Idol Worship: The Plethora of Gods 

     Without a doubt, Hinduism has the unique distinction of worshipping the most gods of any religion. The credit for this goes to our ancient sages, the Rishis, who adored and glorified these gods in an ingenious manner. Not only is each god grand and divine, but he also has his own unique personality and attributes. In the Hindu pantheon, the gods are like the icons with which the ordinary devotee may identify the Divine more easily; that is, they are not abstract, formless gods. After the gods of nature came the gods in human form. First, it was the Hindu trinity—Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. This beginning was mythological in nature. The descriptions of gods in Hindu scriptures have no fixed quintessence; the historical aspect is often mixed with the mythological narration. Different scriptures portray the gods with different style and facts. Ancient scriptures portray the gods by using a storytelling method, making the theme more important than the event.62

      In the epic scriptures, with the historical tales of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna, the concept of God incarnate became established in Hinduism. Both Lord Rama and Lord Krishna are considered as Vishnu incarnates in the Hindu pantheon. Lord Rama is known for his sense of propriety, or maryada. He would never do something that was inappropriate. Lord Krishna is complete in all respects—the puran avtara—but he is also the god of love, or Prema. Just by looking at his picture, one can sense the immense nature of love in him. He has a bewitching smile and a handsome face, and he holds a melodious flute to his lips. He would never utter words of anger or hatred. Every Hindu has a choice to choose his own God. He may also choose many gods, instead of just one. There are no constraints in this regard. By thinking of a god and meditating on him, a person would imbibe the virtues and attributes within his own self. This was indeed the grand plan of our learned sages, which has worked wonderfully well throughout millennia.

     The Hindu mind, however, would not stop here. In fact, Hindu sages conceived that there was the seed of the Divine in each being. By the process of reincarnation, this seed would gradually unfold, germinate, and grow. Through eons of life cycles, the being would evolve. Whenever the sages noticed in a human being a stage of spiritual perfection, they would consider him or her as the god. Thus started the long chain of gods in the Hindu pantheon. The scriptures even mention that there are 330 million gods. We are prompted to see god in all beings and to treat them in an exalted way. The phenomenon of the Divine is unique in the Hindu pantheon, making holiness the very basis of the entire universe.

     God is an evolutionary concept in Hinduism. As a person ascends gradually on the path of spirituality, over eons of birth cycles, his divinity shines more and more. The goodness around him becomes more palpable to others who come in contact with such a spiritual person. He starts to project an aura of divinity and in some subtle manner imparts the supernal energy to transform others. This phenomenon has been observed in true saints of all the religions.

     It is neither necessary nor practical to describe every god, but the most important ones, apart from the primary trinity of gods, are presented as follows:
 Lord Ganpati, who is also called Lord Ganesh, has always been one of the most favorite gods. In the Hindu mythology, he is the son of Lord Shiva and the goddess Parvati. He has an elephant head, signifying great wisdom. Lord Ganpati is adored as the god who can remove any obstruction. He is, therefore, also called Vighna-harta (one who removes obstacle) Whenever a Hindu embarks on any auspicious or major venture, such as a wedding or a new home or business, the first invocation is to Lord Ganpati.
 Lord Subramanya is the other son of Lord Shiva. He is the six-faced god, signifying his multifaceted personality. He is much venerated, especially in South India, as the god of valor. He is regarded as the master guru of Kundalini yoga, born of Lord Shiva’s mind, to awaken and propel the soul onward in its spiritual journey. He is also known by many other names, such as Muruga, Murkan, Kartikeya, Skanda, Shanmuga, and Kumara. His name as Kartikeya denotes the six-star constellation Pleiades, which in Sanskrit is known as Krittika.
 Hanuman Bhagwan is a most revered god of the Ramayana epic. He is the leader of the monkey army, who helped Lord Rama in searching for and finally rescuing the goddess Sri Sita. In the epic of Ramayana, Hanuman was depicted as the most loyal and humble companion of Lord Rama. He was the epitome of service and sincerity. He remained celibate throughout his life and, in accordance with Hindu philosophy, conserved all his energy. He is, therefore, portrayed as the god of infinite strength and power. In the court of Ravana, when they attempted to burn him by setting his tail on fire, he jumped free and then flew across the land, spreading the fire to all the kingdom of the wicked Ravana. On another occasion, when Lord Rama’s brother Sri Lakshmana was fatally wounded in the war, it was again Hanuman who flew to the Himalayas and brought back the whole mountain on his shoulder to provide the herb that was needed for the recovery of the wounded Lakshmana. Hanuman is much worshipped by Hindus, especially in a time of danger or crisis. Many sing the popular “Hanuman Chalisa,” the long prayer in verse, in honor of Lord Hanuman. He is even considered as the incarnation of Lord Shiva and the son of the god of winds, Vayu, thus establishing a pattern in the Hindu pantheon of creating relationships between the different gods.
 Satya-Narayan Bhagwan is the god of boons. Hindus worship this god frequently to express their gratitude for favors received and for a good life. Many worship Shri Satya Narayan as the combined form of three gods: Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Maheshwara.
 Lord Dattatreya is the god in whom all three forms of the primary gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva—also manifest together.
 Narad Bhagwan is the popular mythological god who works as a messenger between the sages and the Supreme Divine and is hence named as Deva Rishi (God’s sage). He is also considered to be an authoritative guide on devotion, or bhakti. In ancient scriptures there are many tales of this deity, who skillfully and with a great sense of humor, navigates complicated and difficult situations. His main character is highlighted in the Srimad Bhagavatam, an epic philosophical and literary classic, where he narrates the story of the divine katha (fable) to many ascetics, sages, and ordinary householders for the first time at Haridvar, on the banks of sacred Ganges.

      There are innumerable other gods, such as Kubera, god of wealth; Garuda, god of birds; Himavan, god of mountains; Anathan, god of snakes; and many more.

      Of the three primary Hindu gods, Lord Vishnu took repeated incarnations in different times. Even as Lord Krishna, he manifested again and again, subsequently as Lord Tirupati in South India, Lord Shree Nath in Rajasthan, Jagan Nath in Puri Orissa, and Lord Swaminarayan in Gujarat.
      Along with the male gods, the female goddesses also proliferated in Hindu religion, either alone or as the consorts of the male gods. Thus, innumerable goddesses appeared on the Hindu stage. Some of the most important goddesses, apart from those mentioned earlier, are Sri Sita as the consort of Lord Rama and also as the earth goddess; Sri Radha as the consort of Lord Krishna; Sri Ganga as goddess of the River Ganges; Cow as the earth goddess; and Kali, Uma, and Sati as the consorts of Shiva. In the Hindu religion, female goddesses have occupied a prominent place equal to the gods.

      There has been much speculation regarding the phenomenon of so many gods in Hinduism, but this need not be disturbing. According to Hindu philosophy, behind the façade of so many manifestations, there is but one, universal, eternal, omnipotent, formless, and transcendental Divine. Many names and forms of God became accepted in preference to uniformity, making Hinduism more dynamic and evolutionary. Hindu Rishis repeatedly compared this phenomenon with the precious metal gold, of which many ornaments are formed even though it essentially remains unchanged.

       The seed of pluralism, which is now gaining credence all over the world, was sown in this ancient philosophy of many gods. Pluralism has remained the very anchor of Hindu theology.
      In Hinduism, there is also a unique phenomenon in that gods often worship each other. Even the major deities—Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva—interchange their places and worship each other. A Hindu has no difficulty in accepting and even worshipping gods of other faiths. There are instances in scriptures when gods bow down and worship human beings who are spiritually exalted. In Hinduism, gods are a symbolic conception of the highest spirituality and virtue.

     There has been some criticism regarding idol worship, known as murti puja, in Hinduism. Originally, in the Vedic period, there was no idol worship. This practice may have been adapted from the Dravidian culture of temple worship. The description of God in the Upanishads as Neti-Neti (Not This-Not This) points to the transcendental and formless aspect of the Divine. The idol worship or Murti Puja, however, has been securely accepted as an icon or symbol to represent the Divine.  

    Robert Arnett, the internationally known author of India Unveiled, has very aptly said:
 Hinduism is greatly misunderstood in the West. Most Occidentals  do not realize that Hinduism is a monotheistic belief only in one  God, who, as creator, is beyond time, space, and physical form. The  entire pantheon of Hindu gods and goddesses are merely symbolic  representations of different attributes of the One Un-manifested  Spirit.

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