This is called śraddhā, that "If I surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then all business of my life is done." This is called śraddhā. Not that sometimes I worship Lord Kṛṣṇa, sometimes Lord Śiva, sometimes goddess Kali, sometimes this, sometimes that. That is not śraddhā. Śraddhā means sudṛḍha niścaya viśvāsa. What is that viśvāsa? Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. If I worship only Kṛṣṇa, then all other duties are performed. Automatically. The example is just like if you pour water on the root of the tree, the transmission of the water is automatically done to the other branches, leaves, and everything. If you supply food to the stomach, then the energy is distributed automatically to the eyes, ears and other parts of the body. Similarly, if you simply offer Kṛṣṇa surrender and worship Him, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), then you worship all other demigods. You don't have to exert yourself for worshiping other demigods. That is automatically done. Therefore the whole concentration should be given to Kṛṣṇa.
Demigod worship (Lectures, Other)
Expressions researched:
"demigod"
|"demigods"
|"worship"
|"worshipable"
|"worshiped"
|"worshiping"
|"worships"
Lectures
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Anyone who is preaching the message of Lord Caitanya or Lord Kṛṣṇa, the same thing... There is no difference. Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa's message. And Lord Caitanya says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). So there is no difference. Kṛṣṇa's upadeśa is to everyone that everyone should give up all nonsense type of occupation... Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Those who are attached to the worship of demigods, they have been condemned by Kṛṣṇa: hṛta-jñānāḥ. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has commented on this word, hṛta-jñānāḥ: naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ, "those who have lost their all intelligence." So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is preaching the same as Lord Kṛṣṇa said and as Lord Caitanya said.
You cannot serve Kṛṣṇa if you are not a devotee. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. That is the real thing, bhaktyā. Not that "I have brought a nice plate and Kṛṣṇa will accept." Not like that. Kṛṣṇa can accept when you offer something, it doesn't matter what it is, it may be a simple flower, a fruit, a, a small piece of leaf or little water... This is universal. For worshiping Kṛṣṇa, there is no impediment. If you want to worship other demigods, there are so many things required. But for worshiping Kṛṣṇa the poorest man in the world, any part of the world, he can offer his love, his offering to Kṛṣṇa. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26).
If you want to go to the higher planetary system, you can worship demigods. The Candra, the Moon planet, you are trying to go there. In this way you cannot go. But if you prepare in this life how to be promoted in the Moon planet or sun planet or heavenly planet, then you prepare yourself. Yānti... Not by force. You cannot go by your teeny sputnik and enter into the sun planet. That is not possible. You have to prepare yourself in this life. Yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). This is the injunction. But Kṛṣṇa also says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go to the Brahmaloka, the highest planet of this universe, still you have to come back again. Mad dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. Therefore a, a sane person should try in this life how to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the highest perfection of life. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people how to go back to home, back to Godhead. Take advantage of this movement and be happy.
Even if you have material desires, still, you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will fulfill your material desires and at the end will give shelter at His lotus feet. This is the advantage of devotional service. Whereas if you worship other demigods, you may get some temporary benefit, but at the end, the benefit will be finished, you'll be finished, and the demigod who has given you the benediction, he will be also finished. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Therefore the conclusion is, even if we have got material desires... Generally, a devotee has no material desires, a pure devotee. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). But even one has got some material desires to be fulfilled, if he worships Kṛṣṇa, that desires will be fulfilled. At the same time, he'll get shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord. This is the advantage.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
In the Bhagavad-gītā this word has been used, alpa-medhasaḥ, tad bhavati alpa-medhasām, in the matter of worshiping the demigods. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20)., antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām (BG 7.23) If you get some resultant action by worshiping demigod, that is antavat. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He got some benediction from Lord Brahmā. Lord Brahmā is not ordinary demigod. He's the... Amongst the demigods he's the head, pitāmaha. So Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted benediction from Lord Brahmā to become immortal. So immortality is not possible. So Lord Brahmā said that "I am myself not immortal. How can I give you? It is not possible."
If a person, strong in arguments and strong in presenting things in jugglery of words, oh, the neophyte, his idea can be changed. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu warns, therefore, in the Vaiṣṇava philosophy that "You should not worship any other demigods." It does not mean that you should show disrespect to demigods. No. That is not. But because he is in the lower stage, if he is allowed to worship or to show respect to the demigods, he will think that he is also like Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa is another demigod, and this Candra is another demigod, Śiva is another demigod." Just like some foolish persons, they propagate that "Whatever deity you worship, oh, that is God."
So their grandson, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when he was being taught by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he had some suspicions about devotion to Kṛṣṇa. Not suspicion. Just to teach us, he inquired that "Lord Kṛṣṇa, He is Viṣṇu. He is the, I mean to say, master of the goddess of fortune. Why people who become Kṛṣṇa conscious or a devotee of Viṣṇu, they remain poorer, and others, those who worship Śiva and other demigods, they become very rich? What is the reason? He is the proprietor of everything. So one who wants Him, they become poorer. Whereas Lord Śiva, he hasn't got even a house of his own, he's a pauper, and one who worships him, he becomes richer." You know the history of Lord Śiva. He hasn't got a house even. He lives under the tree, or in some mountain.
So in the Purāṇas there are worship of different demigods. Just like in the tamasika Purāṇa there is description of the worship of goddess Kālī. You have seen perhaps the picture of goddess Kālī, a black female standing with sword and cutting the heads of so many people like that, that picture, goddess Kālī. And animal sacrifice is offered before goddess Kālī. So such kind of worship is mentioned in the tamasika Purāṇa. The purpose of such worship and demigods, several times I have explained to you. So Padma Purāṇa is a sattvika Purāṇa, for men who are in the modes of goodness. So here it said that although in the different Purāṇas there are recommendations for worshiping different kinds of demigods, but at the conclusion it is found that Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord, He is all in all, all in all. Just like... You have not seen in India. Even there is worship of any other demigod, just like Durgā-pūjā, so even in that paraphernalia of gorgeous worshiping arrangement, when the worship will begin, the first worship is offered to Viṣṇu, Yajñeśvara, because, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ: (BG 7.20) "Those who are mad after material sense gratification, they go and worship other demigods to have some immediate reward." And they get it.
So Lord Caitanya making an analytical study of the Vedic literature, and He is giving His conclusion. This is called mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow the footprints of great ācāryas. Lord Caitanya is playing the part of an ācārya; so His conclusion should be taken. Lord Kṛṣṇa said also that kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajanti anya-devatāḥ: (BG 7.20) "Those who are worshipers of other demigods, they are mad after sense gratification." Oh, that means they are third-class men. Those who are mad after sense gratification, they are not considered first-class men because they are not transcendentalists; they are materialists, just like animals. They do not know anything.
Those who are in the modes of passion, those who are in the modes of ignorance, they should also have some chance. For them, oh, "You go and you worship this demigod." Because we are, every one of us, hankering for material acquisition. The disease is that we are simply thinking of... Idam adya mayā labdham. "Today I have got so much material possession, and next day I shall have so much, and next day I shall have so much. And next day and next day...," and when next day I shall go away—that's all. Finish. This is material disease. They're always hankering after. So there are different hankerings, there are different persons. So, the demigods, "All right, you worship. You want this thing, you want a beautiful wife? All right, you worship Umā. You want to be very learned man? All right, you worship this Devī-Sarasvatī. Oh, you want to be, get out of your disease? All right, you worship the sun-god." So in this way, there are recommendations.
Just like here in this institution, although you are free, you very kindly ask me, "Swamijī, can I take this fruit?" Why? This is etiquette. Similarly, the demigods, they are not fools. Suppose one man worships a demigod and asks some benefit. Oh, demigod will ask the Lord, Supreme Lord. Or, in another sense, the demigods also do not know, because they are also living entities like us. But īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa is so kind that this person, this particular man, is wanting something, "All right, give him. Give him." Kṛṣṇa is... This is freedom. There is no argument, "Oh, why Kṛṣṇa has arranged like this?" He arranges out of His causeless mercy. He can say, He can stop asking the individual soul. But He does not do that.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
So if we want to actually learn this... Just like there must be eka niṣṭha. Bhajanti mām ananya-bhāk. That is the qualification. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, it is very easy. Don't divert your attention to anything. "No, I, I worship this demigod, I worship that demigod, I..." Then your knowledge is gone. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Anya-devatāḥ: "other demigods." Devatāḥ is Kṛṣṇa, but others, they're demigods.
Festival Lectures
Our Nārāyaṇa—that is real Nārāyaṇa, exalted—we cannot even compare with that supreme Nārāyaṇa with such demigods like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, what to speak of these rascals. Yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ, samatvena vīkṣeta. Any person, rascal, if he thinks that Nārāyaṇa is equal to Lord Brahmā or Lord Śiva... There are Māyāvādīs. They say "Any demigod is as good as Viṣṇu. You can worship any demigod. It doesn't matter. You..." Because their ultimate understanding is that the Absolute Truth is impersonal, and you can imagine any form. It doesn't matter. You ultimately reach that impersonal, merge into the impersonal.
There are so many demigods. What we have to do? Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.20). "This demigod is worshiped by persons who have lost all intelligence." Hṛta-jñāna. Hṛta-jñāna means naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ, one who has lost of the intelligence. There is no need. Simply mām ekam. That is the instruction of Bhagavad... That is the śāstra instruction. Viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti. This is Ṛg Veda mantra. Actual aim of life is to satisfy Lord Viṣṇu, and Kṛṣṇa is the origin of viṣṇu-tattva. And He is pleased through Rādhārāṇī. Therefore we don't keep Kṛṣṇa alone. No. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. First Rādhārāṇī. So that day is today. First you have to worship Rādhārāṇī.
English man: If the spiritual master, Prabhupāda, worships God through a demigod, is he bona fide?
Prabhupāda: No. He does not know how to worship. How he can be bona fide? Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). Why he should go to the demigods? That means he has no knowledge. Kṛṣṇa says, mām ekam. Why should you go to others? That means he's insufficiently qualified. Why should you go to the demigods? What is the necessity? He's not bona fide. Because he has insufficient knowledge. Bona fide spiritual must be sufficiently knowledge. Kṛṣṇa says, mām ekam; God says, mām ekam. Why he should go to demigods? That is his proof that he's not bona fide.
"Everyone is acting according to the modes of nature he has acquired, so whatever nature we have acquired..." His purpose is that "By nature we are mercantile people." Because His father was maintaining cows, so he is considered a mercantile man. Vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). So He is giving stress that "Let us perform our duty as mercantile men honestly, and that will bring us result. Why should we go to worship these demigods?"
Now, here is a point, that Kṛṣṇa does not approve the worship of demigods. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñāna yajanty anya-devataḥ: (BG 7.20) "Those who are out of intelligence, they simply worship the demigods." In the Bhagavad-gītā or in the Bhāgavata, anywhere, worship of demigods is not very much recommended. So here also the same thing, that svabhāva-tantro hi janaḥ: "Everyone is carried by the modes of nature." Svabhāvam anuvartate: "And he cannot surpass the spell of the modes of nature." Svabhāvam anuvartante, svabhāvas tam idaṁ sarvam: "Everyone is under the control of the nature he has acquired." And sa-devāsura mānusaḥ. Sa-devāsura. "Always, either he is man or superman or animal, everyone is being controlled by the modes of nature."
"Therefore you don't bother yourself about worshiping this god or that god, demigod. You just be faithful to your work, and then that will give you good result." Añjasā yena varteta tad evāsya hi daivatam.
So Rāmānanda Rāya recommended this verse, that this is the process to satisfy the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that eho bāhya āge kaha āra, "This is external. If you know something more, better than this, you say." Why He said? There is the version, viṣṇur ārādhyate. Does it mean that He is rejecting Viṣṇu worship? No, He's not rejecting. Because generally, they, these impersonalists, Māyāvādīs, they also worship sometimes Viṣṇu, these five demigods and God. But their idea is that ultimately impersonal. The impersonal takes the form by the help of this material world. The formation takes place simply in the material. That is their opinion. Therefore they say, call, saguṇa. Saguṇa-upāsanā.
Initiation Lectures
That is a village worship. So in every demigod worship there are drum beaters. So a party of drum beaters were engaged, and when the fees, bill, of the drum beaters was to be paid, the demigod Mansa(?) was sold. They could not pay the bills. Similarly, we may print our books, but the binding charges are so high, then it will cost more than getting it from Japan. (chuckles) Jayānanda looks like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (laughter) Yes. He was tall and stout and strong, Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Eka brahma dvitīya nāsti. There is no second. God cannot be two. God is one. It is a misconception, there are many Gods. There are Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that "You worship any demigod. It is the same thing." They misinterpret the Bhagavad-gītā śloka, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante: (BG 4.11). "You can worship Me in any way." The Māyāvādī philosophers, there is a great missionary activities in India. They have got their branch here also. They propagate that "You may worship any demigod, goddess Kali or this or that. Everything is all right." No. God is one, and that is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Just like somebody says, "All right. Why we shall only worship Kṛṣṇa? Why not other demigods?" although it is not necessary. But the next example is given that, prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇām. Just like offering foodstuff to the stomach, the senses automatically become healthy, then now, if you say, in the same way... Just like offering to the root as well as to the leaves, that "Yes, I shall offer foodstuff to the stomach as well as to the ears and eyes." Then what the result will be? The result will be that your eyes and ears will be stopped functioning. Therefore this very example is given. This, this is not required at all. Similarly, by worshiping Kṛṣṇa, you don't require to endeavor to worship the demigods, to worship the daridras, to worship the this and that. It will be automatically done.
General Lectures
How you have accepted this Ramakrishna as incarnation? What is the authority? Simply suppose if somebody says, "I am incarnation." Will he be accepted? If somebody comes here and says that "I am President Johnson," will it be accepted like that? And if somebody believes in that way, is he very intelligent man? So what is your basis of taking Ramakrishna as incarnation? So far Vedic literature is concerned, we cannot accept. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, kāmais tais tair hṛta jñānāḥ yajante 'nya devatāḥ (BG 7.20). If somebody is lost of his intelligence, then he worships demigods.
Prabhupāda: This is the point. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25).
Guest (2): But my point is...
Prabhupāda: Your point you understand. Why you don't understand? This is the description of the Bhagavad-gītā. If you worship demigods like Śiva and others, you will go there. And if you worship Kṛṣṇa, you'll go to Kṛṣṇa. What is the difficulty to understand?
Guest (2): Do you mean that Śiva is demigod?
Prabhupāda: Yes, why not?
Guest (2): I'm sorry, I couldn't agree with you that Śiva is a demigod. I couldn't believe it. Prabhupāda: That is stated in everywhere. You have to learn it.
It is exactly the same Vṛndāvana, but because it is on this material world, it appears that there is sometimes danger. So when Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, on this planet, so there was some danger. Actually there was no danger because Kṛṣṇa was present. But it appeared like that. So there was torrents of rain for seven days. The Indra, the demigod who is in charge of the watering department of this universe, he... (someone laughs) Don't laugh. It is very serious. So he became very angry. Kṛṣṇa stopped demigod worship, Indra worship, so he became very angry. So there was torrents of rain for seven days continually, and Kṛṣṇa took up a hill which is called Govardhana Hill—if sometimes you come to Vṛndāvana, you will see the Govardhana is there—as the umbrella on the, what is called finger, ring finger? No. Small finger. So jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-vihārī, gopījana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. Immediately lifted the big mountain as umbrella like this.
There are many who worship demigods. So they will go to the planet where demigods reside. There are innumerable planets. This, according to Vedic literature, this moon planet is also a place where demigods reside. The sun planet also like that, and many other planets. The Bhagavad-gītā says, yānti deva-vratāḥ devān. If you want to go to the moon planet, sun planet, Venus planet or any other planet, you just prepare yourself in this life, and at the time of death, you'll be transferred to such and such condition of life. Similarly, pitṛ-vratāḥ, there are Pitṛ-lokas, bhūtejyā, bhūtejyam ghost worshiper. They will also go to such planet. And mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām, Kṛṣṇa says. "Those who want to go to Me, back to home, back to Godhead, they can also go there. They can also go there."
The modern process, by taking a sputnik or jet, you can go to the moon planet. But that you can go. Whether you can go or not go, that is up to you. But you cannot stay there. That is not possible. If you want to stay there, then yānti deva-vratā devān. You have to prepare yourself by worshiping that particular deva or deity, demigod; then you will be admitted. Just like if you want to go to a foreign country you have to take the permission of the immigration department, visa, then you can go. If that law is there in this planet, why not for other planet? How you can go abruptly, by force? That is not possible.
Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgara-tan-mandira-mārj anādau **. So there are brāhmaṇas who are not Vaiṣṇava, worshiper of demigods other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such brāhmaṇa is not required. Such brāhmaṇas are condemned. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Anya-devatāḥ. The Viṣṇu is the original devatā, and then next devatā, Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, and then others. So they are all anya-devatāḥ. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. So one has to worship Viṣṇu. That is Vaiṣṇava. Viṣṇur asya devatā iti vaiṣṇavaḥ. Vaiṣṇava means that he's not worshiper of any other demigods. There is no question of disrespect for any other demigods. But śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyam. But to take shelter of and to worship is recommended to the Supreme Lord-mām ekam—not everyone. We can show our respectful obeisances even to the ant, but worshipable Deity, or God, is Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu-tattva.
Hṛta-jñānāḥ means they have got little knowledge—that is taken away by māyā. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. These words are there. So this demigod worship is for the less intelligent class of men, not the actual intellectuals. Actual intellectual is he-bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). So he's actual intelligent, when he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). So the demigod worship is recommended for the less intelligent class of men. Otherwise, to surrender to Kṛṣṇa is the highest stage of perfection.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the statement in the Bhāgavata. Karmaṇā daiva netreṇa jantor dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1). Karmaṇā. Just like you get a shirt and coat according to the price you pay, similarly, by your karma, you get a particular type of body.
Śyāmasundara: So if one was prepared to pay for such demigod existence, he could have it.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Demigod... That is called puṇya-karma. Just like they are going to Candraloka. According to Vedic scripture, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). If you worship the particular demigods, then you are promoted in that loka.
Hayagrīva: And so in teaching this he was teaching something radically different, and this is one of the reasons that he was condemned to death—for blaspheming the demigods, for blaspheming the gods. He felt that the worship of these gods did not lead to self-realization at all.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That's a fact. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ tyajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). They worship other demigods, being too much lusty. Because the demigod is worshiped for some material benefit. So they have been described as hṛta-jñānāḥ. Hṛta-jñānāḥ means one who has lost his intelligence. Actually it is so. Suppose by worshiping a demigod, Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, so you get the opportunity of being a, becoming a very nice scholar. But how long you shall remain scholar? As soon as the body is finished, your whole scholarship is finished. Then you have to accept another body, and you have to act according to that body. So how you have..., this scholarship will help you? But if you worship God, as Kṛṣṇa says, that janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ... (BG 4.9). To worship God means to know God, actually what is God, more perfect—how He is managing, how material nature is working under Him. People cannot even imagine that God can be person, but here is everything person. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My supervision the material nature is working." So these impersonalists or less intelligent persons, they cannot understand that how a person can dictate the wonderful activities of the material nature; therefore they remain impersonalist. But actually, person. That is the understanding of Bhagavad-gītā. God is person. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7)
| Page Title: | Demigod worship (Lectures, Other) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Serene |
| Created: | 02 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=35, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 35 |