Hindu Deities
Brahma

The creator of the Hindu trinity, Brahma is a four headed god whose love life issues worked out well for the rest of us by resulting in the creation of the world. As the story goes, before the world was there was Brahma, a self sufficient but lonely gentleman who decided he’d spice things up a little bit by creating some company for himself. So he split himself and created a goddess named Shatarupa. Apparently he did a great job because he became enamored with his creation and desired to possess her. Shatarupa however wasn’t into it and every time Brahma approached she would transform into another being; a cow, a pig, a horse, ect. However Brahma too could play that game so he would merely transform himself into the male version of whatever animal she’d come up with and hence all the animals in the world were created due to this process.
Now Brahma became so incredibly taken with Shatarupa that eventually he sprouted 5 heads just so he could watch her every move. Shiva however found this so ridiculous that he took it upon himself to bring his pal Brahma back to his senses by wrenching off one of these heads. Somewhere down the line this or a similar intervention must have worked because finally Brahma gave up and took the goddess of knowledge, Saraswati as his wife.
Sadly, although he is considered by many the creator of the universe Brahma is not often worshipped due to the fact that he tends to distract away from spiritual focus in favor of temptations of the flesh. Still, “creation of universe” is not a bad resume starter though.
Now Brahma became so incredibly taken with Shatarupa that eventually he sprouted 5 heads just so he could watch her every move. Shiva however found this so ridiculous that he took it upon himself to bring his pal Brahma back to his senses by wrenching off one of these heads. Somewhere down the line this or a similar intervention must have worked because finally Brahma gave up and took the goddess of knowledge, Saraswati as his wife.
Sadly, although he is considered by many the creator of the universe Brahma is not often worshipped due to the fact that he tends to distract away from spiritual focus in favor of temptations of the flesh. Still, “creation of universe” is not a bad resume starter though.
Vishnu

Vishu, who is often depicted as blue skinned with four arms, is known as the preserver or the sustainer of the universe. He also embodies goodness and mercy and keeps the cosmic force of dharma in check, which he has plenty of time to do since he never sleeps. Hindus believe that the world is made of both good and evil, two forces who are constantly battling one another for control. Vishnu has been known to show up and save the day when things go a little too well for evil, usually in the form of one of his ten avatars. As legend goes, nine of these avatars have already appeared, saving the earth from demons and evil kings. Avatar number nine is believed to have been Buddha and the tenth avatar has not yet appeared. When avatar number ten appears on a white horse, he will signal the end of this age. Vishnu travels on his eagle whose name is Garuda and his followers wear a V shaped mark on their foreheads.
Shiva

Shiva- Shiva could be said to be a complex god as he has several distinct and different aspects. On the one hand he is said to be a god of yogis, sitting peacefully atop a mountain as an aesthetic. Clad in tiger skin (which symbolizes the mind), he is said to be a self-controlled and celebate guy, a trait which he will however stray from on behalf of his wife Parvati who it’s said he once made love to for 1,000 years.
One the other hand, in the classic Hindu trinity Shiva is said to be the destroyer who goes about…well destroying, the world so that it can be created again by Brahma. In this sense Shiva is a master of ushering in change as he is a destroyer also of the ego, attachment, and bad habits. For the most part he destroys not to be mean per say but because often destruction is a necessary part of change and purification.
He is also well known as the multi-armed dancer Nataraj, whose dance depicts a circle of life sort of concept that includes death and rebirth. The guy beneath his feet is actually a demon of ignorance who as you can see, he is actively overcoming. One of his hands points down to his foot to indicate the release from earthly bondage while the fire around him stands for final destruction. Not to fear however because the dance itself is actually an act of creation so in that sense the whole picture stands for rebirth.
Shiva is often depicted with snakes both because because he is beyond the power of death and also because they symbolize dormant spiritual energy. He rides a bull named Nandi who is also very respected and his followers, who can often be spotted due to three horizontal stripes they wear on their foreheads or bodies, engage in several fasts and other forms of worship, some of which involve intoxicants like bhang, a form of cannabis.
One the other hand, in the classic Hindu trinity Shiva is said to be the destroyer who goes about…well destroying, the world so that it can be created again by Brahma. In this sense Shiva is a master of ushering in change as he is a destroyer also of the ego, attachment, and bad habits. For the most part he destroys not to be mean per say but because often destruction is a necessary part of change and purification.
He is also well known as the multi-armed dancer Nataraj, whose dance depicts a circle of life sort of concept that includes death and rebirth. The guy beneath his feet is actually a demon of ignorance who as you can see, he is actively overcoming. One of his hands points down to his foot to indicate the release from earthly bondage while the fire around him stands for final destruction. Not to fear however because the dance itself is actually an act of creation so in that sense the whole picture stands for rebirth.
Shiva is often depicted with snakes both because because he is beyond the power of death and also because they symbolize dormant spiritual energy. He rides a bull named Nandi who is also very respected and his followers, who can often be spotted due to three horizontal stripes they wear on their foreheads or bodies, engage in several fasts and other forms of worship, some of which involve intoxicants like bhang, a form of cannabis.
Devi

One of the most powerful of all goddess, Devi is the embodiment of truth and therefore the great mother of…well everything. Just as every human has a mother, so Devi is the mother of all of humanity and because she is truth, never dies. She manifests herself in goddesses such as Kali, Durga, and Lakshmi and is the embodiment of Shakti which is the universal energy.
Married goddesses, who are forms of her (like Jesus is a form of God) are then able to give this Shakti or energy to their husbands, Saraswati to Brahma, Lakshmi to Vishnu, and Paravati to Shiva.
Married goddesses, who are forms of her (like Jesus is a form of God) are then able to give this Shakti or energy to their husbands, Saraswati to Brahma, Lakshmi to Vishnu, and Paravati to Shiva.
Ganesha

One of the most popular gods of Hinduism, Ganesha is the god of success and destroyer of obstacles. Also representative of knowledge, wisdom, and wealth, Ganesha seems to be helpful for just about any problem you need sorted out and hence is appealed to quite a bit.
He came to be when Shiva (pictured here with little guy Ganesha) was away at war leaving his wife Pavarti (also pictured) alone with noone to guard the door while she bathed. In her distress Pavarti was struck with an idea that only a goddess could execute and luckily that’s exactly what she was. She decided that she’d conceive a son to guard her doorway and so conceived Ganesha who of course agreed to do so faithfully. Unfortunately when Shiva returned home, he didn’t recognize this strange boy forbidding him entry to his wife and so as any self respecting god would do, he flew into a rage and cut off poor Ganesha’s head. Outraged to find her new son beheaded, Pavarti flew into a fury of her own and was apparently so convincing that Shiva agreed to give Ganesha the head of the next creature he saw which as you can see, was an elephant.
He came to be when Shiva (pictured here with little guy Ganesha) was away at war leaving his wife Pavarti (also pictured) alone with noone to guard the door while she bathed. In her distress Pavarti was struck with an idea that only a goddess could execute and luckily that’s exactly what she was. She decided that she’d conceive a son to guard her doorway and so conceived Ganesha who of course agreed to do so faithfully. Unfortunately when Shiva returned home, he didn’t recognize this strange boy forbidding him entry to his wife and so as any self respecting god would do, he flew into a rage and cut off poor Ganesha’s head. Outraged to find her new son beheaded, Pavarti flew into a fury of her own and was apparently so convincing that Shiva agreed to give Ganesha the head of the next creature he saw which as you can see, was an elephant.
Krishna

Remember earlier when we were talking about how Vishnu has made appearances as nine different avatars so far? Well Krishna is one of the most popular. The embodiment of love and joy, Krishna was born in fact to move religion more toward the concept of love rather than doctrine.
Krishna was the 8th kid born to Devaki who had the dumb luck of being the sister of Kamsa, an evil demon king. A sage had told Kamsa that he’d be killed by his nephew so he promptly killed all of Devaki’s kids except for kid number 7 who escaped, and Krishna who was exchanged for the daughter of a cowherd secretly. Little Krishna became quite fond of his adopted family and loved to play the flute to entertain them as well as the cows. He and his friends were also pranksters, letting the cows loose, stealing milk, or breaking pots. This however was also to teach his followers not to be too attached to material things. For this reason he’s the god of humor and peace.
Krishna’s childhood was filled with demons who tried to kill him but luckily none of them was successful. Little Krishna also had a killer love life because he fell in love with Radha, an incarnation of Lakshmi who is Vishnu’s wife. Indian men and women often compare this relationship to their own with the men seeing their wives as Radha, the beloved and the women viewing their men as Krishna, both attempting to see past imperfections to the perfection of the other.
Krishna also decided one night that he would split himself into many parts in order to dance with a group of milkmaids as well as fulfill their desire for union with him. Many consider this a symbolic relationship between the dance of humanity and the divine or reality and illusion. Some have even compared it to a cell with the protons and neutrons dancing around a nucleus. Writer Diane Morgan even claims that Hinduism as a philosophical science is “eerily close to particle theory and quantum mechanics.”
Regardless, Krishna was a busy kid, probably because he was aware of his own divinity and accomplished all this before he was 8 years old.
When he grew up he did indeed defeat his evil uncle, became king, and introduced Bhakti Yoga to the world which is basically the concept that spirituality should be about the love between God and his followers. For many seekers this was to replace the former paths of Karma Yoga (action and sacrifice) and Joana Yoga (the attaining of wisdom).
Krishna was the 8th kid born to Devaki who had the dumb luck of being the sister of Kamsa, an evil demon king. A sage had told Kamsa that he’d be killed by his nephew so he promptly killed all of Devaki’s kids except for kid number 7 who escaped, and Krishna who was exchanged for the daughter of a cowherd secretly. Little Krishna became quite fond of his adopted family and loved to play the flute to entertain them as well as the cows. He and his friends were also pranksters, letting the cows loose, stealing milk, or breaking pots. This however was also to teach his followers not to be too attached to material things. For this reason he’s the god of humor and peace.
Krishna’s childhood was filled with demons who tried to kill him but luckily none of them was successful. Little Krishna also had a killer love life because he fell in love with Radha, an incarnation of Lakshmi who is Vishnu’s wife. Indian men and women often compare this relationship to their own with the men seeing their wives as Radha, the beloved and the women viewing their men as Krishna, both attempting to see past imperfections to the perfection of the other.
Krishna also decided one night that he would split himself into many parts in order to dance with a group of milkmaids as well as fulfill their desire for union with him. Many consider this a symbolic relationship between the dance of humanity and the divine or reality and illusion. Some have even compared it to a cell with the protons and neutrons dancing around a nucleus. Writer Diane Morgan even claims that Hinduism as a philosophical science is “eerily close to particle theory and quantum mechanics.”
Regardless, Krishna was a busy kid, probably because he was aware of his own divinity and accomplished all this before he was 8 years old.
When he grew up he did indeed defeat his evil uncle, became king, and introduced Bhakti Yoga to the world which is basically the concept that spirituality should be about the love between God and his followers. For many seekers this was to replace the former paths of Karma Yoga (action and sacrifice) and Joana Yoga (the attaining of wisdom).
Rama

Another of Vishnu's incarnations (the 7th to be exact), Rama was born the son of the King Dasharatha, king of Ayodhya in order to free the world of the cruelty of the demon king Ravana. Rama’s epic life is chronicled in the Ramayana, a sacred Hindu text that is also a guide to realization of God by following the path of righteousness. Among Rama’s many adventures he finds and competes to marry princess Sita who was another incarnation of Vishu’s wife Lakshmi. The only suitor who could lift and bend the bow of Shiva, Rama took Sita as his wife only to eventually have her captured by the evil Ravana. Through an epic battle where he is aided by Hanuman, the monkey king and his army of monkeys and bears, Rama triumphed over Ravana and he and Sita became king and queen. In some versions of the story Rama calls Sita’s virtue into questions, since she had been living in another man’s house and all but she is always a sympathetic character and is generally the model for the long-suffering and virtuous wife.
Hanuman

Some say that Hanuman was born to the King and Queen of the monkeys while others argue that he was the son of a goddess who had been turned into a monkey by a curse and Vayu, the wind god. When Hanuman was born he was a hungry little guy and took a liking to the sun which he thought looked was a tasty fruit. However when he chased it into Indra’s territory, Indra wounded Hanuman’s jaw with a thunderbolt. Hanuman’s dad was quick to avenge him however and all the gods apologized and agreed that Hanuman should be granted immortality. As a young monkey god Hanuman took advantage of his powers and used them mostly to annoy the other gods until they all intervened and asked Brahma to make Hanuman forget he had powers.
Later in life however Hanuman was reminded of his powers by the king of the bears and realized he had the power to, among other things, grow very big or very small at will as well as fly. He went on to use these powers in battle, most notably helping Rama defeat the evil demon king Ravana. Hanuman remained Rama’s favorite general throughout his reign.
Later in life however Hanuman was reminded of his powers by the king of the bears and realized he had the power to, among other things, grow very big or very small at will as well as fly. He went on to use these powers in battle, most notably helping Rama defeat the evil demon king Ravana. Hanuman remained Rama’s favorite general throughout his reign.
Lakshmi

Lakshmi is a goddess who appeared out of the great churning of the ocean which was done by those seeking immortality. The embodiment of beauty and charm, she became the wife of Vishu and incarnated as an avatar each time he did (she was Shita when he was Rama, Radha when he was Krishna). She is the goddess of success, wealth, fortune, courage, and fertility and is often worshiped by those seeking success. Although said to protect her followers from money issues she does not stay loyal to anyone who becomes lazy or unwilling to work for their success.
Durga

According to legend, Durga was created during a time when the demon Mahishasur was terrorizing the earth and couldn’t be killed by men or gods. So the gods got together and Durga was created through their combined energies, each giving her a different aspect or weapon. Known as an unstoppable force, Durga defeated Mahishasur and to this day is considered to be invincible and is called upon to relieve impossible situations as well as for general protection. She has ten arms and is often seen riding a tiger or lion with a smile always on her face, as she maintains a fantastic sense of humor even in the midst of battles.
Kali

One of the most ferocious of the gods, Kali is depicted as dark skinned woman with a ring of skulls for a necklace, corpses for earrings, red eyes, and with her tongue protruding from her mouth. Often depicted as the destructive side of Parvati she is seen standing atop her husband, Shiva, she holds the head of a demon in one of her four hands, a sword in the other, and encourages her worshipers with the other two.
Her black skin symbolizes that she transcends all form and is the ultimate reality since black is the color in which all other colors merge. Many times depicted as naked, she is the ultimate truth who refuses to be covered with the clothes of illusion and stands totally illuminated. Her necklace of 50 heads (one for each letter of the Sanskrit alphabet) is said to stand for knowledge and wisdom. While her belt of severed human hands might seem a bit…harsh they actually symbolize the main instruments used to bring about karma. So by severing them Kali has set her devotees free from Karma and it’s negative effects. Her four arms represent creation and destruction, with the sword symbolizing the cutting off of ignorance (as represented by the demon’s head). Her other two hands symbolize creation, as they often make the symbol for “fear not”. In this form she is the goddess of death, time, and transformation but is also worshiped in order to remove the ignorance that causes the fear of death.
Her black skin symbolizes that she transcends all form and is the ultimate reality since black is the color in which all other colors merge. Many times depicted as naked, she is the ultimate truth who refuses to be covered with the clothes of illusion and stands totally illuminated. Her necklace of 50 heads (one for each letter of the Sanskrit alphabet) is said to stand for knowledge and wisdom. While her belt of severed human hands might seem a bit…harsh they actually symbolize the main instruments used to bring about karma. So by severing them Kali has set her devotees free from Karma and it’s negative effects. Her four arms represent creation and destruction, with the sword symbolizing the cutting off of ignorance (as represented by the demon’s head). Her other two hands symbolize creation, as they often make the symbol for “fear not”. In this form she is the goddess of death, time, and transformation but is also worshiped in order to remove the ignorance that causes the fear of death.
Saraswati

Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of music, wisdom, and the creative arts. Dressed in white and usually seen as light skinned, she can often be seen riding a swan and playing music. She is considered to be both the consort of Brahman and the mother of the Vedas, one of the holy scriptures of Hinduism. Her four arms depict the mind, intellect, alertness, and ego, which are said to be the four aspects of learning. Unlike some of her fellow goddess, Saraswati usually does without lots of gold or jewelry, probably because she prefers learning over earthly things.