Vayu

The god of wind in the Vedic pantheon, who represents the cosmic life-breath. He is one of the vasus (attendants) of the deities Indra and Vishnu. Vayu is also known by the epithet Anila.

More Definitions

Yana

A metaphor for a mode or method of spiritual practice in Buddhism, which refers to the vehicles of teaching imparted…

Pasupatastra

A destructive weapon attributed to the Hindu deities Shiva, Kali and Mahadevi. The weapon is considered powerful enough to destroy…

Heracles

Mythical hero from Ancient Greece, son of the sky-father god Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene; known as Hercules in…

Kuladevata

The tutelary deity of a family or a clan. The term is derived from the Sanskrit words kul, meaning "family"…

Garuda

A winged creature in Buddhist, Jain and Hindu mythology. He is the mount of the Hindu god Vishnu and is…

Samhara

Meaning "destruction" or "withdrawal" in Sanskrit, it is one of the cosmic acts of deities in the Hindu religious tradition.…

Sibi

A king mentioned in Hindu texts and the Buddhist Sibi Jataka. He is accorded with several legendary feats in the…

rakshasa

Type of mortal being associated with evil and mischief, appearing first in Vedic texts and throughout later Brahmanical mythology. Typically,…