Hindu Deity Discussion
After studying Module 4: Lecture Materials & Resources, discuss the following:
It is said that there are over 330 million gods and goddesses within the Hindu religion and each god/goddess has his or her own story that reveals his or her own religious significance. For this discussion, you will be selecting 2 different Hindu gods/goddesses of your choosing that you would be interested in learning more about.
For each selected Hindu deity, you must provide the following:
- Name and Title (Ex: Vishnu, God of Preservation)
- Image of the deity
- Brief explanation of why you chose that specific god/goddess. Below are some examples of this:
- Maybe that Hindu god/goddess reminds you of a Christian saint or biblical character who is the Catholic patron/patroness of a particular human endeavor, career field, or avocation that somehow pertains to you
- Ex: Saint Cecilia Patroness of Musicians and Sarasvati Hindu Goddess of Music
- Maybe you found the specific image of that god/goddess intriguing
- Maybe there is a pop culture reference to the deity
- Ex: TV series, movie, book, video game, etc.
- Maybe that Hindu god/goddess reminds you of a Christian saint or biblical character who is the Catholic patron/patroness of a particular human endeavor, career field, or avocation that somehow pertains to you
- Deity in Scripture
- Summarize a story from the Hindu scriptures in which that the deity plays a major role.
- This can be their origin story or another important story about the deity.
- Summarize a story from the Hindu scriptures in which that the deity plays a major role.
- Relationship to other Hindu Deities
- How is this specific deity related to at least 2 other Hindu deities?
- Ex: Is the selected deity a mother/father to another deity or possibly a husband/wife of another deity?
- How is this specific deity related to at least 2 other Hindu deities?
- Imagery & Symbolism
- Explain the traditional symbolism associated with the selected deity
- Ex: Color of their skin, why they are depicted with specific animals, pose or stance in which they are depicted, any object they may be holding or that are depicted around them
- Explain the traditional symbolism associated with the selected deity
Websites for assistance in selecting specific Hindu gods/goddesses:
- BBC: God or Gods?Links to an external site.
- Hindu GalleryLinks to an external site.
- Hindu Gods and GoddessesLinks to an external site.
- Information on HinduismLinks to an external site.
- Ten of the Most Important Hindu GodsLinks to an external site.
Submission Instructions:
- Your initial post should be at least 150 words. Incorporating resources is not required, however, you must cite them correctly if referencing. The instructor will provide proper citation instructions in the announcements.
READ Read
Van Voorst, Robert E. World RELG4: Introduction to World Religions (4th ed.). Boston: Cengage MindTap, 2018.
Chapter 3: Encountering Hinduism: Many Paths to Liberation
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