7.2 - Unification and Purification of Hinduism

As the backbone of his religion, Baba had the unity of God-head in all names and forms. This is the feat that must be achieved by all human beings and especially Hindu should attain unity and purity of religion. Therefore those who contacted Baba by worshipping him at Shirdi or elsewhere were deeply impressed with Baba and felt this truth all god forms such as Vittal, Maruti, etc., are God.

“All that is Allah” was what Baba told the Rohilla. Baba constantly used one name for another, namely, Vittal for Khandoba or Maruti for Vittal, and it may be noted that advanced bhaktas following do the same. He told Upsani Maharaj that he Upsani would get God’s grace after four years of severe training at Shirdi, and the word he used for God’s grace was “Khandoba’s grace”. When he referred to Upsani’s residence at Shirdi, he would say “Vittoba’s temple”, but Upsani Maharaj corrected him and said it was Khandoba’s temple outside. Baba would again correct Upsani Maharaj and say, “What is the difference between Khandoba and Vittoba?” By persons who are ingrained in Hindu notions of difference between Siva and Vishnu, Kahndoba would at once be declared Siva’s Avatar and Vittal as Mahavishnu’s avatar, and so the two can not be the same in their functions, their dresses, or their pleasures. The two, Mahavishnu and Siva, are severely contrasted daily by murthy minded Hindus.

That is to say, Vishnu is always dressed up in fine Pitambar, a golden dress, and given a fixed number of ornaments, weapons, insignia, whereas Siva is either undraped as in the Linga or clad with tiger skin, and he wears his hair on the head in the form of a rough tuft. But Vishnu’s hair is nicely combed are presentable. In the description of accompaniments also, living or other, the two are described differently and presented differently in temples. Mahavishnu is surrounded by Lakshmi, bhaktas and bhagavatas, all wearing Namams, whereas Siva is ashsmeared and surrounded by ghouls, demons, and fierce looking creatures, for he is supposed to dwell in the cremation ground, which is considered a polluted place to visit. Hindu groups exultingly developed the peculiar merits, each of its own murthi ideas, as contrasted with those of others; and the Vishnu mata kandanam by saivas and the saiva mata kandanam by the Vaishnavas gave plenty of scope for hair-splitting, philosophizing, and bitterness for centuries, and in practice, often the followers of each kept themselves apart from the others. Even in the valmiki Ramayana., Bala Kanda, there is a chapter showing that siva came to conflict with Vishnu, and even after they stopped their fight, their followers continued their fight. This unedifying spectacle of degrading religion by enthusiasm over unessentials and exulting over differences has worked sufficient harm already to the great neglect of the essence of religion that should alone be stressed by all sensible and truly religious persons. Baba, therefore, drew the attention of all his bhaktas to the fact that whether you called your god, siva or Vishnu, he is the supreme power that is responsible for the creation, maintenance, and the withdrawal of the world, and he gives you all that you need and finally the highest bliss at his own feet. This, being the central essence of all Theism, is or should be the central plank for unifying all branches and sects of Hindus and also unifying Hinduism with Islam and other theistic religions. In fact, world unity of religions can be achieved mainly on this basis. Sporadic teachings on the same lines existed.