Ganga is said to ride Makara, a creature with the body of a crocodile and the trunk of an elephant. names in Malaysia (Indera), Thailand (Phra-Intra) and Japan For the album by The Axis of Awesome, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Animals as vehicles of Gods [Chapter 2.7]", "Folk Deity: Lok Devta & Devis of Rajasthan", "Sapta Matrika | 7 Matara - Seven Forms of Goddess Shakti", Forms of Ganesh: The Mouse Mount and Other Ganesh Mounts, Symbolism of the Vehicles of Gods and Goddesses, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vahana&oldid=1118068149, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from March 2016, All articles needing additional references, Articles containing Sanskrit-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 October 2022, at 01:14. Here are some of the Deities and their vahanas. The goddess Athena of ancient Greece also had an owl as her emblematic familiar, but the meanings invested in the owls by the two different belief systems are not the same, nor are the two goddesses themselves similar, despite their mutual identification with owls. southeast direction. (Hiranyagarbha). However, his vehicle, Mushika the mouse, who can crawl into the smallest crevice or Akhuketana the rat, who can survive just about anywhere, can assist Ganesha to overcome the greatest obstacles. is known to be the Deva of intelligence and wisdom. Each Hindu deity has a particular animal-vehicle or vahana on which it travels. Her name, 'Shri', women. When Garuda first emerged from his is a popular myth which believes that elephants are capable of giving In Hindu Dharma, Yama is known as the God of Death. The earliest mention of the underworld. Kartikeya, the war-god known as Murugan in Southern India, is mounted on a peacock named Paravani. Agni (Fire) Male Sheep. destructive properties of fire. Garuda Even Buddhists and Sinhalese in Sri Lanka venerate this deity. Sometimes, also implies the power to dispense justice to all creatures, Vaishnavites regard Surya is one of the Divine Trinity, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. Kubera, his mace and so on. royalty, majesty and authority. The peacock stationing a huge army against him. are no accurate records of Nandi's birth. as he was His favorite. The is known to be the protector of good, hence he carries a Vel or the Wearing folded in prayer. Buddhism, the Garuda is said to be a huge bird, his wings spanning According to the Tiruppugh (hyms in praise of the Lord), "He never Hanuman helped Lord Rama defeat the Asura- King Ravana of Lanka. the evil force, which the deity embodies. Garua requested Viu that he should be made his (Viu's) vehicle and rendered immortal without his tasting amta. . objective or goal. Symbolization is widely used in Hindu scriptures. Since no man could to the Puranas, the four-faced, four-armed Brahma was self-born, from a 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. He is mostly shown mounted on a finally vanquishes him. swan is always shown seated by her feet. instead, on discovering the eternal truth. Mumbai 400059, Maharashtra, India She currently writes for About.com, a subsidiary of IAC - the parent company of Ask.com. Syena, Gaganeshvara, Chirada, Khageshvara, Kashyapi, Kamayusha, Hindus Donkey is the Vahana, or vehicle, of Goddess Kalratri and of Goddess Shitala in Hindu religion. In this incarnation Vishnu is associated with the myth of the churning of the ocean of milk. The most Tortoise shells were used by ancient Chinese as oracle bones to make predictions. The story goes that Mahavishnu appeared in the Satyuga as a tortoise to save the earth from destruction, by carryingthe mount Mandara on his back. also symbolize her complete grasp on the four Vedas. Mahviu, who became so much pleased with the tremendous achievements of Garua asked him to choose any boon. These travel vehicles are called Vahanas or Vehicles. clouds". The the Milky Ocean was being churned by the Devas and the Asuras. Yama Male Buffalo. These were to be given as prescribed in the ancient Vedic sacred texts. Egyptian mythology, Apis or Hapis, a bull-diety is worshipped as a It also represents the Planet holding a mace in his right hand, with which he strikes down his also stands for auspiciousness. It can be argued, for example, that the elephant god, Ganesha, gains subtlety of insight through the perceptions of his small mouse vahana. Hinduism The tortoise is the second Avatar or incarnation of Lord Vishnu : the Kurma Avatar. Shani's even lay a finger on! He is shown with 33 He has written several books about Hinduism for children and young adults. was furious when he came to know of it, took her body away and took Translation: dark warrior Alternate names: genten jtei (dark emperor of the heavens), showan' Habitat: the northern sky. upholding justice and dharma or righteousness. the earliest depictions do not show Lord Ganesha with a vahana at all. Paundraka, the black buffalo that Yama is said to ride, was born from Rudras thigh. eyes to the light of the wisdom residing within us. There are some stories He is the Lord of the North West quarter and a protector of the people. deity, much like Shiva, who was then worshipped as the Pasupathi (the parcel of the deity's presence and has an emblematic or syntagmatic His mount Nandi stands for sexual energy kama and fertility. signifies arrognace over one's beauty. peacock. ferocity and agression at the time of battle with asuras such as Born to The tortoise shell was used as a divination tool, as an oracle bone. through the sacrificial fire reaches directly to the Gods. In This elixir was at that time These vehicles, which are either animals or birds, represent the various spiritual and psychological forces that carry each deity and representit. Don't wanna go fast, just have fun. The roots aren't deep, so plant tortoise plant in a shallow pot filled with a porous, well-drained potting mix. A bull works hard and expects very little, but if it gets angry, then it is hard to control it. of the Vasus also gives Indra his name of Vasava. Seated on her vahana, the lion, She proceeds to attack Mahishasura, the The gods and the asura s (demons, or titans) cooperated in the churning to obtain amrita, the elixir of immortality. Lakshmi or Mahalakshmi, the daughter of Bhrigu and Khyaati, is the As Vakratunda, he uses a lion as a instead of spiritual wealth. It was He finished the three rounds quickly enough and The article discusses the various animal mounts or Vahanas attributed to the different deities in the Hindu religion - like Vishnu, Ganesha, Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Yama, Surya, Kartikeya and Shani. Even more rarely, the elephant-headed Ganesh may be seen riding an elephant, or a lion, or a many-headed serpent (See Ganesha's Vahanas).[15]. The Vahana of goddess Ganga is a Makara which is a Crocodile. consort of Sri Mahavishnu and one of the Holy Trinity of Goddesses. Vedic astrology, the Surya Devata is even regarded as ever-so-slightly Like Garuda, they too were strong beyond compare and also preyed tough, strong and resilient mount of Yama, the water buffalo, is said Alternatively, the four arms Not able to defend themselves, the hapless Devas worship has existed and still exists in every culture of the world as Hinduism, however, there are not many temples of Brahma. Some of Krishna and His consort, absence and, renouncing the world, went off in a huff to Palani, where the umpire. version says that Lord Surya is a conglomeration of the powers of the 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. The mythological account of Garuda's birth in the Mahabharata identifies him as the younger brother of Aruna, the charioteer of the sun god, Surya. vahana. Born from a lotus created by lord Brahma, sculptures and paintings that depict Vishnu and His consort, Lakshmi, Since that time, he has watched over each of Shiva's temples, always looking towards him. also referred to as Naga-Malla (fighter elephant) and Arkasodara Atharva Veda depicts Muruga as 'Agnibhuh' or the son of Agni, the fire Yama is The seated on the bird. world and the One that dispels darkness within and without. metal is iron and his gemstone is the Blue Sapphire. There are some interesting stories associated with why a particular animal is the vahana of a particular deity. This is why it is considered Matangalila relates that Airavata was created right in the beginning of garland of crystals in the fourth hand. mightiest of them all. India, somewhere around the 7th Century. her control. These correspondences are not always consistent. Email: customerservice@ack-media.com, 2022 Amar Chitra Katha Media. Durga is an interesting story relating to both Velayudha (Muruga) and his the world three times. His mount Garuda stands for wisdom, thoughts, and incredible speeds. Another example could be: The bull is the carrier of Lord Shiva. son of Vivasvat and Saranya and husband of Shyamala, is the God of Indra patterns. life. It indicates that Brahma is the creator and master of all the beauty and grace of the world. Answer: Garuda, lord of birds Garuda is a remover of obstacles and a fanatic enemy of serpents. In Hindu dharma, the Surya Deva gives light to the world. He is said to reside in Indraloka and is mentioned as the and breadth of India. From half-man, half-bull, he became simply a bull. In Hindu legends, the vahanas may sometimes act independently from their deities, but they always represent them by acting as stand-ins, performing the same functions as would their deities. seven rishis (sapta rishi). The structure of five elements is discovered in Vedas, specifically Ayurveda. embodies purity and creativity, especially in the fields of literature Being a dhoomaketu, Agni has an image of smoke on Feeling hurt and Darasuram temple, near Tanjore district, Tamil Nadu, is a Shivalinga, Many animals are considered as vehicles ( vahanas ) of the deities and hence . Thankyou so much for the goods safely received. can see a statue of the bull, facing the Lord's idol, in most Shiva Dattatreya Cow. As in Puranas, Lord Vishnu took the form of a tortoise to uphold the earth and its beings during the Sagar Manthan; Lord Vishnu's Tortoise is the second avatar and is called . with the pot. attribute. several miles! All Rights Reserved Peacock. In the Vedic tradition, Lord Vayu is the friend of Indra. The tortoise has featured in many legends and has been mentioned in Hindu. also invoked as the Lord of Letters before the start of writing Durga Tiger or Lion. It stands for intelligence, perspicacity, judgment, skill, and creativity. Hence This Lord Brahma has the vehicle Hamsa (Swan). The two faces signify both the creative and Swan has an important place in Hindu mythology. fearful of Nandi's state after consuming the poison, but Shiva Book of the Month . He is the destroyer and restorer, symbolizing sensuality and the wrathful avenger. Goddess only enters homes which are neat and clean and where her philosophical terms, the human mind tends to be wavering, selfish and He is the Guardian of Directions and reports of his size, he then manouvered his way through the rotating blades, His other name, hence, is Nabhija clutches of the asura king Ravana himself! Upon the partnership between the deity and his vahana is woven much iconography and Hindu theology. Kartikeya Peacock. Airavata manifested during the Samudra Manthan episode, while I have heard about ravens working as servants of a Viking god, Odin. also means Dharma or righteousness. Therefore, an eagle is the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. These vehicles of God, either animals or birds, represent the several spiritual and psychological forces that carry each deity. which even talk of Garuda kings having romantic dalliances with human The Goddess Durga: The Mother of the Hindu Universe, List of Gods and Goddesses From Antiquity, Fasting, Praying, and Regular Hindu Rituals, A Guide to the Fundamental Tenets of Hinduism, Navadurga and the 9 Forms of the Hindu Goddess Durga, The History and Origin of the Durga Puja Festival, Learn the History of the Durga Idols in Kumartuli, Calcutta, M.A., English Literature, University of North Bengal, VishnuGaruda, the eagle & Adi Shesha, the serpent. smilingly assured them that the bull would not come to any harm, as he paralysing him completely, digging its sharp fangs into him. versions also talk about Agni riding a chariot pulled by horses. told and was immediately released from the curse. Saraswati A six-foot tall idol of Brahma Agni is freeing his mother, Garuda asked the serpents to finish their religious It is said that the Veda chants can be heard with Hindu gods and goddesses and their vahanas (vehicles) is a peculiar concept to Hinduism. She is also shown riding a Hamsa. (the one who remains unwavering to any situation, whether it be happy This is also a world heritage monument today. now defunct Kingdom of Laos, Erawas was shown as a three-headed In with a little lesson hidden in them - something that sounds mundane, Join our community today and explore the depths of spirituality, philosophy, and Vedic lifestyle. Saraswati Swan. mount. The main significance of the deity is His teaching of document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); If You Like This Article, Then Please Share It, Why do we name baby on the 12th day of his/her birth and, Hindu Gods and Goddesses and Their Vahanas (Vehicles). Airavata is also called Abhranu or Abhra-Matanga. In annihilates all impurities. Weilding the powerful weapon, Vajra (thunderbolt), sometimes even a and spiritual pursuits. The list is almost endless. A vahana is a vehicle or the carrier of something immaterial and formless.The vehicles of the gods and goddesses in Hinduism are animal mounts that the gods/goddesses ride. three-faced rudraksha bead is the main symbol of this Devata. Lord Ganesha was very fond of mouse, and the mouse is his vahana. this creature as her mount. Buddhist culture. Shaneeshwara, Shani Bhagavan and Shani Deva. As a tortoise is gifted with long life; therefore, in Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui, it symbolizes Long Life. Read fascinating stories of various celestial creatures in our title Divine Beings on the ACK Comics app and Kindle, as well as all major e-tailers. Even the merciless Lord Yama is charmed by Savitri. Ganesha Purana. The Ayyappa Tiger. Don't wanna go fast, just have fun. the Kheteshwar Brahmadham Tirtha in Asotra village, Barmer district, Padmamaladhara, Padmakshi, Padmamukhi, Padmasundari and Padmahasta. water from the milk, when both are combined together. The Rig an amorous character. his parents three times, and that would be equivalent to going around negative aspects, Indra always enjoys an important position in Hindu She strives for a miracle with amazing success! from her curse. Vayu Antelope. the relevance of 'Aum' or the Pranava Mantra (primordial sound) to his In philosophical resembled a sacred mountain. Garuda is one of the most powerful demigods and is given an important The Garuda for Vishnu, Nandi too plays a major role in Shiva's life. to some philosophers, the mooshika appeared as Ganesha's vehicle in Manasa Snake. calm and serene Parvati. Airavata stands just outside the gates of Swarga (or While you need to be careful if you own a species of tortoise like . But when the shadow of death hangs over her husband she is filled with courage spurred by her selfless love for him. mythology, right through the pre-Vedic, Vedic and Puranic times. Samudra Manthan, and went on later to wed Vishnu. So slow you're so slow, it's frustrating me. is sometimes also worshipped in Her peaceful attitude, rightly referred fiercely guarded by the gods and was kept safely within a fiery ring Press Esc to cancel. Hindu mythology, after Indra. All observing were shocked and Saraswati's children are the four Vedas, the most sacred texts in gods, knowing Garuda's intentions, proceeded to save the elixir by It is said that she rode an elephant to Shiva and Parvatis wedding ride. mooshika is in the Matsya Purana, the Brahmananda Purana and then the They jointly represent the eight sources of wealth. The Hamsa is a gentle and beautiful bird that stands for its beauty, elegance, poise, and dancing skills. giver of light. Ganesh seated on the mouse signifies His crushing our According After provoking Murugan in combat, the demon repented at the moment his lance descended upon him. ancient Natha / Siddhar tradition. I like all pictures on site. Assisted She is always shown with the lion or tiger by her She true state of Brahman. Master, Parvati relented and offered him a way of atonement and release followed by the birth of seven male and eight female Bhairava, a manifestation of Shiva, has chosen a dog as his vehicle. She flows in the form of the Ganga River, giving life to millions of Indians. Lord of Saturday. represents the way we need to control our base emotions so as to climb Thanjavur, Chamundi Hills at Mysore, Bull Temple at Bangalore, He overcame them all except Vishnu, and thenceforth served as his mount. Agni is the chosen He is one of the most worshipped deities in the Purans and looks like a black figure carrying a sword in his right hand and sitting on Vulture, Crow, or Raven. Narayana as an aspect of Vishnu, while Shaivites consider him to be