The Hindu Pantheon: Gods & Goddesses

Explore the rich Hindu pantheon and its gods!

Hinduism claims both 330 million gods and goddesses, and at the same time, belief in one ultimate reality:Brahman. Use this worksheet to explore Hindu beliefs and the gods and goddesses worshiped as different manifestations of Brahman, or Ultimate Reality. This activity will require the use of your textbook, Exploring the Religions of Our World, Chapter 5 - Section 3: Deities FemaleGoddesses Polytheism: What is it? As commonly practiced, Hindus have the ability to worship millions of different gods and goddesses. Ultimate Reality (Brahman) manifests itself in many ways, including the gods and goddesses of Hinduism, along with the gurus and spiritual leaders of modern-day. As Hinduism's roots are ancient, the concept of multiple higher powers governing nature, significant life events, and the order of the universe, is similar to some of the oldest polytheistic traditions on earth. Compare Hindu's deities to those of other ancient polytheistic traditions.Sort the following gods and goddesses into their correct belief system (you might have to google some names to discover which belief system they belong to): Hindu Brahma Vishnu Shiva Krishna Greek Zeus Hades Apollo Athena Norse Odin Freya Tyr Baldur Egyptian Ra Thoth Osiris Anubis Use your book to fill in the blanks. (See the Deities subheading in the Beliefs and Practices section of the Hinduism chapter) Yet most Hindus also hold that all the gods and goddesses are the myriad images of the one Ultimate Reality or Absolute Reality, also called Brahman. While the gods and goddesses have attributes (for the most part human attributes), Brahman has no attributes. Brahman is transcendent, beyond reach. The five senses combined cannot grasp Brahman. Compare the Hindu concept of Brahman to the Christian concept of God. Describe at least 2 similarities. Use the word transcendent correctly within your response. Use your book's description of Brahman and definition of "transcendent" to help in your comparison. Again, check the Deities subsection in Beliefs and Practices. Who are the Hindu Gods? Open your notes in splitscreen. As you watch the video, take notes on each god or goddess mentioned. You will need these notes to complete the following activities and some information will be included on the assessment.Pro-tip: Screenshot the different gods and goddess images with their names, then add those images to your Notability note.✔ Here's a head start!You have permission to copy and paste this list of names into your notes:BrahmaVishnuShivaGaneshaKrishnaRam (or Rama)ShaktiKali Major Hindu Gods Match the image of the god or goddess to their correct name and description that includes identifying clues. Brahma - 4-headed creator god Vishnu - preserver god; keeps order in the universe and wields a mace Shiva - destroyer god; dances for the good of the world Avatars Minor Gods Match the avatars or minor gods to their name and description Krishna - 8th avatar of Vishnu & god of love Rama - 7th avatar of Vishnu; the subject of The Ramayana; known for his blue skin & bow Ganesha - Lord of all beings; elephant god The Tridevi or Goddess Trinity Other Goddesses The female incarnation of Brahman, known as Devi, manifests itself in 3 primary goddesses: Parvati, Lakshmi, and Saraswati.Add the following to your notes. You do NOT need to complete anything for this section - just add the below info to your Notability notes. Parvati Lakshmi Saraswati the Divine Mother; consort of Shiva, and by him, mother of Ganesha Goddess of prosperity, good fortune, and beauty. Often associated with Vishnu. Goddess of learning, literature, and music. Often linked with Brahma. Draw Parallels What Catholic or Christian figures can you compare to any of the Hindu gods or goddesses above? Give 3 comparisons and a brief description for each explaining why. Brahma Symbolism Identification Brahma is the creator god, which means that he is often associated with items that have to do with creation.Here, he is holding 4 items:Brahma holds the Vedas in one hand, which symbolizes knowledge in the world which is important for creationA water pot used in a prayer ritual symbolizes the cosmic energy which helps bring the universe into existence.A lotus flower, which symbolizes purity, fertility and non-attachments.In the final hand he holds a rosary beads used to aid meditation that symbolizes all the effort that goes into the creating the universe.Identify what the object is in each hand, using the information provided above. Rosary / prayer beads Lotus flower Vedas Water pot