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RIDDLES IN HINDUISM<br />
RIDDLE NO. 11<br />
WHY DID THE BRAHMINS MAKE THE HINDU GODS<br />
SUFFER TO RISE AND FALL?<br />
The H<strong>in</strong>dus are accused of idolatry. But there is noth<strong>in</strong>g wrong <strong>in</strong> idolatry. Mak<strong>in</strong>g an idol is noth<strong>in</strong>g more<br />
than hav<strong>in</strong>g a photograph of the deity and if there can be no objection to keep<strong>in</strong>g a photograph what objection<br />
can there be to hav<strong>in</strong>g an image. Real objection to H<strong>in</strong>du idolatry is that it is not mere photography, not mere<br />
production of an image. It is more than that. The H<strong>in</strong>du idol is a liv<strong>in</strong>g be<strong>in</strong>g and is endowed with all the<br />
functions of a human be<strong>in</strong>g. A H<strong>in</strong>du idol is given life by means of a ceremony called Pranapratishtha. The<br />
Buddhists also are idolatrous <strong>in</strong> as much as they too worship Buddha's idol. But the idol they worship is only a<br />
photograph, a mere image. There is no soul <strong>in</strong> it. Why the Brahm<strong>in</strong>s endowed the H<strong>in</strong>du Gods with souls and<br />
made them liv<strong>in</strong>g be<strong>in</strong>gs opens out an <strong>in</strong>quiry which is bound to be reveal<strong>in</strong>g. But this <strong>in</strong>quiry is outside the<br />
scope of this Chapter.<br />
The second charge generally levelled aga<strong>in</strong>st the H<strong>in</strong>dus is that they are polytheists i.e., they worship many<br />
Gods. Here aga<strong>in</strong> the H<strong>in</strong>dus are not the only people who are guilty of the practice of Polytheism. Other<br />
communities have also been known to have practised polytheism. To mention only two. The Romans and the<br />
Greeks were essentially polytheists. They too worshipped many Gods. There is therefore no force <strong>in</strong> this<br />
charge.<br />
The real charge which can be levelled aga<strong>in</strong>st the H<strong>in</strong>dus most people seem to have missed. That charge is<br />
that the H<strong>in</strong>dus are never steadfast <strong>in</strong> their devotion to their Gods. There is no such th<strong>in</strong>g as loyalty or<br />
attachment or faith <strong>in</strong> one God. In the history of H<strong>in</strong>du Gods one f<strong>in</strong>ds it a very common experience that some<br />
Gods have been worshipped for a time and subsequently their worship has been abandoned and the Gods<br />
themselves have been thrown on the scrap-heap. Quite new Gods are adopted and their worship goes with<br />
an <strong>in</strong>tensity of devotion which is full and overflow<strong>in</strong>g. Aga<strong>in</strong> the new Gods are abandoned and are replaced by<br />
a fresh crop of new Gods. So the cycle goes on. In this way the H<strong>in</strong>du Gods are always undergo<strong>in</strong>g rise and<br />
fall—a phenomenon which is unknown <strong>in</strong> the history of any other community <strong>in</strong> the world.<br />
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