The Living Tribunal vs Vishnu

Hindu mythology only has one universe that's destroyed and created over and over again over billions of years.

@loggi said:

@CitizenBane said:

Hindu mythology only has one universe that's destroyed and created over and over again over billions of years.

Actually, the concept of multiverse has been mentioned multiple times in the puranic literature.

Meh. This heavily depends on what specific branch of Hinduism you believe in. The faith has about a thousand different interpretations and each interpretation has its own specific texts, deities and concepts to follow. There are no absolutes in Hinduism's canonical literature. You're handed a bunch of cards, you pick one and you roll with it. No view is held as more relevant or more valid than the others, which makes discussing their relative standpoints on a comic book forum a tad difficult. At any rate, the usual story is that Brahma creates a single universe, and after 4 yugas have passed, Shiva destroys the universe. Brahma then creates a new universe. Vishnu preserves the good parts and people of the destroyed universe and transfers them to the new universe to populate it (Noah's ark, more or less). The cycle repeats itself ad infinitum.

@loggi said:

@CitizenBane said:

Hindu mythology only has one universe that's destroyed and created over and over again over billions of years.

And who will search through the wide infinities of space to count the universes side by side, each containing its Brahma, its Vishnu, its Shiva? Who can count the Indras in them all--those Indras side by side, who reign at once in all the innumerable worlds; those others who passed away before them; or even the Indras who succeed each other in any given line, ascending to godly kingship, one by one, and, one by one, passing away? (:Brahma Vaivarta Purana)

Vaivarta Purana is disregarded by most Hindu scholars because its view of the universe's creation is just completely out of place with the rest of canonical literature. Vaivarta claims Krishna created everything, while the Vedas and Upanishads maintain that Brahma created everything and Krishna is just one single aspect/avatar of Vishnu.

@loggi said:

Then we go with the wankiest, this is a comic board after all.

Wouldn't make a difference. Even assuming that Vishnu is multiversal, the Living Tribunal is far above that level.

@loggi said:

I thought Brahman created everything...

Trying to make sense of it all is a b!tch and a half. Some sects believe that Brahman is the essence of God that permeates the universe, others (mostly Vishnu-centric sects like the Vaishnavas) believe that Brahman is Vishnu, others believe Brahman is Brahma, etc etc.

@Killemall said:

@CitizenBane said:

Vaivarta Purana is disregarded by most Hindu scholars because its view of the universe's creation is just completely out of place with the rest of canonical literature. Vaivarta claims Krishna created everything, while the Vedas and Upanishads maintain that Brahma created everything and Krishna is just one single aspect/avatar of Vishnu.

Just curious are you Hindu by religion or just so well versed?

I was raised in a Hindu family, though I'm not religious at all. I enjoy immersing myself in a variety of cultures, so I've read a bunch of religious texts. Some are easier to follow than others, though....

@Killemall said:

Ok so there are 3 gods right? So its unclear which of the 2 gods created the universe/ multiverse (Brahman or Vishnu) what did the third god do?

Just curious? How does it actually work. Also isnt god supposed to be like omnipotent, are there 3 being clearly omnipotent? Is there anyone above them? What happens if they decide to fight against each other?

Something most (although not all) Hindu sects agree on is a force called Brahman which is basically the TOAA of Hinduism. It's sometimes portrayed as a sentient force, sometimes as just an abstract, unknowable concept. Then below Brahman, there's the three gods (Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu) who are called the Trimurti or Holy Trinity of the faith (Christianity has a trinity as well, which lends credence to the argument that's often circulated that religions frequently borrow from each other and owe notable parts of their canon to each other). Brahma creates the universe. After a long, long, long period of time, Shiva destroys it. Vishnu preserves the good creatures of the old universe and when Brahma creates a new universe, he transfers them there and tells them to repopulate the new universe. This goes on infinitely.

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva don't fight each other. This isn't Marvel :P