Brahma
Brahma is the creator god in the Hindu trinity (trimurti) of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He is associated with the origins of the cosmos and is depicted with four heads representing the Vedas. Brahma created the world and all living beings from a lotus that grew from Vishnu’s navel. However, Brahma is not widely worshipped today. Some of the epithets offered to Brahma include:
- Vedanatha
- Chaturmukha
- Prajapati
- Hiranyagarbha
- Vedagarbha
- Kaushala
Vishnu
Vishnu is the god of preservation, and the second of the Trimurti. He is generally regarded to be the entity who is most often involved in mortal affairs. His consort, as well as his shakti (divine energy), is Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. His abode is at Vaikuntha, where he reclines on the divine serpent, Adishesha. He is regarded to have undertaken ten major incarnations upon the earth for the restoration of dharma and cosmic order, for the sake of the devas and human beings. The most prominent of these incarnations are Rama and Krishna. His adherents are called the Vaishnavas, who regard him to be the supreme deity.
Shiva
Shiva is the god of destruction, and the third of the Trimurti. His consort, as well as his shakti (divine energy), is Parvati, the goddess of power. He is commonly referred to as Uma and Gauri. He is the consort of the destroyer deity, Shiva, and the daughter of Himavana. He is believed to be the reincarnation of Sati, the daughter of Daksha, who perished in the Daksha Yajna. Shiva is depicted in a variety of forms from the benevolent to the fearful.
Lakshmi
Lakshmi is the goddess of prosperity, associated with material and non-material wealth, fortune, and beauty. She is the consort of the preserver deity, Vishnu. Her origin is a central part of the Samudra Manthana, a significant event in the Puranas. According to the Lakshmi Tantra, the goddess Lakshmi, in her ultimate form of Mahasri, has four arms of a golden complexion, and holds a citron, a club, a shield, and a vessel containing amrita.
Saraswati
Saraswati is the goddess of learning, wisdom and the arts. She is depicted sitting on a white lotus and holding a veena (string instrument), book and rosary. Saraswati is the consort of Brahma and goddess of speech, music and learning. Her abode is at Satyaloka. Her mount is typically an elephant or owl.
Those cover some of the major deities found in Indian mythology based on the web search result. Other important deities worshipped in Hinduism include Ganesha, Kartikeya, Durga, Kali and the various forms and avatars of the major gods and goddesses. The Hindu pantheon features a vast array of divine beings with different roles and powers.
Sources
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-Hindu-deities-2066639
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_mythology
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hindu_deities
