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
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