![]() In the subsequent mythological literature Varuna is described as the presiding deity of the western quarter and as the lord of oceans, water and aquatic animals.He is depicted as a rider of chariots pulled by 7 swans and he has four hands. By activating Vayu, the lord of the wind, he sustains life by giving rain and crops. Though Varuna was the chief deity in the beginning, he seems to have yielded his place later on to Indra and Prajapati. He punishes those who transgress from this law but forgives them out of compassion if they repent and pray. He has thousand eyes and oversees the whole world. Everything in this world happens through his wishes. He has supreme knowledge and knows everything happening in this world. Varuna is the ruler of the world and enforcer as well as upholder of law and order in this world. One such popular story is of Ahalya and Gautama Muni. Indra is also depicted as someone who disguises himself to win over women. Indra’s Kingdom is situated near Mount Meru and his love for Soma (Amruta, Elixir) is no secret. The slaying of Vratasura is his most famous achievement. He fought many demons and brought victory to the gods. He goes to any lengths of scheming to keep his position as the leader. His status and survival is the most important for him and he is always concerned about it. His Vahan is a white elephant called Airavata and has a weapon of lightning called Vajrayudh. Vayu Devta is his friend and servant and the Vasus are his advisors. He is the god of thunder and rain and a great warrior. In the Rig Veda, more than half the hymns invoke 3 gods, with Indra being the one who has the maximum number of hymns ( 250 hymns). Indra is the most popular and praised god in the Vedas. The following is a list of the important gods and goddesses in the Vedas The Vedas speak of a lot of gods but the important once are mentioned more often than the others. Externally through the sacrifices burned in the fire and internally through the digestive fire of our stomach. They received the food externally and internally. ![]() So gods helped the humans and the humans provided food to the gods. Gods had power but could not make food for themselves and humans did not have power but they could make their own food. According to the Vedas, the Brahman created Gods and humans in such a way that they had to be dependent on each other. Their mode of worshipping was through rituals and sacrifices to the gods. These gods were worshipped by the Vedic people. Hindus also like to have their ashes scattered in the Ganges after cremation.The Vedic gods are those gods who feature prominently in the four Vedas. It is a place to go on pilgrimage to bathe in sacred waters. The Ganges River is a very sacred place to Hindus. A bell is also often rung to help focus the mind. The goal is to get beyond self to Brahmin. The shrine also contains things which represent the five senses. The idea is to draw the whole person into worship through the image or statue and the senses. There might be a statue or just a picture of the god or goddess. It is also very common for Hindus to worship at a home shrine, often as a whole family. Worshippers then circle the inner shrine with their right hand raised in respect to the deity. After the deity blesses the gifts they are returned to the worshipper and their heads are marked with a red dot or blessing called a tilaka. Offerings of fruit, flowers and incense are made to a priest who presents them to the deity. It includes prayer and a viewing of the statue of the god or goddess honored. The ceremony that follows is called puja. When entering a temple, visitors must take off their shoes and women cover their heads to show respect. There is no set schedule for visits to a temple. Outside Hindu temples you can often buy gifts or prasad to give the deity honored in the temple. Hindu temples are often decorated with the figures of gods and goddesses. The temple is entered through the ardhamandapa or entrance porch. The four corners of the temple then have smaller shrines. This inner shrine is under a towering roof called a sikhara. The temple is the god's home on earth. The most holy part of the temple is an inner shrine called a garbhargriha with a statue to the god or goddess. ![]() A temple is dedicated to a particular god or goddess (deity). A Hindu place of worship is called a mandir or temple.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |