re: demigods worship in Dvaraka

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> > Why were they worshiping demigods in Dvaraka in Lord Krishna's

> > presence?

>

> The gopis, incl. Sri Radhika, also worship Surya. That's the general

> Vedic culture. Their sadhya is, however, spiritual. Imho.

There are also demigods in spiritual world.

Sri Jiva Goswamipada:

Bhakti Sandarbha Anuccheda 285

 

5 Ganesa, Durga, Visvaksena, and other demigods worship and serve the

Supreme Personality of Godhead in His abode of Vaikuntha. The Ganesa, Durga

and other demigods mentioned here are different from the Ganesa, Durga and

other demigods present in the material world. This is so because the

spiritual world of Vaikuntha is different from the material world. This is

explained in the following words of Srimad Bhagavatam (2.9.10):

"In the personal abode of the Lord, the material modes of ignorance

and passion do not prevail, nor is there any of their influence in goodness.

There is no predominance of the influence of time, so what to speak of the

illusory, external energy. It cannot enter that region. Without

discrimination, both the demigods and the demons worship the Lord as

devotees."*

17 The pure devotees do not misunderstand the names of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead to be names of ordinary demigods. Still, because

they are servants of the Lord in the spiritual world of Vaikuntha, the

Visvaksena and other demigods of the spiritual world should be given all

honour.

 

SB 11.27.29

 

TRANSLATION

With offerings such as prokshaŠa one should worship Durga, Vinayaka, Vyasa,

Vishvaksena, the spiritual masters and the various demigods. All these

personalities should be in their proper places facing the Deity of the Lord.

PURPORT

According to Srila Jiva Gosvami, the Ganesa and Durga mentioned in this

verse are not the same personalities present within the material world;

rather, they are eternal associates of the Lord in Vaikun˜ha. In this world

Ganesa, the son of Lord Siva, is famous for awarding financial success, and

the goddess Durga, the wife of Lord Siva, is famous as the external,

illusory potency of the Supreme Lord. The personalities mentioned here,

however, are eternally liberated associates of the Lord who reside in the

spiritual sky, beyond the material manifestation. Srila Jiva Gosvami quotes

from various Vedic literatures to prove that the name Durga may also

indicate the internal potency of the Lord, who is nondifferent from Him. The

external, or covering, potency of the Lord expands from this original Durga.

The Durga of the material world, called Mah€-m€y€, assumes the function of

bewildering the living entities. Thus a devotee should not fear becoming

polluted by worshiping the Durg€ mentioned here, who has the same name as

illusion, but rather the devotee must show respect to these eternal

servitors of the Supreme Lord in Vaikuntha.

 

>From Sad-kriya-sara-dipika:

Gop€la Bha˜˜a Gosv€m… cites the alternative for the VaiŠava according to

the Padma Pur€Ša:

ananya araŠo bhakto n€ma mantreu d…kitaƒ

kad€ cin n€rcayed dev€n gaŠe€d…ˆs tu vaiŠavaƒ

yatra yatra sur€ƒ p™jy€ gaŠe€dyas tu karmiŠ€m

viŠvarcane tatra tatra vaiŠav€n€ˆ hi vaiŠav€ƒ

vivaksenaˆ sa sanakaˆ san€tana mataƒ param

sananda sanat kum€ra pañcait€n p™jayet tataƒ

“The devotee interested in pure devotion to the Lord, and initiated with

VaiŠava mantra should never worship GaŠea and the other devat€s. Wherever

the karmis prescribe worship of GaŠea and the devat€s, the VaiŠava should

worship the pure devotees of ViŠu. Thus instead of worshipping GaŠea to

remove material obstacles, the devotee should worship Vivaksena ( the

commander-in-chief of ViŠu’s army in VaikuŠ˜ha) and the four Kum€ras, to

remove obstacles on the spiritual path.”(Padma Pur€Ša, cited in Sat Kriy€

S€ra D…pik€)

 

In the same way, instead of worshipping the nine planetary Deities

one should worship the nine Yogendras, and instead of worshipping the

Dik-P€las (protectors of the ten directions) one should worship the Mah€

Bh€gavatas. Instead of worshipping the M€t GaŠa (sixteen female

demigoddesses in charge of various material functions) one should worship

the the Lord's consorts who are the shelter of all spiritual and material

energies.

®r…la Bhaktisiddh€nta Sarasvat… µh€kura has accepted Sat Kriy€ S€ra

D…pik€ as the authorized VaiŠava manual for yajña and saˆsk€ras, just as he

has accepted Hari Bhakti Vil€sa as the authorized scripture for arcana, and

has recommended that all VaiŠava ghasthas should follow these procedures.