Hindu concepts of God Flashcards
Brahman Saguna
-Personal/with attributes
Brahman Nirguna
-Impersonal/without attributes
Qualities of Brahman Nirguna
- Without attributes
- Cannot be defined/understood by humans
- No relationship with humanity possible
- Impersonal, cannot be “lord” or “God”, only abstract: “tat” (that), “iti” (it is), “sat” (being), “citi” (consciousness), “ananda” (bliss)…or negative like “neti” (not this/that)
- No gender, form or name
- Eternal, infinite or unchanging
- Transcendent, yet omnipresent
Terms describing Brahman Nirguna
- Para Brahman “The Absolute Truth”
- Paramatma “Supreme Self
- AUM - sound of God, assists realisation
- Impersonal, cannot be “lord” or “God”, only abstract: “tat” (that), “iti” (it is), “sat” (being), “citi” (consciousness), “ananda” (bliss)…or negative like “neti” (not this/that)
Brahman Nirguna described in scripture
- Vedic texts, the Upanisads, recorded experiences of Sadhus 4000 years ago who lived reclusive lives and attempted to articulate the experiences of their meditation for their disciples (Chelas)
- Katha Upanisad: “This self cannot be apprehended/By voice mind or eye:/How, then, can He be understood,/Unless we say-He is?”
How can Brahman Nirguna be experienced?
- Meditation/yoga
- Ascetic renounciation of all material pleasures and worldly desires
- Focus on truth that Brahman and Atman are one: “tat twam asi” (you are that) - attained through jnana yoga
Qualities of Brahman Saguna
- With attributes
- Can be understood by humanity
- Can have relationship with humanity
- Has name and form (nama rupa)
- Proper description may be used: Lord, Guru, Muktidata (Giver of liberation), Mata (mother), Sakti (female energy), Creator, Preserver, Destroyer, various deity names
- Can have gender, form and name
- Transcendant and immanent
- Eternal, infinite, unchanging, ominscient, omnipresent, omnipotent
- One, but many - Muiller’s “Henotheism” represented with many devas
Terms describing Brahman Saguna
- Proper description may be used: Lord, Guru, Muktidata (Giver of liberation), Mata (mother), Sakti (female energy), Creator, Preserver, Destroyer, various deity names
Can have gender, form and name
Brahman Saguna described in scripture
- In epics (Maharabata), Bhagvadgita, Puranas
- Description of deities from Bhakti tradition (6th C.)
How can Brahman Saguna be experienced
- Murtis/images
- Through those who have achieved Mocksha (gurus?)
- Devotion to istadeva, moksha acheived through Bhakti-yoga
Brahma
Nature:
- creator and Lord of the world
- father of the gods
- conceived from the Golden cosmic egg in Puranas
- prajapati: lord of creatures
- female counterpart is sarasvati
Role:
- creator of the universe
- father of the gods
- create a aspect of the Trimurti
Importance:
- less important role than others in the Trimurti as Brahma’s creative role has finished
- incorrect to say that Trimurti is like trinity as not all equally important
- evident as not as important as worshipped at only two temples in India
Murtis of brahma
Brahma:
- Pictured with four heads: four vedas, four varnas, for ashramas, four yugas (epochs of time)
- ->Created a woman, Shatrupa, Brahman sprouted 4 heads to look at her wherever she turned, 5th burned off by Siva for unholy behavior (material desire) so he should be worshipped no longer. Must forever recite vedas
- Seen holding sacred scriptures (author of knowledge)
- string of prayer beads (time), ladle (sacrifical spoon), water jug (water of creation like cosmic ocean).
- Sports beard (wisdom), wears white garment (purity), vahana is a swan with ability to separate mixture of milk/water. Shows equality for all creatures and teaches to disregard evil
- Holds lotus, may sit on one (creator of reality)
-Alternatively shown sprouting for Vishnu’s navel, suggests that Vishnu is dominant in trimurti
Vishnu
Nature:
-Preserver aspect of the trimurti
-Naranaya: ever present and all pervading
-Characteristics revealed with Vishnusahasranama (the 1000 names of vishnu)
following of Vaishnavas
-Female consort is Lackshmi
-Minor in the rig veda, but in Puranas and epics he is important
Role:
- Preserver
- Sustainer of dharma
- Restores order in the universe, and maintains it
- Returns to earth as an avatar when dharma threatened
Importance:
- Very important, large following of vaishnavas
- Teaches dharma
- Most immanent as avatars are active in our world
- Thought to return as Kalki in the future, still very active
Murtis of Vishnu
Reclining
-Depicted lying on Anata Shesha (a primal being who will remain and has remained throughout the life of the universe and beyond, shows vishnu is immortal), endless snake
-in the middle of an infinite cosmic ocean - state of pre creation
Brahma connected from his middle by umbilical chord, symbolic of Vishnu’s role in creation
-Feet are massaged by Lakshmi, devotion
Standing:
- Wears tilaka marking for Vaishnavs
- Carries a mace (kammodaki) for omnipotence/authority/power he draws on to destroy imbalance
- Conch shell (shankha) emits primeval sound of creation (aum)
- Spinning weapon (chakra) for continuum of time, and power to counter adharma
- Padma (lotus flower) - purity ie adherence to dharma
- Jewel on neck to show female consort, Lakshmi
Vishnu’s avatars
- Matsya (fish, saved 7th manu from great flood)
- Kurma (tortoise in churning of ocean)
- Varaha (boar, destroyed demon Hiranyakcha)
- Narasimha (half lion, destroyed demon Hiranyakashipu)
- Vamana (tricked demon Bali, generous demon, 3 strides)
- Parashurama (Rama of the axe, protected Brahmins from Kshattriyas)
- Rama (vs Ravana, in the text the Ramayana)
- Krishna (established dharma)
- Buddha (founded Buddhism, showed detachment)
- Kalki (will come as rider on white horse at end of present “Age of Darkness”
