Hanuman

The monkey god

Hanuman

Hanuman is depicted as a deity with monkey like face and body of a man. Hanuman exemplifies supreme devotion to Lord Rama (incarnation of Vishnu). He is known to be the greatest devotee ever born on earth as it was unconditional devotion just pure love. Even today its a belief that if the sacred name and story of lord Rama is chanted or mentioned (recitation of Ramayana), Hanuman would be present there to the chanting of his name and absorbed in his thoughts. Hence during readings of Ramayana, a special space and pooja are reserved for Hanuman. Hanuman is known for his superhuman strength, wits, character and ability.

Hanuman symbolically stands for pure devotion, complete surrender, and absence of ego. His character tells us what we can do in our lives by devotion , aligning our self with the forces of good, helping the weak, with self control, total surrender and unconditional faith. Hanuman is also been considered as the seventh deliberate decent of lord Shiva to earth. Hanuman can be seen as the master of his senses and wonderfully sagacious.

 

Story of birth: Hanuman was born to vanaras (a sub species which looked like monkey but had human traits as well). His mother was Anjana an apsara (celestial being) born on earth due to a curse. His father Kesari was the son of Brihaspati (guru of devas) and was the king of the place called Sumeru. Anjana performed intense prayers lasting twelve long years to lord Shiva to get a child. Pleased with her devotion Shiva granted the boon they sought. He is also known as son of Vayu (wind god).

Hanuman's main weapon of choice was gada ( a blunt mace or club). Its essentially has a spherical head mounted on a shaft, with spike on the top. Hanuman is believed to be immortal, thus, although he is a principal figure in the great epic Ramayana, he also makes an appearance in the epic Mahabharata, where he meets and tests the hero Bhima.



Dhanalakshmi

Goddess of prosperity and wealth

Dhanalakshmi

Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of beauty, wealth and fertility has many iconic manifestations. The goddess Lakshmi in her eight-fold form is referred to as the Ashtha-Lakshmi.

The eight forms of Ashtha-Lakshmi are believed to fulfil these human necessities and desires through their nature and manifestations.

 

The eight divine form of goddess Lakshmi or Ashtha-Lakshmi comprises:

• Aadi Lakshmi (Maha Lakshmi) - Primeval Goddess
• Dhana Lakshmi (Aishwarya Lakshmi) - Goddess of prosperity and wealth
• Dhanya Lakshmi - Goddess of food grains
• Gaja Lakshmi - The elephant goddess
• Santana Lakshmi - Goddess of progeny
• Veera Lakshmi (Dhairya Lakshmi) - Goddess of valour and courage
• Vidya Lakshmi - Goddess of knowledge
• Vijya Lakshmi - Goddess of Victory

One of the main aspect today is wealth to lead the life. Dhanalakshmi gives prosperity and wealth. Dhanalakshmi is the destroyer of impurities and adversity, filled with the wisdom of the Vedas, born from the milky ocean, with an auspicious form, giver of boons and loved by Madhusudhana. In her iconography is shown as carrying two lotuses and the other two hands are in Abhay(fear not) and Varada (blessing and boons) Mudra(hand gestures).

Mahakaali

Mahakali

 

Kali is one of the fearful and ferocious form of mother goddess. Mother Kali's ferocious form is strewed with powerful symbols. Kali comes from Sanskrit root word 'kaal' which means time. It's often seen that due to her ferocious iconography the divine mother in her form as Kali is most misunderstood goddess.

Her black complexion symbolizes her all-embracing and transcendental nature. Mahanirvana Tantra says,"just as all colour disappear in black, so all names and forms disappear in her". Her nudity is primeval, fundamental and transparent in nature - the earth, the sea, and the sky. Kali is free from illusionary covering, for she is beyond maya or "false consciousness". Her black/blue/dark skin is the representation of the womb of the quantum unmanifest from which all of creation arises and into which all of creation will eventually dissolve.

Kali is seen as the goddesss of death which is partly correct. She brings the death of ego as the illusionary self-centred view of reality. Kali and Shiva are said to inhabit in cremation grounds because it is our attachment that give rise to the ego. Shiva and Kali grant liberation by removing the illusion of ego that is attached to the body. Its in the cremation ground that the "Pancha Mahabhuta" comes together, and all worldly attachments are absolved. Beings free from the illusion of attachment to the body can see mother Kali as most compassionate one, as she provides liberation to her children. We are the beings of spirit and not the flesh. So liberation can proceed only when our attachment to the body ends.

Kali wears a garland of  fifty skulls ( in most of her iconography) which stand for the fifty letters in the Sanskrit alphabet, and symbolize infinite knowledge. Her griddle of severed human hands signifies work and liberation from the cycle of karma. In her hands she holds the sword which is the destroyer of false consciousness and the eight bounds that bind us. Her three eyes represent past, present and future the three modes of time.

Prakriti

Prakriti

Blessing of goddess Gauri

Blessing of the Goddess