The Gods Flashcards
How many arms does Vishnu have?
4 arms
What things does Vishnu carry?
1) Disc of light
2) Conch shell
3) A mace
4) A lotus
What is Vishnu’s main vahana?
A cobra
What colour is Vishnu and what does is represent?
Vishnu is blue, which represents his eternity and that he is out of time and space.
What is Vishnu’s main role?
Preserver and protector of the universe, he restores the world in troubled times
How many times has Vishnu incarnated
9 times
What are Vishnu’s worshippers called
Vaishnavas
What is Vishnu’s second vahana?
Garuda ~ king of birds
Why does Vishnu incarnate as a human?
To set balance of good and eveil in the world
What do Vishnu’s 4 hands symoblise?
Domination over the four direcrions of space, the four asrams and varnas.
Who is Vishnu’s shakti?
Lakshmi
How many arms does Lakshmi have?
4 arms (like Vishnu)
What is Lakshmi the Goddess of?
Good future and prosperity, the goddess of the buisness people
Name the two important murtis assosicated with Vishnu
Narayana and Ananta
Describe Narayana (Vishnu)
Reclining image of Vishnu, on his vahana a cobra. He is floating on the ocean, with Lakshmi masaging his feet. Brahman is sitting on a lotus flower which is coming out of Vishnu’s navel.
Represents - state of completely absorption before creation begun. According to holm & bowker.
What is the non-anthropomorphic object assosiated with Vishnu
Salagram stone, from the river Ganges
Why do avatars come to earth?
To restore Dharma and to conquer evil
Quote from the Bhagavad Gita about the reason avatars come to earth
‘I come down in the ages that pass to restore dharma and destroy evil.’
Who is Rama & what does he represent?
- Vishnu’s seventh incarnation
- represents the monarchial aspect of the supreme.
Who is Hanuman?
Rama’s helper in the Ramayan story
Hey, can you explain the Ramayan story?!
Rama was forced into exile with Sita and his brother Lakshmana. They live in a forest, but Ravana’s sister wants to steal Rama from Sita, so she persuades Ravana that Sita should be his wife. Ravana kidnaps Sita and takes her to Lanka. Rama goes in search of Sita, with the help of Hanuman. Rama gives him a ring to give to Sita to let her know he is coming to find her. Hanuman finds Sita but cannot rescue her. Later, Rama and his army of bears and monkeys, make a bridge over the sea and invade Lanka. They all have a bfg fight and eventually Rama is defeated and Sita is recused. But Rama and Lakshmana are wounded by Rvavna’s poisonous arrows, Hanuman saves them with herbs from the Himalayas. Rama says he cannot take her back unless she proves her loyalty to him by walking through a ring of fire. Which she did safely, thus proving her innocence. They live happily ever after :—)
Who is Krishna?
One of Vishnu’s avatars
Hey, can you tell me a bit about Krishna’s birth?
His parents were prince and Queen of Devaki, his wicked uncle King Kamsa, wanted to kill him because he believed that their son would kill him. He was born in a prison and was smuggled out and was brought up in a village called Gokol. His new family were cow herders. He was am extraordinary child.
Who is Shiva’s Shakti?
Parvati
What does Hanuman embody?
Courage, physical strength, humility and devotion to duty
What is Hanuman’s symbol?
The mace
What festival is in honour of Hanuman?
His birthday, Hanuman Jayanti, celebrated in april
Who is Nandi?
Shiva’s vahana, white bull
Who holds together all opposites?
Shiva
What is Shiva’s primary role?
The destroyer of evil
Nataraja - what does it mean, and who does it apply to?
The lord of the dance, it is one of Shiva’s names
Describe Shiva as Nataraja (5)
Dancing in a ring of fire, with
- loose hair, symbol of power strength and energy. Releases energy and all tensions are held in unison.
- drum, symbolises rhythm and sound associated with creation.
- fire balls, destruction of the world. He is the symbol of life and death.
- abhaya mudra, grace and protection, liberation is available for all those who seek refuge in him.
- one foot on demon, triumph over evil.
Describe Shiva as a great yogi
Represented in a yogic posture, on a tiger skin, with prayer beads and a mendicant’s bowl.
What does Shiva as yogi and grahastha represent?
Renunciation and affirmation of life
What does Shiva hold in his murti as a yogi and grahastha?
A trident
What does Shiva have on his forehead?
Three horizontal lines
What do the three horizontal lines on Shiva’s head represent?
They indicate the three functions of Shiva
What is on Shiva’s top knot?
A crescent moon which is a symbol of creation, and a small figure of the goddess Ganga, to show his association with the river Ganges
What is Shiva as Daksinamurti?
Shiva as guru or spiritual teacher
What is Shiva as Ardhanari?
Shiva as half female and half male
How is Shiva worshiped in temples?
In the form of linga
What does the linga represent?
The union of male and female principles
Who is Brahma?
Creator of the universe
Who is the second member of the Trimurti?
Vishnu
Why does Vishnu hold a conch shell?
It represents the primeval sound of creation
Why does Vishnu hold a mace?
It represents his royal power and authority
Why does Vishnu hold a lotus flower?
It symbolises purity
Why does Vishnu hold a disc of light?
It shows him as sustainer of the world and represents samsara
What does Vishnu have on his forehead?
Three vertical lines
How many arms does Krishna have?
Two arms
What festival is associated with Krishna?
His birthday, Janmashtami
Who is Krishna’s consort?
Radha
What is Rama meant to represent
The perfect man
What age did Rama appear at?
Treta Yuga, the second age
Who is Sarasvati?
The consort of Brahma
Who is the Goddess of wisdom and fine arts?
Sarasvati
What is Sarasvati’s vahana?
A swan, represents spiritual perfection and transcendence
What does Ganesh look like?
a human figure with an elephant head
What does Ganesh hold?
Sweets and mala beads a goad and an axe/noose
What is Ganesh’s vehicle?
a rat/mouse
Why is Ganesh FAT
His tummy contains the created world/universe
Why does Ganesh have a broken tusk?
To represented to manifested material world and Brahman saguna
Why does Ganesh have an elephant head?
Durga made him out of her own body, when Ganesh was guarding the door whilst she bathed, Siva came back and cut Ganesh’s head off when he wouldnt let him in. Durga made him replace his head, and he replaced it with an elephant head.
What is a famous myth about Ganesh and the Ganges?
Durga made a state of a boy and threw it in the Ganges, which gave it life.
What are Ganesh’s powers?
Lord of obstacles.
What is Ganesh associated with
the arts, dance, learning
What colour does Parvati wear?
Pink
Who are Parvati’s sons?
Ganesh and Skanda/Kartikkeya (Lakshmi and Parvati)
What is Parvati’s character?
classic ideal indian wife, gentle, womanly
What colour does Durga wear?
Red
What is Durga’s vehicle?
a lion/tiger
How many arms does Durga have?
8/10
What is Durga’s character?
assertive, independent, powerful, protective mother to devotees
When is Durga worshipped?
Durga puja, as a wife returning home to her parents for 10 days
What does Kali hold?
a trident, a sword, a severed head and showing the mudra of protection for devotees.
What does Kali look like?
She is black, wears a skirt made of severed arms, and a necklace made of skulls
Describe Kali’s murti
she can be depicted dancing on shiva
What is Kali associated with
battle and cremation grounds
how is Kali full of opposites?
shes attractive and repulsive
What colour does Lakshmi wear?
Red and gold
not pink that’s parvti you dim wit
What is Gaja-Lakshmi
A murti where Lakshmi is with white elephants to symbolise her royalty. She carries a pot of amrit (nectar of life) and a conch shell to represent Vishnu.
What festival is Lakshmi associated with?
Divali, she visits houses which are clean
Why do women worship Lakshmi?
for prosperity and a long life
When worshipped by herself, what is she referred to as?
Lokamata, the mother of the world.
What is another word for Durga
Amba-ma
How is Druga-puja celebrated?
Shrines are built, clay images are built and used in puja, and then immersed in the river at the end of the celebrations.
How is Durga seen in south india?
independent worrier with powerful sexuality.
How is Druga seen in North india ?
wife and mother figure
What does Sarasvati hold?
The four Vedas, pen, inki, musical instrument vina
Why do people worship Sarasvati?
To acquire knowledge
What is the great goddess called
Mahadevi
What does Sati mean
Virtuous wife
What does Mahadevi do as Sati
She attracts Siva into marriage
What does Sati in the form of yoni do
attracts the aesthetic shiva, who becomes accessible to the world in the form of linga
why do you love me
ur nan
How are Parvati and Siva shown in the Puranas?
Seated on Kailasa
When Durga is mother, what is she called?
Amba or Durga ma
What role does Durga take at Durga-puja
The role of a daughter
What is Kali the goddess of?
Destruction of evil
What is the famous myth associated with Kali
Kali kills the demon Raktavija, Kali drinks his blood to conquer evil, but then she becomes blood thirsty. and kills loads of demons. Shiva realised that this cosmic dance of destruction would threaten the universal balance. he throws himself at her feet to calm her down, she dances on him.
What is Daksinkali
When Kali is standing on Shiva with her mouth wide open and her tongue out
What is Kali’s role?
To drag Shiva into vigorous activity.
In Bengal, what is Kali worshipped as?
as divine mother
Who was the 2nd Avatar?
A tortoise put a mountain on his back to stop it from sinking into the ocean for the nectar of immorality!
Who was the 1st Avatar?
A fish who saved Manu
Who was the 3rd Avatar?
A boar who lifted the earth away from the ocean
Who was the 7th Avatar?
Rama the perfect man
Who was the 8th Avatar?
Krishna
Who is kalki
The last avatar, who has not happened yet,
When will kalki come?
At the end of the kali yoga, which is the last age, which we are currently in
What does Radha symbolise?
She is the lover of Krishna, so we should all be the lovers of Krishna and not the dutiful wife
Who can be considered to be an avatar as well?
Gurus are sometimes considered to be avatars, so God in human form. For example, Sai Baba
What is Brahman Ninguna?
Where God cannot be known personally, he has no attributes. It is not a thing or an object. We cannot describe it.
What is Brahman Saguna?
God in personal form, like in murtis.
How is Brahman Ninguna possibly knowable?
Through yoga and meditation, the way that Samnyasins connect with God.
He is known to the individual
Tell me about Sati’s story
She was Shiva’s first wife, she attracted ascetic Shiva into marriage through extreme devotion. But Sati’s father wasnt happy with the marriage, and when Shiva was not invited to the fire ceremony she threw herelf in to honour her husband. Siva went into a state of yogic meditation in the mountains looking for Sati, he found her in the form of a yoni, and he turned himself into a linga so they could be together forever.
Who is Sati
Shiva’s first wife
What is Kali the goddess of?
Destruction
What does Kali hold?
A trident, a severed head, a sword and abhaya mudra
What is Shiva’s symbol?
The linga
What is the special hand of protection called
Abhaya mudra
Name some of Shiva’s opposites. (400)
Creator —- Destroyer
Male ——– Female
Asetic —— Householder
Serene —- Energy
Describe Shiva as grahastha
He is married to Parvati (who are equals) and has two children, Ganesh and Karttikeya, they are represented as a classic Indian family
Describe Shiva as ascetic
In a yoga stance, has 3 horizontal lines on his forehead, crescent moon in his hair + Ganga
What is Shiva’s link with the river Ganges
In order to reduce the forceful impact of the flow of the river Ganges on earth, He allows the river to flow through his hair
Explain the ‘PRACTICAL’ model of Brahman nirguna and sirguna
P-ersonal: like our-selves
R-elate: easier to relate to and bring into everyday life
A-atma-yatra: Personal forms of God provide a journey of the soul back to Brahman
C-ompanionship and solace
T-eachings
I-mpersonal: No personal qualities
C-ompromises: Personal qualities compromise the greatness of Brahman who is beyond thought
A-bstract: Formless, personality-less spirit.
L-eft behind: Personal forms need to be left behind in order to reach enlightenment.
What is Brahman nirguna?
the impersonal form of God without attributes
How might Brahman nirguna be refferred to?
5 things
‘tat’ - that
it
‘The Eternal’
‘Sat chit ananda’ - knowledge, conciousness, bliss
AUM - the word/sound = a mantra that stands for Brahman
How is Brahman nirguna reffered to in the Upanishads?
‘This in truth is That’
What is Brahman saguna?
Brahman with personal attributes.
A form that can be defined
What does Brahman saguna have that Brahman nirguna does not?
nama - name
rupa - form
character and story e.g. the Ramayana
Festival dedicated to sarasvati
Navarati
What’s the origin of sarasvati
Brahma divided himself into two halves, male and female, fell in love with other half
Great things about Rama
- renowned for devotion to dharma even in the face of great adversity
- considered perfect son/ husband / brother / king