World Religions

Introduction to World Religions Study Guide Indra, the King of Heaven and lord of the gods Indra is the provider of rain and commands thunderbolts. Sury , the sun Surya also goes by the name Soorya. He is a golden warrior who arrives in a chariot pulled by seven white horses. Agni, the fire god Agni is the sacrifice who is the priest performing a ritual. The sacrifice is the ritual fire and any offering placed into the fire. Agni is also the witness to all rites performed. Hanuman, the monkey king and devoted servant In the exciting and educational story of Ramayana, Hanuman helps Rama by his feats of strength, devotion, and courage, which warrants deification. Ganeshna Ganeshna is an elephant on a mouse. He is the most popular Hindu god, and is the son of Shiva and Parvati. He is the god of wisdom, knowledge, and wealth. M h devi Mahadevi is the supreme goddess. She is feminine and is the female form of Brahman. She has three variations: Kali, Durga, and Parvati . Kali is the goddess of destruction. Durga is a female creative power and is compassionate. Parvati is the fertility goddess and is a maternal figure. 3.2 Sacred Writings Aryans arrived in India around 1550 BCE. As they came from Iran, they introduced horses and chariots. The Aryans were practicing the Vedic religion and used the written word of the four Vedas, which were in Sanskrit. These Vedas form the foundation of the written word of Hinduism. • Rig-veda – Over 1,000 hymns, poems, riddles, and legends. It is the oldest and largest collection. • Yajur-veda – Includes the recitations for priests to use during sacrifices. • Sama-veda – A book of chants for priests to use during sacrifices. • Atharva-veda – Prayers and magic to ward off evil. Each book includes: Mantra (hymns), Brahmanas (ritual instructions), Aranyakas (instructions for hermits), and Upanishads (philosophy). The Vedas are currently used as historic texts rather than daily reading. The Bhagavad Gita is the considered the most important text and is the book used when following the Hindu religion. The Upanishads state the way to knowledge and the god Brahman is through meditation. Brahman is not considered male or female, but rather a divine and impressionable god who is the foundation of all. All living souls are part of the Brahman and individually is considered an illusion. When a Hindu ©2017 Achieve Test Prep Page 22 of 96