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Names of the Goddess |
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INDIA & TIBET
Aditi - Hindu
Great Goddess, as the Woman Clothed with the Sun. Sun Goddess, Mother of all the
Lights of Heaven. She gave birth to the twelve zodiacal spirits.
Ananta - Indian
Serpent Queen. aka Sarparajni. She enveloped all gods during their death,
sleeping between incarnations.
Banka-Mundi
- Hunting Goddess of the Khoud. Merely uttering Her name made one
fearless against jungle beasts.
Bardaichila
- Assamese Storm Goddess.
Bentakumari
- Assamese Water Goddess. First fish of the season was given to
Her.
Bhasundara
- Tibetan Goddess of Prosperity
Bhavani -
Common name for Mother Goddess of India. Bestower of Existence. Evoked by
women in labor, who burned perfume to honor Her.
Bisal-Mariamna
- Shakti of Sunlight in Mysore. Symbolized by a brass pot full of water
called the Kunna-Kannadi or “eye mirror”. Into this pot are put pepper
leaves and coconut flowers, a small metal mirror leans against it.
Budhi
Pallien - Assamese Forest Goddess, appears as a tiger roving
through the Indian jungle.
Chomo-Lung-Ma
- Goddess Mother of the Universe, original name of Mt.. Everest. One of
the oldest Indian deities.
Devi - Dearly
Beloved Goddess
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Durga - the Queen Mother, Warrior Goddess, rode tigers into battle defending Her children, the gods. |
Hudigamma
- Hindu Mother Goddess served by eunuch priests dressed in women's
clothes.
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Indrani - Queen of the gods. |
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Ista Devata
- Tantric Patroness of the Self. Individual Guardian Angel of the
Enlightened Sage.
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Jagadamba - see Kali. |
Kadru
- Serpent Goddess, Mother of the Nagas, or Cobra people.
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Kali - Black Earth Mother, Conqueror of Time, Goddess of fertility, death and regeneration. Dark Mother, Hindu triple Goddess of creation, preservation and destruction. Birth and Death Mother. Treasure house of Compassion, Giver of Life to the World. Her mantras brought into being the very things whose names She spoke for the first time, Originator of the creative word or Logos. A triple Goddess - Maiden, Mother, Crone. Lady of the Dead. The Ocean of Blood at the beginning and end of the world. Also known as Jagadamba. |
Kauri - Indo-European
Swan Goddess. Cowrie shell was sacred to Her.
Khon-Ma -
Mother Earth, Ruler of All Spirits emanating from the Earth element.
Kundalini
- Serpent Goddess representing the inner power of the human body.
Kurukulla
- Dravidian Goddess of Caverns.
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Lakshmi - Goddess of beauty, prosperity and good fortune. Portrayed as a golden skinned woman sitting or standing on a lotus, Her symbol. Hindu Goddess of Sovereignty. Source of the divine drink Soma. aka Padma, Lady Lotus. Born from the Ocean of Milk standing on a lotus blossom. |
Manasa-Devi -
Serpent Goddess of Bengal, identified with the Moon, bearing the Moon's
magic name Mana.
Marici - Buddhist
Diamond Sow, Great Goddess seated on a lotus surrounded by 7 pigs. Glorious One.
Sun of Happiness.
Maya - Virgin
aspect of the triple Hindu Goddess, symbolized by a Spider, spinner of magic,
fate and earthly appearances. The spider's web was likened to the Wheel of Fate
and the spider to the Goddess as a Spinner, sitting at the hub of Her Wheel.
Mother of the Enlightened One, Buddha. Her colors were white, red and black.
Hawthorne, Her tree.
Nanda
Devi - Blessed Goddess. Mountain Mother Who gave birth to the
Ganges. Nanda Devi is one of the Holiest Mountains of the Himalayan chain.
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Parvati - Maiden aspect of Kali. Daughter of the Mountain. Shiva's bride. Daughter of Heaven. Also known by Maya, Sati, Durga, Shakti, Privithi. Dark and colorful, ornate and mysterious. The richness of hues in Her attire as well as Her jewels symbolize Her power. She lifts Her veil to reveal Her beauty, shining like the Sun rising over the mountain of Anapurna. The cocoon, butterfly and the karmic golden wheel reflect Her deep connection with life and death, cause and effect, and transformation. |
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Prajnaparamita
- Personification of Wisdom
Prakriti
- Nature. Sanskrit title of Kali as female Holy Trinity, commanding the
Gunas, the white, red and black threads of Creation, Preservation and
Destruction. She embodied past, present, future; earth, sea, sky; youth,
maturity, age.
Privithi -
Very ancient Earth Mother.
Sara
Kali - Queen Kali, Mother Goddess of the gypsies. The Mother, the
Woman, the Sister, the Queen, the source of all Romany blood. Queen of Heaven
and Earth.
Sarama -
Vedic Bitch Goddess, Mother of the brindled Dogs of Yama. The Huntress.
Saranyu -
Goddess Who gave birth to all animals, Mother of all Creatures. Vedic
Mare Goddess, Mother of the Centaurs.
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Sarasvati
- White skinned Goddess of poetry, music, science and learning as well as
all creative arts. Inventor of the Sanskrit language. She wears a crescent moon
on her brow and rides a swan or a peacock, or is seated on a lotus. Inventor of all the arts of civilization: music,
art, mathematics, letters, calendars, magic, the Vedas and all other branches of
learning and teaching. She
represents the powerful, pure light of education which destroys the
darkness of ignorance. Ancient Sacred River
Goddess. Queen of Heaven. Mother of Waters. aka Ganga. She originated in the Ocean. Great culinary Goddess, She invented Soma,
or Amrita (drink of bliss). Independent of nature. Goddess of sensual
love. Her name means, The Flowing One. Often depicted seated on a
lotus blossom accompanied by her white swan. |
Savitri -
Hindu Mother of Civilization, She Who brought forth music and literature,
rhythm, time, measurements, day and night, memory, conquest, victory and yoga.
| Shakti - Tantric title of the Great Goddess. Cosmic Energy. The Tantras say the female principle antedates and includes the male principle and this female principle is the Supreme Divinity. Tantric doctrine says mortal women are life itself, and Goddess-like, because they embody the principle of Shakti. The series of Universes appear and disappear with the opening and shutting of her eyes. (from the Lalita Sahasranamam) Final union with Shakti occurred at the moment of Death, according to Tantric mystics. |
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Shasti - Bengali
Feline Goddess, depicted riding a cat. Goddess of childbirth and Protectress of
Children.
Shitala
- Protectress against small pox. Mothers appealed to Her for help for
their children.
Sita - Furrow,
the Goddess Earth as the wife of Rama.
Smashana-Kali -
Kali Ma as the Goddess of cremation grounds and other places of Death.
Her yantra was an 8 petaled lotus with multiple repetitions of the inverted
triangle. The meaning was Rebirth following Death. Her priestesses, called
dakinis, arranged funerals and tended the dying.
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Tara - Pre-Vedic Savior Goddess, known from India to Ireland. Indo-European primal Goddess Earth. An extremely ancient festival held annually at Athens was named after Her, Taramata (Mother Tara) nicknamed The Rioting because of its wild orgiastic customs. The sacred grove of Tara in Ireland was the Goddess’s genital shrine. In India, Tara is called The Most Revered of the old pre-vedic Goddesses. Wine is sacred to Her. Goddess of Compassion, The Diamond Sow. Diamonds are Her sacred stone. Tibetan Buddhist Great Mother. She is a Boddhisattva, an enlightened One who has vowed to incarnate until all beings have attained enlightenment. She also vowed to incarnate only as a female. She governs the Underworld, the Earth and the Heavens, birth, death and regeneration, love and war, the seasons, all that lives and grows, the Moon cycles. Green Tara is Her Nature-related aspect. Typically She is seen as a slender and beautiful woman of white complexion, long golden hair and blue eyes. She can also appear as red, black or dark blue. Her animals are the sow, mare, owl and raven. Goddess of spiritual transformation. When worshiping Tara, recognize all you see as Her body, made of green light, all you hear is Her divine speech, and all your thoughts as Her divine wisdom. Every molecule of air is Her divine energy and when you lie down, your head rests in Her lap. Tibetan Goddess of mercy. Compassionate Mother. She is the Protectress of the poor, the sick and the unfairly imprisoned. She has the power to heal all sorrows and suffering and to grant all wishes. First female Buddha. |
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Uma - The Golden Goddess, personifying light and beauty. Daughter of the Mountains, Patroness of yogic ascetism. Kali’s Crone aspect. aka Prisni, Mother of the Dark Season, Daughter of Heaven. Mother Death. |
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Ushas - Vedic Goddess of the Dawn. |
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