Beliefs

Brahman

God or gods?

Contrary to popular understanding, Hindus recognise one God, Brahman, the eternal origin who is the cause and foundation of all existence.

The gods of the Hindu faith represent different expressions of Brahman.

Different Hindu communities may have their own divinities whom they worship, but these are simply different ways of approaching the Ultimate.

Hindus recognise three principal gods:

• Brahma, who creates the universe
• Vishnu, who preserves the universe
• Shiva, who destroys the universe.

Brahma

Brahma is the Creator. However, Brahma is not worshipped in the same way as other gods because it is believed that his work - that of creation - has been done.

Hindus worship other expressions of Brahman (not Brahma), which take a variety of forms.

Hindus are often classified into three groups according to which form of Brahman they worship:

• Those who worship Vishnu (the preserver) and Vishnu's important incarnations Rama, Krishna and Narasimha;
• Those who worship Shiva (the destroyer)
• Those who worship the Mother Goddess, Shakti, also called Parvati, Mahalakshmi, Durga or Kali.

Vishnu, Shiva and other deities

Vishnu

Vishnu, the preserver, is believed to be linked to a very early sun god and is considered by his worshippers to be the greatest among the gods. He is also referred to as Narayana.

Vishnu preserves and protects the universe and has appeared on the earth through his avatars (incarnations) to save humankind from natural disasters or from tyranny.

The most well-known avatars are Rama (see Ramayana), Krishna, who destroyed the wicked and established a new order, Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, and Kalki.

Vishnu is represented in sculpture and painting in human form, often painted blue.

Lakshmi is the consort of Vishnu who has appeared as the wife of each of Vishnu's incarnations, including Sita, wife of Prince Rama, and Rukmini, wife of Krishna.

She is the goddess of wealth and good fortune who is offered special worship during the Divali festival.

Shiva is the source of both good and evil ©

Shiva

The god Shiva is part of the Hindu Trinity, along with Vishnu and Brahma.

He is considered to be everything by those who worship him: creator, preserver and destroyer. In Shiva, the opposites meet.

Shiva the destroyer is a necessary part of the trinity because, without destruction, there can be no recreation.

His city is Varanasi, and any Hindu who dies there is believed to go straight to heaven.

Shiva is the source of both good and evil who combines many contradictory elements.

In pictures and sculptures, Shiva is represented as Lord of the Dance who controls the movement of the universe. He is also associated with fertility.

Shiva has many consorts, including Kali, often portrayed as wild and violent, Parvati, reknowned for her gentleness, and Durga, a powerful goddess created from the combined forces of the anger of several gods.

The Great Goddess (Mahadevi)

The great Goddess appears as a consort of the principal male gods and encompasses the thousands of local goddesses or matas. These can be both beautiful and benign, like Lakshmi, or all-powerful destructive forces like Kali.

Great Goddess shrines are associated with agriculture and fertility and the female energy, or shakti, is important in ancient texts known collectively as the Tantras.

Shakti is contrasted with Shiva, whose masculine consciousness is powerless without the creative female energy.

Other Vedic gods

• Indra, the god of storms.
  • Indra was once the Vedic king of all gods but has, over time, lost some influence.
  • Indra's main function is in leading the warriors (see caste system).
  • Indra fights not only human enemies, but also demons.
• Agni is the Vedic god of fire.
  • He is one of the supreme gods of the Rig Veda.
  • Agni is believed to take the offerings to the other world through fire.
  • Agni is represented by the ram.
• Varuna is the third Vedic god whose influence persists today.
  • Varuna presides over the orderliness of the universe.
  • Varuna rules over the night sky. Varuna is believed to know everything.
  • Varuna is the god of truth and moral judgements. Varuna knows the secrets of all hearts.