VEDIC VISION OF GOD

Vedic vision of God is unique and stands apart from other religious concepts of God. Isavasya Upanishad says, "Isavasyam Idam Sarvam -All that is here is God." Our sastra systematically proves it to the hilt through scriptures (Sruti) by adhering to the Logic (Yukti) and experience (Anubhava). Therefore it is not a matter for belief; it is a matter for our understanding and assimilation. This has been very elaborately explained by Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita through several verses some of which are cited hereunder.
This whole creation is pervaded by Me in My unmanifest (invisible) form.

Oh Dhananjeya! There is nothing else whatsoever different from myself. All this is strung on me like pearls on a string.

Oh Partha, know Me to be the eternal Seed of all beings.

I am the source of all: from Me everything evolves;

From the above it is crystal clear that God is every where as the very substratum (essence) of the entire creation (Universe) and He is the eternal seed of not only human beings but also other beings.

For us God is not only the creator but also 'He' is the very creation. This is the basic culture of Bharat which promotes universal brotherhood, respect for all life forms and reverence for Mother Nature. That is why Hindus never invaded any nation or destroyed any cultures of the world.
Bhagavan Krishna said,
Whichever devotee desires to worship faithfully any particular form- I stabilize that very faith of that devotee (in that form).
Becoming imbued with that faith, he performs the worship of that (form of the deity), and, as it well known, he gets there from those desired objects which are dispensed by Me alone.
These words of Bhagavan Krishna reveal that God's Grace is available to all irrespective of one's caste or creed. That is why many Alwars and Nayanmars (though they were not Brahmins) have reached highest spiritual goal and carved a special place for themselves in the temples of Tamilnadu. This is an undisputable universal fact. It is amazing to note that even an uneducated Hindu living in a remote village (without having knowledge about our sastra) says in his colloquial language (mother tongue) that God is every where and His grace is available to all.
God's grace is something that is to be earned. It cannot be imputed to God- the Lord in heaven. God cannot distribute His grace on lucky dip basis. You have to earn God's grace as you tap rubber from a rubber tree. Prayer is earning the grace. You are a looser, born looser, when you cannot place a flower at an altar, because Kayekam Karma (Physical action) alone can earn the best adrishtam. Any religious pursuit becomes meaningful only when you understand 'God' properly.
We do not worship many Gods, we do not worship even one God. We worship the only God in various forms and names. We do not worship any Idol. We worship a vigraha or Murthi which is a chosen form for God who is formless. It is a Linga (Symbol- that by which something is represented or known), which represents the all pervading God who has manifested (appeared) as the entire Jagat. Since God inheres (pervades) the entire Jagat, all forms are essentially God's forms only. With this understanding one can worship God by invoking Him on any form - even in trees, animals and mountains. This Bhavana cannot be understood by the people who are alien to Hindu Culture. People in the remote villages are not separate from us. We have to accept them as they are, validate them and protect them. Their worship of gramadevatas and kuladevatas are our forms of worship only. In this context it is very important to note that using symbols of aggressive religions which are opposed to Vedic Vision creates confusion among uninformed Hindus and projects a false message as though all religions are same.
All the religions world over talk about a belief in God, faith in God. God sitting in heaven created the world and His grace is available only to a selected few persons, is a non verifiable belief. If God in Heaven created the world, who created heaven? If God created heaven where was He before He created heaven? The space itself is a part of this Jagat and it is confirmed by many physists. If that is so, there is no place for God to create heaven. It leads to cosmological split. May be space itself is not separate from God. That would change the entire perspective and confirms the Vedic vision of God. If God showers His grace on a selected few and leaves others in disgrace, He will become a sadist. Therefore such a belief will lead to defect in the creation. One may talk something beyond my reason but cannot go against my reason'. It is amazing to note how millions of people hold on to these non verifiable beliefs. This is the most tragic thing in this world. To me there is no greater tragedy to a human being than this that you can have a belief that is non-verifiable and you still hold on to it, commit your whole life to it.
People who understand the Vedic vision that God is everywhere and His grace is available to all can invoke God and worship him in any given form and name according to one's own choice. This universal concept of God and His grace alone can remove differences among different groups of people and can serve as the unique binding force to unite the entire humanity. This is what we call unity in diversity the bed rock of Hindu culture. This concept cannot be extended to other religious traditions which are diagonally opposed to Vedic vision. Contemporary Hindus have been totally neutralized, to the extent that they are unable to take a definite stand about their religion or culture. Therefore I call upon them to understand Vedic vision of God and to look into the thoughtless theologies of aggressive religions which are opposed to the universal fact that God is everywhere and His grace is available to all. Then only they can have an urge to protect Hinduism the native spiritual culture of Bharat through a well thought-out programme. Yet, they need not condemn others for the concepts they hold. They can accommodate other religious faiths. Accommodation is different from acceptance. It does not mean accepting other religions. It only means giving freedom to others to follow and practice their respective religious faiths. This needs to be understood properly.
Understanding Vedic vision of God is so important especially when people are fraught with competition in the world. There is so much rivalry, jealousy, intolerance, impatience etc. Therefore at least for the humanity's sake Hinduism which is the Vedic vision of God and His grace should survive.

Sabarimala Yatra:
The Holy pilgrimage to Sabarimala reveals the underlying principle of oneness of divinity among people the bedrock of Hindu culture. Gurusamys who conduct sabarimala yatra have been preserving and propagating the said spirit of oneness of divinity among people by treating every Iyyappa Bhakta as equally divine irrespective of ones caste creed or status. Those who wear holy mala and lead a pious life by observing the disciplines of sabarimala yatra (Mandala puja rituals) are considered as equal to God and hence they are being addressed as swamy or Iyyappa. This indicates the unique Vedic vision 'Tatvamasi' which means you are that God.'


Swami Dayananda Saraswati.