Tag: Mahbharata

I saw a thread in Facebook community on Ghosts, haunted houses and the topic veered around to paranormal and landed in Hinduism/Indian Philosophy.

What does Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma say on this?

Other religions talk of walking on water, Red Sea Parting, curing the diseased, making the dead come alive as Miracles and they are described as manifestations of God.

Sanatana Dharma, The Epics, Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas have innumerable instances which are beyond these described above.

Virata Rupa Vishnu.

We have instances of a Rishi being born out of a vessel,(Agastya), Weapon made of the back bone of a Rishi, Dadisi’s backbone was used to create the Vajrayudha of Indra,Hanuman crossing the ocean by flying over it, three flying cities, Viswaroopa of Krishna in the Mahabharata.

In none of these instances the term miracle is used nor were the instances considered as something unbelievable.

The terms used were , Aascharya,(wonder) Arbhudha(wonder to behold)and utmost the term Avaktavyam(Indescribable.)

When Indrajit was revived by the Sanjeevi Parvatha brought by Anjaneya, the term miracle is used in the sense that an impossible feat has been done.

Another term used in these contexts is Asaadhya, that which is normally not possible, the operative word here being ‘normal’

Reason is , for Hinduism everything is natural and normal and nothing is Para or Supra Normal and there is no miracle.

Nothing is a Miracle for people whose Time scale extends to thousands of years ,(Read My post on Time),where there are Chiranjeevis or Immortals or where even God once born is meant to die!

The outlook is determined by Indian Philosophy.

Hinduism regards the whole Universe as an expression of Reality as being perceived by us.

Perceptions may differ but the perceived remains the same.

The Reality Brahman is a Principle, without Attributes and at the same time with Attributes depending on one’s mental make up.(Please read my Post on Hinduism on God with Forms Yes and No).

The Reality is seen from the perspective of the Perceiver.

Due to  ignorance we do not perceive things as they are but as what they seem to us.

This can be seen in daily Life when things which were a cause of wonderment to us when we were children do not seem to be so when we have grown up.

Once we know or perceive things differently the sense of wonder disappears.

Everything is normal.

The Jains have developed a beautiful Logical System called Sapthabanghi Naya, the Seven ways of predication or the seven ways a thing can be described.

Please read my Post on Sapthabhangi naya.

A thing,

Is,exists(Asti)

Is not, does not exist, for one who is not aware of it or not in its presence,(Nasti)

Is indescribale, Avaktavya ( Indescribable),

Is and Is not (Asti and Nasthi)

A thing Is from the perspective of Onw who is aware of it and Is not from that of one who is not aware.

Asthi and Avaktavya, A thing Is and it Is indescribable from the perspective one who does not know about It(Is and Indescribable)

Nasthi and Avatavya-A Thing Is not and indescribable, based on similar logic.(Is Not and Indescribable)

Asthi, Nasthi, Avattavya( Is, Is not and Indescribable)

A thing Is , Is Not and indescribable at the same time-based on the same Logic.

So in Hinduism Nothing is a Miracle, Para Normal or Supra Normal.

We have Rishis and Siddhas who transcend Time and Space, assume minute forms ‘Take huge forms, enter into a dead body..

There are eight feats on these lines.

Read my Post.

Depends on one’s perspective and the level of Knowledge.

But Hinduism draws a Line.

There is no alternative to death, once born, even if one is God!