Vedic deities and their vehicles or animals.
Deities and the animals. (Part-1) (The Sanskrit words written in italics are available in the Sanskrit English Lexicon by Sir Monier Williams. These are the itrans version. <http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/monier/>) The animals are named by the seers by observing the divinity in them. In this article some examples of the animals and related divinities have been described. I have tried here to explain the animal behaviours in relation to the divinity to the extent of my perception. The animals are named after the divinity which is prominent in them and in their behaviours. Further an animal is associated with the corresponding god or goddess whose character is particularly representing it. The seers have seen the divinity in everything and there must be certainly many more significant reasons behind the names (than what I have stated here) . Similarly they saw the divinities in the societies, in people, in events and described the sa...