hinduism as polythestic? is this an accurate arguement? help?

Question

hello i have to write an assingment on: how accurate is it to describe hinduism as a polythestic religion.

for the essay im thinking of looking at the hindu religion itself, with a brief comparison to christianity. i will study the main gods- the 3 gods of the trinity- brahama, vishnu and shiva, n the mother goddess shakti or dara. the many gods that they worship will help understand the polythestic part.

i was then going to look at arguements of it being polythestic or not,look at both sides.

wat else do i need to include tho? is looking at the main gods enough to show it as polythestic? ne other ideas? wat about the vedas do they need to be included?

please help

thanks

emma

Answer 1

That argument is partially correct. I would first like to explain the concept of God in Hinduism.

The truth (Ultimate Reality) is one, Sages call it by different names - there is one God, (Supreme Reality) perceived differently. Supreme Reality / God - Brahman has two aspects, transcendent (impersonal) and immanent (personal). In the impersonal aspect Brahman is without attributes (nirguna Brahman). In personal aspect (saguna Brahman) the God is creator, preserver and controller of the universe. Saguna Brahman is worshipped in male and female form. Hindu Deities represent various perceptions of a one God. Hindus believe in monotheistic polytheism, rather than polytheism.

There are three main Gods in Hinduism. Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver), Shiva (destroyer). They represent:

* Three Faces of Divine
* Three Cosmic Functions of the Supreme Lord
* Creation + Preservation+ Dissolution
* Generator + Operator + Destroyer = GOD


In a similar way in which other religions believe in a multitude of divine beings, sometimes known as angels, divinities, gods, etc., followers of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) believe that our universe is alive with beneficent beings, called devas in the ancient Sanskrit language. These devas, however, are all servants of the one Supreme Lord, and are never to be mistakenly confused with the Supreme Lord. While followers of Sanatana Dharma respect these devas, and even propitiate them in times of need, we also readily acknowledge that these devas, too, have their origin and sustenance in the one Supreme Lord.

For an example many of these gods are actually the life supporting powers; Sun (Surya), Water (Varuna), and Air (Vayu) without which the life cannot exist. In Hinduism these elements which make the life possible are praised, respected along with the Very Essential God. But all of these devas are only servants of the supreme lord.


(In higher levels of Hinduism (Vedanta and Sankhya philosophy) we believe in "Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti" meaning "that which exists is one, sages call it by different names". There is no monotheistic polytheism in Vedanata, only monotheism.)


Please feel free to mail me for any more questions that are still unanswered.

Answer 2

It's not always true by any means, but on this question Wikipedia is good, concise, referenced and in clear English.

At some levels of understanding of Hinduism (Intellectual, philosophical and mystical...) is it not only not polytheistic, it maintains that the divine and the universe are one. The deity does not create the universe.

At the level of individual practice, however, religious observance often appears much more oriented to polytheism, with devotion to particular named deities (devas) often guided by locality, caste, or family.
At the caste level conflict between the devotees of particular aspect-deities deities remains quite possible, despite the higher unity of identity that a broader view of the religion supports.

Aside: it is easy to show the polytheistic aspect of Hinduism by displaying pictures of the pantheons adorning many Hindu temples.
Not so easy to come up with a picture of the "everything is one and divine" concept. So may the former be liable to undue prominence?

Answer 3

Strictly speaking, Hinduism is monotheistic. All the different gods we see are manifestations of the same main God, Brahman. But for all practical purposes, Hindus act as they worship different Gods

Answer 4

The exact word to describe Hinduism is neither polytheistic nor monotheistic. It is called monoism - means Brahman(God) manifests himself/herself/itself in many forms. The highest scriptures of Hinduism are Vedas.

"Great indeed are the devas(gods) who have sprung out of Brahman(God)." — Atharva Veda

Answer 5

Definitely make sure that the different gods, etc. are all symbolic of different attributes of the divine -- not meant to be taken as literal but as helpful symbols to focus on a particular aspect

Answer 6

Understand the true purport and meaning of hinduism and thy shall gain the pearls of wisdom!


Hinduism: can be best defined as Sanatana Dharma... something which exists from times immemorial. Hinduism does not have a beginning... it exists ever since Humanity came into existence. The bane of Hinduism is Dharma... which also forms the base of all Religions existing on Mother Earth. No Religion can ever survive without a Dharma. Dharma is the root of all Religions. Why?

Talking of Jainism we cannot understand the basics without delving into the Life of the 24th Tirthankara Bhagwan Mahavira. It was only in the time of the 24th Tirthankara Bhagwan Mahavira that Jainism rightly came into existence. Whatever form of Jainism existed before the 24th Tirthankara was limited to the Spiritual Masters only. All that was knowable to these Spiritual Masters was not available to the masses for the prime reason that the intellect of a common man was not as developed as was required to fathom the depths of the Sacred Wisdom we know as jaina doctrines.

During the times of Bhagwan Mahavira... the common masses came to understand what was being taught by the masters of the era. Gradually as the momentum picked up... the followers of Jaina doctrine came to be known as Jains and the following Jainism. Before Bhagwan Mahavira the existence of Jainism as such did not hold good as it was only limited to the Spiritual Masters of the day.


Similarly, the Teachings of Gautama Buddha came to be known as Buddhism and its followers Buddhists. Buddhism is also known as the eightfold path. Gautama Buddha advocated the eightfold path also known as the middle path for he realized that not while living in the family and nor while attempting the Life of the dense forests could one gain knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures. He advocated maintaining a balance between the two and advised the common man to take the middle path. Neither getting totally immersed in family Life nor practicing austere practices to its extreme.

We need to understand that before the advent of Gautama Buddha... there was nothing we can call as Buddhism. The Teachings of Gautama Buddha primarily form the core Teachings of Buddhism. The existence of Buddhism Religion... the following of Gautama Buddha came into being only after the advent of Gautama Buddha.

In Christianity also, the core Teachings of the Bible contain the Essence of the Teachings of Jesus Christ and his trusted followers. Before the advent of Jesus Christ nothing existed on Mother Earth we could call as Christianity. The following of Jesus Christ is known as Christianity and the followers Christians. More on hinduism here- http://www.godrealized.com/Hinduism.html

Answer 7

A more accurate term is henotheistic, not polytheistic. Also see pantheistic monism and panentheism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henotheism

Answer 8

Any religion that has more than one god is, by its very nature, polytheistic. What is your question? Hinduism is definately polythieistic, there is no one who can possible think it is anything else.