One of the offenses in Deity worship; ".. to offer worship to the Deity without worshiping Vaikuṇṭha deities like Gaṇeśa"
Srimad Bhagavatam Shloka(11.2.36) in Ganesha Arti.
Fri, 09/05/2008 - 07:31 — Kartik Desai
From Krishna.com
Ganeshostav ( Ganesha Festival ) Is celebrated all over India every year, More in Maharashtra, in fall harvest time.
A idol of Ganesh is brought at home and it is been worshiped for 10 days. Later 'Visarjan' is done. ( Visarjan mean submerging The Idol in sea,lake,river )
Ganesha Devotees Worship Lord Ganesh In full ecstasy, thinking that Demigod Ganesha is the Supreme Lord!!!
They worship him with a Particular Arti.But many many people dont Know that a Bhagvatam Shloka is Recited at the End of the Arti Followed by Mahamantra!!!!.
yes..
Srimad Bhagvatam(11.2.36):
käyena väcä manasendriyair vä
buddhyätmanä vänusåta-svabhävät
karoti yad yat sakalaà parasmai
näräyaëäyeti samarpayet tat
TRANSLATION
In accordance with the particular nature one has acquired in conditioned life, whatever one does with body, words, mind, senses, intelligence or purified consciousness one should offer to the Supreme, thinking, "This is for the pleasure of Lord Näräyana."
The Nectar Of Devotion, Chapter Eight-Offenses to be Avoided
One should begin the worship of the demigod Ganapati, who drives away all impediments in the execution of devotional service. In the Brahma-saàhitä it is stated that Ganapati worships the lotus feet of Lord Nåsrimhadeva and in that way has become auspicious for the devotees in clearing out all impediments. Therefore, all devotees should worship Ganapati.
But people Worship Ganesha (Ganapati) for material desires.
And when Demigod Ganesha (A Shudha Vaishnava) fullfill their material desire, they make him Supreme Lord.
But the fact is that Lord Krishna Sanction the wishes.
Here is Srila Prabhupada on Ganesa Ji;
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 1:"Creation" : SB 1.2: Divinity and Divine Service : SB 1.2.26 : PURPORT :
The separated parts and parcels have different positions in the estimation of material powers, and some of them are like Kāla-bhairava, Śmaśāna-bhairava, Śani, Mahākālī and Caṇḍikā. These demigods are worshiped mostly by those who are in the lowest categories of the mode of darkness or ignorance. Other demigods, like Brahmā, Śiva, Sūrya, Gaṇeśa and many similar deities, are worshiped by men in the mode of passion, urged on by the desire for material enjoyment. But those who are actually situated in the mode of goodness (sattva-guṇa) of material nature worship only viṣṇu-tattvas. Viṣṇu-tattvas are represented by various names and forms, such as Nārāyaṇa, Dāmodara, Vāmana, Govinda and Adhokṣaja. (More...)
|
||
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 1:"Creation" : SB 1.5: Narada's Instructions on Srimad-Bhagavatam for Vyasadeva : SB 1.5.36 : PURPORT :
An expert devotee of the Lord can mold his life in such a way that while performing all kinds of duties either for this or the next life, he can constantly remember the Lord's name, fame, qualities, etc. The order of the Lord is distinctly there in the Bhagavad-gītā: one should work only for the Lord in all spheres of life. In every sphere of life the Lord should be situated as the proprietor. According to the Vedic rites, even in the worship of some demigods like Indra, Brahmā, Sarasvatī and Gaṇeśa, the system is that in all circumstances the representation of Viṣṇu must be there as yajñeśvara, or the controlling power of such sacrifices. It is recommended that a particular demigod be worshiped for a particular purpose, but still the presence of Viṣṇu is compulsory in order to make the function proper. (More...)
|
||
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 1:"Creation" : SB 1.9: The Passing Away of Bhismadeva in the Presence of Lord Krsna : SB 1.9.6, SB 1.9.7, SB 1.9.6-7 : PURPORT :
Bādarāyaṇa (Vyāsadeva): He is known as Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana, Dvaipāyana, Satyavatī-suta, Pārāśarya, Parāśarātmaja, Bādarāyaṇa, Vedavyāsa, etc. He was the son of Mahāmuni Parāśara in the womb of Satyavatī prior to her betrothal with Mahārāja Śantanu, the father of the great general Grandfather Bhīṣmadeva. He is a powerful incarnation of Nārāyaṇa, and he broadcasts the Vedic wisdom to the world. As such, Vyāsadeva is offered respects before one chants the Vedic literature, especially the Purāṇas. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was his son, and ṛṣis like Vaiśampāyana were his disciples for different branches of the Vedas. He is the author of the great epic Mahābhārata and the great transcendental literature Bhāgavatam. The Brahma-sūtras-the Vedānta-sūtras, or Bādarāyaṇa-sūtras-were compiled by him. Amongst sages he is the most respected author by dint of severe penances. When he wanted to record the great epic Mahābhārata for the welfare of all people in the age of Kali, he was feeling the necessity of a powerful writer who could take up his dictation. By the order of Brahmājī, Śrī Gaṇeśajī took up the charge of noting down the dictation on the condition that Vyāsadeva would not stop dictation for a moment. The Mahābhārata was thus compiled by the joint endeavor of Vyāsa and Gaṇeśa. (More...)
|
||
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 3: "The Status Quo" : SB 3.28: Kapila's Instructions on the Execution of Devotional Service : SB 3.28.22 : PURPORT :
In this verse the position of Lord Śiva is specifically mentioned. The impersonalist suggests that the Absolute Truth has no form and that one can therefore equally imagine the form of Viṣṇu or Lord Śiva or the goddess Durgā or their son Gaṇeśa. But actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the supreme master of everyone. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 5.142) it is said, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, ara saba bhṛtya: the Supreme Lord is Kṛṣṇa, and everyone else, including Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā—not to mention other demigods—is a servant of Kṛṣṇa. The same principle is described here. Lord Śiva is important because he is holding on his head the holy Ganges water, which has its origin in the foot-wash of Lord Viṣṇu. In the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, by Sanātana Gosvāmī, it is said that anyone who puts the Supreme Lord and the demigods, including Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā, on the same level, at once becomes a pāṣaṇḍī, or atheist. We should never consider that the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu and the demigods are on an equal footing. (More...)
|
||
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 6: "Prescribed Duties for Mankind" : SB 6.4: The Hamsa-guhya Prayers : SB 6.4.34 : PURPORT :
The impersonalists imagine the various demigods to be forms of the Lord. For example, the Māyāvādīs worship five demigods (pañcopāsanā). They do not actually believe in the form of the Lord, but for the sake of worship they imagine some form to be God. Generally they imagine a form of Viṣṇu, a form of Śiva, and forms of Gaṇeśa, the sun-god and Durgā. This is called pañcopāsanā. Dakṣa, however, wanted to worship not an imaginary form, but the supreme form of Lord Kṛṣṇa. (More...)
|
||
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 7: "The Science of God" : SB 7.5: Prahlada Maharaja, the Saintly Son of Hiranyakasipu : SB 7.5.23, SB 7.5.24, SB 7.5.23-24 : PURPORT :
In other places, the following offenses are listed: (a) to be against the scriptural injunctions of the Vedic literature or to disrespect within one’s heart the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam while externally falsely accepting its principles, (b) to introduce differing śāstras, (c) to chew pan and betel before the Deity, (d) to keep flowers for worship on the leaf of a castor oil plant, (e) to worship the Deity in the afternoon, (f) to sit on the altar or to sit on the floor to worship the Deity (without a seat), (g) to touch the Deity with the left hand while bathing the Deity, (h) to worship the Deity with a stale or used flower, (i) to spit while worshiping the Deity, (j) to advertise one’s glory while worshiping the Deity, (k) to apply tilaka to one’s forehead in a curved way, (l) to enter the temple without having washed one’s feet, (m) to offer the Deity food cooked by an uninitiated person, (n) to worship the Deity and offer bhoga to the Deity within the vision of an uninitiated person or non-Vaiṣṇava, (o) to offer worship to the Deity without worshiping Vaikuṇṭha deities like Gaṇeśa, (p) to worship the Deity while perspiring, (q) to refuse flowers offered to the Deity, (r) to take a vow or oath in the holy name of the Lord. (More...)
|
||
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 8: "Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations" : SB 8.5: The Demigods Appeal to the Lord for Protection : SB 8.5.49 : PURPORT :
“Of all types of worship, worship of Lord Viṣṇu is best, and better than the worship of Lord Viṣṇu is the worship of His devotee, the Vaiṣṇava.” There are many demigods worshiped by people who are attached to material desires (kāmais tais tair hṛta jñānāḥ prapadyante’nya-devatāḥ [Bg. 7.20]). Because people are embarrassed by so many material desires, they worship Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, the goddess Kālī, Durgā, Gaṇeśa and Sūrya to achieve different results. However, one can achieve all these results simultaneously just by worshiping Lord Viṣṇu. As stated elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam (4.31.14): (More...)
|
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 1: The Spiritual Masters : Adi 1.91 : PURPORT :
The path of worship of the innumerable devas, or administrative demigods, is still more hazardous and uncertain than the above-mentioned processes of karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa. This system of worshiping many gods, such as Durgā, Śiva, Gaṇeśa, Sūrya and the impersonal Viṣṇu form, is accepted by persons who have been blinded by an intense desire for sense gratification. When properly executed in terms of the rites mentioned in the śāstras, which are now very difficult to perform in this age of want and scarcity, such worship can certainly fulfill one's desires for sense gratification, but the success obtained by such methods is certainly transient, and it is suitable only for a less intelligent person. That is the verdict of the Bhagavad-gītā. No sane man should be satisfied by such temporary benefits. (More...)
|
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 7: Lord Caitanya in Five Features : Adi 7.151 : PURPORT :
Previously Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu neither mixed nor talked with the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, but now He is taking lunch with them. It is to be concluded that when Lord Caitanya induced them to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and excused them for their offenses, they were purified, and therefore there was no objection to taking lunch, or bhagavat-prasāda, with them, although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew that the food was not offered to the Deity. Māyāvādī sannyāsīs do not worship the Deity, or if they do so they generally worship the deity of Lord Śiva or the pañcopāsanā (Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Śiva, Durgādevī, Gaṇeśa and Sūrya). Here we do not find any mention of the demigods or Viṣṇu, and yet Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted food in the midst of the sannyāsīs on the basis that they had chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and that He had excused their offenses.
(More...) |
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 7: Lord Caitanya in Five Features : Adi 7.157 : PURPORT :
In the Brahma-saṁhitā there are mantras offering obeisances to Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, the sun-god and Lord Gaṇeśa, as well as Lord Viṣṇu, all of whom are worshiped by the impersonalists as pañcopāsanā. In their temples impersonalists also install deities of Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Śiva, the sun-god, Goddess Durgā and sometimes Lord Brahmā also, and this system is continuing at present in India under the guise of the Hindu religion. Vaiṣṇavas can also worship all these demigods, but only on the principles of the Brahma-saṁhitā, which is recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We may note in this connection the mantras for worshiping Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, Goddess Durgā, the sun-god and Gaṇeśa, as described in the Brahma-saṁhitā. (More...)
|
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 7: Lord Caitanya in Five Features : Adi 7.157 : PURPORT : yat-pada-pallava-yugam vinidhaya kumbha- dvandve pranama-samaye sa ganadhirajah vighnan vihantum alam asya jagat-trayasya govind :
"I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda. Gaṇeśa always holds His lotus feet upon the pair of tumuli protruding from his elephant head in order to obtain power for his function of destroying all obstacles on the path of progress in the three worlds." (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.50)
(More...) |
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 7: Lord Caitanya in Five Features : Adi 7.157 : PURPORT : yac caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro govindam adi- :
We must offer proper respects to all the demigods. If one can offer respects even to an ant, why not to the demigods? One must always know, however, that no demigod is equal to or above the Supreme Lord. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya: "Only Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all others, including the demigods such as Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, Goddess Durgā and Ganeśa, are His servants." Everyone serves the purpose of the Supreme Godhead, and what to speak of such small and insignificant living entities as ourselves? We are surely eternal servants of the Lord. The Māyāvāda philosophy maintains that the demigods, the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are all equal. It is therefore a most foolish misrepresentation of Vedic knowledge. (More...)
|
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 12: The Expansions of Advaita Acarya and Gadadhara Pandita : Adi 12.27 : PURPORT :
The Sanskrit book Advaita-carita states that Balarāma, Svarūpa and Jagadīśa were the fourth, fifth and sixth sons of Advaita Ācārya. Therefore Śrī Advaita Ācārya had six sons. Balarāma, Svarūpa and Jagadīśa, being smārtas, or Māyāvādīs, were rejected by Vaiṣṇava society. Sometimes Māyāvādīs pose themselves as Vaiṣṇavas, or worshipers of Lord Viṣṇu, but actually they do not believe in Lord Viṣṇu as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for they consider demigods like Lord Śiva, Durgā, the sun-god and Gaṇeśa equal to Him. They are generally known as pañcopāsaka-smārtas, and one should not count them among the Vaiṣṇavas.
(More...) |
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 8: Talks Between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya : Madhya 8.90 : PURPORT :
It is a completely mistaken idea that one can worship Kṛṣṇa in any form or in any way and still attain the ultimate result of receiving the favor of the Lord. This is a decision made by gross materialists. Generally such men say that you can manufacture your own way of worshiping the Supreme Lord and that any type of worship is sufficient to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Certainly there are different means for attaining different results in fruitive activity, speculative knowledge, mystic yoga and austerity. Crude men therefore say that if one adopts any of these methods one achieves the Supreme Personality of Godhead's favor. They claim that it doesn't matter what kind of method one adopts. A general example is given: If one wishes to arrive at a certain place, there are many roads leading there, and one can go to that place by any one of these roads. Similarly, these gross materialists say, there are different ways to attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They claim that one can conceive of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Goddess Durgā, Goddess Kālī, Lord Śiva, Demigod Gaṇeśa, Lord Rāmacandra, Kṛṣṇa, the impersonal Brahman or whatever, and one can chant the Lord's name in any way and in any form. Such materialists claim that since ultimately all these names and forms are one, the result is the same. They also give the example that a man who has different names will answer if called by any one of them. Therefore, they claim, there is no need to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. If one chants the name of Kālī, Durgā, Śiva, Gaṇeśa or anyone else, the result will be the same.
(More...) |
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 9: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Travels to the Holy Places : Madhya 9.239-240 : PURPORT :
The Brahma-saṁhitā is a very important scripture. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu acquired the Fifth Chapter from the Ādi-keśava temple. In that Fifth Chapter, the philosophical conclusion of acintya-bhedābheda-tattva (simultaneous oneness and difference) is presented. The chapter also presents methods of devotional service; the eighteen-syllable Vedic hymn; discourses on the soul, the Supersoul and fruitive activity; an explanation of Kāma-gāyatrī, kāma-bīja and the original Mahā-Viṣṇu; and a detailed description of the spiritual world, specifically Goloka Vṛndāvana. Brahma-saṁhitā also explains the demigod Gaṇeśa; Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu; the origin of the Gāyatrī mantra; the form of Govinda and His transcendental position and abode; the living entities; the highest goal; the goddess Durgā; the meaning of austerity; the five gross elements; love of Godhead; impersonal Brahman; the initiation of Lord Brahmā; and the vision of transcendental love enabling one to see the Lord. The steps of devotional service are also explained. The mind; yoga-nidrā; the goddess of fortune; devotional service in spontaneous ecstasy; incarnations beginning with Lord Rāmacandra; Deities; the conditioned soul and its duties; the truth about Lord Viṣṇu; prayers; Vedic hymns; Lord Śiva; the Vedic literature; personalism and impersonalism; good behavior; and many other subjects are also discussed. There is also a description of the sun and the universal form of the Lord. All these subjects are conclusively explained in a nutshell in the Brahma-saṁhitā.
(More...) |
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 9: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Travels to the Holy Places : Madhya 9.281 : TEXT : langa-ganesa dekhi' dekhena cora-parvati :
|
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 9: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Travels to the Holy Places : Madhya 9.281 : SYNONYMS :
kolāpure—at Kolāpura; lakṣmī—the goddess of fortune; dekhi'-seeing; dekhena—He visited; kṣīra-bhagavatī—the temple of Kṣīra-bhagavatī; lāṅga-gaṇeśa—the deity Lāṅga-gaṇeśa; dekhi'-seeing; dekhena—He sees; cora-pārvatī—the goddess Pārvatī, who is known as a thief. (More...)
|
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 9: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Travels to the Holy Places : Madhya 9.281 : TRANSLATION :
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then visited the town of Kolāpura, where He saw the goddess of fortune in the temple of Kṣīra-bhagavatī and Lāṅga-gaṇeśa in another temple, known as Cora-pārvatī. (More...)
|
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 9: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Travels to the Holy Places : Madhya 9.360 : PURPORT : maya tatam idam sarvam jagad avyakta-murtina mat-sthani sarva-bhutani na caham tesv avasthitah :
Not understanding the process of disciplic succession, so-called logicians put forward the theory of pañcopāsanā, in which a person worships one of five deities-namely Viṣṇu, Śiva, Durgā, the sun-god or Ganeśa. In this conception the impersonalists accept one of these five deities as supreme and reject the others. Such philosophical speculation, which is certainly idol worship, is not accepted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu or by Vaiṣṇavas. This imaginary deity worship has recently been transformed into Māyāvāda impersonalism. For want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, people are victimized by the Māyāvāda philosophy, and consequently they sometimes become staunch atheists. However, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu established the process of self-realization by His own personal behavior. As stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 8.274): (More...)
|
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 17: The Lord Travels to Vrndavana : Madhya 17.95 : PURPORT :
The word prārabdhe (past deeds) is important in this verse. Since Candraśekhara was a devotee, he was always eager to hear about Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental pastimes. Most of the inhabitants of Benares were and are impersonalists, worshipers of Lord Śiva and followers of the pañcopāsanā method. The impersonalists imagine some form of the impersonal Brahman, and to facilitate meditation they concentrate upon the forms of Viṣṇu, Śiva, Gaṇeśa, Sūrya and goddess Durgā. Actually these pañcopāsakas are not devotees of anyone. As it is said, to be a servant of everyone is to be the servant of no one. Vārāṇasī, or Kāśī, is the chief holy place of pilgrimage for impersonalists, and it is not at all suitable for devotees. A Vaiṣṇava likes to live in a viṣṇu-tīrtha, a place where Lord Viṣṇu's temples are present. In Vārāṇasī there are many hundreds and thousands of Lord Śiva's temples, or pañcopāsaka temples. Consequently Candraśekhara expressed great unhappiness as he informed Lord Caitanya that he was obliged to live at Benares due to his past misdeeds. In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu it is also said, durjāty-ārambhakaṁ pāpaṁ yat syāt prārabdham eva tat. "According to one's past misdeeds, one takes birth on a lower platform." In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.54) it is said: karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām. There is no karma attached to the past deeds or misdeeds of one in devotional service. A devotee is not subjected to karma-phala, the effect of fruitive activity. Karma-phala is applicable to karmīs, not bhaktas.
(More...) |
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 18: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Visit to Sri Vrndavana : Madhya 18.109 : PURPORT :
This is the viewpoint of Māyāvāda philosophy. Māyāvāda philosophy supports the impersonalist view that Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has no form. One can imagine impersonal Brahman in any form-as Viṣṇu, Lord Śiva, Vivasvān, Gaṇeśa or Devī Durgā. According to the Māyāvāda philosophy, when one becomes a sannyāsi he is to be considered a moving Nārāyaṇa. Māyāvāda philosophy holds that the real Nārāyaṇa does not move because, being impersonal, He has no legs. Thus according to Māyāvāda philosophy, whoever becomes a sannyāsī declares himself Nārāyaṇa. Foolish people accept such ordinary human beings as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called vivarta-vāda.
(More...) |
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 24: The Sixty-One Explanations of the Atmarama Verse : Madhya 24.330 : PURPORT : mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate sa gunan samatityaitan brahma bhuyaya kalpate :
"One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstances at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman." When one engages in the Supreme Lord's devotional service, he is in a transcendental position. Even though one may be situated in the mode of goodness in the material world, he is susceptible to pollution by the modes of passion and ignorance. When the mode of goodness is mixed with the mode of passion, one worships the sun-god, Vivasvān. When the mode of goodness is mixed with the mode of ignorance, he worships Gaṇapati, or Gaṇeśa. When the mode of passion is mixed with the mode of ignorance, one worships Durgā, or Kālī, the external potency. When one is simply in the mode of ignorance, he becomes a devotee of Lord Śiva because Lord Śiva is the predominating deity of the mode of ignorance within this material world. However, when one is completely free from the influence of all the modes of material nature, he becomes a pure Vaiṣṇava on the devotional platform. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu:
(More...) |
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Antya-lila : Antya 18: Rescuing the Lord from the Sea : Antya 18.14 : TEXT : koti-yuga paryanta yadi likhaye ganesa :
|
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Antya-lila : Antya 18: Rescuing the Lord from the Sea : Antya 18.14 : SYNONYMS :
koṭi-yuga—millions of millenniums; paryanta—to the extent of; yadi—if; likhaye—writes; gaṇeśa—the demigod Gaṇeśa (son of Lord Śiva); eka-dinera—of one day; līlāra—of pastimes; tabu—still; nāhi pāya—can not reach; śeṣa—the limit. (More...)
|
||
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Antya-lila : Antya 18: Rescuing the Lord from the Sea : Antya 18.14 : TRANSLATION :
If Gaṇeśa, Lord Śiva's son and the expert scribe of the demigods, tried for millions of millenniums to fully describe one day of the Lord's pastimes, he would be unable to find their limit. (More...)
|
||
Books : Teachings of Lord Caitanya - 1968 Edition : TLC 29: Pure Love for Krsna :
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja has remarked that there is a class of common men who claim that anyone and everyone can worship the Supreme Lord according to his own invented mode of worship and still attain the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They claim that one can approach the Supreme Lord either through fruitive activities, speculative knowledge, meditation or austerity and that any one of the methods will succeed. They claim that one can accept many different paths and still reach the same place, and they maintain that the Supreme Absolute Truth may be worshiped either as the Goddess Kālī, or Goddess Durgā, or Lord Śiva, Gaṇeśa, Rāma, Hari, or Brahmā. In short, they maintain that it does not matter how the Absolute Truth is addressed, for ali names are one and the same. They give the example of a man with many names; if he is called by any of those names, he will answer. (More...)
|
||
Books : The Nectar of Devotion - 1970 Edition : NoD 27: Symptoms of Ecstatic Love : Dancing :
While watching the rāsa dance performed by Lord Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, Lord Śiva beheld the beautiful face of Kṛṣṇa and immediately began to dance and beat upon his small ḍiṇḍima drum. While Lord Śiva was dancing in ecstasy, his eldest son, Ganeśa, joined him. (More...)
|
||
Books : KRSNA, The Supreme Personality of Godhead - 1970 Edition : Volume 1 : KB 1-52 / Krsna Kidnaps Rukmini :
Deity worship in the temple has been in existence since the beginning of Vedic culture. There is a class of men described in the Bhagavad-gītā as the veda-vāda-rata; they only believe in the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, but not in the temple worship. Such foolish people may here take note that although this marriage of Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī took place more than 5,000 years ago, there were arrangements for temple worship. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says, yānti deva-vratā devān: "The worshipers of the demigods attain the abodes of the demigods." There were many people who worshiped the demigods and many who directly worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The system of demigod worship was directed mainly to Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Lord Gaṇeśa, the sun-god and the goddess Durgā. Lord Śiva and the goddess Durgā were worshiped even by the royal families; other minor demigods were worshiped by silly inferior people. As far as the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas are concerned, they simply worship Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gītā the worship of demigods is condemned, but not forbidden; there it is clearly stated that the less intelligent class of men worship the different kinds of demigods for material benefit. On the other hand, even though Rukmiṇī was the goddess of fortune, she went to the temple of the goddess Durgā because the family deity was worshiped there. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that as Rukmiṇī was proceeding towards the temple of the goddess Durgā, within her heart she was always thinking of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore when Rukmiṇī went to the temple it was not with the intention of an ordinary person, who goes to beg for material benefits; her only target was Kṛṣṇa. When people go to the temple of a demigod, the objective is actually Kṛṣṇa, since it is He who empowers the demigods to provide material benefits. (More...)
|
||
Books : KRSNA, The Supreme Personality of Godhead - 1970 Edition : Volume 1 : KB 1-52 / Krsna Kidnaps Rukmini :
Rukmiṇī offered her prayers to the deity by saying, "My dear goddess Durgā, I offer my respectful obeisances unto you as well as to your children." The Goddess Durgā has four famous children: two daughters--the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, and the goddess of learning, Sarasvatī--and two famous sons, Lord Gaṇeśa and Lord Kārttikeya. They are all considered to be demigods and goddesses. Since the goddess Durgā is always worshiped along with her famous children, Rukmiṇī specifically offered her respectful obeisances to the deity in that way; however, her prayers were different. Ordinary people pray to the goddess Durgā for material wealth, fame, profit, strength and so on; Rukmiṇī, however, desired to have Kṛṣṇa for her husband and therefore prayed to the deity to be pleased upon her and bless her. Since she desired only Kṛṣṇa, her worship of the demigods is not condemned. While Rukmiṇī was praying, a variety of items were presented before the deity, chief of which were water, different kinds of flames, incense, garments, garlands and various foodstuffs prepared with ghee, such as puris and kacuris. There were also fruits, sugarcane, betel nuts and spices offered. With great devotion, Rukmiṇī offered them to the deity according to the regulative principles directed by the old brāhmaṇa ladies. After this ritualistic ceremony, the ladies offered the remnants of the foodstuffs to Rukmiṇī as prasādam, which she accepted with great respect. Then Rukmiṇī offered her obeisances to the ladies and to the goddess Durgā. After the business of deity worship was finished, Rukmiṇī caught hold of the hand of one of her girl friends and left the temple, accompanied by the others. (More...)
|
||
Books : Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti : TLK 11: The Symptoms of a Sadhu : TLK Vs 22 : PURPORT :
Those who are after material concessions go to different demigods. They take something from Śiva, Durgā, Kālī, Gaṇeśa, Sūrya and whomever. However, it was the goddess Pārvatī who asked Lord Śiva, “What is the best type of worship?” Lord Śiva advised, ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param (Padma Purāṇa). “My dear Pārvatī, of all kinds of worship, worship of Lord Viṣṇu is the best.” Then he added: tasmāt parataraṁ devi tadīyānāṁ samarcanam. “And even better than the worship of Lord Viṣṇu is the worship of a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee.” (More...)
|
||
Books : The Science of Self Realization : SSR 5: Practicing Yoga in the Modern Age : The Appearance of Lord Caitanya :
No other kīrtana is recommended. This hari-kīrtana was started five hundred years ago in Bengal by Lord Caitanya. In Bengal there is competition between the Vaiṣṇavas and the śāktas. The śāktas have introduced a certain type of kīrtana called kālī-kīrtana. But in the Vedic scriptures there is no recommendation of kālī-kīrtana. Kīrtana means hari-kīrtana. One cannot say, “Oh, you are Vaiṣṇava. You can perform hari-kīrtana. I shall perform śiva-kīrtana or devī-kīrtana or gaṇeśa-kīrtana.” No. The Vedic scriptures do not authorize any kīrtana other than hari-kīrtana. Kīrtana means hari-kīrtana, the glorification of Kṛṣṇa. (More...)
|
||
Lectures : Bhagavad-gita Lectures : Bg 4: Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 4.12 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974 : 740804BG.VRN :
But instead of athāto... Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Jīvasya, the only business is "How, what is the aim of life, how I shall be eternally happy, how I shall get my eternal life." That is the problem. But they do not consider the real problem. They think, "Immediately I require some money. So let me worship Lord Śiva or Lord..., this, goddess Durgā, or Gaṇeśa, or Sūrya..." There are so many, recommended. So that is condemned in the Bhagavad-gītā that tad bhavaty alpa, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām [Bg. 7.23]. (More...)
|
||
Lectures : Bhagavad-gita Lectures : Bg 4: Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974 : 740409BG.BOM :
So Vaiṣṇavas also say, yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ. Brahmā, Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, they are demigods of this material world. So if one puts Nārāyaṇa even with the label of Brahmā and Rudra, Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā... They are very exalted, big demigods. Lord Śiva is almost like Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa is ninety-five percent complete God, and Lord Śiva is eighty-five percent and Kṛṣṇa is cent percent. There is analysis. So yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ, samatvenaiva vīkṣeta. Samatvena, equal "Well, whatever is Nārāyaṇa, that is also Lord Śiva, that is also Lord Brahmā, that is also goddess Kālī." This is Māyāvāda. Because the Māyāvāda philosophy is that "The Absolute Truth is impersonal. That is the final understanding. So because we cannot think of impersonal, meditate upon that, let us imagine some form." Sādhakānāṁ hitvārthāya brahmaṇo rūpa-kalpanaḥ.(?) The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that kalpana, "You just imagine any form." Therefore they especially recommend the five forms, the five form: the Sūrya, sun-god, Gaṇeśa and Durgā, Viṣṇu and Lord Śiva. (More...)
|
||
Lectures : Bhagavad-gita Lectures : Bg 4: Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 4.25 -- Bombay, April 14, 1974 : 740414BG.BOM :
Generally, they are recommended—five: the sun-god, the Gaṇeśa, the Viṣṇu, Lord Śiva and Durgā, and... The sun-god I have already said. Five, pañcopāsanam. Five: the sun-god, the Gaṇeśa, and the Durgā-devī, then Lord Śiva, and then Viṣṇu. This is also gradual evolutionary. People in the most lowest stage of humanity, they are struck with wonder by the power. As soon as there is some electricity, they feel some power. So when there are power worshipers... The modern scientists, they are power worshiper. They have gone up to the sun-god. Not god, the sun globe. The power is received from the sunshine. So this is one stage, power. In this way, one after another, when one comes to the supreme powerful, Viṣṇu, because that is the ultimate powerful... (More...)
|
||
Lectures : Bhagavad-gita Lectures : Bg 8: Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966 : 661026BG.NY :
So according to the description, these pictures are drawn. It is not imagination. So this form is factual. It is not imagination. The Māyāvāda philosophers, impersonalists, they answer the Bhagavad-gītā's word that kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām... [Bg. 12.5]. One who is attached to impersonal views, their process of meditation or execution of spiritual activities is very troublesome. Now, therefore Māyāvāda philosopher, they say that "God has no form. But because you cannot meditate upon the formless, so you just imagine any form you like." So God is not subjected to your imagination. That is not God's form. If we imagine something... And that has been degraded. Śaṅkarācārya limited such imaginative forms to five only. Five. What is that five? Viṣṇu, Lord Śiva, and Sun, and Gaṇeśa, and Devī, Durgā. He limited, that "Any of these five forms you can meditate upon, you worship. And ultimately, it is formless." But at the present moment, unauthorized person has degraded in such a way that "You can imagine any form. You can imagine even stool." They say like that. You see. (More...)
|
||
Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 1: Lectures : SB 1.5: Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969 : 690524SB.NV : [O my dear Krsna, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cow :
Just like in the Brahma-saṁhitā, we are giving respect to all the demigods. We are giving respect to Lord Śiva, we are giving respect to Durgā, we are giving respect to Gaṇeśa, we are giving respect to the sun-god. They are very big demigods. Lord Śiva, or Durgā, Gaṇeśa, and Brahmā, and... We don't disrespect. We give respect even to the ant. Why not to Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā? They should have their due respect, but that does not mean we consider them as the Supreme Lord. That is the mistake of the karmīs and the impersonalists. No. We know that nobody can be greater than or equal to Kṛṣṇa or viṣṇu-tattva, Nārāyaṇa. (More...)
|
||
Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 2: Lectures : SB 2.3: Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.22 -- Los Angeles, June 19, 1972 : 720619SB.LA :
Therefore, their philosophy, that "Any form you like, you can concentrate. Because after all, there is no form. But for your present facility, you can imagine some form." But there is also mistake on their part, because they say "Imagine any form." Generally, they prescribe the form of Lord Śiva, the form of Lord Viṣṇu, the form of Durgā, the form of the sun, and the form of Gaṇeśa. Pañcopāsanā. These five forms. But ultimately, you become "form-less." The example given by them is that you rise up to a upper place with a wooden stair, and as soon as you reach there, you throw it away, so that you'll not be able to come back again. Similarly, their philosophy is: "With some imagination of form, you worship, and as soon as you realize Brahman, throw it away. No more." These are all imagination; actually there is no fact. They do not know the actual position of spiritual life; therefore they are personally misled, and they mislead others also. Here it is particularly mentioned, liṅgāni viṣṇoḥ, the form of Viṣṇu, not of this rascal imagination of Durgā, Kālī, or Lord Śiva. (More...)
|
||
Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 3: Lectures : SB 3.25: Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974 : 741122SB.BOM :
So the... Sādhu. We are to take shelter of sādhu. Sādhu-guru. The same thing. Guru means sādhu. A sādhu... One... Sādhu means the devotee of the Lord. If one is not sādhu, then he cannot become guru. And sādhu means... This is the description given. What is that? Mayy ananyena bhāvena bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām. He's sādhu. Not that anyone with a saffron cloth and having a long beard. That is not sādhu. Sādhu means the devotee of the Lord. That is his first qualification. Kṛṣṇa says, api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. The same thing. As it is, Kapiladeva says, mayy ananyena bhāvena. Kapiladeva is also Kṛṣṇa, incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. The same thing. The Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa svayam says, bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Ananya, "not being deviated." Mām ekam, "only unto Me." This is ananya-bhāva. Not that sometimes take from here something, take from here something, whatever is available. Those who are after material concessions, they go different demigods: take something from Śiva, take something from Durgā, take something from Kālī, take this, that, that. So many, there are different demigods. Especially Goddess Durgā, Lord Śiva and Gaṇeśa and Sūrya, they are... And Viṣṇu. The Viṣṇu worship is the best. Ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param. That is said by Lord Śiva to Goddess Pārvatī. Pārvatī asked Lord Śiva, "What is the best type of worship?" There are so many. It is amongst the demigods. So Lord Śiva advised, ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param. "My dear Pārvatī, amongst all kinds of different types of worship, Viṣṇu worship is the best." And then again he said, tasmāt parataraṁ devi: "And there is still better worship." What is that? Tasmāt parataraṁ devi tadīyānāṁ samarcanam. Then... "Viṣṇu worship is the best. And more than that: to worship Vaiṣṇava." Tadīyānāṁ samarcanam. (More...)
|
||
Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 5: Lectures : SB 5.5: Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976 : 761106SB.VRN :
|
Comments
Interesting descriptions from a Hindu website; Sri Gonesh Swami is one of the twelve Mahajanas, or knowers of the path of pure devotional service in this universe; The following is for educational purposes, and is popular knowledge, not Vaisnava sastra necessarily. This is another example of incomplete knowledge. There is actually no use knowing about Lord Gonesh without Krishna. There is mention of Lord Vishnu, and He is not very nicely in the role of the Supreme, rather they mention pancopasanna, worship of the five Deities prefferred by demigod worshippers / Hindus. This is impersonalism or tainted Vasinavism. Typically, they demean the status of Lord Vishnu and make the jivas equal to God when in their purified state in thier philosophy, and thus they strive for impersonal liberation as opposed to devotional service.
Without knowledge of Lord Caitanya and the Maha mantra, this Vedic-style information cannot deliver one from Maya's clutches;
"Ganesha — the elephant-deity riding a mouse — has become one of the commonest mnemonics for anything associated with Hinduism. This not only suggests the importance of Ganesha, but also shows how popular and pervasive this deity is in the minds of the masses.
The Lord of Success
The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. In fact, Ganesha is one of the five prime Hindu deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga being the other four) whose idolatry is glorified as the panchayatana puja.
Significance of the Ganesha Form
Ganesha's head symbolizes the Atman or the soul, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence, and his human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence of human beings. The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality. In his upper right hand Ganesha holds a goad, which helps him propel mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way. The noose in Ganesha's left hand is a gentle implement to capture all difficulties.
The broken tusk that Ganesha holds like a pen in his lower right hand is a symbol of sacrifice, which he broke for writing the Mahabharata. The rosary in his other hand suggests that the pursuit of knowledge should be continuous. The laddoo (sweet) he holds in his trunk indicates that one must discover the sweetness of the Atman. His fan-like ears convey that he is all ears to our petition. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms. And he is humble enough to ride the lowest of creatures, a mouse.
How Ganesha Got His Head
The story of the birth of this zoomorphic deity, as depicted in the Shiva Purana, goes like this: Once goddess Parvati, while bathing, created a boy out of the dirt of her body and assigned him the task of guarding the entrance to her bathroom. When Shiva, her husband returned, he was surprised to find a stranger denying him access, and struck off the boy's head in rage. Parvati broke down in utter grief and to soothe her, Shiva sent out his squad (gana) to fetch the head of any sleeping being who was facing the north. The company found a sleeping elephant and brought back its severed head, which was then attached to the body of the boy. Shiva restored its life and made him the leader (pati) of his troops. Hence his name 'Ganapati'. Shiva also bestowed a boon that people would worship him and invoke his name before undertaking any venture.
However, there's another less popular story of his origin, found in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana: Shiva asked Parvati to observe the punyaka vrata for a year to appease Vishnu in order to have a son. When a son was born to her, all the gods and goddesses assembled to rejoice on its birth. Lord Shani, the son of Surya (Sun-God), was also present but he refused to look at the infant. Perturbed at this behaviour, Parvati asked him the reason, and Shani replied that his looking at baby would harm the newborn. However, on Parvati's insistence when Shani eyed the baby, the child's head was severed instantly. All the gods started to bemoan, whereupon Vishnu hurried to the bank of river Pushpabhadra and brought back the head of a young elephant."
Wonderful and complete purports are given by Srila Prabhupada ! Rama ! The vedabase can be handy, Basu Gopal Prabhu. Thanks!