Invitation to World Religions

124  CHAPTER 4  Hinduism

The Markandeya Purana includes the Devi Mahatmya , which is an important text of Shaktism, one among various Hindu sects that we explore in the next section. The Sects of Hinduism The most prevalent devotional sects in Hinduism are Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism. Each features veneration of one of the major deities at the center of Hindu cosmology. The devotees of these sects are called Vaishnavas (devotees of Vishnu and his avatars), Shaivas (devotees of Shiva), and Shaktas (devotees of the Great Goddess, Devi). Within each of these sects are numerous individual orders that differ in the sacred texts and saints they revere, their modes of worship, and their philosophical orientation. Vaishnavism  Vaishnavas worship Vishnu and his consort (wife) Lakshmi as su- preme. Vishnu mercifully intervenes in the world through his avatars (such as Rama in the Ramayana and Krishna in the Mahabharata ) and is inseparable from his be- loved Lakshmi, who is the goddess of auspiciousness and good fortune. For Vaish- navas, Vishnu is the source of all existence. These ideas about Vishnu’s fundamental nature are expressed in myths and poems that invoke him as the lord who created the universe. Hindus worship Vishnu in a number of different forms. He is often depicted reclining with Lakshmi on a thousand-headed serpent that floats on the cosmic ocean. From his navel rises a lotus, upon which Brahma the creator god is seated. Visually, this image asserts that the world is born from Vishnu and that he is its sole originator and sustainer. Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva constitute a triad of gods whose roles are, respectively, to create, preserve, and dissolve the universe as it moves through cycles. For Vaishnavas, Vishnu is not just the preserver but the supreme God who performs all three roles. In Hindu sacred art, Vishnu typically is shown holding objects in his four hands that symbolize his powers and characteristics. In his upper right hand, he holds a flaming discus (symbolizing the sun and omniscience); his upper left hand bears a white conch shell (the moon and creativity). In his lower right hand, he holds a mace (power), and in his lower left hand, he holds a lotus (purity). Most Vaishnavas have special devotion for Vishnu’s avatars, Rama and Krishna.

Shaivism  Shiva is the destroyer and at the same time a benefactor. He embodies both the ideal of ascetic renunciation and sensual participation in the material world. Beyond being the god of spiritual insight and of yogis and ascetics, Shiva is also the god who destroys the universe at the end of time before a new cycle of cre- ation can begin. Most Shaivas worship Shiva as a god with no beginning or end who transcends time but also presides over its endless cycles. Some Shaivas emphasize that Shiva is also a family man, to be venerated with his divine queen Parvati and their two sons, the divine princes Ganesha and Skanda. PROPERTY OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS