What do Hindus call "God" in general?
411588
though they apprentlly worship many gods, even the uneducated devout hindu agrees that all of them are just different facets of one divine gem. Krishna , Rama all of them are called Avatars of god.\n\nThe Upnishads contain deep philosophical theories and maintain that there is only one abstract god. he is called ajanma(unborn) adi(first) arup(having no form). we look upon icons as one of the many forms of god. a form which depicts the qualities for which we rever Him. \n\nThe first fundamental principle of Hindu Dharma is that "the Reality is one without a second." This reality is beyond description by human mind. Hence it is indicated by a single world, "Brahman". "Infinite, eternal, changeless existence is the All; from that All, All comes forth; to that All, all returns," that is what the Chandogya Upanishad (vi.2.1) tells us. \n\nIdol Worship (Symbolism) \nIdol or image is a kind of yantra or a device for harnessing the eye and mind on God. As the Vishnu Samhita puts it:\n\n"Without a form how can God be mediated upon? If (He is) without any form, where will the mind fix itself? When there is nothing for the mind to attach itself to, it will slip away from meditation or will glide into a state of slumber. Therefore the wise will meditate on some form, remembering, however, that the form is a superimposition and not a reality." \n\nSymbolism in Hinduism is sublime and profound. Each act of Hindu worship reflects some deep spiritual significance. \n\nYes, said he, but just how many gods are there Yajnavalkya?" "Thirty three". "yes," said he, but just how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" "One." \n- Brhadaranyaka Upanishad III, IX,\n\n\nHinduism boldly and confidently proclaims that "Truth is one, the wise call it by various names." (Rig Veda).\n\n\nin hinduism it is just accepted that worshipping something you can feel but not see is not possible for everyone. and most of the people need a symbol/icon. so hinduism allows you to worship and pray to god in whatever form you like .\n\nKrishna says :\nif any worshiper do reverence with faith to any god whatever,\ni make his faith firm and in that faith he reverences his god and gains his desires for it is i who bestow them.\n\naccept it or not, while people may not be worshiping actual icons every faith has something as a symbol of god. Be it a book or be it a cross or a place or a structure. many christians even promoted jesus to status of God himself instead of just His son.\n\n  so when they talk about god they are talking about God/Allah/Bhagwan/ishwar. they are synonyms just different languages.\n\nas for rhanjo' s post:\n\n it will be  gullible to think story of adam is really true and that everybody else on this earth think so. Patel surname is used mostly by gujarat people. you will get some muslims too who used this surname.
780022
Here's a list I compiled from memory of Hindu Gods/Goddesses compared to Greek Gods/Goddesses. I'm a mythology fanatic, but unfortunately I'm not nearly as familiar with as many Hindu deities as I am with others (Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, etc).\n\nBrahma or Vishnu or Shiva<--supreme god--> Zeus\nKama <--Gods of (erotic) love and desire--> Eros\nAgni <---Gods of fire--> Hephaestus\nKali <--Goddesss' symbolizing the life, death and rebirth cycles--> Persephone\nIndra <--Supreme ruler of the Gods; gods of thunder, the sky and weather; wielded a lightning bolt--> Zeus\nIndra <--Gods of war--> Ares\nSkanda/Karttikeya <---Gods of war--> Ares\nSurya <--Gods of the sun--> Helios\nSavitar/Savitr <--Gods of the sun--> Helios\nLakshmi <--Goddess' of love and beauty--> Aphrodite\nRati <--Goddess' of love, passion, fertility and sexuality--> Aphrodite\nYama <--Gods of the dead--> Hades\nBanka-Mundi <--Goddess' of hunting-->Artemis\nDyaus <--Gods of Sky--> Uranus\nDyaus <--Gods of sky--> Zeus\nDyaus <--overthrown by their sons-->Cronus\nVaruna/Baruna <--Gods of water/the sea--> Poseidon\nVayu <--Gods of wind--> Aeolos/Aeolus\nUshas <--Goddess' of dawn--> Eos\nRatri <--Goddess' of night--> Nyx\nDevi <--mother goddess'/divine mothers-->Gaia/Gaea\n\nI'm sure I could add more if I took the time to think about them...
101682
They revere Krishna as the supreme Godhead just as many Vaishnavites revere Vishna as the supreme personality or those that follow Rama see Rama as the supreme personality and Saivites see Shiva as the supreme personality. Ganapatiyas see Ganesh as the supreme personality. \n\nWhy? Because Hinduism teaches that there is only ONE God, one supreme personality, one cosmic consciousness, one ultimate realtiy, one unmanifest reality (all terms used by various Hindu philosophical schools). The One can be called by any name. For ISKCON this is Krishna. For other Hindus it is Ganesh, Shiva, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Parvati, Kali, Durga, Ayyappa, Murugan, Rama, or any other name. Some use images, some don't use images. The images are merely a tool, much like the name. Hinduism teaches that no matter what name you call God by, God will always hear your prayers and answer.
657060
Shiva is part of the Hindu Trimurti.  Shiva is the destroyer, Brahma is the creator, and Vishnu is the preserver.
656978
depends on who you are calling God.  God of islam says no, God of hinduism says no, and pretty much all Gods except for one.  the God of the bible.  and yes, he is that merciful.  remember, he sent his son Jesus (real person) to die for your sins while u were still a sinner.  why did he do that?  simple, he loves you enough to leave his throne and become a lower being and then be mocked and die so that he could spend eternity with YOU.  he died for everyone, not just a few, but everyone who would just do one thing, believe in him.  then he rose from the dead, defeated it, and will come again to welcome us to eternity with him.
907982
Hinduism.  Try www.wikipedia.com for more info.
396219
I think there is only one God.  Men have called Him many things; God, Jehovah, Great Spirit, Allah... the list is quite lengthy.  I doubt that He really cares what you call Him, as long as you do call.
140950
I think God is just God.  Religions are PATHS to God.
431664
Judeochristian-\n\nGod-no real nation, never a man\nJesus-a Jew\nMohammed-Arabic\n\nBuddha-no real nation, never a man\n\nHindu-\nRamayana, Mahabharta, etc.- Mostly Indian\n\nBenefit of the people?  That's not really what a God is for.  He's there partly to explain our origin (and anything else we don't understand), partly to have something to give your life meaning, and partly to help enforce a belief system, allowing a social lifestyle.\n\n"So called"?  That's arrogant in the extreme.  I'm agnostic myself, but I try to avoid insulting others.  Belief systems are hardly right or wrong.  There is good and bad in all of them.
309924
I agree with all the muslims above me who said & explained clearly the other 99 names of Allah\nBUT I would like to add that the word "Allah" is different from the word "god", simply because Allah has no gender or plural unlike god which can have things like goddes or stuff like this that`s why we use the word Allah\n\nIn fact "Allah" is the perfect word to describe the "One God" of monotheism.
46935
Hinduism tells me that the Divine manifested everything and everyone in the universe and that the Divine dwells in everything and everyone..thus I would have no problem offering worship to this man, because I would also be worshipping the Divine within this man. Each time a Hindu greets another Hindu we say Namaste which means the divine in me bows to the divine in you. It is said that whenever two people meet, God meets God. I do not need money to worship the Divine within all manifested things, although it would be no different than other blessings that have come about through my actions (karma).
1174290
Allah is the proper name of God, however, we know Him generally through His attributes. These attributes describe how Allah manifests Himself to us. God's attributes are innumerable since human intellect cannot possibly comprehend every aspect of the Supreme Being. A Hadith of the Holy Prophet (peace be on him) makes mention of Ninety Nine names of Allah commonly known as al- Asmaul Husna, the Most Names. In the Holy Quran we read: "And to Allah alone belong all perfect attributes. So call Him by these. And leave alone those who deviate from the right way with respect to His Attributes.\n   \n"Allah - there is no God but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that will intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them; and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He pleases. His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth; and the care of them burdens Him not;and He is the High, the Great.\n \n   \nAllah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is a lustrous niche, wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a glittering star. It is lit from blessed tree - an olive - neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would well-nigh glow forth even though fire touched it not.Light upon light! Allah guides to His light whomsoever He will. And Allah sets forth parables to men, and Allah know all things full well.This light is now lit in houses with regard to which Allah has ordained that they be exalted and that His name be remembered in them, Therein is He glorified in the mornings and the evenings\n \n   \n"He is Allah, and there is no God beside Him, the Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is Gracious, the Merciful.He is Allah, and there is no God beside Him, the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace, the Bestower of Security, the Protector, the Mighty, the Subduer, the Exalted. Holy is Allah far above that which they associate with Him.He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner. His are the most Beautiful Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him, and He is the Mighty the Wise.
688658
Hinduism is a way of life rather than a religion. We do not believe that our way is the only way to God. Even within our religion there are many different paths to becoming one with God. That is the ultimate goal for a Hindu to achieve liberation from the chain of reincarnation. The soul must be cleansed through the course of, in many cases, many lifetimes before it is rid of worldliness and can join the ultimate reality, what is known as Brahman, or God. There are many ways to becoming closer to God. You can do so through rituals or simply by being a good person. Krishna tells us that no matter what God we pray to, we are ultimately praying to him. God is both male and female, appears in many forms, is called by many names, and is everything. Hinduism is the world's oldest religion, and still continues today because we do not force a particular way of living on anyone. You are a Hindu if you are born one or if you choose to be. You do not have to follow any one ritual or any one set of rules to be Hindu. \n\nHope that helped at least a little. Contact me if you have questions.
912556
Hindus believe in a variety of things, such that it is hard to classify Hindu beliefs.  But in general, Hindus believe that there is one God, but that this One God has made Himself/Herself known in many ways, through various forms and names.\nGod is believed to be in all things, although not the same as material objects.  He is IN all, but he is not ALL.  (so it's not really pantheism).\n\nSince God is in all, this is why many Hindus believe that God can be worshiped by means of murtis, or images.  God is present within the image, though not the same as the image itself.\n\nHindus believe in reincarnation, and that salvation from the cycle of rebirths (samsara) is possible.  There are many paths to salvation in Hinduism.  There is the path of knowledge, where one learns the scriptures and the philosophy as a means to breaking free from the constraints of human existence.  There is the path of devotion, which is just living a life of devotion to God, where one considers God as his close companion and friend.\nThere is a path of work, where one offers all his actions to God.  He does what is right, works hard, and is not himself attached to the results.  In other words, he does not work just to gain money or prestige, but only for the sake of following God.\nThere are also methods such as meditation, and yoga and other spiritual practices.
605113
Yes, God has many names. I choose to call him by the one name that sets Him apart from all others...Jesus!
399556
Many religions consider God to be something above/apart from/outside of mortals (people). In these frameworks, God is worshiped because He/She/It created people and controls the world around us. \n\nOther religions and philosophies see the individual soul as unique, and on its own spiritual growth path. Under this model, every soul has its own place in the universe, but there is no single overarching entity called God.\n\nStill other religions and philosophies split the difference. The soul is unique to the individual, but is also a portion or component of the Divine. In this framework, God is the collective awareness of the Universe itself, and we are all parts of that collective. One of my friends calls this God as Borg. I prefer to think of it as being part of a family. The family has a collective identity/personality, but each individual member of the family is still unique.\n\nMany religions will tell you that their approach is the only correct one. Personally, I recommend looking at how each of these ideas resonates within you, and finding your own Truth.
934734
There is only one God.\nAnd that God is Kind, Generous, Loving, Forgiving, etc.\nPeople may call Him by whatever name but they shouldn't bring in some other partner with Him.