Is God Formless or Not? A Vedic Perspective on the Mystery of God’s Form and Idol Worship

The question of whether God is formless or not has been a source of debate and confusion for many people across different religions and cultures. Some believe that God has a specific shape and appearance, while others argue that God transcends any physical limitations and is beyond any human conception. How can we approach this topic with an open mind and a rational perspective? How can we understand the different views and arguments that have been presented by various saints, philosophers, and scholars? And most importantly, how can we discover the true nature of God and our relationship with Him?

Some saints like Kabir say that God is formless, but others, like Mirabai and Tulsidas, argue that God has a beautiful form. So, what's really behind this mystery? Let's unveil it today.

Actually, the answer to this question is straightforward, but due to the ignorance of some people, this concept becomes unnecessarily complicated. According to the Vedic scriptures, God is both personal and impersonal. He has a form and he also does not have the form at the very same time.

 

“द्वे वाव ब्रह्मणो रूपे—मूर्तं चैवामूर्तं च, मर्त्यं चामृतं च, स्थितं च यच्च, सच्च, त्यच्च ॥ १ ॥“

-Bridharanyaka Upanishad 2.3.1

 

“Brahman has but two forms—gross and subtle, mortal and immortal, limited and unlimited, defined and undefined.”

 

Here the word Brahman is used. If you do not know the meaning of Brahman, you can read my  blog on brahman and atman(Click here).

 

“सगुनहि अगुनहि नहिं कछु भेदा। गावहिं मुनि पुरान बुध बेदा॥

अगुन अरूप अलख अज जोई। भगत प्रेम बस सगुन सो होई॥“

-Ramcharitmanas

 

“There is no difference between Saguna and Aguna – Munis, Puranas, Pundits and Vedas all say so. The one who is Aguna (without any material qualities, Arup (formless), Alakh (unmanifested), cannot be understood by mind or senses and is unborn. He, only under the influence of the love of His devotees manifests in a human form.”

Many scriptures mention the same thing. Even in the Shiv Puran, it is said that the formless Shiv manifested himself in the form of Shiv due to His love for His devotees.

 

“वदन्ति तत्तत्त्वविदस्तत्त्वं यज्ज्ञानमद्वयम् ।
ब्रह्मेति परमात्मेति भगवानिति शब्द्यते ॥ ११ ॥“

-Srimad Bhagvatam 1.2.11

 

“Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.”

 

The Absolute Truth is both subject and object, and there is no qualitative difference there. Therefore, Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān are qualitatively one and the same. The same substance is realized as impersonal Brahman by the students of the Upaniṣads, as localized Paramātmā by the Hiraṇyagarbhas or the yogīs, and as Bhagavān by the devotees. So devotees worship him as personal diety(with form).

However, some may say, "No, I don’t agree with you.

 Regardless of what the scriptures say, I will follow my own theories and beliefs. I will not follow the gurus or the scriptures." These individuals assert that God is either formless or has a specific form. To them, I would pose a question: "Do you agree that God is all-powerful?" If they acknowledge , then they must also accept that He has the power to manifest Himself in a personal form. If He cannot manifest in such a way, how can we assert His omnipotence? Additionally, considering that God created the world, and in our world, things have specific shapes, it seems incongruent for a formless God to create a world with shapes. This appears illogical and contradicts the cause-and-effect rule. Therefore, the supreme God, to control this world, manifested Himself in a personal form. Furthermore, God is all-pervading, all-knowing, and situated in everyone’s heart, making Him impersonal.

 

Let’s delve into the discussion of whether idol worship is right or wrong. To begin, the terminology "idol worship" or "murti pooja" is inaccurate according to the scriptures; it is termed Vigraha Seva, meaning the service of the deity's form. Criticisms often arise, claiming we worship mere statues, deeming it foolish. The assertion is that God is not confined to statues but is omnipresent. If one follows the Bhakti sampradaya, the worship of God in form is inherent .Unless  you come from Nirakar Bhakti tradition. To those who argue that we worship a stone, the clarification is essential – we worship the God within that stone. If God is everywhere and in everything, then why isn’t God in that stone? God is in that stone also, and we worship the God in that stone, not the stone. We venerate the divinity within, not the stone itself.

Also they question You worship the statue or the God who can’t even save himself if his statue is broke into pieces. How will he save you? So I want to tell them that again. God is not destroyed. But the statue is destroyed. For a devotee, he sees the God everywhere. In that statue, not only in that statue, but in everyone, he sees God.

 

 Vigraha Seva  or idol worship is correct. Because how can we love something which is formless or void? It will be very difficult to love such a thing. And for beginners directly to go and worship Nirakar is very difficult. So we worship first the Form of God and then we rise up to the level of worshipping formless. But then its our choice that we would like to continue  The vigraha or statues in your language are the ladders to reach the formless. Also, it will be very difficult to meditate upon the formless, but it is very easy to meditate on the beautiful form of the Lord Shri krishna or Ram or Shiv?

 Notably, the great age Adi Shankaracharya, the founder of Advaita Vedanta Philosophy. In which he preached the formless Brahman. The same Adi Shankaracharya also composed many devotional songs in glories of Shiva and Vishnu and in his devotional songs he specifically mentioned about the form of the God. and he was a great devotee Of Krishna too.

In conclusion, there exists no dichotomy between the formless and the form; they coexist. The choice is subjective, dependent on one's spiritual journey and affinity. I hope this blog brings clarity. If you find it resonating, please share it with others. Thank you.