________________
WORSHIP OF SUBSTITUTES AND
IMAGES
The next points to be considered are the worship of Pratikas or of things more or less satisfactory as substitutes for God, and the worship of Pratimas or images. What is the worship of God through a Pratika ? It is unfo AwęENSJ42174 "Joining the mind with devotion to that which is not Brahman, taking it to be Brahman,”-says Bhagavan Ramanuja. “Worship the mind as Brahman, this is internal; and the Akasha is Brahman, this is with regard to the devas.” The mind is an internal Pratika, the Akasha is an external one; and both have to be worshipped as substitutes of God. Similarly," "The Sun is Brahman, this is the command'... 'He who worships Name as Brahman,' and in all such passages the doubt arises as to the worship of Pratikas ...," says Sankara. The word Pratika means going towards, and worshipping a Pratika is worshipping something as a substitute, which is, in some one or more respects, like the Brahman more and more, but is not the Brahman. Along with the Pratikas nientioned in the Srutis there are various others to be found in the Puranas and the Tantras. In this kind of Pratika-worship may be included all the various forms of Pitri-worship and Deva-worship.
Now worshipping Ishvara and Him alone is
