Vedanta declares that God is formless. But there is nothing wrong in accepting that God is with form. God is utterly free. He is capable of assuming form and at the same time being without form.

Why do we utter 1000 names for the Lord? Does God really need many names? Each devotee loves to address God in different way. One person may say ‘chakradhāri namah’ – obeisance to the Lord who holds the discus. Does it mean the Lord eternally holds the discus in His hand? Another devotee may pray, ‘Anantāya namah’ -obeisance to the Lord who is infinite.

Therefore, one who is with form can also be without form. One who is as infinitesimal as an atom can simultaneously manifest in a mighty form. Understand that God is totally free. Those who try to limit God to fixed attributes have limited understanding.

God is capable of manifesting in any form. Thus it is wrong to say that He is only formless. This is the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara bhagavad pada.

We should therefore learn to see God in all living as well as non-living entities. He is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. Why did the Lord have to emerge from a pillar to protect Prahlada? It was to prove that He exists in non-living entities also.

(Star of Mysore newspaper 1994)