Hinduism: Monotheism With A Twist

1
Hinduism Monotheism With A Twist
Chaitanya Kumari Writes informational articles on
common ethics, Sanathana dharma, hindu dharma,
duties common to all along with others on
finance, health and cultivating wisdom.
2

• Hinduism is the oldest of all the existing
  religions in the world it has no single founder
  or a single holy book. Although Hinduism is
  essentially monotheistic, people of other faiths
  do not appreciate this fact. They mistakenly
  argue that Hinduism is all about polytheism. This
  article attempts to provide a basic understanding
  of Hindu monotheism, which will help in
  dispelling all related misconceptions.
• The sages and seers of ancient India
  unambiguously proclaimed that there is just a
  single ultimate reality called God/Paramatma. The
  numerous deities seen in Hinduism are nothing but
  different manifestations of the same Paramatma.
• Many human minds cannot concentrate on an entity
  that is formless during worship, and they need
  something tangible to focus on. The deities help
  in achieving this particular objective.
• All the deities are varied forms of one and only
  Paramatma. Every true Hindu is constantly aware
  of that truth even while worshiping the deity of
  their choice.

3

• Hindu monotheism speaks of a God who is
  all-encompassing. This ultimate reality is not
  vengeful towards people just because they follow
  a different religious path. Hinduism strongly
  declares that all forms and paths lead to the
  same supreme source.
• During the time of the invaders and colonialists,
  many inaccurate notions about Hinduism were
  propagated by them. These elements considered
  their races to be way superior to Hinduism and
  thus attacked the practices and traditions of
  Sanatana dharma.
• These foreign invaders wrongly stated that only
  idolatry and paganism can be seen in Hinduism.
  The alien aggressors were ignorant of the fact
  that a Hindu never considers the idol as God.
  They are conscious of the fact that the idol is
  just a medium through which the prayers reach
  Paramatma.
• Hindu monotheism doesnt refer to a God who
  brought the universe into existence from
  nothingness. As per Sanatana dharma, Paramatma
  pervades the entire universe and creation and
  sustains it. It is through this single source
  that all divine forms come, and therefore every
  such manifestation has to be respected.

4

• There are several monotheistic traditions within
  the umbrella of Hinduism, too. Here, we can take
  the examples of Vaishnavism and Shaivism. The
  adherents of Vaishnavism consider Lord Vishnu as
  their Bhagawan, and they confine themselves to
  this framework only. Here, a salient point needs
  to be added. The Vaishnavas also worship all the
  avatars of Vishnu where the Lord incarnated on
  Earth in human form.
• In the same way, the followers of Shaivism revere
  Lord Shiva as their Paramatma. Just like the
  Vasihnavites, even Shaivites pray to all forms of
  Lord Shiva.
• Unleashing violence against people following a
  different faith is something that has never been
  seen in Hinduism. Religious bigotry is vehemently
  condemned by Sanatana dharma.
• Based on all the above points, it is clear that
  Hinduism is monotheistic but with a difference.
  Respect for all deities and divine manifestations
  is an integral part of Hindu monotheism. This
  vividly throws light on the inclusive nature of
  Hinduism.

5
Thank you for spending your precious time
in reading this article!
About Living Smartly
Living-smartly.com is a website that publishes
information specifically focused on helping
people to make right choices in their every day
challenges. Living Smartly provides smart tips
insights that covers all aspects of daily living
such as general health dental health,
philosophy, social skills, technology, wellness,
gifts etc.