Many ,almost all Hindus,non hindus have this problem-That how many GODS are in Hinduism? Well if you read VED- Then it is one GOD. In puran-which is not authentic as it is many stories- people get confused. ;Let us start here explanation-Vedas speaks of one god ...and one way of worship. There is only one God and sages call him with different Names.The only path to attain salvation is Truth. For e.g. you cannot consider practices like animal sacrifice on name of Dharma (practised by some Hindus) equivalent to Ahinsa or concept on non killing (practised by many Hindus) equivalent to each other as both are totally opposite to each other. Better understanding of the Right Interpretation of the Vedas solves the doubts on Religion. There is also a misunderstanding about Christianity and Islam that they are monotheistic i.e. Believes in one God as Christianity believes in Neither one, nor two but three Gods that are Holy Soul, Holy Father an Holy Son. While Islam believes in God, his messengers and the Last Prophet Muhammad. The Vedic concept of God believes in one and only one God with no mediator in between and God is omnipotent, omnipresent, all pervading, never born, never dying, all knowing and creator of the Universe.
No other literature describes the existence of Only One God as beautifully as Veda does. -
Na dvitityo Na triyaschthurtho naapyuchyate|
N a panchamo Na shshtah sapthmo naapyuchyate|
Nashtamo Na navamo dashamo naapyuchyate|
Yagna yetham devamekavritham veda||
Sa sarvassai vi pashyathi yachha praanathi yachhana|
Tamidam nigatam sah sa yesha yeka yekavrideka yeva|
Ya yetham devamekavritham veda|| Atharva 13.4[2]19-20
There is no second God, nor a third, nor is even a fourth spoken of
There is no fifth God or a sixth nor is even a seventh mentioned.
There is no eighth God, nor a ninth. Nothing is spoken about a tenth even.
This unique power is in itself. That Lord is only one, the only omnipresent. It is one and the only one.
The Vedas reject the multiplicity of Gods in the clearest possible terms and speak about One God, who is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient and absolutely and absolutely formless, who is ever unmanifest and who never assumes human forms or never descends on earth in any form- human or otherwise. Rig-Veda says “Vishwarkya vimana advihaya” meaning who he is not entangled by mind, omnipresent Lord is the Creator. He is both sustainer and protector too.
The God oversees the insensate and conscious world in a unique way. The entire world rests with him. He is “Yeshah yekah” i.e. only one,conscious, indivisible.
After reading the description of God in this manner, Sri W.D.Brown writes,
It [Vedic Religion] recognizes but one God.
Vedas call upon to offer worship due only to God and no one else; to nothing else. It is clearly stated in Rig-Veda as under.
Ma chidanyad vishamsata Sakhyo ma rishanyatha|
Indramit srotha vrishanam sacha suthe
muhurukhya cha samshata||
Atharva 20.85.1
Friends! Do not praise and worship anything else, do not be doomed, praise and worship only the benevolent God Almighty, unitedly in this world, sing his glory, again and again.
Yeka yeva namasyo vikvidah| Atharva 2.2.1
Among all the men and women, there is only one. Who is worthy of adoration, and worthy of worship too.
Na tvaam anyo divyo na parthivo na jato na janishyathe|
Yajurveda 27.36
Oh God! There is nobody like you either in this world or the world beyond. No body equal to you is born as yet nor will be born ever in future also.
There are people who are under illusion that there are many Gods after coming across words like Indra, Agni, and Varuna etc. But these words that signify both God and things other than Gods should not mislead the seeker after truth’ with this purpose in view, the Vedas declare clearly:-
Indram Mitram varunamagnimaahuratho divyah sa suparno garuthmaan|
Yekham sadvipra bahudha vadantyagnim yamam maatarishwanamaahuh||
Rigveda 1.64.46
The real God is one, the enlightened ones, speak of Him in several ways, God is divine, the supreme protector and graceful sentient, the Universal soul. They call Him Indra, the Almighty, the universal friend [mitra]. Varuna the most acceptable and obliterator of sins, they describe Him as [agnim] the supreme guide of the Universe, {Yaman} the controller of the Universe, and {matarishvanam] the life of all lives.
So in other words, Indra, Agni, Yama, Suparna, Garuthman and others are different epithets for one and the same God[ though not exclusively, as the same words signify other entities too in different contests]. All doubts about the correctness of the unequivocal statement that the Vedas uphold only monotheism and not Polytheism are set at rest when we consider
Yo na pitah janitha vidhata dhamani veda bhuvanani vishwa|
Yo devaanam namadha yeka yeva tam samprashnam bhuvanam yantyanya||
Rigveda 10.82.3
All these several worlds, find ultimate refuge, in that curiosity-provoking, thought –arousing Lord who is our father and creator, who is , the maker of sacred injunctions and Knows all the abodes and worlds and finally who is only one assuming the names of different divinities.
Vedas describe only One God at all places. The advice is He alone should be praised and worshipped. He alone is the emperor of the Universe.
Yekho Vishwasya bhuvanasya rajah Rig-Veda 6.36.4
The Lord of the entire universe is one and one only.
Vedas clearly mentions of one God.
From vedic truth
Thank you. Very enlightening.
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