consisting of many asuras like Kalanemi, Shumba-Nishumba etc.
  [4]
• Fought neck to neck with Vishnu and pleased him. Shiva admitted that he has no weapon to kill him due to which all the gods beginning with Vishnu gave their energies with which Vishwakarma made the Sudarshana Chakra and Shiva killed him with it.
  [5]

7.) Hiranyaksha

• Again a demon with no special boons and defeated the hosts of gods including Ganesha and Kartikeya along with devas beginning with Indra.
  [6]
• Covered the three worlds and then took the entire earth to Patala and was ultimately killed by Vishnu.

6.) Andhakasura

• Possessed an ability to generate clones of himself for each drop of blood spilled down.
• Attacked and oppressed Shiva with this ability and makes him retreat as per Matsya Purana. To counter this ability, Vishnu had to create Matrikas to drink his blood and prevent his clones from being generated and Shiva kept him on his trident. As per Skanda Purana, he wrestled with Shiva and made him swoon.
  [7]

5.) Tarakasura

• Was born to Vajranga as a blessing of Brahma. Tarakasura pleased Brahma and attained the boon of having death only at the hands of a seven days old infant.
  [8]
• Defeated gods beginning with Indra and also Vishnu as per Skanda Purana.
  [9]
  As per Padma Purana instead of Vishnu, he is said to defeat Shiva.
  [10]

4.) Mahishasura

• Got a boon from Brahma that he should not be killed by male species of any kind. Defeated the gods with Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva as per Skanda Purana and has shapeshifting abilities.
  [11]
• All the gods needed to accumulate their energies and manifest the goddess in order to kill him.
  [12]

All the asuras mentioned until now just tried to rule the three worlds by defeating the devas. But the top 3 ones literally became the entire universe. These three are of a different tier altogether.

3.) Hiranyakashipu

• The only demon who attained the rarest of the rare boons despite having limitations initially like every other living being. Performed severe penance for pleasing Brahma and attained the boons which no Asura attained.
• He became Surya, Chandra, Indra, Varuna, Kubera, Yama, Vayu, Agni etc all by himself and became the Panchabhutas implying he literally became the entire universe.
  [13]
  This boon is the most powerful that Brahma admitted that such a boon is very difficult to give and also Lord Narasimha after killing him warns Brahma to not give such boons thereafter.
• Due to this he didn’t even have to fight with the Devas and made them abdicate without a word or resistance. Also he had all the divyastras existing in this world.

2.) Madhu-Kaitabha

• The demons who existed before the creation even started. They were born from Vishnu’s earwax and started torturing Brahma as soon as they were born.
• Vishnu killed them and their body fat became the earth which is why earth is called “Medhini” which proves their potency without any boons.

1.) Vritra

• The demon who doesn’t have any kind of boons and was a result of Yajna conducted by Tvastha. He literally pervaded the entire universe with his energy placing him in a different tier compared to all others.
  [14]
• Indra had to make a special weapon like Vajra and even then fell short of energy and Vishnu entered his Vajra and Indra was empowered by all the devas and rishis with their energies and only then did he kill Vritra.

|| Namō Veṅkaṭeśāya || 🛞 U 🐚

Which is the most overrated character in the Hindu mythology?

 

All the asuras are overrated characters. All of them be it Mahishasura, Tarakasura, Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu, Ravana, Tripurasuras, Madhu-Kaitabha, Andhakasura, Bhandasura etc . The texts mention that they defeated some xyz gods and also deities beginning with Indra. Those references are taken literally ignoring what the devas are capable of doing.

The air that is inside beings is always in motion. If I have committed an evil act, let it free my breath of life. If I have committed an evil act, let fire, water, space, earth and air free my breath of life.’ Then a sacred voice spoke from the firmament. It echoed in all the directions and gladdened the great-souled monkeys. Vayu said, ‘O Raghava! This is the truth. I am the wind that is always in motion. O king! Maithili is without taint. Unite with your wife.’ Agni said, ‘O descendant of the Raghu lineage! I am the wind that resides in the bodies of all beings. O Kakutstha! Maithili has not committed a crime, even in the slightest way.’ Varuna said, ‘O Raghava! The juices in the bodies of beings owe their existence to me. I am asking you to accept Maithili back.’

-Mahabharata, Draupadi-Harana Parva, Chapter 572(275)

So, the gods like Agni, Vayu and Varuna control the inner organs of all the beings including the Asuras. If they get serious, no asura I repeat no asura would’ve been the victors on the gods of heaven (not even speaking of tridev). One such act was done by Vayu

When you fell down on the summit of the mountain, your left cheekbone was shattered. Because of this, you have been known by the name of Hanumat. On seeing that you had been struck, Vayu, the bearer of scents, was himself extremely enraged and the wind ceased to blow in the three worlds. All the gods were terrified and the three worlds were agitated. The lords of the worlds sought the favours of the enraged wind god.

-Ramayana, Kishkinda-Kanda, Chapter 65

So if they desire Agnic an burn any asura from inside, Varuna can manipulate his body fluids and kill him, Vayu can choke him airless etc. Indra, Surya etc are the presiding deities of parts of body and they can manipulate them as well. So the Asuras are the most overrated characters across the texts.

What great mystical weapon was used by a non-god warrior in mythology, and what is the ability and power?

 An asur named Lavana pleased shiva through penance and obtained his Trisula(Trident), one of the most powerful weapons in entireity of Hindu mythology.

There was another powerful king named Mandhata who conquered whole earth in a single night,

There is nothing impossible of attainment by persons of virtuous behaviour. Mandhatri conquered the whole world in course of only one night,..

And he also vanquished Indra, lord of gods in combat. As well as conquered three worlds due to his might., ie bested gods, demons and humans of his era.

There the foremost of earthly kings, Mandhatri, vanquished Indra, the chief of the celestials.

However the same king along with his entire army was reduced to ashes when he faced Lavana and the latter used the Trisula against him.

Hurled by the illustrious deity, that weapon is competent to rive the entire Earth or dry up the waters of the ocean or annihilate the entire universe.

In days of yore, Yuvanaswa's son, king Mandhatri, that conqueror of the three worlds, possessed of imperial sway and endued with abundant energy, was, with all his troops, destroyed by means of that weapon.

Endued with great might and great energy and resembling Sakra himself in prowess, the king, O Govinda, was slain by the Rakshasa Lavana with the aid of this Sula which he had got from Siva.

Is Indra the most coward god in hindu mythology?

 Definitely not. In Rigveda, Indra is glorified as one of the strongest and most praised diety

• न त्वावाँ अन्यो दिव्यो न पार्थिवो न जातो न जनिष्यते ।
• अपि नो वाजान् भर ॥
• na tvāvāṃ anyo divyo na pārthivo na jāto na janiṣyate |
• api no vājān bhara ||
• “There is no other like you, neither heavenly nor earthly, neither one born nor one who shall be born. Bring us also strength/wealth.”

He slayed demon vritra and restored the universe

• yad indrāhan prathamajām ahīnām
• ān māyinām aminā protā māyāḥ |
• āt sūryaṃ janayan dyām uṣāsaṃ
• tad īt nuṃ śatruṃ na kilā vivitse || 1.32.4 ||
• Literal
• “When, O Indra, you slew the firstborn of the serpents,
• you destroyed the magic/powers of the magicians.
• Then, generating Sun, Heaven and Dawn,
• you found no enemy indeed to withstand you.”

Indra is definitely one of the most powerful god in rigveda

Who is regarded as the most powerful God in Hindu mythology?

 The one who is worshiped by every god, demon, human, pisach, and every form of life.

The one who rejects all materialism and have disengaged himself from all worldly affairs and Maya.

The one who Drank Halahal to protect the entire Universe.

The one who gifted Vishnu, the legendary Sudarshna Chakra after thousand years of penance.

The one who considers all his Devotees equal and grants him every thing they ask for.

The one who created himself (Swaymbhu) and have no end or beginning.

The one who destroyed Tripurasura with his mere smile and without before using any weapon.

The one who have destroyed his own ego and so of his devotees, and have given the boon to Vishnu to win over him in battlefield for his devotion on him.

The one who destroyed Yama and Kama.

The one who can do the Ultimate dance of destruction.

The one who is a part of Shakti and have Shakti as part of him.

The Bearer of the Trident, the God of Gods, the Destroyer

The Lord of the Universe

It is Indeed SHIVA

PS- Purans and Upnishads have different and clashing views on respective Gods but they are Subordinate. Vedas which are primary considers Rudra to be supreme.

What are Naraka Lokas according to Hindu mythology?

 

Annamayya in his keertan " chAladA hari nAma soukhyAmRtam ......hamsadhvani rAgam - Adi tAlam " spoke of ten thousand hells.

In the Garuda Purana, Lord Maha Vishnu tells Garuda: "Just as there are eternal celestial realms, there are also eternal hells. Even after enduring various punishments in these hells, sinners are destined only for lowly births. That is why one must be vigilant upon attaining human life and strive to turn the mind away from sinful inclinations." If one manages to turn the mind even slightly away from sin, Lord Hari stands ready to grasp and save them. Once He takes hold, the fear of Yama and the fear of hell vanish completely.

Let us read about some of the major and terrifying hells:

1.tapta-valuka (Hell of Hot Sands): Yama's messengers burn the feet of those who have kicked a Guru, fire, a cow, a Vedic scholar, or their employer.
2.andha-tamisra: Worms with needle-like mouths constantly bore into the bodies of the sinners.
3.krakacha: Sinners have their limbs sawn apart—both horizontally and vertically—by saws.
4.asipatra-vana (Forest of Sword-leaves): Those who separate spouses, or children from their parents, are sent here.
5.kuta-shalmali: Those who usurp another man's wife or misappropriate wealth end up here.
6.rakta-puyam (Pool of Blood and Pus): Those who slander others or engage in malicious gossip are found here.
7.kumbhipaka: A place filled with scorching flames and foul, unbearable odors.
8.raurava: A place of prolonged suffering; those who fall here endure punishments for thousands of years. A sin incurred without one's direct involvement is termed Shushkam (dry), whereas a sin committed intentionally by the individual is termed Ardram (wet/moist).

These two categories of sins are further classified into seven types:
1.apakirnam 2. pankteyam 3. malinikaranam 4. jatibhramsham 5. upavitakam 6.atipatakam 7. mahapatakam

The Garuda Purana states that sinners undergo punishments in various hells, with the severity of the punishment corresponding to the gravity of the sins they have committed.
For more information, Garuda Purana may be useful.

Subhamastu

What is the mythology of Kali Purusha?

 Disclaimer: Kali Purusha is not to be confused with Kali Ma (i.e., Goddess Kali, whose name is pronounced 'Kaa-lee', whereas Kali Purusha is pronounced ‘Kuh-lee’).

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!

Kali Purusha is the personality that is the embodiment of all negativity in Kali-yuga (i.e., the age of quarrel) and can loosely be termed as the Vedic equivalent of the personality of Satan in the Abrahamic traditions.

Kali Purusha is described in the Srimad Bhagavatam as the son of anger and envy, the grandson of cunningness and greed, the great-grandson of pride and illusion, and the great-great-grandson of sin and falsehood.

mṛṣādharmasya bhāryāsīd dambhaṁ māyāṁ ca śatru-han asūta mithunaṁ tat tu nirṛtir jagṛhe ’prajaḥ tayoḥ samabhaval lobho nikṛtiś ca mahā-mate tābhyāṁ krodhaś ca hiṁsā ca yad duruktiḥ svasā kaliḥ

Translation:

“Another son of Lord Brahmā was Irreligion, whose wife’s name was Falsity. From their combination were born two demons named Dambha, or Bluffing, and Māyā, or Cheating. These two demons were taken by a demon named Nirṛti, who had no children. Maitreya told Vidura: O great soul, from Dambha and Māyā were born Greed and Nikṛti, or Cunning. From their combination came children named Krodha [Anger] and Hiṁsā [Envy], and from their combination were born Kali and his sister Durukti (Harsh Speech).” - Srimad Bhagavatam 4.8.2–3

It is said once Lord Krishna’s leela was finished, Kali Purusha began to reign and increase the influence of adharma and paap (i.e., unrighteousness and sin) in ignorant individuals who lack spiritual consciousness and are attracted to materialism.

yasminn ahani yarhy eva bhagavān utsasarja gām tadaivehānuvṛtto ’sāv adharma-prabhavaḥ kaliḥ
nānudveṣṭi kaliṁ samrāṭ sāraṅga iva sāra-bhuk kuśalāny āśu siddhyanti netarāṇi kṛtāni yat
kiṁ nu bāleṣu śūreṇa kalinā dhīra-bhīruṇā apramattaḥ pramatteṣu yo vṛko nṛṣu vartate

Translation:

“The very day and moment the Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, left this earth, the personality of Kali, who promotes all kinds of irreligious activities, came into this world. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a realist, like the bees who only accept the essence [of a flower]. He knew perfectly well that in this Age of Kali, auspicious things produce good effects immediately, whereas inauspicious acts must be actually performed [to render effects]. So he was never envious of the personality of Kali. Mahārāja Parīkṣit considered that less intelligent men might find the personality of Kali to be very powerful, but that those who are self-controlled would have nothing to fear. The King was powerful like a tiger and took care for the foolish, careless persons.” - Srimad Bhagavatam 1.18.5–8

To prevent Pariksit Maharaja from killing him, Kali Purusha agreed that he would only reside in places where unrighteous activities were performed.

sūta uvāca abhyarthitas tadā tasmai sthānāni kalaye dadau dyūtaṁ pānaṁ striyaḥ sūnā yatrādharmaś catur-vidhaḥ

Translation:

“Sūta Gosvāmī said: Mahārāja Parīkṣit, thus being petitioned by the personality of Kali, gave him permission to reside in places where gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter were performed.” - Srimad Bhagavatam 1.17.38

He was not destined to be killed by Pariksit Maharaja because it is prophesied that Lord Vishnu, as His incarnation of Lord Kalki, will kill all adharmic personalities, including Kali Purusha, and end Kali-yuga:

aśvam āśu-gam āruhya devadattaṁ jagat-patiḥ asināsādhu-damanam aṣṭaiśvarya-guṇānvitaḥ
vicarann āśunā kṣauṇyāṁ hayenāpratima-dyutiḥ nṛpa-liṅga-cchado dasyūn koṭiśo nihaniṣyati

Translation:

“Lord Kalki, the Lord of the universe, will mount His swift horse Devadatta and, sword in hand, travel over the earth exhibiting His eight mystic opulences and eight special qualities of Godhead. Displaying His unequaled effulgence and riding with great speed, He will kill by the millions those thieves who have dared dress as kings.” - Srimad Bhagavatam 12.2.19–20

This is stated by Lord Vishnu Himself in the Kalki Purana to the devatas:

"After hearing everything that the demigods had to say regarding the situation on earth, the lotus-eyed Lord Hari said: O Brahma, rest assured that I will soon descend to the earth and appear in the village known as Shambhala. I will take birth in the house of a Brahmana named Vishnuyasha, from the womb of his wife, Sumati. My mission will be to eliminate the wicked Kali and his influence with the help of My four brothers. O devatas, your expansions should also take birth on the earth to assist Me in My mission. My consort, the beloved lotus-eyed Kamala-devi, will also appear on the earth, having the name Padma. She will be born from the womb of Kaumudi, the wife of Brihadratha, the king of Simhala. O demigods, you should not delay. By your plenary portions, take birth on the earth. Later on, I will entrust the responsibility for ruling the earth to two powerful kings named Maru and Devapi. I will then again establish Satya-yuga, and thus reinstate the principles of religion as they were before. Rest assured that I will return to Vaikuntha only after destroying the poisonous snake, Kali." - Kalki Purana (2.4–8)

Hare Krishna