In Hinduism there are diverse approaches to the understanding of God, of Brahman, which is reflected in the gender by which God is addressed or described. Basic beliefs What can be said to be common to all Hindus is the belief in Dharma (duties and obligations), Samsara (Reincarnation/rebirth), Karma (actions, leading to a cause and effect relationship), and Moksha (salvation) of every soul through a variety of paths, such as Bhakti (devotion), Karma (action) and... Here the underlined vowels carry the Vedic Sanskrit udātta pitch accent. ...

While most Hindus focus upon God in the male form, there are prominent Hindu traditions that alleviate God in the female conception, even as the source of the male form of God.

Smarta and Advaita

The Smarta tradition, which by and large, follows Advaita philosophy believes all forms, male and female, to be different forms of the impersonal Absolute, Brahman which is sexless and can never be defined. Brahman is viewed as without personal attributes (Nirguna Brahman) or with attributes (Saguna Brahman, equated with Ishvara) as God. In Advaita Vedanta, Ishvara is simply the manifested form of Brahman upon the human mind. Thus according to Smarta views, the divine can be with attributes, Saguna Brahman, and also be viewed with whatever attributes, (e.g., a female goddess) a devotee conceives. Smarta is a Hindu follower of Smartism. ... Advaita Vedanta is probably the best known of all Vedanta schools of Hinduism, the others being Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita. ... Here the underlined vowels carry the Vedic Sanskrit udātta pitch accent. ... Nirguna Brahman, is God without any form in Advaita and without material form in Dvaita schools of Hinduism. ... Saguna Brahma, in Hindu philosophy, is God or Supreme Consciousness with gunas (qualities or attributes). ... God is the term used to denote the Supreme Being believed by the vast majority [1] [2] to be the creator, ruler and/or the sum total of, existence. ... Advaita Vedanta (IAST ; Devanagari ; IPA []) is probably the best known of all Vedanta schools of philosophy of Hinduism, the others being Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita (total six). ... Smarta is a Hindu follower of Smartism. ... Saguna Brahma, in Hindu philosophy, is God or Supreme Consciousness with gunas (qualities or attributes). ...

Vishnu and Shiva

In Vaishnavism and Shaivism, which are exclusive monotheistic religions,like the Judaeo-Christian traditions, God, Vishnu or Shiva is personified as male when, in fact, God transcends gender and gender is simply used for embodied human beings to worship. For example, Shaivites and Vaishnavites worship God in non-anthrormorphic images, the linga and saligram respectively. Furthermore, for example, the principle that God's true nature is sexless is emphasized in the Vishnu sahasranama, a prayer reciting the 1000 names of Vishnu. Just as Muslims focus on (God) Allah's 99 "attributes" that are stated in the Qur'an, the holy book of the Muslims, many Hindus worship Vishnu daily by chanting his names which are also attributes. Vaishnavism is one of the principal divisions of Hinduism. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Monotheism (in Greek monon = single and Theos = God) is the belief in a single, universal, all-encompassing deity. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ... Lord Śiva. ... Linga worship (Estate of Cynthia and Harlen Welsh) Lingam or Linga is the Sanskrit word for mark. ... Although much less popular as the lingam is used for worship of Shiva, Vishnu is worshipped as an abstract form (i. ... Vishnu The Vishnu sahasranāma (literally: thousand names of Vishnu) is a list of 1,000 names for Vishnu, one of the main forms of God in Hinduism and the only Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavites (followers of Vishnu). ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) (sometimes also spelled Moslem) is an adherent of Islam. ... The word Allāh is the Arabic term for God. However, it is used by speakers of all languages to refer to the Islamic concept of God. ... The 99 Names of God also known as The 99 attributes of Allah, according to Islamic tradition, are the names of God revealed to man in the Quran. ... The Quran (Arabic: al-qurān, literally the recitation; also called Al Qurān Al Karīm or The Noble Quran; or transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... Many religions and spiritual movements hold certain written texts (or series of spoken legends not traditionally written down) to be sacred. ...

Thus, the first few names, of Vishnu sahasranama, in particular, do not describe features of Vishnu in detail and hence are not anthropomorphic in nature and instead focus on His inherent nature or characteristics such as pervading the universe and as destroyer of sin. While Vishnu is commonly portrayed with human features, Swami Tapasyananda, in his book, Bhakti Schools of Vedanta, reminds readers that Vishnu pervades everything and is not anthropomorphic. He has no particular material form but can manifest in any form, and is a center of all force, power, will, auspiciousness, goodness, beauty, grace, responsiveness, etc. As Swami Tapasyananda said, "Vishnu is the Indwelling Spirit in all beings and the whole cosmos constitute His body." As Vishnu is the all-pervading Spirit and the Supreme Personality, anthromorphism is deemphasized in Vishnu sahasranama. Thus, like Judaism and Islam, God's inherent nature transcends gender but Vishnu but has been traditionally referred to using male grammatical gender. Anthropomorphism, also referred to as personification or prosopopeia, is the attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, forces of nature, and others. ... Over at least the last two thousand years, Judaism has not been monolithic in practice, and has not had any centralized authority or binding dogma. ... Islām is described as a dīn, meaning way of life and/or guidance. Six articles of belief There are six basic beliefs shared by all Muslims: 1. ... All languages can use different nouns to differentiate between people of different biological or social gender, e. ...

Additionally,the power of God in those religions is anthromorphically viewed as female, or Shakti. However, God and and his power are indivisible, unitary, and the same. The analogy is that fire represents God and the actual heat Shakti. In one example, Lord Śiva assumed a form and split into two halves of male and female indicating the origin of the Ardhanarishvara - the union of substance and energy, the Being and his Shakti (force). This article is in need of attention. ... This article is in need of attention. ... In Hinduism, Ardhanari or Ardhanareshvara, is an androgynous deity composed of Shiva and his consort Shakti, representing the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies. ...

Shakti

Shaktism, on the other hand, is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Shakti, or Devi Mata -- the Hindu name for the Great Divine Mother -- in all of her forms whilst not rejecting the importance of masculine and neuter divinity (which are however deemed to be inactive in the absence of the Shakti). In pure Shaktism, the Great Goddess, or Devi, is worshiped as nothing less than the highest divinity, Supreme Brahman Itself, the "one without a second," with all other forms of Divinity, female or male, considered to be merely her diverse manifestations. Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Shakti, or Devi -- the Hindu name for the Great Mother -- in all of her forms whilst not rejecting the importance of masculine and neuter divinity. ... Basic beliefs What can be said to be common to all Hindus is the belief in Dharma (duties and obligations), Samsara (Reincarnation/rebirth), Karma (actions, leading to a cause and effect relationship), and Moksha (salvation) of every soul through a variety of paths, such as Bhakti (devotion), Karma (action) and... This article is in need of attention. ... Commonly known as Devi (goddess), Vaishnodevi (देवी, Devī in Hindi and Sanskrit) is the Divine Mother of Hinduism. ... It has been suggested that Great Mother be merged into this article or section. ... The Great Mother manifests itself in myth as a host of archaic images. ... 1: In Hinduism, Devi (goddess) is the personification of the supreme God as the Divine Mother of Hinduism. ... Here the underlined vowels carry the Vedic Sanskrit udātta pitch accent. ...

In his seminal "History of the Shakta Religion," N. N. Bhattacharyya explained that "[those] who worship the Supreme Deity exclusively as a Female Principle are called Shakta. The Shaktas conceive their Great Goddess as the personification of primordial energy and the source of all divine and cosmic evolution. She is identified with the Supreme Being, conceived as the Source and the Spring as well as the Controller of all the forces and potentialities of Nature. Nowhere in the religious history of the world do we come across such a completely female-oriented system." A Shakta, pronounced shaakt, is a follower of a sect of Hinduism which worships the Mother Goddess, or Shakti, in any of her various manifestations. ... Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Shakti, the Divine Mother, in all of her forms whilst not rejecting the importance of masculine and neuter divinity. ...

Alternative interpretations of Shaktism, however -- primarily those of Shaivite scholars, such as Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami -- argue that the feminine manifest is ultimately only the vehicle through which the masculine Un-manifest Parasiva is ultimately reached. In this interpretation, the Divine Mother becomes something of a mediatrix, who bestows advaitic moksha on those who worship Her. Thus, these Shaivite views often conclude that Shaktism is effectively a sub-denomination of Saivism, arguing that Devi is worshipped in order to attain union with Siva, who in Shaktism is the impersonal unmanifest Absolute. This remains a minority view in Shaktism proper, which considers Siva as an equal and inseparable aspect of Devi. Shaivism, also Saivism, is a branch of Hinduism that worships Siva as the Supreme God. ... Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927 - 2001), affectionately known as Gurudeva, was born in Oakland, California on January 5th, 1927. ... Parasiva is the aspect of Siva, the Absolute which is beyond human comprehension and is beyond all attributes. ... Moksha (Sanskrit: मोक्ष, liberation) or Mukti (Sanskrit: विमुक्ति, release) refers, in general, to liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. ... Shaivism, also Saivism, is a branch of Hinduism that worships Siva as the Supreme God. ... Shaivism, also Saivism, is a branch of Hinduism that worships Siva as the Supreme God. ... Commonly known as Devi (goddess), Vaishnodevi (देवी, Devī in Hindi and Sanskrit) is the Divine Mother of Hinduism. ... This article is about the Hindu God. ... This article is about the Hindu God. ... Commonly known as Devi (goddess), Vaishnodevi (देवी, Devī in Hindi and Sanskrit) is the Divine Mother of Hinduism. ...

Ardhangini: the cornerstone of relationships

The concept of Ardhangini, of women being an equal part of men and vice versa, and without either, both are incomplete, is extensively proliferated in Hindu society, especially the rituals of Hindu weddings.

While the bride must recognize her husband as her Lord, the husband is to appreciate the wife as the source of his position and strength as provider, protector of his household, which is essentialy and practically generated and maintained by his wife.

This relationship is theologically symbolized by the marriage of Shiva and Uma, whose relationship and symbiotic love is a cornerstone of two major Hindu ideologies, Shaivism and Shaktism. Their eternal love-making describes the unity of their form and function. Lord Åšiva. ... Uma can refer to: A Hindu goddess, see Uma (goddess). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Shakti, or Devi -- the Hindu name for the Great Mother -- in all of her forms whilst not rejecting the importance of masculine and neuter divinity. ...

Shiva and Uma are interlinked and inseparable. Uma is the core of the Goddesses Durga and Kali, who are the female forms of Shiva, the Lord Destroyer. Lord Åšiva. ... Uma can refer to: A Hindu goddess, see Uma (goddess). ... Uma can refer to: A Hindu goddess, see Uma (goddess). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A common scene depicting Kali standing over Shiva Although her presentation in the West is usually as simply dark and violent, Kali is a goddess with a long and complex history in Hinduism. ...

In other Indian religions

The Hindu and Smarta conception regarding God and gender is shared by the Ayyavazhi sect, which refers to its conception of Brahman as Ekam. Smarta is a Hindu follower of Smartism. ... Ayyavazhi அய்யாவழி (Tamil: path of the father), officially a Tamil Hindu sect, is a monistic religion that originated in South India in the mid-19th century. ... Here the underlined vowels carry the Vedic Sanskrit udātta pitch accent. ... This is the term used in Akilattirattu Ammanai the holy book of Ayyavazhi to represent The Ultimate Oneness, and in Thiruvasakam - 2 it was stated that it was from this Ekam all this objects including the separate Godheads, Devas, Asuras etc of the Universe formed. ...

Buddhism and Jainism recognize no Supreme entity. Sikhism shares its attitude with Islam. The term Buddha is a word in ancient Indian languages including Pāli and Sanskrit which means one who has awakened. It is derived from the verbal root budh, meaning to awaken or to be enlightened, and to comprehend. It is written in Devanagari script as Hindi: and pronounced as... Jainism (pronounced in English as //), traditionally known as Jain Dharma (जैन धर्म) , is a religion and philosophy originating in the prehistory of South Asia. ... Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1538), considered to be the founder of Sikhism, was born in the village of Talwandi, now called Nankana Sahib, near Lahore. ... Islām is described as a dīn, meaning way of life and/or guidance. Six articles of belief There are six basic beliefs shared by all Muslims: 1. ...

See also

• God and gender
• Feminism
• God
• God (male deity)
• Goddess
• Sky father