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HOW MANY ‘GODS’ DO HINDUS HAVE?

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The Numbers Game

330 million? 33 million? 33? Or 1? Story of Yajnavalkya (या�ज्ञवल्क्या)

Yajnavlakya was a legendary rishi during the Vedic times.

While discussing the nature of the Universe he was asked about the number of ‘Gods’.

He replies that there are three hundred and thirty three thousand, thousand ‘Gods’.

When the question is repeated, he says thirty three thousand, thousand.

And so on, until he says there are thirty three, then six and then finally ONE ‘God’

- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (बृ�हदा�रण्याक उपनि�षदा�) 1.9.1

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The Numbers Game Why number 33?

Yajnavlakya explains that there are 33 Vedic Deva or Devata

8 Vasu, 11 Rudra, 12 Aditya, 1 Indra and 1 Prajapati

- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (बृ�हदा�रण्याक उपनि�षदा�) 1.9.2

As everything in the universe is derived from the same Universal Energy, there may be as many ‘Gods’ as there are all living beings at any given time.

Multiply with the estimated number of all living beings at that time ~ 1 crore (or 10 million) with 33 Devas – 330 million!

Using the same principle, the current number of representations of ‘God’ will be in the Billions!

But since all living beings are just manifestations of the same Supreme Being, the number can be ‘collapsed’ to ONE.

Deva /Devata/Devi is not ‘God’

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One Source – Million Sparkles

Millions of waves sparkling in the ocean

Reflections of the same Sun

Similarly, all living beings, all divinity emanate from the same Source

All icons, images, statues and murtis in Dharmic traditions are reflections of the ONE and the same Source

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So, How Many ‘Gods’?

ONE‘Ultimate Reality’ ‘Absolute Truth’

‘Universal Consciousness’

Dharmic people (Hindus) call this Source,

Brahamna (ब्रह्मन्�)Not to be confused with Brahmana (ब्रा�हमण) – the priest, or Brahma (ब्राह्मा�) – the creator divinity

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Main Attributes of Brahamna

Omnipresent (सव�व्या�पक)- present universally in all animate and inanimate objects

Omnipotent (सव�समर्थ�) - all powerful

Omniscience (सव�ज्ञ) - all knowing

Eternal (स��त�) - no beginning, no end; timeless

Indescribable (अवण���या)– human mind boggles at attempts to explain It with only

the tools provided by reason

Think Atomic levels AND

Astronomic levelsBut there is a way out in Hinduism! It allows us to imagine the Infinite in a finite form using images, murthis etc. depending on our level of mental and spiritual development.

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Summary• Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism) – only ONE ‘God’ • For Dharmic people (Hindus) this Absolute reality is

the

Brahamna (ब्रह्मन्�)• The Infinite Divine may also be imagined as a finite

form for the ease of the devotee• Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti are all common

representations (naam-roop) of the same Divine Bhagvaan

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Some Key Distinctions

Monotheism- Only one God; no manifestations allowed (Christianity, Islam etc.)

Polytheism- Multiple Gods; multiple manifestations (Orthodox Greek

Gods/Goddesses, Shintoism, Anglo-Saxon Pagan etc.)

Henotheism- Hierarchy of Gods, one superior, all others inferior (Classical

Greek/Roman – Zeus)

Pantheism- Universe/Nature is God; no transcendence allowed (Taoism,

some elements of Buddhism, Wicca etc.)

Pluralistic- One God (Brahamna); infinite representations (Sanatan

Dharma, Buddh Dharma, Jain Dharma, other Dharmic traditions)