Hindu gods: Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu, Parvati, Rama, Krishna and more!

Hindu Gods are all the deities that belong to the religion called Hinduism. The history of the Hindu gods and religion in its entirety is considered one of the oldest in humanity. Currently, Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, predominant in India, Nepal and some countries in Southeast Asia.

As it is a very complex polytheistic religion with diverse traditions, the simplest way to understand the mystique surrounding the Hindu gods is through their main divisions. In this article, you will learn about the main branches of the Hindu gods, as well as the deities belonging to each of them.

The concept of Trimurti is associated with the idea of ​​trinity. According to Hinduism, there are three Hindu gods responsible for the balance and functioning of the entire universe: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. These deities represent the forces and energies contained in every being and every person in this world, ensuring their transformation. Learn more about each of them below.

The god Brahma is one of the main Hindu gods, represented as the creator god. He is usually represented by a human figure with four heads, four arms and by his reddish skin tone.

The relationship between Brahma and the phenomenon of creation has two interpretations. The first one goes back to the narrative that this god was “self-generated” from a golden egg created by himself. In other versions, the creation and knowledge of the Vedas (the oldest religious texts in India) are attributed to the god Brahma.

Although it is part of the supreme trinity of Hindu gods, it is not common in Hinduism to worship this deity, nor to build temples for it.

Vishnu is recognized as the preserving god in the Trimurti. He has blue skin, four arms and is commonly depicted resting on a snake.

In Hinduism, the narrative about the history of the god Vishnu focuses on his avatars (or incarnations). It is believed that whenever the world is threatened by the forces of chaos and destruction, this god will return to Earth prepared to restore order and to protect the Dharma (the behaviors that make life and order possible in the world).

As the one capable of upholding justice and balance in the world, the sacred writings predict ten incarnations of Vishnu in history, each in a different form.

The god Shiva is presented within the Trimurti as the destroyer, or transformer, god. His most common depiction depicts him with matted hair, a blue throat, a third eye on his forehead, and four arms, one of which holds a trident.

In Hindu sacred texts, one can find contrasting versions of Shiva’s personality. On the one hand, this god is defined by his benevolence, through the practice of Yoga and an ascetic way of life.

On the other hand, it is also common to find references to the god Shiva covered in ashes and killing demons, symbolizing the finitude of beings and nature.

The three Shaktis are the three supreme goddesses in Hinduism. They represent the feminine dimension of transcendence and have a strong relationship with Tantra traditions and practices. In many sacred texts, these deities are the companions of the Hindu Trimurti gods.

Saraswati is the wife of the god Brahma, considered the deity of knowledge, learning, music and the arts. She is depicted on a white lotus playing a veena, a lute-like stringed instrument.

In its origin, the goddess Saraswati was associated with a deity of rivers, due to its purification property. Over time, she became the one capable of purifying men’s spirits, which is why her associations with knowledge and the arts are so many.

Saraswati is one of the most revered deities in Hinduism. There are many temples dedicated to her cult, inside and outside India.

Lakshimi is the wife of the Hindu god Vishnu. Depictions of her depict her as a golden-skinned woman, seated on a lotus flower, surrounded by elephants, and usually handing out or holding pots of gold coins.

Many virtues are attributed to Goddess Lakshimi, such as wealth (material and spiritual), love, prosperity, fortune and beauty.

Lakshimi always accompanies her husband, Vishnu, whenever he returns to Earth in one of his incarnations. When this happens, she takes the form of other goddesses also important to Hinduism.

Considered as the mother goddess of Hinduism, Parvati is the goddess of love, fertility, marriage and harmony. This deity has many different representations. In the most common ones, she is depicted wearing a red dress while accompanied by her husband, Shiva.

Like her husband, Parvati can take on a benevolent or destructive aspect. It is responsible for both the nourishing energies and the destructive energies of the universe.

In many traditions, her fierce and uncontrollable side is considered her true spiritual manifestation, a moment when Parvati is overcome with a rage capable of destroying everything around her.

There are many other Hindu gods important to the religion. These are deities that can be both manifestations and transformations of others, as well as sons and daughters of greater deities. See below for some information about them.

Among all the deities of the Hindu pantheon, there is no doubt that Ganesha is the best known and worshiped in the world. Son of the god Shiva with the goddess Parvati, this god is known for having four arms and an elephant’s head.

Worshiped as the Lord Remover of Obstacles, Ganesha is also recognized as the god of intelligence. In many traditions of Hinduism, this god can both prevent and remove obstacles, as well as create them.

There are many explanations about its representation with an elephant’s head. The most common claims that his father, Shiva, had him beheaded as a child and placed an elephant’s head in his place.

The goddess Kali is one of the most dangerous and violent deities in Hinduism. Represented as the goddess of death and time, in many traditions she is taken as one of the manifestations of the Goddess Parvati. Kali can be described as having four to ten arms, dark skin, a huge tongue sticking out of her mouth, and holding the head of a demon.

Although violent and terrifying, the goddess Kali is responsible for the destruction of evil. Being the female representation of time, she represents everything that has a beginning and an end – the one that brings with it life and death.

Goddess Durga is one of the manifestations of the mother goddess, Parvati. It represents a fiercer variation, responsible for war, strength and protection. Durga manifests to fight evil and demons that compromise peace in the world. She is a Hindu goddess who is depicted with ten arms, holding numerous weapons, and usually riding a tiger.

Although she is a goddess associated with wars, Durga’s violent behavior is not justified by the pleasure of battle and blood. The calm, serene face that appears in images of her symbolizes the need to fight for the greater good and the liberation of the oppressed.

Krishna is the eighth incarnation (avatar) of Vishnu, one of the three primordial Hindu gods. He is usually portrayed as a playful child playing a flute.

It is a deity present in numerous sacred traditions of Hinduism. In most of them, it is common to find descriptions of his life trajectory, from a baby to his adult life.

In his adult life, Krishna is a god who has eight wives. Each of them represents a different aspect of you. Hence he is taken as the god of devotion, for he was able to devote his love to all his women, and they all devoted their love to him.

The god Rama is the seventh incarnation (avatar) of Vishnu, part of the supreme trinity of Hinduism. Images of him represent him as a dark-skinned, long-armed god with a bow and arrows. He is regarded as the god of truth and virtue.

Rama’s stories are particularly complex and challenging. He is understood both as a human and as a deity. His mortality did not prevent him from achieving all the desirable moral qualities among men.

According to him, to live fully, we should equally seek for three goals: virtue, desires and wealth.

Hanumam is the son of the Hindu god of wind, Vayu, and a staunch devotee of the god Rama. His relationship with Rama turned him into a symbol of strength, devotion, courage and self-discipline. Representations of Hanuman tearing his own chest are common, revealing within it the images of Rama and his wife, Sita.

Perceived as the perfect combination of strength and devotion, Hanuman possessed numerous attributes valuable as a god, among them immortality, self-control, the ability to change shape and healing abilities.

The Hindu Vedic gods are those that appear in the Vedas, liturgical texts that became fundamental for the structuring of Hinduism. Discover below the main Hindu gods that make up the Vedic pantheon.

Agni is the Hindu God of Fire. With Space, Air, Water and Earth, he comprises the five fundamental elements that combine to shape all existing reality. His appearance is that of a god with two or three heads, four arms, reddish or dark skin with flames coming out of the top of his heads.

In many traditions, the god Agni is understood as the final form of the supreme trinity of Hinduism, as the one who governs the Earth. The symbology of fire, understood as the element that creates, transforms and destroys, is deeply associated with the energy that this god can transmit.