Gods, stories, And Epics Flashcards
Who is Brahma?
Brahma is the creator god in Hinduism and part of the Trimurti. He created the universe and all beings. His consort is Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge.
Why does Brahma have four heads?
Brahma’s four heads symbolize his knowledge of the four Vedas. They also represent his ability to see in all directions.
Who is Vishnu?
Vishnu is the preserver and protector of the universe in Hinduism. He is part of the Trimurti and is known for his avatars, including Rama and Krishna.
What is Vishnu’s role in the Trimurti?
Vishnu sustains and maintains the universe, ensuring balance and harmony between creation and destruction.
Who is Shiva?
Shiva is the destroyer in the Trimurti. He represents transformation and the cycle of creation, preservation, and destruction. His consort is Parvati.
What is the significance of Shiva’s third eye?
Shiva’s third eye represents wisdom and insight. It also symbolizes destruction, as it can burn away ignorance and illusions.
Who is Saraswati?
Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, wisdom, music, and the arts. She is Brahma’s consort and often depicted with a veena and a swan.
What is Lakshmi known for?
Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, prosperity, and fortune. She is Vishnu’s consort and is worshipped during Diwali.
What is the story of Lakshmi’s emergence?
Lakshmi emerged from the ocean during the churning of the Milky Way (Samudra Manthan). She chose Vishnu as her consort.
Who is Parvati?
Parvati is the goddess of fertility, love, and devotion. She is Shiva’s consort and the mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya.
How did Ganesha get his elephant head?
Shiva accidentally decapitated Ganesha. To revive him, Shiva replaced his head with that of an elephant.
Who is Kartikeya?
Kartikeya, also known as Murugan or Skanda, is the god of war. He is Parvati and Shiva’s son and rides a peacock.
What is the story of Rama?
Rama is Vishnu’s seventh avatar. His story, the Ramayana, tells of his quest to rescue his wife, Sita, from the demon king Ravana.
Who is Krishna?
Krishna is the eighth avatar of Vishnu. He is known for his childhood exploits, teachings in the Bhagavad Gita, and his role in the Mahabharata.
What is Krishna’s connection to Radha?
Radha is Krishna’s beloved and symbolizes the ultimate devotion and love for the divine.
Who is Hanuman?
Hanuman is the monkey god and a devotee of Rama. He is known for his strength, loyalty, and role in the Ramayana.
What is the story of Hanuman and the mountain?
When Lakshmana was wounded, Hanuman flew to the Himalayas to fetch a healing herb. Unable to identify it, he carried the entire mountain.
Who is Durga?
Durga is a fierce warrior goddess and an incarnation of Parvati. She is celebrated for defeating the buffalo demon Mahishasura.
What is the story of Kali’s dance?
Kali, an incarnation of Durga, went on a destructive rampage after slaying demons. To calm her, Shiva lay beneath her, and she stopped upon realizing she was standing on him.
Who is Indra?
Indra is the king of the gods and the god of rain and thunderstorms. He wields the thunderbolt (vajra).
What is the story of the Samudra Manthan?
The gods and demons churned the ocean to obtain amrita (nectar of immortality). Many treasures emerged, including Lakshmi, and Vishnu intervened to distribute the nectar.
Who is Agni?
Agni is the fire god and a mediator between humans and gods through sacrificial rituals.
What is the story of Savitri and Satyavan?
Savitri’s devotion saved her husband, Satyavan, from Yama, the god of death. Her wisdom and determination forced Yama to return his life.
Who is Yama?
Yama is the god of death and the ruler of the underworld. He judges souls and guides them to their next life.
Who is Surya?
Surya is the sun god and a source of life and energy. He rides a chariot drawn by seven horses.
What is the story of the Pandavas?
The Pandavas are the five brothers in the Mahabharata. They fought against their cousins, the Kauravas, in the Kurukshetra war.
Who is Draupadi?
Draupadi is the wife of the Pandavas and a central figure in the Mahabharata. Her humiliation by the Kauravas led to the great war.
What is the Bhagavad Gita?
The Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. It explores duty, dharma, and devotion.
Who is Shakti?
Shakti is the divine feminine energy and the source of all creation. She manifests as goddesses like Durga, Kali, and Parvati.
What is the significance of the Trimurti?
The Trimurti represents the three cosmic functions: creation (Brahma), preservation (Vishnu), and destruction (Shiva).
What is the Ramayana about?
The Ramayana is the epic story of Prince Rama, his exile, the abduction of his wife Sita by Ravana, and their eventual reunion after a battle to restore dharma.
Who wrote the Ramayana?
The sage Valmiki wrote the Ramayana.
Why was Rama exiled to the forest?
Rama was exiled for 14 years due to a promise made by King Dasharatha to his wife Kaikeyi, who demanded the throne for her son Bharata.
Who is Sita?
Sita is Rama’s wife and the incarnation of the goddess Lakshmi. She symbolizes purity and devotion.
How was Sita abducted?
Ravana abducted Sita by luring Rama and Lakshmana away with a golden deer and tricking Sita into crossing a protective line (Lakshmana Rekha).
What is Hanuman’s role in the Ramayana?
Hanuman, the monkey god, helps Rama locate Sita, crosses the ocean to Lanka, and burns Ravana’s city with his fiery tail.
Who is Ravana?
Ravana is the ten-headed demon king of Lanka who abducted Sita. He represents ego and desire.
What is the significance of the bridge to Lanka?
Rama’s army, led by Hanuman and Sugriva, built a bridge (Rama Setu) across the ocean to Lanka to rescue Sita.