Don’t Be Distracted

“Endowed with such a faith, he seeks favors of a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.22)

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स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते
लभते च तत: कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान्

sa tayā śraddhayā yuktas
tasyārādhanam īhate
labhate ca tataḥ kāmān
mayaiva vihitān hi tān

“Is it possible that you are hurting your own cause by limiting the worship of the prospective followers to just one deity? There is so much that this culture has to offer. I understand that the outsiders have the mistaken assumption that there are many gods being worshiped, that there are these strange practices involving worship of the cow, in taking into account the alignment of the stars, in considering that the living being continues their existence across many potential lifetimes.

“I am more focused on the realm of the followers. The ones who are open-minded. The ones who might have inherited the tradition from their parents and grandparents. Is it not insulting to say that worship of other devas is for the less intelligent? Why should everything be exclusively for Shri Krishna? Okay, you are liberal in that you allow room for any vishnu-tattva expansion, such as Rama, Narasimha, the husband of Lakshmi, and the like.

“But why not worship of gods typically associated with the tradition? Why is that restricted? More than restricted, why is it downright prohibited in your established houses of worship? Why does your institution discriminate against these heavenly figures, who are forever dear to Vishnu?”

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that the appeal from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is to avoid getting distracted. We can think of it like being enrolled in a university degree program. We are in the final class of the final year. We have to study for the final exam. Everything is going according to plan. We are so close to finally entering the real world.

At the last moment, near the end of the semester, someone proposes a different direction. We then set aside our studies, for a moment. We become enamored by this other desire, which has only temporary value. The degree from the university is what we started a long time back. It is what we identified as a long-term goal. The corresponding term in Sanskrit is shreyas. That degree is now on hold.

Worship of the devas is like the distraction for the human being seeking transcendence. The process is otherwise legitimate and valid. It is even recommended in many places across shastra, which is scripture. The worship has also withstood the test of time; it is not a newly created practice. There are countless instances in history of blazing success along that path. The worshipers got exactly what they wanted. The benefactors were indeed merciful to them. The austerity and penance, tapasya, worked in pleasing the object of worship.

And yet this success is the entire problem. Shrimad Bhagavatam has a section which explains how different religions come into play. These are different systems of rules and regulation for the purpose of fulfilling a goal. They are kind of like specialized dharmas, if thinking along those lines.

आद्यन्तवन्त एवैषां लोका: कर्मविनिर्मिता:
दु:खोदर्कास्तमोनिष्ठा: क्षुद्रा मन्दा: शुचार्पिता:

ādy-anta-vanta evaiṣāṁ
lokāḥ karma-vinirmitāḥ
duḥkhodarkās tamo-niṣṭhāḥ
kṣudrā mandāḥ śucārpitāḥ

“All the persons I have just mentioned obtain temporary fruits from their material work. Indeed, the meager and miserable situations they achieve bring future unhappiness and are based on ignorance. Even while enjoying the fruits of their work, such persons are filled with lamentation.” (Lord Krishna, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 11.14.11)

The systems more or less work. There is Supersoul in the background. As Paramatma, Krishna must provide sanction for the results to manifest. This is true within deva-worship, as well. But what is the long-term result? I may get exactly what I want but still remain in illusion. My desires will change. I will come back later for another visit to the store, so to speak.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has higher hopes for us. He wants us to leave behind the cycle of birth and death, for good. He wants us to reach for the stars, to finally attain the summit of the mountain. This means targeting the highest goal, which is eternal association of the Supreme Lord. God is a person. God is the greatest person, Purushottama. He is also all-pervading, which means that I do not have to travel far to find Him. The starting point is wanting to find Him, removing all other desires in the process.

In Closing:

If the highest truth extracted,
Nothing gained when distracted.

Success but ephemerally so,
Here today but quickly to go.

Instead the highest goal to attain,
Which time continuum to sustain.

Mahaprabhu best in worship of Krishna to teach,
So that highest destination can reach.