Brahman
It is a popular misconception that Hindus believe in multiple Gods; Hindus believe in only one
God. They believe that because God is Infinite God can be represented in many ways and take on
many manifestations. Brahman is the one Supreme Reality. Brahman has no form, he is eternal,
and he is the creator and transformer of everything. Brahman appears in the human spirit as the
soul.
The Trinity
"
The truth is ONE but the theologians speak variously." (Rig Veda.)
In order to interact with the physical universe, Brahman took the form of Isvara. Isvara then
manifested in threefold form: Brahma, the creator; Vishnu the sustainer and as Shiva the
destroyer. These are not separate Gods, but the embodiment of one God.
Brahma: The Creator
Brahma arose from a lotus in the navel of the sleeping Vishnu. To produce the
human race Braham made Saraswati. His four heads appeared when Saraswati hid from his gaze, so that he
could always see her.
Saraswati: Goddess of Knowledge, Art and Music
Saraswati, or Vak Devi, is dressed in white and holds a mala
and plam leaf scroll symbolizing knowledge. She usually rides a
swan, sometimes a peacock, and plays a veena. Vilma Vashi
temple in Dilwara is dedicated to Saraswati.
Students worship her when they want to do well in their exams.
Vishnu: The Protector of Creation
Vishnu is the embodiment of
mercy and
goodness. He is
represented resting on the coiled serpent Shiesha with Lakshmi
massaging his feet. Vishnu never sleeps; he is the deity of Shanti, the peaceful mood.
His primary task is to maintain the
divine order of the universe (Dharma), keeping the balance
between good and evil powers. When evil takes ascendance, Vishnu takes the form of one of ten
avatars (incarnations) to restore the balance. His most famous incarnations were Buddha, Ram
and Krishna.
Lakshmi: Goddess of Light, Beauty and Good Fortune
Lakshmi was the daughter of the sage Bhrigu and she took refuge in the Ocean of Milk when the
Gods were sent into exile. Reborn during the Churning of the Ocean of Milk (which is depicted in
the Ramayana) all the Gods fell in love with her, but she was betrothed to Vishnu who she
preferred. Each time Vishnu was incarnated so too was she, as Sita to Rama, Tara to Buddha and
Rukmini to Krishna. She is associated with
love and grace and many Indian girls are given her
name.
Diwali, the Festival of Light, has its origins in the celebration of the return of Ram and Sita after 14
years of exile. To celebrate the kingdoms of Ayodhya and Mithila lit up their streets.
Krishna: The Eighth Avatar of Vishnu
Stories about Krishna are told in the Mahabharata. He came to earth to kill the demon king,
Kansa. He is worshipped in his own right and is the embodiment of love and joy.
Shiva: The Destroyer
Shiva is responsible for change, both in the form of death and
destruction but also in changing old habits. Shiva lives on Mount
Kailasa in the Himalayas. Shiva is the god of yogis and the
celibate, his worshippers are amongst India’s most ascetic, their
bodies covered in ashes and dressed in saffron robes.
However, Shiva had two wives; his first was Sati and his second
was Parvarti, also known as Durga, Kali and Shakti.
Shiva holds a trident and is represented with snakes which are
symbolic of him being beyond the
power of death. Shiva is often seated on, or draped in tiger skin
which represents the mind. Most commonly Shiva is represented dancing, named as Natraj; this is symbol for the cycle of
death,
birth and
rebirth.
Shakti: The Mother Goddess
Shakti, known in her other forms as
Parvarti,
Kali or
Durga, is regarded as the source of all
universal power, energy and creativity. To harness this energy is the objective of Tantra Yoga. She
is inseparable from her husband who is Shiva in Tantric tradition and Brahman according to the
Upanishads. As long as the world exists her worshippers believe that Shakti remains the creator,
preserver and destroyer.
Durga, meaning invincible, is an incarnation of Shakti as a warrior who fights the demons that
represent the lowest human passions. Worship of Durga in India has produced many of India’s
greatest festivals. Kali is the ferocious and destructive form of Shakti.
Ganesha: The Lord of Success
The jolly elephant headed
Ganesha is probably the most easily recognizable Hindu deity to non-
Hindus. There are many stories surrounding how Ganesha got his elephant head. The most
prevalent of which is that Ganesha was the first born son of Shiva and Parvarti. After a long
absence, Shiva returned to find a stranger at his door and he cut his head off. Finding out that this
had been his son he cut off the head of a passing elephant and put it on his son’s shoulders.
Ganesha is the god of wisdom and the remover of obstacles. He rides a rat, which symbolizes the
defeated demon of vanity. He also holds in his hand a broken tusk with which he wrote the
Mahabharata. It is argued that his acceptance as a divine force shows how people are forced to
look behind appearances, thus illustrating how he removes obstacles.