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Thread: Multiple Deities

  1. #1

    Multiple Deities

    Dear learned Members

    Everyone is aware that Adi Sankara established Couple of mutts to spread the knowledge about Advaita. He also created Various path like Shaiva,Vaishnava,...etc(total 6 paths). I got a chance to visit those mutts in South India.I saw their Poojas in mutts and i have a query on this.

    While Adi Sankara advised people to follow One God and get liberation through him, Why do mutts have multiple Deities in their Poojas.I could see Idols of all the deities in the pooja.( more than 10 idols of different Deities).


    Im sure that they are doing for that a reason.Can anyone enlighten me on this?

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    Re: Multiple Deities

    Quote Originally Posted by Who am i View Post
    Dear learned Members

    Everyone is aware that Adi Sankara established Couple of mutts to spread the knowledge about Advaita. He also created Various path like Shaiva,Vaishnava,...etc(total 6 paths). I got a chance to visit those mutts in South India.I saw their Poojas in mutts and i have a query on this.

    While Adi Sankara advised people to follow One God and get liberation through him, Why do mutts have multiple Deities in their Poojas.I could see Idols of all the deities in the pooja.( more than 10 idols of different Deities).


    Im sure that they are doing for that a reason.Can anyone enlighten me on this?
    Namaste,

    First of all Adi Sankara didnt create any path or faith i.e. philosophical systems.

    It is a popular belief that Adi Sankara propogated smArta dharma in which 5 or 6 deities (in case of Sanmata) are worshipped as personification of Brahman.

    These 5 deities are gaNeSa, Siva, Sakti, viShNu, sUrya. the sixth one is skanda.

    One God is kept in center and rest in 4 corners or directions.

    One is central God (ISTa devatA) and all others help us progress towards the one. Ultimately all forms are same and equally potent. It is a matter of personal choice.

    Temples follow Agama shastras and karma-kANDa from veda-s where there are multiple deities that are worshipped for good of all. May be for this reason they have kept idols of different deities.

    kAnci (Kanchi) paramAcArya says that it is very difficult to keep mind focused on one form of God for a long time.

    Also not everybody wants moksha. Hence multiple forms of Gods are are prayed to remove certain obstacles which includes planatery Gods. Average people do not have unflinching faith in God. It takes time to develop bhakti. Not all are spiritually inclined. A devotee generally do not ask for material pleasure or get the job done. Rama or Shiva can do everything for us, but a true devotee will not ask for any favour. God has creates deva-s and have given powers to run the universe as if they are ministers. Hence people approach them say Shani dev to remove malice effects via certain rituals. This ritual has to be strictly followed.

    Spiritual benefit is that one gets one pointedness and faith in higher power and of course acceptance of certain higher authority.

    Later on when mind stops demanding material objects and turns towards God and chants his name for the sake of God then karma kand is over. Enter into the world of vedanta.

    veda means knowledge. vedAnta means veda + anta means end of veda i.e. end of knowledge. So vedanta means after understanding vedanta (experiencing the essence of vedanta), nothing more needs to be achieved.

    Many Gods also help to keep people united and not denigrate other deities in a quest to make our chosen deity as supreme.

    Hari OM
    Only God Is Truth, Everything Else Is Illusion - Ramakrishna
    Total Surrender of Ego to SELF is Real Bhakti - Ramana Maharshi

    Silence is the study of the scruptures. Meditation is the continuous thinking of Brahman which is to be meditated upon. The complete negation of both by knowledge is the vision of truth – sadAcAra-14 of Adi SankarAcArya

    namah SivAya vishnurUpAya viShNave SivarUpiNe, MBh, vanaparva, 3.39.76

    Sanskrit Dict | MW Dict | Gita Super Site | Hindu Dharma

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    Re: Multiple Deities

    Quote Originally Posted by Who am i View Post
    Dear learned Members

    Everyone is aware that Adi Sankara established Couple of mutts to spread the knowledge about Advaita. He also created Various path like Shaiva,Vaishnava,...etc(total 6 paths). I got a chance to visit those mutts in South India.I saw their Poojas in mutts and i have a query on this.

    While Adi Sankara advised people to follow One God and get liberation through him, Why do mutts have multiple Deities in their Poojas.I could see Idols of all the deities in the pooja.( more than 10 idols of different Deities).


    Im sure that they are doing for that a reason.Can anyone enlighten me on this?
    Vannakkam: Sankara rejuvenated Smartism, the idea the God is the same no matter what you call it. He established 4 maths. Certainly, he did not create Saivism or Vaishnavism. It was more an attempt to unify. But instead of bringing the 3 main sects together, what happened in effect was the creation of a populist 4th sect.

    Those multi deity temples are a quick indicator of Smartism, either directly, or heavily influenced by.

    Aum Namasivaya

    Aum Namasivaya

  4. #4

    Re: Multiple Deities

    Hi Amrut/EM/Yajvanji

    Thanks for the reply.I have another query.

    Once we move to spiritual life,one should start focussing worshiping the GOD in his Hridyam more than external worship .Suppose One worships Multiple Deities together in his Hridyam ,is it allowable as per Hindu Shastras? Are you aware of any Guidelines/Ancient Smritis on the procedure to worship our deity in Hridyam?


    Thanks

  5. #5

    Re: Multiple Deities

    There is only one god...but he comes down through 9 hierarchical levels Brahma being on the lowest since we cant interact with him directly.each name represents a different deity in this hierarchy according to the work he does.plus there are also adhi devadas for each planet and creatures.idols of gurus are worshiped sometimes...

  6. #6

    Re: Multiple Deities

    Hi Kartik

    You mean SadGuru's Idol is placed in middle and other Deities around them in Shanmata Puja or panchAyatana puja?

    Thanks

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    Re: Multiple Deities

    namaste.

    As to why we Hindus worship many Gods as Adi Shankara has advocated, these old threads might throw some light:
    http://www.vedicdharmaforums.org/showthread.php?t=442
    http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...68&postcount=2

    As to whether we Hindus can have multiple gods when we worship them in our heart, here comes the phase of bhakti-bhAvam--devotional proclivity. Initially we worship gods in duality, treating him/her as the master/parent and us as servant/child. With maturity comes the friendly notion wherein we worship a god as our friend. Only finally comes the notion of unity with the deity.

    As followers of (shankara smArta) Advaita, in our worship we are required to keep the duality but at the same time be aware of the unity that the worshipper and the worshipped are one and the same, so what I actually worship is my Atman which is Brahman.

    *****


    Quote Originally Posted by Who am i View Post
    Dear learned Members

    Everyone is aware that Adi Sankara established Couple of mutts to spread the knowledge about Advaita. He also created Various path like Shaiva,Vaishnava,...etc(total 6 paths). I got a chance to visit those mutts in South India.I saw their Poojas in mutts and i have a query on this.

    While Adi Sankara advised people to follow One God and get liberation through him, Why do mutts have multiple Deities in their Poojas.I could see Idols of all the deities in the pooja.( more than 10 idols of different Deities).


    Im sure that they are doing for that a reason.Can anyone enlighten me on this?
    रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
    ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥

    To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.

    --viShNu purANam

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    Re: Multiple Deities

    Quote Originally Posted by Who am i View Post
    Hi Amrut/EM/Yajvanji

    Thanks for the reply.I have another query.

    Once we move to spiritual life,one should start focussing worshiping the GOD in his Hridyam more than external worship .Suppose One worships Multiple Deities together in his Hridyam ,is it allowable as per Hindu Shastras? Are you aware of any Guidelines/Ancient Smritis on the procedure to worship our deity in Hridyam?


    Thanks
    Namaste,

    If you are talking about japa, it is strongly recommended that one has to chant a mantra of one and only one God except that you are chanting a mantra for sakAma karma like a anusthAna.

    Chanting only one mantra is advisable if you are chanting for the sake of love or for God or for moksha i.e. 100 % spiritual goal and not to remove your illness, poverty, ill fate, etc.

    the reason is, even after you stop chanting a mantra, it keep going on in sub-conscious mind. With sufficient practice, even when you are fully concentrating in office work, mantra goes on in sub-conscious mind.

    The barometer for this is that immediately after the job is complete or you leave office premises, mantra, without any conscious effort pops-up in mind just like a film song pop-up. Generally it is like you are listening to a particular song on TV, then switch off TV and move out for work, that song keep humming in your mind If a film sing / pop song can be so much effective then why cant god's name continue upon itself.

    Now if you chant 1 mantra for 10 min, another for next 10, then it will be a mess. Which mantra will subconscious mind. the moment you turn introvert and chant only for the sake of chanting, not for material benefits, then only one form of God is enough.

    Actually smArta is more into karma-kANDa and upAsanA kANDa, whereas advaita focuses on formless Brahman.

    Hari OM
    Only God Is Truth, Everything Else Is Illusion - Ramakrishna
    Total Surrender of Ego to SELF is Real Bhakti - Ramana Maharshi

    Silence is the study of the scruptures. Meditation is the continuous thinking of Brahman which is to be meditated upon. The complete negation of both by knowledge is the vision of truth – sadAcAra-14 of Adi SankarAcArya

    namah SivAya vishnurUpAya viShNave SivarUpiNe, MBh, vanaparva, 3.39.76

    Sanskrit Dict | MW Dict | Gita Super Site | Hindu Dharma

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    Re: Multiple Deities

    Quote Originally Posted by karthik View Post
    There is only one god...but he comes down through 9 hierarchical levels Brahma being on the lowest since we cant interact with him directly.each name represents a different deity in this hierarchy according to the work he does.plus there are also adhi devadas for each planet and creatures.idols of gurus are worshiped sometimes...
    Vannakkam: I wonder if you could be so kind as to explain which philosophical school or sect this teaching is from.

    Aum Namasivaya

  10. #10

    Re: Multiple Deities

    Quote Originally Posted by Eastern Mind View Post
    Vannakkam: I wonder if you could be so kind as to explain which philosophical school or sect this teaching is from.

    Aum Namasivaya
    Saiva siddhatam only EM.i heard that in one of these videos but i couldn't find which one now... -_-
    https://www.youtube.com/user/vijay1976m/videos

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