In the Hindu religion there are three main gods, apart of the triumvirate, and those are: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The god Shiva is important in this triumvirate because he is the destroyer of the world. Shiva is the destroyer, but he also has many other complex roles and many of those roles tend to contradict each other. The god Shiva has many names and is the god of various aspects of life including yoga and dance. Shiva has gained a large following in the Hindu religion and those that follow him are called Shaivas.
Shiva is known as the destroyer of the world, but he also has many other roles. According to The Hindu Traditions Shiva is the; creator and destroyer, movement and tranquility, light and dark, and man and woman. These roles tend to be contradicting but Shiva has these roles in order to show that these things are more closely related than they appear to be. There are four main images of Shiva and they include: Mahayogi, Nataraja, Ardhaharishvara, and lingam. The four images of Shiva represent his different roles. The image of Shiva as the Mahayogi presents him in meditation and in a serene state. In this state Shiva is wearing animal skins and his eyes are only half open. The animal skin is a representation of being in touch with nature and his eyes are symbolizing that he is only partially in the world according to The Hindu Tradition’s. In the Mahayogi image he also tends to have a three prong trident that represents dominance over intelligence, mind and body. The cobra wrapped around his neck is his power over ego and in his hair is where the goddess Ganga lives. The image of Nataraja is one of the more famous images of Shiva and it displays him dancing. He is famous for his dancing and is often referred to a...
... middle of paper ...
...is a huge part of the Hindu culture and many people make the choice to worship him. He plays many different roles and is relatable to numerous people due to his roles and personality traits. The people who worship Shiva devote themselves to him and spend their lives understanding him and trying to grow in order to prosper in eternity.
Works Cited
1.) Cartwright, Mark. "Shiva." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 20 Nov. 2012. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
2.) "Learn the Worship of Lord Shiva." Devi Mandir. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
3.) Muesse, Mark W. The Hindu Traditions: A Concise Introduction. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2011. Print.
3.)"Shiva." BBC News. BBC, 24 Aug. 2009. Web. 09 Mar. 2014.
4.) "Shiva." Hindu God : (Shiv). N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
5.) "Significance of Lord Shiva in Hinduism." Lord Shiva in Hinduism. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
· To include name and a word count of up to 1500 words or more.
He has a human body that is blue, and has four arms. Shiva is the destroyer of the world. Hindu’s believe that Shiva is a good and bad source. They believe that even though Shiva destroys what has been created, good effects come out if. Shiva looks like a blue normal man.
Man fears God. God created all life and all matter, he maintained it, and he can very easily take it back. Man realizes this, and those of the purest faith must pay a lifetime of homage and servitude. At least this is the key behind all God-believing religions. In a part of the Hindu faith, there is a God called Shiva. He is believed to be the "restorer and destroyer of worlds." Shiva is one of the most temperamental gods of any faith, he'll destroy the world on a simple whim. At one time, he even cut off his son's head and turned it into an Elephant face. One example of the type of faith Shiva requires is found in the story of a man who desired power more than anything. In order to obtain this power, he had to get sacred weapons created by Shiva. He began a deep meditation to obtain the weapons. This went on until his meditation clouded the heavens and angered Shiva himself.
Hindus believe that when a soul expires, it acquires rebirth in a new body. This cycle is called samsara. To be set free from the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth one must discover their true nature in order to be with the Brahman in Nirvana. In figure G a picture of a Cambodian statue of the A.D. 900 of Brahma meditating is presented. Nirvana is a state where pain, worry and the outer world do not exist. When a person in Hindu religion has bad Karma, they must take rebirth multiple times. The sacred source of all existence is divided among three gods. Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver, and Shiva is the destroyer. All three contribute to a person’s life and death and afterlife. In figure H a picture of a Vishnu sculpture is shown, and in figure I a picture of a sculpture of Shiva is
Hinduism is easily the oldest major world religion that is still in use today. It has not only survived countless attacks but has also thrived and has changed little to none in the last 2500-3000 years. "The Aryans are said to have entered India through the fabled Khyber Pass, around 1500 BC. They intermingled with the local populace, and assimilated themselves into the social framework. The Aryans did not have a script, but they developed a rich tradition. They composed the hymns of the four vedas, the great philosophic poems that are at the heart of Hindu thought" (The Aryans and the Vedic Age, 2004, par. 2).
Like Ancient Egyptians that it is very important to amuse and entertain their gods and goddesses. So thats why they worship their deities a lot. But even though they have different ways of celebrating and worshipping their gods and goddesses, every religion is still the same by having the same characteristics like praying, important events, asking for forgiveness, and many more.
Thus, it is understandable, based on the various gods worshipped in Hinduism that one must look at th...
Alongside Ra, the sun god, there are many other gods to list. Geb, the Earth God, Nut, the sky god, Min, the Fertility god, Seth, the Malevolent and Disordered god, Shu, the air god, Ptah, the craftsman god, Anubis, the protector of the dead, and Bastet, the pleasure god are some of the few. Many have backstories. For example, Seth murdered his brother Osiris in order to rule over the earth. Osiris
Occasionally such an individual is born who, by following his tradition correctly and completely, approaches perfection and becomes a symbol to the world. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami was such a man, a living example of awakening and wisdom, a leader recognized worldwide as one of Hinduism's foremost ministers. Gurudeva Suvaya Subramuniyaswami was the foremost exponent and teacher of Saiva Siddhanta in the West, a self-realized Western spiritual master of an age-old Saivite tradition. The name Subramuniya is from Sanskrit and is formed from subhra meaning, light; intuition, and muni, silent sage. Ya means restraint; religious meditation. Thus Subramuniya means a self-restrained soul who remains silent, or when he speaks, speaks out from intuition. Saiva Siddhanta, the name of the Gurudeva’s Church is from the Sanskrit language as well and could be roughly rendered in English as The Church of God Siva's Revealed Truth.
The god Shiva is linked with both the battle goddesses. According to the book Religions of the World, seventh edition, written by Lewis M. Hopfe, (class book) Shiva is the god of death destruction and disease. Kali is Shiva's consort. Kali excites and empowers Shiva. When Kali is in one of her blood frenzies, she entices Shiva to join. Kali and Shiva exchange the destructive energy that builds between each other. Kinsley writes, "…she entices Shiva himself to dangerous, destructive behavior." Durga is seen as Shiva's wife. Durga's effect on Shiva is like an energy sucking sedative. Instead of giving power to him, as Kali does, she drains the power from him making him relax.
What is behind all creation of life? What is the real truth behind the productive power? Is this productive power worthy of worship? How is it possible that Hindu believe in this spiritual duality. These questions were asked by many curious foreigners concerning the Hindu belief on their spiritual indication. Some were disgusted while there are those who were stunned for it was beyond their perception. This productive power is none other than Shivling, or Shiva Linga. In Hinduism, the spiritual power behind the heart of all life is Shivling. It is the symbol of regenerative power of creation. The word “Linga” means a symbol or a mark, in addition “Shiva” means great or outstanding. When put together it means “Magnificent Symbol.” Shivling is a form of power representing Shiva, the Destroyer. Why is Shiva, who is the God of destruction, being worshipped as the generator of this world? Why not Brahma? It is because Shivling represents the duality of the consciousness and the soul. Shiva protrays the
Hindu’s believe that just as the traditional Christian God did, that all their Gods have taken a physical form to live here on Earth. There are many Gods and Goddess throughout Hinduism so I will focus on the three main ones. The most important of these Gods is Brahman. He is considered to be the one true God and the creator of everything. He is formless, limitless, and eternal, and is believed to be a real entity that encompasses everything, seen and unseen, in the universe (Srinivasan). The second member of the Hindu trinity is Vishnu. This God is the preserver, and he maintains the order and harmony to the universe, which is periodically created by Brahman and destroyed by Shiva (Srinivasan). He is worshipped in many forms and is an important, yet somewhat mysterious God. The third God of the trinity is Shiva who is the God in charge of destroying the universe to prepare for its renewal. Followers believe that any negative energy in the vicinity can be ridden by just the utterance of this God’s name. Devotion to specific Gods on based on the individual’s own life and growing up or needs they may need addressed. Although, even when only devotion of one God is given, the others are always acknowledged. Hindus believe that the Gods all exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments, and personal devotions create a closeness to them (Nine Beliefs of
Hindu mythology has interesting theories on how the Earth was created and the reincarnation of people, Hinduism is very different to many other mythologies and has some unique key features that make it stand out from the rest. History tells that there are over 330 million gods in Hindu mythology. There are six main gods in Hinduism. Hindu’s have an interesting belief of what happens to them after death, the afterlife Hindus believe in must be met by accomplishing a goal. Hinduism is a unique belief in many gods, the life cycle and reincarnation of its people.
In Hinduism some of the things I found most fascinating is that the idea of God in Hindu is compounded and how they worship. There is one Supreme God and his form is unlimited. The Supreme God’s qualities and forms are represented by the numerous deities that stem from him. The deities God can form can be either male or female, allowing Hindus to pray to a god or goddess.
The feminine name means "strengthless, feeble and small"in Sanskrit. The name has a German origin too meaning 'grace, favor'.