The Vahana of Shakti. It is also a reference to a stream or a flow. Nandi is Shivas ardent devotee. Maha Lakshmi is the goddess of success, fortune, prosperity, and wealth. The Sarama is the mother of all the Dogs and she resides in Svarga but her son is related to Yamraj. According to some historians, the concept reached Indian shores in the second millennium BC via the trade route between the two ancient civilizations. Lakshmi is, among other things, primarily the goddess of wealth, and her owl is a warning against distrust and isolationism, even selfishness. The name of this dog was Yama who took this form to examine the honesty of Yudhistir who was the oldest Pandava. Each vehicle is very different and of divine nature, because it is forever in contact with the gods and goddesses it serves. The Vahanas are the divine vehicles/mounts of the Hindu Gods. Therefore it is regarded as a chaste bird. Yudhishthira had approached heaven with his dog who was the god Yama himself, therefore among many Hindus, the common belief exists that caring for or adopting dogs can also pave the way to heaven. He is the central figure of the ancient Hindu epic "Ramayana" and is known as King of Ayodhya, the city believed to be Rama's birthplace.According to the Ramayana, Rama's father was King Dasaratha and his mother was Queen Kausalya. 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. This gentle, beautiful princess is admired by gods and kings, the rich and the poor, the young and the old. Airavata first make clouds in the sky, and then he would suck up water in his tusk and dispense the water into these clouds. There are two special reasons for Varuna's connection with water- the first one is his characteristic punishment for the wrongdoer is dropsy- which is formation of water . He is the father of Kasyapa, and her wife is Chhaya Devi. Photo: Dr. C. Srinivasalu. But Kubera is sometimes depicted riding a Nara or a Man. At many events food offerings are given to dogs while performing certain ceremonies of death. 4. He is one of the eight attendants on Lord Shiva and also at times is thought of as one of his aspects.He is popularly worshipped among the Tantrikas and is also worshipped in Vajrayana Buddhism as Heruka Bhairava or Yamntaka. The list is almost endless. The lion is the vahana for both Durga and Parvati. In this capacity, the vahana is often called the deity's "mount". Kartikeya -Peacock IndraElephant Since that time, he has watched over each of Shiva's temples, always looking towards him. Which is the Oldest Religion in the World? Indra's Vahana is a great white elephant called Airavata that is often depicted with four tusks. Saraswati Swan. Deva means heavenly or divine, and refers to a deity in Hinduism. 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. This mythical creature sucks water with her trunk and sprinkles it on earth thereby creating rain. Airavata is often depicted with four tusks. Theres yet another god whom Hindus are looking forward to. His mount Nandi stands for sexual energy kama and fertility. He is not very popularly known amongst the Brahmanas and is mainly worshipped by non-brahmins or the lower castes and tribes. Dogs in Hindu Religion is mainly associated with Bhairava form of Hindu God Shiva. Airavata besides being Indras vahana is believed to, along with his siblings, hold up the eastern hemisphere of the globe. Lord Ganesha was very fond of mouse, and the mouse is his vahana. The Sun God, Surya, mounts on a golden chariot, pulled by seven white horses. Lord Shani refers to the planet Saturn and is one of the nine heavenly objects as Navagraha in Hindu Astrology. The prevailing myth is that the peacock doesnt copulate with the peahen. 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. Shani Crow. Lord Rama is the seventh avatar of Vishnu and a major deity of Hinduism. The Symbolism of Goddess Saraswati's Veena. Dattatreya Cow. Kama and his wife, Rati, have the parrot as their vahana. Pushan Chariot of goats. These were to be given as prescribed in the ancient Vedic sacred texts. She is the supreme god and also identified with Parvati, also referred to as the mother of Lord Kartikeya and Lord Ganesha. The prophecy was fulfilled when the mouse became the vahana of Ganesha. According to astrology, humans suffering from the adverse effects of the planets, Rahu and Shani may find some relief when they give food to black dogs. Hanuman (He Does Not Have a Vahana). Agni, the Fire God, rides upon a ram, and so on. The vahanas of Hindu gods and goddesses are their devoted and faithful companions . Shashthi or Shashti (Sanskrit: , ah, literally "sixth") is a Hindu folk goddess, venerated as the benefactor and protector of children (especially, as the giver of male child). Material - Copper (or) Brass with gold coated. Yama is also the god of righteousness, his tough water buffalo is said to be symbolic of upholding justice. The goddess that is Shivas wife in her most gentle form is called Parvati. Subhamoy Das is the co-author of "Applied Hinduism: Ancient Wisdom for Today's World." Still, they should not be confused with the Vimanas, ancient flying machinesin Vedic literature. One with red eyes, a club, and a noose in his hands, he rides the Buffalo as his Vahana. Created with by SunArc Technologies. Surya, the God of the Sun is considered to be the leader amongst the Navagraha. The owl cleanses the granaries of all pests, thereby protecting the grain. ShitalaDonkey Another deity linked intimately with dogs is Dattatreya who is a merged deity of the trinity of Brahm, Viu and iva. Here it is interesting to note that all the Hindu Gods and Goddesses have animals as their vehicle or Vahana. Bhairava's vahana (vehicle) is Shwaswa, the dog. Saraswati rides a swan. God Indra is also often depicted ridingUchchaihshravas,a seven-headed flying white horse, similar to Sleipnir, the horse of Norse God Odin. Some hold that similar analyses could be performed cross-culturally for any of the other Hindu divine vehicles, and in each case, any parallels with the values assigned to animal totems in other cultures are likely to be either coincidence, or inevitable (as in linking bulls to virility), rather than evidence of parallel development. The vehicles have symbolic meaning and represent the status and strength of the deities. The list is almost endless. Even the merciless Lord Yama is charmed by Savitri. Narayana, The Ancient and Sacred Name of God. Vahanas The Rides of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, 15. For example, Indra the Storm God, carries thunderbolts as his weapons and is also a bringer of rains. Vahanas should not be mixed upwith Vimanas that are ancient flying machines described in many ancient texts like Yajurveda, Mahabharata, Samarangana Sutradhara, Rigveda, Ramayana, and even older ones. 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. The vegetable gets its name from Murugan and Kai. After which Lord Indra sends a bird but the bird ends up cheating on him by telling that Panis does not have cows and then Sarama who is also the mother of Dogs and wolves goes to Panis and battles with them honestly., This represents their vitality in progress and their role in guarding cattle. There are more than 330 million gods and goddesses in Hinduism. These are some of the superstitions and beliefs linked with dogs in Hinduism. According to Hindu mythology deities possess the ability to be in any part of the Universe in an instant. The vahana accompanies, pulls the chariot of, or serves as the seat or mount of his god. But when the shadow of death hangs over her husband she is filled with courage spurred by her selfless love for him. Copyright 2014-2023 RitiRiwaz.com. 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. Email: customerservice@ack-media.com, 2022 Amar Chitra Katha Media. Answer (1 of 8): 1st thing I want to make clear is that the name of this great religion Way of life is Sanatana Dharma. Lord Ganesha was known as the remover of obstacles. The Rig Veda signified that Agni was one of the main gods. This winged elephant was hatched from a cosmic egg. SaraswatiSwan She flows in the form of the Ganga River, giving life to millions of Indians. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/vehicles-of-the-gods-1770297. The primary reason for considering dogs to be impure is because they have meat and are carnivorous are mostly not seen as the pet animals for Brahmanas. However, the vehicle animal also symbolizes the evil forces over which the deity dominates. Vehicles of the Hindu Gods: the Vahanas. 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. The vahana is often worshipped because it is an intermediary between the esoteric and otherworldly space of the gods and the lived world of human ritual and prayer. The baby Ayyappa was forsaken on the river banks and was found by a childless king. It is such tales from India's rich . The Ram signifies power, strength, and vitality. The brother of Skanda was Ganesha the elephant God. Saraswati, the goddess of art, music, and learning, usually holds a book and a stringed instrument called a veena. Ashtavinayak The Eight Forms of Lord Ganesha. The dog (Shvan) is also the vahana or mount of the Hindu god Bhairava. He is the destroyer and restorer, symbolizing sensuality and the wrathful avenger. Image credit: Wikipedia. These were just a handful of tales of Indian gods and goddesses with their beloved animals. Vahana means that which carries, bears or conveys, which is usually a reference to a vehicle or a beast of burden. Indra is an important god of Aryan warriors. These travel vehicles are called Vahanas or Vehicles. Ramayana and Parasara Samhita describes multiple instances where Hanuman could fly at wind speed and also cover long distances like flying across the ocean to reach Lanka, flying back and forth to Himalayas from Lanka to . From Hindu mythology, we learn that each deity has an animal vehicle, a Vahana that they use to travel from one world to another. E.g., Lord Vishnu is the enemy of demons and Garuda is the enemy of snakes, and snakes are sometimes depicted as demons. Das, Subhamoy. The Hindu god of death Yama has four dogs with four eyes protecting his house. The variations of the vehicles are often seen with purposes behind each of them. 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