Swami Vivekananda’s Brilliant Lesson on Idol Worship

A king once questioned Swami Vivekananda, saying that he could not understand why Hindus worship idols made of stone or metal.

Instead of giving a direct answer, Vivekananda asked for the king’s portrait to be brought before him. He then requested one of the courtiers to spit on the portrait. Everyone was shocked and refused. They replied, “It may only be a picture, but it represents our king.”

Vivekananda then explained that a murti is understood in the same way. Hindus do not worship the stone or metal itself; they worship the Divine that the murti represents. Just as respect shown to a photograph is directed toward the person it represents, devotion offered before a murti is directed toward God.

This powerful anecdote from Swami Vivekananda continues to answer one of the most common misconceptions about Sanatana Dharma.

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