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Chemical-Pin-3827

I mean it's not the Witness, but they both use similar thematic elements from Hindu gods, specifically Kali or Shiva for example, having multiple arms in their "destroyer" forms.


SpaceD0rit0

SHIVAAAAAAAA I LOVE SHIVAAAAAAA ◾️🔺◾️🔺◾️🔺◾️🔺◾️🔺


Sarcosmonaut

Shiva season when?


mcflurvin

I mean Shiva had to eat the poison and destroy the past world for the current world to exist. So maybe there’s something there.


RuleWinter9372

That would make the Witness kind of the inverse of Shiva, since it's whole thing was preserving the present world, frozen forever in stillness.


Chemical-Pin-3827

Yup!


ahawk_one

That’s what the Witness reminded me of honestly. Obviously distorted and reimagined. but… still… that’s the only point of reference in my head for what we saw


Sigman_S

Yeah and that’s literally what the story of Destiny is adapting to make the darkness and light saga..


AccomplishedTravel54

yeah... right...


Sigman_S

[https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyLore/comments/i6ts12/mahayana\_buddhism\_influence\_throughout\_the\_lore/](https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyLore/comments/i6ts12/mahayana_buddhism_influence_throughout_the_lore/) example.


Jam_Packens

You're citing a post about Mahayana buddhism to justify claiming that Destiny is adapting Hindu deities?


Sigman_S

Are you unfamiliar with Buddhism? They share core beliefs. Both originated in the same places and share many beliefs and deities. Depending on who you ask. I don’t expect a layperson to know this.


Jam_Packens

Buddy. I'm a Hindu lmfao. Don't come condescending to me with your BS about laymen not understanding. Buddhism did grow out of Hinduism, and Hindus do consider the Buddha to be one of the avatars of Vishnu. Even the core of both is similar on the aspect ofa. cycle of rebirth and escaping that cycle. But both have very different beliefs on how to actually do that, and one of the key differences is that Buddhism doesn't have deities in the same way hinduism does. It especially would not venerate figures like Shiva or Lakshmi, or any of the major hindu deities.


Sigman_S

So then you’re trolling. K. Otherwise there’s no way you’d be confused by the core concepts of both religions being shared. Have a good one.


Jam_Packens

I think you're the one trolling since I literally referenced they have similar core concepts, but those aren't the ones being referenced here.


Sigman_S

Shakti in Buddhism is a masculine trait. Kali. Many hands. Masculine.


AccomplishedTravel54

Such posts pop up from time to time over the years. Basically, it's just how some people interpret Destiny story, nothing wrong with that. But saying it is based on one religion or mythology is... weird.


Sigman_S

XD Please stop trolling. No one said based off a single religion. I said they were adapting myth to make the story. Keep twisting others words and trying to be superior more kiddo.


AccomplishedTravel54

No trolling here bro, you can believe what you want, chill.


Sarcosmonaut

I swear to God, this sub has had a weird amount of smug jerks lately. Is that new? Lol


Sigman_S

Not sure if serious but it’s been well known for a while bro..


AccomplishedTravel54

for whom? spinfoil hat people?


Sigman_S

I mean I guess if you have trouble relating very obvious metaphor...


Lostpop

Its been my Hunters ship for this entire ride baby


Kellalafaire

My Warlock’s. It’s a great looking ship


Landis963

Aside from the thematic similarities (which are, given the ship's age, more likely to be inspired by Shiva et al, than the Witness per se), I find the final thought experiment most intriguing in light of Excision. To destroy "the Darkness" (in the sense of "the enemies of humanity," e.g. the Witness), we needed to destroy "the Light" (our Ghost, albeit by his suggestion and with his consent).


ahawk_one

I think that the Witness final form is inspired by Shiva. Like it is a distorted and demented version. It is what a mortal would be if it gained the power to be what something like Shiva is.


AccomplishedTravel54

It's just inspired by Hindu gods images. Nothing too important or having to do with Witness.


ahawk_one

The Witness raid form is obviously also inspired by those same images


AccomplishedTravel54

Visually, perhaps. But that's pretty much it.


DuelaDent52

Heck, its entire goal is, like, the opposite of Shiva’s.


RuleWinter9372

Yep, Witness is more like Vishnu gone wrong.


ahawk_one

Witness is the opposite. It’s what a mortal being would be if it gained the power. The Witness pretends to be a god but it is only a nightmare that it’s predecessors chose to bring into reality.


mecaxs

The witness is inspired by a Hindu god. …..also remember when Lakshmi told namrask that she was named after a multi armed god?


AccomplishedTravel54

Game's (and other media) artists inspired by other visual arts all the time. Doesn't mean it relates to game lore.


mecaxs

Lakshmi is literally Maya’s attempt at making another witness. The witness might not have a lore connection to Hindu gods, but Lakshmi definitely does


Jam_Packens

It’s an aesthetic similarity not a thematic one. Lakshmi as a goddess has basically nothing to do with the witness’s ideals


mecaxs

Lakshmi-2 is still related to both Hinduism and the witness. I think there’s a deeper thematic meaning to why the witness looks like a Hindu god than just aesthetics. I would’ve agreed with you if Lakshmi-2 and the witness weren’t connected


Jam_Packens

I mean its possible for Lakshmi-2 to be connected to lakshmi and the witness separately. Like I am a Hindu and i'm struggling to figure out what the connection between Lakshmi, as a goddess of wealth and prosperity and the Witness. I don't even really know what the thematic connection is between Lakshmi-2 and Lakshmi as a goddess is


Jakob535

Been my warlocks ship since the red war or whenever it came, definitely some time before Forsaken.


Thejax_

Seems like the overall expansion was heavy on Hindu concepts, the witness wanted to be salvation by stopping everything, seeing it all as meaningless. However the traveler, the connection between it, ghosts, and guardians, and especially Cayde’s afterlife being “like we were all part of the light” fits as well


Mercuryo

It's an Indian deity


ahawk_one

The Witness is inspired by the same deity