What is the role of idol worship? -1.

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To,


All Members,


Question : Swamiji, What is the role of idol worship?


Swamiji : What is an idol ? We say that the whole creation is bhagavan, the Lord. Every form is Lord's form: therefore in any one form I can invoke the Lord.

Traditionally, some forms have been handed over to us and the bhagavad-buddhi [seeing is as the Lord] is associated with those forms in our mind. Today, they spend a lot of money for creating such identity. 7 O'clock means a blade. Lux means a toilet soap. Who creates that buddhi ? The commercials in the media.



For generations the Lord is worshiped in certain forms and those forms have been handed over to you. The tradition did not begin just yesterday. It is coming down to us for generations- a great benefit! When i see Ganapathi, I recognize the form as the Lord, not as a strange creature with an odd head and a big belly - I recognize the form as the Lord and this is what we call 'Tradition'. This is a treasure, we should understand. Just to create that buddhi for 'Lux' as a toilet soap you have to do so much publicity and keep doing it: otherwise people will forget and soap would mean to them Rexona or Hamam!



The idol worship is handed over to us generation after generation. Even atheists in this country have to first accept Ganesa as God and then negate that there is no God..!!

Dialogues with Swami Dayananda Ji (Arsha Vidya Gurukulam)

Swami Dayananda Saraswati

To be continued  ....


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