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Skandamata
''Skandamātā'' ( sa, स्कन्दमाता) is the fifth among the Navadurga forms of Mahadevi. Her name comes from ''Skanda'', an alternate name for the war god Kartikeya, and ''Mātā'', meaning mother. As one of the Navadurga, the worship of Skandamātā takes place on the fifth day of Navaratri. Her abode is in Vishuddha chakra. Symbolism Skandamātā is four-armed, three-eyed, and rides on a lion. One of her hands is in the fear-dispelling Abhayamudra The Abhayamudrā "gesture of fearlessness" is a mudra, mudrā (gesture) that is the gesture of reassurance and safety, which dispels fear and accords divine protection and bliss in Buddhism and other Indian religions. The right hand is held upr ... position while the other is used to hold the infant form of her son Skanda on her lap. Her remaining two hands are typically shown holding lotus flowers. She is light complexioned, and as she is often pictured seated on a lotus, she is sometimes referred to as ''Padam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity, and dharma, representing the power of good over evil. Durga is believed to unleash her divine wrath against the wicked for the liberation of the oppressed, and entails destruction to empower creation. 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. She is widely worshipped by the followers of the goddess-centric sect, Shaktism, and has importance in other denominations like Shaivism and Vaishnavism. The most important texts of Shaktism, Devi Mahatmya, and Devi Bhagavata Purana, revere Devi (the Goddess) as the primordial creator of the universe and the Brah ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Navadurga
Navadurga ( sa, नवदुर्गा, translit=Navadurgā), also spelled Navdurga and Navadurgas, are nine manifestations and forms of Durga in Hinduism, especially worshipped during Navaratri and Durga Puja. They are often considered collectively as a single deity, mainly among the followers of Shaktism and Shaivism sect of Hinduism. According to Hindu mythology, the nine forms are considered the nine stages of Durga during the nine-day long duration of the war with demon-king Mahishasura, where the tenth day is celebrated as the Vijayadashami () among the Hindus and is considered as one of the most important festivals. Background During the festival of Navratri, nine unmarried virgin girls up to the age of nine years are worshiped and fed as they are considered to be the incarnations of these nine goddesses. Then, the Nabapatrika ritual during Durga Puja involves tying the branches of eight plants with their leaves with a banana plant (''naba'' meaning 'nine', and p'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Navaratri
Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in the honour of the goddess Durga. It spans over nine nights (and ten days), first in the month of Chaitra (March/April of the Gregorian calendar), and again in the month of Sharada. It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of the Hindu Indian cultural sphere. Theoretically, there are four seasonal ''Navaratri''. However, in practice, it is the post-monsoon autumn festival called Sharada Navaratri. The festival is celebrated in the bright half of the Hindu calendar month Ashvin, which typically falls in the Gregorian months of September and October. Etymology and nomenclature The word ''Navaratri'' means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, ''nava'' meaning nine and ''ratri'' meaning nights. Dates and celebrations In the eastern and northeastern states of India, the Durga Puja is synonymous with ''Navaratri'', wherein goddess Durga battles and emerges victorious over the buffalo demon Mahishasu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Navadurgas
Navadurga ( sa, नवदुर्गा, translit=Navadurgā), also spelled Navdurga and Navadurgas, are nine manifestations and forms of Durga in Hinduism, especially worshipped during Navaratri and Durga Puja. They are often considered collectively as a single deity, mainly among the followers of Shaktism and Shaivism sect of Hinduism. According to Hindu mythology, the nine forms are considered the nine stages of Durga during the nine-day long duration of the war with demon-king Mahishasura, where the tenth day is celebrated as the Vijayadashami () among the Hindus and is considered as one of the most important festivals. Background During the festival of Navratri, nine unmarried virgin girls up to the age of nine years are worshiped and fed as they are considered to be the incarnations of these nine goddesses. Then, the Nabapatrika ritual during Durga Puja involves tying the branches of eight plants with their leaves with a banana plant (''naba'' meaning 'nine', and p'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes used to refer to any guru or revered human being. The word ''avatar'' does not appear in the Vedic literature; however, it appears in developed forms in post-Vedic literature, and as a noun particularly in the Puranic literature after the 6th century CE. Despite that, the concept of an avatar is compatible with the content of the Vedic literature like the Upanishads as it is symbolic imagery of the Saguna Brahman concept in the philosophy of Hinduism. The ''Rigveda'' describes Indra as endowed with a mysterious power of assuming any form at will. The ''Bhagavad Gita'' expounds the doctrine of Avatara but with terms other than ''avatar''. Theologically, the term is most often associated with the Hindu god Vishnu, though th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kartikeya
Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha and a god whose legends have many versions in Hinduism. Kartikeya has been an important deity in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times, worshipped as Mahasena and Kumara in North India and is predominantly worshipped in the state of Tamil Nadu and other parts of South India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Malaysia as Murugan. Murugan is widely regarded as the "God of the Tamil people". It has been postulated that the Tamil deity of Murugan was syncretised with the Vedic deity of Subrahmanya following the Sangam era. Both Muruga and Subrahmanya refer to Kartikeya. The iconography of Kartikeya varies significantly; he is typically represented as an ever-youthful man, riding or near an Indian peafowl, called Paravani, bearing a vel and so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kailash
Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; ''Kangrinboqê'' or ''Gang Rinpoche''; Tibetan: གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ; ; sa, कैलास, ), is a mountain in the Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It has an altitude of . It lies in the Kailash Range (Gangdisê Mountains) of the Transhimalaya, in the western part of the Tibetan Plateau. Mount Kailash is less than 100 km towards the north from the western trijunction of the borders of China, India, and Nepal. Mount Kailash is located close to Lake Manasarovar and Lake Rakshastal. The sources of four major Asian rivers lie close to this mountain and the two lakes. These rivers are the Indus, the Sutlej, the Brahmaputra, and the Karnali (a tributary of the Ganges). Mount Kailash is considered sacred in four religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bon. Etymology The mountain is known as “'” (; var. ' ) in Sanskrit. The name also could have been derived from the word “'” (), which means "crystal". ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism. Shiva is known as "The Destroyer" within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity which also includes Brahma and Vishnu. In the Shaivite tradition, Shiva is the Supreme Lord who creates, protects and transforms the universe. 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. Shiva is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta tradition of Hinduism. 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 as well as a householder with his wife Parvati and his three children, Ganesha, Kartikeya and A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult male lions are larger than females and have a prominent mane. It is a social species, forming groups called ''prides''. A lion's pride consists of a few adult males, related females, and cubs. Groups of female lions usually hunt together, preying mostly on large ungulates. The lion is an apex predator, apex and keystone predator; although some lions scavenge when opportunities occur and have been known to hunt Human, humans, lions typically don't actively seek out and prey on humans. The lion inhabits grasslands, savannas and shrublands. It is usually more diurnality, diurnal than other wild cats, but when persecuted, it adapts to being active nocturnality, at night and crepuscular, at twilight. During the Neolithic period, the li ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mahadevi
Mahadevi ( sa, महादेवी, ), also referred to as Adi Parashakti, Adi Shakti, and Abhaya Shakti, is the supreme goddess in the Shaktism sect of Hinduism. 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. Vaishnavas consider her to be Lakshmi, Shaivas consider her to be Parvati, Durga, and Mahakali, 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". Vaishnavism The goddess Lakshmi is revered as Mahadevi in the Vaishnavite tradition, extolled to possess a thousand names and qualities such as The Bestower of Prosperity, The Lotus-eyed One, The Omniscient One, The One Who Meditates On The Ultimate Reality, as well as The One With The Cosmic Form. Var ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vishuddha
Vishuddha ( sa, विशुद्ध, IAST: , en, "especially pure"), or Vishuddhi ( sa, विशुद्धी), or throat chakra is the fifth primary chakra according to the Hindu tradition of tantra. The residing deity of this chakra is Panchavaktra shiva, with 5 heads and 4 arms, and the Shakti is Shakini. Description Location Vishuddha is positioned at the throat region, near the spine, with its ''Kshetram'' or superficial activation point in the pit of the throat. Due to its position, it is known as the throat Chakra. Appearance According to Hindu tradition, this ''chakra'' is described as having a "white color" with sixteen "purple" or "smoke-colored petals." Within the pericarp is a sky-blue downward pointing triangle containing a circular white region like the full moon. This represents the element of ''akasha'' or " aether." This region is represented by the deity Ambara, who is also white in color and is depicted with four arms, holding a noose and a goad. He ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abhayamudra
The Abhayamudrā "gesture of fearlessness" is a mudra, mudrā (gesture) that is the gesture of reassurance and safety, which dispels fear and accords divine protection and bliss in Buddhism and other Indian religions. The right hand is held upright, and the palm is facing outwards. This is one of the earliest mudrās found depicted on a number of Hinduism, Hindu, Buddhism, Buddhist, Jainism, Jain and Sikhism, Sikh images. The abhayamudrā (施無畏印) represents protection, peace, benevolence and the dispelling of fear. The Hindu god Nataraja is depicted with the second right hand making the Abhaya Mudra, bestowing protection from both evil and ignorance to those who follow the righteousness of dharma. In Theravada, Theravada Buddhism, it is usually made with the right hand raised to shoulder height, the arm bent and the palm facing outward with the fingers upright and joined and the left hand hanging down while standing. In Thailand and Laos, this mudra is associated with th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
