Any Recommendations??

topic posted Tue, February 15, 2005 - 9:04 AM by  Dara
Hello all!! I am new to this tribe (by the way this is a great tribe) and would like to know if anyone could recommend a good web site on Hindu deities. I have worked with the Celtic Pantheon for many years now, but recently have been drawn to some of the Hindu deities and would like to learn more about them.

~Dara
posted by:
Dara
Oklahoma City
  • Re: Any Recommendations??

    Tue, February 15, 2005 - 7:44 PM
    Hey, thanks for the compliment! :) Well, no ONE site is going to give you info on the deities, but there are a few really informative ones out there:
    MantraOnNet.com (although I think it's gone more commerical now)
    HinduNet is another good one...LOTS of info on Hindu practices and Indian culture in general.
    Your best bet may be to type in Hindu Deities on Google and see what you get.
    Also, you might want to check out any info on Vedic-Celtic connections.

    Good luck and Blessings!
  • Re: Any Recommendations??

    Wed, February 16, 2005 - 11:28 PM
    Gods and Godesses of Hinduism are much like your attributes and thoughts, no single one even begins to define you, but the whole does somehow with its intricasies and contradictions. So the best way is to focus on Head, arms, legs and torso ... Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Durga, Laxmi, Saraswati ....

    To start with, the Gods of Vedas could easily be mapped to Natural forces. Indra, agni, varun, soma, vayu, eearily similar to the ancient Greeks. Then more and more gods started appearing in the pantheon in Puranas which were subtle and were more connected with the inner than the outer world, and that is where the confusion starts :-)

    The key in my opinion is not Gods or Goddesses but their interaction, like a social entity, or a chess game, individually they might be misleading but taken togather they provide an understanding of a different being.

    I know I am confusing you a bit, but its more like, if I want to know you, it would distract me if I start with the body parts. They are details.
    • Re: Any Recommendations??

      Thu, February 17, 2005 - 9:27 PM
      Well said, well said.
      Our Western way of thinking does not permit such concepts making sense I think: everything has to be either/or. In Feri, these concepts are similar: the gods are seen as REAL, not just mere metaphors.

      It's funny how, in modern Paganism, we seem to place so much emphasis on "having" this God or that Goddess....like they are commodities to be bought and sold or traded....where's the respect?
      • Re: Any Recommendations??

        Sun, May 15, 2005 - 1:55 AM
        Some people have described Hinduism as a montheistic faith with thousands of deities. I look at the deities in this way: Imagine a gigantic diamond with a million facets. Each facet is one of the deities, and they all give an insight into the godhead. Some people work with many of the facets/deities while others choose one to work with. The godhead is named Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma) and is truly transcendent. When talked about, Brahman is either named or uses the neuter "godhead" or even "it." To call Brahman "he" or "she" would diminish its transcendent nature.

        When I was originally initiated into the Craft, the tradition I was brought into (not Celtic, but Strega) was very similar.
        • Re: Any Recommendations??

          Fri, June 9, 2006 - 2:11 PM
          I run a class on the Hindu Pantheon through Interfaithnet.org. If you're interested in knowing more, please feel free to contact me.

          ~Devi~
          • Re: Any Recommendations??

            Thu, November 9, 2006 - 8:55 AM
            I'm no longer working for Interfaithnet.org - alot of administrative issues have caused many teachers to start jumping ship! In any case, Working for oneself is always a great option, so I took some initiative and started my own teaching site which has a seperate catagory for IndoWiccan Studies. training.shaktiwicca.com - anyone interested can message me for more info.

            ~Devi~

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