Hare Krishna Prabhuji/Mataji š Dandavat Pranam. Please forgive me if I cause offense with my question. I am chanting 16 rounds Hare Krishna for 1 year now. I just started my 2nd reading of Bhagavad Gita as it is.
To give a summary of my background and childhood, I am a tamilian, my family are Iyer. Since childhood our family has always been very religious and praying to all devatas and I think I have visited almost all temples in the South India. Everyday we play Lalita Sahasranamam and Vishnu Sahasranamam at my home.
In my life I have met many Swamis and Pujaris and people who are spiritually elevated who similarly pray to many devatas and have dedicated their lives in serving the temple and respective devatas.
Some of them have had darshan of Lord Krishna or an Intimate vision of Lord Krishna and even a brief dealing with Lord Krishna. I have had such conversations with those elevated souls.
They do see Krishna as god but on same platform as other devatas. They see Lord Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu and not the other way around.
I was of the impression that Krishna only reciprocates if you completely surrender unto him as the supreme lord. But in India especially in south india you see worship of devatas and worship of Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu also gives people Krishn'a blessings and ultimately to some blessed people even of his Darshan.
How do I understand this? Are such spiritually elevated people also dear to Krishna and go to Goloka if they desire?
Replies
"Swamis and Pujaris and people who are spiritually elevated who similarly pray to many devatas and have dedicated their lives in serving the temple and respective devatas."
Depends how they understand their position. If they follow sastras, they can't equate devatas and the Lord. Kena Upanisad has a short simple story about their hierarchy.
Harinama Cintamani speaks about Vaisnava attitude to devatas.
"Some of them have had darshan of Lord Krishna or an Intimate vision of Lord Krishna and even a brief dealing with Lord Krishna."
Sri Krisna is free to give darsan to anyone He chooses.
I heard from one devotee that when she was into physical yoga, before becoming a devotee, one lady from her yoga group told her that Sri Krisna appeared in her dream or meditation (don't remember exactly) and asked her what she is up to. She told Him she still has many issues in the material life. He just smiled and disappeared.
My understanding is that the Lord looks into our heart and reciprocates to any little trace of sincerity by offering His helping hand.
Hari Hari
ys J.
HareKrsna
They see Lord Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu and not the other way around.
Lord Sri Krsna, Lord Sri Vishnu Lord Sri Rama are each the Supreme Personality of Absolute truth. The difference is of rasa or mood. They are the same person but in different moods. There is no difference in tattva. All three (and other avatars) belong to Vishnu Tattva category.
dÄ«pÄrcir eva hi daÅÄntaram abhyupetya
dÄ«pÄyate vivį¹ta-hetu-samÄna-dharmÄ
yas tÄdį¹g eva hi ca viį¹£į¹utayÄ vibhÄti
govindam Ädi-puruį¹£aį¹ tam ahaį¹ bhajÄmi
The light of one candle being communicated to other candles, although it burns separately in them, is the same in its quality. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who exhibits Himself equally in the same mobile manner in His various manifestations. (Brahma Samhita 5.46)
Purport:The majestic manifestation of Kį¹į¹£į¹a is NÄrÄyaį¹a, Lord of Vaikuį¹į¹ha, whose subjective portion is KÄraį¹odakaÅÄyÄ« Viį¹£į¹u, the prime cause, whose portion is GarbhodakaÅÄyÄ«. Kį¹£Ä«rodakaÅÄyÄ« is again the subjective portion of GarbhodakaÅÄyÄ« Viį¹£į¹u.(Brahma Samhita 5.46)
We should not be too much worried if they consider lord Sri Krsna as avatar of Lord Vishnu.
They do see Krishna as god but on same platform as other devatas.
The above understanding is incorrect as per scriptures.
goloka-nÄmni nija-dhÄmni tale ca tasya
devi maheÅa-hari-dhÄmasu teį¹£u teį¹£u
te te prabhÄva-nicayÄ vihitÄÅ ca yena
govindam Ädi-puruį¹£aį¹ tam ahaį¹ bhajÄmi
Lowest of all is located DevÄ«-dhÄma [mundane world], next above it is MaheÅa-dhÄma [abode of MaheÅa]; above MaheÅa-dhÄma is placed Hari-dhÄma [abode of Hari] and above them all is located Kį¹į¹£į¹a's own realm named Goloka. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who has allotted their respective authorities to the rulers of those graded realms.(Brahma Samhita 5.43)
Lord Brahma himself has stated the above Shloka.
All demigods( Surya, Chandra, Indra, Saptarshi ,Ptris etc ) upto Lord Brahma are within Devi Dhama or this material world. All demigods have a finite lifespan or they die. Material world is destroyed eventually and recreated.
Lord Sada Shiva has his own an above Devi-Dhama. Lord Shiva does not die. He destroys the Devi Dhama at some point in time.
Lord Vishnu has His eternal Hari-Dhama or Vaikuntha. It is beyond time and material world. Nobody dies in Viakuntha.
Lord Sri Krsna has the topmost abode of Goloka Dhama. This is higher than Vaikuntha. Even residents of Vaikuntha cannot enter Goloka.
Anyone who sees demigods on same level as Sri Krsna does not have correct understanding. I would be highly concerned in accepting in any teachings from them, because their understanding is not as per scriptures.
I was of the impression that Krishna only reciprocates if you completely surrender unto him as the supreme lord.
Lord Sri Krsna reciproctes with each one as they approach Him
ye yathÄ mÄį¹ prapadyante
tÄį¹s tathaiva bhajÄmy aham
mama vartmÄnuvartante
manuį¹£yÄįø„ pÄrtha sarvaÅaįø„
As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pį¹thÄ. (BG 4.11)
The way an individual approaches Sri Krsna, Sri Krsna reciprocates with them. HiranyaKashipu wanted to kill Lord Vishnu, so Sri Vishnu in form of Sri Narasimha, killed him. Dhruva wanted a great kingdom, so Sri Vishnu gave him. Demons wanted to steal away amrutha after churning ocean, So Lord Sri Vishnu stole the amrutha from them.
The only way to enter Goloka Vrindavana is when one gets a special and personal invitation from someone who already lives in Goloka Vrindavana. It is not possible by worship of demigods. It is not possible by worship of Lord Sri Vishnu. Even mother Lakshmi who is a permanent resident of Vaikuntha who worships the feet of Lord Sri Narayana eternally, purely, whole heartedly does not have free entry into Goloka Vrindavana.
Hare Krsna