Hindu Gods and Goddesses

Hindu Gods and Goddesses exist to represent the different roles and functions of God. In its most basic form, Hindus do believe that ultimately God is One but the various incarnations of God are created for us to better understand the depth of his or her power and the over arching presence of the Divine in all that we do.

Hindu Gods and Goddesses

Brahman is the ultimate universe, reality and truth. Brahma on the other hand is a God, he is the creator God. Let us explore some of the different Gods and Goddesses in Hinduism.

Vishnu

Vishnu, after Brahma, is the second member of the Hindu Trinity or triumvirate. He maintains order and harmony in the universe. He maintains the universe, while Bramha creates and Shiva destroys. Vishnu is usually presented as a blue coloured human with four arms.

Shiva

Shiva is responsible for destroying the universe . This is necessary for it’s renewal at the end of each time cycle. Hindus believe that calling Shiva’s name may destroy bad vibrations.

Ganapati

Ganapati, also known as Ganesha or Vinayaka. Ganesha is Shiva’s first son. Ganesha is better known as the elephant God, as he has an elephant’s head on his body, He is said to remove obstacles for those who believe.

Rama

Rama descends from Vishnu, he is an avatar of Vishnu. This means he descends from him and falls to earth to restore dharma or moral order. Rama’s story can be found in the Ramayana. The Ramayana is a well-known foundational hindu text, teaching morals.

Krishna

Krishna is the teacher of the Bhagavad Gita ( Hindu holy book) and is also found as the central caracter in the Mahabharata ( one of the Hindu epics).

Krishna is the God of love and compassion. He is often seen in human form, with blue skin, often with a peacock feather or a crown.

Saraswati

Saraswati is our first Goddess and the consort of Brahma. She is the goddess of wisdom, learning, speech, and music. Hindu students offer prayers to Saraswati before examinations. She is often pictured in a white sari playing a lute.

Surya

Surya (or Soorya) is he God of Light. Often dipicted as a golden warrior arriving on a chariot. Surya is seen as the eye of the universe, the soul of existence

Lakshmi

Lakshmi is the goddess of good fortune, wealth, and well-being. As the consort of Vishnu, she plays a role in every incarnation. In hinduism all women are said to be embodiments of Lakshmi/Laxmi.

Kali

Kalima or Shyama, destroys evil forces. She is the Goddess of time and power. She is often seen with black skin and eyes that are red with rage.

While we have explored a few of the famous Hindu dieties, there are many more Hindu Gods and Godesses to learn about. We hope this brief overview has whet your appetite and kicked off your spiritual journey to learn more about one of the oldest and most popular religions in the world.

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