The major Hindu deities include Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, the goddesses Devi, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Parvati, and widely worshipped figures such as Krishna, Ganesha, Rama, Agni and Surya. Their roles and relative importance vary across Hindu traditions: some communities give particular prominence to Vishnu, Shiva or the Goddess, while others honor many deities.
Hindu mythology and worship developed across many centuries and texts, so the figures do not form one universally fixed hierarchy or family tree. The list below brings together prominent deities from Vedic, epic and Puranic traditions. A deity may be understood as distinct, as a form of another deity, or as the supreme divine reality, depending on the tradition.
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are often grouped as the Trimurti, a theological scheme that associates them with creation, preservation and dissolution. This is an influential way of describing cosmic functions, not a ranking accepted in the same way by all Hindu traditions. In devotional practice, Vishnu, Shiva or the Goddess may each be regarded as supreme.
- Brahma — In many Puranic accounts, he is the creator deity who brings the world and its beings into existence.
- Vishnu — He preserves and protects cosmic order and is especially prominent in Vaishnava traditions.
- Shiva — He is associated with destruction and transformation and is the supreme deity in many Shaiva traditions.
The roles of these deities are not limited to the short descriptions above. In stories and worship, each has a wide range of names, forms and attributes. The Bhagavad Gita, for example, presents Krishna as a divine teacher and identifies him with Vishnu in many Vaishnava interpretations; other Vaishnava traditions understand Krishna as the supreme form from whom other forms proceed.
Goddesses and the Goddess
Goddesses are central to Hindu worship and theology. Shakta traditions worship Devi, the Goddess, as the supreme power; other traditions honor particular goddesses as independent deities or as forms of a larger divine power. Accounts of their relationships and forms vary across texts.
- Devi — The Goddess is worshipped as the supreme divine power in Shakta traditions and appears in many forms.
- Lakshmi — She is associated with prosperity and good fortune and is commonly worshipped as Vishnu’s consort.
- Saraswati — She is associated with knowledge, learning, music and speech.
- Parvati — She is a major goddess associated with Shiva and, in Puranic accounts, is the mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya.
- Durga — She is a powerful form of the Goddess, celebrated in the Devi Mahatmya for defeating the buffalo demon Mahisha.
The Devi Mahatmya presents the Goddess as a force capable of overcoming threats to the cosmic order. In other well-known narratives, Parvati’s stories emphasize marriage, family and ascetic devotion. Such accounts are not all parts of a single, uniform biography; they belong to varied traditions and tellings.
Vedic deities
The Rigveda, one of the oldest Sanskrit collections of hymns, gives prominence to deities connected with natural and cosmic powers. Vedic religion includes a number of devas, or divine beings, whose importance and roles do not always match later Puranic descriptions. Some, such as Agni and Surya, remain prominent in later Hindu traditions.
- Agni — He is the Vedic deity of fire and a divine recipient and mediator of ritual offerings.
- Surya — He is the sun deity, praised in Vedic hymns and associated with light and the movement of the heavens.
- Indra — He is a leading Vedic god, celebrated as a warrior and as the slayer of the serpent Vritra.
- Aditi — She is a Vedic goddess associated with the Adityas, a group of deities that includes Surya in Vedic tradition.
- Dyaus Pita — He is the Vedic sky deity whose name identifies him as a divine father of the sky.
Vedic hymns give Indra, Agni and other gods distinct praise and functions. Later Hindu traditions developed additional accounts and forms of worship, and the older Vedic figures do not all hold the same place in contemporary devotional practice.
Avatars and widely worshipped deities
In Hindu traditions, an avatar is a manifestation or descent of a deity into the world. The idea is especially important in Vaishnavism, where Vishnu is believed to appear in various forms to protect dharma, or righteous order. Epic and Puranic stories also give prominent roles to deities who are worshipped in their own right.
- Krishna — He is a central figure in the Mahabharata and the speaker of the Bhagavad Gita, and is regarded as an avatar of Vishnu in many Vaishnava traditions.
- Rama — He is the hero of the Ramayana and is widely worshipped as an avatar of Vishnu.
- Ganesha — He is the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati in widely known Puranic accounts and is invoked at the beginning of many undertakings.
- Kartikeya — He is a son of Shiva and Parvati and a war deity, especially prominent in some regional traditions.
Understandings of avatars differ among Hindu schools. Krishna is treated as an incarnation of Vishnu in many Vaishnava accounts, while some traditions regard Krishna himself as the highest form of the divine. The Ramayana likewise has multiple tellings, though Rama’s association with Vishnu is widespread.
Celestial and other important figures
Hindu traditions also include deities linked with the moon and planets, as well as figures important in stories of divine lineage and ritual. Their prominence varies: some are widely recognized, while others are chiefly familiar through particular myths or ritual settings.
- Chandra — He is the lunar deity and is associated with the moon.
- Shani — He is the deity associated with the planet Saturn in Hindu astrology and mythology.
- Budha — He is the deity associated with the planet Mercury and is distinct from the Buddha.
- Sati — In Puranic accounts, she is Shiva’s first wife and is later reborn as Parvati.
- Daksha — He is a progenitor figure in Puranic mythology and the father of Sati in well-known accounts.
- Svaha — She is a goddess associated with offerings made into the sacred fire and is described as Agni’s wife in Puranic traditions.
Stories about these figures appear in different textual and regional traditions, and details can vary. For example, accounts of Sati’s story and her relationship to Parvati are part of broader narratives about Shiva and the Goddess, rather than a single account shared identically by every Hindu community.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the three deities of the Trimurti?
The Trimurti consists of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, commonly associated with creation, preservation and dissolution. Not all Hindu traditions give this scheme the same theological importance.
Are Hindu gods and goddesses worshipped in the same way by all Hindus?
No. Practices and beliefs vary. Devotional traditions may center on Vishnu, Shiva, Devi or another deity, and many Hindus honor more than one divine form.
Are Krishna and Rama forms of Vishnu?
They are widely regarded as avatars of Vishnu in Vaishnava traditions. Some schools, particularly in their understanding of Krishna, describe the relationship differently and regard Krishna as supreme.
Sources
- Rigveda
- Bhagavad Gita
- Valmiki, Ramayana
- Vishnu Purana
- Shiva Purana
- Devi Mahatmya
- Wikidata (CC0) records for the figures named above
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