hindu gods sofia

8/7/2019 hindu gods sofia

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Just as a single force in space can be mathematicallyconceived as having various spatial components, theSupreme Being or God, the personal form of the UltimateReality, is conceived by Hindus as having various aspects. A

Hindu deity (god or goddess; note small g) represents aparticular aspect of the Supreme Being. For example,Saraswati represents the learning and knowledge aspect ofthe Supreme Being. Thus, if a Hindu wants to pray foracquiring knowledge and understanding, he prays toSaraswati. Just as sunlight cannot have a separate andindependent existence from the sun itself, a Hindu deity doesnot have a separate and independent existence from the

Supreme Being. Thus, Hindu worship of deities ismonotheistic polytheism and not simple polytheism.Hindus declare that there is only one Supreme Being and Heis the God of all religions. There is no "other God." Thus theBiblical Commandment "Thou shalt have no other God beforeme," really means, "Thou shalt not deny the Ultimate Realityor worship any power other than the Ultimate Reality."

Hindus view cosmic activity of the Supreme Being ascomprised of three tasks: creation, preservation, anddissolution and recreation. Hindus associate these threecosmic tasks with the three deities, Brahma, Vishnu andShiva. Lord Brahma brings forth the creation and representsthe creative principle of the Supreme Being. Lord Vishnumaintains the universe and represents the eternal principle ofpreservation. Lord Shiva represents the principle ofdissolution and recreation. These three deities together form

the Hindu Trinity.

One must clearly understand that Brahma, Vishnu and Shivaare not three independent deities. They represent the samepower (the Supreme Being), but in three different aspects.Just as a man may be called a doctor, father or husbandbased upon the tasks he performs, the Supreme Being is


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called Brahma, Vishnu or Shiva when conceived asperforming the three different cosmic tasks of creation,preser-vation, and dissolution/recreation. "The oneness of thethree gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is brought out by themystic symbol AUM where 'A' represents Vishnu, 'U' Shivaand 'M' Brahma."

Hindu religion is often labeled as a religion of 330 milliongods. This misunderstanding arises when people fail to graspthe symbolism of the Hindu pantheon. According to the Hinduscriptures, living beings are not apart from God, since Helives in each and every one of them in the form of atman (BG10.39). Thus each living being is a unique manifestation of

God. In ancient times it was believed that there were 330million living beings. This gave rise to the idea of 330 milliondeities or gods. Actually, this vast number of gods could nothave been possibly worshipped, since 330 million namescould not have been designed for them. The number 330million was simply used to give a symbolic expression to thefundamental Hindu doctrine that God lives in the hearts of allliving beings.

Lord Ganesha - the Hindu deity in a human form butwith the head of an elephant - represents the power of theSupreme Being that removes obstacles and ensures successin human endeavors. For this reason, Hindus worshipGanesha first before beginning any religious, spiritual orworldly activity. In Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesha is the firstson of Lord Shiva and the Divine Mother Parvati. Their second

son is Lord Subramanya and their daughter is Jyoti. Asexplained below, the portrayal of Lord Ganesha as the blendof human and animal parts symbolizes the ideals ofperfection as conceived by Hindu sages and illustrates somephilosophical concepts of profound spiritual significance. Elephant head, wide mouth, and large ears: the

large head of an elephant symbolizes wisdom,


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understanding, and a discriminating intellect that onemust possess to attain perfection in life. The wide mouthrepresents the natural human desire to enjoy life in theworld. The large ears signify that a perfect person is theone who possesses a great capacity to listen to othersand assimilate ideas.

The trunk and two tusks with the left tusk broken:there is no known human instrument that has anoperating range as wide as that of an elephant's trunk. Itcan uproot a tree and yet lift a needle off the ground.Likewise, the human mind must be strong enough toface the ups and downs of the external world and yetdelicate enough to explore the subtle realms of the inner

world. The two tusks denote the two aspects of thehuman personality, wisdom and emotion. The right tuskrepresents wisdom and the left tusk represents emotion.The broken left tusk conveys the idea that one mustconquer emotions with wisdom to attain perfection.

Elephant eyes: the elephant eyes are said to possessnatural deceptiveness that allows them to perceiveobjects to be bigger than what they really are. Thus the

elephant eyes symbolize the idea that even if anindividual gets "bigger and bigger" in wealth andwisdom, he should perceive others to be bigger thanhimself; that is, surrender one's pride and attainhumility.

The four arms and various objects in the fourhands: the four arms indicate that the Lord isomnipresent and omnipotent. The left side of the body

symbolizes emotion and the right side symbolizesreason. An axe in the upper left hand and a lotus in theupper right hand signify that in order to attain spiritualperfection, one should cut worldly attachments andconquer emotions. This enables one to live in the worldwithout being affected by earthly temptations, just as alotus remains in water but is not affected by it. A tray of


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Laddus (a popular snack) near the Lord denotes that Hebestows wealth and prosperity upon His devotees. Thelower right hand is shown in a blessing pose, whichsignifies that Ganesha always blesses His devotees.

A human body with a big belly: the human bodypossesses a human heart, which is a symbol of kindnessand compassion toward all. Ganesha's body is usuallyportrayed wearing red and yellow clothes. Yellowsymbolizes purity, peace and truthfulness. Redsymbolizes the activity in the world. These are thequalities of a perfect person who perforrns all duties inthe world, with purity, peace, and truthfulness. The bigbelly signifies that a perfect individual must have a large

capacity to face all pleasant and unpleasant experiencesof the world.

A mouse sitting near the feet of Ganesha andgazing at the tray of Laddus: a mouse symbalizes theego that can nibble all that is good and noble in aperson. A mouse sitting near the feet of Ganeshaindicates that a perfect person is one who has conqueredhis (or her) ego. A mouse gazing at the Laddus, but not

consuming them, denotes that a purified or controlledego can live in the world without being affected by theworldly temptations. The mouse is also the vehicle ofGanesha, signifying that one must control ego in orderfor wisdom to shine forth.

Right foot dangling over the left foot: as statedabove, the left side of the body symbolizes emotion andthe right side symbolizes reason and knowledge. The

right foot dangling over the left foot illustrates that inorder to live a successful life one should utilizeknowledge and reason to overcome emotions.

Lord Shiva represents the aspect of theSupreme Being (Brahman of the Upanishads) thatcontinuously dissolves to recreate in the cyclic process of


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creation, preservation, dissolution and recreation of theuniverse. As stated earlier, Lord Shiva is the third member ofthe Hindu Trinity, the other two being Lord Brahma and LordVishnu.

Owing to His cosmic activity of dissolution andrecreation, the words destroyer and destruction have beenerroneously associated with Lord Shiva. This difficulty ariseswhen people fail to grasp the true significance of His cosmicrole. The creation sustains itself by a delicate balancebetween the opposing forces of good and evil. When thisbalance is disturbed and sustenance of life becomesimpossible, Lord Shiva dissolves the universe for creation ofthe next cycle so that the unliberated souls will have another

opportunity to liberate themselves from bondage with thephysical world. Thus, Lord Shiva protects the souls from painand suffering that would be caused by a dysfunctionaluniverse. In analogous cyclic processes, winter is essential forspring to appear and the night is necessary for the morningto follow. To further illustrate, a goldsmith does not destroygold when he melts old irreparable golden jewelry to createbeautiful new ornaments.

Lord Shiva is the Lord of mercy and compassion. Heprotects devotees from evil forces such as lust, greed, andanger. He grants boons, bestows grace and awakens wisdomin His devotees. The symbolism discussed below includesmajor symbols that are common to all pictures and images ofShiva venerated by Hindus. Since the tasks of Lord Shiva arenumerous, He cannot be symbolized in one form. For this

reason the images of Shiva vary significantly in theirsymbolism.

The unclad body covered with ashes: the uncladbody symbolizes the transcendental aspect of the Lord.Since most things reduce to ashes when burned, ashessymbolize the physical universe. The ashes on the


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unclad body of the Lord signify that Shiva is the sourceof the entire universe which emanates from Him, but Hetranscends the physical phenomena and is not affectedby it.

Matted locks: Lord Shiva is the Master of yoga. Thethree matted locks on the head of the Lord convey theidea that integration of the physical, mental and spiritualenergies is the ideal of yoga.

Ganga: Ganga (river Ganges) is associated with Hindumythology and is the most sacred river of Hindus.According to tradition, one who bathes in Ganga (reveredas Mother Ganga) in accordance with traditional rites andceremonies on religious occasions in combination with

certain astrological events, is freed from sin and attainsknowledge, purity and peace. Ganga, symbolicallyrepresented on the head of the Lord by a female (MotherGanga) with a jet of water emanating from her mouthand falling on the ground, signifies that the Lord destroyssin, removes ignorance, and bestows knowledge, purityand peace on the devotees.

The crescent moon: is shown on the side of the Lord's

head as an ornament, and not as an integral part of Hiscountenance. The waxing and waning phenomenon ofthe moon symbolizes the time cycle through whichcreation evolves from the beginning to the end. Sincethe Lord is the Eternal Reality, He is beyond time. Thus,the crescent moon is only one of His ornaments, and notan integral part of Him.

Three eyes: Lord Shiva, also called Tryambaka Deva

(literally, "three-eyed Lord"), is depicted as having threeeyes: the sun is His right eye, the moon the left eye andfire the third eye. The two eyes on the right and leftindicate His activity in the physical world. The third eyein the center of the forehead symbolizes spiritualknowledge and power, and is thus called the eye ofwisdom or knowledge. Like fire, the powerful gaze of


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Shiva's third eye annihilates evil, and thus the evil-doersfear His third eye.

Half-open eyes: when the Lord opens His eyes, a newcycle of creation emerges and when He closes them, theuniverse dissolves for creation of the next cycle. Thehalf-open eyes convey the idea that creation is goingthrough cyclic process, with no beginning and no end.Lord Shiva is the Master of Yoga, as He uses His yogicpower to project the universe from Himself. The half-open eyes also symbolize His yogic posture.

Kundalas (two ear rings): two Kundalas, Alakshya(meaning "which cannot be shown by any sign") andNiranjan (meaning "which cannot be seen by mortal

eyes") in the ears of the Lord signify that He is beyondordinary perception. Since the kundala in the left ear ofthe Lord is of the type used by women and the one in Hisright ear is of the type used by men, these Kundalas alsosymbolize the Shiva and Shakti (male and female)principle of creation.

Snake around the neck: sages have used snakes tosymbolize the yogic power of Lord Shiva with which He

dissolves and recreates the universe. Like a yogi, asnake hoards nothing, carries nothing, builds nothing,lives on air alone for a long time, and lives in mountainsand forests. The venom of a snake, therefore, symbolizesthe yogic power.

A snake (Vasuki Naga): is shown curled three timesaround the neck of the Lord and is looking towards Hisright side. The three coils of the snake symbolize the

past, present and future - time in cycles. The Lordwearing the curled snake like an ornament signifies thatcreation proceeds in cycles and is time dependent, butthe Lord Himself transcends time. The right side of thebody symbolizes the human activities based uponknowledge, reason and logic. The snake looking towardsthe right side of the Lord signifies that the Lord's eternal


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laws of reason and justice preserve natural order in theuniverse.

Rudraksha necklace: Rudra is another name of Shiva.Rudra also means "strict or uncompromising" and akshameans "eye." Rudraksha necklace worn by the Lordillustrates that He uses His cosmic laws firmly - withoutcompromise - to maintain law and order in the universe.The necklace has 108 beads which symbolize theelements used in the creation of the world.

Varda Mudra: the Lord's right hand is shown in a boon-bestowing and blessing pose. As stated earlier, LordShiva annihilates evil, grants boons, bestows grace,destroys ignorance, and awakens wisdom in His

devotees. Trident (Trisula): a three-pronged trident shown

adjacent to the Lord symbolizes His three fundamentalpowers (shakti) of will (iccha), action (kriya) andknowledge (jnana). The trident also symbolizes theLord's power to destroy evil and ignorance.

Damaru (drum): a small drum with two sides separatedfrom each other by a thin neck-like structure symbolizes

the two utterly dissimilar states of existence, unmanifestand manifest. When a damaru is vibrated, it producesdissimilar sounds which are fused together by resonanceto create one sound. The sound thus producedsymbolizes Nada, the cosmic sound of AUM, which canbe heard during deep meditation. According to Hinduscriptures, Nada is the source of creation.

Kamandalu: a water pot (Kamandalu) made from a dry

pumpkin contains nectar and is shown on the groundnext to Shiva. The process of making Kamandalu hasdeep spiritual significance. A ripe pumpkin is pluckedfrom a plant, its fruit is removed and the shell is cleanedfor containing the nectar. In the same way, an individualmust break away from attachment to the physical worldand clean his inner self of egoistic desires in order to


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experience the bliss of the Self, symbolized by the nectarin the Kamandalu.

Nandi: the bull is associated with Shiva and is said to beHis vehicle. The bull symbolizes both power andignorance. Lord Shiva's use of the bull as a vehicleconveys the idea that He removes ignorance andbestows power of wisdom on His devotees. The bull iscalled Vrisha in Sanskrit. Vrisha also means dharma(righteousness). Thus a bull shown next to Shiva alsoindicates that He is the etemal companion ofrighteousness.

Tiger skin: a tiger skin symbolizes potential energy.Lord Shiva, sitting on or wearing a tiger skin, illustrates

the idea that He is the source of the creative energy thatremains in potential form during the dissolution state ofthe universe. Of His own Divine Will, the Lord activatesthe potential form of the creative energy to project theuniverse in endless cycles.

Cremation ground: Shiva sitting in the cremationground signifies that He is the controller of death in thephysical world. Since birth and death are cyclic,

controlling one implies controlling the other. Thus, LordShiva is revered as the ultimate controller of birth anddeath in the phenomenal world.

Lord Brahma symbolizes the aspect of theSupreme Reality that brings forth the creation. For this veryreason, Hindus call Lord Brahma the Creator of the universe.He is the first member of the Hindu Trinity that also includesLord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. His divine consort is Saraswati,

the Goddess of learning and knowledge. Goddess Saraswatiprovides Lord Brahma with knowledge that is necessary forthe process of creation.

Brahma is usually conceived of by Hindus as abearded, four-faced, four-armed deity. In popular images, Hecarries a rosary in the upper right hand, a book in the upper


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left hand, a kamandalu (water pot) in the lower left hand, andbestows grace with His lower right hand. The four facesrepresent the sacred knowledge of the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur,Sama, and Atharva), and this is the most prominent featureof any image of Brahma. The four faces, therefore, symbolizethat Brahma is the source of all knowledge necessary for thecreation of the universe. The four arms represent the fourdirections and thus represent the omnipresence andomnipotence of Lord Brahma.

The four hands represent the four aspects of humanpersonality: mind (back right hand), intellect (back left hand),ego (front right hand), and the empirical self or conditioned

consciousness (front left hand). The rosary symbolizes thetime cycle through which the world moves from creation tosustenance, from sustenance to dissolution, and fromdissolution to new creation. The rosary also symbolizes thematerials used in the process of creation. Its position in theback right hand suggests the intelligent use of thesematerials in the process of creation.

A book in the back hand (symbolizing the intellect)illustrates that right knowledge is important for any kind ofcreative work. A water pot (kamandalu) in the front left handsymbolizes the cosmic energy by which Brahma brings theuniverse into existence. The hand symbolizing ego (the frontright hand) is shown in the pose of bestowing grace. Thisconveys the idea that the Lord bestows grace and protects allsincere devotees.

The color gold symbolizes activity and thus thegolden face of Brahma indicates that the Lord is active wheninvolved in the process of creation. The white beard denoteswisdom and the long beard conveys the idea that creation isan eternal process. The crown on the head of the Lord impliesthat the Lord has supreme power and authority over the


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process of creation.

The lotus symbolizes the Supreme Reality, theessence of all things and beings in the universe. Brahmasitting or standing on a lotus indicates that He represents the

creative power of the Supreme Reality. The color whitesymbolizes purity. Thus Brahma wearing clothes that are off-white, represents the dual nature of creation, that is purityand impurity, happiness and unhappiness, vice and virtue,knowledge and ignorance, and so on.

In Hindu mythology, a swan is said to possess aunique discriminating faculty, which enables it to distinguish

pure milk from a mixture of milk and water. The swan istherefore used to symbolize the power of discrimination.Brahma uses the swan as a vehicle. This is intended toconvey the idea that although creation is pluralistic in nature,there is only one Supreme Reality that the entire universeemanates from. This knowledge can be acquired by anindividual by training his mind and Intellect to acquire thepower of right discrimination.

As creation is the work of the mind and the intellect,Lord Brahma symbolizes the Universal Mind. From thestandpoint of an individual, Brahma symbolizes one's ownmind and intellect. Since an individual is naturally gifted withthe mind and intellect, he or she may be said to have alreadyrealized Brahma. For this reason the worship of Brahma is notvery popular among all Hindus. He is, however, worshippedby seekers of knowledge, such as students, teachers,scholars and scientists.

Lord Vishnu represents the aspect of theSupreme Reality that preserves and sustains the universe.Although there are variations in images and pictures of LordVishnu, He is generally symbolized by a human body with


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four arms. In His hands He carries a conch (shankha), a mace(gada), and discus (chakra). He wears a crown, two earrings,a garland (mala) of flowers, and a gem around the neck. Hehas a blue body and wears yellow clothes. The Lord is shownstanding on a thousand-headed snake (named Shesha Nag),and the snake stands with its hoods open over the head ofthe Lord.

The four arms indicate Lord's omnipresence andomnipotence. The two front arms signify the lord's activity inthe physical world and the two back arms signify His activityin the spiritual world. The right side of the body representsthe creative activities of the mind and the intellect. The leftside symbolizes the activities of the heart; that is, love,

kindness, and compassion.

A conch in the upper left hand indicates that theLord communicates with His devotees with love andunderstanding. When blowing His conch, He reminds hisdevotes to live in this world with kindness and compassiontowards all living beings. A chakra in His upper right handconveys the idea that the Lord uses this weapon to protect

His devotees from evil. The mace denotes energy and a macein the Lord's left lower hand signifies that He sustains themanifest world by the energy that He holds in Himself. Hisfront right hand is depicted bestowing grace on Hisdevotees.

The snake denotes the mind and the thousandheads of the snake signify innumerable desires and passionsof an individual. Just as a snake destroys its victim by itsvenom, an uncontrolled mind destroys the world by thevenom of its possessiveness. The Lord has controlled alldesires, and this is symbolized by showing Him seated on thetwo coils of the snake. When a sincere devotee of the Lordcontrols his desires, the Lord fulfills the devotee's genuinedesires and helps him on his path.


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The blue sky in the background of the Lord suggeststhat He pervades the entire universe. The blue colorsymbolizes infinity. The blue body of the Lord signifies thatHe has infinite attributes. He is nameless, formless, andimmeasurable. The color yellow is associated with earthlyexistence and the yellow clothes of the Lord signify that Heincarnates Himself on this earth to uphold righteousness anddestroy evil and unrighteousness.

A flower garland around the Lord's neck is a symbolof the devotee's adoration for the Lord. A gem decorating Hisneck signifies that the Lord fulfills all genuine desires of Hisdevotees and provides for their needs. The crown is a symbol

of the Lord's supreme power and authority. The two earringssignify the dual nature of creation, such as knowledge andignorance, happiness and unhappiness, and pleasure andpain.

The worship of Lord Vishnu is very popular amongHindus, especially among the followers of the Vaishnavatradition (Vaishnavism). He is the second member of the

Hindu Trinity, with Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva as the othertwo. Lord Vishnu is also known by other names, such asVasudeva and Narayana. The following ten incarnations ofLord Vishnu are described in Hindu mythology and arepopular among Hindus. These incarnations reveal the helprendered by God during various stages of human evolution.As shown below, the first two incarnations are in the animalform, the third one is half-human and half-animal, and thefourth and the subsequent ones are all in human form. Theseincarnations relate to human evolution from aquatic life tohuman life, and are consistent with the modern theory ofevolution suggested by science:

Matsya (fish)---saves Sage Manu from floods andrecovers the Vedas from demons.


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Kurma (tortoise)---sustains the earth on his back. Varaha (boar)---brings the earth back from the bottom

of the ocean where it was dragged down by a demon,known as Hiranyaksha; Varaha kills the demon.

Narasimha (man-lion)---kills the demon KingHiranyakashipu, who was planning to kill his own son, adevotee of Lord Vishnu.

Vamana (dwarf)---the first human incarnation of theLord, kills the demon King Mahabhali, who had deprivedthe gods of their possessions.

Parasurama (the warrior with an axe)---saves Brahminsfrom the tyranny of the arrogant Kshatriyas.

Rama---kills Ravana, the demon king of Lanka.

Sri Krishna---the most popular incarnation; Krishna'scontributions throughout his life include the teachings ofthe Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna.

Buddha---Hindus consider Buddha as an incarnation ofLord Vishnu and accept his teachings, but do not directlyworship him.

Kalkin (a man on a white horse)---this incarnation is yetto come and will mark the end of all evil in the world.

Goddess Durga represents the power ofthe Supreme Being that preserves moral order andrighteousness in the creation. The Sanskrit word Durgameans a fort or a place that is protected and thus difficult toreach. Durga, also called Divine Mother, protects mankindfrom evil and misery by destroying evil forces such asselfishness, jealousy, prejudice, hatred, anger, and ego.

The worship of Goddess Durga is very popular

among Hindus. She is also called by many other names, suchas Parvati, Ambika, and Kali In the form of Parvati, She isknown as the divine spouse of Lord Shiva and is the motherof Her two sons, Ganesha and Karttikeya, and daughter Jyoti.There are many temples dedicated to Durga's worship inIndia.


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In Her images, Goddess Durga is shown in a femaleform, wearing red clothes. She has eighteen arms, carryingmany objects in Her hands. The red color symbolizes actionand the red clothes signify that She is always busy destroyingevil and protecting mankind from pain and suffering causedby evil forces. Following is the symbolism associated withGoddess Durga:

A tiger symbolizes unlimited power. Durga riding a tigerindicates that She possesses unlimited power and uses itto protect virtue and destroy evil. The eighteen arms ofDurga signify that She possesses combined power of thenine incarnations of Lord Vishnu that have appeared on

the earth at different times in the past. The tenthincarnation, the Kalkin (a man on a white horse), is stillto come. Thus, Goddess Durga represents a united frontof all Divine forces against the negative forces of evil andwickedness.

The sound that emanates from a conch is the sound ofthe sacred syllable AUM, which is said to be the sound ofcreation. A conch in one of the Goddess's hands signifies

the ultimate victory of virtue over evil and righteousnessover unrighteousness.

Other weapons in the hands of Durga such as a mace,sword, disc, arrow, and trident convey the idea that oneweapon cannot destroy all different kinds of enemies.Different weapons must be used to fight enemiesdepending upon the circumstances. For example,selfishness must be destroyed by detachment, jealousy

by desirelessness, prejudice by self-knowledge, and egoby discrimination.

Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth andprosperity, both material and spiritual. The word ''Lakshmi'' isderived from the Sanskrit word Laksme, meaning "goal."Lakshmi, therefore, represents the goal of life, which includesworldly as well as spiritual prosperity. In Hindu mythology,


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Goddess Lakshmi, also called Shri, is the divine spouse ofLord Vishnu and provides Him with wealth for themaintenance and preservation of the creation.

In Her images and pictures, Lakshmi is depicted in afemale form with four arms and four hands. She wears redclothes with a golden lining and is standing on a lotus. Shehas golden coins and lotuses in her hands. Two elephants(some pictures show four) are shown next to the Goddess.This symbolism conveys the following spiritual theme:

The four arms represent the four directions in space andthus symbolize omnipresence and omnipotence of theGoddess. The red color syinbolizes activity. The golden

lining (embroidery) on Her red dress denotes prosperity.The idea conveyed here is that the Goddess is alwaysbusy distributing wealth and prosperity to the devotees.The lotus seat, which Lakshmi is standing upon, signifiesthat while living in this world, one should enjoy itswealth, but not become obsessed with it. Such a living isanalogous to a lotus that grows in water but is notwetted by water.

The four hands represent the four ends of human life:dharma (righteousness), kama (genuine desires), artha(wealth), and moksha (liberation from birth and death).The front hands represent the activity in the physicalworld and the back hands indicate the spiritual activitiesthat lead to spiritual perfection.

Since the right side of the body symbolizes activity, alotus in the back right hand conveys the idea that one

must perform all duties in the world in accordance withdharma. This leads to moksha (liberation), which issymbolized by a lotus in the back left hand of Lakshmi.The golden coins falling on the ground from the front lefthand of Lakshmi illustrate that She provides wealth andprosperity to Her devotees. Her front right hand is shownbestowing blessings upon the devotees.


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The two elephants standing next to the Goddesssymbolize the name and fame associated with worldlywealth. The idea conveyed here is that a true devoteeshould not earn wealth merely to acquire name andfame or only to satisfy his own material desires, butshould share it with others in order to bring happiness toothers in addition to himself.

Some pictures show four elephants spraying water fromgolden vessels onto Goddess Lakshmi. The fourelephants represent the four ends of human life asdiscussed above. The spraying of water denotes activity.The golden vessels denote wisdom and purity. The fourelephants spraying water from the golden vessels on the

Goddess illustrate the theme that continuous self-effort,in accordance with one's dharma and govemed bywisdom and purity, leads to both material and spiritualprosperity. Goddess Lakshmi is regularly worshipped in home

shrines and temples by Her devotees. A special worship isoffered to Her annually on the auspicious day of Diwali, withreligious rituals and colorful ceremonies specifically devoted

to Her. Saraswati is the Goddess of leaming,

knowledge, and wisdom. The Sanskrit word sara means"essence" and swa means "self." Thus Saraswati means "theessence of the self." Saraswati is represented in Hindumythology as the divine consort of Lord Brahma, the Creatorof the universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation,Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma. Goddess

Saraswati is worshipped by all persons interested inknowledge, especially students, teachers, scholars, andscientists.

In Her popular images and pictures, GoddessSaraswati is generally depicted with four arms (some picturesmay show only two arms), wearing a white sari and seated on


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a white lotus. She holds a book and a rosary in Her rear twohands, while the front two hands are engaged in the playingof a lute (veena). Her right leg is shown slightly pushingagainst Her left leg. She uses a swan as Her vehicle. There isa peacock by Her side gazing at Her. This symbolismillustrates the following spiritual ideas:

The lotus is a symbol of the Supreme Reality, and awhite lotus also denotes supreme knowledge. By sittingon a lotus, Saraswati signifies that She is Herself rootedin the Supreme Reality, and symbolizes supremeknowledge. The white color symbolizes purity andknowledge. The white sari that the Goddess is wearing

denotes that She is the embodiment of pure knowledge. The four amms denote Her omnipresence and

omnipotence. The two front amms indicate Her activityin the physical world and the two back arms signify Herpresence in the spiritual world. The four hands representthe four elements of the inner personality. The mind(manas) is represented by the front right hand, theintellect (buddhi) by the front left hand, the conditioned

consciousness (chitta) by the rear left hand, and the ego(ahankara) by the rear right hand.

The left side of the body symbolizes the qualities of theheart and the right side symbolizes activities of the mindand intellect. A book in the rear left hand signifies thatknowledge acquired must be used with love andkindness to promote prosperity of mankind.

The rosary signifies concentration, meditation, and

contemplation, leading to samadhi, or union with God. Arosary in the rear right hand representing ego conveysthat true knowledge acquired with love and devotionmelts the ego and results in liberation (moksha) of theseeker from the bondage to the physical world.

The Goddess is shown playing a musical instrument thatis held in Her front hands, which denote mind and


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intellect. This symbol conveys that the seeker must tunehis mind and intellect in order to live in perfect harmonywith the world. Such harmonious living enables theindividual to utilize acquired knowledge for the welfare ofall mankind.

Two swans are depicted on the left side of the Goddess.A swan is said to have a sensitive beak that enables it todistinguish pure milk from a mixture of milk and water. Aswan, therefore, symbolizes the power of discrimination,or the ability to discriminate between right and wrong orgood and bad. Saraswati uses the swan as Her carrier.This indicates that one must acquire and applyknowledge with discrimination for the good of mankind.

Knowledge that is dominated by ego can destroy theworld.

A peacock is sitting next to Saraswati and is anxiouslywaiting to serve as Her vehicle. A peacock depictsunpredictable behavior as its moods can be influencedby the changes in the weather. Saraswati is using a swanas a vehicle and not the peacock. This signifies that oneshould overcome fear, indecision, and fickleness in order

to acquire true knowledge. Lord Rama is the seventh incarnation of Lord

Vishnu. The worship of Lord Rama is very popular among allHindus, as is evident by the numerous temples dedicated tohim in India. In the temple images, Rama is usually shownwith his faithful wife Sita, devoted brother Lakshmana, andhis beloved devotee Hanuman. The life story of Rama and themain purpose of his incarnation (to destroy the demon king

Ravana) is described in the great epic Ramayana. A study ofthe epic Ramayana reveals the following theme: Rama represents an ideal man, as conceived by the

Hindu mind. In the story of Ramayana, Rama'spersonality depicts him as the perfect son, devotedbrother, true husband, trusted friend, ideal king, and a


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noble adversary. In images and pictures, Rama is shown carrying a bow

and arrow. The bow and arrow convey that Rama isalways ready to destroy evil and protect righteousness.He is himself an embodiment of dharma.

Sita symbolizes an ideal daughter, wife, mother, andqueen. Whereas Rama symbolizes standards ofperfection that can be conceived in all the facets of aman's life, Mother Sita represents all that is great andnoble in womanhood. She is revered as an incarnation ofGoddess Lakshmi, the divine consort of Lord Vishnu.

Lakshmana symbolizes the ideal of sacrifice. He leaveshis young wife behind in the palace and chooses to

accompany his brother (Rama) in exile. He sacrifices theamenities of his personal life to serve his elder brother.

Lord Krishna is the eighth and the mostpopular incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He was born inapproximately 3200 BCE in Vrindavan, where he was broughtup by the cowherd family of Yashoda and Nanda. Hischildhood playmates were gopas (cowherd boys) and gopis(cowherd girls), who were greatly devoted to him. Of allgopis, Radha loved Krishna the most.

In the forests of Vrindavan, Krishna often played hisflute and gopis danced with him in ecstasy. The Gopisrepresent the individual souls trapped in physical bodies.Radha symbolizes the individual soul that is awakened to thelove of God and is absorbed in such love. The sound ofKrishna's flute represents the call of the divine for theindividual souls.

The gopis' love for Krishna signifies the eternal bondbetween the individual soul and God. The dance of the gopisand Krishna (Rasa Lila) signifies the union of the human andDivine, the dance of the souls. In the forest, the gopis dancewith Krishna and are absorbed in their love for him. Thisillustrates that when an individual soul responds to the call of


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the Divine, the soul enjoys union with the Lord and becomesabsorbed in the divine ecstasy.

Of all the incarnations, Lord Krishna is revered as afull and complete incamation (purna avatara) of Lord Vishnu.

He commands love, respect, and adoration from all Hindus ofall walks of life.

Who is the founder of Hinduism?

Hinduism has no founder, it developed out of

Brahminism.

Hinduism is the oldest religion, it may date toprehistoric times.

What is the symbol of Hinduism?

Aum is the main symbol of Hinduism. It is the sound

heard in deepest meditation and is said to be the name mostsuited for God.

Where does the name Hindu comefrom?

The word "Hindu" comes from the name of the riverIndus, which flows 1800 miles from Tibet through Kashmirand Pakistan to the sea.

How is Hinduism different from otherfaiths?

Hinduism has no founder, single teacher nor any

prophets.Hinduism is not a Single Religion. Hinduism is the practices


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of a variety of different religious groups which come out of

India.

What do Hindus believe?

For many Hindus, religion is a matter of practice

rather than of beliefs. It's more what you do, than what youbelieve. Hindus believe in a universal soul or God called

Brahman. Brahman takes on many forms that some Hindusworship as gods or goddesses in their own right. Hindusbelieve that there is a part of Brahman in everyone andthis is called the Atman.

Hindus believe in reincarnation - a belief thatthe soul is eternal and lives many lifetimes, in one body after

another. The soul is sometimes born in a human body,sometimes in an animal body and sometimes in a plant bodyetc.. Hindus believe that all forms of life contain a soul, andall souls have the chance to experience life in different forms.

Samsara means going through the cycle ofrepeated births and deaths (reincarnation). Hindus believethat existence of this cycle is governed by Karma.

What is Karma?

Hindus believe that the soul passes through a

cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation is

always dependent on how the previous life was lived.(Similar to Buddhist beliefs) Karma is the cause of ourparticular destiny. Misfortunes in our present life are theresult of acts that we have committed in the past. In thesame way, our actions in our present lives will determine our

fate in the lives that follow. Hindus therefore aim to live in away that will cause each of their lives to be better than the


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life before.

What is Moksha?

The spiritual goal of a Hindu is to become onewith Brahma. This freedom is referred to as moksha. Until

moksha is achieved, a Hindu believes that he/she will berepeatedly reincarnated in order that he/she may work

towards self-realization of the truth (the truth being that onlyBrahman exists, nothing else).

What is the Hindu way of life?

For many Hindus there are four goals in humanlife (purusharthas);

1 Moksha - the release of the soul (Atman) fromthe cycle of rebirth.

The individual soul (Atman) unites with Brahmanthe universal soul. There are different ways to Moksha.

spiritual - involves acquiring spiritual knowledge throughyoga and meditation. devotion to god

working selflessly for the good of society. How a person is reincarnated is determined by

karma.

2 Dharma - the code for leading one's life.

Respect for elders is considered important and many

consider marriage as a son's religious duty. 3 Artha - the pursuit of material gain by lawfulmeans.

4 Karma- through pure acts, knowledge anddevotion, you can reincarnate to a higher level. The opposite

achieves the contrary result.

How do Hindus achieve Moksha?


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There are four different paths to achieve Moksha

which a Hindu can take.

The Hindu can choose one or all four of the paths

they are:

1 The path of knowledge - Jnana-Yoga

Spiritual knowledge -leading to the knowledge of therelationship between the soul (atman) and God (Brahman)

2 The path of meditation - Dhyana-yoga

The idea is to concentrate so you can reach the realself within you and become one with Brahman

3 The Path of Devotion - Bhakti-yoga

Choosing a particular god or goddess andworshipping them throughout your life in actions, words and

deeds.

4 The path of good works - Karma-yoga

This involves doing all your duties correctlythroughout your life.

Why are there so many Hindu Gods? Hindus actually only believe in one God,

Brahman, the eternal origin who is the cause and foundation

of all existence. The gods of the Hindu faith representdifferent forms of Brahman. These gods are sent to helppeople find the universal God (Brahman).

Most Hindus have a personal god or godess such as

Shiva, Krishna or Lakshmi to whom they pray regularly. The three most important Hindu gods (forms


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of Brahman) are:

Brahma

- known as theCreator.

Vishnu

- Known as thePreserver

Shiva

(Siva)- known asthe Destroyer.

Other Hindu gods include:

Saraswathi - Goddess of Wisdom - Wife of LordBrahma.

Saraswathi is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music and allthe creative arts.

Lakshmi - Goddess of Wealth - Wife of Lord Vishnu.

Lakshmi is the goddess of light, beauty, good fortune andwealth.

Parvati - regarded as a representation ofShakti.Parvati is the wife of Lord Shiva and the Godess of household

and motherhood.(Shakti is by literal definition sacred force, power, or energy. Shakti is thepersonnification of Brahman as feminine)

Ganesha - Son of Shiva and Parvati.

The Hindu god in a human form but with the head of an

elephant.(pictured right)

What is the Hindu place of Worship?

Most Hindus worship (puja) every day at home andhave a shrine there. A shrine can be anything from a room,

a small altar or simply pictures or statues. Family members


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often worship together. At the shrine, Hindus make offerings

to a murti. A murti is a sacred stautue of God, or a god orgoddess.

The Hindu building for communal worship iscalled Mandir (Hindu Temple). The temples are dedicated

to different gods and are the focus of religious life. OutsideIndia, people mainly gather at the mandir at the weekend.

Worshippers repeat the names of their favouritegods, goddesses, and the mantras. Water, fruit, flowers and

incense are offered to the gods.

What is Hinduism's Holy book?

The most ancient sacred texts of the Hindu religionare written in Sanskrit and called the Vedas.

Hinduism does not just have one sacred book butseveral scriptures. The Vedas scriptures guide Hindus in their

daily life. They also help to preserve the religious dimensionsof family and society. Hindus have developed their system ofworship and beliefs from the scriptures.

There are two main categories of the Hindu

scriptures:

Shruti("that which is heard") consists of the four Vedas

and Upanishads scriptures. Smriti ("that which is remembered") composed of

traditional texts, including the Dharma Shastras (legaland ethical texts), the Puranas, and the folk/historical

legends known as the Mahabharata and Ramayana. The Hindu Holy Scriptures are mainly

comprised of the following works written in the


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Sanskrit language:

1. The Vedas Rg-Veda (Rigveda), Yajur-Veda,Sama-Veda, Atharva-Veda

2. The Upanisads - These consider the nature ofthe individual soul (Atman) and the universal soul

(Brahman.) One of the Upanishads contains the earliestreference to the reincarnation of the soul in different bodies(transmigration) of the soul.

3. The Smrutis - (tradition) are the Laws of Manu

(250 BC)

4. Ramayana - Contains the story of Rama and hisdevoted wife Sita. She is kidnapped by the demon kingRavana but is later freed by Rama with the help of the

monkey god Hanuman. The poem is about how good willalways triumph over evil and Rama and Sita are held up as

role models for the perfect husband and wife.

5. Mahabharata - An epic poem telling the story ofa war between two branches of a family. The Bhagavad-Gitaforms part of this and means "The Song of God."

6. The Puranas - A collection of ancient tales aboutthe different incarnations and the lives of saints.

What are the Vedas?

The Vedas are the oldest religious texts in Hinduism.The word Veda means knowledge. It is believed that the

Vedas were orally revealed by Brahma to certain sages, whoheard them and passed them down in an oral tradition. They

were not written down; in fact this was prohibited. Becauseof this earliest oral tradition continuing even now when the


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Vedas are available in the written form, the Vedas are still

known to be Sruti or shruti - ' that which is heard '.

The Vedas are mainly comprised of of hymns or

mantras written in the Sanskrit language. They cover varioussubjects, from nature to everyday life and behaviour, and

form the basis of all other religious writings. The books areso special that they are often kept in glass cases.

The four Vedas are:

Rg-Veda (Rigveda) - The oldest and holiest Veda.

Yajur-Veda

Sama-Veda Atharva-Veda

Each Veda is divided into four sections:

The Samhitas - The oldest portion - Contains themantras and hymns The Brahmanas - The ritualistic

teachings - They are written in prose and explain thehymns. The Aranyakas - The meditational section

The Upanishads - The mystic and philosophical. Theyconsider the nature of the individual soul (Atman) and

the universal soul (Brahman.) One of the Upanishadscontains the earliest reference to the reincarnation of the

soul in different bodies (transmigration) of the soul. The Vedas are the law. Most beliefs, concepts, and

ceremonies are based on information contained in the Vedas.

What are the practices of Hindus?

The practice of Hinduism consists of rites and

ceremonies centering on birth, marriage, and death.

There are three basic practices:


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1 Worship (called Puja)

This is an integral part of the faith. Offerings (puja)are usually made to representations of the gods.

2 Cremation

The dead are burnt not buried

3 Compliance with the rules of the castesystem

The caste system, prescribed in the vedas, was 'a

division of society to preserve society'. Each group had rulesof conduct to be obeyed.

The caste system divided people by occupation i.e.teachers and philosophers were brahmins; fighters werekshatriya; shopkeepers, moneylenders and tradespeople

were vaishya; and servants and cleaners were shudra. Nocaste was higher or more important than another. All were

equal and aknowledged as essential to the society.

Is pilgrimage an important aspect ofHindusim?

Yes, pilgrimage is important to Hindus.

What are the popular pilgrimage

places?

Popular pilgrimage places are rivers, temples,mountains, and other sacred sites in India. As these are sites

where the gods may have appeared or become manifest inthe world.

hindu gods sofia

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