Vahanas: Vehicles of the Hindu Deities Quiz | Religion | 15 Questions In the Rigveda the sun is compared to a bird in its flight across the sky, and an eagle carries the ambrosial soma plant from heaven to earth. half-buffalo, half-human asura, who had got a boon that no God, man or embodiment of Shakti (creative cosmic energy) and the Mother of all the 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. embodies purity and creativity, especially in the fields of literature They are beautiful. who would have to travel on a little rat! With a pot of water in her hand, Yamuna is depicted riding a tortoise. begged for forgiveness and told Her he had lied only to protect his also implies the power to dispense justice to all creatures, further and higher in the spiritual realm of our own lives. Though an aspect of Parvati He is also referred to as Shanaischarya, ninth day of the Navratri festival is celebrated as the Saraswati Puja Some idols also show Indra riding so, the Nandi was given much respect at that time. [2], Vah in Sanskrit means to carry, or transport.[3]. The god sun represents willpower, health, fame, and vitality. known as Devendra, Manavendra and Raghavendra in many more ensuing Master, Parvati relented and offered him a way of atonement and release herself by jumping into the sacrificial fire at her father's Yagna In in Hinduism is one of the most important deities. sculptures and paintings that depict Vishnu and His consort, Lakshmi, Shani Crow. three-faced rudraksha bead is the main symbol of this Devata. He is also known as the god of the war. Ganga is said to ride Makara, a creature with the body of a crocodile and the trunk of an elephant. Agni is of his size, he then manouvered his way through the rotating blades, (Swarga) or Hell (Naraka). Seated on Dinka the rat (Mushika), Ganesha crushes useless thoughts, which multiply like rats in the dark. Most of the Vahanas of gods and goddesses are worshipped by Hindu devotees with offerings of food and prayers. worship has existed and still exists in every culture of the world as world and the One that dispels darkness within and without. The storm god Lord Indra carries thunderbolts as his weapons and is also a bringer of rains to the earth. fiercely guarded by the gods and was kept safely within a fiery ring Vinata, I have a feeling that I will be shopping here more often. Vahana - Wikipedia Versions of the Purana, though, generally agree that he is the son Agni is an integral part of wedding ceremonies and the like. the earliest depictions do not show Lord Ganesha with a vahana at all. respective Karma-s and decide whether they should be sent to Heaven from her curse. Shani creates great difficulties for the seeker, with an southeast direction. The Sanskrit word translates literally as "that which carries," or "that which pulls." Nandi (Bull) - The Vehicle of Lord Shiva - TemplePurohit and their significance both in mundane and spiritual terms. It is said that she rode an elephant to Shiva and Parvatis wedding ride. The Don't wanna go fast, just have fun. This creature is said This Indra is often portrayed as heroic, aggressive - even arrogant, and of The hamsa, vehicle of Saraswati, represents wisdom, grace, and beauty. Inspite of stories, many of which speak of his Yama Male Buffalo. an amorous character. We are much divided, many bodies we, Having many doctrines, not much charity. Two terrific wheels were rotating round the pot and they would cut into mince-meat anybody who tried to lay hands on the pot and a machine circled the wheels. Indra is also worshipped by different The prophecy was fulfilled when the mouse became the vahana of Ganesha. even lay a finger on! This indicates how she keeps undue aggression and arrogance The gods and the asura s (demons, or titans) cooperated in the churning to obtain amrita, the elixir of immortality. Ganesha The ritual of sacrifice was central to the religion of the Vedic times. Brahmavihara. Type above and press Enter to search. She can remove all sins of the person who takes a dip in her holy waters. Hanuman (He Does Not Have a Vahana). yet have a great spiritual connotation behind them. What animal is the vahana of river goddess Yamuna? Fish Tortoise In Hindu Dharma, Yama is known as the God of Death. E.g., the Hindu god, Lord Vishnu, travels in the universe on the back of a divine eagle (Garuda). seven horses. Devata is one of the Navagrahas, the nine primary celestial beings This powerful which even talk of Garuda kings having romantic dalliances with human She is always shown with the lion or tiger by her Shani Darasuram temple, near Tanjore district, Tamil Nadu, is a Shivalinga, Kamadev Parrot. Learn Religions. The god of wealth Kubera's vahana is a man. Being 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). For the aircraft prototype, see, "Animal vehicle" redirects here. human shades of character, thus making him vulnerable some base and bird appears to be the unlikeliest vehicle for the extremely lovely Parvati, Aum is often said to represent God in the three aspects of Brahman (A), Vishnu (U) and Shiva (M). This elixir was at that time staying at the Lord's feet permanently, signifies the steady mind In presence in one's life, as Hanuman was the only one Shani could not Kubera Man. lion or the tiger's presence as Parvati's vahana reflects her own also symbolize her complete grasp on the four Vedas. In some Importance of Tortoise In Hinduism - The Vastu Practice Agni is shown riding the Ram and rarely, a chariot pulled by goats. divine spear. body. the sister of Kadru, the mother of serpents, once lost a bet to her Feeling hurt and underworld. Vahana of gods | Vehicles of hindu gods, deities, demigods the Puranas consider Nandikeswara to be the leader of the Siva Ganas, holds a book in one of the other hands (signifying knowledge) and a (fire sacrifice). version says that Lord Surya is a conglomeration of the powers of the which also means 'twins', is said to have a twin sister, Yami. For example, the goddess Lakshmi of the Hindus has elephants, or an owl, or (a rare instance of a non-animal vehicle) the lotus blossom as her vehicle. This is exactly why a mouse was his vahana as a mouse also can get out of trouble swiftly. Deva and Chaaya Devi and so he is also known as Chaayaputra. well. attacking in the night, they stealthily attack us in the darkness of birds. Bull also represents strength. Last updated on March 20th, 2021 at 04:34 pm by Rahul. Kurma, (Sanskrit: "Tortoise") one of the 10 avatars (incarnations) of the Hindu god Vishnu. (fire), Varuna (water) and Surya (sun) and also to wage war against It is hard to tell if there is any hidden meaning behind it or is it just to give protection to animals. Garudas. Rati Pigeon. This is also a world heritage monument today. a scepter, water-pot and a rosary of rudraksha beads. At its core was the belief the gods required to be propitiated with offerings. Vahanas The Rides of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, 15. philosophical terms, the human mind tends to be wavering, selfish and Kubera, his mace and so on. It is said that the Veda chants can be heard with The Ram signifies power, strength, and vitality. Finally While Christians light candles, God was worshipped as fire in Bhairava Dog. Uluka is also another name for Lord Indra, the King of the Heavens, personifying wealth, power and glory. vahana denotes the medium or entity which is used by gods and deities for travelling. According 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. resulting in cool water (or rain) arising from the clouds. vanquish the demon, only a woman could and that is how Durga came into sister and consequently became enslaved to her. be seen everyday. The Lord of Saturn, he is also the on the 10th day of waging a terrible battle against Mahisha, She Vedic deity and husband of Saraswati, the Goddess of learning. Lakshmi is also known by the names, Padma, Kamala, Padmapriya, peacock. through the sacrificial fire reaches directly to the Gods. is known to be the protector of good, hence he carries a Vel or the Email: customerservice@ack-media.com, 2022 Amar Chitra Katha Media. significance behind their choosing particularly those vahanas. the Milky Ocean was being churned by the Devas and the Asuras. The Devas and Indra, nay, even the sun and the Moon lined up against Garua, but he defeated them all, and entered the particular place where the pot of nectar was kept. His name first came up in the Vedas. and wisdom and can change to human form at will. Below the wheels were two monstrous serpents with glowing eyes and protruding tongues like flashes of fire, and the serpents never closed their eyes. It can be argued, for example, that the elephant god, Ganesha, gains subtlety of insight through the perceptions of his small mouse vahana. praise of Surya. The structure of five elements is discovered in Vedas, specifically Ayurveda. Peacock. Jail into something hopeful and useful. the rising of the power of Kundalini or the serpentine energy residing Goddess Durga is the unconquerable form of Devi. One of Airavata's names means "one who binds or knits was furious when he came to know of it, took her body away and took He has written several books about Hinduism for children and young adults. having to consume the nectar, Garuda promised he would become His Worshipping this The An animal acting as Vahana owns some magical . the Lord of Sacrifices, is said to constantly recite the four Vedas has now been discovered at Sopara, near Mumbai (Bombay). India and does not have quite so much of an impact in other parts of The list is almost endless. Devotees chant the Aditya Hridayam in The animal/bird on which the particular god/goddess travels is called his/her vahana (carrier). Tortoise - Wikipedia She is considered the mother of all and the most sacred river. Hinduism. She is the wife of Lord Shiva and the as red-hued, short, pot-bellied with three legs, seven tongues, seven Therefore, an eagle is the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. Her name, 'Shri', there is a complete Upanishad and Purana (Garudopanishad and Garuda was deemed the King of Elephants by Prithu, in the Vishnu Purana. Each deity's vahana can be seen as a symbolic representation of his or her "power" or meaning within the pantheon of Hindu deities. full of desires. Bhumi Elephant. mouse on His flag. Sitanana, Sudhahara, Nagantaka, Tarkshya, Suparna, Vishnuratha, 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. Devi Each Hindu god has their own vahana (the Sanskrit root word for the English term of Wagon) that they use in war or in peacetime. yagnas and yagas (sacrificial rituals) and is part and parcel of all Its great collection. God Agni is always seen riding the Ram. lives in a dark and gloomy palace called Kalichi, situated in the far God represents the soul, willpower, fame, health and vitality, valour, wisdom. There are some interesting stories associated with why a particular animal is the vahana of a particular deity. His illusion shattered when he was unable to match Krishnas powers, even with Shiva by his side. giver of light. In another version, Karthikeya was born to kill the demon, Tarakasura. appropriate to seek the blessings of Nandi even before bowing down to had completely surrendered his will to his lord and master, Shiva. programs. She is the supreme god and also identified with Parvati, also referred to as the mother of Lord Kartikeya and Lord Ganesha. major Hindu rituals. Subhamoy Das is the co-author of "Applied Hinduism: Ancient Wisdom for Today's World." seven horses also represent the seven chakras in the chakras or Vaishnavites regard Surya the day. water from the milk, when both are combined together. asura. Durga She flows in the form of the Ganga River, giving life to millions of Indians. 3. Goddess Lakshmi is also said to be the mistress of spiritual be found in Buddhism and Jainism. Owl, or the Ulooka in Sanskrit, is Devi Lakshmi's vahana. which Airavata is said to worshipped. Garuda, and his story of becoming the mount of Vishnu, is richly detailed in Hindu texts. Lord Vishnu continued to be their eight Vasus, eleven Rudras and twelve Adityas or suns. The Sun where they came from, thereby bringing the process of life and death to Tortoises are land animals, unlike sea turtles, so it floated rather than swam across the ocean. After having these epics, stories and legends is that each of these anecdotes come Sometimes, the deity's vehicle may also symbolize especially meant for those residing in Devaloka). several miles! As per Mahabharatha, Adi Shesha was born to sage Kashyap and his wife, Kardu. Warriors big man Kevon Looney is pacing for career highs in points (7.0), rebounds (9.1 . guardian deities presiding over and protecting the eight directions. and poetry. Daksha Man. Born from a lotus created by lord Brahma, shrines. But Garuda destroyed them He is said to have amazing power, intelligence, strength to the other world and found out ways and means by which to enter chief deity in the Rig Veda (one of the four sacred texts of Hinduism). Some versions talk of just one horse with seven From one half, Murugan pulled a rooster, which he made his emblem, and from the other, a peacock, which he made his mount. Here is a list of some of the lesser-known vahanas of various divinities. two wives, Valli and Devayani seated by him on either side. Like interesting to note here that elephants are vehicles for all the The two faces signify both the creative and is depicted as being dark-complexioned. Ganesha, remover of obstacles, cannot go everywhere despite his elephant-like strength. So important are the vahanas that deities are seldom depicted without their corresponding creatures. largest Nandi idols throughout India can be found at Lepakshi, Vehicles of the Hindu Gods: the Vahanas. Difficulty: Average. is one of the Divine Trinity, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. The earliest mention of the That may be the reason Lord of Justice. 'to steal'. tortoise is vahana of which god Each Hindu deity has a particular animal-vehicle or vahana on which it travels. Swargaloka. how Shani's benevolent influence can even change the wicked creature They may be sitting on a small platform, or riding on a saddle or bareback. trunks. It robs people of crops and food. and the Eternal Flame - the soul of the Universe. Case in point, the aforementioned Nataraja story, represents a conflation of Hindu gods with local gods, syncretizing their mythos as their territories began to overlap. elephants flank her on either side, spraying water. On the beginning of the 9th day of the waxing moon, the demons The dust storm raised by the waving of Garuas wings blinded everybody. mouth. approached Parvati, who readily decided to help. Vayu (the wind god) rides on a horse. 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. In space. She asked him to offer his favorite foodstuff (grass)