Comparing the Iconography and Mythology of Two Major Hindu Deities

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Comparing the Iconography and Mythology of Two Major Hindu Deities

In Hindu tradition, Brahma created the universe, Vishnu maintained it

and Shiva destroyed it. These three gods comprise the Hindu trinity

(the trimurti) and are considered to be the leading gods of the

religion, especially Brahma, who is the oldest of all the gods. This

point is questionable though as the Visnu Purana talks of Brahma

emerging from Vishnu's navel to maintain the world after Vishnu has

created it and then he returns to the navel after Shiva has destroyed

it. If this is the case then Vishnu's position as a god is elevated

from merely the maintainer to the creator. This essay intends to

compare and contrast the iconography and mythology of the two major

Hindu deities Vishnu and Shiva with reference to their relationship

with Brahma as part of the Hindu trinity.

The Hindu god Vishnu is very powerful to his followers, the Vaishnavas,

and he is found as an icon in many temples although he is also

believed to dwell in the heart of all beings. Vishnu is said to be

young compared to the other gods and blue in colour. He is depicted as

having four hands holding a lotus, symbolising purity, mace, a conch

shell to blow and a discus as a weapon. Vishnu is married to the

goddesses Sri and Laksmi who were initially individuals but eventually

merged into one being. Vishnu has a curl of hair on his chest given to

him by his wife Sri to show her devotion and in this particular

depiction, is seen wearing the jewel kaustubha which arose from the

ocean of milk after being churned up. Another image of the deity

Vishnu is of him "lying asleep upon the coils of the great cos...

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... symbolises his purity and the fire Shiva encircles is representing the

life cycle of the universe. However, this essay does not attempt to

deny the importance of the scriptures, as without them, the pictures

are merely pictures and not visions of spirituality. In conclusion,

although this essay has looked at Vishnu and Shiva individually as

separate deities, the focus must be left on them as one, for that is

what they are, existing only with each other. The cycle of the

universe relies on all of them, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, to continue

for if one were to disappear, the chain of the creation, destruction

and recreation of the world would be broken. "Germination creates the

tree, destroys the seed and preserves the species; the joiner creates

the table, destroys the tree and preserves the wood" (Larousse,

1965:211).

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