Posted: April 25th, 2025

Hindu Deity Discussion

After studying

Module 5: Lecture Materials & Resources

, discuss the following:

It is said that there are over 330 million gods and goddesses within the Hindu religion and each god/goddess has his or her own story that reveals his or her own religious significance. For this discussion, you will be selecting 2 different Hindu gods/goddesses of your choosing that you would be interested in learning more about.

For each selected Hindu deity, you must provide the following:

1. Name and Title (Ex: Vishnu, God of Preservation)
2. Image of the deity
3. Brief explanation of why you chose that specific god/goddess. Below are some examples of this:

   Maybe that Hindu god/goddess reminds you of a Christian saint or biblical character who is the Catholic patron/patroness of a particular human endeavor, career field, or avocation that somehow pertains to you

   Ex: Saint Cecilia Patroness of Musicians and Sarasvati Hindu Goddess of Music

   Maybe you found the specific image of that god/goddess intriguing
   Maybe there is a pop culture reference to the deity

   Ex: TV series, movie, book, video game, etc.

4. Deity in Scripture

   Summarize a story from the Hindu scriptures in which that the deity plays a major role.

   This can be their origin story or another important story about the deity.

5. Relationship to other Hindu Deities

   How is this specific deity related to at least 2 other Hindu deities?

   Ex: Is the selected deity a mother/father to another deity or possibly a husband/wife of another deity?

6. Imagery & Symbolism

   Explain the traditional symbolism associated with the selected deity

   Ex: Color of their skin, why they are depicted with specific animals, pose or stance in which they are depicted, any object they may be holding or that are depicted around them

Websites for assistance in selecting specific Hindu gods/goddesses:

• BBC: God or Gods?Links to an external site.
• Hindu GalleryLinks to an external site.
• Hindu Gods and GoddessesLinks to an external site.
• Information on HinduismLinks to an external site.
• Ten of the Most Important Hindu GodsLinks to an external site.

Please Note: You are not limited to using these websites as additional websites and/or the Van Voorst text may be beneficial for you to consider consulting. 

• Your post should be at least 150 words. Incorporating sources is not required for this discussion, however, you must include all of the required elements within your post.