The first three classes were those of priests, warriors and general populace. The original stages of life were the chaste student, the householder, and the forest-dweller and they held three debts; the study of the Vedas, a son, and a sacrifice to the gods. The three goals of men were rtha (material success), dharma (righteous social behavior), and kama (sensual pleasures). Upon the creation of the Upanishads, a fourth stage of life and goal were added as well; that of the renouncer and the goal of moksha, in order to be released from the world. As part of dharma, most Hindus are vegetarian, as by doing such they abide by one of their highest rules, to abstain from the desire to injure. Though their philosophies play a major role in the religion, many of their old beliefs derive from the multiple deities that are part of the Hindu religion.
Hinduism is a polytheistic culture, as they have multiple gods and goddesses whom they pay homage to. Though they believe in the many deities that exist, most Hindus choose to devote themselves to a single god or goddess, of whom Vishnu and Shiva are amongst the most popular. Vishnu is seen as the supreme god by his worshippers. Hindus believe that from his belly sprang a lotus tree, which in turn gave birth to the creator (Brahma). He is said to have created the universe by separating heaven and earth. Also, he has saved the world on multiple occasions and is worshipped in the forms of his incarnations. Some of these incarnations are in animal form, like those of the fish, the tortoise, and the bear, while others include the dwarf, man-lion, Rama, Krishna, and Kalki (the rider on a white horse that comes to destroy the world at the end of Kali-Yoga). The most popular of these are Rama and Khrishna. Many others devote themselves to Shiva, a god that embodies the seemingly contradictory principles of ascetics and the phallus. He is the deity of renouncers, those trying to gain release from the world.