demigod worship- query from Sri Badri

[Guest guest]

Sri:

Srimathe Gopaladesika mahadesikaya Namah:

 

Dear Sri Badri,

 

You had asked:

 

Being born as Vaishnavas is it a sin worshipping

other Gods ,or is it just that we are not required to

worship other dieties.Is there any harm in worshipping

them as long as we realize Narayana is supreme.What

are we supposed to do when we go to temples which have

many dieties.Should we worship Perumal and

deliberately avoid other dieties?

 

====

 

You asked a very common query asked by all of us, one time or the other.This has

been discussed in great details in the list and can be found in archives.

 

Being a SrI JayanthI day, on this auspcicious day, let us discuss at this,

thereby paying our obeisance to the Lord GeethAcharyan Sri KrishNA.- the

Primordial Chief, The Unparalleled, Unsurpassed Supreme, Sriya: Pathi Sriman

Narayanan.

 

In GitA, Lord says:

 

O son of Kunti! At the end of the Cosmic cycle, (during praLyam) all (- repeat

-ALL)- enter into My nature, and at the beginning of another cycle, by My free

will, and potency, I create them again. (I don't remember the actual slokam)

 

THIS INCLUDES You, me- and all demi Gods, whom we worship like four faced

brahmA, Sivan, indran, agni et al. Veda says: sa brahmA; sa siva srEndhra

sOkshara: parama swaraat. He is BrahmA; Siva; Indran. They are also Jivans, like

us and by virtue of their karmAs, have reached that position. They are posts,

and jIvans keep changing at that post (like brahmA, Sivan are posts like General

Manager, Production manager.. whereas Sriman Narayanan is the Owner- He does NOT

change).

 

Hence, WE ARE ALL HIS CHILDREN. HIS SERVANTS. No point in calling some demigod

as "appA", when we know who the Father is.

 

Now answer for your query:

 

We are His dAsans- His devotees, it is He and He alone, who is capable of

granting all that we seek, and pray. (In Gita, He says: whatever the demigods

can grant (to the extent of their powers) is also through Me (as the antharyami

in them).

 

WHY ASK SOMEONE when we have the "ACTUAL TRUE GIVER" on our side?

 

Now- why ask Him a kilo of vegetables, when he is willing to give His kingdom to

us? He will naturally feed us, take care of us. Ask Him the Big, Grand thing,

and get out of this samsaara saagaram.

 

We SHOULD NOT GO TO THE temple, where the demi gods are consecrated, (along with

Sriman Narayanan) and are in abhayahastham. (showing their palms (as if they can

protect us!). Protect from what?- births and deaths.. for ever. It is HE alone -

who can do that. Thirumazhisai AzhwAr, when once was aksed by Sivan (pleased

with AzhwAr's meditation) as to what he seeks, AzhwAr said "You can not give

what I want- it is mOksham- liberation". MarkaNdEya Maharishi, who was saved by

Sivan (by the grace of Sriman Narayanan) from Yama dhUthAs, could not get

freedom from future briths from Sivan.

 

IF AT ALL, we HAVE TO GO to the temple, we need to avoid those sannidhis.

 

We "can" go if the demi gods are in folded hands (paying their obeisance to Lord

Sriman Narayanan) and then they become Bhagawathas. We can pay our obeisance to

Bhagawathas/devotees of Sriman Narayanan.

 

THIS IS NOT JUST FOR THOSE WHO HAVE PERFORMED BHARANYASAM (SaraNAgathy) or

SAMASRAYANAM (pancha samskaram) It is not for Ramanuja's sishyas. Adhi Sankara,

Madhavcharya were also VishNu devotees. It is the difference in interpretations,

they differed from Ramanuja. Not on the Supreme Lord. All vaidikAs are vishNu

bhakthAs. This is the case for all vaishnavas. For all those who belive in

Vedas- For all those who belive in "Hinduism". If someone has a different

opinion, either he does not know or he is not willing to know.

 

You may say- after samasrayanam, or baraNyAsam, I will avoid demigod worship.-

not now. It is as if, you can let your daughter have 'n' number of boy friends-

(especially when she knows or you, as "the Father" of the daughter, know the

ACTUAL GROOM HIMSELF). You may say, " I have some picture in my perumAL

sannidhi. How can I throw?" No need to throw. Give ot to them (who still do not

believe Vedas in true sense, and) who worship demi gods. Call them- invite them

at your home and give as gift. Do not hide in your sannidhi. That is like hiding

a boy friend's picture after wedding to Sriman Narayanan.

 

Let us pray at the Lotus Feet of KaNNAN. "maNNum viNNum ellaam uNda num KANNAN

kaNNalladhu maRRaiyOr kaNNO?"

 

Regards

 

Narayana Narayana

adiyEn Narayana Dasan Madhavakkannan