In popular Hinduism, an enlightened human being is worshipped as God himself, and may be given epithets such as ‘Bhagwan’ (god), ‘Maharaj’ (great king), or ‘Rishi’ (great sage). The concept of avatar (incarnation) is predominant in Hinduism, where God as preserver (Vishnu) descends on Earth to destroy evil. The most famous avatars of Vishnu include Ram and Krishna. Many Hindus worship other deities such as Ganesha, Karthikeya, Hanuman, the sun, moon, and various planets. In addition, millions of people all over India often worship saints as symbols of divinity.(sc)
Ultimately, when the seeker perfects the worship of a deity, he is encouraged to go beyond the physical form and seek oneness, to reach a stage where there is no difference between the worshipper and the worshipped. In marked contrast, a few adherents of the Bhakti(devotion) tradition do not seek oneness with God, and continue to enjoy the play of duality between the individual and the Supreme.(sc)
For Hindus God, as is, is beyond any attributes of form, color, shapes … That is, God does not have any specific form or name. In this state God is referred to as nirguNa brahman(attributeless god). However God takes forms as perceived by humans and this perceived form is called saguNa brahman (god with (good) attributes). These forms could range from calm to fierce to yogic (1). Each form has its significance. For example when one is depressed and sees the form of God Strong and Powerful, the seeker feels the moral boost that God would definitely be the support for the right thing. Similarly when in an auspicious ceremony would like the God to be the calm provider of boons. In a spiritually elevated state, the choice would be the yogic form of God. The forms provide a basis for the Hindu worshipper to easily pursue the otherwise incomprehensible Supreme. So Hinduism supports both form as well as formless worship of the God. Whether one worships in saguNa or nirguNa way, it is ultimately the same God.(sc)
He is the sacrifice, He is the oblation, He is the performer thereof, He is the recitation or the chant, He is the sacred fire, He is what is offered into it. He is the father, the mother, the grandfather, the support, the One knowable Thing, He is the three Vedas, the Goal of all beings, the Protector, the Reality, the Witness, the Repository, the Refuge, the Friend, the beginning, the middle and the end of all things. He is immortality and death, existence as well as non-existence. He is the Visvarupa, the Cosmic Form, blazing like fire and consuming all things.(sc)
According to the Bhagavata and the Mahabharata, God especially manifested Himself as Bhagavan Sri Krishna, who is regarded as the foremost of the divine Incarnations, in whose personality the Supreme Being is fully focussed and manifest.(sc)
Srimad Bhagavata says: He is Brahman(the Absolute), Paramatman(God), Bhagavan(the Incarnation).(sc)
According to the Pancharatra Agama and the Vaishnava theology, God has five forms: the Para or the Transcendent, Antaryamin or the Immanent, Vyuha or the Collective(known as Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha), Vibhava or the Incarnation, and Archa or the symbolic form of daily worship.(sc)
According to Saiva tradition, God is Pati, the Lord who controls the individuals known as Pasu, with His Power known as Pasa.(sc)
According to the Sakta tradition, God is the Divine Universal Mother of all things, Adi-sakti, or the original Creative Power, manifesting Herself as Kriya-Sakti or Durga, Ichha-Sakti or Lakshmi, and Jnana-Sakti or Sarasvati. But the Supreme Mother is beyond all these forms. She is One, alone, without a second.(sc)
According to the Bhakti tradition, God is the Supreme Object of Love, in respect of Whom love is evinced as in respect of one’s father, mother, friend, son, master, or one’s own beloved, in the five forms of affection, known as Shanta, Sakhya, Vatsalya, Dasya and Madhurya.(sc)
To the Vaishnavas, God is in Vaikuntha as Vishnu. To the Saivas, God is in Kailasa as Siva, or Rudra. To the Saktas, God is in Manidvipa, as the Supreme Sakti or the Divine Mother. To the Ganapatyas, God is Ganesa, or Ganapati. To the Sauras, God is Surya, the Sun. To the Kaumaras, God is Kumara, or Skanda.(sc)
If we imagine God as a man with a white beard sitting on a throne in heaven, we are ascribing qualities such as age (old), gender (man), form (white beard) and location (in heaven) to God. However, the scriptures describe Brahman asnirguna, or without qualities. If we imagine God as a man with a white beard sitting on a throne in heaven, we are ascribing qualities such as age (old), gender (man), form (white beard) and location (in heaven) to God. However, the scriptures describe Brahman asnirguna, or without qualities. (sc)
An attempt to use our minds to understand Brahman is said to be futile, as it is beyond the reach of the senses or the mind. Describing Brahman can be likened to describing the colour red to someone who has never seen it. You know what it looks like, but you cannot describe it.(sc)
Though Brahman cannot be described, the scriptures say it is the very essence of truth, consciousness, and bliss.(sc)
No comments:
Post a Comment