List of Hindu deities

Hinduism is the largest religion in the Indian subcontinent and third largest religion in the world. It comprises five major sects or denominations, Vaishnavism, Brahmanism, Saurism, Shaktism, Shivaism,[1] whose followers consider Vishnu, Brahma, Surya, Shakti (Devi) and Shiva to be the Supreme deity respectively. Most of the other deities were either related to them or different forms (incarnations) of these deities. Hinduism has been called the "oldest religion" in the world, and many practitioners refer to Hinduism as "the eternal law". (Sanātana Dharma).[2] Given below is a list of the chief Hindu deities followed by a list of minor Hindu deities (including demi-gods). Smartism, an older tradition and later reestablished by Jagatguru Adi Shankaracharya, invites the worship of more than one god including Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Shakti and Ganesha (the elephant faced god) among other gods and goddesses. It is not as overtly sectarian as either Vashnavism, Brahmanism or Shivaism and is based on the recognition that Brahman (God) is the highest principle in the universe and pervades all of existence.[3][4][5][6]

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva seated on lotuses with their consorts Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati

Main deities

The Hindu trinity, also known are tridev 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. The followers of the last two form two major sects.

Brahma

According to hinduism, Brahma is the creator of the entire cosmic universe. Although he is the creator, he is hardly worshipped in modern Hinduism. He is identified with supreme vedic god, Prajapati. He married Saraswati, who emerged to give knowledge to create. Some alternative names for Brahma are

• Vednatha
• Chaturmukha
• Prajapati
• Hiranyagarbha
• Vedagarbha

Devi (goddess)

Communities of goddess worship are ancient in India. In the Rigveda, the most prominent goddess is Ushas, the goddess of dawn. In modern Hinduism, goddesses are widely revered. Shaktism is one of the major sects of Hinduism. Followers of Shaktism believe that the goddess (Devi) is the power (Shakti) that underlies the female principle, and that Devi is the supreme being, one and the same with Para Brahman. Shakti has many forms/manifestations like Parvati, Durga, and others but there are also goddesses that are parts of Shakti such as Lakshmi and Saraswati. Devi is believed to manifest in peaceful forms, such as Parvati the consort of Shiva and also in fierce forms, such as Kali and Durga. In Shaktism, Adi Parashakti is regarded as Ultimate Godhead or Para Brahman. She is formless i.e. Nirguna in reality, but may take many forms i.e. Saguna. Durga and Lalita Tripurasundari are regarded as the Supreme goddess in the Kalikula and Srikula systems respectively. Shaktism is closely related with Tantric Hinduism, which teaches rituals and practices for purification of the mind and body.[3][4][5][6] Some different parts of Shakti (Devi) the Mother Goddess:

• Parvati and her Navadurgas, Matrikas, and Mahavidyas
• Durga (form of Parvati), the slayer of Durgamasura and Mahishasura
• Kali (form of Parvati) as Bhadrakali, an auspicious form of Kali and Bharavi/Chamundeshwari often known as Chandi, as a ferocious form of Parvati
• Bhumi, the mother Earth known as Prithvi
• Lakshmi and her Ashtalakshmi, goddess of wealth and wife of lord vishnu
• Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and music and also wife of lord Brahma
• Gayatri, the life giving goddess and the personification of the Gayatri Mantra.
• Ganga, the goddess personification of the Ganges River, she later married King Shantanu as his first wife and gave birth to Bhishma Pitamah in the Mahabharat era.
• Narmada, the daughter of Shiva, also goddess of river Narmada
• Annapoorna (incarnation of Goddess Parvati), the goddess of food
• Yami, the sacred river Yamuna and goddess of life
• Sati(first wife of lord Shiva), the adi parasakti early life of Parvati.
• Shashthi, also known as Devasena, daughter of Brahma and Savitri, wife of Kartikeya and goddess of children and reproduction.
• Savitri (a form of Saraswati), wife of Brahma, born from the left side of Brahma, mother of four Vedas.
• Manasa, daughter of sage Kashyap, sister of Vasuki, wife of sage Jaratkaru, mother of sage Astika and goddess of snakes and fertility.
• Svaha, considered as the goddess of ash and marriage, daughter of Daksha and wife of Agni.
• Dakshina, goddess of yagna, born from the hair follicles of Radha, reborn from goddess Lakshmi and wife of lord Yagna.

Shiva

Shaivism is one of the major Hindu sects. Adherents of Shaivism believe that the god Shiva is the supreme being. Shiva is the destroyer god among the Trimurti, and so is sometimes depicted as the fierce god Bhairava. Shaivists are more attracted to asceticism than adherents of other Hindu sects, and may be found wandering with ashen faces performing self-purification rituals.[3][4][5][6] Some alternative forms of Shiva (and Bhairavs) are listed below:

• Ardhanarishvara
• Nataraja
• Pashupati
• Rudra
• Dakshinamurthy
• Ravananugraha
• Vaidheeswara
• Lingodbhava
• Bhikshatana
• Sri Manjunatha
• Jyotirlinga Forms, The 12 divine representations of Lord Shiva
• Bholenath
• Maheshwara

Vishnu

Vaishnavism is the sect within Hinduism that worships Vishnu, the preserver god of the Hindu Trimurti (the Trinity), and his many incarnations. Vaishnavites regard him to be eternal and the strongest and supreme God . It is a devotional sect, and followers worship many deities, including Rama and Krishna both the 7th & the 8th incarnations of Vishnu respectively. The adherents of this sect are generally non-ascetic, monastic and devoted to meditative practice and ecstatic chanting.[3][4][5][6] Some alternate names of Vishnu the Preserver:

• Adi Narayana
• Narayana
• Thirumal
• Perumal
• Jagannatha
• Hayagriva
• Achyuta
• Madhava
• Venkateshwara, as Vishnu is known in parts of South India
• Guruvayurappan
• Vaikuntha Chaturmurti
• Vaikuntha Kamalaja
• Mohini
• Lakshmi Narayan
• Vishvarupa
• Ranganatha
• Dashavatara, the 10 incarnations of Vishnu
• Madhusudana
• Padmanabha
• Ananta Shayana
• Hari
• Upulvan, another name for Vishnu In Sri Lanka
• Purushottama
• Vasudeva
• Govinda
• Caturvyūha

Related deities

• Yamuna, the life energy, the daughter of lord Surya and the goddess of kindness, humanity, beauty Saranyu.
• Ganesha, son of Shiva and Parvati and was also called Ganpati, the Ganapatya sectary worshipped Ganesha as their chief deity. He is the god of wisdom and remover of all obstacles. He is worshipped before any other deity.
• Kartikeya, son of Shiva and Parvati and was also called Muruga, Karthik, Kumara or Shanmukha, the Kaumaram sectary worshipped Subramanya as their chief deity. He's also the brother of Lord Ganesha.
• Ayyappan, son of Shiva and Mohini and was also called Manikanta since he has mani(Rudraksha) in kanta(neck)
• Hanuman, is one of incarnation of Shiva and devotee of Rama (incarnation of Vishnu) and was also called Anjaneya, since his mother is anjana
• Ganga, holi river in Hinduism.
• Hansa, the devoted swan who acts as the vahana (vehicle) of Lord Brahma.
• Garuda, the devoted eagle who acts as the vahana (vehicle) of Lord Vishnu and the king of all birds.
• Nandi, the devoted bull who acts as the vahana (vehicle) of Lord Shiva.
• Shani, the son of Sun
• Shesha, the king of Nagas

Avatars (incarnations)

Adi parashakti

1. Gayatri
2. Mahamaya
3. Yogamaya
4. Sati
5. Tripura sundari
6. Parvati
7. Aparna
8. Durga
9. Rudrani
10. Mahalsa
11. Narayani
12. Kamakhya
13. Meenakshi
14. Kamakshi
15. Vishalakshi
16. Abhirami
17. Kanya Kumari
18. Annapoorna
19. Shataksi or Shakambhari
20. Bhramari or Bhramarambha
21. Kausiki
22. Akhilandeswari
23. Uma
24. Mari
25. Bhavani
26. Ambika
27. Mahadevi
28. Sarvamangala Devi

Dasa Mahavidya

1. Mahakali
2. Tara
3. Shodashi
4. Bhuvaneswari
5. Chhinnamasta
6. Bhairavi
7. Dhumavati
8. Bagalamukhi
9. Matangi
10. Kamalatmika

Navadurga

1. Shailaputri
2. Brahmacharini
3. Chandraghanta
4. Kushmanda
5. Skandamata
6. Katyayani
7. Kalaratri
8. Mahagauri
9. Siddhidhatri

Mahakali

1. Kali
2. Bhadrakali
3. Ugrakali
4. Chandi
5. Chamunda
6. Chandamari

Asta Matrikas

1. Brahmani
2. Maheshwari
3. Kaumari
4. Vaishnavi
5. Varahi
6. Narasimhi
7. Indrani
8. Chamunda

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Ganesha

1. Vakratunda (Vakratuṇḍa) ("twisting trunk"), his mount is a lion.
2. Ekadanta ("single tusk"), his mount is a mouse.
3. Mahodara ("big belly"), his mount is a mouse.
4. Gajavaktra (or Gajānana) ("elephant face"), his mount is a mouse.
5. Lambodara ("pendulous belly"), his mount is a mouse.
6. Vikata (Vikaṭa) ("unusual form", "misshapen"), his mount is a peacock.
7. Vighnaraja (Vighnarāja) ("king of obstacles"), his mount is the celestial serpent Śeṣa.
8. Dhumravarna (Dhūmravarṇa) ("grey color") corresponds to Śiva, his mount is a horse.

Shiva

1. Shankar Avatar
2. Veerabhadra Avatar
3. Bhairava Avatar
4. Khandoba Avatar
5. Durvasa Avatar
6. Nataraja Avatar
7. Ardhanarishvara Avatar
8. Muneeswarar Avatar
9. Muthappan Avatar
10. Pashupati Avatar
11. Gangeshwar Avatar
12. Rudra Avatar
13. Lingam Avatar
14. Dakshinamurthy Avatar
15. Ravananugraha Avatar
16. Vaidheeswara Avatar
17. Lingodbhava Avatar
18. Somaskanda Avatar
19. Bhikshatana Avatar
20. Sri Manjunatha Avatar
21. Jyotirlinga Forms, The 12 divine representations of Lord Shiva
22. Bholenath Avatar
23. Hanuman Avatar

Brahma

1. Valki Avatar
2. Kashyapa Avatar
3. Sukra Avatar
4. Kalidasa Avatar
5. Chandra Avatar
6. Samudra Avatar
7. Jamvanta Avatar
8. Agastya Avatar

Dashavatara

1. Matsya, the fish
2. Kurma, the tortoise
3. Varaha, the boar
4. Narasimha, the Half Man-Half Lion avatar.
5. Vamana, the Dwarf
6. Parashurama, the cosmic Warrior Brahmin
7. Rama, the emperor of Kosala and the hero of the epic Ramayana
8. Krishna, central character in the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata Purana and the Bhagavad Gita. Some texts mention it as Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna
9. Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Some texts mention it to be Krishna.
10. Kalki who is expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga

Lakshmi

1. Bhargavi
2. Sridevi
3. Sita
4. Radha
5. Rukmini and Ashtabharya and other 16,000 wives of Lord Krishna.
6. Padmavati
7. Vedavati
8. Tulasi
9. Satyabhama
10. Kamala
11. Bhudevi
12. Andal

Astha Lakshmi

1. Adi Lakshmi, The ancient form of Lakshmi.
2. Dhana Lakshmi, The Money Lakshmi
3. Dhanya Lakshmi, The Grain Lakshmi
4. Gaja Lakshmi, The Elephant Lakshmi
5. Santana Lakshmi, The Progeny Lakshmi
6. Dhairya Lakshmi, The Valarous Lakshmi
7. Vidya Lakshmi, The Knowledge Lakshmi

Additional Forms

In some Ashta Lakshmi lists, other forms of Lakshmi are included,

1. Aishwarya Lakshmi, The Prosperity Lakshmi
2. Saubhagya Lakshmi, The Giver of Good Fortune
3. Rajya Lakshmi, The Royal Lakshmi
4. Vara Lakshmi, The Boon Lakshmi

Saraswati

1. Savitri
2. Vani
3. Brahmani
4. Mahasaraswati
5. Gayatri
6. Medha
7. Gir
8. Vāc

Rigvedic deities

The Rigveda speaks of Thirty-three gods called the Trayastrinshata ('Three plus thirty'). They consists of the 12 Adityas, the 8 Vasus, the 11 Rudras and the 2 Ashvins. Indra also called Śakra, lord of the gods, is the first of the 33 followed by Agni. Some of these brother gods were invoked in pairs such as Indra-Agni, Mitra-Varuna and Soma-Rudra.

Adityas

• Mitra, the patron god of oaths and of friendship,
• Varuna, the patron god of water and the oceans,
• Śakra, also called Indra, the king of gods, and the god of rains
• Dakṣa,
• Aṃśa,
• Aryaman,
• Bhaga, god of wealth
• Vivasvat, also called Ravi or Savitṛ,
• Tvāṣṭṛ, the smith among the gods,
• Pūsan, patron god of travellers and herdsmen, god of roads,
• Dhāt, god of health and magic, also called Dhūti
• Vamana

Rudras

The Ramayana tells they are eleven of the 33 children of the sage Kashyapa and his wife Aditi, along with the 12 Adityas, 8 Vasus and 2 Ashvins, constituting the Thirty-three gods.[7] The Vamana Purana describes the Rudras as the sons of Kashyapa and Aditi.[8] The Matsya Purana notes that Surabhi – the mother of all cows and the "cow of plenty" – was the consort of Brahma and their union produced the eleven Rudras. Here they are named: Nirriti, Shambhu, Aparajita Mrigavyadha, Kapardi, Dahana, Khara, Ahirabradhya, Kapali, Pingala and Senani.[9] Brahma allotted to the Rudras the eleven positions of the heart and the five sensory organs, the five organs of action and the mind.[8][10]

Vasus

Assistants of Indra and of Vishnu

• Agni the "Fire" god, also called Anala or "living",
• Varuna the "Water" god, also called Antarikṣa the "Atmosphere" or "Space" god,
• Vāyu the "Wind", the air god, also called Anila ("wind")
• Dyauṣ the "Sky" god, also called Dyeus and Prabhāsa or the "shining dawn"
• Pṛthivī the "Earth" god, also called Dharā or "support"
• Sūrya the "Sun" god, also called Pratyūsha, ("break of dawn", but often used to mean simply "light"), the Saura sectary worshipped Sūrya as their chief deity.
• Soma the "Moon" god, also called Chandra
• Samudra the "Sea" god, also called as "Sagar"

Ashvins

The Ashvins (also called the Nāsatyas) were twin gods. Nasatya is also the name of one twin, while the other is called Dasra.

Number of deities in Hinduism

Most of the Hindu temples are dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu (including his incarnations Krishna and Rama), Brahma, Shakti (the mother goddess, hence including the forms of Durga and Kali and the goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati), Ganesh and Hanuman.[11][12][13] The Hindu scriptures claimed that there were 33 KOTI or 33 category gods, koti meaning in Sanskrit crore (33 कोटि = 10 prakar, tarah ). Crore also translates to 10,000,000 or 10 million.

One theory is that the number 330 million (33 crore) gods refers to the total count of the then known population of all the humans and living beings that ever walked on this planet including the 84 lakh (8.4 million) jeeva rasi (living species) signifying that god exists in every living being. This is in line with the belief of Indians to respect all living beings as gods. It is estimated that the world population was around this number about a 1000 years ago when this number would have originated. It also explains the many gods (e.g. the grama devatas or village gods who were clearly living persons at one time and many of the other gods who were believed to have been persons, e.g. Rama and Krishna).

Another theory is that the number might be figurative but there are several names and forms for the multitude of gods.[14]

See also

• List of Hindu fertility deities
• List of Hinduism-related articles
• List of Hindu Empires and Dynasties
• Lists of deities in Sanamahism

References

1. Nath 2001, p. 31.
2. Knott 1998, p. 5.
3. "The Four Denominations of Hinduism". Retrieved 7 February 2014.
4. "The Four Main Denominations". Retrieved 7 February 2014.
5. "Hindu Sects". Retrieved 7 February 2014.
6. Dubois (April 2007). Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies. Cosimo. p. 111. ISBN 9781602063365.
7. Mani pp. 654–5
8. Daniélou, Alain (1991). The myths and gods of India. Inner Traditions International. pp. 102–4, 341, 371. ISBN 0-89281-354-7.
9. A Taluqdar of Oudh (2008). The Matsya Puranam. The Sacred books of the Hindus. 2. Cosmo Publications for Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd. pp. 74–5, 137. ISBN 978-81-307-0533-0.
10. Mani, Vettam (1975). Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary With Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 0-8426-0822-2.
11. "Hindu Gods & Goddesses". Sanatan Society. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
12. "Hinduism". About.com. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
13. "Hindu gods and goddesses". usefulcharts. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
14. Lynn Foulston, Stuart Abbott (2009). Hindu goddesses: beliefs and practices. pp. 1–2. ISBN 9781902210438.

Sources

• Brodd, Jeffrey (2003). World Religions: A Voyage of Discovery. Saint Mary's Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-88489-725-5.: '[..] many gods and goddesses (traditionally 330 million!) [...] Hinduism generally regards its 330 million as deities as extensions of one ultimate reality, many names for one ocean, many "masks" for one God.'
• Brown, Joe David, ed. (1961). India. Time-Life Books. Time, Inc. popular figure.: "Though the popular figure of 330 million is not the result of an actual count but intended to suggest infinity, the Hindu pantheon in fact contains literally hundreds of different deities [...]"
• Knott, Kim (1998). Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
• Nath, Vijay (2001). "From 'Brahmanism' to 'Hinduism': Negotiating the Myth of the Great Tradition". Social Scientist. 29 (3/4): 19–50. doi:10.2307/3518337. JSTOR 3518337.

External links