Hindu Gods

The Trimurti (trinity) and Shaktis (female aspects) Brahma Saraswati The Creator Vehicle: swan 4 heads, 4 arms, reddish complexion Not commonly worshipped 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 Lakshmi The Preserver Goddess of wealth and prosperity 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 Goddess of wealth and prosperity Vehicle: owl Wife of Vishnu Usually shown giving coins and flanked by elephants Means “good luck”

Shiva Parvati The Destroyer/Transformer The Divine Mother Vehicle: bull Matted hair, third eye, blue throat, trident in hand Main god of Saivism Possibly most complex of deities The Divine Mother Vehicle: lion Reincarnation of Shiva’s first wife Many forms, often shown with Saraswati and Lakshmi as the tridevi