Name ▲▼ | Origin ▲▼ | Description ▲▼ |
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Goddess name "Vaisnavi" | Hindu / Epic / Puranic | Mother goddess. A SAKTI of V IS NU, also regarded as a form of LAKSMI. In later Hinduism she became one of a group of MATARAS regarded as of evil intent. Also one of a group of eight ASTAMATARAS. In another grouping one of nine NAVASAKTIS who, in southern India, rank higher than the SAPTAMATARAS. Her vehicle is the hybrid beast GARUDA. Attributes: child, club, conch, lotus and prayer wheel.... |
Spirit name "Vajrapani" | Buddhist / mainly Tibet | God. An emanation of AKSOBHYA but also sometimes identified with ADIBUDDBA. Generally thought to reflect the second DHYANIBUDDHA or spiritual meditation buddba. Sometimes depicted with a peaçõçk. Alternatively considered to be a counterpart of the Hindu god INDRA. Color: dark blue or white. Attributes: noose, snake and staff. Also AcalaVajrapani; Acarya-Vajrapani.... |
Goddess name "Vajravarahi (diamond sow)" | Buddhist / Mahayana / / Lamaist / Tibet | Goddess. An emanation of VAIROCANA and sometimes identified as the SAKTI of HEVAJIRA. In Lamaism she accompanies VAJRADAKA. She is depicted treading on a man. Color: red. Attributes: principally club, cup, image of Vairocana on the crown and knife, but with an åśśortment of other attributes from time to time. Three-eyed and three-headed.... |
God name "Valli" | Hindu | The name of prominent Hindu god Murugan's consort, according to Tamil traditions. She is depicted as a the daughter of a tribal chief. |
Goddess name "Valli" | Hindu | Goddess. The second consort of SKANDA, usually depicted standing to his right. In its original context the word Valli may mean earth.... |
God name "Vamana" | Hindu / Epic / Puranic | Incarnation of the god VISNU. The fifth avatara of Vis'nu which appears as a dwarf, symbolizing the puny state of mankind in the cosmos. According to legend, the god took the guise in order to trick BALI, a greatgrandson of Hiranyakashipu (see NARASINHA), whose prestige had begun to overshadow that of INDRA. To restore a proper balance Vamana requested from Bali a plot of land three paces wide on which to meditate. Vis'nu returned to his proper stature and claimed heaven and earth in two steps. He declined to take the third which would have also claimed the underworld, but instead gave its rule to Bali. The dwarfish form bears two arms. Attributes: umbrella and waterpot.... |
"Vanapagan" | Estonian | Old Nick, "Old Heathen", the devil depicted as dumb giant farmer. Estonian |
Demon name "Varaha (boar)" | Hindu / Epic / Puranic | Incarnation of the god VISNU. The third avatara of Vis'nu, which appears as a boar. According to legend, he descends in this guise to the bottom of the primeval sea to rescue the earth, which has been removed there by a demon. He retrieves it in the shape of a girl. The avatara may be depicted in wholly animal form or as a human with a boar's head. Epithets include Adivaraha.... |
Goddess name "Varahi" | Hindu / Epic / Puranic | Mother goddess. A SAKTI who in later Hinduism becomes one of a group of MATARAS regarded as of evil intent. Also one of a group of eight ASTAMATARAS. In another grouping, one of nine NAVASAKTIS who, in southern India, rank higher than the SAPTAMATARAS. She sits upon a boar, buffalo or elephant. Attributes: boar's head, bow, club, cup, knife, noose, plough, sword and trident.... |
Goddess name "Vasudhara (treasurer)" | Hindu / Epic / Puranic | Fertility goddess. The SAKTI of Kuvera.See also KUBERA.... |
Goddess name "Velu Mate" | Pre - Christian Latvian | Chthonic underworld goddess. The queen of the dead. She is depicted wearing white and she greets the dead at the cemetery.... |
God name "Venkata" | Hindu | Form of the god of Visnu Hindu / Puranic / Epic |
God name "Venkata" | Hindu / Epic / Puranic | Form of the god V ISNU. According to the Aditya Purana, Venkata is a deity of considerable importance in southern India. The name does not occur in the north. He is worshiped extensively by Hindus but particularly in the Tamil shrine of Tirupati where there is argument that the deity depicted is SIVA or KARTTIKEYA. The image appears to carry attributes of Vis'nu on the left and Siva on the right. Also Venkatesa.... |
God name "Vidyapati-Lokesvara" | Buddhist | God. A variety of the BODHISATTVA AVALOKITESVARA. Depicted resting on a lotus, his attributes include a fly-whisk.... |
Goddess name "Vidyujjvalakarili (tongues of fire)" | Buddhist | Goddess. A twelve-headed form of Akajata who is said to have been formed in the BUDDHA's sweat. She is often depicted trampling the four Hindu deities BRAHMA, INDRA, SIVA and VISNU. Color: blue or black. Attributes: many and varied.... |
Deities name "Vigrieesvaraeugramurti" | Hindu / Puranic | family of deities. A popular depiction in art of SIVA (colored black) and Parvati with their son GANESA after he has been decapitated by his father and given the head of an elephant by way of replacement.... |
Deities name "Vijaya (victory)" | Hindu / Epic / Puranic | God. An EKADASARUDRA (one of the eleven RUDRA deities). Hiranyaksa is considered one of his incarnations. Attributes: club, knife, rosary and staff. Vijaya is also the name of the bow of INDRA.... |
God name "Virabhadra (great hero)" | Hindu / Epic / Puranic | war god. Considered to be a form of SIVA, and occasionally of VISNU, Virabhadra acts as a martial aspect of Siva against the god DAKSA, who according to some accounts abused Siva's wife SATI and drove her to angry suicide by self-immolation to avenge the slight. He is depicted bearing four arms. Attributes: arrow, bow, shield and sword. He sometimes wears a necklace of skulls. Three-eyed and three-headed.... |