History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c41.s13.1

v3.c41.s13.1

Though thus Hinduism was in this period and is even now a blend of Vedic and Puranic worships, the Vedic ritual such as Tarpaṇa, Suryopasthāna and Havana gradually declined in importance and the worship of the Puranic gods, Śiva, Viṣṇu, Devi, and Gaṇeśa and even Sūrya became the normal and chief part of Hindu daily worship. Whether idol-worship is countenanced by the Vedas or not we will not stop here to enquire. But the Vedic Sūtras do not mention worship of idols in the daily service of God. After the suppression of Buddhism which began in the denial of God and ended in the universal worship of Buddha's images, Hinduism took up idol-worship with greater zest and it seems that the daily worship of small idols in every household came into vogue and was prescribed in the various nibandhas and works on religious practice. It is difficult to say whether the modern Pañchāyatana worship came into vogue at this time or was prescribed by Śankara in order to avoid the constant fight between worships of different gods. But certain it is that there were small images of different deities in every household at that time as at present. For the ceremony of worshipping Śiva or Viṣṇu or both by kings when making land grants mentioned in inscriptions can not refer to worship in temples. The images worshipped must have been the images in the royal household. They were either images of metal or small unfashioned stones of a particular appearance and with particular signs to be seen even now in Hindu households, which were considered to represent the different deities. This idol-worship in every household must have eventually thrown into the background the Vedic sacrificial fire therein.