Page 49 - Synergy 17-18

MINDSPACE

W O RD FA CT O R Y

Though a deity is usually made of stone, it has presence. But, to draw divinity out of stone, a devotee’s
intense prayer & supplication are needed. The vedas declare that god pervades every atom of the
universe. By that logic, nothing can be excluded.
In Hinduism, the deity plays an important role. Proponents the Dvaita School of philosophy wittingly
create a distinction between god & devotee. They want a visible form to adore & worship. Though
Advaita is the ultimate goal, there are those who relish bhakti marg, which establishes a personal &
loving relationship between the devotee & the divine. The relationship envisages a personal god with
form, who can be invoked & adored. Thus multifarious deities are crafted to exact specifications as laid
down in the Vedas. Secondly, when a deity is placed at a shrine, a ceremony called, “Prana Pratishta”
is duly performed, as per Vedic guidelines, by which the divine essence of the god or goddess is invited
& infused into the image.
The shrine becomes a sacred spot for the devout to express their devotion. Though the divine is
omnipresent, omnipotent & omniscient, only enlightened beings can experience this. For simple,
worldly souls, the hurly-burly of existence presents constant challenges & obstacles that call for daily
attention. To see the divine everywhere through this daily struggles, is not always workable. Marked out
consecrated spot, assist in marshaling faith & attention towards divinity. Just as a house has a living
What room, bedroom & dining room, for specific associated activities, at different times, a marked out spot

for God, at home or outside, become sacred space to connect to the divine.
Rituals always potentially facilitate direct communion with the divine. ‘God’ is ever immanent and all
Happens it takes is a heart brimming with devotion to draw him out. The ardent belief that the deity is alive &
responsive makes it so. This is not a fanciful fable to the community of the devout. They will go back
again & again to their beloved shrine to repeat the experience & garner blessing.
In Sri Sathya Sai Baba says of the many prevalent forms of gods & goddess in Hinduism, Each names
& forms is indicative of an aspect of divinity. Each one is a facet, a part, a ray of the supreme…in fact,
everywhere you look the attributes less divine has taken on attributes. Without the help of name & form
you cannot comprehend the formless divine. Even Shankara, the biggest proponents of non-dualism,
The worshiped image in childhood, as he realized the value of saguna-swarupa…therefore he advised

Saguna-Aradhana to the large majority of the people even later in his life.
Places of worship provide structure and discipline for remembering the supreme. This promotes humility,
Presence and nurtures the devotional instinct & desire for purifying impulses. Legion are stories of devotees
visiting a shrine at a hallowed spot, and feeling overwhelmed with bliss. Tears streaming down their
cheeks, with the devotees not knowing why or how. This is the power of deity, and the faith reposed
Of in the saguna version of the supreme or whatever name you give it. The experience lies beyond the
region of the mind so reason and logic flounder in the face of it.

A

Deity. Terence Gomez

F.Y.B.Com (C)

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