Do the Hindus here consider themselves genuinely polytheistic, or monotheistic with applied polytheism?

Question

Do you believe there is the one God, Brahman (do not confuse with Brahma), and is polytheism simply a means into understanding for the masses,

OR

Do you believe there are truly many Gods?

And if any of the mad fundamentalists here (of any persuasion) plan to rant about idolatry or start proselytising without actually even attempting to answer the question - please don't waste my time or yours.

To Kalidas, to clarify:

Brahman is the supreme reality.

The priest class is written Brahmin in English. That is different, and I am not talking about that.

Brahma, the Preserver of the Hindu Trinity (of Shiva the Destroyer and Vishnu the Creator) is also specifically NOT what I am talking about.

Also, I know people often say Hinduism is a way of life, not a religion. But Hinduism has a lot of beliefs in the supernatural as part of the way of life proposed, and that is the definition of a religion.

Also, ALL religions are at the end of the day a way of life.

Answer 1

Monotheistic with applied polytheism.

Yes, said he, but just how many gods are there Yajnavalkya?" "Thirty three". "yes," said he, but just how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" "One."
- Brhadaranyaka Upanishad III, IX, I

Even an illiterate Hindu villager will propmtly tell you that God is one. Many answerers above explained the concept of God in both Sagun and Nirgun Brahm above.

The confusion arises due to the fact that concept of polythiesm or monotheism has very narrow definitions as given by so called monotheistic religions. They view their own brand as legit and define it in a way that it only describes them.

Note:

Actually Brahma which is written as brahman in west or you is different that the Brahmaa in Sanskrit. Brahmaa is part of the trinity brahmaa, Vishnu and Mahesha.

This extra n in Brahman is really confusing for many Hindus themselves as we associate word brahman with preist class of brahmans :(. It took me some time to understand when I read the word Brahman for first time in place of just Brahm !

Why cant you people spell the words as we prnounce it in out own language? sigh.

Though I guess everbody does that. I met a funny westerner once. He told me his name was Alakshyendra!!! that is sanskritised version of Alexander. I stopped my work to take a look at him and he was laughing. I guess he wanted to shock and he succeeded.

Answer 2

Hinduism is a totally free religion. The question asked by you is interesting. Answer suggested by you in the first part is true. This religion has both concepts. The transcendent and the Immanent. The transcendental concept of a God can be described as follows. He is smaller than the smallest and bigger than the biggest. Everything is contained in Him and He is contained in every thing.He has no beginning and no end. He has no qualities or He is "Nirgun".He envelopes all that is created. He is one and one only there is no second. He has no shape or figure.This concept is far too difficult to be grasped by a common man who is not even educated. Does the teacher not use a model to make it easy for students to grasp the subject? In a similar way the immanent concept was created to facilitate easy understanding by common people. In this concept God has a shape, figure, colour, qualities and attributes easy to visualise just as the human beings. Just has every one has a choice of his own, several Gods with different attributes are there to choose from :eg Vishnu the calm and cool handsome preserver, The fearsome intemperate Shiva or the creative yet unmoving Brahma. A dark cunning god who is doer in Krishna or a veritable model for human behaviour in Rama. The list goes on.We very well know that an idol being worshipped has no God in it. But to cocentrate and focus a man needs an object of worship since it is difficult to worship an imaginary concept. It is indeed a matter of convenience and way of worship. As long as primary purpose of keeping peace and restoring order in a society is achieved the religion has served its purpose. In that way concepts enshrined in Hinduism have stood the test of time despite several foreign invasions and plunder. These have served the people well and Hindus are known to be honest hardworking and peace loving people. Look at the demand in US and other Western capitals for software professionals from India!

Answer 3

I think that the god is only one. The triad, as worshiped in Hindu religion perhaps shows the different forms of the same god: god is the creator (Brahma), care taker (Vishnu) and destroyer (Shiva) and power (Shakti). Over the times, thinkers might have added the different edges of the same god (its easier to understand then, the realm of god.. isnt it??). In Hindu texts also, this can be found, where they say that Shiva is the only one. Everyone else is bound and frm Shiva-the one who destroys and re-creates: the eternity of life.

Answer 4

In the Vaisnava tradition of knowledge that extends through a 5,000 year old chain of disciplic succession, it is accepted that there is one Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna who is accepted by Brahma, the first Vedic scholar to be the primary source of all that exists both in the spiritual and mundane worlds. In the Brahma Samhita it is stated Isvara Parama Krishna.The same conclusion is stated in the Bhagavatam Purana and also by Krishna himself in the Bhagavad Gita, for example Chapter 10 Verse 8 through to 11.

So there is one supreme God, but from that one Supreme Personality of Godhead there are unlimited expansions, all existing simultaneously, including ourselves, the individual JIva souls who are temporarily covered by the eight component parts of the separated material energy. We are simultaneously one with and different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Refer to Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15 verse 7. Mamaivamso jiva loke, jiva bhutah sanatanah, the living entities in this conditioned world are my eternal fragmental parts.

The Brahman manifestation that is refered to is nothing more or less then the effulgence of the transcendental form of Krishna, refer to Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14 Verse 27 Brahmano hi pratisthaham, I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman

For further discussion :-Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari ([e-mail])

Answer 5

I'm not Hindu, I'm Kemetic Orthodox (revival/reconstruction of the ancient Egyptian religion). But my religion has the same type of belief as they do, from what I've studied. That is, in Monolatry. Monolatry is the belief that there is one divine power/God, that can take on the forms of distinct Gods and Godesses with their own existance.

The only way I can describe it, is this: Imagine a grain of sand. It's distinct, it is it's own entity. But many grains of sand make up a desert. The desert itself is one larger thing made up of smaller things. And yet, the desert is it's own distinct entity as well. There would be no desert without the many grains of sand. Does that make sense?

Answer 6

Hinduism is a way of life rather than a religion.


Vedic Hindus believed in one God but with many names and many faces.

Answer 7

Monist with polytheistic tendencies.

I believe that there is one God, Brahman. He is everything, and this world and each of us are just a part of him (like a dream). And yes, I believe that he manifests himself into smaller parts so that we can comprehend aspects of his nature. But these parts are not different from Brahman, simply seperate. Like ice cubes in water.

Answer 8

One God created You all but we in turn created many Gods to show the world how unimportant the religion and its divisiveness is. So stop bothering and have your pick out of the variety that is on offer in India.