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Gods of Hinduism
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……… The Vedas
declare ‘Ekam sat vipraha bahuda vadanti’, meaning, the ‘Truth is one and wise
call it by different names’. This one, timeless, all-pervasive divinity has
a divine power called Maya. Wielding this creative power Lord manifests
himself in various ways. Various manifestations of one does not amount to
creation of multiplicity. Non-duality remains untainted & untouched. It
is only for those who do not see the various forms as manifestation of ‘one’
that various questions arise.
……… In this section
we present a brief intro of some of the common deities.
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1. Lord Shiva
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Lord Shiva is one of the most famous of the three
basic deity of Hindus. From the point of view of trinity, he is the God in
charge
of the aspect of destruction. Creation & destruction are two sides of
the coin of existence, and one of them has no relevance without the
other. He also represents the Nivritti, and thus is the common Ishta Deva
for sanyasins.
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2. Lord Vishnu
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Lord Vishnu is another important diety. He is the
one who is in charge of the sustenance of this entire creation. By this
he alone becomes singularly responsible for the preservation of Dharma in
the world. Whenever the Dharma is on decline, he takes an avatara to come
in the world and set the things in order once again. He alone came as
Lord Rama or Krishna.
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3. Brahmaji
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Brahmaji is the third deity of the famous trinity.
He is the creator of this astoundingly beautiful & orderly universe.
This four headed God whose four heads represent the four aspects of ‘mind’
is however not commonly worshipped. There are very few of his temples in
the country. There is a small story as to why he is not worshipped.
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4. Lord Ganesh
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He is one of the most worshipped God of Hindu’s.
Cutting through all sectarian lines he is worshipped by one & all.
This elephant-headed God is the one who removes obstacles. He is son of
Lord Shiva, and there is an interesting story as to how he came to have
this head.
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5. Goddesses
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The Maya shakti of God is also highly worshipped in
various forms. No activity is possible without the back up of relevant
power. Adi Shakti also manifests in various forms. Know all about them in
this section.
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6. Lord Ram
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One of the most commonly worshipped God of Hindu’s, Lord Rama was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Born in a princely state he won the hearts of his teacher, parents,
brother, wife & countrymen. He is one of the best role models to be
emulated to live a truly dharmic life. Read more about him here.
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7. Lord Krishna
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He also ranks very high in the popularity list
amongst the devotees. An incarnation of Lord Vishnu he is verily an
embodiment of joy, cheer, power & wisdom. He is the one who gave the
immortal discourse of Bhagwad Gita to Arjuna. He shows us the path to
live thoroughly, intensely & holistically.
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8. Hanumanji
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This monkey-faced deity is strangely enough the most
worshipped God amongst Hindus. Said to be an avatara of Lord Shiva, he is
an embodiment of all the best things which are cherished by a devotee. He
revels in the highest knowledge, has unparalleled devotion unto the feet
of Lord Ram, and is also an embodiment of unimaginable strength, which he
uses for the work of Lord alone.
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9. Lord Kartikeya
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The elder brother of Lord Ganesha, he is highly
revered in the southern part of the country. The deity which has the
beautiful peacock as his vehicle, he is an embodiment of strength &
wisdom, and blesses his devotee in various ways.
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10. Other Dieties
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This Page contains a brief intro of various other
Vedic & non-vedic deities like Indra, Agni etc. Please enter here to
read about them.
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