There is only one God. If there were more than one God, this material world would not be organized so well. If there were many competing independent Gods, they would decree different, conflicting material laws, each according to his own desire. Of this there is no doubt. Looking at the material world, an intelligent and thoughtful person cannot fail to accept the idea that it was created according to the will of a single Supreme Person.
--Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Tattva-viveka 1.21, Commentary
I was reminded of this quote when I ran across it in the back of this month’s Back to Godhead magazine. One of the difficulties I face in teaching Vedic wisdom to students from a very diverse background is getting them to understand how there can be 30 million Gods, yet only one God.
Most students think that the Vedic faiths are polytheistic because they see all of the images of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman, etc., etc., etc. It then becomes my duty to explain that in reality God is One. This verse offers an excellent starting point to such an understanding.
If one considers the Greek pantheon of Zeus, Hera, Apollo, and so forth, then one understands that many gods means many problems. The Greek gods were constantly trying to outdo each another, and worked against each other, pulling human beings in many different directions. However, in the Vedic world, there is no such disagreement. God may manifest in many different forms, yet He is still Krsna, and every extension of Himself is working towards the same end. Therefore, if we materially conditioned souls would simply surrender to Him, and take shelter at the Lotus feet of the Lord, we would find that we are no longer pulled in many directions, but rather that there is a clear path and purpose to our life—loving, devotional service.
Hare Krsna!
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