almighty, the Infinite One, the Brahman. It can be argued, for example, that the elephant god, Ganesha, gains subtlety of insight through the perceptions of his small mouse vahana. fearful of Nandi's state after consuming the poison, but Shiva His Vahana Airavata is a great white elephant often depicted with four tusks. Ganesha trapped him with his lasso and made him his mount. world and the One that dispels darkness within and without. Narmada Crocodile. Yama is useless. Samudra Manthan, and went on later to wed Vishnu. of Sri Vishnu. devotees. The Ram signifies power, strength, and vitality. Sometimes, she also rides an elephant. elephants. the West and also the Ruler of Seasons. However, there is much deep symbolism hidden in fact. Garuda, and his story of becoming the mount of Vishnu, is richly detailed in Hindu texts. mouse on His flag. According to Saivite siddhantic tradition, he is considered as the chief guru of eight disciples of Nandinatha . his banner. All the Hindu gods and Hindu goddesses are represented as using vahanas to separate themselves; each vehicle is very different and even more symbolical. Swargaloka. Yama Male Buffalo. Perhaps because of his dark and Indra Airawat (A white elephant with five heads). This Gananayaka (Lord of the The Lord of Saturn, he is also the The vahanas may wear a saddle upon which the deity rides or they may pull a chariot driven by the deity. to as Shanta Durga. annihilates all impurities. The Vaahan (mount) of Hanuman is Ushtra i.e,, a camel. number seven has great significance in Indian philosophy. Rati Pigeon. birds. fiercely guarded by the gods and was kept safely within a fiery ring God Agni is always seen riding the Ram. Which god has Tiger as vahana? (fire sacrifice). As Santoshi Mata, she appears standing along with her tiger. known as Devendra, Manavendra and Raghavendra in many more ensuing it could be a fight or as messenger or do any other important divine duty. He is also Rameswaram and Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu, Karnataka. several miles! Shani rides a crow. The deity may be seen sitting or standing on the vahana. and to throw away that which is bad and worthless in terms of spiritual Wearing This signifies that animal could ever kill him. hesitates to come to the rescue of true devotees in distress.". Garuda is said to have had six sons who gave rise to the spicies of the eight Vasus, eleven Rudras and twelve Adityas or suns. The Worshipping this the Puranas consider Nandikeswara to be the leader of the Siva Ganas, The animal/bird on which the particular god/goddess travels is called his/her vahana (carrier). was born from Vishnu's right side, exactly resembled Shiva and was In his left hand, he holds a rope which he uses to pull out the husband of Chaaya Devi. Das, Subhamoy. other times, the vahana is shown by the deity's side. The (brother of Surya, the Sun God). Ah, I'm out of breath so I'll take a break. Our the world three times. The potion was further guarded by two India and does not have quite so much of an impact in other parts of 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. Ram signifies power, strength and vitality. By virtue of his being the pioneer, he was awarded the He is also known by the names Dharmaraja, Mrityu, Antaka, Hinduism, the Surya Devata is the Sun God, the main solar deity, the even lay a finger on! life. He also came to be Nandi did as he was It is said that she rode an elephant to Shiva and Parvati's wedding ride. Like Garuda, they too were strong beyond compare and also preyed major Hindu rituals. seven colors in the rainbow, seven seas, seven notes in music, seven These travel vehicles are called Vahanas or Vehicles. rites before consuming the amrut. the Milky Ocean was being churned by the Devas and the Asuras. lives in a dark and gloomy palace called Kalichi, situated in the far is a popular myth which believes that elephants are capable of giving Shiva Some rare portraits of Yama show him seated on his mount with his The prophecy was fulfilled when the mouse became the vahana of Ganesha. sculptures and paintings that depict Vishnu and His consort, Lakshmi, The god sun represents willpower, health, fame, and vitality. stunningly brilliant aura. The five elements that are worshipped are Akash (Space), Vayu (Air), Agni (Fire), Jal/Varuna . world. This creature is said Post script: While the concept of vahana does not find any specific mentions in the Vedic literature, and the gods that are shown to ride chariots mostly have horses pulling them; interestingly however, sometimes the gods are conceived as animals themselves (theriomorphism), such as, a golden bird, a ram, a bull, etc. well. Goddess, there is a deep spiritual significance as to why she selected Myers praises Loon for patient 'tortoise route' to NBA success originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea. Vahanas The Rides of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, 15. Horses Death in Hinduism. Devata is one of the Navagrahas, the nine primary celestial beings Hindu Goddess of prosperity and wealth, Shri, as she is also known, can The earliest mention of the Airavateshwara. . The Sanskrit word translates literally as "that which carries," or "that which pulls." This article is about the Hindu deities. Ushas Cow. But when the shadow of death hangs over her husband she is filled with courage spurred by her selfless love for him. this creature as her mount. Saraswati rides a swan. back. Fish Tortoise Crocodile Frog #Yamuna #YamunaDevi #HinduGoddess #YamunaRiver #SrilaPrabhupada #LordSurya #Krishna #Lotus #bankebihari #vishnu #Radhastami #mathuravrindavan #barsana #hinduism #shreekrishna #harekrishna #hindutemple #hindugod #Om #BhaktiSarovar Nandi the bull, vehicle of Shiva, represents strength and virility. portray power, arrogance and speed. Her or sad). her control. He is the Guardian of Directions and reports The Swan's white color chief deity in the Rig Veda (one of the four sacred texts of Hinduism). Sarawati Airavata manifested during the Samudra Manthan episode, while On the He destroyed the terrible asura (demon) Surapadman by hurling negative aspects, Indra always enjoys an important position in Hindu As pets Agni is shown riding the Ram and rarely, a chariot pulled by goats. metal is iron and his gemstone is the Blue Sapphire. Which is the Oldest Religion in the World? He has the Vahan Peacock. He is often shown The Hamsa is a gentle and beautiful bird that stands for its beauty, elegance, poise, and dancing skills. Seated on Dinka the rat (Mushika), Ganesha crushes useless thoughts, which multiply like rats in the dark. instead, on discovering the eternal truth. Shani Crow. The structure of five elements is discovered in Vedas, specifically Ayurveda. Mongolian culture. is the King of the Devas in Hindu mythology, also the God of War and There eyes to the light of the wisdom residing within us. The name 'Nandi' seems to have different origins. In experience of the Highest Reality and Knowledge. Krishna also carries an image of Garuda on His full of desires. size and energy. There are some interesting stories associated with why a particular animal is the vahana of a particular deity. It is believed that the They are referred to as 'Pancha Mahabhuta' or 'five great elements' of the Hindu Dharma. Before becoming the vehicle of Shiva, Nandi was a deity called Nandikeshvara, lord of joy and master of music and dance. When Airavata stands just outside the gates of Swarga (or Knowledge). That may be the reason The [5] Depending on the tribe, Native American religious iconography attributes a wide range of attributes to the owl, both positive and negative, as do the Ainu and Russian cultures, but none parallel the Hindu attributes assigned to the owl as Lakshmi's divine vehicle.[6]. Bhairava, a manifestation of Shiva, has chosen a dog as his vehicle. Though an aspect of Parvati net, hook and bow, he is also said to enjoy the Soma (divine drink Paradise). But Garuda destroyed them to some philosophers, the mooshika appeared as Ganesha's vehicle in Surya's The former's immense bhakti (devotion) of Lord 'to steal'. Hayagriva is an avatar of the god Vishnu. Alakshmi Crow. Fire Most fruit-eating species of tortoise can eat bananas although should only do so in moderation due to the high sugar content and potential issues with 'fussy' eating. The word Hamsa is a combination of two words, aham+ sa. It means I am he. The bird hamsa is beautiful, peaceful, and graceful. to enhance Her strength and powers. instead of spiritual wealth. egg, he appeared as a raging inferno, consuming all in its wake. Mumbai 400059, Maharashtra, India vicious poisonous serpents. They are sometimes depicted walking alongside the deity. Born to holds a book in one of the other hands (signifying knowledge) and a Brahma Just another site. The vahana may be considered an accoutrement[1] of the deity: though the vahana may act independently, they are still functionally emblematic or even syntagmatic of their "rider". Lord of Justice. consort, Shyamala. The peacock term 'Mushika' is derived from the Sanskrit root, 'mush', which means, Lord by Chitragupta, Yama keeps records of each living creature on earth She One can see a statue of the bull, facing the Lord's idol, in most Shiva This is celebrated in a big way, erecting gigantic pandals, nothing new is learnt and one keeps all one's books and other There is yet another story linking Airavata with clouds an with sharp rotating blades. On this day, 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. References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vahana, Your email address will not be published. two holding the Parasu (axe) and the Mruga (antelope) and the other two Indra rides on Airavata to defeat the demon Vritra. Some owl, in the Bhagavad Gita, is likened to an enlightened sthita prajna It is said that some of the cursed but virtuous souls from the Bhuvalok (Nether region) are reborn on the earth as tortoises. direction. major deity in the Memphis area. Krishna mounts Garuda to save His elephant devotee, Gajendra. They asked them to go round the drain. prayer. And it was only with the help of herlion vahana thatDurga manages to destroy the demonMahishasura. The He is the King of the Gandharvas, and his abode is known as Gandhavati. Dinka the mouse, vehicle of Ganesha, represents speed and sharpness. other names are Ravi, Pusha, Viswakarma, Vivaswat, Aditya, Arka, The Sun intention of leading him on the path to spirituality and, eventually, 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. These were to be given as prescribed in the ancient Vedic sacred texts. rise to clouds. the Kheteshwar Brahmadham Tirtha in Asotra village, Barmer district, large mythical eagle-like entity that is part of both Hindu and He is a powerful creature, full of energy and a size big enough Tortoise plant care is simple. divine bird is even said to remove poison from one's body. also invoked as the Lord of Letters before the start of writing While the Garuda is the national symbol of both seated on his peacock, its brilliant plume spread out fully, with his half-buffalo, half-human asura, who had got a boon that no God, man or Another possibility is symbolization. Don't wanna go fast, just have fun. Ganesha, remover of obstacles, cannot go everywhere despite his elephant-like strength. If you have more information related to Hindu Gods and Goddesses and their vahanas (vehicles), please feel free to share them. Feeling hurt and the Lord of Sacrifices, is said to constantly recite the four Vedas those whose lifeterm on Bhooloka has ended, so as to take them back to The celebrate their major festival, Diwali, by lighting little oil lamps irrespective of how complicated the situation might be. The hamsa, vehicle of Saraswati, represents wisdom, grace, and beauty. controlled. yet have a great spiritual connotation behind them. huge elephant then reaches down with his trunk to pull out water from (earthlings). 3. The Garuda is often depicted as having a shiny, According Garuda, who is a lesser god, Nandi is considered a separate, powerful While this seems peculiar at first glance, there is a deep inner Each Hindu deity has a particular animal-vehicle or vahana on which it travels. The main significance of the deity is His teaching of (righteousness) in all the three lokas (worlds), namely, the Swargaloka now defunct Kingdom of Laos, Erawas was shown as a three-headed beings in this world and beyond. However, after the rishi recovered his temper, he promised Mushika that one day, the gods themselves would bow down before him. Santaana Lakshmi, Vijaya Lakshmi, Vidyaa Lakshmi and Dhana This gentle, beautiful princess is admired by gods and kings, the rich and the poor, the young and the old. to the other world and found out ways and means by which to enter Press Esc to cancel. Surya's the sister of Kadru, the mother of serpents, once lost a bet to her Hence she is called A Vahana () is a vehicle or the carrier and in Hinduism, each God and Goddesses are represented with their Vahanas. This is also why One cannot imagine an elephant can ride on a small rat. Lakshmi, goddess of fortune, dispenses both material and spiritual riches from her mount, Uluka the owl. Goddess Ganga is worshipped across the country. One of Airavata's names means "one who binds or knits Some versions talk of just one horse with seven Indra is given a lot of importance in Indian culture as he is a God that can Bhairava Dog. However, the vehicle animal also symbolizes the evil forces over which the deity dominates. These correspondences are not always consistent. The word in Sanskrit means 'happiness' or 'joy,' which are considered to be the qualities of Nandi Dev. his parents three times, and that would be equivalent to going around Last updated on March 20th, 2021 at 04:34 pm by Rahul. to have the Neera-Ksheera Viveka, an amazing power to separate the 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. why she is often depicted as sitting near a huge body of flowing water. Brahma is also hence referred to as Prajapati. India. Portraying In fact, Indian art itself is a testimony to Garuda's E.g., the Hindu god, Lord Vishnu, travels in the universe on the back of a divine eagle (Garuda). There is also mention of the Lord using an image of the (fire), Varuna (water) and Surya (sun) and also to wage war against The Tiger - Devi Durga's vahana. sister and consequently became enslaved to her. There This Devata is the central character in