Hindu Pantheon Assignment

Complete the below chart for the following gods: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Saraswati, Lakshmi,
Ganeshti, , Hanuman, Kali, Durga, Rama, Krishna, Surya. I have done one for you as an example:

Image of the god

Name(s) of the god

associations with
other gods
(avatars,consorts,
family, etc.)

Roles and/or powers

Explanation of at least
5 symbols associated
with the god

Narayana

The Preserver

1.The four arms

Hari

The Protector

indicate Vishnu's
omnipresence and
omnipotence

Part of Trimurti

2.In his right hand he

holds the discus,
symbol of the cosmic
mind and reminder of
the wheel of time.
3.His lower right hand
holds the conch
(sankh), symbol of the
sound Ohm orgin of
existence.
4.In his other hand he
holds the bow which
is called shranga, the
symbol of casual
power of illusion from
which arises the
universe.
5.In his upper left

hand, he holds a
lotus (padma), the
symbol for the moving
universe and the
symbol of all things
that are good
(eternity, prosperity,
and purity).

Brahma

God of Creation

Father of Manu who

gave birth to all
Humans

One of the Trimurti

The Four Faces The

four Vedas (Rig, Sma,
Yajur and Atharva).
The Four Hands
Brahm's four arms
represent the four
cardinal directions

The Progenitor
Husband of Saraswati

The Prayer beads

Symbolize the
substances used in the
process of creation.

Had ten sons one

daughter

The Book The book

symbolizes knowledge.
The Gold Gold
symbolizes activity; the
golden face of Brahm
indicates that He is
actively involved in the
process of creating the
Universe.
Kali

Goddess of time

Also known as Klik

Goddess of Change

Consort of Shiva

Goddess of
Destruction
Goddess of power

1.Stands upon the

body of Shiva so Shiva
could Absorb the
impact of Kalis
Victory dance
2.Stands upon a
battlefield of slain
Demons
3.The garland and
skirt are trophies worn
by Her to symbolize
having liberated Her
children from
attachment to the
limited body.
4.Sword signifies that
she is a warrior.
5. fearsome
expression signifies
her form of chaos and
destruction

Shiva

One of the Trimurti

Mahadeva (Great
God)

1.Depicted with a
third eye, with which
he burns away desire.
2.Smears his bodies
with ashes,
symbolizes our
material existence

The Destroyer
Yogi
Husband of Parvati

3.Shown sitting upon

a tiger skin which is
an honor reserved for
only the most
accomplished of hindu
aesthetics.
4.His holding deer on
one hand indicates
that He has removed
the Chanchalata of
the mind
5. The parashu is the
weapon of Lord Shiva
who gave it to
Parashurama, sixth
Avatar of Vishnu,
whose name means
"Rama with the axe"
and also taught him
its mastery.

Saraswati

Hindu goddess of
knowledge, music, arts,
wisdom and learning
Saraswati Trinity

1.When shown with

four hands, those
hands symbolically
mirror her husband
Brahma's four heads
2.The book she holds
symbolizes the Vedas
representing the
universal, divine, eternal,
and true knowledge as
well as all forms of
learning.
3.A ml of crystals,
representing the power of
meditation, inner
reflection and spirituality.
4.A pot of water
represents powers to
purify the right from
wrong, the clean from

unclean, and the

essence from the
misleading.
5.he musical instrument,
typically a veena,
represents all creative
arts and sciences

Lakshmi
Sri
Thirumagal

Hindu goddess of
wealth, love, prosperity
(both material and
spiritual), fortune, and the
embodiment of beauty.

1.Her four hands

represent the four goals
of human life considered
proper in Hindu way of
life dharma, kama,
artha, and moksha.[

She is the wife and active In modern times,

Lakshmi is worshipped
energy of Vishnu
2.she is either sitting or
as the goddess of wealth. standing on lotus, and
typically also carries lotus
in one or two hands.
Lotus carries symbolic
meanings in Hinduism
and other Indian
traditions. It symbolically
represents reality,
consciousness and
karma
3.Elephants symbolize
work, activity and
strength, as well as
water, rain and fertility for
abundant prosperity.
4.The owl, called
Pechaka in eastern
regions of India, signifies
the patient striving to
observe, see and
discover knowledge
particularly when
surrounded by darkness.
5.Wealth symbolically
pours out from one of her
hands in some
representations, or she
simply holds a jar of
wealth in some

representations.

Parvati
She is the gentle and
nurturing aspect of Hindu
goddess Shakti.
Wife of Shiva

Hindu goddess of Love,

fertility, and devotion.
Part of Saraswati Trilogy

1.sometimes shown with

golden or yellow colour
skin, particularly as
goddess Gauri,
symbolizing her as the
goddess of ripened
harvests.
2.Parvati's right hand in
Abhaya mudra
symbolizes "do not fear
anyone or anything"
3.Tarjani by the left hand
representing gesture
of menace
4.one of her children,
typically Ganesha, is on
her knee, while her elder
son Skanda may be
playing near her in her
watch.
5.The hands mimic
motherly gesture, and
when included in a
dance, the dancer
symbolically expresses
Parvati.

Ganesh
Ganapati
Vinayaka
Lambodara

Ganesha is widely
revered as the remover
of obstacles,[7] the patron
of arts and sciences and
the deva of intellect and
wisdom.
god of beginnings

1.Ganesha was created

by Parvati using clay to
protect her and Shiva
beheaded him when
Ganesha came between
Shiva and Parvati. Shiva
then replaced Ganesha's
original head with that of
an elephant.
2.Ganesha has the name
Lambodara because all
the universes of the past,
present, and future are
within him.
3.Carries an axe to cut
off all forms of
attachment.
4.His large stomach
represents how he
digests all good and bad
in life.
5.The mouse reprisents
desire. Unless under
control desire can cause
havoc.

Durga or Durgadevi
The inaccessible
The invincible

Goddess of victory, and

good over evil

1. Durga is
represented to have 8
or 10 hands. These
represent the eight
quadrants or ten
directions in hinduism.
2.Mother Durga is also
referred to as
"Triyambake" meaning
the three eyed
Goddess. The left eye
represents desire (the
moon), the right eye
represents action (the
sun), and the central
eye knowledge (fire).
3.Mother durga Rides
a Tiger representing
power, will, and
determination.

4.The conch shell in

durgas hand
represents Om.
5. The bow and arrow
represents energy.

Rama

Life of adherence to
Dharma even when
Rama is considered to be faced with challenges.
one of the most important
avatars of Vishnu.

1.Rama is a symbol of
sacrifice, a model of
brotherhood, an ideal
administrator, and a
warrior unparalleled.
2.In earlier part of her
life, Sita while playing
with her sisters had
unknowingly moved
the table over which
the "Shiva Dhanush"
had been placed;
which was something
no one in the palace
could do. This incident
was however
observed by King
Janaka and he
decided to make this
incident as the
backdrop
forswayamvar.
Later, Janaka had
announced that
whoever wanted to
marry Sita had to do
so only after lifting the
bow from its place
and stringing it. The
bow was broken by
Lord Rama when he
attempted to string
the bow, during the
swayamvar of King
Janaka's daughter
Sita, whereby he won
the hand of Sita in
marriage.

Krishna

8th Avatar of Vishnu

god-child, a prankster, a
model lover, a divine
hero, and the Supreme
Being.

1.The divine lover (the

most common
representation) is
shown playing the
flute, surrounded by
adoring gopis.
2.The peacock feather
is a symbol for Beauty
and knowledge.
3.The flute symbolizes
divine music
4.The name Krishna is
Sanskrit, and it means
"black" or "dark blue."
5.Krishna is called the
'Black God' in the
same way that
amongst the
Egyptians Osiris is
called a black God.
His spouse is Nut, Isis,
the Divine Mother,
who is the sky filled
with stars, that
fundamental
emptiness from which
stars are born.
Krishna / Christ is the
light that emerges in
the darkness. The
darkness does not
understand the light.
Our mind, our
perception, does not
comprehend the light
of Krishna / Christ. We
see black.

Surya

Power of the sun

The Supreme Light

Represents the soul

Has an Arka and Mitra

form

Creator of the universe

and source of all life

1.Rides a chariot
pulled by seven
horses which might
represent the seven
colors of the rainbow.
2.Conch shell used to
ward off demons
3.the sun wheel, this
became the symbol of
the cycle of life and
death.

4.Lotus flower
signifies beauty and
virginity.
5.Father of king
sugriva who helped
Rama and Lakshama
defeat Ravana the
Demon King