AVATARS AND CONSORT

QUICK REVIEW Brahman

… Abstract concept

… Neti neti (not this not that)

… = to Atman- soul of the universe

Not same as human soul (jiva)

Trimurti

… Brahma – the creator god- ancient/old, king

Not same as Brahman

… Vishnu – the sustainer god- sits on the coils of the snake god adisesha

… Shiva – the destroyer god, Lord of the dance, Lingam

Monism- Trimurti= to Brahman

DEVI

•The three gods of the Trimurti are portrayed as masculine

•But Hinduism recognizes the female aspects of divinity.

•The Great Mother aka Devi (meaning goddess) is portrayed in many forms and can be both loving and cruel

•She is especially harsh to those who show themselves unworthy of her love.

SHAKTI – CONSORT/WIFE GODDESS The important role of the Divine

Feminine is also seen in the female consorts who accompany many male deities

The Divine Feminine are so much a part of the male god that the god cannot be active without his consort

Each god has a “wife” aka Shakti

Shakti means “energies” – because they allow the male gods to be effective in the human world.

However, a god’s Shakti is symbolic of the god’s creative force.

• The shakti of a god is literally his other half.

• Hindu gods are not “complete” without their shakti, and vice versa.

BRAHMA & SARASWATI

Saraswati is the consort of Brahma

She is far more popular than Brahma himself.

She is the patron of music, the arts, and culture

… She is often portrayed with a musical instrument in her hand

SARASWATI

VISHNU & LAKSHMI

•The shakti of Vishnu is the goddess Lakshmi

•She is commonly dressed as a queen and sits on a lotus

•She dispenses good luck and protection

LAKSHMI

SHIVA & PARVATI

Goddess of love and devotion.

Often pictured along side of Shiva

Parvati is maternal, loving, and voluptuous.

Takes the forms of Durga and Kali.

Shiva and Parvati

THE AVATARS OF VISHNU There are ten avatars (incarnations) of Vishnu- one is

still to appear.

… They are worshipped as individual deities in their own right.

The avatar will arrive in a time when a wrong must be righted.

They vary from creature to person.

… Animal form: a fish, a boar, and a tortoise

… Siddhartha Gautama aka the Buddha

The avatar yet to come will be a savior figure on horseback who will judge the human race.

Two incarnations (avatars) are wildly popular: Rama and Krishna

1. Matsya - fish

2. Kurma - turtle

3. Varaha - boar

4. Narasimha/ Narasingha – Man-lion

5. Vamana - dwarf

6. Parasurama – “Rama with an Ax”

7. Rama - King

8. Krishna – “The all attractive one”

9. Buddha – historical founder of Buddhism

10. Kalki – Apocalyptic figure

RAMA•Rama and Vishnu are the same.

•Rama appears in the great epic the Ramayana- stories of Rama

•On of the most commonly told stories concerns the abduction of Rama’s wife- Sita

•Sita was captured by Ravan (or Ravana) the demon king of Sri Lanka.

•Rama is a king

•Rama gains the help of Hanuman, leader of the monkeys to fight Ravan

•Hanuman helps Rama in killing Ravan and in locating and returning Sita.

RAMA AND SITA

HANUMAN – MONKEY KING

The perfect devotee

Often pictured on one knee with his chest opened to reveal Vishnu and Lakshmi. (Rama and Sita)

KRISHNA

•Another incarnation (Avatar) of Vishnu

•He steals butter and plays the flute

•His face and skin are often blue- the color of the sky and of heaven, indicating his true otherworldly nature.

•His companion is Radha- whom he is romantically linked in the Hindu mind.

KRISHNA AND RADHA

AVATARS OF PARVATI

DURGA The Divine Feminine

appears as several goddesses

The most populars are Durga and Kali

Durga means “awe-inspiring” or “distant”

The goddess Durga is frequently represented with ten arms, full of implements used to destroy evil

Durga’s face is serene, surrounded by a halo

She wears a crown

She rides a tiger – which helps her conquer all dangerous obstacles.

DURGA

KALI

Kali means “dark”

Kali is more fearsome still

She is often shown wearing a necklace of human skulls, and her fanged teeth drip with blood

Her many arms are full of weapons- which are thought to be dangerous to enemies but protective of her children

KALI – GODDESS OF DIVINE WRATH

Goddess of Divine Wrath.

She is the protector of women and girls.

Often pictured riding on the body of a demon or her husband, Shiva.

Wears a necklace of demon heads and a skirt of demon arms.

GANESHA – REMOVER OF OBSTACLES AND GOOD FORTUNE

Easy to spot because of his elephant head.

One tusk.

Fat belly.

Students pray to this god to help them in their studies

GANESH

Ganesh or ganesha

He represents harmony, energy and success in overcoming obstacles

He is the son of Parvati and Shiva

•Ganesha was created by Paravati to guard her privacy.

•Shiva came to see her wife, but the boy would not let him in.

•They fought and Shiva cut his head off.

•When Paravati found out, she was very upset threatening to destroy the heavens.

•Shiva saw how much Parvati loved the boy and ordered his men to find a head for the boy.

•The first creature they encountered was an elephant. They cut his head off to take it to Shiva.

•Shiva then put on the boy’s body and gave him life.

•The word Ganesha is formed by two different words:

•Gana- meaning follower of Shiva

•Isha- meaning lord

•Ganesha rides a mouse