Hinduism, Initial concept of Shiva, Trinity...

**anbu_kathir** · 13th August 2012, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by Sunil_M88

I was born into a Hindu family but recently after diving deep through intricacies, I find there are many contradictions in this religion as well as conflicting beliefs. God is far too great to be placed in any religion. Religion is only a focal point and if anyone asks me, I'd say that I'm an agnostic thiest who doesn't deny the supernatural.

Over the weekend, I went to celebrate Shri Krishna Janamashtmi Maha Mahotsav and visited a stall "Back to godhead", which just like any other Isckon subsidiary, primarily aims to get people chanting their transcendental Maha Mantra. Anyway I saw a family tree of Lord Krishna (Trying to find this picture online and no luck so far!) starting with Lord Vishnu, second to come was Lord Brahma in brackets reading from the Lord Vishnu’s naval and then in the third generation amongst others like Agni, Vayu etc. was Lord Shiva.

I was totally baffled... I came home and done my research and found out the Lord Shiva himself is the Trimurti, i.e. Sadyajota (Brahma), Vamadeva (Vishnu) and Aghora (Shiva).

The former belief is obviously a Vaishnav one and the later being a Saivite one. But seriously, despite being considered the oldest religion, Hinduism is no way a religion and is rather a set of collected beliefs that is still evolving even today. So many branches and then you have taboo matters as caste which divides this religion further. At best it should be considered a way of life, not a religion. As a Hindu I used to question myself and say if I believe in Hanuman, then I'm not doing justice to Shiva. If I believe in Mata then I'm not doing justice to Krishna, etc. I used to feel guilty in praying to individual gods though I knew God wouldn't mind as long as I worship him/her in any form. So over the years I've become a monotheist, who doesn't comprehend the idea of worshiping different gods even if they are focal points. I’m not against Polytheism; I just don’t seem to understand it. When I feel that I've received a blessing I just thank god and don't feel the need in chanting a prayer devoted to a specific god. Occasionally I end up chanting, Om Namah Shivay, Namoh Narayan, Jai Mata di, Hare Krishna etc. without any reasoning. I feel that it’s the soul that makes this accidental decision and not the mind.

I also chant Jai Ho! for Rahman Ji lol Jokes apart, as a conclusion, one needs not to be religious or pious! You can still feel a personal connection with the supreme without having a religion. This is just how I feel and spirituality has overtaken my religion for me.
I just wanted to question the Trimurti but ended up getting carried away lol

One World. One Family.

Sunilji

Excuse me if I ask you a personal question, did you live the majority of your personality-forming years in a country other than India?

"Hinduism" is not a religion, indeed, in the notion of Abrahamic religions. But it is a religion in the sense that its fundamental principles are founded on the Veda, which is its holy text.

It is natural to be bewildered by such a "religion" where the people who call themselves as "hindus" subscribe to a whole lot of different and conflicting ideas. Although you do indeed see a similar diversity with other religions (the flavours of Islam, Christianity is a testimony to the fact that they are too not without diversity), in no other do you find it to the extent you find it in Hinduism. The reason for these conflicting ideas is simply that Hinduism allows for different interpretations of the Vedic words according to the nature and mindset of its followers. It allows the diversity, as long as the general guidelines given by the Veda are not contradicted.

As to the issue of polytheism in Hinduism, you yourself have provided the answer.

I knew God wouldn't mind as long as I worship him/her in any form.

You do realise that God is one indeed (in Hinduism), only the forms and names are different. Even when a devout Vaishnavite worships Lord Vishnu, he doesn't simply worship one name or one form. There is the Vishnu Sahasranama which speaks of Vishnu with a thousand names and in a thousand forms (well, nearly.. there are a few repetitions :P) and this devotee is perfectly OK with worshipping Vishnu with all these names and in all these forms. So there is no such thing in Hinduism where God exists only in a particular form alone. So there is no need to feel "guilty" wrt other forms, when you are worshiping one form. Just as you may be playing different roles in your life, like being a son, father, brother, employee, employer, student etc., in the same way, the one and only Lord takes up these names and forms according to the roles that needed to be taken up at those particular occasions. So there is no contradiction at all.

In fact, Hinduism is one of the few religions in this world which is perfectly fine with embracing and encouraging the thinking faculty among the people. As the thirst for knowing the Lord is shown, so too the Lord opens ways for knowing and understanding Her in Her truer and truer forms, which are rewards not just for faith but also for the growing intellect.

Love and Light.