Are gods mortal in Hinduism?

[Kumar_Das]

Namaste,

There are many sects/sampradyes/persuasions of Hinduism. So, when you get the urge to answer a question from your Gaudiya Vaishnava perspective, you must state so. Your answer may not be acceptable/palatable to Hindus of different persuasions. GV sect is very restrictive/rigid about the Master/Slave definitions/relationships. Just a friendly reminder.

Pranam.

What does this point have to do with the point he made?

[Kumar_Das]

Namaste. Gods can do whatever they please according to their Leela because, they are Gods and that's what they do; 'God things we can't understand'.

Avatars can be either 'mortal' or 'immortal' according to whatever Karma they impose upon themselves, being beyond that state.

If I recall correctly, Lord Krishna was 'killed' by an arrow piercing the sole of his foot by a hunter, thinking they were the ears of a deer. We can only say that it was meant to happen like that from the beginning because Lord Vishnu willed it.

Some Divine forms appear to die a 'mortal death' and some do not. It all depends on the Avatar and situation. Some go into 'heaven' in full auspicious form...others die in human form and go there.....

Over all though, the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesha) are immortal, but anything else, I am unsure about.

It all depends on what they want to be, I guess.

Aum Namah Shivaya

That just means the Lord applies Dharma even to Himself(even though He Himself is the Upholder and Perfect Disseminator of it). That just shows how much this Being values this principle of existence. If He is willing to make even Himself an example. He didn't have to do it. He automatically is the Best Disseminator of Justice and He does not have to follow because "whatever He does, is just whatever He does, and nobody can have any say regarding that, it's all His right as the Master of all". Truly His Reign is Unquestionable. But He values us thinking I believe. That's why he gave us a brain and conscience. I think the perfect bhakta is one that "simply just follows the mandates" but that would seperate such a bhakta from one who tries to exert himself in knowing all that he does, so he can appreciate such mandates. We appreciate religious things in many ways. Thinking and arriving to conclusions(on our own - not really though) is the remarkable thing. Because the right type of thinking will ultimately lead to what God expects. And when we arrive and realize(and its the same as what God expects) its a spiritual feeling.

I think I may have been influenced by what other people said? But I think this is the best position.

[Kumar_Das]

Namaste Necromancer,



Nice to remind this story to us. Lord Krishna, who took birth with 16 kalas (i.e. 100 % of God qualities) of Ishvara (RAmA is said to have only 12 kalas of Ishvara), accepted the curse of GAndhAri and that is what caused His death in this manner. Learning that it was all Sri Krishna's clever moves which caused the death of all her sons, she was infuriated and cursed Lord Krishna, "You behaved like a Pashu (animal) in killing my sons and therefore, you may also be killed like a pashu (animal)".

Yes, LeelA of God cannot be understood by this human mind.

OM

He was also a politician in that avatara(as reminded to me by satay)... but yet He was subjected to the consequence of His actions as per Dharma... that seperates Him from everybody else... (it is not that the Lord is powerless to the Universal Principle of Dharma, rather it is the Lord Who Perfectly Administers it)

please politicians in reality never allow themselves to be punished for their transgressions...

This Being is the Greatest... yet He chose to be example for Dharma(of all existent beings...) that is(also) why He is the Most Adorable Lord...

I worship my Master anyways... But He lets me know that He is the Most Just Master... all the more to want to love Him and sacrifice everything for His sake...

[Kumar_Das]

Btw do people think that when I accept that I'm a slave to the Lord, I am lowering myself and have no dignity?

What do you call a Being Who Creates you, and Dominates you in everyway(reality) and even in ways you don't know of(hidden/unknown) and is the Controller of All/Supreme Controller(Isvara)?

He is God.

What are you if you are completely powerless to a Being?

Hence Master(Him) ~ Slave(Us).

[Kumar_Das]

Reality is reality. Doesn't matter whether you like it or not...

[Kalicharan Tuvij]

Brahma is mortal. His lifespan extends for the duration of the universe, and when it is destroyed, he attains liberation. Shiva is a mind-born son of Brahma according to the Bhaagavatam and the Vishnu Puraanas. I don't know of anything specific regarding his life-span, but most Vaishnavas consider him a jIva, the exception being some North Indian traditions about whom we are having a discussion elsewhere. The position of Shakti is a little less clear, since she is identified in some traditions as the personified energy of the Lord. I believe most would again identify her as a nitya-siddha.

Vishnu is identified with brahman aka nArAyaNa and as such, He is eternal, the highest truth, and supreme person from whom everything else originates and into Whom everything else is absorbed.

Brahamnaspati is a realm constituted by Brahman, Rudra, and Daksha; a realm identified with "Moksha" of post Vedic traditions. Superimposing a hierarchy (of whichever kind) or even some equivalence among these three is not only inappropriate but even dangerous.

Moreover, Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu are "Composite Gods" corresponding to the above three; for instance, Shiva is a "Column" consisting of all gods of other realms (Prithivi, Dyo, Antariksha) plus Rudra at the "Top".

Lastly, "Narayana" means "God Incarnate", a definition for Vishnu, the Composite God who incarnates as variuos Gods of his Column.

Shiva, on the other hand, doesn't "need" incarnations; no sophisticated theories or philosophies, either. Simple family dramas of his are good enough for his devotees.

Dear Philosoraptor, though, I think you are right, in overall manner, in your views on this matter. See this, too, if interested.. http://kalicharanveda.wordpress.com/...s-of-one-veda/

[ShivaFan]

Namaste

The only thing that seems immortal is the our never ending (mortal) tendency to selectively use sacred texts to put one of the Devas or Devi as greater than the other, as immortal while others are born or less. This seems to have gone on for eternity.

Which means to me, the Devas and Devi are immortal. Because this has gone on forever, and will go on forever, which means they all must have been forever.



Om Namah Sivaya (which is immortal)

[Ganeshprasad]

Pranams

Let us put it this way, if the Vedas are eternal (I doubt anyone here who is Hindu would argue otherwise) then the Devas that are worshiped within it must be eternal. Well that's my take on it

Om Shanno mitrah Sham Varunah Shanno bhavatvaryamaa Sanna indro bruhaspathih Shanno Vishnururukramah Namo brahmane Namasthe Vaayo Tvameva Pratyaksham Brahmaasi Tvameva Pratyaksham brahma vadishyaami Rutham vadishyaami Satyam vadishyaami Thanmaavavathu Tadvakthaaramavathu Avathumaam avathu vakthaaram Om ...

Jai Shree Krishna

[Necromancer]

Brahamnaspati is a realm constituted by Brahman, Rudra, and Daksha; a realm identified with "Moksha" of post Vedic traditions. Superimposing a hierarchy (of whichever kind) or even some equivalence among these three is not only inappropriate but even dangerous.

Moreover, Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu are "Composite Gods" corresponding to the above three; for instance, Shiva is a "Column" consisting of all gods of other realms (Prithivi, Dyo, Antariksha) plus Rudra at the "Top".

Lastly, "Narayana" means "God Incarnate", a definition for Vishnu, the Composite God who incarnates as variuos Gods of his Column.

Shiva, on the other hand, doesn't "need" incarnations; no sophisticated theories or philosophies, either. Simple family dramas of his are good enough for his devotees.

Namaste and pranams. I just noticed this post and this is exactly how I see things.

When both Lord Brahma and Lord Daksha tried to assert their superiority, they both were beheaded by Lord Rudra.....but they didn't die!

Jai Kal Bhairava!
Jai Veerabhadra!

To the other matter:

Paramatman/Brahman = Mahashiva/Sadashiva/Rudra/Nataraja.

Shiv Shankar = Kailashpati/Umapati/Pashupati - His Divine Leelas are too inconsistent to try and even work out but amusing nonetheless, yet I love, respect and worship Him all the same.

Aum Namah Shivaya.

[philosoraptor]

The devas are eternal in as much as there is always an Indra, always an Agni, always a Vayu, etc. However, the being who occupies each post changes from one manvantara to another, as spelled out in the Puranas.