The Supreme God of Hinduism

[Draupadi]

I am actually confused about it since different sects hold different beliefs. So who is right? How come Adi Parashakti became so weak in Her material form, if She is the active form of Para Brahman? Can't almighty Para Brahman keep Him/Herself strong in that form? And why only the Tridevs have the power to know the past, present and future (this question is for the Shaktivites), if Adi Parashakti or Parvati is the real deal? And finally what does this Supreme God look like and what is His/Her characteristics? Thank you.

 

[Valjean]

Good points, Draupadi. Hinduism isn't a single religion like Islam or Judaism. It has no universally accepted canon, no official clergy, no official doctrine. It's different in different places and among different peoples.

Who is right? There are different rights for different people. There is one, objective, universal Right, but we cannot perceive this in our present level of consciousness, so most Hindus, sensibly, just ignore it, and believe in the world they actually perceive, even though they're just dreaming it.

It's all about levels of reality. Brahman is the only Real, Objective Reality, but we cannot deal with this as long as we're still dreaming.

 

[George-ananda]

I am actually confused about it since different sects hold different beliefs. So who is right? How come Adi Parashakti became so weak in Her material form, if She is the active form of Para Brahman? Can't almighty Para Brahman keep Him/Herself strong in that form? And why only the Tridevs have the power to know the past, present and future (this question is for the Shaktivites), if Adi Parashakti or Parvati is the real deal? And finally what does this Supreme God look like and what is His/Her characteristics? Thank you.

I am an Advaita Hindu meaning God and creation are not-two. This is all Brahman who can be called the supreme God by some people's terminology.

All these other gods you and others speak about are ultimately Brahman. But people can be benefited by putting a name and form on a god they can worship and relate to. You can get a thousand and one explanations about all of the gods but if the worship advances the people spiritually, then it's all good in Hinduism.

I read a great thing in the Hindu scriptures where I believe it was Krishna speaking as the Absolute saying:

These thousand gods are just my thousand faces

 

[Vinayaka]

I am actually confused about it since different sects hold different beliefs. So who is right? How come Adi Parashakti became so weak in Her material form, if She is the active form of Para Brahman? Can't almighty Para Brahman keep Him/Herself strong in that form? And why only the Tridevs have the power to know the past, present and future (this question is for the Shaktivites), if Adi Parashakti or Parvati is the real deal? And finally what does this Supreme God look like and what is His/Her characteristics? Thank you.

Nobody is right and nobody is wrong. It's all a matter of perspective. Seyorni gave you the Vedanta perspective.

In my sampradaya/sect, God has three perfections. One reflects dualism and has form, and the other two are formless. All three are God, but again, from different perceptions.

I think confusion occurs because we try to put it all together, but it just doesn't fit. Many people, including many Hindus themselves remain confused because they think one size fits all. But in the grander scheme, it really doesn't matter, because you have to live a moral life to get to the goal anyway. So living according to dharma is more important that trying to sort out philsophical questions ion the intellectual realm.

 

[Madhuri]

I come from Vaishnava Hinduism so my perspective is that Vishnu/Krishna is the original form of God, with infinite expansions and manifestations. This perspective teaches that God has 3 main aspects: Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan.

Brahman is the infinite consciousness, Paramatma is the Lord within all beings (as all beings) and Bhagavan is the Lord's personal form.

God has infinite characteristics and attributes but each form can represent different characteristics and perform different functions.

Unfortunately I do not know enough about the Shakta perspective to answer your other questions.

 

[Vinayaka]

Brahman is the infinite consciousness, Paramatma is the Lord within all beings (as all beings) and Bhagavan is the Lord's personal form.

I find this very interesting, as we have very similar takes. For me, God has 3 perfections, all of which are Supreme in their own way.

- Primal soul, depicted as Nataraja, which would correspond to your Bhagavan
- Underlying substrata of form, existing everywhere, which is probably your Paramatma
- and Absolute Being, beyond all form, time and space, Brahman

Interesting.

 

[Madhuri]

I find this very interesting, as we have very similar takes. For me, God has 3 perfections, all of which are Supreme in their own way.

- Primal soul, depicted as Nataraja, which would correspond to your Bhagavan
- Underlying substrata of form, existing everywhere, which is probably your Paramatma
- and Absolute Being, beyond all form, time and space, Brahman

Interesting.

It isn't too surprising. We all interpret from the same sources ultimately
My question to you is, do these exist simultaneously and eternally or like the Advaita view, does Bhagavan 'emerge' from Brahman?
In my sampradaya, no one aspect come from another. So Brahman is not superior to Bhagavan and Bhagavan is not superior to Brahman.

 

[Vinayaka]

It isn't too surprising. We all interpret from the same sources ultimately

This is going somewhat off topic, but do you (and/or Vaisnava schools) put more emphasis on one than another?

 

[Madhuri]

This is going somewhat off topic, but do you (and/or Vaisnava schools) put more emphasis on one than another?

Well it's a Bhakti tradition so while Brahman realisation is very important we place emphasis on devotion to Bhagavan (and as an extension, to Paramatma as well since Bhakti involves serving the Lord by serving all beings).

 

[Sb1995]

I am actually confused about it since different sects hold different beliefs. So who is right? How come Adi Parashakti became so weak in Her material form, if She is the active form of Para Brahman? Can't almighty Para Brahman keep Him/Herself strong in that form? And why only the Tridevs have the power to know the past, present and future (this question is for the Shaktivites), if Adi Parashakti or Parvati is the real deal? And finally what does this Supreme God look like and what is His/Her characteristics? Thank you.

My intelligence on this topic is too little to answer but as a practising Hindu I appreciate the way you asked this question with respect and care. Thank you, may Allah's blessing be upon you.

 

[Poeticus]

It varies from sect to sect, and sub-sect from sub-sect.​

 

[Jainarayan]

And as usual, I'm in the minority in how I see God... Shiva and Vishnu as flip sides of the same coin, per my signature and avi.

 

[Aupmanyav]

My question to you is, do these exist simultaneously and eternally or like the Advaita view, does Bhagavan 'emerge' from Brahman?

Sometimes yes. 'All the three are forms of one - Brahman, creation, sustainance, destruction' - General belief. Equally, they are all different - Shiva, Vishnu, Shakti. Let us not cut each other's throats or destroy each other's idols, but discuss - after all, we are all after truth. And therefore, the debate has been going on for 5000 years and yet no end in sight.

 

[Kalidas]

I am actually confused about it since different sects hold different beliefs. So who is right? How come Adi Parashakti became so weak in Her material form, if She is the active form of Para Brahman? Can't almighty Para Brahman keep Him/Herself strong in that form? And why only the Tridevs have the power to know the past, present and future (this question is for the Shaktivites), if Adi Parashakti or Parvati is the real deal? And finally what does this Supreme God look like and what is His/Her characteristics? Thank you.

So seeing as you posed a question at shaktites and I am like one of the two that come here let me try my best? Thought honestly I may not give you the answer you like lol.

To me the stories of the deities are more or less stories, ways for us mortals to comprehend how this universe works with tales and folklore. Not all of us are astrophysicists, or theoretical physicists so it's a matter of "Keep things simple stupid". I like many others think all the deities are just one facet of the all might Brahman, which we are all a part of. Which "side" you choose to worship matters very little in the grand scheme of thing really.

I also tend to side with Vinayaka, one must first view Brahman through the loving gaze of a Deities eyes before peering into the ultimate reality. Think of it like a bright white light being cast through a prism, as the light splits it gives off many colors. We look into these colorful lights, and we are still basking in the glorious glow of knowledge and truth, but in different shades for the benefit of our subtle personal preferences.

 

[Draupadi]

My intelligence on this topic is too little to answer but as a practising Hindu I appreciate the way you asked this question with respect and care. Thank you, may Allah's blessing be upon you.

Thanks. You see I believe that all religion lead to the same and only real God, even though rules and laws might be different. I am a liberal Muslim.

 

[Draupadi]

So seeing as you posed a question at shaktites and I am like one of the two that come here let me try my best? Thought honestly I may not give you the answer you like lol.

To me the stories of the deities are more or less stories, ways for us mortals to comprehend how this universe works with tales and folklore. Not all of us are astrophysicists, or theoretical physicists so it's a matter of "Keep things simple stupid". I like many others think all the deities are just one facet of the all might Brahman, which we are all a part of. Which "side" you choose to worship matters very little in the grand scheme of thing really.

I also tend to side with Vinayaka, one must first view Brahman through the loving gaze of a Deities eyes before peering into the ultimate reality. Think of it like a bright white light being cast through a prism, as the light splits it gives off many colors. We look into these colorful lights, and we are still basking in the glorious glow of knowledge and truth, but in different shades for the benefit of our subtle personal preferences.

I get your points. But Shaktivites see Adi Parashakti or Parvati as the Supreme Goddess, so at least in your sect, shouldn't She have the 'trikaldarshan' power?

 

[Poeticus]

It varies from sect to sect, and sub-sect from sub-sect.​

I'm old school. I believe in 33 Gods. I do not
believe in an Absolute, and as a Mimamsaka,
the existence of an Absolute is in my opinion
unsubstantiated (and 'tis not just my opinion
but the conclusion of Rishi Jaimini as well).

I am very fond of Dual Ordinances. Draupadi,
have you ever heard of the Ordinance known
as Durga-Kali ? This is practically the strongest
Ordinance a Hindu can fathom, even more
than the ever-famouse Ordinance of Indra-
Vishnu. Both are Goddesses, BTW.​

 

[Draupadi]

Well in some cases Parvati can even be above Vishnu and Shiv. I do know the story of her form Dhumavati. In the drama series 'Mahadev' Vishnu had to pacify her with song after she swallowed Shiva and started doing so to the universe. I don't take the series very seriously because they are not very loyal to the Hindu scriptures. From what I can get from you Poeticus is that Parvati was given a certain power and the Tridevs others. But as the others say they are all manifestations of the Supreme God.

 

[Poeticus]

Well in some cases Parvati can even be above Vishnu and Shiv. I do know the story of her form Dhumavati. In the drama series 'Mahadev' Vishnu had to pacify her with song after she swallowed Shiva and started doing so to the universe. I don't take the series very seriously because they are not very loyal to the Hindu scriptures. From what I can get from you Poeticus is that Parvati was given a certain power and the Tridevs others. But as the others say they are all manifestations of the Supreme God.

Where is Kalicharan when we need him?

He's a Kali-Aditi Bhakta. He, and I as well,
would state that if there was a Supreme
God, an Absolute, it would be a Goddess
and not a God. The reason for this is simple:
the Rg-Veda clearly insights that from Aditi
were born the Gods. But I do not think that
Devi Parvati was given certain powers from
the Tridev. I would counter saying that w/o
Devi, the "male" Gods are powerless.

In fact, out of all the Gods and Goddesses,
it is Devi Usha that is summoned or called
with satya-mantra, true-prayer. No other
Deva or Devi is given such a bardic honor.

BTW, are you watching the new Mahabharata?
Asking because of your avatar, which is really
awesome.​

 

[Amrut]

I am actually confused about it since different sects hold different beliefs. So who is right? How come Adi Parashakti became so weak in Her material form, if She is the active form of Para Brahman? Can't almighty Para Brahman keep Him/Herself strong in that form? And why only the Tridevs have the power to know the past, present and future (this question is for the Shaktivites), if Adi Parashakti or Parvati is the real deal? And finally what does this Supreme God look like and what is His/Her characteristics? Thank you.

Namaste,

It depends upon what she symbolically represents in that particular sect. For a shakta, she is almighty and all avatars including Rama and Krishna come under her sway.

For other sects she represents prakruti who is controlled by Purusha who is mAyA pati ISvara. So her role here changes.

When any incident is taken into account, what we have to learn from incident is more important than characters in the incident. All I can say is that they play different roles an in this process it is we who are benefited.

e.g. In Guru Gita, Parvati asks Shiva whom he is saluting, and the discourse begins.

What is important is glories of Guru and Guru tatva and not the inferiority of Parvati (as she didn't knew glory of Guru). It is just like a scene needs to be set up. Ultimately it is we who are benefited from the discourse between Shiva and Parvati.

When it comes to stories from purANa-s, moral of the story is more important then the story itself.

We, advaitin-s and smArta-s, in case of contradictory stories, adopt nAhI nindA nyAya. Not to interpret in a way that denigrates a particular deity.

OM