Hindu Gods and Goddesses

A Brief Introduction to “Rama’s Initiation” pg 1053

Epics and Legends

The Three Main Gods

• Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are the three main gods of Hinduism

• Brahma is the creator god

• Vishnu is the preserver god

• Shiva is the destroyer god

• Vishnu is responsible for maintaining the world, or else Shiva will destroy it

Brahma

• Creator God• Has 4 heads• Used to have 5 heads• Children are named

after emotions (Anger, Greed, etc.)

Vishnu

• Preserver of the World

• Portrayed as blue or black

• Has 4 arms• Has 1,000 names and

people repeat his names to worship him

Shiva

• Destroyer God• When one of Brahma’s heads lied to Vishnu,

Shiva cut it off as a punishment for deceit.• Will destroy the world is Vishnu does not protect

it.

Ganesh

• The Elephant God• God of Good Fortune• Newlyweds honor

Ganesh at their wedding in hopes that he will bless them

Kali

• Dark and violent goddess• Lives in cremation grounds• Thuggee (pronounced Tug-ee): Followers of Kali

(Thugs)

Lakshmi

• Goddess of Wealth, Fortune, Love, and Beauty

• She has 4-6 arms and 8 different forms, depending on what one is praying for

Krishna

• The hero in the Mahabharata

• Usually depicted as a baby or an adult playing the flute

• Bhakti (devotion) to Krishna is usually for strength or compassion

• Very strong warrior

Rama

• Hero of the Ramayana, the other great epic in Hinduism

• His story shows what happens when one has good Dharma and Karma

• His wife, Sita, is Lakshmi in another form