Hinduism: Polytheistic or Monotheistic?

Question

I've heard good arguments to both sides. It looks like it's polytheistic, but I've run into some Hindus who say it's monotheistic and that the different gods are just representations of one god. So which is it?

PS - Don't tell me to come towards Islam - I'm already a Muslim :P

Answer 1

I found the same thing confusing when I first studied Indian culture. The latter is correct--but Hinduism is structured along radically different cultural lines. The Hindu religion uses the term "avatar" (among others) to refer to these different manifestations. But, while they believe they are all of the same god, they also bellieve each of these avatars is mor than a representation--he/she (there's both) has a real existance as well.

A similar (though it is NOT the same) concept may help you get a handle on the way the concept is put together. Hindus believe in reincarnation (you probably already know that). So when we see a person, presumably he/she is the embodiment of a spiritual being who has lived previous lives (and will libe more, mostlikely). There's no question the person we see is that being--but so were that beings "personae) in past lives. Each "life" is the same being--yet each is distinct and real in its own right.

As I said--the notion of reincarnation and of avatars are different--but they bot are products of the same cultural worldview.

Answer 2

Polytheistic originating from Monotheistic

Answer 3

As long as you try to understand Hinduism in comparison to sementic religions or with eye glasses tainted with sementic god's theory, you will never find correct explanation.

Most of the religions believe God to be One, sitting somewhere and who created out of nothing a vast universe..and people ...some suffering for no reasons and some enjoying for no reasons.... and there will be a hell and a heaven where all would go !!

Hinduism on the other hand tells...God is the supreme consiousness (who they say Aum or Brahmm)... this Consciousness is beyond attributes, names and forms

This consciuosness, manifests as Universe and all living beings...Hence all have God as the basis of their existence.

Hinduism gives liberty to its followers to worship God in any name or form, as per one's mental status....so some worship him as father, some as Mother, some as Guru some as friend and some as Beloved.

Hindus know very well that they are actually worshipping the supreme consciousness...in different names/forms

God also created some angels (or demi-gods) to help Manage the Universe... these demi-gods are taken by non-hindus as Many gods... which is not true..these are mythological characters like Greek gods.

Answer 4

Lord Brahma says in the Brahma Samhita, chapter 5, verse 1,
Krishna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. 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 specifically calls Krishna Isvara Parama, supreme controller. In the subsequent verses, Lord Brahma, explains different controllers(isvaras) who are different representatives Krishna in the material world for managing different departments of lighting, heating, watering, ... etc... Indra, Surya, Chandra...etc..
These representatives are called as demigods.

Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita declares,chapter 7, verse 7,
"O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread"

I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.
Chapter 10, verse 8.

By the way, the word Hindu is nowhere found in the Vedas which is the book the Hindus(conventional term) or the inhabitants of Bharata follow. The word Hindu came from the Persians who could not pronounce the word Sindhu and the inhabitants of along the river Sindhu and called as Hindu.

Answer 5

I think that polytheistic and monotheistic are artificial distinctions. The Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians all had many gods, but they also believed in an ultimate, underlying reality (the Mystery). Judaism, Christianity and Islam all have one God--but they also have a plethora of angels which represent aspects of God (not dead people with wings, sorry)--but also happen to be (in many cases) re-named pagan gods.
Hinduism works the same way--ultimate underlying reality (Brahman); lots of active gods (atman).

Answer 6

HInduism is a very old and matured faith. It has reason for everything it believes.
God says in Gita that he is only god (one god), but there are many dummy gods created by him, who can be worshipped to get limited returns, but if one worships him, will get endless returns.
Many hindus worship him as Lord Krishna. They also worship dummy gods.
Some hindus worship only him in different forms. Like Krishna, Ram & Vishnu.
Some hindus only worship the unseen spirit and call him Eswar (God ).
Hindus take a stone and call it god, just as representation of god, but it does not mean, god is stone.
Every Hindu, even a kid, knows that there is only one god, even though he calls him by different names. Like you nave a nick name, and your full name.
Hinduism is Monotheistic religion. It goes beyong limits of monothestic faith to understand god.

Answer 7

The many forms of Hinduism are henotheistic religions. They recognize a single deity, and view other Gods and Goddesses as manifestations or aspects of that supreme God.

Answer 8

Be a Hindu - Its a way of life not a religion ! It doesnt bind you with a particular form of God but frees you to see God in anything and anywhere and in any form. It doesnt binds you to a particular scripture but makes you look within yourself for self-realization. Its varied vast books/scriptures are to make you self-guide your self-realization in your own way , method and pace.
God bless you.

Answer 9

In the HINDOUS SCRIPTURES it is said
-God is only one, without a second Chandogya Upanishad ch6 sec2 v1
-Almighty God has no parents, no mother, no father, no superiors Shavetashvatara Upanishad ch6 v9
-Of that God there is no Pratima, there is no likeness, there is no Image, there is no picture, no sculpture, and no statue. Shevetashvatara Upanishad ch4 v19/ Yajurveda ch32 v3
-No one can see the Almighty God Shevetashvatara Upanishad ch4 v20
-All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship Idols.Bhagvad Geeta ch7 v20
-They know me as the unborn, not begotten, the supreme God of the worlds. Bhagvad Geeta ch10 v3
-Almighty God is imageless and pure Yajurveda ch40 v8
-They are entering the darkness, those who worship assamuthi, the natural things, like fire, water, air etc. And they are entering more in darkness those who worship the sambuthi, created things, like table, chair, statues etc.Yajurveda ch40 v9
-Verily great is Almighty GodAtharvaveda bk20 hym58 v3
-God is one, truth is one, and sages call Him by various names.Rigveda bk1 hym164 v46
-Worship Him alone; praise Him alone, One GodRigveda bk8 hym1 v1
-Praise Him alone; worship that one GodRigveda bk6 hym45 v16
-Ikkam Brahmam dewta naste nehna naste kinshan, Bhagwan eik hein, dousra nahin, zara bhi nahin zara bhi nahin, There is only one God not a second one, not at all, not at all, not at the least with.(Brahma Sutra.)
ALLAH: ALLAH is the proper name in Arabic for The One and Only God, The Creator and Sustainer of the universe. It is used by the Arab Christians and Jews for the God (Eloh-im in Hebrew; 'Allaha' in Aramaic, the mother tongue of Jesus, pbuh). And in Hinduism God is known as Allah in Rigveda bk2 hym1 v11, Rigveda bk3 hym30 v10, Rigveda bk9 hym67 v30. And there is a separate Upanishad named Alloh Upanishad. The word Allah does not have a plural or gender. Allah does not have any associate or partner, and He does not beget nor was He begotten.

Answer 10

Both, sort of. The most accurate term is Henotheism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henotheism