Monday,
13th November 2017
The Hindu Gods are not historical
characters. They are symbols.
No one can ever believe that Lord Shiva
is sitting on Mount Kailas with
Parvati, Ganesh and Subrahmanian. They are symbols of ideas.
How can one imagine that there is truly an
ocean, full of milk and Lord Vishnu is lying on the serpent bed which is on the
waves of Milky Ocean? Is He so powerless to get a more comfortable
bed?
Goddess Saraswati is holding a Veena always in her had! Goddess Parvati
has bow with sugar cane, five flower arrows etc. to hold in her hands!
Some Gods/Goddesses have four hands; three
eyes; four, five, eight, sixteen or sixty four heads; and some have animal heads
etc. How weird..!
But it is important to understand that
these Gods are not historical personalities. They never existed anywhere, at
anytime. They can never appear in front of human beings, except in stories.
They are symbols. They represent ideas.
They communicate with the on-looker in a special poetic way.
They remind the Saadhaka, the
experiences he/she had during the period of Saadhana / spiritual practice.