WHATIS GOD?

WHATAREHISATTRIBUTES?

SJena sjena040473@gmail.com roshni73.blogspot.com

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Godisomnipresent,powerful,eternal             andallpervadingconsciouslive intelligence that drives the cosmos.

TheancientVediccultureandSrimadBhagvatGitawhichdatesbackto 5000 years believes that nature is the manifestation of God.

TheunderstandingofGod imbibes

loveandattitudeofgratitudetowardsself,alllivingbeings&environment, thereby bringing righteousness in one’s action (karma),

resultinginthestateofblissfulnessintheindividual

andestablishingasocietyensuringpeace,justiceandequality

withfraternityamongall.

1. Withtheabove introductioninthebackground,letmeputforthfewquestionsin this regard.

WhatisGod?

WhatareHisattributes? Does God really exist?

These questions are hunting the mankind of all faiths for ages. Almost all human beingsponderover thesequestionstilldeathsincetheydevelopsenseofunderstanding. The author in the present article makes an effort to answer above questions. In the presentscientificageandageofreasoning,itwillbeappropriatetomention opinionof oftherenownedscientistregardingthedriving forcethatkeepsthecosmic worldmoving.

LetmequoteAlbert Einstein,

“To sense that behind everything that can be experienced there is something that our minds can not grasp, whose beauty and sublimity only reaches us indirectly; that is religiousness. In this sense and in this sense only, I am a devoutly religious man”.2

Einsteinbelieves“Thecosmicreligiousfeelingisthestrongestandnoblestmotive for scientific research.3

“IbelieveinSpinoza’sGodwhorevealshimselfinthelawfulharmonyofallthat exists.”4

Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza (24 November 1632 – 21 February 1677), oneoftheforemostexponentsof17thcenturyRationalismandoneofthethinkersof the Enlightenmentargues that there is only one substance, which is absolutely infinite, self-caused, and eternal. He calls this substance "God", or "Nature". In fact, he takes these two terms to be synonymous (Latin phrase he used is "Deus sive Natura")5.

The ancient Vediccultureand SrimadBhagvat Gita whichdate backto 5000 years ago believes that nature is the manifestation of God. God is omnipresent, powerful, eternaland all pervading conscious live intelligence that drives the cosmic world. Being all pervading it remains inside and outside of every thing that we see around. Spinoza’sidea of God endorsed by Einstein is the echo of the concept of Godhood as professed in Srimad Bhagvat Gita.

ThepresentarticlewiththeteachingsfromSrimadBhagvatGita,theHolybookof Hinduism, delivered by Lord Krishna himself is an attempt to answer above questions in the perspective of both science and religion. It will highlight scientific aspects of Gita.

Srimad Bhagvat Gita acknowledges that God remains in unmanifested form in nature. God and nature are synonymous. It is all pervading and powerful cosmic life energy that is source of all living beings. It is too subtle that present scientific knowledge is grossly insufficient to identify. In other words we can say that scientific experiments being mechanical/chemical in nature is not able to appreciate interaction between cosmic life energy and physical world which is bio- mechanical in nature. The science is not able to explain the generation of life on earth and why one out of two entities (having similar physical conditions) die while other continue to live. At times, one entity with lower physical conditions (lower vitality) continues to live while other with better conditions die. The study and scientific analysis of attributes mentioned in Srimad Bhagvat Gita would provide a pathway to explain above paradox.

AttributesofGodasinSrimadBhagvat Gita

2. Srimad Bhagvat Gita has aptly answered above questions. It brings out What is God and What are His attributes? Following are attributes of God.
   1. Godisconsciousliveenergyorconsciousliveintelligence.
      1. God is subtle energy and is incomprehensible. He is very far and also very near - सूक्ष्मत्व्त्त्ूरस्चमव्ति्चतत्-sukshmatvattadavijneyamdura-sthamchantikecha tat - Bhagvat Gita Chapter 13 sloka 16 (BG 13/16).
      2. God is indivisible, yet He appears to be divided amongst living beings - अव्भक च भूत्षुव्भकव््चवस्त््-avibhaktamchabhuteshuvibhaktamivachasthitam-BG13/17.
      3. Godiswithoutbeginningormiddleorend;Hehasunlimitedpower-

अनमद््धतम्त्न्त््तव-anadi-madhyantamananta-viryam-BG11/19.

1. 1. 4. God exists outside and inside all living beings, both moving and not moving - बविर्तत भूतमनम्चरचर्््च-bahirantashchabhutanamacharamcharamevacha-BG 13/16.
      5. Godisthelifeenergyofalllivingbeings-ज््नस्वभूत्षु-jivanamsarva-bhuteshu

-BG7/9.

1. 1. 6. Godisthegeneratingseedofalllivingbeings.Nocreaturemovingornon-moving canexistwithoutGod-स्वभूतमनमब्जत्ि्जुवन,नत्वसतव्नमतषसतम््तमभूतचरमचर््-sarva-

bhutanam bijam tadaham arjuna, na tad astivina yat syan maya bhutam characharam- BG 10/39.

1. 1. 7. Godistheeternalseedofallbeings-ब्ज्मस्वभूतमनम-bijammamsarva- bhutanam -BG 7/10.
      8. Godistheoriginofallcreations.EverythingproceedsfromHim-अिस्वसत पभ्भ

्त:स््प्तवत्-ahamsarvasyaprabhavomattahsarvampravartate-BG10/8.

1. 1. 9. The entire cosmos (that we observe) is pervaded by God in unmanifested (incomprehensible) form - ्तम ततव्् स्् जग्वक्ू त्वनम - maya tatam idam sarvam jagad avyakta-murtina - BG 9/4.
      10. All living beings dwell in God - ्षस्मवन स्वभूतमवन - mat-sthani sarva-bhutani - BG9/4.
      11. Godremainsequallydisposedinalllivingbeings.Godisneitherinimicalnor

partialtoanyone-स्भऽिस्वभूत्षुन्् द्वतभऽवसत नवपत:-samo’hamsarva-bhuteshuname dveshyo ’sti na priyah - BG 9/29.

1. 1. 12. Godhas nosense organs,butHeperceivesall sense-objects-स््व्नतगुरमभमस स््व्नतव््ज्वत््-sarvendriya-gunabhasamsarvendriya-vivarjitam-BG13/15.
      13. Godisunattachedtoanything,yetHeisthesustainerofall-                        असकस्वभभृच्- asaktam sarva-bhrich chaiva - BG 13/15.
      14. Godiswithoutattributes(likingordisliking),yetHeenjoysallmodesofmaterial

nature-वनगुवर गुरभभकभच-nirgunamguna-bhoktri cha- BG13/15.

Deliberation

God is subtle conscious live energy (Krishna energy). It is the eternal generating seed (life energy) of all living beings. It is all pervading and is without beginning or middle or end and exists outside and inside all living beings, both moving and not moving. Everything proceeds from Him.It is indivisible, yet appears to be divided amongst living beings. The live energy is neither inimical nor partial to anyone and remains appropriately present in all living beings. No creature moving or non- moving can exist without this live energy. The entire cosmos is enveloped by the live energy like a womb in which all living beings take birth (appear), grow and die (disappear) like waves in the ocean. Unlike other known forms of energy (mechanical, chemical, nuclear, electromagnetic, etc),Krishna energy has life. It has no sense organs, but can perceive all sense-objects. It is unattached to anything, yet provides sustenance to all and is without liking/disliking, yet enjoys all modes of material nature.

1. 2. Natureis God.

1. 1. 1. God is the sun amongst luminous objects and moon in the night sky - रतजवतषम रव्रशु्मन्, नक्मरम्ि शश् - jyotisham ravir anshuman, nakshatranam aham shashi -BG 10/21.
      2. Godisradianceofsunandmoon-पभमवस्शवशसूतवतभ:-prabhasmishashi-suryayoh

-BG7/8.

1. 1. 3. God isthe brilliance of the sun that illuminates the entire solar system -त्मद्षतगत त्जभ जगदमसतत्ऽवऽख््- yad aditya-gatam tejo jagad bhasayate ’khilam - BG 15/12.
      4. God isthe radiance of the moon and the brightness of the fire - तृ्न्वस तृमचा तत्जभव्व््म्ि््-yachchandramasiyachchagnautattejoviddhimamakam-BG15/12.
      5. Godiswarmingtheentirecreationbyhisradiance-स्त्जसमव्शव््तप्त््-sva-

tejasavishvamidamtapantam-BG 11/19.

1. 1. 6. Godisbrillianceoffire-त्जतमवस्व्भम्सा-tejashchasmivibhavasau-BG7/9.
      7. Amongstthemountains,GodistheMeru(tallestmountainsystem)                        -््र: वशऽरररम्ि््-meruhshikharinamaham-BG10/23.
      8. Godisoceanamongstreservoirsofwater-सरसम्वस्समगर:-sarasamasmi sagarah -BG 10/24.
      9. Godistasteinwater-रसभऽि्पसु-raso’hamapsu-BG7/8.
      10. Godradiatesheatassun.Hewithholds,aswellasbringsrain-तपममति्ि्ष् वनगभहमतुषसभजमव्च-tapamyahamahamvarshamnigrihnamyutsrijamicha-BG9/19.

Deliberation

The nature is the God. God remains in nature in unmanifested form. God is the sun, the moon, the mountains and the oceans.The radiance of sun, moon and fire isthe God. God is taste in water. God isthe brilliance of the sun that illuminates the entire solar system. God is warming the entire creation by his radiance. He withholds, as well as brings rain. The above slokas clearly brings out that God and Nature are synonymous of each other as believed by great scientist Albert Einstein.

The above discussion indicates - God is the live energy responsible for functioning of cosmos, holds all building blocks of living beings together and make lifepossible on earth.

1. 3. GodisSustainer,Annihilatorand Creator.

God isthe Supreme Entity and the Sustainer, Annihilator and Creator of all beings - भूतभतभवच तरत्त गवसवरु पभव्वरु च - bhuta-bhartri cha taj jneyam grasishnu prabhavishnu cha - BG 13/17.

Deliberation

We can see nature createsallliving beings, provides sustenance to grow and annihilatesthem.All livingbeingstakebirthinthewombofnature,getssustenancefrom nature and the natural process/natural calamities result in their death/destruction. The live energy (Krishna energy) is all pervading. Being live energy, it is more homely to be within living systems. The more you trap this energy in living beings i.e. more you facilitate growth of living beings (moving and non-moving), higher is thestability in the ecosystem and will result in sustainable human civilization. The present industrialisation is resulting in wide spread destruction ofecosystem and environment. The number of living beings (plants, animals, insects, etc) are becoming extinct. The Krishna energy is released to the atmosphere. The change in climate and associated effect like increase in sea level andincrease in number & ferocity of cyclonic storms are indicationsof destructive nature of this energy.

The world community have realised. A number of conventions and instruments areinplacetoaccordpriorityforconservationofenvironment.However,lackofsenseof gratitude and obligation towards environment does not bring desired result. The understanding of God would help in promoting love for living beings [God is the life energy of all living beings - para 2(a)(v) above] resulting in proactive conservation practices. This would restore balance in the ecosystem and would be beneficial towards sustainable human civilisation.

1. 4. Godisthequalitiesinanentity.

1. 1. 1. Godis abilityinhumanbeings -पारषनभषु-paurushamnrishu-BG7/8.
      2. Godisintellectoftheintelligent-बुव्बुवव््तम्वस्-buddhirbuddhimatamasmi- BG 7/10.
      3. God is splendor of the glorious - त्जसत्जवस्नम्ि्् - tejas tejasvinam aham - BG 7/10.

Deliberation

Thequalities(ability,intellectandsplendor)inthelivingbeingsareduetothe Krishna energy in the living beings.

ImportanceofIdolatryinHinduism

3. Someonemayhavequestion-IfHinduismbelievesinGodasallpervading divine energy, why do Hindus worship Murtis (idols)?

Theimportantfactis-Hindusdon’tworshipmurtis,theybelievethemtobe

Gods.

God, as discussed above, is the live divine energy that remains all around in unmanifested form (formless). The divine energy can be experienced through meditation. Meditation is nothing but the concentration of thought. The thought hastwo dimensions - content and direction. The meditation demands the content and direction to coincide.It is difficult for the mind to concentrate on formless divine energy. The murtis which are considered to be source of divine energy are worshiped for the purpose.

The murtis are consecrated (prana sthapana) through vedic rituals and are considered to have God (divine energy) dwelling in them. When devotees visit temple or home shrine, it brings purity in thought and action (karma),which help in connecting to all pervading powerful divine energy through murtis.

The essence of Hinduism lies in the fact that - worshiping in form with concentration on formless divinity.

Conclusion

4. Hinduism strongly believes that the worshiping God (faith in God) brings purity in thought and action (karma). The person performs karma without attachment and prejudice to any living and non-living entity around him. This is called yajna (act of sacrifice). Srimat Bhagavat Gita in Chapter 3 verse 15states -

तस्मषस्वगतब्वनषततत्पवतवित््

(tasmatsarva-gatambrahmanityamyajnepratishthitam),

whichmeans-theall-pervadingLordiseternallypresentinyajna.

The efforts(yajna) promotes a state of blissfulness (calm and composed mental state) intheindividual andhelpin achievingtheaim.Thekarma(beingwithoutprejudice to any entity) remains in sync with the needs of environment and ecosystem. Thehealthy environment and ecosystem generates favourable conditions (healthy society, favourable climate, abundant availability of food, clean soil/water/air, resources, etc) to ensure sustainable human civilization.