Hindus should restart worshipping Indra

[ThunderRD]

From what I know (I was raised Hindu) when Krishna lifted the Govardhana Hill, there was a shift in Hindu religiosity from worship centered more around the Vedic devatas like Indra, Agni, and Varuna towards the devatas we are more familiar with now like Vishnu, Shiva, Ganapathi, etc. Also, the writings and popularity of the Puranas and the myths contained within them contributed to the shift.

Though Puranas are popular it does not necessarily mean that they are true. If Rigved says that Indra is Supreme God it is better to accept it as Rigved is the earliest scriptures of Hinduism.

 

[ThunderRD]

Good point. It was Krishna Himself who explicitly told the villagers not to worship Indra.

Why listen to Krishna when Rigved is stating something very clearly ?

 

[ThunderRD]

Even in the other site, there was a discussion on worshiping Indra. While Indra is known to have been worshiped by the great Bharadwaja muni for longevity, and Indra along with Vishnu battled Vritra and destroyed him, there have been instances in puranas where Indra molested a married lady in disguise (Ahalya), and Indra to have arrogantly thrown the garland of mother Lakshmi handed to him resulting in depletion of wealth in the heavens leading to the churning of milky ocean. However when Indra is stated to be the supreme Brahman in Rigveda, I am confused... are there really 2 Indras in reality?

Indra killed Vritra all by himself. Vishnu helping Indra is a Puranic version inserted just to increase the importance of Vishnu. The later two instances are also Puranic stories to downgrade Indra with no mention in Rigved.

And don't be confused. It is always better to believe the Rigved than Puranas.

 

[ThunderRD]

are there really 2 Indras in reality?

There is nothing like two or multiple Indras. This is height of nonsense in Puranas which consider that Indra is just a post which is occupied by different persons in different eras. There is one and only one Indra.

 

[ThunderRD]

In well over 100 Hindu temples I've been in, I have yet to see a shrine to Indra. All of them have had either Siva or Vishnu in some form.

This is because Vedic people didn't give much importance to idol worship. Instead they used to perform Yadnyas.

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

Vanakkam,

So...This is going to be a "mine's bigger" tread ...?
...
Again ? :/

Aum Namah Shivaya

 

[Kalidas]

Vanakkam,

So...This is going to be a "mine's bigger" tread ...?
...
Again ? :/

Aum Namah Shivaya

sounds like it

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

Vanakkam,

Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma, is not ONE religion. It is like a star: one entity, one light, but composed of multiple things, not one solid block.

People worship multiple aspects of the same Brahman, as a Saiva, why would I be concerned for my neighbours worshipping Sri Hanuman ? And why the Hanuman Bhakta would care that his friend worship Sri Vishnu ?
Why would the devotee of Sri Ganesh even bother what kind of books read the devotee of Indra ?

What is this ? Where is Hinduism is this kind of intolerance found ?

Are you gonna start stoning the people that don't worship Indra and put Rig Ved down their troats while burning all their puranas ? Remind me of some abrahamic religions a thousand years ago !

This is not how Sanatana Dharma works, I am sorry to say that. Let the people worship the aspect of God they want, let them read all the books they want, let them drawn to the Devi or Deva of their choices, let Dharma flow the way it naturally find.

Be happy to be Indra devotee studying Rig Ved, be happy to share the umbrella of the eternal path with other Deva devotees studying their own books.

What is your goal in life as a Hindu ? Is it to find your way to Moksha or is it to waste tremendious time to fight uselessly trying to prove how your views and your Ishta Dev are superior than everyone else ?


Aum Namah Shivaya

 

[ThunderRD]

Vanakkam,

Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma, is not ONE religion. It is like a star: one entity, one light, but composed of multiple things, not one solid block.

People worship multiple aspects of the same Brahman, as a Saiva, why would I be concerned for my neighbours worshipping Sri Hanuman ? And why the Hanuman Bhakta would care that his friend worship Sri Vishnu ?
Why would the devotee of Sri Ganesh even bother what kind of books read the devotee of Indra ?

What is this ? Where is Hinduism is this kind of intolerance found ?

Are you gonna start stoning the people that don't worship Indra and put Rig Ved down their troats while burning all their puranas ? Remind me of some abrahamic religions a thousand years ago !

This is not how Sanatana Dharma works, I am sorry to say that. Let the people worship the aspect of God they want, let them read all the books they want, let them drawn to the Devi or Deva of their choices, let Dharma flow the way it naturally find.

Be happy to be Indra devotee studying Rig Ved, be happy to share the umbrella of the eternal path with other Deva devotees studying their own books.

What is your goal in life as a Hindu ? Is it to find your way to Moksha or is it to waste tremendious time to fight uselessly trying to prove how your views and your Ishta Dev are superior than everyone else ?


Aum Namah Shivaya

I want to ask you one thing. Do you consider Puranas to be more authentic than Rigved ? Because if you are worshipping Puranic deities like Shiva, Ganpati, Hanuman, Datta etc. rather than Rigvedic deities like Indra, Agni, Mitra, Varun, Vayu, Maruts, Surya, Ashwini Kumars etc it simply means that you do not believe in Rigved.

And one more thing. It seems like you are a devotee of Shiva. But Shiva is not even mentioned in Rigved.

 

[Kalidas]

I want to ask you one thing. Do you consider Puranas to be more authentic than Rigved ? Because if you are worshipping Puranic deities like Shiva, Ganpati, Hanuman, Datta etc. rather than Rigvedic deities like Indra, Agni, Mitra, Varun, Vayu, Maruts, Surya, Ashwini Kumars etc it simply means that you do not believe in Rigved.

And one more thing. It seems like you are a devotee of Shiva. But Shiva is not even mentioned in Rigved.

Worshiping the deities of one book does not mean that you MUST denounce belief in another.

what little I read of the Upanishads I did read there is one thing I remember. That being scholar will not bring you close to the divine. So we can sit and argue about which book is "better" or more "true" but it really will do little to help

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

Vanakkam,

I want to ask you one thing. Do you consider Puranas to be more authentic than Rigved ?

This question is irrelevant because it does not matter to me. My practices are not centered around only Veda or only Purana.
I don't care at all which one is superior to the other, this is not the goal of my life to make a hierarchy of everything and to try to prove my views right to everyone. I care only to what is good to bring this soul closer to Self Realisation. And not what nourish the ego that is a waste of time.
The lineage I follow is none of your buisness, and the lineage you follow is none of mine.

Because if you are worshipping Puranic deities like Shiva, Ganpati, Hanuman, Datta etc.

I am sorry to learn that Rudra isn't apparently a Vedic deity.

rather than Rigvedic deities like Indra, Agni, Mitra, Varun, Vayu, Maruts, Surya, Ashwini Kumars etc it simply means that you do not believe in Rigved.

Please, give the exact quote when I say I do not believe in RigVed. Tell me precisely where I said that and clearly.

I am totally undisturbed and uninterested by the little game of mine's bigger you are trying to set up, I couldn't care less about it. Honestly.

What bother is the religious intolerance you are showing that is not a part of Hinduism.
And it's also not a very Dharmic behavior as it serves ego and cause trouble among peaceful devotees.

By the way, did you read the original RigVed in sanskrit ?

Aum Namah SHivaya

 

[Omkara]

I want to ask you one thing. Do you consider Puranas to be more authentic than Rigved ? Because if you are worshipping Puranic deities like Shiva, Ganpati, Hanuman, Datta etc. rather than Rigvedic deities like Indra, Agni, Mitra, Varun, Vayu, Maruts, Surya, Ashwini Kumars etc it simply means that you do not believe in Rigved.

And one more thing. It seems like you are a devotee of Shiva. But Shiva is not even mentioned in Rigved.

Shiva is not mentioned in the Rig Veda? Please do not talk rubbish. See this- Lord Shiva in The Vedas - Hindu Dharma Forums


Also, Indra, Agni, Vayu, etc. are not even mentioned in the Vedas.
All names in the Vedas are names of Brahman/Shiva alone vide-

RV 10.82.3 Father who made us, he who, as Disposer, knoweth all races and all things existing Even he alone, who bears the names of all the gods,him other beings seek for information.
RV 1.164.46 Ekam sat vipraa bahudhaa vadanti

The vedas themselves endorse the puranas.

rcah samani chandamsi puranam yajusa saha
ucchistaj-jajnire sarve divi deva divi-sritah

"The Rg, Sama, Yajur and Atharva became manifest from the Lord, along with the Puranas and all the Devas residing in the heavens." (Atharva Veda 11.7.24)
sa brhatim disam anu vyacalat tam itihasas ca puranam ca gathas ca itihasasya ca sa vai puranasya ca gathanam ca narasamsinam ca priyam dhama bhavati ya evam veda
"He approached the brhati meter, and thus the Itihasas, Puranas, Gathas and Narasamsis became favorable to him. One who knows this verily becomes the beloved abode of the Itihasas, Puranas, Gathas and Narasamsis." (Atharva Veda 15.6.10–12)

evam ime sarva veda nirmitah sa-kalpah sa-rahasyah sa-brahmanah sopanisatkah setihasah sanvakhyatah sa-puranan
"In this way, all the Vedas were manifested along with the Kalpas, Rahasyas, Brahmanas, Upanisads, Itihasas, Anvakhyatas and the Puranas." (Gopatha Brahmana, purva 2.10)
nama va rg-vedo yajur-vedah sama-veda atharvanas caturtha itihasa-puranah pancamo vedanam vedah

"Indeed, Rg, Yajur, Sama and Atharva are the names of the four Vedas. The Itihasas and Puranas are the fifth Veda." (Kauthumiya Chandogya Upanisad 7.1.4)
asya mahato bhutasya nihsvasitam etad yad rg-vedo yajur-vedah sama
vedo’tharvangirasa itihasah puranam ityadina
"O Maitreya, the Rg, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas as well as the Itihasas and the Puranas all manifest from the breathing of the Lord." (Madhyandina-sruti, Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 2.4.10)

Taittiriya Aranyaka (2.9) states yad brahmananitihasa-puranani: "The Itihasas and Puranas are Vedas."

For reincarnation in the vedas see- Reincarnation and Karma in the Veda Samahita - Hindu Dharma Forums

For proof that Shiva and vishnu are not minor gods in the vedas-
Lord Shiva in The Vedas - Hindu Dharma Forums
nArAyaNa in the veda-s - Hindu Dharma Forums

 

[Me Myself]

I want to ask you one thing. Do you consider Puranas to be more authentic than Rigved ? Because if you are worshipping Puranic deities like Shiva, Ganpati, Hanuman, Datta etc. rather than Rigvedic deities like Indra, Agni, Mitra, Varun, Vayu, Maruts, Surya, Ashwini Kumars etc it simply means that you do not believe in Rigved.

And one more thing. It seems like you are a devotee of Shiva. But Shiva is not even mentioned in Rigved.

Gd is authentic everywhere.

 

[Jainarayan]

Why listen to Krishna when Rigved is stating something very clearly ?

Umm... maybe because to me Krishna is the Supreme Brahman.

 

[Jainarayan]

Vanakkam,

So...This is going to be a "mine's bigger" tread ...?
...
Again ? :/

Aum Namah Shivaya

Or who can lift his leg higher to **** higher up the tree.

 

[Jainarayan]

Just ignore ThunderRD. He's got 7 posts, came in to stir up ****, and then he'll disappear. Not worth the bandwidth.

 

[Ashoka]

Just sitting here, eating some yogurt, reading this thread

 

[Maya3]

Coffee here.

Anyone remember last summers debates where someone kept insisting that we should only focus on Advaita and never worship any murtis at all? Just sayin´

Maya

 

[Jainarayan]

Wow, time flies! Was it that long ago!? That prompted me to make the anti-proselytizing thread.

 

[Vinayaka]

That prompted me to make the anti-proselytizing thread.

Can you re-link me to that?