Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura acknowledged that there are those who object to the concept of worshipping the deity or Sri-murti (the Deity form of Lord Krsna). He wrote:
They say, 'It is idolatry to worship Sri-murti. Sri-murti is an idol formed by an artist and introduced by no one other than Satan himself. Worshipping such an object would arouse the jealousy of God and limit His omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence!' To this we reply, 'Brethren! Candidly understand the question and do not allow yourself to be misled by sectarian dogmas. God is not jealous, as He is one without a second. Satan is no other than an object of the imagination or the subject of an allegory. An allegorical or imaginary being should not be allowed to act as an obstacle to the development of our loving relationship with God.'"
Those in the darkest of ignorance who want to deify evil in the form of an imaginary being called Satan are really the ones who engage in idolatry by giving substance to something imaginary. Bhaktivinoda Thakura is of the same opinion here. It may also be added it would have been more prudent to give substance to good, rather than evil. The same people who decry the bona-fide method of Deity worship and call it idolatry, cannot give a clear or substantial description of God. However they have gone to great lengths to depict an evil devil called Satan or Lucifer, complete with horns and a three-pronged fork overseeing the fires of hell. Every person reared in the west has this image in their head, but they have no clear image of God there. We can thank Christianity more than any other sect for this irony.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura continues:
"Those who say that God has no form, either material or spiritual, and at the same time imagine a false form for worship are certainly idolatrous; but those who see the spiritual form of the Deity in their soul's eyes, carry that impression as far as possible to the mind, and then frame an emblem for the satisfaction of the material eye for continual study of the higher feeling are by no means idolatrous. When seeing a Sri-murti, do not even see the image itself, but see the spiritual model of the image and you are a pure theist. Idolatry and Sri Murti worship are two different things!" Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura at the time of his writing 'Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts' was entering into uncharted waters trying to persuade the people of the west to consider the creed of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas and to learn something about Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. No doubt he spoke in a way as not to offend those he was trying to bring into the fold of Mahaprabhu. But even so if we read between the lines, the Thakura makes some pretty strong statements indirectly condemning the Christians for creating an idol called the devil while criticizing the worship of bona-fide Deities. The Thakura boldly asks the Christian world to embrace and engage in the worship of Sri-murti!
Caitanya Mahaprabhu put much emphasis on the worship of Sri-murti and placed it on the top of the list along with association of devotees, residing in a holy dhama, hearing Srimad Bhagavatam and Chanting the Holy Name. So important is the worship of the Deity that Bhaktivnoda Thakura says,
"To tell you the truth, Sri-murti worship is the only true worship of the Deity, without which you cannot sufficiently cultivate your religious feeling. The world attracts you through your senses, and as long as you do not see God in the objects of your senses, you live in an awkward position, which scarcely helps you in procuring spiritual elevation. Place a Sri-murti in your house. Think that God Almighty is the guardian of the home. Offer food to Him and take it as His prasada (mercy). Flowers and scents should also be offered to Him and accepted as prasada. The eye, ear, nose, skin and tongue all have a spiritual culture. You do it with a holy heart and God will know it and judge you by your sincerity. If divine compassion, love and justice could be portrayed by the pencil and expressed by the chisel, then why shouldn't the personal beauty of the Deity be portrayed in poetry or in picture or expressed by the chisel for the benefit of man?"
Replies
Is Sri-murti a term for all Deities in general or is it a specific Deity?
In general, Prabhu ji. For example, it may be Radha Gopinatha, or Lord Jagannatha, or any Deity of Vishnu. Your questions are appreciated!
It is said that the neophyte accepts the Deity as representing Godhead, a ritual form. More advanced, sees that God is everywhere, therefore He is also within the Deity, as all elements etc come from Him. Therefore like a post office, the authorized mailbox is there. More advanced yet, realizes the Deity IS KRSNA, and ultimately can communicate with Him. It is a question of faith obtained by revelation.
This is an excellent response to a commonly asked question. People misunderstand the notion of deity worship, but they should not, the answer is right within the name. It is not called idol worship (worship of a statue or image), but rather deity worship (worship of the deity). Just as the name of the Lord is identical with the Lord, anything which takes the form of the Lord is identical to the Lord. Therefore in worshiping the deity, we are worshiping the Lord directly.