Key Deities

Question 1

Agni

Answer 1

is a Sanskrit word meaning fire and connotes the Vedic fire deity of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu temples. In the classical cosmology of the Indian religions, Agni as fire is one of the five inert impermanent elements along with space, water), air) and earth (pṛthvī), the five combining to form the empirically perceived material existence

He is conceptualized in ancient Hindu texts to exist at three levels, on earth as fire, in the atmosphere as lightning, and in the sky as the sun. This triple presence accords him as the messenger between the deities and human beings in the Vedic scriptures

Question 2

Arjuna

Answer 2

one of the chief protagonists of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among five Pandava brothers, from the royal line of the Kuru Kingdom. In the Mahabharata War, Arjuna was a key warrior from the Pandava side and killed many warriors including his own elder brother Karna unknowingly and his grandfather Bhishma. Before the beginning of the war, his mentor, Krishna, gave him the supreme knowledge of Bhagavad Gita to overcome his moral dilemmas.[1]

Arjuna was the son of Kunti-the wife of Kuru King Pandu-and the god Indra, who fathered him due to Pandu’s inability to bear children. Arjuna excelled in archery from an early age and enjoyed the favour of his preceptor, Drona. Arjuna is depicted as a skilled archer, winning the hands of Draupadi, who became the common wife of the Pandavas. Arjuna is twice exiled, first for breaking a pact with his brothers; and secondly together with them when his oldest brother was tricked into gambling away the throne. During the first exile Arjuna married Ulupi, Chitrāngadā and Subhadra. From his four wives, Arjuna had four sons, one from each wife — Shrutakarma, Iravan, Babhruvahana and Abhimanyu. During his second exile, Arjuna gained many celestial weapons. Despite being a warrior, Arjuna was also skilled in music and dance. At the end of the epic, Pandavas, accompanied by Draupadi, retired to the Himalayas,when everyone slowly died and came into heaven, including Arjuna.

Question 3

Avatar(s)/Avatara(s) of Vishnu

Answer 3

The concept of avatar within Hinduism is most often associated with Vishnu, the preserver or sustainer aspect of God within the Hindu Trinity or Trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Vishnu’s avatars descend to empower the good and fight evil, thereby restoring Dharma. Traditional Hindus see themselves not as “Hindu”, but as Vaishnava (Worshippers of Vishnu), Shaiva (Worshippers of Shiva), or Shakta (Worshipper of the Shakti). Each of the deities has its own iconography and mythology, but common to all is the fact that the divine reality has an explicit form, a form that the worshipper can behold.[32] An oft-quoted passage from the Bhagavad Gita describes the typical role of an avatar of Vishnu:[9][28]

Whenever righteousness wanes and unrighteousness increases I send myself forth.
For the protection of the good and for the destruction of evil,
and for the establishment of righteousness,
I come into being age after age.

— Bhagavad Gita 4.7–8
The Vishnu avatars appear in Hindu mythology whenever the cosmos is in crisis, typically because evil has grown stronger and has thrown the cosmos out of its balance.[33] The avatar then appears in a material form, to destroy evil and its sources, and restore the cosmic balance between the ever-present forces of good and evil.[33]

The most known and celebrated avatars of Vishnu, within the Vaishnavism traditions of Hinduism, are Krishna, Rama, Narayana and Vasudeva. These names have extensive literature associated with them, each has its own characteristics, legends and associated arts.[28] The Mahabharata, for example, includes Krishna, while the Ramayana includes Rama.[34]

Question 4

Brahma

Answer 4

referred to as “the Creator” within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.[2][3][4] He is associated with creation, knowledge, and the Vedas.[5][6][7][8] Brahma is prominently mentioned in creation legends. In some Puranas, he created himself in a golden embryo known as the Hiranyagarbha.

Brahma is frequently identified with the Vedic god Prajapati.[9] During the post-Vedic period, Brahma was a prominent deity and his sect existed; however, by the 7th century, he had lost his significance. He was also overshadowed by other major deities like Vishnu, Shiva, and Mahadevi[10] and demoted to the role of a secondary creator, who was created by the major deities.[11][12][13]

Brahma is commonly depicted as a red or golden-complexioned bearded man with four heads and hands. His four heads represent the four Vedas and are pointed to the four cardinal directions. He is seated on a lotus and his vahana (mount) is a hamsa (swan, goose or crane). According to the scriptures, Brahma created his children from his mind and thus, they are referred to as Manasaputra.

Question 5

Buffalo Demon

Answer 5

Mahishasura is a bovine asura in Hinduism. He is depicted in literature to be a deceitful demon who pursued his evil ways by shape-shifting.[1][2][3] Mahishasura was the son of Mahisi (Buffalo) and the great-grandson of Brahmarshi Kashyapa. He was ultimately killed by goddess Durga with her trishula (trident) after which she gained the epithet Mahishasuramardini (“Slayer of Mahishasura”).

The Navaratri (“Nine Nights”) festival eulogises this battle between Mahishasura and Durga, culminating in Vijaya Dasami, a celebration of his ultimate defeat. This story of the “triumph of good over evil” carries profound symbolism in Hinduism, particularly Shaktism, and is both narrated as well as reenacted from the Devi Mahatmya at many South and Southeast Asian Hindu temples.[4][5][6]

Question 6

Durga

Answer 6

major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.[5][6][7]
Durga’s legend centres around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity, and dharma, representing the power of good over evil.[6][8] Durga is believed to unleash her divine wrath against the wicked for the liberation of the oppressed, and entails destruction to empower creation.[9] Durga is seen as a motherly figure and often depicted as a beautiful woman, riding a lion or tiger, with many arms each carrying a weapon and often defeating demons.[3][10][11][12] She is widely worshipped by the followers of the goddess-centric sect, Shaktism, and has importance in other denominations like Shaivism and Vaishnavism.[8][13]

Question 7

Gandh

Answer 7

Non-violence taken against the British in india

Question 8

Ganesha

Answer 8

also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon[4] and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India.[5] Hindu denominations worship him regardless of affiliations.[6] Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains and Buddhists and includes Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, China, and Japan and in countries with large ethnic Hindus populations including United States,[7] Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, and Trinidad and Tobago.[8]

Although Ganesha has many attributes, he is readily identified by his elephant head.[9] He is widely revered, more specifically, as the remover of obstacles and thought to bring good luck;[10][11] the patron of arts and sciences; and the deva of intellect and wisdom.[12] As the god of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rites and ceremonies. Ganesha is also invoked as a patron of letters and learning during writing sessions.[2][13] Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits.

Question 9

Hanuman

Answer 9

a Hindu god and a divine vanara companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic Ramayana. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and one of the Chiranjivis. Hanuman is regarded to be the son of the wind-god Vayu, who in several stories played a direct role in Hanuman’s birth.[6][9] Hanuman is considered to be an incarnation of Vayu in Sadh Vaishnavism and few other Vaishnava traditions, while in Shaivism he is considered to be a partial incarnation of Shiva. Hanuman is mentioned in several other texts, such as the epic Mahabharata and the various Puranas.
Monkey

Question 10

Indra

Answer 10

is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war.[4][5][6][7] Indra’s myths and powers are similar to other Indo-European deities such as Jupiter, Perun, Perkūnas, Zalmoxis, Taranis, Zeus, and Thor, part of the greater Proto-Indo-European mythology.[7][8][9]

Indra is the most referred deity in the Rigveda.[10] He is celebrated for his powers, and as the one who killed the great evil (a malevolent type of asura) named Vritra, who obstructed human prosperity and happiness. Indra destroys Vritra and his “deceiving forces”, and thereby brings rains and sunshine as the saviour of mankind.[7][11] He is also an important deity worshipped by the Kalash people, indicating his prominence in ancient Hinduism

Indra’s iconography shows him wielding a lightning thunderbolt weapon known as Vajra, riding on a white elephant known as Airavata.[32][33] In Buddhist iconography, the elephant sometimes features three heads, while Jain icons sometimes show the elephant with five heads. Sometimes, a single elephant is shown with four symbolic tusks.[32] Indra’s abode exists in the capital city of Svarga, Amaravati, though he is also associated with Mount Meru (also called Sumeru)

Question 11

Kali

Answer 11

is a Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism.[1] In this tradition, she is considered as a ferocious form of goddess Adi Shakti, the supreme of all powers, or the ultimate reality. She is the first of the ten Mahavidyas in the Hindu tantric tradition.[2]

Kali’s earliest appearance is when she emerged from Durga. She is regarded as the ultimate manifestation of Shakti, the primordial cosmic energy, and the mother of all living beings. The goddess is stated to destroy evil in order to defend the innocent. Over time, Kali has been worshipped by devotional movements and Tàntric sects variously as the Divine Mother, Mother of the Universe, Principal energy Adi Shakti.[3][4][5] Shakta Hindu and Tantric sects additionally worship her as the ultimate reality or Brahman.[5] She is also seen as the divine protector and the one who bestows moksha, or liberation.[3]

Question 12

Krishna

Answer 12

is a major deity in Hinduism. The name comes from a Sanskrit word (कृष्ण, kṛṣṇa) that means “black”, “dark”, “dark blue” or “the all attractive”.[13] He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right.[14] He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love;[15][1] and is one of the most popular and widely revered among Indian divinities.[16] Krishna’s birthday is celebrated every year by Hindus on Krishna Janmashtami according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar, which falls in late August or early September of the Gregorian calendar.[17][18]

Question 13

Lakshmi

Answer 13

one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity,[13] and associated with Maya (“Illusion”). Along with Parvati and Saraswati, she forms the Tridevi of Hindu goddesses.[14]

Within the goddess-oriented Shaktism, Lakshmi is venerated as the prosperity aspect of the Mother goddess.[15][16] Lakshmi is both the consort and the divine energy (shakti) of the Hindu god Vishnu, the Supreme Being of Vaishnavism; she is also the Supreme Goddess in the sect and assists Vishnu to create, protect, and transform the universe.[9][16][17][18] She is an especially prominent figure in Sri Vaishnavism, in which devotion to Lakshmi is deemed to be crucial to reach Vishnu.[19] Whenever Vishnu descended on the earth as an avatar, Lakshmi accompanied him as consort, for example, as Sita and Radha or Rukmini as consorts of Vishnu’s avatars Rama and Krishna, respectively.[12][16][20] The eight prominent manifestations of Lakshmi, the Ashtalakshmi, symbolise the eight sources of wealth.[21]

Lakshmi is depicted in Indian art as an elegantly dressed, prosperity-showering golden-coloured woman standing or sitting in the padmasana position upon a lotus throne, while holding a lotus in her hand, symbolising fortune, self-knowledge, and spiritual liberation.[22][23] Her iconography shows her with four hands, which represent the four aspects of human life important to Hindu culture: dharma, kāma, artha, and moksha.[24][25] The Lakshmi Sahasranama of the Skanda Purana, Lakshmi Tantra, Markandeya Purana, Devi Mahatmya, and Vedic scriptures describe Lakshmi as having eight or eighteen hands, and as sitting on Garuda, a lion, or a tiger.[26][27][28] According to the Lakshmi Tantra, the goddess Lakshmi, in her ultimate form of Mahasri, has four arms of a golden complexion, and holds a citron, a club, a shield, and a vessel containing amrita.[29] In the Skanda Purana and the Venkatachala Mahatmayam, Sri, or Lakshmi, is praised as the mother of Brahma.[30]

Question 14

Mahadevi

Answer 14

supreme goddess in the Shaktism sect of Hinduism.[3][4] According to this tradition, all Hindu goddesses are considered to be manifestations of this single great Goddess, who is comparable to the deities Vishnu and Shiva as Para Brahman.[5] Vaishnavas consider her to be Lakshmi,[6] Shaivas consider her to be Parvati, Durga, and Mahakali,[7] while Shaktas consider her to be Durga, Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneswari, and Kali. Author Helen T. Boursier says: “In Hindu philosophy, both Lakshmi and Parvati are identified with the great goddess — Mahadevi — and the Shakti or divine power”.[8]

Question 15

Nataraja

Answer 15

depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the divine cosmic dancer. His dance is called the tandava.[3][4] The pose and artwork are described in many Hindu texts such as the Tevaram and Thiruvasagam in Tamil and the Amshumadagama and Uttarakamika agama in Sanskrit and the Grantha texts. The dance murti featured in all major Hindu temples of Shaivism,[5] and is a well-known sculptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbol of Indian culture,[6][7] as one of the finest illustrations of Hindu art.[8][9] This form is also referred to as Kuththan (Tamil: கூத்தன், romanized: Kūththaṉ), Sabesan (Tamil: சபேசன், romanized: Sabēsaṉ), and Ambalavanan (Tamil: அம்பலவாணன், romanized: Ambalavāṇaṉ) in various Tamil texts

Question 16

Parvati

Answer 16

goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi in her complete form.[7][8] She is also revered in her appearances as Durga and Kali.[9] She is one of the central deities of the goddess-oriented sect called Shaktism, and the chief goddess in Shaivism. Along with Lakshmi and Saraswati, she forms the Tridevi.[10]

Parvati is the wife of the Hindu god Shiva. She is the reincarnation of Sati, the first wife of Shiva who immolated herself during a yajna (fire-sacrifice).[11] Parvati is the daughter of the mountain-king Himavan and queen Mena.[12] Parvati is the mother of the Hindu deities Ganesha and Kartikeya. The Puranas also reference her to be the sister of the river goddess Ganga, and the preserver god Vishnu.[4][13] For Shaivites, she is considered to be the divine energy between a man and a woman, like the energy of Shiva and Shakti.[14] For Vaishnavites, she is respected as Vishnu Vilasini, or “she who dwells on Vishnu”, as stated in the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram.[15]

Parvati is generally portrayed as a gentle, nurturing mother goddess, but is also associated with several terrible forms to vanquish evil beings such as Durga, Kali, the ten Mahavidyas, and the Navadurgas.

Question 17

“Proto-Shiva” image

Answer 17

a steatite seal which was uncovered in the 1928–29 Archaeological Survey of India excavations of the Indus Valley civilisation (“IVC”) site of Mohenjo-daro, then in the British Raj, and now in Pakistan. The seal depicts a seated figure that is possibly tricephalic (having three heads). The seated figure has been thought to be ithyphallic (having an erect penis), an interpretation that has been questioned by many,[4] but was still held by the IVC specialist Jonathan Mark Kenoyer in a publication of 2003.[5] The man has a horned headdress and is surrounded by animals. He may represent a horned deity.[6][7][8][9]
It has one of the more complicated designs in the thousands of seals found from the Indus Valley civilization, and is unusual in having a human figure as the main and largest element; in most seals this is an animal.[10] It had been claimed to be one of the earliest depictions of the Hindu god Shiva—”Pashupati” (Lord of animals) being one of his epithets, or a “proto-Shiva” deity.[9][11]

Question 18

Radha and other gopis

Answer 18

is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi[9] and is also described as the chief of the Gopis (milkmaids). During Krishna’s youth, she appears as his lover and companion.[10][9] Many traditions and scriptures accord Radha the status of the eternal consort and wife of Krishna.[11][9][12] Radha, as a supreme goddess, is considered as the female counterpart and the internal potency (hladini shakti) of Krishna, who resides in Goloka, the celestial abode of Radha Krishna.[13] Radha is said to accompany Krishna in all his incarnations.[11]

In Radha Vallabh Sampradaya and Haridasi Sampradaya, only Radha is worshiped as the supreme deity.[14] Elsewhere, she is venerated with Krishna as his principal consort in Nimbarka Sampradaya, Pushtimarg, Mahanam Sampraday, Swaminarayan Sampradaya, Vaishnava-Sahajiya and Gaudiya Vaishnavism movements linked to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.[15][16][17] Radha is also described as the feminine form of Krishna himself.[18] Radha’s birthday is celebrated annually as Radhashtami.[19]

Gopi (Sanskrit: गोपी, IAST: Gopi) or Gopika in Hinduism are worshipped as the consorts and devotees of Krishna within the Vaishnavism and Krishnaism traditions for their unconditional love and devotion (Bhakti) to god Krishna as described in the Sanskrit scriptures like Bhagavata Purana and other Puranic literature.[2] Gopis are often considered as the expansion of goddess Radha, the chief consort of Krishna.[3] The Raslila of gopis with Krishna has inspired various traditional performance art forms and literatures.[4]

According to Indian philosopher, Jiva Goswami, gopis are considered as the eternal beloved and manifestation of the internal spiritual potency of Krishna. Among the gopis, Radha is the chief gopi and is the personification of bliss potency (hladini shakti) of Krishna.[5] She alone manifest the stage of “Mahabhav” or supreme love for Krishna and holds a place of particularly high reverence and importance in a number of religious traditions.[6]

Question 19

Rama

Answer 19

) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being.[5]

Rama is said to have been born to Kaushalya and Dasharatha in Ayodhya, the capital of the Kingdom of Kosala. His siblings included Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna. He married Sita. Though born in a royal family, Rama’s life is described in the Hindu texts as one challenged by unexpected changes such as an exile into impoverished and difficult circumstances, ethical questions and moral dilemmas.[6] Of all his travails, the most notable is the kidnapping of Sita by demon-king Ravana, followed by the determined and epic efforts of Rama and Lakshmana to gain her freedom and destroy the evil Ravana against great odds. The entire life story of Rama, Sita and their companions allegorically discusses duties, rights and social responsibilities of an individual. It illustrates dharma and dharmic living through model characters.[6][7]

Rama is especially important to Vaishnavism. He is the central figure of the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana, a text historically popular in the South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures.[8][9][10] His ancient legends have attracted bhasya (commentaries) and extensive secondary literature and inspired performance arts. Two such texts, for example, are the Adhyatma Ramayana – a spiritual and theological treatise considered foundational by Ramanandi monasteries,[11] and the Ramcharitmanas – a popular treatise that inspires thousands of Ramlila festival performances during autumn every year in India.[12][13][14]

Question 20

Sarasvati

Answer 20

the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning.[5] She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati.[6][7]
The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a goddess is in the Rigveda.[8] She has remained significant as a goddess from the Vedic period through the modern period of Hindu traditions.[9] She is generally shown to have four arms, holding a book, a rosary, a water pot, and a musical instrument called the veena. Each of these items have a symbolic meaning in Hinduism.

Question 21

Shankara

Answer 21

Famous for establishing monastic communities where Hindu renounces could gather to pursue mokasha

Question 22

Shiva

Answer 22

one of the principal deities of Hinduism.[13] He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism.[14]

Shiva is known as “The Destroyer” within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity which also includes Brahma and Vishnu.[2][15] In the Shaivite tradition, Shiva is the Supreme Lord who creates, protects and transforms the universe.[9][10][11] In the goddess-oriented Shakta tradition, the Supreme Goddess (Devi) is regarded as the energy and creative power (Shakti) and the equal complementary partner of Shiva.[16][17] Shiva is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta tradition of Hinduism.[18]

Shiva has many aspects, benevolent as well as fearsome. In benevolent aspects, he is depicted as an omniscient Yogi who lives an ascetic life on Mount Kailash[2] as well as a householder with his wife Parvati and his three children, Ganesha, Kartikeya and Ashokasundari. In his fierce aspects, he is often depicted slaying demons. Shiva is also known as Adiyogi (the first Yogi), regarded as the patron god of yoga, meditation and the arts.[19]

The iconographical attributes of Shiva are the serpent Vasuki around his neck, the adorning crescent moon, the holy river Ganga flowing from his matted hair, the third eye on his forehead (the eye that turns everything in front of it into ashes when opened), the trishula or trident as his weapon, and the damaru drum. He is usually worshipped in the aniconic form of lingam.[3]

Question 23

Sita

Answer 23

a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, Ramayana. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu’s consort, Lakshmi. She is also the chief goddess of Rama-centric Hindu traditions. Sita is known for her dedication, self-sacrifice, courage, and purity. She is one of the seventeen national heroes (rastriya bibhuti) of Nepal.

Described as the daughter of Bhūmi (the earth), Sita is brought up as the adopted daughter of King Janaka of Videha.[11][12] Sita, in her youth, chooses Rama, the prince of Ayodhya as her husband in a swayamvara. After the swayamvara, she accompanies her husband to his kingdom, but later chooses to accompany her husband, along with her brother-in-law Lakshmana, in his exile. While in exile, the trio settles in the Dandaka forest from where she is abducted by Ravana, the Rakshasa king of Lanka. She is imprisoned in the garden of Ashoka Vatika, in Lanka, until she is rescued by Rama, who slays her captor. After the war, in some versions of the epic, Rama asks Sita to undergo Agni Pariksha (an ordeal of fire), by which she proves her purity, before she is accepted by Rama, which for the first time makes his brother Lakshmana get angry at him.

Question 24

Soma

Answer 24

is the Hindu god of the Moon, and is associated with the night, plants and vegetation. He is one of the Navagraha (nine planets of Hinduism) and Dikpala (guardians of the directions)

Question 25

Surya

Answer 25

is the sun[6] as well as the solar deity in Hinduism.[6] He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a means to realise Brahman.[7] Other names of Surya in ancient Indian literature include Aditya, Arka, Bhanu, Savitr, Pushan, Ravi, Martanda, Mitra, Bhaskara, Prabhakara, Kathiravan, and Vivasvan.[6][8][9]

The iconography of Surya is often depicted riding a chariot harnessed by horses, often seven in number[2] which represent the seven colours of visible light, and the seven days of the week.[6][10] During the medieval period, Surya was worshipped in tandem with Brahma during the day, Shiva at noon, and Vishnu in the evening.[6][11] In some ancient texts and art, Surya is presented syncretically with Indra, Ganesha, and others.[6][10] Surya as a deity is also found in the arts and literature of Buddhism and Jainism. In the Mahabharata and Ramayana, Surya is represented as the spiritual father of Rama and Karna (protagonists of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, respectively). Surya was a primary deity in veneration by the characters of the Mahabharata and Ramayana, along with Shiva.[12][13]

Question 26

Vishnu

Answer 26

ced [ʋɪʂɳʊ]), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.[9][10]

Vishnu is known as “The Preserver” within the Trimurti, the triple deity of supreme divinity that includes Brahma and Shiva.[11][12] In Vaishnavism, Vishnu is the supreme being who creates, protects, and transforms the universe. In the Shaktism tradition, the Goddess, or Adi Shakti, is described as the supreme Para Brahman, yet Vishnu is revered along with Shiva and Brahma. Tridevi is stated to be the energy and creative power (Shakti) of each, with Lakshmi being the equal complementary partner of Vishnu.[13] He is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta tradition of Hinduism.[12]

According to Vaishnavism, the highest form of Ishvara is with qualities (Saguna), and have certain form, but is limitless, transcendent and unchanging absolute Brahman, and the primal Atman (Self) of the universe.[14] There are many both benevolent and fearsome depictions of Vishnu. In benevolent aspects, he is depicted as an omniscient being sleeping on the coils of the serpent Adishesha (who represents time) floating in the primeval ocean of milk called Kshira Sagara with his consort, Lakshmi.[15]

Question 27

Vivekananda

Answer 27

Influential disciple of the saint Ramakrishna: he accelerated the wests interest in hinduism