Hindu Gambling God
The earliest artifacts of Goddess worship date back over 40,000 years and many believe that the first God worshiped was a woman She is the earth we stand on, the air we breathe, the fire we cook with, the waters of life that sustain us and the spirit that lives inside us and all around us. Magicians and sorcerers have a long history in Hinduism. The ancient Atharva Veda’s most salient teaching is sorcery (Bloomfield xxix). This Veda contains mainly mantras used in witchcraft or sorcery, in the curing of diseases, for destruction of enemies, etc. Quotes about gambling in the Bible? Mark 8:36 (NKJV), 'For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?' Hebrews 13:5 (ESV), 'Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' ' Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NASB), 'He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves. Gambling is one game that is seen as a social evil. The game of gamble has not only sprouted problems for today's people, but has been raising issues in the lives of Hindu Gods as well. As an interesting side note it can be mentioned that, as per Manu Smriti, gambling arises from the third (and the lowest) state of Rajas (with Sattva= Goodness, Rajas= Passion or activity, Tamas=Inertia, ignorance- the Trigunas).
Lakshmi
Lakshmi is the Hindu Goddess of wealth and prosperity. She is probably the most celebrated deity on this list. Still worshipped today, Lakshmi is usually linked to Hindu traditions but is also important in Jainism and within Buddhism.
Not bad going to be worshipped by three different religions for well over a couple of thousand years! She is the eternal consort of Vishnu, perhaps the most important god in Hinduism, and serves as the source of his strength. She came from the churning seas of the primordial ocean and ever since has served as a symbol of good fortune and prosperity.
However, despite her ability to bring luck, she is just as happy to scorn those who deserve it. When Indra, the god of war, became too arrogant, she hid at the bottom of the sea for a thousand years, leaving him in a losing battle against the attacking demons. Indra had to make amends for his mistakes for a millennium but eventually, the gods raised her from the ocean to help defeat the attackers.
This is a cautionary tale. While she is quick to reward those who deserve her gifts, Lakshmi is just as swift to bring a terrible fate to those who are unworthy. Even the gods suffer when she deems them too greedy!
Hermes
Hermes is the Greek God of gambling, among numerous other things. You might have already heard of Hermes. He’s the Greek messenger to the gods with a little round hat and winged sandals. He lives upon Mount Olympus with his dad Zeus and the 11 other Olympians.
As soon as his mom, Maia, gave birth to him, it was clear he was special. Hermes was conceived, born and grew up in the course of one day. Hermes is known as the ‘divine trickster’, and it turns out he was up to his cheeky antics from day one.
Hermes stole his half-brother’s cattle and invented the lyre before the first day was out! It’s because of Hermes’ reputation as a cunning trickster and his ability to outsmart the other gods that he has been adopted as the God of gambling.
Hermes has been called crafty, a thief and a cheat, but people have prayed to him for good luck since he invented dice, according to Greek legend.
Macuilxochitl
Macuilxochitl is the Aztec God who presides over gambling. He is one of five deities who represent excess and indulgence. The number five also represents this idea of excess in Aztec culture.
The name Macuilxochitl literally means ‘five flower’. Every one of these five deities has a name beginning with the number five. They are also the names of days in the Aztec calendar, known as the ‘tonalpohualli’.
Macuilxochitl, who is also known as Xochipilli, or ‘flower prince’ is a god of many things. This god presides over some of the most wonderful and creative pleasures in life. Music, dancing, painting, writing, feasts, games and indeed gambling are all associated with this god.
Macuilxochitl does not come without danger though and is the one who draws the line between pleasure and excess. Those who have indulged inappropriately could be on the receiving end of boils, haemorrhoids and venereal disease!
This sure is a god that you’d want to stay on the nice side of, so we can see why the Aztec people prayed and even gave sacrifices to Macuilxochitl.
Nohoilpi
Nohoilpi is the Navajo God of gambling, and is known as the Great Gambler. Always shrouded in myth, Nohoilpi loved to play games, and was good at them too, for he would always win.
He wore a huge turquoise talisman – every gambler likes to have a lucky charm. He would go about challenging people to games that he knew full well he’d win.
After some time, used to winning bet after bet and getting whatever he pleased in the process, Nohoilpi had gotten cocky. By this point, he had won houses and even the families who lived in them. He enslaved these poor people and used them to build a city in honor.
This abuse did not go unnoticed though. Other Navajo deities spotted his evil deeds and came up with a plan to teach him a lesson. During a night of mystical singing and dancing, the gods gave an ordinary man special gambling powers, so that he might beat Nohoilpi and win the freedom of all those who had enslaved. With their help the man won, stripping Nohoilpi of everything he had.
The people were freed and Nohoilpi was sent away, up into the sky. This cautionary tale serves as a useful lesson for even the best gambler – greed has its consequences and no one, not even a god of gambling, is invincible!
Nezha
Nezha is the mischievous Chinese god of gambling and fortune. He is said to reveal winning lottery numbers.
Nezha was sent to his mom’s womb by the Jade Emperor to defeat the demons on earth. His mom, Lady Yin, was pregnant for three and a half years before finally giving birth to a ball of flesh.
His dad, Li Jing, was livid, thinking that it was some kind of demon. Drawing his sword, he attacked the fleshy ball and split it in two. Out came Nezha, not as a wailing infant, but a walking, talking boy!
One day, Nezha was playing in the sea with some other little children. In a mistaken incident, Nezha accidentally killed the son of Ao Guang. This was terrible news, for Ao Guang was none other than the East Sea Dragon King. The King was angry and threatened a great flood. Nezha had brought much shame on his family, so the little boy committed suicide.
This wasn’t the end for Nezha though. His teacher Taiyi Zhenren brought him back to life with some creative additions – a bit like Dr Tenma did for Astro Boy. Nezha now had a fire-tipped spear and a pair of wind fire wheels! He particularly enjoyed using these to fight with his dad, who still hadn’t forgiven him.
Thoth – Hermes’ Egyptian Counterpart
Thoth is the Egyptian god of the moon, wisdom, magic and time. Gambling also comes under his supervision as well.
Even if you’ve never heard of Thoth before, you’re bound to recognize him. This Egyptian god is typically portrayed with the body of a man and the head of an ibis bird. He is also the god of inventing writing.
Thoth was thought of by some as the Egyptian counterpart to Hermes, as they share many similarities. In fact, both Thoth and Hermes were worshipped together in the Temple of Thoth in Khemenu, also known as Hermopolis! Unlike Hermes, he doesn’t have a mom or dad, because he created himself.
All of the Gods of Gambling from Around the World
Do you think you deserve the attention of the gods? They may often punish those who are too greedy, but if you are deemed worthy then you can always hope they lend you some of their divine luck.
Here is a list of all gods of gambling:
- Lakshmi – The Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity
- Hermes – The Greek god of gambling
- Mercury – The Roman name for Hermes
- Fortuna – The Roman goddess of fortune and gambling
- Macuilxochitl – The Aztec god of gambling and games
- Nohoilpi – The Navaho god of gambling
- Nezha – The Chinese god of gambling and fortune
- Thoth – The Egyptian god of gambling, magic and time
Although he is not a god, there is another heavenly figure associated with gambling and luck. Saint Cajetan is the patron saint of gamblers in the Catholic Church. Interestingly, he is also known as the patron saint of bankers, the unemployed, workers, gamers and Argentina.
Which of These Gods Will Help Your Gambling Luck?
Pick one, or all of the most famous gambling gods, and pray they can provide you with the luck you deserve! While praying is not a sure way to win at luck-based games, you’ll at least know that you’re not alone in asking the gods for help.
Lady Luck can be a lovely companion or an elusive temptress. Depending on your outlook and circumstances, a gambling experience can seem like a nightmare or a sweet dream. But does it ever feel like there may be some supernatural force involved?
When most people think of religion and gambling, their mind automatically jumps to, “Please, God. Let me win this jackpot.” And it would certainly seem like a gift from above if the six numbers you picked actually helped you win hundreds of millions of dollars.
On this page, we’ll look at some of the gods of gambling that people have believe in over the last millennia.
Hermes
There’s a lot of scholarly wisdom on Greek mythology. Some of the earliest known works on the subject were authored by Homer. Many school children, if not all, have studied Iliad or Odyssey.
Hermes is introduced in the Iliad as counsel to a Trojan king, but he actually supports the Achaeans in the Trojan War. He is widely known as a trickster, after all.
Hermes was the son of Zeus and Maia. He is the god of trade, heralds, merchants, commerce, roads, thieves, trickery, sports, travelers, and athletes. He is known as the emissary and messenger of the gods.
He’s able to outwit other gods, either for the good of humankind or for his own personal satisfaction and amusement. Described as moving freely between the worlds of the mortal and divine, he was the conductor of souls into the afterlife; most are aware of his label as guide into the Underworld.
He was credited with inventing fire and the alphabet, but for our purposes, you may not know he was also said to have invented dice (knucklebones). Because of this, he was worshipped by gamblers in his capacity as god of luck and wealth.
He is the god often prayed to before a game of chance, and it is believed by the faithful that Hermes will offer his assistance to those who pray to him before participating.
The sky, sea, and underworld were divided between Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades after a roll of dice. Hades got the worst roll and, thus, the last choice.
Thoth
Egyptian mythology isn’t studied as widely as that of the Greeks due to the simple fact that the myths were derived from hymns, ritual text, funerary texts, and temple decoration. Sources such as these rarely contained complete accounts of a myth, and more often, only described as brief fragments.
Egyptian myths are inspired by the natural cycles, and so, the Egyptians saw present times as recurring patterns. The earliest times were linear, and those were the basis of the myths which set patterns and cycles for the present.
With evidence of the full stories being so scarce, there isn’t an array of information about the entire culture. What is known is that religious rituals included throwing sticks or pebbles.
The outcome was then predicted by counting the number of objects on the ground. If even, the outcome was assumed to be positive, but odd indicated a negative outcome. This example of divination is assumed to be the early thoughts that evolved into the gambling of today.
Thoth was the Egyptian god of wisdom, writing, hieroglyphs, science, magic, art, judgement, and the dead. He is widely considered to be the arbitrator of godly disputes.
According to legend, he gambled with the moon in a game of dice. Winning allowed him to help the sky goddess Nut to have children.
Hindu Gambling Goddess
Knowing what we do about Hermes as the messenger of the gods and creator of dice in Greek mythology, it isn’t surprising that Thoth is considered his Egyptian counterpart.
Macuilxochitl
Hindu God Of Gambling
According to legend, when the Mexicans arrived in the Valley of Mexico around Lake Texcoco, they were considered by the other groups to be the least civilized. Even so, the new arrivals decided to learn from those that looked down on them. The Mexican/Aztec mythology was somewhat of a potpourri of several traditions along with their own earlier traditions.
Macuilxochitl, meaning “Five Flower,” is the Aztec god of music, dance, flowers, and gambling games. He is one of the Five Gods of Excess. Because of his reputation as a malicious and vengeful deity, he is highly respected and popular in this culture.
Each of these Five Gods were representations of the dangers that accompany partaking in pleasure to excess. Though it may seem paradoxical to pray to a deity that’s design is to warn against excess, if you’re going to engage in acts that are dangerous, who better to appease than he who will be deciding your fate?
Hindu Gods Pictures And Names
Noqoilpi
Second in size only to the Cherokee Nation, the Navajo are a large tribe of Native American people in the Southwestern United States. As of 2015, more than 300,000 tribal members were enrolled in the US.
They have the largest reservation in the US that straddles the Four Corners region and covers more than 27,000 square miles.
Most Navajo speak English, though their own Navajo language is spoken throughout the region.
Noqoilpi is known by some as the Great Gambler, and he is the gambling god of the Navajo. According to legend, he came to earth to teach man his gambling games. Soon, he surpassed them at all of his games and started to win their properties, wives, children, and in some cases, the men themselves.
After he accumulated their properties and enslaved many of them, he promised to give everything back to them if they built him a great house. When the Navajos arrived, the other tribes were busy building Kintyel in order to free themselves.
Even with the losses they sustained, they continued gambling with him. The Navajos observed how people from other villages even came great distances to play with him.
The Navajos restrained from the gambling. But one day, the voice of the god Hasteyalti was heard crying. A young Navajo went to a place where a group of gods gathered, and they gave him gambling powers equal to those of Noqoilpi.
Chief Hindu God
After being dressed in the same clothes the gambler had, he went on a mission to best the gambling god. The young Navajo eventually succeeded in his task and shot Noqoilpi into the sky. The moon god made Noqoilpi some new people to rule over.
According to legend, the people made were Mexicans. His people increased tremendously in Mexico, moved North, and soon enslaved the tribes living there.
This is explained in the myth as the reason why Mexicans were constant enemies of the Navajos.
Nezha
Chinese Taoism is a tradition in China which emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao, or “The Way.” The Tao is the source, pattern, and substance of everything that exists.
The discipline teaches that in order to attain perfection, you must become “one” with the random rhythms of the universe. The ethics vary depending on the particular school, but they all tend to emphasize action without intention, living according to your nature, simplicity, spontaneity, and the Three Treasures: compassion, frugality, and humility.
Pictures Of Hindu Gods
According to Fengshen Yanyi, Nezha was born during the Shang dynasty in a military fortress. After his mother carried him for three years and six months, his father was convinced he was a demon and tried to slay him.
His father was unsuccessful, and when he was born, he was a walking and talking child as opposed to an infant. After Nezha learned of a threat to flood Chentang Pass, he committed suicide to save his family and the other people of the region. His mother built a temple for his soul to rest, which flourished because he granted miracle cures to the sick and disabled.
After events concerning his father, he came back to life to begin his journey as a demon-slaying hero. Years later, he went to heaven to enjoy the rewards of his good deeds.
Hindu God Of Destruction
Legends describe that he was invoked for help with lotteries and gambling. He is described as the only one of the Chinese gods mischievous enough to reveal winning lottery numbers.
Lakshmi
Last but not least, we come the only goddess on our list. The Hindu wife of the god Vishnu, Lakshmi is the goddess of fortune, wealth, and prosperity. She can bring fortune and wealth but despises the greediness these elements cause.
Along with the god of war Indra, she was in charge of protecting the earth from demons. Indra became too proud because he knew that they didn’t stand a chance against Lakshmi’s and his powers.
Once the pride turned to arrogance, she stepped back to leave him to fight on his own. After more than 1,000 years of bad luck for the rest of the gods, the demons gained power and took over. Indra asked for help and was given the task of swirling the sea, along with the other gods.
After another 1,000 years of effort, legend says that she was satisfied with the work. The account is meant to show that she only answers the prayers of those who are sincere and truly need her help. She is now celebrated mainly on Diwali, or the Festival of Lights.
Many worshippers try gambling after the festival because they believe that their dedication to her has caused her to bless them with good luck.
Conclusion
The next time you’re in a casino with numerous Greek, Egyptian, or Hindu-themed slot machines, stop for a moment to think of how the next big winner may well be praying to one of these gods for good fortune and luck.
Karma is pretty prevalent in most schools of thought, so make sure you tip your servers and dealers, be kind to strangers, and be courteous to everyone.
What do you think of in the hopes of being blessed with the next jackpot? Let me know in the comments. As always, best of luck with your gambling!
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