Gods

Hindu dharma accepts the existence of several Gods or deities, it accepts only one God, the Supreme.

Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. are not three independent and separate deities, but three different aspects of the same Supreme God, while engaged in the processes of creation, sustenance and destruction of the universe, in that order. It is similar to the role played by the same person as the father at home, as the boss in the office and as a customer in a shop. Other deities also should be considered in the same light, as different aspects of the Supreme God, manifesting themselves for specific purposes.

The powers of these deities which are inseparable from them - just as the power of fire to burn cannot be separated from fire itself. This power is conceived in the form of; their consorts, Sarasvati, Parvati (or Sakti) and Lakshmi.

This is not to say that these deities are imaginary creations. All of them, without exception, are different modes and aspects of Paramatman, the Supreme Self or God.

	Form of God or Goddess	Characteristics
	Brahma	Creator
	Vishnu	Sustainer
	Shiva	Destroyer
	Saraswati	Knowledge
	Lakshmi	Prosperity
	Durga/Parvati/Amba	Shakti / Family
	Venkateshwara	Form of Vishnu
	Satyanarayana	Vishnu - Protection
	Rama	Ideal King, Man
	Krishna	Love, Destruction of Evil
	Kartikeya	Perfection
	Ganesh	Knowledge, Remove Obstacles
	Hanuman	Devotion, Courage
	Gauri	Purity, Pusterity
	Gayatri	Vedas

DISCLAIMER:
The above information is provided purely to provide an introduction to some common aspects of Hindu Gods. Any opinions or practices contained therein do not necessarily reflect those of our membership.