Concept of God in Hinduism

Om - Concept of God in Hinduism

The concept of God in Hinduism is very simple as well as complex. According to the Puranas, there are 330 million gods but in practice, Hindus do not worship or even know the names of all gods. It is a general misconception that it is a polytheistic religion, but actually, it is a pluralistic religion. Hinduism believes in only one God but allows its followers to worship the God in many forms such as nature (including trees, sun, idols, animals, etc.) and divine beings (Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, etc.) because the world that we see is the manifestation of Him only.

These divine beings are called devas (gods) and devis (goddesses). These are celestial beings that control forces of nature such as fire, air, wind, etc. They are not to be confused with the One and the Supreme God. God is a different thing than a deity or a god. These words should not be confused together.

In the Vedas, there are 33 devas, which gave rise to the concept of the Trinity and 330 million devas. All the devas are themselves regarded as more mundane manifestations of the One and the Supreme Brahman (God) for devotional worship. In practice, Hindus do not worship 330 million gods, but they do worship many gods and goddesses. The Sanskrit word for “ten million” also means “group”, and “330 million devas” originally meant “33 types of divine manifestation.

The Concept of God in Hinduism by the Vedas:

Vedas and Bhagavad-Gita are the most sacred scriptures of Hinduism. The following are a few lines where they talk about God.

1. “Ekam evadvitiyam” meaning “He is One only without a second.”

[Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1]

2. “Na casya kascij janita na cadhipah” meaning “Of Him, there are neither parents nor lord.”

[Svetasvatara Upanishad 6:9]

3. “Na tasya pratima asti” meaning There is no likeness of Him.”

[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19]

4. “Na samdrse tisthati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam” means “His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye.”

[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20]

Vedas refer to God as “Brahman.” Brahman (often confused as to Lord Brahma) is the unchanging, infinite, immanent, and transcendent reality, which is the Divine Ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything beyond in this universe. It is the Supreme Cosmic Spirit or Absolute Reality and is said to be eternal, genderless, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and ultimately indescribable in human language. Noteworthy thing is that Hindus believe that God is genderless whilst most of the other religions generally believe God is male.

Purusha and Prakriti:

Brahman is formless but it manifests itself through Purusha and Prakriti. Purusha is consciousness and Prakriti is the material world. Purusha expresses itself through Prakriti. Prakriti binds Purusha. Purusha is constant but Prakriti changes. It multiplies and breaks down into cruder and more basic forms. Prakriti has three binding principles, viz. Sattva guna, Tamo guna, and Rajo guna.

The universe that we are seeing has come into being because of Purusha and Prakriti. That is why Hindus say God is everywhere.

Jiva (Purusha) and Shiva (Param Purusha) are both one and the same but Prakriti creates Bheda (difference) between them. In terms of the human body, our body is Prakriti and the consciousness that we have is Purusha. Shiva and Shakti exist within each of us as masculine and feminine principles. This has an effect on the physical level – it is the cause of sexual attraction. Within a man, there exists a tendency towards the feminine qualities and within a woman a tendency towards the masculine. Through this, the masculine consciousness is attracted by the feminine and vice versa. If both are in balance, there is no sexual attraction. But if a tendency for the masculine predominates in man or the feminine in woman, this results in a preference for a homosexual partner.

The Brahma Sutra of Hinduism is:

“Ekam Brahma, dvitiya naste neh na naste kinchan” which means

“There is only one God, not the second; not at all, not at all, not in the least bit.”

But it is true that in practice, Hindus worship the Almighty in several different forms. Therefore, it is interesting to understand the concept of God in Hinduism and how the other Gods developed over time and became popular.

Prakriti is the manifested form of Brahman and further expresses herself in three forms, viz. Satvik, Rajasik, and Tamasik.

Satvik form – Lord Brahma.

Rajasik form – Lord Vishnu.

Tamasik form – Lord Shiva.

That is why the followers of Shaktism believe that Prakriti, i.e., Goddess is Brahman. Shaivites and Vaishnavites claim that Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu are Brahman respectively, but the truth is that Trinity is the Saguna (manifested) form of Brahman. Therefore, nobody is superior.

The Concept of God per Puranas:

Trinity

The reason behind this contradiction is that in the Vedas there are different verses that proclaim the superiority of different gods. The Puranas are elaboration of the Vedas. Most of the concepts and stories in the Puranas have bases in the Vedas.

According to the Shiva Purana, the Brahman created Lord Shiva. Then, Lord Shiva created Lord Vishnu, and Lord Brahma was born from the lotus originating from the navel of Lord Vishnu. These three Gods are assigned three different jobs to run this universe systematically:

Shiva – The Destroyer

Vishnu – The Protector

Brahma – The Creator

Lord Brahma created the universe and he recreates it after every destruction called Mahapralaya. He created different gods like Indra, Agni, Vayu, etc. who help function this universe. Therefore, Hindus worship many different gods.

All other gods are the creation or incarnation of the Trinity. In the process of protecting the people, Lord Vishnu needs to reincarnate on the earth. Hindus worship all 10 reincarnations of Lord Vishnu and their other forms also. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati also took many Avatars from time to time. All those incarnations are worshipped separately by Hindus.

Concept of God according to the Bhagavad Gita:

The Bhagavad Gita is an important Hindu scripture according to which Lord Krishna is the incarnation of Supreme Being and hence everybody should worship Lord Krishna only. Worshiping other deities would give you worldly benefits, but you would have to suffer for those gains afterward.

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Comments (39)
  • Comments of Concept of God in Hinduism by Rahul:
    Got the opportunity to read your article. Very easy to understand, simple and nice. When lots of comments are there, it means your article is very popular.
    I failed to understand one aspect of your explanation, kindly elaborate for me. About trinity, According to the Shiva Purana, the Brahman created Lord Shiva. Then, Lord Shiva created Lord Vishnu, and Lord Brahma was born from the lotus originating from the navel of Lord Vishnu. Brahma was already there who created Shiva, then why Brahma was born again from Vishnu. Something confusing.

    • Hello Ravi, thanks for your response. Brahman and Brahma are two different entities. Brahman is almighty, genderless, formless while Brahma is one of the gods.

      • hey rahul! im sorry tho you have a error in ur text we hindus do not have 330 million gods. it goes ” tehtis koti devta” it means 33 supreme gods
        8-Vasu, 11-Rudra, and 12-Aaditya, 1-Indra and 1-Prajaapati.

  • I’m not either Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Paganist, Luciferian, or any other various sort. I am a Lover. Hinduism has more of the truth in it than most but certain aspects are all pieces of the greater puzzle. We are to pull the lines and connect the dots. Study in all religion and philosophies allow for the greatest depth for understanding and relating feelings of empathy and seeing the connections between them all. It’s all the same message with different highlights some exclusive to certain religious groups. The Creator is more than we can understand, it is all good and evil light and dark one cannot exist with out the other. If evil must be controlled by allowing it to run a ramp even by means of control it is technically controlled chaos for the greater good of all things. Everyone is right in their own senseIt was revealed to me no one is wrong, but everyone has the mysteries of their being revealed to them as they progress along their spiritual path to ultimate awakening and transcendence. It is determined by their openminded willingness to venture into the unknown in search of LOVE. The Creator wants willing open minded individuals to consciously seek IT with all their mind body heart and soul for the sake of LOVE in this existence, that is LOVE manifested in all aspects every particle and fiber of our existential being and subsequent reality. Om/God/Allah whatever you associate with are all the same being expressing itself through diversification to separate cultures in forms which they understand and identify with allowing certain qualities of its infinite self to relate and reach a larger audience of what ever particular culture it reveals itself to. We are arguing over nonsense LOVE is the LORD OF LIGHT AND THE MOTHER/FATHER OF ALL DIVINELY MANIFESTED CREATION. Love unconditional to all for all by all in accordance with divine order for the highest good of all concerned, in Love’s name we ascend Into the greater vistas of the complexing intricacies of our infinite experience in reunification with The ONE. Shalom✌🏻P.S. Hinduism rocks 🕉

  • Dear Admin,
    Can you explain where I can find in Hinduism that “it allows it followers to worship the God in many forms” other then One True Almighty God.

    Or it is just assumed from our side.

    Thank you

      • as salaam walaikum .My name is yusuf shaikh . Yes sir i totaly agree becouse …like in islaam ull get clear cut answer in in the quran wich is surah 112 , no contridiction .
        but in hinduism they belive god is in every form ,like sun,moon,tree, etc .when we read the hindu scripture which vedas ,there i can c without any doubt and clear cut answer that god is one and only ……
        i dont understand even they scripture says that god is one and only then y ther wordhip so many goa ?

  • Respected sir,

    I have read all your articles on net. It really nice. Its very enlighting. Its really help me a lot to understand many things. Thanks. But still i have some doubts, I will be grateful if you help me out.

    Following are my doubts. Kindly help me to solve it. Please give a brief explanation or any scientific reference wherever possible:

    1. Is number 108 is very auspicious for followers of Sanatana dharma? If yes, then why?

    2. All hindu gods are cosmic allegories except vishnus human avatars?

    3. In Japan Saraswati is called Benzaiten?

    4. In Kamasutra by Vatsyayana, immoral sexual perversion injected by Sir Richard Francis Burton?

    5. Is Lord Vishnu took his human avatar of Lord Krishna with a special untold mission?

    (The told mission was to eliminate Dantavakta and Shishupala, so that they could join him back as beloved gatekeepers of Vaikunta, as Jaya and Vijava. The untold mission was to eliminate all traces of a cloned human race.)

    6. ManuSmriti was edited by William Jones and he added casteism in it? And Maxmullar added back history of casteism in every hindu scriptures?

    7. The British created Devadasi system prostitution —so that their white soldiers do NOT have to pay for sex?

    8. Galileo did a Aryabhatta 4 millenuims years later, that the earth is round and circles the sun, and the church blinded him, so that he can never look into another telescope?

    9. Newton copied his laws of gravity from “Surya Sidhanta” the great Sanskrit astronomical work written in the Vedic age?

    10. Pythagoras copied his theorem from the great Sanskrit mathematics text Baudhayana Sulba Sutra, published thousands of years earlier?

    11. Plato, Pythogaras and Ptolemy were students in Kerala?

    12. Einstein stolen theories like speed of light, theory of relavity, me dilaon and other concepts related to space me connuum from indian vedic scriptures?

    13. Sanatana Dharma was renamed Hinduism due to the efforts of British stooge Raja Ram Mohan Roy?

    14. There were no Sati practice in India before Britisher came in India? Britishers want to show India use to follow such bad practices and hide Witch Hunting followed in America and Europe?

    15. Maxmullar and Macaulay are true villan of India? Why?

  • Whatever present day ‘non believers’in ALMIGHTY BRAHMA” say is due to
    kaliyuga’s prominence and its to be accepted as its the WILL of GOD !
    without GOD’s WILL nothing happens WHICH IS A BELIEF that’s present only in ‘SANATAN DHARMA’no other religion! Example: present day men believe in money earned or looted by any means and its their ‘nature’ NOT ‘DHARMA’ but look at the nd result ! THEY ARE NOT PEACEFUL FLEEING FROM PLACE TO PLACE AVOIDING LAWS AND ARREST etc!
    PERVERSION in education has taken over! It started in india by BRITISH to loot wealth and so their MECAULAY the intelligent educationist attacked bharatiya education saying íts old, unscientific ‘as by then some discoveries by material science showed çhamatkar’beyond human brain’s capacity!
    BUT HAS ANYONE ,EXCEPT THE ‘SANATAN DHARMA’S TAPASWIS
    DISCARDED THAT?
    BRITISH EDUCATION CONTINUING TILL TODAY WHICH IS IMPOSED BY GOVT AND THAT IS DRIFTING AWAY PEOPLE FROM FAITH IN ‘GOD’!
    Naturally immoral activities of all kinds will GROW with the help of a democracy allowing all kinds of freedoms to all
    we see EFFECTS IN DAILY NEWS!
    SPIRITUALITY neglected will INVITE disasters like diseases, abuses, cheatings , lootings and any kind one may think or unable to think!
    BUT IN ALL GOD EXISTS in the form of life BUT SURROUNDINGS /EDUCATION HAVE LED THEM TO ASTRAY!
    ‘NOW KARMAFAL’WILL GRIP THEM AND AFTER DEATH THOSE ILL PERFORMERS WILL SUFFER SURE1!
    CAN SCINCE SHOW WHATS HAPPENING THERE?
    BUT ‘SHASTRAS’ of ‘SANA TAN DHARMA’; tell inevitables vividly ,if one cares to know!
    COUNTRIES OUTSIDE INDIA TRY TO LEARN THE INNER FEELINGS OF ‘SANATAN DHARMA’ AND TRY TO ADOPT But the indians are still mesmerised!
    only god can rescue them !SO PRAYER TO GOD IS ÓH ALMIGHTY PLEASE SAVE THEM ,PLEASE TURN ON THEIR GOOD THOUGHTS BY LEARNING DIRECTIVES OF ‘SANATAN DHARMA’

  • God is an English word there is no word in English language which can replace word BRAHMAN.
    Brahman meaning is not God if it is then what is the meaning of ‘Aham brahamasmi’-i am god? No its mean “I am Brahman’.
    In Hinduism Brahman connotes the highest universal principal,the ultimate reality in the universe.it is material, efficient,final and formal cause of all that exits. It is pervasive,genderless, infinite,eternal truth and bliss which does not change,yet it is cause of all changes.
    Sanskrit word for god is Satchitanand
    Sat-Exitence ,Chit-Consciousness, Anand- bliss. Brahman is Satchitanand in many difference forms and God the formless(existence consciousness and bliss).
    That can’t be expressed by speech but by which speech is expressed that alone known as Brahman and not that which people worship here.
    That can’t be apprehended by mind but by which they say the mind is apprehended-that alone known as Brahman and not….
    That which can’t be perceived by eyes but by which the eye is perceived- that alone known as….
    That can’t be heard by ear but by which hearing is perceived that alone known as Brahman and not which people here worship.
    Kena Upanishad1 5-8

  • Thanks a lot for this page as I realize the difference between Culture and Religion.While Christianity,Islam,Buddhism etc are Religions Hinduism is a Culture not founded by any one personality but evolved by groups of people through millions of years.

  • After a lot of personal quest on the number of gods, i.e., 330 million gods to be there in the hindu religious text, I think I have found a possible answer.
    This 330 million so called gods are the population of a highly advanced planet ( let us say Brahma lok ), situated near a blackhole just rightly away from it so that, time in that place runs infinightly slower relative to our earth.
    It is said in the text that, our current mahayuga is made by Brahma in the evening of his 58th birthday. ( Explanation : one day in Brahma lok = 1000 maha yuga ; mahayuga = 4 yugas > satya, treta, dwapura and kali, and after kali yuga there is pralaya, pralaya means destruction). So Brahma creats our world from where he is using highly advanced technology and wait for it to grow itself into a highly advanced civilization, harvest the technology of the civilization and then destroys it. He can do this a thousand time in one day of his life, but he may also be taking breaks, it might be just like we playing games in a computer, we dont play all day long, because we have other things to do like eating, sleeping and many other things.
    So, coming to the number of god, our current mahayuga is only 1/1000th of his one day’s time, and kaliyuga is only 1/4000th of his one day, so the number of population in Brahmalok is very unlikely to change in that instant, or even if changed or not, it might only be a population figure of a census done earlier in Brahmalok.
    Question may be asked why he is doing this creation and destruction ?
    Answer is technology harvest. When a civilization is ripe and fully developed with advancement in technologies it is ready to be harvested and destroyed, he uses that harvested technology to further enhance his next creation. It is like developing a new game in computer. It becomes better and better.

  • GOD has created all creatures including nature, human being and ..everything and GOD has sent books to humanity to know about him. if you really want to know about HIM, then go thru the books that he sent.

    If anybody thinks himself about the GOD will be like this and like this, then definitly he will go in vine.

    Yajurveda : 40:9
    “Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhute mupaste”
    They enter in darkness who worship natural things.

  • I’m a student of Asian Studies and we have this class of the world religion. I been studying religion for 3 years and I know different religion and I accept them and believe them. I was being called with my friend, “A girl with a lot of religion.” Actually, I’m a person who don’t seek to understand so that I may believe but rather I believe so that I may understand.

    One time in our class our professor was admitted to the hospital and he got a sub- teacher. His sub- teacher seems like she don’t know more about religion. My report is all about Hinduism. She argue with me we almost had flight because she doesn’t understand no matter how I tried to explain and she doesn’t accept my my theory. However, I’m so thankful I found this site because it help me a lot. Tomorrow, I’ll gonna have my Part 2 report about Hinduism and I will really try my very best to explain to my teacher what Hinduism really is. Thank you! Have a great day!

  • “…which is same as Christians worship Jesus … as messenger of God.”

    There is one correction in the line above.

    It’s for Muslims that Jesus Christ is a messenger, but they do not worship Jesus Christ. On the contrary, for Christians, Jesus Christ is God himself, and that’s why they worship Jesus. Christians worship one God, but the meaning of ‘one God’ is different from what Jews or Islam understand by ‘one God’. In Judaism and Islam, ‘one God’ refers to one person. However in Christianity, ‘one God’ is oneness in essence and principle. And there are three persons in God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit – called Holy Trinity. God in three persons is the only infinite, uncreated, and creator of all.

    In the fullness of time, the second person of God, became man, so that the sins of all mankind can be remitted by him.

    • Thanks for the Correction. Even I wanted to point out this difference the author made intentionally or out of ignorance.
      However, concept of Lord Vishnu and Siva being just a diety and not Supreme God along with Brahma is new to me and it is definitely a new version of belief for me.

  • I must say, this article is well explained about the mention of only one GOD in Hinduism with many references that clearly explains that there is only one GOD to be worshiped in Hinduism. And good point is that the author has clearly explained the difference between a GOD and the deities. Then what amazes to me about the Hindus is, why they do not maintain the difference as well in worshiping the GOD and worshiping the deity(which is not really needed). They bow their head to the GOD. Then they also bow their head to the deity. When in need, they ask the only one GOD. Also they ask the deity. This is illogic.

    ANDHATAMA PRAVISHANTI YE ASAMBHUTI MUPASTE” “THEY ENTER DARKNESS, THOSE WHO WORSHIP THE NATURAL ELEMENTS” (AIR, WATER, FIRE, ETC.). “THEY SINK DEEPER IN DARKNESS, THOSE WHO WORSHIP SAMBHUTI (CREATED THINGS).” [YAJURVEDA 40:9]

    “THOSE, WHOSE INTELLIGENCE HAS BEEN STOLEN BY MATERIAL DESIRES SURRENDER UNTO DEMI-GODS AND FOLLOW THE PARTICULAR RULES AND REGULATIONS OF WORSHIP ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN NATURES.”
    [BHAGAVAD GITA 7:20]

    My conclusion is that all the human beings of the universe must worship only the one GOD in all the valid ways of worshipping and keep the deities as non worshipable entities. Just respect them but do not worship them as they are the created entities. This is the only method that makes a person to be following, what GOD has mentioned in all the various true scriptures.

  • With reference to “Concept of God according to Bhagvad Gita:

    Bhagvad Gita is an important Hindu scripture according to which Lord Krishna is the incarnation of Supreme Being and hence everybody should worship Lord Krishna only. Worshiping other deities would give you worldly benefits and you would have to suffer for those gains afterwards.”

    I don’t understand why you people say this but surly lord Krishna didn’t said this at all
    he said “you may come to me in whichever form, i would be there listening to you in that form only, if anyone don’t believe in my existence than I don’t exist for him/her ”

    so basically he didn’t said that you need to worship only me or any other form in particular

    why are you spreading misconception about Hinduism

    • Bhagvadgita is an extract of Vedas, Upnishadas, and to some extent Puranas. You can confirm this from the last pages of it where it is clearly mentioned. Hence, Vedas and Upnishadas are more authoritative than Bhagvadgita. There is nothing such as misconception. Hinduism was modified from time to time. In Bhagavadgita Krishna represents Almighty. Even the followers of Mahanubhav Panth believe that Krishna was incarnation of God and not of Vishnu.

      • Nope..it’s 100% True that Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva are same and one.
        Lord Krishna was MahaRudra, that’s why Krishna was so powerful
        cuz Lord Shiva lives in upto 400 brahma years,,after 200 brahma years Shiva Created Vishnu,,,
        in fact om is Shiva, shiva is om so

  • I am in love with one roman chatholic girl from philipins we both love each other blindly but i was confused due to our family and society will not accept our marriage thats why i told her to marry with other guy when she got married now i feel guilty and i cant forget her and i feel that i had made mistake she was trying to be hindu but i did not allow her to be hindu now her husband work in saudi and he is having doubt on her if we are talking again i think it will make her future problem and i am thinking to get marry with her again if he give her divorce i am praying to lord Shri Krishna and Shri Radha to bring my love back to me again plz help me to get my love again.

    • God have plan for every soul. we cant understand it. this plan is also called fate. He wrote the best thing for you. just go with it. sometime events that seem like bad happenings is actually a blessing in disguise. He could have better plan for you. i have seen it alot in my life. i also went through the same stage of life you are going through. bear patience, perseverance and steadfastness. you will realise that God is the best of Planner.

      • If God plan for every soul , how could he plan , that a girl should be raped .

        According to me , God don’t plan for anyone , we and only we are responsible for what we get .

        • I agree with you brother some how, but just want to add to make this issue more inline with truth (in my opinion), God gave us limited choice as well to chose between good and bad,, I mean good deeds and bad deeds, and God also very clearly mentioned to us through HIS scriptures HE revealed to HIS Messengers and Prophets for guidance of mankind.

  • Concept of Hinduism or Eastern God is different from the western God.
    Concept of Western God is like a Painter who paints beautiful painings of the nature and many things(Humans ,Plants ,Animals) on a drawing borad(Earth) and rests. If any thing has gone in the Painting,He has to wipe and draw again with new a paintings(Judgement day).
    He is always Separate from the Nature and Human just as a painter is separate from his painting. God is Static.

    But in Eastern(Hinduism) concept of God is a Dynamic Dancer(Nataraja)
    Dancer is not separate from the Dance, When Dancer dances then only it is called Dance,when He stops ther is No dance. So Universe is continous process of vibration of Creation and Destruction,God is not separate from the nature
    and humans. He is in everything that exist, a vibration.
    Dance of Nataraja(Shiva) is called Dance of Sub-atomic particles in Tao of Physics.
    So concpet of Hindu God is a Cosmic Dancer who continuously dances for the creation and Destruction.
    The source of all movement,
    Shiva’s dance,
    Gives rhythm to the universe.
    He creates and preserves,
    Destroys and releases.
    We are part of this dance
    This eternal rhythm
    This cosmic dance of Shiva is called ‘Anandatandava,’ meaning the Dance of Bliss, and symbolizes the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, as well as the daily rhythm of birth and death. The dance is a pictorial allegory of the five principle manifestations of eternal energy � creation, destruction, preservation, salvation, and illusion.
    The dance of Shiva also represents his five activities: ‘Shrishti’ (creation, evolution); ‘Sthiti’ (preservation, support); ‘Samhara’ (destruction, evolution); ‘Tirobhava’ (illusion); and ‘Anugraha’ (release, emancipation, grace.

  • There is only one God, not the second….
    Without any prejudice, Om is the best name of Brahman or Ishwara or Existence. Om is “Mine of Infinite Attributes / Potentialities�. Om is “whole” or ‘Poorna”. There is nothing beyond Om. Everything is within the envelope of Om. This is a very mysterious “Mine” pervading “everywhere” and “nowhere”. “Everywhere” refers to all those points in space-time continuum evolved after big-bang or so called Creation. “No-where” refers to domain outside the realm of space-time prevailing prior to big-bang and continue to prevail even after big-crunch. The “Mine” contains infinite attributes/potentialities each co-existing with their exact opposites. The vector sum from integrated perspective is thus ZERO, Shunya. So some people may perceive Om as ZERO or “Nothing” while others may perceive HIM as ” Infinite Ocean of Attributes / Potentialities”. Essentially both are the same. Great poet Rumi said the world is spinning out from nothingness. He is referring to this “Mine” in his own way.
    Various idols, deities in Hindu system of belief are characterized by different sets of virtues belonging to almighty Brahman WHO is “Mine of Infinite Attributes/Potentialities”. All these deities or idols are essentially subsets of “Mine of Infinite Attributes / Potentialities”. Based on liking or need, Hindus select a set of virtues from this ” Mine” to worship and praise God. In doing so, these virtues flow in you. Example: Worship Lord Ganesha… prosperity flows towards you; worship & praise Laxmi… opulence flow towards you. For those who don’t know, Hanuman may look like a langoor of India. But if you worship Lord Hanuman, then virtues of celibacy coupled with mental strength is bound to flow in you. It is NOT important if these deities ever existed from historical & physical perspectives. One may perhaps know what happens when one watches blue films or porno graphical articles. It disturbs the chemistry of whole body-mind complex. Different kinds of chemicals are produced to defeat you. On the contrary, if you visit a holy place like temple, mosque or church & pray there…now different kind of chemicals are produced. You will feel different…cool, calm, composed. In fact Existence is waiting for our call to flow in us. All possibilities exist outside of us waiting for our call to rush-in. We are choosers and finally responsible for our choice we make consciously or unconsciously. Hindus use this law to best of their materialistic advantages. Man is an intelligent species or human being. He needs material wealth also to live in this world comfortably.
    Hindus worship Existence through idols to fulfill their materialistic desires like power, position, money or whatever of materialistic nature.

    But a time must come in your life when you must not worship Ishwara this way else you will keep on cycling in the cycle of death and rebirth. Desire is the seed by which we keep on recycling again and again in to this world. If you want to come out from this vicious cycle, then you must not use this kind of worship. We should love Existence just for the sake of pure LOVE without desire. However, in Hindu system of belief, a freedom is given to a person to choose. Let an individual opt what he or she really wants out of this life from time to time. Let him or her realize the truth one day, that this is enough and it is the time to change. When you are saturated & get frustrated with materialistic achievements, one day you change & change immediately.
    It is NOT possible in one sitting, one’s life-time and even thousands life-time to worship infinite attributes. And it is also dangerous to worship all the attributes of this “Mine of Infinite Attributes”. because as I said before, each attribute co-exists with its exact opposite. If God is kind (virtue) who is cruel (opposite). In fact HE is both. Rishis of Vedas touched and evoked positive virtues from this “Mine” & similarly so…all messengers of God in Islam, Jesus in Christianity or any other religion. This is practical wisdom. We all pray Existence by HIS positive virtues. Some schools of Tantra or Aghoris invoke negative virtues (vices) from this “Mine” which is not socially acceptable and desirable. In nutshell irrespective of faith or religion, while praying, people build up with reverence various kinds of images of divinity in their mind characterized by HIS greatness, power, kindness, etc, etc ? The images built thus may be mental but image is an image, does not matter whether it is physical (idol) or mental (psychic).

    Therefore, we all pray “one without a second” in numerous ways by different sets of HIS virtues we can imagine or our mind is capable of imagining.
    Om namah shivay… I pray & salute God…May HE do my welfare.

    Regards
    Deepak

    • Thanx for commenting on this article. Your comment was very good and gives a good insight on Concept of God in Hinduism.

      • Well heres a Spritiual puzzle maybe someone can enlighten Me.A few years ago,while in my dream state I was awoken to a sound,It was So loud in my head.The sound was Om Ba.Now we all know what Om is yet Ba is from another tone from differents source.One of the sources comes from the Quran.It is in the second letter of the Arabic language. which is Ba.It gets deeper when I research Ba.Ba is all over in all the known Religions.Its also in the table of the Elements.My question is why would I be awaken by a Tone which is Hindu and Islamic?Could it be that the Source of All Things is telling Me to connect using Tones only?Oh,by the way after receiving this tone again I was awaken by a voice speaking and saying like one of my friends calling Me.The voice said Sri Abu,I woke up and said out loud,Are you talking to Me? For that day on,I chant the Tone which woke Me from my sleep.This is a puzzle.What do you think?

        • i have heard that Tibetan Buddhists chant om aaa baaahhh and do many many many prostrations in an orderly fashion as a form of tapasya. From what I understand, they believe these syllables resonate with the head, throat, and chest. not particularly in this order. Some meanwhile meditate on colors in the specific areas. I come from a Sri Vaishnava background, however, I know of some people who followed the Tibetan traditions closely for over a decade.

      • “Na Kartutva, Na Karmani, Lokshya Shrujati Prabhu:
        Na Karmaphal Sanyog, Svabhavas Tu Pravartate!”

        “The Lord does not act, nor does He induce anyone to act, nor does He give the fruits of action. All this happens naturally.”

        God does not want, neither force you to go through life cycles. It’s your own ignorance of the self that makes you do that.
        Realise that you yourself are god and get liberation.

        • Srivastav Jee, that means you do not believe in God at all. If you do believe in God, you should also believe only God determine cycle, yes HE also give us limited options to chose between good and bad.

      • Only God knows best. I know only God wants us to enjoy in this temporary world and also prepare for next permanent life.

    • May God Almighty shower HIS mercy and blessings on you and your family. Deepak Jee I also pray to God may God Almighty prevent you and me from worshiping Idols beside True God Almighty since God Almighty does not like any idol or image we make to limit HIS unlimited power and authority. Aameen.

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