Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Hindu Gods and Goddesses Hinduism can be described both as a polytheistic religion and a monotheistic religion. It is the duality that allows Hinduism to be described as the most flexible of the major world religions. The Gods of the Hindu Trinity Brahma Vishnu Shiva Relationship to the The creator of the preserver of the Destroyer and Universe universe universe restorer of the universe Characteristics unknowable Love and salvation Creative energy and yoga Artist Depictions Cosort: Four faces Conch Trident book Discus Rosary rosary Lotus gourd gourd mace Saraswati Lakshimi Parvarti The Consorts of the Hindu Trinity Saraswati Lakshimi Parvarti Learning and the Arts wealth, happiness and female energy, often good fortune called the Mother Goddess of: Goddess (takes many forms) Shown: Holding a book and a with gold, rewarding her holding many weapons musical instrument worshippers when she is the warrior goddess Vehicle: Peacock or swan none sometimes seen riding a tiger Avatars (Incarnations) of Vishnu An avatar is the deliberate descent of a deity (means god) to Earth. This sometimes means as an appearance or a manifestation but most often as an incarnation. Vishnu is said to have 10 incarnations: 1. Matsya, the fish - saved the first of mankind from the great flood and rescued the Vedas by killing a demon. 2. Kurma, the tortoise - helped in the churning of the ocean. 3. Varaha, the boar - rescued the earth from the ocean by killing her kidnapper, the demon Hiranyaksha. 4. Narasimha, the half man-half lion - killed the tyrant demon-king Hiranyakashipu, to rescue the demon's son Prahlada, who was a Vishnu-devotee. 5. Vamana, the dwarf - subdued the king Maha Bali. 6. Parashurama, sage with the axe - killed the thousand-armed king Kartavirya Arjuna 7. Rama, the king of Ayodhya - the hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana (sacred text that epitomises the ideal behaviour of man through stories). 8. Lord Krishna, the king of Dwarka – hero and dictator of Bhagavad Gita (sacred text that deals with politics, human nature and human weakness). 9. Gautama Buddha - founder of Buddhism, the enlightened one 10. Kalki - has not appeared yet. Kalki will come to earth to bring the destruction of earth so that it can be born anew. Hinduism as a MONOTHEISTIC religion: While a surface view of Hinduism indicates that there are many Gods and Goddesses, a further exploration yields the realization that a basic belief of Hinduism is the belief in the ONE DIVINE GOD. But how does this mesh with some 330 million deities found in the sacred texts of Hinduism? Hindus would argue that each deity is a manifestation of the One True God, in the same way that Christians believe that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one. There are several analogies that can be made to clarify the argument: " Take a family man. This one individual, to his wife, he is her husband; to his children, he is their father; to his employees, he is their boss and to his friends, he is their buddy. In all his different relationships, though he is the same person, the experience of his wife, his children, his friends and his employees are all unique while having similarities. Even his name, though he will have one legal name, his wife, children, friends and employees will address him differently according to their social standing with him. " (Taken from http://www.myhindupage.org/index.php/god-part-one) Another analogy says that the Gods and Goddesses are like the rivers. All rivers flow to the sea. Check your understanding: (You may use your cellphone to help you find answers.) 1. Define the following: Avatar Vedas Bhagavad-Gita Ramayana Consort Polytheism Monotheism Pantheism 2. Hinduism is sometimes said to be in agreement with all of the world's major religions. Explain why this might be so. Consider following: “Jesus as an avatar of Vishnu?” “One god with many faces.” “Kali (10 avatar) and Christian’s belief in the second coming of Christ.” th