Indian gods and goddesses. Gods of India

Hinduism is characterized by pronounced polytheism. No other religion can boast of this a large number deities But we will not list everyone. In this article, the most important Indian gods will appear before you. The pantheon of gods is headed by Trimurti. This is a triple form consisting of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Let's talk about these higher beings in more detail.

Brahma

No Indian gods can compare in power with this ruler of the world and the father of all things. It was Brahma who created the universe. He has four heads and arms in which he holds the Vedas, a garland of roses, a vessel of water and a staff. The creator himself sat on a swan or goose.

As one of the myths says, Brahma created a goddess from his body and named her Satarupa. She was so beautiful that the ruler could not take his eyes off her. As soon as the goddess moved aside, Brahma had a new head looking behind her. This went on for quite a long period of time. Soon Brahma managed to convince Satarupa to marry him. They spent one hundred sacred years together in a secluded place. After this, the lovers gave birth to Man, who became the first man.

Shiva

Indian gods are not only good protectors of people. Sometimes they have a dual nature. Most a shining example this is Shiva. In addition to doing good deeds, he often visited battlefields. He was often drawn with a rope on which skulls were strung.

Shiva was also depicted as having three eyes and four arms. His third eye is located in the middle of his forehead. Shiva wore a necklace made of snakes. There are images of this god with a blue neck. It turned this color after Shiva swallowed the poison released by the snake to poison the ocean.

On the one hand, Shiva is the creator, on the other, the god of time, and, consequently, destruction. He also promoted the development of fertility, but at the same time lived as an ascetic in the mountains.

Vishnu

He is the guardian of the universe. In cruelty he is not inferior to Shiva. The Vaishnavites call him the “highest god.” Sometimes the ultimate reality Brahman or the Hindu concept of the "Absolute" is depicted as Vishnu. As one myth goes, a lotus grew from the navel of this god. In the center of the flower sat Brahma, who began the process of creation. The main function of Vishnu himself is to promote the triumph of good over evil.

He appears as a minor deity in the ancient texts of the Rigveda. According to these treatises, Vishnu appeared as the sun god and could cross the entire cosmos by taking just three steps. Later he became associated with the dwarf and the fish. At the same time, the concept of incarnations of Vishnu arose. When the cosmos was threatened with destruction, he appeared in different avatars and fought with demons, restoring universal order.

The main gods of India were listed above. Indian mythology also contains tales of many minor ones. Let's look at some of them.

Ganesha

In the category "minor Indian gods" it is considered the most popular. Represents wisdom and helps remove obstacles. Therefore, people always call on him before an upcoming important task.

In Hindu mythology, he is the son of Parvati and Shiva. It has a human torso (yellow or red), an elephant's head with one tusk, four arms and a large belly. According to myths, a festival was organized in honor of the birth of Ganesha. But they forgot to call the god Shani. In retaliation, he incinerated the baby’s head with his gaze. Brahma advised the parents to place the head of the first creature they came across to the baby’s body. And this animal turned out to be an elephant.

Lakshmi

Ranks second in the category "minor Indian gods". She represents prosperity and good luck, and is also the wife of Vishnu. In legends she appears as beautiful girl who sits or stands on a lotus. Sometimes the goddess holds a flower in her hands. With each rebirth of Vishnu, Lakshmi incarnated with him.

Kama

This is the Indian god of love. The most common image of him is a young man with a bow in his hands. The bow itself is made from live bees and sugar cane, and Kama used flowers as arrows. There were five arrows, and each of them evoked a certain feeling in a person. Kama was accompanied by nymphs carrying his banner with them. God himself rode on a parrot. There are several legends about the appearance of Kama. In one legend he is presented as the son of Vishnu and Lakshmi. In another, he appears in the heart of Brahma in the form of a girl.

Hindu deities

Brahma- creator of the Universe. He has four arms, indicating the four cardinal directions. In the images, he holds a vase of water (a symbol of the origin of the Universe), a rosary (a sign of the passage of time), a sacrificial spoon, which links his image with priests (Brahmins) and their traditional role as bearers of offerings and the Vedas (ancient sacred scriptures). Brahma is always depicted with a beard and may be dressed in white or black clothes. According to Hindu beliefs, the Universe lives as Brahma: when he woke up, the Universe appeared, when he closes his eyes, the Universe and everything will disappear. One day of Brahma is called Kalpa and lasts 4320 million human years. Brahma's wife is Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and arts.

Vishnu- Guardian of the Universe. According to legend, Vishnu descended to Earth in various forms ah, to save her from the forces of evil. Whenever Vishnu sees that the weak and innocent on earth are suffering, he descends on it to prevent the spread of evil. His incarnations are known as Narasimha (half man, half lion), Rama, Krishna, Buddha. The four main symbols that are associated with Vishnu are the conch shell (symbol of water and the first sound in the Universe), lotus (symbol of the Universe), rod (symbol of knowledge in time) and discus (symbol of victory over evil and ignorance). Behind Vishnu is the hood of a cobra, which signifies the endless cycle of creation. Vishnu has four hands, three of which hold standard symbols - a conch shell, a disk and a lotus, the fourth shows a gesture - a symbol of protection. Wife
Vishnu - Lakshmi, goddess of luck and prosperity.

Shiva represents the force of destruction. However, the old is destroyed so that the new can appear. Shiva has many names: Mahadeva or Maheshwar (Great God), Na-taraja (God of Dance), Pashupati (God of Animals), Neelkantha (Blue-throated), Rudra and others. Shiva holds a trident in his hands, reminiscent of his role in the process of creation. On Shiva's forehead is depicted the third eye, which signifies his ability to see into depth and three horizontal lines, which are interpreted as the three sources of light fire, sun and moon or Shiva's ability to see the past, present and future. The snakes entwined around his neck and body symbolize the evolutionary force contained in human body, spiritual power that can be developed through yoga. Shiva is often depicted sitting on a tiger skin, a symbol of the power of nature over which he is God. Shiva rides a bull whose name is Find. The bull symbolizes strength and fertility. Shiva's wife is Parvati.

, son of goddess Parvati and Shiva, god of wisdom and protector. He is worshiped before other Gods. Ganesh has the head of an elephant and the body of a man. The elephant's head is a symbol of acquiring knowledge through listening. Two tusks, one of which is whole and the other is broken, reflect the existence, perfection and imperfection of the physical world. Big belly Ganesha is a symbol of well-being, as well as a symbol of the ability to “digest” everything that life brings. In his hands he holds a rope to prevent the mind from being tied to worldly things and an iron hook, a symbol of the need to control desires. Ganesh is often depicted holding a bowl of sweets, signifying prosperity and well-being. He can also be seen carrying a trident or a hatchet, indicating his connection with Shiva. The four arms of Ganesha are the symbol of the four Vedas of Hinduism. Ganesh rides on a mouse, which has the ability to overcome any barriers in its path. A mouse and food are often depicted at the feet of Ganesh, which is a symbol that desires and wealth are under his control.

- goddess of wisdom and fine arts. Usually revered by students. Depicted riding a swan or sitting in a blooming lotus flower. Saraswati holds a stringed musical instrument in her hands,
flute, book and rosary. According to legend, Sanskrit (an ancient language) was invented by her. A peacock sits next to her, who is ready to serve her instead of a swan. The peacock has a fickle character, his mood changes depending on changes in the weather. Therefore, Saraswati does not use it, but rides a swan. This symbolizes overcoming fear and indecision in acquiring true knowledge. Saraswati has four arms, symbolizing the four aspects of human learning abilities: mind, intellect, ego and intelligence. Two front hands mean her activity in the external physical world, two hands behind symbolize activity in spiritual world. Each of the hands is a symbol of the above abilities. Saraswati is the wife of Brahma, the creator of the Universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma.

- one of the forms of the Divine Mother, the goddess of luck and wealth. She is one of the most revered goddesses in Hinduism. Depicted with four hands, two of which are holding a lotus, and the third is pouring out gold coins, which symbolizes prosperity. The fourth hand is extended forward in a gesture of blessing. Lakshmi is also the goddess of beauty. In this case, she is usually depicted as a young girl, adorned with jewels, and with only two arms. Lakshmi sits on a blooming lotus flower, the throne of divine truth. She is also depicted surrounded by two elephants who pour water over her head. Lakshmi flies on an owl.

- daughter of the Himalayas, a symbol of the tenderness of the Divine Mother. Her obedience to Lord Shiva, her husband, is an example of respectful attitude towards God. Parvati can never be seen without her husband Shiva, so she is depicted as the Shakti (energy) of Shiva. The two manifestations of Parvati are Durga and Kali. Parvati reflects the tenderness aspect of Durga and the mystical power of Kali. Durga and Kali have eight arms and enormous energy (Shakti). Durga rides a lion and Kali rides a demon. Family of Shiva and Parvati and their sons - perfect example unity and love, which is why Parvati is especially revered by married women.

This name means "Unreachable" or "Unreachable". The word "Durga" is translated from Sanskrit as "Protected place, difficult to enter." Durga is loving and kind to those who revere her. Her warrior aspect symbolizes the destructive qualities of the divine Mother (Shakti). Goddess Durga represents the power of the supreme being, which preserves the moral law and order in creation. Worship of this goddess is very popular in Hinduism. She may also be called by other names: Parvati, Ambika or Kali. In Parvati form, she is known as the wife of Lord Shiva and the mother of his children. Durga has eighteen hands in which she holds many objects. Durga wears red clothes. Durga is always busy destroying evil and protecting humanity from evil forces. The weapons she holds in her hands are the trident of Shiva, the disc of Vishnu, a bow and arrow, a shield and sword, and a spear. She is sometimes depicted with eight arms, which symbolize: health, education, prosperity, organization, unity, glory, courage and truth. In other images she has ten arms. Durga rides a lion or a tiger. Durga riding a lion is a symbol of limitless power, which is used to protect virtue and destroy evil.

Durga is the wrathful form of Goddess Parvati and is also called Mahishamardini ("She who killed the demon Mahisha"). Her face always remains gentle and calm.

- literally "Black". Kali is the mystical source of life, the embodiment of feminine energy (Shakti) in its most terrifying form. Her image is a constant reminder that pain, decline and death are an integral part of life. Kali is depicted as a powerful goddess of the color of night. This symbolizes the all-encompassing nature of absolute reality. Her eyes are red, blood drips from her protruding tongue, and blood is often visible on her face and chest. Kali is naked, free from any illusions and conventions. She is wearing only a necklace of heads and a belt of severed hands of sinners. In one of her four hands she holds a trident (katvan-gu), and in the other she holds the severed head of a demon by the hair. In her third hand sometimes there is a skull with blood, and the fourth goes to the devotees, from whom she demands complete submission, like the Divine Mother. Kali has many forms and names. Saturday and the big autumn festival Deepavali are dedicated to her.

Frame. The ideal man, as the Indian worldview understands him. The life of Rama is described in the great epic Ramayana. In the Ramayana, he destroys the forces of evil in the person of the demon king Ravan. Rama is revered as the seventeenth incarnation of the god Vishnu. He is very popular in India, as evidenced by the many temples built in his honor. Rama is usually depicted with his faithful wife Sita. Rama has a bow and arrows in his hands, which is a sign that he is on guard and is always ready to protect the right. Rama is the personification of Dharma.

Sita- a symbol of the ideal daughter, wife, mother and queen. If Rama represents the personification of all the qualities characteristic of ideal man, Sita - represents the qualities inherent in a perfect woman. Sita is considered to be the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.

- a great devotee of Rama. His name is usually associated with the Ramayana, the story of Rama and Sita. In this story, Sita, the wife of Rama, was kidnapped by the evil king, the ten-headed demon Ravana, who took her to his fortress on the island of Lanka. Disregarding the danger, Hanuman finds Sita and then returns to help Rama build a bridge to the island to save her. During the battle, Rama's brother Lakshmana was seriously wounded, and Hanuman was sent to bring healing herbs growing on the mountain. Unable to identify the required herbs, Hanuman lifted the entire mountain and brought it whole to the battlefield.

Hanuman is a symbol of strength and loyalty. He is revered as the son of the wind god Vayu, and has the ability to fly and change his form at will. He is one of the five gods who do not have a consort. He is also called Mahavira ( Great hero) or Pavan-putra (Son of the air). Hanuman bestows courage, hope, intelligence and devotion. He is depicted as a large monkey with Rama on his chest, symbolizing devotion, and holding a staff, symbolizing courage. Also, as an image of a devotee of God, he is often depicted carrying a mountain in his hand.

- - The eighteenth and most famous manifestation of the god Vishnu. It is believed that Krishna was born in Vrindavan (India), where he was raised in the family of a shepherd Yashoda and Nanda. He is usually depicted with dark blue skin, in yellow clothes and a crown decorated with a peacock feather. He is often accompanied by a cow. As a child, Krishna was friends with other cowherd girls. Radha was his beloved friend and can be seen in the picture next to Krishna. The Indian epic is rich in descriptions of the love of Krishna and Radha. God Krishna is often called Radha-Krishna. Krishna, like Rama, is known for his courage in fighting the forces of evil. He is often depicted playing the flute, which is a symbol of his love for people. During the battle on the Mahabharat field, Krishna dictated the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna. In the Bhagavad-gita he is described as the divine preceptor of Arjuna and the supreme deity.

Bhairab. This deity has many different forms. In particular, it is the tantric form of Shiva. He is depicted naked, black or dark in color. Sometimes in paintings it appears white. He has many arms, but usually one head. In his hands are weapons, skulls, a lasso, a stick with three skulls. He wears a necklace around his neck, a wreath and a crown of skulls. Bhairab has unruly hair. May wear sandals and often stands on a reclining figure.

Year of manufacture: 1999
Country: Russia
Translation: Not required
Director: Golden Age
Quality: VHSRip
Format: AVI
Duration: 01:00:00
Size: 705 MB

Description: The film talks about spiritual experience in line with the Buddhist tradition, about the highest potential of the human spirit, about insight, about sacred knowledge, meditation and Buddhist symbols. For any audience.

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Goddess Lakshmi – Indian goddess well-being and prosperity. She has many names, of which the most popular are Sri Lakshmi, Kamala and Padma. For Hindus, Lakshmi is a very powerful symbol of material wealth and good luck in business.

There are many virtues associated with the goddess Lakshmi, including not only material wealth, but also beauty, love, peacefulness, the power of knowledge and the mercy of heaven. Sri Lakshmi sitting on a lotus flower is a symbol of spiritual purity and motherhood; this symbol is associated with immortality and a happy destiny.

Lakshmi is known as the embodiment of creative energy and consort supreme god Vishnu.

Legends about the appearance of Lakshmi

There are several legends about the birth of Lakshmi, according to one of them, she was born as the daughter of the sage Bhrigu and Khyati. According to another version, Lakshmi appeared at the very beginning of the universe, appearing in the primordial waters on a lotus flower. Another and most popular version is the appearance of Lakshmi during the churning (transformation into milk) of the world's oceans. According to this legend, the ocean waters began to turn into milk and from them “fourteen miracles” gradually came into being. Lakshmi was one of the miracles and appeared right in ocean waters from a lotus flower and with a lotus flower in his hands. The lotus is a symbol of spiritual purity and material wealth, so Lakshmi is always depicted either sitting on a flower or holding a flower in her hands.

Goddess Lakshmi chose god Vishnu as her husband, giving him a flower wedding garland. Lakshmi gives preference to beauty and luxury; they favor rich and prosperous people. At the same time, she will patronize only those who honor not only herself, but also her husband, the god Vishnu.

Image of Lakshmi

If Lakshmi is depicted with two hands, then in one she holds a coconut and in the other a lotus. In this case, she is accompanied by two female porters with fans or elephants (2 or 4) carrying ghats (ritual structures).

When Lakshmi is depicted with four hands, she holds a lotus, a conch shell, a wheel and a staff. There are options when Lakshmi holds a lemon-like fruit, a vessel with nectar and lotuses in four hands. Or a lotus, a wooden apple, a vessel with ambrosia and a shell. Also, Lakshmi with four arms is depicted with lotuses in her upraised hands and coins falling from one of her palms, while the other palm is depicted in a blessing gesture.

The four arms of Goddess Lakshmi indicate that she has the power to grant people wealth, goals in life, bodily pleasures and bliss.

If Lakshmi is depicted with eight hands, then in them she has a lotus, a bow, an arrow, a rod, a wheel, a conch shell, a goad and a wooden pestle.

When Lakshmi is depicted next to Vishnu, she usually has two hands, in which the goddess holds a lotus and a coconut, or only lotuses in each hand. In this case, Lakshmi is depicted standing or sitting on the left knee of Vishnu, on the eagle or on the serpent Ananta.

Lakshmi Mission

The main goal of the goddess Lakshmi is eternal happiness for people on Earth, which is why she promotes those who meaningfully build their careers. But for a person to be absolutely happy, it is not enough only material well-being, he still needs spirituality and a sense of duty. Lakshmi leads people to the fact that joy and prosperity will be complete only when a person strives to receive them not only for himself, but also for those around him.

Along with Lakshmi, beauty, grace and love come into the house, which is associated with providing for all the household needs of people.

Worship of Lakshmi

In India, Goddess Lakshmi is revered and worshiped. The Indian holiday Diwali is known all over the world - the Festival of Light, during which thousands of lanterns are lit. This holiday is a tribute to the worship of goddess Lakshmi. At this time, entire fireworks displays are organized in honor of the goddess. According to ancient belief It is during this holiday, when everything around is enveloped in an atmosphere of joy and fun, that Lakshmi goes home and chooses a place to relax. Her patronage is sought by those houses that are illuminated brighter than others.

Another popular Hindu holiday is the “nine nights”, three nights of which are dedicated to the goddess Lakshmi.

How to win Lakshmi's favor

There are several ways to woo Goddess Lakshmi and get in touch with her. The first way is meditation, and the second way is chanting mantras, which mentions the name of the gold-bearing goddess Lakshmi. Experts believe that the most effective is a combination of the first and second methods, that is, meditation combined with chanting mantras. This way of attracting Lakshmi to your home promises quick favorable changes for the better.

You can simply place an image of the goddess in your home, which will also attract success and prosperity, but you will have to wait much longer for changes for the better than when combining meditation with mantras.

Lakshmi in the house will protect from poverty and everyday adversity, she will help to survive the most difficult periods in life, will contribute to the recovery of the sick, will help to gain self-confidence and cope with all problems.

Lakshmi is the goddess of prosperity, beauty and love. In India they say that when Lakshmi leaves home, bad luck begins to haunt the family. If people begin to get rich and prosper, then they say that Lakshmi has settled in the house.

It is not for nothing that Lakshmi is depicted with her feet turned in different sides, since she is considered a restless goddess, confirming the fragility and impermanence of this world, only one virtue is unshakable for her - piety.

But even a very wealthy and prosperous person risks losing the favor of the goddess Lakshmi if he wears dirty clothes, swears, stops keeping his own body clean (especially brushing his teeth) or continues to sleep after sunrise.

Lakshmi herself comes to those places where sciences and learned people, to places where they know how to preserve the grain harvest without loss, as well as to families where husband and wife do not quarrel and respect each other.

Lakshmi in the house

In order for the image of the goddess Lakshmi to bring good luck and prosperity to the house, it should be placed in the southeastern sector, preferably at the entrance or in the hallway. The placement of Lakshmi in the office will also be successful.

The energy of Goddess Lakshmi comes into the world through large flowers that are different special beauty and tenderness. These flowers include lotus flowers, roses, dahlias, peonies and daffodils. It is believed that after a flower has been cut, it can live only due to the love with which it was given or accepted as a gift.

The energy of Lakshmi is also manifested in stones: almandine, lapis lazuli, purple ruby, chrysoberyl, spinel (lale), yellow and red jade. Lakshmi is also symbolically associated with the precious metal – gold.

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The religious picture of India, or more precisely of Hinduism, traditionally consists of the coexistence of many different independent schools. Today, researchers count four main traditions within Indian paganism, each of which has many branches. Most of them go back to the hoary days of Vedism - the oldest form religiosity of the Indo-Aryans. From the same source come the ancient gods of India, at least many of the modern pantheons of the Hindu schools.

Trimurti - Hindu trinity

At the head of all the deities of Hinduism is the so-called Hindu trinity - Trimurti, whose hypostases are Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. The latter is assigned the role of creator of the universe. Vishnu's calling is the preservation of the cosmos, and Shiva's mission, accordingly, is the destruction of the world when the time comes.

It is worth saying that in different schools Trimurti is interpreted differently. For example, Shaivism focuses on Shiva, and Vaishnavism focuses on Vishnu. In Shaktism traditions, the gods are led not by a trinity of gods, but by the mother goddess Shakti. In addition, some completely deny the trinity of the supreme deity, worshiping Ishvara or Bhagavan as such.

In general, the idea of a trinity of God has never been popular among Hindus. In practice, religious teachers concentrated on only one aspect, recognizing the other two only as additional secondary aspects or rejecting them altogether.

The number of gods of the Indian pantheon

Following the main deities are the other gods of India, the list of which includes up to 330 million different divine entities. However, the oldest layers of tradition speak of only 33 gods, and their significant numerical increase in later times may be due to a misinterpretation of the text of one of the Vedas, where the word “koti” can be translated as “10 million” and as “species”.

In any case, the belief that the gods of India number 330 million is mainstream modern tradition and is often symbolically interpreted as a belief in the innumerability, the endless multiplicity of the divine race.

Lokapalas - guardians of the world

The main one is the local class. These are 8 (in ancient Hinduism only 4) deities that support the world. The jurisdiction of each of them includes a certain side of the world, each of them is assigned a sacred animal, an attribute and a divine spouse.

The gods of India who make up this genus: Soma, Agni, Indra, Yama, Varuna, Vayu, Kubera, Surya.

Main gods of Hinduism

IN real life Hindus are dominated by a small group of gods whose divine jurisdiction is most significant to everyday life. Probably everyone knows the names of Hanuman, Ganesha and Saraswati. The first of them is a god in the form of a monkey. This is a very ancient character Indian mythology, he is of great importance for Hindus as the patron of villages and their population.

Not inferior to him in popularity is the god with the head of an elephant - beloved by many not only in India, but also beyond its borders, the good patron of wisdom and well-being, Ganesha. Saraswati is the goddess of wisdom and arts. He is also a very, very revered divine figure in Hinduism. Besides these three, there are other ancient gods of India, whose authority is still quite high in Hindu society today. These are Kali - the goddess of destruction and slayer of demons, Lakshmi - the goddess of prosperity, abundance, wealth, luck and joy, Kama - the god of love riding a parrot, and a number of others.

The nature of the gods

Different religious schools answer the question of who the gods of India are in different ways. Some of them, concentrated on the worship of any one god, for example, Shiva or Brahma, look at all others as personified manifestations of one, i.e. its aspects that do not have independent existence and personal origin. Or, on the contrary, as personal manifestations of the absolute, which in itself has no personality. Of course, such views are typical of the elite circles of the priesthood. In the minds of the masses of India, as well as the whole world, such an idea cannot be popular. The prevailing belief among them is that the gods are supreme beings, devas. They represent the highest kind of creatures and live in the celestial regions. Finally, another opinion recognizes avatars in gods, that is, incarnations of a single god. This view is typical, for example, of Vaishnavism.

Hinduism is one of the most unusual religions in the world, in which polytheism (polytheism) reaches incredible proportions. An innumerable number of gods and goddesses decorate the niches of the pantheon.

Three deities - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - are considered supreme.

They constitute the concept of Trimurti, i.e. a triple image uniting Brahma the creator, Vishnu the omnipotent and Shiva the destroyer.

In addition to the three Supreme Deities, Hindus worship many other gods, the most famous of which are the following:

Indra is the god of war, the king of the demigods, the ruler of one of the lower heavens - Amaravati. It is believed that he guards the Eastern side of the world.

Varuna is the all-seeing god of the Vedas, who descended from his heavenly palace to become the god of waters. At the same time, he is the guardian of the Western part of the Universe.

Yama is the guardian of the South Side, the god of death, who rules in Purgatory, where sinners are tormented until their next birth.

Kubera is the god of precious metals, stones, minerals and wealth in general, the ruler of the Northern side of the world. His place of residence is considered to be the beautiful city of Alaka, not far from Mount Kailash. Under his command are countless armies of gnomes (guhyaka) and mountain spirits (yaksha).

Ganesha (Ganapathi) is the elephant-headed god, the second son of Shiva and Parvati, the leader of the ganas (demigods, servants of Shiva). He is the Remover of Obstacles and the patron of all who study various sciences. The most beloved deity of the Hindus, most often depicted in dance. His attributes are one broken tusk, fat belly, sitting on a rat.

Hanuman is a monkey god, son of Vayu (god of wind), friend and faithful servant of Rama. In his honor, monkeys are considered sacred.

Kama is the Indian god of love. Like his European counterpart, he is depicted as a handsome youth, armed with a bow and arrows, the only difference being that his bow is made of sugar cane, and his arrows are flowers. Apsaras (nymphs) serve in his service.

In addition, all gods and demigods had wives, who usually bore the same names as male deities, only with feminine endings - for example, Indrani.

Similar to the three Supreme Deities, the wives of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are the Supreme among the many female deities of the Indian pantheon and are highly revered by Hindus:

Saraswati is the wife of God Brahma, the patroness of art, music and literature. She is depicted as a young, beautiful, fair-skinned woman with a veena (Indian lute) and a book in her hands, accompanied by a swan. According to legend, it was Saraswati who invented Sanskrit.

Lakshmi is the goddess of luck and prosperity, wife of God Vishnu. According to legend, she emerged from the waters of the churned Causal Ocean. She is usually depicted as blooming, beautiful woman, seated or standing on a lotus, often with a lotus in her hand. It is believed that being the wife of Vishnu, she incarnates as the consort of each of his incarnations. Thus, she is worshiped as Goddess Sita, consort of Rama (see below); Rukmini, the first queen of Krishna, and Radha, the eternal lover of God Krishna.

Parvati is the wife of God Shiva in her benevolent aspect, but in her fearsome form she is worshiped as Durga or Kali. In her hostile aspect, Parvati is depicted as a terrible witch, multi-armed and armed various types weapons, with bared fangs, a bloody tongue and a necklace of skulls around his neck.

Vishnu

Vishnu is usually depicted as a four-armed man with dark blue skin, with a crown on his head, holding in his hands symbolic attributes: a conch shell, a sudarshana disc, a staff and a lotus; on his neck is sacred gem kaustubha. Vishnu flies astride Garuda - a gigantic eagle with a half-human face. Hindus revere Vishnu as the "all-encompassing deity" in the sense that all other Gods are either emanations from him or reflect aspects of him.

According to the cosmogonic myth of Hinduism, Vishnu is the eternal ruler on the planets of the “spiritual sky” - Vaikunthas (here he is called Narayana). Sometimes the edge of the spiritual sky of brahmajyoti is covered by a spiritual cloud. This darkened part is called mahat-tattva.

Then Lord Narayana takes the form of Maha-Vishnu and lies down on the waters of the Causal Ocean. At the same time, he is in the meditation sleep of yoga nidra. The moment Maha-Vishnu exhales, countless universes emanate from his pores. They float on the surface of the Causal Ocean, like bubbles of foam. All these universes exist only during one exhalation of Maha-Vishnu.

In each of the many universes the same Maha-Vishnu again enters as Garbhodakasayi-Vishnu and lies down in the Garbha Ocean on the serpent Shesha, who is also one of the aspects of Narayana.

From the navel on the belly of Garbhodakasayi-Vishnu, a lotus stem grows, and on this lotus, Brahma, the lord of that particular Universe, is born. Brahma creates from his mind and body various forms of living beings, which provide the opportunity for Individual Souls (atma) to manifest in the material world. He also creates the Sun, the Moon, all the planets of the “material sky” and the various demigods who control these planets, i.e. actually creates his own Universe.

The life time of the Universe is considered equal to the life time of Brahma and is 100 “Brahma years”, which exactly corresponds to the duration of the exhalation of Maha-Vishnu. When Maha-Vishnu breathes in, all the myriad universes, each with its own Brahma, return to the unmanifest state and wait for Maha-Vishnu to exhale again.

The main cosmological cycle in Hinduism is considered to be kalpa - “the day of Brahma”, which consists of 14 manvantaras, or secondary cycles, each lasting 306,720 thousand years, with large intervals between them. 360 such days and nights constitute the “year of Brahma.” Every "cosmic day" Brahma creates the Universe and every "cosmic night" he absorbs it, and while he sleeps, the entire Universe resides in his body in the form of pure potency. Each manvantara contains 71 mahayugas, and each mahayuga, in turn, is divided into four yugas (epochs) - Krita (another name for Satya), Treta, Dvapara and Kali. Their duration is respectively:

Satya Yuga - 1,728 thousand human years,
Treta Yuga – 1,296 thousand years,
Dvapara Yuga – 864 thousand years and
Kali Yuga – 432 thousand years.

Each Yuga represents a further decline in man's religiosity, morality, strength, stature, longevity and happiness compared to the previous ones. It is believed that we are currently in the Kali Yuga era, which began about 5,000 years ago.

While the entire multitude of universes are in a manifested state, the Primordial Vishnu monitors the state of affairs in each of them and periodically incarnates in one place or another in whole or in part in order to restore order. According to the most common classification, 10 avatars (incarnations) of Vishnu visited our Earth.

Fish (matsya). When the Earth was flooded with waters global flood, Vishnu took the form of a fish, which first warned Manu (the progenitor of humanity, the son of Brahma) about the impending danger, and then, on a ship tied to the horn on its head, carried Manu, his family and seven great sages (rishis) out of the flood.
Turtle (kurma). During the flood, many divine treasures were lost, including ambrosia (amrita), with the help of which the gods preserved eternal youth. Vishnu took the form of a gigantic turtle and sank to the bottom of the cosmic ocean. The gods placed Mount Mandara on his back and wrapped the divine serpent Vasuki around the mountain. Then they pulled the kite and thus spun the mountain, churning the ocean like an ordinary Indian milkman churns butter. Amrita and many other treasures, including the goddess Lakshmi, floated to the surface of the foaming ocean.
Boar (varaha). The demon Hiranyaksha again plunged the Earth into the depths of the cosmic ocean. Vishnu took the form of a giant boar, killed the demon and set the Earth in place, lifting it on his tusk.
Lion Man (Narasimha). Another demon, Hiranyakasipu, received a gift from Brahma with the magical ability to become invulnerable. Neither beast, nor man, nor god could kill him, day or night. Taking advantage of his safety, he began to persecute gods and people and even his pious son Prahlada. Then Prahlada turned to Vishnu for help. At sunset, i.e. neither day nor night, the god suddenly appeared from a column in the demon's palace in the guise of a half-lion, half-man and killed Hiranyakasipu
Dwarf (vamana). A demon named Bali seized power over the world and, having performed a series of ascetic feats, achieved supernatural power and began to threaten even the gods. Vishnu appeared before him in the form of a dwarf and asked for a gift of as much land as he could measure in three steps. When the gift was promised, the god turned into a giant and took two steps with which he covered the earth, the sky and all the space between them, but generously refrained from taking the third step, leaving the underworld to the demon.
Parashurama ("Rama with an axe"). Vishnu took human form, being born as the son of the brahman Jamadagni. When the Brahmin's father was robbed evil king Kartavirya, Parashurama killed him. The sons of Kartavirya, in turn, killed Jamadagni, after which the angry Parashurama exterminated all the men from the kshatriya (warrior) class 21 times in a row.
Rama, prince of Ayodhya, hero of the epic drama Ramayana. Vishnu incarnated in his image to save the world from the oppression of the demon Ravana. Rama is usually depicted as a dark-skinned man, often armed with a bow and arrow. He is accompanied by his loving wife Sita - the embodiment of female fidelity, his three devoted brothers - Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna - and Hanuman, the king of the monkeys, true friend and comrade. Rama is revered as an incarnation ideal husband, commander and monarch.
Krishna, the most significant incarnation of Vishnu.

Stories from the life of this deity are most often addressed in dance. Most of all they like to depict either his childhood pranks, such as stealing butter from Yashoda (his adoptive mother), or love affairs with the gopis (cowherd girls), the most beloved of whom was the beautiful Radha.

A detailed biography of the god Krishna is contained in the most famous epic work - the Mahabharata.

His brief history is as follows: Krishna was born in Mathura, into the Yadavas tribe. His father was Vasudeva, his mother was Devaki, cousin the reigning king of Kansa at that time. There was a prophecy that Kansa would die at the hands of Devaki's eighth son, so he set out to destroy all her children. But Krishna and his elder brother Balarama escaped the beating; they were adopted and raised by the shepherd Nanda and his wife Yashoda from Vrindavan. Kansa, having learned that the brothers had escaped the death prepared for them, made many attempts to destroy the children. But Krishna, being the incarnation of God, performed many miracles and feats: he killed demons sent by Kansa, sheltered the inhabitants of Vrindavan from the storm, raising Mount Govardhana above their heads with his little finger, etc. In his spare time performing heroic deeds, he tended cows, played the flute for the gopis, and indulged in his childhood pranks.

When he grew up and said goodbye to his idyllic shepherd life, he went to Mathura to fight his evil cousin. He killed Kansa and became the ruler of the kingdom of Mathura, but, pressed on the one hand by Kansa's father-in-law, the ruler of Magadha, and on the other by the nameless king of the Yavanas of the north-west, he left the kingdom and founded a new capital at Dwarka in Saurashtra. Here he married Rukmini and made her the chief of his wives, of whom he had 16,108 and who bore him 180 thousand sons. In the main tale of the Mahabharata, throughout the history of the struggle of the royal families, he appears as a constant friend and adviser to the five Pandava brothers, and before the battle of Kurukshetra, which is the culmination of the epic Mahabharata, he, addressing Arjuna, one of the brothers, utters his great sermon set out in the Bhagavad Gita.

Buddha, the last incarnation of Vishnu in the past. According to the Gitagovinda of the great poet Jayadeva, Vishnu incarnated as Buddha out of compassion for animals to put an end to blood sacrifices.
Kalki is the future incarnation. Hindus believe that at the end of our dark era, Vishnu will appear in the form of a man riding a white horse, with a flaming sword in his hand. He will condemn the sinners, reward the virtuous and revive the Satya Yuga ("golden age").