Gajantaka Shiva

Gajasurasamhara, Chennakeshava Temple (detail); Belur, Karnataka, India; c. 1117 CE. Photograph: Arian Zwegers (2013), Wikimedia Commons

An incarnation of Shiva as the killer of the elephant demon Gajasura. It is commonly depicted in Hindu temples, particularly those constructed under the Guptas, Pallavas and Cholas. From Sanskrit, meaning “the slayer of the elephant.

More Definitions

Himavata

In Hindu mythology, Himavat is the lord of the mountains and the father of Ganga and Parvati, the consort of…

Yogishvara

An aspect of the Hindu deity Shiva, where he is depicted seated in padmasana and worshipped as the lord of…

Shaktism

A major sect of Hinduism wherein the metaphysical reality is considered to be a woman, and the primordial cosmic energy,…

Rati

In Hindu mythology, Rati is the goddess of love. She is the consort of Kama, the Hindu deity of love.

Yama

The Hindu god of death, also known as Pretaraja (King of Ghosts), Dharmaraja (King of Justice) and Daksinasapati (Lord of…

stambha

Sanskrit for ‘pillar’, historically appearing in various contexts, including Vedic liturgy, Brahmanical mythology, and Brahmanical treatises on architecture, theatre and…

Panchakriya

The five cosmic acts or duties of the Hindu deity Shiva, as embodied in the anandatandava performed by Nataraja, a…

Krishna

Major Vaishnava deity, whose cult developed with the Brahmanical assimilation of non-Vedic cults of and around Mathura in northern India…