Anyadevata worship

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavathaas,

 

I have enjoyed the long and very informative chain of letters

with respect to demi-gods. I like to add:

 

As per the BhagavadgIta, no matter which god we

bow to, in actuality, we ONLY worship HIM (Narayana).

 

Daasan,

 

K. Sreekrishna Tatachar

[Guest guest]

Sri Tatachar wrote :

Dear Bhagavathaas,

 

I have enjoyed the long and very informative chain of letters

with respect to demi-gods. I like to add:

 

As per the BhagavadgIta, no matter which god we

bow to, in actuality, we ONLY worship HIM (Narayana).

 

Daasan,

 

K. Sreekrishna Tatachar

 

 

-----------------------------

 

Adiyen asked this same question to one acharya. His Holiness's reply was :

If a shastriya karma like sandhyavandana involves prayers to indra, varuna

etc., then one should have the feeling that one is offering the prayers to

the inner soul of indra, varuna etc and definitely use these terms in the

ritual. What is not warranted is worship of anydevatas, in a manner not

prescribed by veda vihita karmas. (unwarranted going to anyadevata temples

as a habit or as a habit worshipping anyadevatas as a daily routine - is

wrong). If one says that I have a particular anya devata (x) as my object of

worship, and since I know that worshipping X is same as worshipping Lord

srimannarayana it should be OK; This is not right if that X is not an

actual avatar of Srimannarayana. Worship of anyadevatas (of course knowing

that the prayers are actually offered to the inner controller of that

devata) is ok as long as that worship is ordained in the shastras clearly.

(Sri ramanuja refers to chaturhotara... yatra sampadam gacchanti... please

look into the bhasyas for details)

Please note bhagavadgita - tepi mameva kaunteya yajanti avidhi purvakam. -

those who worship anyadevatas without knowing that Lord Krishna is the inner

soul, worship HIM in an unprescribed manner (avidhi purvakam). Hence they

get limited fruits. - tatvena atah chyavanti te. (BG).

Please go through the whole of Sri Ramanuja Bhasya on this for clarity. The

info is distributed in adhyayas 7 & 9 if I remember right.

Adiyen Krishna Kalale