The Hindu

Deities
By Shreyas Kompalli and Robert
Steger
Preface
Hinduism is a polytheistic religion; in other words, the followers of this religion
believe in many gods. It is one of the oldest religions in the world, and is
believed to have formed over 4000 years ago, making it older than any
surviving religion in the present day. In The Vedas, the holy scripture of
Hinduism, over 30 distinct gods/goddesses are named, each representing a
different aspect or element of life (knowledge, music, fertility, water, etc.). For
the purposes of this presentation, we will just cover the three main gods, and
the main goddess; however, the extensive nature of the Hindu belief should
be noted.
Brahma - The Creator
Brahmas role in Hinduism was the creation of the world and all creatures.
Brahma is the first god in the Hindu triumvirate, which consists of three gods--Brahma,
Vishnu, Shiva.
Brahma has four heads, which are written about in the religious texts of Hinduism, The
Vedas; however, he does not have many worshippers in modern Hinduism.
Brahma obtained his four heads when wanting to glance in all directions at the first
woman he created, Shatarupa, as he had an affection for her.
As Shatarupa ran from Brahma, she constantly changed into different animals in order
to conceal herself from him. However, he always turned into the same animal and found
her, and according to Hindus, this is how the male and female versions of every creature
in the world first came into being.
It is thought that Shatarupa cursed Brahma to have no one worship him because he
distracted his mind from his soul in his pursuit of her.
Depictions of Brahma
Vishnu - The Protector
Vishnu is believed to be the protector of the universe.
Most Hindus regard Vishnu as the most important of all the gods, because of his duty to
preserve all life on earth.
Vishnu is thought to have nine incarnations. Each incarnation of Vishnu came at a time when
the earth was on the brink of destruction, and he arrived on Earth as a physical being, to
restore the balance of good and evil.
Surprisingly, the progression of Vishnus incarnations is very similar to the Darwinian
progression of life on Earth; Vishnus first incarnations are aquatic/amphibious animals, and
progress into more land-based species, with his ninth incarnation being an all-knowing human.
Hindus believe that when the world is ending, Vishnu will arrive as his tenth and final
incarnation to get rid all of the evil that remains in the world, in preparation for a new era on
Earth. This incarnation, a human on a white horse with a flaming sword, is called Kalki, and the
Hindus name for our current era is Kali Yuga.
Depictions of Vishnu
Shiva - The Destroyer
Shivas role in the world is to destroy the universe in order to recreate it.
His powers of destruction and recreation are believed to be used to rid the world of impurities and
imperfection, for the betterment of the world going forward.
Like Vishnu, Shiva also has quite a strong base of worshippers in modern Hinduism; while his powers
can be interpreted as being good or evil, many Hindus believe that his role is the most important in
creating a better world.
Shivas personality is extremely erratic and untamed, which reflects in his role as a god. He is thought
to have a passion that overpowers all other characteristics of his identity, and this results in him
making many spontaneous decisions in Hindu mythology.
Shivas consort is Parvati, the goddess of love and fertility, and it is this marriage which brings balance
to Shivas life. For this reason, Parvati and Shiva are often depicted as two halves of the same person.
Without Parvati, it is said that Shiva would become uncontrollable, and begin destroying the world
heedlessly.
Parvatis role in Shivas life, and furthermore, in the well-being of the world, exemplifies the
importance of women and femininity in Hinduism, an importance that is not seen in most other
present-day religions.
Shiva - The Destroyer (continued)
One of Shivas key characteristics is the third eye that he possesses, located in the center
of his forehead.
This eye represents his great insight and wisdom about the workings of the world, and
also is said to be the source of his unbridled power.
One legend in Hindu mythology tells a story about a time when Shiva was distracted by a
love god named Kama while he was in meditation. In his anger, Shiva opened his third
eye, and Kama was consumed by the fire that poured out of the eye.
This concept of the power of Shivas third eye is alluded to in the popular Nickelodeon TV
show Avatar: The Last Airbender, through a character Nicknamed Combustion Man.
This character also had a third eye in the center of his forehead, from which he shot a
powerful beam of fire.
Depictions of Shiva
Lakshmi - The Goddess of Wealth and Purity
Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity, is the main goddess in Hindu mythology and is the
consort of Vishnu.
Lakshmi is usually displayed as a beautiful woman with four arms sitting under Vishnu.
It is believed that Lakshmi bestows fortune and success upon those who are hard workers and
truly need help.
It is thought that Lakshmi resides in locations where actions of bravery, virtue, and hard work
are displayed.
The Diwali festival, two days after Dhantares, is dedicated to worshipping Lakshmi.
After Diwali, Hindus believe that Lakshmi has bestowed them good fortune and go out
gambling.
Unlike most other present-day religions, Hinduism contains goddesses, as well as gods. This
inclusion of feminine figures in the mythology shows an equality and balance in Hindu culture,
with the patriarchy that governed so many other societies not making itself apparent in the
religion.
Depictions of Lakshmi
Photos Cited
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http://pbfloridahomes.com/bhajans/shiva/

https://www.pinterest.com/louthorndy/shiva/

https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/rel100hinduism/2015/11/25/goddess-lakshmi/

http://paganpages.org/content/tag/lakshmi/

https://orbitum.com/pages/start/images/circle-img.png

https://rpgmakermv.co/attachments/sun-rays-corner2-png.3529/