I did not realize how complex Hindu Gods and Goddesses system in till I made an attempt to get my son familiarized with them. You can even read it as how little I know about it. This is verbatim of the conversation that happened between me and Agastya while walking him to school.
Me - Agastya do you remember the names of main Gods that I taught you.
Agastya - No. I just remember that there were 3 boys and 3 girls. What was their names again?
Me - Okay so the first one is called Brahma and he is the creator. He created everything.
Agastya - Not everything. You made me. So what does it mean he created everything.
Me- Just remember the names first. His wife is Saraswati. She is the Goddess for wisdom
Agastya - What is wisdom?
Me - which makes us intelligent.
Agastya - No, books make us intelligent. How does she give us wisdom?
Me - Agastya let's just remember the names first. Next is Vishnu and his wife is Lakshmi
Agastya - Oh I remember the money God.
Me- Yes
Agastya - so if you are not nice does she takes the money away.
Me - Yes possibly
Agastya - That's nasty
Me (I am really irritated now by my inability to put any logic in this)- Next one is Shiva and Durga
Agastya - what do they do?
Me - Durga is a symbol of power. She destroys bad people.
Agastya - How?
Me (I opened my mouth to say by killing them but then stopped and just paused)
Agastya - where do they live? In the temple?
Me - In the temple we just go together as a symbol but no one knows. God is really a power or energy which just make things happen that we do not understand.
Agastya - I know Mom they live in clouds.
And that was it. We entered his class and he forgot all about it and ran in. I just kept thinking how I never asked these questions and accepted.
