List of Hindu deities Hinduism is the dominant religion of the Indian
subcontinent.
It comprises three major traditions, Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism, whose followers
considered Shiva, Vishnu and Shakti to be the supreme deity respectively.
Most of the other deities were either related to them or different forms of these deities.
Hinduism has been called the "oldest religion" in the world, and many practitioners refer
to Hinduism as "the eternal law".
. Given below is a list of the chief Hindu deities followed by a list of Hindu deities
. Smartism, a relatively modern Hindu tradition
(compared to the three older traditions), invites the worship of more than one god including
Shiva, Vishnu, Shakti, Ganesha (the elephant god) and Surya (the sun god) among other gods
and goddesses.
It is not as overtly sectarian as either Vashnavism or Saivism and is based on the recognition
that Brahman (God) is the highest principle in the universe and pervades all of existence.
Main Deities The Hindu trinity consisted Shiva, Vishnu
and Brahma, the followers of the first two formed two major sects.
Vishnu Vaishnavism is the sect within Hinduism that
worships Vishnu, the preserver god of the Hindu Trimurti ('three images', the Trinity),
and his ten incarnations.
It is a devotional sect, and followers worship many deities, including Rama and Krishna,
both considered as incarnations of Vishnu.
The adherents of this sect are generally non-ascetic, monastic and devoted to meditative practice
and ecstatic chanting.
Some alternate names of Vishnu the Preserver: Narayana
Venkateshwara, as Vishnu is known in parts of South India.
Dasavatara, the 10 incarnations of Vishnu Shiva
Saivism is the Hindu sect that worships the god Shiva.
Shiva is sometimes depicted as the fierce god Bhairava.
Saivists are more attracted to asceticism than adherents of other Hindu sects, and may
be found wandering India with ashen faces performing self-purification rituals.
Some alternate names of Shiva: Mahadeva
Mahesh Bhairava
Nataraja Pashupati
Rudra Devi
Cults of goddess worship are ancient in India.
The branch of Hinduism that worships the goddess, known as Devi, is called Shaktism.
Followers of Shaktism recognize Shakti as the power that underlies the male principle,
and Devi is often depicted as Parvati the consort of Shiva or as Lakshmi the consort
of Vishnu.
She is also depicted in other guises, such as the fierce Kali or Durga.
Shaktism is closely related with Tantric Hinduism, which teaches rituals and practices for purification
of the mind and body.
Some alternate names of Shakti (Devi) the Mother Goddess:
Durga Bhadrakali, a peaceful form of Kali
Related Deities Brahma, the creator of the universe, who was
created by Vishnu Parvati, a form of Shakti and the wife of
Shiva Ganesh, son of Shiva and Parvati and was also
called Ganapathy, the Ganapatya sectary worshipped Ganesh as their chief deity
Subramanya, son of Shiva and Parvati and was also called Muruga, Karthik, Kumara or Shanmukha,
the Kaumaram sectary worshipped Subramanya as their chief deity
Ayyappa, son of Shiva and Mohini and was also called Shastha
Saraswati, also known as Gayatri, is the wife of Brahma
Lakshmi is the wife of Vishnu Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Rama (incarnation
of Vishnu) and was also called Anjaneya Shesha Naga, the serpent devotee of Vishnu
Avatars (Incarnations) Vishnu
Mohini, female incarnation of Vishnu Dasavatara
Matsya, the fish Kurma, the tortoise
Varaha, the boar Narasimha, the Man-Lion (Nara = man, simha
= lion) Vamana, the Dwarf
Parashurama, Rama with the axe Rama, Sri Ramachandra, the king of Ayodhya
and the hero of the epic Ramayana Krishna, a hero of the epic Mahabharata and
the creator of the Bhagavad Gita (Lord's Song).
Buddha, the founder of Buddhism Kalki who is expected to appear at the end
of Kali Yuga, the time period in which we currently exist.
Krishna is often associated with His beloved Radha, and hence also known as Radha Krishna.
Krishna was also manifested as Lord Jagannatha.
People of Eastern India consider Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to be his re-incarnation.
Krishna is the chief deity of the Iskcon Hare Krishna and other sects.
Shesha Lakṣmaṇa, younger brother of Rama
Balarāma, elder brother of Krishna Lakshmi
Sita Rukmini
Radha Padmavati
Minor Gods The Rigveda speaks of Thirty-three gods called
the Tridasha ('Three times ten').
They consisted of the 12 Adityas, the 8 Vasus, the 11 Rudras and the 2 Ashvins.
Indra also called Śakra, lord of the gods, is the first of the 33 followed by Agni.
Some of these brother gods were invoked in pairs such as Indra-Agni, Mitra-Varuna and
Soma-Rudra.
Adityas Mitra, the patron god of oaths and of friendship,
Varuṇa, the patron god of water and the oceans,
Śakra, also called Indra, the king of gods, and the god of rains
Dakṣa, Aṃśa,
Aryaman, Bhaga, god of wealth
Vivasvat, also called Ravi or Savitṛ, Tvāṣṭṛ, the smith among the gods,
Pūṣan, patron god of travellers and herdsmen, god of roads,
Dhātṛ, god of health and magic, also called Dhūti
Yama, god of Dharma (moral ethics), of death and of justice.
Vasus Assistants of Indra and of Vishnu
Agni the "Fire" god, also called Anala or "living",
Vāyu the "Wind", the air god, also called Anila ("wind")
Dyauṣ the "Sky" god, also called Dyeus and Prabhāsa or the "shining dawn"
Pṛthivī the "Earth" god, also called Dharā or "support"
Sūrya the "Sun" god, also called Pratyūsha, ("break of dawn", but often used to mean simply
"light"), the Saura sectary worshipped Sūrya as their chief deity.
Soma the "Moon" god, also called Chandra Aha ("pervading") or Āpa ('water' or ether),
also called Antarikṣa the "Atmosphere" or "Space" god,
Dhruva ("motionless") the Polestar, also called Nakṣatra the god of the "Stars",
Rudras They are the 8 personifications of god Rudra
and have various names.
Ashvins The Ashvins (also called the Nāsatyas) were
twin gods.
Nasatya is also the name of one twin, while the other is called Dasra.
List in alphabetical order Most of the Hindu temples are dedicated to
Shiva, Vishnu (including his incarnations Krishna and Rama), Shakti (the mother goddess,
hence including the forms of Durga and Kali and the goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati),
Ganesh and Hanuman.
The Hindu scriptures claimed that there were 33 Crore or 330 million (1 Crore = 10 million)
gods.
The number might be figurative but there are several names and forms for the multitude
of gods.
Given below is an incomplete list of deities.
Aakash Acyutah, another name of Vishnu.
Adimurti one of Vishnu's avatars.
Aditi is mother of the Devas.
Adityas, are the offspring of Aditi.
Agni* is the god of fire, and acceptor of sacrifices.
Ammavaru goddess who laid the egg that hatched Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.
Anala "fire" in Sanskrit, equated among Agni.
Anilais one of the Vasus, gods of the elements of the cosmos.
He is equated with the wind god Vāyu, Anila being understood as the name normally used
for Vāyu when numbered among the Vasus.
Anumati ("divine favor" in Sanskrit, Devanagari: अनुमति), also known as Chandrama,
is a lunar deity and goddess of wealth, intellect, children, spirituality, and prosperity.
Her vehicle is Krisha Mrigam or Krishna Jinka (Blackbuck).
Anuradha Ap In Hinduism, it is also the name of the
deva, a personification of water, one of the Vasus in most later Puranic lists.
Apam Napatis an eminent figure of the Indo-Iranian pantheon.
In Hinduism, Apām Napāt is the god of fresh water, such as in rivers and lakes.
In Zoroastrianism, Apąm Napāt is also a divinity of water, see also Burz.
Aranyaniis a goddess of the forests and the animals that dwell within them.
Aranyani has the distinction of having one of the most descriptive hymns in the Rigveda
dedicated to her, in which she is described as being elusive, fond of quiet glades in
the jungle, and fearless of remote places.
Aravan also known as Iravat (इरावत्, Irāvat) and Iravant, is a minor character
from the Hindu epic of Mahabharata.
The son of Pandava prince Arjuna (one of the main heroes of the Mahabharata) and the Naga
princess Ulupi, Iravan is the central god of the cult of Kuttantavar (Tamil: கூத்தாண்டவர்)
—which is also the name commonly given to him in that cult—and plays a major role
in the cult of Draupadi.
Ardhanari is a composite androgynous form of the Hindu god Shiva and his consort Parvati
(also known as Devi, Shakti and Uma in this icon).
Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half male and half female, split down the middle.
The right half is usually the male Shiva, illustrating his traditional attributes.
ArdraThe Hindu myth associated to Ardra is that of Taraka.
Taraka is an asura who is granted invulnerability by Brahma.
Arjuna-(pronounced in classical Sanskrit) (lit.
'bright' or 'silver' (cf.
Latin argentum)) is the third of the Pandavas, the sons and princes of Pandu, who with Krishna,
is considered to be the hero of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
Aruna is a personification of the reddish glow of the rising Sun, which is believed
to have spiritual powers.
The presence of Aruṇá, the coming of day, is invoked in Brahmin prayers to Surya.
Arundhati is the wife of the sage Vashista, one of the seven sages (Saptarshi) who are
identified with the Ursa Major.
She is identified with the morning star and also with the star Alcor which forms a double
star with Mizar (identified as Vashista) in Ursa Major.
Aryaman is one of the early Vedic deities (devas).
His name signifies "bosom friend".
He is the third son of Aditi.
He is an Aditya, a solar deity.
He is supposed to be the chief of the manes and the Milky Way is supposed to be his path.
Ashapura -Mata no Madh is one of aspect devi.
Her temples are mainly found in Gujarat.
Aslesais the 9th Nakshatra among the 27 Nakshatras in Hindu astrology.
Ashlesha is also known as the Clinging Star or Nāga.
It is known as Hydra.
It extends from 16:40 to 30:00 Cancri.
Asura(Sanskrit: असुर, Sanskrit ásu - "life force".
Compare: Æsir.
Also see: Ahura Mazda) are non-suras, a different group of power-seeking deities besides the
suras, sometimes considered naturalists, or nature-beings.
They are the forces of chaos that are in constant battle with the Devas.
Asvayujau is a goddess of good luck, joy and happiness.
Aswiniis the first nakshatra (lunar mansion) in Hindu astrology, corresponding to the head
of Aries, including the stars β and γ Arietis.
The name aśvinī is used by Varahamihira (6th century).
The older name of the asterism, found in the Atharvaveda (AVS 19.7; in the dual) and in
Panini (4.3.36), was aśvayúj "harnessing horses"
Ayyappan is a Hindu deity worshiped in a number of shrines across India.
Ayyappan is believed to be an incarnation of Dharma Sasta, who is the offspring of Shiva
and Vishnu (as Mohini, is the only female avatar of the God Vishnu) and is generally
depicted in a yogic posture Ayyanar
Ayya Vaikundar Bagalamukhi
Bahuchara Mata Balarama-
Banka-Mundi Bhadra
Bhadrakali Bhaga
Bhairava Bhairavi
Bharani Bharati
Bhavani Bhishma
Bhumidevi Bhumiya
Bhutamata Bhuvaneshvari
Brahma Brahman
Brahmanaspati Brahmani
Brihaspati Budha
Buddha Buddhi
Budhi Pallien Balaji
Beeralingeswara Balambika
Chamunda Chandra
Chathan Chhinnamasta
Chitragupta Daksha
Dakshayani Danu
Dattatreya Deva
Devi Devnarayan
Dhanvantari Dhara
Dharma Dharma Shasta
Dhatri Dhumavati
Diti Durga
Draupadi Dyaus Pita
Ganesha (see also Ashtavinayaka) Ganga
Garuda Gayatri
Ghanshyam Guardians of the directions
Gusainji Hanuman
Hari Hrishikesh
Hedavde Mahalaxmi Indra
Indrani Indilayappan
Iyyanar Jagaddhatri
Jyotiba Jagannath
Jumadi Jasnath ji
Jai Jhulelal
Kali Kama
Kamalatmika Kanaka Durga
Kartikeya Karuppa Swami
Kashyapa Khatushyamji
Kirata Moorti Krishna
Kubera Khandoba
Kathyayini Kamakshi
Lakshmi (see also Ashta Lakshmi) Lalitha
Lakshman {lambodar)(see also }{ganesh}
Madurai Veeran Mahesh, another name for Shiva
Mahavidya Mahavishnu
Mariamman Markandeya
Matrikas Meenakshi
Manasa Maruts
Matangi Manikanta
Meenush Mhasoba
Veer Mhaskoba Mitra
Mohini Muthyalamma
Murugan Mariamman
Muniandi Muthappan
Mahalasa Mukyaprana
Mookambika Muneeswaran
Mahakali Mahalaxmi
Naga Devata Naga Raja
Naga Yakshi Naina Devi
Nandni Nandi
Narada Narasimha
Narayana Nataraja
Nirrith Nirrta
Nookambika Parashurama
Parasiva Parjanya
Parvati Pashupati
Perumal Prajapati
Prithvi Pushan
Purusha Radha
Rama Ramnathi
Ranganatha Rati
Ratri Ravi
Rbhus Renuka
Revanta Rohini Nakshatram
Rudra Raj Jain
Samaleswari Santoshi Mata
Saraswati Saranyu
Sati Savitr
Savitar Sesha
Shakti Shakti Peethas
Shantadurga Shiva (see also Astamurti)
Sita Sai Baba
Sai Baba Skanda
Soma Subrahmanya
Surya Shitala
Svaha Swaminarayan
Sreeraman Tara
Tejaji Tirupati Thimmappa
Tripura Sundari Tvashtri
Uma (goddess) Urvashi
Ushas Ugratara
Varaha Varuna
Vasu Vayu
Veerabhadra Veer Mhaskoba
Venkateshwara Vishnu
Vishvaksena Vithoba
Vishwakarma Vivasvat
Valli Yaksha
Yakshini Yama
Yamuna Yami
Yellamma Yudhisthira
Yamini * - major deities