A Wisdom Archive on Karttikeya

There is no reference to worship of idols in the Vedas. The Puranas and the Agamas give descriptions of idol-worship both in the houses and in the temples. Idol-worship is not peculiar to Hinduism. Christians worship the Cross. They have the image of the Cross in their mind. The Mohammedans keep the image of the Kaba stone when they kneel and do prayers. The people of the whole world, save a few Yogis and Vedantins, are all worshippers of idols. They keep some image or the other in the mind.

The mental image also is a form of idol. The difference is not one of kind, but only one of degree. All worshippers, however intellectual they may be, generate a form in the mind and make the mind dwell on that image.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Worship: An Introduction to Hindu Worship

Agni is a Hindu deity. The word agni is Sanskrit for "fire" (noun), cognate with Latin ignis. In Hinduism, he is a deva, second only to Indra in the power and importance attributed to him in Vedic mythology. He is Indra's twin, and therefore a son of Dyaus Pita and Prthivi. He is a son of Kasyapa and Aditi or a Queen who kept her pregnancy secret from her husband. He has ten mothers, or ten sisters, or ten maidservants, who represent the ten fingers of the man who lights the fire. He has two parents: these ... Including:

• Agni - Agni in other faiths and religions

Read more here: » Agni: Encyclopedia - Agni

Parvati (Sanskrit/Hindi पार्वती Pārvatī), sometimes spelled as Parvathi and Parvathy, is a goddess in Hinduism She is also the benevolent aspect, or representation of Shakti or Durga. Her other names include Uma, Dakshayani, Gauri and many hundreds of others; the Lalita sahasranama contains an authoritative listing. She is known as 'the daughter of the mountain'. Parvata is Sanskrit for "mountain". Parvati is the second consort of Shiva, the Hindu God of destructi ...

Read more here: » Parvati: Encyclopedia - Parvati

Shruti Vedas Rig Veda Sama Veda Yajur Veda Atharva Veda Brahmanas Aranyakas Upanishads Smriti Itihāsas Mahābhārata Bhagavad Gītā Ramayana Puranas (List) Tantras Sutras (List) Stotras Ashtavakra Gita Gita ...

Read more here: » Svaha: Encyclopedia - Svaha

Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव or श्रीशिव (when used to distinguish lordly status), and written Śiva in the official IAST transliteration, pronounced as "shιvə") is a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedic scriptures of Hinduism. Adi Sankara interprets the name Śiva to mean "One who purifies everyone by the utterance of His name" or the Pure One. That is, Śiva is unaffected by the three gunas (characteristics) of Prakrti (matter): Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. Śiva is "the destroyer", ... Including:

• Shiva - Introduction
• Shiva - Consorts and the Burning of Kamadeva
• Shiva - Other Legends
• Shiva - The Sons of Shiva
• Shiva - Attributes of Lord Shiva
• Shiva - Other Forms and Legends
• Shiva - Schools and Views of Śivaism
• Shiva - Origin Theories
• Shiva - Names of Śiva

Read more here: » Shiva: Encyclopedia - Shiva

In Hinduism, Kārttikeya (also Skanda, Subrahmanya, Kumara, Arumugan, Shanmugan, Murugan, Guha, Saravana, Swaminatha, Velan,Velavan, Senthil) is a god born out of a magical spark created by Shiva. The name Kārttikeya means "him of the Pleiades". There are several legends surrounding his birth. Kartikeya - Origins. Kartikeya - In the Hindu epics. The first elaborate account of Kartikeya's ... Including:

• Kartikeya - Origins
• Kartikeya - In the Hindu epics
• Kartikeya - In the Hindu Puranas
• Kartikeya - In Sanskrit Kavya/Poetry
• Kartikeya - The adoration of Kartikeya
• Kartikeya - In the Tamil land
• Kartikeya - Differences in Northern and Southern traditions
• Kartikeya - Related Links
• Kartikeya - Related Links

Read more here: » Kartikeya: Encyclopedia - Kartikeya