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Krishna's Pastimes
Krishna was born of Devaki, the wife of Vasudeva, while they were imprisoned in Mathura. They were imprisoned because their eighth son, Krishna, was destined to kill the evil King Kamsa. When Krishna was born, the doors of the prison mystically opened and the guards fell asleep. Vasudeva walked out of the prison and took Krishna across the Yamuna River to Gokula to be cared for by his foster parents, Nanda and Yasoda. When Vasudeva arrived in Gokula, he found Yasoda asleep after having just delivered a baby girl. He exchanged babies and returned to the prison. When Kamsa found out that Devaki's eighth child had been born, he rushed to the prison. He seized the baby, but the baby slipped from his hands and flew into the air, as a goddess. She said, "Fool, you cannot kill me. The baby that is destined to kill you has already been born elsewhere."

Krishna spent his childhood with Nanda and Yasoda in Vrindavan. Kamsa sent many demon followers to Vrindavan to kill him. First he sent Putana, a child-killing witch, who assumed the form of a beautiful woman. She offered to nurse baby Krishna after covering her breast with poison, but Krishna sucked both her breast and her life-airs, killing her.

He then killed Trinavarta, the wind demon, who grabbed Krishna and flew away with him. Krishna made himself so heavy that the demon fell to the ground and died. The Aghasura demon, in the form of a gigantic snake, swallowed Krishna and his cowherd boy friends. Krishna then expanded himself and killed Aghasura. Aristasura, the bull demon and Keshi, the horse demon, both fought with Krishna and were killed.

He also punished Kaliya, a many-hooded serpent. This snake had poisoned the Yamuna River. Krishna danced on his head and eventually the Kaliya snake surrendered to him, realizing that he was the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

He also carried out many pastimes with the cowherd boys, cows, and gopis (cowherd girls). There are many paintings of Krishna dancing with the cowherd girls. This dance is called the Rasa Dance. Krishna expanded himself into many forms and it appeared to each girl that he was dancing only with her.

One day Krishna told his father, Nanda Maharaja, to stop worshiping Indra, the god of rain, and instead to worship Govardhan Hill, a sacred hill in Vrindavan. Nanda Maharaja did this and Indra became so angry that he sent torrential rains. Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill and held it over the residents of Vrindavan like an umbrella, thus protecting them. This pastime has been depicted in many paintings and sculptures.
Krishna then went to Mathura to kill Kamsa. He stayed in Mathura until he was 28. At the age of 28 he moved to Dwarka. In Dwarka he married 16,108 wives. His chief wife was Rukmini. He became Arjuna's charioteer during the battle of Kurukshetra, and this is when he spoke the famous Bhagavad-gita.

Radharani Radha & Krishna picture
She is also known as Radha and Radhika. She is the most important of the gopis (cowherd girl) of Vrindavana. She is the main consort of Krishna and is often seen standing with Him on the altar in temples. Radharani is Krishna's consort during His pastimes in Vrindavana. She is always shown as a beautiful woman. She is a very important deity for devotees of Krishna, because it is believed that one has to get her mercy to be able to approach Krishna properly.

Vishnu Veiw Vishnu picture - Recling Vishnu Sculpture - Vishnu Sculpture
Vishnu is the maintainer of the material creation. Another name for Vishnu is Narayana. He is one of the Hindu trinity, along with Lord Siva and Lord Brahma, and superintends the mode of goodness. He is full in all six opulences-wealth, influence, beauty, fame, strength, and renunciation. He is renounced because he is not attached to anything in the material world. Lord Vishnu is considered to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead by Vaishnavas.

As Garbhodakashayi Vishnu, Brahma appears from his navel and creates the universe. His consort is Lakshmi (also called Shridevi). Shridevi usually holds a lotus flower with the petals open. His other consort is Bhudevi, who carries a blue lotus flower (sometimes the petals are closed). If both consorts are with Lord Vishnu, Lakshmi is on his right and Bhudevi on his left.

He usually has four hands, which hold a conch shell (sankha), a disc (chakra), a club (gada), and a lotus flower (padma). He has a blue complexion and wears yellow garments. He wears a jewel on his chest called kaustubha.
The club and the wheel are the Lord's symbols of punishment for the demons and miscreants. The lotus flower and conchshell are used to bless the devotees. When his incarnation is present on this planet, Lord Vishnu kills the demons and protects his devotees simultaneously.

Vishnu's carrier is known as Garuda, who is half-bird (eagle) and half-man. Garuda is seen in many Vishnu temples kneeling reverently in front of the temple.

Lord Vishnu is often seen reclining on a bed made up of the coils of the serpent Ananta Shesha (Shesha-naga) with Lakshmi and Bhudevi at his feet. There are unlimited incarnations of Lord Vishnu, but there are ten major incarnations.

A Deity of Lakshmi-Narayana may be seen with Lord Narayana (Vishnu) sitting down, with Lakshmi sitting on his lap. Narayana may have a disc and lotus in his hands.

Lord Vishnu expands into three forms to create and maintain the universe. They are 1) Maha-Vishnu who is seen lying on Ananta Shesha in the Causal Ocean. In this form He creates the material universe by his breathing. 2) Garbhodakashayi Vishnu, who enters the universe and maintains it. 3) Kshirodakashayi Vishnu, who enters the heart of every living entity as the Supersoul and is found in every atom.
Lord Vishnu has a cheerful, lotus-like face and his body is the color of a blue lotus. On His breast He bears the mark of Srivatsa, which is a curl of white hair. The brilliant Kaustubha gem, decorated with jewels and pearls, is suspended from His neck. He wears a garland of beautiful flowers around His neck. The smiling face of Lord Vishnu is pleasing to the entire world.

Incarnations of Vishnu
An incarnation of Lord Vishnu is called an avatara. Vishnu descends on earth whenever there is a decline in religious practice and a predominant rise of irreligion. In the Vedas it is said that the Lord, although one without a second, manifests himself in innumerable forms. Each and every incarnation has a particular mission, and all these forms and their missions are described in the revealed scriptures. Still, the essence of the mission is always the same-to lead people to God consciousness and obedience to religious principles. Sometimes Vishnu descends personally, and sometimes he sends his bona fide representative in the form of his son or servant, or he comes himself in a disguised form.

The Lord descends from his abode to this world, and therefore he is called avatara, which means "one who descends." Sometime people may think an avatara is an incarnation who assumes a material form of flesh and bones, but avatara actually refers to one who descends from a higher region. The Lord's abode is situated far above this material world, and he descends from that higher position; thus he is called avatara.

Vishnu has ten major incarnations who are collectively known as the Dasavatara. They are Matsya, the fish; Kurma the tortoise; Varaha, the boar (who killed Hiranyaksa and saved the earth); Narasimha, the half-man, half-lion (Narasimha killed the demon Hiranyakasipu and saved his pure devotee Prahlada); Vamana, the dwarf Brahmin (who begged three paces of land from Bali Maharaja, the king of the demons, and in so doing reclaimed the universe for the demigods); Parasuram, the ax-bearing warrior (who although born a Brahmin, killed twenty-one generations of ksatriyas (warrior caste) because of their failure to follow religious principles); Rama, the ideal king (who saved his wife from Ravana, king of Lanka. The Ramayana narrates his activities); Balarama, Krishna's brother; Lord Buddha; and Kalki, the killer of the demoniac population at the end of Kali-yuga.

Besides the major incarnations there are innumerable others. The Lord manifests in many species of life to maintain the faithful and to annihilate the unfaithful.

Sometimes Lord Vishnu appears in person as Lord Krishna or Lord Rama. Sometimes He appears as a shaktavesha-avatara such as Lord Buddha. Shaktavesha-avataras are incarnations of Vishnu's power invested in a living entity. Living entities are also part and parcel of Lord Vishnu, but they are not as powerful; therefore when a living entity descends as an incarnation of Vishnu, he is especially empowered by the Lord.

Matsya
The first incarnation of Lord Vishnu is Matsya, the fish incarnation. Matsya's lower body resembles a fish and his upper body a man. He has four hands, in which he holds a club, lotus, disc, and club. Sometimes his hands are depicted with the palm held outward, indicating blessings for his devotees. In pictures he is often depicted as a fish.

At night when Brahma sleeps, the three worlds are flooded with the waters of the Causal Ocean and all beings inhabiting them are annihilated. At the end of the past millennium (the end of Brahma's day) Brahma felt tired and desired to lie down. The Vedas were emanating from his mouth and a great demon named Hayagriva stole them. Understanding this, Lord Vishnu assumed the form of a fish to save the Vedas and kill the demon.

When the entire world was covered with water, the Lord again took the form of a fish and saved King Satyavrata, who lived on a boat attached to the fish's horn. Along with saving the king, he also saved the sages, herbs, seeds, and representatives of the other living entities.

Once King Satyavrata was practicing austerity on the bank of the Kritamala River, drinking only water. Cupping his palms to scoop up some water from the river to offer as an oblation, he inadvertently scooped up a small fish. The fish appealed to the king for protection, asking him to provide the fish with a safe place. The king then put the fish in a water jug. The fish immediately expanded his body and became too big for the jug. Satyavrata then placed the fish in a large well, but that was soon not large enough. The King then placed the fish in a lake, but the fish again expanded and the lake became too small. Finally, the king placed the fish in the sea, but that also became too small. The king then realized that the fish was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

The fish then told the King that there would be an inundation throughout the universe within a week and that he would protect the king. As the fish had told him, the Ocean rose and the king saw a boat coming toward him. He got into the boat along with the saintly people, herbs, seeds, and representatives of other living entities. He then offered prayers to Matsya. Matsya taught King Satyavrata and the saintly persons Vedic knowledge.

Kurma
The second incarnation, Kurma is Lord Vishnu in the form of a tortoise. Kurma means "tortoise." He is sometimes seen in the form of a half-man, half-tortoise. He is often depicted with four arms. In his upper two hands he holds a disc and a conchshell. In his lower two hands he holds a club and a lotus. Sometimes these two hands are depicted in protection and boon-giving postures (mudras).

Kurma's shell served as the pivot for Mandarachala Mountain, when the demigods and the demons used the mountain as a churning rod while churning the milk ocean (see Kumbha-mela story). The demons and demigods were producing nectar from the sea by using Mandara Mountain as the churning rod (the same nectar that is said to drop during the Kumbha-mela, giving eternal life). Because the churning rod needed support, Lord Vishnu accepted the form of a tortoise and allowed the demigods and the demons to rest the mountain on his back..

There is only one Kurma temple in India, at Srikurman (Kurma-ksetra) in Andhra Pradesh. Srikurman is located 100 km northeast of Visakhapatnam and 200 km southwest of Puri, on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, 15 km east of the town of Srikakulam. The present temple is at least 700 years old. The original temple was supposedly built in 200 AD. The Deity in this temple consists of two stones, about two feet long, coming out from the ground, which represent the head and body of Sri Kurma.

Varaha
Lord Varaha, the third incarnation, appeared as a giant boar to save the earth and to kill the demon Hiranyaksa, who had been terrifying the universe. Varaha is often depicted as half-man, half-boar, and is engaged in picking up the earth. He is also sometimes depicted entirely as a boar. He may be seen holding a conchshell, disc, lotus, and club. Sometimes he is lifting the earth planet and other times, fighting with Hiranyaksa. He may also be seen holding a club, and one hand may be in the protective or boon-giving postures.
Varaha dove to the bottom of the ocean to save the earth after Hiranyaksa put it there.

Hiranyaksa was Hiranyakasipu's brother, the demon who was killed by Lord Narasimha. Hiranyaksa was so proud, that he wanted to fight with Lord Vishnu in the form of a boar. Lord Varaha then got into a vicious club fight with Hiranyaksa. Hiranyaksa struck Varaha with his hard fist, but Varaha slapped Hiranyaksa indifferently at the root of his ear and killed him instantly.

In the material world a boar or pig is considered most abominable, but Adi-sukara (the original boar), the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was not treated as an ordinary boar. Even Lord Brahma and the other demigods worshiped the Lord's form as a boar.

Narasimha View picture of Nrinsingha
In his fourth incarnation, Lord Vishnu appears in the form of half-man, half-lion, to kill the king of the demons, Hiranyakasipu, the older brother of Hiranyaksa. He is usually depicted with four hands. The upper hands hold a disc and lotus; the bottom hands are either seen tearing out Hiranyakasipu's innards or in the boon-giving and protective postures.

Hiranyakasipu was powerful. After performing extreme austerities, he received a benediction from Lord Brahma. He asked to be immortal, but Brahma told him he could not grant such a wish because he himself was mortal.

Hiranyakasipu then received the blessing that he could not be killed by man, beast, demigod, or any kind of weapon or hands. He would also not die in the air, in water, or on the ground, nor be killed either inside or outside, neither during the day nor at night.

The Lord assumed the incarnation of a half-man, half-lion and killed Hiranyakasipu. He killed him on his lap, so that he was killed neither on land nor in water. He was killed in the doorway of the assembly hall, which was neither inside nor outside. He was torn apart by Narasimha's nails, which was neither a weapon nor hands. He was killed at dusk, which was neither day nor night.
Prahlada Maharaja was the son of Hiranyakasipu, and because the boy was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu, his father tortured him. To save his devotee Prahlada Maharaja, Lord Narasimha appeared to kill Hiranyakasipu.

Vamana
Lord Vishnu appeared as Vamana, a dwarf-Brahmin, and attended Bali Maharaja's sacrifice. Bali Maharaja was the grandson of Prahlada Maharaja, and due to being born in a demon family, was king of the demons. Bali had managed to overcome Indra, the king of heaven, and Indra approached Lord Vishnu for help.
Vamana begged three steps of land from Maharaja Bali. As it is the duty of a king to grant charity to Brahmins, Maharaja Bali replied, "Why take so little? I can give you much more than that."

Lord Vamana replied "O my dear King, even the entirety of whatever there may be within the three worlds to satisfy one's senses cannot satisfy a person whose senses are uncontrolled. One should be satisfied with whatever he achieves by his previous destiny, for discontent can never bring happiness. A person who is not self-controlled will not be happy even with possessing the three worlds."

Vamana then expanded his body to take up the earth and all the heavens in his first two steps. There was nothing left for Bali Maharaja to give for the third step, so he offered his head. After taking everything from him, Lord Vamana made Bali king of the underworld.

Vamana holds a water-pot in one hand and an umbrella in the other. He wears either a loincloth or a deerskin. He wears a ring of kusa grass on his third finger and sometimes holds a book.
He is also called Trivikrama. Tri means "three," and vikrama means "victory." Vamana attained victory over Bali Maharaja by taking three steps. Lord Vishnu, as Vamana, may be seen stretching his leg to take a big step.

Parasuram
Parasuram, the sixth incarnation, was born as a Brahmin, but later acted as a ksatriya. He is seen in a human form holding a battle ax in one hand. Sometimes he is seen with four hands carrying a sword, ax, bow, and arrows. There are just a few temples dedicated to Parasuram in India. Parasu means "ax," and thus his name means "Rama with an ax." He was the son of the sage Jamadagni and Renuka. Siva showed Parasuram how to fight and also provided him with his ax. Parasuram taught Arjuna how to fight.
One time, the powerful ksatriya king, Kartaviryarjuna, who had one thousand arms, stole Jamadagni's kamadhenu (wish-fulfilling) cow. Parasuram then killed the king to regain the cow. After killing the king, Jamadagni, told him that killing a king is sinful, and that as a Brahmin he should have tolerated the offense. Jamadagni advised Parasuram to atone for his sin by traveling to various holy places.

While Parasuram was traveling, the king's sons avenged their father by killing Jamadagni. Parasuram then killed twenty-one generations of the ksatriya race in order to purify the ksatriya race.

Lord Rama
Lord Rama is the hero in the famous story, the Ramayana. He is also known as Raghunath and Ramacandra. Rama is the husband of Sita. He appeared in Ayodhya as the son of King Dasaratha.

Lord Rama is almost always worshiped with his consort Sita, his brother Laksman, and his monkey servant Hanuman. He is depicted with two arms, and in one hand he holds a bow. His wife Sita stands on his left, and she is often depicted holding a blue lotus. On his right side stands Laksman, who usually holds a bow and arrows. Hanuman usually kneels in front of Lord Rama.

His father, Maharaja Dasaratha, had three wives. From these three wives Maharaja Dasaratha had four sons. One of his wives, Kaikeyi, served Dasaratha nicely and received a boon from him. She said she would ask for the benediction at another time. At the time of Ramacandra's coronation, Kaikeyi asked her husband to enthrone her son Bharata and to send Ramacandra to the forest for fourteen years. Maharaja Dasaratha then ordered Ramacandra to go to the forest.

Rama went to the forest with Laksman and Sita. When Marica assumed the form of a golden deer, Lord Ramacandra wanted to capture the deer to please Sita. While he was chasing the deer, the ten-headed demon, Ravana, kidnapped Sita and carried her to Lanka. As Rama and Laksman searched the forest for Sita, they met the dying Jatayu, who had been fatally wounded while trying to rescue Sita. Rama then killed the monkey Vali and made friends with Sugriva, the monkey king.

The monkeys were sent out to find Sita. Hanuman, Rama's eternal servant, found Sita in Ravana's capital on the island of Lanka. Hanuman jumped across the sea. When Lord Rama came with the monkey army, they built a bridge by floating boulders on the water. This happened at Rameswaram.

With Laksman's help, along with the help of the monkey army, Rama was able to kill Ravana and his army. Rama then made Ravana's brother, Vibhisana, king of Lanka. Rama then returned to his own kingdom in Ayodhya to become king.

Balarama Balaram with Krishna picture
The eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Balarama, is Krishna's older brother. He is white and has two hands. He usually carries a plow or a club (and sometimes both). He is often seen in pictures with Krishna and with the cowherd boys. He usually wears a blue dhoti. He is also known as Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha or Haladhara. He married Revati, the daughter of King Raivata. They had two sons named Nisatha and Ulmuka.

Balarama is the son of Vasudeva. He first appeared in the womb of Vasudeva's wife Devaki, but was mystically transferred to Rohini's womb. (Rohini is another of Vasudeva's wives). This was done to prevent Kamsa from killing him at his birth. Kamsa was destined to be killed by Devaki's eighth son, and to not take any chances he was killing all the sons born to Devaki at birth.
Balarama trained both Bhima and Duryodhana in club-fighting. Eventually, his students faced one another in the final combat of the Kurukshetra war. Because of this, Balarama chose to remain neutral during the conflict.

Balarama killed the ass-demon named Dhenakasura. One time Duryodhana locked up Krishna's son Samba in Hastinapura. Balarama went there and demanded his release. When Duryodhana refused he took his plow and started to drag the city into the Yamuna. To save the city Duryodhana released Samba.

Lord Buddha View Buddha Sculptures
Buddha is considered to be the ninth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He is often seen sitting on a lotus, wearing yellow cloth. His hands are in the protective and boon giving positions. Siddhartha Gautama, who was later called Buddha, appeared around 563 BC (the Mahabodhi Society accepts 624 BC). He was born in a warrior caste. He got married when he was 16, and he had one son. He left home when he was twenty-nine in search of the answer to life. After about six years he went to Bodh Gaya and sat under the Bodhi tree. While meditating he was tempted by the demon Mara, who offered him all the desires of the world. Not taking any of these temptations, he received enlightenment. You can see these scenes depicted in many of the Buddhist carvings around India.

He appeared in Lumbini, which is now in Nepal, preached his own conception of nonviolence, and condemned the animal sacrifices sanctioned in the Vedas. During the time when Lord Buddha appeared, animal killing was being done unrestrictedly on the plea of Vedic sacrifice. Lord Buddha preached nonviolence. He preached that he did not believe in the tenets of the Vedas and stressed the adverse psychological effects of animal killing. Lord Buddha appeared to stop this and to establish the Vedic principle of nonviolence.

Technically Lord Buddha's philosophy is called atheistic because there is no acceptance of the Supreme Lord and he denied the authority of the Vedas. But that is an act of camouflage by the Lord, because he is an incarnation of the Lord. He rejected the Vedas outwardly because people were supporting their cow and animal killing from the pages of the Vedas. Lord Buddha preached the preliminary principles of the Vedas in a manner suitable for the time.

Kalki
At the end of Kali-yuga (the present age), Kalki, the tenth incarnation, appears. He rides a white horse and carries a flaming sword raised above his head. With this sword, he kills the demoniac and atheistic population of the world. He appears at the time of Pralaya (the great deluge). By the end of Kali-yuga morality and law and order has for the most part disappeared. Vedic sacrifices have been forgotten and foreign barbarians will occupy the land. At this time Lord Vishnu in the form of Kalki comes to restore law and order.

Other Vishnu Incarnations
Besides Lord Vishnu's ten main incarnations, there are many others. There are also shaktavesha avataras (empowered incarnations). Twelve other main incarnations: (1) the four Kumaras, (2) the sage Narada, (3) Nara and Narayana Rishis, (4) sage Kapila (who taught Sankhya philosophy), (5) Dattatreya, (6) Yajna, (7) Rishabhadeva, (8) King Prithu, (9) Dhanvantari (doctor), (10) Veda-Vyasa (author of Mahabharata and Srimad-Bhagavatam, who was empowered to present the Vedic scriptures), (11) Mohini Murti (who bewildered the demons and gave nectar to the demigods), (12) Hayagriva (who had a horse head and who killed the demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, then recovered the Vedas, which they had stolen).

Siva View Shiva pictures - Shiva sculpture
Siva is one of the Hindu trinity along with Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma. He is the destroyer. At the end of Kali-yuga (the present age), he will perform the dance of destruction and the entire universe will be destroyed. Lord Siva is in charge of tamo-guna, or the mode of ignorance.

He may be depicted holding a trident, as do many of his followers. He may also hold a mace or battle-ax, an antelope, or an hour-glass drum known as a damaru. He may have two or four arms. He has three eyes. The third one, situated between the eyebrows, is normally closed, except at the time of destruction. He has a crescent moon in his matted hair, and his body is smeared with ashes. He has three horizontal lines on his head, and he wears a cobra around his neck. He has fair skin. He wears a tiger skin, and he sometimes wears a garland of skulls. While he is meditating he sits on a tiger skin. He never accepts luxurious dress, garlands, ornaments, or ointments.

Lord Siva has a blue throat, because he once drank the poison produced from the churning of the milk ocean. He held the poison in his throat to save humanity from being destroyed.

Siva is worshiped in the form of the Siva-linga, or phallus, in most temples. His carrier is Nandi, the bull. Most Siva temples have a trident on top of the temple tower.

Siva is also known as Gangadhara, or one who bears the weight of the Ganges River as it falls to earth from the heavens. When the Ganges descended to earth, it fell on his head and through his jata (matted hair), forming many small streams. Eventually these streams combine and form the Ganges at Haridwar.

He resides at Mount Kailash, which is a mountain located in the Himalayas in Tibet. He sits facing south.

Siva is known as Nataraja, the cosmic dancer. He is also known by other names, such as Rudra, Mahadeva, Sankara, Pashupati (the lord of the animals), and Bhairava, his terrible form. He is also known as Ashutosha, or one who is easily pleased, and Bhutanatha or lord of the bhutas, or ghosts and spirits. He is called Mahadeva, or the greatest of the demigods, because no one is equal to him in the material world. Hari Hara is a form that is half-Vishnu and half-Siva.

His consort is Parvati, also known as Kali or Durga. Lord Siva is the husband of Durga, goddess of the material energy. Because Lord Siva is her husband, he is known as the controller of the material energy.

Lord Siva's duty is dangerous because he has to employ the energy of goddess Durga. In pictures Goddess Kali (Durga) is sometimes seen standing on Lord Siva's prostrate body, because Lord Siva has to fall flat in order to stop Kali from killing the demons. Since Lord Siva controls the material energy, worshipers of Lord Siva attain opulent positions within the material world. Durga is described as keeping all living entities in the darkness of ignorance.

He is also known as the husband of Sati (also called Gauri), who entered the fire at the sacrifice performed by her father, Daksha. She was then reborn as Uma, and again married Siva.

The story of the third eye is that one time Uma, Siva's consort, playfully held her hands over Siva's eyes. At once darkness spread over the entire universe and not even the sun or moon could be seen. At once Lord Siva produced the third eye so that light could return to the universe.
Siva can see the past, present and the future. One of his eyes is like the sun, another like the moon, and his third eye, which is between his eyebrows, is like fire. He can generate fire from his middle eye, and he is able to vanquish any powerful living entity, yet he does not live pompously in a nice house nor does he possess any material properties, even though he is the master of the material world. He is unstained by material contamination. Lord Siva is not connected with anyone, nor is anyone his enemy. Since he is one of the three controllers of the universal affairs, he is equal to everyone.

Parvati
Parvati is Lord Siva's wife and the mother of his sons, Karttikeya and Ganesh. Parvati lives with Siva on Mount Kailash. Her carrier is a lion. She is seen as a beautiful woman with two arms. She is called the daughter of the Himalaya mountains. She also takes on other forms such as Durga and Kali.

She is worshiped as the consort of Lord Siva in Siva temples, and is not worshiped alone in her own temple. She may hold a mirror or spear in her hands. If she has four hands she may hold a spear and a chisel in two of her hands and the other two hands may be in the protective and boon-giving modes. In pictures she may be seen in meditation, trying to attract Lord Siva.

Nataraja Siva View Nataraja sculpture
In this form Lord Siva is depicted in his famous Ananda Tandava dancing pose, with one leg in the air and he has four arms . Nata means "dance" and raja means "king." Thus he is known as "king of the dance." Lord Siva is depicted dancing on a dwarf named Apasmara, who is said to represent ignorance or false ego, which makes souls forget their true identity. Nataraja destroys false ego. He is encircled by a ring of flames and is holding a drum. One of his hands is in the Abhaya Mudra posture ("Fear not, I will protect you").

One time, Siva went to a forest to subdue ten thousand holy men. The holy men became angry and sent a tiger to kill him, but Siva subdued the tiger and used its skin as a cape. The sages then sent a poisonous snake, which he restrained and used as a garland. They then sent a black dwarf armed with a club. Lord Siva danced on the dwarf's back with his leg in the air. This dance was so splendid that the holy men had to accept Lord Siva as their master.

Another story about Nataraja is that Kali (Parvati) was once the patron goddess of the Tillai Forest (what is now the city of Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu). Lord Siva came to this forest to dance for two of his devotees Patanjali and Vyaghrapada. They worshiped the svayambhu-linga, a self manifested Siva-linga. Kali did not like him being there, so she challenged him to a dancing contest and the loser would have to leave the forest. Lord Vishnu was the judge. Their dancing went on for some time and during this time they were equal in their dancing, but then Siva did a dance where he lifted his leg over his head. This dance is called the Ananda Tandava. At this point Kali knew she could not win and so she left.

The Sabhanayaka Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram is the original temple dedicated to the Nataraja form (Celestial Dancer) of Lord Siva. The Nataraja deity there has been the model for innumerable bronze statues of Siva performing this dance.

Brahma
Brahma is the god of creation. He is one of the three main Hindu gods, which include Lord Vishnu and Lord Siva. He sits on a lotus which has sprouted from Lord Vishnu's naval. He has four heads, usually bearded, four arms, and matted hair. He holds a spoon, a pot of holy water, a scepter, beads (rosary), and a part of the Vedas (a book). He may also hold a bow, lotus, or scepter. Sometimes two of his hands are in a protective and boon-giving mode.

His four faces represent the four Vedas and his four hands the four directions. He is the father of Lord Siva. He may wear a tiger skin or the skin of a black antelope. He rides on a swan or sits in the lotus position on a chariot pulled by seven swans. If he is colored, he is pink or red.

His consort is Saraswati, but in Pushkar Gayatri is also worshiped as his consort. His consort Saraswati is supposed to have cursed him at Pushkar. (This story can be read in the section about Pushkar.)

He was born from the lotus flower that emanated from Lord Vishnu's navel. One day of Brahma is a thousand cycles of the four yugas (known as a kalpa), which equals 4.32 billion years. His night is the same. He lives for 100 years.

There are only a few Brahma temples in India. The one at Pushkar in Rajasthan is the main temple.

Lakshmi Veiw picture of Laksmi - Laxmi sculpture
Lakshmi is Lord Vishnu's consort, and the goddess of wealth and good fortune. She may sit at Lord Vishnu's feet or be depicted standing or sitting next to him. She is also seen reclining on Lord Vishnu's chest. She usually has two arms when she is worshiped with Lord Vishnu, and four arms when she is worshiped alone. She appeared when the demigods and demons churned the milk ocean.

She sits or stands on a lotus, and often holds a lotus flower. When she has four arms, she holds lotuses in her two upper hands. Gold coins may be seen dropping from her lower two hands, or her lower hands may be in a boon-giving posture. She is normally a bright golden color.
Lakshmi is often seen in paintings half submerged in water with two elephants on either side of her. She has two elephants who spray bathing water on her. Rukmini, the wife of Lord Krishna and Sita, the wife of Lord Rama, are incarnations of Lakshmi. She sometimes rides on the back of Garuda, along with Lord Vishnu.

There are no temples dedicated exclusively to Lakshmi, but she is usually worshiped as a side deity in Vishnu temples. She is also seen in deity form on the main altar of Vishnu temples, usually at the Lord's feet. She is worshiped in most people's homes-many Hindus have a picture of Lakshmi on their home altars-to attain wealth.
People do not generally know that Lakshmi is fickle, and that unless she is worshiped with her consort, Lord Vishnu, her mercy will only be temporary.

The Dipawali festival of light (October/November) is associated with Lakshmi. Houses are brightly lit by lamps because it is believed that wealth (Lakshmi) will not enter a house which is dark. Most houses are decorated with oil lamps and electric lights on this day.

Sri Nathaji (Sri Gopala) Veiw Nathadwar picture
Sri Nathaji is a beautiful black marble Deity of Lord Krishna, standing with His left hand upraised lifting Govardhana Hill. His right hand, closed in a fist, rests on His hip. The original Deity of Sri Nathaji is located in Nathdwar, 48 km northeast of Udaipur, in Rajasthan. The temple of Sri Nathaji is said to be the second richest in India, after the Balaji Temple in Tirupati. Every day Sri Nathaji is offered large quantities of opulent foodstuffs. He is a very popular Deity in Rajasthan and Gujarat. His picture can be seen throughout these two states.
The servitors of Sri Nathaji say that the Deity is the original form of Sri Krishna. Since this form of Lord Krishna includes all others, His devotees see Him both as Sri Radhanath (the Lord of Radha) and as child Krishna.

The Deity appears in large black stone, from which His form emerges in bas-relief. The stone around the Deity bears several marks: two cows, a snake, a lion, two peacocks, a parrot by the Lord's head, two sages seated on His right side and a third on His left, and then below the sages is another snake. Around the Lord's neck is a flower garland, resembling a black snake.

This Deity is said to have been originally installed by Vajranabha, the great-grandson of Lord Krishna, 5,000 years ago. Over 500 years ago the Deity was found by Madhavendra Puri in some bushes next to Govardhana Hill in Vrindavana. Madhavendra Puri then established the worship of Sri Gopala in a temple on Govardhana Hill. Madhavendra Puri handed the service of the Deity to the son of Vallabhacarya named Vitthala. Sri Nathaji was brought to Nathdwar by Rana Raj Singh of Mewar in the 17th century. The Deity was brought to Rajasthan to protect Him from the destructive reign of the Muslim ruler Aurangzeb, who terrorized the Vrindavana area in 1665.

Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhadra
These are the main Deities in the Jagannatha Temple, which is located in Puri, Orissa. Jagannatha is another name for Lord Krishna, which means Lord of the Universe. Balarama is his brother and Subhadra is his sister. Lord Jagannatha is black in color, Balarama is white in color, and Subhadra is yellow in color. The pole next to the Deities represents the Sudarsana-chakra of Lord Krishna. These Deities can be seen all over Orissa, but are also seen in many other Krishna temples throughout India.

There is an interesting story that describes how these Deities got their present form. Once there was a king named Indradyumna. Lord Jagannatha came to him in a dream and told him I shall come floating from the sea in my wooden form as Daru-brahman at the place called Bakimuhan. The king went to this place and saw a huge piece of wood which had the marks of a conch, club, disc and lotus on it.

King Indradyumna had the best sculptors come to carve the Deity of Lord Jagannatha from Daru-brahman. As soon as they started, their chisels broke to pieces. The Supreme Lord Himself came in disguise as an old artist. He said that if he was able to work behind closed doors for 21 days then the Deities could be carved. The old sculptor then took Daru-brahman into the temple and the doors were closed. After 14 days passed, the king could not hear the sounds of the artist's tools and he became full of anxiety. The king then personally opened the door of the temple by force.

The king did not see the sculptor, but instead he saw the three forms of Lord Jagannatha, Subhadra and Balarama. Their fingers and toes were unfinished. Thinking himself a great offender the king decided to give up his life. He then laid on a bed of kusa grass and began to fast. Lord Jagannatha appeared to him in a dream. He told the king that He is eternally situated here in Jagannatha Puri in the form of Lord Jagannatha as Daru-brahman. I have no material hands and feet, but with my transcendental senses I accept all the items offered by my devotees. The fact that you broke your promise is part of the pastime for me to manifest this form of Jagannatha. Those devotees whose eyes are smeared with the salve of love will always see me as Krishna, holding a flute.

Durga Veiw picture of Durga
Durga is also known as Kali, Parvati, and Uma. Durga is sometimes seen as a beautiful woman. She has a yellow complexion. Durga means "impenetrable like a mountain fort." As Durga, she is in her punishing or threatening mode. This is the darker form of Siva's consort. Lord Siva is in charge of destruction, which he carries out with the help of his material energy, Durga. Her carrier may be a tiger or a lion. She may be seen seated in a yogic posture on a lotus throne. She is also seen carrying weapons to destroy the demons.

Durga is often worshiped in her own temples. She is known as the Shakti energy of the Lord and is powerful. She is often worshiped to attain material boons. There are nine forms of Durga.
She may have four or eight arms, and holds knives and severed heads. With her other hands, she makes a gesture of "Fear not," and grants boons. She may also hold a cup, a wheel, a conch shell, a bell, an arrow, a trident, a snake, a sword, a club, and a water pot.

She is also called Mahishasura-mardini, because she killed the buffalo demon. It is said that Durga took birth to kill Mahishasura, because he had received a boon from Brahma that neither man, woman, nor animal could kill him.

In the form of Chamundi she has a terrifying aspect and wears a garland of skulls. Snakes and scorpions adorn her body. Chamundi was created to kill the demons Chanda and Munda.

Kali Veiw picture of Kali
Kali is a fierce form of Lord Siva's consort. She may ride a tiger, breathe fire, and wear a garland of human skulls and snakes. Kali means "black," and thus her skin is black. In this form, she is also known as Bhadrakali or Mahakali. She has blazing eyes and is often depicted with her long tongue protruding. She wears snakes around her neck and carries weapons in each of her ten hands (sometimes she is depicted with only eight hands). If she has eight hands, she carries a bow, an arrow, a disc, a sword, a shield, a noose, a spear, and a conch. If she has ten hands, she also carries a skull and a moon disc.

Ganesh Veiw picture of Ganesh - Ganesh sculpture
Ganesh is the god of prosperity and wisdom. He is also the god of science and skills. Ganesh has an elephant head and is the eldest of Lord Siva and Parvati's two sons. He is worshiped to remove obstacles one may face in an endeavor, and his worship is popular in India. He has two wives, Siddhi (achievement) and Riddhi (success).

He wears a snake-belt or a serpent across his chest, and he is usually depicted as red or yellow, with four to ten arms. He holds an ax, a goad, a rope, a dish of sweetballs, and other items. His fourth hand is offering a boon. His carrier is a rat, which can travel through the smallest hole or chew its way though obstructions.

He is worshiped in many temples dedicated solely to him. He is also found at the entrance of many temples to others because by worshiping him, one's obstacles in worshiping the main deity in that temple can be removed. He is seen on the altar in many businesses and is worshiped in most Indian people's homes.

When Lord Siva returned once from a long trip, he found Ganesh guarding Parvati's door. Siva wanted to enter, but Ganesh refused him entrance. Not recognizing Ganesh as his son-Ganesh had grown up while he was away-he cut off his head. Parvati insisted that Siva bring her son back to life, so Siva replaced his son's head with the head of the first living being he saw, an elephant.

When Vyasadeva recited the Mahabharata, Ganesh recorded it. He told Vyasadeva that he would only write if Vyasa dictated continuously and did not hesitate. He is also called Ganapati, or Lord of the ganas (head of the army of dwarf-demons). In South India, he is known as Vinayaka.

He is called Ekadanta because he has one broken tusk. It is said that this tusk broke when the elephant had his head cut off. It is also said that his tusk was knocked out by Parasurama. The story is that Parasurama arrived one day to see Siva, and Ganesh would not let him pass. When Parasurama tried to get by Ganesh they started fighting and Parasurama broke his tusk. Parvati was about to curse Parasurama, but Brahma stopped her and promised that even though he had only one tusk, that Ganesh would still be worshipped by all men and even the demigods would worship him.

Hanuman Veiw Hanuman sculpture
He is a monkey and Lord Rama's eternal servant in the Ramayana. He represents the perfect servant of God. He was sent by Rama along with many other monkey warriors to find Sita. He jumped from the mainland of India to Lanka in one leap and there he found Sita. At this time Hanuman was captured and had his tail set on fire. He escaped and set Lanka on fire with his flaming tail. He helped Rama defeat Ravana and save Sita. He is the son of Vayu, the wind-god. He was able to enlarge his body. He has a red face and yellow fur.

While the battle with Ravana was going on he flew to the Himalayas to collect medicinal herbs to help the wounded Laksman, the brother of Lord Rama. After the battle he was granted his wish to be the eternal servitor of Lord Rama.
He has many temples of his own and is also worshiped along with Sita and Rama. Every Rama temple has a Hanuman deity. Hanuman is a very popular deity. He is often painted bright orange. He is mostly seen with two arms with a monkey body. He also has other forms with five or ten heads.

Garuda Veiw Garuda sculpture
Garuda is depicted as half-man, half-eagle, and is Lord Vishnu's carrier. Many times he is seen kneeling outside a Vishnu temple. He is the king of the birds and the enemy of snakes.

Karttikeya
Karttikeya is the god of war. He led the demigods in the war against the demon Taraka. He is Siva's youngest son, and the brother of Ganesh. He is known as Subrahmanya, Kumar, Murugan, Skanda and Sena-pati (army commander). He is usually depicted with six heads and twelve arms, but may sometimes be seen with one head and two arms. He rides a peacock named Paravani and is yellow-colored. He has two wives named Devasena and Valli. He is worshiped by women in order to receive a male child.

In South India he is usually worshiped as Subrahmanya, the pious and sacred one. In South India there are six major temples in which Subrahmanya is worshiped. He is also worshiped as a side deity in many Siva temples.

In his hands he carries a conchshell, sword, bow, arrows, spear, noose, shield, banner and a disc. He may have one hand in a protective pose and the other in a charitable position. In temples in South India he may be seen with 12 arms. During Kartika (October/November) a clay deity of Karttikeya is worshiped and then submerged in a river.

Nandi
Nandi is Lord Siva's bull carrier. He is found in almost all Siva temples and usually faces the Siva-linga. He is usually sitting, but may be presented standing. In paintings he is white with brown eyes, a black tail, and horns with red points. He has a thick neck and his horns are as hard as diamonds. He is usually facing the Siva-linga and can be very large. Sometimes he is close to the Siva-linga. He may also be by the entrance of a Siva temple.

Ganga
The Goddess Ganga has a fair complexion and she wears a white crown. Ganga is another name for the Ganges, the most sacred river in India. If she has two hands she holds a water lily in her right hand and a stringed instrument in her left. If she has four hands she holds a water lily, a water pot, beads, and one hand is in the protective position. Many holy cities are located along the Ganges. Hindus aspire to die on the bank of the Ganges, as they believe they will reach heaven if they do so. After cremation the ashes of a person are often thrown into the Ganges.

Narada Muni
He is a famous sage who appeared from the forehead of Lord Brahma. He is mentioned in many of the Puranas. He visited Krishna and instructed Veda Vyasa to write the Srimad Bhagavatam to instruct people on the highest purpose of life. He also inspired Valmiki to write the Ramayana. He is said to have invented the Veena (a string instrument) and he taught music to the Gandharvas, who are musicians and singers in heaven. In a deity form, he is usually seen standing, holding a Veena.

Garuda
He is the half-man, half-bird (half-eagle) carrier of Lord Vishnu. Many times he is seen kneeling outside a Vishnu temple. He is the king of the birds. Often both Vishnu and Lakshmi are seen seated together on his back being carried by him. He is the son of Kasyapa and Vinata. He is the enemy of snakes. He has red wings with which he hits and kills demons. He is also called Taraswin or the swift one.

Ananta Shesha (Shesha-naga) View Ananta Sesa picture - View Ananta sculpture
He is king of the nagas or serpents. He is also called Ananta or the "Eternal One." He rules the underworld region called Patala. He has thousands of hoods. Lord Vishnu is often seen reclining with his head on the chest of Shesha. Shesha lives in the Causual Ocean serving Lord Vishnu with his hundreds of head spread over the head of Lord Vishnu. He wears royal purple cloth and a pearl necklace. He lives in Mani Mandapa (the jeweled palace).He is also known as Sankarshan and Anantadeva. He is considered non-different from Lord Vishnu.

Ananta Shesha's main mission is to dissolve this material creation. At the time of devastation, Anantadeva becomes slightly angry. Then from between his two eyebrows appears three-eyed Rudra, who is carrying a trident. This Rudra is the embodiment of the eleven Rudras, or incarnations of Lord Siva. The eleven Rudra expansions of Lord Siva together devastate the entire universe.

Universal Administrators

Indra
Indra is the king of the heavenly planets. He is the lord of the sky, rain, lightning, and thunder. Indra rides a white elephant known as Airavata, the king of the elephants. He may also ride on a golden chariot drawn by horses. He may be depicted either with two arms or four, and he holds a thunderbolt (vajra) in one hand. He may also carry a bow and arrows, conchshell, a net, or a hook. Indra is the god of the eastern direction. He may have a golden or reddish complexion. He can send rainstorms wherever and whenever he wishes. He is also known as Sahasraksha, "thousand-eyed." He may be shown with eyes all over his body. He lives in the city called Indrapura, or heaven.

Indra figures in many of the Vedic stories, often in descriptions of battles between the demons and demigods, and at times when he is in difficulty, he is seen approaching Lord Vishnu for help. In temples he is not directly worshiped, but he is often seen in carvings on Vishnu temples, often sitting on an elephant.

His wife is Indrani (also known as Aindra or Paulomi). She is the goddess of the sky. She has beautiful golden skin. She is the ideal Indian woman, devoted to her husband and beautiful.

Surya
Surya is the sun-god. He rides across the sky on a chariot drawn by seven red horses. His charioteer is Aruna, the dawn god, who holds a whip. Aruna is the older brother of Garuda, Lord Vishnu's carrier. Surya may have two or four arms and may hold a lotus, a wheel, or a conchshell. The fourth hand may be offering protection. If he has two hands, both hands may be holding lotus flowers.

Ushas, the goddess of dawn is related to him. Surya's son is Vaivasvata and his son is Iksvaku. The Ashvins, his twin sons, ride before him in their own golden chariots. He lives in his own capital called Vivasvati.

Because he is the sun-god and controls light and heat, he has much influence over agricultural production. Therefore, many people worship him. He is glorified in the famous Gayatri mantra, which is chanted by Brahmins.

Surya is mentioned throughout the Vedic literatures. He is considered one of the most important deities. Figures of Surya can be seen in temples dedicated to other gods all over India. He does not usually have his own temple, except in a few cases. The most important such temple is the Sun temple at Konark, Orissa.

Kuvera (Kubera)
Kuvera is the god of wealth and the treasurer of the demigods. He watches over the world's wealth, including gold, silver, jewels, pearls, etc. He carries a money bag and a bowl. He is the protector of the northern direction. He has a white, dwarfish body, and rides on the Pushpaka chariot, which was given to him by Brahma. He has eight teeth and three legs. He may have two or four hands. If he has two hands, he usually holds a money bag and a bowl. He may also hold a vase, a club, a bowl, and a piece of fruit.
He is the lord of the Yakshas, who are minor forest gods. Yakshas usually have handsome human forms, but they may also appear ugly. Yakshas are usually good, but are occasionally wicked. They are mystical and can assume the form of trees or take other shapes.

He is the son of Visravasa and Idavida. His capital is called Prabha or Alaka. It is a lovely place on Mount Mandara in the Himalayas. His wife's name is Yakshi or Kauveri and she is the daughter of Mura. They had three sons and one daughter. He is called Dhana-pati (Lord of Wealth) and Nata-raja (king of men), because whomever has wealth also rules men.

He is not such an important god and is not usually worshiped in temples. He is often seen carved on temple walls and is mentioned in many Vedic stories.

He inherited the kingdom of Lanka from his father, Visravasa. His half-brother, Ravana, performed great austerities and got a boon to be invincible. Ravana defeated his brother and took his chariot Pushpaka and the island of Lanka. At this time Viswakarma, the architect of the demigods, built Kuvera a palace on Mount Kailash. He also has a beautiful garden called Caitrarath on Mount Mandara. His kingdoms are found in the Himalayas. One reason is because the mountains contain great mineral wealth.

Soma
Soma is the moon-god, and is also known as Chandra. It is said that he is the son of Atri Rishi and Anasuya. His son is Budha, the planet Mercury. The Lunar dynasty descends from him. He is the deity for Monday. It is considered auspicious to be born on a full moon. He has two hands, one holding a mace and the other in a protective mode. His complexion is copper-colored. He rides on a three-wheels chariot flying a red flag, which is pulled by three or ten horses.
He is married to Rohini, daughter of Daksha, and Daksha's other twenty-seven daughters. Because he showed his preference for Rohini, the other daughters complained to their father. Daksha cursed Soma and he became inflicted with leprosy. The daughters feeling this was too severe a punishment asked their father to lift the curse. This could not be done, but he agreed to mitigate it. Because of this, the moon gradually becomes grey-colored and disappears. Later, it again recovers and becomes full.

Agni
Agni is the god of fire and is red-colored. He is depicted either with one or two heads, red eyes, three legs, and two to seven arms. It is said that he has seven arms to reach the seven worlds and that his three legs represent the three important fires of a person's life: sacrificial, marriage, and funeral. His wife's name is Svaha.

He carries a fan, a spear, a cup and a spoon, and other items used for fire sacrifices. Whenever a fire is lit Agni is born, especially a sacrificial fire. His wife's name is Svaha.

At the end of a person's life, Agni accepts the body through the funeral fire. Fire is said to make everything pure, which is why the body is burned at the time of death. Agni purifies it.

He rides on a ram and has a potbelly. Flames issue from his mouth to consume the butter which is offered by priests in the sacrificial fire. Agni is the friend of every household, as fire is needed for cooking.

Many Vedic verses address him. Priests performing sacrifices pour clarified butter on fire and chant "Svaha," which is the name of Agni's consort. Many important events of a person's life are overseen by Agni.

Kamadeva
Kamadeva is the god of love, Cupid. He is handsome and fair. He carries a sugarcane bow strung with humming bees. He shoots arrows from his bow which have five flower-tipped shafts of desire. His carrier is a parrot or a peacock. His wife, Rati (passion), and his friend, Vasanta (spring), help him select what arrow will be used on his current victim. He roams the earth, especially during springtime, and fires his arrow often at sages, young girls, and married women.

Siva burned him to ashes because he disturbed his mediation. It is said that Kamadeva's arrow had hit his mark and Siva, therefore, married Parvati. During this time Kamadeva was dead and love disappeared from the earth. Eventually Kamadeva was born as the son of Krishna named Pradyumna.

He is said to be the son of Lakshmi and Vishnu and he is also said to be the son of Sraddha, the god of faith.

Varuna
He is the god of the oceans. He has a fair complexion and may have two or four hands. In one of his right hands he holds a noose called Nagapasa. He punishes wrongdoers and liars and he ties guilty people in his noose. Varuna rides on a crocodile-like monster called Makara, which has the head and legs of an antelope. His wife is Varuni. He sits on a diamond throne and is surrounded by the various gods of the rivers and lakes. He is the son of Aditi. His kingdom is called Sukha (happiness) or Pushpa-giri (flower mountain). He controls the Western direction.

Vayu
Vayu is the wind-god and the god of breath. He is the father of both Bhima from the Mahabharata and Hanuman from the Ramayana. He is considered the God of Life, since breath is the first thing every child needs. He may have two or four hands and may hold a wheel or a goad. He is not mentioned very much in the Vedas. He rules the northwest direction.

He rides on a chariot pulled by a pair of purple or red horses or deer. Sometimes his chariot can be pulled by forty-nine or a thousand horses. He may also be seen riding a deer carrying a white flag.

Vishwakarma
He is the architect of the demigods or heavenly planets. He is the presiding deity of the craftsman. He usually has four hands holding a book, a noose, a water-pot and a club in his right hand. He may hold craftsmen tools in his left hand or they may be seen placed near his seat. His daughter Sanjana married Surya, the Sun god.

He created the residences, chariots and weapons of the demigods. He built the city of Dwarka for Lord Krishna and Lanka for Ravana. He presented the Satapatya Veda, which explains the science of architecture.

Yamaraja
Yamaraja is the lord of death and judges men when they die. He has a green complexion and wears red cloth. He may have two or four arms. He carries a club in one hand and a noose in the other with which he catches his victims. He rides on a black buffalo. He is the god of the south.

When people die they are brought before Yamaraja and Chitragupta (his Record Keeper). Chitragupta has recorded all the activities of a person's life. Persons who have done pious activities go to heaven and ones who have done sinful activities go to hell. Yamaraja appears to a pious person looking like Vishnu, with a lotus-like smiling face. To the sinners he looks terrible with extremely long hair and eyes like deep wells. It is said that after death the soul takes four hours and forty minutes to reach Yamaraja. Therefore the body of a dead person is not supposed to be cremated before this time has passed.

People are afraid of Yamaraja because he awards punishment to the miscreants, but those who worship Vishnu (Krishna) have nothing to fear from him. To the devotees he is a cordial friend, but to the nondevotees he is fear personified. He is the twin brother of Yami, who became the river Yamuna.

He is said to be the first mortal to die and having found the path to the other world, guides others after they die. He has two voracious dogs who each have four eyes. They guard the path to his abode.

Brahma had Viswakarma, the architect of the demigods, create the abode of Yamaraja because he realized that a place was needed to judge the wicked. This place is said to have a perfect climate, and there is no afflictions from the body, mind or enemies.

Weekly or Planet Gods

Ravi-var (Surya or Sunday)
This day is influenced by the Sun. Ravi is another name of Surya, the sun-god. He has a red complexion, and thus it is auspicious to wear red on this day. He may have two or four hands, which carry two lotus flowers or a conchshell and a disc. He rides on a chariot with one wheel pulled by seven horses. Sunday is a good day to start a new endeavor. Usually Ravi is an malefic planet in astrology.

Som-var (Moon or Monday)
Monday is under the influence of the moon planet (Soma). It is good to fast and wear white on Mondays. Soma has a white complexion and carries a mace. He rides on a chariot with three wheels pulled by three horses. Someone who is born under the influence of Soma will be respectable, rich, powerful, have many friends, and be honored. The Moon is usually an auspicious planet.

Mangal-var (Mars or Tuesday)
Mangala (Mars) has a red complexion. He has four arms and carries a club and a trident. He usually rides a ram, but also rides in a chariot. A person under the affect of this planet has a tendency to suffer, be accident-prone, to be robbed, attacked, put in prison, or have his good name ruined.

This planet is usually detrimental and is often worshiped so that one can become free of its detrimental effects. One can wear red to help ward off the effects of this planet. If a king starts a war on this day, he will be victorious. One should not start an auspicious activity on this day. A copper triangle is his symbol.

Budh-var (Mercury or Wednesday)
This is the day of Mercury (Budha) who has a light yellow complexion. He also wears yellow clothes and a yellow garland. He has four arms and carries a club, a sword and a shield. It is considered especially auspicious to feed Brahmins on this day. Soma, the moon god, is his father and Tara is his mother.

Budha's influence is normally neither favorable nor unfavorable. Budha exerts its influence in reference to the other planets.

Brihaspati-var (Jupiter or Thursday)
Brihaspati is the priest of the demigods, and he is also called Guruvara. He has four arms and holds beads (a rosary), a club, and a ball. He has a golden complexion. The color of Thursday is yellow. He usually sits on a lotus or rides on a chariot pulled by eight horses. Someone under the influence of Brihaspati will have a lot of wealth. Brihaspati rules the planet Jupiter

Shukra-var (Venus or Friday)
Shukra is the planet Venus. Shukra means "bright." Shukra is the teacher of the demons and knows how to bring the dead back to life. He has a white complexion. He is seen with four hands, two hands are holding a club and beads (a rosary) and the other two hands may be in the protective or boon giving positions. A silver square is his symbol. He is usually seen sitting on a lotus, but sometimes may be seen riding on a chariot with many flags and pulled by eight horses. Shukra is usually a very auspicious planet. A person under the influence of Shukra will be honored across the land and will attain a high office.

Shani-var (Saturn or Saturday)
Shani is the planet Saturn. This planet is potentially the most detrimental. If this planet is wrongly placed in a person's chart, it can cause great misfortune, such as poverty and loss of loved ones. Shani is black-colored and is seen with four hands, which may hold a trident, a bow and arrow, or a rosary. One of his hands may be in the gift-bestowing position. He rides either a vulture or in an iron chariot.

There are several Shani shrines found in temples of other gods throughout India. By worshiping Shani one can rid oneself of the misfortunes that this planet causes. To gain the ultimate benefit, this planet should be worshiped on Saturdays.
Due to his wife's curse, Shani can cause destruction by just looking at someone. Therefore he is seen looking down, so as not to destroy anything.

Rahu
The ascending node in astrology, Rahu's influence on a person's chart usually means trouble. Rahu is the planet that causes eclipses and is the ruler of meteors. He is originally a Daitya (demon) and is shown as a monster demon. He has a dragon head and a tail like a comet. He at times devours the Sun and the Moon, causing eclipse. He is originally a Daitya (demon) and is shown as a monster demon. He has a dragon head and a tail like a comet. He rides on a chariot pulled by eight black horses.
When Mohini Murti was distributing soma nectar to the demigods, Rahu assumed the form of a demigod and drank nectar. The Sun and Moon realized what was going on and told Mohini Murti (actually Lord Vishnu), who immediately cut off Rahu's head. Because he had drunk the nectar, but it had only reached his neck, his body died but his head remained alive and rose into the air. To avenge himself, Rahu attacks the Moon every month and occasionally eclipses the Sun.