1. Vedic Monotheism and Biblical Doctrine of Trinity
VEDIC MONOTHEISM AND BIBLICAL DOCTRINE OF TRINITY
1. VEDIC MONOTHEISM
Vedic philosophy revolves round singularity of God. There is no mention of plurality of God in Vedas. Vedic religion is pure unadulterated Monotheism. According to Hoy Vedas, God is one, not many :
sa eYa ekx ekxvaRdokx eva |
à Aqava-vaod 13ó4ó20Verily He is one
Single, indivisible, supreme reality.
- Atharva Veda 13/4/20
Oneness of God is the axis round which the philosophy of Vedas revolves. None but God alone reigns and rules over the whole universe. True kingship belongs to Creator of the cosmos. He alone is the Supreme Sovereign of the universe :
ekxao ivaEvasya Bauvanasya rajaa |There is none who equals him. He is One, without parallel :
à Pgvaod 6ó36ó4He is the sole sovereign
Of the universe.
- Rig Veda 6/36/4
ya ekxao Aista dMsanaa maha^M {ga`ao AiBa va`taO: |
à Pgvaod 8ó1ó27He is one, unparalleled
Through His wondrous, mighty
And formidable laws and deeds.
- Rig Veda 8/1/27
Vedic philosophy does not approve of polytheism. There are no gods except one God, who is the Lord of lords. Only He is worthy to be worshipped and fit to be adored :
ekx eva namasyaao#ivaXvaIDyaa: |
à Aqava-vaod 2ó2ó1There is only One
Who ought to be adored
By the people.
- Atharva Veda 2/2/1
Holy Vedas declare that God alone is the unchallenged Lord of the whole creation. All sorts of eulogy, adoration and prayer befit Him only. Man does not deserve to be eulogised and deified by man. The deification of man by man is not permitted by Vedic religion. Therefore, it behoves man to worship the Great Lord of the cosmos only :
maa icadnyaiW SaMsata saKayaao maa irYaNyata |
[nd`imatstaaotaa vaRYaNaM sacaa sautao mauhur]@qaa ca SaMsata ||
à saamavaod 242O friends,
Adore none else but Providence
Who is supreme bestower of bliss
And thus thou wilt not suffer;
Eulogise Him in congregation
And sing songs of His glory repeatedly
- Sam Veda 242
God is singular, but his names are plural. All the epithets mentioned in Holy Vedas are ascribed to one God, who is Creator of the cosmos. Shiva, Shankara, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, Ganesh, Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, Yama etc. are the epithets of one Supreme Being, who is formless, featureless, birthless and bodiless. He is unborn, eternal, immortal and everlasting. He has no agents, no intermediaries, no representatives, no incarnations and no partners. He has neither father, nor mother. He has neither wife, nor sons, nor daughters. He has no attachment. But He is Benevolent Father of all his children, and imparts equal love impartially to all his creatures. He is kind to all, cruel to, none. His first name is Om. But He is evoked and adored by several other names which are written in Vedas
[nd`M ima~aM var]Namaignamaahurqaao idvya: sa saupaNaao- gar]tmaana\ |
ekMx saiWpa`a bahuQaa vadntyaigna yamaM maatairEvaanamaahu: ||
à Pgvaod 1ó164ó46He is One Brahma
The Creator of the cosmos
Who pervades and protects
And enlightens aft beings
He is One Supreme Entity
Whom sages call by various names
Such as Indra, the glorious
Mitra, the benign friend
Varuna, the greatest, the noblest
Agni, the resplendent, the bright
Yama, the dispenser of justice
Matarishwa, the almighty.
- Rig Veda 1/164/46
He is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient. He is All-powerful and All-pervasive. He pervades, permeates and penetrates all things and all hearts
sa#Aaota: pa`aotaEca ivaBaU: pa`jaasau |
à yajauva-od 32ó8He, the all-pervasive
Pervades all beings
Within and without.
- Yajur Veda 32/8
He reigns magnificently and munificently over the whole universe. He is unparalleled and unequalled emperor of the cosmos created by Him. He is the One and the sole Sovereign of all creation, animate and inanimate. He is the unchallenged Master of. the whole cosmos :
dovaao dovaanaamaisa |
à Pgvaod 1ó94ó13Thou art Lord of lords.
- Rig Veda 1/94/13
God does not have face, form, features, signs and symbols. He has no body. He is formless, featureless and bodiless. He is birthless and deathless. When He does not take birth, He cannot assume body. He cannot be seen, He can be felt. Hence no picture or portrait, idol or statue of God can be made.
na tasya pa`itamaa#Aista |
à yajauva-od 32ó3God has no image.
- Yajur Veda 32/3
The Western scholars, who drank deep from Vedic spring, have never lagged behind in admiring and appreciating the oneness of God as revealed in Vedas, from the core of their hearts. Count Bjornstjerne, the Norway�s national poet, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1903, observes :
�These truly sublime ideas cannot fail to convince us that the Vedas recognise only one God, who is Almighty, Infinite, Eternal, Self-existent, the Light and Lord of the Universe.�
- Count Bjornstjerne