Who is Bhairav?
Bhairav
is the wrathful, tantric aspect of Shiva, portrayed as naked, black or
blue, with long, unruly flaming hair and holding a sword in one hand
and a wand with 3 skulls or a noose in the other. He often has a string
of skulls round his neck and stands on a recumbent figure. Sometimes
shown embraced by his consort, Kali (Bhairav Shakti).
Who is BRAHMA?
the
lord of creation and the god of wisdom has four faces, representing
four qualities of the earth, directed in four directions. He holds in
his hands the Vedas (ancient book of wisdom and learning), a string of
pearls for counting time, a sacrificial spoon symbolic of spiritual
nature. The fourth hand is usually raised in blessing. He also carries
water in a Kamandalu (water pot), indicating that the universe has
evolved from water.
Who is Durga?
Durga
is a wrathful form of Parvati (consort of Shiva). She is represented
with many arms with a weapon in each hand, shown sitting astride her
mount, the lion, holding a sword, a club, a lotus flower and a dire.
Her face always remains calm and gentle.
Who is GANESH?
Ganesh,
the elephant-headed god of wisdom and success, is the defender and
remover of obstacles, and has to be propitiated first before worship to
other gods. He is one of the sons of Shiva and is known as ‘Siddhi
Data’, or bestower of success in work. His elephant head is believed to
be an emblem of wisdom and his mount (the shrew called ‘Mooshika’) an
emblem of sagacity.
Who is Kali?
Kali
is a wrathful form of Parvati (consort of Shiva). She is the goddess of
mysteries. She is usually black or blue in colour. She is represented
unclothed except for a garland of severed heads, tongue protruding from
her mouth.
Who is Krishna?
Like
the Buddha, Krishna is considered to be a popular incarnation of
Vishnu, symbolising many virtues, including love, devotion and joy. He
is usually shown playing a flute, though often depicted as a little
blue baby. His love for Radha is an allegory of the union of the
individual soul with God.
Who is Laxmi?
Laxmi
is the goddess of wealth, and the wife of Vishnu She has four hands.
The two prominent hands are in Varada and Abhaya Mudra. The other two
hold a mirror and vermilion pot. She is often accompanied by two dwarfs.
Who is Mahavira?
Often
considered to be the founder of the Jain religion but actually the 24th
Tirthankara (fordmaker), though he is credited with the founding of
modern Jainism, a religion which requires total commitment to
non-violence (ahimsa). He was a contemporary of the Buddha and, in
fact, Buddhism and Jainism have much in common. He was famed for his
severe ascetism and complete rejection of the material world - he is
said to have gone naked from the moment of his renunciation and to have
had no concern with food, water, sleep or cleanliness.
Who is Nataraj, the Lord of the Dance?
The
dance represents Shiva as the moving force of the universe and his five
supernatural acts of creation, preservation, destruction, embodiment
and release (of the souls of men from illusion ~ release being found in
the fire of the cremation ground, here symbolized by the ring of flames
round the dancer). Shiva is caught in mid-dance with one foot on a
demon, the other poised for the next step, his hair flying out at the
sides, he holds the hour-glass-shaped drum (representing the 5 rhythms
of manifestation) and the ashes of fire with which he destroys the
universe.
Who is Saraswati?
Saraswati
is the goddess of learning, music & poetry, and is believed to
confer wisdom and learning on those who worship her (she is revered by
Hindus and Buddhists). She is the consort of Brahma and is generally
represented holding a Vina (stringed musical instrument). Her colour is
white and her mount a swan.
Who is SHIVA?
Shiva,
the god of destruction and regeneration in the Hindu pantheon, has many
forms including Shiva as a meditating ascetic, Nataraj - Lord of the
Dance, Bhairav - Shiva in his wrathful aspect, the androgynous
Ardhanari - half man, half woman, and in various forms with his consort
Parvati/Uma/Durga/Kali. He usually holds a trident and a small drum,
and the divine bull, Nandi, serves as his vehicle. He is the father of
Ganesh.
Who is VISHNU?
The
preserver and protector ~ popular because of his compassionate nature;
worshipped either singly or with his consort Lakshmi (goddess of
wealth). He is usually shown standing upright with four arms, one
holding a wheel (chakra), another a mace or club (gada), another a
conch shell (sankh) and the last a lotus bud (padma). He also wears a
diadem (kirit) on his head and stands on a lotus pedestal. Krishna,
Rama and Sakyamuni Buddha are said to be incarnations of Vishnu.
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