The four original gods, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh and, behind them all Krishna, are, in their origin, the four aspects of the One Divine, named in Indian spiritual thought as Sacchidananda. Sat (सत) is infinite existence from which Brahma ji emerges. Chit is Chit-tapas, Consciousness and Force from which Hari or Vishnu ji and Hara or Shiv ji emerge. The Ananda aspect is Sri Krishna. These are the four original gods (and their original powers, shaktis) who can become doors to the One Sacchidananda. The Divine Mother, the original Shakti, the power of the Supreme Sacchidananda, Parashakti Jaganmata, is the origin of all these original Gods and differentiates Herself to become also their power, the individual shakti of these gods. Their names as we know in the Indian tradition are Saraswati, Lakshmi, Gauri and, Radha.
Out of these original four, there emerge many other gods and goddesses extending their families for the cosmic work. They are therefore powers and aspects of the One Divine, Sacchidananda.
The specific deities each have a specific function that originally goes back to the original Four and, through them to the One. Subramanyam Swami or Karthikeya or god Muruga, is the warrior force that rides on peacock, the symbol of victory and leads the army of the gods. He helps destroy the powers that oppose the growth of divinity upon earth. Similarly, Lord Ganesha removes obstacles by the power of knowledge. Gauri or Parvati slays the Asura as Kali while nourishing the seeking soul through its difficulties as Gauri.
What about the human soul? Where does it stand in relation to the Gods. The human soul is not an aspect of the Supreme Divine Himself. It is equal to the great gods and, having gone through the evolutionary process, even a notch greater because of the long earthly experience and the great adventure. That is why even the gods wish to be born upon earth for the Highest experience. Man, for all his defects is still the favourite of God. To summarise we can say that man himself is a god but he does not yet know it. Hence he has to go through tough training in the school of ignorance. But the day man discovers his true self he will indeed be greater than the gods, rather one with the Divine of whom he is an eternal portion, Nara-Narayana.
A devotee of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother regards these cosmic powers as helpers in the march of mankind but his allegiance and surrender goes only to the Divine Mother, who is Aditi, mother of the gods.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
