What Is The Proper Response To The False God Criticism

“Seeing Sita, like trying to decipher knowledge from the Vedas which has become barely perceptible after lack of use, his mind became doubtful. As Sita was not decorated, with difficulty Hanuman could recognize her, like understanding a text which has gotten a different meaning due to a lack of purity.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 15.38-39)

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तस्य संदिदिहे बुद्धिर्मुहुः सीतां निरीक्ष्य तु।
आम्नायानामयोगेन विद्यां प्रशिथिलामिव।।
दुःखेन बुबुधे सीतां हनुमाननलङ्कृताम्।
संस्कारेण यथा हीनां वाचमर्थान्तरं गताम्।।

tasya saṃdidihe buddhirmuhuḥ sītāṃ nirīkṣya tu।
āmnāyānāmayogena vidyāṃ praśithilāmiva।।
duḥkhena bubudhe sītāṃ hanumānanalaṅkṛtām।
saṃskāreṇa yathā hīnāṃ vācamarthāntaraṃ gatām।।

“From my perspective, I find the statues and paintings to be beautiful. The immediate response is inquisitiveness. I want to know more. Why is this monkey-like figure carrying what appears to be a mountain in his hands? What is this elephant-like figure writing? It must be important.

“Why is this beautiful adult male carrying a bow and arrow? Who are these people accompanying Him? This goddess is stunningly beautiful. There must be some purpose to approaching her. It appears that she can grant anything desired.

“At the same time, we find criticism. I realize that the inimical are not as familiar, that there may be rivalry involved, that they are not as confident in their own belief system, but the words they offer are derisive all the same.

“They say that the images depicted in Vedic culture are of false gods. These gods are really idols, you see, which are demonic in origin. No one should ever put a form to the Almighty. They certainly should not accept the premise that the single source can manifest in different ways or that there can be more than one god.

“What is the best response to these words? They are harsh in nature. I believe sitting quietly and pretending nothing is happening might not be the best approach. We must also acknowledge that these images are now everywhere. They are no longer exclusive to private rooms in homes or altars in safely guarded temples.”

For starters, any person can criticize anything. Just looking at someone, I can mock the way that they walk. I can presume that they are arrogant, full of themselves, and totally unaware of how they come off. I scrutinize left and right, without anyone ever challenging my assertions.

With Vedic culture, someone can just as easily turn the words right back onto the critics. They are the ones worshiping a false god. They have created something like a fall guy. One person who is so foolish as to accept the sins of a population which has no interest in reforming, in turning things around, in actually doing something meaningful in honor of their fall guy.

Someone can say that these worshipers of these false gods are so foolish that they have turned the Almighty into something inferior. Their fall guy must be lower than the sun, the clouds, the moon, and the earth. This is because those fixtures of nature do not discriminate. The sun distributes heat and light to everyone, irrespective of the religion they follow.

मात्रा-स्पर्शास् तु कौन्तेय
शीतोष्ण-सुख-दुःख-दाः
आगमापायिनो ऽनित्यास्
तांस् तितिक्षस्व भारत

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ‘nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.14)

Every person experiences happiness and distress. These arrive as if on a schedule, like the changing of seasons. To say that only followers of a specific religion are eligible for reaching heaven is like saying the same followers are the only ones who experience pleasure in this life, who take joy from eating, who get rest from sleeping, who can identify sour and sweet tastes, and so forth.

Because of the rampant ignorance, because of the intense envy of the Almighty permeating the material world, it is important for Vedic culture to have an accompanying presentation. There must be a kind of ornamentation, to give seriousness to the various rituals, procedures, and processes. Otherwise, it is like someone randomly coming across a book that was written thousands of years ago, in an ancient script, with a context of characters no one has ever heard of.

In that interaction, it is impossible to learn the actual meaning. There is an appropriate comparison in the Ramayana. Hanuman was able to recognize Sita Devi, despite her not being properly adorned. She was not showing the typical external appearance, and this was intentional.

Sita was in a dangerous situation. Ravana, the king of Lanka, desired her so intensely that he used physical force and threats of punishment to get her to change her mind. She continued to refuse his advances, and she was not going to do anything to invite future approaches.

Hanuman could still recognize her. Despite the torment, the struggle, the heartache, and the pain, Sita was still recognizable to him. It is like the properly educated, the cultured, and the intelligent coming across shastra. Even lacking the appropriate presentation, they are able to decipher the original meaning to the texts and sayings which have been passed down through the ages.

रामेति प्रथितो लोके गुणवान्सत्यवान्शुचिः
विशालाक्षो महाबाहुस्सर्वभूतहिते रतः

rāmeti prathito loke guṇavānsatyavānśuciḥ
viśālākṣo mahābāhussarvabhūtahite rataḥ

“My husband Rama is famous throughout the world. He is pure, truthful, and very gentle. He is mighty-armed, has wide eyes, and is always busy working for the welfare of all living beings [sarva-bhuta-hite-ratah].” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 47.11)

Those who are envious, who have no control over their senses, and who are as wicked as Ravana lob the false god criticism. They think the husband of Sita is an ordinary man, just another character from history, and someone who can be defeated. They do not know His changeless nature, and how He is actually wishing well to all living entities. Those who understand the truth to those supposed false gods understand everything needed to be known.

In Closing:

Too bright for naked eye,
Visibly distinct in the sky.

Most benevolent can call,
Since heat and light for all.

God even greater must be,
With equal vision to see.

Not petty, vindictive, or mean,
By wise this way seen.