A four-session course explaining the meaning and purpose of the various gods and goddesses in Hinduism. The chosen deities that will be discussed are Lord Ganesha, Lord Subramanya, Lord Vishnu and Lord Krishna. Each deity has a philosophical message in them. These messages are meant to be learnt and practised in daily life. Thus converting one to a truly spiritual being.
Lord Ganesha is the first son of Lord Shiva. Ganesha is said to represent one who has merged with the Self within. Lord Ganesha not only indicates the final destination of the spiritual path but also provides the direction to get there.
The second son of Lord Shiva. A picture of human perfection. Lord Subramanya holds a spear in one hand, rides a peacock with a snake gripped at its feet. Each of these features has a great meaning embedded in them.
The god of destruction. Along with Vishnu and Brahma, Lord Shiva forms the trinity. The description of Lord Shiva is that he is seated in a meditative pose in the white snow-capped Himalayan mountain. His eyes are have closed and half open. He sits with one leg folded and one leg on the ground. His hair is matted with a serpent around his next.
The focal point in the epic Mahabharata. The master who imparted the great sermon to Arjuna. Arjuna represents humanity. Fallen into abject slavery to the emotions of the mind. Krishna gave out the divine message of the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna . Helped him recover from his emotional stupor. Guided him towards the ultimate state of Perfection.
The Symbolism of Hindu Gods and Rituals book is available at https://www.
Shiv Anand
Senior-disciple of Swami Parthasarathy and alumnus of Vedanta Academy.
Please register to receive the Zoom link and password to attend the class.