Arya Samaj Florida
January 5, 2013
Presentation on
THE HINDUS’ CONCEPT OF GOD
By
Pt. Dr. Chandreshwar Singh, CPA, CFSA, CGMA
THE RIG VEDA, CHAPTER 10, VERSE 129-1
NAASAD AASIT NOOSAD AASIT TADAANIM, NAASID RAJOO NOO VYOOMAA PAROO YAT
KIM AAVARIVAH KUHA SARMAN-NAMBHAH, KIM AASID GAHANAM GABHIRAM
In the beginning there was neither existence nor non-existence. There was neither air nor
space. There was no water, deep and fathomless. There was nothing to envelope or protect.
RIG VEDA, CHAPTER 10, VERSE 129-3
TAMA AASIT TAMASAA GULAHAM-AGRE PRAKEETAM, SALILAM SARVAMA IDAM
TUC-CHYE-NABHAV-PIHITAM YAD ASIT, TAPASAS TAN MAHINA-JAYA-TAIKAM
Darkness prevailed everywhere before the creation of the universe. Yet there subsisted one glorious
Being, all intelligence, who created the universe by contemplating on what he wanted to do.
THE UPANISHADS
The Aitareya Upanishad begins with two important verses that explain the Hindus’
understanding of God. In the beginning there was God alone. God thought, “Let me create the
worlds” and God created the worlds. God is one, self-existent, and creator of all. God alone
existed before the universe was created. Since God alone existed, God is one. The Upanishads
teach us also that while God creates everything, God is not created by anyone or anything. This
is what is meant by describing God as self-existent. God always exists.
In the CHĀNDOGYA UPANISHAD, Aruni teaches this truth to his son Shweta-ketu. In the beginning
there was God only, the one without a second. Some say that in the beginning there was
nothing, and out of nothing this universe arose; but how could that be, how could something
be born from nothing. Aruni said, No my child, in the beginning, there was God only, one
without a second.
The present universe which came from God and is sustained by God will eventually be
withdrawn into God. After a period of rest or repose in God, the universe will emerge again
from God, exist and be withdrawn once more into God. These cycles of creation, preservation
and dissolution of the universe are under the control of God and without beginning.
God is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent. In the Hindu understanding, the universe
has no beginning.
GOD CREATES THE WORLD FROM GOD’S SELF
If God alone is the creator, out of what does God create this universe? From our experience,
we know that everything that is created requires someone with the intelligence and the
required materials to create that thing. For example, if you want to create a shirt, you will
need cloth, thread, buttons, scissors to cut the cloth, a measuring tape, and a sewing machine.
You will also need the intelligence or knowledge of how to make a shirt. We have already
learnt from the Upanishads, that God is the intelligent creator of everything, the question now
arises, what materials does God use to create the universe? If God used something that was
already there, where did it come from, who created that something? It could then be argued
the true God is the one who created the materials used by our God that created the universe.
Such argument does not make much sense. Hinduism teaches that God does not create the
universe from any material which God found. God creates the universe from God’s self.
The MANDUKYA UPANISHAD gives us a very helpful example of creation: The spider weaves its
web out of its own self; similarly, God is the sole cause of everything. We must not understand
this to mean that God is actually changed into the universe or become the world. It means that
without changing in any way, God creates the universe from God’s self.
Another belief system declares that in the beginning there was the Supreme Brahman (God),
Prakita (Matter) and Aakash (Space).
THE WORLD EXISTS IN GOD
Where does the world exist after being created by God? Is it somewhere outside of God? Does
God exist in one part of the universe and not in another part? Hinduism teaches that the world
exists in God.
NIRGUNA AND SAGUNA BHRAMAN
NIRGUNA Brahman the eternal all-pervading and omnipresent divine consciousness, unborn
and without form.
SAGUNA Brahman is the manifestation of God in form e.g. Shri Ram and Shri Krishna and use of
murti in worship.
THE BHAGAVAD GITA
Let us turn to the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna declares, “As the mighty wind blowing
everywhere exist always in space, so do all being exist in me.” The entire world and all objects
exist in space. Space supports everything. In what does space exist? Krishna teaches that
space itself and all objects exist in God. The world therefore is not separate from and outside
God but within God. God is the final support for everything. There is a story which illustrates
this theory. Once Krishna and his childhood friends were playing and the friends ran to mother
Yashoda and reported that Krishna was eating dirt. Mother Yashoda asked him to open his
mouth and what did she see? She saw the whole universe inside Krishna’s mouth. This story
tells us that the entire universe exists in God.
BHAGAVAD GITA, CHAPTER 4, VERSE 7 & 8
YADA YADA HI DHARMASYA, GLANIR-BHAVATI BHARATA.
ABHYUTTANAM ADHARMASYA, TADA-ATMANAAM SRUJAM-YAHAM.
PARITRA-NAYA SADHUNAAM, VINAASHAYA CA DUSKRITAAM
DHARMA SAM-STHA-PANARTAAYAA, SAMBHAVAAMI, YUGE, YUGE.
Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and a rise on unrighteousness, then I manifest
myself. For the protection of the virtuous and the destruction of the evil doers, I manifest
myself from age to age. Krishna promises that whenever there is a collapse of those values that
are necessary for justice and harmony, God will come among us. As an Avatar, God works for
righteousness by protecting good people and by bringing justice to evil-doers. By various
methods such as teaching (as in the Bhagavad Gita) or by setting the right examples in action
(such as in the Ramayana) God restores righteousness. God chooses the number of times when
God becomes an Avatar. The Hindu teaching about the Avatar emphasizes that God loves and
cares for the world. God cares enough to enter the world when we create disorder and when
harmful values prevail.
GOD EXISTS EQUALLY IN EVERYTHING
In Hinduism to say that the world exists in God means also that God exists in everything. This is
what is meant when we say that God is imminent, all pervasive and omnipresent. “On me the
entire universe is strung like jewels on a string,” says Krishna in Bhagavad Gita. In a pearl
necklace, each pearl may be different but the same string is present in each one. Similarly, God
is the common factor in everything, even as the same string holds the pearls together in a
beautiful arrangement, God supports the universe by dwelling within everything. Krishna’s
example also reminds us that in the eyes of God everything which God has created is as
precious as jewels. In teaching that God is present in everything, Hinduism also emphasizes the
equality of God’s presence. God is not present more in one person or place and less in another.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches that our view is correct when we understand God to be
equally present in all beings. The Lord (God,) says Krishna in Bhagavad Gita, lives in the heart of
everyone. God dwells within each of us as the true self, which is known in Sanskrit, as the
Atman. For this reason, Hinduism requires us to love all, to be kind and just to all, and to treat
all with respect.
GOD TRANSCENDS EVERYTHING
While Hinduism teaches that God resides in everything, our scriptures constantly stress that
God is not restricted or bound by the qualities of any object or being. God is always free and
unlimited. This is what we mean by describing God as transcendent. In Hinduism, God is both
imminent and transcendent. The Katha Upanishad explains this with the following example,
“Just as the sun which helps all eyes to see is not affected by defects of the eye or external
objects, so God dwells in the heart of all beings but is not affected by the defects on any being.”
The same idea is expressed in the Vedas where it is said that God pervades the world by one
fourth of God’s being while three fourths remain beyond it. For these reasons, it is incorrect to
describe the Hindu understanding of God as pantheism or pantheistic. Pantheism is generally
understood to mean that God is the world and nothing more. Hinduism clearly teaches that
while the world comes from and exists in God, God is much more than the world. God is not
limited by anything in the world, and we cannot know everything about God by understanding
the world.
GOD INCARNATES FROM AGE TO AGE
In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna learns for the first time, that his friend Krishna is God in the form
of a human being. When God chooses to come into our word as a human being, God is referred
to (in Sanskrit) as an Avatara. This word means one who has descended or come down. The
two most popular avatars in Hinduism are Rama and Krishna. Many Hindus view the founders
of other religions such as Buddha and Jesus as avatars.
Another theory is that Shri Ram and Shri Krishna were not the supreme Brahman in human
form, but God realized souls that took Avatar.
GOD IS THE MORAL RULER OF THE WORLD
Hinduism describes God as Karma Dakshaha which means the supervisor of the law of karma.
God is also described as Karma Phala Data, the bestower of the fruits of our actions. God rules
the world righteously and justly through the law of karma which is under God’s control and
guidance. God fairly and impartially gives the results of our action in accordance with the
nature of these actions. The moral rule of God does not mean that we cannot make our own
choices. For example, without the light of the sun, nothing will grow on earth. Although the
sun shines equally on all plants, each one grows according to its own nature and type. Similarly,
God gives to each one of us the results of our actions in accordance with the righteousness or
unrighteousness of our actions.
GOD IS OUR MERCIFUL AND FORGIVING SAVIOR
While emphasizing the justice of God in the Law of Karma, Hinduism continuously teaches
about God’s mercy, love and forgiving nature. It is love and not fear which should characterize
our relationship with God. There are numerous verses in our scriptures that describe the loving
nature of God. In a beautiful verse of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna reveals how God responds to
our love, “For those persons who worship me, thinking of me, desiring nothing other than me,
constantly united with me, I provide what they lack and protect the things they already have.”
This is a promise that one who loves God may not be anxious about those things he or she
needs to maintain life. God looks after the proper needs of the devotee. When we seek God
with our hearts full of love, God responds by destroying our ignorance and helping us to
understand God. God does not allow the devotee to go astray. As Krishna explains in Bhagavad
Gita, “To those who are faithful and who worship me with love, I give the right knowledge by
which they come to me. Out of mercy for them, I dwelling in their hearts, destroy the darkness
of ignorance with the bright light of knowledge. Do not be in sorrow; I shall free you from all
evil.”
GOD IS ABOVE GENDER
In Hinduism, one will find male representations of God, like Shiva and Vishnu; and the female
representations, like Latchmee and Saraswatie. Hinduism does not teach that God has a
specific gender. Human beings; however, are distinguished by gender, and when we think of
God, we tend to give gender characteristics to God. We must recognize that these are our
human way of thinking about God and addressing God. If we forget this, we may think that
males are superior to females because God is male, or vice versa. God is commonly described
in Hinduism as both mother and father (Twameva Mata, cha Pita Twameva). In the Bhagavad
Gita, Krishna says, “I am the father and the mother of the world.”
OM – The Supreme name of God
While Hinduism does not place any limits on the number of names for God, the name most
highly recommended in the Upanishad is OM. The MANDUKYA UPANISHAD begins with the verse
OM. The word is all this, the entire universe. A clear explanation of this is: All that is past,
present and future is indeed OM. That which is beyond the time is also indeed OM. All
recitations of sacred texts begin with the sound OM. The syllable OM consists of three letters:
A – pronounced as in all, U – pronounced as in put, and M – pronounced as in manner.
According to the Mandukya Upanishad, the letter “A” represents all created things that could
be experienced through our five senses. It is compared with our waking state. The letter “U”
represents all subtle realities that cannot be known though the senses and is compared with
the dream state. The letter “M” is compared with the state of deep or dreamless sleep and
represents the state of all things before they are experienced in the waking or dream state. It is
the state in which all things are at rest or un-manifest. It also represents the time when the
universe is withdrawn into God before it is created again. The silence which precedes the
chanting of “OM,” and the silence which occurs between two chantings represent God from
whom all things have come, in whom all things exist and to whom all things return. OM is the
totality of all things.
Swami Vivekananda, the famous Hindu teacher who came to the United States in 1893 to
address the world parliament of religions in Chicago, gave a very interesting explanation of the
meaning and importance of OM. According to Swamiji, God is the creator of everything and
OM is an appropriate word for God because OM is the source of all other words. “A” is the
basic or root sounds. It is produced without touching any part of the tongue or the palate and
comes mainly from the throat. “M” is the last sound and is produced with the lips closed. “U”
begins at the throat and rolls outward to the lips. It connects “A” and “M.” A, U and M
therefore are the basic sounds from which all other sounds or words are variations. Other
interpreters of Hinduism speak of “A” as indicating God’s power of creation, “U” as indicating
God’s power to preserve, and “M” as God’s power to bring about change.
Sources:
Rig Veda
The Upanishads
The Bhagavad Gita
Hinduism by Prof. Dr. Anantanand Rambachan