Is Hinduism Polythiestic?

[Mikael]

The greeks and egyptians are Hard polytheists, seeing all Gods and Goddesses as individual beings. Though in contemporary paganism, there are some people who revere the anciant egyptian Gods and Goddesses and see them all as an aspect of one.

Do we KNOW this? It´s hard to compare a living religion like "hinduism" with for example what we call "greek mythology". I think that as a system of symbols they are arguably similar.

 

[Valjean]

"Hinduism" isn't that cut and dry. Your average Sanjay isn't any more philosophical or versed in theology than your average Joe Christian. You only have to talk with them informally to realise that many really are polytheistic. Many others are henotheists. From here it gets murky. You'll find a whole panoply of celestial beings in Hindu literature, but then you'll find angels saints, archangels, demons, &c in Christian literature as well, and Christianity's considered monotheistic.

It's when you get into the formal schools of Hindu philosophy that clear doctrines of Monism, qualified monism, monotheism, henotheism, &al are taught.

And some of us can be both polytheistic and atheistic, depending...

 

[bansal2008]

Ekam SAD vipra bahuda vadanti

 

[Madhuri]

I tend to see Hinduism as Panentheistic. Then again, Hinduism is different to each hindu. Some are polytheistic, some monothesitic etc. I'm a panentheist and I find that the Vedic scriptures support this view entirely.