Hinduism 101: Polytheism

Hinduism is considered the largest polytheistic religion still in practice today. Polytheism is defined as a belief in multiple Gods. Some argue that this definition is an inaccurate understanding of Hinduism, which is essentially monotheistic, and that the several deities or Gods and Goddesses worshipped are different manifestations of the one Supreme Being.

The concept behind polytheism is that it recognizes God is not limited to one form or facet, and that God is everywhere (infinite). And so the religion does not dictate that God be called by a certain name and be worshipped in a specific form or manner, and those who do so in different ways are not condemned to hell.

The basic tenet of Hinduism is that all things in nature- wind, fire, earth, water, etc.-are sacred as they are God-given and hence, are worthy of worship. Worship of these minor Gods or deities is not considered wrong or sacrilegious, but understood as a means to reaching the higher, Supreme God in a roundabout manner.

The 'Trinity' in Hinduism

The Supreme Being, in Hinduism, comprises of three Gods or elements-Brahma, the creator of the universe; Vishnu, the sustainer of all life who maintains dharma and order in the world, and Shiva, the destroyer of all evil

Brahma worship is virtually non-existent in India.

Vishnu (his most popular avatars Rama and Krishna are widely recognized worldwide) and Shiva are most commonly worshipped, as are female deities like Saraswati, Lakshmi and Durga.

When closely examined, this breakdown of God occurs on two symbolic levels: as different components of an individual (where Brahma is the psychic aspect where all creativity takes place, Vishnu is the mental aspect, since sustenance requires cooperation from the conscious mind and Shiva is the physical element), and as different phases of life (where Brahma signifies the first phase of life-from birth to childhood, where gathering knowledge is important to proceed to the next phase, Vishnu signifies an individual's adulthood when we seek to preserve our well-being, our families, and various aspects of our lives and Shiva represents the last phase in a person's life when we gradually withdraw from our physical desires and needs and prepare to embrace death).

The "I Am God" Concept

Another tenet of Hinduism that is important to understand is the "Aham Brahmasmi" or "I am God," concept which is frequently quoted and means that there is an element of godliness in everyone. This by no means implies that a mortal individual and his/her physical self is the all-powerful and infallible God, but conveys that every human being's soul is derived from God and is one with Him/Her.

How Polytheism Works

Polytheism in Hinduism is essentially monolatrist (worshipping one or two deities while recognizing the existence of others), but other deities are worshipped at different times, such as to mark the various religious festivals and other occasions. And so the numerous deities are attributed with human-like personality traits with additional abilities and powers.

A follower of such a belief system then, is said to like or favor the God(s) that one identifies with (tying in with the "Aham Brahmasmi" concept), and those with whom one shares personality traits. In this manner, the devotee sees some aspect of God in himself/herself and learns to love and take pride in oneself, while at the same time refining and enriching one's personality, conduct, actions and spirituality in a framework custom-made for them by their God.

This devotion and belief provides two of the four ways in which Hinduism identifies as paths to attain salvation (freeing one's soul from the cycle of life and death)-the path of good actions and the path of devotion (the other two paths being those of knowledge and meditation, mostly taken by ascetics and sages).

Even if an individual is not seriously contemplating or preparing to achieve salvation or not even religious by any means, polytheism as a belief system allows individuals to identify with any aspect of God.

It eliminates thinking in terms of your God and my God, and blankets different beliefs as stemming from one Supreme Being. Faith then becomes a personal issue and not a matter of public discourse or debate.