Gods and heroes

Text is written by MYRTLE LANGLEY

THE HINDU SCRIPTURES are full of the adventures of numerous gods and heroes. The Vedas tell of Agni the god of fire and sacrifice, Indra the sky-god of war, and Varuna the god of cosmic order. The two great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata, weave their tales around Rama and Krishna, the most popular of the ten avatars of Vishnu.

Within the Mahabharata is the frequently translated great Indian spiritual classic, the Bhagavad Gita, the "Song of the Lord". This poem takes the form of a dialogue between the warrior Arjuna and Krishna, his charioteer, as together the fight the war between good and evil symbolized in the battle between the closely related families of the Pandavas and the Kauravas.

Three ways of salvation

Text is written by MYRTLE LANGLEY

HINDU WISH TO ACHIEVE SALVATION, or moksha, by release from the cycle of rebirth. Lightening the load of karma - guilt acquired through wrong living - leads towards the final release. There are three basic ways of achieving salvation.

The way of action involves performing correct religious observances, in the hope of being blessed by the divine for fulfilling these duties. The way of knowledge  seeks to understand and experience the ultimate meaning of life through reason and meditation, as sadhus do. The way of devotion (the most popular way) seeks to be united with the divine through the worship of a particular deity.

Traditionally Hindus are born into one of four castes (social classes), or are "untouchables" (outcastes - the lowest rank). Religious duties vary with caste.