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04 Pantheism or Polytheism - The Concept of Īśvara
04 Pantheism or Polytheism - The Concept of Īśvara
POLYTHEISM: THE
CONCEPT OF Īśvara
God is not Īśvara
‘God’ is an English word. It articulates a
Western idea.
The Vedas, at the core of all, maintain that Reality is One, and the
One also exists as the many. So, Sanatana dharma is not a
polytheistic religion. Nor is it theistic. It is not even religion.
Behind them is the recognition that the omnipotent Īśvara can appear
as any form (deity); so, the choice of deity is the individual
worshipper’s freedom. The deity dear to the worshipper is called
ishta devata.
◦ Prohibition of Idolatry or Idol Worship was a central tenet
What did the and precept of the Colonial Rulers. They strictly prohibited and
despised Idol Worship.
Colonisers/ ◦ According to the Colonizers, it was considered a sin to worship
Colonial Rulers another God other than the Lord.
◦ Historically, the punishment for Idolatry was often brutal
say with death.
reference to What haunts and bleeds India today is a profound historical error.
Indians This error lies in our lack of proper awareness and understanding
of our own nation, its dynamic traditions, culture, customs,
worshipping values, ideals, heritage and history, and our lack of
understanding of different Īśvaras and historical figures.
multiple We have given in, succumbed to adopting Western or
Eurocentric Etymologies/Coinages : to borrowing terms from
Īśvaras(Gods)? Western European History, and unquestionably applied them to
ourselves.
◦ As rational beings, it is our natural tendency to seek
patterns, cause and effect is the most common pattern we
can observe in nature. Every event, process, state, or object
is a contribution of some other event, process, state, or
object. These patterns of cause and effect led humans to
another big question, what is the primary cause? To create a
tiny needle to a huge palace, an intelligence is necessary,
so what would be the intelligence behind the creation and
sustenance of this extremely complex and well-ordered
Īśvara/God/Brahman: universe. If there is a primary cause for everything, what is
its nature? Can we discover that primary cause with our
Theological limited intellect and reason? All theologies revolve around
Standpoints these questions.
◦ There are different theological standpoints like monotheism,
which says - there is only one true God, Polytheism with
many Īśvara (gods), Pantheism - the world is either
identical to Īśvaras (god), or an expression of Īśvara’s
nature. Atheism- the doctrine which rejects the idea of
God, Agnosticism, which says that we cannot even know
whether God exists or not! There are countless other
theological and philosophical standpoints.
Below is a very brief account of the symbolism of a few popular Īśvara -
symbols.
the ability to consume and digest any experience; the destruction of all
vasanas (negative tendencies);
the four-fold inner equipment of the subtle body – manas (mind), buddhi
(intellect), ahamkara (ego), chitta (conditioned-consciousness); the binding
force that frees man from all his worldly entanglements and draws him to the
bliss of his own Self; and the supreme goal of human evolution.
The modakam (sweet) in his hand is the sweet reward of spiritual seeking.
The food placed in front depicts abundance; the rat patiently waiting for its
master’s permission to eat it represents desire which, if oriented towards
Īśvara, can be tamed and purified.
Subrahmanya (Muruka)
Halebidu, Karnataka
Siva
Siva, seated in the stable Padmasana posture, is the
personification of the unruffled absolute state, beyond
birth and death, and time and space, and symbolises
Atma Jnani (realized soul). His half-closed eyes suggest
perception of inside as well as outside, and absorption in
inner harmony while involved in outer activity. His third
eye is the extra insight of intuition. His meagre attire in
contrast with the rugged Himalayan landscape suggests
detachment. In the aspect of Nataraja, his dance is the
rhythmic activity of vibrant cosmic phenomena. The
snakes he wears on his person are the life forces that
merge in the absolute. The sacred ash he smears all over
his body signifies the purest and ultimate state of
materiality.