How many gods there are in Hinduism? (ritual, Earth, salvation)

[Suraj]

This question is the most asked question about Hinduism. If I had a dime for the amount of times I have been asked this, I would be a millionaire now.

There is an answer the answer is NONE. There are no 'gods' in Hinduism. There is, however, a single undivisible and infinite supreme entity who is one and without a second. To use the word 'god' to describe this entity does not express a true account of what this supreme entity is, but can be used in a loose sense and many Hindus do use the word god.

Hinduism - Nightly.Net

[want to be hindu]

It seems to me that like all of Hinduism there is more then one view in the text of the Vedas.Maybe all three schools of Vedanta can be found in the Vedas. I can find arguments that support Advaita,Vishishadvaita and Dvaita all in the text. Its true that there is only one God in Hinduism.Maybe the ways of looking at the ONE are different. So we can move from lower truth to higher truth.

Give me your thoughts Suraj.

[zenzero]

Friend Suraj,
The same reason never say it as Hinduism but SANATAN DHARMA.
The root of the problem is perception by the west starting from Alexander who started calling people living here as Hindus as he could not pronounce Sindhus and then they saw people of this region worshippiong just about any thing from cows to sun to stones, and perceived them to be all gods.
Start calling it Sanatan Dharma and then they will ask you what that is and then you can tell them about Vedanta etc.
Love & rgds

[Suraj]

Want to be Hindu,

Yes, all those perspectives are in the Vedas. As the Vedas are composed by several Risis(seers) each verse concentrates on different aspects of that supreme being. However, the other schools of Hinduism such as Dvatia(duality) are not found in the Vedas, but I am open to correction. The Vedas never claim that the supreme being and the souls are different, but empathatically state that the supreme being is the only reality. When there is a dualistic tone is when the Risis speak from the perspective of their own reality, then because they are entangled in dualistic reality they have to use names, words and plurals(beings etc) because they are describing manifest reality. However, this reality is ultimately to be transcended because it is not real, only that supreme being is real and the Vedas glorify him endlessly.

Here are various Verses from all the Vedas that corroborate this:

The whole of this universe
Is stationed in the Omnipresent
And the Omnipotent God
We see him in various forms.
He brings to light
All these worlds
Him they call Kala, infinite
Pervading the infinite space
(Atharva 19.53.3)


He indeed is all this
What has been and will be
He is the Lord of Immortality
Trascending through material existence
(Rig 10.90.2)


See unity in diversity
Behold one divine form appearing in multiforms

Immese is his vastness, unparalled is his glory

All the countless earths, suns, planets which are seen,
and which are beyond our perception exist under his command

Kindled in various forms, the perenial flame is one;
Sprinkling the world with golden beams at dawn

Painting the evening clouds with changing colours,
the sun is one.
(Rig 8.58.2)


He who knows truth who knows
this God as One.
Neither second nor third
Nor fourth is he called
Neither fith nor sixth
Nor seventh is he called
Neither eigth or ninth
Nor tenth is he called.
He surveys all that breathes
And that breathes not
He posses the power supreme
He is the One
The One Alone
In him all divine powers
Become the One Alone
(Atharva 13.5.14-21)


May it be called Agni, Aditya, Vayu or
Chandarma.
All the names of the Supreme Spirit
He is Brahma and Prajapati, the Supreme Lord
of all.
He is the ultimate power, protector of all beings
(Yajur 32.1)


That one supreme reality has been styled
by various names by the learned seers,
They call one by many names.
They speak of him as Indra(the Lord Resplendent);
Mitra(The surveyor);
Varuna(The Virtuous)
Agni(The adorable);
Garutman(The celestial and well-sung);
Yama(The oradiner);
Matarvishan(The Cosmic Breath);
(Rig 1.164.46)


He is void of form, dwelleth in and
out of everything with form and shape;
He is free from lapses, faults and impurities.
He transcedeth all the bodily faculties
Being the divine poet he is genius
Maintaining peace and harmony he manifesteth
He sustaineth creation in perfect order
(Yajur 10.8)


The Supreme Lord is too near
To be abandoned
Too close to be witnessed.
Behold the nature's splendour
And the Lords divine poetry
Both and beyond decay and death
(Atharva 10.8.3)

I now realise the presence of the
Almighty Lord, the universal entity,
the one with is self-illuminated and
radiant like the sun.

He is beyond all darkness; with
this realisation, not I fear not even
death.

I proclaim, this is the path, the only
path to salvation, to the goal of life,
the eternal bliss.
(Yajur 31.18)

[zenzero]

Friend Suraj,
Why not you start thread on different vedas one at a time?
Would love it.
Love & rgds

[Seyorni]

An impressive collection of quotations, Suraj, frubals. But dvaitists could no doubt list quotations referencing the reality of discrete entities as well.

From my own advaitist point of view I'd agree that Hinduism/Sanatana Dharma posits a single, transcendent Consciousness/Reality underlying the perceived world. But in popular Hinduism there's often little thought given to metaphysics or vedic theology. There is just family tradition and folklore. Many, if not most, (S)indu's really do believe in a multiplicity of "gods" and give little thought to abstract, vedantist-style monology.

[zenzero]

Friend seyorni,
Though agree with you BUt must understand that the jouney is not over in one life time and evolution takes one from the basics and one earns his way up similarly there are different levels of people intellectually / financially / spiritually and so are the methods to reach god which are all covered in Sanatan Dharma.
Finally they too will reach Advaita / nathingness like Ramakrishna Paramhans whose attachment to Kali was broken by Totapuri.
Love & rgds

[Suraj]

Thanks Seyorni

I agree that most Hindus today are not aware of the fundamental philosophy of Hinduism/Santana Dharma. This is partly because they are not aware of it and only practice their family tradition or the folk version of Hinduism, which seems to be little else than visiting a temple once in a while and worshipping the idol of a deity, without actually practicising any of the Hindu principles. The other reason is Indians today, at large, are not intellectuals and thus cannot grapple with Vedic metaphysics and theology. They are like most religious followers today, just followers of their religion by namesake only.

However, the truth is Hinduism was never suppose to be a religion for the masses and hence the Vedas have always remained an esoteric tradition. Although there was a much greater frequency of intellectuals in India back then, they still were not a majority and frankly I don't think intellectuals ever can form a majority in a society. But the difference was, back then the wise were honoured, respected and listened to and played an influencial role in shaping society.

[Suraj]

Zenzero,

That is a very good idea. I will get right on it

[krishnano]

There are about 30 million gods.

No, really.

Actually, there is only one Supreme Lord, who is called Vishnu, Krishna, Narayana, Govinda, Vasudeva, Janardana, Madhusudana, Parameshvara, Jehovah, Allah, Cao Dai, Shang Di, Ahura Mazda, Abha, Waheguru...

And then Shiva, Indra, Varuna, Ganesha, etc. are demigods who help control this universal, cosmic manifestation.