Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Idolatry (Hinduism)

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Hinduism and Tribal Religions

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

  • 56 Accesses

Introduction

Hinduism is a sanatana dharma “ancient religion,” and there is no specific date that marks its origin [2]. Unlike Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Islam, there is no founder of Hinduism. Since this religion is more a way of life than religion, many myths, misconceptions, and fallacies are also associated with this world’s oldest religion. One such myth is whether Hinduism prescribes idol worship or not. Following the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita, we get to know that there is only one God, and wise Hindus, who are educated in scriptures, believe and worship only one.

The Bhagavad Gita states that those who are stolen by material desires wrongly surrender themselves to demigods and incorporate personal whims and fancies and subjective rules and regulations to worship (7.20) [4, 5]. The Chandogya Upanishad clearly directs ekam evadvitiyam meaning He is one only without a second (6:2:1), whereas Svetasvatara Upanishadtells us that the supreme God is...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Dobbins FS, Williams SW, Hall IH (1881) False gods: or, the idol worship of the world. A complete history of idolatrous worship throughout the world, ancient and modern. Describing the strange beliefs, practices, superstitions, temples, idols, shrines, sacrifices, domestic peculiarities, etc., etc., connected therewith. Hubbard Bros, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  2. Embree AT, De BWT, Hay S (1988) Sources of Indian tradition: from the beginning to 1800. Columbia University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  3. Ferguson M (2005) Idol worship: a shameless celebration of male beauty in the movies. Star books Press, Sarasota

    Google Scholar 

  4. Monier-Williams M (1877) Hinduism. (Medical Heritage Library.) Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London

    Google Scholar 

  5. Penney S (2009) Hinduism. Heinemann Library, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  6. Rumble L, Carty CM (1976) Virgin and statue worship quizzes to a street preacher. Tan Books, Rockford

    Google Scholar 

  7. Viswanathan E (1992) Am I a Hindu? Halo Books, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Humanities & Social Sciences – Languages & Literature, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, India

    Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi

Authors
  1. Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Anthropology, The University of North Texas Dept of Anthropology, Denton, Texas, USA

    Pankaj Jain

  2. The Graduate Theological Union , Berkeley, California, USA

    Rita Sherma

  3. Jamia Millia Islamia, Centre for the Study of Comparative Reli Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

    Madhu Khanna

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Dwivedi, A.V. (2018). Idolatry (Hinduism). In: Jain, P., Sherma, R., Khanna, M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_468-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_468-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation