The ideas and forms; especially those of deities appear to be created by individuals; but if we go deeper, then realize that right from the conception, gestation, birth and growth and development are nothing is a function of that individual as such. In fact, even the genetic constitution and the heredity of that individual is NOT determined, decided and developed by that individual.
The case in point is that of ideas such as three hundred and thirty million deities in Hindu Dharma!
Such ideas and their forms; is not a matter of ridicule and laugh.
The emergence of three hundred and thirty million deities; is through the recognition; by the seers of the past; of the interrelationship between the time, space, cosmos, solar system, peculiarities of different celestial phenomena, their effects on life, circadian rhythms, consciousness; and the ultimate culmination of life into superliving i.e. self realization. This insight of the seers; also forms the basis of auspicious times, days (MUHURTA), horoscopes, different rituals, different rituals involved in acculturation (SANSKARA), and different ways of worshipping different deities for their characteristic blessing (e.g. enlightenment and wisdom from Ganapati and Saraswati ) for blossoming into superliving.
As per the perception of the seers; the individual human existence is but a miniscule of the universe or cosmos (including the cosmic consciousness, time space etc), the deities are cosmic entities with specific predilection or correspondence and/or subtle relationship with specific loci in human existence. The human beings are near perfect replication and representation of the cosmic being; the PURUSHA with all His attributes manifested as PRAKRUTI. Hence worshipping deities is actually rectifying, healing and empowering the corresponding loci in an individual human existence through the blessings of these deities; for superliving or self realization in globally benevolent manner.
Strangely though; several Hindu scholars; by virtue of their superficial study; (or because of being in an enlightened state where nothing can influence them) have criticized the some aspects of Hindu way of life and the rituals as such.
It has to be noted that Hindu way of life; is logical and step by step process of evolution towards superliving (individual and global blossoming). Hence even though a self realized soul may not need and/or appreciate the importance these rituals and traditions and may therefore criticize them; the vital role of Hindu rituals in human civilization can not be denied.
This is why; even as Hindu philosophy talks about the immortality of soul; still it prescribes the SANSKARA, rituals, traditions, customs, conventions, different worships, different auspicious days, times and so on; so that a child grows, develops and evolves to the state of self realization, which is being one with the immortal cosmic soul; i.e. superliving; benevolent to universe.
Hence irrespective of the names and titles; the practice of worshipping the deities; and following the rituals conducive to superliving; would soon be globalized, popular, sought after and practiced in every nook and corner of the world; for holistic welfare of the world!
It is true that the legacy of the ancient seers has been destroyed, distorted, adulterated and vitiated in many ways due to several reasons; including brutal bloody invasions, carnages and genocides by the barbaric fanatics. Hence study and scrutiny of the legacy is certainly required; but by honest and enlightened souls. Because, if we are trained in mere rote, mechanistic, reductionist and lopsided logical thinking and learning; without evolving internally; (whether it is westernized mainstream education or a traditional education as e.g. is imparted in gurukul); then we fail to appreciate the interrelationship between the time, space, cosmos, solar system, peculiarities of different celestial phenomena, their effects on life, circadian rhythms, and the ultimate culmination of life into superliving i.e. self realization and the importance of the phenomena such as; nyasa, vyahruti, achaman, pranayama, deities and pilgrimage.
Due to our crudeness; we hate, ridicule, humiliate or at best tolerate or consider the existence of these phenomena; sympathetically. Sometimes by virtue of our reading of literature with egalitarian socio-economic materialistic perspective; we offer shallow explanations for the existence and growth of these phenomena. In both cases we knowingly or unknowingly ignore, neglect and trivialize and/or vulgarize them and/or undermine their sublime and pivotal role in the holistic blossoming of individuals and human civilization.
Our seers in the past after having gone to the core of the interrelationship between the time, space, cosmos, solar system, peculiarities of different celestial phenomena, their effects on life, circadian rhythms, and the ultimate culmination of life into superliving i.e. self realization evolved concepts such as nyasa, vyahruti, achaman, pranayama, deities and pilgrimage. They probably clearly recognized that the places of pilgrimage are the conduits to self realization, wherefrom we collect the vitality and vigor to ascend to our true SELF.
Hence pilgrimage has been considered a lofty and meritorious activity and has been given tremendous importance in terms of making them easily accessible, improving the transport facilities, making their historical and spiritual importance known to the visitors, and maintaining and promoting their cleanliness, habitability and sanctity. They established in the minds of the masses that the pilgrimages are centers of civilization and must be treated as such. They knew that the places of pilgrimages are pivotal to our holistic health, total stress management, simultaneous blossoming of one and all!
NAMASMARAN evolves, enlightens and enables us to see, appreciate, scrutinize, verify and modify if necessary; the wisdom of the seers of the past, who have left behind the invaluable treasure of the legacy of Ayurveda, Jyotish, Yoga, Smrutis and so on; and participate in true individual and global welfare!
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