Reading Notes: Pattanaik's Calendar Art: Part A (Ganesha)
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| Hindu Deities |
The first story that this video goes over is a race between Ganesha and Kartikeya. Ganesha wins the race by using a different view of the world. He says that his world is his parents, so by going around them, he beat Kartikeya, as his world matters more to him.
The next part of the video talks about how gods do not have forms, but people need some notion of the divine, so we give form to them in manifestations. It also explains why Brahma has 4 heads (4 goals of life), and what his hymns represented. It also talks about men and women coexisting.
Next we get into local manifestations of god, which are when the divine come to earth. These manifestations are extensions of the divine concepts. This includes a great many gods throughout the land that represent the same divine being so that each community in the land can have their own local needs, but also connects them to the greater Hindu community. This is like Vishnu and his different incarnations.
Later, the video compares India and Greece with their deities, but shows where they differ. Then, there is some talk of different deities and what they represent before going back again to Ganesha. It tells of how Ganesha is a god of unity, and that he is a balance between opposites.
Overall, the Hindu gods are both finite beings that come and go, but are also abstract concepts that represent values important in their lives and faith.
Bibliography:
Author: Devdutt Pattanaik
Title: Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art
Link
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