Why should we have different forms of deities?

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

My doubt is about different forms of the prabhraman.

 

In the analogy said,milk takes the shape of the container.Before starting any

pooja, instead of assuming the prabhrama in the form of ganapathy,why shouldn't

we take up some other form to pray like say kali or any devi form when we start

the pooja? why specifically said as Ganesha?

 

The same milk analogy again, whatever the vessel shape you use to serve,the milk

inside remains the same.So though the forms are different, the GOD is the

same.If it is true,Why do we have different forms of devis or gods and say one

form is powerful than the other? If you take any purana of any deity, it will

say the deity concerned is powerful and how all other forms of gods and goddess

worshipped it. Why does this discrimination still exist? Why are we saying

Lalitha as a separate goddess and other devis like Shyamala,Kula sundari or Kama

kala etc... as separate goddesses serving to her? Are they subordinates to the

master Lalitha?Master-Subordinate concept comes into place only if the master is

supreme to the subordinate.

 

In Srichakra pooja also, we say different gods,devis, chakreswari(deity

head),some rahesya yoginis etc are in every petal of the lotus, in Bindu etc...

If all these are one and the same, why should we have different mantras?

 

People say Kameswarar and Kameswari who reside in the bindu, are the powerful

and if one assumes that they are different they are ignorant.Who is that

Kameswarar and Kameswari in the bindu? Are they different from Shivan and

Sakthi?

 

In mantras also, people say one mantra is powerful and the other is lesser than

that? Assume one person chants the name "Sri vidya,Sri vidhya" myriad times and

another chants "Maha Sodhasi".People say the power difference is there.Why that

difference should be there? Everyone chants the namahs of the parabhramam (same

God in different forms) and if the GOD gives more power for the person who

chants "Maha Sodhasi" and lesser power to the other, it means that she

discriminates. In Lalitha Sahasranamam it is said she won't discrimate "Nira

patha,Nir peda, Petha Nasini". Is that true that a mother will discriminate?

 

Could anyone clarify my doubts.If you believe the questions have come out of

ignorance please bear with me and help me in getting them clarified.

 

Chokks.

 

Let us get ourself surrendered to the supreme(Paramathma) and relish the time we

are with him.

 

India Mobile: Ringtones, Wallpapers, Picture Messages and more.Download

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[Guest guest]

Dear Chokkalingamji,

 

Kindly refer to the following article taken from the URL:

 

http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part14/chap9.htm

 

 

 

These are the words of the "Mahaperiyava", Brahmaikya Jagadguru of

the Kanchi kama koti peetam, Shree Chandarashekhar saraswathi.

 

Why Differences among the Gods ?

(HinduDharma: Puranas)

 

 

Each Purana is in the main devoted to a particular devata. In the

Siva

Purana it is stated: "Siva is the Supreme Being. He is the highest

authority for creation, sustenance and dissolution. It is at his

behest, and

under him, that Visnu funtions as protector. Visnu is a mere bhogin,

trapped in Maya. Siva is a yogin and jnana incarnate. Visnu is

subject to

Siva and worships him. Once when he opposed Siva he suffered

humiliation at his hands". Stories are told to illustrate such

assertions.

 

In the Vaisnava Puranas you see the reverse. They contain stories to

support the view that Visnu is superior to Siva. "Is Siva a god, he

who

dwells in the burning grounds with spirits and goblins for company? "

these Puranas ask.

 

In each Purana thus a particular deity is exalted over others. It may

be

Subrahmanya, Ganapati or Surya. Each such deity is declared to be the

Supreme God and all others are said to worship him. When, out of

pride, they refuse to worship him they are humbled.

 

Doubts arise in our minds about such contradictory accounts. "Which

of

these stories is true? " we are inclined to ask. "And which is false?

They

cannot all of them be true. If Siva worships Visnu, how does it stand

to

reason that Visnu should adore Siva? If Amba is superior to the

Trimurti

(Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara), how is it right to say that she

remains

submissive to Parameswara as his devoted consort? The Puranas cannot

all of them be true. Or are they all lies? "

 

Logical thinking seems to point to the conclusion that all Puranic

stories

cannot be true. But, as a matter of fact, they are. A deity that

suffers

defeat at one time at the hands of another emerges triumphant on

another occasion. And a god who worships another deity is himself the

object of worship at other times. How is this so and why?

 

The Paramatman is one and only one. He it is that creates, sustains

and

destroys. And it is he who exfoliates as the the many different

deities.

Why does he do so? He has not cast people in the same mould. He has

created them all differently, with different attitudes, the purpose

being

to make the affairs of the world interesting by imparting variety to

them.

The Paramatman himself assumes different forms to suit the

temperament of different people so that each worship him in the form

he likes and obtain happiness. This is the reason why the one and

only

Paramatman manifests himself as so many different deities.

 

Everybody must have firm faith in, and devotion for, his chosen

deity. He

must learn to believe that this deity of his is the Paramatman, that

there

is no power higher. That is the reason why each manifestation or form

of the Supreme Godhead reveals itself to be higher than other forms

or

manifestations. It is thus that these other forms are shown to have

worshipped it or suffered defeat at its hands. Altogether it means

that

each deity worships other deities and is in turn worshipped by

others.

Also each god suffers defeat at the hands of other gods and, at the

same time, inflicts defeat on them.

 

In the Saiva Puranas all those aspects that proclaim the glory of

Siva are

brought together. Similarly, in the case of the Vaisnava Puranas that

deal with Visnu. Amba, Subrahmanya and other deities are each of

them dealt with in such a way as to show him or her to be the highest

among the devatas.

 

The purpose of exalting a particular deity over the another is not to

depreciate the latter. The underlying idea is that a person who

worships

his chosen god has unflinching faith in him and becomes totally

devoted

to him. Such exclusive devotion is called "ananyabhakti". The idea

here,

however, is not to regard other devatas as inferior to one's own

chosen

deity- an example of "nahi ninda nyaya".

 

Those who are capable of looking upon all deities as the

manifestations

of the one and only Paramatman have no cause for exclusive devotion

to

any one of them. It is only when we think that one deity is separate

from- or alien to- another that the question arises of giving up one

for

another. If we realise that all are the different disguises of the

One

Reality, the various gods and goddesses potrayed in the Puranas, with

all the differences among them, will be understood to be nothing but

the

lila or sport of Supreme Being. It is the One alone that seems

divided

into manifold entities. This is to help men of various attitudes and

temperaments. If this truth is recognised we shall be able to see the

stories in the Puranas- stories that seem contradictory- in the true

light.

 

In the story of Banasura we see that Siva is vanquished by Krsna. But

in

the story of Tiruvannamalai, Visnu meets with failure in finding the

feet

of Siva. Both stories must be treated as truthful. The first is to

make

devotees of Krsna worship him as the Paramatman and the second to

make devotees of Siva adore him similarly. Although we think that one

is

winner and the other the loser or that the one is superior to the

other or

inferior to him, the two know themselves to be one. Does one triumph

over oneself- or does one inflict defeat upon oneself? So all this is

play.

The Parmatman indulges in sport assuming multifarious forms.

 

The purpose of the Puranas is to show people the right path.

Pativratya

is a virtue that is of the utmost importance. Amba herself

exemplifies it.

The Parasakti, the Supreme Power that she is, remains subject to her

husband. Faith and devotion must grow in the world and for it the

Lord

himself must show the way. This is why in some temples Visnu is

represented as a worshipper of Siva and in some other shrines Siva is

seen as a devotee of Visnu. The same with other deities. I have

spoken

more about Siva and Visnu since Saivism and Vaisnavism are the two

major divisions.

 

To sum up, if a deity is glorified in the Puranas, and stories told

in

support of it, it is to create exclusive devotion to him as the

Paramatman. And, if any god is potrayed as inferior to another, the

true

purpose of it is not to denigrate him but to develop unflinching

faith in

the latter.

 

 

 

 

 

, chokkalingam rm <mrchokku>

wrote:

>

> Dear all,

> My doubt is about different forms of the prabhraman.

>

> In the analogy said,milk takes the shape of the container.Before

starting any pooja, instead of assuming the prabhrama in the form of

ganapathy,why shouldn't we take up some other form to pray like say

kali or any devi form when we start the pooja? why specifically said

as

Ganesha?

>

> The same milk analogy again, whatever the vessel shape you use to

serve,the milk inside remains the same.So though the forms are

different, the GOD is the same.If it is true,Why do we have different

forms of devis or gods and say one form is powerful than the other?

If

you take any purana of any deity, it will say the deity concerned is

powerful and how all other forms of gods and goddess worshipped it.

Why does this discrimination still exist? Why are we saying Lalitha

as a

separate goddess and other devis like Shyamala,Kula sundari or Kama

kala etc... as separate goddesses serving to her? Are they

subordinates

to the master Lalitha?Master-Subordinate concept comes into place

only

if the master is supreme to the subordinate.

>

> In Srichakra pooja also, we say different gods,devis, chakreswari

(deity head),some rahesya yoginis etc are in every petal of the

lotus, in

Bindu etc... If all these are one and the same, why should we have

different mantras?

>

> People say Kameswarar and Kameswari who reside in the bindu, are

the powerful and if one assumes that they are different they are

ignorant.Who is that Kameswarar and Kameswari in the bindu? Are they

different from Shivan and Sakthi?

>

> In mantras also, people say one mantra is powerful and the other is

lesser than that? Assume one person chants the name "Sri vidya,Sri

vidhya" myriad times and another chants "Maha Sodhasi".People say the

power difference is there.Why that difference should be there?

Everyone

chants the namahs of the parabhramam (same God in different forms)

and if the GOD gives more power for the person who chants "Maha

Sodhasi" and lesser power to the other, it means that she

discriminates.

In Lalitha Sahasranamam it is said she won't discrimate "Nira

patha,Nir

peda, Petha Nasini". Is that true that a mother will discriminate?

>

> Could anyone clarify my doubts.If you believe the questions have

come out of ignorance please bear with me and help me in getting them

clarified.

>

> Chokks.

>

> Let us get ourself surrendered to the supreme(Paramathma) and

relish the time we are with him.

>

> India Mobile: Ringtones, Wallpapers, Picture Messages and

more.Download now.

>

>