Worship and Adoration of God

People have been worshiping God for thousands of years. They started worship and adoration due to many reasons. Desire and fear rule the mind and worship and adoration come as a means of fulfilling desire and overcoming fear respectively. People worshiped departed souls, kept the articles they use like the footwear(paduka) for worship.It is common practice to worship a replica, an icon, a piece of stone, too. The rounded stone (Lingam) or a 'pindi' is a common sight everywhere and some of these are found even on roadsides. Vaishnodevi and the Sharda temple at Sharda Village near the confluence of three Rivers Madhumati, Kishen-Ganga and Sharda across the LoC N. Kashmir is said to be almost dated back to dvapara yuga 3500 years B.C. Even today, one finds people keeping three or five stones one above the other and worship these with a red piece of cloth! It all depends on faith. Faith has ruled the minds of people all along in matters of worship of Gods. There is no reason or rhyme in all these. Much has come as a habit or custom and tradition in the family. There are people who do not want to change their habits. The belief system is there to stay.

  However, there are people who do not believe in all these worship of idols,icons, or contribute to any sort of religious practices. They call themselves rationalists. These rationalists too are afraid within,but outwardsly put on a brave-heart. Fear is an inborn trait and nobody can change it. Fear comes along with desire and desire is the seed of birth. "No desire, no life" is the rule. A person who has no desire has indeed conquered the world. 

   Thus, it seems there is no meaning all these religious pursuits. Vedic matra praise Gods to seek goodies, health, progeny, food, wealth. Hence these are again desire-based, and seek God's help to preserve what they get and these are 'fea-based'., So Bhagavan Shree Krishna advised Arjuna to stop these Vedic knowledge and tradition, too since they are aimed at desire and fear. He says, vishayaa ved nistraigunyobhavaarjunaa | One should overcome all desires, fear and take to meditate on the Self. One who is established in his 'Self' has attained It! The Lord resides in the Self of all. The Self is the seat of the Lord, hrit-kamala, Lotus Heart, Meditate on the Self. Self is Brahmn.