| Gods | |||
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The gods of the Hindu universe are guardians of the natural order. They
help humans enjoy a worldly life. They also provide the means to break
free from the wheel of existence. |
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| Trimurti | Ganesha | Agni | |
| Bramha | Indra | Kartikeya | |
| Vishnu | Surya | Asvins | |
| Shiva | Kama | Ayyappa | |
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Trimurti is the triad of the great Hindu gods which proceeded from the world-egg deposited by the supreme First Cause. These three supreme manifestations of the supreme divine principle are:
Brahma
In
Hindu mythology, the senior member of the triad, orTrimurti, of the
great gods (Brahma, Vishnu
and Shiva). In later times
he became symbolized as the supreme eternal deity whose essence pervades
the entire universe.
Brahma
is the creator. But he is not worshipped because he is responsible for
distracting the mind away from the soul and towards the cravings of the
flesh.
Before
the cosmos existed, Brahma was all alone, self contained and self-content.
Wounded by the love-god Kama's darts, however, he felt inadequate and
longed for company. He split himself and created Shatarupa, the goddess of
samsara. She was ephemeral yet enchanting. Her many forms captivated
Brahma. He desired to posses her, hoping that the union would restore his
peace of mind.
But
that was not to be. Like all material things, Shatarupa would turn into
something else every time Brahma got to her. She turned into a cow, a
mare, a goose and a doe. Brahma kept pursuing her, taking the form of the
corresponding male - a bull, a horse, a gander, a buck. Thus all creatures
of the cosmos, from the smallest insect to the largest mammal, came into
being. Brahma became Prajapati, lord of progeny.
Brahma,
in his obsession, sprouted five heads, so that he could look upon
Shatarupa at all times. To restrain his lust, Shiva as the ferocious
Bhairava wrenched off one of his heads.
Sobered by the experience, Brahma took Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, as his consort. With her help, he regained control of his mind, drawing it away from the senses towards the bliss of the soul.
Vishnu
Vishnu
is regarded as a major god in Hinduism and Indian mythology. He is thought
as the preserver of the universe while two other major Hindu gods Brahma
and Shiva,
are regarded respectively, as the creator and destroyer of the universe. The
original worship of Vishnu, by the Aryan conquerors of India or the
original Dravidian inhabitants is not definitely known. In the ancient
Vedas, the body of literature known as the Veda, and sacred literature of
the Aryan conquerors, Vishnu is ranked among the lesser gods and is
usually associated with the major Vedic god Indra who in the epics and
Puranas fights against dragons and demonic forces. These latter writings emerge
during the later development of Hinduism.
It
is throughout this literature and especially through incarnations that
Vishnu is raised to higher rankings within the Hindu pantheon. He becomes
the prominent second god of the Trimurti, the Hindu Triad, while Brahma is
first and Shiva is third.
In
some Puranic literature Vishnu is said to be eternal, an all-pervading
spirit, and associated with the primeval waters that are believed to have
been omnipresent before the creation of the universe.
The
concept of Vishnu being the preserver of the world came relatively late in
Hinduism. Presumably it sprang from two other beliefs: that men attain
salvation by faithfully following predetermined paths of duty, and that
powers of good and evil (gods and demons) are in contention for domination
over the world. When these powers are upset Vishnu, it is further
believed, descends to earth, or his avatar, to equalize the powers.
Further it is thought that ten such incarnations or reincarnations of
Vishnu will occur. Nine descents are said to have already occurred, the
tenth is yet to come. Rama and
Krishna were the seventh and
eighth.
Another
interesting speculation concerning Vishnu's role as preserver among many
modern scholars is that it is characteristic of the practitioners of
Hinduism to raise local legendary heroes to gods in the Hindu pantheon.
Vishnu
is portrayed as blue or black shinned and has four arms. He has a thousand
names and their repetition is an act of devotion
Shiva
is the destroyer - destroyer of ignorance, desire, ego, and death.
Worldly
matters do not interest Shiva. Unaffected by the whims of the world, he is
innocent and guileless, pure of mind and heart. He does not adorn his body
with jewels or flowers; he mats his hair; wraps his body in animal hide
and lets the serpent slither around his neck. He rejects social norms and
does not mind the company of ghosts, gnomes , goblins, bhutas, pisachas
and yakshas. He even rejects his body; hence he is worshipped as a linga.
Sometimes
he wanders into crematoriums, smears his body with ash and dances in the
light of the funeral pyres, reminding all about the transitory nature of
material things.
Shiva
prefers to isolate himself atop Mount Kailas, shutting his eye,
restraining his senses, meditating and transcending samsara. In fact so
intense is the power of his tapas that it transforms him into a pillar of
fire that has neither an origin nor an end.
But
the gods seek his wisdom. They wanted him to participate in the worldly
affairs. They wanted him to marry and produce mighty sons who would
protect the world. So they enlisted the help of the mother-goddess Shakti.
Manifesting as Parvati, the goddess succeeded, after great difficulty, in
becoming Shiva's consort. Together they created two sons: the wise Ganesha
and the mighty Kartikeya. Parvati inspired Shiva to compose music,
choreograph dances and unravel the mysteries of the Tantra and the secrets
of Yoga for the benefit of the universe. He even enlightened her on the
art of lovemaking, delighting man and god alike.
Occasionally, Shiva does tire of family life and goes back into the forest to meditate or dance in serene isolation. As he alternates between being an austere hermit and an amorous householder, the cosmos either withdraws into itself or blooms like a lotus.
Ganesh
The Goddess Parvati wanted a child but her consort Shiva was not interested in a family. Determined to be a mother, the goddess decided to create a child on her own. She scrubbed her skin, collected the dirt, mixed it with clay and molded out of it an idol into which she breathed life. She called this being, created without the help of her husband, Ganesha and declared him her son. Parvati ordered Ganesha not to let any strangers enter her cave. Ganesha, who had never seen Shiva in his life, stopped his mother's consort from entering her abode. Enraged, Shiva beheaded Ganesha with his trident. When Parvati learnt of her son's death, she threatened to destroy the whole world unless he was brought back to life. To appease his consort, Shiva cut the head of a cow-elephant, placed it on Ganesha's severed neck and brought him back to life. From that day, Ganesha came to be known as "Vighneshwara" - the lord of hurdles. He blocks the movements of the undesirable. Hindus salute the elephant-headed god Ganesha before beginning any activity or journey in the hope that there are no obstacles in their endeavor. His image is placed near gateways and above thresholds as he blocks all malevolent forces and lets only benevolent ones enter the house. Ganesha rides a mouse and prevents it from destroying crops. He ties a serpent round his stomach to prevent the food in his stomach from falling out. Thus Ganesha ensures the prosperity of man and is often shown seated beside Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and fortune.
In
Vedic times, Indra was the supreme ruler of the gods. He was the leader of
the Devas, the god of war, the god of thunder and storms, the greatest of
all warriors, the strongest of all beings. He was the defender of gods and
mankind against the forces of evil. He had early aspects of a sun god,
riding in a golden chariot across the heavens, but he is more often known
as the god of thunder, wielding the celestial weapon Vajra, the lightening
bolt. He also employs the bow, a net, and a hook in battle. He shows
aspects of being a creator god, having set order to the cosmos, and since
he was the one who brought water to earth, he was a fertility god as well.
He also had the power to revive slain warriors who had fallen in battle.
Indra
is described as being very powerful, with a reddish complexion, and with
either two or four very long arms. His parents were the sky god Dyaus
Pita and the earth goddess Prthivi; he was born fully grown and fully
armed from his mother's side. His wife was Indrani, and his
attendants were called the Maruts. His sons are named as Jayanta, Midhusa,
Nilambara, Rbhus, Rsabha, Sitragupta, and, most importantly, Arjuna. More
hymns in the Rig Veda (about 250) are dedicated to him than any other god
by a sizable amount. He was known as a great drinker of Soma; sometimes he
did this to draw strength, and when he did he grew to gigantic proportions
to battle his enemies, but more often he merely wanted to get drunk. When
not in his chariot, Indra rode on the great white elephant Airavata,
who was always victorious, and who had four tusks, which resembled a
sacred mountain. He was given numerous titles including Sakra
("Powerful"), Vajri ("the Thunderer"), Purandara
("Destroyer of Cities"), Meghavahana ("Rider of the
Clouds"), and Svargapati ("the Lord of Heaven").
Indra
held court at Svarga, his heaven in the clouds surrounding the highest
peak of the sacred mountain Meru. This heaven could move anywhere at its
lord's command. In Svarga, there is an enormous hall when slain warriors
went after death. Indra and the beautiful Indrani presided over their
paradise. No sorrow, suffering, or fear was allowed in Indra's home. Apsaras
and Gandharvas danced and entertained those who attended court, and
gaming and athletic contests were held.
Indra's
most notable exploit was his battle with the asura Vritra. Vritra took the
form of a mighty dragon, and had stolen all the water in the world for
himself. No one could do anything about this until Indra was born. Upon
hearing what had happened, Indra vowed to take back the life-giving
liquid. He rode forth to meet him the terrible Vritra. He consumed great
amounts of Soma to give him the strength needed to fight such a foe. Indra
smashed through Vritra ninety-nine fortresses, and then came upon the
dragon. The two clashed, and after a long battle Indra was able to destroy
his powerful enemy. Vritra had been keeping the earth in a drought, but
when Indra split open the demon, the waters again fell from the skies. So
Indra became a hero to all people, and the gods elected him their king for
his victory.
In
Brahamanic and later times, Indra slowly lost much of his grandeur. He was
supplanted by Vishnu and Shiva as the most important of gods. In later
versions of the story of his battle against Vritra, he is portrayed as
vengeful and cowardly, and needs the help of Shiva and Vishnu to slay the
dragon. In the Mahabharata, Indra is pursued by a terrible female
goddess called only Brahminicide who rose up out of the dead Vritra, who
was a Brahman in that version of the story. She relentlessly chased him
and overtook him in his chariot and clung to him so that he could not
escape; he hid inside a lotus blossom, but he still could not dislodge
her. Finally, he went before Brahma and acknowledged his crime, for the
killing of a Brahman was considered a terrible sin, and Brahma agreed to
help him become free. The king of the gods had to perform penance to atone
for his transgression. Indra also suffered such indignities as having his
elephant's head cut off by Shiva to be given to Shiva's son Ganesha,
and Krishna showing himself to be immune to Indra's storm and
supplanted himself onto Indra's worshipers. Indra
eventually was given the role of weather god and lord of the lesser gods
In
India, he corresponds to the Greek Helios
- he is the special god who dwelt in the body of the sun. Surya is
described as the husband of dawn, as well as her son. He is also the
guardian of the south-west quadrant, His father is the sky god, Dyaush
or Indra. One myth
tells how he arose from the eye of the world-giant, Purusa. Surya has
golden hair and golden arms. He drives in a chariot drawn by a team of 4
or 7 horses.
Kama
is the god of love. Priti and Rati, the goddesses of longing and lust, are
his consorts. The god of spring Vasanta, the apsaras and the gandharvas
are his companions. They carry his banner bearing his symbol - the makara.
Kama
uses the cane of sugarcane as the shaft of his bow and a line of buzzing
bees as his bowstring. He rides a parrot across the three worlds shooting
his five flower-tipped arrows that arouse the five senses and enchants the
mind with visions of beauty.
But
Kama is not worshipped. He has been identified with the principle of
desire that entraps the soul in samsara. In fact, in Buddhism, he is
called Mara, the demon, and enemy of all enlightened beings.
When
Kama shot his love-dart into Brahma's heart, Brahma was so aroused by
desire, that he stirred the still cosmic waters and set in motion the
cycle of life.
But
when he shot his love-dart at Shiva, Shiva opened his third eye, let loose
a fiery missile and reduced his dart to ashes. Shiva seeks to transcend
all worldly matters and his rejection of Kama is therefore understandable.
Wounded
by Kama's darts, man craves for the wonders of existence, the beauty of
life, Kama excites artists, inspires poets. He is a patron of arts. Kama
enchants lovers. He brings the bee to the blossom, the man to the woman,
thus catalyzing the creation of new life. Little wonder then, he is
considered the son of Lakshmi and Vishnu. As the son of the goddess of
affluence, he follows wealth and bestows the gift of luxury and pleasure.
As the son of the preserver, he makes sure people crave for life and
participate in worldly affairs.
Agni
Agni
is one of the most important of the Vedic gods. He is the god of fire, the
messenger of the gods, the acceptor of sacrifice. Agni is in everyone's
hearth; he is the vital spark of life, and so a part of him is in all
living things; he is the fire which consumes food in peoples' stomachs, as
well as the fire which consumes the offerings to the gods. He is the fire
of the sun, in the lightening bolt, and in the smoke column which holds up
the heavens. The stars are sparks from his flame. He was so important to
the ancient Indians that 200 hymns in the Rig Veda
are addressed to him, and eight of its ten books begin with praises
dedicated to him. Agni is closely associated with Indra, and is sometimes said to be his twin brother. Thus Dyaus Pita and Prthivi are named as two of his parents. But he has many more. Sometimes Kasyapa and Aditi are his parents; another time he is the son of a queen who keeps his birth secret from her king. He was born, like Indra, in full power and vigor. Agni is also said to be the son of ten mothers who are all sisters; these are the ten fingers of man. Another story tells that he consumed his parents when he was born, as they could not provide for him; this is symbolic of the fire born when two sticks are rubbed together which quickly are burned up by it. Dawn and Night are his sisters, his wife is Svaha, and he is the father of Kartikeya. When
Agni is described in anthropomorphic form, he sometimes has two faces
which are smeared with butter. He has seven fiery tongues and sharpened,
golden teeth. He is red in color, with black eyes and wild, black hair. He
has seven arms and three legs, and seven rays of light emanate from his
body. He either rides on a ram, or on a chariot, pulled by goats or
sometimes parrots.
Agni
loves all his worshipers equally, and so is loved in turn by all of them.
He visits everyone's hearth, no matter if they are rich or poor. He is the
mediator between the gods and mankind. He is a great consumer of Soma.
When people use fire, they must face it toward the proper direction for
different uses. When facing East, the fire should be used for sacrifices
to the gods; when facing South, the fire should be used for sacrifices to
the Manes or spirits of the dead; a cooking fire should always face toward
the West. The proper offering to Agni, and hence all the gods, is ghee,
which is clarified butter. Agni also had the power to impart immortality
on mortals, as well as remove all sins at the time of one's death.
In later times, Agni's worship fell off dramatically. He became an incarnation of either Shiva or Brahma. Eventually he has come only to be called on by lovers, and by men who wish to increase their virility.
The gods wanted Shiva to father a child because only his son could destroy the demon Taraka who threatened the celestial realms. But Shiva was not interested in family; he preferred to meditate. So the gods begged his consort Parvati to help. The goddess managed to soften her stern husband's heart and obtain his divine essence in the form of a seed which she gave to the gods. So fiery was this seed that it burnt the fire-god Agni, singed the wind-god Vayu, boiled the river-goddess Ganges and set alight the forest of reeds. When the fire died down, the six forest nymphs known as Kritikas found a six-headed child under the embers within a lotus. They nursed the child after naming him Kartikeya. On the sixth day of his life, the child let out a piercing war-cry, picked up his lance, attacked and killed Taraka. Then taking command over celestial armies, he led the gods to many victories. This virile commander of the gods rides a peacock and wields a lance. In North India he is considered to be a bachelor. But in South India, he has two consorts - Devasena, daughter of Indra, king of the gods, who was given to him in recognition of his velour and Valli, a tribal maiden who won his heart as she stood in the middle of her father's millet field. Kartikeya is also known as Subramaya.
In
Hindu myth, the twin sons of Saranyu and Surya, and known as the
"Divine Physicians". They represent the morning and evening
stars.
The eternal boy-god sits atop the hill of Sabarimalai, Kerala, protecting the forests from demons and wild malevolent spirits. He was born when Vishnu, in the form of the enchantress Mohini, united with Shiva. This divine child was raised by a childless king. Soon after his arrival into the royal household, the queen gave birth to a son. As the years passed, the queen feared that the foundling - who had grown up to be a wise, strong and handsome youth - would usurp her own son's claim to the throne. Feigning illness, she claimed that only the milk of a tigress fetched by a virgin warrior would cure her. Ayyappa immediately set out for the forest. The queen's plot to kill Ayyappa backfired. In the forest, he fulfilled his destiny and returned a god. After he had milked the leopards, he was attacked by a ferocious demoness called Mahishi. Ayyappa killed Mahishi and rode into his father's kingdom on a tiger covered with the battle scars. The people cheered his return and begged him to be King. But Ayyappa renounced his claim to the throne and retired to the peak of Sabarimalai. Every year, thousands of devotees make a perilous journey across forests and over hills to take refuge in the grace of this brave and magnanimous vira.
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