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(Feedback of readers are at the end of this essay.)
Recently I wrote an essay "Merry Christmas Explained". In response to that one American Hindu sent me a message that reflected her feelings. Her reply contained the following passage:
"As a second generation Hindu in this country it is hard enough explaining to non-Hindus that we don’t believe in many gods. When you state that the Muslims ask for "Allah" and Christians for "God" and then say that Hindus ask for "Rama" or "Krishna", you are further spreading the misconception that we believe in many gods. ... You cannot imagine how difficult it was for me to explain to my world history class in high school the fact that we believe in one God but our religion is open to whatever form of "God" anyone wants to believe in. While our textbooks claimed that we are a polytheistic religion, I had to explain that it was only because Hinduism did not fall into the rigid rules of western theology. "
My son also recently remarked, "Why do we Hindus believe in so many gods?"
I wish to express my thoughts on the topic of polytheism and also on whether or not Hinduism is a religion.
Some people including some writers and learned people hold the view that Hinduism is not really a religion but it is a way or life or that it is a philosophy.
Some Hindus go to great length to assert that Hindus are not polytheistic.
In my opinion Hinduism is a polytheistic religion but what is wrong with polytheism anyway?
Everyone knows that Hinduism is a religion so only people who do not have their feet firmly on the ground or who try in vain to appear erudite or intellectually inclined, will say that Hinduism is not a religion.
Let me explain. If I was to tell a high school class that the area of a circle is pi multiplied by radius squared, a student might ask for proof of it. I could say that the circle is enclosed within a square whose area is diameter times diameter, which comes to 4 times radius squared. So it seems logical that the area of circle is 3.1415 times radius squared which is slightly less than the area of the square within which the circle is enclosed.
But I did not give proof of why the area of circle is pi times radius squared. Why does pi come into the equation?
At this point if I said to the class, "Ok, guys. Just trust me and memorize the formula and do not worry about the proof." This statement may be acceptable to a middle or high school audience but not to a college or university audience. They want proof and if I tell them to simply believe me, without giving proof, I would be considered an incompetent professor.
But things are different in the realm of religion. When I go to the Hare Krishna Temple, the preacher reads from the holy book and says, "Krishna is the source of all sources. He is the origin of the whole universe... Everything originates in Krishna." I am not supposed to ask him for proofs and I am not supposed to be argumentative. The reason is that religion is a matter of faith.
When a Muslim preacher says to his audience, "It is enjoined upon Muslims to fast during Ramadan, " or that "Koran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed by Allah through angel Gabriel," a Muslim is not supposed to ask him for proofs of these assertions. These are articles of Islamic faith and the faithful are expected to believe in these assertions without questioning.
When a Christian says, "Jesus Christ was the son of God," or that "Jesus is the Lord himself," you are not supposed to argue or ask for proofs of these statements.
The point is that all religions are based on faith. This is why there is a common saying in India, "mano to bhagwan nahee to patthar." This means, "If you believe it is God else it is stone."
Since all religions are based upon unquestioning faith in the teachings of the religion which are generally contained in the holy books of the religion, why should one expect that one religion will abide by the rules of another religion.
This is why though Christians and Muslims believe in one God, Hindus believe in a number of Gods, such as Rama and Sita, Krishna and Radha, Shiva and Parvati, Durga, Hanuman and Ganesha.
But it is also well known that all Hindus believe in one supreme God or supreme reality called Brahman. This is explained eloquently by Swami Vivekananda, who says:
"The idea of a personal God, the Ruler and Creator of this universe, as he has been styled, the Ruler of Maya, or nature is not the end of these Vedantic ideas; it is only the beginning. The idea grows and grows until the Vedantist finds that He, who, he thought, was standing outside, is he himself and is in reality within. He is the one who is free, but who through limitation thought he was bound."
What this means is that if you develop intellectually and spiritually you will find that God whom you thought was outside, is in reality within you. This is why not only Hindus but many people of other faiths also believe that God is within you, that He is not to be found outside of you.
I explained this concept to my son recently as follows. I told him that when he sacrifices himself for the sake of others, when he shows love and compassion for the poor and the weak, when he protects the weak and fights the tyrants and oppressors, he is behaving like Krishna and the God within him is awakening. But when he behaves like a bad guy, when he behaves in a degraded and dishonest manner, when he is cruel towards the weak, he is behaving like Ravana and the God within has been put to sleep.
Even though all religions have a common thread linking them, there are significant differences between them. Hinduism being the oldest living religion has provided ideas and inspiration to founders of other religious faiths. Hinduism has many ideological currents inside of it. This is why some people call Hinduism a complex ideology.
***The End ***
P.S. Please send your feedback on this essay to me at nirmalb@hotmail.com
*** The End ***
Feedback from some readers are as follows:Kal T. wrote the following:
Very interesting essay. Like your point of view on the subject and I agree with you.
Regards,
Kal
A very good question indeed! In reality, to quote from Gita- "people do worship many 'gods' according to their intellectual capacity, but, they do not know that in reality they worship 'ME' only. It's 'ME' who does accept the 'pooja' and grants them the 'boon' but those persons that do understand 'ME' are the closest to me and 'I' am close to them too"!
Dear Nirmal,
It is interesting that Indian American youth asked you about polytheism. It is almost sad to think that they've have been led to believe that Hinduism is a polytheistic religion. Christians believe in the trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit), so why is Christianity not considered a polytheistic religion? Here is a good example that explains "polytheism" in Hinduism: Hindus have the freedom to worship God in their most desirable form, whatever form it may be. Some may envision that form as Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, or simply a symbolic Ohm.
A human being can be called by many names. A man maybe known as a father to his children, a husband to his wife, and a brother to his sister, and so on. Although the man may be acknowledged differently by several individuals, he is still only one man. In a similar manner, man envisions God in different forms, and may call God by different names.
This has been addressed by Gurudeva, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami:
It is said in Hindu scripture that "Truth is one. Paths are many." The search for Truth, for God, is called the Sanatana Dharma, or the Eternal Path because it is inherent in the soul itself, where religion begins.
There are said to be millions of Gods in the Hindu pantheon, though only a few major Deities are actually worshipped in the temples. That God may be worshipped as the Divine Father, or a Sainted Mother or the King of Kings is one of the blessings of Hinduism. It offers to each a personal and significant contact, and each Hindu will choose that aspect of the Deity which most appeals to his inner needs and sensibilities. That can be confusing to some, but not to the Hindu.Within his religion is monism and dualism, monotheism and polytheism, and a rich array of other theological views.
It is unfortunate that the perception of Hinduism being a polytheistic religion is taught in classrooms around the world, but that is why it is important that Hindus clarify these misconceptions. It is our responsibility to learn ourselves, and educate others. This reinforces the purpose of Punnyabhoomi, to serve as a resource and promote Sanatana Dharma. I appreciate your interest in Sanatana Dharma, and wish you the best of luck on your endeavor.
Kind regards,
Somarajan Nair
Editor, Punnyabhoomi
Namaste B. Nirmal,
Hinduism is monotheistic in that it worships One Supreme Reality (called by many names) and teaches that all souls ultimately realize Truth. It accepts all genuine spiritual paths, from pure monism (³God alone exists³) to theistic dualism (³when shall I know His grace³). Each soul is free to find his own way. The sects of Hinduism are inclusively monotheistic in their belief in a One Supreme God, and in their reverence for other gods, or Mahadevas. However, such terms which arose out of Western philosophy do not really describe the fullness of Hindu thinking. The confusion comes in the Western word ³God³, which can refer both to a Supreme Being or to a highly evolved soul or Mahadeva.
Sarvam Sivamayam,
Ceyonswami
Hello again and thank you for your kind and thoughtful reply. Although finding inner peace and experiencing God consciousness is of primary importance in my life I still have many problems in the material world. Debt, paying bills, not having enough money etc...... Is there an effective mantra that helps one to attain material prosperity? I would really like to know if so. Thank you so much again.
Dear Nirmal Shri:
What Hindus practice is different from what our Shaastraas say? Your statement "Hindus believe in a number of Gods, such as Rama and Sita, Krishna and Radha, Shiva and Parvati, Durga, Hanuman and Ganesha." Illustrates that point. Nowhere in our scriptures is mentioned that they are gods; there is difference between Devataa and Ishwar. Throughout Upanishads, it is stressed that there is one and only one God. Our religion (Aarya Dharma or Vedic Dharma) is not polytheistic. Raama, Vishnu, Krishna, etc are devataas. My children are not confused about our religion. They say prayers before going to school or before study, and even before meals. Upanishads clarify what is the philosophy behind Vedic Dharma.
Cheers
Kaul