‘monotheism’ that recognises other gods but places one
god - in this case Krishna - above all others, elevating that
god to the status of ‘god of gods’ or devadeva. This
‘henotheistic’ model would explain the rich plurality of
mutually tolerant ‘monotheisms’ – each recognising others
gods but each with its own supreme god (whether Shiva,
Vishnu, Kali or others) that seems so characteristic of
Hindu religious culture. And yet the Hindu henotheism of
the Gita must be clearly contrasted with that of its
European counterparts – for example the henotheism of
the Greek and Germanic religions – which acknowledged
no trans-personal or transcendental aspect of whatever god in
their pantheon was held as supreme – whether Zeus or
Wotan.
In the Gita on the other hand, what we find is less a
type of classical monotheism or ‘henotheism’, but rather a
model for what has been called ‘vedantic’ or ‘advaitic’ (non-
dual) theism. This is essentially a theism beyond theisms – one
in which in which whatever god is held as supreme is
understood also as identical with the all-pervading source
and essence of all things and all beings, human and divine
- and not as dualistically separable from them.
For as is said in the Gita:
I am the source of the gods
I am being as well as non-being
I am the syllable Aum in all the Vedas