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DAKSHA DEVI As Kali, Devi stands on the prostrate body of Shiva, who is lying on
a lotus bed. Kali wears a girdle of severed arms and a necklace of
skulls, her tongue lolls from her mouth, probably savouring the taste of
blood, and in her four arms she holds a bloody sword, a severed head
held by the hair, the other two hands conferring a blessing and bidding
her followers to show no fear.
DHARMA
DOORGA DYAUS
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One of the Rishis, Daksha was the son of
Brahma, springing from the
god's right thumb, but he was condemned to go through a rebirth as a
result of a curse laid on him by Shiva, his son-in-law. This had to do
with the inadvertent exclusion of the Destroyer from a sacrifice to
Vishnu, for which the god retaliated to devastating effect, laying low
most of the gods gathered there. Daksha himself was decapitated, and
his head thrown in the sacrifical fire. After due apology and
entreaty, Shiva agreed to restore his victims, but as Dashka's head
could not be found, he had to make do with that of a ram.
The great goddess of the Hindus, more properly known as
Mahadevi, she is the consort of Shiva, and is also known in various
aspects as Uma, Gauri, Parvati, Jaganmata, Durga, Kali, Chandi and Bhairavi.
In her guise as Durga, she appeared as a beautiful warrior maiden, with
yellow hair and seated on a tiger, who went forth and did battle with
the demonic Mahisha, a great water-buffalo bull whom the combined might
of the gods could not defeat. Durga overcame both Mahisha and his
terrible weapon, a mighty mace, and because of this was deferred to by
all the gods in matters of battle or weapons.
A Rishi who married thirteen of Daksha's daughters.
See Bhavani.
The chief Hindu god, Dyaus was the god of the bright sky, and also
the rain-god. He finally gave place to his son, Indra, as the father of
the Hindu gods.
