Vahana (animal) temples 0f

PRAMNANA
(Full Version)

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How Karma Applies to Animals?
Jayaram V.
[Link]

A Tiger Hunt

Hinduism and Buddhism do believe that animals have souls and they evolve spiritually until
they attain human birth or even birth in the higher worlds. Sometimes people ask me how the
law of karma applies to animals. One can logically understand how karma applies to humans.
Since they possess free will and possess intelligence, it makes sense why they are subject to
the consequences of their own actions.
How can you apply the same principles to the animals, insects and microorganisms which
lack both free will and intelligence? Since they are driven by natural instincts and live
mechanically, it is difficult to imagine how they can ever earn good karma and evolve into
higher beings. Technically, animals indulge in desire-ridden actions and therefore it is very
difficult for them to escape from the cycle of births and deaths or evolve into higher beings.
I have searched for answers in both Hinduism and Buddhism and did not find any direct
answers. However, when I was studying the importance of virtue and sacrifice, the answer hit
me directly. I understood in an instant why human life was important not only for one's own
progress but also for the welfare of the entire world and why five daily sacrifices were
prescribed for us in Hinduism.
I have no doubt that as human beings we have a greater responsibility towards ourselves and
others, which extends beyond our own selfish interests. We have a responsibility to
participate in the liberation of life upon earth by living virtuously and performing good
actions. We have to play our dutiful roles in the collective evolution of life upon earth.
True, animals cannot earn good merit on their own. However, they give us immense
opportunities to practice compassion and alleviate their suffering. By giving us those
opportunities they help us to cultivate virtues of purity (sattva) and work for our self-
transformation. In return, they automatically earn good karma. The world gives us numerous

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opportunities to be good and practice goodness towards others. When we use those
opportunities, we not only help ourselves karmically but also open the doors for those whom
we help to purify themselves.
Virtues of compassion, friendliness, non-injury, love and selfless service enable us to purify
our own karmas and those of others to whom we extend such virtues. The message we learn
from this is as humans we should cultivate positive feelings towards others within ourselves
and apply them to our everyday lives. We have to use them to purify ourselves and others.
Life is not all about you and your suffering. There is a better way to live your life with a
higher purpose and vision. To the extent you bring others into your thoughts and concerns,
you will make progress
Our scriptures say that every day we have to feed animals and other living organism as part
of our daily sacrifices. It is called bhuta yajna. This is an obligatory duty for human beings
which they have to perform to keep the world in good order. There is a reason for this.
In creation, beings of higher planes have to support and protect beings of lower planes. At the
highest point in this cosmic order is God Himself, who is the protector and preserver of all.
Therefore, we are supposed to be the gods, not demons, for the animals, which belong to a
lower plane of intelligence. Just as our gods depend upon us for their nourishment, we
depend upon plants and animals for our survival and nourishment.
Just as the gods protect us and help us in on the spiritual path.
As the Buddha suggested, the world is full of suffering. We have a choice in responding to
this suffering of the world. We can wallow in our own suffering or pay attention to the
suffering of others and respond to it with compassion and understanding. We can pray for
them or take upon their suffering into ourselves. When you practice it you not only purify
yourselves, but also heal those to whom you extended your compassion.
If you understand this logic, you will realize why human life is so important in the spiritual
evolution of individuals as well as the whole world. This becomes self-evident from the
following thought process.

1. Most animals lack intelligence and free will. Hence, it is difficult for them to progress on
the spiritual path on their own and evolve into higher beings.
2. However, the animals provide the humans with an opportunity to practice compassion and
nonviolence and earn good merit. This in turn helps them to cleanse their own karma.
3. Those who understand the suffering of living beings and take upon the suffering of others
upon themselves contribute greatly to the spiritual evolution of life upon earth.
4. When you practice compassion, friendliness, and nonviolence towards others, you not only
earn good karma but also help others who give you such opportunities to participate in the
welfare of the world.
When you are attacked by an animal
In Nature every living being has a right to defend itself. Therefore, it is perfectly normal and
morally obligatory if you take defensive measures to protect yourself and those who seek
your protection against harm. It includes using vaccinations and killing dangerous pests and
animals that threaten your environment. In Both Hinduism and Buddhism, killing an animal
is permitted when one's life is threatened or when one is famished and hungry in times of
scarcity due to famine, pestilence or such natural calamities.
We are the gods for the animals
our practice of Dharma and continuation of our families and human race, we have an
obligatory duty to protect them and help them to survive in the mortal world.
Implications of animal abuse and cruelty to animals
We cannot neglect this obligatory duty, unless we want to unleash disorder and chaos in the
world, like the demons, and delay our own spiritual evolution.

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Unfortunately, there are many people in the world who pay no attention to the indiscriminate
destruction of marine and terrestrial life to the point of their extinction. They do not realize
how much bad karma we are accumulating in this regard.
If this continues, the collective karma of the human race may reach a threshold point resulting
in greater suffering for the entire world. You can expect frequent natural calamities, incurable
diseases, loss of life, and shortages of food and other resources.

The following are the most common symbolic descriptions associated with
snakes in Hinduism.

1. Ananta, Infinity
In the Bhagavadgita, Lord Krishna says, "Among the serpents I am Ananta." Ananta or the
Adisesha is the infinite divine snake with its endless coils floating in the waters of creation,
upon which Narayana (Brahman) rests. Ananta represents the infinite eternal materiality or
primal energy (mula-prakriti). Upon activation, a small part (amsa) of it differentiates into
subtle (suksma) and gross (suksham) realities (tattvas) which combine to manifest as the
whole diversity we experience through our senses. The serpent below Vishnu is the primal
Prakriti. The Lakshmi above, sitting at the feet of Vishnu, is the activated Prakriti. The waters
or the ocean upon which all this floats represents avyakta Brahman or Unmanifested
Brahman.

Adi
shesha, is also known as Ananta. Hence, Vishnu is called Anantasayana
[Link] (Kama)
In a spiritual sense, snakes represents desires. Just as those who are bitten by snakes are
vulnerable to suffering and death, those who are bitten by desires suffer from the cycle of
births and deaths. The suffering inherent in the phenomenal existence is compared to snake
poison. You are safe only when you hold that poison in your throat like Shiva and do not let it
go into your body or mind. Pasas, the snake like ropes of attachment, are transformed desires,
which keep people bound to their karmas.

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 Sexual desire is often symbolized in Hinduism as a snake

3. Sacred thread and divine ornaments.

In the images of many deities, such as Ganesha, snakes are depicted as the sacred thread
(upavitam) worn around the body. The thread in the form of snake represents purity (sattva)
of the body, knowledge of the Vedas, perfection in speech, and self-control. In the
iconography of Saivism, snakes also serve as ornaments for the gods and goddesses.

4. Kundalini energy.
Kundalini or the sexual energy hidden in the muladhara chakara is compared to a coiled
snake. When the body is subjected to austerities and purification through celibacy and other
practices, the heat (tapas) generated in the process activates the kundalini. Then, like a coiled
serpent it ascends gradually through the higher chakras until it reaches the highest chakra, the
Sahasrara, whereby a yogi experiences enlightenment and the highest bliss.

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 K
undalini is popularly known as the serpent power

5. Tamas, the destructive tendency

In Hinduism there are three types of energies, creative energies represented by rajas,
preservation energies represented by sattva, and destructive energies represented by tamas.
They are also known as the centripetal, balancing and centrifugal forces of the universe. All
motion and activity in the universe arises from them. Since the snakes are responsible for
death and destruction of humans and animals, they are compared to the destructive tamasic
energy represented by Lord Shiva himself as the destroyer. .

The Shivalinga at the base denotes the association between Shiva and the snakes. Both
represent the destructive tendency in Nature.
6. Poisonous speech.
Like a snake, speech can hurt, cause pain and suffering and even unleash death in the form of
curses and magical chants. The snake adorning the neck of Shiva represents the power of the
venomous speech. The source of the speech is the throat where Shiva holds the poison
(poisonous speech) and prevents it from getting out and hurting others. The forked tongue
represents double talk or deceptive speech.

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 The forked
tongue of the snake represents double talk and the poisonous teeth symbolize biting, hurtful
speech.
7. Misfortune
Since snakebites bring misery and adversity to families through the death of cattle or family
members, snakes are associated with bad luck or misfortune. This is well illustrated in the
game of snakes and ladders which was invented in ancient India.

Snakes and Ladders, a game of fate and chance, originated in India.

8. Nagas, a class of demigods

Hindu scriptures mention Nagas, who are a class of demigods or semi divine beings who live
in the subterranean world, known as Patala. They protect the treasures hidden in the earth and
have the ability to assume human form. By nature they are good, but they can become
destructive and vengeful if disrespected or not treated well. Hindus believes that certain types
of curses and spells arising from aggrieved snake deities can result in death, sickness,
misfortune, loss of progeny, or childlessness, for which one has to perform purifying and
expiatory rites.
9. Kala, death or time.
The snakes represent death, unexpected death or death arising from misfortune. The Vedas
extol Rudra or Shiva as the healer, the god of medicines who protects and rescues his
worshippers from death and destruction caused by snakes and snakebites. Snakes are

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symbolized as destructive and deadly arrows used in warfare. Hinduism considers our world
a manifestation of Death (Kala) who is also known as Time. Kala devours everything. All
existence for Him is food. Snakes symbolize Kala and thereby time.

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 Kala, the Lord of the mortal world. is also the lord of Death and Time. The whole world is his food.
10. Prana.
The world naga is often used in Hindu texts in reference to the outward breath (apana) or that
which is expelled through the mouth and other apertures in the body as in case of a burp. Just
as a snake moves in the passages below the earth, apana moves in the body through various
channels and exists through the holes in the body. Just as the outward breath escapes through
the mouth, snakes also occasionally come out of their subterranean passages through the
holes in the ground and show themselves up. As the leader of the sense organs prana
distributes food to all the organs. Since it is the personification of Death itself, it is eternal
and indestructible.

Snakes represent the outward breath (apana)

Other Symbolism
The word naga is also used in Hindu literature to refer to distinguished persons (nagadhipa),
certain place names, names of superior or semi-divine elephants (nagendra), female elephant
(naganjana), a particular group of Saivite ascetics (nagababas), Ganesha (naganana), a womb
related disease, a fragrant flower bearing tree (nagakesara), the name of a constellation
(naganaksatram), chemicals (nagajam), precious stones (nagamani), festivals (nagapancami),
flowers (nagamalli), names of trees, elephant catcher (nagabandhaka), a subterranean world
(nagalokam), a snake maiden (nagakanya), and so on. I am not sure whether the words
Nagara and Nagarika, meaning town-bred or civilized, have any relation with the word naga,
but they seem to have a common origin. However, Hindu Puranas describe both male and
female nagas as very charming and beautiful as the following image of a naga queen
suggests. It is possible that there might be a connection between the ancient Indians and the
ancient Indian tribes of Americas, since the American Continent was like the subterranean
world for the people of the Indian subcontinent, being on the opposite side of the globe.

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 A Naga Queen wearing a crown of serpents

Naga Devas, the semi divine beings

Ganesha wearing snakes as the sacred thread and ornament.

Naga Devas, the semi divine beings

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 CHAPTER II
Hindu Gods/Goddesses and Their Amazing Animal
Vehicles

–photo courtesy of Srabanti Chakrabarti

The Hindu faith, the cradle of which is India, is a religion which dotes upon the birds and
animals. In fact, the religion has bestowed the fur, feathers and fins species the status of
divinity by linking their multifarious gods and goddesses to various animals. All the
numerous Hindu gods and goddesses are considered the manifestations of one supreme
creator, the Almighty God. The gods and goddesses in Hindu mythology travel in supersonic
speed on animals and birds. Different gods have different vahanas (animal vehicles). The
literal meaning of the word ‘vahana’ is ‘that which carries, that which pulls’. Mesopotamian
gods and goddesses were all associated with vahanas. According to some historians, the
concept reached Indian shores in the second millennium BC via the trade route between the
two ancient civilizations.

Surya – Horses
The sun god, Surya, mounts on a golden chariot, pulled by seven white horses. Seven is a
sacred number in Hindu mythology. The seven horses are representative of the seven major
sins and how the Sun God triumphs over them. They also symbolize the seven chakras
(spiritual vortexes in the human body).
Agni – Ram
Agni, or the fire god, rides upon a ram. Sacrifices are offered to Agni and to many other gods
through him. Interestingly, the ram is a sacrificial animal, which has been linked to the Hindu
fire god, to whom sacrifices are offered.
Brahma- Swan
Brahma, the god of creation, travels all over outer space on a swan, chanting the sacred
Hindu scripture the Vedas. The elegant swan is symbolic of intelligence. As per Hindu
tradition, it’s a bird which can figuratively sift the pure from the impure, like it sieves milk
from water. Sometimes, Brahma is shown riding seven swans.

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Durga family with vahanas–photo courtesy of Arindam Mukherjee.
Durga – Lion
Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of war is seen with a lion. Similarly, Durga, the mother of
the universe and the warrior goddess, pierces a spear into the buffalo demon’s heart, while
riding a lion. The lion, as we all know, has been nicknamed the King of the Jungle. In
Hinduism it’s also considered the supreme of all animals. Also, let’s keep in mind that the
goddess rides a tame lion. The lion may also represent gluttony and the craving for sensory
pleasures which gives birth to lust. The goddess riding a lion may also symbolize that she has
tamed the instincts of greed, lust and gluttony to rise to a spiritual height.

Ganesha–Mouse
Ganesha, the huge elephant headed god, who is worshipped for wealth and prosperity,
mounts on a mouse. This rodent was actually a god named Kroncha in his previous life. He
had accidentally stepped on the toes of Saint Vamadeva, who was also worshipped as a god.
Stepping on a spiritual being, is considered blasphemous in Hinduism. Kroncha desperately
begged apology. Vamadeva’s wrath simmered down. Undoing a curse is mythically

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impossible, but he toned it down by saying that he would become Ganesha’s vehicle.
As per mythologists, the mouse is symbolic of basal desires. Being dark in colour, it is also
averse of light or truth. Some feel that the mouse is representative of the egoistic mind, as it
can metaphorically gnaw on the virtues of man. Ganesha, by mounting the mouse, thereby
symbolically conquers impure desires, spiritual darkness and pride.
Indra–Elephant
Indra, the god of rain and thunderstorms, rides a white elephant called Airavata. This winged
elephant was hatched from a cosmic egg. Of the 16 elephants that were born from this egg,
Airavata was by far the strongest. This mythical creature sucks water with her trunk and
sprinkles it on earth thereby creating rain. He had fathered winged white elephants as well.
One day they accidentally interrupted a class conducted by a sage when he was teaching. He
put a curse on them which clipped their wings. The white elephants of today are said to be
Airavata’s descendents. Airavata besides being Indra’s vahana is believed to, along with his
siblings, hold up the eastern hemisphere of the globe.
Kartikeya-–-Peacock
Kartikeya, the god of war is seen in pictures as perched on a magnificent peacock. The
prevailing myth is that the peacock doesn’t copulate with the peahen. Therefore it is regarded
as a chaste bird. As the old wives’ tale goes the peacock is contented with its magnificent
plumes but is deeply embarrassed by its unattractive legs. While it joyfully dances under a
cloudy sky, when it glances at its legs, it is moved to tears. The peahen sips the tears and
conceives. So, the message to all warriors is that they should forgo all sexual desires, if they
wish to emerge victorious in war. The scientific truth however is that peacocks do have
sexual intercourse.
Lakshmi–Owl
Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, wealth and prosperity mounts the wise old white owl.
Besides wisdom, the bird also symbolizes patience and intelligence. Its white plumes denote
spiritual purity. It is also bestowed with the mythical powers of fortune telling.
Simultaneously, this owl also serves the practical purposes of a barn owl. In the state of
Bengal in India, the annual festival dedicated to the worship of Goddess Lakshmi, is
celebrated in late autumn. This is when the farmers have just reaped a rich harvest and have
stocked their granaries with food grains. The owl cleanses the granaries of all pests, thereby
protecting the grain. The more grain the farmer sells, the wealthier he/ she will become.

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Saraswati duck–photo courtesy of Arindam Mukherjee.

Saraswati–Swan

Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, wisdom, learning, music and arts is seen with a swan.
As she is after all Brahma’s consort, it’s not surprising that she has chosen the same bird as
the vahana.

Shani–Crow/Raven/Vulture
Hindus pray to Lord Shani to ward off influences of evil forces. Just like mischievous
magpies have ill repute in the occidental part of the globe because of their thieving
tendencies; in India crows too are linked with stealing. By mounting the crow, Shani is said
to suppress pilfering habits in people. He is also the god who metes out punishment to those
who have abided by evil ways.

SH ASH T HI–CAT

G O DDE SS SHASHTHI, T HE GODDESS OF FERTILITY, IS

WO RSH IPPED BY THE CHILDLESS WHO WISH TO CONCEIVE. AS
T H E O L D TALE GOES, THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW OF A FARMER,
CO NSUMED GREAT QUANTITIES OF FISH AND MILK FROM TH E
K IT CH E N ON THE SLY. WHEN CONFRONTED, SHE FALSELY PUT
T H E B L AME ON A BLACK CAT. THE INNOCENT ANIMAL WAS
B E AT E N REPEATEDLY. THE FELINE COMPLAINED TO SHASHTH I
AND DE CIDED TO TEACH THE LIAR WOMAN A LESSON. THE CAT
ST O L E SIX OF HER NEW BORN BABY BOYS. HER SEVENTH CHIL D
WAS A DAUGHTER AND WHEN THE CAT TRIED TO TAKE HE R
AWAY, SHE INJURED IT AND FOLLOWED HER TO DISCOVE R
T H AT ALL HER CHILDREN WERE WITH MOTHER SHASHTHI. TH E
G O DDE SS INSISTED THAT SHE APOLOGIZE TO THE CAT. TH E
WO M AN TOUCHED THE CAT’S PAWS AS A SIGN OF DEVOTIO N
AND P ROMISED NEVER TO PUT FALSE BLAME ON IT. ALL HE R

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K IDS WERE RETURNED AND HER SISTERS-IN-LAW WERE
B L E SSE D WITH BONNY BABIES.

Shitala—Donkey
Shitala is prayed to with the hope that she’ll ward off chicken pox, measles and sores. She is
believed to ride the streets of villages on a donkey with a broom, sweeping paths free of
germs.

Shiva–Bull
Shiva, the destroyer, rides a bull named Nandi. The bull being a strong animal symbolizes
virility. Nandi is Shiva’s ardent devotee. He is said to have lived with the god in the heavenly
snowy abode of Kailash.
Vishnu–Eagle
Vishnu, the Preserver/Protector mounts an eagle-like creature called Garuda. To save his
mother, Garuda flew to the heavens and slayed two snakes to fetch a pot of nectar. Since that
day, Garuda developed acrimony with snakes and started feeding on them. The eagle, as we
all know, preys on snakes too. Garuda is seen as clutching two snakes and with serpents
garlanded around him.
Yama–Male Buffalo
Yama, the lord of death, rides a black buffalo. This celestial beast is said to be strong enough
to ferry two armoured gods. Yama is also the god of righteousness, his tough water buffalo is
said to be symbolic of upholding justice. Yama, perched on the buffalo roams around the
world, searching for souls which are about to exit the earthly abode.
Ayyappa–Tiger
The tiger, which is the national animal of India, is the vehicle of god Ayyappa, who happens
to be Shiva’s son, conceived of the enchantress Mohini. The baby Ayyappa was forsaken on
the river banks and was found by a childless king. Later, the queen had a biological child. She
faked an illness which would only be cured by tiger’s milk. She summoned Ayyappa to fetch
the milk. The wicked woman secretly hoped that the tiger would kill him. He returned

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victoriously on a female tiger along with her cubs, carrying a pot full of milk. The royal
couple realized that he was god. The queen pleaded for forgiveness.

–photos courtesy of Srabanti Chakrabarti

Countless Vahanas
These were just a handful of tales of Indian gods and goddesses with their beloved animals.
Vayu (the wind god) rides on a horse. Varuna (the water god) rides the waves on a crocodile.
The river goddess Yamuna drifts on a tortoise. Bhairava, a manifestation of Shiva, has chosen
a dog as his vehicle. The list is almost endless.
There are more than 330 million gods and goddesses in Hinduism. The tales of them with
their respective vahanas have filled voluminous books, which are stored in various quaint
libraries across the country. Some of these manuscripts are still in the ancient Indian language
Sanskrit, which are yet to be translated to English and other contemporary Indian languages.

The Future Vahana

There’s yet another god whom Hindus are looking forward to. He is to make his entry into
the world along with his vahana in future. Currently, Kaliyug, or “age of vice”, is ongoing as
per the Hindu mythological calendar. It’s believed that Kalki, an incarnation of Vishnu, will
come galloping on a white horse, to usher in Satya Yuga, “the age of truth and virtues”.
This is a list of legendary creatures from Hindu and Greek folklore and fairy tales, sorted by
their classification or affiliation. indu Gods and Animals

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picture of Dattatreya with animals

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 CHAPTER III
Hindu Gods and Animals
Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the Musical Trinity of Tamil Nadu, rightly praised Lord Shiva
as the one who blessed even the animals, birds and insects along with the saints. Dikshitar, in
his composition ‘Thyagarajasya’ in Bekata raga, says it in the line ‘Muni, Pakshi, Mruga,
Kidathi mukti pradha’.

In two other places he refers to two mythological stories where Vishnu helped the trees and a
garden lizard.
King Nruka donated a cow which was already donated and so was cursed to be born as a
garden lizard. He was released from that lizard form by Lord Krishna. Muthuswami Dikshitar
sang about it in his composition Govindarajam in Mukari Raga. The line of reference to this
is ‘ Nruka rajasya grukalasa Janmapaham’.

He sang about Kubera’s sons Nalakuparan and Manigreevan who became trees (Marutha
Maram in Tamil) by the curse of Narada and got released by Krishna in the tree/Mortar
episode.
Gajendra Moksha episode is linked with many shrines including Tirumohur near Madurai.
Lord Vishnu saved the elephant Gajendra from the mouth of a crocodile.

Please see my earlier posts for the full story.

The spider and elephant story of Tiruanaikkaval near Trichy is very popular.

Madurai is the place associated with Shiva’s 64 ‘leelas’ (Divine games). Shiva helped pigs,
swallow, heron and even a plant Mulli (in Tamil). Following is the list of towns that link
animals with Lord Shiva:

Picture of Indus Valley Pasupati Seal/ Picture of Denmark Lord of Animals Seal (Gundestrup Cauldron)

Animals associated with Lord Shiva (Place names indicate where the temples are situated)

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Elephant :Madurai, Trukkanapper, Tirukkurraalam, Tiruanaikka, Kalahasthi
Karivalam vantha nallur
Lion – Tirunallur ( Vishnu: Narasingam near Madurai, Sholingar,Hampi in A.P.)
Tiger –Perumpuliyur, Puliyur/ Chidambaram Vyagrapureeswarar
Horse – Ayavanthi
Cow -- Thirukkondeeswaram, Tiruaduthurai, Karuvur, Avur ,Patteeswaram , Tiruamathur
Goats – Tiruadanai
Bull/ eru---Tiruvaiyaru
Monkey – Kurankaduthurai, Kurankanimuttam, Kurankukaa, Kurankuth thali,
Valikandapuram
Pig –sivapuram ,Pandrimalai, Madurai
Donkey – Karaveeram
Rabbit—Tiruppathir- ipuliyur

Birds
Crow --- Kurankanimuttam, Tirunallaru (as Vahana of Tirunallaru Saneeswaran)
Heron – Naraiyur ,Madurai
Kari kuruvi-- Valivalam ,Madurai
Eagle/ falcon /Garudan—Sirukudi, Tirukkazuku kundram, Vaitheeswaran kovil
(Parrots: Madurai, Srivillliputtur, Kanchipuram )
Beetle – Srisailam, Tiruvendurai, Valoliputhur

Amphibians and water living creatures

Frog –Utrathur
Crab –Tirunthuthevankudi
Turtle –Tirumanamcheri
Fish – Tiruchelur

Reptiles and small insects

Fly – Eengoimalai, Tiruchitremam
Ant – Tiruerumpur, Erumpiiswaram
Snake –Kalahasthi, Tiruppampuram, Kutanthai keelkottam, Tirunageswaram,
Tirunagaikaronam, Nagarkoil, Sankarankoil
Spider –Kalahasthi, tTruanaika
Squirrel – Kurankanimuttam
Iguana/Udumpu – Tirumakaral

Tirumakaral is near Kanchipuram. King Rajendra Choza built a temple for lord Shiva 1000
years ago at Tirumakaral. The king saw a golden colour iguana in a shrub. When he ordered
his servants to catch it, they cut the plants in the bush. When they accidentally cut the tail of
the animals, blood gushed out. On seeing it,the king fainted an heard a voice from the sky
that he should build a temple there.

Every town has at least one animal story. This shows what that they believed in. As a result
of such beliefs they respected the animals particularly, the cows the monkeys and the
elephants. All the temples do regular Pujas (worship) to Cow and Elephant known as Go Puja
and Gaja Puja.

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Three dog-like ants attacking a tethered camel, man in a tunic/Picture of Lord of Animals seal from
Dilmun (Bahrain)

Invertebrates

Worms
 The skōlex (Indus Worm), in ancient Greek writings, was a supposed giant, white,
carnivorous worm with a large pair of teeth that lived in the Indus River.
Arthropods
Ants
 Gold-digging ant is an insect from Medieval bestiaries. They were dog- or fox-sized ants
that dug up gold in sandy areas. Some versions of the Physiologus said they came from
Ethiopia, while Herodotus claimed they were located in India.
 Myrmekes is a mythical creature in Greek mythology. Their name is Greek for "ants."
Greek sailors that arrived in India have told stories of their encounters with the
Myrmekes.

Bhramari devi goddess of the black bees

Bees
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 Bhramari is 'the Goddess of bees' or 'the Goddess of black bees'. She is associated with
bees, hornets and wasps, which cling to her body.
Scorpions
 Ájakava - a poisonous scorpion mentioned in the Rig Veda.
 Chelamma, a Scorpion Goddess, native to southern Karnataka.
Matsya

Matsya avatara, first incarnation of Vishnu

 The Echeneis is a legendary creature; a small fish that was said to latch on to ships,
holding them back. They were said to be found in the Indian Ocean.
 Matsya is the first avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu in the form of a fish.[1]
 In Hinduism, The Rainbow Fish was a fish that was as large as a whale. It ate Buddha.[2]
 Timingila is a huge aquatic creature that can swallow whole whales in one bite.
Matsyāṅganā
 Suvannamaccha is a daughter of Tosakanth (Ravana) appearing in the Thai and other
Southeast Asian versions of Ramayana.[3] She is a mermaid princess who tries to spoil
Hanuman's plans to build a bridge to Lanka but falls in love with him instead.[4]
 Macchanu is the son of Hanuman in the Cambodian, Thai and other versions of the
Ramayana, and who looked like a vanara from the waist-up but had the tail of a fish.
Frog
 Bheki is the name given to a frog that symbolizes the sun on the horizon in Hindu legend.
sarpa
Kūrma
The Second Incarnation of Vishnu as Kurma 'The Tortoise' The Churning of the Ocean (paint
on paper)
 In Hinduism, Kurma is the second Avatar of Vishnu, in the form of a turtle.[5][6]
 The World Turtle in Hindu mythology is known as Akupāra, or sometimes Chukwa, a
chiranjeevi.[7]
 Bedawang or Bedawang Nala is a giant turtle in Balinese mythology who brought the
whole world on his back. In the creation mythology of the world, it represents a change
from Antaboga. He along with two dragons support the human world. If he moves, there
will be earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on earth.
Makara

21
 Varunadeva /Vritra try to eat indra

 Makara appears as the vahana (vehicle) of the river goddess Ganga, Narmada and of the
sea god Varuna.
 Huhu is the crocodile in the legend of Gajendra Moksha.
Sarpa

 Antaboga is the world serpent of traditional Javanese mythology. It is a derivative from

the Hindu Ananta Shesha combined with Javanese animism.
 Gogaji also known as Jahar Veer Gogga is a folk deity, worshiped in the northern states
of India. He is a warrior-hero of the region, venerated as a saint and a 'snake-god'. He is
worshiped as a pir amongst Hindus.
 Ketu is an Asura who has the lower parts of a snake and said to have four arms.
 Nagnechiya Maa (Nagnechi Ma, Nagnechia Ma), a snake goddess, is the kuldevi of
Rathore, a Suryavanshi Rajput clan of India, as well as Brahmbhatts (who are also
Vaitalik Kaumudik Bramhins),
 Patanjali is a snake footed rishi.
 Rahu is the severed head of an asura called Svarbhānu, that swallows the sun causing
eclipses. He is depicted in art as a serpent with no body riding a chariot drawn by eight
black horses.
 Shahmaran (Kurdish : Şahmaran) (Persian: ‫شاهماران‬, Şamaran; Turkish: Şahmeran,
Tatar: Şahmara / Шаһмара / ‫شاهمار‬, literally, shah (king) of the snakes.) is a mythical
creature from the folklore of The Kurdish people. Shahmaran is known as the queen of
the serpents. This story can be traced from the Middle East to India with different
variations.
 Vritra or Ahi is a serpent or dragon, the personification of drought and adversary of
Indra.
Nāgas

22
Vasuki in Sagar Manthan
 The Naga is an entity or being, taking the form of a very great snake —
specifically the king cobra. A female nāga is a nāgī or nāgiṇī. Notable nagas.
o Astika is half Brahmin and half naga, son of Manasa.
o Kaliya, a snake conquered by Krishna.
o Karkotaka controls weather
o Manasā, also Mansa Devi, is a Hindu folk goddess of snakes, sister of Vasuki
and wife of sage Jagatkāru (Jaratkāru).
o Paravataksha, his sword causes earthquakes and his roar caused thunder.
o Surasa is a Hindu goddess, who is described as the mother of the nagas
(serpents).[8]
o Susna is a horned serpent-demon who aids the Asuras in their war against the
Deva. The serpent also guards the essence of Amrita in its stomach. Susna is
also associated with drought.
o Shesha is the nagaraja or king of all nāgas. The snake on whom Vishnu is
in yoga nidra (Ananta shayana).[9]
o Takshaka is mentioned as a King of the Nagas.
o Ulupi, a companion of Arjuna in the epic Mahabharata
o Vasuki is a nagaraja, one of the King serpents of Hindu mythology, who coils
over Shiva's neck.[10]
Pannaga
 A race related to the Nagas and Uragas, born of Kadru, sister of Surasa.

23
Uraga
Further information: Naga Kingdom § Naga races
 A race related to the Nagas and Pannagas, born of Kadru, sister of Surasa.
Pakshin

Karura of Kofukuji
 Byangoma (feminine Byangomi) are legendary birds of Bengali mythology,
appearing most notably in the fairytales of Thakurmar Jhuli, where they are
portrayed as wise, fortune-telling birds that help the deserving.
 Gandabherunda (also known as the Bherunda) is a two-headed mythological
bird of Hindu mythology thought to possess magical strength.
 Homa Pakshi (a Vedic bird). It lays eggs while flying in the sky and then the
egg will fall. As it is falling, a bird will hatch from the egg. The hatchling
then learns how to fly without touching the earth.

The death of Bakasura the crane (6124594523)

 The Huma (Persian: ‫هما‬, pronounced Homā, Avestan: Homāio), also Homa,
is a mythical bird of Iranian legends and fables, and continuing as a common
motif in Sufi and Diwan poetry. The kingship-bestowing function of the
Huma bird reappear in Indian stories of the Mughal era.
 The Karura is a divine creature with human torso and birdlike head in
Japanese Hindu-Buddhist mythology.
 Sirin is a mythological creature of Russian legends, with the head and chest
of a beautiful woman and the body of a bird (usually an owl). According to
myth, the Sirins lived "in Indian lands" near Eden or around the Euphrates
River.

24
Baka
 Bagala - A crane-headed god in Hindu legend, Bagala controls black magic,
poisons and disguised forms of death.
 Krauncha - A crane mentioned in the Ramayana.
 Nadijangha - The name of a crane, who was liked by Brahma very much.
His story was told by Bhishma to Dharmaraja.
Gṛdha

Sampati's found by Vanaras

 Vultures who were the sons of Aruna, brother of Garuda.
o Sampati, the King of Vultures, was the oldest son of Aruṇa and a brother
of Jatayu.
o Jatayu is the youngest son of Aruna, brother of Sampati.
Haṁsa
 The hamsa (Sanskrit: हंस, haṃsa or hansa) is an aquatic bird of passage,
such as a goose or a swan. Its icon is used in Indian and Southeast Asian
culture as a spiritual symbol and a decorative element. Hamsa is a part of the
mythical love story of Nala and Damayanti. The hamsa is the vahana
of Brahma & Saraswathi.
o Arayanna, or heavenly hamsa (swans), are said to live in Manasasaras in
the Himalayas.
Kāka
 Chanda, a crow, is the father of Bhusunda and his twenty brothers
(Bhusunda and his brothers were born from the union of Chanda and the
seven swans of the Goddess Brahmi).
 Bhusunda is a very old sage, in the form of a crow. In the Story of Bhusunda,
a chapter of the Yoga Vasistha, Bhusunda recalls a succession of epochs in
the earth's history, as described in Hindu cosmology. He survived several
destructions, living on a wish-fulfilling tree on Mount Meru.
Kukkuṭaśāva
 Krichi is the rooster of Murugan, depicted on his war flag, the Seval Kodi.
Mayura;

25
Saraswati with CitramekhalaRaja Ravi Varma, Lord Garuda

 Citramekhala is the mayura of Saraswathi, Goddess of learning and

wisdom.
 Paravani is the mayura vahana of Murugan, the God of War.
Sarngika
 Jarita was a certain female bird of the species called Sarngika. She was wife
of saint Mandapala.
Shuka
 Suka - The parrot vahana of Kamadeva
 Shuka - The parrot of Kalki
Shyena
 Shyena (Sanskrit: श्येन ) is the divine hawk identified with Agni, who
ascends to heaven for bringing soma (nectar) to earth with the intention of
rejuvenating and revitalizing of all things that exist on earth.
Suparna
 The Garuda is a large bird-like creature, or humanoid bird. Garuda is the
mount (vahana) of the Lord Vishnu. According to the Mahabharata, Garuda
had six sons from whom were descended the race of birds.
o Sumukha
o Suvarna
o Subala
o Sunaama
o Sunethra
o Suvarcha
Tittiri

26
  Chakora, a kind of partridge, is a legendary bird described in Hindu
mythology. It is believed to reside upon the beams of the moon, that is,
the Chandra.
 Kapinjala, a partridge associated with Indra, or a form of Indra.
Uluka
 Pravirakarna - Is a chiranjeevi owl who lives in the Himalayas.
 Uluka - The owl of Lakshmi.
Mushika[edit]
 Mushika - the rat mount of Ganesha /GANESHA is very careful about his
mount Mushika and also his safety

Ganesh on his vahana, a mouse or rat/Indradeva on Airavata

Gaja and Hastin: In Rig Veda 1.84.17 and 4.4.1. and probably other instances the Rig Veda
seems to refer to elephants (e.g. Bryant 2001: 323), an animal that is native to South Asia. It
has been speculated that some of these verses might be references to domesticated
elephants. In RV 1.64.7, 8.33.8 and 10.40.4, "wild" elephants are mentioned.
Mrga Hastin
In the Rigveda and in the Atharvaveda, the term is translated as elephant (according to Keith
and Macdonell, Roth and other scholars). In the Rig Veda, Mrga Hastin (animal with a hand)
occurs in RV 1.64.7 and RV 4.16.14.
Ibha
RV 9.57.3 and RV 6.20.8 mention ibhas, a term meaning "servant, domestics, household"
according to Roth, Ludwig, Zimmer and other IndologistsOther scholars like Pischel and Karl
Friedrich Geldner translate the term as elephant. According to Sayana, Mahidhara[4] and
the Nirukta,[4] ibha is translated as elephant. Megasthenes[4] and Nearchos[4] also connect ibha
with elephant. The term ibha is only used in the Samhitas, and especially in the Rig Veda.

27
Varana
Another term that may mean elephant is "Varana" (RV 8.33.8; RV 10.40.4). According to
Macdonell and Keith, "Varana" refers to elephants.
The Akananuru (27) and the Purananuru (389) state that elephants were raised and trained in
ancient Tamilagam's northern boundary of Venkatam hills Tirupati.

 Erawan (Thai: เอราวัณ, from Pāḷi Erāvana, or Sanskrit Airāvana) is the

Thai version of Airavata. He is depicted as a huge elephant with either three
or sometimes thirty-three heads which are often shown with more than two
tusks.
 Gajamina Gadjamina, Gaja minah, or Eon is an elephant headed mythical
figure with the body of a fish used for patulangan sarcophagi in Bali,
 The Gajasimha is a mythical animal with the body of a lion and the head of
an elephant. At Angkor, it is portrayed as a guardian of temples and as a
mount for some warriors.
 Gajasura is an elephant demon killed by Shiva, in
his Gajasurasamhara form.
 Gajendra the elephant, was rescued by Vishnu from the clutches of Huhu, the
Crocodile in the legend of Gajendra Moksha.
 Ganesha also known as Ganapati and Vinayaka, the elephant headed God.
 Iravati is a daughter of Kadru and Kasyapa. She is the mother of Airavata, the
mount of Indra. She is also associated with a sacred river.
 In a tale about Ganesha's birth, the elephant-headed demoness Malini gives
birth to Ganesha after drinking the bath-water of Parvati, Ganesha's mother.
 In Hindu mythology there were three elephants by the name Supratika. The
foremost among them is listed as one of the Diggajas, each representing the
eight quarters. The Hindu epic Mahabharata describes two more elephants by
the same name – a mythical elephant that was an incarnation of a sage, and
the one that belonged to Bhagadatta, the king of Pragjyotisha.
 Vinayaki is an elephant-headed Hindu goddess, a Matrika. The goddess is
generally associated with the elephant-headed god of wisdom, Ganesha.

Diggajas
 The Amarakosha, a thesaurus of Sanskrit, mentions the names of eight male
elephants, and their respective consorts, that bear the world together.
o Airavata is a mythological white elephant who carries the Hindu
God Indra. He also represents the Eastern direction, the quarter
of Indra. Abhramu is the consort of Airavata.
o Pundarika, carries the Hindu god Yama. He reprents
the Southeast. Kapila is the consort of Pundarika.
o Vamana and his mate Pingala guard the South with an unspecified god.
o Kumunda (Southwest) and his mate Anupama, with the god Surya.
o Anjana and his mate Añjanā guards the West with the god Varuna.
o Pushpa-danta and his mate Subhadanti guards the Northwest with the
god Vayu.
o Sarva-bhauma represents the North, the quarter of Kubera. His mate
is Tāmrakarna.
o Supratika represents the North-east direction, the quarter
of Soma. Anjanavati is believed to be the wife of Supratika.
28
 Four names are given in the Ramayana 1.41:
o Viru-paksha - East
o Maha-padma - South
o Saumanas - West
o Bhadra - North
Kapi
 Kapi is known to be a form of monkey, especially used to represent
Hanuman as seen from Hanumaan chalsa lines:- jai kapees tihu lok ujagar

Vanaras are building a Bridge to Sri Lanka

Vanara
The Vanaras are the monkey race in the Ramayana. The following are
notable vanaras.
o Angada, son of Bali, helped Rama find his wife Sita
o Anjana, Hanuman's mother.
o Hanuman is a monkey God and an ardent devotee of the God Rama.
o Kesari, Hanuman's foster father.
o Makardhwaja is the son of Hanuman as per the Valmiki Ramayana.
o Nala, son of Vishwakarma.
o Nila, son of Agni.
o Rumā was the wife of Sugrīva.
o Sugriva, king of Kishkindha, son of Surya.
o Tara, wife of Bali.
o Vali, Sugriva's brother, and a son of Indra

29
Varāha

Varaha Avatar of Vishnu kills Hiranyakshan and the Devas shower flowers
from the heaven
 Emūsha - In the Brāhmana, a boar which raised up the earth, represented as
black and with a hundred arms (probably the germ of the Varaha avatara).
 Varaha is the third avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu in the form of a boar.
 Varahi is one of the Matrikas. With the head of a sow, Varahi is the consort
of Varaha.
Hariṇa-Pashupati (Sanskrit Paśupati) is an incarnation of the Hindu
god Shiva as "lord of the animals".
 Rishyasringa was a boy born with the horns of a deer in Hindu-Buddhist
mythology, who became a seer.
Gō

Paśu
 Ushas are associated with the reddish cows, and are released by Indra from
the Vala cave at the beginning of time.
 Vrishabha - A cow-headed Yogini, who is considered to be the mother
of Ganesha.
Kamadhenu

30
 Kamadhenu, the cow of plenty

Kamadhenu also known as Surabhi, is a bovine-goddess described in

Hinduism as the mother of all cows. She is a miraculous "cow of plenty" who
provides her owner whatever he desires and is often portrayed as the mother
of other cattle as well as the eleven Rudras. The following are the offspring
of Kamadhenu.
o Kapila cows (the golden cows), are the children of Kamadhenu, who
were also called the mothers of the world (according to the Anushasana
Parva, the thirteenth book of the Mahabharata).
o Manoratha, a calf, created by Krishna (along with its
mother, Kamadhenu) from the left side of his body (according to the Devi
Bhagavata Purana)
o Nandini (sometimes referred to as Sabala), the cow of Vashistha, the
daughter of Indra's cow Kamadhenu.
o Rohini, daughter of Surabhi, who is said to be the mother of cows
(according to the Ramayana)
o Sushila, a daughter of Kamadhenu in the Brahmanda Purana
o Yogishvari, a cow, daughter of Kamadhenu (according to the Matsya
Purana)
Dikpalis
The guardian cow goddesses of the heavenly quarters (they are the 4
daughters of Kamadhenu according to the Udyoga Parva, fifth book of
the Mahabharata):
1. Dhenu in the north
2. Harhsika in the south
3. Saurabhi in the east
4. Subhadra in the west
Vṛṣabha
 Bir Kuar or Birkuar, also known as Birnath, is a Hindu cattle-god
worshipped by the herder-class of Ahirs of western Bihar in India. He is
considered to be a form of the god, Krishna.

31
 Nandi, or Nandikeshvara is the name for the bull which serves as the
mount of the god Shiva and as the gatekeeper of Shiva and Parvati.
Mahiṣa
Unknown (Indian) - Durga in Combat with the Bull, Mahishasuras
 Mahishasura; According to Hindu mythology, Mahishasura was a
combination of both an Asura and a mahisha ("water buffalo"), with a
trident.
 Mahishi - The sister of Mahishasura. After the death of Mahishasura,
Mahishi continued the war against Devas.
 Mhasoba, is a horned buffalo deity of pastoral tribes in Western and
Southern India.
 Paundraka is the name of the buffalo of Yama.
Aja
 Aja - A "He-goat" sacred to Pushan. Holds a prominent position in death
rites; it shows the path to the dead.
 Ajaikapala - A boy, whom was begotten by the grace of Shankara. He
had one foot of a man and the other of a goat. He overcame death as a
child and is known as 'Mrityunjya'. (see also Markandeya)
 Daksha - His head was replaced by a goat's after a beheading.
 Naigamesha also known as Harinegameshi, is a goat-headed or deer-
headed deity (associated with the war-god Kartikeya).
 Pūṣan - a Vedic guardian of flocks and herds.
Ashva
Main article: Ashva
Further information: History of the horse in South Asia

Hayagriva restoring Vedas to Brahma which were taken to Rasatala

 The Ashvins, in Hindu mythology, are two Vedic gods, divine twin
horsemen in the Rigveda, sons of Saranyu, a goddess of the clouds and
wife of Surya in his form as Vivasvant. They are represented as humans
with the heads of horses.
 Badavā - 'A mare, the submarine fire.' In mythology, it is a flame with
the head of a horse, called also Haya-siras.
 Dadhi-krā is the name of a divine horse or bird, personification of the
morning Sun.

32
 Devadatta - The white horse of Kalki.
 Gandharvi, daughter of Kamadhenu, and is the mother of horses
(according to the Ramayana).
 Farasi Bahari - These are magical green Water Horses that live at the
bottom of the Indian Ocean. They are depicted as a horse in its forepart,
with a coiling, scaly, fish-like hindquarter.
 Hayagriva, also spelt Hayagreeva, is a horse-headed avatar of the Lord
Vishnu in Hinduism.
 Keshi is the horse-demon, healed by Krishna.
 Kinnara In Hindu mythology, a kinnara is a paradigmatic lover, a
celestial musician, half-human and half-horse.
 Tārkṣya is the name of a mythical being in the Rigveda, described as a
horse with the epithet áriṣṭa-nemi "with intact wheel-rims".
 Tumburu is a horse faced Ghandarva, a celestial musician.
 Uchchaihshravas is a seven-headed flying horse, that was obtained during
the churning of the milk ocean. Uchchaihshravas is often described as a
vahana ("vehicle") of Indra - the god-king of heaven, but is also recorded
to be the horse of Bali, the king of demons.
 White horse (mythology) White horses appear many times in Hindu
mythology.
Khaḍgin

Macedonians are attacked by Odontotyrannos in India

 The Karkadann (from kargadan, Persian: ‫" كرگدن‬Lord of the Desert")
was a mythical creature said to live on the grassy plains of India and
Persia. The word kargadan also means rhinoceros in Persian and Arabic.
 Odontotyrannos (Greek: odontotyrannus or dentityrannus ("tooth-tyrant")
is a three horned beast said to have attacked Alexander the Great and his
men at their camp in India. It had a black, horse-like head, with three
horns protruding from its forehead, and exceeded the size of an elephant.
 The Unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since
antiquity as a beast with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from
its forehead. The unicorn was depicted in ancient seals of the Indus
Valley Civilization and was mentioned by the ancient Greeks in accounts
of natural history by various writers, including Ctesias, Strabo, Pliny the
Younger, and Aelian. The Bible also describes an animal, the re'em,
which some versions translate as unicorn.
Shvan

33
 Rakta Bhairava
 Ruru - a dog; one of the Bhairavas, a manifestation of Shiva.
 In Hindu mythology, Sarama is a mythological being referred to as the
dog of the gods, or Deva-shuni.
 Sarameya (literally, "sons of Sarama") are the children of Sarama, whose
names are Shyama and Sabala.
 Sharvara is an ancient Hindu mythical dog belonging to Yama.
 Sisara is the husband of Sarama, father of the Sarameya.
Mahabidala

Vishnu's half-man half-tiger avatar, Narasimha

 Budhi Pallien is a fearsome goddess of forests and jungles, who roams
northern India, particularly Assam, in the form of a tiger.
 Dawon a sacred tiger (sometimes drawn as a lion), it was offered by gods
to serve goddess Durga or Parvati as mount for rewarding her victory.
 Kimpurusha were described to be lion-headed beings.
 Narasiṃha is an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, and is often visualised
as having a human torso and lower body, with a lion face and claws.
 Narasimhi (Sanskrit: नारसिंहीं, Nārasiṃhī), power
of Narasimha (lion-man form of Vishnu), is a woman-lion and throws the
stars into disarray by shaking her lion mane.
 Manasthala is the lion vahana of Durga who was known as the asura
Simhamukha in his previous life.
 Pratyangira or sometimes
called Prathyangira, Narasimhi or Narashimhika, is a Hindu Goddess
described with a lioness's face and a human body.

34
 Simhamukha is a lion faced demon, brother of Surapadman who later was
transformed into the vahana of Durga due to his bravery in fighting the
god, Muruga.
 Vyaghrapada, that is, one having the feet like a tiger, was one of the
mythical rishis (sage) of ancient India.
Bidala[edit]
 Mārjāra - The cat vahana of Shashthi, a Hindu folk Goddess (Shashthi is
associated with the war-god Kartikeya).
Bhallūka
Riksha

Jambavan
 The Rikshas are described as something like Vanaras but in later
versions of Ramayana, Rikshas are described as bears. Notable Rikshas
are as follows:
o Jambavan/Jamvanta is a character originating in Indian epic poetry.
The King of the Bears, he is an Asiatic or sloth bear in Indian epic
tradition.
o Jambavati is the daughter of Jambavan, King of the Bears, and the
third wife of Krishna.
Yuyukkhura[edit]
 The Crocotta (or corocotta, crocuta, or leucrocotta), is a mythical dog-
wolf of India or Ethiopia, linked to the hyena and said to be a deadly
enemy of men and dogs.
Theriantrope Ichchhadhari Nag or Naagin is a mythical shape-shifting cobra
in Indian folklore.
Ailuranthrope
35
 Weretiger - In India, the weretiger is often a dangerous sorcerer,
portrayed as a menace to livestock, who might at any time turn to man-
eating. These tales travelled through the rest of India and into Persia
through travellers who encountered the royal Bengal tigers of India and
then further west.
 Hemaraj - The hemaraj is a creature found in Thai and possibly South
Asian mythology. It is said to be the combination of a hem (an ill-defined
creature in and of itself; usually likened to a swan but sometimes depicted
more like a crocodile) and a lion.
 Makara is a sea-creature in Hindu mythology. Makara is the vahana
(vehicle) of Ganga - the goddess of the river Ganges and the sea god
Varuna.[11][12] It is also the insignia of the love god Kamadeva.
In the epic Ramayana, the Makara is responsible for the birth of Lord
Hanuman’s son, Makardhwaja.
 Navagunjara is a creature composed of nine different animals. The beast
is considered a form of the Hindu god Vishnu, or of Krishna, who is
considered an Avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu.
 Panchamukhi Hanuman Hanuman assumed the Panchamukhi or five-
faced form to kill Ahiravana. He assumes a vanara's head, a lion's head,
an eagle's head, a boar's head and a horse's head.
 Reachisey is a mythical animal, with the head of a lion, a short
elephantine trunk, and the scaly body of a dragon. It occurs at Angkor
Wat in the epic bas reliefs of the outer gallery.
 Rompo is a mythological beast with the head of a hare, human ears, a
skeleton-like body, the front arms of a badger, and the rear legs of a bear.
It feeds only on human corpses and it is said to croon softly as it eats.
 Vaikuntha Chaturmurti or Vaikuntha Vishnu is a four-headed aspect of
the Hindu god Vishnu, mostly found in Kashmir (northern part of the
Indian subcontinent). He has a human head, a lion head, a boar head and
a demonic head.
 Yali also known as Vyala or Vidala in Sanskrit) is a mythical creature
seen in many Hindu temples, often sculpted onto the pillars. It may be
portrayed as part lion, part elephant and part horse, and in similar shapes
 Sharabha is a part-lion and part-bird beast in Hindu mythology, who,
according to Sanskrit literature, is eight-legged and more powerful than a
lion or an elephant, possessing the ability to clear a valley in one jump.

CEMI GODS or SPIRITS and Half Gods

Abhutarajas
 A class of 10 gods of the Raivata Manvantara, the 5th. It is also called
Abhutarayas.
Adyas
 One of the 5 classes of gods in the 6th Manvantara, of
which Caksusa was the Manu.
Angiris
 The Angiris (or Angiras) are a group of celestial beings who are
descendants of the Fire God Agni and the Goddess Agnayi, and
responsible for watching over humans performing Yagna (sacrifices) and
protecting the sacrificial fires

36
 Arjuna and Urvasee (Urvashi)
Apsara

An Apsara (also spelled as Apsarasa) is a female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hindu
and Buddhist mythology. They are often wives of the Gandharvas. Notable apsarases:
o Menaka
o Pramlocha
o Rambha
o Tara
o Tilottama
o Urvashi and Adrika

37
o
Asura

Srikrishn fights with Banasura

 The Asuras are mythological lord beings in Indian texts who compete for
power with the more benevolent devas.

38
 o Daityas - In Hinduism, they are a clan or race of Asura as are the
Danavas. Daityas were the children of Diti and the sage Kashyapa.
The following are notable Daityas.
 Hiranyaksha - eldest son of Kashyapa and Diti
 Hiranyakashipu - second son of Kashyapa and Diti
 Holika or Sinhika - daughter of Kashyapa and Diti
 Prahlada - son of Hiranyakashipu
 Virochana - son of Prahlada, father of Bali
 Devamba - mother of Bali
 Bali - son of Virochana
 Banasura - son of Bali
o Danavas - In Vedic mythology the Danavas were a race of Asura
descending from Daksha.
 The Kalakeyas or Kalakanjas were a powerful, ferocious and
cruel clan of Danavas.
o Nivatakavachas
 The Nivatakavachas are a supernatural race of Asura demons,
living deep under the oceans.
Bhuta

A benevolent Brahmadaitya saving a poor Brahmin man from a group of

Bhoot' (ghosts)
 Aleya (or marsh ghost-light) is the name given to an unexplained strange
light phenomena occurring over the marshes as observed in Bengal.
 Chir Batti, Chhir Batti or Cheer batti is a ghost light reported in the Banni
grasslands, a seasonal marshy wetlands and adjoining desert of the
marshy salt flats of the Rann of Kutch.
Dakini or Dayan
 The dakini appeared in medieval legends in India (such as in the
Bhagavata Purana, Brahma Purana, Markandeya Purana and
Kathasaritsagara) as a demoness in the train of Kali who feeds on human
flesh. The masculine form is known as Daka.
Gana

39
 The wife of one of the vasus is tempted to steal the wish-bearing cow
 The Ganas or Gana-Devatas are the troops of deities, attendants
of Shiva and live on Gana-parvata i.e., Kailasa. Ganesha was chosen as
their leader by Shiva, hence Ganesha's title gaṇeśa or gaṇapati, "lord or
leader of the ganas". The nine classes of Ganas are:
o Adityas
o Viswe-devas
o Vasus
o Tushitas (also Ája)
o Abhaswaras; The "Shining Ones". A class of deities, 64 in number.
They inhabit an ethereal world and preside over spiritual
enlightenment.
o Anila
o Maharajikas; a class of subordinate deities in the order of 220 or
236.
o Sadhyas; a class of minor Hindu gods who guard the rites and
prayers of the greater gods.
o Rudras
Gandharva

Kabandha tells Rama and Laksmana how he came to have his hideous
form
 The Gandharvas are male nature spirits, husbands of the Apsaras. Some
are part animal, usually a bird or horse.

40
 o Chitrasena, a character in the Indian epic Mahabharata, was a
Gandharva king who taught song and dance to Arjuna.
o Kabandha was a gandharva named Vishvavasu or Danu, who was
cursed and made into an ugly, carnivorous demon by Indra,
o Tumburu, a well-known Gandharva.
Guhyaka
 Guhyaka(s) (गुह्यक, literally "hidden ones") is a class of supernatural
beings in Hindu mythology. Like Yakshas (nature-spirits), they are often
described as attendants of Kubera.
Kimpurusha
 Kimpurusha were described to be lion-headed beings.
Kindeva
 Kindeva are a race of human-like beings mentioned in the Hindu
Puranas. They are said to have a human-like appearance, but also deva-
like qualities, hence the term kindeva.
Kinnara
 In Hindu mythology and Buddhist mythology, a kinnara is a
paradigmatic lover, a celestial musician, half-human, half-horse/half-bird.
The Kinnaris are the female counterpart of Kinnaras.
Kumbhanda
 A Kumbhāṇḍa (Sanskrit) or Kumbhaṇḍa (Pāli) is one of a group of
dwarfish, misshapen spirits among the lesser deities of Buddhist
mythology.
Naga
Panis
 The Panis are a class of demons in the Rigveda. The Panis appear in RV
10.108 as watchers over stolen cows.
Pishacha
 The Pishachas are flesh-eating demons according to Indian mythology.
Preta
 Preta is the Sanskrit name for a type of supernatural being described in
some Indian religions as undergoing suffering greater than that of
humans, particularly an extreme level of hunger and thirst.
Rakshasa

41
 Kumbhakarna yawns as he is roused from sleep;Death of Hidimba

 The rakshasas are demonic beings from Hindu mythology. Rakshasas

are also called maneaters (Nri-chakshas, Kravyads). A female rakshasa is
known as a Rakshasi.
o Brahmarakshasa are fierce demon spirits in Hindu mythology.
o Krodhavasas are a race of rakshasas in the Mahabharata.
 The following are notable rakshasas:
o Akshayakumara was the youngest son of Ravana.
o Atikaya was the son of Ravana and his wife Danyamalini in the
Ramayana epic.
o Hidimba is the brother of Hidimbi and a forest dweller.
o Hidimbi is the wife of the Bhima and mother of Ghatotkacha in the
Mahābhārata.
o Indrajit or Meghanada was a prince of Lanka and a conqueror of
Indra Loka . He is the son of king Ravana.
o Kumbhakarna is the third brother of Ravana.
o Mandodari was the queen consort of Ravana.
o Maricha is the uncle of Ravana, who aided in the abduction of Sita.
o Nikumbha is the Lord of the Pisachas, son of Kumbhakarna.
o Prahasta is the chief commander of Ravana's army of Lanka and son
of Ravana.
o Ravana, king of Lanka, brother of Kubera.
o Shurpanakha is the youngest sister of Ravana, King of Lanka.
o Subahu, brother of Tataka.
o Tataka, sister of Subahu
o Vibhishana is the second brother of Ravana.
Riksha
Suparna

42
Vanara
Vetala

Vetal…. Vidyadhara TO RIGHT

 Chedipe is a witch-vampire in the folklore of the region around the

Godavari River in India. They are associated with the devadasis, girls
who were dedicated to a Hindu temple god and were often treated as
temple prostitutes.
 Churel is a female ghost of South Asian folklore. The word "churel" is
also used colloquially for a witch. Women who die in childbirth or
pregnancy due to the negligence of her in laws or relatives are often
described turning into churels, who return to seek their vendetta and suck
the blood of their male relatives.
 Pichal Peri (Persian: ‫ )پیچھل‌ پری‬or churail (Urdu: ‫( )چڑیل‬meaning back
footed in Urdu language) is an unexplained entity that is a popular topic
for ghost stories in Central and South Asia.
Vidyadhara

 Vidyadhara are a group of supernatural beings in Indian religions who

possess magical powers. They are considered as Upadevas, semi- gods,
and essentially spirits of the air. A female Vidyadhara is known as
a Vidyadhari.
Vinayakas
 The Vinayakas were a group of four troublesome demons who created
obstacles and difficulties in Hindu mythology, but who were easily
propitiated.
Yaksha

43
 Kubera, Lord of Yakshas
 Yaksha is the name of a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent,
who are caretakers of the natural treasures hidden in the earth and tree
roots. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts. The feminine form
of the word is yakṣī.
o Kubera, king of the Yakshas.
o Manibhadra
o Nalakuvara
Yakshini
 Yakshini (Yakshi) is the female counterpart of the male Yaksha, and
they are attendees of Kubera. Although Yakshinis are usually benevolent,
there are also yakshinis with malevolent characteristics in Indian folklore.
o Kalliyankattu Neeli, a powerful demoness who was finally
destroyed by Suryakaladi nambudiri.
o Kanjirottu Yakshi (Chiruthevi) is a folkloric vampire. She was born
into an affluent Padamangalam Nair tharavad by name Mangalathu at
Kanjiracode in Southern Travancore (now in Tamil Nadu). She was a
ravishingly beautiful courtesan who had an intimate relationship with
Raman Thampi, son of King Rama Varma.
o Tatakā or Taraka (ताड़का) was a Yaksha princess-turned-demoness
in the epic Ramayana.
Yogini
 In Sanskrit literature, the yoginis have been represented as the attendants
or various manifestations of Durga engaged in fighting with the
demons Shumbha and Nishumbha, and the principal yoginis are
identified with the Matrikas. There are sixty-four or eighty-
one Yoginis (Tantric goddesses).
Others

44
 Nam Mahatya - Vishnu rescues Azamila
 Chiranjivi are seven immortal living beings in Hinduism who are to
remain alive on Earth until the end of the current Kali Yuga.
 Dvarapala is a door or gate guardian often portrayed as a warrior or
fearsome giant, usually armed with a weapon - the most common being
the gadha mace.
 Nairrata are demon soldiers of Kubera's army, described to have
defeated king Mucukunda.
 Vālakhilyas were great sages, 60,000 in number, born of the
parents Kratu and Kriyādevī. They were of the size of a thumb.
 Vishnuduta are the messengers of Vishnu.
 Yamaduta are the messengers of Death.

HUMAN RACES

Indra, The king of Devas

The Astomi are an ancient legendary race of people who had no need to eat or drink
anything at all. They survived by smelling apples and flowers. Megasthenes and Pliny the
Elder (quoting Megasthenes) mentioned these people in his Indica. Megasthenes located
them at the mouth of the river Ganges.
 The Calingae or Calingi, according to ancient accounts, were a race of extremely short-lived
people in India. According to Pliny the Elder they had a lifespan of only eight years.
 The Deva are a mythical people of Sri Lanka according to the Sanskrit epics. According to
the Mahavamsa and Ramayana they lived among the Naga, Yakkha and Raskha. They

45
 ousted their arch enemies the Raskha from Sri Lanka, with the help of Lord Vishnu. They
were then subsequently conquered by King Ravana of the Raskha.
 Eka-pāda 'One-footed' A fabulous race of men spoken of in the puranas.
 The Macrocephali in Medieval bestiaries were a race of humanoids with large heads. Some
sources indicate that they may have come from India.
 Mandi, The Mandi, according to Pliny the Elder, are a short-lived people from India.
 Monopods are mythological human creatures with a single, large foot extending from a leg
centered in the middle of their bodies. They are described by Pliny the Elder in his Natural
History, where he reports travelers' stories from encounters or sightings of Monopods in
India. Pliny remarks that they are first mentioned by Ctesias in his book Indika (India).

MONSTERS

 Ihamrga is the representation of fabulous creatures in Hindu mythology.

 Kala is a ferocious monster symbolic of time in its all-devouring aspect and associated with
the destructive side of the god Shiva.
 Kirtimukha is the name of a swallowing fierce monster face with huge fangs, and gaping
mouth, quite common in the iconography of Indian and Southeast Asian temple
architecture.
The respect for animal rights in Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism derives from the
doctrine of [Link] Hinduism, animals contain a soul just like humans; when sentient
beings die, they can either be reincarnated as a human or as an animal.[3]
These beliefs have resulted in many Hindus practicing vegetarianism, while Jain doctrine
mandates vegetarianism based on its strict interpretation of the doctrine of ahimsa.
[3]
Mahayana Buddhists similarly practice vegetarianism and Mahayana Buddhism prohibits
the killing of animals.
Almost every Jain community in India has established animal hospitals to care for injured and
abandoned animals. Many Jains also rescue animals from slaughterhouses.

Hinduism teaches that a part of God resides in all living things, which forms
the atman. As such, reverence and respect for animals is taught.
In Hinduism, many animals are venerated, including the tiger, the elephant, the mouse, and
especially, the cow.
Mahatma Gandhi is noted for his compassion to all living things; he advocated against animal
experimentation and animal cruelty.

Animals in Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism teaches that "we can only escape our own suffering if we avoid
inflicting it on others." Mahayana Buddhists practice vegetarianism to this end.
Therefore, animal abuse is not encouraged. India is probably the only country in the world
where life in all forms is honored and revered, and where you will find temples and rituals for
animals. Hinduism also acknowledges the importance of animals in the transmigration of
souls, since they facilitate ritual worship serving as sacrificial food (bali) or as the source of
sacrificial offerings such as milk, butter, or ghee. By giving them an opportunity to serve
them, they also enable humans to earn merit (punya) for their services and daily sacrifices
(bhuta yajna).
However, not all animals enjoy the same status in Hinduism. A few of them such as the
elephant, horse, cow, bull, boar, tiger, and lion are considered sacred and spiritually evolved.
Hence, they enjoy an exalted status, and share the honors during worship with major Hindu
deities. Others represent mixed qualities or lower nature. Since they have the predominance

46
of rajas and tamas and lack well-developed subtle bodies, they serve well as examples for
humans to shape their own character and conduct and avoid an animal birth.

Many animal seals were found in the Indus Valley excavations, which suggest to their
importance in the ancient world. Vedic people gave a lot of importance to animals in their
lives and associated them with the deities they worshipped. The Vedas mention several
animals by name, such deer, boar, foxes, antelopes, boars, gazelles, jackals, lions, monkeys,
rabbits, wolves, bears, beavers, rats, etc. They knew the importance of horses, elephants,
cows, bulls, sheep, goats, and other domesticated animals in both religious and economic
activity.

The seers and sages of Vedic India lived in remote forests in harmony with wild animals. In
no other part of the ancient world nonviolence and compassion to wild animals received so
much emphasis and nowhere else animals were treated better or on par with humans than in
India. Buddha’s compassion stemmed from the spiritual ethos of India. Hinduism
distinguishes itself from other faiths with regard to the importance it gives to animals in
God’s creation. In the following discussion we will present the ritual, spiritual and symbolic
significance of a few important sacred animals of Hinduism and what roles they play in the
evolution of life upon earth.

1. Elephant
In the religious traditions of India, elephants symbolize royalty, majesty, strength, divinity,
abundance, fertility, intelligence, keenness, destructive power, and grasping power. The souls
in elephants are said to be highly evolved and ripe for evolution. The Hindu Puranas suggest
that elephants in the past had wings. Elephants appearing in dreams to mothers before the
birth of an important person or sage is a common cultural theme of India. An elephant is
kingly. Hence, the head of an elephant herd or the royal elephant of a temple goes by the
epithet, gajaraj, king of the elephants. Since they represent royalty, power and strength, in the
past India had dynasties named after elephants. For example, a dynasty named Gajapathis
(lord of the elephants) ruled parts of southern and eastern India. From the writings of
Megasthanese, a Greek ambassador in the court of Chandragupta Maurya, we know that
kings employed people who excelled in the art of capturing, taming and domesticating wild
elephants. Elephant care was an important subject for which there were treatises. The Vedas
do not directly refer to the elephants, but we know that elephants were native to India and
existed in the subcontinent even before the Vedic civilization. Indra's vehicle is a white,
elephant known as Airavath, which according to the Puranas emerged during the churning of
the oceans by gods and demons. It was given to Indra as a gift. Ganesha, the lord of the Shiva
ganas, has the head of an elephant. His large head symbolizes knowledge, intelligence and
thinking power. His trunk represents grasping power, while his large ears denote his
attentiveness. In ancient India, elephants played an important role in warfare. Alexander had
a great difficulty in fighting with Indian kings as they maintained a large herd of trained
elephants that served the same purpose as the tanks in modern warfare. They crushed his
army and ended his plans to march farther into the interiors of India. Kings employed
elephants not only in warfare but also in construction work and clearing of forests. Until
recently, elephants were used in India to lay roads in inaccessible places and haul timber.
Even today, many Hindu temples maintain one or more elephants and use them during
festivities, and public processions. In a way, it is a sad situation since the elephants remain
captive and exposed to the risk of unwanted human attention, negligence, and unintended
cruelty.

47
2. Horse
In a ritual sense, in the Vedic world, horses carried greater importance than the cows or any
other animals. Horses were used in sacrifices, in warfare, travel, and probably trade and
commerce. In the Vedic tradition, horses symbolize speed, beauty, purity, the expansive
power of Brahman, freedom, grace, and strength. The Asvins, who symbolize the divinity of
horses, are extolled in the Vedas as the gods who rescue people when they are caught in
accessible places or lost in wilderness. In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the sacrificial horse is
compared to Brahman, with each of its bodily parts representing a particular aspect of him. In
the Hindu or Vedic calendar, the Star Asvini and the month Asyayuja are popular terms
related to horses. The twin gods, Asvins, were excellent horsemen and proven physicians.
They implanted a horse head on a sage to save him from a curse. During the churning of the
oceans a white horse arose from the waters which was gifted to Indra. Indian folk tales refer
to horses that could fly to heaven, and horses that possessed wings. The Sun god, Surya, goes
on his daily tour of the heavens from the East to the West on a chariot driven by horses. The
Horse sacrifice was an important Vedic ritual during the Vedic period, in which kings used to
make offerings to gods, expressing their gratitude for their success and victories in wars and
conquests. Wild horses were tamed and used in warfare, rather than agriculture since they
were expensive and difficult to maintain. There is no unanimity among scholars whether
horses were native to India or imported from outside. Hindus worship Hayagriva, an
incarnation of Vishnu who has the head of a horse and who played an important role in
saving the Vedas during a conflict with the demons. Horse riding was an important art and
martial skill in ancient India. Even women from noble families used to practice it. Horses are
used in Hindu marriages to carry the bridegroom to the marriage platform. Horses are
associated with many Hindu deities as vehicles such as Indra, Surya, Vayu, the Rudras, and
Maruths.

3. Cow
The cow symbolizes wealth, compassion, motherliness, righteousness (dharma), motherhood,
divinity, sattvic nature, sacrifice, service, purity, and auspiciousness. In ancient India, a
person’s social and economic status depended upon the number of cattle he possessed. One of
the prime duties of the students in ancient India who studied the Vedas in the gurukulas was
to help their teachers by looking after their cows. From the Upanishads we know that served
their teachers by taking their cows into the forest for grazing and returned in the evening.
Lord Krishna grew up in a family of cowherds and personally tended the cows and other
domestic animals in his childhood. The Puranas suggest that the animals and friends around
him were mesmerized by the melody of his flute and stayed calm. Shiva is known as
Gorakhnath, means the lord of the cows. He is also known as, Pasupathinath, the lord of all
animals. According to some scholars, Shiva’s association with cows and bulls might date
back to the Indus Valley period. Cows have a special significance in Hinduism, as aspects of
Mother Goddess and as symbols of selfless service. Mahatma Gandhi declared the protection
of cows a central feature of Hinduism. Hindus worship cows as the Mother Goddess and
symbol of motherhood, kindness and forbearance. Kamadhenu, the heavenly cow, is
considered the mother of all cows and several gods. She is also considered the source of all
abundance with the power to grant the wishes of her devotees. The killing of cows and eating
cow meat are strictly prohibited in Hinduism and considered mortal sins with severe karmic
consequences. The cows are mentioned in many Vedic rituals such as ashtaka, sulagava,
vajapeya, arghya, etc. Cow milk is used in Hinduism in ritual worship as an offering, and for
cleansing the ritual objects, and bathing the deities, besides in the preparation of sacrificial
food, such as panchamritam, curd, paramannam, etc. Cow urine and cow dung are used in
some Vedic rituals in expiation ceremonies to cleanse past sins and in Ayurveda to prepare

48
traditional medicines. Because it is a sacred animal, gods do not use it as a vehicle, but only
as the source of auspiciousness, peace, and prosperity. Kamadhenu is a celestial cow, which
represents abundance and sacrifice.

4. Bull
Images of bulls were found in several Indus Valley seals. They suggest that since the earliest
times bulls had a socio-religious significance in ancient India. In the Vedic world, the bull
represented masculinity, virility, strength, aggression, and fighting power. The Sanskrit word
vrishan, derived from the root world, vrish, was originally used in the Vedas to denote all
males, including men. However, another of its derivatives, Vrishabha was used to denote
various types of bulls, including horse bulls and male boar. The Vedas describe Indra as a
strong bull of manliness and mighty strength. They also signify the sexual prowess of the
bulls by stating that Agni or Indra descend from the heaven to the earth roaring like a
husband to his wives. The bull has a special significance in Shaivism and Hindu Tantra. Lord
Shiva is known as Vrishabhanath, lord of the bulls. His vehicle is Nandi, the divine bull, also
known as Basava, who is worshipped by devotees individually as a personal god and in
association with Shiva as his vehicle. According to some, Nandi is not a bull in the ordinary
sense, but a divine being, and a close confidant of Lord Shiva, whose anthropomorphic form
is represented by a half human and half bull body. He is known for his knowledge, devotion,
obedience, surrender, virtue, and dedication to Shiva and his devotees of Shiva, and fought
many battles to protect the gods, slay the demons and uphold dharma. The images of Nandi
are invariably found in every Shiva temple. There are also some famous temples in India
which are exclusively dedicated to Nandi. As the vehicle of Shiva, Nandi represents
knowledge, scholarship, devotion, surrender, renunciation, obedience, strength and virility.
However, in Hinduism bulls symbolically represent both positive and negative qualities. On
the positive side they represent manliness, virility, manly strength, sexual prowess, and
fighting spirit. On the negative side, they symbolize darkness, brute power, excessive
sexuality, lust, anger, aggression, promiscuity, waywardness, ignorance, and delusion. On
specific occasions, Hindus worship bulls and make them offerings of food. Since they are
considered sacred, as in case of cows, hurting or harming them is strictly prohibited in
Hinduism.

5. Tiger
There are no references to tigers in the Rigveda. However, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda
contain a few references to them. They contain prayers and spells to subdue tigers and protect
people, cowherds and shepherds from the menace of tigers, besides invocations that extol
gods by ascribing to them the power and the qualities of tigers. For example, a hymn (5.7) in
the Yajurvdea to Rudra and Agni describes that they possess the ferocity of a tiger. Another
hymn (5.21) suggests that a tiger is worthy of sacrifice to Indra. In some hymns the domestic
fires are compared to the tigers that guard the house. Lord Shiva is shown to wear a tiger
skin. Indian forests were home to Asiatic tigers. Tiger hunting was a favorite royal sport.
Kings were allowed to hunt them to protect the people from their menace. Vedic humans
unambiguously described the tiger as the foremost animal among the beasts of prey. A spell
(4.6) from the Atharvaveda suggests that in rural areas tigers and lions were a menace to the
cattle owners as they frequently attacked their cattle and carried them away. Tigers also
figure prominently in many Indian folk-tales, Jataka-stories, and the Panchatantra. Like
elephants, tigers represent royalty, majesty, fearlessness, strength, and ferocity. On the
negative side they represent death, aggression, anger, cruelty, and violence. The tiger is the
most popular and well-known vehicle of Shakti and her numerous manifestations. In the
images and sculpture she is shown as riding or sitting upon a tiger. Spiritually, tigers are

49
considered advanced beings. Some of them might be humans in their past lives or may
assume a human birth in their next lives. For example, Manusmriti (12.59) declares that those
who take pleasure in hurting others will be born as carnivorous animals such as tigers,
whereas those who eat forbidden food become worms. In many tribal traditions of India, the
tiger (or lion) is worshipped as a god. The Gonds in Central India worship a tiger god named
Bagh Deo, who is considered savior and protector of his devotees. The Murias worship
Chitan Deo, who is a hunting tiger god, while the Bharias worship Bhageshwar. Worship of
the tiger god under different names is prevalent in many other tribes of India.

6. Monkey

Monkeys from the Ramayana

Monkeys do not have that much ritual or spiritual importance in Hinduism as cows, bulls,
tigers, horses, or elephants have, but they do enjoy a prominent place in public perception
because of their association with lord Rama and their mischievous antics. India is home to
many species of monkey, and home to some prehistoric tribes that worshipped monkeys or
held them in high regard as their totems. Monkeys were tamed and used in recreation. The
Bhagavata Puranas (5.14.30) states that since sex is prominent among animals, those who
indulge in excessive sexual pleasure might have been monkey in their past lives. The
Panchatantra and the Jataka tales contain many stories with the monkeys as the principal
characters. They point to their fickleness, mischievous nature, lack of discretion, and foolish
behavior. In the Ramayana they played a prominent role in assisting Rama in searching for
his queen, Sita, who was held in captivity by the demon Ravana and rescue her. They helped
him to cross the ocean by building a bridge across the waters and participate in a war under
his command against the demon’s army. From the epic we learn that the monkeys, were not
just monkey but monkey faced humans, known as Vidyadharas or Vanaras, with the ability to
understand the spoken language, even Sanskrit and follow the commands of their generals.
They inhabited a forest called Dandaka in central India, which was then ruled by a king in
exile named Sugriva. Lord Rama earned his trust and support by helping him win back his
kingdom from his more powerful brother Vali. Because of their association with Rama,

50
Hindus treat monkeys with compassion and respect, and offer them food, despite their
menacing behavior in public places. There is a monkey temple at Varanasi where they are
even worshipped, and allowed to have their way. Symbolically, they personify such positive
qualities as obedience, loyalty, duty, divinity, righteousness, courage, and selflessness.
However, even the Ramayana does not gloss over the easygoing lifestyles of the monkeys,
and their lack of discipline and focus in accomplishing tasks. Hindu scriptures compare the
instability of the mind to monkeys who are easily distracted and prone to mischief. In the
past, there used to be northern school of Hinduism, known as the Monkey school, which
believed that devotees were required to make an effort to achieve liberation. Monkeys also
appear in several Hindu folktales, and stories from the Panchatantra and Jataka tales.
Hanuman is one of the most popular deities of Hinduism who exemplifies exemplary
courage, immense strength, humility and the highest devotion. Monkeys are well protected in
India despite the problems they create in urban areas, because Hindus do not like to see
monkeys being hurt or harmed in any way.

7. Snake
India is home to some of the deadliest snakes in the world. Hindus, therefore, have an
ambivalent attitude towards them. They fear them and at the same time worship them.
However, unlike in other traditions, they do not consider them evil, but divine. In Hinduism,
serpents represent both death and infinity. Many gods are associated with serpents. Serpents
are worshipped in their own right as gods and demigods. The Vedas contain numerous
invocations and spell to protect both humans and animals from snake bites. The Mahabharata
refers to a special snake ritual (sarpayaga) to attract them to the ritual place and offer them to
the fire god Agni, the devourer. Serpents figure prominently in many Hindu folktales,
Puranas and ancient legends. Ancient Indians probably excelled in the art and science of
taming snakes, and using snake poison for various purposes such as making poisonous arrows
(Pasupathas) for use in warfare, or prepare deadly concoctions to kill enemies or cure
illnesses. People believed in the possibility of snake spirits possessing human beings and
influencing their behavior, by taking revenge against them for their past cruelties. Snakes
occupy an important place in Hindu pantheon as celestial beings as well as subterraneous
beings. Both Shiva and Vishnu have a close affinity with them. Vishnu rests in the ocean
upon a bed made by the coils of the infinite primal serpent, Adi Shesha. Shiva is the lord of
the snakes with the ability to cure snake bites and heal people. A snake adorns his neck with
his hood raised, while his throat appears blue because of the snake poison (halahal) he
consumed during the churning of the oceans, and held it there to save the worlds. Snake
worship is an important feature of Hinduism. Men and women worship snakes in temples and
under trees, offering them prayers, milk, incense, and flowers, under the belief that it will
help women conceive or overcome past sins (dhoshas). The anthropomorphic forms of many
gods have serpents as their lower bodies. In Hindu cosmology, snakes are believed to inhabit
a subterranean world and protect the treasures that are hidden in the earth. Hindu myths and
legends point to the possibility of interaction between humans and snakes, the ability of
snakes to assume human form and enter a conjugal or romantic relationship with humans. In
Hinduism snakes also symbolize sexuality, Kundalini power, fertility, weapons, and
destructive power. Snakes appearing in dreams is considered a spiritual significant event for
the renunciants, while common folk may consider it an ill omen.

8. Buffalo
One of the seals found in the Indus Valley shows a seated deity in a yoga posture with the
horns a buffalo. It refers to the possibility that in those days, buffalo horns signified a
person’s social status, royalty, authority, or divinity. Some of the seals show human figures in

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a conflict with a buffalo figure, who may be a prototype a buffalo demon or a rival king. The
Vedas contain references to the buffalos and their ritual significance. The buffalo is a savage
beast. Unlike the cow, it has a dark mane, and a gross body, suggestive of its tamasic nature.
However, buffalos in Hinduism represent both positive and negative qualities. On the
negative side, buffalos represent darkness (tamas), delusion, ignorance, lust, demonic nature
and brute power. On the positive side, they represent strength, divinity, support, and ferocity.
The water buffalo is the vehicle of Lord Yama, the lord of the underworld, who is regarded as
lord of justice. Mahisha is a buffalo god whereas Mahishasura is a buffalo demon. The he-
buffalo (Mahisha) represent a king, or the ruler of the earth, while the she-buffalo (Mahishi)
his wife. Hence, the first wife of a king in Hinduism is called Patta Mahishi. In the Vedic
ritual of horse sacrifice (Asvamedha yajna) she used to have a prominent role as the
sacrificial offering to the divine horse, Brahman. Mahishasura, who represents the brute force
of the he-buffalo was a powerful demon who became a tormentor of the worlds. None of the
male gods could defeat him due to a boon he obtained. He was eventually killed by Durga,
the Mother Goddess. In a broader sense the buffalo symbolizes all mortal beings who live
upon earth and who are a mixture both positive and negative qualities. According to Kalika
Purana, a buffalo is an auspicious animal with an excellent form which gives life, wealth and
fame. There is a story in devotional Hinduism, according to which a saint named Jnaneshwar
once taught the Vedas to a buffalo to prove that the same spirit that pervaded all and existed
in all. One may not take that story literally, but it does point to an important belief of Hindus
and their attitude towards animals. Both commercially or spiritually, the buffalo is not as
popular as the cow or the bull, but it has its own place in Hinduism. Compared to the cows
and the bulls, the buffalos are sturdier and better suited to the harsh conditions of temperate
climate. Hence, they are widely used in rural India as beasts of burden and in the cultivation
of lands. Traditionally, buffalos have been used in Vedic rituals, next to the horse, and
offered as a sacrifice to appease gods. They are also the main sacrificial animals in the
worship of Shakti, especially during the Durga puja. However, although buffalos are
sacrificed during rituals, as in case of cows and bulls Hindus are prohibited from eating
buffalo meat.

9. Dog
Although dogs do not enjoy an exalted position like the animals mentioned above, they do
carry some importance as companions and faithful servants. Dogs are worshipped in Nepa,
and parts of India as the guardians of ancestors during the five-day festival of lights called
Tihar. On the second day of the festival, people worship dogs, decorating them with flowers,
applying sandalwood paste on their foreheads as the third eye and offering prayers. They are
also fed with food. It is believed that dogs guard the doors of heaven and hell. Symbolically,
they may also personify Yama, the lord of death, and Yami, his sister. The heavenly dog
Sarama is considered the mother of all dogs. Bhairava, a fierce form of Shiva, who is
worshipped in Tantra, has a dog as his vehicle. He is also depicted in some images as having
the face of a dog. Images of dogs are also worshipped in some Bhairava temples, in addition
to feeding the dogs that loiter near such temples. In the Kali Bhairava temple at Varanasi one
can see Shiva riding a white dog, and paintings and statues of several dogs. Dogs are
worshipped there with garlands, etc. In some folk traditions of southern India, god Mallanna
is worshipped as a dog by shepherds who take hounds along with their sheep into forests and
mountains during the grazing season. In parts of Maharashtra dogs are often invoked during
the worship of Khandoba. Symbolically, dogs represent loyalty, obedience, devotion, and the
Vedas. According to Hindu superstitions and omens, dogs yodeling in the night is considered
inauspicious. Hindu myths and legends suggest that gods may often appear before humans
disguised as dogs either to test them or help them. The Chandogya Upanishad contains a

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satirical passage, a kind of an allegory, in which insincere worldly priests who perform rituals
for money and food are represented as dogs. Dattatreya, who is said to be a manifestation of
the triple gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha is always seen in the company of dogs, who
are said to be personification of the Vedas. Since Hindus believe in reincarnation, they
believe that dogs may represent past affinities or relationships. For the same reason they do
not like the idea of killing or abusing dogs. Streets dogs are huge menace in contemporary
India, but because of religious beliefs they are not allowed to be euthanized. Hindus also
abhor the idea of eating dog meat. According to Hindu laws, those eat dog meat are
considered outcasts (Chandalas) and will suffer from a terrible fate.

10. Rat
The rat is a symbol of destruction, timidity, nervousness, ignorance, fear, and confusion.
They can overcome obstacles in their search for food and remain underground in tunnels and
crevices. In ancient India, next to elephants, rats posed a major threat to crops, vegetables,
and orchards. It is no wonder that Hindus have long tradition of worshiping them both, the
anthropomorphic form of elephant as Ganesha, and the rat, known as Krauncha as his
vehicle. Both are propitiated by farmers to save them and their crops from obstacles such as
pests, locusts, diseases, floods, storms, and gales. In the worship of Ganesha, his vehicle is
not directly worshipped, but he gets his due share from the offerings that are made to his
master. Because of their association with Ganesha, rats enjoy a lot of freedom in Hindu
households, as people do not like to kill them or capture them, unless they pose an extreme
nuisance. It is said that during the British times, many Indians resisted the idea of killing rats
even when the country faced the threat of bubonic plague. There are numerous temples for
Ganesha, but there are no temples specifically built for the rats. However, the Karni Mata
Temple in Rajasthan is famous for its tradition of revering the rats. Rats roam freely in the
temple premises and receive offerings of food from the devotees who visit the temple to
worship the goddess. It is believed that the rats that roam there have an affinity with the
hereditary priests and servants of the temple and may be reborn in their families. Hence, they
are treated with a lot of compassion and offered food. India has some traditional tribes, such
as the Chenchus in the South, who specialize in capturing rats form agricultural fields and
help the local farmers. They also consume rat meat, as the reward for their hunting skills.

11. Lion
Lioins and tigers enjoy an exalted status in Hinduism as symbols of royalty, strength, and
ferocity. However, because of the large size of their population and their wider geographical
presence, tigers receive more attention and religious importance than lions. One of the ten
incarnations of Vishnu is Narasimha, who has the head and shoulders of a lion, but the torso
of a human. Narasimha is one of the fiercest forms of Vishnu in his aspect of Kala, or Death.
He manifested as a lion to destroy the demon king, Hiranyakasipu and save his son Prahlada
from his father’s abuse. Many Shaktis have either a lion or a tiger, or both as their vehicles,
suggesting that from a symbolic perspective they represent the same qualities and energies.
Lions are mentioned in the Vedas and the Puranas. Goddess Durga, a fierce form of Parvathi
or Shakti, has a golden lion as her vehicle, while Rahu, a planetary guard, rides upon a black
lion as his vehicle. Like the tigers and elephants, lions represent royalty, ferocity, majesty,
strength, courage and commanding power. Lions form an important part of Hindu religious
art. The face of the lion (simha-mukha) is used in images and sculpture in many Hindu
temples to decorate the doors, walls, arches, and windows. Their fierce form, bloodshot eyes,
and large teeth, represent Kala, the devourer. A similar form is used in the masks, kirti
mukhas, which are worn by actors in traditional Hindu dance dramas to enact ancient legends
and stories from the Puranas and the epics. Lions also appear in the art of ancient India as

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symbols of royal authority. The memorial pillar at Saranath which was erected by Ashoka
after his conversion to Buddhism contains four beautifully carved standing lions at the top on
a round abacus representing the imperial power. They now constitute the official emblem of
the government of India.

12. Cat
In the main stream Hinduism, cats do not enjoy much importance. However, they are not
harmed or hurt because of various beliefs associated with them. They are not considered truly
loyal as in case of dogs. Hence, they are used to symbolize deception and insincerity.
Although they are violent and hunt rats, rodents and birds whose remains they hide in lofts
and roofs, many Hindu households in rural areas let cats live amidst them, knowing well that
they will keep the houses free from rats and other pests. As stated before, Hindus have an
ambivalent attitude towards cats. Hindu texts use the symbolism of cats to suggest religious
and ascetic hypocrisy. They label those who are insincere, impure and indulge in evil
practices as cat ascetics, and the gullible devotees who trust them and fall into their trap as rat
devotees. There is a stone relief at Mahabalipuram in Tamilnadu, depicting the descent of
Ganga. It contains the statue of a cat ascetic in a meditative pose, standing on one leg and
holding his hands above his head, with a few rats praying to him at his feet. It is based on a
story from Tantropakhyana, a tantric text, which describes how a cat posing as a pious ascetic
before a group of mice kept eating them until they realized their folly and escaped. In ancient
India cats were also used to refer to certain outcasts and low castes, who were unclean or ate
forbidden food. Manu characterized cats as covetous, deceptive, harmful and hypocritical,
suggesting that one should stay away from those who represented such qualities. On the
positive side, Hinduism has an ancient school of devotional theism known as the cat school.
Followers of this school base their conduct upon the example set by the kitten in allowing
themselves to be carried by their mothers by the scruff of their necks. They believe that just
as the kitten totally surrender to their mothers and let them carry them across several
obstacles to a new home, devotees should totally surrender to God and let him carry them
across the ocean of Samsara. Some superstitious beliefs are also associated with cats in
Hinduism. For example, killing a cat is considered a grave sin, for which one may have to
offer prayers and give in charity at least seven golden images of the killed cat. You can now
understand why Hindus let cats live in their households or do not harm them. Many Hindus
also believe that encountering a black cat before going on a journey, or staring a new day or a
new project is considered highly inauspicious. There is no widespread practice of
worshipping cats in Hinduism. However, in folk tradition, a local goddess named Shasti has
the cat as her vehicle. The frequent movements of cats from one home to another carrying
their kitten is often compared to a soul's journey from one birth to another.

Other animals
Apart from the above, the animals mentioned below also occupy an important place in
Hinduism as vehicles of gods, celestial beings, or divinities. They are also known for their
symbolic, spiritual, or ritual significance. The following is a brief description of them.

Owl (uluka), the vehicle of goddess Lakshmi. It symbolizes adversity or misfortune, which
only the goddess can remove as she is the goddess of wealth and abundance. On the positive
side, it symbolizes discretion, or discerning wisdom, since it can stay in control and penetrate
through darkness. In many cultures, the owl represents wisdom. However, in Hindu folk
traditions, the owl (ullu) also symbolizes delusion and stupidity and used as an abusive term.

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Crocodile, the vehicle of Varuna, Kama, Ganga, and Narmada. The Crocodile in Hinduism
symbolizes divinity and Brahman. It is said that Vishnu appears in the sky as a crocodile
filled with stars. Images of crocodile are found in the Indus pottery paintings. It is also said
that in the past rural women in some parts of India used to pray to the crocodiles standing on
the banks of the rivers for progeny.
Fish, which represents an incarnation of Vishnu and a special class of water fairies. Indus
seals contain pictograms that resemble fish. Images of fish are also found in the paintings on
the Indus pottery. The Vedas contain references to fish. Hindu cosmology refers to a world
inhabited by fish. In tantric tradition, offerings of fish to the deities are allowed. In Hindu
iconography, ancient sculptors often combined the bodies of crocodiles and fish and showed
them as one animal.
Antelope, the vehicle of the moon god. Images of antelopes are found in the Indus seals, in
particular in the seal that depicts the image of a seated deity. They are also associated with
Shiva, who is the lord of the animals. In the past antelopes were used as offerings in animal
sacrifices. The Apastamba Sutra sanctions the ritual offerings of antelope meat to ancestors
(pitrs) during the sraddha ceremony.
Deer, which is part of many folktales, myths and legends, including the Ramayana
Ram, the vehicle of Agni, and in some descriptions of Chandra, the moon.
Swan, the vehicle of Brahma, and Saraswathi. Swans symbolize purity, discernment, sattva,
grace, beauty, artistic ability, and the individual Self.
Garuda, the celestial half bird and half human, which is the vehicle of Vishnu. Symbolically,
Garuda represents keenness, swiftness, service, divinity, and devotion. Images of Garuda are
invariably found in the Vishnu temples or temples dedicated to the aspects, manifestations,
and incarnations of Vishnu.
Peacock, the vehicle of Skanda, which represents aggression, ferocity, and war like qualities.
In Hindu tradition peacocks represent the contradictory qualities of both purity and impurity.
In association with Saraswathi, they represent grace, beauty, artistic ability, agility, and
harmony.
Parrot, the vehicle of Kama (Manmadha), the god of love and lust. It appears in many folk
tales as a messenger between forlorn lovers or a companion of the lovesick.
Hinduism teaches people to respect all the animals as spiritual beings and part of God's
creation, whose existence and services are vital to the order and regularity of the worlds.
They play an important role in the alleviation of human suffering and in facilitating the
liberation of human beings by giving us an opportunity to serve them and help them, and in
the process earn good karma. Most Hindus do not like to hurt or harm any animal since it is
strongly implanted in their minds that whoever hurts an animal or kills it incurs bad karma
and suffers from its consequences, sometimes taking birth in their next lives as that very
animal which they hurt, and undergoing similar suffering. Nowhere in the world, you can see
compassion at play on such a large scale. Recreational hunting is a punishable crime in India.
Every year the government spends a lot of money on wildlife preservation. However, on the
negative side you hear instances of evil people, who indulge in animal cruelty, poaching, and
illegal trade in endangered species. Poachers in India kill exotic species, including tigers,
lions and elephants, for the value they fetch in international market.

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 CHAPTER IV
Treatment of Animals in Hinduism

Do animals have souls? Yes say the Hindu scriptures. Every living being, from the animals
down to the insects and tiny organisms, possesses souls. Like humans, they are also beings
(bhutas) subject to the laws of Nature and the cycle of births and deaths. We may consider
them ignorant, but they have their own language and intelligence. They also perform an
important duty in creation and occupy an important place in the manifestation and evolution
of life. Their duty is to nourish the humans through milk and through self-sacrifice.
This article examines the importance of animals in Hinduism and how they are treated in
general by various sections people. Animals occupy an important place in Hinduism. They
are frequently mentioned in the Hindu myths and legends and enjoy a place of their own in
Hindu pantheon as vehicles of many gods and goddesses, as divinities and also as
incarnations or aspects of Vishnu or Siva. They embellish and beautify Hindu decorative art
and temple architecture, adorning the outer walls and towers of temples as objects of beauty
or being installed inside as objects of veneration. Animals appear in Buddhism and Jainism
both as divinities and as a part of their decorative art and architecture. Before Mahayana
Buddhism became popular the Buddha was depicted symbolically as an elephant. Mahavira,
the founder of Jainism, is often shown under the hood of a multi headed serpent, a practice,
according to some, was later followed by Vaishnavism.

Treatment of animals in Hinduism

Hinduism is a compassionate religion and treats all living beings from animals down to
insects and tiny creatures with great respect as aspects of God, having souls of their own,
going through the same process of births and deaths as human beings. Depending upon how
they are born, they classify all living beings into three kinds: those who are born from seeds
and sprouts, those who are born from eggs and those who are born from womb. The
scriptures urge us to treat the animals fairly and, not harm them and not subject them to
cruelty and pain. Non-violence towards all, including plants and animals is the highest virtue.
Non-violence means not even having the intention to disturb others. Sacrificing animals to

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appease the deities was a prehistoric tradition which continued in the tradition for long, but as
time went by became increasingly uncomfortable with such practices to the extent that it is no
more appreciated in Hinduism by all sections of people. The historical attitude of Hindus
towards animals can be guessed from the fact that until the arrival of the British into India,
the Indian forests were teeming with all kinds of wildlife. It was the British who made
hunting a great sport and virtually wiped out the wildlife population from the country.

The status of gods, humans, and animals in creation

According to various schools of Hinduism, spiritually there is no distinction between human
beings and other life forms. All life forms, including plants and animals, are manifestations of
God as limited beings (jivas) and possess souls. All beings are children of Prajapati only.
There are no exceptions. God is the lord of the animals (pasupati). All humans are also
animals until they learn to use their intelligence and overcome their ignorance and delusion.
Like humans, animals are also subject to the cycle of births and deaths, karma, triple gunas,
aspects of Nature, mortality and the possibility of salvation. All are subject to mortality and
food for Death who rules the mortal world. Even microorganisms are jivas, having souls of
their own.1 The difference is in terms of their physical bodies and the number of tattvas
(principles), gunas (qualities), elements (mahabhutas) and senses associated with them. The
jivas are subject to the limitations of consciousness and capacity, induced by the activity of
Prakriti or nature. When they overcome their limitations and regain their true consciousness,
they become liberated. Saivism goes one step further and considers all living beings as pasus
(animals) in contrast to pati or Siva who is the lord of all (pasupathi). The pasus are Siva
differentiated as individual beings subject to the bonds (pasas) of egoism, delusion and
karma. When they overcome these bonds and realize their true consciousness they become
liberated.
According to Hinduism. animals are not inferior creatures, but manifestations of God on the
lower scale of evolution compared to man, each containing a spark of the divine, capable of
becoming human and achieving salvation like the rest of us. Human life is precious because it
comes after many lives of existence in the lower life forms. In the whole creation only human
beings, not even devas (gods), have the opportunity to achieve salvation or ascend to the
planes of divinity. Human life is therefore very valuable and unique. But if human beings
choose to ignore the great opportunity earned by them through their previous karma and
indulge in irresponsible actions, they may very likely regress into animal existence and have
to start all over again. We have therefore a special responsibility to practice dharma and work
for our liberation.

Animal Welfare
Hinduism upholds all acts of kindness. Since Hinduism recognizes all animals as beings with
souls, it has been a tradition in Hinduism since the earliest times to protect them and nourish
them. Nourishing the animals along with gods and ancestors has been a traditional practice
and part of the five daily sacrifices of Hindu tradition. Just as humans depend upon gods for
their protection, the animals depend upon humans for their welfare. Just as we nourish gods
through sacrifices, animals nourish humans through milk and their flesh. Killing animals
except for rituals or for food was a taboo. Even in case of the latter, the law books prescribed
many restrictions. Hindus consider compassion for animals (bhuta daya) one of the highest
virtues and mark of divine quality. It has been a tradition in Hinduism since long not to
slaughter cattle that are past their prime. Even if they serve no purpose, they are allowed to
die naturally. Hindus (who practice their religion, not the namesake Hindus) care for sick
cattle and take are of their welfare. iItentionally they do not harm animals, because they know
the consequences of such bad karma.

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Animal Science
In ancient India people used various types of animals for domestic, military, commercial,
recreational or medicinal purposes. Hindu scriptures mention the use of cows, sheep, oxen,
buffaloes, rhinoceros, camels, asses, elephants, birds, boars, pigs, dogs, snakes, fish, tigers,
lions and many mythical creatures. Animals were used in trade and commerce, hunting,
animal fights, gambling, defense, transportation, sacrificial ceremonies, medicines and as
gifts and food. Snakes or snake poison were used to kill enemies or even kings. Animal
science (pashu vidya) dealt with various aspects of animal life and how to tame them, train
them and use them for domestic or military use. There were separate treatises on taming and
training elephants. Animals were classified into groups based on their origin (oviparous or
mammalian), anatomy, number of legs, number of sense organs, diet, behavior, dominant
quality (guna), habitat and so on.

People believed that animals had the ability to communicate in their cryptic languages and
that gods had the natural ability to communicate with them while human beings needed to
develop psychic ability to do so. In the Hindu mythology we find animals trying to acquire
spiritual knowledge from enlightened masters by loitering around them and listening to their
discourses. Animals such as cows, lizards, crows, cats, vultures and owls were used to read
signs and portend future or determine auspicious and inauspicious moments. There was a
whole branch of science dealing with the medicinal value of certain animal parts and
products.

The Animal Within and Without

In ancient India ascetics and religious teachers lived in forests surrounded by wild life,
practicing tapas (austerities) or teaching students in the gurukulas (religious schools). The
adverse and difficult conditions in the forests offered them an opportunity to practice the
virtues of detachment, humility, equanimity and compassion. Living in harmony with nature,
carrying no weapons and embracing the insecurity and fear they tried to tame and transcend
their animal nature and achieve liberation.

Animals in History
Excavations at the Indus valley sites show that animals played an important role in the
religious and economic lives of the Indus people. The Indus people domesticated cows,
buffaloes, sheep and bulls and probably worshipped animals along with mother goddess and a
prototype of Lord Siva who is depicted in the seals as a yogi seated in a meditative pose
surrounded by animals. Unfortunately the Indus seals have not been deciphered so far. So we
do not know much about what the Indus people did or how they lived.

Vedic people valued cattle as wealth and preferred to receive them as gifts. The scriptures
repeatedly emphasize the virtue of donating cows to Brahimins on every opportunity. But
they were not much into worshipping animal divinities. They used animals for milk, ghee
(clarified butter), leather, medicine, barter, gifts, cooking and sacrifices. The early vedic
people sacrificed cows, sheep, oxen, buffaloes and horses 2. They protected their farmlands
from birds, pests and insects and hunted animals both for recreation and protection of their
villages and cattle. They tanned the hides of animals and used the leather to make bags,
reigns, slings and bowstrings. Animals were also used for meat. Cooking was considered an
art. Both Bhima and Nala excelled in the art of cooking. As time went by, sacrificial
ceremonies became increasingly symbolic with the exception of horse sacrifice. Cows

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became sacred animals which cannot be killed both for religious and economic reasons.
Killing cows became a social taboo and a capital offence.

Hunting
Animal fights were a regular feature in the post vedic India. People participated in animal
fights for betting and recreation. Hunting was a regular sport in which the kings and his
family participated. Hunting provided them with a good opportunity to perfect their skills in
archery, chariot racing and marital arts, get acquainted with the conditions of the region and
clear the forests of wild animals which menaced the people living there. Accompanied by an
entourage of soldiers, officials, ministers and entertainers, they went out on hunting
expeditions either to kill or capture wild animals such as lions, tigers, bears, elephants, wild
boar, deer and wild bulls. On occasions they visited the ascetics who lived near by and
engaged them in spiritual conversation.

Use of Animals in Warfare

Elephants and horses constituted a significant part of a king's military might, which were
replenished regularly through hunting and conquests. The Greek historians accounted 4000
horses, 300 chariots and 200 elephants in the army of Porus who ruled a small principality in
the Punjab region. The Nandas and Mauryans who ruled vast empires maintained huge
armies consisting of hundreds of thousands of bulls, bullocks, horses and elephants.
Chandragupta Maurya sent a gift of several hundred elephants to Selukas who was appointed
by Alexander as the viceroy of the territories he conquered east of Hindukush. Animals were
used in military either for warfare or in transportation.

Hindu law books declare that it was king's responsibility to protect his people from wild
animals and pestilence. According to Kautilya's Arthashastra, a king should protect his
territory from eight kinds of adversities namely, fire, flood, pestilence, famine, rats, snakes,
tigers and demons. He should create separate departments to manage the forest and cattle
wealth of his kingdom. Megasthanese, who was an ambassador in the court of Chandragupta
Maurya, mentioned in his Indika that the Mauryan King went on hunting expeditions on the
back of an elephant surrounded by women bodyguards. The king was fond of animals and
enjoyed animal fights involving bulls, rams, elephants and other animals. Bullock carts were
used in the transportation of food and other materials to the soldiers during war time. People
used various types of animals for riding including horses, camels, asses, elephants and tigers.
Shepherds and cowherds lived in open in tents. In post Mauryan period there were
professional guilds of hunters, snake charmers, bird catchers and pig dealers. The growing
popularity of Jainism, Buddhism, Saivism and Vaishnavism created a new awareness among
people about animals and the need for compassion towards them.

Animal Sacrifices
But their influence was not sufficient enough to stop animal sacrifices. Ancient Indians
regularly indulged in animal sacrifices and rarely in human sacrifices. In some remote areas
of India animal sacrifices continue even today. The raise of Tantricism in the post Mauryan
period and the integration of folk religions into Hinduism contributed to the rise animal
sacrifices. Kings sacrificed animals to appease divinities seeking their blessings and support.
Inscriptions belonging to the Gutpa period suggest that people had an obligation to supply
sacrificial animals on demand to their king. Sometimes the kings exempted some villages
from this obligation. Sri Adishanakaracharya disapproved extreme methods of tantric
worship which included animal and human sacrifices. During his travels in the subcontinent,

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he encouraged the worship of shaktis through the traditional methods of rituals and puja
rather than sacrifices and offerings of blood and flesh.

Animal as Divinities
Hindus revere many divinities in animal form. Lord Vishnu incarnated upon earth first as a
fish, then as a tortoise and next as a boar. In another incarnation he appeared as half lion and
half man. He is worshipped in all these forms. Lord Siva appeared once in the form of a
sharabha a mythical monster with multiple horns, legs and spikes instead of hair on the body.
Hanuman is a monkey god who assisted Lord Rama ably in the battle of Ramayana. He is
worshipped through out India and, though of a lesser god, ranks among the foremost in the
Hindu pantheon. Ganesha the elephant headed god and son of Lord Siva and Parvathi is
equally popular, if not more.
Adishesha is a thousand hooded primeval serpent associated with Lord Vishnu, who arises
from the primeval waters (ksiramudra) in the beginning of creation resting on his endless
coils, his thousand hoods providing him the canopy. The serpent symbolically represents the
time and the thousand hoods divisions of time.

Besides Hanuman, animals played an important role in the epic battle of Ramayana.
Jatayuvu, a mythical bird, loses his life fighting against Ravana when he is carrying away
Sita after kidnapping her. During his wanderings in search of Sita, accompanied by his
brother Lakshman, Rama comes across Sugriva, the monkey king of Kishkindha whom he
helps against his brother Bali. Jatayuvu's brother provides a clue to the search party of
monkeys headed by Hanuman that Sita was held in captive by the demon king Ravana. Then
accompanied by an army of monkeys, bears and other animals Rama leaves for Lanka to
rescue his wailing wife. The monkeys and other animals build an incredible bridge across the
ocean to the island country of Ravana. They destroy the vast army of Ravana and help Rama
in rescuing his wife. The story of Ramayana is a reminder of the Hindu belief that in the
universal scheme of things God does not distinguish between humans and animals and that all
living beings have an equal status but play different roles.

Animals as Vehicles of Gods

In the Hindu pantheon each god and goddess is associated with an animal as a vehicle.
Symbolically the vehicles represent the animal energies or qualities or skills which need to be
strengthened or sublimated in our lower nature with the help of the divinities who can
transform them. The knowledge of vehicles is therefore very useful in knowing which
divinity can help us in transforming our inner energies. The list of gods and goddesses and
their vehicles are mentioned below:

Divinity Vehicle

Ganesha Mouse

Brahma Swan

Vishnu Garuda or eagle

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Siva Nandi or bull

Indra Elephant Airavatha

Agni Ram

Vayu Thousands of horses, antelope, lion.

Varuna Swans, crocodile or makara

The Sun A chariot driven by seven horses

Skanda Peacock

Saraswathi Peacock or swan

Lakshmi Owl

Parvathi/ Lion
Durga /
Chandi

Maheswari Bull

Vaisnavi Eagle

Kaumari Peacock

Brahmi Swan

Aindri Elephant

Kama Parrot, Cuckoo or Swan

Soma A two or three wheeled chariot drawn by ten horses

Mangala Ram

Budha A chariot drawn by four horses

Brihaspathi Golden chariot drawn by eight horses

Sukra Eight horses

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 Sani Vulture, crow, buffalo or an iron chariot drawn by eight horses,

Rahu Black lion

Ketu Vulture

Kubera Shoulders of a man or a carriage drawn by men or an elephant or ram,

Yama He buffalo

Nritti Donkey, lion, man

Ishana Bull

Ganga Crocodile

Animals as Symbols
Animals serve as symbols in Hinduism. We have already discussed the symbolic significance
of animals as vehicles of gods and goddesses. The elephant is used as a religious symbol by
the Hindus, the Buddhists and the Jains. The symbol of ashta diggajas or eight elephants
standing in eight different directions represent the ashtadikpalas or rulers of the eight
directions of space. The elephants are also associated with goddess Lakshmi as symbols of
abundance. The fish and conch shell are associated with Lord Vishnu. The conch is an
attribute of Lord Vishnu while two fish juxtaposed to each other is considered as a symbol of
fertility and good luck. Makara, a mythical figure, with the head of a crocodile, body of a
reptile and tail of foliage, is a symbol of the zodiacal sign of Capricorn. It is also depicted as
the vehicle of the river goddess Ganga. In northern India the lion, bull and elephant are
included among the ashtamangalas or the eight auspicious objects.

Animals as Source of Food

Meat eating was not forbidden in ancient India. The Vedic people ate cooked meats of certain
animals. Meat was also cooked and consumed at the end of certain sacrificial ceremonies
such as the horse sacrifice. Vedic people ate fish, buffaloes, oxen and various other animals.
Cows were often sacrificed but they were subsequently banned from slaughter. Jainism
exercised a great influence in changing the food habits of the people of the subcontinent. The
Jain monks lived austere lives and encouraged people to avoid animal food. Many ancient
rulers of India were Jains including Chandragupta Maurya which must have contributed
greatly to the increasing preference among urban people for vegetarian food. Although
Buddhism emphasized the virtues of compassion and non injury to animals, meat eating was
not disallowed by Buddhism altogether. The monastic rules of Buddhism provided a code of
conduct for the monks to follow in choosing vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods of various
types without craving. Asoka introduced his law of piety (dhamma), which was a mixture of
Vedism, Jainism and Buddhism, in which he emphasized the need for compassion and
respect for animal life. He also banned animal fights and made provision for animal care.
The post Mauryan period saw a revival of Hinduism. The Sungas, the Nagas, the Guptas and
the Vakatakas, who ruled large parts of India patronized Hinduism and revived many ancient
traditions. They participated in vedic sacrifices, worshipped Hindu gods and goddesses and

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built temples in their honor. The Dharmashastras prescribed elaborate rulers regarding food
and drinks. The Apastamba Sutras forbid meats of certain animals such as the one hoofed
animals, camels, certain birds, fish, deer, village pigs and cattle, but allowed the meat of cows
and oxen, tortoise, porcupine, hedgehog, the rhinoceros and the hare were allowed 3. The
Guatama sutras forbid meat of animals that had five toes, or double rows of teeth or excessive
quantity of hair, but exempted the meat of hedgehog, hare, porcupine, the iguana, the
rhinoceros and the tortoise. Certain animal parts such as the testicles of bulls and the meat of
rhinoceros were used as aphrodisiacs.

Serpent Deities
The worship of snakes has been a very ancient tradition in India. The vedic people did not
worship snakes. But many native people across the length and breadth of the subcontinent
worshipped them. Some of the tribes became popular as Nagas because of their association
with serpent deities. In the urban settlements snake worshippers worked as snake charmers
and medicine men. They entertained people with magic and cured snake bites using a
combination of prayers and medicine.
Between First century BC and second century AD, a group of Nagas claiming themselves to
be Barasivas rose to prominence in central India. They established an empire that stretched
from Jabalpur in the south to Mathura in the north. They contributed to the downfall of the
Kushana empire and freed parts of northern India from foreign rule. They revived many vedic
traditions including the horse sacrifice and played an important role in the reemergence of
Saivism in the Gangetic valley and central India in the face of growing popularity of
Buddhism. Their contribution to Hinduism is perhaps never fully appreciated as they left no
monuments of their own. The Puranas mention names of several Naga rulers who ruled
central and northern India. The Nagas initiated a process of revival of Hinduism that was later
taken up by the Satavahanas in the south and the Gutpas and the Vakatakas in the north. As
pointed out by [Link] 4, had there been no Nagas perhaps there would have been no
Gutpas.
According to Hindu mythology, the the serpent deities are semi-divine beings who descended
from sage Kashyapa and Kadru. They live in the subterranean world of Nagaloka ruled by
Ananta with Bhogavathi as its capital. They act as guardians of subterranean treasures such as
gems, precious stones and minerals. Known for their quick temper, wisdom, skill and magical
powers, they are depicted in Hindu iconography with a lower snake body covered by
bejeweled garments and a human head adorned by three to seven cobra hoods. The snake
deities are charming personalities, who can bewitch human beings with their grace and
beauty. Garuda, the celestial bird and vehicle of Vishnu, is their cousin with whom they have
an eternal enmity.
In certain parts of southern India, the serpent deities are associated with fertility and tree
worship. Women, desiring offspring, worship snake stones having the images of a snake
goddess carrying two offspring in her arms. The stones are installed under either a pipal or a
neem tree after keeping them submerged under water for six months and worshipped with
flowers and vermilion.
Prominent serpent deities include Ananta, Kaliya and Vasuki. Ananta is the king of the
serpent world. Kaliya was a five headed serpent who was subdued by Lord Krishna after a
prolonged fight. Vasuki was a giant serpent who helped both gods and demons in the
churning of the oceans for the nectar of immortality.
The serpent deities constitute an important aspect of Hinduism even today. Devout men and
women in the rural areas of both northern and southern India worship them with milk,
incense and flowers, seeking their help and grace. In some parts of the country killing a snake
is a bad karma and a bad omen. People avoid killing cobras because of the belief that they

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can recognize their attackers and take revenge. If a snake, or a cobra, is killed by an accident,
it is customary to perform certain rites before cremating or burying it to avoid retribution
from the serpent deities.

Horses
The horse was not indigenous to India. It was either imported from outside by the Indus
valley people or came along with the Rigvedic people. In the early vedic period horses and
chariots were used mainly for transportation but in the later vedic period they became an
integral part of the army. Horses were also used in sacrificial ceremonies such as horse
sacrifice.
According to the vedic mythology, horses originated from Ucchaishravas a mythical horse
that was white in color and had wings. It emerged out of waters during the churning of the
oceans by gods and demon and was taken by Indra, the leader of the gods, who cut its wings
in order to restrict its movements and donated it to the mankind for their welfare and
convenience.
The horse played an important role in the formation of large empires by facilitating efficient
and effective functioning of the administrative machinery in consolidating the monarchies
and ensuring better control in collecting taxes, mobilizing large armies and maintaining hold
over border areas that were often the centers of rebellion.
Ancient Indian rulers made adequate arrangements for the maintenance and procurement of
horses. The Mauryan rulers had separate department for this purpose. Horses were used both
for transportation and warfare but rarely in agriculture. They were drawn by reins as saddles
were unknown in ancient India. During war time they were given fermented drinks before
taking them to the battle field.

Cows
Cows occupy an important place in Hinduism. Hindus consider killing cows and eating their
meat a serious taboo. Every part of a cow's body is said to be occupied by a divinity and
everything it produces is considered sacred including the cow dung and urine which are used
in certain rites and rituals. Cows are worshipped on certain occasions. Hindus do not
appreciate the idea of sending old cows to slaughter house. Certain charitable Hindu trusts
maintain cow pens to keep old cows and look after them till they die naturally. Though India
is a secular country where the government does not interfere in the religious affairs of the
people, no political party would like to hurt the sentiments of Hindus by making any adverse
statements on the cows or passing laws permitting their slaughter. It is no exaggeration to say
that if cows have a mind of their own, perhaps they all would like to migrate to India and
make it their permanent home!
The cows were considered sacred from the early Rigvedic period. The Vedas expressly
prohibit the killing of cows either for religious or secular purposes. Vedic people regarded
cows as wealth and demanded them as donation from the rulers and merchants in return for
their priestly services. Cows were used in barter and as dowry. Cow products such as cow
dung, cow milk and ghee were used in ceremonies and medicines. During the Gupta rule,
cow slaughter became a capital offence and remained so for a long time under successive
generations of Hindu rulers.
According to Hindu mythology, the cows were created along with Brahma, the creator.
Kamadhenu and Surabhi were considered sacred cows that emerged from the churning of the
oceans. They had the ability to grant any wish to their owners. Cows played an important role
in the life of Lord Krishna who spent most of his childhood in the midst of cowherds tending
the cows. His flute had a soothing effect on the cows causing them to produce more milk.
Goloka or the land of cows is another name for Vaikuntha the world of Vishnu.

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Dog
The dog is associated with Indra, Yama and Siva. Indra had a bitch by name Sarama whose
progeny became the watchdogs of Yamaloka the nether world of Lord Yama. In the epic
Mahabharata there is a story in which Lord Yama accompanies the Pandavas all the way to
the paradise in the guise of a dog to test the wisdom of Dharmaraj, his god son and the eldest
brother of the Pandavas. The dog is also associated with Lord Siva who is known as svapathi
or the lord of the dogs. Bhairava a fierce form of Siva, has a dog as an attendant. Khanoba, an
aspect of Siva, who is worshipped in Maharashtra, had a dog as his vehcile. Lord Dattatreya
who is a personification of the Brahma, Vishnu and Siva is always accompanied by four dogs
who symbolize the four Vedas.

CHAPTER V
The Significance of Animals in Hinduism
by Jayaram V
[Link]

This essay is about how animals are treated in Hinduism and their importance in Hindu
ritual and spiritual beliefs and practices.

Gajendra Moksha
Animals occupy an important place in Hinduism. Hindus firmly believe that animals possess
souls and are in different states of physical and spiritual evolution. Like humans they too are
made up of the same elements. However, in them the higher realities of Nature (tattvas) such
as the senses, the mind, the ego and the intelligence, do not fully manifest. Hence, their

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knowledge, speech, intelligence, and mental skills remain limited. From Hindu Puranas, folk
tales, and legends we understand that there can be exceptions to this rule, especially if the
birth of an animal is related to a celestial event or if a soul purposefully takes birth in an
animal body for a specific reason. Nonetheless, since all beings are manifestations of
Supreme Brahman, they deserve to be treated well, and allowed to evolve in their own natural
ways.
Animal souls are not inferior. Hinduism regards all souls as equal. Their presence in animal
bodies may pose some problems to them with regard to their chances of liberation, but it does
not alter their essential nature. Beings differ in their ability and intelligence because of the
presence or absence of certain aspects of Nature, but not because of souls, which are the same
in all.
The Hindu law books and moral code lay down specific rules, suggesting how animals should
be treated, and which animals should or should not be used for human consumption.
Compassion to animals (bhuta daya) is an important virtue for those who seek liberation or
those who want to lead virtuous lives on the path of righteousness to cultivate divine
qualities. Killing animals without reason has the same karmic consequence as killing humans,
since every living being upon earth has an opportunity to evolve into higher life forms and
work for their salvation.
Although animals enjoy the same spiritual status as humans, they are not well qualified to
achieve liberation, since they do not possess the higher mind or discriminating intelligence
(buddhi) to make intelligent choices. Since they are guided mostly by the modes of Nature
(gunas), their subtle bodies remain weak. Hence, to achieve liberation they have to take birth
as humans. In some extraordinary circumstances, due to past karmas or the grace of God,
they may rarely achieve liberation.

In the following discussion we will examine the ritual, spiritual, symbolic significance of
animals in Hinduism and Hindu spirituality. Most of these statements may also hold true in
case of other faiths such as Buddhism and Jainism.

1. Spiritual nature of animals

Animals are spiritual beings who are subject to the same laws of creation, dharma and karma
as humans. Their intelligence may not be the same as ours, but the soul in them is the same
witness consciousness as ours. Since they possess souls and are caught in the cycle of births
and deaths just like us, they deserve to be treated with respect and consideration and given an
opportunity to evolve. Evolution of animals usually happens from lower life forms to higher
life forms. However in special circumstances there can be retrogressive evolution due to
karma, or divine intervention when it becomes necessary that a god or a human being has to
take birth in an animal body to accomplish certain tasks or undergo penance. It is also said
that in the end part of each time cycle more animal souls are released into human bodies to
give them a chance to achieve liberation or create chaos.

2. Classification of beings
The Vedas and other scriptures classify beings based on the criteria of how they are born,
such as those born from seeds, eggs, or wombs, and based on the number of senses they
possess, such as those with one sense, those with two senses, etc. Depending upon where they
exist they are divine, mortal, and demonic. They exist not only in the mortal world but also in
the higher and lower worlds. Their divinity and spirituality is directly in proportion to the
world which they inhabit. For example the animals that exist in the world of gods are
immortal and divine, worthy of worship and devotional service, whereas the animals that
exist in the lower worlds of daithyas, rakshasas and asuras and serve their masters are

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influenced by their evil nature and do not enjoy the same status. However, we do not clearly
know what happens to the animals souls when they die, where they exist, and whether they
go to the same ancestral world as humans or to a different world. There is also no tradition of
cremating animal bodies.

3. The value of interdependence

We understand from the Vedas that gods, humans, and animals have a special relationship.
They are meant to be interdependent as part of the divine play, so that they cannot ignore or
neglect each other. Just as humans are created for the enjoyment of gods, animals are created
for the enjoyment of humans. Humans have to serve gods by nourishing them through
sacrifices, and animals have to serve humans by providing them with milk, etc., and
nourishing them, whereas gods have to serve them both by protecting them from evil forces
and natural calamities.

4. The virtue of service to animals

The Hindu code of conduct suggests that humans should not live selfishly, caring for
themselves only. They must show kindness to all animals (bhuta daya) and help them on their
evolutionary path. Any kindness shown to them will be richly rewarded in afterlife. Hence,
the scriptures recommend nourishing animals and other living creatures through daily
sacrifices (nithya karmas) as an important obligatory duty for humans.

5. Symbolic importance
In Hindu spirituality and symbolism, animals represent both divine and demonic nature and
different forms of universal energy. Many gods, planetary deities, and demons of Hindu
cosmology have animal bodies and anthropomorphic forms. Animals also serve as vehicles
(vahanas) to gods and goddesses and are worshipped in numerous temples as associate gods.
In the human personality, with some exceptions, they represent the lower nature and the
impurities of ignorance, delusion, etc. However, some birds like swans, and animals like
cows represent higher nature, purity and spirituality. Among the Vedic gods, Pushan is
considered to be the lord of the animals and Shiva as the lord of all living beings. Dharma is
compared to a cow.

6. Relationship with God

Myths and legends from the Puranas and other scriptures suggest that highly evolved animals
may express love and devotion to God and seek his help by praying to him when they are in
trouble. The story of Gajendra Moksha in which Vishnu comes to the rescue of an elephant to
save him from a crocodile is a good example of how God may have a hidden connection with
the animal world. Nandi, the vehicle of Shiva, and Sugriva and Hanuman from the
Ramayana, who are known for their devotion, also exemplify the extraordinary, personal
relationship between God and animals.

[Link] incarnate

The ten incarnations of Vishnu show how God does not discriminate between humans and
animals. It seems if the situation demands, he has no problem choosing an animal body for
his incarnation. Therefore, it is no wonder that three out of nine of Vishnu's incarnations of
Vishnu were in animal form (tortoise, fish, and boar), while one was part human and part
animal, or man-lion (Narasimha). According to Vedic legends, once Vishnu assumed the
form of Hayagriva, with a horse head and rescued the Vedas from two demons, namely
Madhu and Kaitabha. We also read in the Puranas that gods may often appear on earth in

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animal form to test the devotion, virtue or faith of devotees. In the Mahabharata a dog
accompanies the Pandavas to the next world. As stated before the Hindu pantheon consists of
several gods in animal form.

[Link] role of karma and fate

Since karma is a predominant factor in deciding how souls evolve upon earth and take birth,
Hinduism acknowledges that souls may be born in animal bodies as part of their natural
progression or ascendance into higher life forms, or due to fate and circumstances. Gods and
humans cursed by seers and sages for their transgressions or those who commit grave sins
such as adultery or homicide may reincarnate as animals to undergo suffering and pay for
their sins. It is also believed that those animals which suffer death in the hands of humans
may earn merit (punya) while those who kill them commit sin. There is also the belief that
animals that are offered to gods and goddesses as sacrifice (bali) attain liberation. It is one
reason why animal sacrifices are justified in Hinduism.

9. Treatment of animals
In Hinduism many animals are worshipped for their divine qualities and auspicious nature
and treated with respect and humility. Hindus have the tradition of worshipping animals on
particular days in a year, or on specific occasions. It is obligatory in certain Hindu rituals to
make offerings to animals, birds and snakes for peace and prosperity or to cleanse past sins
and bad fate (dhoshas). In the past animals were used as royal emblems during wars and as
symbols of royal authority. For example, boar was the royal emblem of Sri Krishnadeva raya.
The lion was the symbol of royal authority of the Mauryas. The Pandavas used the emblem of
Hanuman in the Mahabharata war. The elephant was another important symbol of authority
and kingship. Some animals are considered auspicious and some inauspicious. Many
superstitious beliefs are also associated with animals, which influence the attitude and
behavior common people towards them.

10. Animal as sacrificial material

Animals sacrifices have been an integral part of Hindu ritual practices for centuries. It is one
of the anomalies of Hinduism, where you are told to have compassion for animals on one
side, and at the same you are allowed to perform animal sacrifices as part of your duty to
appease gods and propitiate them. One of the justifications for it is the belief that it is
beneficent for those who perform it and the animals that are sacrificed since they are believed
to qualify for instant liberation, which otherwise may take several births and deaths. Not all
gods are bloodthirsty. Animal sacrifices are made to only certain aspects of God and some
local deities who are known for their ferocity and destructiveness. Animal sacrifices are
strictly prohibited in right hand (vedachara) methods of worship, but allowed in left hand
practices (vama chara). However, due to increased awareness, and the influence of modern
education, many educated Hindus do not support or participate in animal sacrifices.

11. Animals for charity

The gifting of animals, especially cattle, to the poor and needy is considered an important
human virtue, having the merit to wash away grave sins. It is highly recommended in Hindu
ritual tradition to cleanse one's past sins or neutralize any past transgressions. In the past
kings and influential people used to gift away a large number of cattle to Brahmanas and poor
people during sacrificial ceremonies and on auspicious occasions. It is mentioned in several
Upanishads. Cows and cattle were also given away as a reward to those who won religious
debates or impressed the king with their knowledge and wisdom. It was customary in Vedic
tradition for a groom to offer one or more cows to the bride's father as a bridal price. Kings

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used to donate cattle, and even elephants to the temples to be used for devotional service. The
real or symbolic gifting of cows is still considered a very beneficent act, which is prescribed
in some rituals. At times kings used to gift elephants to the people they wanted to punish
since it was difficult for ordinary people to maintain them and those who received them had
an obligation to keep them in trust and return them whenever the king recalled them for his
use.

12. Hunting and recreation

Hunting is another anomaly you will find in Hinduism. Hinduism discourages killing of
animals except for ritual purposes or as part of a king's obligatory duty to protect people.
Kings are therefore allowed to hunt wild animals or capture elephants for their armies. They
are also allowed to consume the meat secured through hunting or to give it away to others.
However, even they are not allowed to hunt or kill certain animals like the cow, the bull, the
cat, the monkey, or the dog. Killing them or killing pregnant animals, young animals, or
killing a mother with young brood was considered a sinful act with grave consequences for
those who indulged in it. Hunting purely as a sport or pleasure is also not allowed in Hindu
Dharma. Both Ramayana and Mahabharata contain stories about hunting and how gods may
often participate in them to keep the forests safe for the seers and sages who lived there.
Hunting as a profession or livelihood was practiced in ancient India by some tribes and
castes. The epics and the Puranas contain stories where hunting innocent animals or
inadvertent actions during hunting expeditions, as in case of king Pandu, often led to life
changing events for the people who indulged in it and their descendants.

13. Training and taming

Hindus do not like to see animals suffering. They also dislike the idea of seeing captive
animals used for entertainment and recreation. It can often invoke strong emotions, and wild
reactions among people especially in this age where animal right activists are very vocal and
wild life conservation is an important issue. However, historically, birds, snakes, and animals
were captured and trained in India for recreation, gambling, and sports. People enjoyed (and
still enjoy) animal and bird fights, racing of elephants, camel, bulls and horses, and the antics
of monkeys, bears, parrots, elephants, magicians, and snake charmers. Parrots are still used in
fortune telling. In the past queens and royal women used to keep in their palaces and private
gardens deer, antelopes, and birds such as swans, geese, parrots and peacocks, as pets. The
knowledge of taming animals such as horses, elephants, wild animals, snakes and birds
constituted a specialized skill and was highly prized in ancient India both by kings and
common people. There used to be special branches of study for the purpose, and people who
possessed such knowledge were in great demand.

14. Commercial and medicinal value

Ancient Indians were well aware of the commercial and medicinal value of animals and used
them in trade and commerce, healing, and making of traditional medicines. Animals were
bought and sold or used in barter for domestic, business or commercial purposes. Certain
animal parts, such as blood, bones, skin, teeth, tusks, horns, etc., were used in making
medicines, perfumes, aphrodisiacs, jewelry, vests, clothes, utility items, ornamentation,
shields and weapons. Animals such as elephants, snakes, and tigers were used in carrying out
capital punishment. Elephants were used to carry weights, clear forests and transport timber.
They were also used in the construction of temples, roads, and royal buildings to move heavy
stones from the quarry to the place of construction. There were special classes of sorcerers
and chemists who specialized in the art of making poisonous concoctions using snake poison
which were used to eliminate enemies, potential rivals, secret lovers, spies and traitors.

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15. Bonding with animals
Hindu folktales myths and legends suggest that animals may have their own subtle languages,
which gods and celestial beings can understand with their subtle senses. From the epics such
as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata we may conclude that through their positive attitude
and loving nature humans can have a very positive and calming influence upon animals and
develop a special relationship with them. The same approach was used in taming and training
animals. The tamers, trainers and snake charmers used to build a special bond with the
animals they trained rather than torturing them and forcing them into submission which was
the standard practice in other parts of the world. Their belief in karma would not allow them
to practice animal cruelty. The idea is also well exampled in the behavior and attitude of
Indian seers, ascetics, and sages who used to live peacefully in forests in the company of
dangerous animals and wild serpents.

16. All beings are but animals only

Human beings may take pride in their human birth and consider themselves distinct from the
animals. However, Hinduism does not distinguish between the two unless humans are
enlightened and practice virtue and righteousness through self-purification. Indeed, in
Shaivism all living beings including humans are considered animals (Pashu) and Shiva or
Ishvara as their lord (Pashupathi). The pashus (all living beings) are subject to the triple
impurities of egoism, bondage, and delusion whereby they lack discretion and accept the
unreal for real. When they overcome them through the grace of God, they cease to be animals
and become Shiva. According to Vedic tradition, a human being has two births. His first birth
is in an animal body. He remains an animal until he is initiated into ritual or spiritual
knowledge and becomes aware of his essential spiritual nature. When he reaches this stage, it
constitutes his second birth, or birth in a subtle body. Only those who are twice born are
qualified for liberation or the practice of Dharma.

16. The Hindu Dharma of saving animals from destruction

Animals come into your life as part of your karma. They have a role to play, lessons to teach,
and reconcile their karmic account with you. Therefore, you cannot afford to ignore them or
miss any opportunity to interact with them. You have to show them your human side, because
the animals give you an opportunity to evolve and manifest your higher nature. You have to
treat them with kindness and compassion as you would treat other human beings. You can
truly practice nonviolence only with regard to animals that are weak and powerless against
you. It is in relation to them that you have a unique opportunity to practice compassion.
In the last few centuries human beings have indiscriminately destroyed forests and wildlife in
many parts of the world. The karmic consequences of such actions will be very grave for the
humanity in future, and future generations will have to deal with them collectively to square
off the sins of their ancestors. The earth is the only planet in the known part of the universe
with the abundance and diversity of life. Human beings cannot ignore this truth in the hope of
ascending to heaven upon the destruction of the world or finding life on another planet. There
will be consequences for the destruction of Nature we have caused, and they are not going to
be very pleasant. It is an irony that we are trying to establish colonies on Mars and probing
for life on other planets, while we are letting the life forms on earth become extinct one by
one. We have just a few hundred tigers and elephants left. Yet poaching of these animals by
the most heartless people continues. We have destroyed many plants and natural species and
replaced them with genetically modified ones.
The elephants are the last surviving dinosaur like large animals on this planet. While we
watch movies on Dinosaurs with great fascination and fill the pockets of film producers, we

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are letting the largest surviving animals upon earth getting killed in the hands of unscrupulous
people. In both Hinduism and Buddhism the elephants are considered the highest evolved
beings among animals with souls that are eady for liberation. We cannot be humans, and
Hindus who worship Ganesha and Mother Goddess, while we let elephants and other exotic
species become extinct because someone wants to make use of their bones or skin. It is time
for Hindus to unite in their demand for capital punishment for those who kill tigers and
elephants, and ensure animal rights for those animals that consciously experience pain and
possess some degree of self-awareness.

Uchchaihshravas is considered the best of horses, archetype and king of horses. This
divine horse became ‘Vahana’ of Indra, the Hindu god, known as King of the Gods and
Heaven, God of Lightning, Thunder and Rains.

Uchchaihshravas seven-headed horse in Hindu mythology

Interestingly, in the folklore of Bali people, the same horse is the king of demons.

In Hinduism, Uchchaihshravas (Sanskrit: उच्चैःश्रवस् Uccaiḥśravas or

उच्चैःश्रवा Uccaiḥśravā, "long-ears" or "neighing aloud" is a seven-headed flying
horse, created during the churning of the milk ocean. (in Sanskrit: 'Samudra manthan') along
with other treasures such as goddess Lakshmi - the goddess of fortune, taken by god Vishnu
as his consort and the ‘amrita’ – the drink of immortality, which both the devas (gods) and
asuras (demons) wanted to possess.
It is considered the best of horses, prototype and king of horses.. is often described as
a vahana ("vehicle") of Surya - the Sun-God, but is also recorded to be the horse of Bali, the
king of Asuras. Uchchaihshravas is said to be snow white in colour. Uchchaihshravas ("long-
ears" (or "neighing aloud") is a seven-headed flying horse, that emerged from “churning of
the milk ocean”

The famous story of “Churning of the Ocean of Milk” explains the origin of ‘amrita’, and is
mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana, the Vishnu Purana, and in the epic Mahabharata.
Engaged in continuous war with each other, the devas (gods) and asuras (demons) decided to
work together for a millennium to churn the ocean and release Amrita, the nectar of immortal
life.
According to Hindu cosmology, the Ocean of Milk is the fifth from the center of the seven
oceans. It surrounds the continent known as Krauncha, which according to the Puranas, is the
fifth of the seven islands (dwipas), which makes up the world.

71
Various treasures (ratnas) emerged from the ocean of milk. These were Sura, goddess and
creator of alcohol, Apsarases, various divine nymphs like Rambha, Menaka, Kaustubha, the
most valuable jewel in the world, Kalpavriksha, the wish-granting tree, Kamadhenu, the first
cow and mother of all other cows, Airavata, the elephant of Indra, Lakshmi, the Goddess of
Fortune and Wealth, Parijat, the divine tree, Halahala the deadly poison, Chandra, the moon
and the wonderful divine Uchhaishravas, the divine 7-headed horse.

Bhagavad Gita, which is a 700-verse Hindu scripture in Sanskrit and part of the Hindu epic
Mahabharataalso mentions Uchchaihshravas. The creature is involved in a discourse between
god Krishna (Vishnu’s eighth avatar) and Arjuna, the son of Indra and the king of the
celestials. When Krishna declares to be the source of the universe, he declares that among all
horses, he is Uchchaihshravas - who is born from the amrita, sacred potion.
In the 12th century Indian text, the Hariharacaturanga, there is a story that one day, the
creator-god, Brahma, performed a sacrifice, which resulted in a creation of a winged white
horse called Uchchaihshravas. Then, the horse once again appeared out of the milk ocean and
was taken by the king of the demons (Asura) Bali, who used the horse’s supernatural powers.
The divine Uchchaihshravas is very similar to Odin’s horse Sleipnir i Norse mythology.t is
commonly believed that the Elephant God, Ganesha (Ganesh, in Hindi word) means success
and wealth; therefore people place a statue or a figurine of the Ganesha, in his store, or other
place of their [Link] is one of the best known and loved deities in the Hindu
pantheon of gods, and indeed is the most recognized of the Hindu gods outside of India.

72
1760 -65 Artist unknown

What came out of the Churning of the Ocean. One can see the 7 headed horse in this pi on
TOP of the graphic togrther with the elephant and the cow
Dark Horse Records is a record label founded by former Beatle George Harrison in 1974.
The label's formation coincided with the winding down of the Beatles' Apple Records and
allowed Harrison to continue supporting other artists' projects while maintaining his solo
career. The initial signings were Indian musician Ravi Shankar and Splinter, the latter of
whom provided the label with its only significant commercial success until Harrison himself
signed with Dark Horse in 1976. The label was distributed internationally by A&M
Records for the first two years of its operation. Following a highly publicised split with
A&M, Harrison and Dark Horse formed a long-term partnership with Warner Bros.
Records that lasted until the expiration of his contract in 1994.
Attitudes, Stairsteps and Keni Burke were among the other artists who recorded for Dark
Horse, although it increasingly became a vehicle for Harrison's solo releases once Warner's
had taken over distribution. After a ten-year period of inactivity, the label returned in 2002
with the posthumous release of Harrison's final studio album, Brainwashed, followed by
his Dark Horse Years box set in 2004. More recently, Dark Horse Records issued the
Shankar–Harrison compilation box set Collaborations (2010).

73
 VII
Vhana temples of Prambnan
A drive about 15 km east of the Borobudur lies the impressive Prambanan temple from
Yogyakarta surrounded by several slightly less significant temple complexes. It's situated on
the boundary between Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces, northeast of the city. The I
nearest town is Klaten, about 3 km north of the temple compound. Prambanan temple, also
referred to as Candi Prambanan or Loro Jonggrang, built in the 9th century, is dedicated to
the Hindu god of Shiva and consists of no less than 240 temples in total. The three tallest
temples at Prambanan, rising to a height of up to 47 m, are decorated with reliefs illustrating
the ancient Indian epic poem of Ramayana and dedicated to the three great Hindu divinities
of their god as the creator (Brahma), the preserver (Vishnu) and the destroyer (Shiva). Three
surrounding temples are dedicated to the animals that serve them. Prambanan lies
approximately 15 km (17 km more accurately) from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Yes, it is
generally accepted that Borobudur and Prambanan are located approximately 15 kilometers
(9.3 miles) apart. Prambanan is situated to the east of Borobudur.

Borobudur is a large Buddhist temple, while Prambanan is a Hindu temple

complex. They are both significant cultural and historical sites in Indonesia.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple in all of Indonesia.
Much of the complex is well preserved, and much appreciated by the locals and foreign
visitors alike. Located on the border between the two provinces of Yogyakarta and Central
Java, the other structures within the Prambanan temple compound, known as the Prambanan
Archaeological Park, include the 8th-century Sewu temple complex. In total, the park has
around 500 temples.

74
 The
eight Matrikas riding different vahanas like (top row, second from left to right) Garuda, a peacock,
Nandi bull, a hamsa (goose/swan); (bottom row, from left) buffalo, elephant and lion

Ruins and Remains

Temple was probably abandoned in the early 10 th CE when Mount Merapi erupted and the
court was moved out of this region. It again suffered during the 16 th CE and 2006
earthquakes, which may be responsible for all the fallen temples that we see there. However,
during the recent volcanic eruption of Nov 2010, the temple remained safe due to the
direction of the [Link] Borobudur, this temple complex was also discovered by
Thomas Stamford Raffles. I guess Yogyakarta owes its heritage rediscovery to him. Most of
the temples were reconstructed after this discovery. In fact, the construction efforts are still
on, in a way.

Vāhana (Sanskrit: वाहन, romanized: vāhana, lit. 'that which carries')

or vahanam (Sanskrit: वाहनम्, romanized: vāhanam) denotes the being, typically an animal
or mythical entity, a particular Hindu deity is said to use as a vehicle. In this capacity, the
vāhana is often called the deity's "mount". Upon the partnership between the deity and his
vāhana is woven much iconography and Hindu theology. Deities are often depicted riding (or
simply mounted upon) the vāhana. Other times, the vāhana is depicted at the deity's side or
symbolically represented as a divine attribute. The vāhana may be considered
an accoutrement[1] of the deity: though the vāhana may act independently, they are still
functionally emblematic or even syntagmatic of their "rider". The deity may be seen sitting or
standing on the vāhana. They may be sitting on a small platform, or riding on a saddle or
bareback. Vah in Sanskrit means to carry or transport. The word also means 'vehicle' in
Sanskrit and other Indian languages. In Hindu iconography, positive aspects of the vehicle
are often emblematic of the deity that it carries. Nandi the bull, vehicle of Shiva, represents
strength and virility. Dinka the mouse, vehicle of Ganesha, represents speed and sharpness.
Parvani the peacock, vehicle of Kartikeya, represents splendor and majesty. The hamsa,
vehicle of Saraswati, represents wisdom, grace, and beauty.

75
However, the vehicle animal also symbolizes the evil forces over which the deity dominates.
Mounted on Parvani, Kartikeya reins in the peacock's vanity. Seated on Dinka the rat
(Mushika), Ganesha crushes useless thoughts, which multiply like rats in the dark. Shani,
protector of property, has a vulture, raven, or crow within whom he represses thieving
tendencies. Under Shani's influence, the vahana can make even malevolent events bring hope.

The temple compound

Reconstruction drawing of the cross section of the whole Prambanan temple compound,
four rows of perwara temples surrounding the center three main temple

The map of Prambanan temple compound, shows concentric mandala layout

Originally, there were a total of 240 temples standing in Prambanan. The
Prambanan Temple Compound consists of:

 3 Trimurti temples: three main temples dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma
 3 Vahana temples: three temples in front of Trimurti temples dedicated to
the vahana of each gods; Nandi, Garuda and Hamsa
 2 Apit temples: two temples located between the rows of Trimurti and Vahana
temples on north and south side
 4 Kelir temples: four small shrines located on 4 cardinal directions right beyond the 4
main gates of inner zone
 4 Patok temples: four small shrines located on 4 corners of inner zone
 224 Pervara temples: hundreds of temples arranged in 4 concentric square rows;
numbers of temples from inner row to outer row are: 44, 52, 60, and 68
The Prambanan compound is also known as Rara Jonggrang complex and is named after
the popular legend of Rara Jonggrang. There were once 240 temples standing in
this Shivaite temple complex, either big or small. [27]: 8 Today, all of the eight main temples
and eight small shrines in the inner zone are reconstructed, but only six out of the original
224 pervara temples are renovated. The majority of them have deteriorated; what is left
are only scattered stones. The Prambanan temple complex consists of three zones; first
the outer zone, second the middle zone that contains hundreds of small temples, and third
the holiest inner zone that contains eight main temples and eight small shrines.

76
The Hindu temple complex at Prambanan is based on a square plan that contains a total
of three zone yards, each of which is surrounded by four walls pierced by four large
gates. The outer zone is a large space marked by a rectangular wall. The outermost
walled perimeter, which originally measured about 390 metres per side, was oriented in
the northeast–southwest direction. However, except for its southern gate, not much else
of this enclosure has survived down to the present. The original function is unknown;
possibilities are that it was a sacred park, or priests' boarding school (ashram). The
supporting buildings for the temple complex were made from organic material; as a
consequence, no remains occur.

Shiva temple

Main shrine dedicated to Shiva of Prambanan temple complexThe statue of Durga

Mahisasuramardini in northern cella of Shiva temple
The inner zone or central compound is the holiest among the three zones. It is the square
elevated platform surrounded by a square stone wall with stone gates on each four
cardinal points. This holiest compound is assembled of eight main shrines or candi. The
three main shrines, called Trimurti ("three forms"), are dedicated to the three
Gods: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Keeper, and Shiva the Destroyer.

The Shiva temple is the tallest and largest structure in Prambanan Rara Jonggrang
complex; it measures 47 metres tall and 34 metres wide. The main stairs are located on
the eastern side. The eastern gate of Shiva temple is flanked by two small shrines,
dedicated to guardian gods, Mahakala and Nandhisvara. The Shiva temple is encircled
with galleries adorned with bas-reliefs telling the story of Ramayana carved on the inner
walls of the balustrades. To follow the story accurately, visitors must enter from the east
side and began to perform pradakshina or circumambulating clockwise. The bas-reliefs
of Ramayana continue to the Brahma temple galleries.

The Shiva shrine is located at the center and contains five chambers, four small chambers
in every cardinal direction and one bigger main chamber in the central part of the temple.
The east chamber connects to the central chamber that houses the largest murti in

77
Prambanan, a three-metre high statue of Shiva Mahadeva (the Supreme God). The statue
bears Lakçana (attributes or symbol) of Shiva such as skull and sickle (crescent) at the
crown, and third eye on the forehead; also four hands that holds Shiva's
symbols: aksamala (prayer beads), chamara (fly-whisk), and trisula (trident). Some
historians believe that the depiction of Shiva as Mahadeva was also meant to personify
king Balitung as the reincarnation of Shiva. So, when he died, a temple was built to
commemorate him as Shiva. The statue of Shiva stands on a lotus pad on a Yoni pedestal
that bears the carving of Nāga serpents on the north side of the pedestal.

The other three smaller chambers contain statues of Hindu Gods related to Shiva: his
consort Durga, the rishi Agastya, and Ganesha, his son. A statue of Agastya occupies the
south chamber, the west chamber houses the statue of Ganesha, while the north chamber
contains the statue of Durga Mahisasuramardini depicting Durga as the slayer of the Bull
demon. The shrine of Durga is also called the temple of Rara Jonggrang (Javanese:
slender virgin), after a Javanese legend of princess Rara Jonggrang.

Brahma and Vishnu temples

The two other main shrines are those of Vishnu on the north side of the Shiva shrine, and
the one of Brahma on the south. Both temples face east and each contain only one large
chamber, each dedicated to respected gods; Brahma temple contains the statue of Brahma
and Vishnu temple houses the statue of Vishnu. Brahma and Vishnu temple measures 20
metres wide and 33 metres tall.

Pervara temples
A pervara temple on the northeast corner with double porticos, reconstructed circa 1930s
The two walled perimeters that surround the remaining two yards to the interior are
oriented to the four cardinal points. The second yard's walled perimeter, which measures
about 225 metres per side, surrounds a terraced area that consists of four rows containing
44, 52, 60, and 68 pervara temples, for 224 structures in total. Respectively, each has a
height of 14 metres and measures 6×6 metres at the base. The sixteen temples located at
the corners of the rows face two directions; the remaining 208 structures open to only one
of the four cardinal directions.[28]

The middle zone consists of four rows of 224 individual small shrines. There are great
numbers of these temples, but most of them are still in ruins and only some have been
reconstructed. These concentric rows of temples were made in an identical design, with
flight of stairs and porticos facing outward, with exception of the corner pervara temples
that has two porticos. Each row towards the center is slightly elevated.

These shrines are called "Candi Perwara" in Indonesian or pervara temples, which means
ancillary, guardian or complementary temples, the additional buildings of the main
temple. Some believed it was offered by regional rulers and nobles to the king as a sign
of submission. The pervara are arranged in four rows around the central temples. Some
believed it had something to do with four castes, made according to the rank of the
people allowed to enter them; the row nearest to the central compound was accessible to
the priests only, the other three were reserved for the nobles, the knights, and the simple
people respectively. While another believed that the four rows of pervara had nothing to
do with four castes, it was just simply made as a meditation place for priests and as a
worship place for devotees.

78
Gates and walls

Northern pad
uraksa gate of the inner zone
Most of the original perimeter walls and gapura gates surrounding the outer compound
are missing, leaving only the trace of wall's foundations. The walls and gates demarcating
the middle compound that contains rows of pervara temples are mostly gone too, with
exception of the southern gate that has been successfully reconstructed.

The paduraksa gates into inner compound are mostly has been completely reconstructed;
i.e. south, west, and north paduraksa gates, with the exception only eastern gate that has
not been rebuilt yet.

Architecture

79
 The cross-section of Shiva temple
The architecture of the Prambanan temple follows the typical Hindu
architecture traditions based on Vastu Shastra. The temple design
incorporated mandala temple plan arrangements and also the typical high towering spires
of Hindu temples. Prambanan was originally named Shivagrha and dedicated to the
god Shiva. The temple was designed to mimic Meru, the holy mountain, the abode of
Hindu gods, and the home of Shiva. The whole temple complex is a model of the Hindu
universe according to Hindu cosmology and the layers of Loka.

Just like Borobudur, Prambanan also recognizes the hierarchy of the temple zones,
spanned from the less holy to the holiest realms. Each Hindu and Buddhist concept has its
terms, but the concepts are essentially identical. Either the compound site plan
(horizontally) or the temple structure (vertically) consists of three zones:[29]

 Bhurloka (in Buddhism: Kāmadhātu), the lowest realm of common mortals; humans,
animals also demons. Where humans are still bound by their lust, desire and unholy
way of life. The outer courtyard and the foot (base) part of each temple has
symbolized the realm of bhurloka.
 Bhuvarloka (in Buddhism: Rupadhatu), the middle realm of holy people, occupied
by rishis, ascetics, and lesser gods. People here begin to see the light of truth. The
middle courtyard and the body of each temple symbolize the realm of bhuvarloka.
 Svarloka (in Buddhism: Arupadhatu), the highest and holiest realm, reserved for the
gods. Also known as svargaloka. The inner courtyard and the roof of each temple
symbolize the realm of svarloka. The roof of Prambanan temples are adorned and
crowned with ratna (sanskrit: jewel), the shape of Prambanan Ratna took the altered
form of vajra that represent diamonds. In ancient Java temple architecture, Ratna is
the Hindu counterpart of the Buddhist stupa, and served as the temple's pinnacle. It
also has more than 140 inner temples, along with 30 main ones.

80
During the restoration, a well which contains a pripih (stone casket) was discovered
under the centre of the Shiva temple. The main temple has a well 5.75 m deep in which a
stone casket was found on top a pile of charcoal, earth, and remains of burned animal
bones. Sheets of gold leaves with the inscription Varuna (god of the sea)
and Parvata (god of the mountains) were found here. The stone casket contained sheets of
copper, charcoal, ashes, earth, 20 coins, jewels, glass, pieces of gold and silver
leaves, seashells and 12 gold leaves (which were cut in the shapes of a
turtle, Nāga serpent, padma, altar, and an egg).[30]

Reliefs
Ravana kidnapping Sita while the Jatayu on the left tried to help her. Prambanan bas-
relief
Ramayana and Bhagavata Purana
The temple is adorned with panels of narrative bas-reliefs telling the story of the Hindu
epic Ramayana and Bhagavata Purana. The narrative bas-relief panels were carved along
the inner balustrades wall on the gallery around the three main temples.

The narrative panels on the balustrade read from left to right. The story starts from the
east entrance where visitors turn left and move around the temple gallery in a clockwise
direction. This conforms with pradaksina, the ritual of circumambulation performed
by pilgrims who move in a clockwise direction while keeping the sanctuary to their right.
The story of Ramayana starts on Shiva temple balustrade and continues to Brahma
temple. On the balustrades in Vishnu temple there is series of bas-relief panels depicting
the stories of lord Krishna from Bhagavata Purana.

The bas-relief of Ramayana illustrate how Sita, the wife of Rama, is abducted by Ravana.
The monkey king Hanuman brings his army to help Rama and rescue Sita. This story is
also shown by the Ramayana Ballet, regularly performed at full moon at Trimurti open-
air theatre on the west side of the illuminated Prambanan complex.

Lokapalas, Brahmins and Devatas

On the other side of the narrative panels, the temple wall along the gallery was adorned
with statues and reliefs of devatas and brahmin sages. The figures of lokapalas, the
celestial guardians of directions, can be found in Shiva temple. The brahmin sage editors
of veda were carved on Brahma temple wall, while in Vishnu temple the figures of male
deities devatas are flanked by two apsaras.

Prambanan panel, lion in niche flanked by two kalpataru trees each flanked by a pair of
kinnaras or animals.
Prambanan panel: Lion and Kalpataru
The lower outer wall of these temples was adorned with a row of small niches containing
an image of sinha (a lion) flanked by two panels depicting bountiful kalpataru
(kalpavriksha) trees. These wish-fulfilling sacred trees, according to Hindu-Buddhist
belief, are flanked on either side by kinnaras or animals, such as pairs of birds, deer,
sheep, monkeys, horses, elephants etc. The pattern of lion in niche flanked by kalpataru
trees is typical in the Prambanan temple compound, thus it is called a "Prambanan panel".

The Rara Jonggrang legend

81
 The multitude of
temples scattered around Prambanan inspired the local legend of Rara Jonggrang
The popular legend of Rara Jonggrang is what connects the site of the Ratu Boko Palace,
the origin of the Durga statue in the northern cell/chamber of the main shrine, and the
origin of the Sewu temple complex nearby.

Access
The Prambanan temple compound, as well as the entire archaeological complex, is easily
accessible because its proximity with Yogyakarta–Solo highway, a highway running from
Yogyakarta in the west to Surakarta, Central Java in the east. The highway, located south of
the complex, is a part of Indonesian National Route 15, which running from Yogyakarta
further into Surabaya in East Java.

The temple compound is also close to Prambanan bus terminal, in which the K3S line
of Trans Jogja stops there as a terminal point. About 750 meters southeast from the
compound is Brambanan Station in Klaten Regency, which serves KAI
Commuter's Yogyakarta Line.

Vahana temples

The Vahana temples at Prambanan are three dedicated shrines located directly in front of the
main Trimurti temples, honoring the vehicles (vahana) of the Hindu Trinity. Constructed in
the 9th century, they include the Nandi temple (Shiva), Garuda temple (Vishnu), and Hamsa
temple (Brahma).

Key Details of the Vahana Temples:

82
 Nandi Temple: Located in the center, facing the main Shiva temple. It houses a large statue
of the bull Nandi, along with statues of the moon god Chandra and sun god Surya.

 Garuda Temple: Located in front of the Vishnu temple, dedicated to the mythical bird
Garuda, which is a national symbol of Indonesia.

 Hamsa (Angsa) Temple: Located in front of the Brahma temple, dedicated to the sacred
swan/goose Hamsa.

While the Nandi temple is well-preserved with its statue intact, the Hamsa and Garuda
temples, which faced them, were historically found empty or destroyed. The Vahana temples
are part of the inner zone of the Prambanan Temple Compound in Central Java, Indones

Statue of Nandi inside Nandi temple or central

vahana temple.
The other three shrines in front of the three main temples are dedicated to the vehicles
(vahana) of the respective gods – the bull Nandi for Shiva, the sacred swan Hamsa for
Brahma, and Vishnu's kite Garuda. Precisely in front of the Shiva temple is the Nandi
temple, which contains a statue of the Nandi bull. Next to it, there are also other statues,
the statue of Chandra the god of the moon and Surya the god of the sun. Chandra stands
on his carriage pulled by 10 horses, the statue of Surya also stands on a carriage pulled by
7 horses. Facing the Brahma temple is the temple of Hamsa or Angsa. The chamber of
this temple contains no statue, but it seems likely that there was once a statue of the
sacred swan. In front of the Vishnu temple is the temple dedicated to Garuda. However,
just like the Hamsa temple, the Garuda temple contains no statue, but probably once
contained the statue of Garuda. Garuda holds an important role for Indonesia, as it serves
as the national symbol of Indonesia, and also as the name of the airline Garuda Indonesia.

83
 Prambanan Temple Compounds, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Now I had a vague idea about it, but I made it up by reading about it while we were driving to
the temple. We had a bit of adventure when I ended up buying a domestic tourist ticket
instead of an international one. I would later learn that an International ticket is 10 times
costlier but it comes with Coffee. As luck would have it, I just had my first local coffee just
outside the temple complex and it was [Link] temples at Prambanan is enormous whose
enormity hits you when you start walking toward it. The three tall temple shikhara tower
above the rest of the ground. Other temples are dwarfs in comparison. As you move closer
you see a lot of rubble – all in dark gray stone. The rubble is obviously of the temples that
once stood in this [Link] per legends, there were 999 temples in the complex. However,
architectural evidence suggests 240 [Link] temple design follows the Sri Yantra
formation with a Shiva temple in the middle flanked by Brahma and Vishnu temples. Each of
these temples has a Vahana temple dedicated to their respective vahanas Nandi Bull, Hams &
Garuda. There are two temples between the Brahma & Hamsa temple and between Vishnu &
Garuda temples. These are called Apit temples. My Indonesian friend said that Apit means in
between – but I have no clue who these temples are dedicated [Link] these, 3 main and the
largest temples belong to the Trimurti of the Hindu pantheon of Gods – Shiva, Brahma &

84
Vishnu. In the middle stands the Shiva temple that was called Shivagriha or Shivalaya, both
meaning the abode of Shiva.

Trimurti Temples at Prambanan

3 main temples at the complex.

Shiva Temple

Shiva Temple// Shiva Statue standing on a lotus placed on Yoni

This is the biggest temple here. It clearly, indicates that the builders of this complex were
Shiva followers. However, the presence of Vishnu and Brahma also indicates that the 3
deities were worshiped during the 9th CE in Java when this temple complex was built.

A steep flight of stairs takes you to the sanctum of the Shiva temple. The walls are all carved
but those inside the sanctum are plain. Not sure if it was always so, or if this is the result of
restoration. The sanctum is small and there is no concept of Mandapa or the congregational
hall in the temple.

Shiva statue stands tall on a lotus that in turn is on the square yoni. So the Shivalinga is in the
form of anthropomorphic Shiva. Shiva is wearing clothes that reminded me of many
Gandhara-style Buddha images I have seen in India. His lower garment goes to his ankles and
he has thick anklets on both his feet. He has four arms, though most of them are broken so
you can’t make out what he held in his hands. Hair is tied in a top knot. There is a snake
around his neck.

85
 Chasing the golden deer by
Rama – Ramayana panel

Pradakshina Path
Pradakshina Path or circumambulation path goes around the sanctum.

Jatayu Scene Ramayana Panels

On the inner walls of the Balustrades and outer walls of the sanctum are carved panels that
tell the story of Ramayana.

86
 Bali Vadh or killing of
Bali by Ram a Ramayana Panel carved in stones

This is interesting, as the Shiva & Brahma temple here have Ramayana panels while the
Vishnu temple has panels from Bhagwad Puran i.e. the story of Krishna. Were the people at
that time not familiar with the story of Shiva?

Vanar Sena or the army of

monkeys a Ramayana Panel carved into stones
Why would they not carve stories of Shiva in Shiva temple? Is it that they wanted to tell
stories of only human avatars of the deities as the stories of Rama and Krishna are considered
history?

87
 Ravan’s Pushpak Vimaan a
Ramayana Panel

The building of Ram Setu, a Ramayana Panel

So, while the presiding deity of the complex is Shiva, it is Vishnu whose stories can be seen
all over.

88
Bell-like Balustrade tops// Kirti Mukh carved on the temple entrance

Balustrades have inverted bell-like structures on them. At first glance, they appear like a
votive stupa but then they could as well be Puran Ghatak or the full pot as well. If there is
another meaning you know of, I am keen to [Link] temple entrance has a huge Kirti Mukh
carved on it – just like Borobudur Temple.

Nandi Temple

Nandi Bull
The Nandi temple stands bang opposite the Shiva temple. It follows the same style but is
much smaller in size. Inside there is a huge stone Bull – the polish on the stone shining
almost like the skin of the bull.

Sun & Moon in Nandi Temple

Two statues of Chandra (Moon) & Surya (Sun) flank the Nandi Bull. I am not sure if these
idols belong to this place or were kept here later.

Vishnu Temple

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Vishnu Temple// Vishnu Idol at Vishnu temple

The Vishnu temple is a bit smaller than the Shiva temple but built in the same style. Narrow
tall temple with pointed shikhara in dark gray stone.

Vishnu idol has all the icons of Vishnu – it holds Shankh (conch), Chakra (wheel), Gada
(mace), and Padam (lotus flower)in its four hands. He stands on a lotus. However, the lotus is
on top of a Yoni, which is unique. I wonder if there was a tradition of doing so or if it was
also a result of restoration. Shiva and Vishnu’s idols are similar in the sense they both stand
on the lotus on top of Yoni.

A carved panel of Vishnu Temple

The Pradakshina path or circumambulation path in this temple is sculpted with stories
from the Bhagwad Puran.

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 Garuda Temple

Opposite the Vishnu temple is a small temple dedicated to his Vahana or vehicle – Garuda.
Unfortunately, the temple is empty and the statue of Garuda is missing. However, visiting
these temples is almost like visiting the garage of the gods, where their vehicles are parked.

Brahma Temple

Vahana temple of Brahma

Hans Temple

Hansa or the Swan is Brahma’s vehicle. A temple dedicated to Hamsa stands opposite the
Brahma [Link] other temples are in ruins and you can just this representation of the
temples as they were organized originally.

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Kuber bas-relief

Apit temples and smaller shrines

Between these rows of the main temple, on the north and south side, stand two Candi
Apit temples. Apit in Javanese means "flank". It refers to the position of the two temples that
flanked the inner courtyard on the north and south sides. The room inside the Apit temples is
now empty. It is not clear to which deities these Apit temples were dedicated. However,
examining the southern Apit temple bas-reliefs on the outer wall, a female deity is depicted,
most probably Sarasvati, the Shakti (consort) of Brahma. Considering the Hindu
pantheon represented in Prambanan temples, it is possible that the southern Apit temple was
dedicated to Sarasvati, while the northern Apit temple was dedicated to Lakshmi.

Beside these 8 main temples, there are also 8 smaller shrines; 4 Candi Kelir on four cardinal
directions of the entrance, and 4 Candi Patok on four corners of the inner
zone. Kelir in Javanese means "screen", especially referring to wayang kulit, fabric screen. It
refers to a structure that obstructs the main cardinal entry of gopura. It is similar to aling-
aling in Balinese architecture. Patok in Javanese means "peg". It refers to the shrine location
at the four corners of the inner compound.

Other temples around Prambanan

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Temples and archaeological sites in Prambanan PlainSewu buddhist temple within
Prambanan archaeological park connected with local Loro Jonggrang legend
Main article: Prambanan Temple Compounds
The Prambanan Plain spans between the southern slopes of Merapi volcano in the north
and the Sewu mountain range in the south, near the present border Yogyakarta province
and Klaten Regency, Central Java. Apart from the Lara Jonggrang complex, the
Prambanan plain, valley and hills around it is the location of some of the earliest
Buddhist temples in Indonesia. Not far to the north are found the ruins of Bubrah temple,
Lumbung temple, and Sewu temple. Further east is found Plaosan temple. To the west are
found Kalasan temple and Sari temple, and further to the west is Sambisari temple. While
to the south the Ratu Boko compound is on higher ground. The discoveries of
archaeological sites scattered only a few miles away suggest that this area was an
important religious, political, and urban center.

North of the Lara Jongrang complex

 Lumbung. Buddhist-style, consisting of one main temple surrounded by 16 smaller

ones.
 Bubrah. Buddhist temple, rebuilt between 2011 and 2017.[31]
 Sewu. Buddhist temple complex, older than Roro Jonggrang. A main sanctuary
surrounded by many smaller temples. Well preserved guardian statues, replicas of
which stand in the central courtyard at the Jogja Kraton.
 Morangan. Hindu temple complex buried several meters under volcanic ashes,
located northwest from Prambanan.
 Plaosan. Buddhist, probably 9th century. Thought to have been built by Rakai
Pinkaton for his Buddhist queen Pramodini Two main temples with exquisite reliefs
of Boddhisatva and Tara. Also rows of slender stupas.

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South of the Lara Jongrang complex

 Ratu Boko. Complex of fortified gates, bathing pools, and elevated walled stone
enclosure, all located on top of the hill.
 Sajiwan. Buddhist temple decorated with jataka bas reliefs concerning education. The
base and staircase are decorated with animal fables.
 Banyunibo. A Buddhist temple with unique design of roof.
 Barong. A Hindu temple complex with large stepped stone courtyard. Located on the
slope of the hill.
 Ijo. A cluster of Hindu temple located near the top of Ijo hill. The main temple houses
a large lingam and yoni.
 Arca Bugisan. Seven Buddha and bodhisattva statues, some collapsed, representing
different poses and expressions.
West of the Lara Jongrang complex

 Kalasan. 8th-century Buddhist temple dedicated to Boddhisattvadevi Tara. The oldest

temple in Prambanan plain, ornamented with finely carved reliefs.
 Sari. Once a sanctuary for Buddhist priests. 8th century. Nine stupas at the top with
two rooms beneath, each believed to be places for priests to meditate.
 Sambisari. 9th-century Hindu temple discovered in 1966, once buried 6.5 metres
under volcanic ash. The main temple houses a linga and yoni, and the wall surround it
displayed the images of Agastya, Durga, and Ganesha.
 Gebang. A small Hindu temple discovered in 1937 located near the Yogyakarta
northern ring-road. The temple displays the statue of Ganesha and interesting carving
of faces on the roof section.
 Gana. A temple ruin with numerous reliefs and sculpted stones. Frequent
representations of gana dwarfs with raised hands. Located east from Sewu temple, in
the middle of a housing complex. Under restoration since 1997.
 Kedulan. A Hindu temple discovered in 1994 by sand diggers, 4m deep. The
architectural style is somewhat identical to Sambisari temple nearby.

Gallery-Gallery of reliefs

Image of Lokapala god on Shiva temple/ /mage of Devata and Apsaras/Corner antefix
carved as a Kala head/ Balarama is prying apart the jaws of Kaliya.

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 Krishna tears apart the legs

of his wicked uncle, Kamsa.

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