IF GOD IS PRESENT EVERYWHERE, WHY DO WE WORSHIP THE MURTI?

INTRODUCTION

“ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः।

अनेन वेद्यं सच्छास्त्रमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः॥ २०॥”

-          ब्रह्मज्ञानावलीमाला

According to the above Shloka by Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya Ji, The Brahman is The Ultimate reality and this universe (Jagat) is mithya (dependent reality, something that appears, is experienced, yet has no independent existence of its own).

The Jiva is also The Brahman Himself and not different from Him. So, according to the above Shloka, everything we are seeing, feeling, touching, etc., as well as which we cannot identify through our senses including the whole universe, is nothing but mithya and there is only one Ultimate reality that is The Brahm. So, according to this logic, we can also say that everything that exists in this world is mithya including the Murti (Form) of The Lord.

But under the same philosophy we come across the Shloka from Niralamba Upanishad -

“सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म नेह नानास्ति किञ्चन॥९॥”

-          निरालम्ब उपनिषद

According to the above Shloka, everything in the Universe is The Brahman and there is nothing other than the Brahman.

It may seem that both the Shlokas are contradicting each other, but actually if we look closely, the Shlok that says “Brahm Satyam Jagan Mithya” is the starting of our journey towards The Brahm, because to know about The Ultimate reality, we first need to know what isn't reality or what isn't actually true. This is the same as if we want true information, we first need to know what is false information so that we can clearly distinguish between true and false information.

Now,  theoretically we know that The Brahm is True and the world is mithya but later, as we move ahead in our journey, we now actually experience the fact which is said in the Shloka that The Ultimate reality is only and only The Brahm, and when we realize that The Ultimate reality is only The Brahm then how can there be anything that is different from The Brahm? which means that this whole Jagat is also actually nothing but The Brahm Himself, which is exactly what is said in the Shloka - “Sarvam Khalvidam Brahm Neh Nanasti Kinchana…”

And this is the final destination of our journey. So, we can now clearly understand that both the Shlokas do not contradict each other, rather they complete each other.

JAGADGURU SRI ADI SHANKARACHARYA JI

Image Credits of srisharadapeetham.com

NEED OF MURTI PUJA:

But why are we discussing this? In these two Shlokas lies the answer to our questions of Murti Puja. So, we come to a very obvious question that if everything is Brahm and there is nothing other than The Brahm, then why do we worship a Murti or what is the need to worship a Murti?

The answer to all these questions lies in the question itself- If God is everywhere it means that He is present in The Murti as well, which means that The Murti is also not different from The Brahm.

“बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च ।

सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत् ॥ 16॥”

-          श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता (13.16)

In the above Shloka Lord Shri Krishna Himself says that he exists outside as well as outside all living beings, those that are moving and not moving. he is subtle, and therefore, it is impossible to know him or understand him. He is very far, but he is also very near.

From the above Shloka it is very clear that The Ultimate reality, The Omnipresent Brahm is everywhere and it is impossible for us to understand him. So, we cannot question or move ahead with only a single concept that - if God is Formless, why do we give Him a form or Worship Him in a form?, because in this way we are indirectly limiting the power of The Brahm that He can't be formless, because if He is the Brahm, there is nothing that is not possible for Him.

So, the above Shlokas, beautifully answer the questions that criticize Murti Puja saying The Brahm is formless and Omnipresent.

LORD SRI KRISHNA SHOWING ARJUN HIS VISHWAROOPA

WHY DO WE WORSHIP ONLY THE MURTI WHEN GOD IS PRESENT IN EVERYTHING?

Now after knowing this, we may question that although God is present in The Murti as well but accordingly, he must be present in everything including chairs, tables, even in the stone or material from which the Lord’s Murti is made, as we discussed “Sarvam Khalvidam Brahm” then why do we only worship The Murti and not any other thing?  Before we try to find an answer to this question we must know a very important truth. There are two things when we try to understand The Brahm - Logical mind and Devotional mind. It is very difficult to understand that Brahm who is beyond the senses, mind, logic, who has no start and no end, He is infinite and hence, impossible to understand as said in the Shloka -

“नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन ।

यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्यस्तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूँस्वाम् ॥”

– कठोपनिषद् १.२.२३

This Shloka clearly explains that The Atma (Ultimate Soul- Brahm) cannot be won by exegesis, nor by brainpower, nor by extensive listening, One who chooses the Self wholesomely, to him the Self reveals its own truth.

So, The Brahm is impossible to be known by a logical mind or any other way. The Brahm Himself reveals His true self to the one who chooses Him (a Devotional mind).

So, the answer to the question - why don't we worship other things if God is present everywhere, why only Murti? is beautifully given by Lord Shiva Himself in Sri Ram Charitmanas Ji -

“हरि ब्यापक सर्बत्र समाना। प्रेम तें प्रगट होहिं मैं जाना ॥

देस काल दिसि बिदिसिहु माहीं। कहहु सो कहाँ जहाँ प्रभु नाहीं ॥ ३ ॥”

-          श्रीबालकाण्ड‌ (184)

Lord Shiva beautifully explains- He Knows that Sri Hari is present everywhere alike, there is no place, time, or quarter of the heaven where He is not present but He is revealed only by the Love of His Devotees just like the fire element is present everywhere but it gets manifested or revealed by friction.

WHAT IS THE NEED TO IMAGINE A FORM WHEN WE CAN MEDITATE OR WORSHIP THE FORMLESS BRAHM?

Now, we may agree that The Omnipresent Formless Brahm Himself manifests in the form of Murti by the Love of His Devotees, but what was the need to reveal The Lord in the form of a Murti when you can Worship and meditate on the Formless, Omnipresent Brahm?

Lord Shri Krishna answers this question very beautifully in Srimad Bhagavad Gitaji (12.5) -

“क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ॥

अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दु:खं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥ 5॥”

So, that Supreme Omnipresent Brahm , Shri Krishna Himself says in the above Shloka that it is very troublesome to make progress on the path of realization for those whose minds meditate upon The Unmanifested and Impersonal Form of The Lord, Worship of The Unmanifest is extremely difficult for embodied beings (who themselves have a form). 

So, from the above Shloka we come to know the Glory and importance of Worshipping The Lord in His Personal Form (Sri Vigraha or Chhavi).  A realized/enlightened person sees The Brahm everywhere and in everything but for ordinary people like us who are in control of our senses and trapped in the maya, it is very difficult to worship The infinite Lord in his Unmanifested form.

So, for ordinary beings like us who are trapped in this materialistic world, The Unmanifested Brahm Himself manifests in this materialistic world in the form of  Vigraha, so that we can worship Him very easily, as now we can imagine a Personal Form of The Lord, offer Him service, worship Him and finally get liberated from this world which is mithya.

Great Saints have said that - we are trapped in a Murti (body and materialistic things), So, worship the Murti (Sri Vigraha of the Lord) and then we will be liberated from this world and get situated in the Amurt Roop (Formless Brahm.)

HOW CAN THE FORMLESS BRAHM BE CONFINED IN A FORM (MURTI)?

Again this a very logical question but its answer lies in The Most Devotional form in Sri Ram Charitmanas Ji -

“जो गुन रहित सगुन सोइ कैसें। जलु हिम उपल बिलग नहिं जैसें ॥

जासु नाम भ्रम तिमिर पतंगा। तेहि किमि कहिअ बिमोह प्रसंगा ॥ २ ॥”

-          श्रीबालकाण्ड (115)

Lord Shiva beautifully explains- How can The One Who is Attributeless (Gun Rahit) become Qualified (With Attributes - Saguna)? In the same way as water and the hail-stone are non-different (same in substance).

Whose very Name is like the Sun to the darkness of illusion, how can there be the question of admiration for Him?

 In this one Chaupai Lord Shiva answers all the doubts and questions by giving a very relatable example of Water and the Hail stone. Just as water is formless but it takes the form of Hail stone or ice when cooled, which is completely non-different from Water. Just as we keep the formless water in a container and cool it in a fridge, it forms ice and takes the shape of that container, similarly when a Devotee fills The Formless Omnipresent Brahm in The container of His Faith and keeps it in the fridge of His Love and Devotion, then the Formless Brahm Himself manifests in The Form (Vigraha).

THE FINAL DESTINATION

The one who worships the Lord as Vigraha, it is not that he doesn't experience the formless Brahm. The Lord Himself makes His Devotees experience His complete Form, The same Brahm who is beyond the minds and speech, who is beyond the three modes of nature, who is beyond the time and maya, who is formless, nameless, He who is non different from Us.

As Goswami Sri Tulsidas ji Maharaj says in Sri Ram Charitmanas Ji -

“सोइ जानइ जेहि देहु जनाई। जानत तुम्हहि तुम्हइ होइ जाई॥…॥ २ ॥”

-          श्रीअयोध्याकाण्ड (126)

Only He can Know You (The Supreme Lord), to whom You make Yourself Known; and the moment he knows You He becomes One with You.

EXAMPLES FROM LIFE STORIES OF GREAT DEVOTEES

The Lives of Great Devotees show how The Formless, Omnipresent, Infinite Brahm Himself has appeared in The Form for His Devotees. For example, as The Life Story of Sri Prahlad Maharaj is mentioned in the Canto 7 of Srimad Bhagavatam Mahapuran Ji, when Hiranyakashipu mockingly asked Prahlad Maharaj that if your Hari is everywhere, then He must be present in that pillar as well? Prahlad Maharaj answered with full faith and devotion - Yes, definitely He is, and immediately Lord Sri Narasimha Dev appeared from that Pillar.

SRI NARASIMHA DEV APPEARED FROM THE PILLAR

Image courtesy of  lordrama.co.in

CONCLUSION

So it is very clear that The Brahm is Formless and Omnipresent but He Himself manifests in The Form for His Devotees, as it is very difficult to focus on The Formless Brahm.

Unwavering devotion and focus is only possible when we worship The Lord in His Form (Shri Vigraha). The Devotees worshipping The Lord in His Sri Vigraha Form (Bhakti Marg) and the seeker worshipping the Lord in his unmanifested form (Gyan Marg) ultimately reach the same destination as The Brahm is one and the same.  Both the Devotees experience that their body and form is mithya and ultimately become one with The Brahm.

As Goswami Sri Tulsidas ji says in Sri Ram Charitmanas ji - 

“…जिन्ह कें रही भावना जैसी। प्रभु मूरति तिन्ह देखी तेसी।। २ ।।“

-          श्रीबालकाण्ड (240)

 “Everyone looked on the Lord's form according to the conception each had about Him.”

So, it is only the difference of taste - some directly drink the milk, some take it in the form of milk khoya, some eat in the form of sweets but at the end all are the forms of the same source i.e. Milk.

So, we can conclude with this Chaupai from Sri Ram Charitmanas Ji where Shiv Ji is saying -

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

अगुन अरूप अलख अज जोई। भगत प्रेम बस सगुन सो होई ॥ १ ॥

-          श्रीबालकाण्ड (115)

“There is no difference between qualified Divinity and the unqualified Brahma: so declare the sages and men of wisdom, the Vedas and the Puranas. That which is attributeless and formless, imperceptible and unborn, becomes qualified under the influence of The Devotee's love.”

REFERENCES :

1.      Purusottama Dasa. (n.d.). If God is everywhere, why go to the temple? Back to Godhead.

2.      Sudhir. (2020, July 21). ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः। अनेन वेद्यं सच्छास्त्रमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः॥ Sanskrit for Us.

3.      Veducation. (n.d.). Niralamb Upanishada. Veducation Library.

4.      Mukundananda, S. (n.d.). Bhagavad Gita 13.16. Holy Bhagavad Gita.

5.      Jayapatākā Swami Archives. (n.d.). Bhagavad-Gītā 12.5.

6.      Narayanashrama Tapovanam. (2026, April 30). Shloka 18 – Kathopanisad 1.2.23 – Naayamaatmaa pravacanena.

7.      Internet Archive. (2017, August 27). Ramcharitmanas Gitapress English [Digital book].