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Hindu deities
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Within Hinduism a large number of personalities, or 'forms', are worshiped as murtis. These beings are either aspects of the supreme Brahman, avatars of the supreme being, or significantly powerful entities known as devas. The exact nature of belief in regards to each deity varies between differing Hindu denominations 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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Within Hinduism a large number of personalities, or 'forms', are worshiped as murtis. These beings are either aspects of the supreme Brahman, avatars of the supreme being, or significantly powerful entities known as devas. The exact nature of belief in regards to each deity varies between differing Hindu denominations 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. In total, there are over 330,000 of these supernatural beings in various Hindu traditions.
Bhagavan and Ishvara
Hinduism is a religion unlike any other, this is because it has no founder and no specific religious text, though the Bhagwat Gita could be considered as one. Many religions' (such as Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism) founders' are Hindu and therefore many beliefs and customs are the same. Contrary to popular belief Hindus believe in just one god, who comes to Earth in different forms (avatars), each of which represents an aspect of life, e.g. water, crops, fertility and health to name a few. All in all Hinduism is not really a religion (though some may argue this), but a set of customs and beliefs that were synonymous with the people of India. As invaders came and left India, the term "hinduism" loosely defined the people who believed in Indian customs and tradition (to separate the people who originally lived in India, from the invading people), for example in the past a Christian or Muslim could have been a Hindu as well, because the term only defined Indian customs and beliefs. More recently (last five hundred years), only people who believe in the traditional Hindu gods are called Hindus, hence it is now defined as a religion. Often Hindus celebrate Christmas, despite Christian origins and many people of other religions also celebrate Deepavali (Diwali), the festival of light, and Holi, the festival of colour despite their Hindu origins.
"Bhagavan" is a word used to refer to the personal aspect of God in general; it is not specific to a particular deity. Bhagavan transcends gender, yet can be looked upon as both father and mother, child, or sweetheart. 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 worshiping God through an image or a picture, or simply thinking of God as a personal being.
"Ishvara" is a name or title used to emphasize God's role and function as controller of the universe. When Hindus refer to God as Ishvara, they are emphasizing a monistic idea of God as a principle of the universe, rather than a person.
"Ishwar" is the ultimate supreme being believed by Hindus - there is only one God and similar to the way society functions, Ishwar had taken many forms to function the universe; Lord Brahma the creater, Lord Vishnu the preserver and Lord Shiva the destroyer.
Different names and, frequently, different images of God will be used, depending on which aspect of Bhagava is being discussed. For instance, when God is talked about in the aspect as the creator, God is called Brahma. If one is emphasizing God's capacity as preserver of the world, the name Vishnu is used. 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 Bhagavan in the personal aspect and Brahman when referred to as an abstract concept.
Avatars as 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 avatar (or avatara.) In some respects, the Hindu concept of avatar is similar to the belief found in Christianity that God came to the earth incarnated 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.
Ten avatars of Vishnu
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.
- Matsya, the fish, appeared in the Satya Yuga. Represents beginning of life.
- Kurma, the tortoise, appeared in the Satya Yuga. Represents a human embryo just growing tiny legs, with a huge belly.
- Varaha, the boar,appeared in the Satya Yuga. Represents a human embryo which is almost ready. Its features are visible.
- Narasimha, the Man-Lion (Nara = man, simha = lion), appeared in the Satya Yuga. Represents a newborn baby, hairy and cranky, bawling and full of blood.
- Vamana, the Dwarf, appeared in the Treta Yuga. Represents a young child.
- Parashurama, Rama with the axe, appeared in the Treta Yuga. Represents both an angry young man and a grumpy old man simultaneously.
- Rama, Sri Ramachandra, the prince and king of Ayodhya, appeared in the Treta Yuga. Represents a married man with children in a very ideological society
- Krishna (meaning dark or black; see also other meanings in the article about him.), appeared in the Dwapara Yuga. Represents a person in more practical society, where there is one good or bad. Good or bad depends on society you live in.
- Gautama Buddha is considered an avatar that returned pure dharma to the world.
- 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.
There is also a "hidden avatar" mentioned in 11th canto of the Bhagavata Purana.
Some consider Balarama, brother of Krishna to be the eighth avatar of Vishnu, and delete Buddha. 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. 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.
Devas and devis
The pantheon in Srauta consists of many deities. Gods are called devas (or devatas) and goddesses are called devis. The various devas and devis are personifications of different aspects of one and the same God. 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. This does not imply that Ishvara is a kind of supreme god or lord of all the other deities; Ishvara is just the name used to refer to God in general, when no particular deity is being referred to.
Devas represent certain forces. For instance, 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.
The devas 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.
For example, shopkeepers frequently keep a statue or picture of the devi Lakshmi in their shops for financial prosperity. The elephant-headed deva known as Ganesha is worshiped before commencing any important 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 devis were Sarasvati, Ushas, and Prithvi. Later scriptures called the Puranas recount traditional stories about each individual deity, such as Ganesha and Hanuman, and avatars such as Rama and Krishna.
Trimurti
Shiva and Vishnu are not regarded as ordinary devas but as Mahadevas ("great gods" ) because of their central positions in worship and mythology. These two along with Brahma are considered the Trimurti—the most supreme individual deities. These three symbolize the entire circle of samsara in Hinduism: Brahma as creator, Vishnu as preserver or protector, and Shiva as destroyer or judge.
Devas in the Vedas
The main devas are (vide 6th anuvaka of Chamakam):
The main devis are:
Popular deities
In their personal religious practices, Hindus may worship primarily one or another of these deities, known as their "Ishta Devata," or chosen deity. The particular form of God worshiped as one's chosen ideal is a matter of individual preference, although regional and family traditions can play a large part in influencing this choice. 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.
Some popular Hindu deities include Durga, Krishna or Kannan, Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman, Kali, Murugan, Venkateshwara or Balaji, Perumal, Nataraja, Bhogi, Varunan, Rama, and Lakshmi.
Denominations of Hinduism
Contemporary Hinduism has four major divisions: Saivism, Shaktism, Smartism, and Vaishnavism.
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 has a unique philosophy on how to achieve life's ultimate goal (moksa, liberation). For example a person can be a devotee to Shiva and a Vishnu devotee but one can practice the Advaita Vedanta philosophy which believes there is no difference between Brahman and a person's individual 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-realization 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. For instance, to many devotees of Krishna, Shiva is seen as having sprung from Krishna's creative force. Ganesha worshippers would connect themselves with Shiva as Shiva is the father of Ganesha, making him a Shaiv deity. Often, the monad Brahman is seen as the one source, with all other gods emanating from there. 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. As the Vedas - the most important Hindu scriptures state: "Truth is one; the wise call it by various names" (transliterated from Sanskrit: Ekam Sat Viprah Bahuda Vadanti.)
Smartism, is monist as well as a monotheist and 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. Accordingly, many Vaishnavites, for example, believe that only Vishnu can grant moksha.. Similarly, many Shaivites also hold similar beliefs for Shiva.
Polytheism
There are some Hindus who consider the various deities not as forms of the one Ishvara, but as independently existing entities, and may thus be properly considered polytheists.
Although the panentheistic tendency in Hinduism allowed only a subordinate rank to the old polytheistic gods, they continued to occupy an important place in the affections of individual Hindus 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. In some traditions, Ishana—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 said to be composed of particles of these his tutelary deities. The retinue of Indra consists chiefly of the Devas, 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.
Mother goddesses
Goddesses are worshiped when God is thought of as the Universal Mother. Particular forms of the Universal Mother include Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Parvati, Durga, and Kali. Shaktism recognizes Shakti as the supreme goddess. The concept of Mahadevi as the supreme goddess emerged in historical religious literature as a term to define the powerful and influential nature of female deities in India. Throughout history, goddesses have been portrayed as the mother of the universe, through whose powers the universe is created and destroyed. The gradual changes in belief through time shape the concept of Mahadevi and express how the different Goddesses, though very different in personality, all carry the power of the universe on their shoulders. Jagaddhatri and Mariamman are other significant female deities.
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