What is hinduisms god

Philosophy of Religion Chapter 2. Religions of the World. Section 2. You reading should indicate why this is so. What is the ultimate source of value and significance? For many, but not all religions, this is given some form of agency and portrayed as a deity deities.

It might be a concept or ideal as well as a figure. Its origin? Its future? How do they fit into the general scheme of things? What is their destiny or future? What is the idea of community and how humans are to live with one another?

Is there a single linear history with time coming to an end or does time recycle? Is there a plan working itself out in time and detectable in the events of history? Does he religion support a belief in souls or spirits which survive the death of the body? What is the belief in what occurs afterwards? Is there a resurrection of the body? If you have iTunes on your computer just click and you will be led to the listings. Hinduism is a religion with various Gods and Goddesses. According to Hinduism, three Gods rule the world.

Brahma: the creator; Vishnu: the preserver and Shiva: the destroyer. Lord Vishnu did his job of preserving the world by incarnating himself in different forms at times of crisis. The three Lords that rule the world have consorts and they are goddesses too. Consort of Brahma is Sarasvati; goddess of learning.

Vishnu's consort is Lakshmi; goddess of wealth and prosperity. Shiva's consort is Parvati who is worshipped as Kali or Durga. Besides these Gods and Goddesses there are a number of other Gods and Goddesses. The Hindus call their Goddesses 'Ma' meaning mother.

Some gods have more than one name. Shiva is also known as Shankar, Mahadev, Natraj, Mahesh and many other names. Ganesh is also called Ganpati. God Vishnu incarnated 9 times to do his job and in his every appearance he had a different form which are also worshipped as Gods. Krishna also has different names, Gopal; Kishan; Shyam and other names. He also has other titles with meanings like 'Basuri Wala' which means the flute musician and 'Makhan Chor' which means the butter stealer.

There are also Gods who can change their forms, for example: Parvati can change into Kali or Durga. Not all of these Gods are worshiped by all Hindus. Some Hindus worship only Vishnu. Others worship only Shiva. Others worship only the Goddesses and call these Goddesses collectively as Shakti meaning strength. Many of these Goddess worshipers worship Parvati in her images as Kali or Durga. People who worship Shiva or Vishnu also worship characters and images connected with these Gods.

Vishnu worshipers Vaishnaites also worship his appearances. Shiva's worshipers Shaivites also worship images of bull called Nandi, who was Shiva's carrier and a unique stone design connected to Shiva. There are also Hindus who worship all the Gods. There are some Gods who are worshiped all over India like Rama and Krishna and other Gods who are worshiped more in one region than the other like Ganesh who is worshiped mainly in west India.

Hindus also worship Gods according to their personal needs. People who engage in wrestling, body building and other physical sports worship Hanuman, who in Hindu legends was an ape with lot of physical strength. Businessmen worship Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth. Though these Hindus worship different idols, there are many Hindus who believe in one God and perceive in these different Gods and Goddesses as different images of the same one God.

According to their beliefs idolatry is the wrong interpretation of Hinduism. Hindus believe in reincarnation. The basic belief is that a person's fate is determined according to his deeds.

These deeds in Hinduism are called 'Karma'. A soul who does good Karma in this life will be awarded with a better life in the next incarnation. Souls who do bad Karma will be punished for their sins, if not in this incarnation then in the next incarnation and will continue to be born in this world again and again. The good souls will be liberated from the circle of rebirth and get redemption which is called 'Moksha' meaning freedom. Hindus normally cremate their dead ones, so that the soul of the dead would go to heaven, except in a few cases of Hindu saints, who are believed to have attained 'Moksha'.

The main Hindu books are the four Vedas. The concluding portions of the Vedas are called Upanisads. There are also other holy books like Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharta etc. The different Gods and Goddesses in the Hindu mythology are derived from these books. Ramayana and Mahabharta are the most popular Hindu books. The main story of Ramayana is the story of Lord Rama. Rama was born in a royal family and was suppose to be the king, but because of his step- mother, he was forced to exile from his kingdom for fourteen years.

During this period his consort Sita was kidnapped by a demon called Ravan, who was king of Lanka. Rama with the help of his brother, Lakshman, and an army of monkeys under the leadership of Hanuman, rescued Sita. Many Indians believe that the present day Sri Lanka was then the kingdom of Lanka. Mahabharta is a family epic. In this epic the Pandva family and the Kaurav family who are cousins fight with each other for the control over a kingdom.

Kaurav family, which consisted of brothers rule an empire. The five Pandva brothers ask for a small kingdom which belongs to them. The Kauravs refuse to give the Pandvas the kingdom so there is a war between the Pandvas and the Kauravs in which it is believed that all the kingdoms of that period in India took part. In this war the Pandvas, with the help of Lord Krishna win the war. Before the commencement of the war, while the two armies are facing each other, one of the Pandva brothers Arjun gets depressed.

Arjun is depressed because he has to fight against people whom he knows, loves and respects. At this point Krishna, who was also a king of a kingdom, and participated in this war only as the chariot driver for Arjun convinces Arjun to fight. At first, the new rulers allowed Hindus to practice their religion without interference. But later, Christian missionaries sought to convert and westernize the people. Many reformers emerged during the British Period.

The partition of India occurred in , and Gandhi was assassinated in British India was split into what are now the independent nations of India and Pakistan , and Hinduism became the major religion of India. Starting in the s, many Hindus migrated to North America and Britain, spreading their faith and philosophies to the western world.

An early 18th century depiction of Devi revered by Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Hindus worship many gods and goddesses in addition to Brahman, who is believed to be the supreme God force present in all things. Followers of Hinduism can visit the Mandir any time they please. Hindus can also worship at home, and many have a special shrine dedicated to certain gods and goddesses.

The giving of offerings is an important part of Hindu worship. Others believe that all the deities are a manifestation of one.

The caste system is a social hierarchy in India that divides Hindus based on their karma and dharma. Many scholars believe the system dates back more than 3, years.

Many subcategories also exist within each caste. Today, the caste system still exists in India but is loosely followed. Many of the old customs are overlooked, but some traditions, such as only marrying within a specific caste, are still embraced. A Pakistani Hindu family offers prayers and light candles as they mark Diwali, the Festival of Lights, in Lahore, History of Hinduism, BBC. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The poem is about how good will always triumph over evil and Rama and Sita are held up as role models for the perfect husband and wife.

Mahabharata - An epic poem telling the story of a war between two branches of a family. The Puranas - A collection of ancient tales about the different incarnations and the lives of saints.

The Vedas are the oldest religious texts in Hinduism. The word Veda means knowledge. It is believed that the Vedas were orally revealed by Brahma to certain sages, who heard them and passed them down in an oral tradition. They were not written down; in fact this was prohibited. Because of this earliest oral tradition continuing even now when the Vedas are available in the written form, the Vedas are still known to be Sruti or shruti - ' that which is heard '. The Vedas are mainly comprised of of hymns or mantras written in the Sanskrit language.

They cover various subjects, from nature to everyday life and behaviour, and form the basis of all other religious writings. The books are so special that they are often kept in glass cases. The Vedas are the law. Most beliefs, concepts, and ceremonies are based on information contained in the Vedas. The practice of Hinduism consists of rites and ceremonies centering on birth, marriage, and death. This is an integral part of the faith. Offerings puja are usually made to representations of the gods.

The caste system was 'a division of society to preserve society' similar to the society in ancient Egyptian times. Each group had rules of conduct to be obeyed. The caste system divided people by occupation i.

No caste was higher or more important superior to another. All were equal and aknowledged as essential to the society. With thanks to Nirmisha Bhatt and Smruti Desai for providing us with information about the caste system. Popular pilgrimage places are rivers, temples, mountains, and other sacred sites in India.

As these are sites where the gods may have appeared or become manifest in the world. Back to the top. Follow me on Twitter mbarrow. I teach computers at The Granville School and St. John's Primary School in Sevenoaks Kent. You may not redistribute, sell or place the content of this page on any other website or blog without written permission from the author Mandy Barrow. Information on Hinduism by Mandy Barrow. Who is the founder of Hinduism?

Hinduism has no founder, it developed out of Brahminism. Hinduism is the oldest religion, it may date to prehistoric times. Lakshmi is the consort of Vishnu who has appeared as the wife of each of Vishnu's incarnations, including Sita, wife of Prince Rama, and Rukmini, wife of Krishna. She is the goddess of wealth and good fortune who is offered special worship during the Divali festival. He is considered to be everything by those who worship him: creator, preserver and destroyer.

In Shiva, the opposites meet. Shiva the destroyer is a necessary part of the trinity because, without destruction, there can be no recreation.

In pictures and sculptures, Shiva is represented as Lord of the Dance who controls the movement of the universe.

He is also associated with fertility. Shiva has many consorts, including Kali, often portrayed as wild and violent, Parvati, reknowned for her gentleness, and Durga, a powerful goddess created from the combined forces of the anger of several gods. The great Goddess appears as a consort of the principal male gods and encompasses the thousands of local goddesses or matas. These can be both beautiful and benign, like Lakshmi, or all-powerful destructive forces like Kali.

Great Goddess shrines are associated with agriculture and fertility and the female energy, or shakti, is important in ancient texts known collectively as the Tantras. Shakti is contrasted with Shiva, whose masculine consciousness is powerless without the creative female energy. Search term:. Read more.