The deities

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  • Created by: leila08
  • Created on: 07-11-18 20:25
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  • The deities
    • How many Hindu deities are there?
      • Hindus can be monotheists and polytheists at the same time.
        • There are hundreds of Hindu deities,  but there is only one Supreme Being
          • "'Three and three hundred, and three and three thousand' 'Yes of course,' he said 'but really Yajnavalkya, how many gods are there' 'Thirty three' [...] 'Yes of course,' he said 'but really Yajnavalkya, how many gods are there' 'One'" Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
      • Hindus usually favour one particular deity, but recognise all other gods, and offer sacrifices to whichever seems right on the occasion
    • The three main female deities
      • Sarawati
        • often pictured playing a musical instrument
          • Hindu musicians pray to her before concerts, and students pay respect to her before their studies
      • Lakshmi
        • The consort of Vishnu
        • Goddess of beauty, prosperity and wealth
        • Especially worshipped during Diwali
      • Shakti
        • the general term for goddess, meaning energy
        • the consort of Shiva, thought of of in three specific forms
          • Parvati: example of perfect motherhood and usually portrayed in a domestic setting
          • Durga: a fierce and powerful goddess, has many arms to fight demons and often portrayed riding a tiger or lion
          • Kali: a fierce and wild goddess, has four arms which hold a sword, a severed head, a bowl to catch blood and a trident

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