Overview — Understanding of Gods and Goddesses — In Hinduism

6 min readDec 24, 2023

By studying different religious doctrines, rituals, stories, and scriptures, we can also come to understand how different communities of believers — past and present, East and West — have used their religious traditions to shape, sustain, and transform themselves. It provides you an opportunity to learn about a range of disciplinary approaches, and, even more importantly, the connections and linkages among them.

Hinduism is said to have 33 types of God. Hinduism according to me is God/self-seeking people.

8 Vasus

Dhyau: Sky.
Prithvi: Land.
Vayu: Air.
Agni: Fire.
Surya: Sun.
Chandra: Moon.
Varuna: Water.
Nakshatra: Stars

12 Adityas

Sakra/Indra (Power) — controls the cycle of nature. Lord of all devas and Lord of rain — Ruling month- Shravan ( July to August)
Dhatr (curiosity). Lord of all animals on earth — creates living beings — Ruling month- Chaitra ( March to April)
Bhaga (Discernment). Lord of Five Elements —present in the body of all living beings — Ruling month- Paush ( Dec- Jan)
Tvashta(Creativity). Lord of all medicinal plants and herbs — lives in the trees and herbs — Ruling month- Ashvin ( Sept to Oct)
Mitra (Friendship). Lord of the welfare of all beings — the moon and oceans. Ruling month- Jyestha ( May to June)
Varuna (Sustenance). Lord of all water bodies — Ruling month- Ashadha ( June to July)
Aryaman (Nobility). Lord of gale and storm — wind. Ruling month- Vaishakha ( April to May)
Vivasvan(Radiance). Lord of Fire — Ruling month- Bhadrapada ( August to September)
Savitr (Inspiration). Lord of movement and time
Pusana (Growth). Lord of edible plants and harvest — Ruling month- Magh ( Jan to Feb)
Amsuman (Happiness and Delight) — Ruling month- Margashirsha ( Nov to Dec)
Vishnu in his Vamana avatar (pervasive) — destroys evil — Ruling month- Kartika ( Oct to Nov)

11 Rudras ( Ananda, vijnana, Manas, prana, Vāc,Tatpurusa, Aghora, Bhairab, Vamadeva , Sadyojata, Atman )

Ānanda “bliss”
Vijñāna “knowledge”
Manas “thought”
Prāṇa “breath” or “life”
Vāc “speech”
Īśāna “revealing grace”
Tatpuruṣa “concealing grace”
Aghora “dissolution/rejuvenation”
Vāmadeva “preserving aspect”
Sadyojāta “born at once”
Ātmā “self”

2 are Ashwinis — known for their healing abilities — gods of Ayurvedic Medicine— sons of the sun god Surya

However, could have innumerable possibilities. Hindu mythology is vast and complex, with a plethora of deities and mythological stories passed on from generation to generation often with slight changes with time. Hinduism is said to have many Gods and Goddesses. It may not be possible to list down all deities. However, we can observe the pattern and differences each one has.

The Trimurti are the most prominent deities of contemporary Hinduism. This consists of Brahma- the Creator, Vishnu- the Preserver, and Shiva- the Destroyer.

Their feminine counterparts are Saraswati- the wife of Brahma-the goddess of learning, Lakshmi- the wife of Vishnu- the goddess of prosperity, and Parvati (or Durga)- the wife of Shiva-goddess of power. Shiva is often represented with two sons, Kartikeya and Ganesha.

Dashavatara of Vishnu :

Matsya, the fish
Kurma, the tortoise
Varaha, the boar
Narsimha, the man-lion
Vamana, the dwarf
Parashurama, the Brahmin warrior
Rama, the king, hero of the epic Ramayana and the slayer of Ravana
Krishna, a central character in the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita, the slayer of Kamsa
Buddha, the deluder of the Asuras
Kalki, the vanquisher of Adharma, is expected to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga

Avatars of Shiva

Virabhadra
Lingam
Jyotirlinga
Dakshinamurti
Bhairava
Pashupati
Khandoba
Durvasa
Nataraja
Ardhanarishvara
Tripurantaka
Mahakala
Sharabha
Ravananugraha
Vaidishvara
Lingodbhava
Somaskanda
Bhikshatana
Dattatreya

Dasa Mahavidya

Kali: The fierce and powerful goddess representing time, change, and destruction.
Tara: Symbolizing the power of speech, she is associated with divine knowledge and guidance.
Tripura Sundari (Shodashi): The beautiful goddess of the three worlds, representing unity and the play of creation.
Bhuvaneshvari: The goddess of the material world, an embodiment of space, and the nurturing aspect of the divine.
Bhairavi: The fierce aspect of Devi, associated with death, destruction, and the transformative power of time.
Chinnamasta: Depicted as a self-decapitated goddess, symbolizing self-sacrifice, spiritual awakening, and the annihilation of the ego.
Dhumavati: The widow goddess associated with adversity, poverty, and the transformative power of suffering.
Bagalamukhi: The goddess who paralyzes enemies, symbolizing the power to control and manipulate reality.
Matangi: The goddess of inner wisdom, associated with speech, music, and the arts.
Kamalatmika (Kamala): The goddess of prosperity, symbolizing spiritual wealth and the unfolding of divine consciousness.

Avatars of Parvati

Durga, the goddess of strength, the slayer of Durgamasura and Mahishasura
Annapurna, the goddess of food and nourishment
Shitala, a regional goddess of diseases
Bhramari, the goddess of bees
Bhavani, a regional form of Parvati
Meenakshi, patron goddess of Madurai
Kamakhya and other goddesses of Shaktipeeth

Some other well-known Dieties are-

Ganesha: The God of Beginnings/Wisdom. He is described as having a head of an elephant.
Kartikeya: The God of war/victory. He is the commander of the army of the Gods.
Krishna: The God of Protection, Compassion, Tenderness, and Love. Krishna is the eighth incarnation of Vishnu.
Hanuman: God of Wisdom, Strength, Courage, Devotion, and Self-Discipline. Hanuman is best known as the ‘Monkey God’ and the loyal and devoted servant of Lord Rama (one of Vishnu’s incarnations)
Indra- King of the Gods: God of the Sky, Rainbow, Lightning, Thunder, Storms, Rain, Rivers, and War. Indra is the most mentioned deity in Rigveda, one of the four Vedas.

Varuna is a deity found in the Vedic and later Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, water, oceans, and the cosmic order known as “Rita” or “Dharma.” He oversees the cosmic order and maintains the moral and natural laws (Rita/Dharma). He is sometimes referred to as the “upholder of the order.” Varuna is often described as the god of the celestial ocean, and he has control over the waters, including rivers, lakes, and the cosmic ocean. He is also considered a god of justice and is portrayed as omniscient, observing the actions of mortals.

Kamadev: God of lust
Yama: God of death, lord of the underworld.
Prajapati: Creator of all living beings
Daksha: God of fertility
Kuber: God of wealth
Dhata: God of health, wealth and peace.
Ayyappan: God of righteousness.
Mitra: God of contracts and covenants.
Tvashta: God of creativity. Creator of the chariots of Gods.
Pushan: God of meetings and journeys.
Aryaman: God of hospitality.

Rati: Goddess of lust and consort of Kamadev
Radha: Goddess of love and devotion, consort of Krishna
Sita: Wife of Ram and embodiment of devotion and self-sacrifice
Savitri: Goddess of the sun and life-giving energy
Gayatri: Goddess of the sacred Gayatri mantra and embodiment of the divine feminine.
Tripurasundari: Goddess of beauty and the highest spiritual realization.
Shodashi (also known as Lalita or Rajarajeshwari): Goddess of love, beauty, and spiritual transformation.
Bhumi: Goddess of Earth, to help humanity in times of drought and famine.
Annapurna: Goddess of food and nourishment.
Santoshi Mata: Goddess of satisfaction, fulfilling desires.
Yogamaya: Goddess of illusion. She is said to help remove obstacles of life.
Sati: Goddess of marriage. She is the first wife of Shiva.
Shashti: Goddess of reproduction.
Svaha: Goddess of ritual sacrifices.
Mansa: Goddess of Snakes.
Bhramari: Goddess of Beasts and creator and protector of beasts.
Aditi: Goddess of motherhood.

There should be a ton of other names not mentioned above, however, if we look closer into this, it's more about the teachings the Gurus used to teach mankind the ways of living and discovering God. As you observe there are different varieties of power and characteristics each God carry and identify with, giving humanity to follow the leadership and imitate such deities. More than worship, it's more about following those principles of life and imitating such characters in life. This gives us an example and an opportunity to choose our way of life and leader in life.

This just gives an overview of Hindu deities, however, there are several deities worshipped all around the world.

“ There is only one truth, and each individual has a different perspective on that truth.”