"each masculine deva of the Hindu pantheon is partnered with a feminine who is often a devi. The oldest of the Hindu scriptures is the Rigveda (2nd millennium BC). The first word of the Rigveda is the name Agni, the god of fire, to whom many of the vedic hymns are addressed, along with Indra the warrior. Agni and Indra are both male divinities. The Rigveda refers to a creator (Hiranyagarbha or Prajapati), distinct from Agni and Indra. This creator is identified with Brahma (not to be confused with Brahman, the first cause), born of Vishnu's navel, in later scriptures."
"Agni Agni ( , , Pali: ""Aggi"", ) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire, and connotes the Vedic fire god of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction, and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu temples. In the classical cosmology of the Indian religions, Agni as fire is one of the five inert impermanent constituents (""Dhatus"") along with space (""Akasha/Dyaus""), water (""Jal/Varuna""), air (""Vayu"") and earth (""Prithvi""), the five combining to form the empirically perceived material existence (""Prakriti""). In Vedic literature, Agni is a major and oft-invoked god along with Indra and Soma. Agni"
"Hugh Urban notes that although the word """" appears as early as the Atharva Veda, the first use of it as a proper name is in the ""Kathaka Grhya Sutra"" (19.7). Kali appears in the Mundaka Upanishad (section 1, chapter 2, verse 4) not explicitly as a goddess, but as the dark blue tongue of the seven flickering tongues of Agni, the Hindu god of fire. According to David Kinsley, Kāli is first mentioned in Hindu tradition as a distinct goddess around 600 AD, and these texts ""usually place her on the periphery of Hindu society or on the battlefield."""
"first worshipped her, hence she came to known as ""Katyayani"". In either case, she is a demonstration or apparition of the Durga and is worshipped on the sixth day of Navratri festival. The Vamana Purana mentions the legend of her creation in great detail: ""When the gods had sought Vishnu in their distress, he and at his command Shiva, Brahma and the other gods, emitted such flames from their eyes and countenances that a mountain of effulgence was formed, from which became manifest Katyayini, refulgent as a thousand suns, having three eyes, black hair and eighteen arms. Shiva gave her"
"sacrificing and motherly nature, [and] sustenance of human life"". Frederick M. Smith describes Kamadhenu as a ""popular and enduring image in Indian art"". All the gods are believed to reside in the body of Kamadhenu—the generic cow. Her four legs are the scriptural Vedas; her horns are the triune gods Brahma (tip), Vishnu (middle) and Shiva (base); her eyes are the sun and moon gods, her shoulders the fire-god Agni and the wind-god Vayu and her legs the Himalayas. Kamadhenu is often depicted in this form in poster art. Another representation of Kamadhenu shows her with the body of a"
"and the sun. In Hindu art, Agni is depicted with two or seven hands, two heads, and three legs. In each head, he has seven fiery tongues with which he licks sacrificial butter. He rides a ram or a chariot harnessed by fiery horses. His attributes are an axe, a torch, prayer beads and a flaming spear. Agni is represented as red and two-faced, suggesting both his destructive and his beneficent qualities, and with black eyes and hair. Seven rays of light emanate from his body. The Vishnu Purana, a post-vedic scripture, describes how Vishnu ""enters into the seven solar"
"Virabhadra Vīrabhadra (Sanskrit: वीरभद्र, lit. ""distinguished hero""), also known as Veerabathira, Veerabathiran, Veeraputhiran is a fearsome form of the Hindu god Shiva. He was created by the wrath of Shiva and destroyed the Yagna (fire sacrifice) of Daksha, after Daksha's daughter and Shiva's consort Sati self-immolated in the sacrificial fire. He is described as a warrior who eventually blinded Bhaga, subdued Indra and broke, among many other countless gods, Pushan's teeth. Other gods fled the battlefield unable to sustain his power. Sati was the youngest daughter of Daksha. While growing up, she set her heart on Shiva and worshipped him."
"the form of massive column of fire, whose crown and feet could not be found by the Hindu God of creation, Brahma and Hindu God of preservation (or maintainer) Vishnu. A celebration of this manifestation is seen even today in the age old traditions observed during the festivals of ""Sivarathri"" and ""Karthigai Deepam"". Agni ""Lingam"" explains the mythics of life - duty, virtue, self-sacrifice and finally liberation by and through ascetic life at the end of ""Agni kalpa"". In Thiruvanaikaval temple, Shiva represents water element where the ""appu lingam"" is submerged in water and a perennial sub terrain spring gushes"
"completion of his assigned task. Virabhadra Vīrabhadra (Sanskrit: वीरभद्र, lit. ""distinguished hero""), also known as Veerabathira, Veerabathiran, Veeraputhiran is a fearsome form of the Hindu god Shiva. He was created by the wrath of Shiva and destroyed the Yagna (fire sacrifice) of Daksha, after Daksha's daughter and Shiva's consort Sati self-immolated in the sacrificial fire. He is described as a warrior who eventually blinded Bhaga, subdued Indra and broke, among many other countless gods, Pushan's teeth. Other gods fled the battlefield unable to sustain his power. Sati was the youngest daughter of Daksha. While growing up, she set her heart"
"is described as terrible and only people blessed with divine vision could withstand the sight. The other theophany of Vishnu (Narayana) is revealed to the divine sage Narada. The theophany is called ""Vishvamurti"". The god has a thousand eyes, a hundred heads, a thousand feet, a thousand bellies, a thousand arms and several mouths. He holds weapons as well as attributes of an ascetic like sacrificial fire, a staff, a kamandalu (water pot). Another theophany in the ""Mahabharata"" is of a Vaishnava (related to Vishnu or Krishna) form. It misses the multiple body parts of Vishvarupa, but conveys the vastness"
"be – ""vata"", ""pitta"" or ""kapha"". Agni is also known as ""Vaisvanara"". Just as the illuminating power in the fire is a part of Agni's own effulgence, even so the heating power in the foods digestive and appetizing power is also a part of Agni's energy or potency. Agni Agni ( , , Pali: ""Aggi"", ) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire, and connotes the Vedic fire god of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction, and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu temples. In the classical cosmology of the Indian religions, Agni as"
"Jataveda Jataveda (Sanskrit: जातवेद, IAST: """") is a Vedic Sanskrit term for a particular form/epithet of Agni, the Vedic god of fire. In a tradition originating in the late Vedic period, but already alluded to in the RigVeda, Agni has three forms: a celestial form (fire of the sun and the stars), an aerial form (lightning and the life-force of vegetation called the 'Child/Embryo of the Waters'), and a terrestrial form (e.g., the altar fire at worship). In this scheme, Jataveda (mass noun) represents the class of terrestrial fires (i.e. hearth fire, kiln fire, and so on), but in particular"
"of 1st millennium BC. The idea of triad, playing three roles in the cosmic affairs, is typically associated with Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (also called ""Mahesh""); however, this is not the only triad in Hindu literature. Other triads include ""Tridevi"", of three goddesses – Lakshmi, Saraswati and Durga in the text Devi Mahatmya, in the Shakta tradition, who further assert that Devi is the Brahman (Ultimate Reality) and it is her energy that empowers Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The other triads, formulated as deities in ancient Indian literature, include Sun (creator), Air (sustainer) and Fire (destroyer); Prana (creator), Food (sustainer)"
"fire produced by the wife of Dharma (eternal law) named Vasubhāryā (literally, ""daughter of Light""). According to the Puranic mythology, Agni married Svāhā (invocation offering) and fathered three sons - Pāvaka (purifier), Pāvamāna (purifying) and Śuchi (purity). From these sons, he has forty-five grandchildren which are symbolic names of different aspects of a fire. In some texts, Medhā (intelligence) is Agni's sister. Agni (or ""Aggi"") has been a part of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. He is, for example, one of the fifty one Buddhist deities found in Tibetan Buddhism mandala for the medicine Buddha. His iconography is part of a"
"associates the one leg of the divinity with the Linga, Shiva's aniconic symbol. The ""Linga Purana"" describes Shiva as ""the lord who has one foot, four arms, three eyes and a trident ... who is stationed after creating Vishnu from his left side and four-headed Brahma from his right side."" In South Indian temples, the icon may be accompanied by yogis or ascetics worshipping it and by the vahanas of the Trinity: Brahma's hamsa (swan/goose), Vishnu's garuda (eagle-man), and Shiva's Nandi bull. Sometimes, when the legs of Vishnu and Shiva are seen, the icon is called ""Tripada-Trimurti"" (""three-legged trinity"") as"
"this location. Jwala Ji Jwala Ji (Pahari: जवाला जी, , , ) is a Hindu Goddess. Alternative spelling and names for Jwala Ji include ""Jawala Ji"", ""Jwala Devi"" and ""Jwalamukhi Ji"". The physical manifestation of Jwala Ji is always a set of eternal flames, and the term ""Jwala"" means flame in Sanskrit (cognates: proto-Indo-European ""guelh"", English: ""glow"", Lithuanian: ""zvilti"") and ""Ji"" is an honorific used in the Indian subcontinent. Jwalaji/jawalaji (flame) or Jwala Mukhi (flame mouth) is probably the most ancient temple discussed here besides Vaishno Devi. It is mentioned in the Mahabharata and other scriptures. There is a natural"
"Jwala Ji Jwala Ji (Pahari: जवाला जी, , , ) is a Hindu Goddess. Alternative spelling and names for Jwala Ji include ""Jawala Ji"", ""Jwala Devi"" and ""Jwalamukhi Ji"". The physical manifestation of Jwala Ji is always a set of eternal flames, and the term ""Jwala"" means flame in Sanskrit (cognates: proto-Indo-European ""guelh"", English: ""glow"", Lithuanian: ""zvilti"") and ""Ji"" is an honorific used in the Indian subcontinent. Jwalaji/jawalaji (flame) or Jwala Mukhi (flame mouth) is probably the most ancient temple discussed here besides Vaishno Devi. It is mentioned in the Mahabharata and other scriptures. There is a natural cave where"
"Triyuginarayan Temple Triyuginarayan Temple () is a Hindu temple located in the Triyuginarayan village in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand. The ancient temple is dedicated to god Vishnu. Its fame is credited to the legend of god Shiva’s marriage to goddess Parvati witnessed by Vishnu at this venue and is thus a popular pilgrimage centre. A special feature of this temple is a perpetual fire, that burns in front of the temple. The flame is believed to burn from the times of the divine marriage. Thus, the temple is also known as Akhand Dhuni temple. The temple courtyard is also the source"
"Paramara, Yajurvedin Chahumana (Chauhan), Trivedin Shukla and Atharvavedin Parihara (Pratihara). Abu'l Fazl mentions another variation of the legend in his ""Ain-i-Akbari"": In 761 BCE, a sage called Mahabaha kindled a flame and established a fire temple, which started attracting several devotees. Later, the Buddhists, unhappy with these Brahminical rites, managed to get an order prohibiting this style of worship. The fire temple devotees then prayed to seek a hero who would overthrow Buddhism and restore their traditional faith. The ""Supreme Justice"" then conjured a hero from the now-cold fire temple. This hero, called Dhananjaya (or Dhanji), attained power in a"
"Shiva. Her parents learn of her desire, discourage her, but she pursues what she wants. Indra sends the god Kama – the Hindu god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection, to awake Shiva from meditation. Kama reaches Shiva and shoots an arrow of desire. Shiva opens his third eye in his forehead and burns the cupid Kama to ashes. Parvati does not lose her hope or her resolve to win over Shiva. She begins to live in mountains like Shiva, engage in the same activities as Shiva, one of asceticism, yogin and tapas. This draws the attention of Shiva"
"no choice but to marry Sati with Shiva. One day Daksha made arrangements for a great horse sacrifice, and invited all the gods omitting only Shiva. Sati, being greatly humiliated, went to the banquet and Sati released the inward consuming fire and fell dead at Daksha's feet. When Shiva heard this news, he burned with anger, and tore from his head a lock of hair, glowing with energy, and cast upon the earth. Vīrabhadra sprang from it, his tall body reached the high heavens, he was dark as the clouds, he had a thousand arms, three burning eyes, and fiery"
"Vayu Purana associates her with Shiva,the Brahmanda purana and the Matsya purana associate her with Shakti. Jain literature also recognize her as or the fire goddess. Her iconic forms depict her with flames issuing forth from her head. She is also described as adorned with rising flames of fire. This deity has got Tantric affiliations. According to the literature """", a cult in her honor was started by a Jain ""tantrik"" teacher of the monastic order called ""Dravida gana"". A legend has it that,the Goddess herself,instructed ""Helacharya"" to systematize the occult lore sacred to her. From the inscriptions it is"
"making offerings to the ""homa"" (sacred fire) in the ""kunda"" (fire-altar). The four-armed god holds a ""sruka"" and ""sruva"" (sacrificial ladle and spoon) in his front arms and a ""kamandalu"" (water-pot) and ""akshamala"" (rosary) in his back arms. The presence of the fire also indicates another important ritual of the Hindu wedding, ""saptapadi"" (""seven steps"") where the bride and groom go around the fire seven times. The figure of Shiva should be tallest, followed by that of Vishnu, Parvati and Vishnu's wives. Various deities like the eight guardians of the directions, the eight Vasus, the seven Matrika goddesses, celestial beings"
"holes with burning flame'."""" Fire is considered sacred in the Indo-Iranian branches of Sikhism, Hinduism, and Zoroastrianism (as Agni and Atar respectively), and there has been debate on whether the Atashgah was originally a Hindu structure, Zoroastrian, or Sikh one. The trident mounted atop the structure is usually a distinctly Hindu sacred symbol (as the ""Trishula"", which is commonly mounted on temples) and has been cited by Zoroastrian scholars as a specific reason for considering the Atashgah as a Hindu and Sikh site. However, an Azeri presentation on the history of Baku, which calls the shrine a ""Hindu temple"", identifies"
"Agnivansha In Indian culture, the Agnivanshi are people who claim descent from Agni, the Vedic god of fire. The Agnivanshi lineage (Agnivansha or Agnikula) is one of the three lineages into which the Rajput clans are divided, the others being the Suryavanshi (descended from Surya, the sun god) and the Chandravanshi (descended from Chandra, the moon god). According to medieval legends, there are four Agnivanshi clans: Chauhans (Chahamanas), Parihars (Pratiharas), Parmars (Paramaras) and Solankis (Chaulukyas). Several Indian communities and dynasties have legends of fire-born ancestry. Alf Hiltebeitel theorises that the fire-lineage legends signify a new class of Kshatriya warriors, as"
"Tripurantaka Tripurantaka or Tripurari is a manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva. In this aspect, Shiva is depicted with four arms wielding a bow and arrow, but different from the Pinakapani murti. He holds an axe and a deer on the upper pair of his arms. In the lower pair of the arms, he holds a bow and an arrow respectively. After destroying Tripura, Tripurantaka Shiva smeared his forehead with three strokes of Ashes. This has become a prominent symbol of Shiva and is practiced even today by Shaivites. Shiva as Tripurantaka is accredited with destroying three mythical cities of"
"Indo-European origins. Notes Citations Agnivansha In Indian culture, the Agnivanshi are people who claim descent from Agni, the Vedic god of fire. The Agnivanshi lineage (Agnivansha or Agnikula) is one of the three lineages into which the Rajput clans are divided, the others being the Suryavanshi (descended from Surya, the sun god) and the Chandravanshi (descended from Chandra, the moon god). According to medieval legends, there are four Agnivanshi clans: Chauhans (Chahamanas), Parihars (Pratiharas), Parmars (Paramaras) and Solankis (Chaulukyas). Several Indian communities and dynasties have legends of fire-born ancestry. Alf Hiltebeitel theorises that the fire-lineage legends signify a new class"
"often presented as the twin brother of Agni (fire) – another major Vedic deity. Yet, he is also presented to be the same, states Max Muller, as in Rigvedic hymn 2.1.3, which states, ""Thou Agni, art Indra, a bull among all beings; thou art the wide-ruling Vishnu, worthy of adoration. Thou art the Brahman, (...)."" He is also part of one of many Vedic trinities as ""Agni, Indra and Surya"", representing the ""creator-maintainer-destroyer"" aspects of existence in Hindu thought. The ancient ""Aitareya Upanishad"" equates Indra, along with other deities, with Atman (soul, self) in the Vedanta's spirit of internalization of"
"universe. She is described as the supreme consciousness, above Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Tripurasundari is said to sit on Shiva's lap in his form as ""Kāmeśvara"", the ""lord of desire"". Tripura Sundari (Parvati) is also the primary goddess associated with the Shakta Tantric tradition, known as Sri Vidya. The Sanskrit word 'Tripura' is a combination of two Sanskrit words; """"Tri"""" meaning """"tráyas (three)"""" and """"pura"""" meaning a city or citadel, but also understood as referring to three cities or citadels """"built of gold, silver, and iron, in the sky, air, and earth, by Maya for the Asuras, and burnt by"
"Lingodbhava Lingodbhava ""(""emergence of the Linga"")"" is an iconic representation of Hindu god Shiva, commonly seen in the South Indian Hindu temples. The icon depicts the legend of the origin of the linga, Shiva's aniconic representation that is often in his worship. The tale of Lingodbhava is found in various ""puranas"", augments the synthesis of the old cults of pillar and worship. The earliest literary evidence of the iconic representation is found in the 7th century works of Shaiva saints Appar and Thirugnana Sambandar. Once, while the deities Vishnu and Brahma contested for superiority, Shiva appeared as a flame, and"
"the Vajra. Thousands of years ago, a Rakshasa (demon) named ""Kalikala"" or ""Kalikut"" or ""Kali( the demon)"" troubled the rishis (sages) and humans in the region of Vadvali and waged a war against the devas (gods). Distressed, the gods and sages headed by Vashishta performed the ""TriChandi yagna"", a fire offering to the Goddess, to please Her. An aahuti (offering of ghee in yajna) was not granted to Indra (king of devas). Enraged, Indra hurled his Vajra - one of the most powerful weapons in Hindu mythology- at the yajna. The terrified gods and sages prayed to the Goddess to"
"Vedic texts, Surya is one of the several trinities along with either Agni or Varuna and either Vayu or Indra, which are presented as an equivalent icon and aspect of the Hindu metaphysical concept called the Brahman. In the Brahmanas layer of Vedic literature, Surya appears with Agni (fire god) in the same hymns. Surya is revered for the day, while Agni for its role during the night. The idea evolves, states Kapila Vatsyayan, where Surya is stated to be Agni as the first principle and the seed of the universe. It is in the Brahmanas layer of the Vedas,"
"forged. Once when roaming in the Khandava Vana, Arjuna and Krishna met the god of fire, Agni. Agni was in great hunger and needed to burn down the entire Khandava Vana to quench his hunger. But Takshaka, the serpent-king lived in the same forest and was a friend of Indra's. So the latter brought down heavy rains to thwart Agni's plans to burn the woods. Agni requested Krishna and Arjuna to help him realise his goal. The three of them then invoked Varuna, the God of the oceans, who blessed Arjuna with the Gandiva – the agni-moon bow created by"