[world-vedic] Digest Number 108

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In a message dated 11/25/00 12:46:11 AM Pacific Standard Time,

vediculture writes:

 

<< Similarly, before 200BCE we see no iconography of Hindu Gods such as

Krishna or Vishnu either showing that Hindus were more Yogic and Tantric

than they were image-worshippers. >>

 

Hindus per say were not around in ancient times. Hindu is a name give to a

people living in the area by Moslem conquers.

 

Worship of the Deity form of the Lord, Krsna or Vishnu, is a very, very

ancient tradition. In the varaha purana there is a statement praising the

seeing of the Deity of Sri Krsna in the Temple. In the Skanda Purana, there

is the following description of the result of seeing arati (worship) of the

Deity: " If someone sees the face of the Lord while arati is going on, he can

be relieved of all sinful reactions coming from many, many thousands and

millions of years pasts.

In the Agni purana it is stated, " Any person who in gladness sees the

worship of the Deity in the temple will obtain the results of krya-yoga."

Also in the Varaha Purana there is a very detailed and long list of rules for

appearing in front of the Deity and interaction with the Deity Form. All of

these supplementary texts of the Vedas are much older than the Greek

influence you speak of. So it seems that the worship of the Deity forms of

the Lord is a very ancient tradition. We are currently in the beginning years

of Kali Yuga, 5000 years out of a duration of 432,000 years, the previous age

Dvapara Yuga was 800,000 years in duration and worship of the Deity was a

recommended method of self realization. So we can see for authoritative Vedic

literature the worship of the Deity form of the lord has been around for a

minimum of 805,000 years.