Transcript 4 Hands - Spring Branch ISD

Ganesh: Remover of Obstacles;
god of Good Fortune
“Namaste” is said by joining the two
palms in front and bowing the head.
It acknowledges the presence of
divinity in all human beings.
It means, “With all my physical
strength (represented by folded
hands) and all my intellect
(represented by bowed head) I pay
repect to the Atma (soul) within
you.”
or
I honor the place in you in which the
entire universe dwells.
I honor the place in you which is
of love, of truth, of light, and of
peace.
When you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me.
We are One.
oldest and most complex of all the religions
no identifiable founder
Polytheistic with monotheistic characteristics
many paths to salvation, by devotion to 1 or more
gods or goddesses
goal: moksha- release from the death-rebirth cycle
& attain perfection of the soul
belief in karma- every action will have consequences
in the future
Reincarnation- rebirth until you get it right.
Brahman (God to the Hindus)
a) Brahma- (male) the creator; red with 4
bearded faces & 4 arms
b) Shiva- (male) the destroyer (death,
destruction, disease); god of dance; use of
a trident; god of vegetable, animal, and
human reproduction
*death is a prelude to rebirth
(reincarnation) so the god of death
will also be the god of reproduction
and sexuality
c) Vishnu- (male) the preserver, he comes
to aid humankind; god of love, benevolence,
& forgiveness
*sometimes appears as Krishna
The most sacred symbol in Hindu
dharma. Aum (OM) is the sound of
the infinite.
By sound and form, AUM
symbolizes the infinite Brahman
(ultimate reality) and the entire
universe.
A stands for Creation
U stands for Preservation
M stands for Destruction
This is representative of the Trinity
of God in Hindu dharma (Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva)
Swastika symbol of happiness, goodness, and prosperity
represents the life cycle and eternally changing world
around a fixed point (God)
represents the scattering of energy during creation,
appears to be in motion
4 Arms
4 directions
4 Vedas (sacred text)
4 Objectives of life- duties, material prosperity,
enjoyment, salvation
4 Stages of life- student life, family life, retirement,
preparation for salvation
4 castes
4 seasons
Lotus Flower- symbol of vegetation
and prosperity, born in mud and
unfolds into a beautiful flower
symbolizing the ability to raise oneself
from evil to purity
Conch Shell- form of multiple spiral
evolving from one point into increasing
sheres, symbolizes the origin of the earth
from a single source (God), sound produced
when blown represents AUM
Tilak- mark on the forehead, Forehead
is the seat of memory, represents the
“spiritual eye or third eye,” psychological
effect of keeping away evil spirits
Brahma
The creator
Seated on a lotus (a symbol of glorious existence).
He has four heads and hands. Each hand is
holding a sacrificial tool, the Vedas (knowledge), a
water pot and a rosary respectively.
His vehicle is a swan which is known for its
judgment between good and bad.
Vishnu
The preserver
He symbolizes the preserving and
pervading energies of life
depicted as dark blue, symbolizing
that although he brings and sustains
life, death is always the outcome of
birth.
Vishnu is portrayed as having four
arms, a symbol of his superhuman
powers and the ability to extend that
power in all directions.
His four emblems:
the conch- origin of existence
through its spiral form & its
connection with water and is also
symbolic of music; spread of the
divine sound "Om"
the disc- the Universal Mind and
the powers of creation and
destruction that form the revolving
universe; a reminder of the wheel of
time, and to lead a good life
the club- symbolizes authority or
the power of knowledge as the
essence of life; indicating the power
and the punishing capacity of the
Lord if discipline in life is ignored
the lotus- symbol of beauty and
purity of the universe; example of
glorious existence
His vehicle is the swift-flying bird Garuda, a figure of great strength,
power and piety, which can spread the Vedic knowledge with great
courage.
Vishnu lies on the coils of serpent king protected by his hood, until
he is ready to begin a new cycle of creation.
His consort is Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
Shiva
The Destroyer of Ignorance
Trident (trishul) – denotes
combining of the three attributes of
creator, destroyer and regenerator
in his own person
Color- Blue complexion
symbolizing immeasurable entities
such as the sky or ocean
Snake- the spiritual energy
within life
Pose- meditative pose with half
closed eyes, indicating peace and
perfect inner harmony
Hair- matted hair which holds the
flowing Ganges river and a
crescent moon.
Animal- a bull (symbol of
happiness and strength) named
Nandi.
Nataraja (Form of Shiva)
God of Dance
4 Hands
holding a drum to announce
the “Big Bang”
holding a flame of destruction
hand raised in blessing
pointing to foot showing how to
rise above ignorance
Man figure- represents ignorance
Flowing Hair- movement within
the circle of fire
Circle of Fire- universe without a
beginning and without end, fire can
destroy and also be essential for life
Ganesh
Remover of Obstacles
and represents wisdom and
perfection
Elephant head
Ears-the gaining of
knowledge through
listening
Size- “ “ reflection
Tusks (one perfect
and one broken)perfection and
imperfection in the
physical world
Trunk- physical and
mental strength
Big Stomach- ability to
‘digest’ whatever life
experiences bring
Rat and food- desires and
wealth that are both being
controlled
Folded Leg- meditative
pose symbolizing balance
between practical life and
spiritual life
Hands
Noose- the trap of
desires
Ankusha- instrument to
control an elephant,
reminder tohave self
control and control desires
Lakshimi
Goddess of prosperity (wealth),
purity, chastity, and generosity.
Vishnu is the male in
everything and Lakshmi is the
universal female.
An aura of divine happiness,
mental and spiritual satisfaction,
and prosperity always exist
around her.
Depicted wearing jewels and
offering gold coins to indicate the
power of wealth.
She sits on a fully blossomed
lotus, a seat of divine truth.
Her 4 hands represent 4
spiritual virtues- respect, truth,
forgiveness, non-violence.
Her palm is always extended to
bless people.
Krishna
He is considered to be the
eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu.
Krishna delivered Bhagwad Gita
on battlefield to Arjun.
He is known for his bravery in
destroying evil powers
throughout his life.
The Lord is usually depicted
as playing the flute, indicating
spread of the melody of love to
people.
He is also shown with his
childhood devotee Radha. The
pair symbolizes the eternal love
between people and god.
Lord Krishna is also shown
with his pet cow, Nandi.
Rama
The ideal man
Lord Rama is one of the most commonly
adored gods of Hindus and is known as an
ideal man and hero of the epic Ramayana.
Each aspect of the human personality is
projected to absolute perfection. He
exemplifies absolute truth, humility, and
caring for others.
He is the perfect son, ideal king, true
husband, a real friend, devoted brother, and
a brave warrior
He is always holding a bow and arrow
indicating his readiness to destroy evils.
More commonly he is pictured in a family
style, with his wife Sita, brother Lakshman
and devotee Hanuman who is sitting near
Lord Rama's feet.
Hanuman
Symbol of strength and energy.
He is normally shown with a monkeyface on a very well built and strong
human body holding a mace which is a
sign of bravery and having a picture of
Lord Rama tatooed on his chest which
is a sign of his devotion to Lord Rama.
Hanuman is a very important
character in the great epic Ramayana in
which he is depicted as the epitome of
devoted service and loyalty to his
master (Rama).
Hanuman is considered to be
incarnation of Lord Shiva .
Represents that animals are also a
creation of God and have a soul.
This deity is a provider of courage,
hope, knowledge, intellect and
devotion.
Saraswati
Goddess of knowledge
Saraswati is the wife of Lord Brahma and possesses the powers of
speech, wisdom and learning.
She has four hands representing four aspects of human personality in
learning; mind, intellect, alertness and ego.
She has sacred scriptures in one hand and a lotus (a symbol of true
knowledge) in the second.
With her other two hands she plays the music of love and life on the violin
(veena).
She is dressed in white (sign of purity) and rides on a white goose (swan).
Durga
Goddess of energy and the power of nature.
Personification of Universal Energy.
Female manifestation representing the power of God behind destruction
and creation.
8 arms holding 8 symbols representing health, education, wealth,
organization, unity, fame, courage, and truth.
Weapons are for the destruction of evil and the protection of good.
Her form depicts the enormity of the power of God.