Regarding your question, what color is the ocean of milk, it is white. You can make it bluish shade in order to distinguish that it is water. Visnu's color is sky blue, and Laksmi's color is just like gold, molten gold. Laksmi is not always with Visnu, there are many Visnu forms Who are alone. That form is called Vasudeva Visnu. No demigod remains with Visnu. Demigods are destined to live within the material world. In the spiritual world there is no place for the demigods, but who are elevated to the position of pure devotee, they can be promoted to the spiritual world. In the material world, either ordinary living entities and the demigods, they belong to the same category of jiva tattva, the marginal potency of Visnu. The marriage ceremony of Vasudeva and Devaki, the daughter Devaki was offered by her father named Devak, to Vasudeva, and Devak had eight daughters, and all the 8 daughters were offered to Vasudeva. The marriage is performed generally by priest. Sacrificial fire you have seen in our ceremonies, it is in the same way, but there are some decorations, just like a canopy is made with 4 pillars and it is decorated with green foliage and flowers, and water pot, under each stand, and in this way, it is decorated. And just outside the canopy, the relatives and other Brahmins they sit down to see the marriage ceremony going on. The omen was heard while Kamsa was carrying his sister and brother-in-law in the chariot. There were hundreds of other chariots also, given in dowry. The omen was heard that it was addressed to Kamsa that My dear Kamsa, you are so joyfully carrying your sister but you do not know that a son, the 8th son of your sister will kill you. The 8th son of Devaki was Krishna Himself, and before Krishna, all the sons of Devaki were taken by Kamsa and killed.
Demigods are... (Letters)
Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
1. Pregnant Devaki is sitting in a palace room and some glaring effulgence is coming out of her body. Almost near the ceiling of the room, the demigods are surrounding her and praying for the Appearance of Lord Krishna. Some of the demigods are throwing flowers upon her.
2. Devaki is sitting in a different palace room and Visnu with His four hands (conch, club, wheel, lotus) in yellow dress appeared before her. In this scene, Devaki and Vasudeva are bowing down to Lord Visnu and praying.
3. Krishna is lying happily on the lap of Devaki just like He is an ordinary child.
4. Setting of the scene: Vasudeva saw that all of the doors were opened and that the gate-keepers were asleep so he went outside of the house and came to the bank of the Yamuna. He sees that the river is inflated with rainy season water and he thinks, "How shall I cross?" Then he saw a jackal crossing the river and Vasudeva realized that the river was shallow and only up to his ankles. So Vasudeva, holding little Krishna in his arms follows the jackal across the Yamuna River. So this night scene of walking across the river is the fourth picture.
1969 Correspondence
1. Pregnant Devaki is sitting in a palace room and some glaring effulgence is coming out of her body. Almost near the ceiling of the room, the demigods are surrounding her and praying for the Appearance of Lord Krishna. Some of the demigods are throwing flowers upon her.
2. Devaki is sitting in a different palace room and Visnu, with His four hands (conch, club, wheel, lotus), in yellow dress appeared before here. In this scene, Devaki and Vasudeva are bowing down to Lord Visnu and praying.
3. Krishna is lying happily on the lap of Devaki just like He is an ordinary child.
4. Setting the scene: Vasudeva saw that all of the doors were opened and that the gate-keepers were asleep, so he went outside of the house and came to the bank of the Yamuna. He saw that the river was inflated with rainy season water and he thought, "How shall I cross?" Then he saw a jackal crossing the river and Vasudeva realized that the river was shallow and only up to his ankles. So Vasudeva, holding Little Krishna in his arms, follows the jackal across the Yamuna River. This night scene of walking across the river and following the jackal is the fourth picture.
Ananda ambudhi bardanam. Here we have got experience of the material ocean; it does not increase. On the other hand, gradually it is decreasing. Formerly the whole planet was merged into water, and there was no earth; it ws simply inundated water. Now gradually the ocean is drying up, and the land is coming out. Therefore, this material ocean is decreasing, but the transcendental ocean of bliss is only increasing. So I can only say that you stick to your present nice service, entrusted upon you by my Guru Maharaja and Krishna. Try to improve it to your best capacity. You are three, just like Brahma, Visnu, and Maheswar. And Mandali Bhadra is going to join you as Indra. These four principal demigods are controlling the whole universe, so I hope in the near future Sivananda, yourself, Krishna Das, and Mandali Bhadra will have full control over the German young boys by pushing on this magazine Zuruck Zur Gottheit. I shall be glad to hear whether by this time Mandali Bhadra has arrived there.
Regarding my going to Hamburg, I am writing to Krishna Das separately, and you will understand the situation. Regarding New Vrindaban, I think we shall have many advantages here that are not in Vrindaban in Mathura. The Vrindaban in Mathura is now congested with so many worldly men. Formerly, Vrindaban was excavated by the Goswamis, and only pure devotees were going there. But at the present moment, this has become a place for the bischovs, materialists, and in the interior part of Vrindaban there are so many rogues and robbers. Formerly, a devotee could live peacefully in any corner of Vrindaban; it is about 180 square miles, but now if somebody lives in some secluded corner, he will be attacked by so many rogues and robbers. Perhaps you know there is a place known as Nandagram, wherein Bon Maharaja has got a place. I have heard that it is very nice, but nobody can live there securely. So at least in New Vrindaban I hope there will be no such disturbances. If we nicely organize as it is going on now, only selected persons will live there and peacefully cultivate Krishna Consciousness.
1970 Correspondence
I am glad to learn how the students are friendly toward the devotees although they are generally depressed and rebellious. So Krsna Consciousness is so nice that it can pacify even the most rebellious person because it appeals to the soul.
Regarding your questions; yes, Ramadevi is the sandhini attribute of cit-sakti because her function is for creation, and the jivas are members of the samvit attribute of cit-sakti. The demigods are included within the species of human life. Most of the Spiritual Masters are situated in Madhurya rasa, but not all of them.
I am very glad to learn that Nityananda Das (Nico Kuyt) is currently leading your Sankirtana. Please keep him nicely advancing in Krsna Consciousness under your guidance, and help him to learn our philosophy very well.
Now you can begin your program properly and invite some boys to stay and learn Krsna Consciousness under your instruction. The young boy of 14 years is a very prospective candidate if you train him properly. So do it nicely.
As usual, always be very careful that the regulative principles are being followed by yourself and others very strictly. If you keep to the standard in that way and make a nice Temple for serving the Lord that will be the right path for going home, back to Godhead.
Regarding "Devi Chandan", we have no use for it. It has got no place in our Vaisnava worship. So far the demigods are concerned, we Vaisnavas have nothing against them, so they may be offered all respects as part and parcel servitors of the Supreme Lord Krsna. The foolish persons may worship the Demigods as Supreme, but we see only that they are agents of the Lord and as such we may offer them our humble respects.
Hope this will meet you in good health. Another thing, although we respect the demigods, we may not take their prasadam if invited. We observe the system followed in Jagannatha Puri. First the foodstuff is offered to Lord Jagannatha and then His Prasad is offered to the different demigods; then we may take such remainders as prasadam. This is the correct procedure.
1972 Correspondence
(1) Varaha and Hiranyaksa were fighting on the water. Brahma was observing from the sky. The earth planet is being rescued from Garbhodaka sea, and from the earthly planet many rocks are coming while being balanced on the tusks of Varaha. Yes, the demigods are present in the sky around.
(2) Lord Brahma throwing off bodies is just like if there is some dirt on my body and I throw it off, a little disgustedly. Just like if our body becomes dirty many insects gather, and we remove these insects with one hand and throw them away.
(3) The demigods were in the clouds, and they were throwing down flowers just like water pours down from clouds.
(4) Kapiladeva's mother was questioning in the palatial house.
(5) This cosmic manifestation is different and nondifferent from the Lord, because it is coming out from His bodily effulgence; for example, from sunlight all the planets are being created, similarly, the effulgence emanating from the body of the Lord is creating so many universes.
1974 Correspondence
The cosmic manifestation is from Mahat Tattva, and before the Maha Tattva there is Narayana. Sankaracarya is a Lord Siva worshipper and an incarnation of Lord Siva, and he admits that Narayana is the master, and Narayana is the Supreme. narayanah paro 'vyaktat. This is the best authority. What more evidence you want? This is in his Sanka Bhasya on Bhagavad-gita. This is not even the statement of the Puranas but of Sankaracarya's own writings. How can you deny if the incarnation of Lord Siva says that Krishna is Supreme?
In the Puranas it is stated that another demigod is supreme just to convince the devotee. Just like a student in primary school, he thinks the primary education is everything and has no idea of higher education. This is to convince the devotees but from the Gita we understand that it is from Krishna that He gives the faith by which one can worship the demigods.
Krishna says "aham adi hi devanam." Is Krishna speaking a lie? "mattah parataram nanyat (BG 7.7)." Nobody is greater than Me, He says. Why should we reject Krishna's statement? Our mission is to put Krishna as first, and they may take it or not. We do not interfere with their choice, but we do it as our duty.
Regarding the sketch of the Six Goswamis I think it is some imagination. Too much imagination is not good. It is better not to go beyond the limitations as described in the Sastras. What is that scaffolding? So better not to do this idea.
Regarding the painting of the arati ceremony, yes do it as it is described in the song. The ceremony was held inside. No arati takes place in the open. Lord Caitanya was a householder at the time. Navadvipa lila means householder lila. The form exhibited was the Panca-tattva form, as it is described: dakhine nitaicand bame gadadhara. Not only are Brahma and Lord Siva but all demigods are offering. And, everyone has got sikhas, why you are asking if only Narahari and others have got? Srivasa was grhastha, and Advaita acharya was grhastha.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated December 6, 1974 and have noted the contents carefully.
Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, chapter 18; sarva-dharman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo, moksayisyami ma sucah (BG 18.66). So why you want to worship someone else. Krsna, Himself, recommends mam ekam, he alone. Therefore we must do like that. If one wants to water the tree he waters the root. There is no necessity of watering the branches. The demigods are all different parts of the universal form of the Supreme Lord. But Krsna is even more than that whole complete universal form. He is the origin of that universal form. Therefore I do not encourage you to worship this demigod, Ganesa. It is not required, it is not necessary. Simply worship Krsna. Perform nice devotional service to Krsna. Then your lives will certainly become perfect. Of course if one has got some sentiment for achieving the blessings of Ganesa for accumulating large sums of money to serve Krsna, then he may perform this Ganesa worship, privately, not making a public show. But first of all he must give me $100,000 per month. Not a single farthing less. If he can supply this amount, $100,000 per month, then he will be allowed to do this Ganesa Puja. Otherwise he should not do it. It will not be good. That is my order. So all of you keep yourselves strong in Krsna Consciousness by following all of my basic principles. That is of the utmost importance. Do not fail to chant 16 rounds daily, rise early, come to mangala arati, come to classes and follow the 4 regulative principles. In this way your life will become free from all anxieties. Please try to distribute my books in huge quantities more and more. This is very much satisfying to me.
| Page Title: | Demigods are... (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 15 of May, 2013 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=10 |
| No. of Quotes: | 10 |