God and Goddesses in Hinduism

Hinduism is based on the Veda. The concept of Gods is stated in the Veda as the one divine who takes many forms. The Puranas state that the Gods are subordinate to the one and are there to carry out the functions of creating, preserving and destroying the world. The book elucidates the fundamental concepts as laid down in the Vedas and the Upanishads. It then goes on the describe the main Gods, Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva, as brought out by the Puranas, Mahabharata and Ramayana as mythologies and stories. It is explained how the highest Vedantic and Upanishadic concepts, which appeal only to the elite – intellectuals and mystics-is depicted in the Puranic and epic literature in a manner that it could appeal to the ordinary person enabling him or her to bring these "spiritual" concepts into his, her life. The symbolism underlying the descriptions of the deities is also explained. The idea behind the description is to lead us from untruth to truth, from darkness to light and from death to immortality.