DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0108
96 Vaishnavism. General Characteristics.
subordinate deities—but only as coequal manifestations of
the one eternal impersonal Spirit, and as destined ultimately
to be reabsorbed into that Spirit and so disappear. This, I
repeat, is the only orthodox form of Brahmanical religious
thought, and those who follow it claim Sankara (see p. 55)
as their chief leader and authoritative guide. It is a form of
Pantheism, but differs widely from that of European philoso-
phical systems.
The second great religious class of the Hindus consists
of the Saivas, who, as we have seen, are believers in one god
Siva, not only as the Dissolver and Regenerator, but as the
one supreme personal God, the one self-existent Being, iden-
tified with the one Spirit of the Universe, and therefore not
liable to lose his personality by reabsorption into that Spirit.
The third class consists of the Vaishnavas, who are believers
in the one personal god Vishnu, not only as the Preserver, but
as above every other god, including Siva. It should be noted,
too, that both Saivas and Vaishnavas agree in attributing an
essential form and qualities to the Supreme Being. Their one
God, in fact, exists in an eternal body, which is antecedent to
his earthly incarnations and survives all such incarnations.
Vaishnavism then is, like Saivism, a form of Monotheism.
It is the setting aside of the triune equality of Brahma, Siva,
and Vishnu in favour of one god Vishnu (often called Hari),
especially as manifested in his two human incarnations Rama
and Krishna. ' Brahma and Siva,' said the great Vaishnava
teacher Madhva, ' decay with their decaying bodies; greater
than these is the undecaying Hari.' And here, at the outset
of an important part of our subject, I must declare my belief
that Vaishnavism, notwithstanding the gross polytheistic
superstitions and hideous idolatry to which it gives rise, is
the only real religion of the Hindu peoples, and has more
common ground with Christianity than any other form of
non-Christian faith. Vedism was little more than reveren-
tial awe of the forces of Nature and a desire to propitiate
subordinate deities—but only as coequal manifestations of
the one eternal impersonal Spirit, and as destined ultimately
to be reabsorbed into that Spirit and so disappear. This, I
repeat, is the only orthodox form of Brahmanical religious
thought, and those who follow it claim Sankara (see p. 55)
as their chief leader and authoritative guide. It is a form of
Pantheism, but differs widely from that of European philoso-
phical systems.
The second great religious class of the Hindus consists
of the Saivas, who, as we have seen, are believers in one god
Siva, not only as the Dissolver and Regenerator, but as the
one supreme personal God, the one self-existent Being, iden-
tified with the one Spirit of the Universe, and therefore not
liable to lose his personality by reabsorption into that Spirit.
The third class consists of the Vaishnavas, who are believers
in the one personal god Vishnu, not only as the Preserver, but
as above every other god, including Siva. It should be noted,
too, that both Saivas and Vaishnavas agree in attributing an
essential form and qualities to the Supreme Being. Their one
God, in fact, exists in an eternal body, which is antecedent to
his earthly incarnations and survives all such incarnations.
Vaishnavism then is, like Saivism, a form of Monotheism.
It is the setting aside of the triune equality of Brahma, Siva,
and Vishnu in favour of one god Vishnu (often called Hari),
especially as manifested in his two human incarnations Rama
and Krishna. ' Brahma and Siva,' said the great Vaishnava
teacher Madhva, ' decay with their decaying bodies; greater
than these is the undecaying Hari.' And here, at the outset
of an important part of our subject, I must declare my belief
that Vaishnavism, notwithstanding the gross polytheistic
superstitions and hideous idolatry to which it gives rise, is
the only real religion of the Hindu peoples, and has more
common ground with Christianity than any other form of
non-Christian faith. Vedism was little more than reveren-
tial awe of the forces of Nature and a desire to propitiate