CONCEPT OF GOD IN HINDUISM | Answering Dr. Zakir Naik

Hinduism is mankind’s oldest spiritual declaration, the very fountainhead of faith on the planet. It is the only religion, that is not founded in a single historic event or prophet, but which itself precedes recorded history. Hinduism has been called the “cradle of spirituality” and “the mother of all religions,” partly because it has influenced virtually every major religion. Hinduism is not a polytheistic religion. Hinduism is without doubt the most monotheistic religion in the world because it recognized that the Supreme can only be diverse and that he incarnates Himself in many forms It was Hinduism who first proclaimed God as One in this universe. A Hindu worships that One God in diverse divine forms.
The earliest statement of the Nature of Reality occurs in the first book of the Rig-Veda 1.164.46

Ekam Sat-Viprah Bahudha Vadanti. “The ONE BEING, the wise diversely speak of.”

“The source and origin of the gods, ruler of all, may Supreme God, the great seer, who anciently created the golden germ, endow us with clear intellect.” (Svetasvatara Upanishad III.4)

“Great indeed are the devas(demigods) who have sprung out of Supreme God.” Atharva Veda

Hinduism is an open-minded discipline. It is a discipline that does not use force on its follower. That is, it does not dictate the follower to act by one step by step recipe it gives, condemning all other recipes.

Hinduism describes everything as divine and sacred because God is everywhere and in everyone. Supreme Self has truly created this real world, everything belongs to him but He also pervades everywhere. Hinduism speaks about all-pervasiveness and all-controlling nature of the Supreme Being. The Changing things that appear in the physical and mental world may be realized as divine: the Supreme Self that shines unmixed in everyone and everything, beneath all names and forms and qualities of personality and world. He pervades everywhere — is explained by the use of phrases such as “He is near and also very far” (yaddure yadvantike); “He is within and without” (tadantarasya sarvasya tadu sarvasya bahyatah); “He moves and yet does not move” (taddhavato’nyanatyeti tisthat). These apparently contradictory attributes reveal his achintya shakti — unthinkable ability (which may not be understood under human senses but exists)

“All this that is in front is but Supreme God, the immortal. Supreme God is on the right, as well as on the left; Above and below too, is extended Supreme God alone. This world is nothing but Supreme God, the highest.” Mu.n.daka Upani.sad 2.2.11

“All this entire universe belongs to God: who lives in it, in every smallest bit of it. It moves; and yet it does not move. God is far beyond the furthest reach of space and time; and yet He is immediate, forever close, inseparably present here. He is here inside, in everything; yet it is outside all of this. God shines pure, through everything unconstrained by muscled body, unaffected by all ill, untouched by any taint of sin.” (Isha Upanishad, stanzas 4-8).

Katha Upanishad it is said: “Paramātmā is the same everywhere, in every world, on every level throughout the entire Cosmos. Until you recognise this you will continue to be reborn. Paramātmā remains the same – in past, present and future. It is the same in the heart of an ant or an elephant, in every living being. It is the Cause of everything.”
Thus the major difference between the Hindu and the Muslim beliefs is while Islam speaks relatively partial attributes of the God, Hinduism speaks about complete attributes.

CONCEPT OF GOD ACCORDING TO HINDU SCRIPTURES
God is experienced in two aspects – as NIRGUNA and SAGUNA .

NIRGUNA is the eternal all-pervading and omnipresent divine consciousness. The Absolute without qualities, is impersonal, without guna or attributes, Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable and eternal. This “Formless” form of God is called Sat-Chit-Ananda Rupa (Eternal-Truth-Consciousness-Bliss-Form)

SAGUNA is the manifestation of God in form. Qualified absolute, came from the Sanskrit saguṇa (सगुण) “with qualities” and brahman (ब्रह्मन्) “the Absolute.” The personal aspect of the Ultimate Reality. This saguna brahman is eternal, undecaying and non-differentiated from nirguna brahman.

Verses Describing God As Formless(Nirguna)
“Na tasya pratima asti”
“There is no likeness of Him.”
[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19/ Yajurveda 32:3]
There is not Form of Nirguna Brahma or God as Supreme Consciousness.

“His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye.”
[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20]4
His  Formless Form cant be seen. Though He manifests Himself as Saguna Brahma, but no one can see Him with present eyes or material eyes. To see His Supreme and Original Form one needs spiritual perfection. “No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality and pastimes of God through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.234). God says: “You cannot see Me without your present eyes. Therefore I give you divine eyes, so that you can behold My mystic opulence” (Bhagavad-Gita 11.8)

“shudhama poapvidham”
“He is bodyless and pure.”
[Yajurveda 40:8]6
God as Nirguna Brahma or Brahman or Supreme Consciousness is bodiless and pure. That doesn’t mean His Saguna form is impure, It is pure too.

Verses Describing God In Form(Saguna)
“The Lord of the universe, Lives inside the universe, And without being born, Appears in many forms,And only the wise realize his real form…” Rig Veda,purusha suktam 2-3

Though unborn, It appears to be born in diverse ways. Yajurveda 31.19

The Lord, takes on manifold form. Brihadaranyaka Upanishat 2.5.19

“Your form, Supreme God, which is kind, pure, free from fear and evil, with that most loving form, appear to us” SHVETASHVATARA UPANISHAD 3.3

“He does not possess bodily form like that of an ordinary living entity. There is no difference between His body and His soul. He is absolute. All His senses are transcendental. Any one of His senses can perform the action of any other sense. Therefore, no one is greater than Him or equal to Him. His potencies are multifarious, and thus His deeds are automatically performed as a natural sequence.” (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.7-8)

He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and he is the prime cause of all causes.” (Brahma Samhita 5.1)

Therefore it can be understood now that God has two forms formless form and Formed form. It these two form Characteristics of God like all-powerful, all-knowing, all-merciful, pure, infinite etc remains same. Just like water has three forms – liquid, solid and vapour, though it appears in different forms but core substance H2O remains same in all forms.

Muslim says Allah or God has no form or shape. Hindus have no objection if someone is worshiping Supreme God in Nirguna Brahma or Formless Form. However if it is said that Almighty God has no Original Form then Hindus take strong exception to it. Because all religions speaks about Saguna Brahma and Nirguna Brahma forms of the Supreme God. But throughout the ages it was either ignored as contradiction or forcefully translated as different interpretation because Semitic religions are divine commandments which give light on rightful living of humans on the earth, therefore it does not give more light on Science of God. Below i would like to give some verses from semitic scriptures to show how theory of saguna and nirguna can be found in god’s own words.

NIRGUNA & SAGUNA IN CHRISTIANITY
Nirguna Brahma-
No man hath seen God at any time. John 1:18, 4:12
No man has seen God in Formless Form ever.

Not that any man hath seen the Father. John 6:46
God as seed giving father in Formless Form cannot be seen by men. Even his Original Form or Saguna Avatar cant be seen by men without mercy of God.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory forever and ever. 1 Timothy 1:17
This verse is describing attributes of Formless Form of God.

The fact that no man has seen god does not imply god can’t be seen. People can’t see god in formless but they can see god in his original form by the mercy of god. Actually bible indicates God can be seen and has been seen in his Saguna Form.

Saguna Brahma-
And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. Genesis 12:7
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him…. Genesis 17:1

And the Lord appeared unto him [Abrham] in the plains of Mamre. Genesis 18:1
Abraham saw God several times. In His original form, God appears in front of him as Saguna Brahma.

And the LORD appeared unto him [Isaac], and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of. Genesis 26:2

And the LORD appeared unto him [Isaac] the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not. Genesis 26:24

Isaac also saw God in his original form twice.

NIRGUNA & SAGUNA IN ISLAM 
Nirguna Brahma
“There is nothing whatever like unto Him.”  [Al-Qur’an 42:11]

Saguna Brahama
Prophet Muhammad said: “My Lord came to me in the most beautiful image”

Ibn Kutiba says “Allah has Image/Sura but not like other suwar”. Allah has body but not like other bodies. God the Allah has an existence, he has a unique personality who nobody else in this world posses. Just like Hindu scriptures Islam declares God’s Saguna Brahma Form is All-Attractive and transcendental.

Al-Tirmidhi (3234) narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “My Lord came to me in the most beautiful image and said, ‘O Muhammad.’ I said, ‘Here I am at Your service, my Lord.’ He said, ‘What are the chiefs (angels) on high disputing about…’” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

[ Allah ] said, “O Iblees, what prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My hands? Were you arrogant [then], or were you [already] among the haughty?” 38.75
Here God says He has made us by his hands, this whole creation comes from his Saguna Brahma Avatar or God in His All-Attractive Being Form has created this universe.

They have not appraised Allah with true appraisal, while the earth entirely will be [within] His grip on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be folded in His right hand. Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him.39.67
Whole universe will vanish within His right Hand.

From these divine verses we learn that it is proven that Allaah has an image (soorah in Arabic), in a manner that befits Him, may He be glorified and exalted. His image is one of His attributes which cannot be likened to the attributes of created beings, just as His essence cannot be likened to their essence.

Always above attributes of Allah are translated as metaphor than so called literal. Muslim sects are divided on their interpretations of Koran and accusing each other’s interpretations as blasphemy. But the truth is both literal and metaphor interpretation are true. Lack of deeper philosophical understanding leads Muslims to follow “this” or “that” interpretations and assumptions. A systematic logical and scriptural analysis resolves the confusion. The Vedic tradition teaches a higher principle that harmonizes such dualism beautifully. Formless can have form which is transcendental. Unlimited can have form which is unlimited in Itself. That Lord whom Moses called Jehovah, whom Jesus referred to as his father in heaven, whom Mohammed praised as Allah, the Vedic scriptures reveal as Brahman/Bhagwan, God as the all-attractive transcendental Supreme Person.

YajurVeda and Gita
“Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste”
“They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements” (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). “They sink
deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti.”
[Yajurveda 40:9

“Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.”
[Bhagavad Gita 7:20]

This speaks about not to worship man-made gods or demi gods. Humans are impelled by material motivations. This is due to their inherent natures, innate attributes and over attraction to sense gratification. But people worships demi-gods of heavens like Indra who is king of heaven for fulfilment of their desired material goals. So here Supreme God says it is ignorance of people who worships demi-gods who Supreme God  Bhagwan has created. The Supreme Lord is not averse to those who worship the demigods but He makes a distinction between worship to Him and worship to others. The results of worshipping all other gods is temporary and fleeting because the inherent power invested in them has limitations being only applicable to the material worlds; but the results of worshipping the Supreme Lord are permanent and eternal because unlimited power is possessed by Him. Supeme Lord is Lord of lords of divine powers, Kings of kings of heaven,Light of the lights,  He has created unlimited heaven and unlimited heavenly kings but some people worshiping mere king of heaven who is works under Supreme Self, the ever blissful, all-powerful, all merciful Almighty God.

CONCLUSION
“Three rural students arrive one night at a railway platform with their teacher, eager to have their first sight of a train. After a long wait, when they see a bright light in the distance, the first villager asks their teacher, “Is that the train?” When the teacher nods, the student departs, convinced he has seen the train. When the train comes closer, the second student notices the engine—the form behind the light—and asks, “Is that the train?” When the teacher nods again, the second student leaves, confident of having seen the train. When the train finally comes into the station, the third student sees the train in its fullness with its driver and multiple compartments and passengers and, with the encouragement of his teacher, even meets and befriends the driver.”

Therefore Hinduism illustrates complete unity-in-diversity of the Absolute Truth. Being Mother of religions it has influenced all other worldly religions. As the oldest of religions, the mother of all religions, it accepts all religions.
Islamic Research Foundation

Hindus Do Not Do Idol Worship

Western Society and Abrahamic religions are often dazzled and confused by all the deity worship with in the Hinduism. So, through this conversation a Hindu or follower of Sanatan Dharma will give light on this confusion of abrahamic faith followers.

Muslim Brothers Asks:

Hindus do idol worship which is condemned in Abrahamic religious books like the holy Quran, the Holy Bible and the Holy Torah.

Hindu/Sanatan Dharmic Answers :

Hindus do not do idol worship. The Vedas also are thoroughly opposed to idol worship, but what you have seen in Hindu temples is not idol worship but rather Deity worship. It is very easy to understand how Deity worship may at first appear as idol worship to a person who is unfamiliar with the principle behind this important devotional process. After all, the form of the Deity is crafted by a man out of some kind of material elements, and that form is later worshipped in the temple with devotion.

Deity Worship is one of the best beneficial devotional service which gives us opportunity to take every breath in supreme bliss.

In the Vedas, Deity worship is an extremely important devotional process to help us develop love of God. In fact, it is one of the nine general classifications of devotional service mentioned in Sanskrit in the Vedas.

It is said, çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù smaraëaà päda-sevanam arcanaà vandanaà däsyaà sakhyam ätma-nivedanam [Bhäg. 7.5.23]

“Devotional service consists of (1) hearing about the Lord, (2) chanting His glories, (3) remembering Him, (4) serving and meditating upon His lotus feet, (5) worshiping Him, (6) praying to Him, (7) thinking oneself His eternal servant, (8) becoming His friend, and (9) surrendering everything to Him.” The fifth process mentioned here, arcanaà, worshipping the Lord, refers to Deity worship.

In Bhagabat Gita Lord says that the highest conception of yoga perfection is God-consciousness through “deity worship” is clearly explained in this verse.

“sa vai manah krishna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane karau harer mandira-marjanadishu srutim cakaracyuta-sat-kathodaye mukunda-lingalaya-darsane drisau tad-bhritya-gatra-sparse ‘nga-sangamam ghranam ca tat-pada-saroja-saurabhe srimat-tulasya rasanam tad-arpite padau hareh kshetra-padanusarpane siro hrishikesa-padabhivandane kamam ca dasye na tu kama-kamyaya yathottama-sloka-janasraya ratih”

“King Ambarisha fixed his mind on the lotus feet of Lord Krishna, engaged his words in describing the abode of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the temple of the Lord, his ears in hearing the pastimes of the Lord, his eyes in seeing the form of the Lord, his body in touching the body of the devotee, his nostrils in smelling the flavor of the flowers offered to the lotus feet of the Lord, his tongue in tasting the tulasi leaves offered to Him, his legs in traveling to the holy place where His temple is situated, his head in offering  obeisances unto the Lord, and his desires in fulfilling the desires of the Lord… and all these qualifications made him fit to become an excellent devotee of the Lord.”

Muslims asks

I still do not see the difference. Koran also says that one should worship the Lord, but the act of worshipping idols as God is condemned. What makes the Hindu’s Deity worship any different from the worship of idols so condemned in the abrahamic tradition?

Hindu/Sanatan Dharmic answers

The difference is that God authorizes the worship of Deities. For example, if you put mail into an authorized mailbox it will be delivered to the address written on the envelope. But if you drop that mail into some box other than an authorized mailbox, it will not be delivered. Similarly, if you create some form, call it God, and worship it, all according to your own mental concoction, there will be no benefit and your act will be condemned by God. If however, you create a form according to the actual description of God’s form given in the revealed scriptures, and if you worship that form according to the rules and regulations given by God in the scriptures, you will achieve excellent results. The result of that worship is supreme love for God.

This is instructed by Almighty Lord Vishnu in his Lord Krishna incarnation. Uddhava a devotee of lord is getting “divaya gyan” on deity worship from Lord in this verse.

SB 11.27

Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord, O master of the devotees, please explain to me the prescribed method of worshiping You in Your Deity form. What are the qualifications of those devotees who worship the Deity, on what basis is such worship established, and what is the specific method of worship? All the great sages repeatedly declare that such worship brings the greatest benefit possible in human life. This is the opinion of Nārada Muni, the great Vyāsadeva and my own spiritual master, Brihaspati. O most magnanimous Lord, the instructions on this process of Deity worship first emanated from Your lotus mouth. Then they were spoken by the great Lord Brahmā to his sons, headed by Bhrigu, and by Lord Śiva to his wife, Pārvatī. This process is accepted by and appropriate for all the occupational and spiritual orders of society. Therefore I consider worship of You in Your Deity form to be the most beneficial of all spiritual practices, even for sinners.

So Lord Krishna, God Himself, has authorized the process of worshipping Him in the form of a deity.

SB 11.27.48: Whenever one develops faith in Me — in My form as the Deity or in other bona fide manifestations — one should worship Me in that form. I certainly exist both within all created beings and also separately in My original form, since I am the Supreme Soul of all.

Muslim Brother asks :

In principle I understand that if God actually authorizes some activity, it must be correct. Still, I have difficulty understanding how a person can learn to love God by worshipping a form that He himself has created. Perhaps my difficulty is that in the abrahamic scriptures, I know of no description of God’s form that is detailed enough to allow someone to craft a form like it. Also, I am not familiar with any descriptions in the Islamic scriptures about how to worship such a form like a Deity. Such worship is repeatedly condemned as idolatry.

Hindu/Sanatan Dharmic answers:

Abrahamic scriptures may not give a clear and detailed description of the form of God, but the Vedas do. The Vedas also give a very detailed description of the method of Deity worship. The principle is that if you want to love God, you must be able to develop some personal relationship with Him. As we have discussed several times, the purpose of religion is to develop love of God. Service to God is the symptom and means to that love. In our impure state, may be it hindu or muslim or Christian, we are not qualified to see the original spiritual form of God and to worship Him. By His mercy He has agreed to appear in the form of His Deity. Therefore, the whole process of Deity worship gives us an opportunity to directly serving God. As the devotee renders continuous and regulated service to the Deity according to the methods authorized in the scriptures, the impurities of our heart gradually become cleansed and our natural loving relationship with the Lord is manifest. Without being able to relate to God in some personal way there is no question of learning to love Him, even though He is all-pervading and can accept our offering any time or place.

 

Lord describes about the infinite nature of Him:

“sarvatah pani-padam tat sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham sarvatah shrutimal loke sarvam avrtya tishthati” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter 13 verse 14)

“Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna,I am everywhere and in everyone. In this way the Super Soul exists, pervading everything in this world.”

So, God is everywhere. Anyone who believes in God must accept God everywhere. He is in everything so is He not in this wood or stone?” But the difference is we are recognizing Him here, we are worshiping Him here, we are focusing our attention in Him here. It is explained in the scriptures that when an advanced devotee invokes the presence of the Lord in a form that is particularly designed as explained then out of causeless mercy and kindness the supreme God appears in that form to accept our love. If we approach the deity as stone, the deity appears to us as stone, if we approach the deity as God, the deity will reveal Himself as God; of course, at the beginning our vision is material so we cannot see the spiritual. It is for that reason that God allows us to worship His transcendental form in deity form.

Muslim Brothers asks :

So, Hindus are using deities for concentration? Then abrahamic faith followers and Muslims don’t need to worship deities because they are advanced than Hindus and need no concentration for god.

Hindu/Sanatan Dharmic answers :

No, this is wrong perception that Hindus are using deities is for concentration. Hindus or Sanatan Dharma followers are spiritually intelligent. Islam, Christianity and other abramahic religions focus on helping those who do not believe in God. For them believe in God is the beginning and end of the process.

Therefore the essences of abrahamic religions or Islam/Christianity are Fear god and obey god. However, in Hinduism belief is only the first and lower level system. The ultimate goal of Hinduism is to move beyond just believing in god to experiencing God here or direct experience of the Divine. The experience of God, in sense of complete God Realization, is sole motive of a Hindu life. Therefore the essence of Hinduism is to Love god and become one with the Supreme Soul.

The fear brings one only up to certain point and beyond that it repels, but love takes through to the point. Devotion or bhakti as often referred to is a very key concept in Hinduism, even for the philosophically inclined ones. While the shashtras – be it vedas, Agamas, purANas – describe the Glory of God, one finds abundance of stotras that praise the God in love.

So, it is understanding problem of non–Hindus that idol is required for concentration only in the initial stages and not later on when the mind reaches higher consciousness. Hindus starts their life having highest consciousness of god and their life ends on transforming and liberating experience of complete God realization or seeing God. Some Abrahamic faiths like Islam do not allow seeing god or completing god realization so followers of these religions live life in initial god consciousness and there is little hope for realizing god beyond going religious instructions.

Muslim brothers Asks :

Your explanation helps me have a clearer understanding of Hindu Deity worship, but your own scriptures say god has no form. These following verses I have found in “Islamic research foundation” site. What you gonna say now?

The following verses from the Upanishads refer to the Concept of God:

“Ekam evadvitiyam” “He is One only without a second.” [Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1]1

“Na casya kascij janita na cadhipah.” “Of Him there are neither parents nor lord.” [Svetasvatara Upanishad 6:9]2

“Na tasya pratima asti” “There is no likeness of Him.” [Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19]3

The following verses from the Upanishad allude to the inability of man to imagine God in a particular form:

“Na samdrse tisthati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam.” “His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye.”[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20]4

“na tasya pratima asti” “There is no image of Him.”[Yajurveda 32:3]5

“shudhama poapvidham” “He is bodyless and pure.”[Yajurveda 40:8]6

“Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste”

“They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements” (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). “They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti.” [Yajurveda] Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol, etc.

Hindu/Sanatan dharmic answers :

Well all the understanding and projecting the meaning of these verses are completely wrong.Let me explain it. Abrahamic faith followers sometimes failed to understand  and become confused in hindu scriptures because trying to do an in and out analysis without getting on to taste its fruit by practicing would make one feel exhausted. Because it is not a religion of limited contours. It is really an ocean of knowledge. Hindu shashtras – be it vedas, Agamas, purANas – describe two aspects of God

1. Nirguna Brahman The absolute with out qualities, is impersonal, without guna or attributes, Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal and Akarta (non-agent).in nirguna god is sadashiva, parameswar, paramatma or adisakti. In his formless form or nirguna aspect god is the transcendental formless reality, and the most unknown who is in the form of without qualities and attributes. Nirguna Brahman is the supreme lord , the eternal truth , the absolute ,invisible ,which is beyond the senses and mind and without time.
2. Saguna Brahman Qualified absolute, came from the Sanskrit saguṇa (सगुण) “with qualities” and brahman (ब्रह्मन्) “the Absolute.” The personal aspect of the Ultimate Reality. Saguna Brahman is cosmic lord who combines within himself the role of creatopn , maintenance , destruction ,concealment and liberation. As the supreme self or almighty divine being in saguna Brahman God is mahavishnu, mahasiva , mahasakti etc. But Saguna Brahman and Nirguan Brahman are not two different Brahmans but two identical aspects of one lord.

SO   “na tasya pratima asti” There is no image of Him.

So, there is no image of God when God manifests Himself as nirguNa brahman (attributeless god).

“shudhama poapvidham” “He is bodyless and pure.

God is bodyless when He is in his Nirakara/Nirguna State.

“Na samdrse tisthati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam.” “His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye.”

This verse says When God is Nirvikar or Nirakar or Nirguna , in this state no one can see him. Even God is in Saguna Form one can’t see his divine form from his material eyes. One can only see god through his spiritual eyes.

“Andhatama pravishanti ye asambhuti mupaste” “They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements” (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). “They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti.” 

This verse says without God’s authentication if one create some form, call it god and worship it, all according to it’s mental concoction then all his process will go in vain.

“Ekam evadvitiyam” “He is One only without a second.”

Hinduism is often labeled as a religion of 330 million gods. This misunderstanding arises when people fail to grasp the rich philosophy of Hinduism. Hindus believe in the One Lord,Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the original and primeval person who is simultaneously expanded everywhere throughout existence and yet is still situated in His eternal abode in His original, transcendental form. He is the all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-merciful being. He is the chief eternal living entity amongst all eternal living entities who are His parts. He is responsible for fulfilling all the desires of the subordinate living entities since time immemorial.

Muslim Brothers Asks :

Well, Now my confusions about are clearing about Hindu deity worship.

Hindu/Sanatan Dharmic Answers:

The Lord is ultimately interested in the spiritual welfare of everyone. He instructs us to do that which is for our ultimate spiritual benefit and He condemns those activities that are unfavorable for us to develop our love for Him. If we serve the Deity according to the authorized process, then we will be spiritually benefited. Otherwise, we will not.

Therefore Lord Brahma says

ishvaraha parama krishnaha sac-chid-ananda-vigraha anadir adi govindaha sarva-karana-karanam

Krsna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.

namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya cha jagad-dhitaya krishnaya govindaya namo namaha

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Krishna, who is the worshipable Deity for all the brahmanas and the benefactor of the whole world. I offer my repeated obeisances to the Personality of Godhead, known as Krishna and Govinda.”

Sources

1. Radhanatha Swami Blog
2. Krishna .org
3. folknet .in
4. Lectures of Srila Prabhupada
5. Devi Gita
6. Bhagabat Gita
7. Srimad Bhagabatam
8. equalsoul .org
9. shaivam .org