Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

270 Sadbhuja-SitataraSadbhuja-SitataraGod. Buddhist. An emanation of AMOGHASIDDHIand a variety of SITATARA. Color: white. Attributes:arrow, blue lotus, bow, image of Amoghasiddhi oncrown, lotus and rosary. Three-headed.Sadhumati (good)Minor goddess. Buddhist (Vajrayana). One of severaldeified BHUMIS recognized as different spiritualspheres through which a disciple passes.Color: white. Attributes: staff, and sword on ablue lotus.SadrapaGod of healing. Western Semitic (Syrian) andPontic. He is depicted on reliefs as a youth holdinga scorpion or snake. Known originally fromPalmyra, his popularity spread to Carthage and,during the Hellenic period, to the Greek coast.Also Satrapis (Greek).Sagaramati (mind of the ocean)God. Buddhist. A BODHISATTVA or buddhadesignate.Color: white. Attributes: conch, andsword with staff.SaharMoon god. Western Semitic (Aramaic). Knownfrom inscriptions.Sai’ Al Qaum (the good and beautiful godwho does not drink wine)Local guardian deity. Western Semitic (Nabataean).Known from two inscriptions at Palmyra whichsuggest him to be a protector of caravans. Attributesinclude a helmet. He may have developed from anEgyptian god Sai (Greek: Psais).SajaraRainbow god. Songhai [eastern Mali, WestAfrica]. Perceived as a rainbow-colored snake andsymbolized by a tree where white rams are sacrificedand hung. The animals’ blood is sprinkledon the tree. The ritual is accompanied by a raindance.SAKHMET (the powerful one)ORIGIN Egyptian. Goddess of war.KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP circa 3000 BC untilthe end of Egyptian history circa AD 400.SYNONYMS Sachmet; possibly ŠESMETET.CENTER(S) OF CULT Heliopolis, Memphis andother sanctuaries along the Nile valley.ART REFERENCES sculptures, particularly at Karnakfrom sixteenth century BC onward; wallpaintings, royal tombs at Thebes, etc.LITERARY SOURCES coffin texts, royal tombs atThebes, etc.Sakhmet is a significant deity in the EgyptianNew Kingdom at Memphis. Her father is thesun god RE and she is the consort of PTAH. Sheis, by implication, the mother of the god ofthe primordial lotus blossom, NEFERTUM. Iniconography Sakhmet is generally depicted inhuman form, but with the head of a lionesssurmounted by a sun disc. Occasionally she isdrawn with a rosette pattern over each breast(see IŠTAR).Sakhmet is, to an extent, syncretized with thegoddess MUT, who is the consort of the sun godof Thebes, AMUN. In the Karnak complex largenumbers of Sakhmet’s statues, typically hewn inblack granite and in which she holds the ankhsymbol of life or a papyrus stem, were raised inthe precinct of the Mut sanctuary.She is said to breathe fire against the enemies ofthe pharaoh and, like HATHOR in her attempt todestroy the human race, she can be the vengeful