Worship of Demigods

Vaishnava_das108 · November 26, 2002

Originally posted to Achintya http://www.achintya.org

Dear devotees,

I would like to clarify that I personally do not have any interest in defaming the demigods. As someone has already said, they are much higher servitors of Krishna and thus deserve the necessary respect according to Vaisnava etiquette. Another devotee stated something to the likes of "we should not be excessively proud of having a monopoly on the truth just because we know that Krishna is the Supreme." Although I do agree in principle that we should not be excessively proud about anything, not just spiritual monopoly, but have received the mercy of Lord Chaitanya even though we are most wretched and unqualified to receive it. Having received such mercy, it is only our proper duty to drink some of the nectar and then share it with others. It is our duty to preach the truth of Krishna Consciousness, and Lord Chaitanya has specifically ordered us to do so, without compromise.

I am glad that this has provoked discussion though. Thank you all for your explanations.

The whole concept of "demigod worship" is a difficult one to preach to Indians, or people of Indian origin. It is an obstacle that I have to face almost every time I have the opportunity to preach. It may be true that different temperaments are required for different people, but I find that the bold approach that Srila Prbahupada employed often works best, coupled with sastric quotations. Most people have nothing to say when faced with Sri Krishna's words in Bhagavad-Gita as stated in Chapter 7 and others.

The main problem is that people have been conditioned to worship demigods. They have grown up seeing mini-temples in every corner of India that are dedicated to some demigod or other. They have grown up witnessing the celebration of many minor festivals. They have grown up listening to bhajans dedicated to demigods. They themselves have prayed to different gods. They may even have heard Mayavadi philosophy that "it doesn't matter which god you pray to because they are all one anyway." Some are even anti-Prabhupada or anti-ISKCON. Therefore it is very hard for people to realise and stomach the fact that they have done the WRONG thing all their lives. After all, Sri Krishna says that a little advancement in devotional service is your asset forever, but how would you feel it you lost it? If it even could be lost? So we can empathise with their feelings I guess?

I found a nice purport in Srimad Bhagavatam that nicely explained the whole case quite thoroughly. I discovered it maybe 2 weeks ago, and so far I have not received any objections so far. Please allow me to show it to you:

[The setting is the sacrifice at which Daksa cursed Lord Siva]

"After Lord Siva and, previously, Daksa, left the arena of sacrifice, the sacrifice was not stopped; the sages went on for many years in order to satisfy the Supreme Lord. The sacrifice was not destroyed for want of Siva and Daksa, and the sages went on with thir activites. In other words, it may be assumed that if one does not worship the demigods, even up to Lord Siva and Brahma, one can nevertheless satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (7.20). Kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah prapadyanta 'nya-devatah. Persons who are impelled by lust and desire go to the demigods to derive some material benefits. Bhagavad-gita uses the very specific words nasti buddhih, meaning 'persons who have lost their sense or intelligence.'

"Only such persons care for demigods and want to derive material benefit from them. Of course, this does not mean that one should not show respect to the demigods; but there is no need to worship them. One who is honest may be faithful to the government, but he does not need to bribe the government servants. Bribery is illegal, one does not bribe a government servant, but that does not mean that one does not show him respect. Similarly, one who engages in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord does not need to worship any demigod, nor does he have any tendency to show disrespect to the demigods. Elsewhere in Bhagavad-gita (9.23) it is stated, ye 'py anya-devata-bhakta yajanta sraddhayanvitah. The Lord says that anyone who worships the demigods is also worshipping Him, but he is worshipping avidhi-purvakam, which means 'without following the regulative principles.' The regulative principle is to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Worship of demigods may indirectly be worship of the Personality of Godhead, but it is not regulated. By worshipping the Supreme Lord, one automatically serves all the demigods because they are parts and parcels of the whole. If one supplies water to the root of a tre, all the parts of the tree, such as the leaves and branches, are automatically satisfied, and if one supplies food to the stomach, all the limbs of the body - the hands, legs, fingers, etc. - are nourished. Thus by worshipping the Supreme Personality of Godhead one can satisfy all the demigods, but by worshipping all the demigods one does not completely worship the Supreme Lord. Therefore worship of the demigods is irregular, and it is disrespectful to the scriptural injunctions.

"In this age of Kali it is practically impossible perform the deva-yajna, or sacrifices to the demigods. As such, in this age Srimad-Bhagavatam recommends sankirtana-yajna. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah (Bhag 11.5.32). 'In this age the intelligent person completes the performances of all kinds of yajnas simply by chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.' Tasmin tuste jagat tustah: 'When Lord Visnu is satisfied, all the demigods, who are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, are satisfied.'" - Srimad Bhagavatam 4.2.35 (purport)

I think this solves the whole case. Any thoughts?

Jay