How Does the Divine Present (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))

The Trimurti

• There are three main ways in which the aspects of Brahman are presented

• These are expressed in the Trimurti and are: Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver) and Shiva (the destroyer)

• This quote outlines the making of the universe and shows that two of the trimurti gods played cooperative parts

  • Brahma as creator led this process, but Vishnu used his power in the creation as well

• The Trimurti helps Hindus understand the true nature of God and the universe

• The Trimurti also links to the cycle of samsara, the temporary nature of existence, and the place of every human within this

Brahma

• Brahma is the first god in the Hindu trimurti

• Brahma's job was creation of the world and all creatures

• Brahma, the creator is usually pictured with four faces, each one pointing towards one of the four points of the compass

  • This symbolizes that God created the whole universe

  • Brahma faces north, south, east and west because he is responsible for all of the created world

• Brahma is pictured holding four objects which are symbolic to Hindus

  • The Vedas: These are the earliest Hindu scriptures, and shows he is guided by them. Some Hindus believe he was responsible for their origin

  • The spoon: Represents a sacrificial ladle used in worship. Brahma is responsible for offerings during worship

  • Mala: A string of beads that are used during meditation

  • The water pot: Represents the water of life, which was responsible for the beginning of creation

• Brahma is the least worshipped god in Hinduism today

  • There are only two temples in the whole of India devoted to him, compared with the many thousands devoted to the other two

  • There are different reasons for why this might the case

    • One relates to the story of Brahma where he had distracted his mind from the soul and towards the cravings of the flesh, resulting in a curse from Shiva that people should not worship him

    • Another is that Brahma's role as the creator is over, and it is left to Vishnu to preserve the world and Shiva to continue its path of cosmic reincarnation

Vishnu

• Vishnu is the second god in the Hindu trimurti

• Vishnu's job is to preserve and protect the universe and to return to the earth in troubled times and restore the balance of good and evil

• Images of Vishnu often contain elements which are symbolic to Hindus

  • Vishnu is usually pictured either lying on a snake or with a snake behind his head. This symbolises cosmic time and energy

  • His colour blue represents his endless spiritual power

  • He has four hands which often hold a conch shell symbolising the music of the universe, calling people to live a pure life

  • He holds a discus (or chakra) which represents the power of Vishnu’s divine thoughts

    • Hindus also believe it has been used to cut off the heads of demons who threatened dharma with their evil thoughts

  • There is also a mace, which represents Vishnu’s control over time, which some Hindus view as a symbol of knowledge

  • He also has a lotus flower symbolising purity and spiritual enlightenment

• So far, he has been incarnated nine times, but Hindus believe that he will be reincarnated one last time close to the end of this world

  • Many believe that the tenth avatar (known as Kalki) is yet to appear on Earth

  • The Vishnu Purana, which is a detailed text about Vishnu, states that Kalki will appear at the end of this present cycle of creation

  • He will carry a sword and ride on a white horse, and he will travel to the four corners of the Earth to hand out justice and punishment to those who have done wrong

• Vishnu's worshippers, usually called Vaishnava, consider him the greatest god

  • They regard the other gods as lesser or demi gods

  • Vaishnava worship only Vishnu

  • Vishnu monotheism is called Vaishnavism

Shiva

• Shiva is the third god in the Hindu trimurti

• Shiva's role is to destroy the universe in order to re-create it

• Shiva is known to Hindus as both the Destroyer and the Transformer

• His acts of destruction brings about rebirth and change

• He represents internal understanding or self-awareness

• Shiva is also the god of yogis and yoga

• Images of Shiva often contain elements which are symbolic to Hindus

  • Shiva is shown with a third eye in the middle of his forehead

    • This reminds Hindus that he has the ability to see beyond what humans see

    • Many Hindus believe that Shiva’s third eye opens when he intends to destroy that which is evil, expired or outdated

  • The king of serpents, Vasuki, is coiled around his neck

    • It is a sign of Shiva’s tranquil, gentle nature that such a creature feels comfortable enough to place itself around his neck

    • It is also evidence that Shiva has conquered all fear and feels no threat from a creature most people would avoid

    • Some Hindus see the snake as a symbol of the need for mental alertness

  • Upon Shiva’s head rests a crescent moon, which represents the mind achieving spiritual wisdom

  • Shiva holds a trident or trishul, whose three spikes represent the three gunas

    • Shiva’s possession of the trishul reminds Hindus that he is beyond these three qualities and also beyond the three states of waking, dreaming and sleeping

• Shiva is known as the Lord of Dance, and classical Indian dancers always offer worship to him on stage before they perform in public

Male & Female Deities

What is a Deity?

• Hindus believe that Brahman is the one true ultimate being. However, they also believe that there are many deities

  • These deities are different aspects of Brahman and each one shows Hindus a part of what Brahman is like

• Due to the number of representations of God in Hinduism, the religion has been called an idolatrous and polytheistic religion

  • However, the various gods and goddesses are viewed strictly as embodiments of the Divine Brahman, and so the system is monotheistic

Male Deities

• The male deities are important in Hinduism as they represent the different aspects or parts of Brahman, the Ultimate Reality

  • The qualities of male deities are therefore a reflection of what Brahman is like

• Ganesha is recognised by his elephant head and is one of the most worshipped gods in Hinduism

  • He is the son of the gods Shiva and Parvati

  • Ganesha is known as the remover of obstacles that get in the way of life

  • It is common to see statues of Ganesha at weddings as he is worshipped in the hope of removing obstacles to a happy marriage

  • There is a lot of symbolism within the deity Ganesha both with what he looks like and what he carries

• Hanuman is the monkey god who saved Sita in the story of the Ramayana

  • The Ramayana is one of the most important epic stories from ancient India

    • It tells the tale of Rama, a legendary prince who must rescue his wife, Sita, who is kidnapped by the demon King Ravana

  • Hanuman is a Hindu god whose shape is half-monkey, half-human

  • He is the most devoted follower of Prince Rama, so he features a lot in the Ramayana and other traditional Hindu stories and artworks

  • Hanuman has special powers and qualities that he uses to help Rama rescue his wife Sita

  • Because Hanuman uses his powers in the service of others he has come to symbolise the perfect Hindu who has lots of special qualities but is not selfish with them, and uses his abilities to help people

  • He is worshipped for his devotion to others

  • Many Hindus pray to Lord Hanuman for help in overcoming difficulties

  • There is a symbolism with how Hanuman is depicted

    • Hanuman is generally represented with a monkey face, showing that he is the king of the monkeys

    • It is said their either his parents were the king and queen of the monkeys or his mother was a nymph cursed to be a monkey and his father was Vayu, the wind god

    • The crown that he always wears represents his godlike qualities

    • He holds a mace in his hand, which is a symbol of his strength

    • He also has magical powers, including the ability to fly

Female Deities

• Hindus worship three main female deities

  • They are called Saraswati, Lakshmi and Shakti

  • These deities are important as they are linked to the three gods in the Trimurti: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva

  • They are the consorts (wives) of the Trimurti

Saraswati

• Saraswati is the goddess of learning

  • She is the consort of the Trimurti member Brahma and they have a son called Manu

  • The Laws of Manu are important scriptures in Hinduism because they contain morals that show Hindus how to behave

  • Hindus worship Saraswati if they are students and want help with their studies or if they play a musical instrument

  • The image of Saraswati is symbolic within Hinduism

    • In Hindu mythology, the swan symbolises perfection. As her mount, the swan symbolises Saraswati's ability to discriminate between good and evil, eternal and temporary

    • There is often a light around the head of Saraswati indicating an aura of knowledge

    • She is usually shown holding a musical instrument called a Veena which represents tuning the mind and heart

    • She is often holding a book symbolising knowledge and wisdom and a rosary for concentration and meditation

Lakshmi

• Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and beauty

• She is the consort of Vishnu, the preserver aspect of the Trimurti

• Lakshmi is a popular goddess to be worshipped at festivals such as Diwali, as this is when businesses sort out their accounts and hope for a prosperous new year

• Hindus also often worship Lakshmi when they are applying for a new job, as a new job can bring wealth

• The image of Laksmi is symbolic within Hinduism

  • Each of her hands represents one of the four goals of human life: Dharma, Kama, Artha and Moksha

  • Lakshmi is often pictured red (representing active energy) and gold (representing prosperity)

  • There are often coins pictured linked to wealth and prosperity

  • She is often seated on a lotus symbolising the seat of divine truth

    • The other lotuses signify fertility, beauty, purity and spirituality

Shakti

• Shakti represents divine feminine energy, carries many weapons and rides a tiger

• Shiva and Shakti are parents of the popular elephant-headed god, Ganesh

• Shakti is seen by Hindus as having many different forms. For example:

  • She is worshipped as Parvati, who was Shiva’s first wife

    • Images or murtis of Parvati, the mother goddess, show her beauty and her golden skin

    • The mother goddess is often depicted as a powerful warrior who wields weapons to protect and defend her devotees

    • She is associated with birth, death, and rebirth cycles

    • Her nurturing and protective qualities make her a symbol of compassion, love, and strength, representing the ideals of motherhood

  • She is also known as Durga, who is shown in images as having many weapons

    • This is intended to portray her as a goddess of energy

  • She is also seen as Kali, a goddess who is linked with the idea of death and demons

• People worship the goddess for her power but also for creative energy, as is reflected in various cultural and artistic practices

• The celebration of Navratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of the goddess Durga in her various forms

  • The festival is celebrated over nine nights and involves fasting, puja (worship), and other rituals to honour the goddess

What is the Concept of Avatara?

The Concept of Avatara

• Hindus believe that sometimes a god will appear on the earth in living form

• Such an appearance is called an avatar which translates as 'incarnation'

• Hindus believe that God has the ability to take any form and will descend to earth at times when there has been a decline in goodness, and when evil is influencing human actions

  • For example, the seventh avatara of Vishnu is Lord Rama, who lived on Earth and fought the evil ten-headed demon Ravana

Avataras of Vishnu

• Vishnu is one of the three gods of the trimurti

  • As the god of preservation, he keeps life going

• Hindus believe that the god Vishnu has shown himself in many different forms at special times and for special reasons

• There are 10 avatars and the most important are the seventh, Rama, and the eighth Krishna

• Kalki will be the tenth and final avatara to appear

  • The narrative says he will ride in on a white horse to destroy all the evil in the world

  • The 10 avatars of Vishnu are listed below

Shakti an Avatari of Parvati

• Hindu traditions recognise that there is a female force, with power and energy, that can be identified in various goddesses

  • For Shaivites, Shakti is the consort of the god Shiva

  • She is the creative energy of motherhood and fertility

  • Her huge energy and power are shown in her murti by the weapons she carries in seven of her eight arms, and the tiger she rides

  • One hand is open, meaning ‘fear not’

  • Hindus who worship Shakti recognise that the divine is found in the female

  • Other forms of the goddess such as Parvati, Durga and Kali are seen by devotees of Shakti as aspects of Shakti’s creative energy