Essay
List the three major gods of modern Hinduism and give a brief description of each
Just like in most religions, people who practice Hinduism believe in god(s). Similar to Christian trinity of God as the father, Son and Holy Ghost, Hindus have the Trinity of Hinduism also called Trimurti. Brahman is “the one” definitive reality. He is expressed as three gods- Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Brahma is the creator, Shiva- the destroyer; and Vishnu- the protector of the whole universe. They are leaders of three different worlds.
Brahma, the creator, is the one who created everything. He created earth and everything on and around it. Brahma is believed to be born from a golden egg. Myths also tell that he came from a lotus that came from Vishnu’s navel. His wife was Sarasvati, the goddess of knowledge and wisdom. Most Hindus choose not to worship Brahma even though they believe that he helps people with innovative ideas when they ask for help. In India there are very few temples devoted to him. More Hindu’s worship his wife, Sarasvati who helps people that want to purify their personalities through education and religion. In pictures Brahma is usually illustrated as having four faces and four arms. He is the ruler of the world called Brahmalok.
Shiva, the destroyer, is a god of death, disease and destruction, but not in a negative way. He is one of the most popular gods in Hinduism. Shiva is believed to come from Aryan god Rudra. He gets rid of everything that is evil, wrong, inefficient or unnecessary. They portray destruction as the other side of creation. Without getting rid of past and unneeded things, you cannot create anything. Shiva is also the god of dance as well as the god of reproduction, fertility and sexuality. People who devote to Shiva are known as Shivaites. Most known symbol of Shiva is the trident. Shiva is the ruler of the world called Kailash. Even though there are several goddesses associated with him,...