Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu Religion
Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu Religion
The Names of Gods and Goddesses Worshipped by the Hindus
Every Culture has it share of Mythology. Among the most popular mythological stories in the west is held by the greeks. The same can be said of the people of India. The number of gods and goddesses worshipped in the land of hindus gives the reader a glimpse of the varied culture and beliefs held over many centuries across time.
Adimurti : An avatar of Vishnu.
Aditya : Twelve sun gods who represent the twelve months of the year. They protect against various diseases and belong to the Devas. They are Ansa, Aryman, Bhaga, Daksha, Dhatri, Indra, Mitra, Ravi, Savitri, Surya, Varuna, and Yama.
Agastya : Protector and companion of the god Rama.
Agni : Vedic god of the divine fire, both of real fire (in the hearth) and the fire that consumes the soul and the food in the belly. He is the spark of life, and so a part of him is in every living thing. He is red in color, with black eyes and wild, black hair. He has two faces smeared with butter, seven fiery tongues and gold sharpened teeth, seven arms, three legs and seven rays of light that emanate from his body. He either rides on a ram or on a chariot, pulled by goats or sometimes parrots. The proper offering to Agni is ghee, which is clarified butter. Agni also has the power to impart immortality on mortals, as well as remove all sins at the time of one's death. Agni is closely associated with Indra, and is sometimes said to be his twin brother. Thus, Dyaus Pita and Prithvi are named as two of his parents. He has many others as well. Kasyapa and Aditi are also his parents. Dawn and Night are his sisters, his wife is Svaha, and he is the father of Karttikeya.
Ambika : A form of Parvati, she lured demons to their death. She would announce that she would not sleep with anyone who had not bested her in battle. The eager demons would agree to fight her, at which point she would transform into the fearsome Kali and kill them.
Ammavaru : Ancient goddess who existed from before the beginning of time. She laid an egg, which hatched the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
Anala : Attendant god. One of the eight Vasus who serve the god Indra.
Anantesa : One of the eight Vasus who serve Indra.
Anila : One of the eight Vasus who serve the god Indra.
Annamurti : A form of the Hindu god Vishnu.
Annapurna : An avatar of the goddess Durgha who ruled over food production.
Ansa : One of the Adityas, minor sun gods who rule over the months.
Anumati : A moon goddess whose name means "divine favor". She is a giver of wealth, prosperity, fertility and children.
Anuradha : Goddess of fortune. She is the daughter of Daksha and wife of Chandra.
Apa : One of the eight Vasus who serve the god Indra.
Apam Napat : God of fresh water.
Apsaras : Nature spirits and the mates of the Gandharvas. They were female, and all depicted as very beautiful. They were beings of dance, and often performed for the gods in their palaces. Seen as protector and inspirers of love.
Aranyani : Woodland goddess.
Ardhanari : Name for Shiva in his half-male, half-female aspect, signifying the his incarnation as both the male and female principles of the world.
Ardhanarisvara : A Hindu composite deity of Shiva's male and female aspects.
Ardra : Goddess of misfortune.
Arundhati : Astral goddess.
Aryman : One of Adityas, the guardian deities of the months.
Aslesa : Goddess of misfortune.
Astamatara : A Puranic group of mother goddesses.
Asuras : Sometimes called demons, another group of deities that often opposed the Devas.
Asvayujau : Goddess of fortune.
Asvins : Twin sons of Saranyu, Dawn, and Surya, the Sun, known as the "Divine Physicians". Represent the morning and evening stars.
Atri : Bardic god, sage and son of Brahma.
Avatars of Vishnu : Personifications of the god Vishnu who descended to Earth, usually to help mankind. There have been nine avatars of Vishnu so far: Matsya; Kurma; Varaha; Narasingh; Vaman; Parasuram; Rama; Balaram or Budha; Krishna; and Kalki. The tenth avatar will be called Kalki Avatar, and will help to end this age of existence and usher in the next.
Ayyappan : God of growth, and the son of Shiva and Vishnu.
Bala : Mother goddess.
Balakrishna : The child form of Krishna.
Balarama : God of agriculture and physical strength, and the eighth avatar of Vishnu. He is the brother of Krishna, and is white-skinned where Krishna is dark-skinned.
Bali : Demon and king of the Daityas. He was the god of the sky until Vishnu wrested it from him in the avatar Vamana, the dwarf. Since then he is ruler of the Underworld.
Banka-Mundi : Goddess of hunting.
Bhadra : Goddess and attendant of Shiva.
Bhaga : Vedic god of prosperity, wealth and marriage. He is one of the Adityas, and the month of March is dedicated to him.
Bharani : Goddess of misfortune. Consort of Chandra.
Bharat Mata : Mother goddess.
Bharati : Goddess of sacrifices. Occasionally mentioned as the consort of Ganesha.
Bhavani : One of the terrible aspects of Parvati.
Bhumidevi : A fertility goddess and the second wife of Vishnu.
Bhumiya : A fertility god, later regarded as a form of Vishnu.
Bhutamata : A demon goddess, form of the goddess Parvati.
Bhuvanesvari : Goddess, one of the ten mahavidyas.
Brahma : Creator god and Cosmic Mind of the Hindu Trinity, the three major gods of Hinduism that make up the whole of the godhead. He appears seated on a lotus, with four heads and four hands that hold a sacrificial tool, the Vedas, a water pot and a rosary. His consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning.
Brahmani : Hindu mother goddess.
Brihaspati : The lord of prayer, the celestial god who created the Universe and protects the gods with his magic formulae.
Buddha : Founder and father of the Buddhist faith. He is said to be an avatar of Vishnu. He was born an enchanted child and already full of wisdom. He received Enlightment under a Bo tree, and forsook Nirvana to remain on Earth and travel, preaching the law.
Budha : Astral god associated with the planet Mercury.
Budhi Pallien
Forest goddess of northern India. She roamed the jungles in the form of a tiger.
Chaitanya : Merchant god. Later believed to be an avatar of Vishnu.
Chama : God of young love.
Chandanayika : A form of the goddess Durgha.
Chandika : Goddess of desire.
Chandra : The original Indian god of the moon. He was white in color, and drove the moon chariot across the sky with ten white horses. Also a god of fertility, he was prayed to when a couple desired children. Later merged with the god Soma.
Chinnamastaka : A terrifying goddess, portraled holding her head in one hand. Form of the goddess Durgha.
Chitra : Goddess of misfortune.
Chitragupta : The recorder of the virtues and vices of men. The judge who sends people to heaven or hell.
Danu : Goddess of the primordial waters.
Devaki : Mother goddess, and the mother of Krishna and Balarama.
Devapurohita : God associated with the planet Jupiter.
Devi : The 'divine mother', she is the mother of everything, including joy, pain, life and death. She is the mother of life, and as such brings fertile rains.
Dhanistha : Goddess of misfortune and malovent intent.
Dhanvantari : The divine physican. Originally a sun god, he is the carrier of Ambrosia from the ocean and the teacher of the healing arts to mankind.
Dhara : One of eight vasus who attended the god Indra.
Dharma : God of the divine inner law (dharma). Originally, a creator god, he is now considered an avatar of Vishnu.
Dharti Mata : Mother Goddess. She appears first in the Puranic texts.
Dhatar : Sun god and one of the Adityas.
Dharti : Sun god and one of the Adityas.
Dhisana : Goddess of prosperity.
Dhruva : God of the Pole Star. He is an avatar of Vishnu and one of the vasus.
Durgha : A powerful form of Parvati. Durgha (goddess beyond reach) has eight hands and great power and energy (Shakti). Durga rides on a tiger or a lion and is known as Lalitha. The gods could not defeat the buffalo-demon Mahisha. So they turned to Shiva who advised all the Devas to release their Shakti (spiritual prowess) locked within their bodies. The Shakti's of the gods emerged in female form – Shivani from Shiva, Vaishnavi from Vishnu, Brahmani from Brahma, Aindri from Indra, Kaumari from Kumara. These goddesses fused together in blinding light from which arose a magnificent goddess with many arms. The gods called this goddess Durga.
Dyaus Pita : The original sky father of Vedic myth. He is the counterpart of the Earth goddess Prthivi. The two were originally one deity known as Dyavaprthivi. He is pictured as a great red bull who bellows thunder, or as a black horse covered in pearls. In this form, he is the night sky, with the pearls as stars.
Dyavaprthivi : The embodiment of the entire cosmos, the sky and the earth. Eventually split into two deities, Dyaus Pita and Prthivi, by Varuna.
The Names of Gods and Goddesses Worshipped by the Hindus
Every Culture has it share of Mythology. Among the most popular mythological stories in the west is held by the greeks. The same can be said of the people of India. The number of gods and goddesses worshipped in the land of hindus gives the reader a glimpse of the varied culture and beliefs held over many centuries across time.
Adimurti : An avatar of Vishnu.Aditya : Twelve sun gods who represent the twelve months of the year. They protect against various diseases and belong to the Devas. They are Ansa, Aryman, Bhaga, Daksha, Dhatri, Indra, Mitra, Ravi, Savitri, Surya, Varuna, and Yama.
Agastya : Protector and companion of the god Rama.
Agni : Vedic god of the divine fire, both of real fire (in the hearth) and the fire that consumes the soul and the food in the belly. He is the spark of life, and so a part of him is in every living thing. He is red in color, with black eyes and wild, black hair. He has two faces smeared with butter, seven fiery tongues and gold sharpened teeth, seven arms, three legs and seven rays of light that emanate from his body. He either rides on a ram or on a chariot, pulled by goats or sometimes parrots. The proper offering to Agni is ghee, which is clarified butter. Agni also has the power to impart immortality on mortals, as well as remove all sins at the time of one's death. Agni is closely associated with Indra, and is sometimes said to be his twin brother. Thus, Dyaus Pita and Prithvi are named as two of his parents. He has many others as well. Kasyapa and Aditi are also his parents. Dawn and Night are his sisters, his wife is Svaha, and he is the father of Karttikeya.
Ambika : A form of Parvati, she lured demons to their death. She would announce that she would not sleep with anyone who had not bested her in battle. The eager demons would agree to fight her, at which point she would transform into the fearsome Kali and kill them.
Ammavaru : Ancient goddess who existed from before the beginning of time. She laid an egg, which hatched the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
Anala : Attendant god. One of the eight Vasus who serve the god Indra.
Anantesa : One of the eight Vasus who serve Indra.
Anila : One of the eight Vasus who serve the god Indra.
Annamurti : A form of the Hindu god Vishnu.
Annapurna : An avatar of the goddess Durgha who ruled over food production.
Ansa : One of the Adityas, minor sun gods who rule over the months.
Anumati : A moon goddess whose name means "divine favor". She is a giver of wealth, prosperity, fertility and children.
Anuradha : Goddess of fortune. She is the daughter of Daksha and wife of Chandra.
Apa : One of the eight Vasus who serve the god Indra.
Apam Napat : God of fresh water.
Apsaras : Nature spirits and the mates of the Gandharvas. They were female, and all depicted as very beautiful. They were beings of dance, and often performed for the gods in their palaces. Seen as protector and inspirers of love.
Aranyani : Woodland goddess.
Ardhanari : Name for Shiva in his half-male, half-female aspect, signifying the his incarnation as both the male and female principles of the world.
Ardhanarisvara : A Hindu composite deity of Shiva's male and female aspects.
Ardra : Goddess of misfortune.
Arundhati : Astral goddess.
Aryman : One of Adityas, the guardian deities of the months.
Aslesa : Goddess of misfortune.
Astamatara : A Puranic group of mother goddesses.
Asuras : Sometimes called demons, another group of deities that often opposed the Devas.
Asvayujau : Goddess of fortune.
Asvins : Twin sons of Saranyu, Dawn, and Surya, the Sun, known as the "Divine Physicians". Represent the morning and evening stars.
Atri : Bardic god, sage and son of Brahma.
Avatars of Vishnu : Personifications of the god Vishnu who descended to Earth, usually to help mankind. There have been nine avatars of Vishnu so far: Matsya; Kurma; Varaha; Narasingh; Vaman; Parasuram; Rama; Balaram or Budha; Krishna; and Kalki. The tenth avatar will be called Kalki Avatar, and will help to end this age of existence and usher in the next.
Ayyappan : God of growth, and the son of Shiva and Vishnu.
Bala : Mother goddess.
Balakrishna : The child form of Krishna.
Balarama : God of agriculture and physical strength, and the eighth avatar of Vishnu. He is the brother of Krishna, and is white-skinned where Krishna is dark-skinned.
Bali : Demon and king of the Daityas. He was the god of the sky until Vishnu wrested it from him in the avatar Vamana, the dwarf. Since then he is ruler of the Underworld.
Banka-Mundi : Goddess of hunting.
Bhadra : Goddess and attendant of Shiva.
Bhaga : Vedic god of prosperity, wealth and marriage. He is one of the Adityas, and the month of March is dedicated to him.
Bharani : Goddess of misfortune. Consort of Chandra.
Bharat Mata : Mother goddess.
Bharati : Goddess of sacrifices. Occasionally mentioned as the consort of Ganesha.
Bhavani : One of the terrible aspects of Parvati.
Bhumidevi : A fertility goddess and the second wife of Vishnu.
Bhumiya : A fertility god, later regarded as a form of Vishnu.
Bhutamata : A demon goddess, form of the goddess Parvati.
Bhuvanesvari : Goddess, one of the ten mahavidyas.
Brahma : Creator god and Cosmic Mind of the Hindu Trinity, the three major gods of Hinduism that make up the whole of the godhead. He appears seated on a lotus, with four heads and four hands that hold a sacrificial tool, the Vedas, a water pot and a rosary. His consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning.
Brahmani : Hindu mother goddess.
Brihaspati : The lord of prayer, the celestial god who created the Universe and protects the gods with his magic formulae.
Buddha : Founder and father of the Buddhist faith. He is said to be an avatar of Vishnu. He was born an enchanted child and already full of wisdom. He received Enlightment under a Bo tree, and forsook Nirvana to remain on Earth and travel, preaching the law.
Budha : Astral god associated with the planet Mercury.
Budhi Pallien
Forest goddess of northern India. She roamed the jungles in the form of a tiger.
Chaitanya : Merchant god. Later believed to be an avatar of Vishnu.
Chama : God of young love.
Chandanayika : A form of the goddess Durgha.
Chandika : Goddess of desire.
Chandra : The original Indian god of the moon. He was white in color, and drove the moon chariot across the sky with ten white horses. Also a god of fertility, he was prayed to when a couple desired children. Later merged with the god Soma.
Chinnamastaka : A terrifying goddess, portraled holding her head in one hand. Form of the goddess Durgha.
Chitra : Goddess of misfortune.
Chitragupta : The recorder of the virtues and vices of men. The judge who sends people to heaven or hell.
Danu : Goddess of the primordial waters.
Devaki : Mother goddess, and the mother of Krishna and Balarama.
Devapurohita : God associated with the planet Jupiter.
Devi : The 'divine mother', she is the mother of everything, including joy, pain, life and death. She is the mother of life, and as such brings fertile rains.
Dhanistha : Goddess of misfortune and malovent intent.
Dhanvantari : The divine physican. Originally a sun god, he is the carrier of Ambrosia from the ocean and the teacher of the healing arts to mankind.
Dhara : One of eight vasus who attended the god Indra.
Dharma : God of the divine inner law (dharma). Originally, a creator god, he is now considered an avatar of Vishnu.
Dharti Mata : Mother Goddess. She appears first in the Puranic texts.
Dhatar : Sun god and one of the Adityas.
Dharti : Sun god and one of the Adityas.
Dhisana : Goddess of prosperity.
Dhruva : God of the Pole Star. He is an avatar of Vishnu and one of the vasus.
Durgha : A powerful form of Parvati. Durgha (goddess beyond reach) has eight hands and great power and energy (Shakti). Durga rides on a tiger or a lion and is known as Lalitha. The gods could not defeat the buffalo-demon Mahisha. So they turned to Shiva who advised all the Devas to release their Shakti (spiritual prowess) locked within their bodies. The Shakti's of the gods emerged in female form – Shivani from Shiva, Vaishnavi from Vishnu, Brahmani from Brahma, Aindri from Indra, Kaumari from Kumara. These goddesses fused together in blinding light from which arose a magnificent goddess with many arms. The gods called this goddess Durga.
Dyaus Pita : The original sky father of Vedic myth. He is the counterpart of the Earth goddess Prthivi. The two were originally one deity known as Dyavaprthivi. He is pictured as a great red bull who bellows thunder, or as a black horse covered in pearls. In this form, he is the night sky, with the pearls as stars.
Dyavaprthivi : The embodiment of the entire cosmos, the sky and the earth. Eventually split into two deities, Dyaus Pita and Prthivi, by Varuna.
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