Devas (Gods)

Bright beings of the cosmic order. When a planet falls into a deva's amsa it tends to act along that deity's archetype — Vishwakarma builds, Saraswati teaches, Yama disciplines.

Trimurti — the Three Forms

Brahma

ब्रह्मा

Creation, Vedas, origin

The four-faced creator. Source of the Vedas, lord of speech and progenitor of beings. Lokapala of Urdhva (zenith).

Amsa flavour: Origination, scriptural knowledge, fresh starts, fertility of ideas, priestly authority.

Vishnu

विष्णु

Preservation, dharma, sustenance

The preserver. Incarnates as avatars (Rama, Krishna, Narasimha, etc.) to restore dharma. Reclines on Ananta-Shesha.

Amsa flavour: Sustaining work, dharmic conduct, statesmanship, righteous protection, longevity of the matter signified.

Shiva

शिव

Destruction, yoga, transformation

The destroyer and Mahayogi. Lord of Kailasa, husband of Parvati. Holds trident, drum, axe; wears serpent and ash.

Amsa flavour: Renunciation, mysticism, dissolution, ascetic strength, deep transformation, healing through destruction.

Lokapalas — Guardians of the Directions

Indra

इन्द्र

East — kingship, rain, command

King of the devas. Wields the vajra (thunderbolt). Brings rain, leads gods in battle.

Amsa flavour: Rulership, public office, command of teams, victory in conflict, generosity from above.

Agni

अग्नि

Southeast — fire, sacrifice, transformation

Mouth of the gods, carrier of offerings. Twin-faced, seven-tongued. Priest of the cosmic yajna.

Amsa flavour: Cooking, smelting, energy, ritual, transformation, digestion (literal and metabolic).

Yama

यम

South — dharma, justice, death

Lord of the dead, first mortal, judge of karma. Holds the noose and the staff of dharma.

Amsa flavour: Discipline, law, accounting, audit, restraint, finality, hospice and end-of-life work.

Nirruti

निरृति

Southwest — decay, dissolution

Goddess (or god) of misery, decay, and the rakshasa direction. Often shown as a fierce female on a donkey.

Amsa flavour: Decline, debt, loss, demolition work, undertaker trades, anything dealing with decay or refuse.

Varuna

वरुण

West — water, oaths, cosmic law

Lord of the waters and the cosmic order (rta). Holds the noose; knower of every secret.

Amsa flavour: Oceans, navigation, law and contracts, oaths, hidden truths, intelligence work.

Vayu

वायु

Northwest — wind, breath, motion

Lord of wind and prana. Father of Hanuman and Bhima. Swift, pervasive, invisible.

Amsa flavour: Travel, transport, communication, athletics, prana and breath-work, aviation.

Kubera

कुबेर

North — wealth, treasure

Lord of yakshas, treasurer of the gods. Resides in Alaka. Dwarvish, plump, stuffed with gold.

Amsa flavour: Wealth accumulation, banking, mining, hoards, real estate, treasury and finance.

Ishana

ईशान

Northeast — spirituality, sovereignty

Aspect of Shiva guarding the auspicious northeast. Lord of subtle space.

Amsa flavour: Meditation, gurus, sacred study, scholarship, spiritual leadership.

Ananta

अनन्त

Patala (below) — infinity, support

The thousand-headed serpent on whom Vishnu reclines. Holds the worlds. Also called Shesha.

Amsa flavour: Endurance, foundations, infrastructure, cosmic patience, support roles.

Luminaries, Consorts and Sons

Surya

सूर्य

Sun — soul, vitality, kingship

Charioteer Aruna, seven horses, blazing disc. Father of Yama, Shani, Yamuna, Karna.

Amsa flavour: Sovereignty, government, vital force, eyesight, public reputation, bones.

Chandra

चन्द्र

Moon — mind, mother, nourishment

Cool nectar-bearer, husband of the 27 nakshatra wives. Source of soma.

Amsa flavour: Mind, comfort, the public, water, food, mother, emotional nourishment.

Saraswati

सरस्वती

Knowledge, speech, music, arts

Consort of Brahma. White swan, veena, manuscript, mala. Goddess of learning and the arts.

Amsa flavour: Speech, writing, music, scholarship, teaching, fine arts, eloquence.

Lakshmi

लक्ष्मी

Wealth, beauty, prosperity

Consort of Vishnu. Lotus-born, four-armed, showers gold from her hands.

Amsa flavour: Prosperity, beauty, dignity of wealth, marriage harmony, cleanliness, refinement.

Parvati / Durga

पार्वती / दुर्गा

Power, protection, motherhood

Consort of Shiva. As Durga, slayer of Mahishasura, ten-armed, lion-mounted protector.

Amsa flavour: Resilience, protective power, righteous war, motherhood, household authority.

Ganesha

गणेश

Beginnings, obstacles, intellect

Elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati. Remover (and placer) of obstacles. Scribe of the Mahabharata.

Amsa flavour: Beginnings, problem-solving, scribes and engineers, removing blockers, auspicious starts.

Kartikeya / Skanda

कार्तिकेय / स्कन्द

War, command, youth

Six-faced commander of the deva army, slayer of Tarakasura. Mounted on a peacock; wields the vel.

Amsa flavour: Generalship, military, focused attack, youthful energy, devotion to a single cause.

Craft, Healing and Counsel

Vishwakarma

विश्वकर्मा

Architect of the gods, divine engineer

Builder of Lanka (the original golden city), the Pushpaka Vimana, the celestial weapons, Indra's Amaravati and Krishna's Dwaraka. The pattern-maker of the cosmos.

Amsa flavour: Architecture, civil and software engineering, design, manufacturing, town planning, R&D, "build something that lasts."

Tvashtar

त्वष्टृ

Vedic craftsman, shaper of forms

Older Vedic figure often merged with Vishwakarma. Forged Indra's vajra from the bones of the sage Dadhichi. Father of Vishvarupa and Saranyu.

Amsa flavour: Smithing, fabrication, metallurgy, weapon-making, shaping raw matter into form.

Ashwini Kumars

अश्विनीकुमार

Twin physicians of the gods

Nasatya and Dasra. Lords of nakshatra Ashwini. Healed countless beings, including the rishi Chyavana.

Amsa flavour: Medicine, surgery, emergency response, regeneration, twins, paramedics, alt-medicine.

Dhanvantari

धन्वन्तरि

Father of Ayurveda

Emerged from the churning of the ocean carrying the pot of amrita. Patron of physicians.

Amsa flavour: Ayurveda, pharmacy, medicine, longevity practices, herbal craft.

Brihaspati

बृहस्पति

Guru of the gods

Preceptor of the devas, lord of the planet Jupiter, master of speech, ritual, and counsel.

Amsa flavour: Teaching, advisory roles, law, priesthood, wisdom, righteous counsel.

Shukra

शुक्र

Guru of the asuras (counted here for completeness)

Holder of mritasanjivani (the secret of reviving the dead). Preceptor of the asuras, lord of Venus.

Amsa flavour: Worldly arts, pleasure, diplomacy with the "other side", reviving dead projects, luxury crafts.

Hanuman

हनुमान्

Strength, devotion, service

Vayu-putra. Greatest devotee of Rama. Master of Sanskrit grammar, jumped to Lanka, lifted the Dronagiri mountain.

Amsa flavour: Loyal service, raw strength, language mastery, healing through devotion, fearless missions.

Soma

सोम

Nectar, vegetation, lunar essence

The drink of the gods and the deity who personifies it. Sometimes identified with Chandra.

Amsa flavour: Refreshment, cooling drinks, herbs, intoxicants used ritually, fertility of plants.

Aditi

अदिति

Mother of the Adityas (gods)

Boundless one, mother of the twelve Adityas including Surya, Indra, Vishnu (as Vamana). Counterpart to Diti.

Amsa flavour: Boundlessness, motherhood of bright beings, generosity, freedom, sky.

Garuda

गरुड

Eagle-mount of Vishnu, swiftness

Devourer of serpents, swift carrier of Vishnu, son of Vinata.

Amsa flavour: Aviation, speed, courier work, swiftness in delivery, hunting of hidden enemies.