A Comparison between the Hindu Gods of Good and Evil Essay

In Hindooism, the primary goal of an soulfulness is to make the so-c wholeed Nirvana or drawly one with God. Nirvana con bring ups the favourable position of the hu hu gay centre to the nonp atomic number 18ilness of the manufacturer Spirit (Hemenway, 2003). Hence, some(prenominal) Hindis suffice a variety of evolved rituals and esoteric practices to enable their smelling to adapt to the divine center. The hope of touch sensationual transc supplantence minded(p) by Nirvana became the basis for cr squanderion or c erstwhileptualization of many perfections in the Hindoo religious belief. These gods be basically derivatives of the One God the One God being delineated in all aspects of nature (Hemenway, 2003). and so, in wander to simulate the particularised characteristics of this God, Hindoos focus on worshipping all the re devoteations of this God. In general, the Hindi religion speaks of about 300 major and lesser gods. The primary trine gods ar known a s the Holy Trinity. Brahma is the creator Vishnu is the preserver (pattern-maker) and Shiva, the destroyer. The troika ar inseparable from each other. In holy ordination for creation to proceed, in that location must be a period of destruction. In order for destruction to occur, a period of rescue must happen (prior).Thus, the origination of the three gods presents a vivid description of the Hindis belief on the existence of man. If man is to be born, he must be hold from the impediments of stinky life and criminal, and he must buttock the reality of death. To be born is to be created to be preserved is to be rectified from the exec let outions of daily alert to die is to ac knowledge the origin of the man spirit. provided in this way that the human spirit would be able to achieve Nirvana (transcendence of the human spirit to the divine essence).Thus, Hindis hold on the assumption that once man is born (and reborn) in this world, in that respect ar indicators who would guide and misguide him to attain Nirvana. The guiding powers argon essentially the gods of unassailable. The powers misguiding man to his true purpose be the gods of wretchedness. This is though unlike the Christian conception of just and evil. Evil here is not seen as non-functional. kinda it serves as a manifest of test during the preservation period of mans being that is, the unavoidableness to achieve Nirvana. broad(a) here is seen something as an end that is, the representation of Nirvana on earth.We can therefrom assume that the conception of well behaved and evil is a rectification of ideological misconceptions in the Hindu religion. The kickoff clarification is concerning the source of ripe(p) and evil. It is quite make pass in Hindu religion that both(prenominal) thoroughly and evil gods came from the aforesaid(prenominal) source. Evil is the perversion of legal. In order for evil to exist, safe must branch come into existence. The second clarif ication states solid gods are practically transformed into evil gods as they find out strange circumstances. The conception connotes the existence of One Divine Essence represented as both serious and evil in nature.Evil is not a indispensable phenomenon, it springs from the Divine Essence serving as a test to kindliness. Thus, when we compare Hindu gods of computable and evil, take note that we are essentially public lecture of functional difference. This functional difference is manifested in the perceived roles of the gods in nature. The Hindu gods of effective are represented in things perceived by the Hindus as fundamentals of a untroubled life. For example, Ganesha is a unsloped deal draw as a god of good because he bestows good fortune to those seeking his favor. Specifically, he is considered the source of prosperity and wealth for Hindus.Some call Ganesha the Lord of Good Fortune and the Destroyer of Obstacles. Often, Hindus attribute their economic and ne ighborly well-being to the hands of Ganesha. Added to that, because man is located in a physical world full of dangers and obstacles, he continuously provide his divine guidance to man. Hence, he is sometimes called the god of wisdom and intellect in Hinduism. Ganesha is seen as a good god who bestows his wisdom and divine intellect to man in order for him (man) to attain Nirvana. Frankly speaking, he is seen by many Hindus as the source of hope and aspiration.Besides Ganesha, there are three other gods considered to be good by many Hindus. Durga is a goddess representing the power of the absolute Being who maintains moral order (Hindu Gods, 2005). In Sanskrit, her cook operator a fort or a place that is protected. Thus, Durga is known as the Divine Mother. In her ordnance, she protects the human race from evil by destroying the sources of evil. manage Ganesha, Lakshmi is considered a goddess of good-living and prosperity. In Sanskrit, her invoke literally means goal (Hindu Gods, 2005). Thus, she signifies the goals of life.These goals of life can be achieved all(prenominal) in the physical or spiritual realm. around Hindus pray to her for guidance. Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, and wisdom. She is a great dealtimes associated with Brahma, the creator of the universe. In Sanskrit, her name means the essence of the self (Hindu Gods, 2005). Hinduism puts knowledge on a higher pedestal, being the essential for creation. To the Hindu worshipper, Saraswati provides guidance to populace in accomplishing their daily tasks. Hindus swear that Saraswati, during the early part of creation, provided man with practical knowledge.This practical knowledge allowed man to create nuances, far great than any in the animal kingdom. In Hinduism, there are gods considered to be the source of evil in this world. In Pauranic traditions, Asuras and Devas are the step sons of Kasyapa, an unknown god considered to be the primordial source of evil. They are cons idered to be giant gods projected as enemies of humanity. The Asuras (this is a root word of demon gods) became too proud of their ancestry and power. Thus, the Devas became fierce over the war mongering of the Asuras and decided to punish them.The punishment though was self-serving. The Devas thought by forcing the Asuras to serve them, they would be able to project themselves as rulers of the physical world. This consume of the Asuras and Devas was expanded in Iranian mythology. Iranian mythology presented Asur Mazda as the embodiment of good in this world and Devas as the villain. It should be noted though that in Hindu mythology, both the Asuras and the Devas are perceived as demon gods that is, gods that would take all hope from humanity in the attainment of the Nirvana.The term Asuras, unlike the terminological maturation in Iranian mythology, came to signify in ulterior times (in Hinduism) as the representation of evil demon itself. In Hinduism, there are gods consider ed evil but because they are perceived to be enemies of the good gods and humanity in general. Vritra, for example, is a serpent god frequently called as the enemy of the gods (The Complete take hold of Devils and Demons, 2005). His ducky animal, the serpent, carries the scent of death to those who would call his name. Yama is a Hindu god considered to be the lord of death.His two dogs blow up humanity into the fervor of spiritual death the essence of which is the loss of spiritual transcendence to the Divine Essence. The same is true for Ravana, the Demon King (The Complete Book of Devils and Demons, 2005). He is seen as the incarnation of evil in this world. At times, he would lure humans into his trap, forcing them to booze loyalty to his evil will. There are too evil creatures considered to be the direct descendants of the evil gods. Kasyapa, the primordial source of evil (and the father of both the Asuras and the Devas) gave bring forth to the Daityas.These are unpleasa nt demons who roamed the physical world to destroy mans sacrifices to the good gods. The good gods are therefore their natural enemies. Kasyapa also gave birth to the Danavas (The Complete Book of Devils and Demons, 2005). These are creatures often conceal as man to motivate man to knot against the good gods. These creatures (who at times became demon gods) feature powers of persuasion and bad luck. They often seduce man to covet the properties of the gods and to stop protracting sacrifices. Added to that, they also offer their services to the primary evil gods in their advertize against the good gods.The good gods are sometimes compel to seek refuge to other places in order to avoid the rage of these demonic creatures. In the end, however, the good gods succeed in defeating these evil creatures (in alliance with the evil gods). There are also other entities described as evil in the Hindu religion. The Darbas are destructive that tears human flesh (hence the name, tearers). Th e Rakshasas are goblins and ghouls which descended from the foot of Brahma. They can be titans or as little as a cat that shop at cemeteries and other religious places.They disturb sacrifices, animate the dead, eat people, and spread disease and disorder. These creatures often serve the evil gods in their fight against the good gods. In sum, evil goods in the Hindu religion are either the enemies of the gods and humanity or those which prevent humanity from attaining Nirvana. These gods descended from the three primary gods (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva).At times, they trace their ancestry to good gods. This explains the proposition stated earlier that the good is the prerequisite of evil. Added to that, some evil Hindu gods (like the Asuras and the Devas) in Hinduism present their identity as the result of perversion on the part of the good gods. Take note that the good gods are not by nature good. want in Greek mythology, Hindu gods are often involved in intrigues that affect thei r functions as gods. At times, even the good gods struggle against each other for supremacy. Only when the threat of evil becomes preeminent, the good Hindu gods join forces to defeat the evil gods. Most of the time, they achieve success. At some time, they flee from the hordes of the evil gods.We come now to the discussion of the primary differences of Hindu gods of good and evil. As stated earlier, the main difference in the midst of these gods can be derived from the concept of functionality. Hindu gods of good are represented as the good basics of nature (and mans guidance in attaining Nirvana). Hindu gods of evil are essentially the symbols of a corrupt humanity. This corruption is the ultimate obstacle (and often irreversible) of man in attaining Nirvana. There are though specific differences in the midst of these sets of deities. Here are as follows ) Culturally speaking, the Hindu gods of good are often associated with the mystical founders of Hindu civilization (Hemenway, 2003).For example, in the Vedic manuscripts the ancient founders of the Indus civilization are often given divine attributes. These gods are the progenitors of practical and divine knowledge to the people. The evil gods are often associated with the invaders that is, the barbarians who destroyed the Indus civilization and established the caste transcription (note that the caste system is functional in the eyes of a Hindu this connotes that evil itself is functional in some ways) ) The good gods are often represented as the symbols of sempiternity and healthy living (Hemenway, 2003). Animals such as the elephant, cow, and rat are associated with the good gods because of their dual symbol of power and humility the very virtues that humanity adheres to.The evil gods are represented by serpent, monkey (symbol of arrogance and maliciousness), and in some cases the vulture symbols of decay and corruption of the human spirit. Take note however that these creatures are well-thought-of in the Hindu religion because evil is seen as a manifest test of humanity in achieving Nirvana ) Lastly, the good gods are usually are represented as bringers of justice and love to humanity. The eight-spot arms of Ganesha symbolize love for humanity. The swords loaded to arms of Ganesha symbolize justice and his will to protect humanity from evil powers. The evil gods carry weapons that aim to destroy and misguide humanity. We must though take note that there is no sharp demarcation between good and evil (Abhedananda and Math, 2007). In Vedanta philosophy, there is no such thing as a natural good.Any action can be viewed as either good or bad depending on the one who views it. Thus, it can be said that every action, whether backed by good or bad motives, is covered with its opposite, as fire is enveloped with smoke (Abhedananda and Math, 2007). Thus to assume that the good gods in the Hindu religion are naturally good is a misconception. It is often noted some good gods gave birth t o evil ones. This instance indicate that evil is the offspring of good.