When the Vedas talk about so many gods, isn’t that confusing?

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Transcript

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The question is, in the Brahmin tradition, there is one clear worshipable object, one God.
Whereas, in the Vedic context, there are many Gods or many conceptions of God. And this leads to the confusion, the question of who is the true God. And even within the Vedic tradition, there is an understanding that there should be one God.
As Shankaracharya also said, Eko Devo Devo Dvitve. So, if there is an understanding that there should be one God, then why are so many different Gods talked about? The Vedic path is actually, it is best called as multi-level monotheism. No, it is, when things are studied from the western intellectual framework, it is, it doesn’t work.
Western intellectual framework has only two ideas, monotheism and polytheism. And polytheism seems irrational. Because if God is supreme, how can there be many Supremes? So, polytheism is irrational and monotheism seems only rational.
And when the Europeans came to India, they thought Indians are also polytheistic because there are so many Gods in them. But, if we see, there is the understanding that although there is one Supreme God, not everyone can become attracted to that Supreme God. Because different people have different mentalities.
Some people are Satviks, some people are Rajasik, some people are Tamasik. And based on their mentality, they will be attracted to different kinds of persons, worshipable objects. And, of course, if they can get attracted to a devotee who is attracted to the Supreme, then they will also become attracted to the Supreme.
But otherwise, as per their, the mentality of their current level of consciousness, as per the moral regimens in them, they will be actually attracted to certain conceptions. So that one same God manifests as world multiple objects. So now, Krishna at one level is non-different from Shiva.
Krishna at one level is non-different from Shakti. Krishna at one level is non-different from Mahesh, from Mahendra, Indra, at one level. At another level, he is different.
Now, within the Vaishnava tradition, the difference is focused. Now, Indra, he was subordinated by Krishnadevaraya, that is fine. But at the same time, Indra’s power comes from Krishna and Indra has been given that power by Krishna for a purpose.
Indra, Krishna has given Shiva a particular power for a particular purpose. So the idea is, within the Abrahamic religions, the whole mode of worship becomes like a one zero digital logic. Either you accept this conception of God or you are going to go to hell.
Whereas the Vedic conception is more like a good ethic. If you can’t accept this conception of God, you can accept this conception. You can accept this conception.
Whichever conception you accept, start your journey towards God. So, Vedic spirituality is user-friendly spirituality. User-friendly, according to the level of consciousness of the user, spirituality is customized accordingly.
And that way, it’s more inclusive. It includes many, many plates full and it’s also progress. And as people keep studying scripture and keep developing in their conceptions, they will rise ultimately to the understanding of the absolute truth.
So we should know that the confusion that comes within the Vedic context about who is supreme, that is a reflection often of our own confusion about the ultimate goal of life. That means, if we are interested in temporary things, we will gravitate towards those who will give us temporary benefits. शिप्रं भप्नों शिप्रं हिमानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भावति कर्मजा Krishna Sanskrit 4.14 क्षिप्रं हिमानुषे लोके That quickly people get the results.
सिद्धिर्भावति कर्मजा Through their work, when they worship the devotee. कंशता कर्मणावसित्ति जन्त एहने देवता People worship devatas in this world. So now, when people are worshipping devatas, they are still in the house of the Vedas.
They will still have appreciation for the broad principle of being cultured. They will respect cows, they will respect Vedas, they will respect deities. And that way they are culturally in the house of the Vedas.
Although philosophically, they may not have yet come to the center of the house of Vedas. That realization they have not yet got. So we need to accommodate people.
We don’t have to create too much conflicts with people who are having different conceptions of the worship of God. And gradually they will become elevated from where they are upwards and then come to Krishna worship. So this arrangement is made to accommodate more and more people.
And that is its strength. So if we try to analyze the Vedic worldview from polytheism and monotheism, it will lead to confusion. But it is because it is neither polytheism nor monotheism.
It is multi-level monotheism. There is one God, but he has arranged for his worship to be performed at multiple levels. And that actually is a technical word if you want to know what it is.
It is multi-level polymorphic bi-monotheism. What it means? Polymorphic, polymorphized form. So polymorphic means that one God manifests in many forms.
Advaitam achyutam anadhivanantarupam. That same Krishna manifests as Vishnu, as Narasimha, as Varaha, as Vamana, as Rama. So it is polymorphic monotheism.
There is one God manifesting in many forms. And actually that one God is not one God. That one God is a divine couple always.
We have Lakshmi Narayan, we have Sita Ram, we have Radha Krishna. So it is bi-monotheism. One God manifesting as a divine couple.
So our worship people, our very conception is what? Multi-level polymorphic bi-monotheism.