Hindu Gods

The Trimurti (trinity) and Shaktis (female

aspects)Brahma

The Creator• Vehicle: swan• 4 heads, 4 arms, reddish

complexion• Not commonly worshipped

Saraswati

Goddess of knowledge, music, and the arts• Vehicle: swan• Wife of Brahma• Sits on a white lotus playing a

veena• Daughter of Shiva

and Durga

Vishnu

The Preserver• Vehicle: garuda (bird)• 4 arms, blue-ish

complexion, rests on a snake

• Incarnate 9 times with one more to come (animal or human)

• Main god of Vaishnavism

Lakshmi

Goddess of wealth and prosperity• Vehicle: owl• Wife of Vishnu• Usually shown giving coins

and flanked by elephants• Means “good luck”

Shiva

The Destroyer/Transformer• Vehicle: bull• Matted hair, third eye,

blue throat, trident in hand• Main god of Saivism• Possibly most complex of

deities

Parvati

The Divine Mother• Vehicle: lion• Reincarnation of Shiva’s

first wife• Many forms, often shown

with Saraswati and Lakshmi as the tridevi