Description
Oh Lord, You are mother and father to me,
Brother and companion
You alone are knowledge and prosperity
Indeed my entire existence
With this invocation the Hindu embraces his Ishwar (God) and draws him into his very soul. Beginning with a few Vedic gods almost 5000 years ago, the Hindu has over the centuries fashioned God in his own image, embodying Him with human attributes. Hindus believe in a transcendent god, beyond the universe, who is in all things and who can also be worshipped in various forms. He is the infant and then the lover Krishna, the handsome king Rama, the learned Goddess Saraswati, the loyal but independent Parvati, the fiercesome Shiva or Kali, the benevolent Lakshmi.
Hinduism is thus often characterised as being polytheistic, but to the Hindu these innumerable deities are only manifestations of the Brahman or Supreme Spirit, which can take any form. This has resulted in the essentially secular and tolerant nature of the Hindu religion. It has also resulted in a storehouse of myths and legends, which apart from their religious connotations, influenced all aspects of Indian life and culture. There are variations of the same stories in different regions and even in different communities.
This book attempts to draw the uninitiated reader into the origins and the fascinating lives of the Hindu gods and goddesses.
