Hinduism in Practice

Atman, Brahman and Ishwara are considered ultimately one and the same.Ishwara is the manifestation of Brahman.  It is said that Ishwara is like the reflection of the Cosmic Spirit seen through the mirror of ‘Maya’.  When seen as a creator of the world Ishwara is called ‘Brahma’, when seen as the preserver of the world, Ishwara is called ‘Vishnu’ and when seen as the destroyer of this world prior to creation of the new world, Ishwara is called ‘Shiva’.  It is said that Lord Brahma made of the ‘Satvik Guna’ is responsible for creation. Lord Vishnu represents complete ‘Rajas Guna’ preserving and maintaining goodness. Lord Shiva dominated by the ‘tamas Guna’ is responsible for the destruction of the world. The trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh (Shiva) are also known as ‘Guna Avatars’. In the Advaita Smarta philosophy Ishwara in the form of Shiva, Vishnu, Shakti (Durga, Devi), Ganesha, Kartikeya (also known as Murugan/Skanda) and Surya are all considered to personify the Supreme God Brahman.

Other Hindu deities known as ‘Devas’ or angels are considered to be manifestations of the same God representing different aspects or as incarnations appearing in various different ages over time. Hindus believe that all manifestations (devas and all the rest of this universe) ultimately represent one single God that is Brahman. One way to explain the belief of Hindus therefore may be that these Devas do exist as manifestations of the supreme God just as humans are ultimately part of the same Supreme God. These  Devas/Gods/Goddesses have divine powers bestowed upon them by the supreme Brahman and although they may have appeared on earth in certain forms in different cycles of time, their usual existence is not on this earth and their actual form may not be as depicted by the idols of deities in Hindu temples and as described in Hindu scriptures which is more a result of human imagination, devotion and manifestation of that devotion.  The Gods are able to manifest themselves to respond to this devotion and reward it with blessings helping humans to identify with the divine within themselves and thus get closer to Brahman the supreme.

Thus worship of God in the form of deities represented by physical idols (murtis) or images helps devotees to focus our mind upon a single object and offer our devotion to a more concrete tangible form. Some believe that the idols and images are only symbols assisting in worship through rituals and ceremonies whilst others believe that the divine energy resides in these idols in answer to the faith and prayer of the devotees who gather to pray in temples and in their homes as per scriptural guidance.

Individual devotees and families often worship the holy trinity or select Gods such as Shiva or Vishnu or Ganesha or Shakti Devi as their family God (kul daivat) or personal favourite based on the denomination they traditionally belong to or their own faith. Popular Goddesses worshiped in Hinduism are Lakshmi, Saraswati, Parvati, Durga, and Kali. The two main avatars of Vishnu are also commonly worshipped as lord Krishna and lord Rama. Krishna is particularly popular deity for children just like Ganesha and Hanuman due to numerous mythological stories of their wit, courage and divinity from childhood onwards. Devotees of the Smartism faith revere all the main Gods and Goddesses believing them all to represent Brahman and this faith has gained a lot of popularity in current modern times in India and abroad.

Gods (Devas) and Goddesses (Devis) are identified with specific icons and symbols and many of them have several arms, each carrying something such as a weapon or a blessing for devotees. Some interpret the many arms of a deity as representative of the numerous values and virtues that they stand for although sometimes there isn’t a single interpretation.  Vedic deities also included worship of the five elements of Prithvi, Agni, Vayu, Soma and Surya or rivers such as Saraswati as well as solar deities known as Adityas including Varuna, Savitra and Aryaman. Over time a single solar deity Surya came to be worshipped as one of the five most important deities by Smartas and other Hindus. Hinduism presents several concepts for the word idol including ‘Pratima’ that is an image or likeness of the deity or ‘Murti’ that is a form of the deity, ‘Swayambhu image’ that is a self manifested image of the deity.

The philosophical knowledge of Sanaatan Dharma underpins the rites and rituals evolving from Vedic times which help the common man to pray to God and effectively practise their Hindu religion thus positively influencing their karma. It is important to follow these practices such as Mantra Japa, performing Pujas and imbibing sanskaras so as to develop devotion, concentration to be able to receive the knowledge of God, an attitude of selfless service, and discipline which are the paths of worship namely Bhakti, Jnana, Karma and Raja Yoga. Hindu Gods and Goddesses which are considered forms of the one supreme God exist in order to enable effective prayer and to enhance belief and devotion.