Gauri is the name of a benevolent goddess, consort of Shiva or Varuna. Connnected with the rains, she is reputed to be the source of the world and the embodiment of motherhood. She is depicted as a two-or four-armed woman of fair complexion, carrying in her upper arms prayer beads and a water pot, while the lower hands are in Abhaya and Varadamudra. She may also carry a mirror, a fish, a lotus, a trident and a floral wreath. Her mount is the godhika (iguana). Occasionally she is shown riding either a lion, a wolf, a pig or a goose.