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The Hindu Gods share a divine bond with their vahanas. In Hinduism, almost every God has his vahana, representing positive and negative traits. We need to understand the positive characteristics and incorporate them into our lives. Do you want to know about them? Let us explore the holy connection between Gods and their Vahanas!
The Relationship of Gods with their Vahanas
In Hinduism, Gods and Goddesses have chosen animals and birds as their vahanas. We can identify a deity from his vahana. The vahanas/vehicles are companions of the deities. They and the Hindu Gods share a relationship like a father and son.
Also Read: Which Hindu God to Worship According To Your Zodiac?
The Hindu Gods and their Vehicles
The heavenly Gods- Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Parvati, Surya, etc are accompanied by different vahanas. Let us explore the various vehicles of different Hindu Gods:
1. God Brahma and Goddess Saraswati’s Vahana- The Swan
Brahma, one of the supreme of the Hindu Gods, has made the swan his vahana. Goddess Saraswati is his wife. Their vahanas are the same. The bird looks beautiful and can separate milk from water. Lord Brahma and Saraswati are associated with wisdom, knowledge, and creation.
The swan represents wisdom, intelligence, judgment, and creativity. If we want to transform our knowledge, we must pray to Lord Brahma. This can also help us to know the difference between right and wrong.
2. Lord Vishnu- Garuda and Adi Sheesha
Lord Vishnu is one of the supreme Gods, whose vahanas are the bird Garuda and Adi Shesha Naga (A Serpent). The Lord is our protector in this world. The Garuda bird has a long beak, wings, and the body of a man. Other names of the bird are Kashyapi, Chirada, etc.
The Garuda Upanishad is sung in his devotion. It says that one who wants mental balance and wants to fulfill his wishes should worship Lord Vishnu. The Garuda bird and Lord Vishnu are worshipped together.
Garuda represents wisdom, insight, courage, and speed. This bird can bring nectar from the heaven. It is powerful and can block the sun. Adi Shesha is another vahana of Vishnu. It carries all planets and earth on its shoulders. The serpent was born to the sage Kashyapa in the Mahabharata, representing cosmic balance in the universe.
3. Lord Shiva- The Nandi Bull
Lord Shiva or Mahakal is the supreme of all Gods, and his vahana is the bull named Nandi. The bull shows false power, anger, and foolishness that can destroy anyone. Shiva has the power to change this. His vahana also symbolizes positive traits like joy, fertility, and silent strength.
Shiva makes your soul pure, removing all impurities. He lives in the chakras of our lives. He is a great healer. Maheshwar (Shiva) provides you relief from chronic pain and suffering. He can give us relief from snake bites and natural disasters.
4. Lord Ganesha- The Mooshak (Mouse)
Lord Ganesha removes all kinds of troubles in our lives. He is one of the most important Gods whose vahana is a mouse. He is the son of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. Some of us cannot believe that he can ride a rat. This has a story behind it.
Gandharva Karuncha, a Hindu God, was cursed by a sage named Vamadeva for accidentally stepping his foot on him. The sage cursed him to turn into a giant rodent that started creating havoc by destroying cattle and farms.
Once Lord Ganesha was staying in an ashram, where the rodent was constantly destroying things and harming living creatures. He took a moose and looped it around the rodent’s neck, bringing it to its feet. After this, the lord decided to make it his vahana. The other story is about Gajamukha, a demon who battled with Ganesha and lost. Lord Ganesh turned the demon into a mooshak.
5. Sun God’s Vahana- Seven Horses
In Hinduism, the sun (Surya) is one of the significant Gods and his vahanas are the seven horses. He is our light give and has 12 different names. The Sun God and the seven horses represent willpower, success, fame, health, and clarity. This symbolizes the seven chakras of our body, which affect our health, emotions, and life. The chakras are of various colors and are in specific locations in our bodies.
6. Lord Kartikeya- Peacock
Kartikeya is the God of War and protection and his vahana is the Parvani peacock. He is the second child of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and the husband of Goddess Kaumari. The Lord represents courage and bravery. He was created to win over the Asuras. He is mainly worshipped in the south Indian states. We worship him for strength and victory.
There is a story behind his mount peacock. Once, a demon named Surapadman invaded the Devaloka and fought against the Gods. Kartikeya defeated the demon who later repented and took the form of a mango tree. The Lord with his spear and vel split the tree in two halves. One half of the mango tree became a rooster, and the other half became a peacock. Lord Kartik made the rooster his emblem and the peacock his vahana.
7. Devi Durga- Tiger
Maa Durga is our supreme Goddess. The Gods gave her the necessary weapons and her vahana, the tiger was given to her by King Himavan. She is depicted as a brave warrior woman riding the tiger with various weapons in her hands. Goddess Chandraghanta and Kushmanda, the two other forms of Devi Durga, are associated with the tiger as their vahanas.
The tiger represents boundless power, fearlessness, and union power. She killed Mahaisasura with the help of her vahana, the tiger. This shows that she is unconquerable. Some of us say Devi Durga and her tiger are the same. We worship her for happiness, success, and protection against evil.
8. Maa Lakshmi- The Owl
Ma Lakshmi is the wife of the Hindu God Vishnu. She made her vahana, the uluka, the owl. She was born when the Gods and demons churned the ocean of milk to receive Amrta (the elixir of immortality). Devi Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and happiness. Her owl represents patience and intelligence.
She blesses us with prosperity and removes bad omens from our lives. The owl represents life lessons. We can achieve success if we have the power to accept failure. Lakshmi is seen as a success, and Alakshmi, her elder sister, shows failure. This is the reason success and failure always exist together.
9. Maa Ganga and Lord Varuna-Crocodile
Goddess Ganga and Lord Varuna chose their vahana, the crocodile. It represents nature’s powerful, swift, and robust nature. Ganga is a pure river that gives life to many people. Maa Ganga can remove your sinful deeds if you take a holy dip in the river.
10. Bhairava and Khandoba – The Dog
Bhairava and Khandoba choose the dog as their vahana. Lord Shiva, in the avatar of Bhairava, chooses his vahana, the dog. The dog represents protection from greed, anger, lust, and enemies. Bhairava protects us from our fears.
The dog protects humans from their fears. Khandoba is a Hindu deity who is the manifestation of Shiva. He is associated with the dog as his vahana. Dattaraya is the avatar of the three supreme Gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshswar. He is associated with four dogs.
Also Read: Monday to Sunday God Days: Connect with Divine on their Special Days!
What Do the Vahanas of Gods Represent?
The Hindu Gods and their vahanas are the energies of various living creatures. Every God is in charge of the energy he/she rides. They show negative and positive traits. We need to incorporate the positive ones, leaving the negative ones behind. The Gods have tamed their vahanas to make them realize the meaning of spirituality.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the significance of Gods and their vahanas?
2. What is the vahana of Lord Brahma?
3. Owl is the vehicle of which God?
4. Which Goddess has the tiger as Vahana?
5. Which God rides on a mouse?
6. Dog is the vehicle of which God?
Also Read: Who Created God? Truth and Myths Revealed!
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