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Devatas |
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| Agni |
Agni (Fire) God has been worshipped by Hindus from the Vedic ages till today. Agni is one of the three supreme deities of the Rig Veda, viz., Agni, Vayu and Surya. These three Gods preside over earth, air and sky respectively.
In Rig Veda, largest no., of hymns are addressed to Agni. Agni is the son of Angiras and the grandson of Sandila, one of the seven great sages. Vishnu Puran, however, claims that Agni is the eldest son of Brahma. His wife is Swaha and through his marriage he has three sons, Pavak, Pavman and Suchi.
In Hari Vans, Agni is clothed in black and has smoke as his standard and carries a flaming javelin. He has four hands and rides in a chariots drawn by red horses.
Agni Purana is said to have been recited by Agni himself to sage Vashist. It has portions on ritualistic and mystic methods of worship, the art of wars the laws of Hindus and glorification of Shiva. |
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Indara |
Indra is the God of firmament and the king of the abode of Gods. In the early Vedic age, Indra is the top ranking figure among Gods. Yet, he is not equivalent to Omkar or Brahma because he has a parantage.
His complexion is golden and sparkling; he rides on a golden chariots drawn by two red strong horses with a thick and flowing manes and pointed tails. His favorite weapon is the thunderbolt which he carries in his right hand; sometimes he is also represented as having a big bow with long pointed arrows as well as hook and a net. He is the ruler of the atmosphere and weathers are at his command.
In the Vedas, more hymns are attributed to him than any other God, indicating that he was then widely worshipped for his kindness, bestower of rains and the giver of fertility. His consort is Indrani.
In the post-Vedic era and during the age of Puranas, Indra was considered to be the King of devatas, smaller gods, but is considered to be inferior to the holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. |
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| Vishwakarma |
According to Rig Veda, Vishwa Karma is the divine architect of the whole universe. He is the personification of the creative power that welds heaven and earth together. He is the son of Brahma.
He is painted white, has a club in his right hand, wears a crown, a necklace of gold, rings on his wrists and holds tools in his left hand. He is the revealer of Sthapatya Veda, or the science of mechanics and architecture. Mahabharat describes him as "The Lord of the arts, executor of a thousand handicrafts, the carpenter of the Gods, the most eminent of artisans, the fashioner of all the ornaments, on whose craft all menu subsist, and whom, a great and immortal God, they continually worship."
He is the presiding deity of all the craftsmen and architects. |
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Yam |
Yam (Yama) is the God of death and is the lord of infernal regions one visits after the cessation of life.
He is the embodiment of the rule of law and imparts justice according to deeds. The word "Yam" means the restrainer, it is he who keeps the mankind in check.
In Vedas, Yam is the First Ancestor and has a full distinction of a God. Yam's mouth is a fierce looking black buffalo, a form which he also adopts for himself on occasion. Yam carries a rope in one hand and a mace in another. Yam is a son of Vivasat, the embodiment of social morality, while his mother is Saranyu (clouds), who is the daughter of Vishwakarma, the cosmic architect. Yam's twin sister is Yami, who has the greatest affection for her brother. |
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Narad |
Narad (Narada) has a lute in one hand and a pointed knotted tuft of hair in the center of the otherwise clean-shaven scalp. He plays a subsidiary but very important role in numerous religious scriptures.
According to Mahabharat, Narad was the son of Kashyap and his mother was one of the daughters of Daksha. Another account says that he sprang from the forehead of Brahma. Narad is shown as a wandering seer going from one place to another. He is reputed to have invented Veena, the principal stringed instrument of India and is deemed to be the leader of celestial musicians.
He is famous as a mischief-maker and in India his name is taken as a symbol of a person who is always creating one or other type of light mischief for Gods and Goddesses. |
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