Hindu deities
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Within Hinduism a large number of personalities, or 'forms', are worshipped as murtis. Hindus believe in karma. The belief is that these beings are either aspects of the supreme Brahman; Avatars of the supreme being (Bhagavan); or significantly powerful entities known as devas. The exact nature of belief in regards to each deity varies between differing Hindu traditions and philosophies. Often these beings are depicted in humanoid, or partially humanoid forms, complete with a set of unique and complex iconography in each case.
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[edit] Ishvara
Bhagavān is a word used to refer to the personal aspect of God in general; it is not specific to a particular deity. Bhagavān transcends gender, yet can be looked upon as both father and mother, child, or sweetheart.[1] Most Hindus, in their daily devotional practices, worship some form of this personal aspect of God, although they believe in the more abstract concept of Brahman as well. This may mean worshipping God through an image or a picture, or simply thinking of God as a personal being.
Different names and, frequently, different images of God will be used, depending on which aspect of Bhagavān is being discussed. For instance, when God is talked about in the aspect as the creator, God is called Brahmā.[2] When referred to in the capacity as preserver of the world, God is called Vishnu. When referred to in the capacity as destroyer of the world, God is called Shiva.
Many of these individual aspects of God also have other names and images. For example, Krishna and Rama are considered forms of Vishnu. All the various deities and images one finds in Hinduism are considered manifestations of the same God, called Bhagavān in the personal aspect and Brahman when referred to as an abstract concept.
In their personal religious practices, Hindus may worship primarily one or another of these deities, known as their "ishta devatā," or chosen deity.[3] The particular form of God worshipped as one's chosen ideal is a matter of individual preference.[4] Regional and family traditions can play a large part in influencing this choice.[5] Hindus may also take guidance about this choice from scriptures.
Although Hindus do worship deities other than their chosen deity from time to time, depending on the occasion and their personal inclinations, it is not expected that they will worship, or even know about, every form of God. Hindus generally choose one concept of God (popular choices include Krishna, Rama, Shiva, or Kali), and cultivate devotion to that chosen form, while at the same time respecting the chosen ideals of other people.[6]
[edit] Avataras (incarnations of God)
Many denominations of Hinduism, such as Vaishnavism and Saivism, teach that occasionally, God comes to Earth as a human being to help humans in their struggle toward enlightenment and salvation (moksha). Such an incarnation of God is called an avatāra. In some respects, the Hindu concept of avatara is similar to the belief found in Christianity that God came to the earth in the form of Jesus. However, whereas most Christians believe that God has assumed a human body only once, Hinduism teaches that there have been multiple avatars throughout history and that there will be more. Thus Krishna, who is not only viewed as an incarnation but also source of all incarnations, says:
Whenever righteousness declines
And unrighteousness increases,
I make myself a body;
In every age I come back
To deliver the holy,
To destroy the sin of the sinner,
To establish righteousness.[7]
The most famous of the divine incarnations are Rama, whose life is depicted in the Ramayana, and Krishna, whose life is depicted in the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavatam. The Bhagavad Gita, which contains the spiritual teachings of Krishna, is one of the most widely-read scriptures in Hinduism.
[edit] Devas and devis
Brahma is described within the Puranas as the god of creation
The Hindu religion speaks of many individual deities. Gods are called devas. Goddesses are called devīs. The various devas and devīs are personifications of various aspects of one and the same God (Ishvara).[8] For instance, when a Hindu thinks of Ishvara as the giver of knowledge and learning, that aspect of Ishvara is personified as the deity Saraswati. In the same manner, the deity Lakshmi personifies Ishvara as the giver of wealth and prosperity.[9] This does not imply that Ishvara is the Lord of all the other deities. Ishvara is just the name used to refer to the personal God in general, when no particular deity is being referred to.
The devas (also called devatās) constitute an integral part of the colorful Hindu culture. These various forms of God are depicted in innumerable paintings, statues, murals, and scriptural stories that can be found in temples, homes, businesses, and other places. In Hinduism the scriptures recommend that for the satisfaction of a particular material desire a person may worship a particular deity.[10] For example, shopkeepers frequently keep a statue or picture of the devi Lakshmi in their shops. The elephant-headed deva known as Ganesha is worshipped before commencing any undertaking, as he represents God's aspect as the remover of obstacles. Students and scholars may propitiate Saraswati, the devi of learning, before taking an exam or giving a lecture.
The most ancient Vedic devas included Indra, Agni, Soma, Varuna, Mitra, Savitri, Rudra, Prajapati, Vishnu, Aryaman and the Ashvins; important devīs were Sarasvatī, Ūṣā and Prithvī. Later scriptures called the Purānas recount traditional stories about each individual deity.
Vishnu and Shiva are not regarded as ordinary devas but as Mahādevas ("Great Gods" ) because of their central positions in worship and mythology.[11] The Purānas also laud other devas, such as Ganesha and Hanumān, and avatāras such as Rāma and Krishna (see below). Goddesses are worshiped when God is thought of as the Universal Mother. Particular forms of the Universal Mother include Lakshmī, Sarasvatī and Parvatī, Durgā, and Kālī.
There are some Hindus who consider the various deities not as forms of the one Ishwara, but as independently existing entities, and may thus be properly considered polytheistic to some extent.
[edit] Trimurti
In Hinduism, the Trimurti (also called the Hindu trinity) are three aspects of God in His forms as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
[edit] Popular gods
Some other popular Hindu gods include Devi, Krishna, Ganesh, Hanuman[12], Murugan, Ramachandra and Lakshmi. Smarta Hindus believe that God, in any form ("Ishta Devata,", i.e., the preferred form of God) can grant worshipers grace to bring them closer to Moksha, the end of the cycle of rebirth. The great Hindu saint Ramakrishna studied and embraced other religions, such as Christianity and Islam, and came to the same conclusion proclaimed by the Vedas, "Truth is One; the wise call it by various names" (Ekam Sat Viprah Bahuda Vadanti).
[edit] Denominations of Hinduism
Contemporary Hinduism traditionally has four major divisions, Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, and Smarthism.
However the Shakti sect connects God as Lord Shiva also, as the Aparabrahm while Shakti is the Parabrahm. Further the Saura sect connects itself with Lord Vishnu, one of the 12 Adityas (solar deities.) Ganesha worshippers would connect themselves with Lord Shiva as Lord Shiva is the Father of Lord Ganesha and hence, Lord Ganesha is a Shaiv deity.
Hinduism is a very rich and complex religion. Each of its four denominations shares rituals, beliefs, traditions and personal Gods with one another, but each sect have a same and different philosophy on how to achieve life's ultimate goal (moksa, liberation). For example a person can be a Shiv devotee and a Vishnu devotee but they can practice the Advaita Vedanta philosophy (Darshana) which believes there is no difference between the Brahman and the Soul. Conversely a Hindu may follow the Dvaita philosophy which stresses that Brahman and the Soul are not the same. But each denomination fundamentally believes in different methods of self-realisation and in different aspects of the One Supreme God. However, each denomination respects and accepts all others, and conflict of any kind is rare.
Vaishnavism, Saivism and Shaktism, respectively believe in a monotheistic ideal of Vishnu (often as Krishna), Shiva, or Devi; this view does not exclude other personal Gods, as they are understood to be aspects of the chosen ideal (e.g., to many devotees of Krishna, Shiva is seen as having sprung from Krishna's creative force). Often, the monad Brahman is seen as the one source, with all other gods emanating therefrom. Thus, with all Hindus, there is a strong belief in all paths being true religions that lead to one God or source, whatever one chooses to call the ultimate truth.
[edit] Polytheistic gods
Although the pantheistic system allowed only a subordinate rank to the old polytheistic gods, and the actual religious belief of the people was probably but little affected by their existence, they continued to occupy an important place in the affections of the poet, and were still represented as exercising considerable influence on the destinies of man. The most prominent of them were regarded as the appointed Loka palas, or guardians of the world; and as such they were made to preside over the four cardinal and (according to some authorities) the intermediate points of the compass.
Thus Indra, the chief of the devas, was regarded as the regent of the east; Agni, the fire, was in the same way associated with the southeast; Yama, lord of death and justice with the south; Surya, the sun, with the southwest; Varuna, originally the representative of the all-embracing heaven (atmosphere), now the god of the ocean, with the west; Vayu (or Pavana), the wind, with the northwest; Kubera, the god of wealth, with the north; and Soma with the northeast. (Note: In some traditions, Īśāna, an aspect of Siva is regarded as the regent of the northeast and Nirrti the regent of the southwest.)
In the institutes of Manu the Loka palas are represented as standing in close relation to the ruling king, who is saki to be composed of particles of these his tutelary deities. The retinue of Indra consists chiefly of the Devas(angels), Gandharvas, a class of genii, considered in the epics as the celestial musicians; and Apsaras, lovely nymphs, who are frequently employed by the gods to make the pious devotee desist from carrying his austere practices to an extent that might render him dangerous to their power. Narada, an ancient sage (probably a personification of the cloud, the water-giver), is considered as the messenger between the gods and men, and as having sprung from the forehead of Brahma. The interesting office of the god of love is held by Kamadeva, also called Ananga, the bodyless, because, as the myth relates, having once tried by the power of his mischievous arrow to make Siva fall in love with Parvati, whilst he was engaged in devotional practices, the urchin was reduced to ashes by a glance of the angry god. Two other mythological figures of some importance are considered as sons of Siva and Parvati, viz. Karttikeya or Skanda, the leader of the heavenly armies, who was supposed to have been fostered by the six Knittikas or Pleiades; and Ganesha ( lord of troops ), the elephant-headed god of wisdom, and at the same time the leader of the dii minorum gentium.
[edit] Smartism
Smartism, a denomination of Hinduism is a monist as well as a monotheist religion that understands different deities as representing various aspects and principles of one supreme entity, Brahman or parabrahman. Teachers such as Swami Vivekananda, who brought Hinduism to the West, held beliefs like those found in Smartism, although he usually referred to his religion as Vedanta. Other denominations of Hinduism do not strictly hold this belief. A Smartist would have no problem worshiping Shiva or Vishnu together as he views the different aspects of God as leading to the same One God. It is the Smarta view that dominates the view of Hinduism in the West. By contrast, a Vaishnavite considers Vishnu as the one true God, worthy of worship and other forms as subordinate. See for example, an illustration of the Vaishnavite view of Vishnu as the one true God [13]. Accordingly, many Vaishnavites, for example, believe that only Vishnu can grant the ultimate aim for mankind, moksha. [14]. Similarly, many Shaivites also hold similar beliefs[15] [16].
[edit] Devas in the Vedas
The pantheon in the Śrauta tradition consists of various gods and goddesses. However, these entities may not hold the traditional meaning of gods and goddesses in English. Instead the devas (which is the Sanskrit word used to represent these entities) represent certain forces. For instance, the deva Agni has one aspect as the flame. but this flame symbolises the psychological power associated with Agni namely the power of will. Agni can be called God-will. Similarly Indra is the God-mind; Sarasvati is the Power of Inspiration, not merely of learning.[17]
The main devas are (vide 6th anuvaka of Chamakam):
- Agni
- Indra
- Soma
- Savitr
- Vayu
- Varuna
- Marutas
- Aditya
- Rudra
- Vishnu
- Brahma
- Shiva
- Pusha
- Brihaspati
- Ashwinis
- Vishvedavas
- Prithvi
- Dyaus
- Antariksha
- Dishas
- Moordha
- Prajapati
The main aspects of devi (goddesses) are:
See Also :Śrauta
[edit] The 10 Avatars (Dashavatar) of Vishnu
- 1. Matsya, the fish, appeared in the Satya Yuga.
- 2. Kurma, the tortoise, appeared in the Satya Yuga.
- 3. Varaha, the boar, appeared in the Satya Yuga.
- 4. Narasimha, the Man-Lion (Nara = man, simha = lion), appeared in the Satya Yuga.
- 5. Vamana, the Dwarf, appeared in the Treta Yuga.
- 6. Parashurama, Rama with the axe, appeared in the Treta Yuga.
- 7. Rama, Sri Ramachandra, the prince and king of Ayodhya, appeared in the Treta Yuga.
- 8. Balarama, brother of Krishna.
- 9. Krishna (meaning dark or black; see also other meanings in the article about him.), appeared in the Dwapara Yuga.
- 10. Kalki ("Eternity", or "time", or "The Destroyer of foulness"), who is expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga, the time period in which we currently exist, which will end in the year 428899 CE.
- The 'Hidden' Avatar, mentioned in Bhagavata Purana, 11th Canto
- Some consider Krishna to be the 8th avatar of Vishnu, and place Buddha, the enlightened one, as the 9th avatar. The Buddha avatar, which occurs in different versions in various Puranas, may represent an attempt by orthodox Brahminism to slander the Buddhists by identifying them with the demons.[18] Helmuth von Glasenapp attributed these developments to a Hindu desire to absorb Buddhism in a peaceful manner, both to win Buddhists to Vishnuism and also to account for the fact that such a significant heresy could exist in India.[19]
the 10 avatras talks about how Life formed and how it will be going to end.
[edit] Relatives
[edit] Mother Goddesses
[edit] Notes
- ^ Swami Bhaskarananda, Essentials of Hinduism (Viveka Press 1994) ISBN 1-884852-02-5
- ^ See generally, C.J. Fuller, The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India (Princeton 2004) ISBN 0-691-12048-X
- ^ Karel Werner, A Popular Dictionary of Hinduism at 80 (Curzon Press 1994) ISBN 0-7007-0279-2
- ^ Harman, William, "Hindu Devotion" 106 in Contemporary Hinduism, Robin Rinehard, ed. (2004) ISBN 1-57607-905-8
- ^ Harman, William, "Hindu Devotion" 104 in Contemporary Hinduism, Robin Rinehard, ed. (2004) ISBN 1-57607-905-8
- ^ Louis Renou, The Nature of Hinduism 55 (New York 1962)
- ^ Bhagavad Gita, IV 7-8
- ^ Swami Bhaskarananda, Essentials of Hindusim 73-74 (Viveka Press 1994) ISBN 1-884852-02-5
- ^ Swami Bhaskarananda, Essentials of Hindusim 73-74 (Viveka Press 1994) ISBN 1-884852-02-5
- ^ Bhagavata Purana 2.3.1-9. [1]
- ^ C.J. Fuller, The Camphor Flame 32 (Princeton 2004) ISBN 0-691-12048-X
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7132124.stm
- ^ http://www.dvaita.org/docs/srv_faq.html#othergods
- ^ http://www.dvaita.org/docs/srv_faq.html#hell
- ^ http://www.sroutasaivasiddhanta.org/2-1.htm
- ^ http://www.sroutasaivasiddhanta.org/2-11.htm
- ^ Essentials of Krishna and Shukla Yajurveda- RL Kashyap; SAKSI, Bangalore, Karnataka ISBN 81-7994-032-2
- ^ O'Flaherty, page 200.
- ^ von Glasenapp 1962 page 113, cited in O'Flaherty, page 206.
[edit] See also
- Hindu mythology
- Rigvedic deities
- List of Hindu deities
- Hinduism
- Krishnology
- Hindu Love Gods
- Mohini
- List of Hinduism-related articles
[edit] External links
- American Hindu Gods
- koausa.org - Hindu deities
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