Hinduism:The Hinduism is well known for the multiplicity of the Gods. It doesn't advocate the worship of any particular deity. In this context, the Hindu concept of God can be misinterpreted. The fact is that, all these gods and goddesses represent different aspects of the absolute supreme called Brahman. One should understand the fact that each deity is a manifestation of Brahman. It symbolizes one particular aspect of Brahman, or ultimately Brahman itself.
Multiplicity of gods in Hinduism
The Hinduism is well known for the multiplicity of the Gods. It doesn't advocate the worship of any particular deity. In this context, the Hindu concept of God can be misinterpreted. The fact is that, all these gods and goddesses represent different aspects of the absolute supreme called Brahman. One should understand the fact that each deity is a manifestation of Brahman. It symbolizes one particular aspect of Brahman, or ultimately Brahman itself.
Attributes of Brahman
Brahman is the God in the highest sense: formless, infinite and eternal. As being formless, God is neither nether male nor female. God is beyond space and time, and it is changeless and it is the source of consciousness. Brahman cannot exist, as it is the existence it self. Brahman is all knowing and it is knowledge it self.
Need for godsGod is infinite and the human mind is finite. As all our sensory organs are limited, so do our minds. So, when we think about God, we try to project our limitations on God. This is the point where we associate certain kind of attributes to God. Different Gods will have different forms, personalities and duties.
God is infinite, we are finite
Hindu beliefs do not consider projecting certain attributes on God. On the contrary, it helps people to understand the Supreme Being, whose existence is ungraspable to the human mind. The numerous ways in which the Hindu Gods exists makes the ordinary man to have a chance of identification with the God. Many of the Gods are having family and they handle different roles like: fatherhood, motherhood etc. Thus, instead of being an abstract concept, god becomes a personal being.
Understanding the BrahmanDespite having the abstract concept of Brahman, Hindus worship the God in his personal forms every day. The ancient Vedas describes a number of deities like Indra, Agni, Varuna, which are personified forms of forces of nature. These Vedic gods are no longer worshipped. Today most of the people worships deities like Vishnu, Shiva and Shakthi.
According to Bhagavata Purana, absolute Brahman can be realized in three ways.
Brahman it self ( the absolute reality)
Paramatma (union of all individual souls)
Bhagvan (as a personal God)
Isvara or Bhagvan
When we talk about God as a supreme powerful human being, we often use the name Isvara or Bhagvan. Depending on the aspect of the Isvara which we are referring to, different images are created. For example,
Brahma - being referred to as creator
Vishnu - being refereed to as preserver
Shiva - being referred as the destroyer.
The ultimate aim
The goal of Hinduism is to wake up and realize our connection with the absolute reality Brahman. That is why the essence of Vedas is considered to be "aham brahmasmi" (I am the Brahman).
Attributes of BrahmanBrahman is the God in the highest sense: formless, infinite and eternal. As being formless, God is neither nether male nor female. God is beyond space and time, and it is changeless and it is the source of consciousness. Brahman cannot exist, as it is the existence it self. Brahman is all knowing and it is knowledge it self.
list of Famous Hindu Gods.
Lord Shiva ,Lord Brahma Lord Vishnu
Lord Ayyappa , Lord Balaram, Lord Bhairav, Lord Brahma, Lord Buddha, Lord Dattatreya , Lord Dhanvantri ,Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman , Lord Hayagriva , Lord Jagannath, Lord Kalki | Lord Kartikeya | Lord Krishna | Lord Kubera | Lord Kurma | Lord Mahavir | Lord Matsya | Lord Narasimha | Lord Nataraj | Lord Rama | Sai Baba | Lord Shiva | Lord Skanda | Lord Tirupati Balaji | Lord Vamana | Lord Varaha | Lord Vishnu |
