Here is a series of articles that I once wrote for children in the age group 5 - 10 years.
(A) Why are there so many gods in Hinduism?
Have you ever heard people refer to actors like Brad Pitt as a ‘god’ and actresses like Marilyn Monroe as a ‘goddess’? Or has a friend of yours referred to her father in these terms, ‘My dad is a god’? Now what do they have in mind when they use the terms ‘god’ and ‘goddess’ in these contexts? Surely they don’t mean to say that they go to a temple or a church and bow down before an image or a statue of Brad Pitt, Marilyn Monroe or their father? Possibly what they want to say is that the most ideal, perfect or excellent person they know or can think of is Brad Pitt, Marilyn Monroe or their father.
In today’s lesson we shall learn that in a somewhat similar fashion Hinduism believes that there are many different gods and goddesses. It emphasizes that though there is only one supreme God (which we spell with the capital letter ‘g’), this highest, most perfect and most excellent God is worshipped by people in different forms which are called ‘gods’ and ‘goddesses’ (which we spell with a small ‘g’). We will now try to understand what these various forms are and what the distinction is between the one supreme God and the diverse forms.
Let us now ask this question: why does Hinduism believe that there are many different gods/goddesses? The answer to this question is two-fold: first, because there are indeed many types of gods/goddesses and second, because there are indeed many types of human beings. And when you add these two parts of the answer, you get a somewhat exciting conclusion: in Hinduism, you actually get to choose the god/goddess (note the small letter ‘g’ though) whom you want to worship!
First, what do we mean when we say that according to Hinduism there are indeed many types of gods/goddesses? A point which has often been made in the other lessons in this series, and one which we reiterate here, is that Hinduism emphasizes that God is present every-where. There is no place you could go to, east or west, the north pole or the south pole, or even the farthest reaches of this galaxy, and find a spot where you could say, ‘This is where God is not present’. That is, God is omni-present: God is present in the skies above, the bright sunset, the green meadows, the leafy trees, your caring parents, your loving friends, the beautiful planet Earth itself, and so on. This implies, in turn, that all these objects or individuals reflect something (but not everything!) of the light of God, the supreme Creator of everything. And because there is something of God in all these things that you see around you, they can become for you reminders of the presence of God. Whatever re-minds you of someone or something is a re-minder. Just as a photograph of your friend brings her to your mind, the sky, the earth or the oceans --- among other things --- can bring to your mind the supreme power that has created them. These things that re-mind you of God, because they reflect something of God’s light, are called ‘gods’ or ‘goddesses’. Thus we have a god of the sky, a goddess of the earth and a god of the waters (and many other gods/goddesses besides these).
Second, we move on to the other half of our response which, to repeat, is ‘because there are indeed many types of human beings’. Let us go back for a while to the Hollywood examples we started with. Your friend may think that Brad Pitt is a ‘god’, but you may sharply disagree with her, for you believe that Edward Norton is a far better actor than Brad. It is Ed, you believe, who truly deserves the title of a ‘god’.
What do you think is the source of this disagreement? If we were to go to a Hindu sage and ask him to kindly resolve this dispute, this is possibly what he would say. There is one set of skills or talents that you believe that an actor should possess before he can be called a ‘god’, but your friend has a somewhat rather different set. So while both of you agree that Brad and Ed are Actors, you disagree over which one of these two you find more appealing. While Brad may have all sorts of on-screen talents, these do not quite appeal to you, and so you don’t quite see him as a ‘god’ (and, of course, vice versa for your friend). You have one group of criteria for what makes a person the most perfect or excellent actor (that is, a ‘god’), and your friend has another group.
Likewise, while there are many different reminders of God’s presence in this world, not everybody will find exactly the same reminder appealing. For some, it may be the huge oceans that most directly and immediately remind them of God, and they will worship the oceans as a god (note the small letter). This god is called Varuna. Some again may reflect on how we depend on the Earth in various ways, and see in the Earth itself a reminder of God, the source of all life. They will worship the Earth as a goddess. Yet others, especially the ones who are early risers, may feel awed by the beauty of the dawn, and see in the dawn a reminder of God’s light that reaches the farthest corners of the planet. This is the goddess Usha. And so on.
Now we can understand why we said earlier that according to Hinduism you can choose the god/goddess that appeals the most to you. This world is full of many lovely things and beautiful objects but not everyone will find exactly the same thing the loveliest or the most beautiful. You will choose that particular thing which you believe is the highest kind of loveliness or beauty, and this thing you will worship as a god/goddess. This is referred to in Sanskrit as ista-devata, which means the ‘god that you choose’.
So how many gods/goddesses are there? There are many; in fact, they are innumerably many. But all these gods/goddesses are different forms of the one supreme creator God who is the source of all life, goodness and beauty. Just as many people have the same email server http://www.mail.yahoo.com/, but they ‘personalize’ their email in a way that appeals to them, so although ultimately everybody worships the same God who is the source of everything, they worship this God in the many different ‘personalized’ forms of gods/goddesses.
It is now time to summarize our discussion. The supreme God is something like a shining diamond with a billion faces. Different human beings approach this God with the help of the light that is reflected by a different face. Each face reflects a slightly different color or hue of light. People choose the particular hue that most appeals to them, and follow this light on their journey back to the source from which emerge these countless rays of light. And, to repeat, these faces are what we refer to as a god or a goddess, who are re-minders of the absolute God who is present everywhere.
Do you still find this talk of one supreme God and many different gods/goddesses rather perplexing? Well, then, here is something I would like you to do. Try to think of the many different roles or forms that you have. How many can you think of? To your parents, you are a child; your teacher sees you as a student; for your friends, you are a playmate, and so on. Now if I ask you, ‘But who are you really? Will the real you please stand up?’, what would you say? Perhaps you would reply, ‘I am truly a child to some people, a student to some people and a playmate to some people, and yet I am more than just a child, just a student or just a playmate’. And if you could somehow speak to the supreme God, our Hindu thinkers assure you that God too would give you a somewhat similar reply, ‘I am truly Varuna to some people, Prithvi to some people, Usha to some people … and yet I am more than any of these’.
Have you ever heard people refer to actors like Brad Pitt as a ‘god’ and actresses like Marilyn Monroe as a ‘goddess’? Or has a friend of yours referred to her father in these terms, ‘My dad is a god’? Now what do they have in mind when they use the terms ‘god’ and ‘goddess’ in these contexts? Surely they don’t mean to say that they go to a temple or a church and bow down before an image or a statue of Brad Pitt, Marilyn Monroe or their father? Possibly what they want to say is that the most ideal, perfect or excellent person they know or can think of is Brad Pitt, Marilyn Monroe or their father.
In today’s lesson we shall learn that in a somewhat similar fashion Hinduism believes that there are many different gods and goddesses. It emphasizes that though there is only one supreme God (which we spell with the capital letter ‘g’), this highest, most perfect and most excellent God is worshipped by people in different forms which are called ‘gods’ and ‘goddesses’ (which we spell with a small ‘g’). We will now try to understand what these various forms are and what the distinction is between the one supreme God and the diverse forms.
Let us now ask this question: why does Hinduism believe that there are many different gods/goddesses? The answer to this question is two-fold: first, because there are indeed many types of gods/goddesses and second, because there are indeed many types of human beings. And when you add these two parts of the answer, you get a somewhat exciting conclusion: in Hinduism, you actually get to choose the god/goddess (note the small letter ‘g’ though) whom you want to worship!
First, what do we mean when we say that according to Hinduism there are indeed many types of gods/goddesses? A point which has often been made in the other lessons in this series, and one which we reiterate here, is that Hinduism emphasizes that God is present every-where. There is no place you could go to, east or west, the north pole or the south pole, or even the farthest reaches of this galaxy, and find a spot where you could say, ‘This is where God is not present’. That is, God is omni-present: God is present in the skies above, the bright sunset, the green meadows, the leafy trees, your caring parents, your loving friends, the beautiful planet Earth itself, and so on. This implies, in turn, that all these objects or individuals reflect something (but not everything!) of the light of God, the supreme Creator of everything. And because there is something of God in all these things that you see around you, they can become for you reminders of the presence of God. Whatever re-minds you of someone or something is a re-minder. Just as a photograph of your friend brings her to your mind, the sky, the earth or the oceans --- among other things --- can bring to your mind the supreme power that has created them. These things that re-mind you of God, because they reflect something of God’s light, are called ‘gods’ or ‘goddesses’. Thus we have a god of the sky, a goddess of the earth and a god of the waters (and many other gods/goddesses besides these).
Second, we move on to the other half of our response which, to repeat, is ‘because there are indeed many types of human beings’. Let us go back for a while to the Hollywood examples we started with. Your friend may think that Brad Pitt is a ‘god’, but you may sharply disagree with her, for you believe that Edward Norton is a far better actor than Brad. It is Ed, you believe, who truly deserves the title of a ‘god’.
What do you think is the source of this disagreement? If we were to go to a Hindu sage and ask him to kindly resolve this dispute, this is possibly what he would say. There is one set of skills or talents that you believe that an actor should possess before he can be called a ‘god’, but your friend has a somewhat rather different set. So while both of you agree that Brad and Ed are Actors, you disagree over which one of these two you find more appealing. While Brad may have all sorts of on-screen talents, these do not quite appeal to you, and so you don’t quite see him as a ‘god’ (and, of course, vice versa for your friend). You have one group of criteria for what makes a person the most perfect or excellent actor (that is, a ‘god’), and your friend has another group.
Likewise, while there are many different reminders of God’s presence in this world, not everybody will find exactly the same reminder appealing. For some, it may be the huge oceans that most directly and immediately remind them of God, and they will worship the oceans as a god (note the small letter). This god is called Varuna. Some again may reflect on how we depend on the Earth in various ways, and see in the Earth itself a reminder of God, the source of all life. They will worship the Earth as a goddess. Yet others, especially the ones who are early risers, may feel awed by the beauty of the dawn, and see in the dawn a reminder of God’s light that reaches the farthest corners of the planet. This is the goddess Usha. And so on.
Now we can understand why we said earlier that according to Hinduism you can choose the god/goddess that appeals the most to you. This world is full of many lovely things and beautiful objects but not everyone will find exactly the same thing the loveliest or the most beautiful. You will choose that particular thing which you believe is the highest kind of loveliness or beauty, and this thing you will worship as a god/goddess. This is referred to in Sanskrit as ista-devata, which means the ‘god that you choose’.
So how many gods/goddesses are there? There are many; in fact, they are innumerably many. But all these gods/goddesses are different forms of the one supreme creator God who is the source of all life, goodness and beauty. Just as many people have the same email server http://www.mail.yahoo.com/, but they ‘personalize’ their email in a way that appeals to them, so although ultimately everybody worships the same God who is the source of everything, they worship this God in the many different ‘personalized’ forms of gods/goddesses.
It is now time to summarize our discussion. The supreme God is something like a shining diamond with a billion faces. Different human beings approach this God with the help of the light that is reflected by a different face. Each face reflects a slightly different color or hue of light. People choose the particular hue that most appeals to them, and follow this light on their journey back to the source from which emerge these countless rays of light. And, to repeat, these faces are what we refer to as a god or a goddess, who are re-minders of the absolute God who is present everywhere.
Do you still find this talk of one supreme God and many different gods/goddesses rather perplexing? Well, then, here is something I would like you to do. Try to think of the many different roles or forms that you have. How many can you think of? To your parents, you are a child; your teacher sees you as a student; for your friends, you are a playmate, and so on. Now if I ask you, ‘But who are you really? Will the real you please stand up?’, what would you say? Perhaps you would reply, ‘I am truly a child to some people, a student to some people and a playmate to some people, and yet I am more than just a child, just a student or just a playmate’. And if you could somehow speak to the supreme God, our Hindu thinkers assure you that God too would give you a somewhat similar reply, ‘I am truly Varuna to some people, Prithvi to some people, Usha to some people … and yet I am more than any of these’.
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