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List of Hindu deities

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Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva seated on lotuses with their consorts Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati

Hinduism is the biggest religion of the Indian subcontinent and third biggest religion of the world. It comprises five major traditions, Vaishnavism, Brahmanism, Saurism, Shaktism, Shaivism,[1] whose followers consider Vishnu, Brahma, Surya, Shakti (Devi) and Shiva to be the Supreme deity respectively. Most of the other deities were either related to them or different forms (incarnations) of these deities. Hinduism has been called the "oldest religion" in the world, and many practitioners refer to Hinduism as "the eternal law". (Sanātana Dharma).[2] Given below is a list of the chief Hindu deities followed by a list of Hindu deities (including demi-gods). Smartism, an older tradition and later reestablished by Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya, invites the worship of more than one god including Shiva like that, Vishnu, Brahma, Shakti and Ganesha (the elephant faced god) among other gods and goddesses. It is not as overtly sectarian as either Vashnavism, Brahmanism or Saivism and is based on the recognition that Brahman (God) is the highest principle in the universe and pervades all of existence.[3][4][5][6]

Main deities

The Hindu trinity consists of Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. Their feminine counterparts are Saraswati, the wife of Brahma, Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, and Parvati the wife of Shiva. The followers of the last two form two major sects.

Devi (goddess)

Communities of goddess worship are ancient in India. In the Rigveda, the most prominent goddess is Ushas, the goddess of dawn. In modern Hinduism, goddesses are widely revered. Shaktism is one of the major sects of Hinduism. Followers of Shaktism believe that the goddess (Devi) is the power (Shakti) that underlies the female principle, and that Devi is the supreme being, one and the same with Para Brahman. Shakti has many forms/manifestations like Parvati, Durga, and others but there are also goddesses that are parts of Shakti such as Lakshmi and Saraswati. Devi is believed to manifest in peaceful forms, such as Parvati the consort of Shiva and also in fierce forms, such as Kali and Durga. In Shaktism, Adi Parashakti is regarded as Ultimate Godhead or Para Brahman. She is formless i.e. Nirguna in reality, but may take many forms i.e. Saguna. Durga and Lalita Tripurasundari are regarded as the Supreme goddess in the Kalikula and Srikula systems respectively. Shaktism is closely related with Tantric Hinduism, which teaches rituals and practices for purification of the mind and body.[3][4][5][6] Some different parts of Shakti (Devi) the Mother Goddess:


Shiva

Shaivism is one of the major Hindu sects. Adherents of Shaivism believe that the god Shiva is the supreme being. Shiva is the destroyer god among the Trimurti, and so is sometimes depicted as the fierce god Bhairava. Shaivists are more attracted to asceticism than adherents of other Hindu sects, and may be found wandering with ashen faces performing self-purification rituals.[3][4][5][6] Some alternative forms of Shiva (and Bhairavs) are listed below:

Brahma

According to Hinduism, Brahma is the creator of the entire cosmic universe. Although he is the creator, he is not worshipped in Hinduism. According to common lore, once Lord Brahma & Lord Vishnu wanted to find who is the best of the two and went to Lord Shiva to settle the argument. Lord Shiva advised the two that the first one to find the start and end of his celestial body would be considered the greatest. Lord Brahma & Lord Vishnu accepted the challenge and started their journey from the centre of Lord Shiva's body. Lord Brahma travelled towards Lord Shiva's head & Lord Vishnu travelled towards the feet. The two gods travelled for ages across the universe, but couldn't find the head or feet of Lord Shiva. On his journey, Lord Brahma came across an aloe vera flower falling from Lord Shiva's head. On querying the distance to Lord Shiva's head, the flower said it had been falling down from his head for eons. Lord Brahma thus realised that it was impossible to reach Shiva's head and decided to cheat. Lord Brahma asked the flower to testify that she had seen Lord Brahma reaching Lord Shiva's head. Lord Brahma went back to Shiva and informed him that he had visited his head (with a testimony from the flower), and requested he be declared as the greater of the two. As an eternal being, Shiva realised that Lord Brahma was not truthful and cursed him that he would not be worshipped by the gods or mortals. Lord Shiva also decreed that aloe vera flowers should never be used for Shiva puja.

Some alternative names for Brahma are:

  • Vednatha
  • Chaturmukha
  • Prajapati
  • Hiranyagarbha
  • Vedagarbha

Vishnu

Vaishnavism is the sect within Hinduism that worships Vishnu, the preserver god of the Hindu Trimurti (the Trinity), and his many incarnations. It is a devotional sect, and followers worship many deities, including Rama and Krishna both the 7th & the 8th incarnations of Vishnu respectively. The adherents of this sect are generally non-ascetic, monastic and devoted to meditative practice and ecstatic chanting.[3][4][5][6] Some alternate names of Vishnu the Preserver:

  • Yamuna, the life energy, the daughter of lord Surya and the goddess of kindness, humanity, beauty.
  • Ganesha, son of Shiva and Parvati and was also called Ganpati, the Ganapatya sectary worshipped Ganesha as their chief deity. He is the god of wisdom and remover of all obstacles. He is worshipped before any other devi or deiti.
  • Kartikeya, son of Shiva and Parvati and was also called Muruga, Karthik, Kumara or Shanmukha, the Kaumaram sectary worshipped Subramanya as their chief deity. He's also the brother of Lord Ganesha.
  • Ayyappan, son of Shiva and Mohini and was also called Manikanta since he has mani(Rudraksha) in kanta(neck)
  • Hanuman, is one of incarnation of Shiva and devotee of Rama (incarnation of Vishnu) and was also called Anjaneya, since his mother is anjana
  • Ganga, holi river in Hinduism.
  • Hansa, the devoted swan who acts as the vahana (vehicle) of Lord Brahma.
  • Garuda, the devoted eagle who acts as the vahana (vehicle) of Lord Vishnu and the king of all birds.
  • Nandi, the devoted bull who acts as the vahana (vehicle) of Lord Shiva.
  • Shani, the son of Sun
  • Shesha, the king of Nagas

Avatars (incarnations)

Shakti

Adi Parashakti Adi parashakti

  1. Gayatri
  2. Mahamaya
  3. Yogamaya
  4. Sati
  5. Raja Rajeswari
  6. Lalitha parameswari
  7. Parvathy
  8. Aparna
  9. Durga
  10. Rudrani
  11. Mhalsa
  12. Narayani
  13. Kamakhya
  14. Meenakshi
  15. Kamakshi
  16. Vishalakshi
  17. Abhirami
  18. Kanya Kumari
  19. Annapoorna
  20. Sataksi or Shakambhari
  21. Bhramari or Bhramarambha
  22. Kausiki
  23. Akhilandeswari
  24. Uma
  25. Mari
  26. Bhavani
  27. Ambika
  28. Mahadevi

Dasamahavidya Mahavidya

  1. Mahakali
  2. Tara
  3. Shodashi
  4. Bhuvaneswari
  5. Chhinnamasta
  6. Bhairavi
  7. Dhumavati
  8. Bagalamukhi
  9. Matangi
  10. Kamalatmika

Navadurga Navadurga

  1. Shailaputri
  2. Brahmacharini
  3. Chandraghanta
  4. Kushmanda
  5. Skandamata
  6. Katyayani
  7. Kalaratri
  8. Mahagauri
  9. Siddhidhatri

MahaKali Mahakali

  1. Kali
  2. Bhadrakali
  3. Ugrakali
  4. Chandi
  5. Chamunda
  6. Chandamari

Asta Matrika Matrikas

  1. Brahmani
  2. Maheshwari
  3. Kaumari
  4. Vaishnavi
  5. Varahi
  6. Narasimhi
  7. Indrani
  8. Vinayaki

Ganesha

  1. Vakratunda (Vakratuṇḍa) ("twisting trunk"), his mount is a lion.
  2. Ekadanta ("single tusk"), his mount is a mouse.
  3. Mahodara ("big belly"), his mount is a mouse.
  4. Gajavaktra (or Gajānana) ("elephant face"), his mount is a mouse.
  5. Lambodara ("pendulous belly"), his mount is a mouse.
  6. Vikata (Vikaṭa) ("unusual form", "misshapen"), his mount is a peacock.
  7. Vighnaraja (Vighnarāja) ("king of obstacles"), his mount is the celestial serpent Śeṣa.
  8. Dhumravarna (Dhūmravarṇa) ("grey color") corresponds to Śiva, his mount is a horse.

Shiva

  1. Shankar Avatar
  2. Veerabhadra Avatar
  3. Bhairava Avatar
  4. Khandoba Avatar
  5. Nataraja Avatar
  6. Ashwatthama Avatar
  7. Ardhanarishvara Avatar
  8. Muneeswarar Avatar
  9. Muthappan Avatar
  10. Pashupati Avatar
  11. Gangeshwar Avatar
  12. Rudra Avatar
  13. Lingam Avatar
  14. Dakshinamurthy Avatar
  15. Ravananugraha Avatar
  16. Vaidheeswara Avatar
  17. Lingodbhava Avatar
  18. Somaskanda Avatar
  19. Bhikshatana Avatar
  20. Sri Manjunatha Avatar
  21. Vaidhyanatha Avatar
  22. Mahakaleshwara Avatar
  23. Tryambak Avatar
  24. Bholenath Avatar

Brahma

  1. Valki Avatar
  2. Kashyapa Avatar
  3. Sukra Avatar
  4. Kalidasa Avatar
  5. Chandra Avatar
  6. Samudra Avatar
  7. Jamvanta Avatar
  8. Agastya Avatar
  9. Durvasa Avatar

Vishnu

Dashavatara

  1. Matsya, the fish
  2. Kurma, the tortoise
  3. Varaha, the boar
  4. Narasimha, the Half Man-Half Lion avatar.
  5. Vamana, the Dwarf
  6. Parashurama, the cosmic Warrior Brahmin
  7. Rama, the king of Ayodhya and the hero of the epic Ramayana
  8. Krishna, central character in the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata Purana and the Bhagavad Gita
  9. Buddha, the founder of Buddhism
  10. Kalki who is expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga

Lakshmi

  1. Bhargavi
  2. Sridevi
  3. Sita
  4. Radha
  5. Lalita, Bishakha, Chandrabali and all braj gopikas
  6. Draupadi
  7. Rukmini and Ashtabharya
  8. Padmavati
  9. Vedavati
  10. Tulasi
  11. Padmawati
  12. Aadi Lakshmi
  13. Aishwarya Lakshmi
  14. Vidya Lakshmi
  15. Dhana Lakshmi
  16. Santana Lakshmi
  17. Dhaanya Lakshmi
  18. Gaja Lakshmi
  19. Veera Lakshmi
  20. Vijaya Lakshmi
  21. Dhairya Lakshmi
  22. Vidya Lakshmi
  23. Kamala
  24. Bhudevi
  25. Andal
  26. Bhargavi
  27. Tridevi

Saraswati

  1. Savitri
  2. Vani
  3. Brahmani
  4. Mahasaraswati
  5. Gayatri
  6. Medha
  7. Gir
  8. Vāc

Minor gods

The Rigveda speaks of Thirty-three gods called the Trayastrinshata ('Three plus thirty'). They consists of the 12 Adityas, the 8 Vasus, the 11 Rudras and the 2 Ashvins. Indra also called Śakra, lord of the gods, is the first of the 33 followed by Agni. Some of these brother gods were invoked in pairs such as Indra-Agni, Mitra-Varuna and Soma-Rudra.

Adityas

Rudras

The Ramayana tells they are eleven of the 33 children of the sage Kashyapa and his wife Aditi, along with the 12 Adityas, 8 Vasus and 2 Ashvins, constituting the Thirty-three gods.[7] The Vamana Purana describes the Rudras as the sons of Kashyapa and Aditi.[8] The Matsya Purana notes that Surabhi – the mother of all cows and the "cow of plenty" – was the consort of Brahma and their union produced the eleven Rudras. Here they are named: Nirriti, Shambhu, Aparajita Mrigavyadha, Kapardi, Dahana, Khara, Ahirabradhya, Kapali, Pingala and Senani.[9] Brahma allotted to the Rudras the eleven positions of the heart and the five sensory organs, the five organs of action and the mind.[8][10]

Vasus

Assistants of Indra and of Vishnu

  • Agni the "Fire" god, also called Anala or "living",
  • Varuna the "Water" god, also called Antarikṣa the "Atmosphere" or "Space" god,
  • Vāyu the "Wind", the air god, also called Anila ("wind")
  • Dyauṣ the "Sky" god, also called Dyeus and Prabhāsa or the "shining dawn"
  • Pṛthivī the "Earth" god, also called Dharā or "support"
  • Sūrya the "Sun" god, also called Pratyūsha, ("break of dawn", but often used to mean simply "light"), the Saura sectary worshipped Sūrya as their chief deity.
  • Soma the "Moon" god, also called Chandra
  • Samudra the "Sea" god, also called as "Sagar"

Ashvins

The Ashvins (also called the Nāsatyas) were twin gods. Nasatya is also the name of one twin, while the other is called Dasra.

List in alphabetical order

Most of the Hindu temples are dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu (including his incarnations Krishna and Rama), Brahma, Shakti (the mother goddess, hence including the forms of Durga and Kali and the goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati), Ganesh and Hanuman.[11][12][13] The Hindu scriptures claimed that there were 33 KOTI or 33 category gods, koti meaning in Sanskrit crore (33 कोटि = 10 prakar, tarah ). Crore also translates to 10,000,000 or 10 million.

One theory is that the number 330 million (33 crore) gods refers to the total count of the then known population of all the humans and living beings that ever walked on this planet including the 84 lakh (8.4 million) jeeva rasi (living species) signifying that god exists in every living being. This is in line with the belief of Indians to respect all living beings as gods. It is estimated that the world population was around this number about a 1000 years ago when this number would have originated. It also explains the many gods (e.g. the grama devatas or village gods who were clearly living persons at one time and many of the other gods who were believed to have been persons, e.g. Rama and Krishna)

Another theory is that the number might be figurative but there are several names and forms for the multitude of gods.[14] Given below is an incomplete list of deities.

A

  • Ahswhrat, Minor god of trickery and mischief
  • Aakash
  • Acyutah, another name of Vishnu.
  • Adimurti one of Vishnu's avatars.
  • Aditi is mother of the Devas.
  • Adityas, are the offspring of Aditi.
  • Agni* is the god of fire, and acceptor of sacrifices.
  • Anala "fire" in Sanskrit, equated among Agni.
  • Anila is one of the Vasus, gods of the elements of the cosmos. He is equated with the wind god Vāyu, Anila being understood as the name normally used for Vāyu when numbered among the Vasus.
  • Annapurna Devi Mata
  • Anumati ("divine favor" in Sanskrit, Devanagari: अनुमति), also known as Chandrama, is a lunar deity and goddess of wealth, intellect, children, spirituality, and prosperity. Her vehicle is Krisha Mrigam or Krishna Jinka (Blackbuck).
  • Anuradha
  • Ap In Hinduism, it is also the name of the deva, a personification of water, one of the Vasus in most later Puranic lists.
  • Apam Napat is an eminent figure of the Indo-Iranian pantheon. In Hinduism, Apām Napāt is the god of fresh water, such as in rivers and lakes. In Zoroastrianism, Apąm Napāt is also a divinity of water, see also Burz.
  • Aranyani is a goddess of the forests and the animals that dwell within them. Aranyani has the distinction of having one of the most descriptive hymns in the Rigveda dedicated to her, in which she is described as being elusive, fond of quiet glades in the jungle, and fearless of remote places.
  • Aravan also known as Iravat (इरावत्, Irāvat)[1] and Iravant, is a minor character from the Hindu epic of Mahabharata. The son of Pandava prince Arjuna (one of the main heroes of the Mahabharata) and the Naga princess Ulupi, Iravan is the central god of the cult of Kuttantavar (Tamil: கூத்தாண்டவர்) —which is also the name commonly given to him in that cult—and plays a major role in the cult of Draupadi.
  • Ardhanari is a composite androgynous form of the Hindu god Shiva and his consort Parvati (also known as Devi, Shakti and Uma in this icon). Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half male and half female, split down the middle. The left half is usually the female Parvati, illustrating her traditional attributes and the right half, Shiva.
  • ArdraThe Hindu myth associated to Ardra is that of Taraka. Taraka is an asura who is granted invulnerability by Brahma.[1]
  • Arjuna (pronounced [ɐrˈɟunɐ] in classical Sanskrit) (lit. 'bright' or 'silver' (cf. Latin argentum)) is the third of the Pandavas, the sons and princes of Pandu, who with Krishna, is considered to be the hero of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
  • Aruna is a personification of the reddish glow of the rising Sun,[1] which is believed to have spiritual powers. The presence of Aruṇá, the coming of day, is invoked in Brahmin prayers to Surya.
  • Arundhati is the wife of the sage Vashista, one of the seven sages (Saptarshi) who are identified with the Ursa Major. She is identified with the morning star and also with the star Alcor which forms a double star with Mizar (identified as Vashista) in Ursa Major.
  • Aryaman is one of the early Vedic deities (devas). His name signifies "bosom friend". He is the third son of Aditi. He is an Aditya, a solar deity. He is supposed to be the chief of the manes and the Milky Way is supposed to be his path.
  • Ashapura -Mata no Madh is one of aspect devi. Her temples are mainly found in Gujarat.
  • Asura (Sanskrit: असुर,[1] Sanskrit ásu – "life force".[2] Compare: Æsir. Also see: Ahura Mazda) are non-suras, a different group of power-seeking deities besides the suras, sometimes considered naturalists, or nature-beings. They are the forces of chaos that are in constant battle with the Devas.
  • Asvayujau is a goddess of good luck, joy and happiness.
  • Aswiniis the first nakshatra (lunar mansion) in Hindu astrology, corresponding to the head of Aries, including the stars β and γ Arietis. The name aśvinī is used by Varahamihira (6th century). The older name of the asterism, found in the Atharvaveda (AVS 19.7; in the dual) and in Panini (4.3.36), was aśvayúj "harnessing horses"
  • Ayyappan is a Hindu deity worshiped in a number of shrines across India. Ayyappan is believed to be an incarnation of Dharma Sasta, who is the offspring of Shiva and Vishnu (as Mohini, is the only female avatar of the God Vishnu) and is generally depicted in a yogic posture
  • Ayyanar
  • Aryadurga ( Devihasol Rajapur )
  • Annamma
  • Ajjayya

B

C

D

Ram-faced Daksha (right) with Virabhadra form of Shiva

G

Ganga

H

Hanuman

I

J

Jagaddhatri

K

L

M

19th century South Indian depiction of Raja-Matangi

N

P

Parvati as Shakti

R

Radha

S

Saraswati

T

U

V

Y

List of gods

Akasha Achyuta Adimurti Aditi Adityas Agni Ajjayya Amman Anala Anila Annamma Annapurna Anumati Anuradha Ap Apam Napat Aranyani Aravan Ardhanari Ardra Arjuna Aruna Arundhati Aryaman Ashapura Asura Asvayujau Aswiniis Ayya Vaikundar Ayyappan Ayyanar Aryadurga Badrakali Bagalamukhi Bahuchara Mata Balaji Balambika Balarama Banashankari Beeralingeswara Bhadra Bhadrakali Bhaga Bhairava Bhairavi Bharani Bharati Bhavani Bhishma Bhumidevi Bhumiya Bhutamata Bhuvaneshvari Brahma Brahman Brahmani Brihaspati Buddha Buddhi Budhi Pallien Chandi Chandra Chathan Chhinnamasta Chitragupta Chamunda Choudeshwari Dashka Dakshayani Danu Dattatreya Deva Devi Devnarayan Dhanvantari Dhara Dharma Dharma Shasta Dhatri Dhrishtadyumna Dhumavati Diti Draupadi Durga Devi Dyaus Pita Ganapati Ganga Gangothri Garuda Gayatri Gomatha Ghanshyam Guardians of the directions Guru Nanak Gusainji Hanuman Hari Hari Krishna Hari Hara Hrishikesh Huligamma Harbadevi Hingladevi Hombaleshwari Hattilakkamma Indra Indrani Jagaddhatri Jagannath Jalaram Jatayu Jhulelal Jumadi Jyotiba Kali Yuga Kalki Kama Kamadeva Kamalatmika Kamakhya Kamakshi Kanaka Durga Kannaki Amman Kanyakumari Karna Karthikeya Karuppa Swami Kashyapa Kathyayini Katteholeyamma Ketu Khandoba Khatushyamji Khodiyar Kinner Kailash Kirata Moorti Krishna Kubera Kumbhakarna Kunchumamba Kurma Kushmanda Lakshmi Lakshman Lalitha Linga Madurai Veeran Mahakali Mahalasa Mahalaxmi Mahesh Mahavidya Mahavishnu Mahishasura Mardini Mailaralingeshwara Mallanna Manda Mariamman Markandeya Matrikas Manasa Mangala Maruts Matangi Manikanta Matsya Maya calender Meenakshi Mhasoba Mitra Mohini Mookambika Muthyalamma Muttinamma Murugan Muniandi Muthappan Mukyaprana Mulkattamma Muneeswaran Naga Devata Naga siren Naga Yakshi Naina Devi Nandi Nandni Narada Narasimha Narayana Narmada Devi Nataraja Navagrahas Neela Nirrith Nirrta Nookambika Pandavas Parashurama Parasiva Parjanya Parvati Pashupati Perumal Prajapati Prithvi Pushan Purusha Radha Rahu Ram Ramdev Pir Ramnathi Ranganatha Rati Ratri Ravastar Ravi Rbhus Renuka Revanta Rohini Nakshatram Rudra Salumaradamma Samaleswari Santoshi Mata Saranyu Saraswati Sati Savitar Sesha Naga Shani Shakti Shakti Peethas Shantadurga Shitala Shiva Shri Khand Shubhanga Shyam baba Shyamala Sita Skanda Soma Srimanjunatha Subrahmanya Surya Svaha Swaminarayan Tara Tejaji Trimurti Tirupati Thimmappa Tripura Sundari Tvashtri Ugratara Uma Urvashi Ushas Vamana Varaha Varahi Varuna Vasu Vasudeva Vayu Veerabhadra Veer Mhaskoba Venkateshwara Vishnu Vishvaksena Vithoba Vishwakarma Vivasvat Valli Vyasa Vishnumaya Yaksha Yakshini Yama Yamuna Yami Yellamma Yudhishthira Yamini

See also

References

  1. ^ Nath 2001, p. 31.
  2. ^ Knott 1998, p. 5.
  3. ^ a b c d "The Four Denominations of Hinduism". Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d "The Four Main Denominations". Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d "Hindu Sects". Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d Dubois. Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies. Cosimo. p. 111.
  7. ^ Mani pp. 654–5
  8. ^ a b Daniélou, Alain (1991). The myths and gods of India. Inner Traditions International. pp. 102–4, 341, 371. ISBN 0-89281-354-7.
  9. ^ A Taluqdar of Oudh (2008). The Matsya Puranam. The Sacred books of the Hindus. Vol. 2. Cosmo Publications for Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd. pp. 74–5, 137. ISBN 81-307-0533-8.
  10. ^ Mani, Vettam (1975). Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary With Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 0-8426-0822-2.
  11. ^ "Hindu Gods & Goddesses". Sanatan Society. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  12. ^ "Hinduism". About.com. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  13. ^ "Hindu gods and goddesses". usefulcharts. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  14. ^ Lynn Foulston, Stuart Abbott. Hindu goddesses: beliefs and practices. pp. 1–2.
  15. ^ Roshen Dalal (2014). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books. Entry: "Kubjika"

Sources

  • Brodd, Jeffrey (2003). World Religions: A Voyage of Discovery. Saint Mary's Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-88489-725-5.: '[..] many gods and goddesses (traditionally 330 million!) [...] Hinduism generally regards its 330 million as deities as extensions of one ultimate reality, many names for one ocean, many "masks" for one God.'
  • Brown, Joe David, ed. (1961). India. Time, Inc. popular figure. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help): "Though the popular figure of 330 million is not the result of an actual count but intended to suggest infinity, the Hindu pantheon in fact contains literally hundreds of different deities [...]"
  • Knott, Kim (1998). Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Nath, Vijay (2001). From 'Brahmanism' to 'Hinduism': Negotiating the Myth of the Great Tradition. pp. 19–50. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)