Hinduism - Who Is Lord Vishnu In The Hindu Pantheon?

 

Vishnu meaning the “all-pervasive” in Sanskrit, is one among the three most powerful deities in the Hindu pantheon, with Brahma, Shiva and the Goddess.

All three are significant for being largely unmentioned in the Vedas, the oldest Hindu religious books, and their rise, as well as the progressive eclipse of the Vedic gods, indicates a marked change in Hindu religious life.

Vishnu is the one who appears most often in the Vedas among the three.

Many hymns that mention him refer to him as a helper to Indra, the major Vedic deity, and one of Vishnu's epithets is Upendra ("junior Indra").

He also appears as an autonomous actor in certain late hymns, linked with wonderful works for the benefit of the cosmos, such as measuring out the universe in three steps.

Vishnu is also linked to the sun, both in terms of his ability to travel through the skies and his ability to fall on (and therefore "observe") everything.

Vishnu is the sustainer or maintainer of the universe, according to the holy trinity of Brahma Vishnu-Shiva.

Vishnu is pictured reclining on the back of his serpent couch, Shesha, in the primordial ocean at the moment of cosmic disintegration in one of the most prominent creation myths (pralaya).

Vishnu's navel produces a lotus, which opens to reveal Brahma, the creator, who starts the creation process.

When the time comes for disintegration, the whole process reverses, and the cosmos is pulled back into Vishnu, who is therefore considered as the source of everything.

The cosmos is also sustained by Vishnu's avatars or incarnations, who come into the world to restore balance to a universe that has been dangerously out of balance, generally as a result of an out of proportionally powerful demon.

There are 10 avatars as far as we know.

The Fish avatar, Tortoise avatar, Boar avatar, and Man-Lion avatar are the first four in nonhuman forms.

The other six are in human form, frequently as sages or heroes: Vamana avatar, Parashuram avatar, Rama avatar, Krishna avatar, Buddha avatar, and Kalki avatar.

In each of these instances, Vishnu takes on a physical form in order to avoid tragedy and preserve the cosmos' purity.

The theory of the avatars served as a means of assimilating existing deities into the broader pantheon while still granting them distinct status.

Although most of the avatars are no longer objects of devotion (the Boar and Man-Lion avatars each had a significant following early in the common period), Rama and Krishna's adoration has entirely exceeded that of Vishnu himself in most of northern India.

Vishnu is still revered throughout southern India, especially among Shrivaishnavas.

Apart from the avatar idea, notable local deities like as Jagannath, Venkateshvara, and Vithoba have all been absorbed into the pantheon as manifestations of Vishnu.

Vaishnavas and Shaivas established sectarian rivalry in medieval Hinduism, both claiming supremacy over their own deities (Vishnu and Shiva).

Despite the fact that Vaishnavas see Vishnu as the universe's highest force, his legendary persona and activities are vastly different from Shiva's.

Vishnu's headgear is a crown, and his persona is that of an all-ruling monarch, but Shiva is linked with ascetic life and practices (tapas) and hence with the religious force created by such acts.

Vishnu frequently succeeds by guile, ingenuity, and deceit, but Shiva eliminates his mythological enemies with sheer might, which is devoid of any finesse.

Each deity's followers recognize their divinity as the supreme force in the cosmos, from which all other gods get their power, and both are portrayed as kind and caring to their worshippers (bhakta).

~ Kiran Atma

You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.

Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.

Hinduism - Who Is Renuka(Parashuram) In Hindu Mythology?

 

Renuka is the wife of the sage Jamadagni and the mother of the parashuram avatar, the deity Vishnu's fifth avatar or incarnation, according to Hindu mythology.

You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.

Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.

Hinduism - Who Is Karna In Hindu Mythology?

Karna is the oldest of the Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata, the later of the two major Hindu epics, albeit he is unaware of his actual identity until a few days before his death.

He is born when his mother, Kunti, stares at the sun while repeating a mantra, which grants her the ability to have a son by any deity.

She is quickly visited by a dazzling person who bestows upon her an equally dazzling son.

Distraught and despondent by the birth of this kid, which she believes she will be unable to care for as an unmarried woman, she places him in a box and throws him into the Ganges.

Adhiratha, a charioteer, adopts the boy and raises him as his own son.

Later, Karna visits King Dhrutarashtra's palace, where he befriends the king's son, Duryodhana, the epic's adversary.

Karna starts a lifelong feud with Arjuna, one of the five Pandava brothers, while in court.

Arjuna's remarks concerning Karna's unknown paternity are intended to deprive Karna of the respect he deserves as Arjuna's equal.

Karna practices archery with Drona, the archery teacher, as do all the princes.

When Drona refuses to reveal Karna the secret of the Brahma weapon he intends to employ to assassinate Arjuna, Karna seeks guidance from the sage Parashuram avatar.

Because Parashuram despises the kshatriya (ruling) class and refuses to accept any of them as pupils, he disguises himself as a brahmin.

Karna learns all he needs to know from Parashuram.

Karna, on the other hand, obtains two curses during this time that will ultimately decide his destiny.

Karna kills a brahmin's cow, and the brahmin curses him, saying that his chariot wheel would stuck in the mud and he will be murdered by his opponent while riding on it.

Parashuram is the source of the second curse.

A beetle bores into Karna's thigh, which is a metaphor for the genitals in the epic, one day as Parashuram sleeps with his head on Karna's lap.

Despite the agony and blood, Karna maintains still so as not to wake his master.

When Parashuram wakes up, he recognizes that Karna's endurance for suffering indicates that he is a kshatriya, and that Karna has learned under false pretenses.

Parashuram curses Karna, saying that he would forget all he has learnt at the crucial time.

Both curses are finally fulfilled; although fighting valiantly in the Mahabharata battle, Karna is slain by Arjuna when his chariot's wheel becomes stuck in the mud.

Karna's mother, Kunti, comes to him on the eve of the great battle and reveals his actual identity, pleading with him to return and fight with his brothers.

Karna refuses, claiming that things have progressed too far for such drastic measures, but he promises Kunti that he will not harm any of his brothers except Arjuna, whom he has sworn to kill.

Karna's decision is also influenced by his devotion to Duryodhana, whose companionship and support he has enjoyed for many years above any commitment to a family he has just recently discovered.

Karna survives as one of the Mahabharata's tragic heroes because he is prepared to stick by his friends and convictions, even if the cause is faulty. 

You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.

Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.

Hinduism - Who Is Jamadagni In Hindu Mythology?

 

A famous sage and the father of Parashuram avatar in Hindu mythology.

Jamadagni, like many sages, has an explosive and flaming temper.

Jamadagni orders his sons to murder his wife Renuka after she gets home late after seeing a monarch and his wife frolic in the sea in one of the most renowned incidents.

Except for Parashuram, who slices off his mother's head, they all refuse.

Parashuram impresses Jamadagni, who informs him he may select whatever prize he wishes.

Parashuram asks for his mother to be brought back to life, which she is.

Jamadagni is also known for being the owner of a heavenly cow capable of providing any kind of food on command.

The local monarch becomes enamored with the cow and offers to purchase it.

When Jamadagni refuses to sell her, the king's troops get enraged and murder him before returning the cow to the palace.

Parashuram seeks to wipe off the kingly class (kshatriyas) from the face of the world in retaliation for this wicked conduct.

 

You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.

Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.