Other gods

In Hinduism, the term "other gods" or "gods" can be understood as a kind of "organs", "moods", or "dispositions" of One God and these "organs" or "moods" have their names. The same parallel can also be found in roles attributed to us - ask yourself how many of us are fathers, but also sons and professionals? We have, too, multiple roles. As long as you have children and your parents still live, you are simultaneously the son (of your parents) and the father (of your children). The Westerners must understand that different roles can be, like to us, also attributed to One God, who has many roles like us.

Exodus 3:2, There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up.

Ahmuvan

An ancient deity worshipped in the Indus Valley Civilization. Its image - elongated anthropomorphic figure with three protuberances in the head - says more. This deity can be associated with the Tamil god Murugan.

Agni

Agni is the god of fire and a member of the so-called "Dikpalas" - a class of deities that govern specific directions (this teaching is also in the Kalachakra tantra).

 It seems that Agni has a female touch in this picture.

There are four such Guardians of Directions called Lokapalas (Guardians of the world). These are:
Kubera - North (god of richness)
Yama    - South (god of death)
Indra    - East (god of war and weather)
Varuna - West (god of oceans)

Agni is the god of southeast direction.

There are many gods in Sanatana Dharma and most of them, except for Ganesha, Skanda, Shiva, Durga, Surya, Vishnu (because these are considered supreme), are analogical to the Judeo-Christian concept of "angels" (Devas, but not so powerful as Maha Devas). Indra - god of weather and war, for example, is the ruler of these Devas.

Different gods were considered supreme at different times and today they are known by a completely different name. Some of the earliest Vedic gods are: Dyaush-pita - the sky father, Vayu - the wind god, Parjanya - the rain god, Surya - the sun god, Varuna - the god of oceans, Agni - the fire god, Indra - the war god, Soma - the god of speech, Yama - the god of death, Adityas - a group of solar deities, six in the Rig Veda, eight in most of the Brahmanas, and twelve in the Satapatha Brahmana. The Vedic gods are listed at the bottom.

Ayyappa

Ayyappa is a Hindu deity revered in South India. Lord Ayyappa is worshipped in a number of shrines across India. The Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple (a pilgrim centre in Kerala) is unique in all India. Devotees of this god show no caste or religion discrimination if anybody wants to enter the temple. Faith in this god, although with little support in the Puranic literature, is based on legends, which differ depending on a region they come from - their basis is that Ayyappa is the son of Lord Shiva, who got attracted to Lord Vishnu. Vishnu took a female form known as Mohini. In Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) it is written (8.9.9): "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the form of Mohini, told the demons..." Legends bring different stories, but they have one thing in common - Lord Ayyappa is the god for all; he is Unity and Harmony. He is also known as Bhuthanatha Dharmasastha, Hariharan, Ayyanar and Manikanta.

Dattatreya

Dattatreya is the Hindu God who appeared in an incarnation of the Divine Trinity - Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. "Datta" means "Given" and the word is derived from belief that Divine Trimurti "gave" Themselves to a sage couple (Atri and Anasuya). Dattatreya was a real person, but little is known about him as a historical figure. He is the son of Atri, hence the name "Atreya."

Navagraha

These are nine primary celestial beings in the Vedic astrology (nava = nine; graha = realm).

Surya - the Sun God.

Chandra - also known as Soma, is a lunar deity.

Mangala - god of planet Mars.

Budha - god of Mercury.

Brihaspati - god of Jupiter.

Shukra - god of Venus.

Shani - god of Saturn. Shani is the Lord of Saturday; the word Shani also denotes the seventh day or Saturday in most Indian languages.

Rahu and Ketu - gods of the ascending and the descending moon.

Vedic gods

The gods mentioned in the Rig Veda are placed separately here:

Adityas - sons of Aditi (Aditi is the Rig Vedic Mother of all Gods)
Agni - see above
Ashwins - twin deities with healing powers (healers of gods)
Bhaga - one of the Adityas, a god of marriage, a bestower of bliss, the Slavic word "bog" or "boh" (god) is most probably derived from this word (Bhaga)
Brihaspati - the guru of the gods (personification of religion)
Dyaus Pita and Prithvi, or Heaven and Earth - Dyaus Pita is the sky Father, a creator-like deity - Heaven and Earth are dvandva (a Sanskrit term that refers to two important objects or personalities)
Indra - lord of heavens and rains
Kapinjala - a bird of good fortune, a form of Indra
Manyu - war god identified with Rudra
Maruts - storm deities, sons of Rudra and Diti (Diti was the sister of Aditi, but also the mother of the Daityas - the race of bad Danavas)
Mitra - divinity of honesty with a special relationship to Varuna; Mitra is the protector of Rta (the principle of natural order)
Parjanya - Lord of rains and thunder clouds; it is not clear whether this is just another name of Indra; the name of the Slavic god Perun is most probably derived from this deity's name
Prajapati - the first God, the Vedic Creator; the earliest form of Brahma (the name Brahma is not in the Vedas)
Purusha - the self which pervades in the universe, can also be translated as "cosmic man"
Pusan - a pastoral god
Ribhus - three semi-divine beings of the Rig Veda are considered to be craftsmen who formed the horses of Indra and other miraculous things
Rudra - a militant god of the storms identified with Shiva
Savitr - a solar deity (an Aditya)
Soma - god of inspiration (do not confuse with the Moon, one of the Vasus) who has an intoxicating influence; he cures and bestows immortality
Surya - sun god
Vasus - attendant deities of Indra; there were eight of them: Apa (water), Dhruva (North or Pole Star), Soma (moon), Dhara (earth), Anila (wind), Anala (fire), Prabhasa (Dawn), Pratyusa (light)
Varuna - chief of the Adityas (the sons of Kashyap and Aditi), is the solar deity but rather associated with night (underworld)
Vishnu - a minor god in the Rig Veda
Vayu - Rig Vedic god of the winds
Visvedevas - a group of Vedic gods; probably the most popular gods of the Rig Veda referred to collectively
Yama - Lord of death (who brings justice)

Venkateshwara

Venkateshwara - Venkateshwara is the form of Maha Vishnu who preserves the Holy Trinity - Trimurti.

Vishvakarma

Vishvakarma (Vishwabrahmin) is the Hindu presiding deity of all craftsmen and architects, and the divine craftsman of the whole Universe (RV 10.81.3).

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