The Major Gods of Hinduism

By Ahsi Ayir

In Hinduism, gods and goddesses are an integral part of the colorful Hindu culture. The main deities of the Vedic period are Indra, Agni, Soma, Varuna, Prajapati, Savita, and the goddesses Saraswati, Usha, Prithvi, etc. In later Hinduism, new gods and goddesses came in the form of many incarnations, such as Ganesha, Shri Rama, Shri Krishna, Hanuman, Kartikeya, Surya, Chandra, etc., and goddesses called mothers, such as Durga, Parvati, Lakshmi, Sheetla, Sita, Radha, Santoshi, Mahakali, etc. All these deities are mentioned in the Puranas and their total number is said to be 33 types. They are: 8 Vasu, 11 Rudra, 12 Aaditya, 1 Indra and 1 Prajaapati.
According to the Puranas, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are the supreme powers and members of the Trinity. They are the rulers of nature. Without their permission, not even a leaf moves here. One more special thing—all the deities' works are divided. No one interferes in any particular area. Everyone has also been given their respective powers for the performance of the work. Apart from all this, the cow is also worshipped as a mother in Hinduism. It is believed that the entire 33 categories of deities reside in the cow. Many trees, rivers, animals, birds, mountains, etc. are worshipped here as God.
Hindu gods and goddesses have also taken many incarnations to protect religion and humanity. Among them, 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu are considered prominent: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Vamana, Narasimha, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki. The Kalki incarnation is the twenty-fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, which is set to take place at the end of the current Kali-yuga. His various forms are worshipped with full devotion and belief in the country and abroad.  It is also said in religious texts that the deities may have different names, but all bless their devotees equally.
The stories of the origins of various Hindu gods are given in the present book. There may be similarities in some of the stories. I have compiled these from the Vedas, Puranas, and Upanishads. I hope the readers will find it interesting and informative.

• Language: English
• Publisher: mds
• Release date: Aug 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9791221392883

Book preview

About the Book

Hinduism is a very liberal religion. It is eternal and, despite having many deities in it, it is a supporter of monotheism. Hindus believe that God is one; only names are many. Hurting someone is the greatest sin, and charity is the greatest virtue. Service to the people is the service of God. Hinduism resides in the mind, rites, and traditions of Hindutva.

In Hinduism, gods and goddesses are an integral part of the colorful Hindu culture. The main deities of the Vedic period are Indra, Agni, Soma, Varuna, Prajapati, Savita, and the goddesses Saraswati, Usha, Prithvi, etc. In later Hinduism, new gods and goddesses came in the form of many incarnations, such as Ganesha, Shri Rama, Shri Krishna, Hanuman, Kartikeya, Surya, Chandra, etc., and goddesses called mothers, such as Durga, Parvati, Lakshmi, Sheetla, Sita, Radha, Santoshi, Mahakali, etc. All these deities are mentioned in the Puranas and their total number is said to be 33 types. They are: 8 Vasu, 11 Rudra, 12 Aaditya, 1 Indra and 1 Prajaapati.

According to the Puranas, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are the supreme powers and members of the Trinity. They are the rulers of nature. Without their permission, not even a leaf moves here. One more special thing—all the deities' works are divided. No one interferes in any particular area. Everyone has also been given their respective powers for the performance of the work. Apart from all this, the cow is also worshipped as a mother in Hinduism. It is believed that the entire 33 categories of deities reside in the cow. Many trees, rivers, animals, birds, mountains, etc. are worshipped here as God.

Hindu gods and goddesses have also taken many incarnations to protect religion and humanity. Among them, 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu are considered prominent: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Vamana, Narasimha, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki. The Kalki incarnation is the twenty-fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, which is set to take place at the end of the current Kali-yuga. His various forms are worshipped with full devotion and belief in the country and abroad.  It is also said in religious texts that the deities may have different names, but all bless their devotees equally.

The stories of the origins of various Hindu gods are given in the present book. There may be similarities in some of the stories. I have compiled these from the Vedas, Puranas, and Upanishads. I hope the readers will find it interesting and informative.

—Author

Table of Contents

About the Book

1. Lord Brahma

2. Lord Vishnu

3. Lord Shiva

4. Lord Rama

5. Lord Krishna

6. Lord Ganesha

7. Lord Hanuman

8. Lord Indra

9. Agnidev

10. Chitragupta

11. Kamadeva

12. Dhanvantari

13. Yamraj

14. Suryadev

1. Lord Brahma

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Brahma is one of the deities of the trinity of Hindus. According to the Puranas like 'Bhagavat', when Lord Vishnu slept in Yoga Nidra, a lotus emerged from his navel, from which Brahma was born.

The number of his Manasputras has been reported differently in different texts; ten, seventeen, and twenty-one have been reported. One day of Brahma is equivalent to one thousand cycles of all four Yugas. It is his night.

The color of Brahma is said to be yellow mixed with red. He has four arms. He is the creator god. In the Puranas, Brahma is said to be the deity who revealed the Vedas. According to one's karma, it is Brahma who stabilizes the auspicious and inauspicious results of life. It is said that earlier he had five heads, but Shiva, being angry with one of his false statements, cut off one of his heads, and he became four-faced. Brahmi is said to be his consort, and the swan is his vehicle.

According to the Padma Purana, Lord Brahma is not worshipped because of the curse of Bhrigu Rishi. It is said that once he thought of performing a Yajna on earth and dropped a lotus flower from heaven on the earth. Where this flower fell, the same place was considered suitable for the sacrifice. This place was named Pushkar. Pushkar is considered particularly suitable for the worship of Brahma because of the Brahma-yajna performed here.

The seventeen sons of Brahma are - Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulasta, Pulah, Krita, Bhrigu, Vashishta, Daksha, Kandabh, Narada, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, Sanatkumar, Manu, and Chitragupta.

2. Lord Vishnu

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