Hindu Gods: A Diverse Pantheon Of Divine Energy

Hinduism is often considered a polytheistic faith, with thousands of deities, each representing an aspect of the Supreme Absolute, Brahman. However, this characterisation is an overgeneralisation. While it is true that Hinduism includes thousands of deities, such as Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati, the religion is also consistent with monotheism, pantheism, and henotheism. Hindus worship one Supreme Being, Brahman, who has uncountable divine powers and is both formless and omnipresent. This freedom to approach God in one's own way is a central tenet of Hinduism, with followers encouraged to believe in and pray to their own conceptualisations of the Divine.

The Hindu faith is monotheistic, polytheistic, pantheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic, and humanist

Hinduism is a diverse religion, and its followers can choose to be monotheistic, polytheistic, pantheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic, or humanist.

Hinduism is often considered a polytheistic faith, as it does not advocate the worship of one particular deity. Instead, it includes a complex structure of thousands of deities, each one representing a certain aspect of the Supreme Absolute, known as Brahman. These deities are all manifestations of the same divine spirit, which is formless or nirakara, and beyond anything that can be conceived. This makes Hinduism consistent with a variety of different belief systems, including monotheism, polytheism, and pantheism.

In Hinduism, Brahman is the impersonal Absolute, the underlying reality of all things, from which everything in existence, living or non-living, is believed to come from. For this reason, Hindus regard all things as sacred. While Brahman is formless, it can manifest itself in myriad forms, including the forms of various gods and goddesses, known as sakara forms. These gods and goddesses are also referred to as Deva (masculine) and Devi (feminine), with Deva being the root of these terms meaning "heavenly, divine, anything of excellence".

While there are many deities in Hinduism, a few are more significant than others. The primary deities include Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu, the Protector; Shiva, the Destroyer; Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, art, and wisdom; Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and fortune; and Kali, a goddess associated with violence and sexual energy.

The concept of monotheism in Hinduism is also recognised, as all the gods are considered manifestations or avatars of Brahman, the one Supreme God. This is further supported by the Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism, which asserts that there is no dualistic existence of a deity, and that God (Ishvara, Brahman) is identical with the Atman (Self) within each human being. In this view, there is a monistic Universal Absolute Oneness that connects everyone and everything.

Additionally, Hinduism accommodates agnostic, atheistic, and humanist beliefs. Some Hindu traditions, such as ancient Charvakas, rejected all deities and the concept of god or goddess. Early Nyaya school scholars initially considered the hypothesis of a deity as a creator God but later rejected this idea and were non-theistic or atheistic. Samkhya, one of the six systems of Hindu philosophy, is considered atheistic or non-theistic, as it does not include the concept of Ishvara or a supreme being.

The Supreme Being is called Brahman

The Supreme Being in the Hindu faith is called Brahman, the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality of the universe. Brahman is a gender-neutral concept, a creative principle that underlies the whole world. It is the single binding unity behind the diversity in all that exists. Brahman is the origin of all other gods and goddesses, of whom they are manifestations.

Brahman is a Vedic Sanskrit word, conceptualized as the "creative principle which lies realized in the whole world". Brahman is a key concept found in the Vedas and is extensively discussed in the early Upanishads. The Vedas conceptualize Brahman as the Cosmic Principle, and in the Upanishads, it has been variously described as Sat-cit-ānanda (truth-consciousness-bliss) and as the unchanging, permanent, Highest Reality.

Brahman is discussed in Hindu texts with the concept of Atman (Self), in various combinations depending on the philosophical school. In dualistic schools of Hinduism, Brahman is different from Atman, while in non-dual schools, the substance of Brahman is identical to the substance of Atman, and there is a connected spiritual oneness in all existence.

Brahman is the ultimate, eternal, self-born, unlimited, innately free, and blissful Absolute. It is the sole, ultimate reality, the origin and end of all things, material and spiritual. Brahman is all that is eternal, unchanging, and that which truly exists.

Brahman is regarded as the God of gods, with Brahmā, Vishnu, and Siva as manifestations. In the Atharva-Veda, it is said:

> All the gods are in (Brahman) as cows in a cow-house. In the beginning, Brahman was this [universe]. He created gods. Having created gods, he placed them in these worlds, viz. Agni in this world, Vāyu in the atmosphere, and Surya in the sky. And in the worlds that are yet higher, he placed the gods that are still higher. Then Brahman proceeded to the higher sphere.

Brahman is the supreme power, the source of all existence, and the cause of all changes, yet itself remains unchanging.

Brahman has thousands of manifestations

Hinduism is often considered a polytheistic faith, as it does not advocate the worship of one particular deity. However, the Hindu belief system includes a complex structure of deities that is not easily categorised. The full list of Hindu gods and goddesses includes thousands of deities, each one representing a certain aspect of the Supreme Absolute, Brahman. Brahman is the origin of all things, living or otherwise, and is the underlying reality of all things. Everything in existence, living or non-living, is believed to come from it.

Brahman is formless or nirakara, beyond anything that can be conceived of. However, this ultimate reality can manifest itself in myriad forms, including the forms of various gods and goddesses, the sakara forms of the Brahman. These forms of Brahman are different in essence from the gods of ancient Greek and Roman religions, two of the more famous examples of polytheism.

Professor Jeaneane Fowler explains the connection between Brahman and the many gods and goddesses of Hinduism:

> The relationship between the many manifest deities and the unmanifest Brahman is rather like that between the sun and its rays. We cannot experience the sun itself but we can experience its rays and the qualities, which those rays have. And, although the sun’s rays are many, ultimately, there is only one source, one sun. So the Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism amount to thousands, all representing the many aspects of Brahman.

The Trimurti, or the Hindu Trinity, is made up of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma has four faces, each of which corresponds to one of the four Vedas, the oldest Hindu scriptures. Vishnu, often depicted with blue skin and four arms, is responsible for preserving the earth in times of trouble. In the Rig Veda, he is associated with light and the Sun. Shiva, also known as the Destroyer, is responsible for change and transformation and is depicted in a variety of forms, both benevolent and malevolent.

Other major Hindu deities include Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, art, and wisdom; Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and fortune; and Kali, a fearful goddess associated with violence and sexual energy.

The Trimurti: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva

Hinduism is often considered a polytheistic faith, but the belief system includes a complex structure of deities that is not easily categorised. There are thousands of Hindu gods and goddesses, each one representing a certain aspect of the Supreme Absolute, known as Brahman. These deities are as diverse as the traditions of Hinduism, and a Hindu can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic, or humanist.

The Trimurti is the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism, in which the cosmic functions of creation, preservation, and destruction are personified as a triad of deities. The Trimurti consists of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. These three deities have also been called "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity".

Brahma, also known as the Creator, is a member of the Trimurti, or the Hindu Trinity. He creates and gives life force to his creation, and is associated with knowledge and the dissemination of knowledge. Brahma has four faces, each of which corresponds to one of the four Vedas, the oldest Hindu scriptures.

Vishnu, the Protector, is also a member of the Trimurti. He is often depicted with blue skin and four arms and is responsible for preserving the earth in times of trouble. In the Rig Veda, he is associated with light and the Sun. Vishnu represents kingship and military power and enforces order with physical force.

Shiva, the Destroyer, is the final member of the Trimurti. He is responsible for change and transformation and is depicted in a variety of forms, both benevolent and malevolent. Shiva is often associated with anger and his destructive bent comes from his desire to see the world as newer and purer. He is the god of male fertility and asceticism and is also known as Rudra-Siva.

The concept of the Trimurti is said to have emerged in the second half of the 1st millennium BCE. It is believed that the concept came about to bring worshippers from different Hindu sects into a more cohesive group. The Om symbol of Hinduism is considered to allude to the Trimurti, with the A, U, and M phonemes of the word considered to indicate creation, preservation, and destruction, adding up to represent Brahman.

While the Trimurti is a significant concept in Hinduism, it is not a major part of Hinduism as practised, but rather an explanation of the workings of the cosmos.

The Tridevi: Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati/Durga

Hinduism is often considered a polytheistic faith, with thousands of deities, each representing a certain aspect of the Supreme Absolute, Brahman. However, these deities are all manifestations of the same divine spirit, meaning that Hinduism is consistent with monotheism, polytheism, and pantheism.

The Tridevi is a trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism, joining three eminent goddesses: Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati/Durga. They are either considered a feminine version of the Trimurti (a Hindu Trinity consisting of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) or as consorts of the masculine Trimurti. In Shaktism, the Tridevi are considered manifestations of Mula-Prakriti or Mahadevi, and the masculine Trimurti are relegated to auxiliary roles.

Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, and wisdom, is often depicted sitting on a white lotus, a symbol of purity and truth. She is associated with the sacred river Saraswati, which symbolises purity, fertility, and auspiciousness. She is also associated with the colour yellow and is usually dressed in pure white, symbolising the purity of true knowledge. She is considered the consort of Brahma, the Creator.

Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, auspiciousness, light, and material and spiritual fulfilment, is associated with the lotus, which represents purity and fertility. She is the consort of Vishnu, the preserver. However, she also represents abstract prosperity, such as glory, magnificence, joy, and greatness.

Parvati, the goddess of power, war, beauty, and love, is generally considered benign and beautiful. She is the consort of Shiva, the destroyer of evil or transformer. She is also known as Uma, Gauri, Durga, Kali, Shakti, and many other names. She is the reincarnation of Sati, the first wife of Shiva.

The triple-goddess is often depicted standing on a lotus, with each goddess having many arms, representing several functions. One of their hand gestures is the abhaya mudra, a symbol of fearlessness. Each goddess is crowned, suggesting nobility and royalty.

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