To worship the demigods means

Expressions researched:
"to worship the demigods means"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

So to worship the demigods means cent percent materialism. There is no question of spiritual life.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, September 26, 1973:

So everyone's heart, He is sitting. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. But He takes special care of the devotee, guides him, gives him intelligence. What kind of intelligence? Yena mām upayānti te. Just to give him the clue how one can go back to home, back to Godhead. Kṛṣṇa does not give intelligence how one can gain some material prosperity. That is entrusted to the māyā—daivī māyā or Durgādevī.

Therefore people are not very much interested in worshiping Kṛṣṇa. They are generally interested in worshiping Goddess Durgā, Lord Śiva. Because by worshiping Lord Śiva, Goddess Durgā, they get material opulence. So to worship the demigods means cent percent materialism. There is no question of spiritual life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says... What is that verse? Naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Those who are interested in worshiping other demigods, their intelligence is taken away, hṛta-jñāna. Kāmais tais tair..., māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. These terms are there. māyā is working in two ways: prakṣepātmikā-śakti, āvaraṇātmikā-śakti. Āvaraṇātmikā-śakti means she is covering. Āvaraṇātmikā-śakti, she is covering. Real fact is covered by māyā.

Just like the cloud covers the sunshine. We cannot see. Now a few days it is going on; there is cloud always. We do not see the sun. That does not mean there is no sun in the sky. So māyā does not allow us to see Kṛṣṇa. That is one śakti. Āvaraṇātmikā-śakti. And another śakti is prakṣepātmikā-śakti. Even one desires to see Kṛṣṇa, she throws away. She tests whether actually he wants Kṛṣṇa or keeping Kṛṣṇa in the front, he wants some material pleasure. Therefore she throws away. In this way māyā-śakti is acting.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Indian culture is given (Hindi), that to allow them to worship the demigods means at least to accept the authority, and then they gradually come to the supreme authority. Just like for the common man, to give respect to the police constable means giving respect to the government.

Press Conference -- October 2, 1975, Mauritius:

Guest (3): By preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness would you condemn other people's beliefs?

Prabhupāda: We must condemn anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious. We say... I don't condemn; Kṛṣṇa condemns.

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ

(BG 7.15)

Duṣkṛtinaḥ means sinful; and mūḍhāḥ means rascals, asses; and narādhamāḥ means lowest of the mankind; and māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ means their knowledge has been taken by māyā; and āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ means atheist class. So this class of men will never surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So if one is not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, we immediately take them either of these: duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. This is our stand.

Guest (3): No, suppose someone follower of... (loud static)

Prabhupāda: But he does not know who is the Supreme God.

Guest (3): But Swamiji, Indian culture, although is (Hindi). Then why you are telling a king...

Prabhupāda: Indian culture is given (Hindi), that to allow them to worship the demigods means at least to accept the authority, and then they gradually come to the supreme authority. Just like for the common man, to give respect to the police constable means giving respect to the government. But the police constable is not the president of the government. So one should know who is the president. That is advancement. If you remain, simply offering respect to the constable, that is not advancement.

Guest (4): Indian philosophy has always taught that light comes from many lamps. But you are preaching that...

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Brahmānanda: He says Indian culture has always taught that light comes from many lamps.

Guest (4): But you are preaching... (loud static)

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the supreme light. There are degrees of light. There is sunlight, and there is this light. You cannot compare this light with sun. (laughter) Light are so many, but that does not mean the sunlight and this light is the same.