Re: Gods, goddesses, and gender.
Namaste Dear EM Ji,
From what I have read, most Hindu schools following Monotheism or qualified monism speak of only One God/Goddess in ultimate transcendental form. That goes for Shaktism, Shaivism and Vaishnavism. They generally include words like Para/maha+(name of devi-devta) to represent absolute transcendental supreme form of the God/Goddess, a form in which nobody is at equal with God/Godess on which that school is based. But most of these schools have developed other forms of the God/Goddess in which they have a consort with them. These forms are represented by same name but para/maha is removed. For example parashakti is absolute supreme of this universe in shaktism but shakti is represented with Shiva. Mahavishnu could be described as Supreme but Vishnu is ever attached with Lakshmi. Ofcourse pure advaitic schools see brahman alone as only existent entity.
When the light has risen, there is no day, no night, neither existence nor non-existence; Siva alone is there. That is the eternal, the adorable light of Savitri, - and the ancient wisdom proceeded thence (Svetasvatara Upanishad IV-18). :)
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