by Patricia Ann Lynch

Hindu Gods
and
Goddesses
SXENL07ARD605_ALR_cvr.indd 3 3/10/06 3:31:10 PM
Visit The Learning Site! www.harcourtschool.com
Copyright by Harcourt, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage
and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be addressed to School
Permissions and Copyrights, Harcourt, Inc., 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida 32887-6777.
Fax: 407-345-2418.
HARCOURT and the Harcourt Logo are trademarks of Harcourt, Inc.,
registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN-13: 978-0-15-353061-6
ISBN-10: 0-15-353061-8
If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Harcourt School
Publishers retains title to the materials and they may not be resold. Resale of examination copies
is strictly prohibited and is illegal.
Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or
any portion of it, into electronic format.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 179 11 10 09 08 07 06
Hindu Gods
and
Goddesses
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 1 3/10/06 3:31:51 PM
2
The History of Hinduism
Hinduism has a long history and a very rich heritage. It is a blend
of ancient beliefs, myths, and customs. Hinduism developed from the
religious practices of people who lived in India thousands of years ago.
Over time, the Hindu religion added and adapted the beliefs of other
groups in the region.
The most important inuence on Indian religious beliefs and
practices was Vedism. Vedic inuences developed in India about
1500 B.C. These beliefs were passed down from one generation
to the next in sacred hymns or chants called Vedas (VAYduhs).
According to the Vedas, various gods created the universe
and placed the sun in the sky. Some gods represented the forces
of naturethe sun, the moon, re, rain, and so on. Over time,
these gods became part of Hindu beliefs
and teachings.
Hindus at the Chenna
Kesava Temple in
Belur, India
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 2 3/10/06 3:31:57 PM
Ma|or Peligions of the world
PLL|G|ON NUM8LP OP PLOPLL
Christianity
|slam
Hinduism
8uddhism
1udaism
2 billion
l.3 billion
900 million
360 million
l4 million
3
This chart shows the
number of people who
follow each of the
worlds major religions.
The chief Vedic god was Indra, a god of
war and rain. In art, Indra is often shown rid-
ing a white elephant. One of Indras helpers
was Vishnu. Over time, Indra became less
important, while Vishnu became one of
the three main Hindu gods.
Many Gods in One
Today, Hinduism is a religion with
many different gods and goddesses.
Hindus do, however, believe in one
Supreme Being or power, called Brahman.
They view the various gods as different aspects,
or sides, of Brahman.
According to Hindu beliefs, Brahman is the cause and founda-
tion of everything that exists. Everything in the universe came from
Brahman, and Brahman is in all things. Hindus do not think of Brahman
as male or female but believe that Brahman has no human qualities.
Brahman has three main aspectsthe creator, the preserver, and
the transformer, or changer, of the universe. These three aspects of
Brahman are embodied by the three main gods of HinduismBrahma,
the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer and god
of change.
The Hindu god Indra
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 3 3/10/06 3:32:06 PM
4
Brahma, the Creator
Brahma is the creator aspect of Brahman.
Brahma created the world and everything in it.
Hindus believe that, once the world was complete,
Brahmas work was over. For this reason, Hindus
do not worship Brahma the way they do other
Hindu gods. No group worships only
Brahma, and there are few temples
dedicated to him. However, an image
of Brahma must appear in all temples
dedicated to Vishnu or Shiva.
According to an ancient myth,
Brahma was born from a golden egg.
In the beginning, there was nothing
but darkness. Brahman created the
waters and placed a seed in them. The
seed became a golden egg, out of which
Brahma came forth. Brahma then cre-
ated everything that exists. Brahma is
considered the father of the gods as well
as the father of human beings.
In art, Brahma is usually shown with
four heads, symbolizing the four Vedas
Hinduisms sacred writingsand the
four castes, or social classes. Legend
says Brahma once had a fth head,
which shone so brightly that no one could
bear to look at it. Shiva removed this head
to end the pain its brightness caused.
Statue of the god Brahma
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 4 3/10/06 5:36:25 PM
5
Like many Hindu gods, Brahma is pictured as having four arms.
In works of art, he is shown holding a variety of objectssacred
writings, prayer beads, his bow, a water jug, a begging bowl.
In paintings, Brahmas skin is red, and he is often dressed all in
white. Some works show Brahma standing or sitting on a lotus blossom
throne. Others show him riding his traditional mount, a swan or a
goose, which is the symbol of knowledge.
Sarasvati, Goddess of Wisdom
Brahmas wife is Sarasvati, the goddess
of wisdom, learning, and the arts. Tradition
says she invented the Sanskrit language.
Sanskrit is the ancient language in which
the Vedas were eventually written down.
Sarasvati is also the personica-
tionthe human formof the sacred river
Sarasvati. In paintings and sculptures, she
is usually shown with four arms. With one
of her right hands, she holds a ower. Her
other right hand holds a book. In her left
hands, she holds a string of prayer beads
and a small drum.
Here Sarasvati is portrayed with just two
arms and plays a musical instrument.
Sacred Animals
A variety of animals and birds are regarded
as sacred in the Hindu religion. They are the
vahanas, or mounts, on which the gods and
goddesses travel. Just as Indra rides a white
elephant, Brahma rides a goose, Vishnu a bird
named Garuda, and so on. Each god or goddess
has his or her own vahana.
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 5 3/10/06 5:36:32 PM
6
Vishnu, the Preserver
Vishnu is the preserver and protector of the universe, and his main
role is to ght evil. To do so, he appears in various human or animal
forms called avatars (AVuhtarz). When a great calamity occurs or evil
threatens, Vishnu descends to Earth in one of his forms. When his work
is done, he returns to his home in the heavens.
The Avatars of Vishnu
Ten avatars of Vishnu are the most common. Vishnu can appear as
the Fish, the Tortoise, the Boar, the Man-Lion, the Dwarf, Parasurama
(Rama with an Ax), Rama, Krishna, Buddha, or Kalkin. Rama and
Krishna are the heroes of great Hindu epics. They
are worshipped not only as Vishnus avatars but
also as gods themselves.
According to Hindu beliefs, the avatar Kalkin
has not yet appeared. He is the nal avatar, who
will come when virtue and religion no longer exist
and the world is ruled by unjust people. Then he
will appear, riding a white horse, to destroy evil.
Matsya, the Fish
Kurma, the Tortoise
Varaha, the Boar
Narashima, the Man-Lion
Vaman, the Dwarf
Ten Avatars of Vishnu
Vishnu
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 6 3/16/06 11:57:13 AM
7
Vishnu is portrayed as a man with black or dark-blue skin, dressed
in yellow. Sometimes he is shown with two arms and other times with
four arms. In his hands he holds a shell, discus, club, and lotus blos-
som. He has a curl of hair on his chesta sign of his immortal nature.
Vishnus vahana, or mount, is a birdlike creature named Garuda.
Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth and Good Fortune
Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good fortune, is Vishnus wife.
Lakshmi appears in various forms, depending on which form Vishnu
has taken. If Vishnu takes the form of a god, Lakshmi appears as a
goddess. If Vishnu takes human form, so does Lakshmi. In each form,
Lakshmi has a different name. For example, when Vishnu was King
Rama, Lakshmi was Queen Sita.
Krishna
Rama
Parasurama
Buddha
Kalkin
Why Snakes Have Forked Tongues
The bird Garuda, the vahana of Vishnu, has his own legends.
One myth about Garuda explains why snakes have forked
tongues. A family of snakes captured Garudas mother. They
agreed to free her if Garuda would bring them the liquid that
would make them immortal. When he did, it spilled onto a
patch of sharp grass. The greedy snakes licked up the liquid,
cutting their tongues in half on the grass blades.
A statue showing Vishnu on Garuda
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 7 3/10/06 3:32:39 PM
8
Shiva, the Destroyer
Shiva is an extremely complex god
with qualities that appear to be exact
opposites. He is considered both the
destroyer of life and the restorer
of life. This idea is related to the
Hindu belief that death is not
an end but a change into a new
form of life. So whatever Shiva
destroys moves on to a new
phase of existence.
The Many Aspects of Shiva
Like all Hindu gods, Shiva
has many different aspects, or
forms. In each aspect, he has a
different name. Shiva is said to have
as many as one thousand names! His
wife, the great goddess Shakti, also
has many different aspects and names.
Shiva can be vengeful, but he can also
be kind. In his vengeful form, his wife
is Kali, a erce and frightening aspect
of Shakti. In his kind, peaceful form,
his wife is Parvatithe kindly aspect
of Shakti.
One of Shivas aspects is Nataraja,
Lord of Dancethe cosmic dancer. In metal and stone sculptures,
Shiva is shown dancing within an arch of ames above his head.
As Nataraja, Shiva is the source of all movement in the universe,
which is represented by the ames.
This sculpture shows
Shiva as Nataraja.
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 8 3/10/06 3:32:46 PM
9
Shiva and
Parvati ride
the white
bull, Nandi.
Shivas skin is usually portrayed as pale white or smeared with
ashes, while his neck is blue. The blue neck is explained in a story about
the struggle between the gods and evil beings. When one of the beings
tried to poison the cosmic ocean, Shiva caught the poison and held it
in his throat, which turned his throat blue.
Shiva has three eyes, the third in the center of his forehead. The
third eye gives him a special inner vision and wisdom. However, when
he focuses that eye outward, it destroys everything before it.
In Shivas hair are a crescent moon and the sacred Ganges River.
According to legend, Shiva entangled the river, an incarnation of the
goddess Ganga, in his hair to prevent her from ooding Earth. The
portion he allowed to ow through his hair became the river Ganges
in present-day India.
Nandi, the Sacred Bull
Shivas mount is Nandi, a sacred white bull. Every temple dedi-
cated to Shiva has a gure of Nandi. Nandi is so honored that some
cities allow bulls to roam the streets freely. They are branded with
Shivas symbol, the tridenta spear with three points.
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 9 3/10/06 3:32:55 PM
A God in Earthly Form
Two avatars of Vishnu are worshipped as gods themselves.
These avatars are Rama and Krishna.
Rama, the Hero God
Rama is perhaps the most popular and widely worshipped of
Vishnus avatars. He is loved for his virtue, reason, and wise actions.
The story of Ramas life is told in a famous epic, the Ramayana, or
Romance of Rama. The main subject of the epic is a war that Rama
waged against a fearsome giant. Rama may have been an actual
historical gure who later came to be viewed as a god.
Ramas wife is the beautiful Sita. In the main episode of the
Ramayana, Rama rescues Sita from the evil demon-king Ravana,
who had captured her. Ramas companion Hanuman, the monkey
god, also plays a major role in the Ramayana.
In paintings, Ramas
skin is dark in color,
showing his association
with Vishnu. Rama is
dressed as a prince and
wears on his head a cap
that is a sign of his royal
birth. In sculptures, he
holds a bow in his left
hand and an arrow in
his right.
Rama and his
wife, Sita
10
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 10 3/10/06 3:33:03 PM
Krishna holds up a mountain to protect the cowherds.
Krishna, the Holy Cowherd
Like Rama, Krishna is the hero of an epic, the Mahabharata.
Krishnas uncle, an evil king, wanted to kill Krishna because he had
been warned that one of his sisters children would kill him. Krishna
was secretly taken to safety and given to the leader of the cowherds,
who raised Krishna as his own child. Krishna grew up taking care
of cattle, and so he is often called the Holy Cowherd.
Even as a child, Krishna was able to perform amazing feats.
He also played pranks on people. When he grew older, Krishna
became famous for the beautiful melodies he played on his ute.
Krishna remained loyal to the cowherds among whom he had
grown up. Once, the god Indra became furious at the cowherds. He sent
a gigantic storm to ood the land and destroy the cowherds and their
cattle. Krishna lifted a mountain in one hand and used it as an umbrella
to shelter his friends.
11
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 11 3/16/06 11:58:47 AM
Ganesha, the
Elephant-Headed God
Ganesha, the elephant-headed
god, is the son of Shiva and Parvati. He
is worshiped as the god who removes
obstacles that might block people from
achieving their goals. Hindus call on
Ganesha for help at the start of religious
ceremonies or any important undertak-
ing in life. According to legend, Ganesha
wrote down the words of the great epic,
the Mahabharata, so he is also associated
with writing and scholarship.
As shown in art, Ganesha is either missing a tusk or has one
broken tusk. Legend says that Ganesha would not let Parasurama visit
Shiva, who was sleeping. The two began to ght, and Ganesha ung
Parasurama to the ground
with his trunk. In a rage,
Parasurama threw his ax at
Ganesha, striking his tusk
and breaking it.
As with many Hindu
gods, Ganesha is usually
portrayed with four arms,
holding various objects in
his hands, such as his broken
tusk and a book. He is usually
depicted as red in color.
12
A statue of Ganesha
A Ganesha festival
in Pushkar, India
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 12 3/16/06 1:13:27 PM
Hanuman, the Monkey God
Hanuman is the leader of the monkeys. He plays a major role
in the Ramayana, the great epic of the life of Rama. Hanuman and
his monkey followers helped Rama recover his wife,
Sita. He also went to the mountains to nd
healing herbs for Ramas warriors who
had been wounded in battle.
Hanuman is honored for his
great devotion to Rama, whom he
served in many ways. Hindus con-
sider him to be a guardian spirit, as
well as a being of great wisdom and
knowledge. Many temples through-
out India are dedicated to him. In art,
Hanuman is shown with a red face, and
he stands upright, like a human being.
Because all monkeys are viewed as
representing Hanuman, they are protected.
For this reason, monkeys can be seen in great numbers
at many temples in India. Feeding monkeys is seen as
a good deed, while harming them shows lack of respect
for something sacred.
This is an illustration
from the Ramayana.
It shows Hanuman
defeating the
enemy army.
13
Monkeys are welcome
at many Hindu temples.
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 13 3/10/06 3:33:28 PM
IN0I4N OC4N
4rubiun
5eu
8uy cf
8engul
l
n
d
u
s
C
h
e
n
u
b

k
.
5
u
t
l
e
[ k
.
C
u
nges k.
C
h
u
m
b
u
l
k
l
v
e
r
Nurm
ud
u k.
C
c
d
uvurl k
.
k
r
lshnu k.
8ru
h
m
u
p
u
t
r
u


k
.
k
l
v
e
r
Y
u
m
u
n
u

k
.

Iodia's Major 8ivers
The Lesser Deities
The Vedic Gods
Chief among the Vedic gods was Indra, a warrior god. Indra
was Lord of the Winds, a god of rain and weather. His weapons
were thunder and lightning.
Second to Indra was Agni, the god of re. Agni represented the re
of the sun as well as the re used in sacred ceremonies.
Varuna was the god of order, the heavenly judge. He ruled the sky
realm and was responsible for upholding the law. Later, he became
associated with oceans and other bodies of water.
River Gods and Goddesses
Hindus consider many of Indias
rivers to be sacred. Most rivers are seen
as female and are personied as god-
desses. The most sacred of these rivers
is the Ganges, which is worshipped as
the incarnation of the goddess Ganga.
The waters of the Ganges are believed
to cleanse people of all sinspast,
present, and future. The Sona and the
Brahmaputra Rivers are the only two
rivers personied as male.
14
A Hindu woman sets
a traditional offering
in the sacred waters
of the Ganges.
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 14 3/16/06 12:02:14 PM
Gods of the Heavenly Bodies
The sun and the moon each have one or more gods associated with
them. Surya, one of the Vedic gods, is the god of the sun. He rides across
the sky in a golden chariot pulled by seven shining horses. Aruna, the
god associated with the morning star, drives the chariot. Surya controls
the physical affairs of the universeheat, light, and seasonal changes.
Chandra is the god of the moon. The Vedic god Soma also came to
represent the moon, so both Chandra and Soma are names given to
the moon god.
15
Shukra represents
the planet Venus
Before the invention of the telescope, people knew of only ve
planets. Each of those planets has a Hindu god associated with it.
The planet Mercury is the god Budha (not to be confused with the
Buddha). He is the son of Chandra, the moon, and Tara, the north star.
Mercury is said to bring windstorms, dust,
and drought.
Shukra, the planet Venus, is viewed as
a wise teacher. In paintings, he is often
shown riding a rabbit.
Mangala is the planet Mars. Paintings
show him as a red-skinned man riding
a white sheep. Like Mercury, Mars
is believed to be responsible for
drought and lack of rain.
Vrihaspati, the planet Jupiter,
is renowned for wisdom and
is the teacher of the gods.
Shani, the planet Saturn,
is considered to have an
evil inuence and to bring
bad luck to people.
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 15 3/10/06 3:33:45 PM
16
1. What are the names and purposes of the three main
Hindu gods?
2. What is an avatar?
3. Which two avatars of Vishnu are worshipped as gods
in their own rights?
4. Why is Krishna called the Holy Cowherd?
5. What aspect of Hindu belief makes Shivas role as a destroyer
a creative role as well?
Choose one of the legends described in these pages. Do research
in the library or on the Internet; then write a longer version of the
legend as part of an illustrated book. Draw scenes to illustrate
your tale.
Photo Credits
Front Cover age fotostock/SuperStock; 2 Charles & Josette/Corbis; 3 Historical Picture Archive/Corbis; 4 Burstein Collec-
tion/Corbis; 5 Victoria & Albert Museum, London/ Art Resource, NY; 7 The Art Archive/Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde Leiden
(Leyden)/Dagli Orti; 8 Victoria & Albert Museum, London/ Art Resource, NY; 9 Lindsay Hebberd/Corbis; 10 Victoria & Albert
Museum, London/Art Resource, NY; 11 Scala/Art Resource, NY; 12 (t) John Elk/Getty Images, (b) AFP/ Getty Images;
13 (t) Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY, (b) David Samuel Robbins/Corbis; 14 Chris Cheadle/Getty Images; 15 PhotoDisc, Inc.
Illustration Credits
6-7 Pamela Becker; 14 Mapquest, 15 and Back Cover Pamela Becker.
SXENL07ARD605_ALR.indd 16 3/16/06 12:05:00 PM