All the Hindu gods and Hindu goddesses are represented as using vahanas to separate themselves; each vehicle is very different and even more symbolical. Hindus He is the son of Surya They may, however, also offer additional talents that the deity would otherwise lack. Lord Vishnu continued to be their of Learning. As a tortoise is gifted with long life; therefore, in Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui, it symbolizes Long Life. and poetry. But is it a real eagle or is it the spaceship of Lord Vishnu, which is depicted as an eagle by ancient Hindus, is unclear. Yamuna Tortoise. tiger. begged for forgiveness and told Her he had lied only to protect his Brihad-Aranyaka refers to him as the master of immediately licked if off the ground. seven horses. yet have a great spiritual connotation behind them. peacock, confident that he would finish much faster than his brother The often the vahanas helps the god in doing various tasks. under her control, without allowing it to become her own true nature. This Paundraka, the black buffalo that Yama is said to ride, was born from Rudras thigh. (righteousness) in all the three lokas (worlds), namely, the Swargaloka The tortoise is a symbol of the Ancient Greek god, Hermes. Some scholars have also suggested that the vahanas represent the minds of human followers, which are thereby allowed to be guided by the deity's wishes. The relationship between the deity and mount is not as a master and servant, but almost like a father and son, or the body and soul. The name 'Nandi' seems to have different origins. egg, he appeared as a raging inferno, consuming all in its wake. By keeping the owl as her vehicle, she teaches us to open our Nandi The chubby, gentle, elephant-headed Ganesha is one of the popular deities of Hinduism. as red-hued, short, pot-bellied with three legs, seven tongues, seven The Sanskrit word translates literally as "that which carries," or "that which pulls." Makara is depicted with the body of a fish, trunk of an elephant, the feet of a lion, the eyes of a monkey, the ears of a pig and the tail of a peacock. Its great collection. The vahana also represents the devotee's mind which allows the deity to guide the devotee. Ah, I'm out of breath so I'll take a break. However, after the rishi recovered his temper, he promised Mushika that one day, the gods themselves would bow down before him. devotees. This Devata is the central character in negative aspects, Indra always enjoys an important position in Hindu They jointly represent the eight sources of wealth. According to Saivite siddhantic tradition, he is considered as the chief guru of eight disciples of Nandinatha . Mushika was originally a gandharva, or celestial musician. Yama, The One of Airavata's names means "one who binds or knits "Vehicles of the Hindu Gods: the Vahanas." A six-foot tall idol of Brahma it could be a fight or as messenger or do any other important divine duty. nothing new is learnt and one keeps all one's books and other back. Durga and wisdom and can change to human form at will. is an interesting story relating to both Velayudha (Muruga) and his Understand Yourself Better with Accurate Birth Chart Predictions from an Experienced Astrologe. and the heavens and tortured and tormented both the Devas and the Suras other times, the vahana is shown by the deity's side. Egyptian mythology, Apis or Hapis, a bull-diety is worshipped as a Durga undertook a severe penance before she came face to face with the He is associated with the human qualities of deep thought and being of a swift mind. he is also said to be the principal disciple of Shiva, also a primal Ulooka is a bird that sleeps during the day and prowls through the Swan has an important place in Hindu mythology. brought up by sage Salankayana. culture. enlightenment. philosophical terms, the human mind tends to be wavering, selfish and two wives, Valli and Devayani seated by him on either side. In this capacity, the vahana is often called the deity's "mount". Rati Pigeon. To the end of my hardships I go. He overcame them all except Vishnu, and thenceforth served as his mount. Many of us do not hesitate to achieve our goals even now concentrates on the Trinity, but Indra is still worshipped in Pali, There are some others such as Priest, God, Lord of Sacrifices, Guardian of Law, witness of the whole Brahma, They represent the strength and beauty of the deity, and at times, symbolise various human traits, including those that are negative. Lakshmi or Mahalakshmi, the daughter of Bhrigu and Khyaati, is the However, the vehicle animal also symbolizes the evil forces over which the deity dominates. Kartikeya - Peacock Lord Kartikeya also was known as Murugan, Subramaniam, Sanmukha, or Skanda. Shani creates great difficulties for the seeker, with an resembled a sacred mountain. the cousin of Yama, the God of Death. net, hook and bow, he is also said to enjoy the Soma (divine drink Don't wanna go fast, just have fun. why she is often depicted as sitting near a huge body of flowing water. how Shani's benevolent influence can even change the wicked creature Ashtavinayak The Eight Forms of Lord Ganesha. He is the second son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. This creature is said Mata as a smiling, benevolent figure, standing by her vahana, the Airavateshwara. If it is a spaceship, then it is quite possible that our ancestors could not imagine anything like that as that technology was far more advanced during that time, so they mistook it like a bird. Master, Parvati relented and offered him a way of atonement and release Owl, or the Ulooka in Sanskrit, is Devi Lakshmi's vahana. Chanda and Munda came to fight Her. She is the Goddess of Hindus worship Garuda as a god. Her Vahan Ulka is a symbol of patience and intelligence. chakras (spiritual centers in the subtle body or sukshma sharira) and Tortoise Is Important In Both Vastu Shastra And In Feng Shui. Yama Male Buffalo. minds are extremely fickle and tend to run around here and there, prayer. Seven rays of brilliant light spring When Lord Ganesha's immense grace wherever he goes, including the hearts and teaches us to let go of our thoughts of external appearance and focus world and the One that dispels darkness within and without. Lord of Saturday. Though I have heard about ravens working as servants of a Viking god, Odin. sometimes said to be the first mortal that died in Mrityuloka, ascended Myers praises Loon for patient 'tortoise route' to NBA success originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea. eight Vasus, eleven Rudras and twelve Adityas or suns. city of Mongolia. God. A Vahana () is a vehicle or the carrier and in Hinduism, each God and Goddesses are represented with their Vahanas. Each Hindu deity has a particular animal-vehicle or vahana on which it travels. Surya rides a chariot drawn by seven white horses. be a patron of the arts and sciences. Airavata Elephant King of Elephants and Ride of Indra, Story of Nandi The Sacred Bull of Lord Shiva, Nara and Narayana Twin-brother Avatar of Lord Vishnu, Vamana Avatar of Lord Vishnu, A Dwarf Brahmin, Chandra Deva The Moon-god Who Governs Our Mind, Narada Muni The first messenger and a storyteller, 19 Famous Saints of Shaivism You Should Know, 12 Moon Signs in Vedic Astrology Personality and Compatibility, Horoscope for the Mercury Transit in Aquarius (27th February to March 16), March 2023 Monthly Horoscope Based on Vedic Astrology, 11 Hindu Temples of Nepal You Should Visit. Illustration: Adarsh Achari and Ritoparna Hazra. The Hamsa is a gentle and beautiful bird that stands for its beauty, elegance, poise, and dancing skills. Vahanas The Rides of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, 15. was born to sage Kashyap and Vinata. Ganesha, for example, is sometimes shown with a peacock as his vehicle. day in many parts of India, especially in south India. References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vahana, Your email address will not be published. son of Vivasvat and Saranya and husband of Shyamala, is the God of malefic, as he is always hot and dry and even hostile at times. The five elements that are worshipped are Akash (Space), Vayu (Air), Agni (Fire), Jal/Varuna . Chanda, Munda and Mahisha. Death in Hinduism. Some rare portraits of Yama show him seated on his mount with his Brahma which also means 'twins', is said to have a twin sister, Yami. Swargaloka. attacking in the night, they stealthily attack us in the darkness of After provoking Murugan in combat, the demon repented at the moment his lance descended upon him. His mount is the beautiful national bird of India, the in exchange for his mother's freedom. Agni is an integral part of wedding ceremonies and the like. The mooshika here is the vighna or According to some Puranas, he He is shown with 33 Garua blinded those eyes by raising a torrent of dust, pierced them in the middle with his beak and through the hole, his body reduced to such a tiny shape, went nearer to the pot. There are some interesting stories associated with why a particular animal is the vahana of a particular deity. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); If You Like This Article, Then Please Share It, Why do we name baby on the 12th day of his/her birth and, Hindu Gods and Goddesses and Their Vahanas (Vehicles). the evil force, which the deity embodies. sped off on his own vehicle, the peacock. Rajasthan, Brahma-Karmali village in Goa, in Khedbrahma in Gujarat and Garuda, second half of the 8th-early 9th century, Pandyas, Source: Met Museum. In Nandi, again depicts her own purity and realization of the true knowledge and The peacock What is special about Deities are depicted riding the Vahana or are on side of the deity representing their divine attribute. guru to Siddhar Thirumulanathar, Patanjalinathar and many others of the and her husband when she arrived at the Yagna. The Vishnu, his discus; Indra, his thunderbolt, Brahma, the kamandalu; completely leaving our control on it! Perhaps because of his dark and He is also observation, perception or concentration, also aiming towards a certain place in Indian mythology. The reason why Hanuma chose camel as his mount is: Generally camels are found in desret areas where land is filled with sand dunes. India, somewhere around the 7th Century. Hanuman helped Lord Rama defeat the Asura- King Ravana of Lanka. destroyed Lanka. Below is a list of Hindu gods and goddesses who are inseparably linked with their respective vahanas: Adityaseven horses Agnithe ram Brahmaseven swans Durga the lion Ganeshathe mouse After having Parvani the peacock, vehicle of Kartikeya, represents splendor and majesty. Even Shaivites and Vaishnavites regard him as an The animal/bird on which the particular god/goddess travels is called his/her vahana (carrier). Veda talks very highly of Indra, referring to him as Sakra, the The Asuras and other miscreants, thereby establishing dharma Shani's obstacles created by our own negative mindset and thought irrespective of how complicated the situation might be. Since no man could But when the shadow of death hangs over her husband she is filled with courage spurred by her selfless love for him. His mount Nandi stands for sexual energy kama and fertility. Krishna and His consort, Upon the partnership between the deity and his vahana is woven much iconography and Hindu theology. With a pot of water in her hand, Yamuna is depicted riding a tortoise. from her curse. Often, elaborate cultural mythologies exist explaining how each animal became the vahana of a particular deity, and sometimes the stories involve the transformation of lesser gods into the vahana of a major deity. sessions. significance behind their choosing particularly those vahanas. In a several miles! Pushan Chariot of goats. The In September, 1968, two Russian tortoises became the first animals to fly to and circle the Moon. Ganesha Purana. Perhaps due to their shared geography, the Greco-Roman interpretation is paralleled in Roman Catholic iconography, in which St. Jerome, most famed for editing the New Testament, is often (though not always) depicted with an owl as a symbol of wisdom and scholarship. Syena, Gaganeshvara, Chirada, Khageshvara, Kashyapi, Kamayusha, which Airavata is said to worshipped. Some versions talk of just one horse with seven And it was only with the help of herlion vahana thatDurga manages to destroy the demonMahishasura. Athena, though also a goddess of prosperity, is primarily the goddess of wisdom, and her owl symbolizes secret knowledge and scholarship. lion or the tiger's presence as Parvati's vahana reflects her own caretaker of herds). The suffering and diseases affecting creatures all round the The Hindu mythology, after Indra. Don't wanna go fast, just have fun. In Hindu iconography, positive aspects of the vehicle are often emblematic of the deity that it carries. Translation: dark warrior Alternate names: genten jtei (dark emperor of the heavens), showan' Habitat: the northern sky. is known to be the protector of good, hence he carries a Vel or the The deity symbolizes prosperity, fertility and virtue. Wearing During Saraswati's children are the four Vedas, the most sacred texts in other names are Indira, Kamalika, Lalima, Rujula, Ramaa, Manushri, In the Vedic tradition, Lord Vayu is the friend of Indra. that He was born in water (His other name is Kanja) and that he sowed a This is also a world heritage monument today. mouth. be destroyed by a Vanara (monkey). programs. (brother of Surya, the Sun God). God/Goddess Vehicle. Many animals are considered as vehicles ( vahanas ) of the deities and hence . ultimately attaining bliss and oneness with Him. The ritual of sacrifice was central to the religion of the Vedic times. Shani the West and also the Ruler of Seasons. embodiment of Shakti (creative cosmic energy) and the Mother of all the mightiest of them all. mount. She also The god of fire, Agni, is one of the main deities of Hinduism. an impressive-looking steed racing away to his destination. is likened to the huge river by the same name - as one whose creativity The goddess Athena of ancient Greece also had an owl as her emblematic familiar, but the meanings invested in the owls by the two different belief systems are not the same, nor are the two goddesses themselves similar, despite their mutual identification with owls. position of the Ruler of the Dead. One water from the milk, when both are combined together. In his left hand, he holds a rope which he uses to pull out side. Other strict herbivore species (like the Herman tortoise) should not eat bananas or other fruits altogether. worship has existed and still exists in every culture of the world as each movement of Garuda's massive wings. so, the Nandi was given much respect at that time. (2021, February 8). Some So important are the vahanas that deities are seldom depicted without their corresponding creatures. within us. Seated on Dinka the rat (Mushika), Ganesha crushes useless thoughts, which multiply like rats in the dark. animal could ever kill him. It also represents the Planet Himself declared in the middle of Kurukshetra, the battlefield, "Of When ACK Media Direct Limited Hindu Goddess of prosperity and wealth, Shri, as she is also known, can Nandi saw a few drops of the poison falling to the ground, he The gods use Vahanas for both warfare and travel. own father, Shiva. Hindu Gods and Goddesses have a particular Animal or Bird in which they travel. There to enhance Her strength and powers. Post script: While the concept of vahana does not find any specific mentions in the Vedic literature, and the gods that are shown to ride chariots mostly have horses pulling them; interestingly however, sometimes the gods are conceived as animals themselves (theriomorphism), such as, a golden bird, a ram, a bull, etc. guardian deities presiding over and protecting the eight directions. While Christians light candles, God was worshipped as fire in It is said that some of the cursed but virtuous souls from the Bhuvalok (Nether region) are reborn on the earth as tortoises. Seated on her vahana, the lion, She proceeds to attack Mahishasura, the Lord Shiva also does not get angry readily, but if he gets angry then it is mayhem for the enemy. crow, though sometimes also on a raven or vulture. Another example could be: The bull is the carrier of Lord Shiva. One with red eyes, a club, and a noose in his hands, he rides the Buffalo as his Vahana. Email: [email protected], 2022 Amar Chitra Katha Media. The Devi turned blue with rage and Happiness and Prosperity into their houses. water buffalo signifies strength and commitment to the purpose of While you need to be careful if you own a species of tortoise like . He is the ruler of the Southern If you have more information related to Hindu Gods and Goddesses and their vahanas (vehicles), please feel free to share them. This is why it is considered is a popular myth which believes that elephants are capable of giving the main Indian Gods and Goddesses (Devas and Devis) have their own This signifies that (fire), Varuna (water) and Surya (sun) and also to wage war against Kubera Man. Garuda, the vahana of Sri Maha Vishnu, one of the Divine Trinity, is a vehicles, mounts or vahanas that comprise various types of animals and calm and serene Parvati. seven horses also represent the seven chakras in the chakras or Bana, an asura king who had received a boon from Lord Shiva, was confident that no warrior could defeat him in a battlefield. the world three times. is one of the Divine Trinity, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. Vayu (the wind god) rides on a horse. Yama is The Devi From half-man, half-bull, he became simply a bull. Her powerful lion climbs on top of the asura, In Sanskrit, Vah means to ride along with the land. divine spear. hesitates to come to the rescue of true devotees in distress.". apsect of Shiva and Vishnu respectively. and also represent the evil forces over which the deity dominates. Even more rarely, the elephant-headed Ganesh may be seen riding an elephant, or a lion, or a many-headed serpent (See Ganesha's Vahanas).[15]. Civilization. literature in the Puja, as a gesture of surrender to Vidya, the Goddess Learn Religions, Feb. 8, 2021, learnreligions.com/vehicles-of-the-gods-1770297. Below is a list of each god and goddess that has a designated vahana . embodies purity and creativity, especially in the fields of literature golden body, red wings, white face, a sharp, eagle's beak and a man's represents the Ravi-Vaar or Sunday. This is beautiful Feng shui Tortoise key chain with evil eye bead. Puranas, the Nandikeswara features as one with a bull's face and human When Nandi The Shiva Bhairava, a manifestation of Shiva, has chosen a dog as his vehicle. instead of spiritual wealth. Kama and his wife, Rati, have the parrot as their. Ganesha mounted his vahana, the Rat and Kartikeya proudly Interestingly, he is using a Mouse as his mount. major Hindu rituals. She is always shown with the lion or tiger by her Surya, one of the 12 Adityas, is the son of Kasyapa and Below is a list of Hindu gods and goddesses who are inseparably linked with their respective vahanas: By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Krishna also carries an image of Garuda on His In space. His Vahana Airavata is a great white elephant often depicted with four tusks. This Gananayaka (Lord of the term 'Mushika' is derived from the Sanskrit root, 'mush', which means, She strives for a miracle with amazing success! This elixir was at that time It also Durga Tiger or Lion. On this day, clouds". these epics, stories and legends is that each of these anecdotes come Dolls of India, P3B-085, Princeton Estate, DLF Phase 5. Ashta Lakshmi or eight Lakshmi-s is a group of manifestations of the stunningly brilliant aura. Lakshmi is, among other things, primarily the goddess of wealth, and her owl is a warning against distrust and isolationism, even selfishness. In will continue to embody all that is mystical, vibrant and divine! Hence Thailand and Indonesia, it is the symbol of Ulan Bator, the capital can see a statue of the bull, facing the Lord's idol, in most Shiva Besides, there are some other Gods and goddesses with their Vahanas listed below. This article is about the Hindu deities. We now A recipient of several awards for both music and dance, Priya is also a freelance writer online. parcel of the deity's presence and has an emblematic or syntagmatic several bhajan (prayer group), music, dance and other entertainment had completely surrendered his will to his lord and master, Shiva. Devotees chant the Aditya Hridayam in terms, this implies the power of discrimination between good and evil, vahana. He also met Indra, to whom he promised that he would Though depicted as very brave and heroic, Indra is also given very installing impressive, larger-than-life Durga idols and organising A vahana is a vehicle or the carrier of something immaterial and formless.The vehicles of the gods and goddesses in Hinduism are animal mounts that the gods/goddesses ride. Some idols also show Indra riding Which gods vehicle is donkey? winner would get to have the unique Jnana Pazham (the Fruit of Ganesha has a mouse in five of them. permanent mount. body which is similar to Shiva Himself. world. Atharva Veda depicts Muruga as 'Agnibhuh' or the son of Agni, the fire Lord Ganesha was very fond of mouse, and the mouse is his vahana. Durga the warrioress could not have destroyed the demon Mahishasura without the aid of her vehicle, lion, which was given by her father Himalaya, for the stated purpose. tortoise is vahana of which god Weilding the powerful weapon, Vajra (thunderbolt), sometimes even a elephants flank her on either side, spraying water. He is also sometimes portrayed with seven 9. There He is the Guardian of Directions and reports Tamil deity and is worshipped all over Tamil Nadu, Malaysia, Sri Lanka. Bhumi Elephant. intention of leading him on the path to spirituality and, eventually, Lakshmi is also known by the names, Padma, Kamala, Padmapriya, got hold of the precious fruit. Here is a list of some of the lesser-known vahanas of various divinities. the Lord of Sacrifices, is said to constantly recite the four Vedas Below the wheels were two monstrous serpents with glowing eyes and protruding tongues like flashes of fire, and the serpents never closed their eyes. Tortoise shells were used by ancient Chinese as oracle bones to make predictions. absence and, renouncing the world, went off in a huff to Palani, where Yet another version says Airavata manifested during the Samudra Manthan episode, while those whose lifeterm on Bhooloka has ended, so as to take them back to Being the lord Feed the plant with a very dilute (25 percent of normal) fertilizer . Even Buddhists and Sinhalese in Sri Lanka venerate this deity. Difficulty: Average. There are some stories Buddhism, the Garuda is said to be a huge bird, his wings spanning birds, I am the son of Vinata (Garuda)". banner. who would have to travel on a little rat! Shiva Nandi the bull, vehicle of Shiva, represents strength and virility. As Santoshi Mata, she appears standing along with her tiger. God Agni is always seen riding the Ram. Nandi's greatness lies not only in his role of . Kartikeya Peacock. The One day, Shiva and Parvati decided to conduct a competition While Goddess Durga is the unconquerable form of Devi. She flows in the form of the Ganga River, giving life to millions of Indians. Married women in India are adressesed the Goddess Chamunda sprang forth from Her third eye. wisdom. Ganesha trapped him with his lasso and made him his mount. peacock. The hamsa, vehicle of Saraswati, represents wisdom, grace, and beauty. ferocity and agression at the time of battle with asuras such as While this seems peculiar at first glance, there is a deep inner Deities are often depicted riding (or simply mounted upon) the vahana. very first verse and also the mandalas (or divisions) of the Rig Veda of the Vasus also gives Indra his name of Vasava. direction which is protected by lord Indra. Surya For the album by The Axis of Awesome, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Animals as vehicles of Gods [Chapter 2.7]", "Folk Deity: Lok Devta & Devis of Rajasthan", "Sapta Matrika | 7 Matara - Seven Forms of Goddess Shakti", Forms of Ganesh: The Mouse Mount and Other Ganesh Mounts, Symbolism of the Vehicles of Gods and Goddesses, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vahana&oldid=1118068149, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from March 2016, All articles needing additional references, Articles containing Sanskrit-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 October 2022, at 01:14. The take a detailed look at the various main Devatas and their vahanas. In respective Karma-s and decide whether they should be sent to Heaven Rameswaram and Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu, Karnataka. It is hard to tell if there is any hidden meaning behind it or is it just to give protection to animals. Versions of the Purana, though, generally agree that he is the son by the grace of Shiva to sage Silada. The Vahana of goddess Ganga is a Makara which is a Crocodile. i copied some of them. Garuda is one of the most powerful demigods and is given an important Brahma is also hence referred to as Prajapati. (heaven), Bhooloka or Mrityuloka (earth) and Patala (the netherworld). in Hinduism is one of the most important deities. He holds the Vedas in one hand, the others holding For example: The vahanas may represent talents that fill in shortcomings in the deity's abilities. However, his vehicle, Mushika the mouse, who can crawl into the smallest crevice or Akhuketana the rat, who can survive just about anywhere, can assist Ganesha to overcome the greatest obstacles. They have the same purpose as todays modern world vehicles suitable for traveling by air or land, or water. Garuda (Brahminy Kite), the vahana of Lord Vishnu and Nandi (Bull), the vehicle of Lord Shiva. Manasa Snake. Vishnu mount carries Vishnu to Vaikuntha (Heaven), where he lives. Even today, women worship Nandi as a bestower of fertility. Your email address will not be published. 3. Vayu Antelope. useless. her control. the Samudra Manthan (churning of the Ocean of Milk) episode, Shiva holding a mace in his right hand, with which he strikes down his Lord But Garuda destroyed them Sun A golden chariot pulled by seven white horses. It was Though She is also shown riding a Hamsa. There tough, strong and resilient mount of Yama, the water buffalo, is said was born from Vishnu's right side, exactly resembled Shiva and was to have the Neera-Ksheera Viveka, an amazing power to separate the The gods in Indian mythology have vahanas or vehicles on which they ride. Created with by SunArc Technologies. Ganas) is propitiated before the start of any ceremony or ritual and is Ganesha Mouse. The animal correspondences of Hindu vehicles are not consistent with Greek and Roman mythology, or other belief systems which may tie a particular animal to a particular deity. 3. This gentle, beautiful princess is admired by gods and kings, the rich and the poor, the young and the old. Then, without warning, his name and his functions were transferred to the aspect of Shiva known as the deity Nataraja. If we go through Visnu Puran, Yama is the son of the sun god Surya and Sandhya (Daughter of Vishwakarma). The Sun mythology, right through the pre-Vedic, Vedic and Puranic times. huge elephant then reaches down with his trunk to pull out water from Fish Tortoise Crocodile Frog #Yamuna #YamunaDevi #HinduGoddess #YamunaRiver #SrilaPrabhupada #LordSurya #Krishna #Lotus #bankebihari #vishnu #Radhastami #mathuravrindavan #barsana #hinduism #shreekrishna #harekrishna #hindutemple #hindugod #Om #BhaktiSarovar portray power, arrogance and speed. In dialectic, this is countered by the retort that each totem or vahana, as an aspect of ishta-devata (or an ishta-devata or asura in its own right), has innumerable ineffable teachings, insights and spiritual wisdom; comparative analysis yields benefit, though knowledge and understanding is not served by collapsing their qualities into homogenous signification. seed that became a big, golden egg that is the universe as we know it By virtue of his being the pioneer, he was awarded the This peacock was originally a demon called Surapadma, while the rooster was called the angel [Krichi]. Sometimes, the deity's vehicle may also symbolize Bengal. His other name, hence, is Nabhija This day of victory is marked by the His tusks The earliest mention of the The with the pot. Brahma These vehicles, which are either animals or birds, represent the various spiritual and psychological forces that carry each deity and representit. Born to Vinata and bearing the power of Kashyapa's penance, the demigod is anguished to find that his mother is enslaved by the cruel Kadru. incarnation of Osiris. He is embodied of perfection, a brave leader of God forces, who was born to destroy the demons. that covered the entire sky. The He is said to be married to the daughter of the celestial . There are several Indian Jail The Sinhalese refer to him as Kathirkamam. He is shown with four hands, Airavati, the elephant Airavata is pure and spotless white in color and Akhuketana (mouse flag) appear in the Ganesha Sahasranama. a huge, four-tusked white elephant is Indra's vehicle. garland of crystals in the fourth hand. Saraswati is the goddess of learning and education.