User:IamBrahman/sandbox

Concept Of God In Hinduism In Hindu Vedic religion there is only one Supreme God. Vedas call it by the name of “Brahman”, “Parabrahma”,”Paramatma”. Hindus worship this Supreme God both in personal & impersonal form. Vedas mostly mention impersonal God Brahman which is only ultimate true reality & original nature of God from metaphysical point of view. While Puranas mention Trimurti which are three personal manifestations of Brahman.

Major God- Major God in Hinduism is Supreme Brahman/Para Brahman/Paramatma which is only one without second. The Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) & their avatars are manifestation of only one Supreme Brahman. Even though Trinity & their Avatars have different divine bodies but they have same single atman/soul (innermost core and essence) that is Supreme Brahman. Trinity and their Avatars are no different from each other they are only one but have manifested in different divine bodies. Normal human being consider divine bodies as Supreme God because they wrongly identify divine bodies of trinity and their avatars with spiritual body of Supreme Brahman which reside in divine body

There are mainly four denomination in Hinduism they are: -

1) Vaishnavism- Lord Vishnu is considered as Supreme Brahman. Followers of Vaishnavism worship Vishnu and his ten incarnations. Two most-worshiped incarnations of Vishnu areKrishna & Rama.

2) Shaivism - Shaivas or Shaivites are those who primarily worshipShiva as the Supreme Brahman, both immanent and transcendent

3) Shaktism - Shaktas worship goddess as Mother Shakti. Mother Shakti is considered as Supreme Brahman as well as Prakriti (Maya/energy) of Brahman which is not separate from Brahman itself. In Shaktism the goddess is presented as both the Brahman & Prakriti. These forms may include Durga, Kali, Parvati, Lakshmi, Saraswati.

4) Smartism - Smartas treat all deities as same, & their temples include five deities (Pancopasana) or Panchadevata. It is nonsectarian as it encourages the worship of any personal god along with others such as Ganesha, Shiva, Devi (Shakti), Vishnu, Surya.

Minor gods/Devas in Hinduism and Misconception of 33 crore/330 million gods :-

There is no such concept of 330 million god. There are only 33 Koti/types (Literal meaning of Koti is types) of gods/Devas whose function is to sustain the world. Each living being consist of fraction of this Devas. These Devas are not able to give you Moksha/Nirvana (liberation), freedom from Samsara/cycle of death & birth so these Devas should not be worshiped. These devas are just creation of Supreme Brahman. In Vedic period these devas were only worshiped only to get temporary heaven/Swarg. One who seek liberation & freedom from Samsara/cycle of birth of death they should not worship such Devas. They should be revered by considering presence of Supreme Brahman within them which is in the form of Atman/soul.

Reference:- (“Those who devote themselves to the Devas have only meagre intelligence and obtain (only) fruits that are temporary (invariably subject to destruction). The worshippers of the Devas go the (abode of) the Devas, but my devotees come to me (My eternal spiritual abode).” (Srimad Bhagavad-Gita: 7.23)

“Persons whose conscience is stolen by material desires worship other devas (gods other than Myself) and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship which correspond to the ends they desire, being governed by their own (conditioned) natures.”(Srimad Bhagavad-Gita: 7.20)

With Supreme God’s influence, these thirty three (supporting Devata) sustain the world) (Atharva Veda 10-7-13)

There are only thirty three devas/demigods (brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3:9:2)

Metaphysical concept of God in Hinduism- (is God impersonal or personal?)

Gods general ultimate form is formless pure consciousness (Nirakar Nirguna/without form/Impersonal) but it can manifests into divine form (Sakar Saugna/with form/personal).God has ability to manifest into any kind of form and shape. If some says God cannot have Ability to have form then it is contradictory to his own attributes. Nothing is impossible for God. Being manifested in different forms is ability of the Almighty God. It is very necessary to acknowledge that the Brahman “itself”, “Whatever it is” is in unmanifest state & beyond imagination but as it gets covered in Prakriti (Prikriti is material energy of Brahman e.g. Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, & intelligence) it appears to be manifested as personal form. Here at above places the meaning of manifestation is taken in sense to that which appears to have taken form/symbolic and but it is unreal from the standpoint of absolute reality (Empirical reality). Unmanifest absolute Brahman is analogues to the infinite source of unmanifest electric energy while its personal Sakar form is analogues to the lightened bulb. When unmanifest electric energy is supplied to filament enclosed in glass bulb it appears in the form of light. In the same way the unmanifest Brahman when gets covered/embodied in Prakriti it appears to have taken form. The Formless Brahman is analogues to Air and water & its personal form is analogues to balloon filled with air or water. Air and water both are formless but when they are contained in transparent balloon then they appear to have taken form but that does not mean that Air and Water both elements have lost its properties of being formless. In the same way the formless Brahman when it resides and pervades the Body made up of material element within universe it appears to have taken form but in reality it does not lose its formless nature. The God with Form is unified with Formless God which is supreme reality. Vedas mostly describe Nirakar Nirguna Brahman which is formless, omnipresent, eternal consciousness. Vedas mention Supreme God as Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma from Trinity).

“Ekam Sat-Viprah Bahudha Vadanti. “The One Being, the wise diversely speak of.”- (Rig-Veda 1.164.46)

“The source and origin of the gods, ruler of all, May Supreme God, the great seer, who anciently created the golden germ, endow us with clear intellect.” - (Svetasvatara Upanishad III.4)

“Great indeed are the Devas (demigods) who have sprung out of Supreme God.” - (Atharva Veda)

Hinduism is an open-minded discipline. It is a discipline that does not use force on its follower. That is, it does not dictate the follower to act by one step by step recipe it gives, condemning all other recipes. Hinduism describes everything as divine and sacred because God is everywhere and in everyone. Supreme Self has truly created this real world, everything belongs to God but it also pervades everywhere. Hinduism speaks about all-pervasiveness and all-controlling nature of the Supreme Being. The Changing things that appear in the physical and mental world may be realized as divine: the Supreme Self that shines unmixed in everyone and everything, beneath all names and forms and qualities of personality and world. He pervades everywhere — is explained by the use of phrases such as “He is near and also very far” (yaddure yadvantike); “He is within and without” (tadantarasya sarvasya tadu sarvasya bahyatah); “He moves and yet does not move”(taddhavato’nyanatyeti tisthat). These apparently contradictory attributes reveal his achintya shakti — unthinkable nature (which may not be understood under human senses but exists)

“All this that is in front is but Supreme God, the immortal. Supreme God is on the right, as well as on the left; above & below too, is extended Supreme God alone. This world is nothing but Supreme God, the highest.” - (Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.11)

“All this entire universe belongs to God; who lives in it, in every smallest bit of it. It moves; and yet it does not move. God is far beyond the furthest reach of space and time; and yet He is immediate, forever close, and inseparably present here. He is here inside, in everything; yet it is outside all of this. God shines pure, through everything unconstrained by muscled body, unaffected by all ill, untouched by any taint of sin.”- (Isha Upanishad, stanzas 4-8).

Katha Upanishad it is said: “Paramātmā is the same everywhere, in every world, on every level throughout the entire Cosmos. Until you recognize this you will continue to be reborn. Paramātmā remains the same – in past, present and future. It is the same in the heart of an ant or an elephant, in every living being. It is the Cause of everything.” Thus the major difference between the Hindu and the Abrahamic beliefs is while Abrahamic religions speaks relatively partial attributes of the God, Hinduism speaks about complete attributes.

God is experienced in two aspects – as Nirakar and Sakar.

v Nirakar Nirguna is the eternal all-pervading and omnipresent divine consciousness. The Absolute without qualities, is impersonal, without Guna or attributes, Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable and eternal. This “Formless” form of God is called Sat-Chit-Ananda Rupa (Eternal-Truth-Consciousness-Bliss-Form) v Saguna Sakar is the manifestation of God in form. Qualified absolute, came from the Sanskrit Saguna (सगुण) “with qualities” and Brahman (ब्रह्मन्) “the Absolute.” The personal aspect of the Ultimate Reality. This Saguna Brahman is eternal, undecaying and non-differentiated from Nirguna Brahman.

v Verses Describing God as Formless (Nirakar)

“Na tasya pratima asti” “There is no likeness of Him.” [Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19/ Yajurveda 32:3]

There is no Form of Nirguna Brahma or God as Supreme Consciousness. “His formless form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye.” [Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20]

His Formless Form can’t be seen. Though He manifests Himself as Sakar Saguna Brahman, but no one can see Him with present eyes or material eyes. To see His Supreme and Original Form one needs spiritual perfection. “No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality and pastimes of God through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.234).

God says: “You cannot see me with your present eyes. Therefore I give you divine eyes, so that you can behold my mystic opulence”(Bhagavad-Gita 11.8)

“Shudhama papviddham” “He is bodiless (Here Body means the physical structure, including the bones, flesh, and organs which is made from element within universe. Brahman has unique transcendental formless spirit body which is infinite like space) & pure.” (Yajurveda 40:8)

“He (Brahman/Paramatma) does not possess bodily form like that of an ordinary living entity. There is no difference between His body and His soul. He has unique transcendental spiritual/spirit body which is infinite and omnipresent like space. Brahman is omnipresent soul and Soul “itself” is his spiritual body. He is absolute. All His senses are transcendental. Any one of His senses can perform the action of any other sense. Therefore, no one is greater than Him or equal to Him. His potencies are multifarious, and thus His deeds are automatically performed as a natural sequence.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.7-8)

God as Nirakar Nirguna Brahman or Supreme Consciousness is body less and pure. That doesn’t mean His Sakar Saguna form is impure, it is pure too.

v Verses Describing God In Form (Sakar Saguna)

“The Lord of the universe, Lives inside the universe, And without being born, Appears in many forms, And only the wise realize his real form” - (Rig Veda Purusha Suktam 2.3)

Although I (Supreme transcendental Brahman) am unborn, imperishable, unchangeable and God of all living entities I do incarnate (Sambhavami –cause to be born or produced) by using my Maya/Internal energy. (Maya: 1-Vidya -Internal extraordinary energy, wisdom, knowledge 2-Avidya - illusion & ignorance formed under the influence of three (Gunas) modes of nature.)   - (Bhagavad Gita 4:6) Meaning – Even though I am unborn I appear to be born & embodied because of my Prakriti (material energy:-Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, and intelligence) of which I am controller & influence of Maya/Illusion. I control both Para (superior infinite energy) & Apara Prakriti (material energy). I never get influenced by three modes of nature. My transcendental infinite/formless space like form never cease to exist when I incarnate. My birth & death in personal form are just empirical reality similar to the mirage or reflection of object in water.

Whenever & wherever there is a decline in Dharma/righteousness & religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion at that time I descend (Sruja-send myself forth/Descend/take visible form) myself (aham-I/Me, atmanam-self). (Bhagavad Gita 4:7)

Though unborn, it appears to be born in diverse ways. (Yajurveda 31.19)

The Lord, takes on manifold form. (It) transformed Himself in accordance with each form; that form of His was for the sake of making Him known. (e.g.:- just like presence of unmanifest electric energy can be perceived by lightened bulb) (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.5.19)

“Your form, Supreme God, which is kind, pure, free from fear and evil, with that most loving form, appear to us” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.6)

He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and he is the prime cause of all causes.”(Brahma Samhita 5.1)

There are two forms of Brahman, the material & the immaterial, the mortal and the immortal, the solid and the fluid, sat (being) and tya (that), (i.e. sat-tya, true). (The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.3.1)

Therefore it can be understood now that God has two forms Nirakar Nirguna & Sakar Saguna. These two form Characteristics of God like all-powerful, all-knowing, all-merciful, pure, infinite etc. remains same. Just like water has three forms – liquid, solid & vapor, though it appears in different forms but core substance H2O remains same in all forms. In the same way the Brahman/God is only one without second & has ability to manifests in different forms at the same time anywhere on the earth & still remaining present everywhere. Its formless feature is omnipresent & infinite like space and it is able to manifest in number of forms at different places at the same time. God is Supreme Soul which itself is Spiritual body. The God manifests in the form that means it wears or gets covered in body which is made from elements (material body) present within universe.

All Puranas mention that the trinity Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva are Swayabhu (self-existing by its own accord) & have same soul. Their own individual soul in not different from supreme soul Brahman. Their own soul is only one that is Brahman. The Gods in Trinity are in unification (complete absorption of mind and intellect into oneness) with Supreme formless Brahman so they are one. One should have idea about Atman/soul, Brahman/super soul, and divine bodies within which Atman/Brahman is residing to get liberated from Samsara. In case of Trimurti & Avatars their Atman/soul and Brahman/Supreme Soul is same, they are Jivanmukta (free from cycle of death & birth) & are in unification with Brahman (Brahma Bhava/Non duality/Turiya state– state of being in identification with Brahman, Oneness of mind with Brahman). In case of all normal living beings as their Atman/Soul is covered in Pancha Koshas/Five sheaths of ignorance (namely Annamaya kosha, Pranamaya kosha, Manamaya kosha, Vijnanamaya kosha, Anandamaya kosha) which keeps them in ignorance/illusion so they have false ego (mind, thoughts and intellect is attached to perishable body and impermanent material nature) of physical body as individual self which make them feel differentiated from the Atman/Soul & thus they are trapped in Samsara/cycle of death and birth. Spiritually ignorant person identify himself with gross physical body, intellect & thoughts while Personal Gods are in self-realization state and their mind is completely absorbed in their infinite soul (soul is infinite B.G.- 2.24,2.17) which is supreme soul Brahman. When Shree Krishna was using “I” or “Me” while reveling Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna he was referring everything w.r.t. his own Atman/Brahman (soul) by destroying false ego of body as himself and getting his mind completely absorbed in Brahman. Shri Krishna is not physical perishable body but he is his Atman/Brahman (soul) and soul is infinite, spiritual, space like, formless transcendental body(When Shri Krishna was narrating Bhagavad Gita he had become one with Brahman. His mind had got detached from his physical body. His mind had become fully absorbed in infinite Brahman making him omnipresent) Shri Krishna is not his physical body or any illusionary apparition body created by his energy (magic) but he has space like infinite transcendental body, that formless body is his soul. There is no difference between his infinite formless body and his soul because both are one Brahman/soul. Concept of God in Hinduism can be understand by Advaita philosophy, three types of Realities and concept of Five Koshas which covers individual Atman, & Turiya State of Oneness/Non duality.

Reference:- Turiya state is state of Oneness of mind/non duality with Brahman. (Complete absorption of mind and intellect with Brahman. – (The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 5.14.3, Chandogya Upanishad 8.7 - 8.12)

Panch Koshas – Five sheaths of ignorance that covers individual Atman & create ignorance & illusion among normal living entities that their individual self/Soul is different from supreme Soul even when in reality Soul and supreme soul are one (Taittiriya Upanishad 2:1 – 2:10)

Avyaktam vyaktim apannam manyante mam abuddhayah | param bhavam ajananto mamavyayam anuttamam (Bhagavad Gita 7:24) Meaning: - Only Unintelligent think & limit my unmanifest,supreme, incomparable and imperishable existence to personal manifest human like form. What is visible is just an empirical reality. This is because they do not know my transcendental infinite state. Here Shri Krishna says that his personal form is not ultimate reality. His Saguna Brahman is posited as a means to realizing Nirguna Brahman and declare Saguna Brahman to be empirical, pragmatical reality. The unmanifest infinite electric energy cannot be compared with lightened bulb and light in the same way Shri Krishna’s personal form cannot be compared with his inconceivable space like infinite form/impersonal Brahman.

Shri Krishna again declares that those who are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal (formless, infinite, space like, transcendental) aspect of the Krishna, for them spiritual advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied. Some of Abrahamic religion worship Supreme reality in formless feature so according to Shri Krishna for them spiritual growth is slow and tough. Shri Krishna prefer worship of Supreme reality in his divine personal form. Reference-

When Hindus greet with each other with Namaste its literal meaning is "I bow to the divine in you". Hinduism have unique concept of God and God is considered to be residing in heart of each living being in the form of soul that’s why Hindus bow down in front of Cows and saints not because they are God but because they have presence of essence and divinity as Supreme God Brahman. Abrahamic religions usually try to find God elsewhere or in sky while in Hinduism God is seen in all living beings and each one is treated equally.

Reference: - A true devotee sees Brahman/Supreme soul situated as Atman/soul in all living beings & also in himself equally everywhere. – (Bhagavad Gita 6:29)

Whoever sees (perceive) me everywhere and everything in me, for him I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me. – (Bhagavad Gita 6:30)

Such a yogi, who serve me through devotional service by perceiving (knowing that) me as only one situated in all living beings he remains always remains in me in all circumstances. (Bhagavad Gita 6:31)

He is considered perfect yogi who compares his own atman/soul/self and sees it as equal everywhere in every living being both in happiness and distress. (Bhagavad Gita 6:32)

And of all yogis, the one with true full faith who worship me with his inner self abiding in me (Who think of himself in me) he is deemed by me as most devout. (Bhagavad Gita 6:47)

I am the atman/soul/self, established in the hearts of all beings, O Gudakesha. I am the beginning, middle and also the end of all beings. – (Bhagavad Gita 10:20)

Brahman is knowledge, it is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal Of knowledge. He is situated in everyone’s heart. (Bhagavad Gita 13:18)

Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer, who is supreme Lord, Super soul, the supreme proprietor who exist as the overseer and permitter. (Bhagavad Gita 13.23)

The one who sees imperishable Super soul in destructible bodies of all living entities as only one he is the one who actually sees (he is the one who truly knows the truth) – (Bhagavad Gita 13.29)

One who sees the Super soul equally present everywhere, in every living beings, does not degrade himself by his mind. Thus he approaches the transcendental destination. – (Bhagavad Gita 13.29)

Parma Atma/super soul which is dwelling in body is inexhaustible due to being eternal and attribute less. Therefore O son of kunti this Super soul neither does anything nor is entangled. (Bhagavad Gita 13:32)

I am seated in the hearts of all living beings, and from me come memory, knowledge, as well as forgetfulness. I alone am to be known by all the Vedas, am the author of the Vedanta, & the knower of the meaning of the Vedas. – (Bhagavad Gita 15:15)