From: sivaram@plains.NoDak.edu (Sivaram Hariharan )
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nepal
Subject: Idol worship in Hinduism
Date: 9 Apr 92 18:49:11 GMT
Article-I.D.: plains.16587
Organization: North Dakota State University, Fargo

Part-1:

For analysing the practice of idol worship in Hinduism, let us
first look at the highest levels of the Hindu tenets.

 At the highest levels of the Hindu philosophy, organised religion
takes second precedence. Adi-Shankara, in his study of the
Brahma-sutras defined the supreme being as being absolute and
one without any qualities. Shankara propounded the theory of
monism. Some of the later scholars like Madhvachaarya were proponents
of Dualism. His concept was that, God or the supreme Brahman
was different from all the other things in the universe. Whereas,
Shankara says that the chief way to attain God is GYANA MAARGA or
the way of knowledge, some of the later Achaaryas lay emphasis on
the BHAKTI MAARGA, ie., God can be attained by sheer devotion. Indeed,
this was the path followed by great saints like Mira-bhai, Tukaram,
Gyaneshwara, Eknath etc etc. At this point one may ask; 'is there a
conflict between the two ways'. My answer is NO, because, true Gyana
leads to the conclusion of the existance of the Supreme paramaatman
and this in turn makes the Gyani devoted. 

What has idol worship got to do with this.

IMO, idol worship is a the extrapolation of the BHAKTI maarga. The
Bhakti Maarga, as I said earlier, emphasizes the need for sincere
devotion. Even a fool, with no knowledge can attain God with sincere
devotion. Idol worship or the Bhakti maarga assumes the existance
of the Parammatman without apriori questioning. Indeed, some of
the Bhakti-vedaantists call this maarga to be superior to the
Gyaana maarga.Idol worship further assumes the God to be embodied
in the idol, which is not a wrong concept, assuming God is omniscient.

Is the practise of idol worship concdemnable....

Other religions have pointed out the idol-worship practises of the
Hindu faith as one of its major weakness. IMO, this is not a weakness.
Let us examine Islam and Christianity. Both these faiths ask for
unquestioning acceptance of God and His word as embodied in the Koran
or the Bible and to be sincerely devoted to him. I see nothing different
from the Bhakti-Maarga philosophy of Hinduism. Indeed, one can conclude
that Islam and Christianity follow the Bhakti maarga. The concept of
gyana is unique to Hinduism. Coming back to the original point, idol
worship is just an extrapolation of the Bhakti maarga. It asks for
sincere devotion to God as embodied in  the idol. 

Is idol worship neccessary.and is it justified.....

Our Rishis were wise to define a gradation in the level of the thought
process. Beginning at the highest levels of the Supreme paramatman, which
appeals to the learned and to the intellectuals, they also devised
the bhakti maarga and its extrpolation, the idol worship to appeal
to the common man. They knew that the abstract concept of Brahman 
would not appeal to the peasant on the field. But they also gave
the individual freedom to expand his horizons. It was upto the individual
to enquire and slowly get away from the practise of just confining God to
the idols to the concept of the supreme Atman. But however, they did NOT
PUT DOWN THE PRACTISE OF IDOL WORSHIP. The puraanas talk about the
strength of the Bhakti maarga through the story of Rishi Bharadwaaja. I will
post this story in a later article. 

Hinduism is not a single concept, but gives the individual full freedom to
grow and question. But let this questioning be NOT IN THE DEROGATORY SENSE
FILLED WITH PUERILE ARROGANCE. 

The Hindu way of thinking is one of the most systematic way of POSITIVE
questioning about and the FINAL ACCEPTANCE of the Paramaatman. 

Part-2:

In my earlier article I had posted that some of later
Achaaryas in the post-adi-shankara period, emphazised
the Bhakti-Maarga(path of devotion) over the jnaana maarga
(path of knowledge).

Shankara in his  trestise of the Brahma-sutra had expounded
on the strength of knowledge, though later in his career, he
started expousing the strength of bhakti. 

At this point, one  may ask whether the post-Shankara Achaaryas
down played the value of knowledge. My answer is no, as the
post-shankara-achaaryas were fully aware of the strength of
knowledge but were wary of the individual who follows the 
Jnana maarga to go astray and lead himself into false knowledge
or ignorance and go to the wrong conclusions, which may make
the individual foolish and arrogant. Therefore they opted
fro the low-risk-total-commitment and sincere beleif path
of the bhakti maarga.

sivaram
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Life is complex, make it simple.