Comparing the Iconography and Mythology of Two Major Hindu Deities

The god Vishnu is the creator, and Shiva is the destroyer. One is not looked upon as better than the other. This shows the ultimate realism that the Hindu culture possesses. These are not the only gods in Hindu culture. There are many others and all have special skills and talents. The gods themselves also give birth to the idea of avatars, or the form of god when he or she comes to earth.

Pocahontas’ story has been changed throughout history. Her story has been subverted because people wanted to make it more interesting so that they could make more money and fame of off it. Townsend explains the choices that Pocahontas and her father made as well as the trajectory of her life by using other people’s accounts of her and how they perceived her. There were no documents recorded from Pocahontas.

Gogol's disconnected relationship with his parents is one of the main reasons why he rejected his Bengali heritage for an American one. In The Namesake By Jhumpa Lahiri, one of Gogol's biggest trials in his life, involves his Indian heritage and his want to be American. His relationship with his parents, and their Bengali culture, affects his feelings towards Bengali culture, and, being rebellious, vouches for the American Dream. Gogol's first unnatural experience with Bengali culture occurs when he enters elementary school. A Bengali tradition is that one person is supposed to have two names.

Hinduism is a very spiritualistic religion. It has been around for thousands and thousands of years. Hinduism originated within the Indus Valley Civilization and the Aryans. Hinduism may be seen as polytheistic but in its true nature it is actually monotheistic. It is explained that there are different gods for different aspects of life but there is essentially only one main god in the religion in Hinduism (32). That one main god is Brahman (33). Brahman is behind all of the gods. One aspect of Brahman is Krishna. This essay will be focusing on Krishna. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna reveals himself to be

Comparing Hinduism and Christianity isn’t easy because Hinduism is a not an easy religion for most in the west to understand. It signifies limitless deep waters of understanding, a rich history, and a rich theology. There is for sure no religion in the world that is more multi-colored or overelaborate. Comparing Hinduism and Christianity can easily overwhelm the learner of relative religions. So, the question should be considered carefully and modestly. The answer given here does not pretend to be complete or assume even an understanding of Hinduism at any specific point. This answer simply compares a few points between the two religions in effort to show how Christianity is solemn of special consideration.

Vishnu: Vishnu is one of the Gods that Hindus believed in. He is one of the three main gods along with Shiva and Brahma.

Every religion has unique characteristics that set them apart from one another. The differences vary from the origins to the specific ways of worship. Two religions that show many levels of differences are Christianity and Hinduism. Although there is a variety of topics to compare, the afterlife seems to be the most enticing. As we look into what occurs after one passes in theses religions, there will be a clearer understanding of how these two systems of worship are alike and how they contrast.

There are many religions that relate to one another in more ways than one. Hinduism is a very interesting religion to study. There is a lot of history know in Hinduism. Hindu’s themselves believe in many different rituals and activities that will bring enlightenment to their souls. This one religion bases most of its religious aspect on the end, in death. What is interesting about this is Hindus spend a lot of time doing certain rituals to cleanse their souls so they can achieve peace. This religion alone also has a very interesting line of gods they worship. This paper will explain these different concepts, beginning with a Hindu’s life story..

Moreover, God is compared to both lightning and light in each religion. The bible tells us that “as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of man be in his day,” (Luke 17:24) and claims that “God is light and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). In like fashion, the Chandogya Upanishad describes Brahman as “he who dwells in the sky and makes lightning his home,” and says that “the world of Brahman is light itself.

Tantrism is based on hundreds of writings on the practices outside the elite Brahmin tradition. These tantras express central traditional Hindu ideas and practices (Carabajal ppt). The rise of Hindu reform movements attempts to renew Hindu spiritually and socially through their caste systems, superstitions, blessings and curses, and worship of images. Hinduisms rise of devotion, or bhakti, is the main way to show devotion to ones chosen god. This devotion reflects one’s deep love for their god. There are three main deities during this devotional movement: Shiva – God of destruction, symbolizing the removal of obstacles to salvation, Vishnu – God of life, protects and preserves the world by frequently incarnating in various forms to defeat enemies of humans and gods, Shakti and the Goddess – upholder of the universe, female power in the goddess representing creation, preservation, and end of the world (Carabajal

How often I stood in front of this extraordinary man….. I knew that he had found the Bliss that Lord Krishna offered to Arjuna….at such times I felt myself to be in the presence of a god….my father had followed Lord Krishna’s instructions about giving up all attachments to position, to desires, to the physical realm. No wonder people marvelled and came from far and near to worship him. It was often said …that surely he had already achieved moksha, escaping the wheel of reincarnation. There would be no more births into this world of death for him, only the eternal Bliss of nirvana. He had entered that Highest Path… (Maharaj, 2004: 16).

Brahma is the god of creation. In today’s world, he is the least worshipped god in India. There are only two temples in all of India dedicated to him (Brahma). Brahma has a unique look, with four heads and four arms. The second god, Vishnu, is the god of preservation. Thus far in creation, he has been said to be incarnated nine times. Worshippers believe that he will incarnate one last time near the end of the world. Similarly, to what Paul thought of Jesus, “Like any major god, Vishnu is involved in a number of colorful stories which illustrate his virtues as the protector of cosmic order” (Vishnu). Vishnu is uniquely depicted by having blue skin, and four arms. In his four hands, he holds objects representing what he is dependable for. Shiva, the last god, is the god of destruction. In Hinduism, destruction is considered necessary for new life forms to appear. Shiva is portrayed by his blue face and white body, three eyes, and four arms.

The ancients Greeks were polytheistic which means they used to worship many gods. Greek gods and goddesses used to live at the top of Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. However, despite their great powers, gods and goddesses were much like humans, and sometimes they had to come down to hearth to get involved and intervened in the affairs of mortals, involving with men and women as patrons, enemies, and sometimes lovers. Greek mythology described their lives and every day actions and use their stories to help explain the unknown and sometimes teach a lesson.

The ancients Greeks were polytheistic which means they used to worship many gods. In the past, Greek gods and goddesses used to live at the top of Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. However, despite their great powers, gods and goddesses were much like humans, and sometimes they had to come down to hearth to intervene in the affairs of mortals, involving men and women, enemies, and sometimes lovers.

Vishnu, to his worshipers, is all-powerful and supreme. He is believed to be to god from whose navel a lotus sprang giving birth to Brahma, the creator. Vishnu created the universe by separating the heavens and the earth and has rescued it on a number of occasions. As Hopfe and Woodward state “Vishnu is known as a god of love, benevolence, and forgiveness (Hinduism 94).” “ In some incarnations, he has come as a man.” (94). The third popular god is Brahma, the creator of the world.