Hindu Monotheism and the Bhagavad Gita

[Soma-Sight]

Anyone claiming they know anything about Hinduism and then claim that the religion is polytheistic should only make this claim if they have at least chaecked out the Gita.... (my personal fav. of eastern religious texts)

"Krishna: Thou canst not!â€â€nor, with human eyes, Arjuna! ever mayest!

Therefore I give thee sense divine. Have other eyes, new light!

And, look! This is My glory, unveiled to mortal sight!


Sanjaya:

Then, O King! the God, so saying,

Stood, to Pritha's Son displaying

All the splendour, wonder, dread

Of His vast Almighty-head.

Out of countless eyes beholding,

Out of countless mouths commanding,

Countless mystic forms enfolding

IN ONE FORM SUPREMELY STANDING

Countless radiant glories wearing,

Countless heavenly weapons bearing,

Crowned with garlands of star-clusters,

Robed in garb of woven lustres,

Breathing from His perfect Presence

Breaths of every subtle essence

Of all heavenly odours; shedding

Blinding brilliance; overspreadingâ€â€

Boundless, beautifulâ€â€all spaces

With His all-regarding faces;

So He showed! If there should rise

Suddenly within the skies

Sunburst of a thousand suns

Flooding earth with beams undeemed-of,

Then might be that Holy One's

Majesty and radiance dreamed of!


So did Pandu's Son behold

All this universe enfold

All its huge diversity

INTO ONE VAST SHAPE, and be

Visible, and viewed, and blended

IN ONE BODYâ€â€subtle, splendid,

Namelessâ€â€th' All-comprehending

God of Gods, the Never-Ending

Deity!


But, sore amazed,

Thrilled, o'erfilled, dazzled, and dazed,

Arjuna knelt; and bowed his head,

And clasped his palms; and cried, and said:


Arjuna:

Yea! I have seen! I see!

LORD ALL IS WRAPPED IN THEE!

The gods are in Thy glorious frame! the creatures

Of earth, and heaven, and hell

In Thy Divine form dwell,

And in Thy countenance shine all the features


Of Brahma, sitting lone

Upon His lotus-throne;

Of saints and sages, and the serpent races

Ananta, Vasuki;

Yea! mightiest Lord! I see

Thy thousand thousand arms, and breasts, and faces,

And eyes,â€â€on every side

Perfect, diversified;

And nowhere end of Thee, nowhere beginning,

Nowhere a centre! Shiftsâ€â€

Wherever soul's gaze liftsâ€â€

Thy central Self, all-wielding, and all-winning!"

 

[KaerbEmEvig]

The more scientifical term used is 'Panentheism', but yes- Panentheism is monotheistic in form.

 

[Soma-Sight]

The more scientifical term used is 'Panentheism', but yes- Panentheism is monotheistic in form.

Thx.

I have heard of that term before but forgot what it implied....

I have also heard of scientific pantheism but that is different entirely from panentheism.

 

[shirono]

I did some rather heavy research into ancient religions this past summer as part of a summer project for an AP World history course. During the course of my research on Hinduism I found that most learned people called it a monotheistic religion. The logic behind this was that the brahmins (preist caste) saw all of the gods/goddesses of Hinduism as just a single face of Brahman (the main god).

A simpler explanation is that Brahman is like a large multi-faceted diamond and that vishnu, krishna, shiva and any other of the Hindi gods are simply one of this diamonds facets.

 

[Soma-Sight]

I did some rather heavy research into ancient religions this past summer as part of a summer project for an AP World history course. During the course of my research on Hinduism I found that most learned people called it a monotheistic religion. The logic behind this was that the brahmins (preist caste) saw all of the gods/goddesses of Hinduism as just a single face of Brahman (the main god).

A simpler explanation is that Brahman is like a large multi-faceted diamond and that vishnu, krishna, shiva and any other of the Hindi gods are simply one of this diamonds facets.

Thats how I understand it as well.

 

[AHIMSA]

I started Indian Philosophy in university this week. We're starting with the Rig Veda, but working our way to the Bhavagad Gita in the next week or two....It's terribly fascinating.

 

[Soma-Sight]

AHIMSA,

Let me know which version of the Bhagavad Gita you use....

Are you looking into the Upanishads as well?

 

[AHIMSA]

Actually, we are going to look at the Upanisads briefly, which should also be interesting.

The translation of the Gita that I am personally using in this class is by Eknath Easwaran, from the Shambhala Library. It is helpful because it has a pretty thorough commentary for each chapter to aquaint the reader with concepts that he or she might just be encountering for the first time.

 

[Soma-Sight]

The translation of the Gita that I am personally using in this class is by Eknath Easwaran

Thats the best one.

 

[Matthew6]

By definition a religion espousing the view that the created universe is God or part of God cannot be monotheistic, it is monistic. Hinduism is a monistic religion - not a monotheistic religion - because it believes that there is only one ultimate reality (which includes all that exists). The ideas of pantheism/panentheism that God is everything is not monotheistic at all. We must keep in mind that monotheism is the belief in One Creator, not just that there is one supernatural entity.