In Vedic culture, among the countless number of gods, it is customary to distinguish three - the most important Gods, these are Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva. These deities symbolize the three forces that are fundamental in the universe: the power of preservation, the power of creation and the power of destruction.
We will replenish this article as far as possible with the Gods and their description 🙂
God Vishnu
Vishnu- The god of the preservation of the universe, but there is a cult in which he is revered as the main and only deity. Worship of this god occurs either directly or through his avatars-incarnations: Rama and Krishna.
As written in the ancient Puruna texts, Vishnu has 10 avatars or incarnations. Of these, 9 have already come to earth, and the last incarnation will come to earth before the complete destruction of the world in the era.
It is stated that the purpose of Krishna's arrival in this world is to maintain moral principles(dharma), conquer evil and perform divine rituals to save the souls of people.
The Vaishvan tradition is a direction in Vedic culture that reveres Vishnu as the supreme God. In its teaching, this religion also relies on a number of ancient texts. These texts include the Taittiriya Samhita, the Yajur Veda and the Vishnu Sahasranama. In these ancient scriptures, the god Vishnu is called the "Super Soul", as well as the Supreme God, who knows the past and the future. Vishnu is also called the creator of the universe, who rules it and maintains life in it.
Image and attributes of God Vishnu:
God Vishnu is depicted with four hands with dark blue skin (heavenly color, sky). Each hand of the god Vishnu holds an object that has a certain symbolic meaning. In the first hand, Vishnu holds a lotus flower, which symbolizes beauty. The second hand holds a mace, which is a weapon against demons - asuras. In the third hand is the sacred shankha shell - a symbol of glory, longevity and prosperity. In ancient times, such shells were used to blow them in ritual ceremonies, or during battle to convene troops. The fourth hand contains a fiery disk (sudarshan-chakra), which is also a weapon for beheading demons.
Vishnu is also known by other names such as Purusha, Parahatma, Mahapurusha, Bhagavan (one who has all the virtues). In Hinduism, Vishnu is considered to have everything. positive traits which are only possible. The main ones are: knowledge and courage, power and strength, beauty and compassion, wealth and generosity.
Goddess Lakshmi
Lakshmi- Goddess of well-being, abundance, prosperity, wealth, good luck and happiness. She is the embodiment of grace, beauty and charm. It is believed that the worship of Lakshmi will protect them from worldly misfortunes and poverty. Lakshmi is the wife of Vishnu and personifies his energy. Lakshmi promised her husband that wherever he was in the three worlds, she would always be by his side. In earthly incarnations, she is married to the avatar Rama (as Sita) and Krishna (as Radha and later Rukmini).
In group images of Vishnu with his companions, Lakshmi is always present next to him or massaging his feet. This demonstrates that the energy of Lakshmi is under divine control and Vishnu uses it for the well-being of living beings.
Together with Vishnu, the goddess is represented in the aspects of the three gunas. In sattva-guna, Lakshmi accompanies Vishnu on Garuda. In the rajdas-guna, Lakshmi is represented alone, sitting on an elephant or in a lotus. The four hands of Lakshmi symbolize the four goals. human life: dharma (righteousness), artha (welfare), kama (love, pleasure) and moksha (liberation). If Lakshmi is depicted with two hands, then they are holding either lotuses or sriphala (coconut) and a lotus. She may be accompanied by two female porters (chauri) with fans and two or four elephants carrying ghats.
In individual iconography, Lakshmi sits or stands on a lotus throne. As noted, she also holds lotus flowers in one or two hands. It symbolizes spiritual knowledge, purity, liberation. In tamas-guna, Lakshmi is riding another riding bird, an owl named Uluka. The owl symbolizes wisdom and intelligence due to its ability to see in the dark and foresee events in the future. When Lakshmi sits on an owl, it is believed that a person is blinded by wealth and has forgotten about the goals of earthly life.
God Brahma
Brahma One of the three main gods. Brahma is called the creator who created the universe. According to the Srimad Bhagavatam (3.8.14-16), Brahma is self-born, without a mother, born from a lotus flower that grew from the navel of Vishnu at the very beginning of the process of creating the material Universe.
Image and attributes of God Brahma.
Traditionally, Brahma is depicted as a four-armed and four-faced God. Brahma is dressed in a red robe. It is generally accepted that the four faces of this god are the personifications of the four books of the Vedas.
Often Brahma is depicted with a beard, which in India personifies longevity (wisdom and the process of eternal creation.). Such an image is especially characteristic of the northern regions of India.
Brahma is depicted as a four-faced god (four faces represent 4 Vedas (Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharaveda), or 4 Yugas, or 4 directions of the world, which he surveys in order to notice everything in the created world). In the hands of Brahma, one can see the following attributes: a scepter, sometimes a ladle or a spoon, symbolically reflecting Brahma as the lord of yajnas; a kamandalu (vessel) filled with water from the sacred river Ganges, symbolizing the original substance from which the Universe arose; akshamala (a rosary that is needed to count the universal time), as well as the Vedas, as a symbol of knowledge, or a lotus flower, as a symbol of the manifested cosmos. Vahana (mount) of Brahma is a swan, personifying divine wisdom.
Goddess Saraswati
Saraswati- Goddess of wisdom, knowledge, art, beauty and eloquence. Brahmacharini, assistant to Brahma in the creation of the universe. Saraswati carries out the marriage of heaven and earth, it is she who creates the heavenly Bridal Chamber - the Chamber of salvation and eternal bliss. Originally a river goddess.
Some of Saraswati's names sound like "giving existence", "ruler of speech and life", "higher knowledge". She is considered the embodiment of all knowledge: arts, sciences, crafts and craftsmanship.
Saraswati is depicted as beautiful woman sitting on a white swan - a symbol of the Forces of Light, dressed in white. She usually sits on a lotus pedestal (padma-sana) in a beautiful posture (lalitasana), with one leg hanging down while the other is under it. Associated with white, symbolizing the purity of knowledge. She does not wear jewelry and gold, she is dressed strictly - as a sign that she prefers spiritual values to material ones. She is usually depicted with four arms. In her hands:
- the sacred book of the Vedas is a symbol of science
- rosary from white pearl- a symbol of spirituality
- bowl with sacred water- a symbol of creative and cleansing power
- guilt - musical instrument, art symbol
In some reliefs, she does not hold a musical instrument and her hands are folded in the abhaya mudra (gesture of protection) or varada mudra (gesture of blessing). Her vehicle (vahana) is a swan, and her emblem is a six-pointed star or hexagram (shatkopa or sadyantra). Sometimes she is shown standing.
God Shiva
Shiva is the greatest of the Gods (Mahadev). Shiva is the goodness of the world and the world of the soul. Shiva is the destroyer of the universe. Shiva is the truth. Shiva is the destroyer of illusions that chain a person to material world... Mahayog - "great yogi", as well as Nataraj - "king of dance", but also Mrityunjay - "conquering death", sitting on the throne of Mount Kailash in the Tibetan Himalayas. Many aspects are combined in his image, which is not surprising, because he is considered the Absolute, and the Absolute has everything. Can be described endlessly....
In Vedic culture, one of the supreme gods, who, together with Vishnu and Brahma, forms the divine triad - trimurti. Shiva is not only a kind protector, but also a formidable God who lives on battlefields and at funeral pyres. Shiva is the creator and at the same time the God of time, and therefore of destruction, the God of fertility and at the same time an ascetic who suppressed desires and lives high in the Himalayas on Mount Kailash.
The wife of the goddess Parvati, also called Shakti or Kali, she is also revered as the goddess who defeats demons. The sons of Shiva: Ganesha, known as the god of wisdom, and Skanda, the god who defeated the evil demon Taraki.
Shiva is most often depicted as dancing. This is due to the fact that, according to the legend, his dance awakens the Universe at the beginning of a new cycle of its existence, and at the end of the cycle, Shiva destroys it with the dance of death. At the same time, other gods follow his dance, sing along and play musical instruments with him.
Thus, Shiva combines both creative and destructive principles. It is also commonly believed that Shiva has one hundred and eight forms or incarnations.
Image and attributes of God Shiva.
A naked body covered in ashes. Tangled hair that holds back the powerful Ganges. The growing moon is one of the decorations. Three eyes. God Shiva is also called Tryambaka Deva and is depicted as having three eyes. His first eye is the sun, the second is the moon, and the third is fire. A snake around the neck. Wraps around Shiva's neck three times and looks in the direction right side. Each of the rings of the snake symbolizes time - past, future and present. Rudraksha necklace. The Rudraksha necklace symbolizes that Shiva adamantly, without compromise, maintains law and order in the universe. Warda is wise. Right hand Shiva is depicted as simultaneously giving blessings, destroying evil, destroying ignorance and awakening wisdom in followers. Trident (Trishula). The trident, depicted next to Shiva, symbolizes his three main energies (shakti): desire (ichcha), action (kriya) and knowledge (jnana). Damaru (drum). Symbolizes two extremely dissimilar forms of existence - obvious and non-obvious. Bull Nandi. Shiva's vehicle. Tiger skin. Latent energy.
Goddess Parvati
Parvati- Goddess of light, beauty and love. She is kind and noble. It is a good form of Devi, shakti (strength, female creative energy) of Shiva.
More names of good forms: Gauri ("Light, Good"), Tripurasundari ("splendor of the three worlds"), Lalita - "Playing", Bhavani (English) ("revitalizing"). In an angry form, Devi bears the names Kali ("Black"), Shyama, Chandi (Chanda, "Angry"), Durga ("Impregnable"), Bhairavi (English) ("Sinister").
Union of Shiva and Parvati Perfect marriage, they are created by heaven for each other and in all manifestations they find each other again. Parvati is an exemplary wife and mother, a woman who devoted her whole life to her husband, dissolved in her love and sacrificed herself to her lover. That is why women come to the temples of Shakti (the supreme female deity) and pray to Parvati, wanting to have happiness in marriage.
The goddess is depicted as a beautiful woman, from whose face a divine radiance emanates. She, in her female form, did not perform any miracles, she only served her husband and shared with him all the sorrows and sufferings and trials. But when the traits of Kali (the Destroyer) or Durga appear in her, she is able to perform miracles.
The great God Shiva himself believes that without his divine half, he lives like a cold corpse and is unable to create or destroy without her presence.
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Goddess Lakshmi- Indian goddess of 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.
Many virtues are associated with the goddess Lakshmi, among which are not only 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 good fortune.
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 the daughter of the sage Bhrigu and Khyati. According to another version, Lakshmi appeared at the very beginning of the universe, having arisen in the primordial waters on a lotus flower. Another and most popular version is the appearance of Lakshmi during the churning (turning into milk) of the oceans. According to this legend, the waters of the ocean 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 her 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 the god Vishnu as her husband, giving him a flower wedding garland. Lakshmi prefers 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 women-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, a wheel and a wand in them. Variants are possible when in the four hands of Lakshmi there is a fruit similar to a lemon, a vessel with nectar and lotuses. Or a lotus, a wooden apple, a vessel of ambrosia and a shell. Also, Lakshmi with four hands is depicted with lotuses in her hands raised up and pouring coins from one of the palms, while the other palm is depicted in a blessing gesture.
The four hands of the goddess Lakshmi indicate that it is in her power to give people wealth, goals in life, bodily pleasures and bliss.
If Lakshmi is depicted with eight arms, then in them she has a lotus, a bow, an arrow, a wand, a wheel, a 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 an eagle or on the snake Ananta.
Mission Lakshmi
The main goal of the goddess Lakshmi is eternal happiness for people on Earth, which is why she contributes to those who meaningfully build their careers. But for absolute happiness, a person 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 others.
Together with Lakshmi, beauty, grace and love come into the house, which is associated with the provision of all household needs for people.
Worship Lakshmi
In India, the goddess Lakshmi is revered and worshiped. The Indian holiday of 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 goddess Lakshmi. At this time, whole fiery performances of fireworks are arranged in honor of the goddess. According to ancient belief it is during this holiday, when everything around is embraced by an atmosphere of joy and fun, Lakshmi goes from house to house and chooses a place to rest. Her patronage is sought by those houses that are lit brighter than others.
Another popular Hindu holiday is the "nine nights", three nights of which are dedicated to the goddess Lakshmi.
How to Woo Lakshmi
There are several ways to win the favor of the goddess Lakshmi and get in touch with her. The first way is meditation, and the second way is the chanting of mantras, in which the name of the gold-bearing goddess Lakshmi is mentioned. Experts believe that the most effective is a combination of the first and second methods, that is, meditation combined with the chanting of 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 house, which will also attract success and prosperity, but it will take much longer to wait for changes for the better than when combining meditation with mantras.
Lakshmi in the house will protect from poverty and worldly hardships, 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, the family begins to be haunted by bad luck. If people begin to get rich and prosper, then they say that Lakshmi settled in the house.
It is not in vain that Lakshmi is depicted with her feet turned in different sides, since it is considered a restless goddess, confirming the fragility and inconstancy of this world, only one virtue is unshakable for her - this is piety.
But even a very wealthy and prosperous person risks losing the favor of the goddess Lakshmi if he wears dirty clothes, will swear, stop keeping clean own body(especially brushing your teeth) or will continue to sleep after sunrise.
Lakshmi herself comes to those places where sciences and learned people, where they know how to save the grain harvest without loss, as well as in families where husband and wife do not quarrel and respect each other.
Lakshmi at home
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, best of all at the entrance or in the hallway. The location of Lakshmi in the study will also be successful.
The energy of the goddess Lakshmi comes into the world through large flowers, which are distinguished by their special beauty and tenderness. Such flowers include lotus flowers, roses, dahlias, peonies and daffodils. It is believed that after a flower has been cut, it can live only on the basis of the love with which it was presented or received 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 precious metal- gold.
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We will dedicate this article to brief description one of the greatest deities in the Vedic pantheon - the god Shiva. It would take a book or even several to fully describe all that he is, because Shiva is the Universe or Universes, the Absolute. The most important and bright characteristics and aspects of god will be discussed in the published material.
Don't remember all his names. Since the time of the Vedas, the name Rudra has been attached to him, but everyone also knows his image of the king of dance performing Tandava, and here he is already known as Nataraja.
Tandava is an unusual dance, it is also a symbol of the movement of the world. The world itself began with Shiva's dance, and it will end with it, but as long as Shiva continues to dance, the world exists. From dance to yoga - one step or vice versa. This also applies to the story of Lord Shiva. He is the personification of Ananda (highest bliss) and at the same time the king of yogis.
Among those who devote themselves to yoga, he is known as Shiva Adinath, where "nath" means "master". Therefore, the followers of Shaivism - in its yogic incarnation - are called naths. It is not surprising that the founders of the broadest trend of yoga, Hatha Yoga, were Nathas. Matsyendranath and his disciple Gorakshanath are at the origins of this tradition on the land laid down in X-XI centuries ad.
The fact that Shiva knows thousands and millions of asanas is known to yoga practitioners, but less is known about the fact that he passed on the most valuable knowledge about (the science of breath control) to his wife Parvati. Yogis all over the world are grateful to Shiva for sending down the system of yogic knowledge to people, which is why he is so revered in the communities of practitioners.
God Shiva
God Shiva is contrasts: contemplation and action, creation and destruction, anger and mercy. Many aspects are combined in his image, which is not surprising, because he is considered the Absolute, and the Absolute has everything. He is Mahayog - "the great yogi", as well as Nataraj - "the king of dance", but also Mrityunjay - "the conqueror of death", sitting on the throne of Mount Kailash in the Tibetan Himalayas. This is a sacred place of power, which is revered not only by yogis and followers of Shaivism, people who study the energies of the Earth, its influence on the state of man, his energy and consciousness strive to rise there. Knowledgeable people they say that Kailash is really unlike anything they have seen and experienced before. This is an indescribable experience, after which even great skeptics change their point of view and cast aside all doubts.
On the territory of India there are many places associated with Shiva, and all of them in one way or another can be called places of power. One of the most revered is the Ganges River. It is believed that a sacred river descends through the hair of the god Shiva, so bathing in it brings purification both external and internal, spiritual.
Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva - trinity
The Hindu/Vedic Trinity, otherwise called Trimurti, consists of three gods: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, where Brahma acts as the creator, Vishnu as the keeper, and Shiva as the destroyer. This is the real Trinity of Vedism, and yet they are inseparable, they are different manifestations of the one.
Some areas of Shaivism, such as Kashmir Shaivism, see in Shiva a combination of all incarnations: creator, keeper and destroyer. For Shaivites, he is Everything. Others perceive it as an analogue of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. Shiva is the absolute Reality. Despite the fact that in the minds of connoisseurs of mythology, the god Shiva is associated with destruction, this does not mean destruction, understood as something negative. Our culture makes us think In a similar way. In fact, destruction can be interpreted in different ways: leaving the past, breaking with it; the termination of the old way of life and the transition to a new stage, because in order to start something, you must first end the previous one.
Not the last role is played by such a concept as the destruction of worldly fuss and even death. Shiva is the Absolute, so the word "destruction" is just one of the names, one hypostasis, because in the next one he is the embodiment of mercy and compassion.
Many-armed Shiva. How many hands does Shiva have
Often Shiva is portrayed as a deity with 4 arms, and sometimes even 8. Why do you need so many arms? Naturally, this is connected with symbolism, and you should not take it literally that this god had 5 faces and 4 hands. In his hands he holds a damaru drum, symbolizing the rhythm of the Universe, in his other hand he holds the sacred flame of Agni - a symbol of purification and re-creation of the world.
Shiva is also depicted holding a trident. Behind such multi-armedness is definitely hidden philosophical meaning. If he has damaru and Agni in two hands, then the other two perform gestures: one performs a gesture of approval, the other - power and strength. According to legend, it is believed that it is the sound of this drum that is the progenitor of all sounds, and the god Shiva himself gave people the divine syllable "OM", which was later called the mantra, in which the entire essence of the universe is concentrated. Also, the god can hold a trident, arrows and a bow, but not all images look the same. The figure of Shiva can be encircled by snakes. The symbolic meaning of the snake is also ambiguous, because according to one version it can mean the wisdom of Shiva, on the other hand, three coils of the snake around the body of Shiva can symbolize the past, present, future and that he himself has gone beyond temporal concepts.
Shiva's third eye
There are many legends about the third eye of Shiva. It is interesting to note that among other gods who have a third eye, Tara and Ganesha appear. That, in fact, is all - other gods do not have a third eye. Legends say that woe to the one whom Shiva looks at with his third eye. In the blink of an eye, this unfortunate creature will turn into ashes. No wonder they say that Shiva's anger is terrible.
One of the clearest evidence of this is the story that happened between Shiva and the god of love Kama. Once, other gods sent the god Kama to Shiva to inspire him with love, because they saw how the destroyer god suffered, having lost his first wife and realizing that he could no longer have a son. But Shiva did not want to think about finding another wife, so he had to resort to the services of Kama. But this god was not lucky, because he tried to influence Shiva himself! To some extent, he succeeded, because we know about the wife of Shiva Parvati. However, when Shiva felt the prick of an arrow shot in his heart from the bow of Kama, the latter was immediately pierced by Shiva's withering gaze, and now this god has no body. They call him that: incorporeal Kama.
There is another mysterious moment in the guise of Shiva. He has three stripes on his forehead. They are usually interpreted as follows: this is a reminder to a person that one needs to get rid of ego, karma and illusions (maya), and it can also be taken to another level and understood as work on oneself in order to get rid of three desires:
- bodily (desire to prolong life, to have good health look beautiful, take care of your appearance);
- worldly, associated with vanity, desires to have wealth, recognition, success;
- mental (accumulation of knowledge, excessive thinking and pride, which certainly follows all this, because it is sometimes so nice to realize that we are smarter than others).
It would seem strange why the desire to have good health from the point of view of Shiva is not welcome. However, if we think about psychological aspect desires themselves, we will find many similarities in the explanation with Buddhism. For any desire, whatever it may be, comes from the ego. It is not we who wish, but our ego, which has "settled" in the physical shell and identifies itself with it. From here come our aspirations to prolong life on Earth and take care of the body, that is, to wish to live long in this guise.
A few words about mindfulness
In fact, you can take care of your health, unless you make it an end in itself. Just take it for granted, but resist temptation and fetishization appearance. Perhaps this is difficult to fulfill in our reality, when the cult of the body and concerns about increasing life expectancy are being implanted everywhere. It has become new religion ad. The new god and religion is not a “new age” or even a “golden calf”, as many tend to think, because wealth usually serves some purpose, unlike it, the cult of appearance allows people to prolong their youth and simply brag to others appearance. Even inner joy and pride in oneself are also manifestations of the actions of the ego. You may be glad that you've shed a few extra pounds, but don't make this a cult any further. Live right, stay healthy, do yoga, but do not let these activities and hobbies completely take over your mind. No need to become a slave to ideas.
There is a very curious saying that says that “it is not we who find and use the idea, but it uses us”, i.e. we become obsessed with something and no longer belong to ourselves. For those who support the theory that our world is ruled by egregors, it will be clear that by admiring the idea and succumbing to it, you fall under the influence of a certain egregor and serve him. He is the one who guides you through life. Scientists, great athletes, artists, writers and many others more or less famous people led by their egregors. How did they get connected? Of course, through an idea that once flared up and captivated them. There is nothing wrong with serving an egregore, and people, without knowing it, do it anyway, but the point is that the more we are aware of our thoughts and actions, the less energy we leave outside.
That is why they say that awareness is the key to everything. Being more aware of ourselves, acting less under the influence of desires, we embark on the path of yoga, ultimate goal which is self-realization and disidentification with one's own ego and the desires inspired by it. It is not surprising that even in the guise of Shiva, three stripes on the forehead constantly remind us of this, because Shiva himself was a yogi and, according to some legends, knew millions of asanas.
Trident of Lord Shiva
The trident of Shiva, or otherwise Trishula, is the most important attribute of this god. For a person with western way thinking, an association with Poseidon, the god of the sea elements, who is depicted with him on all the statues, will immediately arise.
There is a trident symbol in Buddhism, symbolizing the "Three Jewels" of the Buddha. Involuntarily, Christianity is also recalled with its symbol of the trinity - the Trinity. In many religions, the number 3 is a kind of sacredness. Often the main postulates of religions are expressed in such a numerical expression, and in general, the number 3 symbolizes support, balance. Two opposite principles do not fight among themselves, as often happens in traditions based on dualism. Trinity is a harmoniously balanced combination of various elements that coexist in the world with each other, primarily due to the constant balancing of one principle by the other two.
It should be noted such a fact, seemingly far from Shaivism, that in modern system power often there are two opposite sides, opposing each other, while in ancient world there was a system board of three(if we remember Ancient Rome, then there was a triumvirate). We will not go into the details of the device now. political systems, but the power of the triumvirate was originally distinguished by greater consistency and stability than what we have in modern world, built on democracy, where the struggle for power is constantly waged by two sides. There is no balance to speak of here. The only thing is that if nominally one of the parties wins in a short time period, then the game will go mainly according to its rules. The same applies to the other side.
The interpretation of the trident of Shiva has not gone so far from modernity. These are three aspects: creator, keeper and destroyer in one person. In this interpretation, we see more the influence of Kashmir Shaivism, where the god Shiva includes these three components. In other traditions, creation corresponds to Brahma, preservation - to Vishnu, and only one hypostasis is assigned to him - destruction.
Instead of an afterword
In whatever form Shiva appears, he remains, perhaps, the most revered of all the gods for yogis. Not the last role here is played by the great semantic and philosophical load that his image carries, and by studying the stories set forth in the ancient scriptures, the Upanishads, you can draw for yourself many new facts and symbolism hidden in the image of Shiva.
Lakshmi- Wife or wife of God Vishnu.
Venus is associated with many aspects of the Goddess. Lakshmi corresponds to Venus as the goddess of love, beauty and abundance. Like Greek goddess Aphrodite, she came out of the ocean. For more high level Lakshmi is divine love and devotion (bhakti). She bestows both worldly well-being and spiritual accomplishments. Since she represents Maya, we can easily fall under her spell. Her favors, in particular for worldly well-being and happiness, have always been coveted by all human beings.
Goddess Lakshmi manifests her energy through all the flowers that have big sizes, extraordinary beauty and tenderness. For example, roses, lotus flowers, daffodils, dahlias. Usually these flowers, after being cut, can only live on the love of the one who gave them or who has them.
In minerals, Lakshmi manifests her energy through purple ruby, almandine, lapis lazuli, chrysoberyl, spinel (lal), red and yellow jade. From metals - it is associated with gold.
In man, Lakshmi, together with Surya (the Sun), governs the anahata chakra. It controls lipid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism, as well as the distribution of maji (adipose tissue) throughout the body. Lakshmi stimulates the synthesis of insulin. The conflict with Lakshmi in the past incarnation leads to the fact that a person does not receive a beautiful and harmonious body. If this happens in this life, the body becomes too thin or, on the contrary, obesity develops.
Legend
In the Mahabharata, her connection with Narayana-Vishnu is recorded: Lakshmi is born from a golden lotus that has risen above Narayana's head. The lotus is the main symbol of Lakshmi, and it is with her that the lotus growing from the navel of Narayana in Vishnu images is associated. Lakshmi is the goddess of money and wealth. In the Mahabharata, the incarnation of Lakshmi is considered to be Draupadi, the wife of the five Pandava brothers, the incarnations of Indra, Yama, Vayu and the Ashvin twins. According to Harivansha, the Indian Cupid, Kamadeva, was the son of Lakshmi and Dharma, the god of justice and Dharmic law, almost identical to Yama. In some texts, Lakshmi may be identified with Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom, learning and the arts, but in others, Lakshmi and Saraswati are the rival consorts of Brahma. According to one version of the birth of Lakshmi, she was the daughter of the sage-rishi Bhrigu and Khyati, according to another, much more popular, she appeared with a lotus in her hands or sitting on a lotus while the devas and asuras were churning the oceans (cf. the birth of Aphrodite), according to third, she appeared at the very beginning of the world process, emerging from the primordial waters on a lotus flower (cf. her names Padma and Kamala - "Lotus").
Names of Lakshmi
Forms of Lakshmi
Lakshmi has many different names. If Vishnu is accompanied by Bhu or Saraswati, Lakshmi also keeps him company and is then called Shri. When she is the only companion of Vishnu, she is called Lakshmi. When she is depicted alone, she is called both Sri and Lakshmi. The meaning of the name Sri is “prosperity”, “happiness”, “glory”.
- Padma: Lotus Dweller
- Kamala: Lotus Dweller
- Padmapriya: She who loves lotuses
- Padmamaladhara devi: She who wears a garland of lotuses
- Padmamukhi: She whose face is as beautiful as a lotus
- Padmakshi: She whose eyes are as beautiful as lotuses
- Padmahasta: She who holds the lotus
- Padmasundari: She who is as beautiful as a lotus
- Vishnupriya: Beloved of Vishnu
- Ulkavahini: She who rides an owl
Forms of Lakshmi
- Adi Lakshmi- the first form, the original goddess.
- Dhana Lakshmi- giving money and gold.
- Dhanya Lakshmi- eliminating hunger, giving food and grain.
- Gaja Lakshmi- bestowing royal blessings.
- Santan Lakshmi- giving children and protecting the family.
- Veera Lakshmi- bestowing courage and bravery.
- Vijaya Lakshmi- giving victory.
- Vidya Lakshmi- giving wisdom, knowledge and enlightenment.
Despite the fact that there are quite a lot of gods and goddesses in Hinduism, Lakshmi - the goddess of harmony and prosperity - deserves special attention. She is the wife of Vishnu, and that says a lot. It is believed that Lakshmi accompanies God in all his incarnations.
Therefore, she is an example of an ideal wife. Lakshmi is a goddess who personifies generosity, prosperity, harmony and beauty, compassion for all living things. She can bestow peace and tranquility in the family, so they say that if everything is good in the house, then Lakshmi lives there. If there is misfortune in the house, and the family lives in quarrels, then it is believed that the goddess left this house.
There are several legends about how Lakshmi appeared. According to the most popular version, the goddess was born during the churning of the ocean by devas (gods) and assurs (demons).
The second legend is less popular and less beautiful, but the most plausible. According to this version, Lakshmi is the daughter of the sage Bhrigu.
According to the third version, Lakshmi emerged from a lotus that floated above the surface.
world waters. There is a version according to which the goddess appeared from a lotus above the head of Vishnu. But in any case, all versions of the legend agree that she accompanies Vishnu in all his incarnations.
How is Lakshmi described? The goddess is usually depicted as a beautiful young woman with many arms (up to 10 in some temples where this deity is revered). She is also depicted on a lotus with various items. Elephants almost always water it. This shows that the Indian goddess Lakshmi connects the power of the divine (lotuses) with the power of the world (elephants). Like all gods, Lakshmi is depicted in different color which has deep symbolism. For example, dark color skin indicates that in front of you is the dark aspect of the goddess. Golden yellow is a symbol of abundance. White is pure nature. But most often her skin is pink - a symbol of compassion for everyone and everything.
Lakshmi is a multi-armed goddess, since she can give people four bodily pleasures, righteousness and bliss. However, most often Lakshmi is depicted with Vishnu, as she is his shakti, the creative energy that is inseparable from him.
What do the symbols in the hands of the goddess mean? Since Lakshmi is the goddess of prosperity and abundance, her symbols are mainly associated with this. As it was said, the lotuses in the hands are the symbols of the two worlds. And how open they are shows the degree of evolution of these worlds. The fruits of Lakshmi are a symbol of the result of our labors. Until the goddess has mercy, a person will not achieve anything in life. Coconut, interestingly, corresponds to three levels of creation: causal (nut juice), subtle (pulp) and gross (shell). Pomegranate and citron are also symbols of the worlds held by the goddess. Bilva fruit - (the highest fruit is a reward for a righteous life). Sometimes Lakshmi also holds a vessel of Ambrosia. This is a direct symbol of what she can give people and eternal life(by analogy with the Greek Ambrosia).
If you decide to purchase a statue of Lakshmi, then it is best to place it in the hallway or in the office, since these places are associated with prosperity and well-being.
