God & Goddesses
Hindu Dharma accepts the existence of several Gods or Deities. These deities should be considered as different aspects of one and the only Supreme God, manifesting themselves for specific purposes.
Lord Brahma, the
creator God of the Trinity appears seated on a lotus (a symbol of glorious
existence), He has four heads and hands. Each hand is holding a sacificial tool
(sruva), the Vedas
(knowledge), a water pot (kamandalu) and a rosary respectively.
His vehicle is a swan (hans) which is known for its judgment between
good and bad.
The preserver god of the
Trinity has four hands. The first holds a conch shell (sankha) indicating spread
of the divine sound "Om"; one holds a discus (chakra), a reminder of
the wheel of time, and to lead a good life; one holds a lotus (Padma) which is
an example of glorious existence and the fourth hands holds a mace (gada)
indicating the power and the punishing capacity of the Lord if discipline in
life is ignored.
His vehicle is the swift-flying bird Garuda which can spread the Vedic knowled
ge with great courage. The dark color of the Lord represents the passive and
formless ether, a great quality for a pervading god. He rests on the bed of the
powerful, coiled serpent, Seshanag who represents the sleeping universe. Lord
Vishnu is also known as Hari, the remover.
Lord Vishnu's consort is Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth.
Lord Shiva appears in a
meditating but ever-happy posture. He has matted hair which holds the flowing
Ganges river and a crescent moon, a serpent coiled around his neck, a trident
(trishul) in his one hand and ashes all over his body.
The Lord's attri butes represent his victory over the demonic activity, and
calmness of human nature. He is known as the"giver" god. His vehicle
is a bull (symbol of happiness and strength) named Nandi.
Shiva-Linga, a sign of the Lord, is adored instead of him. Shiva temples have
Shiva-Linga as the main deity