The Focus of Worship (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))

Hinduism is an extremely diverse tradition and can be confusing, particularly when trying to understand the different forms of worship

Part of the confusion relates to the diverse focus during worship

The Vedas recommend selfless worship of the One Supreme, however one conceives of Him

Therefore, God may be worshipped through his many representatives, which can be natural or through other physical representations of God

The following list indicates some of the diverse focuses of worship:

• The Supreme (God)

• The variety of gods (devas) and goddesses (devis) and minor deities (devatas)

• The spiritual preceptor (acharya or guru)

• The teacher (also called guru)

• The monarch (as the representative of God)

• Family elders (like the mother and father)

• The cow (as mother) and bull (as father)

• Sacred plants (such as the Tulasi and Bilva)

• Sacred rivers (such as the Ganges)

• The land (considered one of the natural mothers), and those places where God and holy people have appeared

• All living beings (as parts of God)

In this respect, many different things can be the focus during worship but all are representative of the One Supreme God

Although Hinduism is a monotheistic religion, it involves the worship of many gods which represent different aspects of Brahman, the Ultimate Reality, or Supreme Power in the universe

The most well-known deities are part of the Trimurti

• These are Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer

• They symbolise the cycle of creation, preservation, and destruction in the universe

  • Brahma, as the Creator, is often depicted with four heads, signifying the four directions (north, south, east, and west) and the four Vedas (sacred Hindu texts)

  • Vishnu, the Preserver, is said to maintain the balance of good and evil on Earth, and has taken numerous forms or avatars, including Rama and Krishna, to restore the balance when it has been upset

  • Shiva, the Destroyer, is also revered as the deity of dance and the arts, and symbolises the constant cycles of creation and destruction

Another important deity is Goddess Durga, seen as the mother of the universe and believed to be the power behind the creation, preservation, and destruction of the world

Goddess Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, represents wealth, fortune, and prosperity, both material and spiritual

Other gods and goddesses have specific roles and powers, such as Saraswati, who is revered as the goddess of knowledge, learning, wisdom, and music

Ganesh, the elephant-headed god, is the remover of obstacles and is often worshipped at the beginning of important ventures, while Hanuman, the monkey god, represents courage, power, and faithful, selfless service

Devotees usually have personal gods or ‘Ishvara’, which may vary greatly among individuals and communities

Puja, or daily worship, and other rituals are often focussed towards these numerous deities

Hindus believe that all these deities are manifestations of the one Supreme God, Brahman

Images, or ‘murtis’, of gods and goddesses are used as a focus for worship in temples and homes

• The murti is seen as a symbolic representation, not as an idol

• Hindus focus their worship on one supreme God, Brahman

• Hindus believe that Brahman is too complicated to understand, so they comprehend him through other deities

• Sometimes they choose which deity to worship depending on their needs at that particular time