God in Hinduism

Discover the divine tapestry of God in Hinduism, a vast pantheon reflecting the multifaceted nature of the divine. From Brahma, the creator, to Vishnu, the protector, and Shiva, the destroyer, Hinduism includes a diverse array of deities representing various aspects of cosmic existence. Goddesses, including Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Durga, embody virtues and cosmic forces.

God in Hinduism

Historical Facts	A devotee of Lord Rama, Symbol of Strength
Brahma	Creator of the universe
Vishnu	Preserver of the universe
Shiva	Destroyer and Transformer
Lakshmi	Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity
Saraswati	Goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom
Parvati	Goddess of Power and Love
Ganesh	Remover of Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings
Hanuman	Devotee of Lord Rama, Symbol of Strength
Krishna	Divine Avatar, Supreme Personality

Introduction

In Hinduism, the concept of God varies in different religio-philosophical traditions. Hinduism includes a wide variety of beliefs about God and divinity, such as henotheism, monotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism, pandeism, monism, agnosticism, atheism, and nontheism. Forms of theism find mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita. Emotional or loving devotion (bhakti) to a primary god such as avatars of Vishnu (such as Krishna), Shiva, and Devi (as it appeared in the early Middle Ages) is now known as the Bhakti movement. Contemporary Hinduism can be divided into four major theistic Hindu traditions: Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism worship the Hindu deities Vishnu, Shiva, and Devi as the supreme god in that order, or consider all Hindu deities to be aspects of the same Supreme Reality or eternal and formless metaphysical Absolute, called in Hinduism Brahman, or, translated from Sanskrit terminology, “God alone”. Other minor sects such as Ganapatya and Saura focus on the deities Ganesha or Surya as the Supreme.

Advaita Vedanta

Hindus who follow Advaita Vedanta consider atman, the individual soul in every living being, to be the same as Vishnu, Shiva or Devi, or alternatively identical with the eternal and formless metaphysical Absolute called Brahman. Such a philosophical system of Advaita, or non-dualism, as developed in the Vedantic school of Hindu philosophy, especially as set forth in the Upanishads, was popularized by the Indian philosopher, Vedic scholar, teacher and mystic Adi Śaṅkara in the 8th century CE and had a tremendous influence on Hinduism. Advaitins therefore believe that Brahman is the one Supreme Being (Para Brahman) and the Supreme Reality that exists beyond the (mis)perceived reality of the world of many objects and transitory persons.

Dvaita Vedanta

Hindus who follow Dvaita Vedanta consider that the jivatma (individual self) and the eternal and formless metaphysical Absolute called Brahman in Hinduism exist as independent realities and that these are fundamentally different. Such a philosophical system of Dvaita, or dualism, as developed in the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy, particularly as set forth in the Vedas, was popularized by the Indian philosopher, Vedic scholar and theologian Madhvacarya in the 13th century CE, and was another major influence on Hinduism. In particular, the influence of Madhvacarya’s philosophy was most prominent and pronounced on the Chaitanya school of Bengal Vaishnavism.

Henotheism, Catenotheism and Equitaism

Henotheism was a term used by scholars such as Max Müller to describe the theology of the Vedic religion. Müller noted that the hymns of the Rigveda, Hinduism’s oldest scripture, mention many deities, but praise them successively as “the one ultimate, supreme God” (called saccidānanda in some traditions), or as “one supreme goddess”, thereby asserting that the nature of the deities it was unified (ekam) and the deities were nothing but plural manifestations of the same concept of the divine (God). Recurring in the Vedic texts is the idea that there can be and are many perspectives for the same divine or spiritual principle. Related terms to henotheism are monolatrism and catenotheism. The second term is an extension of “henotheism”, “one god at a time”. Henotheism refers to a pluralistic theology where various deities are regarded as a single, equivalent divine essence. Some scholars prefer the term monolatry to henotheism to discuss religions where one god is central, but the existence or status of other gods is not denied. Another term related to henotheism is “equitaism”, referring to the belief that all gods are equal.

Panentheism and nontheism

The Vedic civilization‘s conceptualization of the divine or One, states Jeaneane Fowler, is more abstract than the monotheistic God, the Reality behind the phenomenal universe. The Vedic hymns treat it as an “unlimited, indescribable, absolute principle”, so the Vedic divine is something of a panentheism rather than a simple henotheism. In the late Vedic era, around the beginning of the Upanishadic age (ca. 800 BCE), theosophical speculations emerge, developing concepts variously called non-dualism or monism by scholars, as well as forms of non-theism and pantheism. Examples of questioning the concept of God, apart from the henotheistic hymns found in it, are later parts of the Rigveda such as the Nasadiya Sukta. Hinduism calls the metaphysical absolute concept as Brahman and includes in it the transcendent and immanent reality. Various schools of thought interpret Brahman as either personal, impersonal, or transpersonal. Ishwar Chandra Sharma describes it as “The Absolute Reality, beyond all dualities of existence and non-existence, light and darkness and time, space and cause”. Influential ancient and medieval Hindu philosophers, says philosophy professor Roy Perrett, teach their spiritual ideas with a world created ex nihilo and “effectively farm without God altogether.” There are many different schools in Hindu philosophy. Its non-theistic traditions, such as Samkhya, early Nyaya, Mimamsa, and many within Vedanta, such as Advaita, do not posit the existence of an omnipotent, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God (a monotheistic God), while its theistic traditions posit a personal God left to the choice of Hindus. The major schools of Hindu philosophy explain morality and the nature of existence through the doctrines of karma and samsara, as in other Indian religions.

Monotheism

Monotheism is the belief in a single creator God and lack of belief in any other Creator. Hinduism is not a monolithic faith, and various sects may or may not assume or require such a faith. Religion is considered a personal belief in Hinduism and followers are free to choose different interpretations within karma and samsara. Many forms of Hinduism believe in a monotheistic God, such as Krishnaism, some schools of Vedanta, and the Arya Samaj.

Madhvacharya’s Monotheistic God

Madhvacharya (1238–1317 CE) developed Dvaita theology where Vishnu was presented as a monotheistic god, similar to the major world religions. His writings have led some, such as George Abraham Grierson, to suggest that he was influenced by Christianity. Madhvacharya was misperceived and misrepresented by both Christian missionaries and Hindu writers during colonial era scholarship. Similarities in the primacy of one God, dualism and difference between man and God, devotion to God, the Son of God as mediator, predestination, the role of grace in salvation, as well as similarities in miracle legends in Christianity and Madhvacharya’s Dvaita tradition fed these stories. Among Christian writers, GA Grierson creatively argued that Madhva’s ideas were evidently “borrowed from Christianity, quite possibly propagated as a rival to the central doctrine of that faith”. Among Hindu writers, according to Sarma, S. C. Vasu creatively translated Madhvacharya’s works to equate Madhvacharya with Christ rather than comparing their ideas. Modern scholarship rules out the influence of Christianity on Madhvacharya because there is no evidence that there was ever a Christian settlement where Madhvacharya grew up and lived, or that there was a sharing of ideas or a discussion of ideas between someone who knew the Bible and the Christian narrative. and he. Furthermore, many adherents consider the similarities to be superficial and inconsequential; for example, Madhvacharya postulates three common eternal fundamental realities, consisting of the Supreme Being (Vishnu or paramatman), the individual Self (jivatma), and inanimate matter.

Brahman

(1) Many traditions in Hinduism share the Vedic idea of ​​a metaphysical ultimate reality and truth called Brahman. According to Jan Gonda, Brahman in the oldest Vedic texts referred to “the power immanent in the sound, words, verses and formulas of the Vedas”. The early Vedic-age religious understanding of Brahman underwent a series of abstractions in the Hindu scriptures that followed the Vedic scriptures. These scriptures would reveal a vast amount of insight into the nature of Brahman as originally revealed in the Vedas. Those Hindu traditions that emerged from or identified with the Vedic literature and maintained the notion of a metaphysical ultimate reality would identify that ultimate reality as Brahman. Hindu followers of these traditions in Hinduism revere Hindu deities and indeed all of existence as aspects of Brahman. Deities in Hinduism are not considered omnipotent, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent, and spirituality is considered a search for ultimate truth, which is possible through a number of paths. Like other Indian religions, in Hinduism, deities are born, live and die in each kalpa (eon, cycle of existence).

(2) In Hinduism, Brahman means the supreme universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe. In the major schools of Hindu philosophy, it is the material, efficient, formal and final cause of all that exists. It is the omnipresent, sexless, infinite, eternal truth and bliss that does not change, yet is the cause of all change. Brahman as a metaphysical concept is the only binding unity behind the diversity in all that exists in the universe. Brahman is a Vedic Sanskrit word and is conceptualized in Hinduism, says Paul Deussen, as “the creative principle that is realized throughout the world.” Brahman is a key concept found in the Vedas and is widely discussed in the early Upanishads. The Vedas conceptualize Brahman as a cosmic principle. It has been variously described in the Upanishads as Sat-cit-ananda (truth-consciousness-bliss) and as the immutable, permanent, supreme reality.

(3) Brahman is discussed in Hindu texts with the term Atman (Self), personal, impersonal or Para Brahman, or in various combinations of these attributes depending on the philosophical school. In dualistic schools of Hinduism, such as the theistic Dvaita Vedanta, Brahman is distinct from the Atman (Self) in each being, and in this it shares the conceptual framework of God in the world’s major religions. In the non-dual schools of Hinduism, such as the monistic Advaita Vedanta, Brahman is identical with Atman, Brahman is everywhere and within every living being, and a spiritual unity is connected in all existence.

Saguna and nirguna Brahman

(1) While sub-schools of Hinduism like Advaita Vedanta emphasize the complete equivalence of Brahman and Atman, they also explain Brahman as saguna Brahman – Brahman with attributes and nirguna Brahman – Brahman without attributes. Nirguna Brahman is Brahman as it really is, however saguna Brahman is considered a means to the realization of nirguna Brahman, but Hindu schools declare saguna Brahman to be ultimately illusory. The concept of saguna Brahman, for example in the form of avatars, is seen in these schools of Hinduism as a useful symbolism, path and tool for those still on their spiritual path, but eventually the concept is set aside. fully enlightened.

(2) The Bhakti movement of Hinduism built its theosophy on two concepts of Brahman – Nirguna and Saguna. Nirguna Brahman was the concept of the Supreme Reality as formless, without attributes or qualities. In contrast, Saguna Brahman was imagined and developed as form, qualities and quality. Both had parallels in the ancient pantheistic unmanifest and theistic manifest traditions, respectively, and can be traced back to the Arjuna-Krishna dialogue in the Bhagavad Gita. It is the same Brahman but viewed from two perspectives: one from the Nirguni focus of knowledge and the other from the Saguni focus of love, united as Krishna in the Gita. The poetry of Nirguna devotees was Jnana-shayari or rooted in knowledge. Saguna bhakta’s poetry was Prema-shayari, or rooted in love. In Bhakti the emphasis is on mutual love and devotion where the devotee loves God and God loves the devotee.

(3) Nirguna and Saguna Brahman The concept of the Bhakti movement has been confusing to scholars, especially the Nirguni tradition, because it offers, says David Lorenzen, “sincere devotion to God without attributes, even without any definable personality.” Yet given the “mountains of Nirguna bhakti literature”, Lorenzen adds, bhakti to Nirguna Brahman was part of the reality of Hindu tradition along with bhakti to Saguna Brahman. These were two alternative ways of imagining God during the bhakti movement.

Ishvara

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras use the term Ishvara in 11 verses: I.23 to I.29, II.1, II.2, II.32 and II.45. Since the publication of the sutra, Hindu scholars have debated and commented on who or what is Isvara? These commentaries range from defining Isvara from “a personal god” to “a special self” to “anything of spiritual significance to the individual”. Whicher explains that while Patanjali’s brief verses can be interpreted as theistic or non-theistic, Patanjali’s concept of Ishvara in yoga philosophy functions as “a transformational catalyst or guide to assist the yogin on the path to spiritual emancipation”. This sutra of the yoga philosophy of Hinduism adds the attributes of Ishvara as a special Self that is unaffected (aparamrsta) by obstacles/sufferings (klesha), circumstances created by past or present actions (karma), fruits of life (vipaka) and its mental dispositions/intentions (ashaya). Among the various sects of Hinduism practicing the path of Bhakti that built on the Yoga school of Hinduism, Ishvara means only a specific deity such as Shiva.

Svayam Bhagavan

(1) Svayam Bhagavan, a Sanskrit theological term, is the concept of the absolute representation of the monotheistic God as Bhagavan Himself in Hinduism. The theological interpretation of svayam Bhagavan varies with each tradition and translated from the Sanskrit language, the literary term means “Bhagavan himself” or “Bhagavan himself.” Earlier commentators such as Madhvacharya translated the term Svajam Bhagavan as “one who has bhagavata”; meaning “one who has the qualities of possessing all good qualities”. The term is rarely used to refer to other forms of Krishna and Vishnu in the context of certain religious texts such as the Bhagavata Purana, as well as within other sects of Vaishnavism. The theological interpretation of Svayam Bhagavāna varies with each tradition, and the literal translation of the term has been understood in several different ways. Translated from Sanskrit, this term literally means “Bhagavan himself” or “Bhagavan himself”. Others have translated it simply as “the Lord Himself”.

(2) The Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition often translates this in its perspective as the primordial Lord or original Personality of Godhead, but also considers terms like the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supreme God to be equivalent to the term Svayam Bhagavan and may also choose to use these terms for Vishnu, Narayana and many of their associated Avatars. However, it should be noted that although it is customary to speak of Vishnu as the source of avatars, it is only one of the names of the Vaishnavism god, who is also known as Narayana, Vasudeva and Krishna, and behind each of these names there is a divine figure with ascribed supremacy in Vaishnavism.

Krishnaism

In Hinduism, Krishna is worshiped from various perspectives. Krishnaism is a tradition related to Vaishnavism where Krishna is considered Svayam Bhagavan, meaning “God Himself”, and this title is used exclusively to refer to Krishna as the Supreme God. The Krishnaite traditions of Hinduism consider him to be the source of all avatars and the source of Vishnu himself or the same as Narayana. Hence he is considered as Svayam Bhagavan. In Gaudiya Vaishnava Krishna-centered theology, the title Sayam Bhagavan is used exclusively to denote Krishna. Krishna is recognized as Svayam Bhagavan in the beliefs of Gaudiya Vaishnavism and the Dvaita sub-school of Hindu philosophy, in the Pushtimarg tradition, in the Nimbarka Sampradaya, where Krishna is accepted as the source of all other avatars and the source of Vishnu himself. . Gaudiya vaishnavas and followers of the Pushtimarg tradition and the Nimbarka Sampradaya use the Gopala Tapani Upanishad, and the Bhagavata Purana, to support their view that Krishna is really Sayam Bhagavan. This belief was summarized by the 16th century author Jiva Goswami in some of his works such as Krishna-sandarbha.

Vaishnavism

In other alternate-traditions of Vaishnavism, Krishna is one of the many aspects and avatars of Vishnu (Rama is another, for example), recognized and agreed upon from an eclectic mix of views and viewpoints. Vaishnavism is one of the first monotheistic traditions to derive its heritage from the Vedas. When followers of Vishnu-centered Vaishnava sampradayas describe Krishna as “Svajam Bhagavan”, this refers to their belief that Krishna is among the highest and fullest of all avatars and is considered a “paripurna Avatara”, complete in all respects and equal. like the original. According to them, Krishna is described in the Bhagavata Purana as the Purnavatara (or full manifestation) of Bhagavan, while the other incarnations are called partial. In Sri Vaishnavism, Krishna is seen as one of the many avatars of Narayana or Vishnu. A sub-tradition of Sri Vaishnavism honors the goddess Lakshmi with the god Vishnu as an equivalent, and traces its roots to the ancient Vedas and Pancaratra texts in Sanskrit.

Conclusion

Devotion to God and Gods of Hinduism is known as Bhakti. It is a whole realm of knowledge and practice in itself, from the childlike wonder of the unknown and mysterious to the profound reverence that comes with understanding the esoteric inner workings of the three worlds. Hinduism views existence as composed of three worlds. The first world is the physical universe; The other world is the subtle astral or mental plane of existence inhabited by devas, angels and spirits; and the third world is the spiritual universe of the Mahadevs, the “great shining beings,” our Hindu gods. Hinduism is the harmonious cooperation of these three worlds.

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