Question: There Are Many Gods And Goddesses...

Question: There are many gods and goddesses in mythology. Are there different beings in different cultures, or are they the same beings with different names?

Sri Chinmoy: They are different beings; they are not the same. But they may have similar qualities. It is like, say, calling someone a great poet of America. You may want to say, “He is the Shakespeare of America.” Similarly, our Indian goddess Saraswati can be compared with Pallas Athena. She is not the same person, but since she has the same type of quality, you can make a comparison. Still, it is not the same goddess.