Hindu Deities- All about the Goddesses

Hindu Deities- All about the Goddesses

Hinduism as a religion is called as `apauruseya` which means of impersonal origin. Hindu Gods are also known as such, they are eternal deities appearing to be sovereign and different, but in reality are aspects of the same 'Supreme God'. A Hindu deity (god or goddess; note small g) represents a particular aspect of the Supreme Being. Within Hinduism a large number of personalities, or 'forms' of this Being, are worshiped as deities or incarnations.

Read more about the Hindu Gods

Durga

Goddess Durga represents the power of the Supreme Being that preserves moral order and righteousness in the creation. The Sanskrit word Durga means a fort or a place that is protected and thus difficult to reach. Durga, also called Divine Mother, protects mankind from evil and misery by destroying evil forces such as selfishness, jealousy, prejudice, hatred, anger, and ego.

The worship of Goddess Durga is very popular among Hindus. She is also called by many other names, such as Parvati, Ambika, and Kali In the form of Parvati, She is known as the divine spouse of Lord Shiva and is the mother of Her two sons, Ganesha and Karttikeya, and daughter Jyoti. There are many temples dedicated to Durga's worship in India.

Durga is depicted as a warrior aspect of Devi Parvati with 10 arms who rides a lion or a tiger, carries weapons and assumes mudras, or symbolic hand gestures. This form of the Goddess is the embodiment of feminine and creative energy (Shakti). Each god also gave her their own most powerful weapons, Rudra's trident, Vishnu's discus, Indra's thunderbolt, Brahma's kamandal, Kuber's gada, etc.

Kali

Kali, also known as Kalika, is a Hindu goddess associated with death and destruction. Despite her negative connotations, she is not actually the goddess of death, but rather of Time and Change. Although sometimes presented as black and violent, her earliest incarnation as a figure of annihilation still has some influence.
Kali is represented as the consort of god Shiva, on whose body she is often seen standing.

Kali is portrayed mostly in two forms: the popular four-armed form and the ten-armed Mahakali form. In both of her forms, she is described as being black in color but is most often depicted as blue in popular Indian art. Her eyes are described as red with intoxication and in absolute rage, Her hair is shown disheveled, small fangs sometimes protrude out of Her mouth and Her tongue is lolling. She is often shown naked or just wearing a skirt made of human arms and a garland of human heads.

Saraswati

Sarasvati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music and the creative arts. The Sanskrit word sara means "essence" and swa means "self." Thus Saraswati means "the essence of the self." Saraswati is represented in Hindu mythology as the divine consort of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma. Goddess Saraswati is worshipped by all persons interested in knowledge, especially students, teachers, scholars, and scientists.

The Goddess Saraswati is often depicted as a beautiful, white-skinned woman dressed in pure white often seated on a white Nelumbo nucifera lotus (although Her actual vahana is believed to be a swan), which symbolizes that she is founded in the experience of the Absolute Truth. She is generally shown to have four arms, which represent the four aspects of human personality in learning: mind, intellect, alertness, and ego. Alternatively, these four arms also represent the 4 vedas, the primary sacred books for hindus. The vedas, in turn, represent the 3 forms of literature:

* Poetry — the Rigveda contains hymns, representing poetry
* Prose — Yajurveda contains prose
* Music — Samaveda represents music.

The four hands also depict this thusly — prose is represented by the book in one hand, poetry by the garland of crystal, music by the veena. The pot of sacred water represents purity in all of these three, or their power to purify human thought.

Lakshmi

Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, both material and spiritual. The word ''Lakshmi'' is derived from the Sanskrit word Laksme, meaning "goal." Lakshmi, therefore, represents the goal of life, which includes worldly as well as spiritual prosperity. In Hindu mythology, Goddess Lakshmi, also called Shri, is the divine spouse of Lord Vishnu and provides Him with wealth for the maintenance and preservation of the creation.

She is the consort of Vishnu and married Rama (in her incarnation as Sita) and Krishna (as Rukmini and Radha.

In Her images and pictures, Lakshmi is depicted in a female form with four arms and four hands. She wears red clothes with a golden lining and is standing on a lotus. She has golden coins and lotuses in her hands. Two elephants (some pictures show four) are shown next to the Goddess.

Parvati

Parvati, sometimes spelled Parvathi or Parvathy, is a Hindu goddess and nominally the second consort of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and rejuvenation. She is the Kali in her unmarried state, who is known by the names of Maya, Sati and so on. She is described as beautiful and magnificent in her disposition.

Parvati when depicted alongside Shiva appears with two arms, but when alone, she is shown having four arms, and astride a tiger or lion. Sometimes, Parvati is considered as the supreme Divine Mother and all other goddesses are referred to as her incarnations or manifestations.

Parvati symbolises many noble virtues esteemed by Hindu tradition. Just as Shiva is at once the presiding deity of destruction and regeneration, the couple jointly symbolise at once both the power of renunciation and asceticism and the blessings of marital felicity.
  • Guide Rating:

M Night Shyamalan  - Successful Indian in Hollywood

M Night Shyamalan - Successful Indian in Holly...

Being compared to the famous sci-fi Hollywood Director, Steven Spielberg, M Night Shyamalan has come a long way since his first movie, 'P...


Little Known Facts about Amitabh Bachchan

Little Known Facts about Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan, the name that doesn?t need any introduction, has enjoyed immense popularity and stardom in the silver screen since earl...

Top 10 Small Cars in India Under 5 Lakhs

Top 10 Small Cars in India Under 5 Lakhs

With the uncertain economy Small is Big when it comes to cars. If your looking to buy a car this year and aren't looking to break the ban...

Religious Places and Temples of Gujarat

Religious Places and Temples of Gujarat

Since time immemorial Gujarat has been noted for its temples. These houses of gods and goddesses have been attracting millions of devotee...

Imported Sports Bikes in Delhi Auto Expo 2012

Imported Sports Bikes in Delhi Auto Expo 2012

Imported Sports Bikes launched at Delhi Auto Expo 2012 surprised everyone present there. The most exciting launches were the bikes from T...

The Latest mobile phone updates

The Latest mobile phone updates

The new mobiles being launched are from Sony Ericsson, Nokia and the latest one Virgin Mobiles.

Upcoming Car Launches in India

Upcoming Car Launches in India

With automobile or vehicle industry getting mobbed by new cars from different companies in India, the choice becomes quite difficult. Her...

Indian Airlines

Indian Airlines

Indian Airline was the one of the early domestic airline in India. Today, though India has many airlines - domestic as well as internatio...

The Painted Floors of India

The Painted Floors of India

Rangoli is one of the most colorful, pleasant and beautiful art forms of India. It is the art of making designs and patterns on the floor...

10 Rajasthani Dishes not to miss when in Rajasthan

10 Rajasthani Dishes not to miss when in Rajasthan

Rajasthan, a kaleidoscope of colors, culture and cuisine. There is a lot to do when in Rajasthan, lots of shopping, lots of sightseeing, ...

The Great Indian Elephant

The Great Indian Elephant

The word ?India? conjures up vivid images of a colorful mystical country of snake charmers and of course- The Elephant. ? An Ic...

Top 10 Unique and Luxurious Places to Stay in India

Top 10 Unique and Luxurious Places to Stay in I...

India is a blend of traditions and cultures. Indians not only offers you a mere accommodation rather a stay with the blend of love, care ...

Metros - Cities that never sleep

Metros - Cities that never sleep

India is country full of a mixture of cultures, religions, languages and people from different strata of society.The climates vary from n...

The Wonders of the Yellow Root Turmeric and It's Many Uses!

The Wonders of the Yellow Root Turmeric and It'...

Best Restaurants for Breakfast in Pune

Best Restaurants for Breakfast in Pune

Pune is growing at a fast rate- from being a pensioner's paradise to a bustling IT hotspot. As the city is expanding the food culture is ...

Bottom_strip