Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

Bhutadamara 51Bharat Mata (Mother India)Mother goddess. Modern Hindu. Evolved fromthe writings of the nineteenth century Bengali,Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. Shrines aredesigned in the form of a map of India.BharatiMinor goddess of sacrifices. Hindu (Vedic, Epicand Puranic). She is invoked to appear on the sacrificialfield before a ritual. Usually associatedwith the goddess SARASVATI. Also regarded as aconsort of GANESA.BhavanavasiGods. Jain [India]. A generic name given todeities of youthful appearance who are arrangedin ten groups all with the suffix -kumara. ThusAGNI-; ASURA-; DIK-; DVIPA-; NAGA-; STANITA-;SUPARNA-; UDADHI-; VAYU-; VIDYUT-.Bhima (terrible)1. Warrior god. Hindu (Epic and Puranic). Aprince of the mythical Pandu family and one ofthe heroes of the Mahabharata epic, Bhima is usuallydepicted wielding a sword and a club. He is ason of the god of the winds VAYU. He is perceivedas a god of immense strength and great cruelty,which separates him from the heroic figure ofARJUNA, his brother, with whom he is linked inthe epic. Attribute: a club. Also Bhimasena.2. Minor goddess. Buddhist (Mahayana). Anattendant of BUDDAKEPALA.Bhrkuti-Tara (she who frowns)Mother goddess. Buddhist-Lamaist [Tibet]. InLamaism particularly, a cruel form of TARA, themother of the BUDDHA. The so-called “yellowTara.” An emanation of AMITABHA. Also identifiedas a female BODHISATTVA or buddha-designate.Color: yellow. Attribute: image of Amitabha,lotus, rosary, staff, trident and water jar. Threeeyed.Also JANGULI and VAJRATARA.Bhumi (the earth on which all things areformed)Collective name for a group of deities. Buddhist(Varyana). Twelve personifications of the spiritualspheres through which a BODHISATTVA orbuddha-designate passes in his quest for perfectionof knowledge. Common attribute: a staff.Bhumi DevataVegetation goddess. Indian. Worshiped by manyprimitive tribes.Bhumidevi (the earth goddess)Fertility goddess. Hindu (Epic and Puranic)[southern India]. The second wife of VIŠNU (orKRSNA). Her son is Naraka. Bhumidevi is oftendepicted standing on the left (occasionally right)hand of the VARAHA avatara of Višnu. In thenorth she is known as PUSTI. She is often depictedsitting on a lotus throne with bared breasts.Attributes: blue lotus, lotus, lute, pomegranate,pot with herbs, pot with vegetables and waterjar. Also Bhu, Bhudevi, BHUMI, MAHI, PRTHIVI,VASUDHARA and Zami-Mata.Bhumiya (guardian of fields)Fertility god. Hindu (Vedic and Puranic) [northernIndia]. Guardian deity of fields, worshiped asa rough stone icon. In later times a form of VIŠNU.Bhutadamara (tumult of demons)God. Buddhist (Mahayana). May be depictedreclining on the Hindu goddess APARAJITA. Attributes:snakes in the hair, and staff. Three-eyed.