This information has been collected from the Internet.

It
helps in getting a better understanding of the Gods of the
Vaastu Purush Mandal.
The Gods of Hinduism :
Brahma: Brahma is the creator god. He is originally known
as Prajapati. He is the first born, father of the gods,
humans and demons. He is also their teacher, who taught
them about the nature of Self and the importance of virtue.
He is also the revealer of the Vedas to the mankind. He has
several mind born sons. In the early Upanishads and Vedic
hymns he is credited with incarnations and described as
the Cosmic Person (Purusha) as well as Isvara,
Hiranyagarbha and Viraj. In some verses, he is also
described as Prakriti or Nature. Brahma enjoyed an
exalted position in ancient times, when the original
Kshatriyas ruled the land. With their decline, his
popularity declined. He is presently worshipped only in a
few temples, mostly located in the areas, adjoining or
forming part of the ancient Sindhu Saraswathi region,
where the Kshatriyas ruled in ancient times. His abode is
called Brahmaloka.
Vishnu: He is currently the most popular god of Hinduism.
Vaishnavism is also currently the most popular and
dominant sect of Hinduism, with several sub sects and
independent teacher traditions. Devotees of Vishnu
worship Him as the highest supreme Brahman.

In popular Hinduism he is considered the preserver

responsible for the preservation and maintenance of
creation. He goes by several names, such as Narayana,
Adita, Padmanabha, Ananatasayana etc. He has also
manifested upon earth as incarnations (avataras),
manifestations (vyuhas), partial incarnations
(amsavataras) and aspects such as Jagannatha,
Panduranga, Ranganatha, Varadaraja, Venkateswara etc.
India is dotted with numerous temples of Vishnu and His
numerous aspects and incarnations. His abode is known as
Vaikuntha.
Shiva: In ancient times, Shiva was the most popular deity
of Hinduism, worshipped in numerous form and diverse
communities throughout the Indian subcontinent and
even outside. While Saivism lost ground to Vaishnavism in
the last century, it is still a very popular sect of Hinduism
with dedicated followers. As in case of Vaishnavism,
Saivism has several sects and sub sects. Followers of Siva
worship Him as the Supreme Brahman who is responsible
for the creation, preservation, and destruction of the
worlds, besides delusion and liberation of the beings. In
popular Hinduism he is considered the destroyer. He goes
by several names such as Rudra, Ardhanariswara,
Mahadev, Mahesvara, Isvara etc. He has also several
aspects, manifestations, emanations and attendant deities.
His abode is called Kails. He is worshipped in the temples
and households in his anthromorphic form and in the
form of Sivalinga. In Tantra, he is also worshipped in the
form of symbols.

For more information on Shiva, please check website

Saivism.net as well as Allsaivism.com.
Trimurthis: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are considered the
Trimurthis, often translated into English as the Trinity of
Hindu gods. In reality, they represent the triple functions
of Brahman in creation. In their highest aspect, they are
said to be the same, but different in their functional aspect,
each ruling over a particular sphere and participating in
creation along with their attendant deities. They are often
compared to the Isvara, Hiranyagarbha and Viraj aspects
of Brahman. Brahma is the reflection of Brahman in rajas,
Vishnu in sattva and Siva in tamas.
The main goddesses of Hinduism
Shakti: The practice of worshipping Mother Goddess was
in vogue in Indian since the Indus valley civilization.
Shakti means energy. Hindus worship Shakti, also known
as Mother Goddess, Divine Mother, Prakriti, Maya and
various other names. In creation she represents the
materiality and objectivity. Hence she is also known as the
Field (kshetra). In the beings, she represents the mind and
body. If Brahman is the instrumental cause of creation,
Shakti is the material cause. If Brahman represents the
will and consciousness, Shakti represents the numerous
objects, worlds and beings in which the will and
consciousness of Brahman remains hidden.

In the Tantra tradition, Shakti is considered the highest

supreme reality itself, with Brahman remaining in the
background as the passive witness consciousness. In Vedic
tradition she is a dependent reality, but in tantra she is
independent. As the companion of Shiva, Shakti is
worshipped in numerous temples across India.
Saraswathi: Saraswathi is the goddess of knowledge and
learning. She symbolizes our knowledge, virtue and
creative intelligence. She is the consort of Brahma. As the
source of knowledge, she is also the cause of knowledge,
wisdom and liberation among the intelligent beings. She is
responsible for refinement in speech, all artistic
expressions and civilized behavior. Saraswathi means the
flowing one. A river which flowed in the ancient past in the
northwestern India is extolled frequently as Saraswathi.
The civilization that thrived on the banks of the river and
adjoining areas is known as Sindhu-Saraswathi
civilization. The goddess is responsible for many crafts and
skills. Some descriptions suggest hamsa or swan as her
vehicle, while some mention peacock. She is usually
depicted carrying a vina, an Indian musical instrument.
Lakshmi: Lakshmi is the goddess of abundance who is
responsible for health, wealth, luck and happiness. She is
the consort of Vishnu. She was born in milky oceans
during the churning of the oceans and gifted to Vishnu.
She is usually depicted with four or two hands, either
alone or in the company of Vishnu.

When alone she is shown either seated in a lotus or

standing in it, with elephants in the background. She goes
by many names, the most popular being Sri. She
incarnated several times upon earth along with Vishnu
and participated in his duties as the preserver. Owl is
described as her vehicle. She has numerous forms.
Worship of eight forms of Lakshmi, known as ashtalakshmis is a very popular Hindu tradition.
Parvathi: Parvathi is the consort of Shiva and goddess of
love, devotion, and destruction. She personifies numerous
aspects of Mother Goddess and even equated with her in
her role as the Mother of the Universe. She also figures
prominently as Uma Haimavathi in the Kena Upanishad.
She is also considered the second incarnation of Mother
Goddess after the self-immolation of her first incarnation
as Dakshayani or Sati. There are numerous shakti pithas
installed in various parts of India to worship Sati. She goes
by several names such as Haimavathi, Girija, Uma,
Lalitha, Durga, Rudrani. She has both pleasant and fierce
aspects. In some Puranas, she is described as the sister of
Vishnu. In the images, she is depicted either alone or in
the company of Shiva. In the Arthanariswra form, as
Prakriti she is represented as one half of Siva, the Purusha.

Vedic gods and goddesses

The Samhita portion of the Vedas contain hymns
addressed to various gods, which are described below.
Indra: Indra is the leader of gods, the lord of the heaven
and the chief deity who figures prominently in the Vedas,
with a quarter of the Rig-Veda Samhita devoted to his
praise. The hymns extol him as a great warrior who slew
his enemies including the demon Vrata and clipped the
wings of mountains with hismighty weapon the
thunderbolt. He is depicted in the Upanishads as the
student of Brahma and teacher of Prataradana son of
Divodasa. The white elephant Airavat is his vehicle and
Indrani is his consort. By the time the Puranas were
composed, this mighty god of the early Vedic period lost
his prominence and was relegated to an inferior position.
Agni: Agni figures prominently in the Rig-Veda, with the
highest number of hymns addressed to him. They describe
him as the highest god, priest, messenger, master of
wealth, minister of sacrifice, dispeller of night and
provider of wealth and progeny to the worshippers, who
brings the gods to the sacrificial place. He manifests are
fire upon earth, lightning in the mid-region and the sun in
the highest realm. In the images he is depicted as an old
man with two heads, three legs, a red body, pot belly,
seven tongues, four horns and seven arms, each holding
different objects with his consorts Svaha and Svadha on

either side. The ram is his vehicle. In the body he

personifies the digestive power.
Vayu: Vayu is the wind god who is described in the Vedas
as the lord of the mid-region and a great absorber. In the
body he represents the breath. He rides upon a chariot
drawn by a large number of horses, depending the upon
and the intensity with which he blows. As an invisible deity
he forms part of the subtle realm. He figures prominently
in the hymns regarding Soma sacrifice. They describe him
as a drinker of Soma and friend of Indra. In the images he
is depicted as a blue colored god with four hands.
Surya: Surya is the sun god, and one of the solar deities
(Adityas). He is described in the Vedic hymns as the
foreseeing one, a flying bird, a jewel in the sky, and the
giver of light, with radiant hair who knows all that lives
and who traverses the sky and the mid-region seeing all
things that have birth, riding on a chariot driven by seven
horses. He is also praised as a healer who cures the
diseases of the heart and takes away the yellow hue. Savitr,
to whom the Gayatri mantra is addressed, is an aspect of
the sun before sunrise. In some hymns he is also
addressed as Pusan.
Varuna: Varuna is described in the Vedas as the god of
rains, clouds, water, rivers and oceans. Some hymns
beseech him for protection and forgiveness since he is the
king and guardian of moral laws who keeps a close watch
on the people and their actions with a thousand eyes.

He knows the ways of men as well as the ways of gods.

Some hymns also elevate him as the highest God who
sustains the Asvattha tree whose roots are in heaven and
branches below and who created a wide pathway for the
sun to traverse the sky. In some hymns he is associated
with Indra as Indra-Varuna, the guardian of men and in
some with Mitra as Varuna-Mitra. In the images he is
depicted as riding a crocodile or seven swans with four
hands holding a conch, a vessel of precious stones, lotus
and noose.
Soma: Soma or Soma Pavamana is an important Vedic
deity who is extolled in several hymns. The entire ninth
mandala of Rig-Veda is dedicated to him. He is associated
with Soma juice, which was extracted by the Vedic priests
ritually during Soma sacrifices from an unknown plant. It
was evidently an intoxicating drink used in the rituals to
enter into communion with gods and ancestors. The
hymns describe him as wise, king, lord of heroes, lord of
speech, pure energy, lord of plants, leader who leads the
ancestors along a straight path and who makes mortal wise
sages. He was instrumental in the slaying of vrata by Indra
Asvins: Asvins are twin gods who are well known for their
healing ability and who are invariably invoked during
sacrificial ceremonies since they always strive to do good
to others. They are described in the hymns as divine
physicians and surgeons well versed in the art of healing,
surgery and even organ transplantation.

They are rich in treasure, lords of splendor, having nimble

hands, heroes, wonder workers and full of pleasantness,
who bestow boons upon those who worship them and seek
their protection.
Aditi: Aditi is the prima mother of gods, especially the
twelve solar deities known as Adityas, of whom Vishnu is
one. She is a prototype of Mother Goddess or Prakriti, who
is often compared in the Vedas to the sky and the space.
The hymns suggest that she was born to Daksha and
Daksha in turn was born to her. Although no specific
hymns is addressed to her in the Vedas, she is mentioned
in several hymns along with other gods as the might Aditi
having the ability to grant the grace of Rudra. One hymn in
particular describes Aditi as the heaven, the mid-region,
the mother, the sons, all gods, five divisions of men and all
that was born and shall be born. The Puranas describe her
as the wife of sage Kashyapa and the mother of the Aditya,
Indra and Vamana.
Adityas: The Adityas are solar deities and sons of Aditi
who figure in the hymns addressed to Visvadevas, Rhbus,
Agni etc., and mentioned along with Maruts, Vasus,
Rudras and other gods of commonality. They are described
in the Rig-Veda as pure gods, lords of liberal gifts, free
from blemish, who help the worshippers in prosperity,
providing shelter, showing the way and in defeating their
enemies. Surya is an Aditya but he does not figure in the
list of Adityas.

The Adityas were most likely aspects of the same sun, or

the different suns who appear in the sky during the
different hours of the day and given different names or
identified with different deities. Many hymns of the RigVeda mention them collectively as Aditya without
specifying their names. Some hymns even distinguish
them from Indra, Vayu, Brihaspati, Mitra, Agni, Surya,
Vishnu, Pusan, and Bhaga. In the Puranas their number
went up from eight to twelve probably due to the division
of time into twelve hours instead of seven or eight. The
Vishnu Puranas lists the following 12 Aditya: Amsa,
Aryaman, Bhaga, Dhuti, Mitra, Pusan, Sakra, Savitr, Tvstr,
Varuna, Vishnu, Vivsvat.
Usha: Usha is described in the Rig-Veda as the goddess of
dawn, daughter of the sky, heaven's radiant daughter,
auspicious goddess, opulent, and lady of the light with
resplendent rays, who dawns upon people with prosperity
and who graciously answers to the prayers with abundance
and with brilliant light. Such descriptions suggest she may
be even a precursor to Lakshmi, who also rises from the
ocean like Usha. The Rig-Veda also describes her as the
brightest and fairest, the sister of Savitr who wakes up
people with sounds of joy and sends them great riches,
who brings forth all the gods from the heaven so that they
may drink the Soma.
Yama: Yama means restraining one. According to the
legends, he was the first to die and depart to the heaven.

Subsequently, he became the lord of the underworld,

Yamaloka. He is assisted in his duties by two fierce dogs
with four eyes and wide nostrils who guard the path that
lead the departed to his world. The Puranas describe him
as the god death, and the ruler of southern quarter, who is
known for his knowledge, judgment and fairness in
punishing the sinners. They also describe the different
kinds of punishments meted out to the sinner in his world
according to the list of sins recorded by his assistant and
record-keeper Chitragupta.
Pusan: The Chandogya Upanishad describes Pusan as the
god of the Sudras. In the Rig-Veda he is portrayed as a
solar deity and a guardian of the world, who shines
brightly in the sky, showing the way to people on earth as
well as to the departing souls who are on their way to the
other world. He is the wonder worker, who has goats for
his steeds, who drives away from the path wolves, robbers,
the wicked and the like, the lord of all prosperity and
wielder of golden sword, who leads people to meadows
rich in grass. Pusan is also associated with livestock as the
vigorous one, who invigorates them by leading them to
green pastures and protects them by helping men to find
their lost cattle. In the Puranas he is described as one of
the Adityas.
Visvadevas: The Visvadevas are gods of commonality.
According to the Chandogya Upanishad (1.24.1), the
evening extractions of the Soma juice are offered to
Adityas and Visvadevas.

Adityas dwell in the heaven and Visvadevas in our world.

As the name suggests they are guardian deities of the
world. Several hymns are addressed to them in the RigVeda, in which they are addressed variously as Indra,
Vayu, Brihaspati, Mitra, Agni, Pusan, Bhaga, Adityas and
Maruts. Most likely Visvadevas is a generic name given to
all the gods of heaven when they are invoked collectively
rather than individually and their blessings and help are
sought jointly for the common good. However, the
Puranas list ten Visvadevas, namely Vasu, Satya, Kratu,
Daksa, Kala, Kama, Dhriti, Kuru, Pururavas, and
Madravas
Rudras: Rudra is the god of storms, who howls and roars,
with shining body and braided hair, and wields the
thunderbolt, bow and arrow. Although fearsome to look
and wrathful, he is a benevolent god, repels the anger of
gods and helps the worshippers. The Rig-Veda describes
him as strong, bounteous, most excellent, and wise, with
braided hair, who is the lord of heroes and ruler of valiant
men, and who shines in splendor like the sun. He is an
excellent physician and healer with thousands of
medicines with which he cures the sickness of humans. He
is often equated with Agni and later with Shiva. The
Rudras are his attendant deities, whose number is
mentioned as eleven in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. In
the body, they are equated to the breaths and the mind.
The Puranas mention eight Rudras, namely Bhava, Sarva,
Isana, Pasupati, Bhima, Ugra, Mahadeva and Rudra.

Maruts: Like the Rudras, the Maruts are also storm or

wind deities of the mid-region who are often invoked along
with Agni in the sacrifices to come together. They are
described as the sons of Rudra and attendants and
companions of Indra, who sit as deities in heaven above
the mid-region's luminous sphere, and scatter the clouds.
The Rig-Veda describes them as violent and aggressive
with golden weapons, sons of Prisni, self-luminous, born
together, bearers of spears, swords and glittering
ornaments, fiercely vigorous and strong, who shake the
heaven and earth like a garment. Their number vary fro 27
to 60. It appears that they were also invoked during war
times to create unfavorable weather conditions and
discourage the enemies from moving forward.
Brihaspati: Brihaspati is the teacher of gods and a
planetary deity equated with Jupiter among the planets. In
the Vedas the role of teacher is originally ascribed to
Prajapati, who is the teacher of not only gods, but also
humans and demons. Hence, more likely Brihaspati may
be an aspect of Prajapati in his role as a teacher. He is also
often equated with Ganapati and Brahmanaspati. He is
described in the Rig-Veda as the son of Angiras, sweettongued, mighty, leader of Samans, resplendent, whom
both God and mortal listen and whose Samans pervade the
earth and heaven. According to the Puranas, he was
appointed as the teacher of gods by Shiva. He has rivalry
with Shukracarya, the teacher of demons. He has three
brothers and three wives. The three wives bore him nine
daughters and nine sons.

Vasus: According to the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the

Vasus are eight in number. They are fire, earth, air, the
mid-region, the sun, heaven, the moon and stars. They are
so called because they the dwelling places for practically
everything in creation. The Mahabharata mention the
eight Vasus with their specific names: Dhara (the earth),
Anala (fire), Apa (water), Anila (wind), Dhruva (the
polestar), Soma (moon), Prabhasa (dawn) and Pratyusha
(light). According to the Mahabharata due to a curse
delivered by sage Vashista, the Vasus were born as the
sons of Ganga. Of them due to the same curse, seven died
instantly, while the last one survived and became
renowned as Bhishma.
Other gods: The other deities mentioned in the Vedas
include Rtu, Savitr, Apris, Svanaya, Rbhus, Mitra,
Bhavyaya, Aryaman, Indri, Saraswathi, and
Brahmanaspati. Of them Saraswathi is the most important
deity, who is mentioned frequently in the Rig-Veda and
whom we have already described under the Shaktis as the
consort of Brahma.
Attendant deities of Vishnu
Two gods figure prominently in Hindu pantheon as
attendant deities of Vishnu, Garuda, Adisesha. To them we
may also add Hanuman who played a prominent role in
during the incarnation of Rama. Their importance is
described below.

Garuda: The Eagle shaped god, Garuda or Garutmanta, is

the vehicle of Vishnu, whose images are found in
Vaishnava temples as an associate deity of Vishnu or his
aspects near or opposite the sanctum sanctorum.
According to the Puranas, he is described as the son of
Kashyapa and Vinata and brother of Aruna, the charioteer
of Surya. Vishnu accepted him as his vehicle, impressed by
his act of bringing the pot of nectar from Indra's heaven.
In the images he is show part human and part bird with
feature of both. He has a human body with wings and the
head of an eagle. Garuda personifies humility, devotion
and knowledge.
Adishesha: Adishesha, is the serpent king who is also
known as Shesha and Anantashesa. He is generally
described as many thousand hooded serpent with a mass
of coils floating in the waters of creation, upon which rests
Vishnu and Lakshmi. In some images, he is also found
with five or seven heads. Symbolically, he represents the
materiality of creation. Since Vishnu rests upon him
before, during and after creation, he is considered
indestructible. According to the Mahabharata he was born
to Kashyapa and his wife Kadri. He performed penances
and earned the right to stay in the underworld (Patala)
perennially to provide support to the earth. However, it is
possible that this Shesha described in the Mahabharata,
may be an aspect of the eternal Adisesha who carries
Vishnu all the time.

Hanuman: Hanuman is one of the most popular gods of

Hinduism today. He is the son of Vayu, born with the
powers and blessings of Shiva. He played a vital role in the
Ramayana, assisting Rama in finding Sita and fighting on
his behalf with the demons of Ravana. He has the features
of a monkey, with a strong human body and heart of gold.
He is known for his exemplary devotion to Rama and Sita.
He also served as an emblem for the Pandavas during the
Mahabharata war. He is worshipped in numerous temples
across India and elsewhere. Hanuman Chalisa is the most
popular prayer of Hanuman which are sung in millions of
Hindu households and temples to invoke Hanuman and
seek his blessings.
Incarnations of Vishnu
One of the important beliefs of Hinduism is the
incarnation of God in a mortal form upon earth from time
to time to restore order and regularity. The duty of such
incarnations falls upon Vishnu, who is the preserver.
According to the Puranas, he has so far incarnated upon
earth nine times and this tenth incarnation is yet to
happen. The list of the nine incarnations vary. The
following is the widely accepted list of Vishnu's
incarnations upon earth. Each of these gods have different
forms, characteristic features and temples and followers of
them.

Of them Rama and Krishna are the most popular and the
incarnation of Buddha is a negative incarnation.
Matsya. This is the incarnation of Vishnu as a mighty fish
(matsya), in the Satya Yuga or the Age of Truth to save
Manu, the father of mankind, the sages and the knowledge
of the Vedas for the renewal of life upon earth, following a
great flood.
Kurma. This is the incarnation of Vishnu as a tortoise
(kurma), in the Satya Yuga to support the mountain
Mandhara and prevent it from sinking, when it was used
by gods and demons to churn the oceans to obtain Amrita
or the elixir of life.
Varaha. This is the incarnation Vishnu as a boar, again in
the Satya Yuga to save the earth from destruction when the
demon Hiranyaksha submerged it under an ocean.
Assuming the form of a boar, Vishnu lifted the earth and
saved the mankind.
Narasimha. In this incarnation, which also happened in
the Satya Yuga, Vishnu assumed the fierce form of a manlion with a human body but the head of a lion, to save
Prahlada, his devotee, from the oppression of his father
Hiranyakasipu who was displeased with son's devotion for
Vishnu.

Vamana. In this incarnation which happened in the Treta

Yuga, Vishnu assumed the form of a dwarfish Brahman
boy to slay Bali, a noble but demonic king, who defeated
Indra and occupied the heaven. After obtaining permission
from Bali to secure a space equal to three steps for himself,
with two strides he covered the whole universe and with
the third he pushed Bali into the underworld.
Parashurama. In this incarnation during Treta Yuga,
Vishnu was born as the son of Brahmana couple,
Jamadagni and Renuka, but assumed the duties of a
warrior to destroy the entire Kshatriya race as they had
become tyrannical and fallen into sinful ways. This
incident probably alludes to a conflict between Kshatriya
and Brahmanas, and the subsequent decline of the
Kshatriyas, which was discussed before.
Rama: In this incarnation again during Treta Yuga, which
is well described in the epic Ramayana, Vishnu was born
as the warrior prince Rama with a specific purpose to slay
the ten-headed demon king Ravana, who had become
invincible due to a boon obtained by him from Shiva. In
this incarnation he was assisted by his brother
Lakshmana, who is considered an incarnation of Adisesha,
and by Hanuman, the son of Vayu.
Krishna. In this incarnation which happened in Dwapara
Yuga, Vishnu was born as the younger brother of
Balarama, who is also described in some accounts as an
incarnation of Vishnu to restore order as the earth was

troubled by numerous demons and evil beings. He played

a key role in the Mahabharata war and because a
household name for his exploits and his teaching of the
Bhagavadgita, which he delivered to Arjuna in the middle
of the battlefield.
Buddha. The incarnation of Buddha figures only in certain
accounts. In others it is ascribed to Balarama. Where it is
included, it is described in negative terms. According to
one version, in this incarnation which happened during
Kali Yuga, Vishnu was born as Buddha, with a specific
mission to mislead the demons who were born as atheists
and non-believers and cause their downfall and
destruction by preaching them the philosophy of no-soul
and no God.
Kalki. In this incarnation, which is expected to happen at
the end of Kali Yuga or the Age of Darkness, Vishnu will
incarnate as a fierce warrior. Riding upon the back of a
white horse and carrying a sword, he will destroy the
sinners and the wicked ones to restore Dharma and herald
the dawn of a new golden age.
Minor incarnation of Vishnu
The minor or partial incarnations of Vishnu are known as
amsavataras, meaning only specific aspects of Vishnu
manifest in the deities who appear upon earth to perform
certain specific tasks as part of preservation and
continuation of creation and dharma.

Sometimes, going by the definition, the incarnations of

Balarama and even Rama are included in this list. The
most notable among the partial incarnations of Vishnu are
Dattatreya, Dhanvantari, Hayagriva, Kapila, Mohini, NaraNarayana, Vyasa and Yajna. A brief description of each is
provided below.
Dattatreya: Born to Atri and his wife Anasuya, Dattatrreya
is regarded as a human manifestation of the combined
power of the trinity, teacher of non-Vedic people and
originator of certain magical rites and Soma rituals. He is
always accompanied by four dogs, which represent the
four Vedas.
Dhanvantari: Dhanvantari manifested from the waters
during the churning of the oceans, holding the pot of
Amrita. He is credited with the knowledge of the medical
sciences and healing among the gods. Subsequently, he
was born as a king of Kasi and reintroduced the same
knowledge to the people of the earth.
Hayagriva. He is associated with the knowledge of
Yajurveda, which he received rom Surya, after performing
a severe penance. The knowledge he gained thus forms
part of the Vajasaneyi Samhita. According to some version,
Lord Vishnu was born as Hayagriva to rescue the Vedas
from two demons, Madhu and Kaitabha when they stole
them. In the images, he is shown with the head of a horse,
having four or eight arms, holding several weapons and
objects in them.

Kapila: He is credited with the authorship of Kapila Sutras

and the founding of the Samkhya school of philosophy.
According to the Puranas, he was instrumental in the
coming down of the Ganga from heaven to the earth, since
it was he reduced the children of Sagara to ashes, where
upon Bhagiratha performed a great penance to bring them
back to life. He is said to be the son of Kardama and
Devahuti. In the images he is depicted as an ascetic with
knotted hair, long beard and four arms.
Mohini: During the churning of the oceans, when the pot
of elixir finally manifested, it became necessary for Vishnu,
at the behest of gods, to appear as a beautiful maiden and
delude the demons to prevent them from partaking the
elixir and instead opt for an intoxicating drink. So
beautiful was the form of Mohini that even Shiva was
overcame with feelings of love and infatuation.
Nara-Narayana: Nara and Narayana are described as two
sages who were born to Dharma and Ahimsa. They
performed a great penance to destroy Sahasrakavaca, the
demon of a thousand armors. Later they said to have taken
birth as Arjuna and Krishna respectively. According to
another version, at the end of the incarnation of
Narasihma, his body was split into two. The human part
became Nara and the lion part became Narayana. Then
they performed a great penance, during which Indra sent
celestial nymphs to tempt them.

Narayana then produced Urvasi from his thigh, who was

much more beautiful than all of them. Symbolically, NaraNarayana represent the relationship between man and
God.
Vyasa: Sage Vyasa, also known as Krishna-Dvaipayana, is
credited with the authorship of several scriptures, which
include the Vedas, the Mahabharata, all the Puranas and
the Brahmasutras. He is also credited with the
composition of the Bhagavadgita since it forms part of the
Mahabharata. He was said to be the son of sage Parasara.
In the images he is depicted as a sage with long hair
knotted into a crown and long beard with his four disciples
by his side.
Yajnesa: Yajna, Yajnesa or Yajnesvara is the lord of the
sacrifice. The whole manifestation happened because of a
sacrifice and Vishnu is its sacrificer, sacrificed and object
of sacrifice. Hence, the various limbs of the deity are
compared to various parts of a sacrifice. According to the
Puranas, Yajnesa was born to Ruci and Akuti. In his
images he is shown with two heads, seven hands, three
legs and four horns, suggesting his affinity with Agni. His
hands hold various objects used in a sacrifice.

Vyuhas - Emanations of Vishnu

According to Vaishnava tradition, five classes of
manifestations are attributed to Vishnu, namely
transcendental (para), emanating (vyuha), incarnating
(vibhava), the hidden (antaryami) and image forms (arca).
Of these we have already discussed the transcendental and
incarnating aspects of Vishnu. Of the remaining, the
hidden aspect is considered the Supreme Self who resides
in the heart of a being, apart from the individual Self, as its
eternal companion.
Arca constitute the living and breathing images and sacred
symbols which embody of Vishnu and which are used in
human worship.
Finally, the Vyuhas are the emanations of Vishnu, which
are four. Together they are called caturvyuhas or
caturmurthis. They are usually associated with Krishna
who is also known as Vasudeva.
Of the four, the first one emanates from the
transcendental Vishnu. The second one from the first, the
third one from second and so on. The four deities also
undergo change from epoch (yuga) to epoch as indicated
by the changes in their colors.

Symbolically the four emanations represent the internal

organ. Vasudeva represents the consciousness (citta).
Samkarshana stands for ego. Pradyumna for intelligence,
and Aniruddha for the mind (manas). They also represent
the fours state of consciousness, wakefulness, dream state,
deep sleep state and transcendental state.
In some accounts, Vasudeva is equated with Vishnu or
Para Vasudeva, since both possess six qualities, and the
Vyuhas are counted as three. The four Vyuhas are
described below.
Vasudeva: He is identified with Sri Krishna, endowed with
six supreme qualities, namely knowledge (jnana), power
(Shakti), strength (bala), lordship (aisvarya), virility
(virya) and light (tejas). Those who attain liberation are
able to enter into his presence and experience supreme
bliss at the mere sight of him.
Samkarshana: He emnates from Vasudeva and is endowed
with knowledge and strength. He introduces the
knowledge of the scriptures and destroys the universe in
the end. He is also identified with Balarama.
Pradyumna: He represents strength and lordship. He is
the creator who manifests the universe and the Dharma.
Aniruddha: He represents virility and light. He is protector
of the world and exponent of dharma.

Vyuhantaras: The four emanations later manifest as 12

further emanations called Vyuhantaras, three from each
Vyuha. They are: Kesava, Madhava and Narayana from
Vasudeva; Govindha, Vishnu and Madhusudhana from
Samkarshana; Trivikrama, Vamana and Sridhara from
Pradymna; and Hrisikesa, Padmanabha and Damodara
from Aniruddha. Each of these deities, just as the Vyuhas
are used in meditation by the devotees of Vasudeva.
Arcavataras or Vishnu in Image form
According to Vaishnava tradition, Vishnu also manifested
in the mortal world in the form of images and symbols
called Arcavataras. They are the living images of God.
Unlike the incarnations, which happened once and the
Vyuhas which are abstract and beyond the reach of the
perceptual world, the Arcas are the permanent
incarnations of Vishnu which are within the reach of the
senses and part of our existence. Since the transcendental
power of God manifests in these objects of Nature, they
carry a powerful presence of God having the ability to
fulfill the wishes of His devotees. The Arcavataras are
divided into four kinds: self-manifested (svayamvyakta),
established by divine beings (divya), installed by seers and
sages (arsha), and installed by human beings (manusa). Of
them the first category are the most potent. The images
installed in the temples at Srirangam, Tirupathi, Puri,
Kanci etc. come under the first category. In the last
category are the images installed in households and
numerous local temples.

These images gain mystic powers to the extent they are

worshipped and made offerings. Worship of the images is
considered equal to the worship of God since they embody
the presence of God and are considered the living and
breathing images of God. Hence, in the temples they are
served with utmost devotions with honors due to a king or
a person of great importance.
Aspects of Shiva
Although in popular Hinduism, Shiva is considered the
destroyer and part of the Trimurthis, in Saiva tradition he
is considered the highest Supreme Self and Brahman
Himself. As the lord of the universe (Isvara) He assumes
numerous forms. He also goes by numerous names, some
representing Shiva himself and some his manifestations.
Although, in Saivism there is no concept of incarnation,
Saivaites recognize numerous aspects of Siva, some of
which are his functional aspects and some represent his
independent manifestations. As the lord of the universe,
Siva carries out five different functions: creation,
preservation, concealment, revelation and destruction.
Each of these are represented as a deity. Apart from them
there are several other aspects of Shiva which are
principally categorized into pleasant, (saumya), fierce
(ugra), dancing (nrtta or tandava) etc., which will be
discussed below. The following are important aspects of
Shiva.

Pancanana: As stated before, Siva carries out five specific

functions in creation. Each of his functional aspects
manifests as an independent deity. The five gods
associated with his five functions are Sadyojata,
Vamadeva, Tatpurusha, Aghora and Isana. Sadyojata is the
creator who brings forth the world and beings. He is
comparable to Brahma. Vamadeva is the upholder and
preserver of the worlds whose functions are similar to that
of Vishnu. Tatpurusha is the lord of concealment who
obscures the reality of existence. He is responsible for the
darkness, ignorance and delusion of beings. Aghora
represents the destructive nature of Shiva. He participates
in the destruction and renewal of objects and worlds.
Isana is also known as Sadasiva. He is the liberator. in the
images the pancanana Shivas are depicted together, each
deity facing a particular direction. Thus Sadyojata faces
west, Vamadeva north, Tatpurusha east, Aghora south and
Isana, either sky or northeast.
Saumya murthi: Shiva has several pleasant aspects, in
which he showers grace upon his devotees and grants
them boons. They include those forms in which he offered
protection (abhaya) or fulfilled the wishes of his devotees
in the past, such as Ravana, Candesa, Amba, Nandisvara
and Vighneswara. He is usually found in these forms in the
presence of his consort Parvathi, Ganesha, Kumara, and
Nandi and when he appears before his closest and dearest
devotees who perform penances for him and show
exemplary devotion.

Ugra murthi : Usually, Shiva assumes terrible forms to slay

the troublesome demons or restore order. The demons he
slew in the past include those to whom he might have
granted boons in his pleasant mood. Since, he cannot slew
his own devotees in a pleasant form, he assumes fierce
forms to accomplish the duty. His fierce forms include
Bhairava, Veerabhadra, Gajasuravadha-murthi,
Tripurantaka-murthi, Sarabha, Kalari-murthi,
Kamantaka-murthi etc.
Nritta-murthi: Shiva is a master of dance and originator of
108 dance forms. He dances in order to relieve the beings
from suffering and to ensure the order and regularity of
the world. Through his dance he sets in motion numerous
vibrations which are vital to the continuation of the
worlds. The dance also symbolizes his role as the destroyer
of the world. Among his dance forms, Nataraja is the most
well known. with great symbolic significance. His other
dancing aspects mentioned in the Agamas are Ananda
Tandava Murthi which he manifests when he dances with
ecstasy, Uma Tandava Murthi which appears when dances
with his consort and Tripura Tandava Murthi which
appeared when he was engaged in fierce battle with
Tripurasura.
Other aspects: Shiva is also revered as the master of yoga
(Yogisvara), Hari-Hara also known as Haryardhamurthi,
Ardhanarisvara, universal teacher (Dakshinamurthy),
wandering ascetic (Bhikshatanamurthi), and he who
manifested from the linga (lingodvhavamurthi) to prove

his superiority in a contest with Brahma and Vishnu. Of

these Ardhanariswara (half man and half woman)
represent Purusha (Shiva) and Prakriti (Parvathi) as the
dualities or twin realities of Shiva in his role as the lord of
the universe. In the images, Parvathi appears on the left
side and Shiva on the right side.
Attendant gods of Shiva
Ganesha: He is the son of Shiva and lord of obstacles, who
goes by several names such as Ganapati, Vinayaka,
Gajanana, Vighnaraja, Vakratunda etc. He is one of the
most popular gods of the Hindu pantheon, who is
invariably worshipped in all rituals before offerings are
made to other deities. He enjoys this exalted position
because he is considered the leader of the gods and the
first among them. He has a rather unusual forms due to
the circumstances related to his origin. He has an elephant
head with a rather oversized human body, with four or
more hands. He is considered god of knowledge and
wisdom and often equated with Brihaspati or
Bahmanspati, the teacher of gods, mentioned in the Vedas.
There is a sect of Hinduism, called Ganapatya sect, in
which he is worshipped as Brahman himself. He has
numerous aspects, some pleasant and some fierce.
Sometimes, he is shown in the company of his consorts,
Riddhi and Siddhi and sometime in the company of
Lakshmi as Lakshmi Ganapati. There are numerous
temples built in his honor in various parts of India.

Kumara: He is the eldest son of Shiva, who goes by

different names as Kumara Swamy, Mallikarjuna,
Kartikeya, Shaktidhari, and Muruga. He is much older
deity than Ganesha and depicted in some of the ancient
coins of the Kushanas. He was born with a specific
purpose to slay the demon Tarakasura. A number of
legends are associated with his birth and early exploits.
He was brought up by six mothers. When he grew up, he
became the commander-in-chief of the Siva ganas.
Peacock is his vehicle and sword is his weapon with which
he slew Tarakasura. Valli and Devasena, the daughter of
Indra, are his consorts. He is also a god of virtue, who
practices celibacy, likes the company of Brahmanas and
helps people grow spiritually. In the images he is depicted
in the company of his vehicle peacock usually with one
head and two arms and at times with six heads and twelve
arms.
Ayyappa: He is also known as Sasta, Arya and
Hariharaputra and in some versions considered
Kumaraswamy or an aspect of him. According to one
legend, he was born to Shiva and Hari, when the latter
assumed the form of Mohini and Shiva became infatuated
with her. According to another version, after the death of
Mahisasura, his wife Mahisi obtained a boon from Brahma
which made her invincible. Shiva and Vishnu then came
together to create her destroyer in the form of a baby. He
was brought up a king named Rajasekhara in Kerala, who
named him Manikanthan. When he attained the age of 12,
he killed Mahisi. Later he said to have disappeared after

advising his father to build, which subsequently became

renowned as Sabarimalai temple. It is currently one of the
popular pilgrim places of Hindus. Devotees who want to
visit the temple on a ritual pilgrimage observe 41 days of
penance before paying him a visit.
Nandi: Nandi serves as the vehicle of Shiva and occupies
an important place in the Saiva Pantheon, next only to
Ganesha and Kumara. Although he has the form of a bull,
he is a god of knowledge and wisdom, born by the grace of
Shiva to Silada, who later gifted him to Shiva. He served as
the teacher of 18 adepts (siddhas) including Patanjali and
Thirumular. He also participated in several wars along
with Shiva or on his own, mostly to help the gods and save
them from demons. The images of Nandi are invariably
found in all Shiva temples. His anthromorphic forms are
also found in some temples. There are several temples,
which are solely built for him. Large Nandi statues are
found at several places in India such as Lepakshi in
Andhra Pradesh and the one on Chamundi Hill near
Mysore, in Karnataka. He is worshipped in some places as
a fertility god. In Saiva temples, his images are usually
installed in front of sanctum sanctorum within the visual
range so that deities can see Shiva directly by looking over
his head just as he would appear to him.
Bhringi: He is a sage who is described as one of the most
ardent devotees of Shiva, who upon achieving liberation
became a part of Shiva's retinue.

He is so single-minded in his devotion to Shiva that once

when he saw Shiva and Parvathi together in the form of
Arthanariswara, he became a bee and tried to circle
around Shiva only by trying to bore through the middle of
their joint form, much to the annoyance of Parvathi who
cursed him to become deprived of flesh and blood whereby
he became a mere skeleton without flesh and blood and
unable to stand. Shiva took pity on him and gave him a
third leg. Bhringi then realized his mistake and decided to
worship them both. In the images, Bhringi is shown as
having three legs usually in the company of Shiva or
Parvathi. His images are found only in a few temples. He
and Nandi are often shown as doorkeepers (dwarapalakas)
in Shiva temples.
Chandesvara: He is another important devotee of Shiva
who invariably appears in the north eastern corner of
Shiva temples as an attendant deity. Since he is considered
a messenger and mediator who can plead with Shiva on
behalf the devotees who approach him, devotees go to him
with their prayers and supplications. Unlike Bhringi, he is
a fierce deity, who holds various weapons in his hands
suggestive of his warrior background.
Aspects of Devi or Shakti
As stated already, Shakti is the materiality of the universe.
She is the Isvari principle, which is eternal, independent
and dynamic. In some traditions she is depicted as a
dependent reality.

Symbolically, she represents the field of experience,

objectivity, Nature and its aspects, and manifestation
itself. She has both gross and subtle aspects. She is
inseparable from Purusha and well represented in the
Ardhanariswara as an equal and supreme aspect of
existence. Like Brahman, she has both manifested and
unmanifested aspects. Even modern science acknowledges
that the universe can be boiled down to eternal and
indestructible principles, space and energy. In Hinduism
pure consciousness objectified as space represents
Purusha and energy objectified as matter and materiality
represents Shakti. Their combination is Brahman,
existence itself.
Just as the highest gods of Hinduism manifest variously
and just as they are worshipped numerously, Shakti or
Mother Goddess has also numerous aspects and is
worshipped in various ways. One of the earliest references
to energy manifesting itself variously is be found in the
Mundaka Upanishad which distinguishes seven kinds of
flaming fire and refers to them as "Kali, Karali, Manojava,
Sulohita, Sudhumravarna, Sphulingini, and Visvaruci."
Some of these names later appear as manifestation of
Shakti.
In the mortal world, the primal Mother manifests as Maha
Shakti. She in turn manifests as three distinct functional
deities, Maha Saraswathi, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Devi.
The names I have used to identify them are not universal.
People use different names to identify them.

What is important is to know that these four aspects exist,

just as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva represent the functional
aspects of Isvara. Each of these deities in turn manifest
numerously. Collectively, these goddesses are not only
responsible for the modifications in the Field of our
experience and the resultant bondage to the cycle of births
and deaths, but also for our self-transformation and
liberation. Following are some of the important aspects of
Shakti
Aspects of Saraswathi: Although Saraswathi is one of the
oldest deities of Hinduism, we do not have much
information about her aspect. In the Rigveda she was
worshipped as a river goddess. But she became more
popular as the goddess of learning. She has numerous
names, such as Sarada, Bharati, Brahmi, Vidyadhari,
Vedavathi and in all these her association with various
branches and aspect of learning is self-evident. We may
symbolically say that just as there are numerous branches
of knowledge and forms of learning, Saraswathi also has
numersou aspects. However we have no information that
she was worshipped in all those forms. As the Mother of all
knowledge and as an aspect of Maya, she has three basic
forms. As the reflection in tamas, she manifests as Avidya
(ignorance). As the reflection in rajas, she manifests as
Vidya (lower knowledge of worldly knowledge), and as the
reflection in sattva, she manifests in us as Paravidya
(transcendental knowledge).

Aspects of Maha Lakshmi: Just as abundance has various

forms, Maha Lakshmi has several names and aspects. As
the Mother of all abundance and consort of Vishnu, she
also manifests variously in creation, sometimes as part of
Vishnu's duties as preserver and sometimes on her own.
Of her numerous forms eight are the most prominent,
known as Ashta Lakshmis, namely Adi Lakshmi, Dhanya
Lakshmi, Dhairya Lakshmi or Sahasa Lakshmi, Gaja
Lakshmi, Santana Lakshm, Vijaya Lakshmi, Vidya
Lakshmi, and Dhana Lakshmi. Apart from these, Lakshmi
also manifests in either other forms as the corresponding
eight aspects of Vishnu. They are: Sridevi, Bhudevi,
Sarasvathi, Priti, Kirti, Santi, Tusti and Pusti. They
represent the eight supreme abundancew of Vishnu as
Bhagavan. Lakshmi also has an opposite aspect or a
negative aspect, called Alakshmi, who is sometimes
mentioned as Bhudevi or Jyesthadevi, the goddess of
suffering, adversity and forbearance. While Alakhmi may
not give you wealth, if you pray to her, she gives you the
fortitude to bear with pain and suffering. In addition to
these, Lakshmi also has incarnated upon earth in the past
as part of Vishnu's incarnations. Of them Varahi,
Narasimhi, Sita and Rukmini are the most popular.
Aspects of Maha Devi: Parvathi, the consort of Shiva, also
has numerous aspects both as Maha Devi (or Parvathi)
and as Isvari, or the Divine Mother. Just as the seven
forms of fire mentioned before, the Devi appears in
creation as seven mothers (sapta matrikas), namely
Brahmi, Mahesvari, Kaumari, Vaisnavi, Varahi, Narasimhi

(or Chamundesvari) and Aindri. As the names suggest

these deities are the corresponding energies of Brahma,
Shiva, Kumara, Vishnu, Varaha, Narasimha and Indra.
Just as theri names, in the images they bear the same
distiguishing features as their male counterparts, carrying
similar weapons and objects in their hands and using the
same vehicles. They also have a symbolic significance in
the spiritual realm, since each of them represents a
particular spiritual aspect of the Devi and facilitates the
self-transformation and spiritual growth of a devotee in
different stages.
The Tantras mention ten aspects of Devi, called
Dasamavidyas. Vidya means knowledge. Hence, as the
name suggests, they represent ten different types of
liberating knowledge and the power that acts as their
source. They are, Kali, Tara, Sodasi, Bhuvanesvari,
Bhairavi, Cinnamasta, Dhumavathi, Bagala, Matangi, and
Kamala. Of these some are pleasant forms and some very
fierce and destructive. Some have altenate names and are
identified with other goddesses. For example, Dhuma is
identified with Alakshmi and Kamala with Lakshmi.
Apart from Parvathi manifests in other forms, namely
Durga, Mahisasura-Mardini, Mahakali and Lalitha.
Foremost among them is Durga, who is prominently
described in the Devibhagavatam and who goes by
different names as Chandi, Devi, Yogini, Vindhyavasini,
Bhramari etc. She rides a lion or a tiger as her vehicle and
has both pleasant and fierce forms.

In Hindu pantheon, she is as popular as the main aspects

of Shakti. Mahisasura-Mardini manifested from the
combined power of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva to slay the
demon Mahisasura. She personifies numerous perfections.
The same Devi manifested again as Kausiki Durga who
became popular as Kali or Mahakali. She is the
embodiment of Parvathi in Tamas. She slew several
demons and restored order. She is of fierce form and
worshipped in numerous temples according to both Vedic
and Agamic traditions. Lalita or Lalita Tripurasundari is
another famous aspect of Parvathi, who is worshipped in
several parts of India, especially south. Devotee worship
her extolling her virtues and chanting her numerous
names, using prayers such as Lalita-Sahasra- Namam,
Khadga-Mala-Stotram, Lalita-Tristari-Naman, PancaDasa-Akshari, Lalita-Pratastavam etc. They also worship
her using her graphic representation (yantra) called
Sricakra.
The Devi has too many aspects to specify in this general
presentation. There are numerous temples, sacred places,
and village deities in India who are identified and
worshipped as aspects of Devi. We will end this section by
naming a few of her remaining aspects, which may be
categorized as minor aspects. They are Annapurna,
Aparajita, Aparna, Bala, Bhadrakali, Brahmini,
Bhutamata, Camunda, Gayatri, Indrakshi, Jagadhatri,
Kamesvari, Kanaka Paramesvari, Katyayani, Manonmani,
Rajarajesvari, Sivaduti, Tripuresvari, Yogini etc.