Cosmic principleVedantic / Vedic / Philosophical
Brahman
Brahman — Ultimate reality underlying existence in Vedantic discourse; distinct from the creator Brahma.
#1 / 700
THE INTERCONNECTED ARCHIVE
Explore the universe.
One discovery leads to another. Find a deity, follow a story, or explore a collection.
EPICS & VEDIC GODS
Cosmic principle
Cosmic principleVedantic / Vedic / Philosophical
Paramatman
Paramatman — Supreme Self or indwelling divine presence; its relation to Brahman and personal deity depends on school.
#2 / 700
Cosmic principleVedantic / Vedic / Philosophical
Bhagavan
Term for the personal divine or Lord possessing fullness of divine excellences; not a single universally separate person.
#3 / 700
Cosmic principleVedic / Samkhya / Vedantic
Purusha
Cosmic Person in Vedic imagery and conscious principle in Samkhya; distinguish these meanings.
#4 / 700
Cosmic principleVedic / Samkhya / Vedantic
Prakriti
Primordial nature or material principle; relationship to divinity and consciousness differs across philosophical schools.
#5 / 700
Cosmic principleShakta / Puranic / Tantric
Adi Shakti
Primordial Shakti understood as the source of divine power, especially in Shakta traditions.
#6 / 700
Cosmic principleShakta / Puranic / Tantric
Mahashakti
Great divine power or Shakti; frequently overlaps with Adi Shakti and Mahadevi rather than constituting a separate being.
#7 / 700
Cosmic principleVedic / Vedantic / Puranic
Hiranyagarbha
Golden embryo or germ associated with cosmic emergence; later identifications vary.
#8 / 700
Cosmic principleVedantic / Yoga / Theistic philosophical
Ishvara
Lord or governing divine principle; identity and status vary by philosophical and devotional tradition.
#9 / 700
Cosmic principleVedantic / Vedic / Philosophical
Kala
Cosmic time, sometimes personified; distinguish time as principle from particular divine forms.
#10 / 700
Cosmic principleVedantic / Vedic / Philosophical
Maya
Power of manifestation or appearance; meanings include divine potency and the conditions of misapprehension.
#11 / 700
Cosmic principleVedantic / Vedic / Philosophical
Dharma
Cosmic and ethical order; distinct uses include a principle and a personified deity.
#12 / 700
Deity
DeityVaishnava / Puranic
Vishnu
Vishnu is central to Vaishnava traditions. In the Vishnu Purana, he is presented as the divine ground of the universe and its preservation.
#14 / 700
DeityShaiva / Puranic
Shiva
Shiva is a central deity of Hindu traditions, associated with asceticism, transformation, and divine power. Shaiva traditions understand him as supreme divinity.
#15 / 700
GoddessShakta / Puranic / Tantric
Mahadevi
Great Goddess encompassing or identified with many divine feminine forms; supreme in Shakta traditions.
#16 / 700
DeityVaishnava / Puranic
Narayana
Narayana — Supreme Narayana of Vaishnava theology; closely identified with Vishnu.
#17 / 700
DeityVaishnava / Puranic
Mahavishnu
Cosmic Vishnu form, particularly elaborated in some Vaishnava cosmologies.
#18 / 700
DeityShaiva / Puranic
Sadashiva
Sadashiva — Supreme or transcendent Shiva form; theological descriptions differ among Shaiva systems.
#19 / 700
DeityVaishnava / Puranic
Krishna
Krishna is the divine teacher in the Bhagavad Gita, where his dialogue with Arjuna explores action, devotion, knowledge, and duty.
#20 / 700
Deity
DeityShakta / Puranic / Tantric
Lalita Tripurasundari
Lalita Tripurasundari — Supreme goddess of Sri Vidya, associated with beauty, consciousness, and the Sri Chakra.
#22 / 700
GoddessShakta / Puranic / Tantric
Durga
Durga is a powerful manifestation of the Goddess. The Devi Mahatmya tells of her conflict with Mahishasura and celebrates divine feminine power.
#23 / 700
GoddessShakta / Puranic / Tantric
Kali
Fierce goddess of time, transformation, and liberation; identities overlap with other goddess forms.
#24 / 700
Master Power Ranking is an editorial classification. Traditions and texts may offer different accounts of divine power.