Hinduism is a vast religion and belief system. There is no one God or Supreme being that is worshipped. On the contrary, there are many Gods and Goddesses that Hindus pray to for several reasons. It could be because of their caste, religion, and most of the times because of their purpose. The Holy Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh (Lord Shiva)) is considered to be the most powerful as it comprises creation, upkeep, and destruction, respectively. Still, there are other Gods and deities in Hinduism who are deemed powerful. Take a look at the most powerful Hindu Gods.
- The Holy Trinity or Trimurti
The Trinity is more than a supreme being; it is a manifestation and a powerful concept that surrounds the cosmic affairs. The three Supreme beings are Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer).Lord Shiva is among the three supreme beings who represents destruction. Although His followers believe that this destruction makes way for creation. He is considered among the greatest Hindu Gods. He is known by hundred different names including Mahayogi, Mahadeva, and Nataraja. The destruction here refers to the toxicities and illusions of the world. With His weapon, the trident, He reminds the world of the destruction and creation. It is a reminder of goodness over darkness and passionate insight to bring justice. He is depicted with a snake around his neck and His vehicle is a white bull, Nandi.Vishnu is the preserver and His power lies in His strength and compassion. There are four elements that symbolize the Lord Vishnu – a conch shell representing water, a Lotus symbolizing the universe unfurling, Mace which represents knowledge and time, and lastly, Discus which interprets good over evil. His vehicle is a crowned Eagle, Garuda.Brahma is the creator with four heads and arms. This is a stark representation of the four cardinal directions and the ancient sacred scriptures (Vedas). The four hands hold a rosary that represents the passage of time, a vase of water that holds the creation of the universe, scriptures, and a lotus. His vehicle is a swan.
- Durga
Goddess Durga is known to be The Inaccessible and the Inevitable. She is known to hold the supreme destructive qualities. Given her violent power, She is kind and compassionate like a mother to her devotees. On the other hand, She destroys anything that comprises anything demonic or evil forces like prejudice, selfishness, ego, anger, hatred, and jealousy. She is the consort of Lord Shiva and completes Him and His powers. Her weapons include a sword, bow and arrow, Lord Vishnu’s discus, shield, javelin, and most importantly, Lord Shiva’s trident. She is depicted with eight arms that represent courage, wealth, health, unity, fame, truth, education, and organization.
- Ganesha
Lord Ganesha is among the most powerful Hindu God. He is worshipped before any sacred or religious activity. He is prayed before starting an auspicious event. He has a body of a human with the head of an elephant. This is symbolic of knowledge and wisdom. The two tusks indicate imperfections in the world as one tusk is whole while the other is broken. The belly of Ganesha symbolizes humility to accept all the experiences of life. Lord Ganesha is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. He is regarded as the Obstacle Remover or Vighnaharta. He is popularly worshipped in Tibet, Japan, and China. He is known to bring luck and fortune to his devotees.
- Krishna
Lord Krishna is a significant reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. He has a magnetic persona who charms and attracts people and with their belief in Him; washes away their sins and negative addictions. He is seen with a flute, which represents the heavenly chimes. It is also considered a divine call. He is also the one who destroys all evils in the world in a playful, mischievous manner. He is also the supreme Teacher who inspires the humans to believe in Karma and rightful duties. This is depicted in The Bhagavad Gita – the Holy Book in Hindu culture. In the Hindu epic of Mahabharata, He is known to teach the meaning of life, the rules, and everything in between. The rights and the wrongs, the learning and unlearning, and the light and shadow aspects. He is most popular among youngsters as He is the embodiment of eternal love, happiness, freedom, and spirited life. While He is the philosopher, He is the epitome of a beautiful life that includes all aspects of the cosmos.
- Lord Rama
Rama is known to be omnipresent. He is Lord Vishnu’s seventh avatar. In the most righteous Hindu epic, The Ramayana, Lord Rama is known to be the young, dutiful prince, who defeated the Demon King, Ravana, who abducted his wife Goddess Sita. His heroic acts are not the only reason why He is worshipped. With power comes responsibility and although He defeats Ravana, He is known to be the dutiful son, brother, husband, and human being with commendable virtues and morals making Him the ideal friend, king, and adversary.
- Hanuman
Lord Hanuman is depicted in the form of a strong, muscled monkey. He is also associated with Lord Ram’s epic battle in the Ramayana. He is known to be a devotee of Lord Rama. This unconditional devotion led to Hanuman helping the Lord Rama in building the bridge over to Lanka to rescue Sita. His power lies in his physical strength. When Lord Rama’s brother, Lakshman, got wounded during the battle, it was Lord Hanuman who flew and brought an entire mountain of herbs to the fatally wounded Lakshman. Lord Hanuman has no consort and has devoted his life to Lord Rama and Goddess Sita.
Conclusion
The Gods and Goddesses listed in this article are known to be the most powerful due to their divine presence in the universe. But most importantly, they are known to be the superior beings because of the morals and values they represent. They symbolize many things in this universe; mostly in the favor of a common man. It is known to humanity that worshipping them will bless your life with divine intervention and abundance.
