All Hindus believe in God. However, the definition of God varies. To some, God is an impersonal set of absolute principles. To others, God is a personal entity who has form (saguna) or no form (nirguna). The form can be masculine or feminine, human or animal, animate or inanimate.

Hindus worship many gods but believe all of them to be manifestations of a single godhead. It is said that the impersonal Godhead (brahman) becomes accessible to all by manifesting as a personal god (ishta devata), a household god (graha devata), a family god (kula devata), a village god (grama devata), a cosmic god (param ishwara) and as the soul (atma).

Some gods are enshrined as idols in temples, adored through elaborate rituals and petitioned by devotees. Others are invoked through occult rituals and forced to do man's bidding.

Hindu theism resulted in the "bhakti" revolution that propagated passionate devotion to a personal god as the means to live a materially and spiritually fulfilled life. Depending on the personal god chosen, Hindu theism can be broadly divided into three schools:

• Shaivism, based on the worship of Shiva, the ascetic who transcends Nature.
• Vaishnavism, based on the worship of Vishnu, the lord who dispassionately preserves Natural order.
• Shaktism, based on the worship of the mother-goddess, who personifies the wisdom, bounty and mystery of Nature.

SHIVA

is the destroyer - destroyer of ignorance, desire, ego, and death.

Worldly matters do not interest Shiva. Unaffected by the whims of the world, he is innocent and guileless, pure of mind and heart. He does not adorn his body with jewels or flowers; he mats his hair; wraps his body in animal hide and lets the serpent slither around his neck. He rejects social norms and does not mind the company of ghosts, gnomes , goblins, bhutas, pisachas and yakshas. He even rejects his body; hence he is worshipped as a linga (a sacred stone).

Shiva prefers to isolate himself atop Mount Kailas, shutting his eye, restraining his senses, meditating and transcending samsara. In fact so intense is the power of his tapas that it transforms him into a pillar of fire that has neither an origin nor an end.

But the gods seek his wisdom. They wanted him to participate in the worldly affairs. They wanted him to marry and produce mighty sons who would protect the world. So they enlisted the help of the mother-goddess Shakti. Manifesting as Parvati, the goddess succeeded, after great difficulty, in becoming Shiva's consort. Together they created two sons: the wise Ganesha and the mighty Kartikeya. Parvati inspired Shiva to compose music, choreograph dances and unravel the mysteries of the Tantra and the secrets of Yoga for the benefit of the universe. He even enlightened her on the art of lovemaking, delighting man and god alike.

Occasionally, Shiva does tire of family life and goes back into the forest to meditate or dance in serene isolation. As he alternates between being an austere hermit and an amorous householder, the cosmos either withdraws into itself or blooms like a lotus.

VISHNU

is the preserver of the cosmos, the keeper of universal laws, the sustainer of life, who resides in Vaikuntha, the highest heaven. He constantly participates in worldly affairs making sure all is well.

When order prevails in the cosmos, he rests on the coils of Adi-Sesha, the serpent of time. When there is disorder, he mounts his eagle Garuda and battles with the forces of chaos. Vishnu descends from heaven incarnating as man or beast to set things right. The ten incarnations of Vishnu are

1. The fish Matsya
2. The turtle Kurma
3. The boar Varaha
4. The man-lion Narasimha
5. The dwarf Vamana
6. The warrior-priest Parashurama
7. The prince Rama
8. The cowherd Krishna
9. The sage Buddha-Mayamoha
10. The horseman Kalki

Vishnu uses both force and guile to ensure the stability of the universe. His consort Laxmi, goddess of wealth and power, offers him the wherewithal to maintain the integrity of the world.

BRAHMA

is the creator. But he is not worshipped because he is responsible for distracting the mind away from the soul and towards the cravings of the flesh.

Before the cosmos existed, Brahma was all alone, self contained and self-content. Wounded by the love-god Kama's darts, however, he felt inadequate and longed for company. He split himself and created Shatarupa, the goddess of samsara. She was ephemeral yet enchanting. Her many forms captivated Brahma. He desired to posses her, hoping that the union would restore his peace of mind.

But that was not to be. Like all material things, Shatarupa would turn into something else every time Brahma got to her. She turned into a cow, a mare, a goose and a doe. Brahma kept pursuing her, taking the form of the corresponding male - a bull, a horse, a gander, a buck. Thus all creatures of the cosmos, from the smallest insect to the largest mammal, came into being. Brahma became Prajapati, lord of progeny. Brahma, in his obsession, sprouted five heads, so that he could look upon Shatarupa at all times. To restrain his lust, Shiva as the ferocious Bhairava wrenched off one of his heads. Sobered by the experience, Brahma took Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, as his consort. With her help, he regained control of his mind, drawing it away from the senses towards the bliss of the soul.

Other Hindu Gods:

Krishna

Ganesh

Rama & Sita

Hanuman

Saraswati

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