Sri:
Hinduism/Sanatana Dharma in simple terms – 5
Answer to my question in the previous article:
If there are any passages in the scriptures mentioned in the previous article, starting from Smritis (and other texts), that seem to contradict the Vedas, then one normally tries to (re)interpret them suitably to avoid contradiction. If it is not possible, then we discard them and retain what is in the Vedas, as the latter constitute the Shabda pramaanam (words of an aapta person).
If there are passages that contradict each other but cannot be necessarily viewed as contradicting the Vedas from certain angles, then it means that they interpret the Vedas differently. That is why we find different Vedic schools of thought like Advaita, Vishishtadvaita and Dvaita, and healthy debates among them to establish their consistency with the content of Vedas.
Plurality of names and forms
In this article, we first ask the question: Why are multiple names/forms used in Hindu prayers and rituals?
So far, we have mainly talked about Brahman, the One Supreme Being. Then, where do Vishnu, Lakshmi, Raama, Krishna and other names of ‘Gods’ come in this picture?
Let us be very clear. In Sanatana Dharma, there is only one Supreme Being or Force. Recall Its definition in a previous article. The Upanishads (the philosophical part of the Vedas) call this Supreme Being (Paramatma) mainly as Brahman. But you also find other terms such as Sat (eternal being, e.g. Chandogya Upanishad), Atma (all-pervading consciousness e.g. Brhadaaranyaka Upanishad), Narayana (the support, abiding place, and indwelling self of everything e.g. Taittiriya Upanishad), Ishvaraa (the ruler of the universe, e.g. Mundaka Upanishad).
We also mentioned that the realisation of the Supreme goes through intense meditation (upaaasana or bhakti). From the terms used for the Supreme and our earlier definition of Brahman as satyam, jnaanam, anantam, as well as the One who creates, sustains and dissolves the universe, can one easily meditate on Brahman? Not really. How does one focus one’s mind on something which is described in an abstract fashion? Not easy.
That is why the Vedas themselves (and other scriptures like the Itihaasaas and Puraanaas) describe the same Brahman in some concrete forms for making it easier for us to concentrate our thoughts on a pleasant suitable form. For example, a common form is that of a woman sitting on a lotus, with four arms with shankha (conch), chakra (disc), in two hands and lotuses in the other two hands and so on. What form have I described ? Yes, Lakshmi. Or a man form with radiance all around, usually in a standing posture with four arms, shankha, chakra, gadaa (mace), padmam (lotus), Lakshmi on His chest, and so on. This is Vishnu.
The above descriptions of Vishnu and Lakshmi are found in the Vedas. A hymn called Purusha suktam describes the Supreme Purusha as Vishnu, and Lakshmi is described in Sri Suktam. In fact, Purusha Suktam appears in all the four Vedas and identifies Sri Vishnu as One who has Sridevi (Lakshmi) and Bhudevi as His consorts. That is why, for many Hindus, Lakshmi and Vishnu constitute the Supreme Divine Couple, thus tracing its source to the fundamental scripture, the Vedas.
We saw that Raama, Sita, Krishna, Rukmini of the Itihaasaas are considered as incarnations of the Supreme. Then there is a whole plethora of names of different Devatas (beings with special powers) found in the Puraanaas.
These forms help us to focus our mind as it is much easier to concentrate on a form than on an abstract concept. The beauty of Hinduism is that whatever form of the Supreme that one chooses to focus on, with the firm conviction that every being is pervaded by the One and Only Paramatma of the Vedas, and every being is Its manifestation, one will reach the same Supreme Being at the end. Bhagavan Shri Krishna himself clarifies it in The Gita:
यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति।
तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम्।। (Gita, 7.21)
yo yo yaam yaam tanum bhaktaḥ śhraddhayaarchitum ichchhati |
tasya tasyaachalaam śhraddhaam taam eva vidadhaamyaham ||
Whichever devotee seeks to worship with faith whatever form of Mine, I consider his (her) faith as being directed to My bodies or manifestations, and make his (her) faith steadfast, i.e., make it free from obstacles, and strengthen it.
स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते।
लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान् हि तान्।। (Gita, 7.22)
sa tayaa shraddhayaa yuktastasyaaraadhanamihaté |
labhaté cha tatahkaamaan mayaiva vihitaan hi taan ||
He (she), endowed with that faith, without obstacles, performs the worship of divinities (such as Indra) who constitute My body, attains the objects of his (her) desire, which are in reality granted by Me alone, who am the omniscient Supreme Being.
[Translation combining the English commentaries of the two interpretations of Sri Ramanujacharya and Sri Sankaracharya]
Plurality of practices
There are also different ways of worship in Hinduism even if the Agamaas describe certain specific gestures to be used in prayers. There are multiple ways in which individuals recite prayers as well as perform service and offerings to the Supreme, in their own homes as well as in temples and spiritual centres (ashrams or mutts). The Supreme can be represented by many forms, mostly as deities, also called idols, especially in temples, but images and pictures are also used. Let me hasten to add that it is advisable not to use the word ‘idol’ in this context, as it is often misunderstood (see explanation below). The murtis (deities) are beautifully decorated with colourful vastras (cloths) and ornaments and provide a pleasing sight for the devotees yearning to focus on an auspicious form that captivates the eyes and the mind in a lasting manner. The place of worship is scented with incense sticks and other fragrant dravyas (things) such as sambrani and flowers, to create a conducive atmosphere for the mind to meditate and feel the divine presence. The prayers and rituals are performed in a spirit of offering to the Supreme.
In addition to daily prayers in homes and temples, Sanatana Dharma offers many occasions for celebrating the glory of the Supreme (Divine Couple), praying to It (Them) and be grateful for Its (Their) blessings. In general these occasions come under four categories : 1) those that accompany different stages of life like birth, one year completion, upanayanam (initiation ceremony), marriage, etc.; 2) those that concern seasons or starting of some special months and the new year (based on movement of planets) like Sankaranti or Pongal, beginning of margazhi or dhanur month; 3) those that are organised as collective prayers for the welfare of all beings like Sudarshana homam; and 4) special festivals like the appearance days of Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, the birthdays of great saints and acharyas, Navaratri or Dusshera (ten days of prayers to Devi – the feminine form of the Divine) etc.
A small note on the so-called ‘idol-worship’: As mentioned above, this is often misunderstood, especially by people from other religious backgrounds. When a murti is used in a prayer or a ritual, it is believed to be a ‘manifestation’ of Brahman. Recall, Brahman is everywhere and within everything, and any object could be used to represent It. But a form that is pleasing for the eyes helps us to have a sharper focus while praying and seeking to connect with the Divine. In fact, the murtis in temples consecrated according to the procedures given in Agama Shastraas are called archa avatara meaning the form of Brahman apt for worship and upaasana (meditation). The images of the deities often portray the descriptions found in scriptures and given by the rishis (aaptas, see my first article of the series) who adopted certain meditative practices that led them to experience Brahman, and who genuinely wanted others to have the same blissful experience.
The rituals not only help a devotee to progress on their own individual path towards the realisation of the Supreme but also play a big role in social cohesion. They are moments of collective rejoicing by devotees, of all backgrounds, thus strengthening the links among them. They also promote interaction among different generations – young and old.
Plurality of philosophical systems (darshanas)
Philosophy is an integral part of Sanatana Dharma. Hindu philosophy teaches that seeking the Truth in everything and seeing the Truth in everything will get one closer to the Supreme. That is why Hinduism is not opposed to science. On the contrary, it encourages the quest for truth from all angles.
Philosophy in Hinduism is not merely a theoretical study, but the philosophical knowledge is to be put into practice to attain the Supreme. The minimum requirement for this practice is a virtuous conduct. If one is not pure in mind and body, one cannot practice spirituality. Ethics is closely related to Dharma, but Dharma is a concept that goes beyond human nature and human behaviour, and concerns everything from a minute being up to the whole universe, sentient as well as insentient. We will devote a separate article on Dharma later.
Indian philosophical schools (philosophical systems that originated in Bharat – ancient India) can be broadly divided into two groups: Vedic and non-Vedic.
- Vedic: one talks of 6 main systems: Samkhya (of Rishi Kapila), Yoga (of Rishi Patanjali), Vaisheshika (of Rishi Kanaada), Nyaya (of Rishi Gautama), Mimaamsa (of Rishi Jaimini) and Vedanta (of Rishi Badarayana). The texts of these rishis contain Sutras which are short phrases summarising the message of the Vedas in a succinct way. They have been subsequently commented and elaborated upon by acharyas. Vedanta is the dominant system of philosophy in current times and the major schools of Vedanta are Advaita (main proponent – Shankaracharya), Vishishtadvaita (main proponent – Ramanujacharya) and Dvaita (main proponent – Madhvacharya).
- Non-Vedic: the main ones are Charvaaka (materialism), Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
All these systems co-exist in a spirit of mutual respect and heathy debate. We will go into more details on these philosophical schools in a later article.
Let me stop here for this article. Please leave comments. They will be much appreciated.
Disclaimer: The views/opinions expressed in this article belong to the author. Bhogya.online is neither responsible nor liable for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in the article.
Jaya Krishnakumar
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great explanation of plurality from the perspective of focusing the human mind, not as a direct account of reality with respect to the Supreme Being.
Sri Rama Jayam 🙏🙏 It’s really amazing that you have gained so much knowledge about the various aspects of Sanatana Dharma.and written in a simple language. I fully appreciate your efforts