The Hindu Pantheon

While Hinduism maintains the existence of only one Ultimate Reality (Brahman), it also maintains that one Ultimate Reality is experienced in a multipl icity of forms – 330 mil l ion gods.

There are, tradit ionally, three gods who make up the core of the Hindu pantheon: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. These three represent the power of creation, preservation and destruction.

The Trimurti

The Trimurt i as portrayed by Andrew Thomas.

This is not, however, a Hindu version of “tr inity.” I t is a statement of “oneness as mult ipl icity.”

Brahma is typically portrayed with four heads – indicating his all-knowing nature and the four vedas – and four hands, which hold various symbolic items.

The celebration of Brahma is not as popular as i t was, perhaps because of his t ies to the sacrif icial system (overseen, incidentally, by Brahmins). But it is noteworthy that Brahma is the only Hindu god mentioned by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.

Brahma

Every major deity has a r ide. Brahma is presented here with his swan.

The worship of Vishnu is one of the three major paths of bhakti* -- the others being Shiva and Devi (the Goddess). Vishnu, as the overseer of cosmic order, has entered into the world ten t imes (or 22 or countless t imes, depending on the source), assuming form as a f ish, a tortoise, boar, a man-lion and several humans, including Rama, Krishna, and even Buddha to deliver humanity from destruction.

Of the Hindu pantheon, Vishnu is the f igure that most resembles the god of Judaism and Christ ianity.

Vishnu

* That is, relat ing to the divine through devotion.

Relatively late in the history of Hinduism (ca. 200 B.C.E.), the epic poem the Mahabharata told the story of Lord Krishna. One section of that epic is known as the Bhagavad-gita, and many hold that it encapsulates all of modern Hinduism.

In later tales, Krishna is portrayed as cosmic and playful, a ful ly engaged lover, both of Radha (and lots of milkmaids) and of humanity.

Vishnu as Krishna

The modern Hare Krishna movement is only the latest in devotional movements centered on Lord Krishna.

Vishnu as Krishna

Infant Krishna on the Cosmic Ocean.

Krishna the f lute playerIndonesian carving

Shiva is the ascetic god, but in Bhakti he is celebrated within his wild marriage to Parvati. His l ingam (=phallus) is a central image in his temples. In his mythic tradit ion, his dreadlocks saved the world by breaking the Ganga’s waters into the seven sacred rivers.

Shiva

Shiva’s l ingam is often portrayed in a base that represents Parvati ’s yoni (vagina).

This image from Mohenjo-daro (ca. 2000 B.C.E.) may be the earl iest image of Shiva.

One common portrayal of Shiva is as the dancer – Nataraj. He dances on the demon of ignorance.

Shiva the Dancer

He has two earrings, one male and one female, thus symbolizing both natures in his dance.

He holds a drum, signifying the Creation through sound, and a f lame, signifying his power to destroy – and purify.

Each member of the Trimurt i is associated with a consort. For Brahma, she is Sarasvati.

Brahma had created Shatarupa for his own pleasure, but she did not share the interest. Brahma pursued her. As she changed form, he changed form, and he took her by force. He sprouted f ive heads in order to watch her. But Shiva was so angered by the lust, he wrenched off one of Brahma’s heads.

At that point, Brahma returned to Sarasvati, who was then able to tame his wandering desire. She is the goddess of knowledge and the arts.

The Consorts: Sarasvati

Vishnu’s consort is Laksmi.

She is the goddess of beauty, pleasure and wealth – and the mother of Kama, the god of desire. When she is associated with

The Consorts: Laksmi

Vishnu, she is known as Sri Devi – the Lord Goddess.

Laksmi is widely celebrated in India. She was born of the churning of an ocean of milk, and after searching out the demons (who were too corrupt) and the gods (who were too obsessed with pleasure), she found Vishnu, who alone self lessly carried out his duty.

Shiva’s consort is Parvati. Born as a human, she was so devoted to Shiva that she eventually succeeded in winning him over as her husband. With Shiva she has two sons, Shanmukha and the elephant-headed Ganesha. But most surprisingly, she in t ime

The Consorts: Parvati

became known as Mahadevi – the great Goddess. As such, she came to rival her husband, Brahma and Vishnu for the devotion of the continent.

Parvati begged Shiva for a son. Shiva thought he ought to be all she needed, but grudgingly went along with the request. The baby was too stressful, and Shiva went on a long journey.

Returning years later, he found the lad guarding Parvati ’s door. When Ganesh refused to al low him to enter, Shiva took off his head. Of course, Parvati was stunned, and called on Brahma, who commanded Shiva to repair the boy with a new head. But the new head Shiva found was that of an elephant.

Today, Ganesh is one of the most popular f igures in the pantheon.

Ganesh

Ganesh is often portrayed with his r ide, a mouse.

(PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THIS DETAIL!)

A key player in the Ramayana, Hanuman is the king of the monkeys. Lord Ram was not able to set his wife Sita free unti l Hanuman arrived with his monkey army.

Later tradit ion holds that Hanuman was himself an avatar of Lord Shiva, who entered the world to aid Vishnu’s avatar Ram.

Next to Ganesh, Hanuman is one of India’s favorite deit ies.

Hanuman

In the Ramayana, Ram’s brother is injured and only a special herb from the Medicine Mountain in the Himalayas could save him. Hanuman did not know which herb it was, so he brought the whole mountain back.

From as early as 2500 B.C.E., art i facts such as the one at the r ight have been discovered in India that seem to indicate that the Goddess played a signif icant role. Many have argued that the Aryan invasion of the early 1000s B.C.E. init iated an engagement of masculine and feminine Ult imates. The Dravidians, the

Indian Goddesses

indigenous residents of the Indus Valley in the northwestern part of India, were overrun, but not overpowered. The Goddess reemerged again and again, and today is central to many Indians.

The 7 th century carving at left , from Mahamallapuram in the far south of India, depicts Durga’s defeat of Mahisha, the buffalo demon. This is the major story of the Goddesses’ return to power. In the story,

Mahadevi as Durga

Mahisha cannot be defeated by a male, so the gods gather together and bring Durga into existence.

But Hindus who follow the way of Mahadevi believe she has many manifestat ions – not all of them pretty. Kali is the goddess of death. In one story, her destruction was calmed only after a “dance-off” with Lord Shiva.

Mahadevi as Kali

The third major manifestat ion of the Goddess is in all her beauty, as the golden-bodied Gauri. Mahadevi tradit ion believes that the consorts of Vishnu and Shiva, Laksmi and Parvati, are manifestat ions of the Goddess in her role as Gauri.

But i t should be noted that of the three major manifestat ions of the Goddess, this seems to be the one which is least of interest to Hindus.

Mahadevi as Gauri

Yoni symbol from South India

IndraRudra

AgniKamaYama

VarunaSurya

ChandraUsha

RamaKrishna

VayuSoma

GhandarvaKart ikeya

Gangaand more …

And the Rest…

There are numerous other gods and goddesses named in the Vedas, the Puranas, and the epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata). One can’t really count to 330 mil l ion, but thenames push in the direction of endless variety of form.

Indra, god of War

The Puja

Hindu worship involves puja, a mult i-sensory interaction with the deity. Whether at the temple (as in the picture below) or at home (as above), i t involves chant, incense, food, f lowers and the l ight of ghee* lamps.

* Ghee is a type of clari f ied butter

Often, the deity is bathed and dressed, and the action is decidedly playful. The worshiper brings every sense to the deity, and the deity responds in kind.

The Puja

Hinduism does not have a particular day of the week for worship, such as Sunday for Christ ians or Sabbath for Jews. There is a daily cycle of care for the deit ies, and special days to celebrate birthdays (theirs and ours) and special events ( in their own t ime on earth and in ours).

* Ghee is a type of clari f ied butter

One impact of puja is the nurturing of hospital ity – a love that expects nothing in return. A home puja set. Anywhere from

16-24 steps are included in a temple puja, from offering water to the deity to bathing i t to walking around it and waiving the burning lamp before it . The dai ly home puja is typical ly far simpler.