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मयूर
mayūra
Peacock; vahana of Kartikeya (Murugan). Also adorns Krishna's crown (peacock feather). Symbol of beauty and victory over snakes (kundalini mastery).
मयूर; कार्तिकेय का वाहन।
Hindu thought is built from a vocabulary of carefully-distinguished terms. Words like mayura are not loose translations — each has a precise scriptural genealogy, a specific role in ritual or philosophy, and often a counterpart that completes its meaning. Many of the major Hindu darśanas (Sāṅkhya, Yoga, Vedānta, Mīmāṃsā, Nyāya, Vaiśeṣika) refined their vocabulary over centuries; the same Sanskrit term can carry different shades in different schools.
Mayura sits within a cluster of related concepts — vahana, kartikeya, krishna. Reading these together gives you the actual texture of the idea, rather than treating it as an isolated definition. Each Sanskrit term in this glossary is cross-linked to the others it presupposes.
Where useful we cite the primary scriptural source — the Upaniṣad, sūtra, or smṛti passage where the term is given its classical sense — alongside trusted modern dictionaries (Monier-Williams, V.S. Apte, Sanskrit Heritage). For practical questions about usage in pūjā or daily life, ask a paṇḍita in your tradition.
Mount/vehicle of a deity, itself a sub-deity. Indra-Airavata, Vishnu-Garuda, Shiva-Nandi, Lakshmi-Owl, Saraswati-Hamsa, Ganesha-Mooshika, Kartikeya-Mayura, Durga-Lion.
Six-headed war-god; commander of the deva army; son of Shiva and Parvati. Names: Skanda, Murugan (Tamil), Subrahmanya, Senapati, Shanmukha. Wife: Devasena, Valli. Vahana: peacock. Predominant in south India.
Eighth avatara of Vishnu; the dark one. Born to Devaki and Vasudeva, raised by Yashoda and Nanda in Vrindavan. Beloved of Radha. Charioteer of Arjuna; speaker of the Bhagavad Gita. Murlidhar (flute-bearer), Govinda (cowherd), Madhava, Madhusudana.
Divine weapon held by a deity, identifying its iconography. Vishnu's chakra-shankha-gada-padma, Shiva's trishul-damaru, Durga's many weapons. Ayudha-puja honours all tools on Vijayadashami.
Hourglass-shaped drum held by Shiva, especially as Nataraja. Its sound generates the Sanskrit phonemes (the maheshvara-sutras revealed to Panini). Symbol of nada-brahman (sound-Brahman).
Wheel of dharma; symbol used in Hinduism (Sudarshana Chakra of Vishnu) and Buddhism (Buddha's first sermon turned the dharmacakra). On the Indian flag.
Eagle / kite; vahana of Vishnu, son of Vinata, mortal enemy of nagas. Garuda Purana is named after him. National emblem of Indonesia.
Swan / wild goose; vahana of Brahma and Saraswati. Symbol of discrimination (legendary ability to separate milk from water = sat from asat). Also: symbol of the Atman ('aham sah' = I am That).
The aniconic symbol of Shiva — the formless made form. Twelve great Jyotirlingas across India. Varieties: Bana-linga, Sphatika-linga, Parad (mercury)-linga.
Mouse / rat; vahana of Ganesha. Symbolizes the conquering of small obstacles and material desires.
The form/image of a deity; concrete embodiment. After prana-pratishtha (life-installation) the murti becomes vigraha — a living deity. Distinct from a mere statue.
Awaiting paṇḍita verification before final publication. If you spot an inaccuracy in the Sanskrit, IAST, or interpretation, please write to us.