This is the fifteenth of a series of short articles on various deities. As I am not a Hindu myself, I would appreciate any feedback from Hindus.

The Ramayana

The attributes of Rama, the ‘perfect prince’ and epitome of good government, is best left to the epic poem written in his honour, the Ramayana (see Comte 1994, p.176).

This great work, written over centuries, describes Rama as candid and sincere, a talented archer and a faithful guide in the service of good. It describes the deity as disciplined, respectful of age, devoted to duty and not at all slanderous. He is also described as eloquent, always smiling and with copper eyes and handsome eyebrows.

The gruel and the seventh avatar

King Dasaratha of Ayodhya had three wives but had so far not been blessed with a child. He prepared a sacrifice to the gods and during the ritual a strange being appeared carrying some magic gruel for his wives. He gave half of the gruel to his first wife, Kausaalya, three-quarters of the remainder to Sumitra, his second, and the rest to his third, queen Kaikeyi. The gruel enabled Vishnu to be incarnated as four ksatriya (princes): Kaikeyi’s son Bharata; Sumitra’s twins Laksmana and Satrughna and, most important of the four, the avatar Rama, born to Kausaalya.

From birth the twins were destined to serve Rama and Bharata became devoted to him.

The bows of Shiva and Vishnu

Rama and Laksmana journeyed to Mithila where king Janaka was in possession of Shiva’s bow but had not the strength to lift it. He promised the hand of his daughter, Sita, to anyone who could perform the feat. Rama succeeded in raising the bow and not only won Sita’s hand but also obtained wives for his brothers.

Next he met Parasurama, another avatar of Vishnu, who challenged him to raise Vishnu’s bow. When Rama also passed this task, Parasurama recognised his divinity.

Kaikeya’s treachery

Following his successes with the bows, Rama returned home, only to find that queen Kaikeyi had called in a favour from the king. Having previously saved Dasaratha’s life, she had been told to choose her reward and had chosen to take the crown for her own son, Bharata. The king died of grief after Rama was exiled to the forest, Sita accompanying him.

Bharata succeeded but refused to rule after learning of his mother’s involvement. Instead he tracked down Rama who told him that the oath was unbreakable until whoever made it had died. Bharata eventually agreed to minister in Rama’s absence.

Rama: demons’ bane

Rama was involved in a number of battles with the demons. While living with Dasaratha, Rama was asked to assist king Visvamitra who was being bothered by the raksasa (demons). The prince taught the king spells of invincibility and then, with an array of incredible weapons, he rendered the demons harmless and killed Tataka, one of their mothers.

Rama travelled to Pancavati to protect the rsi (sages). While there, Surpanakha, demoness and brother of the demon Ravana, fell in love with him and tried to seduce him. He resisted and Laksmana cut off Surpanakha’s nose and ears (below left). The raksasa were determined to avenge her but Rama destroyed them all.

The tale of Rama and Sita

In retaliation for her defeat, Surpanakha hatched a plan. She sought her brother and described to him the charms of Rama’s wife, Sita. Ravana visited Pancavati and roused the passions of a stag, attracting Sita’s gaze. When Rama pursued the stag Ravana kidnapped Sita, grabbing her hair and taking her away to Lanka. Despite his constant attempts to seduce her, Sita’s virtuous nature enabled her to resist him.

Meanwhile, Rama and Laksmana tracked down Hanuman who was counsellor to king Sugriva, deposed by his brother Valin who had also helped himself to his brother’s wife. In return for Rama’s assistance, Hanuman agreed to find Sita, which he did by following her trail of jewels to Lanka.

After assuring Sita of her rescue, Hanuman lit the fires of war and Rama destroyed Lanka. Ravana’s brother, Vibhisana, took the throne and freed Sita…but there was no happy ending to this tale.

Doubting her fidelity, Rama exiled Sita to the forest but repented after their sons pleaded for her return, after hearing nothing but praise about her conduct within Ravana’s palace. However, Rama was too late. Sita had already asked the ground of her forest home to swallow her up.

Rama gave up his royalty and prayed one final time on behalf of those who had loved and supported him in battle. He entered the river, along with his entire retinue, and was received by Brahma. He ascended to ‘heaven’ and regained his divinity.

Do you have any personal experience of, or interest in, Parasurama or Hinduism that you would like to share? If so, please leave a comment below.

References/Sources used (please use my bookstore if you want to order the books):

Comte, F. (1991) ‘The Wordsworth Dictionary of Mythology’, Wordsworth, Kent
Kamadeva [online], link, Wikipedia, last accessed 16th Jul 2010


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All images in the public domain

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Coming next: The Hindu Deities: Sita

This is the fourteenth of a series of short articles on various deities. As I am not a Hindu myself, I would appreciate any feedback from Hindus.

The Brahman and two bowls of rice

Satyavati was the daughter of Gadhi, a king of the ksatriya, the warrior class, who were troubling the gods with their insolence. She married a Brahman, Rcika. In contrast to the ksatriya, the Brahmans were focused on spiritual matters or what the Mahabharata referred to as ‘the inner effort’ (cited in Comte, 1991, p.159).

Rcika and his wife wanted to produce a Brahman as their son, so Rcika prepared two special bowls of rice: one to ensure the birth of a pure Brahman and the other, destined for his mother-in-law, to ensure a ksatriya would be born.

The bowls became mixed up and a horrified Satyavati asked that the effects be allowed to skip a generation. In due course she gave birth to a pure Brahman son, Jamadagni. The ascetic married Renuka who bore him five sons but it was time for the ‘curse’ to be manifested. After producing four Brahmans, Renuka gave birth to Parasurama who possessed the attributes of both Brahman and warrior.

Jamadagni’s Fury

The story of Jamadagni and Renuka is a tragic one. Despite being the ‘model wife’ to her ascetic husband, Renuka was unable to ignore the behaviour of a prince and his wives who were indulging in some fun. She slowed down to get a closer look. When Jamadagni saw her he flew into a rage and demanded his sons decapitate her. The four Brahmans refused but the ‘impure’ Parasurama obeyed immediately. Jamadagni then felled his other sons with his deathly stare.

When Jamadagni asked his remaining son to name his reward he promptly asked to become a Brahman himself. On achieving purity he then requested the resurrection of his four brothers and mother.

Kartavirya and the sixth avatar

But Parasurama was not all he seemed. At the time there was a powerful and tyrannical king, Kartavirya, who imposed himself on the gods, rsi and any other creature that he came across. He rode a chariot through the heavens and had a thousand arms.

When Kartavirya interfered in an intimate moment between Indra and his wife the gods decided they had to act to rid the world of the king and the warrior class. Indra and Vishnu met to arrange the latter’s sixth incarnation, the avatar Parasurama.

The death of Kartavirya and demise of the ksatriya

Kartavirya made his fatal mistake when visiting Jamadagni’s house. The Brahman had possession of a cow which provided anyone with anything they asked for. The covetous king rudely asked Jamadagni to give him the animal. Parasurama was furious and killed the king, cutting off his thousand arms in the process. In retaliation, Kartaviryas sons murdered Jamadagni.

This sowed the seeds for the will of the gods to be done. Parasurama declared war on the remainder of the ksatriya and after 21 battles the warrior class were no more. The avatar poured the blood of his victims into five holes and performed a ritual to honour his ancestors.

But Parasurama’s grandfather was not pleased and appeared to his grandson to condemn him for the excessive bloodshed. Following this incident, Parasurama made a sacrifice to Lord Indra before retreating to Mount Mahendra.

The avatars of Vishnu shown in sequence

Do you have any personal experience of, or interest in, Parasurama or Hinduism that you would like to share? If so, please leave a comment below.

References/Sources used (please use my bookstore if you want to order the books):

Comte, F. (1991) ‘The Wordsworth Dictionary of Mythology’, Wordsworth, Kent
Kamadeva [online], link, Wikipedia, last accessed 16th Jul 2010


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Coming next: The Hindu Deities: Rama

This is the thirteenth of a series of short articles on various deities. As I am not a Hindu myself, I would appreciate any feedback from Hindus.

Kama: lord of desire

Often depicted as a young and handsome man, Kama (sometimes Kamadeva) is one of the most ancient of the named deities. As personification of sensual and sexual desire, it was Kama who lay behind the creator’s urge to create. Kama is also known as Dipaka (igniter), Gritsa (he who penetrates), Mayi (deceiver), Mara (destroyer), Ragavrinta (the way of – or stalk of passion) and Titha (fire).

Kama is shown riding a parrot and armed with a bow of sugar cane from which he launched arrows of lotus buds. From the moment of his birth he was keen to make use of his weapons, asking who he should ’set on fire’.

The tale of Shiva, Parvati & the demon Taraka

Daksa, father to Sati, hates her husband Shiva (below left) and in despair she commits suicide by throwing herself into a fire. Shiva withdraws into profound meditation amongst the Himalayas but, unbeknown to him, Sati (within Parvati, the mountain woman) reincarnates alongside him and joined him in his ascetic disciplines.
While Shiva is meditating, Brahma creates a demon, Taraka, who can only be destroyed by a son of Shiva – but Shiva is still childless. To rouse Shiva from his meditations, the gods enlist Kama. With his wife Rati (voluptuousness), Kama becomes a perfumed breeze to trick the guardian at the gate, and enters Shiva’s retreat. After 60 million years, Kama fires an arrow at Shiva who retaliates by destroying him with his fearsome third eye. However, the interruption to his meditation enables Shiva to discover the presence of Parvati. The inevitable happens and Kumara is born, the pair’s only natural child, and he destroys Taraka.

Parvati’s dearest wish

Was this the end for the god of love? Thanks to Parvati, this was not the case. After their reunification, Shiva told Parvati that he would fulfil her dearest wish. However, with Kama’s demise, the goddess felt nothing so she requested that Kama should ‘live and warm the world’. Shiva agreed but Kama’s resurrection came at a cost – his body. From then on, the incorporeal Kama was also known as Ananga (bodiless).

Do you have any personal experience of, or interest in, Kama or Hinduism that you would like to share? If so, please leave a comment below.

References/Sources used (please use my bookstore if you want to order the books):

Comte, F. (1991) ‘The Wordsworth Dictionary of Mythology’, Wordsworth, Kent
Kamadeva [online], link, Wikipedia, last accessed 16th Jul 2010


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‘Garden of Kama’ image, by Byam Shaw, is in the public domain
Shiva image licensed under Creative Commons Sharealike 2.0 Generic license by Thejas Panarkandy

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Coming next: The Hindu Deities: Parasurama

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Hanuman: god of athletes

The strong and agile Hanuman (Anuma/Maruti), born to Anjara, one of the ape-like vanara, was god of athletes and gymnasts. He was also deft, shrewd and devoted to his friends. A nature-loving vegetarian, Hanuman fought only with either his hands, rocks or uprooted trees. He avoided relationships with women. He was a protective deity who destroyed the ‘death rays’ which the planets emitted.

Indra’s mistake

Hanuman was born hungry. On seeing the sun he mistook it for a ripe fruit and charged towards it, knocking all of the planets aside. This so infuriated Indra that he threw his club at him. This proved to be a costly mistake. Hanuman was knocked unconscious and, as he lay slumped on the mountain, Vayu, his father and god of the winds, refused to work, stilling all winds. Panicked by the suffocating earth, the gods revived Hanuman. As an atonement, Indra donated his club while Brahma made Hanuman invincible.

Sita’s rescue

Hanuman was an ally of Rama’s. When Rama’s beautiful and virtuous wife, Sita, was abducted and taken to Lanka by the demon Ravana, Hanuman traversed the distance to Ravana’s palace in a leap. Wanting Rama to claim the honour of victory, Hanuman merely reassured Sita of her imminent rescue and then lit the fires of war. Hanuman, followed by his army of monkeys, joined Rama in battle and Lanka was destroyed (below left), Ravana killed and Sita finally freed.

Do you have any personal experience of, or interest in, Hanuman or Hinduism that you would like to share? If so, please leave a comment below.

References/Sources used (please use my bookstore if you want to order the books):

Comte, F. (1991) ‘The Wordsworth Dictionary of Mythology’, Wordsworth, Kent


Image attributions

Main image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Sharealike 3.0 Unported license by Sujit kumar
Smaller image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Sharealike 3.0 Unported license by Nina Paley

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This is the eleventh of a series of short articles on various deities. As I am not a Hindu myself, I would appreciate any feedback from Hindus.

Indra: an ancient Vedic deity

Brahma’s chosen king of the gods, Indra, has an impressive history; he was one of the old Indo-European gods. Known as ‘breaker of obstacles’ and ‘god of victory’, he features in both Iran’s ‘Avesta’ and Armenia’s ‘Vahagn’.

Warrior with the golden jaw

Violent and brave, but blessed with intelligence and wisdom, Indra is a true warrior with an athletic physique, including huge hands and neck and muscular arms. He is a bearded deity and his jaw is made of gold. His throat is like a river and he has a thousand testicles. He has a huge appetite, especially for the ritual Indo-Iranian drink, soma.

A magnanimous man of action, Indra rides a golden chariot pulled by two horses, though he is also depicted riding an elephant. His weapon of choice is a thousand-pointed jet club.

A leader and benefactor to the whole world, Indra brought light and life, made women fertile (and had many adventures with them), created cows’ milk, oxe and horses and fought his devotees enemies, of which there were many.

Vrtra and Indra’s many other foes

One of Indra’s most notable battles was with the evil serpent-like demon Vrtra, son of Tvastar. Lying immovable on the mountain, Vrtra was a symbol of universal disorder, the antithesis of life and light. The ultimate obstacle, he closed the space between the sky and the earth and stemmed the flow of all water. With a blow of his mighty club, Indra vanquished his foe and then, by plunging the weapon into the villain’s neck and splitting his head apart, he released the water. The gap between the strengthened earth and sky re-opened forever, sunrise and the dawn were created, order was re-established and life returned.

In addition to this feat, Indra destroyed the fortifications of the rebel Pipru, pulled Cambara down from the top of the mountain and drove out the robber Varcin’s gang. He fought bandits, sorcerers and those who acted from anger or greed. He also fought in the ‘battle of animals’ where garudas (giant mythical birds) and eagles fought serpents.

Trita Aptia and the Maruts

Indra did not fight alone. The warrior Trita Aptia fought alongside him, killing the three-headed Vicvarupa, freeing the cows held captive by the demon Vala and assisting with the victory over Vrtra. Indra was also supported by a tribe of young, handsome, gold-adorned fighters known as the Maruts. These powerful and fearsome warriors made the land tremble as they flew above the mountain. They sang Indra’s praises, strengthened him and surrounded him at the time of sacrifice. They also brought food, wealth and victory to the people and inspired artists.

Skanda’s wife
Indra once met a young girl, Devasena, in battle with an asura. After she had been rescued, Devasena (meaning ‘army of the gods’) told Indra that she wanted a husband. He presented her to Skanda, Shiva’s son.

The conundrum of Namuci

One of Indra’s toughest challenges was to defeat the cunning and venomous demon, Namuci. Namuci would not let go of what he owned and Indra eventually had to reach a deal. He would agree not to kill Namuci at any time of the day or night or with anything wet or dry. To make the situation worse, Namuci used Indra’s weakness for food and drink to intoxicate him on alcohol and soma. Fortunately, Sarusvati (below left) and the Asvins came to Indra’s aid and the warrior decapitated Namuci at dusk, using foam.

Do you have any personal experience of, or interest in, Indra or Hinduism that you would like to share? If so, please leave a comment below.

References/Sources used (please use my bookstore if you want to order the books):

Comte, F. (1991) ‘The Wordsworth Dictionary of Mythology’, Wordsworth, Kent


Image attributions

Indra image is in the public domain.
Sarasvati image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Sharealike 3.0 license by Durga

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This is the tenth of a series of short articles on various deities. As I am not a Hindu myself, I would appreciate any feedback from Hindus.

Skanda: the abandoned deity

The birth of Skanda was anything but routine; even by divine standards. Shiva had been in union with his wife, Durga, for so long that the other gods became worried about the result. They persuaded Shiva to practise abstinence from that day forth but a drop of sperm landed in a fire. Agni, the god of fire, removed the resultant embryo and deposited it within Garga. But the heat was too intense for her and she abandoned the egg on Mount Meru. When Skanda was born, the Pleiades adopted him and suckled him.

The divine commander

The gods were still worried and even considered killing Shiva’s son. But he was good-looking, courageous and physically strong and, after meeting him, the gods subjugated themselves to him and petitioned him for protection.

Shiva, however, recognised his son and Skanda placed himself under his father’s orders. War, liberation and violence were his domains and he was soon given his task: to wrest the world from the grip of the asanas, led by Taraka, who were wreaking havoc. As commander of the divine armies and armed with a magical device that granted him invincibility, Skanda defeated the foe.

Skanda is honoured throughout India and has many temples devoted to him.

Ganesha and Skanda – Sibling rivals

Skanda had a brother, Ganesha, who was blessed with cunning. The siblings were very competitive and when they wanted to marry, their parents agreed that whichever circled the world the fastest would be the first to wed. On receiving the challenge, impulsive Skanda raced ahead of his brother. The more thoughtful Ganesha first obeyed the Vedic ritual of circling his parents seven times to gain their leave. As a reward, he won the competition and was given two wives: Buddhi (intelligence) and Siddhi (success).

Skanda’s wives

Nevertheless, Skanda did eventually marry. Indra, king of the gods, met a young girl, Devasena, in battle with an asura. After she had been rescued, Devasena (meaning ‘army of the gods’) told Indra that she wanted a husband. He presented her to Skanda.

Skanda’s other wife was Valli, a huntress who was the daughter of the mountain.

The dark side

The circumstances of Skanda’s birth had left their mark and the god had some very dark aspects.

Having had no real mother, he became misogynistic, pursuing women and threatening them with disease and death following childbirth.

Although Hindus pray to him for help with fertility, he is known as a child abductor, working alongside the Pleiades. Rituals were sometimes performed to appease or ward off their evil influence.

The Pleiades: The Seven Wives of the Sages in Hindu mythology

Do you have any personal experience of or interest in Skanda or Hinduism that you would like to share? If so, please leave a comment below.

References/Sources used (please use my bookstore if you want to order the books):

Comte, F. (1991) ‘The Wordsworth Dictionary of Mythology’, Wordsworth, Kent


Image attributions

Skanda image is in the public domain.
Pleiades image (c) Rochus Hess. Used with permission

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Coming next: The Hindu Deities: Indra

This is the ninth of a series of short articles on various deities. As I am not a Hindu myself, I would appreciate any feedback from Hindus.

Ganesha: an ambivalent deity

Ganesha, instantly recognisable, even to many non-Hindu’s, by his elephant’s head, was also known as Ganapati, Ganpati or Vighnesvara, master of obstacles. This latter title relates to his task of ensuring the smooth running of the earth and of producing wealth. However, he did not dispense his powers evenly, clearing the way for some while obstructing those who neglected him. His ambivalent nature is seen symbolised by his four arms, two in a peaceful pose, two bearing weapons. He was nevertheless a popular deity, invoked at the start of any project and worshipped in temples throughout India.

Master of intelligence; lover of rice

Ganesha was Shiva’s and Parvati’s son, created from the dirt of ablations left for his mother. He was well-developed and a master of intelligence, for which Brahma awarded him the task of copying the Mahabharata. He was patron of artists and writers.

A vegetarian, Ganesha is portrayed sitting on a soft cushion and consuming his favourite dish: rice. He travelled on a rat and his devotees offered him red flowers, bunches of twenty-one sprigs of herbs and little fig-shaped cakes.

Ganesha and Skanda – Sibling rivals

Ganesha had a brother, Skanda, who was blessed with great strength. The siblings were very competitive and when they wanted to marry, their parents agreed that whichever circled the world the fastest would be the first to wed. On receiving the challenge, impulsive Skanda raced ahead of his brother. The more thoughtful Ganesha first obeyed the Vedic ritual of circling his parents seven times to gain their leave. As a reward, he won the competition and was given two wives: Buddhi (intelligence) and Siddhi (success).

Why Ganesha has an elephant’s head

There are a few explanations but one of the most popular versions is as follows:-

After Shiva’s awakening, Parvati created Ganesha to protect the door to her retreat. But Shiva spies on his wife as she bathes and Ganesha attacks him. Vishnu came to Shiva’s aid by sending Maya (the illusory appearance of the dualistic world – my attempt at a definition) to confuse Ganesha. Shiva takes the opportunity to relieve his assailant of his head but, not unsurprisingly, Parvati raises a thousand goddesses to petition the gods for its return. Shiva relents but requests that, since he cannot find the original, he be allowed to use the head of the first living thing he encounters. This turns out to be an elephant.

Ganesha (left), Shiva (centre) and Skanda (right)

Do you have any personal experience of or interest in Ganesha or Hinduism that you would like to share? If so, please leave a comment below.

References/Sources used (please use my bookstore if you want to order the books):

Comte, F. (1991) ‘The Wordsworth Dictionary of Mythology’, Wordsworth, Kent

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Main image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Sharealike 3.0 license by Durga
Smaller image is in the public domain.

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Coming next: The Hindu Deities: Skanda

This is the eighth of a series of short articles on various deities. As I am not a Hindu myself, I would appreciate any feedback from Hindus.

Symbols and attributes of Sarasvati

Sarasvati (who was also known as Saraswati, Savitri, Gayatri, Brahmani, Satarupa and Rita) was the feminine energy of Brahma and the essence of truth.

In appearance, Sarasvati is depicted as young, white and beautiful. She is goddess of music, poetry, science and art and is shown carrying a musical instrument.

She is also known as the mother of scriptures and personification of the word of the Veda. She is often shown holding the Book of the Veda and a rosary containing the alphabet. Krishna described her as representing his words and of being forever on his tongue.

A river goddess

Sarasvati is also associated with water and is goddess of the sacred river. Initiates are said to see her presence in the confluence of the white (Ganges) and black (Yamuna) rivers.

Brahma creates his beloved

Brahma divided himself into two, creating Sarasvati in the process. He fell in love with her and desired to marry her. So intense was his passion that he grew four extra heads so that he could constantly see her as she circled around him in devotion (below left).

Do you have any personal experience of or interest in Sarasvati or Hinduism that you would like to share? If so, please leave a comment below.

References/Sources used (please use my bookstore if you want to order the books):

Comte, F. (1991) ‘The Wordsworth Dictionary of Mythology’, Wordsworth, Kent

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Main image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Sharealike 3.0 license by Durga
Smaller image is in the public domain.

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Coming next: The Hindu Deities: Ganesha

This is the seventh of a series of short articles on various deities. As I am not a Hindu myself, I would appreciate any feedback from Hindus.

Lakshmi’s images and attributes

Lakshmi was the personification of beauty and brought happiness, wealth and prosperity. She was also associated with fortune, since she distributed her gifts in an apparently random fashion, offering no explanation.

Lakshmi was eighteen-limbed, often depicted sitting on a peacock or lotus blossum and gold was her symbol. She was often pictured in sumptuous clothes, bedecked with jewels, and surrounded by musical instruments and domestic animals.

Lakshmi and Vishnu;Radha and Krishna

Lakshmi is wife to the god Vishnu and while he is busy dreaming up the new creation, she manifests his power and strength in the current one. Lakshmi once incarnated as Radha who became Krishna’s favourite wife.

The brides’ goddess

When a new husband brought his wife home for the first time, Lakshmi was also in attendance, present in the brides’ jewels. The bride would also wear a robe adorned with (at least) a gold brocade.

Lakshmi Tatma – Baby with eight limbs

The goddess Lakshmi came to the attention of the world in 2005 with the birth of Lakshmi Tatma in the village of Bihar, India. The girl was born, joined at the pelvis, to her headless twin and some villagers hailed her as the reincarnation of Lakshmi. Even more notable was the fact that Lakshmi Tatma was born on the day dedicated to Vishnu (below left).

Do you have any personal experience of or interest in Lakshmi or Hinduism that you would like to share? If so, please leave a comment below.

References/Sources used (please use my bookstore if you want to order the books):

Comte, F. (1991) ‘The Wordsworth Dictionary of Mythology’, Wordsworth, Kent

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Lakshmi image in public domain
Vishnu image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license by Pravin Premkumar

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Coming next: The Hindu Deities: Sarasvati

This is the sixth of a series of short articles on various deities. As I am not a Hindu myself, I would appreciate any feedback from Hindus.

Durga: A fearsome goddess

One of Durga’s most familiar, and feared, names is Kali, ‘the black one’. She was both a creative and destructive goddess but it is the latter qualities that she is most often identified with. Riding a lion and with a weapon in each of her eight arms, Durga loves battle and bloodshed. She feeds on raw meat and protects those who hunt for a living.

She is known as the future, destiny and power of death at the end of the world

Durga’s court was also a fearful place, attended by yogini (evil spirits and wizards), vetila (vampires) and bhuta (the ghosts of those who died violently).

To receive gifts from this most impetuous of deities, the Koli and Cabara sects offered her blood and intoxicating drinks as sacrifice; others sacrificed goats or even their own lives on her altar.

Durga’s family

Durga, daughter of Savitri (Savitar), became Shiva’s wife. She is his power of desire, action and knowledge. Her other names (besides Kali) are: Sati, Devi (The Goddess), Mahadevi (The Great Goddess), Uma (The Peaceful One) and Parvati (The Chaste Wife). She is the mother of the gods and brought Yoga to the people.

Durga and Shiva had two sons, Skanda (below left), whose life purpose was to fight the demon Taraka, and Ganesha, leader of the heavenly armies and destined to receive an elephant’s head (see Shiva’s entry for the reason why).

Mahisa claims the world

Durga’s defining moment came when the demon Mahisa, possessing a buffalo, seized control of the world. She took all of the great gods’ powers into herself and battled for nine nights. After this time, with the help of Shiva’s trident, Vishnu’s discus and Indra’s thunderbolts, Durga claimed victory.

This is just a brief introduction to the attributes of and stories featuring Durga. I may add more detail at a later stage.

Do you have any personal experience of or interest in Durga/Kali or Hinduism that you would like to share? If so, please leave a comment below.

References/Sources used (please use my bookstore if you want to order the books):

Comte, F. (1991) ‘The Wordsworth Dictionary of Mythology’, Wordsworth, Kent

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Both images in public domain.

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