How many Gods Hinduism has

Yesterday India won the cricket world cup after 28 years. It was a great day for India, because in India cricket is a religion. It will be the most memorable day for the God of cricket Sachin Tendulkar, who had almost all the favorable records in batting, but was not able to get a world cup title in 4 world cups. This world cup is answer to the critics of Yuvraj Singh who has been  saying that he lost his game and time has come for his retirement. In all respect it was an opportunity for Dhoni to prove that he is the best captain India had ever. 

Last night was a memorable day for me too, because last time India won the title in the year I was born, and this year when I joined a job and stared a new life. Though there may not be any relation with these to the world cup of cricket, I myself added this. 

I was happy for the Indian cricket, but the comments from Indians were hurting me. Most of the comments showing the final as replica of Ram Ravan war. Such a kind of comparisons divert the actual incidence of Ramayana and the concept of Hindu mythology, what I say to be "Sanatan Philosophy". 

So I updated my status in the facebook requesting not to be racial, and not to compare Sangakara with Ravan, because Ravan was bad, and Sangakara is not. It was a war of pride, if ever we believe it to be a war.

Reading my statement one of my friend from Pakistan sent me a message and said, the Indians did even more worse comments during the semifinal, but I did not oppose them. And said this shows I am not separate from them when it is against Pakistanis. 

Sorry my friend, if the words of Indians hurt you, but the comments from Pakistan against India were neither good too. We all are from the same root, so we should not blame each other. 

 

Then he tagged a video on youtube the title of which was " A hindu upon listening the Truth of Islam tried to thrash a speaker but he got a befitting reply and was silenced..." 

While watching that video, I saw another video that says "How many Gods Hinduism" by the same speaker. I don't know whether this blog will be ever read by that speaker, but I have tried to answer this question.

First of all, we have to know what is the meaning of God or who is God.In Holy Q'ran this is chapter 112, which reads:“ In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Say (O Muhammad), He is God, the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone”. 

If we search in dictionary we may find some different answer, but this is the true meaning of God I believe. There are many other words that are viewed equal with God, namely, 'Deity'. But I see these are different words, in Sanatan Dharnma, presently known as Hinduism.

Many scholars argue that Sanatan Dharma is 'Polytheism' i.e. belief of multiple gods also usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own mythologies and rituals. But truely it is not so.

Lets see the stages of the world as described in Vedas. The last stage is of 'danavas' or 'dasyus' or 'rakhsyas' etc. who are at par with the term' saitan' or 'hevan' used in 'Islam'. Above them are the animals, birds, insects, mammals etc. They are well known to every one. Above them are Human. Then comes 'Gandharva' or 'Jakshya' or 'Yakshya' or 'apsaras' In Hindu mythology, they are in Heaven live with Devatas, some are dancers, some are singers, some are artists. There is no reference of such lives in other religions. Then comes the most confusing lives, Devatas, whom many consider as Gods and Goddesses. I don't find any classification of Devatas in Hindu books, but I find they are of following classes, namely-

1. Stars, Planets and other Heavenly bodies viz. Surya Dev (Sun), Chandra (Moon), Prithvi (Earth), etc. and their gender is also described.

2. Natural Forces viz. Agni (Fire), Vayu (Air), etc, their gender is also described.

3. Other Super Natural Persons who have control or command over some or all natural forces viz. Indra control rain, Kubera controls Wealth, Saraswati controls Knowledge.

4. Most powerful of all Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma.

Who is the most powerful of these is not answered in any of the Hindu Holy Books. Vishnu always pray and say Shiva is his Iswar (God), and Shiva always say Vishnu is his Iswar. Example, in Ramayan, when Prabhu ram started ccnstruction of Ram Setu (also known as Adams Bridge), he constructed a temple too and named it  as "Rameswaram" . When others asked what is the meaning of this term, he said," Ramasya Iswaram" means Iswar of ram. But Shiva said," Rama jasya Iswaram" means whose Iswar is Ram. It is a temple where both Vishnu and Shiva are worshiped.

So, both Shiva and Vishnu said one more word, "Iswara". This term has the same meaning as that of "Allah" in Islam. some other words par Iswara are "parameswar" or "Paramatma" or "Brahman"

Some scholars say "brahman" is the combined name of these three Devatas. But I don't find any such reference in Hindu holy Books.

Sanskrit Brahman (an n-stem, nominative bráhmā) from a root bṛh " to swell, grow, enlarge". is a neuter noun to be distinguished from the masculine brahmán - denoting a person associated with Brahman - and Brahmā, the creator God of the Hindu Trinity, the Trimurti. Brahman is thus a gender-neutral concept that implies greater impersonality than masculine or feminine conceptions of the devatas. 

So, there is no difference at all of what Prophet Mohammed said for Allah or Prophet Jesus said for his Father.
That is why I say Sanatan Dharma is eternal. It is the first words said by God. later when people started forgetting him and doubted on his existence, he sent his son Jusus and at prophet Mohammed to make people aware and not to indulge in inhuman or bad activities.