Ganesh: Remover of Obstacles; god of Good Fortune “Namaste” is said by joining the two palms in front and bowing the head. It acknowledges the presence of divinity in all human beings. It means, “With all my physical strength (represented by folded hands) and all my intellect (represented by bowed head) I pay repect to the Atma (soul) within you.” or I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is of love, of truth, of light, and of peace. When you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me. We are One.

 oldest and most complex of all the religions  no identifiable founder  Polytheistic with monotheistic characteristics  many paths to salvation, by devotion to 1 or more gods or goddesses  goal: moksha- release from the death-rebirth cycle & attain perfection of the soul  belief in karma- every action will have consequences in the future  Reincarnation- rebirth until you get it right.

Brahman (God to the Hindus) a) Brahma- (male) the creator; red with 4 bearded faces & 4 arms b) Shiva- (male) the destroyer (death, destruction, disease); god of dance; use of a trident; god of vegetable, animal, and human reproduction *death is a prelude to rebirth (reincarnation) so the god of death will also be the god of reproduction and sexuality c) Vishnu- (male) the preserver, he comes to aid humankind; god of love, benevolence, & forgiveness *sometimes appears as Krishna

The most sacred symbol in Hindu dharma. Aum (OM) is the sound of the infinite. By sound and form, AUM symbolizes the infinite Brahman (ultimate reality) and the entire universe. A stands for Creation U stands for Preservation M stands for Destruction This is representative of the Trinity of God in Hindu dharma (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva).

Swastika symbol of happiness, goodness, and prosperity  represents the life cycle and eternally changing world around a fixed point (God)  represents the scattering of energy during creation, appears to be in motion  4 Arms 4 directions 4 Vedas (sacred text) 4 Objectives of life- duties, material prosperity, enjoyment, salvation 4 Stages of life- student life, family life, retirement, preparation for salvation 4 castes 4 seasons

Lotus Flower- symbol of vegetation and prosperity, born in mud and unfolds into a beautiful flower symbolizing the ability to raise oneself from evil to purity

Conch Shell- form of multiple spiral evolving from one point into increasing sheres, symbolizes the origin of the earth from a single source (God), sound produced when blown represents AUM Tilak- mark on the forehead, Forehead is the seat of memory, represents the “spiritual eye or third eye,” psychological effect of keeping away evil spirits

Brahma  The creator  Seated on a lotus (a symbol of glorious existence).  He has four heads and hands. Each hand is holding a sacrificial tool, the Vedas (knowledge), a water pot and a rosary respectively.Vedas  His vehicle is a swan which is known for its judgment between good and bad.

Vishnu  The preserver  He symbolizes the preserving and pervading energies of life  depicted as dark blue, symbolizing that although he brings and sustains life, death is always the outcome of birth.  Vishnu is portrayed as having four arms, a symbol of his superhuman powers and the ability to extend that power in all directions.

His four emblems:  the conch- origin of existence through its spiral form & its connection with water and is also symbolic of music; spread of the divine sound "Om"  the disc- the Universal Mind and the powers of creation and destruction that form the revolving universe; a reminder of the wheel of time, and to lead a good life  the club- symbolizes authority or the power of knowledge as the essence of life; indicating the power and the punishing capacity of the Lord if discipline in life is ignored  the lotus- symbol of beauty and purity of the universe; example of glorious existence

 His vehicle is the swift-flying bird Garuda, a figure of great strength, power and piety, which can spread the Vedic knowledge with great courage.  Vishnu lies on the coils of serpent king protected by his hood, until he is ready to begin a new cycle of creation.  His consort is Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.

Shiva  The Destroyer of Ignorance  Trident (trishul) – denotes combining of the three attributes of creator, destroyer and regenerator in his own person  Color- Blue complexion symbolizing immeasurable entities such as the sky or ocean  Snake- the spiritual energy within life

 Pose- meditative pose with half closed eyes, indicating peace and perfect inner harmony  Hair- matted hair which holds the flowing Ganges river and a crescent moon.  Animal- a bull (symbol of happiness and strength) named Nandi.

Nataraja (Form of Shiva)  God of Dance  4 Hands  holding a drum to announce the “Big Bang”  holding a flame of destruction  hand raised in blessing  pointing to foot showing how to rise above ignorance  Man figure- represents ignorance  Flowing Hair- movement within the circle of fire  Circle of Fire- universe without a beginning and without end, fire can destroy and also be essential for life

Ganesh  Remover of Obstacles and represents wisdom and perfection  Elephant head  Ears-the gaining of knowledge through listening  Size- “ “ reflection  Tusks (one perfect and one broken)- perfection and imperfection in the physical world  Trunk- physical and mental strength

 Big Stomach- ability to ‘digest’ whatever life experiences bring  Rat and food- desires and wealth that are both being controlled  Folded Leg- meditative pose symbolizing balance between practical life and spiritual life  Hands  Noose- the trap of desires  Ankusha- instrument to control an elephant, reminder tohave self control and control desires

Lakshimi  Goddess of prosperity (wealth), purity, chastity, and generosity.  Vishnu is the male in everything and Lakshmi is the universal female.  An aura of divine happiness, mental and spiritual satisfaction, and prosperity always exist around her.  Depicted wearing jewels and offering gold coins to indicate the power of wealth.  She sits on a fully blossomed lotus, a seat of divine truth.  Her 4 hands represent 4 spiritual virtues- respect, truth, forgiveness, non-violence.  Her palm is always extended to bless people.

Krishna  He is considered to be the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Krishna delivered Bhagwad Gita on battlefield to Arjun.  He is known for his bravery in destroying evil powers throughout his life.  The Lord is usually depicted as playing the flute, indicating spread of the melody of love to people.  He is also shown with his childhood devotee Radha. The pair symbolizes the eternal love between people and god.  Lord Krishna is also shown with his pet cow, Nandi.

Rama  The ideal man  Lord Rama is one of the most commonly adored gods of Hindus and is known as an ideal man and hero of the epic Ramayana.Ramayana  Each aspect of the human personality is projected to absolute perfection. He exemplifies absolute truth, humility, and caring for others.  He is the perfect son, ideal king, true husband, a real friend, devoted brother, and a brave warrior  He is always holding a bow and arrow indicating his readiness to destroy evils.  More commonly he is pictured in a family style, with his wife Sita, brother Lakshman and devotee Hanuman who is sitting near Lord Rama's feet.Hanuman

 Symbol of strength and energy.  He is normally shown with a monkey- face on a very well built and strong human body holding a mace which is a sign of bravery and having a picture of Lord Rama tatooed on his chest which is a sign of his devotion to Lord Rama.  Hanuman is a very important character in the great epic Ramayana in which he is depicted as the epitome of devoted service and loyalty to his master (Rama).  Hanuman is considered to be incarnation of Lord Shiva.  Represents that animals are also a creation of God and have a soul.  This deity is a provider of courage, hope, knowledge, intellect and devotion.

Saraswati  Goddess of knowledge  Saraswati is the wife of Lord Brahma and possesses the powers of speech, wisdom and learning.  She has four hands representing four aspects of human personality in learning; mind, intellect, alertness and ego.  She has sacred scriptures in one hand and a lotus (a symbol of true knowledge) in the second.  With her other two hands she plays the music of love and life on the violin (veena).  She is dressed in white (sign of purity) and rides on a white goose (swan).

Durga  Goddess of energy and the power of nature.  Personification of Universal Energy.  Female manifestation representing the power of God behind destruction and creation.  8 arms holding 8 symbols representing health, education, wealth, organization, unity, fame, courage, and truth.  Weapons are for the destruction of evil and the protection of good.  Her form depicts the enormity of the power of God.