Some demigods and goddesses scare me

[Haridham]

You have heard many devotees say that "please stop sleeping on the the lap of the witch called maya" Now isnt that offensive as Maya is also Durga devi.

 

In any case, Durga or Kali scares me. I mean i chant and i am not in fear of her because "rakhe krsna mare ke, mare krsna rakhe keIf krsna wants to protect you nobody can harm you, if krsna wants to kill you nobody can harm you"

 

So what i mean is, her whole persona and such scares me.

 

Oh and I had once an interesting encounter with a crazy(now i know not all durga or kali worshipers are crazy) durga or kali worshiper once on broad daylight during books which I will tell you later. Just say Jai Narshimadev.

 

Anyways thats my story.

 

Please clarify.

 

harekrsna

Haridham

[theist]

SB 1.2.26

 

TRANSLATION

Those who are serious about liberation are certainly nonenvious, and they respect all. Yet they reject the horrible and ghastly forms of the demigods and worship only the all-blissful forms of Lord Vishnu and His plenary portions.

 

PURPORT

The Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna, who is the original person of the Visnu categories, expands Himself in two different categories, namely integrated plenary portions and separated parts and parcels. The separated parts and parcels are the servitors, and the integrated plenary portions of visnu-tattvas are the worshipful objects of service.

All demigods who are empowered by the Supreme Lord are also separated parts and parcels. They do not belong to the categories of viñëu-tattva. The visnu-tattvas are living beings equally as powerful as the original form of the Personality of Godhead, and They display different categories of power in consideration of different times and circumstances. The separated parts and parcels are powerful by limitation. They do not have unlimited power like the visnu-tattvas. Therefore, one should never classify the visnu-tattvas, or the plenary portions of Näräyana, the Personality of Godhead, in the same categories with the parts and parcels. If anyone does so he becomes at once an offender by the name päsandi. In the age of Kali many foolish persons commit such unlawful offenses and equalize the two categories.

 

The separated parts and parcels have different positions in the estimation of material powers, and some of them are like Käla-bhairava, Smaräna-bhairava, Çani, Mahäkälé and Candikä. These demigods are worshiped mostly by those who are in the lowest categories of the mode of darkness or ignorance. Other demigods, like Brahmä, Siva, Sürya, Ganesha and many similar deities, are worshiped by men in the mode of passion, urged on by the desire for material enjoyment. But those who are actually situated in the mode of goodness (sattva-guna) of material nature worship only visnu-tattvas. Visnu-tattvas are represented by various names and forms, such as Näräyana, Dämodara, Vämana, Govinda and Adhoksaja.

 

The qualified brähmaëas worship the visnu-tattvas represented by the sälagräma-silä, and some of the higher castes like the kñatriyas and vaisyas also generally worship the visnu-tattvas.

 

Highly qualified brähmaëas situated in the mode of goodness have no grudges against the mode of worship of others. They have all respect for other demigods, even though they may look ghastly, like Käla-bhairava or Mahäkälé. They know very well that those horrible features of the Supreme Lord are all different servitors of the Lord under different conditions, yet they reject the worship of both horrible and attractive features of the demigods, and they concentrate only on the forms of Visnu because they are serious about liberation from the material conditions. The demigods, even to the stage of Brahmä, the supreme of all the demigods, cannot offer liberation to anyone. Hiraëyakaçipu underwent a severe type of penance to become eternal in life, but his worshipful deity, Brahmä, could not satisfy him with such blessings. Therefore Visnu, and none else, is called mukti-päda, or the Personality of Godhead who can bestow upon us mukti, liberation. The demigods, being like other living entities in the material world, are all liquidated at the time of the annihilation of the material structure. They are themselves unable to get liberation, and what to speak of giving liberation to their devotees. The demigods can award the worshipers some temporary benefit only, and not the ultimate one.

It is for this reason only that candidates for liberation deliberately reject the worship of the demigods, although they have no disrespect for any one of them.

[Haridham]

hare krsna.

 

Thank you very much for the purport and explanation.

 

Now telling me this is just fine but when you say something like this to most "hindus" you have commited the most biggest offence. Mind you that most "hindu" have never read the S.B.

 

Oh well what can you do.

 

Harekrsna.

Haridham

[theist]

can't please every mind. The sectarianists will squabble over anything and everything. Best we bow out and not participate in worrying too much about how they may take things.

[I_love_krishna_]

Why should we care if they are attracted to his 'all blissful form' or to his other demigod expanisions. In either case, they serve the one and only supreme personality of the Godhead, narayana.

 

Whether you are in the dense darkness of materialism, an impersonalist, a sectarianist or the devotee of the supreme, you have no choice but to serve him in every instance of your life.

 

 

[Haridham]

As krsna says, they are worshiping me but indirectly.

 

Not only that prabupads says if you water the root then the whole tree is benefited.No point in watering the leaves or branches. So krsna is the root, lets just water(worship) the root.

 

Hare krsna

Haridham

[yasodanandana]

"please stop sleeping on the the lap of the witch called maya"

 

who says it is not offensive... he's bhaktivinoda thakura in jiv jago:

 

-kota nidra, jayo maya , pishachira kore....

 

(please devotees, check the spelling, i am not so sure of it..)

[Haridham]

Hare krsna.

 

I didnt understand your reply.

 

Please clarify to me what you meant.

 

hare krsna

Haridham

[yasodanandana]

 

Jiv Jago

 

 

 

1

jiv jago, jiv jago, gauracanda bole

kota nidra jao maya-pisacira kole

 

 

 

2

bhajibo boliya ese samsara-bhitare

bhuliya rohile tumi avidyara bhare

 

 

 

3

tomare loite ami hoinu avatara

ami bina bandhu ara ke ache tomara

 

 

 

4

enechi ausadhi maya nasibaro lagi'

hari-nama maha-mantra lao tumi magi'

 

 

 

5

bhakativinoda prabhu-carane pariya

sei hari-nama-mantra loilo magiya

 

TRANSLATION

 

1) Lord Gauranga is calling, "Wake up, sleeping souls! Wake up, sleeping souls! How long will you sleep in the lap of the witch called Maya?

 

2) You have forgotten the way of devotional service and are lost in the world of birth and death.

 

3) I have descended just to save you; other than Myself you have no friend in this world.

 

4) I have brought the medicine that will wipe out the disease of illusion from which you are suffering. Take this maha-mantra--Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare."

 

5) Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says: "I fall at the Lord's feet, having taken this maha-mantra."

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Durga Devi another name of the Divine mother Lalithambika is actually the Shakthi of the Supreme. She is woshipped in several forms and Durga form was taken by the mother to kill the demon Mahisasura and his death is celebrated as Dusshera. (10 days and nine nights and the tenth day is Vijayadasami). I dont know how many of you have read Ramayana. Rama prayed to Durga Devi to get Her blessings before He fought against Ravana. The place where He offered the worship to Lord Shiva is called as Rameshwaram which is in the southern most side of tamilnadu in India from whre He crossed the sea to go to Lanka.

In the 'Ramayana', as it goes, Rama went to 'Lanka' to rescue his abducted wife, Sita, from the grip of Ravana, the king of the Demons in Lanka. Before starting for his battle with Ravana, Rama wanted the blessings of Devi Durga . He came to know that the Goddess would be pleased only if she is worshipped with one hundred 'NeelKamal' or blue lotuses. Rama, after travelling the whole world, could gather only ninety nine of them. He finally decided to offer one of his eyes, which resembled blue lotuses. Durga, being pleased with the devotion of Rama, appeared before him and blessed him. The battle started on the 'Saptami' and Ravana was finally killed on the 'Sandhikshan' i.e. the crossover period between Ashtami (the next day) and Navami (the day after). Ravana was cremated on Dashami. Since the period of this worship was different from the conventional period (during the spring - 'Basanta'), this puja is also known as 'Akal-Bodhan' or a worship (Bodhan) in an unconventional time (A-Kaal).

[Haridham]

I love that song.

 

Also love Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu, Daya Karo more.

 

ANyways just worship krsna.

 

harekrsna

Haridham

[Haridham]

Hare krsna prabhu. I know the song.

 

I am just curious what you meant by the offensive part.

 

Harekrsna.

Haridham

[Haridham]

I think Rams Lila is amazing.

 

He also woshiped Shiva. Thes are great pastimes amongst devotees.

 

Just like when Krsna was the Chariot Driver of Arjuna. It wasnt because Arjuna was higher then him but because Arjuna was his friend and devotee.

 

Durga and Shiva are great devotees as well and Ram has his pastimes with them as well.

 

If anyone can put more clarification on this please do so.

 

 

Harekrsna

Haridham

[yasodanandana]

this is you : "You have heard many devotees say that "please stop sleeping on the the lap of the witch called maya" Now isnt that offensive as Maya is also Durga devi."

[Guest guest]

>>Durga and Shiva are great devotees as well and Ram has his pastimes with them as well.

 

 

It would be wise to talk less if we dont have more exposure towards many things. Shathi or Parvathi is considered the potency of Lord. If you have heard about Lalitha Sahasranamam and its back ground you will know. It was given by Hayagriva Rishi who was form of Lord Narayana and Narayana Himself says that She represents the potency of Supreme and praying to Her is equvilent to praying to Him. She is not demigod or worshipper of Supreme. She Herself represents Supreme or in otherwords for you people tounderstand Radhe Shree Laksmi or Lalitha are the same.

[gHari]

Lord Krsna says in the Gita that for those who are attracted to the demigods, He makes their faith in them strong so they can advance and eventually come to Him. He says they actually worship Him, but in a wrong way.

 

[Guest guest]

To say you are scared of a god is to say you dont understand them- the angry kali ma is the same as the peaceful wife Parvati. Gods are only angered out of our human wrong doings- so to fear them is to be guilty of doing something wrong- if you live full of goodness you have no reason to fear the wrath of Kali for she only seeks to destroy sinners

 

I also think it would be unwise to lessen or

try to compare any of the gods. All of them have a transcendence hard to understand. Many ancient literatures say different things, sometimes vishnu, sometimes shiva and sometimes sakthi is extolled as the greatest. But what we have to realise is that it is not a competition- if we pray through love it will be accepted by the same ultimate being- whatever form they be in. For in the end they all merge into one.

[Guest guest]

Especially when she makes a gory scene against those who wished to harm the vaisnava.

 

Kali ma, Durga, she is the wife of Lord Shiva, and a partial incarnation of Laxmi, the Goddess of Fortune.

 

Devotees worship all the demigods, properly. They become friends with the demigods by worshipping whom they worship. Lord Yamaraja is the most feared of the demigods, but to devotees, he is mahajana, the supreme authority on devotional service. When we are absorbed in Krsna, we are out of his dutiful jurisdiction but we are not away from him, because he comes to us to make sure his servants do not interfere with our devotional service. In other words, he loves to visit devotees at the time of death, because there is where Krsna is, protecting his servant.

 

All glories to Kali ma, siva, indra, yama, and the most fearful of them all Lord Brahma, who by his thoughts alone created all these personalities.

 

Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

[Guest guest]

There are no demi-gods in hinduism...all gods are one...they are the many aspects of the supreme godhead ... whom you call krishna or narayana....god is one...for the creation he divided himself into various aspects. Shakti or power in other words is the goddess...is the very power of god. dont make futile arguments saying...worship of demigods is wrong etc...in hinduism there are only various aspects of god...he is know to various people by various names period.

 

there is no wrong way or right way. do what makes u feel close to the divine

[Yogkriya]

Well said guest!!

 

 

There are no demi-gods in hinduism...all gods are one...they are the many aspects of the supreme godhead ... whom you call krishna or narayana....god is one...for the creation he divided himself into various aspects. Shakti or power in other words is the goddess...is the very power of god. dont make futile arguments saying...worship of demigods is wrong etc...in hinduism there are only various aspects of god...he is know to various people by various names period.

 

there is no wrong way or right way. do what makes u feel close to the divine

[sunilsahota]

without shivji, shree hari vishnu is incomplete, without shakti shri hari vishnu is also incomplete!

 

what ever vaisnav puja we do, we do prayers to ganesh, krishna, durga, shiva

 

Ram and Krishna are shivjis favorites and vise versa, Durga is krishnas little sister! she is also the complextion of Shree Radha, the glow and beuty. Kali is the anger in Sita towards Ravan! yet they are all incarnates of Lakhshmi one of the tridevi's.

 

Without Radha (devi, shakti, durga) Krishna is Addah! (half)

 

so us vaishnavs should stop differing between gods etc! remember Krishna said in the Gita that he is everything all the gods are a part of him!

 

and if he is going to be everything, HE cannot just be beutiful, but he has to be ugly aswel. he cannot just be shanti he has to be chandi aswel!!

 

remember god is everything, but not everything is god!

 

 

Hare Krishna

Jai Jai Rahdey

Om NAMAH Shivay

Jai Mata Di

[harerama]

 

You have heard many devotees say that "please stop sleeping on the the lap of the witch called maya" Now isnt that offensive as Maya is also Durga devi.

 

In any case, Durga or Kali scares me. I mean i chant and i am not in fear of her because "rakhe krsna mare ke, mare krsna rakhe keIf krsna wants to protect you nobody can harm you, if krsna wants to kill you nobody can harm you"

 

So what i mean is, her whole persona and such scares me.

 

Oh and I had once an interesting encounter with a crazy(now i know not all durga or kali worshipers are crazy) durga or kali worshiper once on broad daylight during books which I will tell you later. Just say Jai Narshimadev.

 

Anyways thats my story.

 

Please clarify.

 

harekrsna

Haridham

 

What was so crazy about the kali or durga worshipper?

 

And what's so frightening about Durga or Kali? Or any demigod or goddess for that matter? I can understand fear of asuras and rakshasas, but I can't understand fear of demigods and goddesses.

[zjj]

 

Durga Devi another name of the Divine mother Lalithambika is actually the Shakthi of the Supreme. She is woshipped in several forms and Durga form was taken by the mother to kill the demon Mahisasura and his death is celebrated as Dusshera. (10 days and nine nights and the tenth day is Vijayadasami). I dont know how many of you have read Ramayana. Rama prayed to Durga Devi to get Her blessings before He fought against Ravana. The place where He offered the worship to Lord Shiva is called as Rameshwaram which is in the southern most side of tamilnadu in India from whre He crossed the sea to go to Lanka.

In the 'Ramayana', as it goes, Rama went to 'Lanka' to rescue his abducted wife, Sita, from the grip of Ravana, the king of the Demons in Lanka. Before starting for his battle with Ravana, Rama wanted the blessings of Devi Durga . He came to know that the Goddess would be pleased only if she is worshipped with one hundred 'NeelKamal' or blue lotuses. Rama, after travelling the whole world, could gather only ninety nine of them. He finally decided to offer one of his eyes, which resembled blue lotuses. Durga, being pleased with the devotion of Rama, appeared before him and blessed him. The battle started on the 'Saptami' and Ravana was finally killed on the 'Sandhikshan' i.e. the crossover period between Ashtami (the next day) and Navami (the day after). Ravana was cremated on Dashami. Since the period of this worship was different from the conventional period (during the spring - 'Basanta'), this puja is also known as 'Akal-Bodhan' or a worship (Bodhan) in an unconventional time (A-Kaal).

 

I agree.

 

If someone who worships Shiv is in the mode of ignorance then Lord Rama was also in the mode of ignorance because Shiv was his Ishta Dev and he established the Rameshwaram Shivlinga in south India. No Vaishnav in their right mind will say Rama is in the mode of ignorance so why call other Shiv devotees ignorant also? This is the worst kind of intolerance and it is not a trait of Sanatan Dharma.

 

Before the war of Kurushetra began, Shri Krishna told Arjun to worship Durga and acquire her blessing for victory in battle. Would Krishna have told Arjun to do this if it would lead him into the mode of ignorance? Arjun worshipped Durga and when she appeared before him to bless him, she told him that victory would be his for Krishna was with him. So her blessings led Arjun to further knowledge about the divinity of Krishna.

 

Why can we all not honour the Devs and Devis as extensions of Krishna? Krishna and Shiv don't fight each other. Shiv and Durga don't fight each other. Why do we have these pointless debates that just take us backwards?

 

I once heard a very wise person say that you should worship the Dev you identify with most as your Ishta Dev. Yet this does not mean that you ignore or turn away from the other gods. I worship Krishna: He is my Ishta and my Lord. Still, if I am near a temple of Lord Shiv, I go inside and pay obeisances. While I am there, I ask Lord Shiv to help me and guide me on the path to Krishna. Lord Shiv is a jagatguru and a Vaishnav and a yogi. Asking for Shiv's help and guidance will please my Ishta Dev Krishna because it means I am drawing closer to him. The same applies to a Durga or Kali temple. I go inside and ask her to show me the way to Radha Rani. Doesn't it say in the Bhagwat that Parvati (aka Durga and Kali) would go to Vrindavan to join in the Maharas? It was by her help that Lord Shiv could participate in the Maharas also. Doesn't it make sense to ask for their help in reaching that most perfect of states, Maharas with Radha and Krishna?

 

If anyone here knows the story of Narsingh Mehta, they will know that Narsingh first worshipped Lord Shiv. When Narsingh didn't ask for any reward for his worship, Shiv was pleased and took Narsingh to Golok for darshan of Maharas. Shiv took Narsingh to Krishna who enbraced Narsingh as a beloved devotee.

 

Who are any of us to belittle the worshippers of Shiv and Durga as ignorant? If we fear these gods, it is fear born of our own ignorance. A true devotee of Krishna never fears anyone or anything.

 

I pray that Krishna enlighten us all.

 

Haribol.

[Raguraman]

 

There are no demi-gods in hinduism...all gods are one...they are the many aspects of the supreme godhead ... whom you call krishna or narayana....god is one...for the creation he divided himself into various aspects. Shakti or power in other words is the goddess...is the very power of god. dont make futile arguments saying...worship of demigods is wrong etc...in hinduism there are only various aspects of god...he is know to various people by various names period.

 

there is no wrong way or right way. do what makes u feel close to the divine

About 99% of Hindus in India have not read anything from Vedas or sastras and yet think they know better than others.

 

In gita Shri Krishna clearly states that none is equal to HIM and none is above HIM. Scripturally all your claims are FALSE and are merely your ignorant emotional rants.

Bhagavad Gita:

 

O Arjuna, even those devotees who worship demigods with faith, they too worship Me, but in an improper way(i.e. not in the prescribed way). (9.23)

 

 

Because I alone am the enjoyer of all Yajna, and the Lord. But, people do not know My true transcendental nature. Therefore, they fall (into the repeated cycles of birth and death). (9.24)

 

Vedas are also very clear as to who is the Lord. Lord Visnu is declared the Supreme and above all other Devatas including, Lakshmi Devi, Lord BrahmA, Lord Shiva, Parvati Devi etc. who are given in the order of superiority from highest to lowest. Lakshmi Devi is highest, followed by BrahmA, Saraswati Devi, Rudra or Shiva, parvati Devi in that order.

 

Even Lakshmi Devi cannot be compared Lord Narayana.

 

Question about Lord Ram allegedly worshipping Lord Shiva:

Please do a reading of scriptures rather than arguing by seeing some TV serials and movies. Knowing religion involves studying carefully.

 

http://www.dvaita.org/list/list_50/msg00078.html

Public Uername and password: dvaita

 

Padma purana says:

 

ahamapyavatAreShu tvAM cha rudra mahAbala |

tAmasAnAM mohanArthaM pUjayAmi yuge yuge ||

 

in the 'tAraka-brahma-rAja-samhitA', Vishnu says that he would,

for the sake of deluding the tAmasAs, worship Rudra in his

avatArAs and people will be deluded by such an adhArmic act.Shiva seeks:

 

anyadevaM varaM dehi prasiddhaM sarvajantuShu |

martyo bhUtvA bhavAneva mama sAdhaya keshava ||

mAM bhajasva cha devesha varaM matto gR^ihANa cha |

yenA.ahaM sarvabhUtAnAM pUjyAtpUjyataro.abhavam.h ||

 

Vishnu says:

devakAryAvatAreShu mAnuShatvamupeyivAn.h |

tvAmevArAdhayiShyAmi mama tvaM varado bhava ||

 

in the Rudra-gItA section of the varAha purANa (and a similar

incident in the kUrma purANa) narrate Shiva's obtaining the

boon of being worshipped by the Lord in his incarnations.

Thus, just like the Lord granted the boon of being the

charioteer to Arjuna, here too, his bestowing such a boon

should be seen as an indication of His easy accessibility to

his devotees (Ashrita-saulabhya-pradarshAnarthatvena) and not

as a hindrance to his being the parameshvara.

[anandadeha]

HariOm

IN Bhagavadgita,when Krishna reveal his universal form,terrifiing with avfull teeths,Arjuna was verymuch afraid,Krishnas form is Terrifing and Beautifull in same time