Brahma refers to the spiritual reality underlying all phenomena, and is sometimes personified as a god. Brahma emerged from the golden egg created by the waters of chaos and established every universe.
Maya is the veil of illusion, the sensuous appearances that delude human beings into materialism.
The Transmigration of Souls refers to the propensity of souls to incarnate themselves in various material forms, from the mineral to the superhuman. Since soul matter is indestructible, each soul lives innumerable lives.
Karma refers to the debt of sin incurred in the past and in this present life, a debt that must be paid before the soul is to reach perfection.
Vishnu is the supreme Hindu god. He rests on the cosmic waters between creations, or universes; and in each creation he takes on some avatar or material form such as a fish, a wild boar, a turtle, a lion, a dwarf, a man. His worship is marked by affectionate piety and devotion.
Siva is an extremely important Hindu god, the dancing deity of creation and destruction. He has four arms and has a third eye on his forehead with which he destroys. His worship is marked by asceticism.
Parvati is Siva's wife, a goddess symbolic of his power and ruthless in her battles against demons under her various names and aspects.
Ganesa is the popular god of prosperity, a son of Siva and Parvati with four arms and an elephant's head.
