What Role Do Statues of the Gods Play?

[MormonGuy]

I've always been intrigued by this, especially when I read in the Idiot's Guide (yes) to Hinduism, where the author talks about an experience where she was at the temple, and she and other devotees felt very strongly the presence of the deity in a general area around the murti (like a "force field" if you will). I love that Hinduism has this, where the Gods really are present in a special way in holy places (and can be experienced individually, in this life), in addition to the general presence of the Divine everywhere.

Seems as if the "prana pratishta" ritual really does something to the murti.

[jignyAsu]

Hello,

Do Hindus believe that the statues of the gods are the gods themselves? Or are the statues merely meant to remind us of the gods and help us to focus on them?

Thank you,
edarlitrix

Many Hindus do sincerely believe that the deities pervade their Vigrahas. This is a perfectly logical position for people who truly believe in God's infinite capabilities. It is logical but beyond the comprehension of senses much like life or prayers. Those who dismiss the idea try to equate God to an infinite ocean or space but this is not the right analogy. This is because a point has as much presence of the infinite God as does the entire cosmos but this is not the case with the ocean or space.

Hindus have truly understood infinity because their philosophy accommodates for God to be all pervading and at the same time fully present in a Form or a Vigraha and also can grant another the power to pervade a vigraha.

Muslims say it is not possible because their Quran says so; Christians say that it is not possible because their Bible says so; We have nothing to limit Him.

[Viraja]

Especially at the temples, the vigrahas are breathed life by special procedures - at the local temple when they constructed new Hanuman shrine for instance, I noticed they had let the Hanuman statue down in a pool of water for months and then had a grand scale of procedures for installing the vigraha in to the shrine. In many temples, the vigrahas are said to be empowered with divine vibrations by the presence of special yantras underneath them.

[MormonGuy]

Especially at the temples, the vigrahas are breathed life by special procedures - at the local temple when they constructed new Hanuman shrine for instance, I noticed they had let the Hanuman statue down in a pool of water for months and then had a grand scale of procedures for installing the vigraha in to the shrine. In many temples, the vigrahas are said to be empowered with divine vibrations by the presence of special yantras underneath them.

Very interesting! Wish I could witness those rites to breathe life into the murtis.

I'm wondering, is this done for the statues in a personal home shrine? Can you take the murtis to a priest and them...blessed?

[kallol]

Hello,

Do Hindus believe that the statues of the gods are the gods themselves? Or are the statues merely meant to remind us of the gods and help us to focus on them?

Thank you,
edarlitrix

We look at it in 2 distinct ways :

1. As toddlers we were taught the basic mathematics through pictures of waht we see daily like fruits, animals, etc. I believe you also have gone through the same. The fruits and animals are not mathematics but are mediums through which mathematics is embibed in your mind.

Generally an immature mind cannot comprehend higher level subjects in the beginning so example and mediums are used to start with. This is the best practice followed in the history and even today.

Thus the idols are mediums through which we realise the sense of God.

2. Now even if I have full knowledge of God, then what happens ? God, by our knowledge is sum total of all what we percieve and do not percieve. That means everything is a part of God. Now if I want to see ocean in full form, I cannot see. What I can see is only a limited stretch of it. If I want to bring ocean to my home, it is not possible but I can bring a small part of it in a bottle. The water take the shape of the bottle or any other container. But the water is apart of ocean and is in a different shape. But still ocean. The same logic is valid of space also. Thus God being all encompassing and all pervading - is there in all. Even in statues !!! or tree, or animals, or humans, stones, mud, everywhere. There is no place where He is not !!!! So even if one believes the statues are God themselves, there is nothing wrong !!!

[Sudas Paijavana]

delete

[smaranam]

praNAm

I think the following statement spells out what i wanted to say:

Physical phenomenon lends itself to validation in the lab environment, whereas spiritual matters are only experienced by a devotee of the Lord.

What goes on between the Lord and devotee is unknown to others.

Before proceeding, this Bhagavad Gita verse must be noted:

BG 18.67: This confidential knowledge may never be explained to those who are not austere, not devoted, or not engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of Me.
(it means do not explain such topics to the faithless or skeptical. To the curious ones, it is OK).

BhagavAn (God) speaks / communicates with the devotee through a little picture in the corner, even a little picture in the pocket/purse, what to speak of mUrtis, and the big temple mUrtis (vigraha, statues), although He is all-pervading, everywhere, including the devotee's own heart.

Devotee wonders, eyes closed, "Will my ThAkurji like the food today?" and BhagvAn is seen picking food from the plate and eating - like say a hologram. The message is conveyed. The devotee is happy now.

NAmdev, a devotee from the 11th century, was a little boy whom his father asked "Take this plate of naivedya, and offer it to Vitthal (KRshNa)" NAmdev kept the plate in front of Vitthal. Innocent. He waited for Vitthal to "eat" the food. He got upset when nothing happened. "VitthalA! Why don't you eat? Is the food not good?" He started banging his head on the altar stone. KRshNa could not take it anymore. He actually appeared and ate the food. Since then Namdev was Vitthal's buddy (sakhA). The elders did not believe this seeing the empty plate. At first they scolded Namdev for eating the naivedya meant for the Lord...

The devotee sits in front of the altar, eyes closed, and sees the Lord's footsteps climb the altar, leave the altar, walk up to devotee etc.

Once a devotee saw that a little toddler was coming to eat the food. Surprised. Puzzled. Discovered only later - it was the month of KArtik - DAmodar month - when BhagvAn Shri KRshNa is worshipped as the toddler DAmodar.

You must read the story of Madhavendra Puri. A mahA bhAgvat (great devotee of KrshNa).

continued...

[smaranam]

You must read the story of Madhavendra Puri. A mahA bhAgvat (great devotee of KrshNa).

Madhavendra Puri was sitting under a tree in VRndAvan. A boy came along with a pot of milk. "You haven't eaten for days. Why do you stay hungry? Drink this"
Madhavendra : "Who are you? How did you know I haven't eaten ?"
"I am a cowherd boy living here in Vraj. Those ladies by the river told me to give you milk. In my town, no one goes hungry. Everyone gets to eat. You must beg (bhikshA) for food as you are a sanyasi (renunciate)"

A few days later, the same dark cowherd boy came in Madhavendra Puri's dream. "I am suffocating in the heat under soil and grass, shrubs deep in the forest. (tells the way). Please pull me out and keep me cool."
Alarmed, MAdhavendra woke up at dawn, collected some folks and went to the place the boy had described. Indeed, there was a statue (mUrti) of GopAl (Shri KRshNa) buried in the jungle! Madhavendra was at first sad that he could not recognize KRshNa face to face! But he quickly got over that and focused on the task He had given. Devotees always put their own gratification aside, or after the service to the Lord.
They brought the heavy mUrti (statue), cleaned the mud, and installed it on Govardhan Hill. This mUrti is currently at NAthdwArA, Rajasthan, under care of Vallabhacharya's descendants and called Shri NAthji. Actually, Vallabhacharya (later, 15th century) , had a similar experience. Shri NAthJi talked to Him. Vallabhji MET the Lord as Shri NAthJi (GopAl) on Govardhan Hill.

Later, in another dream, this GopAl (KRshNa) asked Madhavendra Puri to bring Him sandlewood from Jagannath Puri because He was feeling too hot. Sandalwood keeps Him cool. MAdhavendra started on foot, cross-country towards Jagannath Puri in Orissa. There, again, Gopinath, another mUrti of KRshNa stole the condensed milk (kshira) offered by the priest, and in the priest's dream, Gopinath (KRshNa) asked the priest to give the condensed milk to Madhavendra Puri. Since then this Gopinath mUrti was known as 'kshira-chor GopinAth' (Gopinath the milk-theif). The Lord did all this just to glorify His dear devotee among other devotees.

Anyways, such incidences should only b narrated to people who have faith, says Shri KRshNa :

BG 18.67: This confidential knowledge may never be explained to those who are not austere, not devoted, or not engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of Me.

_/\_

om namo bhagavate vAsudevAya

[Believer]

Namaste smaranam,

To a person who introduces himself as,

I am Christian, wondering what non-Christians believe and whether what you believe is true and..........

Why would you narrate all the incidents in such detail if you really believe in the following,

Anyways, such incidences should only b narrated to people who have faith, says Shri KRshNa

As Shri Krishan suggests, there is a time to narrate and a time to withhold, and one must exercise restraint.

Pranam.

[Eastern Mind]

Very interesting! Wish I could witness those rites to breathe life into the murtis.

I'm wondering, is this done for the statues in a personal home shrine? Can you take the murtis to a priest and them...blessed?

Vannakkam: It's not all that uncommon these days, with the openings of temples. Some people claim they can do this themselves, although I'd be a skeptic, unless said person was a well trained Brahmin priest. One way a lot of people have their home murthies blessed is to take them to the temple. Then during a regular puja the priest will put your murthi beside the big one in the temple. Some of the energy will 'rub off' so to speak.

Aum Namasivaya