Hindu Gods

In Hinduism, Shiva
the Cosmic Dancer, is
perhaps the most
perfect
personification of the
dynamic universe.
Through his dance,
Shiva sustains the
manifold phenomena
in the world, unifying
all things by
immersing them in his
rhythm and making
them participate in
the dance- a
magnificent image of
the dynamic unity of
the Universe. (Capra,
The Tao of Physics)

The Vedas depict Brahman as the Ultimate Reality, with the personal
god and goddesses, called devas as different aspects or
manifestations of one Brahman. Brahman (not to be confused with
the deity Brahma) is seen as the Universal Spirit. Brahman is the
ultimate, both transcendent and immanent absolute infinite
existence, the sum total of all that ever is, was, or ever will be.

Brahman is viewed as without personal attributes (Nirguna Brahman)

or with attributes (Saguna Brahman) as God. In Vaishnavism and
Shaivism, Saguna Brahman such Vishnu or Shiva is viewed as male.
God's power (or energy) is personified as female or Shakti. However,
God and God's energy are indivisible, unitary, and the same. The
analogy is that fire represents God and the actual heat Shakti.
According to Smarta views, God can be with attributes, Saguna
Brahman, and also be viewed with whatever attributes, (e.g., a
female God) a devotee conceives.

Whether believing in the One source as formless (nirguna brahman,

without attributes) or as a personal God (saguna Brahman, with
attributes), Hindus understand that the one truth may be seen as
different to different people. The philosophy of Bhakti seeks contact
with the personal form of Brahman, which explains the proliferation of
so many Gods and Goddesses in India, often reflecting the singular
inclinations of small regions or groups of people.

Worship of God is often represented symbolically through the aid of

icons (murti) which are conduits for the devotee's consciousness,
markers for the human mind that signify the ineffable and illimitable
nature of the power and grandeur of God. They are symbols of the
greater principle and according to the understanding of the
worshipper, the concept or entity is sometimes presumed to be
present in them (in monotheistic doctrines) and sometimes not (in
monistic doctrines).

Some of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses worshipped are Vishnu (as
Krishna or Rama), Swaminarayan, Shiva, Devi (the Mother as many
female deities, such as Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kali and Durga),
Ganesha, Skanda and Hanuman. Also, the Puranas list twenty-five
avatara of Vishnu : Catursana, Narad, Varaha, Matsya, Yajna, Nara-
Narayana, Kapila, Dattatreya, Hayasirsa, Hamsa, Prsnigarbha,
Rsabha, Prithu, Narasimha , Kurma, Dhanvantari, Mohini, Vamana,
Parasurama, Raghavendra, Vyasa, Balarama, Krishna, Buddha and
Kalki.