God in Hinduism

God In Hinduism

In Hinduism, the concept of God varies from one sect to another and from one book to another. In Hinduism, forms of explicit monotheism find mention in the canonical Bhagavad Gita. These derive from the philosophical system of Advaita or non-dualism developed by Adi Shankara in the 9th century, within the framework of the Vedanta school of classical Hindu philosophy.

Shankara's non-dualism postulated the identity of the Self or Atman with the Whole or Brahman, and as such can be better described as monism or pantheism than as monotheism. The shift to explicit monotheism is initiated by the South Indian Alvars with their emotional or ecstatic devotion (bhakti) to Vishnu-Krishna. This form of monotheism, also known as Krishnaism, became immensely popular in medieval India, spreading to North India by the 15th century. Besides giving rise to schools of Vaishna monotheim such as Gaudiya Vaishnavism, it also affected non-Vaishna sects of Hinduism, viz. Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. But Vaishnavism, and especially Krishnaism within Vaishnavism, remains the most explicit form of monotheistic worship of a personal God (Svayam Bhagavan) within Hinduism, while other sects tend to assume the existence of a singular God, but not necessarily with aspects of a personality but rather envisaged as an impersonal Absolute (Brahman).

The term Ishvara may refer to any of the monotheistic or monistic conceptions within Hinduism, depending on context.