Hindu mythology has many examples of deities changing gender, manifesting as different genders at different times, or combining to formandrogynous orhermaphroditic beings. Gods change sex or manifest as anavatar of the opposite sex in order to facilitate sexual congress. Non-divine beings also undergo sex-changes through the actions of the gods, as the result of curses or blessings, or as the natural outcome ofreincarnation. (Full article...)
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Rama holding arrows, early 19th century depiction
Rama (/ˈrɑːmə/;Sanskrit:राम,IAST:Rāma,Sanskrit:[ˈraːmɐ]ⓘ) is a major deity inHinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popularavatars ofVishnu. InRama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (maryādapuruṣottama), Rama is the male protagonist of the Hindu epicRamayana. His birth is celebrated every year onRama Navami, which falls on the ninth day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the lunar cycle ofChaitra (March–April), the first month in theHindu calendar.
According to theRamayana, Rama was born toDasaratha and his first wifeKausalya inAyodhya, the capital of the Kingdom ofKosala. His siblings includedLakshmana,Bharata, andShatrughna. He marriedSita. Born in a royal family, Rama's life is described in the Hindu texts as one challenged by unexpected changes, such as an exile into impoverished and difficult circumstances, and challenges of ethical questions and moral dilemmas. The most notable story involving Rama is the kidnapping of Sita by the demon-kingRavana, followed by Rama and Lakshmana's journey to rescue her. (Full article...)
A 17th-century Devimahatmya manuscript written inNewari script fromNepal
TheDevi Mahatmya orDevi Mahatmyam (Sanskrit:देवीमाहात्म्यम्,romanized: devīmāhātmyam,lit. 'Glory of theGoddess') is aHindu philosophical text describing the Goddess, known asAdi Parashakti orDurga, as the supreme divineultimate reality and creator of the universe. It is part of theMārkanḍeya Purāna (chapters 81 to 93).TheDevi Mahatmyam is also known as theDurgā Saptashatī (दुर्गासप्तशती),Śata Chandī (शत् चंडी) andChandi Path (चंडी पाठ). The text contains 700 verses that are arranged into 13 chapters. It is one of the most important texts inShaktism, along withDevi-Bhagavata Purana andDevi Upanishad. The text is also one of the earliest extant complete manuscripts from the Hindu traditions which describes reverence and worship of the feminine aspect of God.
TheDevi Mahatmyam describes a storied battle between good and evil in which Devi, manifesting as goddess Durga, leads the forces of good against the demonMahishasura—the goddess is very angry and ruthless, and the forces of good win. The verses of this story also outline a philosophical foundation wherein the ultimate reality,Brahman in Hinduism, is the Divine Mother. (Full article...)
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Om signifies the essence ofBrahman, the ultimate reality. In theVedic andHindu religions,Brahman (Sanskrit:ब्रह्मन्;IAST:Brahman) has a "variety of meanings," but in theUpanishads and later Indian philosophies it connotes 'That' from which everything in this world proceeds, and to which everything returns, the origin andcause of all that exists. In contemporary Hindumetaphysics it is the highest universal principle, theUltimate reality of theuniverse.
Brahman is a concept found in theVedas, and it is extensively discussed in the earlyUpanishads, with a variety of meanings. According to Gavin Flood, the concept ofBrahman evolved and expanded from thepower of sound, words, and rituals in Vedic times to the "deeper foundation of all phenomena," the "essence of the self (Atman, Self)," and the deeper "truth of a person beyond apparent difference." However, according to various other scholars such as Barbara Holdrege, Hananya Goodman, and Jan Gonda, the earliest Vedic verses suggest that this ancient meaning was never the only meaning, and the concept evolved and expanded in ancient India. (Full article...)
Kartikeya (IAST:Kārttikeya), also known asSkanda,Subrahmanya,Shanmukha orMuruga, is theHindugod of war. He is generally described as the son of the deitiesShiva andParvati and the brother ofGanesha.
Kartikeya has been an important deity in theIndian subcontinent sinceancient times. Mentions of Skanda in theSanskrit literature data back to fifth century BCE and the mythology relating to Kartikeya became widespread in North India around the second century BCE. Archaeological evidence from the first century CE and earlier shows an association of his iconography withAgni, the Hindu god of fire, indicating that Kartikeya was a significant deity in early Hinduism.Kaumaram is theHindu denomination that primarily venerates Kartikeya. Apart from significant Kaumaram worship and temples inSouth India, he is worshipped as Mahasena and Kumara inNorth andEast India. Muruga is a tutelary deity mentioned in TamilSangam literature, of theKurinji region. As perscholars of religion, theTamil deity of Muruga coalesced with theVedic deity of Skanda Kartikeya over time. He is considered as the patron deity ofTamil language andliterary works such asTirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai byNakkīraṉãr andTiruppukal byArunagirinathar are devoted to Muruga. (Full article...)
TheOm symbol of Hinduism is considered to have an allusion to Trimurti, where the A, U, and M phonemes of the word are considered to indicate creation, preservation and destruction, adding up to representBrahman. TheTridevi is the trinity of goddess consorts for the Trimurti. (Full article...)
Vithoba (IAST:Viṭhobā), also known asVitthala (IAST:Viṭṭhala), andPanduranga (IAST:Pāṇḍuraṅga), is aHindu deity predominantly worshipped in the Indian states ofMaharashtra andKarnataka. He is a form of the Hindu deityVishnu in hisavatar:Krishna. Vithoba is often depicted as a dark young boy, standing arms akimbo on a brick, sometimes accompanied by his consortRakhumai.
Vithoba is the focus of an essentiallymonotheistic, non-ritualisticbhakti-drivenVarkari faith in Maharashtra and theHaridasa sect established inDvaita Vedanta in Karnataka.Vithoba Temple, Pandharpur is his main temple. Vithoba legends revolve around his devoteePundalik who is credited for bringing the deity to Pandharpur, and around Vithoba's role as a saviour to the poet-saints of the Varkari faith. The Varkari poet-saints are known for their unique genre of devotional lyric, theabhang, dedicated to Vithoba and composed inMarathi. Other devotional literature dedicated to Vithoba includes theKannada hymns of the Haridasa and the Marathi versions of the genericaarti songs associated with rituals of offering light to the deity. The most important festivals of Vithoba are held onShayani Ekadashi in the month ofAshadha, andPrabodhini Ekadashi in the month ofKartika. (Full article...)
The party's origins lie in the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which was founded in 1951 by Indian politician Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, after he leftHindu Mahasabha to form a party as the political wing of RSS. Afterthe Emergency of 1975–1977, the Jana Sangh merged with several other political parties to form theJanata Party; it defeated the then-incumbent Indian National Congress in the1977 general election. After three years in power, the Janata Party dissolved in 1980, with the members of the erstwhile Jana Sangh reconvening to form the modern-day BJP. Although initially unsuccessful—winning only two seats in the1984 general election, it grew in strength on the back of the movement aroundRam Janmabhoomi inUttar Pradesh. Following victories in several state elections and better performances in national elections, the BJP became the largest political party in the Parliament in 1996; however, it lacked a majority in the lower house of Parliament, and its government, under its then-leaderAtal Bihari Vajpayee, lasted for only 13 days. (Full article...)
Image 3Ishvara is, along with Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, one of the 17 deities commonly found in IndonesianSurya Majapahit Hindu arts and records. However, Ishvara represents different concepts in various Hindu philosophies. (fromHindu deities)
Image 5Samskaras are, in one context, the diverse rites of passage of a human being from conception to cremation, signifying milestones in an individual's journey of life in Hinduism. Above isannaprashana samskara celebrating a baby's first taste of solid food. (fromSamskara (rite of passage))
Image 6Upanayana samskara ceremony in progress. Typically, this ritual was for eight-year-olds in ancient India, but in the 1st millennium CE it became open to all ages. (fromSamskara (rite of passage))
Image 7Vaishnavism focuses on Vishnu or one of his avatars, such as his form as a human,lion, orboar. (fromHindu denominations)
Image 8A new born's Namakarana ceremony. The grandmother is whispering the name into the baby's ear, while friends and family watch. (fromSamskara (rite of passage))
Image 9Annaprashanam is the rite of passage where the baby is fed solid food for the first time. The ritual has regional names, such as Choroonu inKerala. (fromSamskara (rite of passage))
Image 11A Tamil Hindu girl (center) in 1870 wearing a half-saree, flowers and jewelry from herRitu Kala samskara rite of passage (fromSamskara (rite of passage))
Image 12A Hindu cremation rite inNepal. The samskara above shows the body wrapped in saffron on a pyre. (fromSamskara (rite of passage))
Image 13The ten avatars ofVishnu, (Clockwise, from top left) Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Vamana, Krishna, Kalki, Buddha, Parshurama, Rama and Narasimha, (in centre) Radha and Krishna. Painting currently inVictoria and Albert Museum. (fromHindu deities)
Image 14Six Hinduism deities. Surya, Parvati, Hanuman, Lakshmi, Vishnu, and Indra. All of these statues came from India, except Vishnu (from the Thai-Cambodian border). Various eras. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh (fromHindu deities)
Image 15Indra is a Vedic era deity, found in south and southeast Asia. Above Indra is part of the seal of aThailand state. (fromHindu deities)
Image 16A Hindu girl after her Karnavedha rite of passage (ear piercing) (fromSamskara (rite of passage))
“If I were asked to define the Hindu creed, I should simply say: Search after truth through non-violent means. A man may not believe in God and still call himself a Hindu. Hinduism is a relentless pursuit after truth... Hinduism is the religion of truth. Truth is God. Denial of God we have known. Denial of truth we have not known.”
Painting of Adi Shankara, exponent of Advaita Vedanta with his disciples byRaja Ravi Varma
Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also calledAdi Shankaracharya (Sanskrit:आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य,romanized: Ādi Śaṅkara, Ādi Śaṅkarācārya,lit. 'FirstShankaracharya',pronounced[aːd̪iɕɐŋkɐraːt͡ɕaːrjɐ]), was an IndianVedic scholar,philosopher and teacher (acharya) ofAdvaita Vedanta. While he is often revered as the most importantIndian philosopher, reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and the historical influence of his works on Hindu intellectual thought has been questioned. The historical Shankara was probably relatively unknown andVaishna-oriented. His true impact lies in his "iconic representation ofHindu religion andculture," despite the fact that mostHindus do not adhere to Advaita Vedanta.
Until the10th century Shankara was overshadowed by his older contemporaryMaṇḍana Miśra, and there is no mention of him in concurrent Hindu,Buddhist orJain sources until the11th century. The legendary Shankara was created in the14th century, centuries after his death, when Sringerimatha started to receive patronage from theemperors of theVijayanagara Empire and shifted their allegiance fromAdvaiticAgamic Shaivism to Brahmanical Advaita orthodoxy. Hagiographies dating from the 14th-17th centuries deified him as aruler-renunciate, travelling on adigvijaya (conquest of the four quarters) across theIndian subcontinent to propagate his philosophy, defeating his opponents in theological debates. These hagiographies portray him as founding fourmathas (monasteries), and Adi Shankara also came to be regarded as the organiser of theDashanami monastic order, and the unifier of theShanmata tradition of worship. The title ofShankaracharya, used by heads of certain monasteries in India, is derived from his name. Tradition also portrays him as the one who reconciled the varioussects (Vaishnavism,Shaivism, andShaktism) with the introduction of thePañcāyatana form ofworship, the simultaneous worship of five deities – Ganesha, Surya, Vishnu, Shiva and Devi, arguing that all deities were but different forms of the oneBrahman, the invisible Supreme Being. (Full article...)
Ramana Maharshi (Sanskrit pronunciation:[ˈɾɐ.mɐ.ɳɐmɐˈɦɐɾ.ʂi];Tamil:இரமண மகரிஷி,romanized: Iramaṇa Makarici; 30 December 1879 – 14 April 1950) was an IndianHindusage andjivanmukta (liberated being). He was bornVenkataraman Iyer, but is mostly known by the name Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi.
He was born inTiruchuli,Tamil Nadu,India in 1879. In 1895, an attraction to the sacred hillArunachala and the 63Nayanmars was aroused in him, and in 1896, at the age of 16, he had a "death-experience" in which he became aware of a "current" or "force" (avesam) which he recognised as his true "I" or "self", and which he later identified with "the personal God, orIswara", that is,Shiva. This resulted in a state that he later described as "the state of mind of Iswara or the jnani". Six weeks later he left his uncle's home in Madurai, and journeyed to the holy mountainArunachala, inTiruvannamalai, where he took on the role of asannyasin (though not formally initiated), and remained for the rest of his life. (Full article...)
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Illustration of Swaminarayan writing theShikshapatri
In 1800, he was initiated into theUddhavasampradaya by his guru,Swami Ramanand, and was given the name Sahajanand Swami. Despite opposition, in 1802, Ramanand handed over the leadership of the Uddhava Sampradaya to him before his death. According to the Swaminarayan tradition, Sahajanand Swami became known as Swaminarayan, and the Uddhava Sampradaya became known as the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, after a gathering in which he taught theSwaminarayan Mantra to his followers. (Full article...)
Arjuna (Sanskrit:अर्जुन,IAST:Arjuna) is one of the central characters of the ancientHindu epicMahabharata. He is the third oldest of the fivePandava brothers and is widely recognised as the most distinguished among them. He is the son ofIndra, the king of thegods, andKunti, wife of KingPandu ofKuru dynasty—making him adivine-born hero. Arjuna is famed for his extraordinary prowess in archery and mastery overcelestial weapons. Throughout the epic, Arjuna sustains a close friendship with his maternal cousin,Krishna, who serves as his spiritual guide.
Arjuna is celebrated for numerous heroic exploits throughout the epic. From an early age, he distinguishes himself as an exceptional student under the tutelage of the revered warrior-sageDrona. In his youth, Arjuna secured the hand ofDraupadi, the princess ofPanchala, by excelling in an archery competition. Subsequently, during a period of temporary exile prompted by a breach of a fraternal agreement, Arjuna embarked on a journey during which he entered into matrimonial alliances with three princesses:Ulupi,Chitrangada, andSubhadra. From these unions, he fathered four sons:Shrutakarma,Iravan,Babhruvahana andAbhimanyu. Arjuna plays a major role in establishing his elder brotherYudhishthira’s sovereignty, subduing numerous kingdoms and setting fire to the forest ofKhandavaprastha. When the Pandavas are deceitfully exiled after being tricked into forfeiting their kingdom by their jealous cousins, theKauravas, Arjuna vows to killKarna—a key Kaurava ally and Arjuna's main rival who is later revealed to be his elder half-brother. During exile, Arjuna undertakes a journey to acquire divine weapons and earns the favour of the godShiva. Beyond his martial prowess, Arjuna was also skilled in music and dance, which enabled him to disguise himself as a eunuch teacher of princessUttarā ofMatsya during hisfinal year of exile. During this period, he also defeats the entire Kuru army. (Full article...)
After earning a degree in physics atAllahabad University in 1942, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi became an assistant and disciple ofSwamiBrahmananda Saraswati (also known as Guru Dev), theShankaracharya (spiritual leader) of theJyotir Math in the Indian Himalayas. The Maharishi credits Brahmananda Saraswati with inspiring his teachings. In 1955, the Maharishi began to introduce his Transcendental Deep Meditation (later renamed Transcendental Meditation) to India and the world. His first global tour began in 1958. His devotees referred to him asHis Holiness, and because he laughed frequently in early TV interviews, he was sometimes referred to as the "giggling guru." (Full article...)
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