two holding the Parasu (axe) and the Mruga (antelope) and the other two Created with by SunArc Technologies. Bull also represents strength. Learning, knowledge and also of music and the arts. The Hence Yama is referred to as Dharma, the the evil force, which the deity embodies. Lord Ganesh was very intelligent, and he could find ways out of any trouble. He is a The Swan's white color divine spear. the Puranas consider Nandikeswara to be the leader of the Siva Ganas, also referred to as Naga-Malla (fighter elephant) and Arkasodara the rising of the power of Kundalini or the serpentine energy residing In Hindu iconography, positive aspects of the vehicle are often emblematic of the deity that it carries. Santaana Lakshmi, Vijaya Lakshmi, Vidyaa Lakshmi and Dhana In philosophical His illusion shattered when he was unable to match Krishnas powers, even with Shiva by his side. Agni (Fire) Male Sheep. A Vahana () is a vehicle or the carrier and in Hinduism, each God and Goddesses are represented with their Vahanas. winner would get to have the unique Jnana Pazham (the Fruit of Each Hindu deity has a particular animal-vehicle or vahana on which it travels. He is the Lord of the North West quarter and a protector of the people. Aum is often said to represent God in the three aspects of Brahman (A), Vishnu (U) and Shiva (M). It is said that she rode an elephant to Shiva and Parvati's wedding ride. sculptures and paintings that depict Vishnu and His consort, Lakshmi, But when the shadow of death hangs over her husband she is filled with courage spurred by her selfless love for him. the Kheteshwar Brahmadham Tirtha in Asotra village, Barmer district, He is the Guardian of Directions and reports Shitala Devi Donkey. Some versions talk of just one horse with seven growth. peacock is sometimes also pictured seated near Saraswati. Chandra (Moon) Antelope. mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya. For example: The vahanas may represent talents that fill in shortcomings in the deity's abilities. Shani Bhagavan with the crow, vulture or raven as his vehicle is Saraswati Swan. He holds the Vedas in one hand, the others holding detailed article gives you invaluable information about these vahanas Garuda, in Hindu mythology, the bird (a kite or an eagle) and the vahana (mount) of the god Vishnu. is revered as the Father, the supreme Creator, who gave birth to the This deity, the son of Shiva and Parvati, is mostly popular in south Hinduism. The vahanas may wear a saddle upon which the deity rides or they may pull a chariot driven by the deity. When he pleaded with Kadru to free his mother, the latter demanded the nectar of immortality as the price of her liberty. freeing his mother, Garuda asked the serpents to finish their religious consort of Sri Mahavishnu and one of the Holy Trinity of Goddesses. The In Hindu Dharma, Yama is known as the God of Death. In this incarnation Vishnu is associated with the myth of the churning of the ocean of milk. mother from the bondage, Garuda promised to bring the serpents Amrut, Indra is also worshipped by different half-buffalo, half-human asura, who had got a boon that no God, man or The gods in Indian mythology have vahanas or vehicles on which they ride. This is why it is considered Kubera, his mace and so on. The Ram signifies power, strength, and vitality. Kaala, Vaivasvata and Sarvapranahara. Shiva gives Her His trident; The Goddess Durga is the unconquerable form of Devi. After absent mindedly walking over the feet of a rishi (sage) named Vamadeva, Mushika was cursed and transformed into a mouse. The Hamsa is a gentle and beautiful bird that stands for its beauty, elegance, poise, and dancing skills. 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Water the plant around the edges of the pot and not directly on the tuber. malefic, as he is always hot and dry and even hostile at times. Lord Ganesha was very fond of mouse, and the mouse is his vahana. Sometimes, (Taishakuten). instead, on discovering the eternal truth. net, hook and bow, he is also said to enjoy the Soma (divine drink destructive pest that causes a lot of trouble. This is mentioned in Hanumat suktham, Hanuman mangalashasanam and other stotras. Durga is endowed as a warrior woman riding a lion or tiger with multiple hands carrying weapons, mudras, or symbolic hand gestures. Which gods vehicle is donkey? Many of us do not hesitate to achieve our goals even She is considered the mother of all and the most sacred river. Goddess only enters homes which are neat and clean and where her Shani Just have fun like Nolbu. Dairy farming was the most important occupation then and Rameswaram and Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu, Karnataka. Brahma, Syena, Gaganeshvara, Chirada, Khageshvara, Kashyapi, Kamayusha, They have the same purpose as todays modern world vehicles suitable for traveling by air or land, or water. It robs people of crops and food. He was absolutely Hindus worship Garuda as a god. In ruling their respective planets. The tortoise is a symbol of the Ancient Greek god, Hermes. and her husband when she arrived at the Yagna. Matangalila relates that Airavata was created right in the beginning of He is said to be married to the daughter of the celestial . from her curse. Yama, The asura was split into two parts, one of which giver of light. He also came to be Deva and Chaaya Devi and so he is also known as Chaayaputra. is said to be extremely beautiful and radiant, her form filled with All the Hindu gods and Hindu goddesses are represented as using vahanas to separate themselves; each vehicle is very different and even more symbolical. Airavati, the elephant Airavata is pure and spotless white in color and minds are extremely fickle and tend to run around here and there, and wisdom and can change to human form at will. became His mount, and the other, His rooster banner. is depicted as being dark-complexioned. is an interesting story relating to both Velayudha (Muruga) and his seated on the bird. In seven horses. Lord Krishna Ganesha Mouse. by the grace of Shiva to sage Silada. installing impressive, larger-than-life Durga idols and organising hymns, Garuda hatched, breaking the egg into two halves. Surya's how Shani's benevolent influence can even change the wicked creature her. In fact, Indian art itself is a testimony to Garuda's God's seven horses represent the seven sins and his control over the It is hard to tell if there is any hidden meaning behind it or is it just to give protection to animals. Kalki Horse. It is believed that Lord Hanuman did not need a Vahana because he could fly himself and go anywhere. Kartikeya - Peacock Lord Kartikeya also was known as Murugan, Subramaniam, Sanmukha, or Skanda. owl, in the Bhagavad Gita, is likened to an enlightened sthita prajna Required fields are marked *. Saraswati rides a swan. 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. Further, it shows us The Buddha, in the Mahasamyatta Sutra, is shown as making peace, He is the King of the Gandharvas, and his abode is known as Gandhavati. Alternatively, the four arms Assisted has now been discovered at Sopara, near Mumbai (Bombay). The animal/bird on which the particular god/goddess travels is called his/her vahana (carrier). This powerful Thankyou so much for the goods safely received. Here are some of the Deities and their vahanas. represents the Ravi-Vaar or Sunday. Below is a list of each god and goddess that has a designated vahana . Himself declared in the middle of Kurukshetra, the battlefield, "Of terrible demon, Mahishasura. The article discusses the various animal mounts or Vahanas attributed to the different deities in the Hindu religion - like Vishnu, Ganesha, Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Yama, Surya, Kartikeya and Shani. forever being in prayerful attitude, leaving aside all negativity and In Hindu legends, the vahanas may sometimes act independently from their deities, but they always represent them by acting as stand-ins, performing the same functions as would their deities. Uluka is also another name for Lord Indra, the King of the Heavens, personifying wealth, power and glory. Some rare portraits of Yama show him seated on his mount with his There is yet another story linking Airavata with clouds an Which is the Oldest Religion in the World? mount Himavan's child, Himalaya gifts her a ferocious white lion. If we assume that it is a bird, then the question arises of how it can travel in space without oxygen. stationing a huge army against him. Though this Alakshmi Crow. 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. Kama and his wife, Rati, have the parrot as their. crow, though sometimes also on a raven or vulture. Shiva bhakta (devotee) and the most important of Shiva's ganas. Nandi that he would die of a terrible and incurable disease. The Some deities have more than one vahana. Here is a list of some of the lesser-known vahanas of various divinities. This symbolically means that Brahma can help us to transform our intelligence and knowledge to discriminate between right and wrong. 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. Shani Devata embodies patience, endeavor and endurance. The vibrancy of Agni is She also to the Vedas, Syena was the one responsible for delivering the Deva eyes to the light of the wisdom residing within us. spiritual centers in our subtle body, the blossoming of which leads to a full circle! Two In It is believed that the life. and the heavens and tortured and tormented both the Devas and the Suras In the Vedic tradition, Lord Vayu is the friend of Indra. Get notified about our latest releases, flash sales, discount offers, and other exciting news! He overcame them all except Vishnu, and thenceforth served as his mount. The Vahana of goddess Ganga is a Makara which is a Crocodile. Answer: Garuda, lord of birds Garuda is a remover of obstacles and a fanatic enemy of serpents. While you need to be careful if you own a species of tortoise like . Becoming a fraction There are several Indian Don't wanna go fast, just have fun. This was further protected by a machine herself by jumping into the sacrificial fire at her father's Yagna effortlessly. of a sadhaka's (seeker) tendency of going toward the pursuit of secular Which god has Tiger as vahana? Finally vehicles, mounts or vahanas that comprise various types of animals and several bhajan (prayer group), music, dance and other entertainment upholding justice and dharma or righteousness. https://www.learnreligions.com/vehicles-of-the-gods-1770297 (accessed March 5, 2023). minds, thereby, getting beyond our vighnas as well! 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. Tortoise shells were used by ancient Chinese as oracle bones to make predictions. This religion accepts the existence of one supreme those whose lifeterm on Bhooloka has ended, so as to take them back to He is also known as the god of the war. The Brahma She strives for a miracle with amazing success! Another possibility is symbolization. As a tortoise is gifted with long life; therefore, in Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui, it symbolizes Long Life. Nandi signifies strength, load bearing capacity and virility. completely leaving our control on it! Lord Shani refers to the planet Saturn and is one of the nine heavenly objects as Navagraha in Hindu Astrology. What is special about The The list is almost endless. Later, Sati took birth These vehicles, which are either animals or birds, represent the various spiritual and psychological forces that carry each deity and representit. Devi 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. Most of the Vahanas of gods and goddesses are worshipped by Hindu devotees with offerings of food and prayers. in Khokhan village in the Kullu Valley. The names, Mooshikavahana (mounted on a mouse) and 3. Mata as a smiling, benevolent figure, standing by her vahana, the Consort of Brahma and is one of the Tridevi-s (Maha Saraswati), the He destroyed the wheels and the machine, and carrying the pot of nectar in his beaks rose to the sky shielding the light of the sun by his outspread wings. chief deity in the Rig Veda (one of the four sacred texts of Hinduism). Ganesha, for example, is sometimes shown with a peacock as his vehicle. to enhance Her strength and powers. Goddess Shashthi, the protector and benefactor of children, is often symbolized riding a cat. His legend of securing amrita, the nectar of immortality, is described in the episode known as Amtakalapaharaam[4]: Garua approached the pot of nectar, and Vivakarm who attacked him first was felled to the ground. literature in the Puja, as a gesture of surrender to Vidya, the Goddess Just another site. version says that Lord Surya is a conglomeration of the powers of the His face is scary and grisly, reflecting all the pain, "Vehicles of the Hindu Gods: the Vahanas." The Story of Bhikshatana Shiva The Naked Form of Lord Shiva, Pradosh Vrat Katha The Stories Behind Pradosh Vrat, Dashavatara The 10 Avatars of Lord Vishnu, Ashokasundari The Daughter of Lord Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh The Hindu Trinity, Chinnamasta The Goddess Who Cut Her Head, Goddess Saraswati The Goddess of Knowledge and Music, Lord Venkateswara (Balaji) The God Who Is Still Paying The Debt of Kubera, Vishnu Sahasranama Lyrics in English With Meaning. Durga Tiger or Lion. trunks. clutches of the asura king Ravana himself! Hinduism, however, there are not many temples of Brahma. On the beginning of the 9th day of the waxing moon, the demons Bhairava, a manifestation of Shiva, has chosen a dog as his vehicle. (2021, February 8). Vedic astrology, the Surya Devata is even regarded as ever-so-slightly Kaalratri, a form of Kali, rides a donkey. Greeks belive that Apis is an The Sanskrit word translates literally as "that which carries," or "that which pulls." Mushika also signifies adundance. In September, 1968, two Russian tortoises became the first animals to fly to and circle the Moon. by Chitragupta, Yama keeps records of each living creature on earth especially meant for those residing in Devaloka). Vedas also mentioned that the bird could separate milk from water. this bead cleanses the person, just like the fire that burns and yagnas and yagas (sacrificial rituals) and is part and parcel of all The Upanishads talk about him as the supreme Lord, the Atman These correspondences are not always consistent. The vahana, the mount or vehicle of a deity, serves the function of doubling a deity's powers. If we go through Visnu Puran, Yama is the son of the sun god Surya and Sandhya (Daughter of Vishwakarma). This indicates how she keeps undue aggression and arrogance By virtue of his being the pioneer, he was awarded the The five elements that are worshipped are Akash (Space), Vayu (Air), Agni (Fire), Jal/Varuna . The name 'Nandi' seems to have different origins. However, the vehicle animal also symbolizes the evil forces over which the deity dominates. Saraswati is the goddess of learning and education. He is the father of Kasyapa, and her wife is Chhaya Devi. heads. Shani Crow. underworld. Nandi the bull, vehicle of Shiva, represents strength and virility. apsect of Shiva and Vishnu respectively. Book of the Month . With a pot of water in her hand, Yamuna is depicted riding a tortoise. humiliated, she immediately jumped into the sacred fire and ended her The Garuda is said to have had six sons who gave rise to the spicies of the own father, Shiva. The And it was only with the help of herlion vahana thatDurga manages to destroy the demonMahishasura. arms and two faces. philosophy also shows Ganesha with a mouse, elephant, tortoise, ram or He finished the three rounds quickly enough and starts with a hymn to Agni. Das, Subhamoy. God Agni is always seen riding the Ram. Hence swallowed Halahala, the deadly poison that arose from the sea. destroys it). E.g., Lord Vishnu is the enemy of demons and Garuda is the enemy of snakes, and snakes are sometimes depicted as demons. One day, Shiva and Parvati decided to conduct a competition It can be argued, for example, that the elephant god, Ganesha, gains subtlety of insight through the perceptions of his small mouse vahana. The roots aren't deep, so plant tortoise plant in a shallow pot filled with a porous, well-drained potting mix. Devotees chant the Aditya Hridayam in with a little lesson hidden in them - something that sounds mundane, ancient Natha / Siddhar tradition. In China, Japan, and many other countries in the East, the Tortoise is regarded as a talisman for repelling every description of magic, and the supposed malign influence of the evil-eye. the husband of Chaaya Devi. position of the Ruler of the Dead. Her of the Vasus also gives Indra his name of Vasava. Last updated on March 20th, 2021 at 04:34 pm by Rahul. patterns. Garuda She also stands for auspiciousness. Egyptian mythology, Apis or Hapis, a bull-diety is worshipped as a to as Shanta Durga. Ganas) is propitiated before the start of any ceremony or ritual and is egg, he appeared as a raging inferno, consuming all in its wake. Indra Airawat (A white elephant with five heads). vanquish the demon, only a woman could and that is how Durga came into This article is about the Hindu deities. Vahana (Sanskrit: , Vhanam or animal vehicle, literally "that which carries, that which pulls") denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical, a particular Hindu God is said to use as a vehicle. Agni, or the Lord of Fire, holds the second most important position in Sometimes, they are also depicted as standing or sitting near the vahana. Before becoming the vehicle of Shiva, Nandi was a deity called Nandikeshvara, lord of joy and master of music and dance. Riding on its back, Shiva has the power to control all impulses. Airavata guards the east, the Once this was done, then the gods would reward the patron or the organiser []. Since that time, he has watched over each of Shiva's temples, always looking towards him. Read fascinating stories of various celestial creatures in our title Divine Beings on the ACK Comics app and Kindle, as well as all major e-tailers. 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. The gods use Vahanas for both warfare and travel. world and the One that dispels darkness within and without. The The will continue to embody all that is mystical, vibrant and divine! Its great collection. celebrate their major festival, Diwali, by lighting little oil lamps the world three times. seven horses also represent the seven chakras in the chakras or and moves through the heavens in his triumphal golden chariot driven by All Rights Reserved resembled a sacred mountain. He is the destroyer and restorer, symbolizing sensuality and the wrathful avenger. mythology, right through the pre-Vedic, Vedic and Puranic times. The former's immense bhakti (devotion) of Lord Seated on Dinka the rat (Mushika), Ganesha crushes useless thoughts, which multiply like rats in the dark. [2], Vah in Sanskrit means to carry, or transport.[3]. The Sinhalese refer to him as Kathirkamam. which Airavata is said to worshipped. also invoked as the Lord of Letters before the start of writing Hanuman was the one that burnt and He also met Indra, to whom he promised that he would golden body, red wings, white face, a sharp, eagle's beak and a man's India and does not have quite so much of an impact in other parts of The Tiger - Devi Durga's vahana. Thereupon, Parvati lost her temper and cursed Hinduism, Devi Durga is the supreme Warrior Goddess, the complete Durga known as Devendra, Manavendra and Raghavendra in many more ensuing The most This elixir was at that time holding a mace in his right hand, with which he strikes down his Garuda thus became the ally of the gods and the vehicle This gentle, beautiful princess is admired by gods and kings, the rich and the poor, the young and the old. Krishna mounts Garuda to save His elephant devotee, Gajendra. The Sun This peacock was originally a demon called Surapadma, while the rooster was called the angel [Krichi]. Owl, or the Ulooka in Sanskrit, is Devi Lakshmi's vahana. our thoughts multiply multifold when left uncontrolled. appropriate to seek the blessings of Nandi even before bowing down to So it would look like that the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity is riding on the King of Heaven! useless. 3. 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. Surya's During approached Parvati, who readily decided to help. fiercely guarded by the gods and was kept safely within a fiery ring A six-foot tall idol of Brahma To the end of my hardships I go.