Visnu
The supreme personality, Lord Visnu, is known as the ultimate reality to vaisnava community. He is Narayana of the vaikuntha planets and Sri Visnu as supersoul of all beings, who maintains every universe. The all pervading presence is master of past, present and future, Visnu the origin and creator, supreme Lord.
Sri Vishnu is descibed in the Puranas as being the color of a raincloud. His four armed form can be seen holding a lotus, mace, conch and cakra. Bhagavad Gita describes the “Universal Form” of Lord Visnu, which is beyond the limits of mundane sense perception.
It is written in the Puranas that Vishnu has incarnated as various avatars, or incarnations, over the course of the four yugas of human existence. Some of the names supreme Lord has been known as include Rama, Krsna, Varaha, Buddha, Christ, and the most recent Caitanya of Navadwipa, India. Bhagavad Gita explains the reason for the Lord's manifestation on earth has been to renew the dharma of each soul to make his way back to godhead.
Brahma
Hindu god Brahma is the creative aspect of supreme Sri Visnu, identified with Prajapati, the source of the eleven Prajapatis, believed to be the fathers of the human race. Brahma also created the seven great sages from his mind, the Saptarishis, who together helped him create the universe. Hindus recognize Lord Brahma as father of Dharma and Atri.
The Puranas portray Brahma to be self-born in a lotus flower in the water that grew from the navel of Vishnu at the beginning of time. He had deposited a seed that became a golden egg, from which he himself was born. What remained of the egg expanded into the Brahm-anda, the universe. He is known to be the son of the female energy called Prakrti or Maya.
Ganesh
One of the most popular deities across Hindu culture is Ganesh, and worship of Ganesha also extends beyond Hindu borders to Buddhists, Jains, Christians and others. He is the son of Siva and Parvati, a god with the head of an elephant, considered a friend to all, a protector for all entities.
Widely acclaimed as the remover of obstacles, Ganesa appears as Lord of beginnings and patron of sciences and wisdom. He had transcibed the entire Srimad Bhagavam, spoken by Vasudeva, the scriptures known by vaisnavas to be the essence of Vedas. The principal scriptures written for Ganesh would be the Ganesha Purana, the Mudgala Purana and the Ganapati Atharvashirsa.
Ganga
Throughout Hindu scriptures and culture, Ganga is mentioned as a maiden who came down to earth from heaven, purifying all she comes into contact with. Brahma had washed the lotus feet of Lord Visnu, collecting the waters in his Kamandalu, which became Ganga Devi personified. Brahma then prayed that Ganga should come down to earth so that her waters could clease the living entities and release them to back to heaven. She fell upon the head of Siva, who trapped her in his dreadlocks and let her out in small streams, as the Ganges river. Known as the one who flows in all the three worlds, heaven, earth and hell, she is the merciful Ganga Devi.
Another name for Ganga is Jahnavi, whose descending waters destroyed the fields and meditative mood of sage Jahnu. He became angry and drank the waters of Ganges so that she could not proceed on her mission. The gods offered so many prayers before Jahnu released the goddess from his ears.
Garuda
The bird carrier of Visnu, Garuda is sometimes known as a demigod with a golden human body, red wings, and a white face with eagles beak. Like a god, Garuda wears his own crown, and has a very magnanimous form, complementing the form of Visnu himself. This ancient, reliable devotee is so huge that his wingspan can block out the sun.
Within the Hindu religion, Garuda has his own Upanishad, called the Garudopanidad, and one Purana, the Garunda Purana, is written for him. The earliest references to Garuda can be found in the Vedas, where he is mentioned under the name Syena (meaning eagle), who brought nectar to from the heavenly planets to earth. Written at a later date, the Puranas tell the same story of Garuda..
Garuda plays an important role in Krishna lila, where Krishna and Satyabauma take a ride on Garuda to the kingdom of Indra. In Bhagavad Gita, Krsna says, “Of birds, I am Garuda,” in order to establish his own omnipresence. On another occasion, Lord Hari rides on Garuda to save the devotee elephant Gajendra. It has been said Garuda's wings will chant the Vedas as they flap.
Hanuman
Hanuman has been said to be the perfect devotee of Lord Rama, an incarnation of supreme Lord. The god-like form of Hanuman is as royal monkey, an important personality in the Indian epic scripture, the Ramayan. In this tragic drama, Hanuman is called upon to rescue Sita, wife of Lord Rama, from the grips of a raksasa (demon) named Ravana.
Some think Hanuman to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva, for when Ravana was entering the Himalayas (the abode of Shiva), he was stopped by Nandi. Then when Ravana called Nandi a monkey, Nandi in turn cursed Ravana to be destroyed by Monkeys.
Kali
Many Hindus believe Kali to be the ultimate source of being, the original Devi, who has many names and faces. The is known as Durga, Bhadrakali, Bhavani, Sati, Rudrani, Parvati, Chinnamata, Chamunda, Kamakshi or kamakya, Uma, Meenakshi, Himavanti, Kumari and Tara. Repeating her names as a mantra is believed to grant powers to the worshipper. She is sometimes presented as dark and violent, sometimes as benevolent mother goddess, representing many Devis (goddesses).
While kali means black or dark, kala means appointed time or death. She is depicted in Mahabharata as a female goddess who carries off slain warriors and animals. Her black color lies in contrast to her consort, Shiva, whose body is covered in white ashes.
Krsna
Krsna is worshipped across India as a simple cowherd boy playing a flute. He is an avatar of supreme Lord, who plays his transcendental flute music to attract the living entities back home to the spiritual world. Devotees of Lord Krsna, across the globe, recognize him as the supreme personality of godhead, as an ever youthful prince giving spiritual and philosophical guidance to those who have love and affection for him.
The divine abode of Sri Krishna is in the land of Vraja, within the forests of Vrindavan, where he performs many pastimes with the cowherd boys, the gopis and the entire cowherd community. His parents are none other than Yasoda Maiya and Nanda Baba, who have unparalleled devotion toward his happiness and create many wonderful realities for him to relish.
When Krishna went to Mathura, during his earth pastimes as Dwarkadisa Krishna over 5000 years ago, he married 108,000 princesses and taught the world how to worship their Lord God as woshipable deity. During that time he also spoke Bhagavad Gita to his best friend, Arjuna, explaining the ins and outs of bhakti (devotional service).
Gopis
A gopi is a transcendental cowherd girlfriend of Lord Krsna. Described in the Bhagavata Purana and other Puranic literatures, the gopis are known for their unconditional love and devotion (bhakti) for Sri Krishna. These girlfriends serve the youthful Lord in his abode Vrndavana as friends, maidservants and gopi messengers. Some of names listed as primary gopis are Radharani, Lalita, Visakha, Campakalata, Citra, Tungavidya, Indulekha, Rangadevi and Sudevi.
Shiva
Shaivaites worship Siva as supreme Lord himself. Vaisnavas sometimes consider him as non-different from their supreme Lord Visnu or Krsna. He is called Mahesvara (great lord) and Paramesvara (supreme Lord). Images of Mahadeva Shiva show him seated in deep meditation. Siva is often represented by a shiva linga.
A primary Hindu deity, Shiva is often called destroyer, who works in accordance with Brahma, the creator, and Visnu, the maintainer. Also he has been revered across bhakti cults as the ideal servant of Lord Hari, who swallowed an ocean of poison in the name of his beloved Lord of his life. Siva is similar in appearance to avatars such as Krishna or Rama.
The word siva or shivam in Sanskrit is an adjective that means kind, friendly, gracious, or auspicious, while the name Shiva means the auspicious or pure one, and the name itself is known to bring purification.
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