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I know Hindus believe that people can become plants, animals, humans, monsters when they are reincarnated, but do Hindus mention that people can become gods after death?

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    Not sure if it is explicit in Hinduism, but usually in Bhuddism you find six realms of rebirth that includes: Deva (heavenly, god), Asura (demigod), Manusya (human), Tiryak (animals), Preta (ghosts), and Naraka (demons).
    – Marduk Trimegistus
    Commented Jan 8, 2022 at 20:14
  • @Mauricio is it random or is it based on if you were a good or bad person in your previous life?
    – Orionixe
    Commented Jan 19, 2022 at 20:08
  • It is not random, it depends on the Bhuddist tradition, usually there is some kind of "karma credit" for doing good deeds that you accumulate during your lifetime that allows you to go up or down in the quality of your rebirth.
    – Marduk Trimegistus
    Commented Jan 21, 2022 at 14:25
  • @Mauricio so is being reborn as a god is the highest quality?
    – Orionixe
    Commented Jan 23, 2022 at 4:54
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    no the ultimate goal is to break the cycle of rebirth (nirvana) only those that are human or above can reach it
    – Marduk Trimegistus
    Commented Jan 23, 2022 at 11:20

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Very interesting question. Whether you can be reborn as a god in Hinduism is debatable, and many people have different opinions. But as per the scriptures, it is possible. According to one of the most revered texts of Sanatana philosophy, Srimad Bhagavatam, the positions of gods of the heavenly kingdom, known as Amravati, can be attained by anyone, given that he should fulfill some criteria. For example, Indra, the god of thunder and rain, is not the name of a god but is a position. And one can attain the position by performing one hundred rajsuya yajnas (horse sacrifices). When a person completes 100 successful horse sacrifices in his lifetime, in next, he will be born as Indra, the king of the heavens. The position of a god cannot be attained in the same lifetime, one has to complete his duties of the present life, and in the next, he will move to the next life according to his pious credits.

Hope this answers your question :)

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    What happens to the god whose position is taken by someone else? (i.e. Where do previous Indras go?)
    – towr
    Commented Dec 4, 2022 at 18:16
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You can't be reborn as a god, no. Becoming a god is something that must be achieved while alive - after which, you no longer reincarnate, as you no longer die.

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