Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

Saning Sari 273Samvara (keeping out)God. Buddhist (Mahayana). One of the emanationsof AKSOBHYA and also of HEVAJIRA. InLamaism he is a four-headed tutelary yi-dam god.His SAKTI is VAJRAVARAHI. He stands upon one ormore four-armed Hindu deities including Kalaratriand BHAIRAVA. Color: blue or black. Attributes:ax, bell, cup, drum, image of Aksobhya onthe crown, image of four-faced BRAHMA, knife,moon disc, skin, staff and trident.San Chou Niang NiangMother goddess. Chinese. First deified duringthe Sung Dynasty (AD 960-1279) to combat thepopularity of KUAN YIN, no mortal existence isrecognized for this deity who is referred tosimply as “heavenly mother.” By tradition sherules over the “islands of the blessed,” the threemythical islands which are the home of the gods.She is depicted wearing a yellow robe signifyingimperial rank and carries the attribute of ascepter. Typically she displays an enigmatic smile.gSan SgrubGod. Bon and Lamaist [Tibet]. Originally a Bondeity who became syncretized as a variety of thegod YAMA in Lamaism. His animal is the bull andhe may appear bull-headed. Color: red. Attributes:cup, knife and prayer wheel.SandhyaGoddess. Hindu (Epic and Puranic). The daughterof BRAHMA and consort of ŠIVA or other deities.San-DuiTutelary god. Buddhist-Lamaist [Tibet]. One of agroup of Lamaist tutelary or yi-dam deities chosenon an individual basis as personal guardians.Color: blue. Attributes: bell, jewel, lotus, prayerwheel, regal trappings, staff and sword. Threeeyedand three-headed.SangariosRiver god. Phrygian [northwestern Turkey]. AHellenized version of an Asiatic god whosedaughter, NANA, is, according to some traditions,the mother of the vegetation god ATTIS. Sheimpregnated herself with an almond seed.SangoGod of thunder. Yoruba [Nigeria, West Africa].His sacred animal is the ram whose bellowing islikened to the noise of thunder. Attributes includean ax which is worn on the head and bears six eyes.Sani1. Astral god. Hindu. The son of SURYA andCHAYA and the personification of the planetSaturn. Stands upon a lotus or rides in an ironchariot drawn by eight piebald horses. Color:black or blue. Attributes: arrow, bow, rosary, staffand trident.2. Astral god. Buddhist. Stands upon a tortoise.Color: blue-black. Attribute: a staff.Saning SariRice mother. Javan. Represented by parts of therice plant known as indoea padi (mother of therice). At planting, the finest grain is picked outand sown in the nursery bed in the form of thegoddess, after which the rest of the grain is sownround about. At transplanting, the shoots makingup the rice mother are given a similar specialplace in the paddy field. At harvesting, the ricemother plants are “found” and brought home forthe following year’s planting.