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6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION
CHAPTER 6
THE DEVELOPMENT OF MONOTHEISM
AND
THE DOCTRINES OF KARMA AND REINCARNATION
IN HINDUISM
ta
COS
HEA
As is evident, Vedism was only a nature worshipping religion. It never had the slightest notion about a monotheistic Supreme God. In the Vedic days, there were no temples. The Vedic people would pray in the open sitting around a "vedi (altar)" on which fire was lit and this sacrificial ritual was known as jagna. The Rig Veda has several verses praising Indra, the god of rain and thunder and the king of all gods. Nevertheless, in the Rig Veda, we never come across words like Bhagwan or Ishwara.
Hindu scholars argue continuously trying to establish monotheistic concept in the Vedas by quoting the concepts of Prajapati, Dharr and Tatr. The hymns often cited are Purusha-Sukta (X-90), Nasadiya Sukta (X-129) and a few others. These are post- Christian writings. Monotheistic concepts either are interpolations or were developed late in the Christian era.
Monistic tendencies within the Indo-European religion came out of its contact with Jewish religion during the period of Nebuchadnezer. In India it came through the ministy of St. Thomas.
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