Hinduism is supposed
to be 'apauruseya', i.e., of impersonal origin &
so also are the Gods of Hinduism. They are eternal &
though the deities appear to be different & independent,
they are really facets of the same Brahman, the Supreme
God.
As Sri Ramakrishna says, there can be as many spiritual
paths as there are spiritual aspirants & similarly
there can really be as many Gods as there are devotees
to suit the moods, feelings, emotions & social background
of the devotees.
The Hindu scriptures were eloquent while describing
the qualities of God. He is all-knowing & all powerful.
He is the very personification of justice, love &
beauty. He is ever ready to shower His grace, mercy
& blessings on His creation.
From the Rig Veda, we come to know of the vedic gods
eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas, Indra &
Prajapathi, being the Gods of earth, the heavens &
the space.
The main Hindu Gods as we accept today can be broadly
classified as Saiva Gods (Siva, His consort, His sons,
His other forms), Vaishnava Gods (Vishnu, His consort,
His various avatharams)& Sakthi or Saktha (Forms
of Goddess Sakthi).
Rig Veda - lore of the verses, enumerates numerous
Vedic Gods. Vedic priests beleived in ceremonies &
rituals, which were offered to appease these Gods. No
one Vedic God has been considered the Supreme God. In
fact, different Gods have been considered as Supreme
at different times, attributing the powers & qualities
of one to another. Apart from Gods who have been attributed
specific characteristics, several inanimate objects,
qualities, emotions & various forms of nature had
also been deified & worshipped.
Different Gods... |