,
Vishnu and
Shiva seated on lotuses with their consorts
Saraswati,
Lakshmi and
Parvati Trimurti The
Trimurti are the most prominent deities of contemporary Hinduism. This consists of
Brahma - the Creator,
Vishnu - the Preserver, and
Shiva - the Destroyer. Their feminine counterparts are
Saraswati - the wife of Brahma,
Lakshmi - the wife of Vishnu, and
Parvati - the wife of Shiva.
Brahma Brahma is the god of creation, and the first of the Trimurti. His consort, as well as his
shakti (divine energy), is Saraswati, the goddess of learning. He is identified with the
Vedic creator god,
Prajapati. His abode is at
Satyaloka. The deity is said to have been born out of a lotus that grew out of the navel of Vishnu. He was given the four
Vedas by Vishnu, and instructed to commence the act of creation. Brahma is not widely revered in contemporary Hinduism, as no major tradition emerged around his worship, as they did for Vishnu and Shiva. Some of the epithets offered to Brahma include: • Vedanatha • Chaturmukha •
Prajapati • Vedagarbha • Kaushala
Vishnu Vishnu is the god of preservation, and the second of the Trimurti. He is generally regarded to be the entity who is most often involved in mortal affairs. His consort, as well as his
shakti (divine energy), is Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. His abode is at
Vaikuntha, where he reclines on the divine serpent,
Shesha. He is regarded to have undertaken
ten major incarnations upon the earth for the restoration of
dharma and cosmic order, for the sake of the
devas and human beings. The most prominent of these incarnations are
Rama and
Krishna. His adherents are called the Vaishnavas, who regard him to be the supreme deity. Some of the epithets and forms of the preserver deity are: The
Dashavatara refers to the ten major incarnations of Vishnu. Various versions exist, and none can be presented as standard. The inclusion of
Krishna as 8th and
Buddha as 9th is most accepted, being found in
Puranas and other texts and used in North Indian
Bhagavatism,
Sadh Vaishnavism, and
ISKCON: •
Matsya, the fish •
Kurma, the tortoise •
Varaha, the boar •
Narsimha, the man-lion •
Vamana, the dwarf •
Parashurama, the
Brahmin warrior •
Rama, the king, hero of epic
Ramayana and the slayer of
Ravana •
Krishna, a central character in the
Mahabharata and the
Bhagavad Gita, the slayer of
Kamsa. Sometimes
Balarama or both •
Buddha,
Balarama,
Jagannath, or
Vithoba •
Kalki, the vanquisher of
adharma, expected to appear at the end of the
Kali Yuga Balarama, the elder brother of
Krishna, is sometimes featured as an avatar of Vishnu, replacing Buddha, though he is also widely considered in other traditions to be a form of
Shesha, the serpent of Vishnu. Other significant forms of Vishnu include
Prithu,
Mohini,
Dhanvantari,
Kapila,
Yajna, and a third of
Dattatreya.
Shiva Shiva is the god of destruction, and the third of the Trimurti. His consort, as well as his
shakti (divine energy), is Parvati, the goddess of power. His abode is upon the mountain
Kailasha. He is often represented with two sons,
Kartikeya and
Ganesha. His mount is the bull called
Nandi. He is usually depicted with a third eye, a crescent upon his forehead, the
Ganges flowing from his head, and a blue throat occasioned by consuming the
kalakuta poison produced at the
churning of the ocean. His adherents are called Shaivas, who regard him to be the supreme deity.
Epithets Avatars Some of the major avatars and forms associated with Shiva include:
Tridevi The
Tridevi comprises the consorts of the Trimurti, as well as each of their shakti. They are the primary goddesses in contemporary Hinduism, believed to assist their respective consorts in their acts of creation, preservation, and destruction in the universe.
Saraswati Saraswati is the goddess of learning, and also the patroness of music, art, and speech. The goddess is also regarded to be the power that resides within all poetry and writing. She is the consort of the creator deity, Brahma. She is represented as a graceful figure, donning white, and traditionally depicted with the
veena (
vīṇā), rosary (
akṣamālā), water-pot (
kamaṇḍalu) and book (
pustaka). Her abode is at
Satyaloka. Her mount is the white swan. Saraswati is associated with the following forms: •
Savitri • Vani •
Brahmani • Maha Saraswati •
Gayatri •
Vāc • Para Saraswati • Shatarupa • Medha • Sharada • Bharati • Aditi • Neel Saraswati
Lakshmi Lakshmi is the goddess of prosperity, associated with material and non-material wealth, fortune, and beauty. She is the consort of the preserver deity, Vishnu. Her origin is a central part of the
Samudra Manthana, a significant event in the
Puranas. According to the
Lakshmi Tantra, the goddess Lakshmi, in her ultimate form of Mahasri, has
four arms of a golden complexion, and holds a citron, a club, a shield, and a vessel containing
amrita. The goddess is generally also considered to be serene and submissive to her consort. Her abode is at
Vaikuntha. Her mount is typically an elephant or owl, though she is also usually seated on a lotus.
Avatars Different manifestations of Lakshmi are -
Ashta Lakshmi •
Adi Lakshmi, one who supports a seeker to reach their source, or
Atman. •
Dhana Lakshmi, one who gives material wealth. •
Dhanya Lakshmi, one who gives wealth of agriculture •
Gaja Lakshmi, one who gives animal wealth. •
Santana Lakshmi, one who bestows with offsprings. •
Dhairya Lakshmi, one who bestows valour during battles and courage plus strength for overcoming difficulties in life. • • Vijaya Lakshmi, one who bestows victory, not only in battles, but also for conquering hurdles in order to achieve success. • Vidya Lakshmi, one who bestows the knowledge of arts and the sciences.
Parvati Parvati is the goddess of power, and is also associated with courage, fertility, and beauty. She is commonly referred to as Uma and Gauri. She is the consort of the destroyer deity, Shiva, and the daughter of
Himavana. She is believed to be the reincarnation of
Sati, the daughter of
Daksha, who perished in the
Daksha Yajna. In the
Puranas, she performs a penance to marry Shiva, a celibate
brahmachari, and the latter consents when he realises her true identity. When depicted alongside her consort, Parvati generally appears with two arms, but when alone, she is depicted having four, eight or ten arms, and is astride on a tiger or lion in which form she is known as
Durga. She is generally considered to be a benevolent mother goddess, but also slays evil beings in her form of
Kali. In goddess-centric traditions, Parvati is considered to be a complete incarnation of Adi Parashakti. Her abode is at
Kailasha.
Avatars •
Durga, the goddess of strength, the slayer of Durgamasura and
Mahishasura •
Annapurna, the goddess of food and nourishment •
Shitala, a regional goddess of diseases •
Bhramari, the goddess of bees •
Bhavani, a regional form of Parvati •
Meenakshi, patron goddess of Madurai •
Kamakhya and other goddesses of
Shaktipeeth •
Bipadtarini, a regional goddess of protection protection from danger In her fierce aspect of
Kali, Parvati undertakes the following manifestations: •
Mahakali •
Bhadrakali •
Sri Kali •
Bhima Kali Navadurga In Shaivism-Shaktism, there exist nine forms of the goddess Durga.
Dasa Mahavidya •
Kali: The fierce and powerful goddess representing time, change, and destruction. •
Tara: Symbolizing the power of speech, she is associated with divine knowledge and guidance. •
Tripura Sundari (Shodashi): The beautiful goddess of the three worlds, representing unity and the play of creation. •
Bhuvaneshvari: The goddess of the material world, embodiment of space, and the nurturing aspect of the divine. •
Bhairavi: The fierce aspect of Devi, associated with death, destruction, and the transformative power of time. •
Chinnamasta: Depicted as a self-decapitated goddess, symbolizing self-sacrifice, spiritual awakening, and the annihilation of the ego. •
Dhumavati: The widow goddess associated with adversity, poverty, and the transformative power of suffering. •
Bagalamukhi: The goddess who paralyzes enemies, symbolizing the power to control and manipulate reality. •
Matangi: The goddess of inner wisdom, associated with speech, music, and the arts. •
Kamalatmika (Kamala): The goddess of prosperity, symbolizing spiritual wealth and the unfolding of divine consciousness.
Other goddesses Communities of goddess worship are ancient in India. In the Rigveda, the most prominent goddess is
Ushas, the goddess of dawn. The regional goddesses venerated in Hinduism are generally syncretised with Parvati, Lakshmi, or Adi Parashakti. Some of the major goddesses revered in modern Hinduism include: •
Chandi, a form of Durga •
Korravai, the Tamil goddess of war and victory •
Yogamaya or Vindhyavasini, the embodiment of Vishnu's divine energy •
Shakambhari, a goddess of vegetation •
Sati, the first consort of Shiva and previous birth of Parvati. •
Gayatri, the personification of the
Gayatri Mantra •
Ganga, the goddess personification of the Ganges river •
Yami, the personification of the river
Yamuna •
Kaushiki, the goddess who emerges from Parvati •
Narmada, the personification of the river Narmada •
Shashthi, also known as
Devasena, wife of
Kartikeya, the goddess of children and reproduction •
Svaha, the goddess of sacrifices, daughter of
Daksha and wife of
Agni •
Manasa, a goddess of snakes and fertility •
Mariamman, the goddess of rain •
Mhalsa, a regional form of either
Mohini or Parvati •
Renuka, mother of Parashurama •
Rahi, a regional form of Radha, consort of
Vithoba •
Akilandeshwari, a form of Mahadevi •
Devi Kanya Kumari, patron goddess of Kanyakumari •
Dewi Danu Matrikas A group of ten mother goddesses make up the
Matrikas: ==Pantheon==