A mammoth 84 lakh yonis or forms of life exist; they live, procreate and die to change their forms, according to Hindu scriptures. Energy is never destroyed, it only changes form. The world is full of various kinds of land and aquatic animals, birds, insects, and a vast variety of green foliage. Alongside human beings, there exists a thriving underwater and land life.  

Hinduism believes in reincarnation. The soul never dies and death is nothing but change of form. When Arjun is worried about his loved ones dying in the battlefield, Lord Krishna says, “jātasya hi dhruvo mṛityur dhruvaṁ janma mṛitasya cha tasmād aparihārye ’rthe na tvaṁ śhochitum arhasi.” Death is certain for one who has been born, and rebirth is inevitable for one who has died. Therefore, you should not lament over the inevitable ─ Bhagavad Gita 2:27

A human being can be reborn as an animal or an insect or an animal can be reborn as human. Puranic stories have animals also as main characters. In the most revered Ram Charitamanas, we have a monkey called Lord Hanuman, leading the search army of Lord Ram when his wife Ma Sita gets abducted by Ravan.

Nita Agarwal

Everything that exists in our planet has a role to play in maintaining the balance in our eco system. Every life, big or small has a purpose in ensuring natural laws do not get disturbed. Even in the most extreme weather conditions that we experience in Antarctica, Alaska, and the Sahara deserts, some form of life exists. 

Everything that exists in our universe is a manifestation of the Lord, according to ancient Hindu scriptures  This is the reason why we are taught from a young age that everything should be respected and taken care of. Somehow we have lost the essence of this teaching with continuous scientific development. Today, if we are facing the wrath of nature, it is because we humans have disturbed the natural environment by senseless development for making our own lives more comfortable at the cost of other lives.

I am sharing my own understanding as to why there are so many gods and goddesses in Sanatan Dharma. As a child I saw the worship of the sun  and the moon during various festive and  religious occasions. I also saw worship of land, water, and rains by farmers. Farmers treat their domestic animals as family members. Cows are most revered. We feed all kinds of birds and animals to propitiate many gods and goddesses. We celebrate Basant Panchami to welcome the spring season. We even have Naag Panchami to show our reverence to even poisonous snakes. Animals and birds are revered because they are often associated with different gods and goddesses. 

The five elements that make our universe as well as all the eight directions too have have different Lords as presiding deities. Hindu religion is called Sanatan Dharam, which means Eternal Values that should guide the way we think and act. 

When we build a new house, we have the concept of Bhumi Pujan. Recently, worldwide people witnessed the bhumi pujan to begin the construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya. We seek the blessings of earth Goddess Bhudevi to bless us so that we can build a safe and secure shelter for our family and loved ones. Many of you may have noticed how many players touch the ground when they enter the arena to participate in any competition. Many stage actors and artistes do the same. It is to show respect to the stage that allows them to showcase their talent and also earn their livelihood. 

In India Saraswati Devi is the goddess of learning. She is worshipped before a child begins formal education. It is to seek blessings to succeed in learning well. Naturally, we learn to respect the books and all instruments of learning. We have a mantra to recite before we eat our food. Annapurna Devi is the goddess of food. From childhood, we are taught to respect food and never waste it. We are taught to respect all plants for the food they provide to us as fruits and vegetables. We are taught not to disturb plants after sunset. We even worship certain plants and trees on special days. The worker, who uses various instruments to make a living, worships his instruments on Vishwakarma Puja Day. All machines are worshipped too. 

We even have a Goddess of wealth called Ma Laxmi and the God of wealth is known as Lord Kubera. Diwali is celebrated on the day Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya. People do Laxmi Pujan too and many also do puja of their account books.

We have festivals to worship and show gratitude after every harvest. It is celebrated in January, April, September and November. Every region of India celebrates the harvest festival under different names like Lohri, Pongal, Makar Sankranti, Bihu, Baisakhi, Onam and so on. 

The concept of many gods and goddesses is part of Sanatan Dharma to live a life of gratitude, show respect to everything that helps us to live, and to sustain and flourish. This teaches us to remain humble. If we sincerely follow many of the simple practices, it can prevent arrogance from developing in our attitude. It helps us to stay grounded even when we find much success in the material world. 

Living in gratitude, and reverence towards every form of life echoes the essence of Sanatan Dharma, which is not really a religion but a way to life, which believes that this entire universe is a manifestation of the Creator or God; it teaches us, “Kan Kan mein Bhagwan” ― respect everything, every being, every element because all this is part of God. 

Looked at from a universal perspective, one can conclude that although Sanatan Dharma has its roots in India, it is rapidly spreading globally. So, let’s fly on the wings of positivism and optimism and consider the world as a land where many merges with one.

Nita Agarwal is an ex-Table Tennis State player, qualified teacher, self-taught budding painter, a successful blogger, who writes about her observations of life and people; and most importantly, a working housewife. 

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