[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Sri Ram Swarup's article in Hinduism Today
-
Subject: Sri Ram Swarup's article in Hinduism Today
-
From: dchakrav@netserv.unmc.edu (Dhruba Chakravarti)
-
Date: 29 Nov 1995 23:05:04 GMT
-
Approved: srh <srh@rbhatnagar>
-
Article: 596 of soc.religion.hindu
-
Newsgroups: soc.religion.hindu
-
Organization: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
Dear Friends:
I tried to send ths letter to the editor of Hinduism Today, but all my
e-mail attempts bounced. I thought that ultimately, you are the best
judge, so I am posting this letter here. This is about an article that
Sri Ram Swarup has written in Hinduism Today, December 1995.
****
Dear Editor:
I protest to what I consider a mis-representation of Hindu theology by
Sri Ram Swarup. Hindu Gods are hardly many Gods, the very verse from the
RigVeda that Sri Swarup referenced "Ekam Sat viprA vahudhA vadanti...: says
most clearly that God is One, He is merely known by many names. Although
some will translate "Sat" of this verse as Truth, going by the evidence
from the Srimad Bahgavad Gita ("Sat" is one of the three names of
Brahman), it is obvious to me that the appropriate translation of Sat
here is Brahman. God Himself described this issue in detail in the SBG.
In Chapter 10, He described a few of His innumerable vibhutis
(manifestations) (is nevertheless a big list) and asked Arjuna to not
mind the manifestations and worship Him instead (8.42). He also warned
in many verses in the SBG that worshipping the Devas ignorantly, that is
not knowing them as merely His vibhutis, will not lead to liberation. He
said that because He does not want us to be ignorant of His true
relationship with the worlds and His creations (that of course, includes
His vibhutis i.e., the Devas). In Chapter 11, He described His
Isvara-rupa (same as the rupa of Hiranyagarbha in Purusha-Sukta
of the RV) and Arjuna saw all the Devas (pahsyami Devanstava Devadehe
..), like the rest of His creation. In Chapter 15, He described His
Trinity. This Trinity consists of Purushottama, Akshara-Purusha and
Kshara-Purusha. The more I look at this description of Trinity, the more
it resembles the Biblical Trinity. Purushottama being the Father,
Akshara-Purusha being the Holy Spirit and Kshara-Purusha the Son.
With best regards,
Dhruba.
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Moderator: Ajay Shah Submissions: srh@rbhatnagar.csm.uc.edu
Administrivia: srh-request@rbhatnagar.csm.uc.edu
Archives: http://rbhatnagar.csm.uc.edu:8080/soc_hindu_home.html
