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| English: Statue of Adi Shankara at his Samadhi Mandir in Kedarnath, India. Photo taken by Priyanath. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Lord Shiva Festival 2 (Photo credit: Gabe Imagerie) |
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| God is in the details. (Photo credit: legends2k) |
In Hinduism, the concept of God
varies from one sect to another and from one book to another. Hinduism is set
in a diverse system of thought with beliefs spanning henotheism, monotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism and monism among others.[1][2][3][4] It is often aptly termed monistic
theism and even open monotheism by some scholars, but is not purely
polytheistic as outsiders perceive it to be.
The philosophical
system of Advaita or
non-dualism is categorically explained in Vedas and Upanishads, and is popular
among schools of Shaivism
such as Kashmir
Shaivism. The concept was also spread by Adi Shankara in the 9th
century, within the framework of the Vedanta school of classical Hindu philosophy. This
non-dualism postulates the identity of the Self or Atman with the
Whole or Brahman, and can be
described as monism or pantheism.
Forms of explicit monotheism find mention in
the canonical Bhagavad
Gita. Explicit monotheism in the form of emotional or ecstatic devotion (bhakti)
to a single external and personal deity (in the form of Shiva or Vishnu) became popular in South
India in the early medieval period. Ecstatic devotion to Krishna, a form of Vishnu,
gained popularity throughout India during the Middle Ages and gave rise to
schools of Vaishnavism.
Ecstatic devotion to Goddess Durga
became popular in some parts of India in the later medieval and early modern
ages.
Today, most Hindus
are polytheistic or monotheistic but open to believing in and praying to
several gods. Vaishnavism, particularly Krishnaism, Shaktism and some forms of Shaivism remain the most
explicit forms of monotheistic worship of a personal God within
Hinduism. Other Hindus, such as many of those who practice Shaivism, tend to
assume the existence of a singular God, but do not necessarily associate God
with aspects of a personality. Rather they envisage God as an impersonal Absolute (Brahman), who can be worshipped
only in part in a human form.
The term Ishvara may refer to any of the
monotheistic or monistic conceptions within Hinduism, depending on context.
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