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ancienthinduism · 6 years

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8 captivating HINDU GODS the ‘WEST’ might not know about !

1. AYYAPPA : Protector of natural law

Lord Ayyappan, or simply Ayyappa (also spelled as Ayappa), is a Hindu deity worshipped mainly in South India,. Ayyappa is believed to have been born out of the union between Lord Shiva and the mythical enchantress Mohini, who is regarded as an avatar of Lord Vishnu. Therefore, Ayyappa is also known as "Hariharan Puthiran" or "Hariharputhra," which literally means the son of both "Hari," or Vishnu, and "Haran," or Shiva. Ayyappa is also commonly known as "Manikandan" .

According to the legend of his birth, his divine parents tied a golden bell (mani) around his neck (kandan) soon after his birth. As the legend goes, when Shiva and Mohini abandoned the baby on the banks of the Pampa river, King Rajashekhara, “the childless monarch of Pandalam”, found the newborn Ayyappa, accepted him as a divine gift, and adopted him as his own son. Due to evil manipulations of his step mother, he went to forest and killed demoness Mahishi and came to kingdom riding on tiger for giving milk of tiger to his step mother. After that he went to dense forest and disappeared. Upon the instructions of Ayyappa, King built temple for Ayyappa in Sabarimalai. Sabarimalai means Sabari- the devotee of Ayyappa and malai- the hill. Sabari, the devotee of Ayyappa had become a hill for the place of stay for Ayyappa. The most famous Lord Ayyappan shrine or temple is located at Sabarimala, on the hills of Pathanamthitta in Kerala,India.It is estimated over 50 million people reach the temple every year to seek blessings of the Lord Ayyappa on the day of Makar-Sankranthi or Pongal. Lord Ayyappa is believed to have laid down strict religious adherence to receive his blessings. The devotees should observe a 41-day penance before visiting him in the temple.

2. KALI : the dark mother goddess of Hinduism

The love between the Divine Mother and her human children is a unique relationship. Kali, the Dark Mother is one such deity with whom devotees have a very loving and intimate bond, in spite of her fearful appearance. In this relationship, the worshipper becomes a child and Kali assumes the form of the ever-caring mother.

Kali is represented with perhaps the fiercest features amongst all the world's deities. She has four arms, with a sword in one hand and the head of a demon in another. The other two hands bless her worshippers, and say, "fear not"! She has two dead heads for her earrings, a string of skulls as a necklace, and a girdle made of human hands as her clothing. Her tongue protrudes from her mouth, her eyes are red, and her face and breasts are sullied with blood. She stands with one foot on the thigh, and another on the chest of her husband, Shiva.

Kali's fierce form is strewed with captivating symbols. Her black complexion symbolizes her all-embracing and transcendental nature. Says the Mahanirvana Tantra: "Just as all colors disappear in black, so all names and forms disappear in her". Her nudity is primeval, fundamental, and transparent like Nature — the earth, sea, and sky. Her three eyes represent past, present, and future, — the three modes of time — an attribute that lies in the very name Kali ('Kala' in Sanskrit means time).

In the eyes of westerners, Kali is a goddess dark of mind, body and soul, a mysterious goddess of death and destruction. However her story is far more complex and far-reaching; she cannot be easily fitted into a typical western narrative of good verses evil, and in fact transcends both.

Kali's guises and names are diverse. Shyama, Adya Ma, Tara Ma, and Dakshina Kalika, Chamundi are popular forms. Then there is Bhadra Kali, who is gentle, Shyamashana Kali, who lives only in the cremation ground, and so on. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda, Vamakhyapa, and Ramprasad are some of the legendary devotees of Kali. One thing was common to these saints — all of them loved the goddess as intimately as they loved their own mother.

We have an exclusive page dedicated to this beautiful & fearless mother goddess .click here - OM SHAKTI - Om Krim Kali

3. KARTHIKEYA : the hindu god of WAR

Kartikeya, the god of war and general of the army of the gods, is known for his extraordinary strength. He is known by many names , some of which are - Murugan, Subramanyam,Skanda,Vel etc.

Lord Kartikeya is said to be one of the most beautiful looking and handsome gods. He is often described as exuding boyish charm and yet with a serious face. Often depicted as a calm and serene character, he has a face that resembled the radiance of the full moon. A demon named Tarakasura was given a boon by Lord Brahma himself that he would only be killed by someone who is as strong as Lord Shiva which would only be his son. It is believed that Lord Kartikeya or Murugan manifested for the sole purpose of killing Tarakasura.

Kartikeya’s other name, Shadanana, which means ‘one with six heads’ corresponds to the five senses and the mind. The six heads also stand for his virtues enables him to see in all the directions - an important attribute that ensures that he counters all kinds blows that can hit him.The war imagery and the six heads of Kartikeya indicate that if humans wish to lead themselves efficiently through the battle of life, they must always be alert lest they are shown the wrong path by crafty people with the six demonic vices: kaama (sex), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (passion), mada (ego) and matsarya (jealousy).

Kartikeya carries in one hand a spear and his other hand is always blessing devotees. His vehicle is a peacock, a pious bird that grips with its feet a serpent, which symbolizes the ego and desires of people. The peacock represents the destroyer of harmful habits and the conqueror of sensual desires. The symbolism of Kartikeya thus points to the ways and means of reaching perfection in life. He is an embodiment of perfection, a brave leader of God's forces, and a war God, who was created to destroy the demons, representing the negative tendencies in human beings.

4. DHANVANTARI : the one who heals

Known as a physician of the Devas, Dhanvantari is a celebrated god amongst the practitioners of Ayurveda. . In Sanatana-dharma (Hinduism), praying to Dhanvantari is supposed to bring sound health for worshippers.

It is said that Dhanvantari was deputed by Lord Indra to take the science of Ayurveda to the mortals. Also to be noted, Dhanvantari is seen as an avatar of Lord Vishnu in Hinduism. Bhagavata Purana states that Dhanvantari appeared when the ocean was churned by the gods and demons in search of the elixir of life ( nectar), Dhanvantari came out of it holding the bowl of nectar in his hands. “Dhanus” denotes the science of surgeries and is only indicative. Thus, Dhanvantari is someone who has seen the end of it. “Dhanvan” also might mean a desert, according to Rigveda – V.36.1. Thus Dhanvantari, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, with a pot of nectar in his hand is like prapaa (oasis) in the desert of worldly existence.”

Lord Dhanvantari is an outstanding personality in the history of Ayurveda. He was the physician of the Gods (in both the Vedas and Puranas) and an excellent surgeon. It is also believed that Dhanvantari promulgated the practise of Ayurveda. According to the Charaka Samhita, the knowledge of Ayurveda is eternal and is revealed in each of the cycles of creation of the universe. When needed, Lord Vishnu himself incarnates as Lord Dhanvantari and reestablishes the tradition of Ayurveda in the world to help relieve some of humanity’s suffering.

Lord Dhanvantari is known as the father of Ayurveda, since he was the first divine incarnation to impart its wisdom amongst humans. It is written in the scriptures that, “One who remembers the name of Dhanvantari can be released from all disease.” Lord Dhanvantari is worshipped all over India as the God of Medicine. On the day of Dhanteras, birthday celebrations of Dhanvantari, the God of health, take place in an enthusiastic and delightful atmosphere. Dhanvatari Jayanti is celebrated throughout India by the practitioners of Ayurveda, the Indian traditional medicine.

5. KAMA ~ Hindu god of LOVE

Valentine's day on 14th February is celebrated by Indians with lot of fervour, while not many are aware of Lord Kamadeva or Manmatha , the God of Love in Hindu mythology. Indians do not worship Lord Kamadeva or celebrate his birthday since “love” is not expressed openly or is considered taboo among conservative Indians though ironically the younger generation celebrate “love” associating it with Valentine's Day - a concept borrowed from the western world. “Love” has been expressed in ancient temples built centuries ago, like Khajuraho or Belur-Halebeedu, but are labelled as erotic and not generally discussed in the open since it is considered inappropriate to do so .

Kamadeva is portrayed as young, handsome man with wings carrying a bow and arrows. His bow is made of sugarcane with a cord of honeybees, and arrows of sweet-smelling Ashoka tree flowers, white and blue lotus flowers, Jasmine and Mango tree flowers. Lord Kamdeva is seen sitting on a Parrot.

It is believed that Lord Shiva burned Kamadeva on the day of Holi. Down south in India ,people worship Kamadeva-the Love-god for his extreme sacrifice on the day of Holi. Like Cupid is the God of love for the west and Ero’s for the Greeks , Kamadeva is the Hindu deity of love. His wife is “Rati” - goddess love, carnal desire, lust, passion and sexual pleasure . Lord Kamadeva, is the incarnation of Pradyumna and son of Goddess Sri though spiritually Vaishnavas believe him to be Lord Krishna.The meaning of the name Kama-deva is 'divine love' or 'God of love'. Vishnu Purana and Bhagavata Purana say Kamadeva is Vishnu. Sometimes he is also called Shiva and is described as "Prayaschita padyata" in Sanskrit. Kama is also a name for Agni (Fire God)

We could say confidently, that only a handful out of 100 people who celebrate V-Day, will know about the 3rd Century Roman saint in whose name V-day is celebrated. challenge yourself - do you know ?

6. VARUNA : lord of the oceans

In the Vedas, he has been described as the supreme, all knowing deity who created Heavens, Earth and Air. He is believed to be omnipresent and omniscient. As the word Varuna means “he who covers”, Lord Varuna is believed to be someone who encompasses the whole world. Thus, he is generally worshipped as personication of sky. But it is believed that he is also the controller of rivers, streams, lakes, oceans and other reservoirs of water, thus giving him the title of “God of the Oceans”.

Lord Varuna is believed to be son of Sage Kashyapa. As he is said to have originated from Aditi, the mother of Gods, he is also acknowledged as Aditya. According to the Vedas, he has thousand eyes which help him to oversee the whole world. He is often pictured as riding a chariot drawn by seven swans while holding the lotus, noose, conch and vessel of gems along with an umbrella held over his head. But some temples in Indian subcontinent have depicted him as riding on a crocodile.

As being able to oversee the world with his thousand eyes, Lord Varuna is often also associated with moral law and community affairs. He is also said to be the keeper of cosmic order, a force called “rta” which means justice. As being the one who enforces law, he is worshipped as keeper of divine order and enforcer of contracts.

Hindus worship Lord Varuna in different forms and ways. A legend associated with the festival of Rakhi is that of the worship offered to the sea god, Lord Varuna. On the Raksha Bandhan day, devotees offer coconuts to him. He is said to keep watch over the various demons of the ocean. Nevertheless, Lord Varuna is still worshipped as the guardian of western direction.Lord Varuna’s worship is also considered to be vital part of the ritual ‘Sandhyavandanam’.

7. GARUDA : the messenger of gods

Garuda is the king of the birds and often acts as a messenger between the gods . Garuda has the head, wings, talons and beak of an eagle and the body and limbs of a man. He is said to have a white face, red wings and a golden body.

Garuda was the son of a great sage, Kashyapa. Since he was the son of the great sage, his wings had a peculiar quality in that every time they moved, verses from the Holy Vedas would be heard. The very presence of Garuda was thus a blessing and benediction. His immense powers were also a gift conferred upon his father the Valkhilya rishis, supernatural beings of miniscule size and immense spiritual accomplishments.

Garuda is said to have been born hungry, and while he was permitted to feast upon the natives, he accidentally swallowed and spit out a Brahmin, a member of the higher class that he was forbidden to touch. Still hungry, Garuda went on many escapades and every time he sat on a branch, it broke. One time as Garuda caught a branch from falling, in fear that it might kill a Brahmin, Lord Vishnu spied him and asked what he was doing. (Lord Vishnu is one of the Hindu Trinity Godhead: Brahma-the Creator, Vishnu-the Sustainer, and Siva-the Transformer.) Garuda told Vishnu that no tree or mountain seemed able to hold his weight, whereupon Vishnu offered him his arm to sit on and did not waiver at the weight.When Garuda was still hungry after eating, Vishnu offered him the flesh of his arm. After Garuda ate from Vishnu’s arm, there was no wound at all. Garuda bowed his head to Vishnu, realizing his divine nature and became Vishnu’s heroic friend for all time. In many Indian epics, Garuda carries Vishnu, and mostly serves him as his vehicle.

Garuda is known for his service, his concern for others and his impressive speed and strength. Among his many names, he is called “Chirad, the long eater” and “Garuda, the carrier of immense weight.”

8. YAMA

Yama, in hinduism, the god of the dead. The Vedas describe him as the first man who died, blazing the path of mortality down which all humans have since followed. He is the guardian of the south (the region of death) and presides over the resting place of the dead, which is located under the earth. In the Vedas, Yama was represented as a cheerful king of the departed ancestors, not as a punisher of sins, but in later mythology he became known as the just judge (Dharmaraja) who weighs the good and evil deeds of the dead and determines retribution. He is described as majestic in appearance, green or black, with red eyes and red garments. He carries a noose and a mace, which may be ornamented with a skull, and rides a buffalo.

Yama is the one who decides whether the souls of the dead shall come to heaven (Svarga) or to Naraka, where the souls of the wicked humans have to wait for their sins to be burned away so they can be reborn.In his abode, Yama decides about punishment and estimates the value of the actions for which the dead were responsible before their lives came to the end.

In the Tibetan beliefs, Yama is portrayed as the symbol of annihilation; he is a terrible monster crushing the wheel of life - unmercifully. In Hindu mythology, he is considered the benevolent god of the dead who treated humans friendly and well, but later, his attitude to humans significantly changes and he is portrayed as a frightening judge and punisher of human wrongdoings.

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