No other religion has as many gods and goddesses as Hinduism. Does this not create doubt in the mind of a Hindu? Is it not difficult to choose one god from another? Are some gods easier to please than others? Are they all equally benevolent? To answer these questions one needs to comprehend the Indian scenario. India is a vast country. The language, food and habits vary from one region to another. With all Hindus being god-abiding there are innumerable temples spread all over. Each one has its importance. In a different language, the god may appear to be different.
But this may not be so in reality. We need to comprehend the situation correctly and understand how Hindu beliefs originated. Whatever we may have heard or learnt from others, there is only one Supreme Spirit we call God. He created the universe. He sustains it. He destroys it, and then regenerates it again. He created all living beings. He is the living force within all living beings. He created mankind. The only way He made mankind different is that He gave mankind a mind with the power to reason and choose. This makes mankind superior to all living beings. But this is also the unmaking of mankind. Basking in its superiority over other living beings, mankind forgets that the life force driving it to success and achievement is a gift of God. Mankind does not possess the ability to create anything.
Why did God bless mankind with special abilities? This is not easy to answer. Our religious texts tell us that it is only after passing through innumerable births that one attains the body of a human being. God desires that after a long journey though innumerable births a human being should be able to return to Him through good actions. Since a human life is too short to experiment with, one needs to draw upon the wisdom and experience of all the saints, seers and sages who have tried to make it possible to realize God within the span of a lifetime.
