So can any god be worshipped in Hinduism?

[Antibush5]

Here is something I have been stirring round in my head for a good while now, I have heard that Hindu's can worship many gods or even no gods at all if they choose too. But this got me wondering, if I can worship any god I want too, what if those gods arn't exactly very "moral" or even the opposite, very amoral.
Like if a hindu was to worship Zues, that wouldn't really make sense for a hindu, he is very violent, very sexual (agressively so sometimes) so would it make sense to give offerings and praise to this diety?

 

[LuisDantas]

Every deity can be made to make sense to someone. It is all a matter of how the adherent understands that deity to be, really.

 

[Onkara]

Good question. My answer would be yes but...
- To be a follower of Sanatana Dharma one should in theory be following Dharma, so would the deity permit that? I.e. is Dharma in line with the Deities personality etc, as you say?

Some cons;
- It might be harder, because the form and name may be Zeus, for example, but ultimately every god and goddess is from Brahman (or from Vishu/Krishna in Gaudīya Vaiṣṇava). Could you worship Zeus knowing it as name and form of Brahman/Krishna?
- Will you worship be traditional i.e. Sanskrit mantras, puja,
- Will you be able to recognise the Vedic scriptures as infallible and true and relevant to your deity?
- You may find you are a minority when looking to find others to discuss your deity or worship in Sanatana Dharma.

Some pros:
- Your relationship may come easily and the bonding may be great
- You may find you can merge different philosophy, theolgoy and come out rewarded
- You may find inner-peace and bliss

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Vishnu is very sexual as well. I might add. He is sometimes called a womanizer.

 

[Antibush5]

Vishnu is very sexual as well. I might add. He is sometimes called a womanizer.

I don't think its to the point of Zues, you know, with the whole turning into animals and ravaging women. Although if Vishnu did that, I would never look at him the same.

 

[LuisDantas]

Do people worship deities, or the conceptions they have of those deities? And how could one tell?

Just something I wanted to ask.

 

[xkatz]

I don't think its to the point of Zues, you know, with the whole turning into animals and ravaging women. Although if Vishnu did that, I would never look at him the same.

Vladimir Putin is probably a womanizer as well I hate to tell you

 

[Antibush5]

Vladimir Putin is probably a womanizer as well I hate to tell you

How dare you mock Putin patron saint of awesome! :no:

 

[Andal]

Vishnu's only a womanizer to one who doesn't understand lila. In terms of worshiping non-Vedic gods, I suppose you could. After all there are tons of non Vedic deities within the Hindu fold that were adopted from folk traditions and local practices. However, as others have pointed out, it will be challenging.

Aum Hari Aum!

 

[Riverwolf]

Though I'm a Hindu, I have a great deal of respect and reverence for Athena, my favorite of all the Goddesses. (From all the pantheons.) If I were to worship her in a Vedic manner, I'd probably focus on a combination of Sri Durga and Sri Saraswati.

I also get a sense of calmness and peace whenever I repeat the name of the fictional Goddess Elbereth, from Tolkein's mythology, who is the Star Goddess.

I'm not sure why a Hindu would want to worship Zeus, because Vedic mythology also has a King of Heaven who is a God of Lightning: Lord Indra.

 

[Valjean]

Zeus has got nothing on Kali.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali

 

[K.Venugopal]

To the question "So can any god be worshipped in Hinduism?" I wish to suggest that a Hindu is always worshiping the formless substratum of existence even as he concentrates on the idol of his choice or any idol he may chance upon in a temple. It is the idol worshiping tradition that has led to the impression that the Hindu worships many Gods or even believes that there are many Gods. It is interesting that all the Gods Hindus worship, like Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, their family and avatars etc. are one way or the other linked in the innumerable stories that have come to be told of them. The Gods are but various expressions of truth. The hallmark of Hinduism is the creativity of expressions. So indeed any God (or god, if you wish) may be worshipped. The parameters are only those set by our imagination.

 

[Breathe]

Hmmm, I suppose you could.

इन्द्रं मित्रं वरुणमग्निमाहुरथो दिव्यः स सुपर्णो गरुत्मान |
एकं सद विप्रा बहुधा वदन्त्यग्निं यमं मातरिश्वानमाहुः ||

They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni, and he is heavenly nobly-winged Garutmān.
To what is One, sages give many a title; they call it Agni, Yama, Mātariśvan.​

There are often Hindu equivalents to such deities though. Using the example Riverwolf mentioned, Zeus is the equivalent of Indra.


Besides the Vedic gods, I admire the Egyptian and Norse (among other) deities, too, although I don't venerate nor worship them, personally. Nothing is stopping me, I just don't. I guess it's just an interest in them as opposed to an adoration for them?

Zeus has got nothing on Kali.
Kali - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Haha, that is true - Kali is far more awesome.

Jai Kali Maa! :rainbow1:

 

[Satsangi]

This question gives an impression that Sanatana Dharma has many DIFFERENT Gods; this is widely prevalent impression in the west. In reality, there in only one God with different forms which may exhibit a particular aspect of the God. Then, there is THAT ultimate God who is One without a Second.

The God is like a Sphatika Linga; it exhibits the color of the material you do Abhishek with. Meaning, the way you see God, He manifests to you in that form. But, in reality, He is beyond the grasp of common human faculties. The devotee should see the form that God manifests to him as the Supreme- One without a Second.

Regards,

 

[Valjean]

The Hindu "gods" are personified aspects of a unitary divinity.