DEMIGOD WORSHIP: God and Gods

On existence of demigods
!! Is

it just a figment of the imagination of some primitive aboriginal tribes? !! What is the need of so many demigods? !! Cant everything in nature happen by itself?

Who are demigods?

God is one Krishna and the demigods are all living entities (nityanm) endowed with different grades of material power to manage this material world. !! Universal administration is carried out by demigods !! Demigod means subgod or they are not independent controllers but dependent controllers !! Pantheism: worshipping many gods is not supported by Bhagavad-gita
!!

Demigods as administrators of the universe

Krishna says in 3.10-12: In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being satisfied by the performance of yaja, will supply all necessities to you. But he who enjoys such gifts without offering them to the demigods in return is certainly a thief. !! Supreme Lord doesnt directly involve Himself in the management of this material universe

Relationship of demigods with K!"#a

nityo nity!n!" cetana# cetan!n!m eko bah$n!" yo vidadh!ti k!m!n (Ka!ha Upani"ad 2.2.13)
He is the prime eternal among all eternals. He is the supreme living entity of all living entities, and He alone is maintaining all life

Demigods are parts and parcels (jivas) of Supreme Lord !! Krishna says in verse 10.2, aham !dir hi dev!n!" mahar%&'!" ca sarva#a( (I am the source of the demigods and sages)
!!

K!"#a is the origin of demigods

n!r!ya'!d brahm! j!yate, n!r!ya'!d praj!pati( praj!yate, n!r!ya'!d indro j!yate, n!r!ya'!d a%)au vasavo j!yante, n!r!ya'!d ek!da#a rudr! j!yante, n!r!ya'!d dv!da#!dity!(
From Narayana, Brahma is born, and from Narayana the patriarchs are also born. From Narayana, Indra is born, from Narayana the eight Vasus are born, from Narayana the eleven Rudras are born, from Narayana the twelve Adityas are born." This Narayana is an expansion of Krishna. (N#r#ya$a Upani"ad)

K!"#a is the origin of demigods

eko vai n!r!ya'a !s&n na brahm! na &#!no n!po n!gni-samau neme dy!v-!p*thiv& na nak%atr!'i na s$rya( In the beginning of the creation there was only the Supreme Personality Narayana. There was no Brahma no Siva, no water, no fire, no moon, no stars in the sky, no sun. (Maha Upanishad 1)
!!

All Vedic literature agree that Krishna is the source of Brahma, Siva and all other demigods

K!"#a is the origin of demigods

na me viduh+ sura-ga'!h+ prabhavam, na mahar%ayah+ aham !dir hi dev!n!m, mahar%&'!m, ca sarva#ah+ Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin or opulences, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and sages. (Bhagavad-gt 10.2)

Who approach the demigods?

k!mais tais tair h*ta-j!n!( prapadyante 'nya-devat!( ta" ta" niyamam !sth!ya prak*ty! niyat!( svay! Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures. (Bhagavad-gt 7.20)

Are demigods different forms of the Lord?

!! The

demigods are not different forms of God, but they are Gods different parts and parcels. God is one, and the parts and parcels are many. say, nityo nitynm: God is one Krishna, and the demigods are all living entities (nityanam) endowed with different grades of material power to manage this material world.

!! The Vedas

Approaching Demigods
!! Demigod

worship is impelled by material desires (Bhagavad-Gita 7.20) !! People worship demigods to get quick material benefits such as land, wealth, woman, power, position, fame, status and other enjoyable paraphernalia. (BhagavadGita 4.12) !! Examples: Ravana worshipping Lord !iva, Hiranyakasipu worshipping Lord Brahma etc.

Approaching Demigods
The medium of exchange between Krishna and His devotees is unmotivated love (BhagavadGita 9.26, 34; 11.54, 18.55) !! The medium that connects the demigods and their worshippers is material benefits. Material benefits are temporary. (Bhagavad-Gita 7.20, 9.2, 9.25, 8.16)
!!

!! One cant worship demigods with love because by nature we are part and parcels of Krishna !! Therefore, the word worship (pooja) is used for demigods and the word devotional service (bhakti) is used for Supreme Lord

Demigods cant award liberation to conditioned living entity. (9.25, 8.16, 9.21, 8.5-6) !! Supreme Lord Krishna, known as Mukunda, can extricate the living entity from clutches of birth and death (4.9, 9.25, 9.34, 18.66)
!!

Destination of Demigod Worshippers

y!nti deva-vrat! dev!n pit-n y!nti pit*-vrat!( bh$t!ni y!nti bh$tejy! y!nti mad-y!jino 'pi m!m Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me. (Bhagavad-gt 9.25)

Destination of Demigod Worshippers

!-brahma-bhuvan!l lok!( punar !vartino 'rjuna m!m upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again (Bhagavad-gita 8.16)

Do all paths lead to the same goal?

Those who worship demigods will attain the planets of demigods !! Life in heavenly planets is temporary !! All paths dont lead to same goal because,
!!

!! If we worship demigods, destination is planets of demigods !! If we worship forefathers, destination is wherever they have gone !! If we worship other people, we go wherever they go !! If we serve Krishna, we go to Krishna loka which is beyond this material universe Bhagavad-Gita 9.25, 8.16, 9.21

Is demigod worship necessary?

Watering the root vs. watering the leaves and twigs ye 'py anya-devat!-bhakt! yajante #raddhay!nvit!h+ te 'pi m!m eva kaunteya yajanty avidhi-p$rvakam Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kunti, but they do so in a wrong way. (Bhagavad-gt 9.23)

Is demigod worship necessary?

!! Jiva

is eternally related to Supreme Lord as His part and parcel !! When it forgets this relationship with Supreme Lord, it becomes vicious, and lives in a state of fear (bhaya) and lamentation (soka) !! Although jiva approaches demigods for solving his problems, they cant give that sense of protection and belongingness that the soul needs