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by Patricia Ann Lynch Hindu Gods Hindu Gods and and Goddesses Goddesses
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  • by Patricia Ann Lynch

    Hindu Gods Hindu Gods andand

    GoddessesGoddesses

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  • Visit The Learning Site! www.harcourtschool.com

    Copyright by Harcourt, Inc.

    All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage

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    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 179 11 10 09 08 07 06

    Hindu Gods Hindu Gods and and

    GoddessesGoddesses

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  • 2The History of HinduismHinduism has a long history and a very rich heritage. It is a blend

    of ancient beliefs, myths, and customs. Hinduism developed from the religious practices of people who lived in India thousands of years ago. Over time, the Hindu religion added and adapted the beliefs of other groups in the region.

    The most important infl uence on Indian religious beliefs and practices was Vedism. Vedic infl uences developed in India about 1500 B.C. These beliefs were passed down from one generation to the next in sacred hymns or chants called Vedas (VAYduhs).

    According to the Vedas, various gods created the universe and placed the sun in the sky. Some gods represented the forces of naturethe sun, the moon, fi re, rain, and so on. Over time, these gods became part of Hindu beliefs and teachings.

    Hindus at the Chenna Kesava Temple in Belur, India

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  • -AJOR2ELIGIONSOFTHE7ORLD2%,)')/. .5-"%2/&0%/0,%

    #HRISTIANITY

    )SLAM

    (INDUISM

    "UDDHISM

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    This chart shows the number of people who follow each of the worlds major religions.

    The chief Vedic god was Indra, a god of war and rain. In art, Indra is often shown rid-ing a white elephant. One of Indras helpers was Vishnu. Over time, Indra became less important, while Vishnu became one of the three main Hindu gods.

    Many Gods in OneToday, Hinduism is a religion with

    many different gods and goddesses. Hindus do, however, believe in one Supreme Being or power, called Brahman. They view the various gods as different aspects, or sides, of Brahman.

    According to Hindu beliefs, Brahman is the cause and founda-tion of everything that exists. Everything in the universe came from Brahman, and Brahman is in all things. Hindus do not think of Brahman as male or female but believe that Brahman has no human qualities.

    Brahman has three main aspectsthe creator, the preserver, and the transformer, or changer, of the universe. These three aspects of Brahman are embodied by the three main gods of HinduismBrahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer and god of change.

    The Hindu god Indra

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  • 4Brahma, the CreatorBrahma is the creator aspect of Brahman.

    Brahma created the world and everything in it. Hindus believe that, once the world was complete, Brahmas work was over. For this reason, Hindus do not worship Brahma the way they do other Hindu gods. No group worships only Brahma, and there are few temples dedicated to him. However, an image of Brahma must appear in all temples dedicated to Vishnu or Shiva.

    According to an ancient myth, Brahma was born from a golden egg. In the beginning, there was nothing but darkness. Brahman created the waters and placed a seed in them. The seed became a golden egg, out of which Brahma came forth. Brahma then cre-ated everything that exists. Brahma is considered the father of the gods as well as the father of human beings.

    In art, Brahma is usually shown with four heads, symbolizing the four VedasHinduisms sacred writingsand the four castes, or social classes. Legend says Brahma once had a fi fth head, which shone so brightly that no one could bear to look at it. Shiva removed this head to end the pain its brightness caused.

    Statue of the god Brahma

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  • 5Like many Hindu gods, Brahma is pictured as having four arms. In works of art, he is shown holding a variety of objectssacred writings, prayer beads, his bow, a water jug, a begging bowl.

    In paintings, Brahmas skin is red, and he is often dressed all in white. Some works show Brahma standing or sitting on a lotus blossom throne. Others show him riding his traditional mount, a swan or a goose, which is the symbol of knowledge.

    Sarasvati, Goddess of WisdomBrahmas wife is Sarasvati, the goddess

    of wisdom, learning, and the arts. Tradition says she invented the Sanskrit language. Sanskrit is the ancient language in which the Vedas were eventually written down.

    Sarasvati is also the personifi ca-tionthe human formof the sacred river Sarasvati. In paintings and sculptures, she is usually shown with four arms. With one of her right hands, she holds a fl ower. Her other right hand holds a book. In her left hands, she holds a string of prayer beads and a small drum.

    Here Sarasvati is portrayed with just two arms and plays a musical instrument.

    Sacred AnimalsA variety of animals and birds are regarded as sacred in the Hindu religion. They are the vahanas, or mounts, on which the gods and goddesses travel. Just as Indra rides a white elephant, Brahma rides a goose, Vishnu a bird named Garuda, and so on. Each god or goddess has his or her own vahana.

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  • 6Vishnu, the PreserverVishnu is the preserver and protector of the universe, and his main

    role is to fi ght evil. To do so, he appears in various human or animal forms called avatars (AVuhtarz). When a great calamity occurs or evil threatens, Vishnu descends to Earth in one of his forms. When his work is done, he returns to his home in the heavens.

    The Avatars of VishnuTen avatars of Vishnu are the most common. Vishnu can appear as

    the Fish, the Tortoise, the Boar, the Man-Lion, the Dwarf, Parasurama (Rama with an Ax), Rama, Krishna, Buddha, or Kalkin. Rama and Krishna are the heroes of great Hindu epics. They are worshipped not only as Vishnus avatars but also as gods themselves.

    According to Hindu beliefs, the avatar Kalkin has not yet appeared. He is the fi nal avatar, who will come when virtue and religion no longer exist and the world is ruled by unjust people. Then he will appear, riding a white horse, to destroy evil.

    Matsya, the Fish

    Kurma, the TortoiseVaraha, the Boar

    Narashima, the Man-LionVaman, the Dwarf

    Ten Avatars of VishnuVishnu

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  • 7Vishnu is portrayed as a man with black or dark-blue skin, dressed in yellow. Sometimes he is shown with two arms and other times with four arms. In his hands he holds a shell, discus, club, and lotus blos-som. He has a curl of hair on his chesta sign of his immortal nature. Vishnus vahana, or mount, is a birdlike creature named Garuda.

    Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth and Good FortuneLakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good fortune, is Vishnus wife.

    Lakshmi appears in various forms, depending on which form Vishnu has taken. If Vishnu takes the form of a god, Lakshmi appears as a goddess. If Vishnu takes human form, so does Lakshmi. In each form, Lakshmi has a different name. For example, when Vishnu was King Rama, Lakshmi was Queen Sita.

    KrishnaRamaParasurama Buddha

    Kalkin

    Why Snakes Have Forked TonguesThe bird Garuda, the vahana of Vishnu, has his own legends. One myth about Garuda explains why snakes have forked tongues. A family of snakes captured Garudas mother. They agreed to free her if Garuda would bring them the liquid that would make them immortal. When he did, it spilled onto a patch of sharp grass. The greedy snakes licked up the liquid, cutting their tongues in half on the grass blades.

    A statue showing Vishnu on Garuda

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  • 8Shiva, the DestroyerShiva is an extremely complex god

    with qualities that appear to be exact opposites. He is considered both the destroyer of life and the restorer of life. This idea is related to the Hindu belief that death is not an end but a change into a new form of life. So whatever Shiva destroys moves on to a new phase of existence.

    The Many Aspects of ShivaLike all Hindu gods, Shiva

    has many different aspects, or forms. In each aspect, he has a different name. Shiva is said to have as many as one thousand names! His wife, the great goddess Shakti, also has many different aspects and names. Shiva can be vengeful, but he can also be kind. In his vengeful form, his wife is Kali, a fi erce and frightening aspect of Shakti. In his kind, peaceful form, his wife is Parvatithe kindly aspect of Shakti.

    One of Shivas aspects is Nataraja, Lord of Dancethe cosmic dancer. In metal and stone sculptures, Shiva is shown dancing within an arch of fl ames above his head. As Nataraja, Shiva is the source of all movement in the universe, which is represented by the fl ames.

    This sculpture shows Shiva as Nataraja.

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  • 9Shiva and Parvati ride the white bull, Nandi.

    Shivas skin is usually portrayed as pale white or smeared with ashes, while his neck is blue. The blue neck is explained in a story about the struggle between the gods and evil beings. When one of the beings tried to poison the cosmic ocean, Shiva caught the poison and held it in his throat, which turned his throat blue.

    Shiva has three eyes, the third in the center of his forehead. The third eye gives him a special inner vision and wisdom. However, when he focuses that eye outward, it destroys everything before it.

    In Shivas hair are a crescent moon and the sacred Ganges River. According to legend, Shiva entangled the river, an incarnation of the goddess Ganga, in his hair to prevent her from fl ooding Earth. The portion he allowed to fl ow through his hair became the river Ganges in present-day India.

    Nandi, the Sacred BullShivas mount is Nandi, a sacred white bull. Every temple dedi-

    cated to Shiva has a fi gure of Nandi. Nandi is so honored that some cities allow bulls to roam the streets freely. They are branded with Shivas symbol, the tridenta spear with three points.

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  • A God in Earthly FormTwo avatars of Vishnu are worshipped as gods themselves.

    These avatars are Rama and Krishna.

    Rama, the Hero GodRama is perhaps the most popular and widely worshipped of

    Vishnus avatars. He is loved for his virtue, reason, and wise actions. The story of Ramas life is told in a famous epic, the Ramayana, or Romance of Rama. The main subject of the epic is a war that Rama waged against a fearsome giant. Rama may have been an actual historical fi gure who later came to be viewed as a god.

    Ramas wife is the beautiful Sita. In the main episode of the Ramayana, Rama rescues Sita from the evil demon-king Ravana, who had captured her. Ramas companion Hanuman, the monkey god, also plays a major role in the Ramayana.

    In paintings, Ramas skin is dark in color, showing his association with Vishnu. Rama is dressed as a prince and wears on his head a cap that is a sign of his royal birth. In sculptures, he holds a bow in his left hand and an arrow in his right.

    Rama and his wife, Sita

    10

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  • Krishna holds up a mountain to protect the cowherds.

    Krishna, the Holy CowherdLike Rama, Krishna is the hero of an epic, the Mahabharata.

    Krishnas uncle, an evil king, wanted to kill Krishna because he had been warned that one of his sisters children would kill him. Krishna was secretly taken to safety and given to the leader of the cowherds, who raised Krishna as his own child. Krishna grew up taking care of cattle, and so he is often called the Holy Cowherd.

    Even as a child, Krishna was able to perform amazing feats. He also played pranks on people. When he grew older, Krishna became famous for the beautiful melodies he played on his fl ute.

    Krishna remained loyal to the cowherds among whom he had grown up. Once, the god Indra became furious at the cowherds. He sent a gigantic storm to fl ood the land and destroy the cowherds and their cattle. Krishna lifted a mountain in one hand and used it as an umbrella to shelter his friends.

    11

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  • Ganesha, the Elephant-Headed God

    Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, is the son of Shiva and Parvati. He is worshiped as the god who removes obstacles that might block people from achieving their goals. Hindus call on Ganesha for help at the start of religious ceremonies or any important undertak-ing in life. According to legend, Ganesha wrote down the words of the great epic, the Mahabharata, so he is also associated with writing and scholarship.

    As shown in art, Ganesha is either missing a tusk or has one broken tusk. Legend says that Ganesha would not let Parasurama visit Shiva, who was sleeping. The two began to fi ght, and Ganesha fl ung Parasurama to the ground with his trunk. In a rage, Parasurama threw his ax at Ganesha, striking his tusk and breaking it.

    As with many Hindu gods, Ganesha is usually portrayed with four arms, holding various objects in his hands, such as his broken tusk and a book. He is usually depicted as red in color.

    12

    A statue of Ganesha

    A Ganesha festival in Pushkar, India

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  • Hanuman, the Monkey GodHanuman is the leader of the monkeys. He plays a major role

    in the Ramayana, the great epic of the life of Rama. Hanuman and his monkey followers helped Rama recover his wife, Sita. He also went to the mountains to fi nd healing herbs for Ramas warriors who had been wounded in battle.

    Hanuman is honored for his great devotion to Rama, whom he served in many ways. Hindus con-sider him to be a guardian spirit, as well as a being of great wisdom and knowledge. Many temples through-out India are dedicated to him. In art, Hanuman is shown with a red face, and he stands upright, like a human being.

    Because all monkeys are viewed as representing Hanuman, they are protected. For this reason, monkeys can be seen in great numbers at many temples in India. Feeding monkeys is seen as a good deed, while harming them shows lack of respect for something sacred.

    This is an illustration from the Ramayana. It shows Hanuman defeating the enemy army.

    13

    Monkeys are welcome at many Hindu temples.

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    The Lesser DeitiesThe Vedic Gods

    Chief among the Vedic gods was Indra, a warrior god. Indra was Lord of the Winds, a god of rain and weather. His weapons were thunder and lightning.

    Second to Indra was Agni, the god of fi re. Agni represented the fi re of the sun as well as the fi re used in sacred ceremonies.

    Varuna was the god of order, the heavenly judge. He ruled the sky realm and was responsible for upholding the law. Later, he became associated with oceans and other bodies of water.

    River Gods and GoddessesHindus consider many of Indias

    rivers to be sacred. Most rivers are seen as female and are personifi ed as god-desses. The most sacred of these rivers is the Ganges, which is worshipped as the incarnation of the goddess Ganga. The waters of the Ganges are believed to cleanse people of all sinspast, present, and future. The Sona and the Brahmaputra Rivers are the only two rivers personifi ed as male.

    14

    A Hindu woman sets a traditional offering in the sacred waters of the Ganges.

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  • Gods of the Heavenly BodiesThe sun and the moon each have one or more gods associated with

    them. Surya, one of the Vedic gods, is the god of the sun. He rides across the sky in a golden chariot pulled by seven shining horses. Aruna, the god associated with the morning star, drives the chariot. Surya controls the physical affairs of the universeheat, light, and seasonal changes.

    Chandra is the god of the moon. The Vedic god Soma also came to represent the moon, so both Chandra and Soma are names given to the moon god.

    15Shukra represents the planet Venus

    Before the invention of the telescope, people knew of only fi ve planets. Each of those planets has a Hindu god associated with it.

    The planet Mercury is the god Budha (not to be confused with the Buddha). He is the son of Chandra, the moon, and Tara, the north star. Mercury is said to bring windstorms, dust, and drought.

    Shukra, the planet Venus, is viewed as a wise teacher. In paintings, he is often shown riding a rabbit.

    Mangala is the planet Mars. Paintings show him as a red-skinned man riding a white sheep. Like Mercury, Mars is believed to be responsible for drought and lack of rain.

    Vrihaspati, the planet Jupiter, is renowned for wisdom and is the teacher of the gods.

    Shani, the planet Saturn, is considered to have an evil infl uence and to bring bad luck to people.

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  • 16

    1. What are the names and purposes of the three main Hindu gods?

    2. What is an avatar?

    3. Which two avatars of Vishnu are worshipped as gods in their own rights?

    4. Why is Krishna called the Holy Cowherd?

    5. What aspect of Hindu belief makes Shivas role as a destroyer a creative role as well?

    Choose one of the legends described in these pages. Do research in the library or on the Internet; then write a longer version of the legend as part of an illustrated book. Draw scenes to illustrate your tale.

    Photo CreditsFront Cover age fotostock/SuperStock; 2 Charles & Josette/Corbis; 3 Historical Picture Archive/Corbis; 4 Burstein Collec-tion/Corbis; 5 Victoria & Albert Museum, London/ Art Resource, NY; 7 The Art Archive/Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde Leiden (Leyden)/Dagli Orti; 8 Victoria & Albert Museum, London/ Art Resource, NY; 9 Lindsay Hebberd/Corbis; 10 Victoria & Albert Museum, London/Art Resource, NY; 11 Scala/Art Resource, NY; 12 (t) John Elk/Getty Images, (b) AFP/ Getty Images; 13 (t) Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY, (b) David Samuel Robbins/Corbis; 14 Chris Cheadle/Getty Images; 15 PhotoDisc, Inc.Illustration Credits6-7 Pamela Becker; 14 Mapquest, 15 and Back Cover Pamela Becker.

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