Table of Symbols
| God or deity | Associated symbols | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Adi parashakti | Chariot of seven lions, Sri Chakra | Supreme Deity of Hindu mythology |
| Brahma | Lotus, swan (hamsa), Vedas, garland of beads (akshamala) | Creator god |
| Vishnu | Shesha, shankha, chakra, gada, lotus, Garuda, color blue | Preserver of creation |
| Shiva | Shiva Linga, Nandi, third eye, trishula (trident), crescent-moon, rudraksha, cobra, drum, tiger skin, vibhuti | Destroyer, symbol of asceticism and renunciation |
| Saraswati | White lotus, swan, peacock, veena, color white | Goddess of learning, music and art Consort of Brahma |
| Lakshmi | Red lotus, elephant, shower of gold, kumbha, owl, peacock feather | Goddess of wealth and prosperity Consort of Vishnu |
| Parvati | Lion, Nandi, trident, chakra, gada, padam, couch, cross bow, khadag | Goddess of courage, fertility, power, complete incarnation of Supreme deity, Adi parashakti Consort of Shiva |
| Indra | Thunderbolt (vajra), rainbow, clouds | God of War, rains, fertility and the night-time sky King of the heavens |
| Varuna | Noose (pasha) | God of duty and contracts King of the waters |
| Yama | Noose (pasha), dhanda (rod), buffalo | God of justice and death King of the dead |
| Surya | Chariot, sun-rays, the colour of gold | The Sun-God Father of Yama |
| Kali | Garland of severed human heads, scimitar, khanda, khapar, khadag, trident | Symbol of Sanskrit alphabet, destroyer of evil Guardian of desert wastes, Goddess beyond time |
| Rama | Bow and arrow, the colour blue, royal panoply | Symbol of righteousness and good governance Avatar of Vishnu |
| Krishna | The colour blue, cow, flute, Sudarshana Chakra, milk, peacock feather | Protector of cattle Avatar of Vishnu Propounder of the Bhagavad Gita |
| Ganesha | Aṅkuśa, rat, modak, Aum | God of foresight, wisdom and good fortune Son of Parvati and Shiva |
| Murugan | Peacock, vel, rooster flag | God of war and commander-in-chief of the gods Guardian of hills Son of Siva and Parvati |
| Hanuman | gada | Symbol of devotion (bhakti) and strength Devotee of Rama |
Read more about this topic: Hindu Iconography
Famous quotes containing the words table and/or symbols:
“But hospitality must be for service, and not for show, or it pulls down the host. The brave soul rates itself too high to value itself by the splendor of its table and draperies. It gives what it hath, and all it hath, but its own majesty can lend a better grace to bannocks and fair water than belong to city feasts.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“That way of inspiration
is always open,
and open to everyone;
it acts as go-between, interpreter,
it explains symbols of the past
in to-day’s imagery.”
—Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961)