Hindu Favoritism?

[AmbientHound]

Greetings all,
I see many posts about the various Gods and their relationship to one another, but I have a question.

Is it wrong to favor one facet, or God, over another? Or are they required to be worshiped equally? I apologize if my wording seems a bit lacking, I am not sure how to frame this question. :cover:

 

[Vinayaka]

Greetings all,
I see many posts about the various Gods and their relationship to one another, but I have a question.

Is it wrong to favor one facet, or God, over another? Or are they required to be worshiped equally? I apologize if my wording seems a bit lacking, I am not sure how to frame this question. :cover:

Most Hindus are naturally attracted to one over another, yes. But often it's the God calling the devotee, and not really all that much of a choice. You could compare it to sexual orientation in that regard. Not really a choice, but a drive. Something inherent, not that easily explained, like preferring redheads, blondes, or brunettes.

 

[AmbientHound]

Thank you, Vinayaka. I am drawn to Ganesha, moreso than any other God. I do have a few more questions though:

1) Why are we more aligned with some Gods over others? Is it predetermined from birth? Is it random?

2) I have read that all the Gods are manifestations of one ineffable essence that pervades all. Are the Gods individual entities or are they merely manifestations of something higher?

 

[StarryNightshade]

To me, one can respect all Gods, but there will always be one or more that a devotee will be attracted to. In the end, I don't think it matters which God you worship, because it all goes to the same source.

Take me for example: I'm non-sectarian in the sense that I believe all Gods are important and that no one deity is inferior or superior to another. However, I personally gravitate towards Ganesha. Regardless, I can still go to a Krishna Archana or a Hanuman chalisa and have no problem at all.

 

[Vinayaka]

Thank you, Vinayaka. I am drawn to Ganesha, moreso than any other God. I do have a few more questions though:

1) Why are we more aligned with some Gods over others? Is it predetermined from birth? Is it random?

2) I have read that all the Gods are manifestations of one ineffable essence that pervades all. Are the Gods individual entities or are they merely manifestations of something higher?

Firstly, you will soon discover that unlike some other faiths, you will almost always get a wide variety of answers. That's cause Hinduism is really about 5 different religions rolled under one banner. I can answer your questions form several POVs... that of my perception of general Hindu consensus, my sect, my sampradaya (school within a sect) or my personal opinion.

So I'll go with the last version, and you should know that my version is fairly orthodox, or traditional.

1) I don't know. For me it just happened. I'm a Saiva, yet Murugan and Ganesha are close too.
2) Both. Siva is God supreme, and Ganesha and Murugan are separate, created by him as really big helpers.

 

[AmbientHound]

Firstly, you will soon discover that unlike some other faiths, you will almost always get a wide variety of answers. That's cause Hinduism is really about 5 different religions rolled under one banner. I can answer your questions form several POVs... that of my perception of general Hindu consensus, my sect, my sampradaya (school within a sect) or my personal opinion.

So I'll go with the last version, and you should know that my version is fairly orthodox, or traditional.

1) I don't know. For me it just happened. I'm a Saiva, yet Murugan and Ganesha are close too.
2) Both. Siva is God supreme, and Ganesha and Murugan are separate, created by him as really big helpers.

Thank you for the answers. The openness of Hinduism both attracts and pushes me. While I enjoy the lively differences yet underlying similarities between the sects, the massive amount of information pushes me away. I just need to get my head on straight.

 

[Vinayaka]

Thank you for the answers. The openness of Hinduism both attracts and pushes me. While I enjoy the lively differences yet underlying similarities between the sects, the massive amount of information pushes me away. I just need to get my head on straight.

I don't think anyone except maybe a few scholars tries to understand it all. They use discrimination to narrow it down dramatically, then focus on the teachings of one particular school in a much stronger way. A parallel might be any Christian denomination. Does a Lutheran study the finer intricacies of Catholicism?

I only know the basics of other sects besides mine, and on a philosophical level, not that much about mine. We're generally not scripture based, but practice based, I read scripture for 5 minutes a day, but do puja, japa, etc., for maybe 2 hours.

 

[Jainarayan]

If one considers that there is only one God, who has many, many facets, attributes and manifestations, then it becomes clear that God cannot be jealous of Himself (or Herself if one is a devotee of Goddess). Notice the line in my signature: Jāki rahi bhāvanā jaisi prabhu mūrat dekhi tin taisi. Roughly, "God shows Himself in a way meaningful to the devotee". To me that means that we all see something different in God. We're limited, so we see only parts, parts that speak to us. I'm primarily Vaishnava because I need a name (do I?), but I will just as readily attend a Sri Ganesha or Sri Shiva abhishekam or puja as readily as I will attend a Sri Vishnu puja. I see different attributes in each of them, but to me "they" are just God. Sometimes it's a little hard to get one's head wrapped around.

 

[Kalidas]

Thank you for the answers. The openness of Hinduism both attracts and pushes me. While I enjoy the lively differences yet underlying similarities between the sects, the massive amount of information pushes me away. I just need to get my head on straight.

I know the feeling I too am a new convert. The information did and still does kind of scare yet attract me. here is what I have found. Most people won't chastise you for not knowing something. So feel free to learn what you want. As Vinayaka said. This is a religion of practice and philosophy and your self. NOT about Dogma and what some priest or books tells you, you HAVE to believe.

 

[Sha'irullah]

This was my major issue in Sanatana Dharma. Which deity out of 330 million should I pick .
Far too many if you ask me. But I ended up with Siva because the worship of Sri Siva freed me of materialism. Very hard to describe but there is no object without form and there is no form in the formless. Sri Siva is beyond form and transcends past it and this coped with my understanding of Allah which helped my find synthesis between the two. The representation of the lingam is the true manner of a formless being.
How one relates to God is what makes one choose a religion yet alone a Hindu depiction of the infinite.

 

[Madhuri]

Which deity out of 330 million should I pick

Nobody has yet been able to tell me where this figure of 330 million comes from. I would really like to know.

 

[Sha'irullah]

Nobody has yet been able to tell me where this figure of 330 million comes from. I would really like to know.

It is a metaphorical number and is not literal but I believe it is found in the Vedas only once. It represent the vast infinite amount of the Supreme Being's forms.

 

[Maya3]

Nobody has yet been able to tell me where this figure of 330 million comes from. I would really like to know.

If you think of everything as forms of God there are even more.
Us humans alone are over 7 billion, then all the animals, plants etc etc.



Maya

 

[Vinayaka]

But in reality the 330 million thing is an oft cited criticism of Hinduism used by our critics to discourage, mock, etc.

For anyone really serious about exploring Hinduism, for 99% of Hindus, there are essentially only 3 'choices', if we don't count Smarta. Most Smartas do have a favorite, but they are, by belief, far more comfortable about switching around.

For traditional Saivites, Vaishnavites, or Shaktites, the term used (Siva, Kali, Krishna, etc.) is synonymous with 'God'. In my house, when we discuss religion, you won't hear 'God' much, but you will hear 'Siva' and 'Ganesha' a lot.

1) Siva ... Saivites
2) Vishnu (includes Krishna, and Rama) Vaishnavites
3) Devi (all forms of the Goddess, generally relating to Siva, but not necessarily)

Other Gods like Ganesha aren't generally considered Supreme, but the people who consider all Gods as manifestations of that one supreme would beg to differ.

But for the vast majority of Hindus, there is one supreme God, accompanied by several minor gods. This is sometimes called inclusive monotheism. Exclusive monotheis is the Abrahamic concept - one God, no others.

 

[Jainarayan]

3) Devi (all forms of the Goddess, generally relating to Siva, but not necessarily)

Indeed... see this representation of Goddess, the Tridevi (l. to r. Lakshmi, Parvati, Saraswati). She is the divine and universal Mother.

Ya Devi sarva bhuteshu Matri rupena samsthita
Ya Devi sarva bhuteshu Shakti rupena samsthita
Ya Devi sarva bhutesu Shanti rupena samsthita
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namaho namah

A small part of a much longer stotram...

O Goddess, who is present everywhere, who is the embodiment of Universal Mother.
O Goddess, who is present everywhere, who is the embodiment of Power and Energy.
O Goddess, who is present everywhere, who is the embodiment of Peace.
I bow to You, I bow to You, I bow to You.

 

[Sumit]

It is a metaphorical number and is not literal but I believe it is found in the Vedas only once. It represent the vast infinite amount of the Supreme Being's forms.

Vedas describe about 33 deties, may be Hindus later converted it in to 33 million.
However I believe concept of 33 crore is true, but it should be pronounced as "33 crore devas" and not God. Devas means one with divine qualities. He may be your deity or your ancestors or your Kul devi/kul dev. In my Village there are many family who takes help of their ancestors or these devas from time to time.

 

[Sha'irullah]

Vedas describe about 33 deties, may be Hindus later converted it in to 33 million.
However I believe concept of 33 crore is true, but it should be pronounced as "33 crore devas" and not God. Devas means one with divine qualities. He may be your deity or your ancestors or your Kul devi/kul dev. In my Village there are many family who takes help of their ancestors or these devas from time to time.

That is essentially what I said, I just used the word forms though. Perhaps not that accurate but the message is the same.

 

[Onkara]

Greetings all,
I see many posts about the various Gods and their relationship to one another, but I have a question.

Is it wrong to favor one facet, or God, over another? Or are they required to be worshiped equally? I apologize if my wording seems a bit lacking, I am not sure how to frame this question. :cover:

Hello
No, it is not wrong. We are attracted to a certain God(s) name and form due to our karma and svabhava (nature). All names and forms are said to lead back to a Single Divine Being and it is this Divine Being who steadies our faith to our chosen God (Iṣṭa-devat&#257.

 

[Vinayaka]

Hello
No, it is not wrong. We are attracted to a certain God(s) name and form due to our karma and svabhava (nature). All names and forms are said to lead back to a Single Divine Being and it is this Divine Being who steadies our faith to our chosen God (Iṣṭa-devat&#257.

That we choose (Ishta) is a Smarta concept primarily. Athough Smarta or Smarta-influenced is quite predominant, there are still many of us who no more chose to be a follower of Siva or Vishnu that homosexuals chose to be homosexuals. It was just in our nature, our spiritual genes. It's a magnetic attraction that a Smarta cannot understand because he's a Smarta, just as an asexual cannot understand either gay or straight.

 

[Onkara]

That we choose (Ishta) is a Smarta concept primarily. Athough Smarta or Smarta-influenced is quite predominant, there are still many of us who no more chose to be a follower of Siva or Vishnu that homosexuals chose to be homosexuals. It was just in our nature, our spiritual genes. It's a magnetic attraction that a Smarta cannot understand because he's a Smarta, just as an asexual cannot understand either gay or straight.

I am paraphrasing the Bhagavad Gita.
Your example of not having choice is good, it is our nature or karma as to whom we worship.