Kali Maa. Kali. Etymology[edit] Kālī is the feminine form of kālam ("black, dark coloured").[3] Kāla primarily means "time" but also means "black" in honor of being the first creation before light itself.
Kālī means "the black one" and refers to her being the entity of "time" or "beyond time. " Kāli is strongly associated with Shiva, and Shaivas derive the masculine Kāla (an epithet of Shiva) to come from her feminine name. A nineteenth-century Sanskrit dictionary, the Shabdakalpadrum, states: कालः शिवः । तस्य पत्नीति - काली । Other names include Kālarātri ("black night"), as described above, and Kālikā ("relating to time"). Kāli's association with darkness stands in contrast to her consort, Shiva, who manifested after her in creation, and who symbolises the rest of creation after Time is created. Origins[edit] According to David Kinsley, Kāli is first mentioned in Hinduism as a distinct goddess around 600 CE, and these texts "usually place her on the periphery of Hindu society or on the battlefield.
Ganapathi. Overcoming Obstacles. Ganesha. Hari Krsna Hari Ram. Krishna. Krishna (Sanskrit: कृष्ण Kṛṣṇa in IAST, pronounced [ˈkr̩ʂɳə] ( According to the Bhagavata Purana, which is a sattvic purana,[6] Krishna is termed as Svayam Bhagavan since he was the purna-avatara or full incarnation of the Supreme God Vishnu.[7][8] Krishna is often described and portrayed as an infant or young boy playing a flute as in the Bhagavata Purana,[9] or as a youthful prince giving direction and guidance as in the Bhagavad Gita.[10] The stories of Krishna appear across a broad spectrum of Hindu philosophical and theological traditions.[11] They portray him in various perspectives: a God-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero and the supreme being.[12] The principal scriptures discussing Krishna's story are the Mahabharata, the Harivamsa, the Bhagavata Purana, and the Vishnu Purana.
Name and titles[edit] 14th-century Fresco of Krishna on interior wall City Palace, Udaipur As a name of Vishnu, Krishna listed as the 57th Name in the Vishnu Sahasranama. Iconography[edit] Hinduism for Beginners - What is Hinduism? If you're new to this faith, here's where to begin.
In this simple introduction to a complex religion, get your basic questions on Hinduism answered and explained in brief. What is Hinduism? Hinduism is the world's oldest extant religion, with a billion followers, which makes it the world's third largest religion. Hinduism is a conglomeration of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas and practices that originated in India, characterized by the belief in reincarnation, one absolute being of multiple manifestations, the law of cause and effect, following the path of righteousness, and the desire for liberation from the cycle of births and deaths. Read More: How do you define Hinduism? How is Hinduism unique from other religions? Hinduism cannot be neatly slotted into any particular belief system. Read More: The Uniqueness of Hinduism How and when did Hinduism originate? Hinduism has its origins in such remote past that it cannot be traced to any one individual. Read More: Who is a Hindu?