1 Vedas and Their Theism. A number of People think that Vedas do preach and do teach Monotheism. But what Vedas preach and teach is for more complex form of Polytheism. In Vedas there are different tendencies towards Polytheism and Monotheism. Those who claimed that Vedas have Monotheism in them like Dianand Sarsuti etc. are confused since it is correct that there is a concept of only One Supreme Being in Vedas. But the Unity of Supreme Being is not the Characteristic Of Monotheistic Religions like Judaism, Christianity and ‘Isla:m. The concept of Oneness of Supreme Being may be found in some Polytheistic religions as well. So if there is a concept of Unity of Supreme Being in Vedas , it has no thing to do with the Monotheism in Vedas. Vedas do not believe in oneness of God but in Oneness Of Supreme Being. That is according to the teaching and preaching pof Vedas there are multitudes of Gods beside one Supreme Being. In Major Monotheistic religions their Only God is the Supreme Being and Supreme Being is the Only God. But in Vedas Supreme Being is the only Eternal God and there are several Gods which are neither Eternal nor Supreme Beings. They are Super Beings [ More Powerful then Human and Animal Beings] yet none of them is the Supreme Beings. So one Thing is clear:= Vedas do preach and do teach that there is there are multitudes of Gods and only one of them is Eternal Supreme Being. All other Gods are less than this Eternal Supreme Being and are None Eternals [Temporals]. How ever some Vedic Scholars argue that Vedas preach Unity of One Eternal Supreme Being but not the Unity of Eternal Beings. But this claim is based on theological interpretations and sectarian explanations of Vedic Verses. Vedas do not preach the Plurality of Eternal Beings as it does not preach the Unity of Gods. Coming back to Vedas one finds with out doubt that Vedas do teach and do preach a form of Polytheism In which:= 1] There is only One Supreme Being and that Being is the Only Eternal Being.
2 2] This Being is the Supreme God. 3] Beside this Beings there are multitudes of Beings which are Gods but they are less that this God. 4] These Non Eternal Lesser Gods are either male in gender or female in gender. 5] They are Persons. 6] There are Beings which are Non Eternal and Not-Gods. But looking and studying deeply one also find that Vedas also preach and teach the following:= 1]Henotheism. 2] Kathenotheism 3] Monolatry. 4] Summodeism. All these four forms of Polytheism are found in Vedas. But there are special cases of each one of them and the cases of them are discussed as follow:= Henotheism;:= Henotheism is a belief in one God with out denying the Possibilities or existences of other Gods. Henotheism is a lose term and Henotheism by this definition is found in Vedas. An other definition is as follow:= Henotheism (from the Greek heis theos or “one god”) refers to Polytheistic religious belief systems that accept the existence of many gods (Polytheism) but worship one deity as supreme. This may or may not be related to a given time. It it is related to a given time then it is Kathenotheism. Vedas Henotheism is Not Non Kathenotheistic. Not to confuse with the Eternal Supreme Being and excluding the case of Supreme Being , any one of the NonEternal Gods were some time considered as Chief God among the Non Eternal Gods. This implies a special case of Henotheism called Kathenotheism.
Kathenotheism:
3 A kind Henotheism a belief in worship of one God, though the existence of other gods is granted but at a time.
In this case one of the several Non Eternal Gods was believed to be Chief at a time in Vedas. There are different types of this theism. 1] To adore one of the several Gods as if this God is the Only God at a time . 2] To adre one of the Several Gods as if this God is the Supreme at a time. This type of Henotheism [ since Kathenpotheism is a Type of Henotheis] is find in Vedas.
How ever Vedas are not Henotheistic in regard to the Supreme Being but to the lesser Gods stated above. So we find Kathenotheism in Vedas .
Monolatry:= It is a belief in worship of one God, though the existence of other gods is granted. The difference between kathenotheism and Monolatory is that in the former it is the faith and in the latter it is the practical worshipping. Another Kind of thing is found which may be a a form of Henotheism but it may require a new term to be conceived clearly in mind. This term is Pseudo Unity. Pseudo-Unity:= This Pseudo Unity is to regard two or more than two Gods as one are to speak two or more Gods as if they are one , but not necessary ALL of Them. Some time two of them or some time three of them , and possibility some time all of them. Monism and Vedas: Pandit Dianand does not believe in Monism in Vedas but in Immenseness of the Supreme Being of Vedas. But Monism is found in Vedas. This Monism is used in Vedas for Summodeism . So first we have to shew what is the meaning of Monism.
4 Monism is a Dogma which either denies the distinction between God and World or Mind and Matter or both of them. Summodeism is a dogma in which different Gods are considered as aspects or incarnations or Manifestations or forms or functions or appearances of one higher God some time Supreme Being. There are three types of Manifestations of Supreme Being. 1] General Manifestation , that is Supreme Being Manifests in the World and every thing in the World. 2] Divine Manifestations, that the Supreme Being manifests in Lesser Gods either directly or in directly. 3] Direct Manifestations. 4] Incarnative Manifestations. Incarnation is a special case of Manifestation. How ever one cannot claim that Monism is directly found in Vedas, but with the aid of Upnishad, Vedas informs about it. How ever Vedas are not concern in general in worship of Supreme Being, but the lower Gods . If one do not consider the lower Gods as Manifestation of Supreme Eternal God, even then such a person cannon deny Summodeism in regard to Non Eternal Gods in Vedas. Even if some one deny Monoism in Vedas, it is hard to deny Summodeism in regard to Non Eternal Gods. Conclusion:= Vedas do have Monotheistic Tendencies but not Strict Monotheism. Although its Polytheism is not strict Polytheism [A Polytheism with out any Monototheistic Tendency] either. Henotheistic character of Vedas some time confused some Great Vedic scholars to propose Monotheism in Vedas but the only thing which can be pointed out is the belief of Eternal Supreme Being. This concept is the main source of confusion, as discussed above.
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