If one’s a yoga teacher or harbors the dream of becoming a yoga teacher or Yoga Enthusiasts, it’s very likely for him/her to come across mantras meant for invocation of a plethora of Hindu Gods & Goddesses.
Surely, a comprehensive lowdown of some of the most popular Hindu Gods & Goddesses will benefit a lot for Yoga Enthusiasts or yoga teachers in the long run.
Origin of Hinduism & Hindu Gods in its Entirety
Originated from India-touted as the Land of Spiritualism & Mysticism, Hinduism encompassing all Hindu Gods & Goddesses have been around for at least 5,000 years.
Although recent researches and surveys stand testimony to the fact of the existence of Hinduism from varied archaeological and literary sources, its beginning, evolution, and progression/advancement over such an extensive timeline, remains obscure.
Whether Hinduism falls under the category of religion or not, remains debatable as unlike many other world religions, Hinduism is devoid of having a designated founder, prophet, or exponent, and so, almost every Hindus would consider it a way of life, to put it in most extravagant terms, a celebration of life they all want to cling onto till their very last breathe.
Core Beliefs & Notions
Hinduism, in its core philosophy, upholds the basic tenet that God is absolute and omnipresent, formless, and is only referred to as Brahman, the Supreme-Universal Soul and Entity.
Brahman equates with the universe and everything in its realm, having no form or limits; it’s the Reality and the ultimate Truth which everyone requires to know and adhere to. Additionally, the mantra OM forms the essence of all Hindu Gods & Goddesses that the Universe is surrounded with.
In fact, there’re three principal beliefs in Hinduism, which Yoga Enthusiasts or aspiring yoga teachers need to know for reaping benefits in the long run, and they’re; Afterlife and Reincarnation, Karma (action), and Dharma (righteousness). Essentially, the primary goal and objective of Hinduism is to attain ‘Moksha’ or Liberation/Enlightenment from the cycle of rebirth.
On one hand, Hinduism involving Hindu Gods & Goddesses, is a pantheistic religion; it identifies Almighty/God with the Universe, human beings are mere manifestations. On the other hand, Hindu religion is also polytheistic as it’s populated with myriad and diverse gods and goddesses.
In this context, prominent Hindu saint Sri Ramkrishna’s sayings deserve special mention. He wrote, ‘There can be as many Hindu Gods as there are devotees to suit the moods, feelings, emotions and social backgrounds of the devotees.’
The exceedingly wide variety of Hindu Gods & Goddesses to choose from, enables the aspirant to draw on, embodying the symbolic power of a particular god required in specific life circumstances or scenarios.
8 Hindu Gods Essential for Today’s Yoga Enthusiasts
- Vishnu-Vishnu is known as the God of Preserver and the Divine Arbitrator. In symbolic terms, Lord Vishnu stands for justice and moral order. Coming into existence post the creation, Vishnu sustains the Universe whereas upholding its varied laws. One might invoke Vishnu if one’s seeking protection, patience, knowledge, prosperity.
- Shiva-Hailed as both the protector and destroyer, Lord Shiva counted amongst one of the most powerful Hindu Gods & Goddesses, is widely worshipped for its potent destructive energy. Shiva is married to Parvati, also called Shakti, with whom he has two sons; Ganesha-remover of all obstacles, and Skanda-God of war. Shiva is the ultimate and absolute representation of how great destruction paves way for new beginnings and opportunities. Invoke Lord Shiva if you desire to achieve any goal or face hardships on your way. There’re many mantras reciting Lord Shiva, Om Namah Shivaya being one of them.
- Brahma-Brahma is known as the God of creation, creating world and all its creatures. Lord Brahma stands for the source of the universal mind and intellect, though he’s the least worshipped god in Hinduism today. Currently, there’re only two temples in the entire India dedicated and devoted to him-one in Pushkar and the other in Kerala. One of the reasons for its rare worshipping is that Brahma’s role as creator has ended, and the baton is passed over to Vishnu to preserve the world, and Shiva to carry on in its path of cosmic reincarnation.
Note: Trinity of Gods (Trimurti) – The term ‘Trimurti’ signifies three forms, referring to three principal Hindu gods mentioned above; Brahma, Vishnu, & Shiva. Formerly, Trimurti was worshipped as single entity-Supreme Being.
Later on, the three gods were segregated, taking charge of their own individualism.
It’s commonly believed that these three forms actually symbolize earth (Brahma), water (Vishnu), and fire (Shiva).
- Kali – Powerful, formidable, yet widely misunderstood and misinterpreted, Mother Kali, being one of the Hindu Gods & Goddesses, signifies death, time, and doomsday. She’s a strong mother-figure, symbolic of compassion, love, care. She’s known to remove attachment with body, reinstating the belief that body’s temporary, granting liberation by demising the illusory ego.
- Lakshmi – Goddesses Lakshmi is the epitome of prosperity, fertility, purity, generosity, beauty and grace. Being the daughter of Goddess Durga and Vishnu’s better half, Lakhmi is an important domestic deity, making her presence felt in almost every household. In statutory and artwork arenas, Lakshmi is portrayed as beautiful woman possessing four hands, sitting on full-bloomed lotus and holding lotus bud, symbolizing four ends of human life; dharma or righteousness, karma or desires, Artha or wealth, moksha or liberation from life’s cycle of birth and the inevitable death.
- Saraswati – Saraswati’s the goddess of knowledge and arts, representing the creative juices and free flowing of wisdom and consciousness. Being the daughter of Lord Shiva & Goddess Durga, Saraswati’s endowed with four hands representing four aspects of human personality in learning; mind, intellect, alertness, and ego. Invoke the Goddess of Learning & Knowledge for attaining the power of speech, wisdom, and learning.
- Ganesha – One of the popular Hindu Gods in the modern yoga world where Yoga Enthusiasts can take a lesson or two, Ganesha-the elephant-headed god, is one of the most important deities in the annals of Hinduism. Son of Shiva & Parvati, Ganesha signifies success, prosperity, removing all life’s obstacles. Commonly worshipped as the God of education, wisdom, and wealth, Ganesha represents eternal soul (Atma), his body denoting illusory and deceptive material world (Maya).
- Hanuman – Hanuman, the mighty and powerful monkey god, is the ultimate image of faith and sincere devotion. Hanuman’s tale mentioned in epic Ramayana-where he’s entrusted with the task of locating Rama’s wife Sita, who was captured by demon king of Lanka-Ravana, serves as an inspiration to countless readers to face and counter adversities and overcome hardships that come along the way. In fact, Hanuman, counted amongst one of the revered Hindu Gods & Goddesses, stands for a metaphor of unlimited and unrestrained power and energy, perseverance, and steadfast devotion.
Get a sneak-peek into the alluring mysticism and spiritualism encompassing Hindu Gods & Goddesses taught and learnt at Diya Yoga – Yoga Alliance RYS200 school for Yoga Enthusiasts located in Mandrem-a small town in North Goa, India.
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