The HINDUISM and Hindu GODS

Vedic Deities - Part V

2011-05-02T23:34:00.000+05:30

Part Five

Kumara - Kumara is a name of Skanda or Kartikeya, the god of war.Skanda is also the god of the planet Mars. According to the Mahabharata and Ramayana he is said to be the second son of Shiva. There is an interesting story about his birth. He has not been conceived in a female womb. Lord Shiva once caused his seed to fall into the fire and it was received by the Ganges. Kartikeya, was thus born. This strange birth gave him the synonyms of Agnibhu and Ganga-ja. He was nurtured by the Pleaides and hence he has six heads and the name of Kartikeya. Agni is at times referred to as his father, Ganga and Parvati, as his mother. He was born for destroying Taraka. He is a bestower of knowledge and power. He is also known as Subramanium and represents a person of perfection. He has six faces, and in one hand he carries a spear called Shakti, which symbolizes the destruction of the negative traits in human beings. With his other hand, he always blesses devotees. Holding a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other, he rides a peacock called Paravani.Parvani is capable of destroying harmful serpents, symbolizing the ego and menial tendencies of people. He is the most masculine and spirited of the Hindu gods. His wife is Kaumari or Sena. Kumara also refers to the mind born sons of Brahma, who not wanting to have any descendants, remained youthful, pure and innocent. There were four of them Sanat- Kumara, Sananda, Sanaka and Sanatana, a fifth, Ribhu is sometimes added.

Lakshmi - Lakshmi as the goddess of wealth, prosperity, good harvests, and love is one of the most popular goddesses. As Sri, she is the quintessence of female beauty. She rose to the surface of the sea of milk during the great churning, carrying a pot of nectar. Since then she has been Vishnu's constant companion, and the female consort in his reincarnated forms as Padma, Kamala, Dharani, Sita, Rukmini. Her son is Kama, the god of Love. She is depicted as a beautiful woman, golden in hue and adorned with gold ornaments. Her beauty attracts everyone towards her. With lotus like eyes, a swan like neck, a beautiful form, she is always youthful. Calm and docile, she is a compassionate and kind-hearted goddess. She has four arms and holds a pot of nectar, a conch shell, a lotus and the Sriphala or the fruit of fortune. Though associated with money and riches, she also signifies love and grace. She favors a clean environment. The red lotus she sits on signifies grace, love and peace and is symbolic of the importance of pure living without which prosperity is dangerous. She does not reside long with anyone who desires her only as wealth. Her vehicle is the owl. Her supreme form is Mahalakshmi. She is Rajyalakshmi when she resides in the king's palace, at home she is Griha-lakshmi, at war she is the flighty Jayalakshmi, as the symbol of fame she is Yasholakshmi and as Bhagyalakshmi, she brings good fortune.

Lalita - Lalita means the goddess of bliss. Worship of Lalita helps spiritual growth and material prosperity. She symbolizes love, compassion, forbearance and courage. In Vedic Mythology, the Divine Mother has been called Devi, Kali and Lalita. She is the all-giving mother whose love for all is supreme. She bestows grace and known for her benevolent nature. She desires that human beings should realize their true self and unite with her.

Maheshwara - Maheshwara is a synonym for Shiva. In the Upanishads, he is referred to as the only Rudra, the divine, the Maheshwara and the Mahadeva. Shiva is the third of the Hindu triad of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. He is a benefic deity. According to some legends, he emerged from the frown of Vishnu, wielding a trident in order to protect Brahma from the demons. Thus, Shiva manifested himself as the destroyer and that is the attribute always attached to him. Since all matter must decay, Shiva was not only the destroyer, but assumed the form of a recreator, manifesting all forms of creation again. Death is thus a transforming channel leading to a new life. He is also considered Rudra, the Vedic god of storms, winds and death. He is the personification of the unrestrained power causing disaster and disarray. Shiva was a wanderer, meditating in the cold heights of the Himalayas and at times descending on earth. However, his apparent ascetism does not in any way delegate him to a lower level of gods. His meditative prowess is immense, resulting in physical strength and empowering him with miraculous powers as a fertility god. Shiva is worshipped in the form of a linga and yoni, both organs of pleasure and procreation. This symbolizes the link between the worlds, where life manifests itself and where the spirit becomes incarnate. Shiva's vehicle is Nandi the bull, who epitomizes the pervasion of intuition over the rational mind. Though Shiva is Rudra, the fearsome, there is a compassionate side to him also. He is gracious enough to acknowledge his impulsive acts. He is benevolent and freely bestows boons. He is the lord of sleep and so a remover of pain, since sleep dilutes pain. He is usually depicted sitting in meditation, his locks matted on top of his head with a crescent moon decorating it. His famous third eye adorns the center of his forehead, a serpent is coiled around his neck and his weapon is a trident. He is a fair man, his body covered with ashes and the perfect image of a sage in pensive concentration. His eyes represent the sun, the moon and fire and his vision transcends time. The third inward looking eye can destroy everything when it is turned outwards. Each Yuga or period ends when Shiva opens his third eye. This same eye also saves the world when required. His ornaments are snakes and skulls. The snakes stand for death and skull for the passing of time. His trident or Trishul represents the Satwa, Rajas and Tamas aspects of nature, symbolizing his role as Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. It emits lightning as Shiva; the god of storms punishes wrong doers with his zeal for righteousness. His bow Pinaka made of a serpent with seven heads helps the gods in time of need. His tiger skin robe gives him the image of power and his drum makes him Nataraja, the god of dance. He dances out of sheer joy in anger or sorrow. This is called his Tandava dance. His a few other names are Shambhu, Neelakantha (blue throated, because he consumed the poison which came out during the great ocean churning), Yogesh (Lord of Yoga), Shava (lord of death), Pashupati(lord of cattle), Shankara (beneficent one), Ardhanarishwara (lord who is half woman), Chandrashekhara (God with the moon in his hair), Mahakala (great black one).

Part Six will follow

Om Nama Shivaya

Vedic deity- Part four

2011-05-02T23:32:00.000+05:30

Part Four

Indra - Indra, is one of the important gods of the celestial triad of Agni-Indra-Surya in the Vedic era. In Rig Veda, he is worshipped as a rain god and appeased as a storm god. He is the son of Dyaus and Aditi and resides in heaven with his wife Indrani. He is a youthful god, enthusiastic, irrepressible and brave. He is armed with his Vajra or thunderbolt and his bow named Indradhanusha, which he uses to destroy the demons and save humankind from calamity. He used to known primarily as a warrior god, who uses his energy in many ways. He brings the life giving rains to quench the thirst of the tiny seed in the earth's bosom. In this form, he worshipped as a fertility god. He controls the weather and rules the atmosphere. The most popular myth associated with Indra is about his incessant battle with Vritra, the demon of drought, whom he killed and released the fettered waters. In the Ramayana, it is given that a thousand eyes emerged all over Indra’s body, as a punishment for sleeping with the wife of the holy person Gautama. In spite of his fearful warrior image, Indra, is a peaceful and righteous king, who protects his devotees and brings them relief. He loves drinking soma or nectar, which is his favorite drink, and helps rejuvenate him.Indra is golden in color, has long arms and has the ability to assume any shape or form. His golden chariot is drawn by two reddish, healthy horses. He has four arms and carries a lance and a thunderbolt. His mount is the celestial elephant Airawat.

Jiva - Jiva, the living refers to Brihaspati or Guru, a deity in whom the action of the worshipper upon the gods is personified. He is the suppliant, the sacrificer, the priest who intercedes with gods on behalf of men, and protects humankind against the wicked. He is also designated as the priest of the divine community. As ‘father of the gods', a widely extended, creative power is ascribed to him. He is the ‘shining' and the ‘gold colored' and ‘having the thunder for his voice'. He is also the regent for the planet Jupiter and the name is oft used for the planet itself. In this role his vehicle called Niti-ghosha is driven by 8 pale horses.

Jvalamukhi - Jvalamukhi means a volcano or a mouth of fire. According to a legend, it is the fire which Sati, the wife of Shiva created and in which she burnt herself. Her name thus refers to her main cult site where a natural flame has burnt for time immemorial. The goddess is in the form of a flame or jvala and there is a belief that the tongue of Goddess Sati fell here. Jvalamukhi represents fire, and the primary characteristic of fire is to reduce everything to ashes. Ashes are sacred to Shiva and all sadhus. The ash produced by Jvalamukhi's fire is the ash of all material things, at the end of time. It is also the ash left after sexual intercourse, and has sacred and healing properties. The dhooni is the sacred fire of the sages. These fires were kept lit for so many years that there exist hills of ashes (bhasmagiri) all over India. Om, Hrim Shrim Jvalamukhi, the mantra of Jvalamukhi gives power over time and fulfils all wishes and clears all sins like killing of brahmins or a guru or a woman, or eating what should not be eaten; or having sexual intercourse with those with whom it is evil. Whoever has obtained this mantra attained the ultimate power of dominion. Jvalamukhi is the universal mother and symbolizes the essence of the three gunas. By sattva, she creates the universe, by rajas, she maintains, and by tamas, she withdraws. She is the mother of the three worlds and the mother of the Devis.

Kali - Kali is one of main goddesses who are associated with Shiva. She is the female form of Kaala or Time. She is the beginning as well as the end. She is the energy of Time and is said to stand on the corpse of the Universe. Thus, Kali is the symbol of dissolution and destruction. She destroys ignorance and restores the world order. She blesses those who strive for knowledge. There is a tale mentioned in the Kalika-Purana. Once the deities went to the hermitage of Sage Matang in the Himalayas and sang praises about Mahamaya or illusion personified. A visibly pleased Bhagavati appeared as Matang’s mistress and asked as to whom were they praising. On hearing a satisfying reply, a divine and dark figure emerged from the mistress's body and said she was the favoured one. Her dark lustre earned her the name of Kali. Kali is the fierce form of Goddess Parvati, which she assumes to destroy the wicked. She is shown piercing a demon with a trident, while holding him down with a leg. Her more popular image is of her terrible blood-drenched form. She is black skinned, red eyed and has a hideous tusked face. Her forehead has a third eye like Shiva's; around her neck hangs a necklace of human skulls and her tongue hangs out dripping with blood. Around her waist are human hands, while she holds a severed head. Despite her terrible form, she is still adored. Her four arms signify absolute dominion over the world. Various weapons adorn each of her hands. One hand holds a sword, the second holds a severed human head, the third is believed by her devotees to be removing fear, and the fourth is often interpreted as granting bliss. Her omnipotent and fearless presence infuses confidence and security in her devotees and grants them peace and quiet. Sometimes she has portrayed standing on the corpse of Shiva. A popular myth says Kali with the help of another Devi Chandi slew Raktajeeva, a vicious demon. Exhilarated by her victory, she broke into a dance that made the heavens as well as the earth tremble. To contain her ecstasy, Shiva lay down on the ground. When the unknowing Kali’s foot fell on Shiva's chest, her tongue popped out spontaneously. Her black color is the ultimate energy in which all things disappear. Fearless herself, she protects her worshippers from fear.

Kubera - Kubera popularly known as the god of wealth was the chief of the Yakshas and the Guhyakas. A benefic deity, he resided in Alaka or Vasudhara and had the Kinnaras serving him. He was the half brother of Ravana. It has said that he performed austerities for thousand of years and obtained a boon from Brahma that he would be immortal. He was one of the guardian deities of the world and the god of wealth. His vehicle was a self-propelled aerial vehicle called Pushpaka. His wife was Yakshi. He is represented as a white man, deformed in body, having three legs and eight teeth. He is monstrous, lazy and slow in movement. His body is covered with ornaments and he does not receive any worship. The name of Kubera, a variant of Kutanu implies ‘vile body', referring to his ugliness.

Part Five follows

Vedic Deities - Part III

2011-04-25T17:30:00.000+05:30

Part Three

Chandra - Chandra or Moon. Sages and devotees invoke the Goddess Mother in Chandra and meditate for hours. He causes nightfall, strengthens the mind, purifies the blood and is considered as the mother figure that radiates nectar (Amrita). His worship is beneficial for relief from all sorrows, helps in curing mental afflictions. etc. His cool rays radiate happiness around. He adores the head of Lord Shiva. Worshiping him on Mondays is said to be very effective in getting one's prayers answered. In the Puranic mythology, Moon is said to be the son of Rishi Atri and Anasuya.

Chinnamasta  - Chinnamasta is one of the ten mahavidyas of Goddess Durga.She was called so because of her severed head.  Goddess Chinnamasta is a symbol of the perception of secrecy. Her severed head reflects the inward nature of her accomplishment. She stands on the seat of a white lotus. The 'Yoni Chakra' is situated in her navel. The directions are her apparel. Her two companions stand for the dual qualities of Tara (dark) and Raja (medium). She is alive even though her head is severed from her body. The  tale  about  the  manifestation  of  goddess  Chinnamasta  is  as  follows. Once,  goddess  Bhagwati-Bhawani, went to  bathe  in the the river Mandakini, with her two companions Jaya and Vijaya. To appease their hunger Goddess Bhagwati severed her head and held the severed head in her left hand. Three streams of blood started to ooze out from the neck. All of them satisfied their hunger by drinking the blood from the three streams of blood.

Dadhi  - There are seven insular continents or dwipas that spread out from Mount Meru as their common center, like the leaves of a lotus and are separated  from each other by distinct circumambient oceans. The seas which surround these are seven in number and Dadhi meaning curds or yoghurt is the fifth one of them. Vamana   is   the  presiding  deity  over  Dadhi (yoghurt) used in the performance of Tirumanjanam for the Lord. Dadhi Vamana is saluted through the Vedic chant ‘Dadhikravinno Akarushan JishNorashvasya Vajina: SurabinomukhAkarat. PraNa Ayogam Shitarushath'. Dadhi confers Pushti Vardhanam, which means increased strength. It imparts a pleasing odor to the mouth. The inner meaning is that Dadhi, whose presiding deity is Vamana, fortifies the tongue  to  utter  nothing  but  the  truth  and  makes  it  a  fitting  royal  seat (Simhasanam) for  Bhagavan Hayagriva.

Daya -  Daya signifies the deity who is full of compassion, charity and benevolence.  She is said to be the daughter of Daksha, married to Dharma.

Dhumavati - Dhumavati is the consort of Lord  Shiva. There is a narration regarding  Goddess  Dhumavati. Once Goddess Parvati, unable to endure hunger, swallowed Lord Shiva himself. Smoke came out from her appearance. Lord Shiva gave her the name of 'Dhuma' or Dhumavati. Dhumavati is of the color of smoke, she wears smoky clothes and has a very untidy and unkept appearence. She carries a winnowing basket in her arms.  Her slanting eyes infuse fear  and terror. She is trembling and deceitful. She is a symbol of all that is unattractive and inauspicious. But the Mahavidyas are supposed to represent the diversity of reality, so have young and beautiful forms as well as ugly, fearsome ones.

Gandharva  - The ‘heavenly Gandharva' of the Vedas was a deity who knew and revealed the secrets of heaven and divine truths in general. He is thought to have been a personification of the fire of the sun. The Gandharvas generally had their dwelling in the sky or atmosphere, and one of their offices was to prepare the heavenly soma juice for the gods. They are also called the heavenly musicians. They  had  a  great  partiality  for  women,  and  had a mystic power over them. The Atharva Veda speaks of the 6333 Gandharvas. The Gandharvas  are  sometime  called Gaulas  and Pulakas. 

Ganesha - Ganesha,the elephant god, son of Shiva and Parvati is the God of wisdom and good judgement. He is  worshipped as the remover of obstacles that stand in the way of good deeds. He is also known to plants obstacles in the path of evil activities. Though neither human nor animal,Ganesha combines human intelligence with the physical strength of an animal. He is considered  to be the supreme embodiment of knowledge and divine wisdom. He is said to have written the Mahabharata from the dictation of sage Vyasa. He is a charming though odd looking deity. He is represented as short, fat and with a protruding belly. He has four hands, the head of an elephant and only one tusk. In one hand he holds a shell, in another a discus, a club in the third and a water lily in the fourth. He is shown as riding on a rat. He is said to possess a third eye like his parents. But unlike them, it is not there to display anger. On the contrary, it is a symbol of his wisdom. He is also a dancer, and his dancing is joyous and not destructive.

Gauri  - Devi the Goddess has been imagined both as a kind and giving mother as well as a strong and ruthless fighter. So like her many faces, she has many names, one of which is Gauri, the golden skinned. This is the soft, feminine and gentle form of Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva who is one of  the  female  triad of Lakshmi, Saraswati and Parvati. It is said that she once retired emotionally hurt to the forest  when  her husband Shiva  teased  her by calling her Kali or black. Later  on  an apologetic Shiva led her to the river Ganges for a bath and she   emerged  as the  fair  Gauri.  So whereas Parvati is really dark skinned, her golden skinned persona is called Gauri. She is portrayed as a wife sitting next to Shiva and has two sons, Kartikeya and Ganesha.  She represents purity and austerity. However she has a strong will power and determination as is reflected by the penance and hardships she underwent in order to attain Shiva. Unmarried girls worship Gauri in order to get a virtuous husbands. She is also the gentle goddess  of  light  and  beauty  from  whom  the  energy  of  the  earth  springs  forth. Her  father Himavat represents Ether and her mother is Buddhi or intellect. She is benign and carries no weapon. In her benign image, she is the Goddess of fertility and abundance, sometimes even identified with Annapoorna, the Goddess of food. She is also credited for the boons and favors granted by Shiva, who as an ascetic was untouched by pleas and prayers, but relented under the supplication of his spouse.

Govinda - Govinda  is  a  name  for  Krishna  and means  cowherd.   Krishna, the king of Mathura and Dwarka is the eighth avatar of Vishnu and one of the most popular and worshipped incarnations. Although he appears as a surprisingly human and lovable person, a mysterious and intricate superhuman character is ascribed to him.  Krishna is not only a protector of the people but also a symbol of eternal love between god and man. His followers, the  Vaishnavas worship him not only as a revered god but as a child, as a romantic youth, a philanthropic, an invincible warrior, and a philosopher, statesman and diplomat of the highest order. Krishna has been regarded as complete incarnation of God, endowed with all sixteen Kalas.  Krishna belonged to the Yadavas, a pastrol race that dwelt in    Vrindavana   and   Gokula.   Krishna married Rukmini, Jambavati and Satyabhama. He is said to have had 16,000 wives and 1,80,000 sons. His sons were named Samba and Pradyumna, and daughter Charumati. Govinda was the name acquired by him in his childhood when he accompanied his cows to graze in the fields, indulged in mischievous pranks, teased his fellow mates, upset milk churns, and was lovingly admonished for stealing milk and butter from everywhere. As Mohana he played the flute in the serene surroundings of the countryside and mesmerised the beautiful gopis (milkmaids), the plants as well as the animals. In his adolescence he was a favourite of the gopis (milkmaids). His flirtatious interaction with them was seen as an expression of the divine love for the soul. Krishna and Radha, his beloved, symbolized the love, separation and ecstatic reunion of the almighty and the soul. He wore yellow clothes, carried a flute, a stick and sported a peacock feather in his curly locks. Krishna means 'the dark one' and his complexion was light blue in color. His lips were red, his face was like the full moon, and eyes were like the lotus flower. Krishna plays a seemingly ordinary flute whose enchanting notes, hypnotized  everyone who came within his ambit. His weapon was in the form of a wheel called Sudarshan Chakra, which he used once  during  the  battle  of  Mahabharata,  to  protect  the  vow  of Pitamaha Bheeshma.  We see Krishna in a different role in the Mahabharata, when his cousin Arjuna breaks down before the start of war. Krishna then delivers the message of the Bhagavada Gita - of selfless action, of the path of karma and the invincibility of the soul as compared to the mortal body that houses it. The beauty of his sermon was that it is as relevant in context of the modern times as it was in the bygone era.

Part Four follows

Vedic Deities - Part II

2011-04-22T21:25:00.001+05:30

Part II

Aruna - means red and rosy. He is the personification of dawn as the charioteer of the Sun god. Aruna is said to be the son of Kashyapa and Kadru. There is an interesting story about Aruna. who transformed himself into a woman. Aruni in order to secretly view the celestial nymphs of Indra's court. Indra however saw Aruni and was so enraptured, that Bali was born from this association. The next day Aruna was late for duty and the Sun god demanded to know the reason. On being told everything, he also desired to see the enchanting form of Aruni, On seeing her he also could not control his desire and Sugriva was born. Gautama Muni later turned these two children Bali and Sugriva into monkey kings who later assisted Lord Rama.

Ashwini Kumara - The Ashwini twins are two Vedic deities, twin sons of the Sun or the sky and Sanjana. At the moment of impregnation Sanjana had assumed the shape of a horse. That is why this lunar constellation is called horse woman. They were the eternal youth, handsome, bright, of golden brilliance, agile, swift and assume many forms. Ashwinis were also the physicians of the gods, a kind and generous deities who bring health and offer miracle cures to people. They are the most energetic and joyous among the gods. Their qualities relate to youth, beauty, light and speed, duality, the creative power and benevolent deeds. Dasra is a synonym for the elder of the Ashwini twins and to both of them when expressed in duality. In this sense Dasra means beautiful. They are also called Nasatya the savior. Dasra, the destroyer and Nasatya the untruthful, expresses their negative character that is a result of the alliance of light and darkness. They were that rarest of heroes, intellectuals who could act decisively and swiftly. It is interesting that they are the power of movement itself, so speedy and firm. They used their great knowledge to help not only the gods, but also to alleviate the human suffering. The extent of their strength is unimaginable.

Bagalamukhi -Bagala or Bagalamukhi is one of saptamatrikas and is the consort of Lord Shiva or Maharudra.She is identified with courage and the power of cruelty. Bagalamukhi means the crane-headed one. The crane is associated with deceit. Goddess Bagala punishes and controls the negative powers, which trespass the natural flow of speech. She controls our speech, knowledge and movement. She is capable of giving powers called (Siddhis) and fulfils all the wishes of her devotees. Bagalamukhi worshipped for protection from and victory over the enemies, for victory in the legal matters, to acquire wealth, to be freed of debts and to attain the power of oratory. She is the presiding goddess who is desirous of destroying the demons. She has three eyes, a yellow complexion and wears yellow apparels, ornaments, gems and garlands. The moon is her diadem, and she wears the yellow champaka blossoms. Yellow clothes, garlands made of turmeric and yellow flowers used in her worship.

Bhadra - Bhadra is a Goddess and attendant of Shiva. She was a woman of great beauty, the daughter of Soma who was married to the sage Utathya. It is said that the god Varuna was so enamored by her that he carried her away from the hermitage. It was only after Utathya drank up the sea and dried up the lake of Varuna that Bhadra could be brought back. Bhadra also refers to the sacred Ganges, personified as a goddess, eldest daughter of Himavat and sister of Parvati. She was married to Shantanu and had a son called Bhishma. According to the Puranas, the Ganges flows from the toe of Vishnu and was brought down to earth from heaven by the prayers of sage Bhagirathata to purify the ashes of the 60,000 sons of King Sagara, who had been burnt by the angry glances of sage Kapila. Shiva in order to save the earth from the impact of Ganga caught the river in his brow and checked its flow with his matted locks. From there it descended in seven streams and is called the Sapta sindhava.

Bhaga -Bhaga is the Vedic god of prosperity, wealth and marriage. He is a deity mentioned in the Vedas, but of very indistinct personality and powers. He is a minor solar god never invoked alone, but in company with a number of gods. He is said to have lost his eyes. He stands for sexual bliss also. Bhaga means the female organ and links the god with sexual happiness and progeny. He is supposed to bestow wealth and to preside over marriage, and he is classed among the Adityas and Viswadevas. The month of March is dedicated to him.

Bhairavi - The cult of the mother goddess rose to prominence during the Puranic times. There was a cult of the Matrikas, the Great Mother, who were in early myths the female emanations of male gods who then grew to assume independent personalities. Bhairavi is one of these saptamatrikas and is the consort of Lord Shiva, Sati-Parvati-Uma is the benign wife -mother-provider aspect of the Devi. Kali is one of the three who represents the darker aspect of the Devi and is present in cremation grounds as Bhairavi the terrible. She is a warrior goddess who was created through the divine emanation of the gods and was the shakti or primal energy of the gods and only appeared when there was a need for a goddess of war. Bhairavi stands for terrible, fearful and the power of death. Her head garlanded with flowers, she resembles the red rays of 1.000 rising suns, smeared with red. holding milk and a book. She dispels fears and gives boons with her four hands. She has three large eyes, a beautiful face with a slow smile, and wears white gems. This reflects the gentle aspect of Parvati. She has facets that assert her cosmic importance but she is primarily associated with destructive energy.

Bhavani - Bhavani is another name for Parvati the consort of lord Shiva. Bhavani means the giver of existence. As the shakti and female energy of Shiva she has two characters, one is mild and the other fierce and it is under the latter that she is specially worshiped. She has a variety of names referable to her various forms, attributes and actions. In her terrible form she is Durga or Bhavani the inaccessible. It is in this form that bloody sacrifices are offered to her. She has ten arms and most of these have weapons. She is a beautiful yellow woman, riding on a tiger with a fierce and menacing attitude. She evolved into Mahishasuramardini with the slaving of the ferocious demon Mahishasura who posed a threat to the gods because of the power earned by penance. She is said to have assumed 10 forms or attributes to defeat a host of other demons. Interestingly, though a warrior fully armed, she retains the beautiful attributes of Parvati.

Bhuvaneshwari - Bhuvaneshwari is one of the saptamatrikas and is the consort of Lord Shiva.She is the central diety of Shakti worshipers. Shiva is the cause behind the evolution of this creation and his power lies in goddess Bhuvaneshwari. Her ambrosia nourishes the whole world. She blesses her devotee by making him fearless and also helps him in the accomplishment of all the powers. She is also known as Maya or the Shuddha Vidya. Her complexion is red like a rising Sun and she has three eyes. She wears the moon in her crown. Her soft smile reflects her favor and kindness. A hook and a noose in her hand show her controlling power. However, her appearance is somber. The worship of Bhuvaneshwari is an attempt to receive knowledge of God as a direct experience.

Brahma - Brahma the universal father, is the first of the omnipotent trinity of Hindu gods. In the Puranic period, the magnificent trinity of Brahma- Vishnu-Shiva, with their all pervasive luminosity, completely overshadowed the Vedic triad of Indra - Agni - Surya. Brahma lives in Brahmanlok or the Universe. His abode is Mount Meru which is the centre of the world and is shaped like a wheel. Brahma's consort is Saraswati the Goddess of learning, also known as Brahmi. Brahma, representing the rajas guna is a swayambhu or self created deity. All manifestations of this great cosmic creator emanate from his thoughts. He is the universal intellect. He is said to have produced ten mind born sons like the sages Vashishta and Narada . He also caused the birth of Vaka the goddess of learning. The Saptarishis who first heard the hymns of the Vedas were also a result of his infinite creative powers. All divine and human qualities and weaknesses are also born from him. Dharma or righteousness emanated his chest, kama or desire from his heart, krodha or anger from his eyebrows, lobha or greed from his lips, moha or attachment from his mind, mada or intoxication from his egoism, and mrityu or death from his eyes. Brahma is the eternal creator of the earth, its creatures, the heavens, the gods and the demons as well. The demons emerged from his thighs, the gods from his mouth, the ancestors from his sides, and the males and females were formed out of his body when it broke up into two. When Brahma awakes, the three worlds are created. When he sleeps there is chaos. He is usually depicted as a reddish hued. four faced, hoary old man with a flowing white beard seated on a lotus flower. It has been said that his fifth face was burnt off by the fire emanating from Shiva's third eye, because he had shown disrespect. According to the Mahabharata, Shiva was annoyed with Brahma, because he was enamored of his own daughter(another story is also exist). In his four arms Brahma holds the Vedas. a ritual alms bowl, a scepter, a string of beads and his bow Pavitra. He is mature and wise and a source of knowledge. The theatrical arts, music, dance and drama are all attributed to him.

Part Three follows

Hindu Gods - Vedic Era (Part I)

2011-04-22T14:42:00.000+05:30

Before starting, I would like to thanks Mr Abhilash, author of the Hindu Blog for his utmost contribution and inspiration for me to start this venture.

Hinduism is the oldest religion (religiously we can call it Hinduism. Actually it is a branch of SANATHANA DHARMAM) in the world, so the deities. Hindus have Four principal Vedas(Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva) two secondary Vedas (Ayurveda and Dhanurveda), Six Vedangas (Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakarna, Nirukta, Chandas and Jyothisha), 108 Upanishads, 20 Mahapuranas and several Upapuranas and two Great Epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata).

My first topic is about the Vedic Hindu Gods. In this modern era, most of the people are aware about the Hinduism through Education, folklore, capsule courses (like Art of Living or Baba Ramdev etc..) or through some westerner's books (translated).

Geographically, India is divided into four parts (East,West North and South) but religiously divided into Eight. The four main and Central, Far East , Far North and North West. We can see the influence of Tamil culture and language in all four Southern Indian states. For the Northern Indian states, it is the mixture of U.P. and Bihar.

Far North is Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir . They have a very different style of worship and culture compared to the Uttar Pradesh , Bihar, Jharkhand and Part of Chathisgarh. Central India brings the fragrance from M.P, part of Chhattisgarh, some places of Odisha and Maharashtra (those nearest to M.P). Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab follows a unique culture & form the North West. Come to the East, they are Assam, West Bengal, a major parts of Odisha. Our neighboring country, Nepal, also shares the cultural fabrics of Assamese(or Bengali). West is the major parts of Maharashtra, Goa, and Gujarat. North Eastern states and Sikkim tagged as Far East.

How one is different from the other? Excluding the cardinal four, I am detailing about the other four. Far North - Most of them are the followers of the Lord Shiva and his consort Uma. Example: Kashmiri Pandits and their vast scriptures on Shiva and Kailasa. Their scriptures are a bit different than the usual known (to the other parts of India) Shaiva scriptures. Shiva is the most worshiped god all over India with variation in procedures. Central India also has huge Shiva followers, but the dominating deity is Lord Vishnu or his Incarnations. North West have a chunk of mixed religious faith and belief in alternate powers. Far East is same as the North West except the latter has a strong belief in black magic or tantirc vidya (Have you ever heard about Mayang? It is in upper Assam(?)).

Before diving into the depth of Hinduism, one should gather sufficient knowledge about the deities worshiped, their physical & spiritual form and importance.

Aditi - In the Vedic pantheon, she is mother of the Adityas. Aditi means free and unbounded. In Rig Veda she is Devamata & in Yajur Veda - supporter of the sky, sustainer of the earth, sovereign of this world and wife of Vishnu. The Mahabharata, Ramayana and the Puranas consider her to be the mother of Vishnu. According to the Vishnu Purana, she is daughter of Daksha, wife of Kashyapa and mother of Vishnu and Indra. Aditi is a protective and forgiving goddess. Because of her free and unfettered nature, she was worshiped for release from restraints of any kind. Childless people begs her for children and farmers pray to her for the safety of their cattle.

Agni - The God of Fire, together Indra and Surya completes the Vedic Triad. Agni appears before us in three forms, as the heavenly sun, the lightning in the sky and the fire on earth. He is the remover of evil spirits and darkness. Agni purifies and grant immortality. Agni is reddish in color, has three flaming heads, three legs and seven arms. His three legs denote the three fires, ceremonial, nuptial and sacrificial fires, the three worlds, the divine, the terrestrial and the infernal. Agni is also the link between man and god because he receives all divine oblations.His wives are Swaha and Swadha and has three sons Pavak, Pavaman and Suchi.

Ananta - Ananta means 'the infinite' and is the name of Shesha Naga, who survives the destruction of the Universe. It also symbolizes the energy essential for spiritual conquest. Shesha Naga is the king of the serpents and ruler of Patala Loka, the infernal world. He supports the world on his head.

Antaka - Antaka or Yama the God of Death and Lord of the hell. He is the imposer of rules and imparts justice according to one's karma. Yama was earlier a human being and gained immortality through penance and worship like Indra.

Read Part II