Thread by @Satyamshakti9

In Hinduism, are all gods equal or are some more powerful than others? If there is a hierarchy, what is the reason for it?

There is no real hierarchy of gods.
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Core of Hindu philosophy says there is one God — Brahman — who pervades everything. Key Indian philosophers — Adi Shankara & Ramanujacharya — stressed on that. So do most respected modern day gurus as also most key scriptures.
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The “polytheistic” aspect of Hinduism — with a lot of gods — is an elementary school of our religion. Its to help you form an emotional association with divinity to eventually discard it all in the pursuit of one powerful almighty.
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Also helpful in bringing many related faiths in one common umbrella. Imagine a guru’s finger pointing towards a star. Its there to help you look at the right direction; it is not the star, just as god form is not in itself god.
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Given that this variety of gods is just for the elementary foundation, no major philosophical energy is spent upon to create any major hierarchy. Ordinary people just make up their own categories.
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Now, in popular usage — Vishnu, Shiva & Devi/Shakti — form top tier of worship, followed by a 2nd tier — Ganesha, Krishna, Rama, Ayyappan, Murugan/Kartikeya, Hanuman, Kala Bhairav, followed by a 3rd tier — Surya, Agni, Indra etc.
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For instance, Smarta group typically start their prayers with Ganesh, then move to Shiva, Parvati, Vishnu, then Surya, Hanuman and finally end with the planetary gods [Navagraha]. Other denominations might differ in this order.
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Of course, this is just for convenience of common devotees. Not to be taken too seriously.
Credit: Balaji Vishwanathan

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