Deities and sacred beings
Deities, sages, kings, places and principles compiled from the Puranas. Search, filter and open each profile.
320 beings · page 2 of 16
Kubera
कुबेरKubera is king of the yakṣas, lord of wealth and of hidden treasures, and guardian of the northern quarter; he is son of the sage Viśravā an…
Brihaspati
बृहस्पतिBrihaspati is the preceptor of the gods and teacher of the science of speech. At SB 3.1.25 Uddhava's understanding is measured against him: …
Agni
अग्निAgni is a deity whose tirtha on the Sarasvati is called Rathagni. He appears among the shrines Vidura resorted to at SB 3.1.22: 'pR^ithor at…
Tvashtar
त्वष्टाTvashtar is the god who presides over the eyes of the cosmic Person. At SB 3.6.15 Maitreya says: 'nirbhinne akShiNI tvaShTA loka-pAlo avisha…
Mitra
मित्रMitra is the god who presides over the anus of the cosmic Person. At SB 3.6.20: 'gudaM puMso vinirbhinnaM mitro lokesha Avishat / pAyunAMshe…
Chandra
चन्द्रChandra, the moon, is the god who presides over the heart of the cosmic Person. At SB 3.6.24: 'hR^idayaM chAsya nirbhinnaM chandramA dhiShNy…
Surya
सूर्यSurya is the sun god. At SB 3.8.31 Brahma meditates on Hari, who is 'sUryendu-vAyv-agnigamaM tridhAmabhiH parikramat-prAdhanikair durAsadam'…
Vedas
वेदThe Vedas are Hinduism's oldest scripture: the four collections (Rig, Yajus, Sama, Atharva) with their Brahmana-Aranyaka-Upanishad literatur…
Srimad Bhagavata Purana
श्रीमद्भागवतThe Srimad Bhagavata Purana is the crown of the eighteen Maha-puranas — ascribed to Vyasa and centred wholly on Krishna-bhakti; Vaishnava tr…
Vyasa
वेदव्यासVyasa, composer of the Bhagavata: after Narada's instruction, meditating with bhakti-yoga at Badarikashrama, he saw the Purusha and maya and…
Suka
शुकदेवŚukadeva, son of Vyasa, is the first narrator of the Bhagavata: a muni detached from birth who recited it to the dying Parikshit. SB 1.4.4 d…
Naimisharanya
नैमिषारण्यNaimisharanya is one of India's most ancient sacred hermitage-sites, identified with the Misrikh-Nimsar region of present-day Uttar Pradesh …
Shaunaka
शौनकShaunaka is a celebrated sage of the Vedic tradition, credited with the Rigveda's auxiliary treatises (Rk-pratishakhya etc.); the assembly-h…
Sages of Naimisharanya
नैमिषारण्य के ऋषिगणThe Sages of Naimisharanya are the collective assembly of rishis — headed by Shaunaka — who are the questioning audience of the Bhagavata's …
Suta
सूतSuta is the narrator of the Bhagavata's outer frame: son of Vyasa's disciple Romaharshana, the expert reciter of the Puranas and Itihasas. S…
Puranas
पुराणThe Puranas are the ancient memorial scriptures of Hinduism treating cosmology, cosmic cycles, genealogies, dynastic history and the glories…
Itihasas
इतिहासThe Itihasas ('thus indeed it happened') are the epic histories — pre-eminently the Ramayana and the Mahabharata — teaching dharma, policy a…
Dharma Shastras
धर्मशास्त्रThe Dharma-shastras are the smriti treatises codifying duties of varna and ashrama, sacraments, law and procedure, penance and statecraft — …
Devaki
देवकीDevaki is a central maternal figure of the Krishna story: daughter of Devaka of Mathura's royal line, wife of Vasudeva and mother of Krishna…
Vasudeva
वसुदेवVasudeva is the father of Krishna: a respected prince of the Yadu line (Shurasena's family), husband of Devaki; Krishna's patronymic 'Vasude…