Hinduism is the largest
religion in the Indian subcontinent, and the third largest religion in the
world.
Hinduism has been called the "
oldest religion" in the world, and many practitioners refer to Hinduism as "the eternal law" (Sanātana Dharma).[1] Within this faith, there are four major traditions or denominations, namely,
Vaishnavism,
Shaivism,
Shaktism, and
Smartism.[2][3][4][5] There also exist a number of minor traditions, such as
Ganapatism[6] and
Saurism.
The religion is a diverse system of thought with a wide variety of beliefs, and hence the concept of
God, and the number of deities, rests upon the philosophy and the tradition that make up a devotee's adherence. The faith is described by some to be
monotheistic, where all deities are believed to be forms of
Brahman, the Ultimate Reality, as popularised by the
Advaita philosophy.[7] It is also widely regarded to be
polytheistic and
henotheistic, though this is also considered to be a form of overgeneralisation.[8]
Deities
Trimurti
The Trimurti are the most prominent deities of contemporary Hinduism. This consists of
Brahma- the Creator,
Vishnu- the Preserver, and
Shiva- the Destroyer. Their feminine counterparts are
Saraswati- the wife of Brahma,
Lakshmi- the wife of Vishnu, and
Parvati (or
Durga)- the wife of Shiva.
Brahma is the god of creation, and the first of the Trimurti. His consort, as well as his
shakti (divine energy), is Saraswati, the goddess of learning. He is identified with the
Vedic creator god,
Prajapati. His abode is at
Satyaloka. The deity is said to have been born out of a lotus that grew out of the navel of Vishnu. He was given the four
Vedas by Vishnu, and instructed to commence the act of creation.[9] Brahma is not widely revered in contemporary Hinduism, as no major tradition emerged around his worship, as they did for Vishnu and Shiva.[10] Some of the epithets offered to Brahma include:
Vishnu is the god of preservation, and the second of the Trimurti. He is generally regarded to be the entity who is most often involved in mortal affairs. His consort, as well as his
shakti (divine energy), is Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. His abode is at
Vaikuntha, where he reclines on the divine serpent,
Shesha. He is regarded to have undertaken
ten major incarnations upon the earth for the restoration of
dharma and cosmic order, for the sake of the
devas and human beings. The most prominent of these incarnations are
Rama and
Krishna. His adherents are called the Vaishnavas, who regard him to be the supreme deity.[11] Some of the epithets and forms of the preserver deity are:
Balarama, the elder brother of
Krishna, is sometimes featured as an avatar of Vishnu in the lists of the Puranas, replacing Buddha, though he is also widely considered in other traditions to be a form of
Shesha, the serpent of Vishnu.
Other significant forms of Vishnu include
Prithu,
Mohini,
Dhanvantari,
Kapila,
Yajna, and a third of
Dattatreya.
Shiva is the god of destruction and the third of the Trimurti. His consort, as well as his
shakti (divine energy), is Parvati, the goddess of power. His abode is upon the mountain
Kailasha. He is often represented with two sons,
Kartikeya and
Ganesha. His mount is the bull called
Nandi. He is usually depicted with a third eye, a crescent upon his forehead, the
Ganges flowing from his head, and a blue throat occasioned by consuming the
kalakuta poison produced at the
churning of the ocean. His adherents are called Shaivas, who regard him to be the supreme deity.[12]
The Tridevi comprises the consorts of the Trimurti, as well as each of their shakti. They are the primary goddesses in contemporary Hinduism, believed to assist their respective consorts in their acts of creation, preservation, and destruction in the universe.[13]
Saraswati is the goddess of learning, and also the patroness of music, art, and speech. The goddess is also regarded to be the power that resides within all poetry and writing. She is the consort of the creator deity, Brahma. She is represented as a graceful figure, donning white, and traditionally depicted with the
veena (vīṇā), rosary (akṣamālā), water-pot (kamaṇḍalu) and book (pustaka). Her abode is at
Satyaloka. Her mount is the white swan.[14]
Lakshmi is the goddess of prosperity, associated with material and non-material wealth, fortune, and beauty. She is the consort of the preserver deity, Vishnu. Her origin is a central part of the
Samudra Manthana, a significant event in the
Puranas. According to the
Lakshmi Tantra, the goddess Lakshmi, in her ultimate form of Mahasri, has
four arms of a golden complexion, and holds a citron, a club, a shield, and a vessel containing
amrita.[15] The goddess is generally also considered to be serene and submissive to her consort. Her abode is at
Vaikuntha. Her mount is typically an elephant or owl, though she is also usually seated on a lotus.
Parvati is the goddess of power, and is also associated with courage, fertility, and beauty. She is commonly referred to as Uma and Gauri. She is the consort of the destroyer deity, Shiva, and the daughter of
Himavana. She is believed to be the reincarnation of
Sati, the daughter of
Daksha, who perished in the
Daksha Yajna. In the
Puranas, she performs a penance to marry Shiva, a celibate
brahmachari, and the latter consents when he realises her true identity. When depicted alongside her consort, Parvati generally appears with two arms, but when alone, she is depicted having four, eight or ten arms, and is astride on a tiger or lion in which form she is known as
Durga. She is generally considered to be a benevolent mother goddess, but also slays evil beings in her form of
Kali. In goddess-centric traditions, Parvati is considered to be a complete incarnation of Adi Parashakti. Her abode is at
Kailasha.[16]
Avatars
Durga, the goddess of strength, the slayer of Durgamasura and
Mahishasura
Communities of goddess worship are ancient in India. In the Rigveda, the most prominent goddess is
Ushas, the goddess of dawn. The regional goddesses venerated in Hinduism are generally syncretised with Parvati, Lakshmi, or Adi Parashakti. Some of the major goddesses revered in modern Hinduism include:
Yogamaya or Vindhyavasini, the embodiment of Vishnu's divine energy
The Hindu pantheon is composed of deities that have developed their identities through both the scriptures of Hinduism as well as regional traditions that drew their legends from the faith. Some of the most popular deities of the Hindu pantheon include:
Ganesha, also called Vinayaka and Ganapati, is a son of
Shiva and
Parvati. He is regarded to be a god of wisdom, and the remover of all obstacles. Several texts advocate his veneration before any other deity in rituals. The
Ganapatya sect worships Ganesha as their chief deity.
Kartikeya, also called Murugan and Subrahmanya, is a son of
Shiva and
Parvati. He is the commander of the devas, and a major god of war. The
Kaumaram sect worships him as their chief deity.
Ayyappan, also called Manikanta, is a regional deity, the son of
Shiva and
Mohini (a female incarnation of Vishnu).
Hanuman, also called Anjaneya and Maruti, is a
vanara devotee of
Rama. He is revered as the god of celibacy and strength.
The
Navagrahas are the personifications of the nine planets, revered in Vedic astrology and several temples.
Kamadeva, also called Manmatha, is the god of love, a son of Vishnu.
Rati is the goddess of love and pleasure, the consort of Kamadeva.
The
Rigveda speaks of
Thirty-three gods called the Trayastrinshata ('Three plus thirty'). They consist of the 12
Adityas, the 8
Vasus, the 11
Rudras and the 2
Ashvins:– Dyauṣ "Sky", Pṛthivī "Earth", Vāyu "Wind", Agni "Fire", Nakṣatra "Stars", Varuṇa "Water", Sūrya "Sun", Chandra "Moon". The Twelve Ādityas (personified deities) – Vishnu, Aryaman, Indra (Śakra), Tvāṣṭṛ, Varuṇa, Bhaga, Savitṛ, Vivasvat, Aṃśa, Mitra, Pūṣan, Dhata.[17]Indra also called Śakra, the supreme god, is the first of the 33, followed by
Agni. Some of these brother gods were invoked in pairs such as Indra-Agni, Mitra-Varuna and Soma-Rudra.
Adityas
Mitra, the god of oaths, promises, and friendships
Varuna, the god of water the seas, the oceans, and rain
Indra, also called
Śakra, the king of gods, and the god of weather, storms, rain, and war
Savitr, the god of the morning sun; associated with Surya
The Ramayana tells they are eleven of the 33 children of the sage
Kashyapa and his wife
Aditi, along with the 12
Adityas, 8
Vasus and 2
Ashvins, constituting the
Thirty-three gods.[18] The Vamana Purana describes the Rudras as the sons of Kashyapa and Aditi.[19] The Matsya Purana notes that
Surabhi – the mother of all cows and the "cow of plenty" – was the consort of Brahma and their union produced the eleven Rudras. Here they are named: Nirriti, Shambhu, Aparajita, Mrigavyadha, Kapardi, Dahana, Khara, Ahirabradhya, Kapali, Pingala and Senani.[20] Brahma allotted to the Rudras the eleven positions of the heart and the five
sensory organs, the five organs of action and the mind.[19][21]
Vasus
The Vasus serve as the assistants of
Indra and of
Vishnu.
Agni the "Fire" god, also called
Anala or "living",
Varuna the "Water" and "Ocean" god, also called Samudradeva or Apa,
Vāyu the "Wind" and "Air" god, also called
Anila ("wind"),
Dyauṣ the "Sky" god, also called
Dyeus and Prabhāsa or the "shining dawn", also called akasha or sky,
Pṛthivī the "Earth" goddess/god, also called
Dharā or "support" and Bhumi or Earth,
Sūrya the "Sun" god, also called Pratyūsha, ("break of dawn", but often used to mean simply "light"), the
Saura sect worships Sūrya as their chief deity, also called Anshuman,
^
abDaniélou, Alain (1991). The myths and gods of India. Inner Traditions International. pp. 102–4, 341, 371.
ISBN0-89281-354-7.
^A Taluqdar of Oudh (2008). The Matsya Puranam. The Sacred books of the Hindus. Vol. 2. Cosmo Publications for Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd. pp. 74–5, 137.
ISBN978-81-307-0533-0.
^Mani, Vettam (1975). Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary With Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
ISBN0-8426-0822-2.
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Parikshitt, Sai (2012).
33 Koti Devata ~ The Concept Of 33 Koti Devata.
Speaking Tree.: ' The Vedas refer to not 33 crore Devatas but 33 koti (Koti means types in Sanskrit) of Devatas. They are explained in Shatpath Brahman and many other scriptures very clearly. (In Sanskrit 33 koti means 33 types god's ) [...] .' The number 33 comes from the number of Vedic gods explained by Yajnavalkya in Brhadaranyaka Upanishad – the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, the twelve Adityas, Indra and Prajapati. (Chapter I, hymn 9, verse 2) . They are: 8-Vasu, 11-Rudra, and 12-Aaditya, 1-Indra and 1-Prajaapati.
Brown, Joe David, ed. (1961). India. Time, Inc. popular figure.{{
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help): "Though the popular figure of 330 million is not the result of an actual count but intended to suggest infinity, the Hindu pantheon in fact contains literally hundreds of different deities [...]"
Knott, Kim (1998). Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
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