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330 Million Gods and Goddesses

pantheon

 

I often teach about the 330 million gods and goddesses in the Hindu Pantheon. No not all of them 🙂 at the same time, yet more what they represent & how their many facets illuminate our own characteristics…

In Sanskrit Deva = God  and Devi =goddess

Deva/Devi means to shine To illumine  and we interpret this as the gods/goddeses are forms of light. Light projects and light reflects, so what all the gods do is to light up the world ;~ they light up your life so you live your life.

Just like a diamond has many facets and has emerged from the centre of the earth under pressure and then is moulded into a beautiful light form, with many facets, I feel that the deva/devis are like this. The 330 million gods goddesses want you to see yourself from multiple perspectives, to embrace every facet of your character and let that contribute to the light you emanate.

Everything in your life gives you a reflection

• yr partner
• your mum and your dad
• your sister
• your friends
• your children
• where you are
• people around you
• people across from you
• even strangers

Everything is giving you a reflection and is asking you to look more deeply at yourself,  to learn about yourself. In order  to learn about you, you need the power of reflection and this is what the gods and goddesses are mirroring to you, through many qualities. 330 million gods give you courage to light up the different perspectives in yourself…

  •  can you see this reflection being illuminated back at you?

Lets’ look at a few = and see which ones truly resonate, I wil share their stories in future blogs.

Ganesha

ganesha

 

Ganesha is the playful, naughty elephant headed deity who is the son of Shiva and Shakti (below) in her form of Parvati. before all prayers, pujas, it is Ganesh who is invoked as he is known as the Lord of obstacles, the remover of obstacles and the lord of new beginnings. He clears the path for the Goddess to illuminate your path. Ganesha is also known as Vakratunda which is the twisted trunk, showing us that life is not always straight forward. when you wish to get from A to B the path is sometimes twisted and obstacles will arise, how present will you be, do you rise to the test, reacting or do you think ahhhh, ok this is a test, let me see. It’s through the tests, the obstacles of life we learn and evolve and begin. the irony is ganesha is invoked to remove the obstacles yet it is He that puts them there so often, it’s in gratitude that one humbly bows as the path is illuminated and our own qualities are revealed. that’s what my last blog was about – a Leap of faith.

to invoke Ganesha: Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha

or I love: Om Shrim Hrim Klim Glaum Gam Ganapataye Swaha 

Shakti

devi mahatmyam

Shakti means power and is the feminine face of god. Shakti as the Divine feminine in Her many forms, is like any woman who has multi facets, much like her multi-tasking :()… I reveal a lot about Her in my blog for Navrarti which talks of  Durga, the Divine Feminine who’s name means the invincible one, or fortress.  She is showing you, that your Feminine aspect is the power in everything. Durga represents Power, Protection,  Courage  and the Strength to Face our Fears, this is revealed in Her name, which means “the fortress” “the invincible One” “the Protectress”. The fortress is often thought of as the fortress that you may have built up around yourself, however paradoxically Durga invites you to surrender and allow Her fortress to protect you, guide you and empower you into who you truly are – a mirror of her.

MaDurgaSince there is no difference between the Shakti and the one who embodies her, Shakti is identical to the self ‘~ Vijnanabhairava Tantra

To Invoke Durga use the Mantra: Om Dum Durgaye Namaha

Shiva 

Shiva abhaya mudra

Shiva is the lord of yogi’s, he is the transformer, out of the dissolution, the death, there is a fertile ground for new beginnings and new life. He is a meditator, self-controlled and celibate as well as the erotic lover of Shakti. He is strong, steady, and stable and invites you to honour your auspicious nature. He is know as the Auspicious One. Shiva is the Lord of mercy and compassion. He protects you from  lust, greed, and anger and He grants boons, bestows grace and awakens wisdom. through the practice He invites you to rest in your true nature, which is bright, luminous and grounded and  as life plays around you to rest in your awareness, like a meditation in motion.

to invoke Shiva: Om Namaha Shivaya

Hanuman

Hanuman

 

Hanuman is the monkey deity. Hanuman is playful, amazing physical powers and offers selfless devotion to Lord Rama and Sita. As the monkey he represents your human being monkey mind, which is the restless human mind. He teaches you that although everyone born an animal, everyone can attain spiritual evolution through perseverance and discipline. Having perfected his mind through Bhakti which is selfless devotion, he attains his powers. Hanuman embodies the highest potential you can achieve – hence why I love his so much to teach in classes… people resonate with him, his playfulness, and also his forgetfulness unless reminded, and then he remembers his own divinity

It is through your body that you realise you are a spark of the divine ~ Iyengar

to invoke Hanuman: Om Shri Hanumate Namaha