In Hindu mythology, who is the goddess of destruction and death?
"Mata ki Jai!"". Any woman who takes up a cause to fight for goodness and justice is said to have the spirit of Durga in her. Durga Durga, also identified as Adi Parashakti, Devī, Shakti, Parvati (primary form/name), Amba, Kali and by numerous other names, is a principal and popular form of Hindu Goddess. She is the warrior goddess, whose mythology centres around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity and dharma of the good. She is the fierce form of the protective mother goddess, willing to unleash her anger against wrong, violence for liberation and destruction to"
"Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and rejuvenation. However, she is not different from Satī, being the reincarnation of Shiva's wife. Parvati is the mother of the gods and goddess, Ganesha and Skanda (Kartikeya). Some communities believe her to be the sister of Vishnu. Parvati, when depicted alongside Shiva, generally appears with two arms, but when alone, she is shown having four or eight arms, and astride a tiger or lion. Generally considered a benevolent goddess, Parvati also has wrathful incarnations, such as Durga, Kali, Shitala Devi, Tara, Chandi, and the Mahavidyas as well as benevolent forms like Kathyayini, Mahagauri,"
"Chhinnamasta Chhinnamasta (, , ""She whose head is severed""), often spelled Chinnamasta, and also called Ch(h)innamastika and Prachanda Chandika, is a Hindu goddess. She is one of the Mahavidyas, ten goddesses from the esoteric tradition of Tantra, and a ferocious aspect of Devi, the Hindu Mother goddess. The self-decapitated nude goddess, usually standing or seated on a divine copulating couple, holds her own severed head in one hand, a scimitar in another. Three jets of blood spurt out of her bleeding neck and are drunk by her severed head and two attendants. Chhinnamasta is a goddess of contradictions. She symbolises"
"balance of life is not completely overrun over by wild nature. Mahakali Mahakali (Sanskrit: Mahākālī, Devanagari: महाकाली,মহাকালী), literally translated as ""Great Kali"", is the Hindu goddess of time and death, considered to be the consort of Mahakala, the god of consciousness, the basis of reality and existence. Mahakali in Sanskrit is etymologically the feminized variant of Mahakala or ""Great Time"" (which is interpreted also as ""Death""), an epithet of the god Shiva in Hinduism. Mahakali is the form of Adi parashakti, who is beyond time and space. Kali is the force of anger of Adi parashakti and therefore her color"
"Mahakali Mahakali (Sanskrit: Mahākālī, Devanagari: महाकाली,মহাকালী), literally translated as ""Great Kali"", is the Hindu goddess of time and death, considered to be the consort of Mahakala, the god of consciousness, the basis of reality and existence. Mahakali in Sanskrit is etymologically the feminized variant of Mahakala or ""Great Time"" (which is interpreted also as ""Death""), an epithet of the god Shiva in Hinduism. Mahakali is the form of Adi parashakti, who is beyond time and space. Kali is the force of anger of Adi parashakti and therefore her color is black. According to Shakta cult she is Para Brahman-Highest Brahman"""
"the trinity of Hindu goddesses (Tridevi). Parvati is the wife of the Hindu god Shiva – the protector, the destroyer (of evil) and regenerator of the universe and all life. She is the daughter of the mountain king Himavan and queen Mena. Parvati is the mother of Hindu deities Ganesha and Kartikeya. The Puranas also referenced her to be the sister of the preserver god Vishnu. She is the divine energy between a man and a woman, like the energy of Shiva and Shakti. With Shiva, Parvati is a central deity in the Shaiva sect. In Hindu belief, she is"
"in Choryo village, is one of the two Hindu temples in this place. On the top of this Churrio Hill is a temple of Hindu goddess Durga, a goddess of Hinduism, attributed as destroyer of evil, triumph of good over evil, the mother of universe, and power behind the creation, preservation, and destruction of the world. Owing to Durga's temple, thousands of pilgrims, not only from Pakistan, especially the provinces of Sindh, Baluchistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but also from Nepal, India and other countries visit Churrio Hill for their religious festivals. The temple is a part of Hindu religious"
"Korravai Korravai () or Korravi was the goddess of war and victory in ancient Tamil pantheon. She was considered the mother of Murugan, the Hindu god of war, now patron god of Tamil Nadu. The earliest references to Korravai are found in the ancient Tamil grammar Tolkappiyam, considered to be the earliest work of the ancient Sangam literature. Korravai is identified with goddess Durga. In early iconography, Korravai is presented as fierce and bloodthirsty. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Durga_Korravai.jpg Harvest and war was an important aspect in life of the ancient Tamils and they worshiped Korravai for the success on field and battlefield. It"
"Manasa Manasā, also Mansā Devi, is a Hindu folk goddess of snakes, worshipped mainly in Bengal and other parts of North and northeastern India, chiefly for the prevention and cure of snakebite and also for fertility and prosperity. Manasa is the mother of Astika, sister of Vasuki, king of Nāgas (snakes) and wife of sage Jaratkaru (Jagatkaru). She is also known as ""Vishahara"" (the destroyer of poison), ""Nityā"" (eternal) and ""Padmavati"". Her myths emphasize her bad temper and unhappiness, due to rejection by her father Shiva and her husband, and the hate of her stepmother, Chandi (Shiva's wife, identified with"
"Lakshmi Lakshmi (; Tamil: இலட்சுமி , IAST: ""lakṣmī"") or Laxmi, is the Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune and prosperity. She is the wife and shakti (energy) of Vishnu, one of the principal deities of Hinduism and the Supreme Being in the Vaishnavism Tradition. With Parvati and Saraswati, she forms Tridevi, the holy trinity. Lakshmi is also an important deity in Jainism and found in Jain temples. Lakshmi has also been a goddess of abundance and fortune for Tamils and was represented on the oldest surviving stupas and cave temples of Hinduism. Goddess Lakshmi in Hinduism: The goddess of abundance and"
"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"
"annual festivities in the month of June are main attraction for the devotees around the region. In ancient Sri Lanka, ""Renuka"" was the name of a minor goddess of wanton death and destruction, although at certain times was also a symbol of creativity and vibrancy. Renuka Reṇukā/Renuga/Renu is a Hindu goddess worshipped predominantly in the Indian states of Karanataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Renuka's temple at Mahur in Maharashtra is considered one of the shakti peethas. Renuka/Renu or Yellamma or Ekvira or Ellai amman or Ellai amma (Marathi:श्री. रेणुका/ येल्लुआई, Kannada: ಶ್ರೀ ಎಲ್ಲಮ್ಮ ರೇಣುಕಾ, Telugu"
"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."
"of the cremation grounds and into a more domestic setting. Krishnananda Agamavagisha was also the guru of the Kali devotee and poet Ramprasad Sen. Smashana Kali, also called Vama Kali, Samhara Kali is the embodiment of the power of destruction. Smashana Kali is the most dangerous and powerful form of Goddess Kali. Smashana Kali is the chief goddess of Tantric texts. It is said that if Kali steps out with the left foot and holds the sword in her right hand, she is in the form of Smashana Kali. She is the Kali of the cremation ground and is worshiped"
"Hinduism as a distinct goddess around 3000 BC. Chronologically then, Kaalratri (described textually in the Mahabharata, dated 3137 BC - 3067 BC) predates but most likely, informs, present representations of Kali. Kaalratri is traditionally worshipped during the nine nights of Navratri celebrations. The seventh day of Navratri pooja (Hindu prayer ritual) in particular is dedicated to her and she is considered the fiercest form of the Mother Goddess, her appearance itself invoking fear. This form of Goddess is believed to be the destroyer of all demon entities, ghosts, spirits and negative energies, who flee upon knowing of her arrival. The"
"of all the caves. In a big hall in north of this cave is a small devalaya in which is housed an 8 feet high statue of Buddha. Chamunda (Sanskrit: चामुण्डा, Cāmuṇḍā), also known as Chamundi, Chamundeshwari and Charchika, is a fearsome aspect of Devi, the Hindu Divine Mother and one of the seven Matrikas (mother goddesses). She is also one of the chief Yoginis, a group of sixty-four or eighty-one Tantric goddesses, who are attendants of the warrior goddess Durga.[2] The name is a combination of Chanda and Munda, two monsters whom Chamunda killed. She is closely associated with"
"preserves nor destroys anything. He is envisioned in some Hindu texts to have emerged from the metaphysical Brahman along with Vishnu (preserver), Shiva (destroyer), all other gods, goddesses, matter and other beings. In theistic schools of Hinduism where deity Brahma is described as part of its cosmology, he is a mortal like all gods and goddesses, and dissolves into the abstract immortal Brahman when the universe ends, then a new cosmic cycle (kalpa) restarts. The deity Brahma is mentioned in the Vedas and the Upanishads but is uncommon, while the abstract Brahman concept is predominant in these texts, particularly the"
"Holika Holika () was a demoness in Hindu Vedic scriptures, who was burnt to death with the help of God Vishnu. She was the sister of King Hiranyakashipu and aunt of Prahlad. The story of ""Holika Dahan"" (Holika's death) signifies the triumph of good over evil. Holika is associated with the annual bonfire on the night before Holi, the Hindu festival of colors. According to Bhagavat Purana, a king named Banjan who, like many demons and Asuras, had the intense desire to be immortal. To fulfill this desire, he performed the required Tapas or penances until he was granted a"
"Mohini Mohini (Sanskrit: मोहिनी, """") is the only female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. She is portrayed as a <nowiki>""femme fatale""</nowiki>, an enchantress, who maddens lovers, sometimes leading them to their doom. Mohini is introduced into the Hindu mythology in the narrative epic of the ""Mahabharata"". Here, she appears as a form of Vishnu, acquires the pot of Amrita (an elixir of immortality) from the thieving asuras (demons), and gives it back to the devas (gods), helping them retain their immortality. Many different legends tell of her various exploits and marriages, including union with Shiva. These tales relate, among"
"is the goddess of war and victory. Both goddesses are linked to battlefields; Chhinnamasta is not. Kinsley points out that while there are several bloodthirsty, nude, and wild goddesses and demonesses in Hindu mythology, Chhinnamasta is the only goddess who displays the shocking self-decapitation motif. The beheading and rejoining motif also appears in the tale of the goddess Renuka; however the self-decapitation is missing in the legend. In the context of her legend, Renuka is given the epithet ""Chhinnamasta"" (""She whose head is severed""). The mahavidya Chhinnamasta is also associated with Renuka's son Parashurama, who decapitated his mother in the"
"prosperity) and Saraswati (goddess of knowledge and learning), she forms the trinity of Hindu goddesses. Parvati is the wife of Shiva - the destroyer, recycler and regenerator of universe and all life. She is the mother of Hindu gods Ganesha and Kartikeya. Rita Gross states, that the view of Parvati only as ideal wife and mother is incomplete symbolism of the power of the feminine in mythology of India. Parvati, along with other goddesses, are involved with the broad range of culturally valued goals and activities. Her connection with motherhood and female sexuality does not confine the feminine or exhaust"
"of destruction, the more Shiva danced, the more destruction arose. Later, Shiva pulled two locks of hair and fell it on the ground. One arose Virabhadra, Shiva's destructive and terrible incarnation, having eight hands holding weapons and possessing a dark complexion. The second arose Bhadrakali, the Supreme Goddess's violent and intense incarnation, having eighteen hands holding weapons like a discus, dagger, trident, spear, mace, scimitar, sword, vajra, conch shell, demon head, drinking vessel, goad, waterpot, cleaver, shield, bow and arrow. Shiva ordered them to wreak havoc. Virabhadra and Bhadrakali were assisted by eight other Goddesses named Kali, Katyayini, Chamunda, Ishaani,"
"Shachi In Hinduism (specifically, early Vedic accounts), Shachi (Sanskrit: शची; also known as Indrani (queen of Indra), Aindrila, Mahendri, Pulomaja and Poulomi is the goddess of beauty; being a source of jealously for long because there was no one who did not long for her, and a daughter of Puloman, an Asura who was killed by Indrani's future husband, Indra. She is one of the seven Matrikas (mother goddesses). She is described as beautiful and having the most beautiful eyes. She is associated with lions and elephants. With Indra, she is the mother of Jayanta, Jayanti, Devasena, and Chitragupta. In"
"Phul Mata Phul Mata is a Hindu goddess of disease, one of a group of seven sister goddesses with similar associations. Her sisters were Sitala Mata, Badi Mata, Pansahi Mata, Gusulia Mata, Kankar Mata, and Malbal. As a group, they were well known in northern India, and were often represented by balls of clay. Phul Mata was specifically associated with typhoid fever. Phul Mata is mentioned in epic and Puranic Hindu literature. She may have originally been perceived as a shakti, a personification of divine power, but in Hinduism gradually became associated with evil intent and illness. She was said"
"and personifying the horrors of war, laying its unpleasantness bare. Chapter 1 of the Durga Saptashati, verse 75, references the destructive concept personified by Goddess Kaalratri in all Puranas:prakṛtistvaṃca sarvasya guṇatraya vibhāvinī kāḷarātrirmahārātrirmoharātriśca dāruṇā""You are the primordial cause of everything""""Bringing into force the three qualities (sattva, rajas and tamas)""""You are the dark might of periodic dissolution""""You are the great night of final dissolution and the terrible night of delusion"" The Skanda Purana describes Lord Shiva beseeching his wife, Parvati (the cosmic feminine creative force), to help the gods when they are terrorised by the demon-king, Durgamasur (NB: distinct from Goddess"
"Dewi Ratih Dewi Ratih, also known as ""Sang Hyang Ratih"" or ""Sang Hyang Semara Ratih"", is a Hindu lunar goddess worshipped in Java and Bali. She is well known for her beauty and grace, thus she was also known as the Goddess of Beauty. Her myth is linked to lunar eclipses. Due to Dewi Ratih rejecting him, Kala Rau the giant planned to attack Vishnuloka. When Kala Rau reached heaven on the form of Kuwera, a leading rakshasa who served the Gods, Ratih warned Vishnu that Kuwera was actually Kala Rau. Vishnu beheaded Kala Rau without knowing he had consumed"
"Dewi Ratih Dewi Ratih, also known as ""Sang Hyang Ratih"" or ""Sang Hyang Semara Ratih"", is a Hindu lunar goddess worshipped in Java and Bali. She is well known for her beauty and grace, thus she was also known as the Goddess of Beauty. Her myth is linked to lunar eclipses. Due to Dewi Ratih rejecting him, Kala Rau the giant planned to attack Vishnuloka. When Kala Rau reached heaven on the form of Kuwera, a leading rakshasa who served the Gods, Ratih warned Vishnu that Kuwera was actually Kala Rau. Vishnu beheaded Kala Rau without knowing he had consumed"
"the event. Shachi In Hinduism (specifically, early Vedic accounts), Shachi (Sanskrit: शची; also known as Indrani (queen of Indra), Aindrila, Mahendri, Pulomaja and Poulomi is the goddess of beauty; being a source of jealously for long because there was no one who did not long for her, and a daughter of Puloman, an Asura who was killed by Indrani's future husband, Indra. She is one of the seven Matrikas (mother goddesses). She is described as beautiful and having the most beautiful eyes. She is associated with lions and elephants. With Indra, she is the mother of Jayanta, Jayanti, Devasena, and"
"Kali ' (; ), also known as ' or Shyama (), is a Hindu goddess. Kali is one of the ten Mahavidyas, a list which combines Sakta and Buddhist goddesses. Kali's earliest appearance is that of a destroyer of evil forces. She is the goddess of one of the four subcategories of the Kulamārga, a category of tantric Saivism. Over time, she has been worshipped by devotional movements and tantric sects variously as the Divine Mother, Mother of the Universe, Adi Shakti, or Adi Parashakti. Shakta Hindu and Tantric sects additionally worship her as the ultimate reality or ""Brahman"". She"
"in Baisakh in the precincts of the Chandershekhar temple. Mohini Mohini (Sanskrit: मोहिनी, """") is the only female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. She is portrayed as a <nowiki>""femme fatale""</nowiki>, an enchantress, who maddens lovers, sometimes leading them to their doom. Mohini is introduced into the Hindu mythology in the narrative epic of the ""Mahabharata"". Here, she appears as a form of Vishnu, acquires the pot of Amrita (an elixir of immortality) from the thieving asuras (demons), and gives it back to the devas (gods), helping them retain their immortality. Many different legends tell of her various exploits and"
"Chamunda Chamunda (Sanskrit: चामुण्डा, IAST: Cāmuṇḍā) also known as Chamundi, Chamundeshwari, Charchika and Rakta Kali is a fearsome aspect of Devi, the Hindu Divine Mother and one of the seven Matrikas (mother goddesses). She is also one of the chief Yoginis, a group of sixty-four or eighty-one Tantric goddesses, who are attendants of the warrior goddess Durga. The name is a combination of Chanda and Munda, two monsters whom Chamunda killed. She is closely associated with Kali, another fierce aspect of Devi. She is identified with goddesses Parvati, Chandi or Durga as well. The goddess is often portrayed as haunting"
"of Tamil Nadu. As per the account in Brahmanda Purana, Brahma, the Hindu god of creation and Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction, had originally five heads. Parvati, the wife of Shiva, once got confused and worshipped Brahma, instead of her husband. Shiva got enraged and cut off one of Brahma's heads; the head stuck to Shiva's hand due to Brahma's curse. To get rid off the sin, Shiva worshipped the god Vishnu at Thirukarambanur as Bhikshatana, where a part of his sin was relieved. Shiva freed himself from the sin after visiting Vishnu at Thirukandiyur and taking a holy"
"to inflict sickness on children under seven years of age. Phul Mata Phul Mata is a Hindu goddess of disease, one of a group of seven sister goddesses with similar associations. Her sisters were Sitala Mata, Badi Mata, Pansahi Mata, Gusulia Mata, Kankar Mata, and Malbal. As a group, they were well known in northern India, and were often represented by balls of clay. Phul Mata was specifically associated with typhoid fever. Phul Mata is mentioned in epic and Puranic Hindu literature. She may have originally been perceived as a shakti, a personification of divine power, but in Hinduism gradually"