The
practice of idol worship has been dealt with negatively especially by the
abrahamical religions like Islam, Christianity and judasism. This form of
religious worship has been termed as pagan religious beliefs and people have
been advised to abstain from such acts. Although; what actually is meant by
idol, is a matter of debate among the three religions. However if we turn our
heads towards Hinduism we see the rampant practice of not only idol worship but
also polytheism. It is said that there are 33 crores of gods in Hindu
religions. So the question that arises is which is the true path?
Although
the different religions talk of different things... i.e one preaches idol
worship while other talk against it, one concept is core to every one of them- “GOD
IS ONE AND ONLY”. People
following Hindu religion may find this fact disturbing but it is true as evident
from following lines that I use from Wikipedia.
“A text in the Shukla Yajur-veda (32.3) reads,
“Of Him there is no likeness (pratima), whose glory is infinite”. The Upanishads, which form the philosophical ‘conclusions’ (vedanta) of
the Vedas, repeatedly stress the formlessness (nirākāra, no material
form) and unimaginable nature of God, and advise the aspirant to realise the
divine presence inwardly.”
However, it was evident to the Indian mystics from very early on
that it is very difficult to focus on a all pervading but a formless, unimaginable
god (especially for beginners) for the purpose of worship and meditation. So
they preached idol worship but didn’t in any way recommend idol as god. They
only recommended visualization of the single god or ‘eka bramho’ through idol. This
idea is also stated by lord Krishna in ‘Bhagabat Gita’ Chapter
12, Verse 5, -
“
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It is much difficult to focus on God as the unmanifested than
God with form, due to human beings having the need to perceive via the
senses.
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”
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In
another context if we look at the other religions, the Islam has shunned the
practice of idol worship and considered it as a great sin. This may have arisen
due to the fact that Prophet Muhammad emphasized on the fact that he is only messenger
of God and that people should worship only that true god ”allah”. This is the
reason why there is no image, statue or even tomb of Muhammad. Muhammad and the
Christians likewise emphasized on the practice of worship without an idol form
because they believed that people would in time begin to associate the idol to
be the true god and forget that it is only an image (a representation or a
means to imagine the unimaginable). But if we
look at the recent historical findings it is to be seen that at the time bible
was being written and before that time in israel people widely practiced idol
worship and polytheism. The bible in a bid to overthrow this
polytheistic view emphasized again and again on the worship of single god.
The
problem with idol worship is that people over time tend to associate over time
the image or sculptor or any other inanimate or animate objects over time to be
god. While the essence of this philosophy is that they should only be
considered as a medium. The situation is best explained by these lines from a
poet…
Rathyatra lokaranya, maha dhum dham.
Bhaktora lutaye pore, korichey pronam.
RATH bhabhe ami deb PATH bhave ami,
MURTI bhabhe ami deb hasey
ANTARYAMI
Explanation--The poet explains
a situation in which the rath (chariot of the god laden with image of deities)is
taken through the streets. The devotees are rolling in ecstasy at the sight of
the chariot to pay their homage.The chariot thinks itself to be the god, the
road things it is the god, the images think that they are god but the true god
or brahmo is only laughing at the plight…..
