We can gain a better understanding of the concept of God in Hinduism by analysing Hindu scriptures.
BHAGAVAD GITA
The most popular amongst all the Hindu scriptures is the Bhagavad Gita.
Consider the following verse from the Gita:
"Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures." [Bhagavad Gita 7:20]
The Gita states that people who are materialistic worship demigods i.e. %u2018gods%u2019 besides the True God.
THE VEDAS Vedas are considered the most sacred of all the Hindu scriptures. There are four principal Vedas: Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samveda and Atharvaveda.
Yajurveda The following verses from the Yajurveda echo a similar concept of God:
"na tasya pratima asti "There is no image of Him." [Yajurveda 32:3]5
"shudhama poapvidham" "He is bodyless and pure." [Yajurveda 40:8]6
"Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste" "They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). "They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti." [Yajurveda 40:9]7
Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol, etc.
The Yajurveda contains the following prayer: "Lead us to the good path and remove the sin that makes us stray and wander." [Yajurveda 40:16]8
Atharvaveda The Atharvaveda praises God in Book 20, hymn 58 and verse 3:
"Dev maha osi" "God is verily great" [Atharvaveda 20:58:3]9
RE:Concept of God in Hinduism
by KK on Apr 14, 2008 05:06 PM Permalink
Rigveda
The oldest of all the vedas is Rigveda. It is also the one considered most sacred by the Hindus. The Rigveda states in Book 1, hymn 164 and verse 46: "Sages (learned Priests) call one God by many names." [Rigveda 1:164:46]
The Rigveda gives several different attributes to Almighty God. Many of these are mentioned in Rigveda Book 2 hymn 1.
Among the various attributes of God, one of the beautiful attributes mentioned in the Rigveda Book II hymn 1 verse 3, is Brahma. Brahma means %u2018The Creator%u2019. Translated into Arabic it means Khaaliq. Muslims can have no objection if Almighty God is referred to as Khaaliq or %u2018Creator%u2019 or Brahma. However if it is said that Brahma is Almighty God who has four heads with each head having a crown, Muslims take strong exception to it.
Describing Almighty God in anthropomorphic terms also goes against the following verse of Yajurveda:
"Na tasya Pratima asti" "There is no image of Him." [Yajurveda 32:3]
RE:Concept of God in Hinduism
by JGN on Apr 14, 2008 07:04 PM Permalink
There cannnot be any creator without any form. I have not seen anythng created by anybody without any form or without the assistance of necessary implements for making the same. If the "formless" was able to create everything why we need all these Steel Plants, Power Plants, Water Supply Projects, etc??
And of course we can just pray to him to take us from IGI Airport at Delhi to JFK Airport at New York. Lo and behold, we are in New York the next moment, for he is so "powerful" !
