Forms of The Gods and Goddesses
The five main deities in India are Shiva, Vishnu, the Devi, Ganesh and Surya. As Ganesh, the
elephant faced God, is the son of Shiva his worship is often included
under that of Shiva. As Surya, the Sun, is generally a form of Vishnu,
his worship can be included under his. In medieval India the Buddha was the sixth form of worship. Each
God has his consort or Goddess, like Vishnu and Lakshmi, but the Goddess is also worshipped in her
own right. Her main form is the consort of Shiva, and in this regard
she has many names and forms like Kali, Durga, Parvati, Uma, Sati, Maheshwari etc. While the main
forms and practices of devotional worship are the same for each deity, each has some peculiarities
as well.
The Trinity
The Hindu trinity is of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. They are
respectively the creator, preserver and destroyer of the universe.
They are also aligned as the transcendent Godhead, Shiva, the cosmic
lord, Vishnu and the cosmic mind, Brahma. In this regard they are
called Sat-Tat-Aum, the Being, the Thatness or immanence and the
Word or holy spirit. This is much like the Christian trinity of God
as the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The trinity represents the Divine
in its threefold nature and function. Each aspect of the trinity
contains and includes the others.
Each God in the trinity has his consort. To Brahma is Saraswati, the
Goddess of knowledge. For Vishnu is Lakshmi, the Goddess of love,
beauty and delight. For Shiva is Kali, the Goddess of power,
destruction and transformation. These are the three main forms of
the Goddess, as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are the three main forms of
the God. The three Goddesses are often worshipped in their own right
as well as along with their spouses.
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