Vedā: The Concept of GOD

GOD in Vedā

In Vedas, there is only God beyond form and concepts, who cannot be worshiped as such, but only the concepts of God can be worshiped. (which is undoubtedly the fact) Thus, God as an entity cannot be worshiped, but only concepts of God can be worshiped. And these concepts are assigned some attributes and qualities for the sake of worship. Anything that is worshiped is just a concept in our minds. That is the stark reality. As the Vedas tell, they (concepts of God) “created a form where the form was not, created light was light was not, and born together with the (spiritual) dawn”. “They regenerated themselves (in the sky of mind), assuming the names used in Yajna”.
It is clear in Vedas that concepts of God (called Devas in Vedas, esp. Rigveda) are born in “the spiritual dawn”. They are “the shining ones” (RV 1.6) who “light up the sky”. (sky of mind) They are the rays of God, the spiritual sun. Thus, God, the “spiritual sun”, “sows inspiration”, and hence is called “sower” (Savita) and prayers to Savita are for “inspiration”. (Rigveda 3.54, Yajurveda VS 1.1, and so on…) This spiritual sun is himself called by different names Agni, Indra, Matarishvan, Yama… as is the won’t by the sages/worshipers (Rigveda 1.164) Thus, it is the worshiper who imagines the One Reality differently. (Rigveda 10.114)
The spiritual sun, is again, the Self of God that encompasses the whole creation. (Ref : Rigveda 1.164 and many others) It pervades everything and yet encompasses externally. (Yajurveda 40) This “Sun”, is poetically called “the Truth hidden behind the golden vessel (of delusion)”, (Yajurveda 40) and poets pray to “see this Sun” ( remember the prayer “jyok ca sUryam drshe” and many verses in Rigveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda)
Alternatively, the final Reality is poetically called the “who” (kaH), as the answer to the question “who is God?”. (Ref : Hiranyagarbha hymn, Rigveda 10.129, cited in YV, Sh. Brahmana and many others) (Also compare with Aitreya Aranyaka: “who is the Self we meditate upon.”) This Final impregnable Reality is given different attributes to worship, so that “who is the God we worship.” (check Hiranyagarbha hymn)
“Thus, it is only this “who”; who knows exactly why and when this creation happened. The concepts of God (devas) are later than the creation. Hence, indeed “who” knows what exactly has happened”. (Rigveda 10.129 misquoted by people as agnostic without noting the poetic beauty)
Alternatively, we can also see God as Creator of matter, as well as transformed initial Energy, both reflections of each other. This is met in Purusha sukta, as “Viraj” (the special ruler and Creator), “Purusha” (All-pervading energy). Thus, the initial Energy gets transformed to all beings, from Purusha, the concept of Creator is born. But, from the Creator is the creation born. (Compare Purusha sukta : From Purusha is Viraj born, from Viraj is Purusha born) This is also reflected in another Vedic dual concept “from Daksha is Aditi born, from Aditi is Daksha born” (Daksha = Creativity, creator, Aditi = Infinite Energy)
These are altogether the VEDIC ideas of God summarised.

Author/Researcher: Kiron Krishnan