The second half of the 20th century was marked by the revival of Vedic culture and its penetration into Western countries. This began to happen due to the popularization of the works of Roerich and Blavatsky. It is also connected with the spread of teachings originating in the Vedas.
Supreme God
God in the Vedic religion has a collective image. Unlike other religious cultures, the Vedas clearly state who God is and what manifestations he has.
The first, most understandable manifestation is the Absolute. It is the totality of all things. That which can be seen with the help of the senses and that which is not manifested. In Sanskrit, this divine expression is called Brahman.
The second manifestation is the oversoul or superconsciousness. In Sanskrit, it is called paramatma, which means the Supreme Soul. According to the scriptures, superconsciousness operates in the world of matter and enters into every atom. The heart of every living being is pervaded by this divine consciousness. Therefore, there is an aphorism that God is in the heart of a person and in order to find Him, you need to lookinside.
The third manifestation of the Divine consciousness is His personal expression. Supreme Lord. In this guise, the Absolute enjoys showing the world many amazing and beautiful games. The scriptures say that the personal manifestations of the Absolute are innumerable, like waves on the surface of the ocean.
Divine incarnations
Vedic literature describes several incarnations of the Supreme Lord in the world of matter. Each incarnation of Him had certain goals and harmoniously fit into the plan of the divine game. Here are some of them:
- Narasimha deva. In the guise of a lion-man, he came to protect his devotee, the boy Prahlad. His father Hiranyakashipu was a powerful demon who seized the throne of the king of the gods. In the Vedic culture of that time, it was customary to worship God Vishnu, which 5-year-old Prahlad did. However, the father could not come to terms with the religiosity of his son and made many attempts to kill him. The Lord protected the boy, and in the end delivered the world from the sinner Hiranyakashipu by tearing him apart with his claws.
- Vyasa maiden. The incarnation of the Lord in the form of a sage. He appeared at the beginning of the Kali era and divided the single Veda into 4 parts: Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda. This was done for people of the present era who do not have a good memory and quick wits. He also wrote an epic about the divine incarnation of Krishna - the Mahabharata.
- Lord Buddha. He came to destroy the authority of the Vedic texts that require people to perform animal sacrifices. Thus, he proclaimed the highest value - ahimsa (non-causingharm to living beings).
- Lord Ramachandra. In the guise of a righteous king, the Lord set an example of how to do one's duty.
- Lord Krishna. He manifested wonderful childhood and youthful pastimes with the people of Vrindavan, who loved Him more than life itself.
- Kalki-avatar. The Supreme Lord, who will appear at the end of the age of Kali on a white horse and destroy those who have no chance of correction, thereby preparing the world for the revival of morality.
Brief description of the creation of the world
The literature of the Vedas tells that beyond the world of matter lies a spiritual reality, stretching to infinity, where there is neither decay nor death. In Sanskrit, this transcendental world is called Vaikuntha, the place where there is no anxiety. Time does not affect the local inhabitants - they are forever beautiful and young. Their every step is a dance, and every word is a song. The Vedas say that this is our home, where every soul aspires.
The main characteristic of the living beings of the spiritual world is complete disinterestedness. To live for God and for others is the meaning of their existence.
But what about those who want to live for themselves? A world full of enmity and deprivation is prepared for them - the world of matter. Here everyone can satisfy their selfish desires and fully experience their consequences.
From the pores of the divine body, myriads of material universes emerge, destined for souls who want to live for themselves. But so that these souls are not left without spiritual guidance, the Lord, through His expansion, enters this world. And His name is Vishnu, which meansall-pervading. He creates the first living being in the universe - Brahma, on whom he entrusts the mission of the creator of the material world.
Pantheon of the Vedic gods, their names and power
Let's take a closer look at the hierarchy of the gods, reflected in the Vedic scriptures. Vedic gods are directly related to Vishnu. They obey Him as the supreme controller and maintainer of this universe.
At the top of the hierarchy are three deities: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, who are responsible for the creation, maintenance and destruction of everything in this world. They also represent irresistible forces: passion, goodness and ignorance. The more goodness in a person's life, the more enlightened he is and the closer he is to the realization of his divine nature.
A lower level is occupied by deities who control any aspect of creation. Conventionally, matter can be divided into elements: ether, fire, air, water, earth. Combinations of these primary elements serve as the basis for everything that surrounds us.
33 million Vedic gods are described in sacred texts. Not all of them are known, but here are the names of those who are mentioned in the sacred hymns of the Rig Veda:
- Indra is the king of the gods in the Vedic religion. He rules over the heavens and all the gods of the heavenly realm. It is noteworthy that Indra is not a name. This is the job title. The scriptures say that he obtained this post as a result of his great piety.
- Agni is the god of fire in the Vedic religion. It is responsible for the element of fire in our universe.
- Varuna is the god of water. Element Masterwater.
- Vivasvan is the god of the sun.
- Kubera is the keeper of countless treasures. Treasurer of the gods. Many evil spirits, called yakshas, obey him.
- Yama is the god of death. He is also called the god of justice. It is he who determines what a person deserves after the end of his life.
Fire God
Agni - the Vedic god of fire, occupied one of the central roles in people's lives. When worshiping the Lord, people always mentioned Agni first, because. he, personifying the sacrificial fire, was the mouth of the Supreme Commander. Therefore, the hymns of the sacred Rigveda begin with the praise of Agni.
People who belonged to the Aryan culture were accompanied by fire from birth to death. All the rites of that time were fire sacrifices, whether it was: birth, marriage or death. It was said that a person whose body was burned in the sacred fire would not be born again in the world of death.
Ancient medicine Ayurveda also gave the Vedic god of fire an important place in people's he alth. It is believed that the element of fire is responsible for the power of thought, as well as for the digestive processes. The weakening of Agni in the human body causes serious ailments.
The influence of the gods on human life
In the Aryan culture, the Vedic gods personified various aspects of people's lives. Such an ancient science as astrology also considered the influence of the gods on human destiny. The fact is that in Vedic astrology each planet has a personal personification with a certain set of qualities.
For example, how the sun god isVivasvan, so each planet has its own ruling deity:
- Moon - Chandra;
- Mercury - Budha;
- Venus - Shukra;
- Mars - Mangala;
- Jupiter - Guru;
- Saturn - Shani;
- North lunar node - Rahu. In Western astrology, it is called the head of the dragon.
- South lunar node - Ketu. They call it the dragon's tail.
All of the above deities were also Vedic gods. All of them were worshiped for specific purposes. The horoscope was considered as a plan of lessons that the soul, incarnated in the human body, had to go through.
The negative periods of a person's life associated with the influence of certain planets were reduced or eliminated with the help of rituals associated with the worship of these deities. Such methods were called upayas.
Divine personification of nature and its manifestations
The Vedic gods mentioned above are masculine. What about female divine manifestations?
According to sacred traditions, each divine personal incarnation has a companion who personifies female energy (shakti).
For example, Vishnu's wife is Lakshmi, the goddess of good luck and prosperity. Outwardly, she is very beautiful, dresses in red. In his hands he holds a lotus and a jug of gold coins. It is believed that she favors the one who worships her spouse.
Saraswati is the goddess of wisdom and the wife of Lord Brahma. She is worshiped to gain knowledge and wisdom.
Parvati - mother nature, is the eternal companion of Shiva andhas many forms. Personifying nature, she can be both an infinitely beautiful creator and a terrible destroyer. She is often depicted with various weapons and a bloodied head in her hands. By analogy, Parvati relieves a person following the spiritual path from attachment to matter.
The influence of the gods on the acquisition of the meaning of human life
According to the Vedic texts, the meaning of human life lies in 4 goals:
- Dharma is doing one's duty by following one's own nature.
- Artha - maintaining one's economic well-being.
- Kama - getting pleasure and enjoyment.
- Moksha - liberation from Samsara (circle of birth and death).
The activity of the gods of the Vedic period also consists in providing conditions for a person to achieve 4 life goals. With their invisible actions, sometimes gently, sometimes rudely, they push people to understand that the material world is not their home and there will always be some kind of anxiety. This is how a person is led to an understanding of the highest meaning of existence - the acquisition of love for God.
Vedic gods of the Slavs
Slavic Vedas profess a monotheistic religion that the world was created by the One Creator, from whom all things came.
He is called Svarog. A shattered world. Also called Rod. Sometimes He sends His sons so that in time the divine law will not be lost.
The Vedic gods of Russia are the sons of Svarog: Roof, Vyshen,Dazhbog, Kolyada.
According to Slavic legends, Kryshen is the heavenly patron of earthly people. In the material world, He incarnates to restore ancient knowledge and teach people religious rituals. The story of Kryshen's adventure is described in the Slavic book of Kolyada.
Parallels of cultures
Today there is a lot of debate about whose Vedas are more true. Slavic or Indian. And these disputes give rise only to interethnic enmity. But if you look closely at the pantheon of the Vedic gods of the Slavs and the gods of the Indian Vedas, it becomes clear that the same personalities are described:
- Vyshen is consonant with Vishnu. In both cultures, he is one of the highest hierarchs.
- Roof - Krishna. In both cases, he incarnated with the same goal: to restore morality and punish those who violate the divine law. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna himself speaks about the purpose of his coming: “From age to age I come to punish the wicked and restore the foundations of religion.”
- Svarog - Brahma. Not without reason in Sanskrit the abode of Brahma is called Svarga.
If you look with an open mind, it is easy to understand that there is only one source of knowledge. The only question is where this knowledge is most fully represented.
Conclusion
There are no number of divine incarnations and manifestations. In different cultures, the Supreme Lord is described in his own way, but, nevertheless, the principles and laws of spiritual development are given alone. A person who has raised consciousness sees a single divine nature in every living being, considering everyone to be the Son of God.
