Do change the God according to your desires ?

madhuprabha · Apr 30, 2015

I have been brought up to believe in God and always start the day with morning prayers. Starting with a sloka to Lord Ganapa, Lord Venkateshwara, and then the Gurus – Raghavendra/Sai Baba, then on to Hanuman and finally ending with the Navagraha Stothra.

This I have accepted blindly and these slokas come to me without any break, so much so that if I forget any sloka, I have to start from the beginning to remember it. (Just like kids, who start the tables from the beginning, if they forget the middle one)

Be that as it may, as I grew older, the desires, obstacles and crisis in my life changed. It may be passing with good marks or getting though the competitive exams or getting a job, or getting a good life partner and so on and so forth.

But as and when the desires and obstacles changed, the advice from elders was to pray to a particular God to over come it. Like if it is good job or marks – pray to Lord Ganapa/ Goddess Saraswathi, then if it is a good spouse – perform vrath to a Goddess, no children – pray to Bala Krishna/Nagappa and the list continued. And the advice was with the firm order no to forget to pay obeisance to our Kula Devatha.

I would like to ask ILites, whether they also change the prayer and the God according to their desires. Is it necessary that, just like you go to a different Doctor according to your ailment, the prayer and the God also should be changed.

Is it that different God/Avatar have different powers and boons that they can grant. And what if, out of ignorance you pray to a different God, does that mean your prayers will not be answered. These doubts will form especially when after praying and doing all the poojas and vraths, the particular desire is not fulfilled.

Can you please share your experience and thoughts with me.

Scorpio707 · Apr 30, 2015

Madhu,

You have posed a rather difficult and interesting question.

When I look back, I was never the very pious type of a person, though born into a Hindu family I spent a lot of years going to church reading the bible, attending bible classes since it was more appealing probably because it was in English. Post marriage it all changed in full circle for me, both consciously and subconsciously I changed into reading slokas,following our traditions etc which to a certain percentage was an obligation than to be shunned by in laws.

Having said that I believe now "God is an eternal power, a power above everything else that exists, how we call and serve the god is entirely up to an individual. God can have myriad names but it's a personal choice whom you call upon and pray. Sometimes it does not matter whether you loudly proclaim and make it obvious, or pray in silence".

Like you said yes there are different prayers, slokas etc for "N" reasons , but to a great and larger extent I am a staunch believer and worship Lord Muruga, yes there are repercussions at home because of that on why, what, when etc But it gives me peace of mind and strength reading Kanda Shashti Kavacham daily, and know I would do so irrespective of what others may or may not think.

In conclusion ,I would not abstain from performing other activities either to fulfill my wishes and desires. God is one, and for me it's Muruga so where ever I am what ever I do, I would take his name in silence and be.

Sorry for the lengthy response Madhu.

madhuprabha · Apr 30, 2015

Hi @scorpio707

Thanks for your first FB and a detailed one that.
Actually, i subconsciously always pray to Lord Ganapa. But sometimes, when i am doing a particular pooja then i chant that particular God's name. Immediately I am in a quandry whether I am doing a mistake. So finally the list of God's name i chant is increasing.
Even I believe that God by any name is the same but a different avatar. But when I compare this to a dr, who though all have studied medicine are specialized in different fields and ailment.
And then I am back to square one, whether this God for this desire or that God for that. Like the melody chocolate ad.

rtramteke · Apr 30, 2015

Dear MP,

Answer to your question lies in answer to two questions: Do you believe in existence of GOD and Do you have faith in GOD?

Any prayer is basically designed to evoke image of that GOD in your mind as per specifics known to you regarding that GOD and this prayer has been marketed by specific people of society with specific benefit so that it can gain acceptance amongst common people.
Just compare it with different products for example, bathing soap, without any name to it, it will be soap for everyone. But once you give it name and assign specific qualities, it becomes different thing for different people. But just changing soap, do not mean you do not believe it personal cleanliness. So next question, do you need to change soap depending on skin condition or weather condition? It depends on how sensitive is your body and how loyal you are to particular brand.
If you ask me what I do.. I do not connect to god with any particular image so whenever I go to any temple I visualize same circle of energy and say same prayer with one motive of my life.
It is just to start with basics and stick to basics come whatever..because if you know basics very well you can deal with any situation with strong basics.

Balajee · Apr 30, 2015

Madhoprabha I believe that gods are human inventions, inventions that were once necessary on the path of our civilizational progress . Belief in the idea of some higher power made people more confident and helped them face an uncertain unpredictable world.But I think even in the present times many cannot do without the God idea. Only a strongwilled minority dispense with it. Let me quote a spiritual leader here. Godman Jaggi Vasudev believes that we create gods according to our needs. It is like using a spanner for plumbing works but a screwdriver for driving in a screw or unscrewing.i

madhuprabha · Apr 30, 2015

Hello @rtramteke,

Thanks for your FB. Your reference to the soaps, brand loyalty, skin/weather condition is interesting. Becoz people do change them according to their needs. So applying the same analogy to God also, do we have to change them ???????
You are a lucky person to just visualize a circle of energy for praying and that solves the problem.
But for people like me, who have been brought up on a belief that their zillion God, maybe from the same source, but nevertheless different names and forms, accepting that single form and single prayer, is not very easy.
Logically speaking I agree that God is a supreme being and just has many names and forms. But when it comes to belief (call it blind if u want to)then the names and forms have a different meaning and purpose.
I personally relate God and doctors (of different specialization) as one and the same.

madhuprabha · Apr 30, 2015

Good evening @Balajee Sir,
Thanks for your FB.
I remember a lesson we had in Kannada (In II PUC) it was about the fact that God is never over and above the imagination of mankind. We can imagine God with a four head, or with a elephant head or any other animal head, with four hands and so on.
And so the various forms of God and to give it a meaning, different stories and reasons are given. This I accept wholly.

But it is this thought which is throwing a spanner in my logical thinking.
"It is like using a spanner for plumbing works but a screwdriver for driving in a screw or unscrewing"

jskls · Apr 30, 2015

A very intriguing question. I was raised in a very orthodox family. As per my experience, though I was not asked to change worshipping from one god to another a natural transition happened. it started with Goddess Durga as I was asked to visit the temple and for not offending my dad, I did and slowly after marriage my interest transferred to reading Vishnu Sahasranama and so naturally to Lord Venkateshwara. again a natural transition (I repeat natural transition) towards Lalithambika as I started learning Lalitha Sahasranama and then manasa pooja towards Lord Shiva/Linga form happened and it progressed towards light and not any form. At home we do have different deities and offer different poojas/prasads based on different events but at heart I wish to be with the light but it's still work in progress.

vidhyalakshmid · Apr 30, 2015

Different images of Gods are formed to suit the needs of different human beings.
As one of you said switching from one image to another is possible according to the need of the hour. God is omnipotent and omnipresent. But for the human mind it is very hard to connect with God if we imagine as formless. So it is convenient for the mind to connect with image and slokas chanting etc. Nothing is wrong.
Everything depends upon the mental maturity and blossoming of the mind.
In vedas itself it is mentioned that God is one, but learned mention as many.
EKAM SATHYAM VIPRAH BAHUDHA VADANTHI.
Any type of prayer gives mental strength to deal with the situation!

DKI · May 1, 2015

Hindu culture has different "Gods" for every thing. Lakshmi for prosperity, Saraswathi for Learning etc. But all these are just different forms that humans have bestowed upon a single God. That being said, we do tend to pray to different Gods for different things.

The Kula Deivam for my parents is Venkatachalapathi. But my father's home town is Vaikom, where the whole town is built surrounding a huge Shiva temple. My father will not take any decision without praying to "Vaikathappan" and that has passed on to me. Just recently, I realized that I was doing prathakshinam to Durga and when I did the namaskaaram at the end, I said quietly "Vaikathappa Sharanam". So to me no matter which God I pray to, the prayers ultimately end up in Lord Shiva's ears.

All that matters in the end is that you believe that there is a superior power out there who is listening to you even if you are not speaking out loud.