6 myths about Hinduism, debunked
◆ Hindus are idol worshippers- No, Hindus don't worship any idols. 1st of all, we believe in the physical representation of gods, unlike the Abrahamic religions, in the form of idols. And idols must go through the process of pran pratistha. Pran pratistha is a process by which we request the nirgun brahman to put its attributes to our manifested idol, by chanting mantras. Without pran pratistha, an idol is worthless.
◆ Hindus worship cows- No, we don't pray to cows, but we regard her purity. We believe that every creature has a sacred atman in it. We feed animals with humanity too. In veda, the milk of a cow is considered as pure as amrit (nectar). So, We not only worship cows only, but we worship air, water, trees, animals, river and anything that give us anything for our well-being. It's our way to regard nature.
◆ The concept of 330 million gods- 330 million, that's huge, but what if I tell you that in the core belief of Hinduism, there exists only one supreme energy i.e the Brahman. Rest all are just manifestations. Also, the concept of 330 million gods came from a misinterpretation of the word kotti, which means type and not crores. Even if we go by the scriptures, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad gives the number 33 and states that the other form of gods is just their powers:
कतमेतेत्रयश्च त्रीच शतात्रयश्च त्रीच सहस्रेति |
Which are the 303 or 3003 gods?
सहोवाच महिमान एवइषामेते,त्रयस्त्रिंशत्त्वेवदेवाइति ||
He (Yajnavalkya) said, "Those are their powers, but gods are only thirty three."
कतमेतेत्रयस्त्रिंशदित्य्
Which are the thirty three?
अष्टउवसव ,एकादश रुद्रा ,द्वादशादित्यास् , तएकत्रिंशद् , इन्द्रश्चैवप्रजापतिश्च त्रयस्त्रिंशाविति
Eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas. These are thirty-one, Indra and Prajapati make it thirty-three.
Vedas also mentioned the same thing.
Rig Veda 8.28.1
ये तरिंशति तरयस परो देवासो बर्हिरासदन |
विदन्नहद्वितासनन ||
“The Thirty Gods and Three besides, whose seat hath been the sacred grass, From the time of old have found and gained.”
Shrimad Bhagwad Gita 7.25-
नाहं प्रकाश: सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृत: |
मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम् ||
"I do not manifest Myself to everyone. I am hidden by My yogamaya potency and thus the foolish cannot recognize me as eternal and unborn."
◆ Women are subservient in Hinduism- This is the biggest myth that is being carried even in the modern era. In Hinduism, the goddess Kali has been given the supreme powers which are above the Trimurti. Women in India may not be equal to men (in some cases or places) but again, that is not because of Hindu religion. This is akin, perhaps, to Islamic societies forcing women to cover up from head to toe.
◆The Bhagavad Gita is like the Bible or Quran- There is not one central, authoritative book in Hinduism like Islam or Christianity. We have a rich collection of scriptures and each defines our religion in a different way. Also, Bhagavad Gita is considered to be the only subject of timeless wisdom and is purely based on realization.
◆ Karma is fatalistic- No, In Hinduism Karma is not fatalistic, One is free to choose their action. We believe that one has to face the consequences of his/her past actions and it can't be diluted by any means. Also, the law of karma is so strong that even devatas cannot escape from it.