Question:
How many Gods does Hinduism Belieive in? NOT HINDUS BUT HINDU RELIGIOUS Scriptures?
Peace Activist
2007-07-15 20:57:01 UTC
1. Common Concept of God in Hinduism:
Hinduism is commonly perceived as a polytheistic religion. Indeed, most Hindus would attest to this, by professing belief in multiple Gods. While some Hindus believe in the existence of three gods, some believe in thousands of gods, and some others in thirty three crore i.e. 330 million Gods. However, learned Hindus, who are well versed in their scriptures, insist that a Hindu should believe in and worship only one God.
Pantheism considers everything, living and non-living, to be Divine and Sacred. The common Hindu, therefore, considers everything as God. He considers the trees as God, the sun as God, the moon as God, the monkey as God, the snake as God and even human beings as manifestations of God!
Seventeen answers:
kwistenbiebel
2007-07-23 11:30:22 UTC
330 million? That is nearly exactly the amount of people who eat only one meal a day in India. That is not a coincidence I believe.





When they start coming down Chandi Chowk, start running brother.
faye
2016-05-19 02:52:54 UTC
The englishmen who came to India did not understand Sanatana dharma.More over the material;istic western mind cannot understand the spiritual truth expounded by the rishis of India.I have also heard that there are 330crores of gods. This includes all super humans such as devas, yakshas, kinnaras kimpurushas nagas and others.Each has its own function to do just as ona printed circuit every piece has a special function to do and without it the circuit fails.These are manifest in the form of cells in human body (and also other living bodies).Agroup of cells mal fucnctioning is enough to upset body equilibrium. So many rules are prescribed to keep the body fit healthy and functioning properly. Hinduism is very deep and is deeper tha pacific ocean. The rishis understanding the limitations of ordinary human brain put things symbolically so that people can follow eaeasily. Do not try to interpret scriptures like a whiteman.
ravipati
2007-07-15 23:44:34 UTC
As per Hindu religion, what all we see in this universe, animate or inanimate, moving or static etc is nothing but the manifestation of the God. Therefore God is having countless forms. Hinduism believes the presence of God in every being.



As regards Creation, sustenance and destruction is concerned there are 3 forms of the same almighty to carry on.
David S
2007-07-19 21:34:51 UTC
All of the gods are expressions of the Undifferentiated Reality (Brahman - the interdependent forces of the universe).



There are common themes for many of the schools within Hinduism that can be found in the Vedic scriptures, and such works as the Bhagavad Gita. Remember yoga originated out of Hinduism. Most people only know the physical forms of yoga, called hatha, but those techniques area actually preparatory techniques for the higher practices of the spiritual types of yoga such as jnana, karma, and bhakti.



If you are interested in the yoga teachings of Lord Krishna, then one thing you may want to focus on to learn and practice in a more nonsectarian manner is the Uddhava Gita. The Uddhava Gita is a summation of the essence of the Bhagavad Gita (and the simplest and most direct practice of yoga), and so it is eminently suitable for nonsectarian, universal teaching which is the essence of Hinduism.



Here is a short summation of the Uddhava Gita which is found in the Srimad Bhagavatam (also known as Bhagavata Purana) 11.7:



EPILOGUE - LORD KRISHNA'S LAST SERMON



At the end of another long sermon comprising of more than one thousand verses, disciple Uddhava said: "O Lord Krishna, I think the pursuit of God as You narrated to Arjuna (in the Bhagavad Gita), and now to me, is very difficult indeed, for most people; because it entails control of unruly senses. Please tell me a short, simple, and easy way to God-realization." Lord Krishna upon Uddhava's request gave the essentials of Self-realization as follows:



· Do your duty, to the best of your ability, for Me without worrying about the outcome.



· Remember Me at all times. (Note that this is the point of chanting things like the mahamantra - Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Kare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare which is often chanted in kirtan or a variation of it. The whole point of kirtan and mantra is remembrance.)



· Perceive that God is within every living being. Mentally bow down to all beings and treat all beings equally.



· Perceive through the activities of mind, senses, breathing, and emotions that the power of God is within you at all times, and is constantly doing all the work using you as a mere instrument and a trustee.



I recommend the International Gita Society as they are nonsectarian, offer affordable translations of the Bhagavad Gita with commentary, and can help teach you the basics without having to spend a lot of money or submit to some guru you know nothing about:



http://www.gita-society.com/



http://www.gitainternational.com/



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Gita_Society



They also have an online Gita study and discussion forum:



http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gita-talk/



I hope these are helpful!
Jonathan
2007-07-15 21:01:44 UTC
Hinduism is an irrational religion. They don't have a problem with contradictions, so you can't expect a lot of consisency. But about the most consistent explanation you might get is that there is only one God, but there are a multitude of manifestations of that one God. Krishna, Vishnu, etc. are manifestations of the one God.
anonymous
2007-07-16 06:01:41 UTC
There is only one god in Hinduism.

But he is seen in many forms.Unlike in other religions God is not entirely separated from one's self. There is an element of god in every one.This can be better understood when you know that god is omnipresent.Only because of this reasoning hindus accept and even offer prayers to the Gods of other religions.

Such broadmindedness is derived from their clear understanding that He is omnipresent and can be seen in any form.
sristi
2007-07-17 01:25:53 UTC
for a hungry man, provider of food is god. when our stomach is full, we start thinking of other things. these 330 million or other numbers are the result of such thinking by the people who had enough and nothing else to do. for your kind information, i myself is a hindu and picks up every good thing from any religion.
anonymous
2007-07-15 21:53:37 UTC
you have asked an impossible things to happen in India. every stone is worshipped here and how can u stop that with this kind of thinking, some one will sue in the court for saying this because the very fabric of Hindu religion is worship the god according to his imagination. as people have right to dream so they have right to make their own god. bhagavd geeta is for people of highly intellectual. the one who reaches that level wil see god is one, but India is a country with 85percent illiterate so to understand Vedas it wil take another 20000 years. anyway someone has to begin the thinking process and people like u have been doing for centuries. good luck
???
2007-07-17 01:39:21 UTC
Hinduism is a belief in one God, without denying the belief in other Gods (divine beings). The other Gods are like Archangels in Catholicsm, they assist the Supreme God.



Hinduism is wrongly labeled as being a polytheistic religion when it is really henotheistic.



Check Wikipedia



*no best answer please*
anonymous
2007-07-22 22:59:58 UTC
Actually we believe in God is every where so according to this there is God in total Human population which will make I don't know how much and all the living and non-living thing which will be approx........................

that is the number of Gods we believe in
Claire
2007-07-15 21:00:38 UTC
From what I know, there is only one God in Hinduism. However, he may take many shapes and forms.
scorpion
2007-07-18 11:47:16 UTC
Sir,



In just two words - there is another theroy in hinduism



Ek men Anek aur Anek men Ek !



You yourself are enlighted enough to realise and appreciate what I say.



Blessings
lunistan
2007-07-15 22:49:43 UTC
Hindus believe in many FORMS of god not in many Gods.

Nirakar is one of many names of GOD. What does it mean? Akar means form. Nir means without. That means without form.
anonymous
2007-07-22 09:28:16 UTC
iam awwed by your analysis and indepth knowledge of our scriptures..what i personally believe is our parent r god,our elders are god,our teachers r god,our mentors r god,our love is god,nature is god,mother earth is GOD,pure soul is god,air we breathe is god,we have to first pray these gods and only after satisfying them completely we can go a step a head of the only GOD u speak of ,[correct me if iam wrong]
johnandeileen2000
2007-07-22 17:03:09 UTC
In other words we must never think for ourselves, that's what all religions want.
anon
2007-07-16 14:15:54 UTC
Only one. Just that "one" has many different shapes and forms.



see: http://www.gitananda.org/faq/why-are-there-so-many-gods-in-hinduism.html
anonymous
2007-07-23 17:01:56 UTC
First of all some points to clear up:

1) Four headed Brahma is a demigod whereas Brahman is the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth

2) 33million demigods(devata's) assist God Bhagavan Krishna in material universe. Krishna says aham adir hi devanam He is the source of demigods- Bhagavad Gita 10.2

3) Krishna is ONE God. He has expansions and incarnations. He has assistants demigods in the material universe

4) Hanuman is monkey but he is devotee (not God) of Lord Ramachandra. Deites in the sun , moon are demigods.

KB 50 Krsna Erects the Dvaraka Fort

There are thirty-three million demigods, and each of them is entrusted with a particular department of universal management.



The rest is self-explanatory please read below.



SB 6.4.30 P The Hamsa-guhya Prayers



isvarah paramah krsnah

sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah

anadir adir govindah

sarva-karana-karanam



"Krsna, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes." The Supreme Brahman (tad brahma) is the cause of all causes, but He has no cause. Anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam: Govinda, Krsna, is the original cause of all causes, but He has no cause for His appearance as Govinda. Govinda expands in multifarious forms, but nevertheless they are one. As confirmed by Madhvacarya, ananyah sadrsabhavad eko rupady-abhedatah: Krsna has no cause nor any equal, and He is one because His various forms, as svamsa and vibhinnamsa, are nondifferent from Himself.



SB 1.3.28 T Krsna Is the Source of All Incarnations



ete camsa-kalah pumsah

krsnas tu bhagavan svayam

indrari-vyakulam lokam

mrdayanti yuge yuge





SYNONYMS



ete--all these; ca--and; amsa--plenary portions; kalah--portions of the plenary portions; pumsah--of the Supreme; krsnah--Lord Krsna; tu--but; bhagavan--the Personality of Godhead; svayam--in person; indra-ari--the enemies of Indra; vyakulam--disturbed; lokam--all the planets; mrdayanti--gives protection; yuge yuge--in different ages.



TRANSLATION



All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Sri Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.



PURPORT



In this particular stanza Lord Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, is distinguished from other incarnations. He is counted amongst the avataras (incarnations) because out of His causeless mercy the Lord descends from His transcendental abode. Avatara means "one who descends." All the incarnations of the Lord, including the Lord Himself, descend on the different planets of the material world as also in different species of life to fulfill particular missions. Sometimes He comes Himself, and sometimes His different plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions, or His differentiated portions directly or indirectly empowered by Him, descend on this material world to execute certain specific functions. Originally the Lord is full of all opulences, all prowess, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation. When they are partly manifested through the plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions, it should be noted that certain manifestations of His different powers are required for those particular functions. When in the room small electric bulbs are displayed, it does not mean that the electric powerhouse is limited by the small bulbs. The same powerhouse can supply power to operate large-scale industrial dynamos with greater volts. Similarly, the incarnations of the Lord display limited powers because so much power is needed at that particular time.

For example, Lord Parasurama and Lord Nrsimha displayed unusual opulence by killing the disobedient ksatriyas twenty-one times and killing the greatly powerful atheist Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakasipu was so powerful that even the demigods in other planets would tremble simply by the unfavorable raising of his eyebrow. The demigods in the higher level of material existence many, many times excel the most well-to-do human beings, in duration of life, beauty, wealth, paraphernalia, and in all other respects. Still they were afraid of Hiranyakasipu. Thus we can simply imagine how powerful Hiranyakasipu was in this material world. But even Hiranyakasipu was cut into small pieces by the nails of Lord Nrsimha. This means that anyone materially powerful cannot stand the strength of the Lord's nails. Similarly, Jamadagnya displayed the Lord's power to kill all the disobedient kings powerfully situated in their respective states. The Lord's empowered incarnation Narada and plenary incarnation Varaha, as well as indirectly empowered Lord Buddha, created faith in the mass of people. The incarnations of Rama and Dhanvantari displayed His fame, and Balarama, Mohini and Vamana exhibited His beauty. Dattatreya, Matsya, Kumara and Kapila exhibited His transcendental knowledge. Nara and Narayana Rsis exhibited His renunciation. So all the different incarnations of the Lord indirectly or directly manifested different features, but Lord Krsna, the primeval Lord, exhibited the complete features of Godhead, and thus it is confirmed that He is the source of all other incarnations. And the most extraordinary feature exhibited by Lord Sri Krsna was His internal energetic manifestation of His pastimes with the cowherd girls. His pastimes with the gopis are all displays of transcendental existence, bliss and knowledge, although these are manifested apparently as sex love. The specific attraction of His pastimes with the gopis should never be misunderstood. The Bhagavatam relates these transcendental pastimes in the Tenth Canto. And in order to reach the position to understand the transcendental nature of Lord Krsna's pastimes with the gopis, the Bhagavatam promotes the student gradually in nine other cantos.

According to Srila Jiva Gosvami's statement, in accordance with authoritative sources, Lord Krsna is the source of all other incarnations. It is not that Lord Krsna has any source of incarnation. All the symptoms of the Supreme Truth in full are present in the person of Lord Sri Krsna, and in the Bhagavad-gita the Lord emphatically declares that there is no truth greater than or equal to Himself. In this stanza the word svayam is particularly mentioned to confirm that Lord Krsna has no other source than Himself. Although in other places the incarnations are described as bhagavan because of their specific functions, nowhere are they declared to be the Supreme Personality. In this stanza the word svayam signifies the supremacy as the summum bonum.

The summum bonum Krsna is one without a second. He Himself has expanded Himself in various parts, portions and particles as svayam-rupa, svayam-prakasa, tad-ekatma, prabhava, vaibhava, vilasa, avatara, avesa, and jivas, all provided with innumerable energies just suitable to the respective persons and personalities. Learned scholars in transcendental subjects have carefully analyzed the summum bonum Krsna to have sixty-four principal attributes. All the expansions or categories of the Lord possess only some percentages of these attributes. But Sri Krsna is the possessor of the attributes cent percent. And His personal expansions such as svayam-prakasa, tad-ekatma up to the categories of the avataras who are all visnu-tattva, possess up to ninety-three percent of these transcendental attributes. Lord Siva, who is neither avatara nor avesa nor in between them, possesses almost eighty-four percent of the attributes. But the jivas, or the individual living beings in different statuses of life, possess up to the limit of seventy-eight percent of the attributes. In the conditioned state of material existence, the living being possesses these attributes in very minute quantity, varying in terms of the pious life of the living being. The most perfect of living beings is Brahma, the supreme administrator of one universe. He possesses seventy-eight percent of the attributes in full. All other demigods have the same attributes in less quantity, whereas human beings possess the attributes in very minute quantity. The standard of perfection for a human being is to develop the attributes up to seventy-eight percent in full. The living being can never possess attributes like Siva, Visnu or Lord Krsna. A living being can become godly by developing the seventy-eight-percent transcendental attributes in fullness, but he can never become a God like Siva, Visnu or Krsna. He can become a Brahma in due course. The godly living beings who are all residents of the planets in the spiritual sky are eternal associates of God in different spiritual planets called Hari-dhama and Mahesa-dhama. The abode of Lord Krsna above all spiritual planets is called Krsnaloka or Goloka Vrndavana, and the perfected living being, by developing seventy-eight percent of the above attributes in fullness, can enter the planet of Krsnaloka after leaving the present material body.



SB 1.2.11 T Divinity and Divine Service



vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvam yaj jnanam advayam

brahmeti paramatmeti

bhagavan iti sabdyate



SYNONYMS



vadanti--they say; tat--that; tattva-vidah--the learned souls; tattvam--the Absolute Truth; yat--which; jnanam--knowledge; advayam--nondual; brahma iti--known as Brahman; paramatma iti--known as Paramatma; bhagavan iti--known as Bhagavan; sabdyate--it so sounded.



TRANSLATION



Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan.



PURPORT



The Absolute Truth is both subject and object, and there is no qualitative difference there. Therefore, Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan are qualitatively one and the same. The same substance is realized as impersonal Brahman by the students of the Upanisads, as localized Paramatma by the Hiranyagarbhas or the yogis, and as Bhagavan by the devotees. In other words, Bhagavan, or the Personality of Godhead, is the last word of the Absolute Truth. Paramatma is the partial representation of the Personality of Godhead, and impersonal Brahman is the glowing effulgence of the Personality of Godhead, as the sun rays are to the sun-god. Less intelligent students of either of the above schools sometimes argue in favor of their own respective realization, but those who are perfect seers of the Absolute Truth know well that the above three features of the one Absolute Truth are different perspective views seen from different angles of vision.

As it is explained in the first sloka of the First Chapter of the Bhagavatam, the Supreme Truth is self-sufficient, cognizant and free from the illusion of relativity. In the relative world the knower is different from the known, but in the Absolute Truth both the knower and the known are one and the same thing. In the relative world the knower is the living spirit or superior energy, whereas the known is inert matter or inferior energy. Therefore, there is a duality of inferior and superior energy, whereas in the absolute realm both the knower and the known are of the same superior energy. There are three kinds of energies of the supreme energetic. There is no difference between the energy and energetic, but there is a difference of quality of energies. The absolute realm and the living entities are of the same superior energy, but the material world is inferior energy. The living being in contact with the inferior energy is illusioned, thinking he belongs to the inferior energy. Therefore there is the sense of relativity in the material world. In the Absolute there is no such sense of difference between the knower and the known, and therefore everything there is absolute.



Bg 4.5 P Transcendental Knowledge



advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam

adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca

vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

(Bs. 5.33)

"I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda [Krsna], who is the original person--absolute, infallible, without beginning. Although expanded into unlimited forms, still the same original, the oldest, and the person always appearing as a fresh youth. Such eternal, blissful, all-knowing forms of the Lord are usually understood by the best Vedic scholars, but they are always manifest to pure, unalloyed devotees."

It is also stated in Brahma-samhita:



ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan

nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu

krsnah svayam samabhavat paramah puman yo

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

(5.39)

"I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda [Krsna], who is always situated in various incarnations such as Rama, Nrsimha and many subincarnations as well, but who is the original Personality of Godhead known as Krsna, and who incarnates personally also."

In the Vedas also it is said that the Lord, although one without a second, nevertheless manifests Himself in innumerable forms. He is like the vaidurya stone, which changes color yet still remains one. All those multiforms are understood by the pure, unalloyed devotees, but not by a simple study of the Vedas: vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau.



Bg 7.24 T Knowledge of the Absolute



avyaktam vyaktim apannam

manyante mam abuddhayah

param bhavam ajananto

mamavyayam anuttamam



SYNONYMS



avyaktam--nonmanifested; vyaktim--personality; apannam--achieved; manyante--think; mam--unto Me; abuddhayah--less intelligent persons; param--supreme; bhavam--state of being; ajanantah--without knowing; mama--My; avyayam--imperishable; anuttamam--the finest.



TRANSLATION



Unintelligent men, who know Me not, think that I have assumed this form and personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is changeless and supreme.



PURPORT



Those who are worshipers of demigods have been described as less intelligent persons, and here the impersonalists are similarly described. Lord Krsna in His personal form is here speaking before Arjuna, and still, due to ignorance, impersonalists argue that the Supreme Lord ultimately has no form. Yamunacarya, a great devotee of the Lord in the disciplic succession from Ramanujacarya, has written two very appropriate verses in this connection. He says, "My dear Lord, devotees like Vyasadeva and Narada know You to be the Personality of Godhead. By understanding different Vedic literatures, one can come to know Your characteristics, Your form and Your activities, and one can thus understand that You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance, the demons, the nondevotees, cannot understand You. They are unable to understand You. However expert such nondevotees may be in discussing Vedanta and the Upanisads and other Vedic literatures, it is not possible for them to understand the Personality of Godhead."

In the Brahma-samhita it is stated that the Personality of Godhead cannot be understood simply by study of the Vedanta literature. Only by the mercy of the Supreme Lord can the Personality of the Supreme be known. Therefore in this verse it is clearly stated that not only the worshipers of the demigods are less intelligent, but those nondevotees who are engaged in Vedanta and speculation on Vedic literature without any tinge of true Krsna consciousness are also less intelligent, and for them it is not possible to understand God's personal nature. Persons who are under the impression that the Absolute Truth is impersonal are described as asuras, which means one who does not know the ultimate feature of the Absolute Truth. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that supreme realization begins from the impersonal Brahman and then rises to the localized Supersoul--but the ultimate word in the Absolute Truth is the Personality of Godhead. Modern impersonalists are still less intelligent, for they do not even follow their great predecessor, Sankaracarya, who has specifically stated that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Impersonalists, therefore, not knowing the Supreme Truth, think Krsna to be only the son of Devaki and Vasudeva, or a prince, or a powerful living entity. This is also condemned in the Bhagavad-gita: "Only the fools regard Me as an ordinary person."

The fact is that no one can understand Krsna without rendering devotional service and without developing Krsna consciousness. The Gita confirms this.

One cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, or His form, quality or name simply by mental speculation or by discussing Vedic literature. One must understand Him by devotional service. When one is fully engaged in Krsna consciousness, beginning by chanting the maha-mantra--Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare--then only can one understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nondevotee impersonalists think that Krsna has a body made of this material nature and that all His activities, His form and everything, are maya. These impersonalists are known as Mayavadis. They do not know the ultimate truth.

The twentieth verse clearly states: "Those who are blinded by lusty desires surrender unto the different demigods." It is accepted that besides the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there are demigods who have their different planets (Bg. 7.23), and the Lord also has a planet. It is also stated that the worshipers of the demigods go to the different planets of the demigods, and those who are devotees of Lord Krsna go to the Krsnaloka planet. Although this is clearly stated, the foolish impersonalists still maintain that the Lord is formless and that these forms are impositions. From the study of the Gita does it appear that the demigods and their abodes are impersonal? Clearly, neither the demigods nor Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are impersonal. They are all persons; Lord Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He has His own planet, and the demigods have theirs.

Therefore the monistic contention that ultimate truth is formless and that form is imposed does not hold true. It is clearly stated here that it is not imposed. From the Gita we can clearly understand that the forms of the demigods and the form of the Supreme Lord are simultaneously existing and that Lord Krsna is sac-cid-ananda, eternal blissful knowledge. The Vedas also confirm that the Supreme Absolute Truth is anandamaya, or full of blissful pleasure, and that He is abhyasat, by nature the reservoir of unlimited auspicious qualities. And in the Gita the Lord says that although He is aja (unborn), He still appears. These are the facts that we should understand from the Gita. We cannot understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be impersonal; the imposition theory of the impersonalist monist is false as far as the statements of the Gita are concerned. It is clear herein that the Supreme Absolute Truth, Lord Krsna, has both form and personality.



SB 6.16.37 P King Citraketu Meets the Supreme Lord

The Brahma-samhita (5.48) says:





yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya

jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah

visnur mahan sa iha yasya kala-viseso

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami



The origin of the material creation is Maha-Visnu, who lies in the Causal Ocean. While He sleeps in that ocean, millions of universes are generated as He exhales, and they are all annihilated when He inhales. This Maha-Visnu is a plenary portion of a portion of Visnu, Govinda (yasya kala-visesah). The word kala refers to a plenary portion of a plenary portion. From Krsna, or Govinda, comes Balarama; from Balarama comes Sankarsana; from Sankarsana, Narayana; from Narayana, the second Sankarsana; from the second Sankarsana, Maha-Visnu; from Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu; and from Garbhodakasayi Visnu, Ksirodakasayi Visnu. Ksirodakasayi Visnu controls every universe. This gives an idea of the meaning of ananta, unlimited. What is to be said of the unlimited potency and existence of the Lord? This verse describes the coverings of the universe (saptabhir dasa-gunottarair anda-kosah). The first covering is earth, the second is water, the third is fire, the fourth is air, the fifth is sky, the sixth is the total material energy, and the seventh is the false ego. Beginning with the covering of earth, each covering is ten times greater than the previous one. Thus we can only imagine how great each universe is, and there are many millions of universes. As confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (10.42):



athava bahunaitena

kim jnatena tavarjuna

vistabhyaham idam krtsnam

ekamsena sthito jagat



"But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe." The entire material world manifests only one fourth of the Supreme Lord's energy. Therefore He is called ananta.



SSR 1 Learning the Science of the Self

God has many dealings with His many devotees, and according to those dealings, He is called certain names. Since He has innumerable devotees and innumerable relations with them, He also has innumerable names. We cannot hit on any one name. But the name Krsna means "all-attractive." God attracts everyone; that is the definition of God. We have seen many pictures of Krsna, and we see that He attracts the cows, calves, birds, beasts, trees, plants, and even the water in Vrndavana. He is attractive to the cowherd boys, to the gopis, to Nanda Maharaja, to the Pandavas, and to all human society. Therefore if any particular name can be given to God, that name is "Krsna."





Parasara Muni, a great sage and the father of Vyasadeva, who compiled all the Vedic literatures, gave the following definition of God:





aisvaryasya samagrasya

viryasya yasasah sriyah

jnana-vairagyayos caiva

sannam bhaga itingana





(Visnu Purana 6.5.47)



Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is thus defined by Parasara Muni as one who is full in six opulences--who has full strength, fame, wealth, knowledge, beauty, and renunciation.



Bg 10.2 T The Opulence of the Absolute



na me viduh sura-ganah

prabhavam na maharsayah

aham adir hi devanam

maharsinam ca sarvasah





SYNONYMS





na--never; me--My; viduh--knows; sura-ganah--demigods; prabhavam--opulences; na--never; maha-rsayah--great sages; aham--I am; adih--the origin; hi--certainly; devanam--of the demigods; maha-rsinam--of the great sages; ca--also; sarvasah--in all respects.





TRANSLATION





Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and the sages.



Adi 1.65-66 T The Spiritual Masters

saktyavesa-avatara----trtiya e-mata

amsa-avatara----purusa-matsyadika yata





SYNONYMS





isvarera--of the Supreme Lord; avatara--incarnations; e-tina--these three; prakara--kinds; amsa-avatara--partial incarnations; ara--and; guna-avatara--qualitative incarnations; sakti-avesa-avatara--empowered incarnations; trtiya--the third; e-mata--thus; amsa-avatara--partial incarnations; purusa--the three purusa incarnations; matsya--the fish incarnation; adika--and so on; yata--all.





TRANSLATION





There are three categories of incarnations of Godhead: partial incarnations, qualitative incarnations and empowered incarnations. The purusas and Matsya are examples of partial incarnations.





TEXT 67





TEXT





brahma visnu siva----tina gunavatare gani

sakty-avesa----sanakadi, prthu, vyasa-muni





SYNONYMS





brahma--Lord Brahma; visnu--Lord Visnu; siva--Lord Siva; tina--three; guna-avatare--among the incarnations controlling the three modes of material nature; gani--I count; sakti-avesa--empowered incarnations; sanaka-adi--the four Kumaras; prthu--King Prthu; vyasa-muni--Vyasadeva.





TRANSLATION





Brahma, Visnu and Siva are qualitative incarnations. Empowered incarnations are those like the Kumaras, King Prthu and Maha-muni Vyasa [the compiler of the Vedas].





TEXT 68





TEXT





dui-rupe haya bhagavanera prakasa

eke ta' prakasa haya, are ta' vilasa





SYNONYMS





dui-rupe--in two forms; haya--are; bhagavanera--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; prakasa--manifestations; eke--in one; ta'--certainly; prakasa--manifestation; haya--is; are--in the other; ta'--certainly; vilasa--engaged in pastimes.





TRANSLATION

The Personality of Godhead exhibits Himself in two kinds of forms: prakasa and vilasa.





PURPORT



The Supreme Lord expands His personal forms in two primary categories. The prakasa forms are manifested by Lord Krsna for His pastimes, and their features are exactly like His. When Lord Krsna married sixteen thousand queens in Dvaraka, He did so in sixteen thousand prakasa expansions. Similarly, during the rasa dance He expanded Himself in identical prakasa forms to dance beside each and every gopi simultaneously. When the Lord manifests His vilasa expansions, however, they are all somewhat different in their bodily features. Lord Balarama is the first vilasa expansion of Lord Krsna, and the four-handed Narayana forms in Vaikuntha expand from Balarama. There is no difference between the bodily forms of Sri Krsna and Balarama except that Their bodily colors are different. Similarly, Sri Narayana in Vaikuntha has four hands, whereas Krsna has only two. The expansions of the Lord who manifest such bodily differences are known as vilasa-vigrahas.





TEXTS 69-70





TEXT



eka-i vigraha yadi haya bahu-rupa

akare ta' bheda nahi, eka-i svarupa



mahisi-vivahe, yaiche yaiche kaila rasa

ihake kahiye krsnera mukhya 'prakasa'



SYNONYMS



eka-i--the same one; vigraha--person; yadi--if; haya--becomes; bahu-rupa--many forms; akare--in appearance; ta'--certainly; bheda--difference; nahi--there is not; eka-i--one; sva-rupa--identity; mahisi--with the queens of Dvaraka; vivahe--in the marriage; yaiche yaiche--in a similar way; kaila--He did; rasa--rasa dance; ihake--this; kahiye--I say; krsnera--of Krsna; mukhya--principal; prakasa--manifested forms.



TRANSLATION



When the Personality of Godhead expands Himself in many forms, all nondifferent in Their features, as Lord Krsna did when He married sixteen thousand queens and when He performed His rasa dance, such forms of the Lord are called manifested forms [prakasa-vigrahas].



Adi 2.70 T Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Is the Supreme Personality of Godhead



avatara saba----purusera kala, amsa

svayam-bhagavan krsna sarva-avatamsa



SYNONYMS



avatara--the incarnations; saba--all; purusera--of the purusa-avataras; kala--parts of plenary portions; amsa--plenary portions; svayam--Himself; bhagavan--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; krsna--Lord Krsna; sarva--of all; avatamsa--crest.



TRANSLATION



All the incarnations of Godhead are plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions of the purusa-avataras, but the primeval Lord is Sri Krsna. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the fountainhead of all incarnations.



Madhya 22.8 T The Process of Devotional Service



svamsa-vibhinnamsa-rupe hana vistara

ananta vaikuntha-brahmande karena vihara



SYNONYMS



sva-amsa--of personal expansions; vibhinna-amsa--of separated expansions; rupe--in the forms; hana--becoming; vistara--expanded; ananta--unlimited; vaikuntha--in the spiritual planets known as Vaikunthas; brahmande--in the material universes; karena vihara--performs His pastimes.



TRANSLATION



"Krsna expands Himself in many forms. Some of them are personal expansions, and some are separate expansions. Thus He performs pastimes in both the spiritual and material worlds. The spiritual worlds are the Vaikuntha planets, and the material universes are brahmandas, gigantic globes governed by Lord Brahma.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
Loading...