In Hindu Vedic religion there is only one Supreme God which exist at two different levels of reality. Vedas call it by the name of “Brahman”, “Parabrahma”,” Paramatma” Hindus worship this Supreme God both in personal & impersonal form. Vedas mostly mention impersonal God Brahman which is only ultimate true reality & original nature of God from the absolute point of view (Paramarthika Satya) and Puranas mention Trimurti who are three personal manifestations of Brahman(Cosmic spirit/space consciousness) and are only empirical truth (Vyavaharika or Samvriti-Satya). Brahman is ever present root/real consciousness of Trimurtis and by using infinite Brahman consciousness Trimurti create, sustain and destroy the world of illusion. Brahman is real, root and source consciousness of all the existence and non-existence as well as all that is manifest and hidden.
Main Supreme God:-
Main God in Hinduism is Supreme Brahman/Para Brahman/Paramatma. The Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) & their avatars are the manifestation of one Supreme Brahman. Even though Trinity & their Avatars have different divine bodies but they have same single Atman/Soul (innermost core/root and essence ) that is Supreme Brahman. Trinity and their Avatars are not different from each other. They are one but have manifested in different divine bodies. Normal human being considers divine bodies as Supreme God because they wrongly identify divine bodies of Trinity and their avatars with spiritual body/space consciousness of Supreme Brahman which pervades & resides in (not diametrically but as a level of reality and real consciousness) divine body of Trinity as Atman/Soul.
Main God in Hinduism is Supreme Brahman/Para Brahman/Paramatma. The Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) & their avatars are the manifestation of one Supreme Brahman. Even though Trinity & their Avatars have different divine bodies but they have same single Atman/Soul (innermost core/root and essence ) that is Supreme Brahman. Trinity and their Avatars are not different from each other. They are one but have manifested in different divine bodies. Normal human being considers divine bodies as Supreme God because they wrongly identify divine bodies of Trinity and their avatars with spiritual body/space consciousness of Supreme Brahman which pervades & resides in (not diametrically but as a level of reality and real consciousness) divine body of Trinity as Atman/Soul.
There are mainly four denominations in Hinduism they are: -
1) Vaishnavism- Lord Vishnu is considered as Supreme Brahman. Followers of Vaishnavism worship Vishnu and his ten incarnations. Two most-worshiped incarnations of Vishnu are Krishna & Rama.
2) Shaivism - Shaivas or Shaivites are those who primarily worship Shiva as the Supreme Brahman, both immanent and transcendent
3) Shaktism - Shaktas worship goddess as Mother Shakti. Mother Shakti is considered as Supreme Brahman as well as Prakriti (Maya/ illusive energy) of Brahman which is not separate from Brahman itself. In Shaktism, the goddess is presented as both the Brahman & Prakriti. These forms may include Durga, Kali, Parvati, Lakshmi, Saraswati.
4) Smartism - Smartas treat all deities as same, & their temples include five deities (Pancopasana) or Panchadevata. It is nonsectarian as it encourages the worship of any personal god along with others such as Ganesha, Shiva, Devi (Shakti), Vishnu, Surya.
Minor gods/Devas in Hinduism and Misconception of 33 Crore/330 Million gods:-
There is no such concept like 330 million gods. There are only 33 Koti/types (Literal meaning of Koti is a type) of gods/Devas whose function is to sustain the world. Each living being consist of the fraction of Devas. They are not able to give any living being Moksha/Nirvana (freedom from Samsara/cycle of death & birth) so they are not be worshiped. They are just creation of Supreme Brahman. In the Vedic period, Devas were only worshiped only to get temporary heaven/Swarg. One who seeks liberation & freedom from Samsara/cycle of birth of death they should not worship them. They should be revered only by considering the presence of Supreme Brahman within them in the form of Atman/soul/Root consciousness.
Reference:-
(“Those who devote themselves to the Devas have only small intelligence and obtain (only) fruits that are temporary (invariably subject to destruction). The worshipers of the Devas go the (abode of) the Devas, but my devotees come to me (My eternal spiritual abode).” (Srimad Bhagavad-Gita: 7.23)
“Persons whose conscience is stolen by material desires worship other devas (gods other than Myself) and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship which correspond to the ends they desire, being governed by their own (conditioned) natures.”(Srimad Bhagavad-Gita: 7.20)
With Supreme God’s influence, this thirty-three (supporting Devata) sustain the world) (Atharva Veda 10-7-13)
There are only thirty-three devas/demigods (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3:9:2)
Metaphysical concept of God in Hinduism
(is God Impersonal or Personal?)
Gods general ultimate form/nature is formless pure consciousness (Nirakar Nirguna/without form/Impersonal) but it can manifests into divine form (Sakar Saugna/with form/personal). God has the ability to manifest into any kind of form and shape. If someone says that God cannot have the Ability to have a form then it is contradictory to his own attributes. Nothing is said to be impossible for God. It is very necessary to acknowledge that the Brahman “itself”, “Whatever it is” is in unmanifest state & beyond imagination but as it gets covered/concealed in Prakriti (Prakriti is material energy of Brahman e.g. Earth, water, fire, air, ether, five senses, mind, & intelligence) it appears to be manifested as personal form. Here at the above place, the meaning of manifestation is taken in sense of that which appears to have taken form/symbolic and but it is unreal from an absolute perspective and empirical reality from the human perspective. Unmanifest absolute Brahman is analogues to the infinite source of unmanifest electric energy while its personal Sakar form is analogues to the lightened bulb. When unmanifest electric energy is supplied to filament enclosed in glass bulb it appears in the form of light. In the same way, the unmanifest Brahman when gets covered/embodied in Prakriti it appears to have taken form. The Formless Brahman is analogues to Air or water & its personal form is analogues to balloon filled with air or water. Air and water both are formless but when they are contained in a transparent balloon then they appear to have taken form but that does not mean that Air and Water both elements have lost its properties of being formless. In the same way, the formless Brahman when it resides and pervades the Body made up of material and mental elements from within universe it appears to have taken form but in reality, it does not lose its formless nature. The God with Form (limited consciousness of mind) is unified with Formless God (unlimited consciousness of Brahman). Vedas mostly describe Nirakar Nirguna Brahman which is formless, omnipresent, eternal consciousness. Vedas mention Supreme God as Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma of Trinity). [Take a note that Brahman is not any kind of energy but it is pure consciousness of space. Example of electric energy is only for understanding purpose]
“Ekam Sat-Viprah Bahudha Vadanti. “The One Being, the wise diversely speak of.”- (Rig-Veda 1.164.46)
“The source and origin of the gods, ruler of all, May Supreme God, the great seer, who anciently created the golden germ, endow us with clear intellect.” - (Svetasvatara Upanishad III.4)
“Great indeed are the Devas (demigods) who have sprung out of Supreme God.” - (Atharva Veda)
Hinduism is an open-minded discipline. It is a discipline that does not use force on its follower. That is, it does not dictate the follower to act by one step by step recipe it gives, condemning all other recipes. Hinduism describes everything as divine and sacred because God is everywhere and in everyone. Supreme Self has truly created this real world, everything belongs to God but it also pervades everywhere. Hinduism speaks about all-pervasiveness and all-controlling nature of the Supreme Being. The Changing things that appear in the physical and mental world may be realized as divine: the Supreme Self that shines unmixed in everyone and everything, beneath all names and forms and qualities of personality and world. He pervades everywhere — is explained by the use of phrases such as “He is near and also very far” (yaddure yadvantike); “He is within and without” (tadantarasya sarvasya tadu sarvasya bahyatah); “He moves and yet does not move” (taddhavato’nyanatyeti tisthat). These apparently contradictory attributes reveal his achintya Shakti/unthinkable nature (which may not be understood under human senses but exists).
“All this that is in front is but Supreme God, the immortal. Supreme God is on the right, as well as on the left; above & below too, is extended Supreme God alone. The Supreme God is both inside and outside occupying everything. This world is nothing but Supreme God, the highest.” - (Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.11)
“All this entire universe belongs to God; who lives in it, in every smallest bit of it. It moves(from the human perspective), and yet it does not move (from absolute perspective). God is far beyond the furthest reach of space and time; and yet He is immediate, forever close, and inseparably present here. He is here inside, in everything; yet it is outside all of this. God shines pure, through everything unconstrained by the muscled body, unaffected by all ill, untouched by any taint of sin.”- (Isha Upanishad, stanzas 4-8).
Katha Upanishad it is said: “Paramātmā is the same everywhere, in every world, on every level throughout the entire Cosmos. Until you recognize this you will continue to be reborn. Paramātmā remains the same – in past, present, and future. It is the same in the heart of an ant or an elephant, in every living being. It is the Cause of everything.”
Thus the major difference between the Hindu and the Abrahamic beliefs is while Abrahamic religions speak relatively partial attributes of the God, Hinduism speaks about complete attributes.
God is experienced in two aspects – as Nirakar and Sakar.
Nirakar Nirguna is the eternal all-pervading and omnipresent divine consciousness. The Absolute without qualities, is impersonal, without Guna or attributes, Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable and eternal. This “Formless” form of God is called Sat-Chit-Ananda Rupa (Eternal-Truth-Consciousness-Bliss-Form)
Saguna Sakar is the manifestation of God in form. Qualified absolute, came from the Sanskrit Saguna (सगुण) “with qualities” and Brahman (ब्रह्मन्) “the Absolute.” The personal aspect of the Ultimate Reality. This Saguna Brahman is eternal, undecaying and non-differentiated from Nirguna Brahman.
Verses Describing God as Formless (Nirakar)
“Na tasya pratima asti”
“There is no likeness of Him.”
[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19, Yajurveda 32:3]
There is no Form of Nirguna Brahma or God as Supreme Consciousness.
“His formless form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye.”
[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20]
His Formless Form can’t be seen. Though He manifests Himself as Sakar Saguna Brahman, no one can see Him with present eyes or material eyes. To see His Supreme and Original Form one needs spiritual perfection. “No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality, and pastimes of God through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.” (Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu 1.2.234).
God says: “You cannot see me with your present eyes. Therefore I give you divine eyes so that you can behold my mystic opulence” (Bhagavad-Gita 11.8)
“Shudhama papviddham”
“He is body less (Here Body means the physical structure, including the bones, flesh, and organ. Brahman has unique transcendental formless spirit body which is infinite like space) & pure.” (Yajurveda 40:8)
“He (Brahman/Paramatma) does not possess bodily form like that of an ordinary living entity. There is no difference between His body and His soul. He has a unique transcendental spiritual/spirit body which is infinite and omnipresent like space. Brahman is omnipresent soul and Soul “itself” is his spiritual body. He is absolute. All His senses are transcendental. Any of His senses can perform the action of any other sense. Therefore, no one is greater than Him or equal to Him. His potencies are multifarious, and thus His deeds are automatically performed as a natural sequence.”
(Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.7-8)
God as Nirakar Nirguna Brahman or Supreme Consciousness is body less and pure. That doesn’t mean His Sakar Saguna form is impure, it is pure too.
Verses Describing God with Form (Sakar Saguna)
“The Lord of the universe, Lives inside the universe, And without being born, Appears in many forms, And only the wise realize his real form” - (Rig Veda Purusha Suktam 2.3)
Although I (Supreme transcendental Brahman) am unborn, imperishable, unchangeable and God of all living entities I do incarnate (Sambhavami –cause to be born or produced) by using my Maya/Illusive energy. (Maya:- the combination of material and mental elements e.g. five elements, five internal senses, five organs of action, five external sense base also called sense objects, One vital breath, mind, intelligence ) - (Bhagavad Gita 4:6)
Meaning – Even though I am unborn I appear (unreal appearance different from original) to be born & embodied because of my Prakriti/Maya/Illusive energy of which I am the controller. I never get influenced by three modes of nature. My transcendental infinite/formless space like form never cease to exist when I incarnate. My birth & death in personal form are just empirical reality similar to the mirage in desert or reflection of an object in the water.
Whenever & wherever there is a decline in Dharma/righteousness & religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend (Sruja-send myself forth/Descend/take visible form) myself (aham-I/Me, atmanam-self). (Bhagavad Gita 4:7)
Though unborn, it appears to be born in diverse ways. (Yajurveda 31.19)
The Lord takes on the manifold form. (It) transformed Himself in accordance with each form; that form of His was for the sake of making Him known. (e.g.:- just like the presence of unmanifest electric energy can be recognized by lightened bulb) (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.5.19)
"God appears in both ways as the formless Brahman and as the personal God". They are both dimensions of his personality. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.3.1)
He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and he is the prime cause of all causes.”(Brahma Samhita 5.1)
There are two forms of Brahman, the material & the immaterial, the mortal and the immortal, the solid and the fluid, sat (being) and tya (that), (i.e. sat-tya, true). (The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.3.1)
Therefore it can be understood now that God has two forms Nirakar Nirguna & Sakar Saguna. These two form Characteristics of God like all-powerful, all-knowing, all-merciful, pure, infinite etc. remains the same. Just like water has three forms – liquid, solid & vapor, though it appears in different forms the core substance H2O remains the same in all forms. In the same way, the Brahman/God is one without second & has the ability to manifests in different forms at the same time anywhere on the earth & still remaining present everywhere. Its formless feature is omnipresent & infinite like space and it is able to manifest in many numbers of forms at different places at the same time without ceasing the existence of its ultimate omnipresent nature. God is Supreme Soul which itself is a Spiritual body. The God manifests in the form that means it wears or gets covered/concealed in the body made up of elements (material & mental elements) present within universe pervading that entire body. Cosmic spirit Brahman pervades entire body and combination of material & mental elements are superimposed on it within the boundary of a physical body.
[Imp Note: - In Western religions, absolute reality is known as Holy spirit/Supersoul and when it is applied individually it is known as soul while in Vedic culture Absolute reality is called as Brahman/Paramatma/Parabrahma and when it is applied individually it is called as Atman. In Western religions personification of absolute reality is called God in heaven and in Vedic religion it is called Ishwar or Bhagavan.]
In the case of Trimurti & Avatars their Atman/soul and Brahman/Supreme Soul is same, they are Jivanmukta (free from cycle of death & birth) & are in unification with Brahman (Brahma Bhava/Non duality/Turiya state– state of being in identification with Brahman, Oneness of mind with Brahman). In case of all normal living beings as their Atman/Soul is covered in Pancha Koshas/Five sheaths of ignorance (namely Annamaya Kosha, Pranamaya Kosha, Manamaya kosha, Vijnanamaya Kosha, Anandamaya Kosha) which keeps them in ignorance/illusion so they have false ego (mind, thoughts, and intellect is attached to perishable body and impermanent material nature) of physical body as individual self which makes them feel differentiated from the Atman/Soul/root consciousness & thus they are trapped in Samsara/cycle of death and birth. A spiritually ignorant person identifies himself with gross physical body & mental elements like intellect & thoughts while Personal Gods are in self-realization state and their mind is completely absorbed in their infinite soul/infinite consciousness (soul is infinite B.G.- 2.24,2.17) which is supreme Brahman.
When Shree Krishna was using “I” or “Me” while revealing Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna he was referring everything w.r.t. his own Atman/Brahman (soul) by destroying false ego of a body as himself and getting his mind completely absorbed in infinite consciousness of Brahman. Shri Krishna cannot be called as the physical perishable body as he is supposed to be his Atman/Brahman (soul) and soul is an infinite, spiritual, space-like, formless transcendental body (When Shri Krishna was narrating Bhagavad Gita he had become one with Brahman. His mind had got detached from his physical body. His mind had become fully absorbed in infinite Brahman making him omnipresent Consciousness) Shri Krishna is not his physical body or any illusionary body created by his energy (magic) but he has space like infinite transcendental body, that formless body is his soul. There is no difference between his infinite formless body and his soul because both are one Brahman/soul. The concept of God in Hinduism can be understood by Advaita philosophy, three types of Realities and concept of Five Koshas which covers individual Atman, & Turiya State of Oneness/Non-duality.
Reference: - Turiya state is state of Oneness of mind/non-duality with Brahman. (Complete absorption of mind and intellect with Brahman.
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 5.14.3, Chandogya Upanishad 8.7 - 8.12 )
Panch Koshas:- Five sheaths of ignorance that covers individual Atman & create ignorance & illusion among normal living entities that their individual self/Soul is different from Supreme Soul even when in reality Soul and supreme soul are one (Taittiriya Upanishad 2:1 – 2:10)
Avyaktam vyaktim apannam manyante mam abuddhayah |
param bhavam ajananto mamavyayam anuttamam (Bhagavad Gita 7:24)
Meaning: - Only Unintelligent think & limit my unmanifest, supreme, incomparable and imperishable existence to personal manifest human-like form. What is visible is just an empirical reality. This is because they do not know my transcendental infinite state. Here Shri Krishna says that his personal form is not ultimate reality. His Saguna Brahman is posited as a means of realizing Nirguna Brahman and declare Saguna Brahman to be the empirical/pragmatical reality. The unmanifest infinite electric energy cannot be compared with lightened bulb and light in the same way Shri Krishna’s personal form cannot be compared with his inconceivable space like infinite form/impersonal Brahman.
Shri Krishna again declares that those who are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal (formless, infinite, space-like, transcendental) aspect of the Krishna, for them the spiritual advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied. Some of Abrahamic religion worship Supreme reality in formless feature so according to Shri Krishna for them, spiritual growth is slow and tough. Shri Krishna prefers worship of Supreme reality in his divine personal form.
Reference: -
When Hindus greet with each other with Namaste its literal meaning is "I bow to the divine in you". Hinduism have a unique concept of God and God is considered to be residing in heart of each living being in the form of soul that’s why Hindus bow down in front of Cows and saints not because they are God but because they have the presence of essence and divinity as Supreme God Brahman. Abrahamic religions usually try to find God elsewhere or in the sky while in Hinduism God is seen in all living beings and each one is treated equally.
Reference: -
A true devotee sees Brahman/Supreme soul situated as Atman/soul in all living beings & also in himself equally everywhere. (Bhagavad Gita 6:29)
Whoever sees (perceive) me everywhere and everything in me, for him I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me. (Bhagavad Gita 6:30)
Such a yogi, who serve me through devotional service by perceiving (knowing that) me as only one situated in all living beings he remains always remains in me in all circumstances. (Bhagavad Gita 6:31)
He is considered perfect yogi who compares his own atman/soul/self and sees it as equal everywhere in every living being both in happiness and distress. (Bhagavad Gita 6:32)
And of all yogis, the one with true full faith who worship me with his inner self abiding in me (Who think of himself in me) he is deemed by me as most devout. (Bhagavad Gita 6:47)
I am the atman/soul/self, established in the hearts of all beings, O Gudakesha. I am the beginning, middle and also the end of all beings. – (Bhagavad Gita 10:20)
Brahman is knowledge, it is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone’s heart. (Bhagavad Gita 13:18)
Yet in this body, there is another, a transcendental enjoyer, who is supreme Lord, Super soul, the supreme proprietor who exists as the overseer and permitter. (Bhagavad Gita 13.23)
The one who sees the imperishable Super soul in the destructible bodies of all living entities as only one he is the one who actually sees (he is the one who truly knows the truth). (Bhagavad Gita 13.29)
One who sees the Super soul equally present everywhere, in every living being, does not degrade himself by his mind. Thus he approaches the transcendental destination. (Bhagavad Gita 13.29)
Parma Atma/super soul which is dwelling in the body is inexhaustible due to being eternal and attribute less. Therefore O son of Kunti this Super soul neither does anything nor is entangled. (Bhagavad Gita 13:32)
I am seated in the hearts of all living beings, and from me come memory, knowledge, as well as forgetfulness. I alone am to be known by all the Vedas, am the author of the Vedanta, & the knower of the meaning of the Vedas. (Bhagavad Gita 15:15)
Impersonal God/Brahman is infinite in nature:-
Verse:-
Om Purnamadah Purnamidam
Purnat Purnamudachyate
Purnasya Purnamadaya
Purnameva Vashishyate
Om shanti, shanti, shanti
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and Isavasyopanishad)
Meaning:-
‘That’ (The absolute spirit/Brahman) is infinite, ‘This’ (Soul/Atman) is infinite. From ‘That’ ‘this’ raises and manifests itself. From ‘that’ when ‘This’ is separated, what especially remains is ‘That’. When infinity is separated from infinity the remaining is always infinity.
The nature of absolute reality is like space: -
The self of God is like space- That which appears like space is God. Whatever that exist is existing relative to empty/consciousness of space. Consciously Space is different from light, darkness and dark matter. The existence of light, darkness and dark matter are relative to a consciousness of space.
Hindu Scriptures mentions that self of God is like space. ————Man is a creature of his Kratumaya (क्रतुमयः, will, purpose). Let him, therefore, have for himself this will, this purpose: The intelligent, whose body is imbued with life-principle, whose form is light, whose thoughts are driven by truth, whose self is like space (invisible but ever-present), from whom all works, all desires, all sensory feelings encompassing this whole world, the silent, the unconcerned, this is me, my Self, my Soul within my heart.
