The deities

• Polytheists


  Believers in many different gods
• Monotheists


  Believers in only one God
• Explanation from the Upanishads about how Hindus can be polytheists and monotheists


  1. Seeker (Vidagdha) asks the wise man (Yajnavalkya) about Hindu ideas of Brahman and other deities

  2. Gradually works out that even though there are hundreds of Hindu deities, there is only one Supreme Being
• Number of Hindu deities


  • Thirty-three
  • Six
  • Three
  • Two
  • One
• Saraswati


  • Consort of Brahma and goddess of learning
  • Worldly possessions do not interest her
  • Her robe is usually white and her vehicles are the swan, goose or peacock
  • She is often pictured playing a musical instrument
  • Saraswati and Brahma had a son called Manu, who is thought of as the father of mankind and author of the Laws of Manu
  • The Vedas, the oldest Hindu holy texts, are also thought to be Saraswati's children so she is often referred to as Veda-Mata, mother of the Vedas
  • Hindu musicians pray to her before concerts, and students at universities pay respect to her before their studies
• Lakshmi


  • Consort of Vishnu, often referred to as Sri, a word meaning beauty, prosperity and wealth
  • She is especially worshipped during the festival of Diwali when she is prayed to for a prosperous new year
  • She is often depicted with symbols of prosperity
  • The marriage of Vishnu and Lakshmi is considered the perfect union, remembered especially by newly-weds praying for a happy married life together
• Shakti


  • The general term for goddess, meaning energy
  • Although she is the consort of Shiva, Shakti is thought of in more specific forms when she is worshipped
  • Parvati is said to be the reincarnation of Sati, Shiva's first wife, who had killed herself after her father verbally abused Shiva
  • Parvati followed Shiva to the Himalayas and finally won his love, becoming the example of perfect motherhood
  • Durga is a fierce and powerful goddess, with many arms to fight with demons, often portrayed riding on a lion or a tiger, with weapons like a bow and arrow, discus, trident and curved sword
  • Kali is also a fierce and wild goddess, with at least four arms holding a sword, a severed head, a bowl to catch the blood and a trident, often shown naked, with blue or black skin, a protruding tongue and a garland of human skulls, associated with death and destruction, particularly of demons