The Concept of God and Subtle Sin: Indian Faith and Religions-A Different Perspective about the Many Names of God

We have heard it many times that people in India have many religions, faiths and the gods. It seems a chaotic to many people, however there is no problem in it and it is not chaotic at all. There is a great sin if one commits and it is about the names of God, which all faiths have in common. We have so many names for God that these are the countless ones; each word has a significant meaning. For Omnipresent it is Rama, for Omnipotent it is Jagdish for Omniscience it has names like Brahma and so many others that one may not describe it. These names are the pearls of the rosary. The pearls appear different, but the thread is one as the rosary. In the rosary even the single name has different pearls, but the thread represents the personal connection with God as it moves without breaking our concentration. Now the sin, which is of the worst kind, is that if one differentiates names of God as different. For example the word Rama is for God and at the same time, Krishna, Gopal, Hari, Naryana, and countless others are present. The sin that intellect causes is to make these names different. Can we say that the Omnipresent and the Omnipotent are two different identities?

Well, the answer is no, as all know. The most simplifying word is the Omniscience, which means that all knowledge and wisdom has the one and the single source and that is God. Now, when an Indian would hear Lord Jesus Christ for one it is same as hearing the name of God. It pleases, no matter what religion or faith one follows. While parsing the God there are the trend of chanting or remembering 108 names of God and there are even the 1008 names. This kind of praising is present in almost all religions and the faiths in India. This is poplar as the Satotarnama of God. The word Sahastrnama is also popular. These convey that God has many names and if one recites various names as the synonymous it increases the faith and devotion for God. Thus all names which appear different have the same meaning and it is nothing, but the God. The worst spiritual crime, the breaking the concentration of others and one’s own is when one says that two names are different. For example the name Rama and the Krishna are different, if one believes it is having the common sin of differentiating the name of God, which is one though having many synonymous.

Even while one worships God as Lord Vishnu, one of the name of God as the Operator or the Sustainer it has the thousands of other names. One may read the collection of the thousand names as the Sahastranama, the thousand names. It broadens the intellect to such a transcendental level that one would say that all works of Grace are from God and the names represent the ways of Grace. For example, the Hari is name which stands for the God as the Remover of our sorrows. The other name Gopal is for God as the one, who cares for the whole of the Creation. Thus each name gives a joy. The Indians would like to hear any name as one. The other popular name is Swami; it is for God as the Owner of the whole of the Creation. These are the adjectives of His name. We feel very happy when one uses adjectives for us while praising us. One may call us a friend, mate, cooperative, sensible, scientific, considerable and other words and us beautiful, intelligent, brave, wise, and loyal. We enjoy all of the words so addressed to us, is not it.

The “I” goes to high level of boosting when we hear these words. These are the Satotrnama and the Sahastranam’s for us. We feel it as well need it. The children, youth, old, aged need it in praise, the boss needs, and who does not need is a different matter. Thus the Indian would have the same honor for Lord Rama and Lord Krishna as for Lord Christ and the names like Allah, Halleluiah and whatever it can be for parsing God. Just tell what you call God and it goes as the good news to the listener for the new experience of the mystical joy for the one, who follows the Indian religions and the faiths, which do not have the concept of duality about this spiritual and the divine perspective. Thanks!