The Vastly Misinterpreted Idol Worship in Hinduism
Many facets of Hinduism or Sanatan Dharma, have been subject to scrutiny since the colonisation. Or rather, not just Hinduism, but all the prominent elements that make up the fabric of this vast land we call The Indian Subcontinent. The culture of this land, its ways, and wisdom, have all been dismantled by many colonial scholars, without having to assemble it back again. One such dismantling has been done with Vedic Literature.
And one of the subjects that has long been fiddled with, is Idol Worship.
Many scholars have deemed idol worship to be abominable. Something that makes no sense. That makes one superstitious. And hardly contributes to anything substantial.
The West has partaken in unravelling the Vedic wisdom numerous times. Some attempts have been successful, however, most of them, have completely misconstrued the original implication, for ulterior motives. Comprehending those ulterior motives isn’t that hard for anyone who knows how Imperialism worked.
Social Reform in the 19th century India
To briefly talk about those motives, we need to remember the wave of social reforms in India. The popular Brahmo Samaj that all of a sudden, brought forth concepts of Monotheism, and denounced Idol Worship. Here are some of the attributes it stood for:
- Monotheism, which states Brahma to be the Supreme and the Absolute (denouncing the various deities in Hinduism, rejected avatars, reincarnations, and rebirths as mentioned in the scriptures)
- Idol Worship (a very prominent fibre of Sanatan Dharma and the subject of this article)
- Denounced the scriptures or any holy books. Deemed rituals, rites, and places of devotion as insignificant.
These reforms helped eliminate certain regressive practices such as Sati, and the caste system (to some extent). But these reforms also butchered with the Vedic wisdom. Only a very shallow and superficial analysis of the Vedas would bring someone to the conclusion, that idol worship is abominable. Or that the avatars or deities are just a figment of imagination.
These reforms brought forth a very Western stance. While that’s not wrong in itself, it was detrimental to the ancient scriptures and all the infinite wisdom they hold. These reforms took something like idol worship, something so crucial for the Hindus, and deemed it insignificant. The repercussions of which, can still be seen.
Why is Idol Worship Promoted in the Hindu Scriptures?
Now that the background has been stated, let’s jump to the main point. Why is Idol Worship even a thing? Why is it promoted in Hindu scriptures? What is the purpose of assigning God a form?
By putting all the political, social, and intellectual fabrications aside, let’s look at the Idol Worship as it is. Or, why do the Vedas talk about Idol worship?
One of the many questions that spring up in the minds of those who reject idol worship, is:
If God is infinite and formless, then why give God a form? Why limit the formless to a form?
Our rishis and munis who have compiled our Vedas did intense tapasya (penance) and meditation. Their worship of the universal supreme (god, which is the Absolute, formless, infinite, the one and the same for all religions) led them to have immense knowledge about the Truth of the soul (referred to, in Vedas, as Brahma Gyan).
If you read the Vedas, you will come across descriptions of God, (eg: blue-skinned, four-armed, holding lotus, etc, etc.) These are not mere figments of their imaginations. The rishis chose to describe the Gods in a very specific manner so as to highlight one or a few of their attributes.
Consolidation of the Divine
The rishis thought that for laymen, worshipping God could be made much simpler if they gave this supreme energy some form and swaroop (appearance). This is why, the wise rishis gave very specific attributes to God so that a layman, or a grihastha (the one who is married and runs a household) can meditate on this form and seek daily inspiration from each of his attributes. This helps to avoid overcontemplation and over-analysis for the beginner sadhaks (or worshippers).
Connotations and Symbolisms
Making a God figure hold a lotus, has a much deeper meaning. Lotus symbolises rising from the dirty waters and blooming gracefully despite being surrounded by worldly filth. Goddess Saraswati is depicted sitting on a swan. Does that mean that Rishis were trying to say that oh, look, this goddess actually sits on a swan in heaven? Of course not! But what Rishis tried to do here, is that they provided a deep symbolic attribute for the worshippers to learn from. The swan symbolises peace, purity, and non-discrimination. The instrument Veena in her hands, symbolises art, as she is the goddess of knowledge, wisdom, and arts. Someone who worships this form of the Supreme energy attains similar qualities. Because what you think is what you become.
All the forms or deities have been given a Swaroop (form) for the Sadhaks (worshippers) to seek inspiration from. You are not supposed to take these forms literally. There are so many symbolic and esoteric connotations behind these forms that need to be understood, in order to make sense of what they stand for.
For the Ease of Understanding What the Divine is
This is the main purpose of idols, that what you think, is what you become. While contemplating upon a consolidated form, which has certain features, one comes closer to that particular attribute of the divine. It, by no means, is a distraction from the Truth, but a tiny reflection of how all-encompassing the Divine is. As, for a layman and a beginner, comprehending this Divine energy may not be easy, the rishis manifested for us, different facets or forms of this Divine.
So, if you look at a picture or an idol, you meditate on its features, and you gradually develop a sense of devotion to what you see. Once that is done, you go on to the next stage, that is, internalizing what you see. The form you have been worshipping all this while, now, embeds in your consciousness. From there on, as you worship the idol, your consciousness is not limited to the form. From the form, you go to the formless. All this comes, after diligent worship.
To Attain the Formless
The real purpose of the idols is just this; to help you go from the form to the formless. First, you are given a brief layout of what you have to work with. And from thereon, you start working on the whole thing using your own effort, diligence, and sensibility. To give life to the layout. To make it whole. Idols do just that. They show you a fraction of what divinity is so that you go ahead and search for it within, with all your deliberate effort and bhakti.
Are the Forms a Random Brainchild of the Rishis?
Also, these forms are not the random brainchild of these rishis. The rishis were the harbourers of divine knowledge and with their intense meditation, they developed siddhis (powers). These forms of the idols had manifested in the rishis’ dreams and visions. And that’s what they chose to describe in the texts, for the good of humanity.
Conclusively,
For anyone who is not aware of how vast, multi-faceted, extensive, and deep Vedas are, it will be hard to make sense of why idol worship is promoted and celebrated. But once you tap in a little on the Vedic wisdom, you can clearly understand that all makes sense.
Moreover, Vedic literature is rich because of its deep symbolic, esoteric value. Instead of putting everything in a literal manner, the rishis have described things in a rather interesting, deeply-symbolic manner, so that the learners and readers have room for contemplation. Things are not black and white here, as nothing in the world is. The reader of the Vedas will know and understand, that upon reading these texts you will have multiple options to choose from, multiple paths to choose from.
You can choose to walk the path that best suits your nature.
The most important thing to keep in mind, however, is that all paths lead to the same destination, i.e., the Supreme, the same supreme that is talked about in all the religions of the world. The same Brahma that the Brahmo Samaj talked about.
While Hinduism is not Monotheistic in the popular sense, it certainly promotes the idea of one Supreme, one Absolute. However, the Absolute can manifest itself in various forms to ease the process of worship. And, therefore, aiding the process of attaining moksha (liberation).
The Vedic scriptures offer a rich tapestry that brings one closer to the divine. It’s horrendously multi-faceted, deeply connotative, and astoundingly inclusive so that everyone and anyone can reach the divine, using the path that best suits them.
With little openness and an unprejudiced mindset, you can make sense of not just Hinduism, but a lot of things in the world.
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