Download Unit 4 Activity 0.1 Handout to help understand Hindu concept of God

Understanding the concept of God in Hindu dharma. (dharma – religious or moral duty)
The Hindu Trinity, forms of Gods and Goddesses, the Avatars of Lord Vishnu, the Devatas, Planet
and Animal Deities are all presented with their image representation.
If you have ever wondered, if Hindus worship one God or many Gods, why do Hindus worship
images and icons, why does the God in Hindu dharma have multiple names and multiple forms of
God, then this is the where, we hope, you will find answers. Dr. David Frawley has answered many
of these commonly asked questions quite succinctly. For example,
Why Do Hindus Worship Many Gods?
Human beings through history have formulated many different names and forms for the Divine or
Eternal. Just as we have many names and forms for other things, whether it is foods, or types of art,
so too, in religion a similar great diversity has been created.
The Western world has prided itself in monotheism, the idea that there is only One God as the
highest truth. Western religions have said that only the names and forms which refer to this One
God are valid but those which appear to worship another God, or a multiplicity of divinities, must be
false. They have restricted the names and forms they use in religious worship, and insist that only
one set is true and correct and others are wrong or unholy.
As a universal formulation Hinduism accepts all formulations of Truth. According to the universal
view there is only One Reality, but it cannot be limit ed to a particular name or form. Though Truth is
One it is also Universal, not an exclusive formulation. It is an inclusive, not an exclusive Oneness - a
spiritual reality of Being - Consciousness - Bliss, which could be called God but which transcends all
names. The different Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism represent various functions of this One
Supreme Divinity, and are not separate Gods.
Having many names for something is not necessarily a sign of ignorance of its real nature. On the
contrary, it may indicate an intimate knowledge of it. For example, Eskimos have forty-eight different
names for snow in their language because they know snow intimately in its different variations, not
because they are ignorant of the fact that all snow is only one. The many different deities of
Hinduism reflect such an intimate realization of the Divine on various levels.
Or, Why Does Hinduism Portray God as a Woman?
Hinduism contains many feminine forms of the Divine like Kali, Durga, Lakshmi and Sarasvati.
These represent different feminine qualities and functions of the Divine which contains both male
and female energies. For example, Kali portrays the destructive energy, Lakshmi the nourishing,
and Sarasvati the creative, while Durga is the Divine Mother in her protective role. Hinduism also
has many dual male-female forms like Radha-Krishna, Sita-Rama, Uma-Mahesh, and Lakshmi Narayan in which the female form is usually addressed first. The different masculine forms of the
Divine in Hinduism have their feminine counterparts.
As Sanatana Dharma or a universal tradition Hinduism recognizes that the Divine contains both
masculine and feminine attributes. Without giving proper honor to the feminine qualities a religion
must be incomplete and one-sided, which must result in its teachings having negative
consequences. Without recognizing the feminine aspect of Divinity one cannot claim to know God.
To recognize the feminine is necessary to restore wholeness, completeness and universality.
Unit 4 Activity 0.1 Handout to help understand Hindu concept of God Introduction to Hinduism Monday March 19, 2007 HRT3M a/c – L. Hunt
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Review the pictures on pages 121 and 122 of the text
Read pages 120-123 and answer question 2 on page 129
Define the terms "polytheistic," "monotheistic," and "monistic"
Examine the images in the text: Figure 4.3 (page 121), Figure 4.4 (page 122), Figure
4.13 (page 134), Figure 4.19 (page 145), the image on page 114,
''Hindu and Christian, each according to its distinctive teachings, give the mystery of God
the highest place in human life." (Message of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious
Dialogue to the Hindus on the Feast of Diwali, October 2000)
Reflection: What is meant by the phrase "mystery of God" ?
Include in your reflection comments on the "three different concepts of God" (page 120)
Unit 4 Activity 0.1 Handout to help understand Hindu concept of God Introduction to Hinduism Monday March 19, 2007 HRT3M a/c – L. Hunt
Goddess Saraswati (Sarasvati) is the wife (consort) of Lord Brahma and possesses the powers of speech,
wisdom and learning. She has four hands representing four aspects of human personality in learning; mind,
intellect, alertness and ego.
She has sacred scriptures in one hand and a lot us (a symbol of true knowledge) in the second. With her other
two hands she plays the music of love and life on the violin (veena).
She is dressed in white (sign of purity) and rides on a white goose (swan
The preserver god of the Trinity has four hands. The first holds a conch shell (sankha) indicating spread of
the divine sound "Om"; one holds a discus (chakra), a reminder of the wheel of time, and to lead a good life;
one holds a lotus (Padma) which is an example of glorious existence and the fourth hands holds a mace
(gada) indicating the power and the punishing capacity of the Lord if discipline in life is ignored.
His vehicle is the swift-flying bird Garuda which can spread the Vedic knowledge with great courage. The
dark color of the Lord represents the passive and formless ether, a great quality for a pervading god. He rests
on the bed of the powerful, coiled serpent, Seshanag who represents the sleeping universe. Lord Vishnu is
also known as Hari, the remover.
Lord Vishnu's consort is Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth .
Unit 4 Activity 0.1 Handout to help understand Hindu concept of God Introduction to Hinduism Monday March 19, 2007 HRT3M a/c – L. Hunt
Goddess Lakshmi is the consort or wife of Lord Vishnu and is the goddess of prosperity, purity, chastity and
generosity.
Her four hands represent four spiritual virtues. She sits on a fully blossomed lotus, a seat of divine truth. Her
personal charm is considered par excellence. An aura of divine happiness, mental and spiritual satisfaction,
and prosperity always exist around her.
Her palm is always extended to bless people. She is adored by Lord Ganesha.
Unit 4 Activity 0.1 Handout to help understand Hindu concept of God Introduction to Hinduism Monday March 19, 2007 HRT3M a/c – L. Hunt