“With folded hands Tulsi asks Lord Shiva for the blessing that birth after birth he belong only to Rama, be related to Him, have love for Him and receive love from Him.” (Dohavali, 89)

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नातो नाते राम कें राम सनेहँ सनेहु
तुलसी माँगत जोरि कर जनम जनम सिव देहु

nāto nāte rāma ke rāma sanehum̐ sanehu
tulasī mām̐gata jori kara janama janama siva dehu

“Let me see if I have this correct. The appeal within Krishna consciousness is towards changing the way we think. An acknowledgment, of sorts. A connection, which should remain steady. Seeing the spiritual equality of all living beings, whether large or small, moving or nonmoving, human or animal. Carrying the Brahman vision, after first working up towards that vision.”

विद्या-विनय-सम्पन्ने
ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि
शुनि चैव श्व-पाके च
पण्डिताः सम-दर्शिनः

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.18)

“In this regard, there is no press towards conversion. It is not that the standard-bearers carry bags of rice with them and approach poor neighborhoods with a bribe. Take this gift and then automatically become a member of our religion. No, I have many times heard His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada say that a person does not have to change who they are. What to speak of religious affiliation, even their occupation can stay. The ideal example in this regard is the bow-warrior named Arjuna, who happened to hear Bhagavad-gita directly from Shri Krishna.

“Okay, so this means that a person new to the game can continue going to church. They can maintain their membership, provided there is no dogmatic insistence on the other side. As long as the members of that church do not have to sign a hostage statement vowing to never use their brain, to maintain only a narrow view of a concept that would encompass the entirety of creation and beyond, then there is no conflict. A person can continue in their pursuit of purification of consciousness, in worshiping the personal God, while maintaining fidelity with their previous affiliations.

“There seems to be an exception to this rule, though. While even the atheists, meat-eaters, and alcoholics can continue in their ways, as long as they are giving a sincere effort, the worshipers of the demigods receive the critical eye. These people are less intelligent, you see. There are corresponding Sanskrit words as support. Alpa-medhasa refers to someone who does not have well-defined brain substance. In other words, they are dumb. That is the reason they worship the demigods, you see.

“Okay, but isn’t that highly offensive? Are these objects of worship not part of the same tradition? These objects of worship are worshiping Shri Krishna, are they not? I know many wonderful people who have been devotees of Durga Devi since birth. Some have firm allegiance to Ganesha or Lord Shiva. What is wrong with maintaining that affiliation? Why are these people the only ones who have to be made fun of, while everyone else can continue doing what they were doing before? Do you see what I am saying?”

अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम्
देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि

antavattu phalaṃ teṣāṃ tadbhavatyalpamedhasām
devāndevayajo yānti madbhaktā yānti māmapi

“Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.23)

It should be noted that the person who uses the words “alpa medhasa” is Krishna. This is not something made up by the acharya. This is not a cheap ploy to exploit a vulnerability in worshiping others. There is justification for the characterization. The objects of worship are not less intelligent. There is no greater Vaishnava than Mahadeva. His wife is the embodiment of the concept of a devi, or goddess. Ganesha has such an exalted position that he receives the first honor in every instance of formal worship.

निम्नगानां यथा गङ्गा देवानामच्युतो यथा
वैष्णवानां यथा शम्भु: पुराणानामिदं तथा

nimna-gānāṁ yathā gaṅgā
devānām acyuto yathā
vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ
purāṇānām idam tathā

“Just as the Ganga is the greatest of all rivers, Lord Achyuta the supreme among deities and Lord Shambhu [Shiva] the greatest of Vaishnavas, so Shrimad-Bhagavatam is the greatest of all Puranas.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 12.13.16)

The lack of intelligence might not be in the worshipers, either. It is in the rewards that are sought out. There is the saying that if both the large and small objectives require the same amount of work, better to go after the large objective. This only makes sense. The work is the same. There is sacrifice. There is some kind of hardship, voluntarily accepted. Why not see the better reward on the other side?

Worship of the devas is generally for achieving rewards of temporary significance. This is a legitimate process. The worship works, more or less. There is a longstanding tradition, since before anyone can remember. There are amazing stories related to famous temples of the many gods of the Vedic tradition. It is not that the devas should be disrespected. They are powerful for a reason. They are objects of authority. They are in the mode of goodness, sattva-guna.

It is just that worship of Krishna, or Vishnu, is for something beyond the material world. This is a better use of time. This is the intelligent approach. Worshipers of Krishna go to His planet. Worshipers of the devas go to the planets of the devas, which are mostly within the material world.

यान्ति देवव्रता देवान्पितॄन्यान्ति पितृव्रता:
भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम्

yānti deva-vratā devān
pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā
yānti mad-yājino ’pi mām

“Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.25)

Goswami Tulsidas kindly brings both sides together, in meeting two objectives simultaneously. In his published works, honor goes to the devas at the beginning. There is a special distinction, though. The poet asks for the benediction of continued devotion to the Supreme Lord, in His avatara of Rama. This means that the devas become part of the chain of success in devotion. Therefore, something that might be considered less intelligent becomes transcendental.

In Closing:

Part of success chain,
When bhakti to attain.

If to the devas to ask,
At beginning of task.

Like Tulsi to Shiva prays,
That in future with Rama stays.

As devoted servant true,
Related and with love too.

Categories: questions

Tags: dailyprompt, demigod worship, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, tulsidas