Why do gods and goddesses have 4 arms?

[Guest guest]

I visited a temple yesterday and noticed that some deities have four arms. Can someone explain this?

[Guest guest]

Lord Vishnu represents the aspect of the Supreme Reality that preserves and sustains the universe. Although there are variations in images and pictures of Lord Vishnu, He is generally symbolized by a human body with four arms. In His hands He carries a conch (shankha), a mace (gada), and discus (chakra). He wears a crown, two earrings, a garland (mala) of flowers, and a gem around the neck. He has a blue body and wears yellow clothes. The Lord is shown standing on a thousand-headed snake (named Shesha Nag), and the snake stands with its hoods open over the head of the Lord.

The four arms indicate Lord's omnipresence and omnipotence. The two front arms signify the lord's activity in the physical world and the two back arms signify His activity in the spiritual world. The right side of the body represents the creative activities of the mind and the intellect. The left side symbolizes the activities of the heart; that is, love, kindness, and compassion.

 

A conch in the upper left hand indicates that the Lord communicates with His devotees with love and understanding. When blowing His conch, He reminds his devotes to live in this world with kindness and compassion towards all living beings. A chakra in His upper right hand conveys the idea that the Lord uses this weapon to protect His devotees from evil. The mace denotes energy and a mace in the Lord's left lower hand signifies that He sustains the manifest world by the energy that He holds in Himself. His front right hand is depicted bestowing grace on His devotees.

 

The snake denotes the mind and the thousand heads of the snake signify innumerable desires and passions of an individual. Just as a snake destroys its victim by its venom, an uncontrolled mind destroys the world by the venom of its possessiveness. The Lord has controlled all desires, and this is symbolized by showing Him seated on the two coils of the snake. When a sincere devotee of the Lord controls his desires, the Lord fulfills the devotee's genuine desires and helps him on his path.

 

The blue sky in the background of the Lord suggests that He pervades the entire universe. The blue color symbolizes infinity. The blue body of the Lord signifies that He has infinite attributes. He is nameless, formless, and immeasurable. The color yellow is associated with earthly existence and the yellow clothes of the Lord signify that He incarnates Himself on this earth to uphold righteousness and destroy evil and unrighteousness.

 

A flower garland around the Lord's neck is a symbol of the devotee's adoration for the Lord. A gem decorating His neck signifies that the Lord fulfills all genuine desires of His devotees and provides for their needs. The crown is a symbol of the Lord's supreme power and authority. The two earrings signify the dual nature of creation, such as knowledge and ignorance, happiness and unhappiness, and pleasure and pain.

 

The worship of Lord Vishnu is very popular among Hindus, especially among the followers of the Vaishnava tradition (Vaishnavism). He is the second member of the Hindu Trinity, with Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva as the other two. Lord Vishnu is also known by other names, such as Vasudeva and Narayana.

[Guest guest]

God was personally present in India 5000 years ago.Lord Krishna he was.Did you see Radha-Krishna deity at the temple?God is so sweet he appeared as supremely attractive person.

 

Joy

[Guest guest]

Yes, I saw the Radha-Krishna deity. Looking into Krishna's eyes had a calming effect on me. It's like He was saying, "Everything is going to be OK."

[Guest guest]

Yes!

It's amazing how he can speak right to our hearts.Without saying a word he lights up the dark.

 

Are you an American?What's your name?

Take care and God bless you.

 

Joy

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

Some deities have 6 arms, 8 arms, 10 arms, 16 arms, and unlimited arms. It all depends on the aspects they wish to manifest. Some hands carry weapons to destroy bad qualities, other hands carry auspicious objects to bless the devotees.

[Guest guest]

"I visited a temple yesterday and noticed that some deities have four arms. Can someone explain this?"

 

 

 

To get more done of course. They're very eager to do more in Vaikuntha. Ever heard the saying 'The more hands the ligher the load'

Well you can chop vegetables while you make panir there.

[Guest guest]

Or you can chant your japa, while you play music for kirtan.

Or hold your song book while you drum. What about playing karatahl and mrdanga together, one man band type a' thing.

It's the four heads that would get confusing. Is there only one brain or would they all co-operate.

Give me Goloka and two hands any day.

[Guest guest]

I don't want to know where I've been, only where I'm going.

[77_Krishna 0]

So......

You admit that there are gods and godesses....how shameful!

 

There is No God but the Lord...

the Lord is Allah...

All is created but Him....not created...

 

He is the Creator of everything.

And becuz there is no God and no diety worthy of Worship but Him the One Lord....

 

So your question is groundless,mister!

 

Pls......Read the Quran....and do yerself a favour!

 

Krishna Lover

 

[Guest guest]

But the Quran has very little revelation of God !!!

Try reading Chaitanya Charitamrtm, that's revelation!

Only ONE God in a few forms there.

[77_Krishna 0]

That is the Power of the qu'uran ,my friend.

 

It hast simple words with flowin and fluxin Meanings...

One Verse or part of verse you see....is divided into and frgmented unto many particles......each particl or atom has a glorious meaning.....try it by Using Your Spiritual Power that God put unto Thou...

 

Each Singel Word in the Qu'uran especially in Arabic...becuz It was descended in pure arabic...is very Inspiring....and for one second.....you see that the River of one Particle of this One Word...is flowin unto thou..

 

Cheers!

 

Your Friend in the Glorious Messenger Krishna

[Guest guest]

you misunderstand ,inshallah ?

 

we believe in one god, the devas,or gods, are not divine

beings, they are exactly the same as angels in biblical/islamic dogma.

 

They have responsibilities to god, they are not god.

 

You seem to be here to attack, fine, first become aquainted

with what you seek to destroy, then your thoughts

might have more use.

 

WE belive there is one god, that one being is omniscient,omnipresent,omnipotent and personal.

 

In other words God exists everywhere,within everything,

controlling all, manifesting all, and is a singular

personality , although can display a variety of

personalities at his/her choosing, these

incarnations are known as Avatars, incarnations of the one all pervading supreme being, in human form, to teach

and live among us, as friends.

 

I hope this helps clear things up for you.

[Guest guest]

 

 

again sorry that was me.

[Guest guest]

Yes!

It's amazing how he can speak right to our hearts.Without saying a word he lights up the dark.

 

Are you an American?What's your name?

Take care and God bless you.

 

Joy

 

I am American and my name is Mark. I have recently been interested in Vaishnavism and am sure I will learn alot from the knowledgable devotees in this forum.

[Guest guest]

Hello Mark,

That's cool.Welcome to the group here.

Do you read Srila Prabhupada Books?

 

Take care.Hare Krsna!

 

Joy

 

[Guest guest]

Joy,

 

I am currently reading a hard copy of Bhagavad Gita: As It Is and the online copy of Krsna book. Do you know where I can find more of Srila Prabhupada's books online?

 

-Mark

[Guest guest]

Mark,

You probably reading revised version of Bhagavad Gita which includes many changes not authorized by the spiritual master.I say this because original version is more clear in meaning.

 

asitis.com is original version online.

Hardcopy of this is available from krishna.org

It's very nice that you are reading Prabhupada's Gita.All glories to you!

 

http://www.harekrishnatemple.com has free books

if some links are not working then try http://www.prabhupada.cc

 

http://www.sp-books.org is also good.

 

Hope this meets you well.take care.

 

Joy

[Mark_ 0]

Thanks, I downloaded some of the books from http://harekrishnatemple.com. There are even mp3 lectures too! I'll be sure to listen to them when I have some free time. In the meantime, I better get back to studying for final exams.

 

-Mark

[Avinash 0]

You are every now and then saying that Islam is the only true religion, Quran is the only book revealed by God, etc. etc.

Please note that saying something over and over again does not prove it.

[Gauracandra 1]

I like your logo Mark /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Cows are always fun /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Guest guest]

[Guest guest]

We are a big happy family,Inshallah.

 

 

Your Friend and Brother In Krishna God's Messenger.

[Guest guest]

Yeah we are /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It's not good to try to bring down faith of others.God made different religions because of different lessons that his children needed to learn.If God is love then it is more important to unconditionally love each other.

 

take care my friend.God bless ya.

 

Joy

[Guest guest]

 

I am currently reading a hard copy of Bhagavad Gita: As It Is and the online copy of Krsna book. Do you know where I can find more of Srila Prabhupada's books online?

-Mark

 

 

In the recommended websites page, i saw a thread called online KC books. There are more links there.