For a European, Hinduism seems to be something very complex, incomprehensible, alien. This is partly due to polytheism, which has reached incredible proportions. All these Indian gods, goddesses, spirits. It seems that remembering their names and functions is simply impossible. However, as in any religion, along with many secondary
small gods or saints is the so-called supreme pantheon. In Hinduism, as in Christianity, there is an idea of the trinity of the Almighty, but in a somewhat different aspect. There is a certain dynamism here - the creator-almighty-destroyer. Thus, the supreme Indian gods, whose names are Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, are considered not just supreme. They reflect the dynamism in the development of all things.
All Indian gods and demigods had wives. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva were no exception. Their companions were named, respectively, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvatti. These goddesses were also considered supreme and revered by the Hindus. They, along with their husbands, ruled the lives of people. So, Saraswati patronizedmusic, art and literature. According to legend, it was she who invented Sanskrit, the oldest written language. Lakshmi was considered the goddess of love, family hearth, good luck. She embodies the wife of all incarnations of Vishnu. Parvatti is the wife of Shiva. In a negative aspect, she is revered under the name of Kali. In this case, she fully corresponds to her husband, as she personifies destruction. Kali is depicted as a fearsome multi-armed woman wearing a skull necklace, with black flowing hair, bloody fangs.
There are other Indian gods, especially revered in India. For example, Ganesha,
son of Parvatti and Shiva. He is depicted with the head of an elephant and is revered as the guardian of we alth, prosperity and happiness, the god who removes obstacles and the patron of sciences. Ganesha is also the leader of the servants of Shiva. He is often depicted dancing.
The Indian god of love - Kama - looks like his ancient "colleague". He is depicted as a handsome young man with a bow and arrows. Only his bow is made of reeds, and flowers instead of arrows.
Indian gods often lost their paramount importance, transforming into the rulers of the cardinal points. For example, Varuna is a god-judge, the embodiment of world order and justice. In addition, Varuna is the almighty of the world's waters, the god of rain and stormy streams. He administered the highest court and punished sinners, but gradually lost his significance, transforming into the ruler of the west.
Indra - originally the god of war, battles, thunder and lightning, the king of all demigods. He had a lightning bolt in his hand, with which he punished enemies orHe also brought back to life the soldiers who fell in battle. Also lost its original meaning, becoming the ruler of the east.
Surya is the god of the sun, the all-seeing eye of the gods. His main task was to shed light. Surya walked across the sky, delimiting day and night. Some myths mention the seven horses on which he circled the sky. In this version, Surya has something in common with Helios. Over time, he became the ruler of the southeast.
God Yama is the lord of the realm of the dead. His wife and companion - Yami - embodies his creative energy. Yama is said to be the brother of Manu, the first person to survive the Flood. And although Yama was originally a merciful god, over time, like many Indian gods, he acquired completely different qualities and began to be revered as a ferocious destructive force.
