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10
Mahadevi and the goddesses
Hindus worship hundreds of goddesses, but most are forms of Mahadevi, also called the Great Goddess, the Mother Goddess or Shakti.
The goddess Mahadevi can take a number of forms. Many of these are wives or companions to Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. For example, Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, Parvati, the wife of Shiva and Saraswati, the wife of Brahma.
E Parvati.
H Lakshmi is usually shown with four arms, standing or sitting on a lotus throne, holding lotus flowers and with gold coins spilling from her hands. The lotus stands for fertility and purity, while the gold stands for
wealth and prosperity.
Lakshmi
Lakshmi is Vishnu’s wife. She is also the goddess of wealth, beauty and
good luck. Because Lakshmi is a bringer of good luck, her image is often displayed in homes or over
doorways, so that she can bring happiness and luck to everyone in the house.
Parvati
Parvati is the wife of Shiva.
Her name means ‘daughter of the
mountain’ and she is said to have been born from the rocks of the
Himalaya mountains.
She is the gentle and peaceful part of
Mahadevi.
Parvati’s obedience to her
husband, Shiva, shows worshippers the kind of relationship they should have with God. She is often shown standing or
sitting next to Shiva.
Saraswati
Saraswati is the wife of Brahma and the goddess of learning and the arts (see picture on page 24). It is said that she can create anything that comes into the mind of Brahma, and that she created the Sanskrit language in which the Hindu holy scriptures are written. She is also called Vagishwari, the goddess of speech.