How can the God be More than One? Isn’t He a Single Person?
Actual Question from a devotee (Name hidden):
Dear Sir, I have a couple of questions:
-Can God be in plural forms? (Isn’t it so that there is only one God and not Gods?) So isn’t it so that God can never be in plural forms? Otherwise you are contradicting yourself? There is only one Great personality, not multiple?
-If you say that God can be in plural form (like you probably think Lord Siva, Lord Brahma, Indra, Candra, Surya, Agni etc are on equal level), isn’t it a great aparadha to think that there are “Gods” and thus you equal them to Krishna?
-Isn’t it an aparadha, to propagate oneself a Vaisnava while at the same time the same person says that anyone can worship any “God” he/she likes?
-Should such a person misuse Vaisnava literature to promote “Hinduism”?
Thanks in advance Sir.
REPLY:
Srila Prabhupada too says that there is Only One God. Others are the Servants fo that Single God.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna is called the GOD.
Yes, God means Krishna.
Krishna Bhakti is the topmost choice of devotion one can follow. There is nothing beyond that.
(Many Gods in Hindu Religion! Unable to focus on single god? Tips! READ HERE!)
There can be only one president for a country. There may be a Vice President, but, two presidents is not possible.
Similarly, Krishna is the topmost authority. He is the Only authority.
All others are His employees! Since they have some extra powers, we call them as demigods.
Krishna has created a vast number of planets, stars, etc. They have to be administered.
He entrusts every planet/ star to the demigods as administrators.
Since the demigods are entrusted to manage the affairs of a certain planet, the people of that planet naturally develops some affinity towards those demigods.
Some people, out of their affinity towards demigods, write glorifying the demigods.
(Why Vyasadeva wrote many gods as Supreme diluting his trustworthiness? READ HERE!)
In some places, the tone goes to the level that equals the demigods with Krishna.
This is offensive.
The chairman or president can not be two persons. So, the topmost personality can not be two or many.
However, we should note that every person has the different combination of the domination of their gunas.
Some may be dominated with the rajo guna. They naturally have the affinity for Brahma deva or some aggressive forms of demigods.
Some may be dominated with the thamo guna. They naturally worship Lord Shiva, His sons Ganapati and Karthikeya, wife Parvati, etc.
Some others may be dominated with the Satva Guna. They naturally worship Krishna, His extensions Vishnu, Narayana, etc..
Therefore, our Sanatan dharma has identified many administrators who are working under Krishna. Krishna is the source for all these demigods.
All of them including Yama, Brahma deva, Indira, etc are demigods administering different departments of the creations of Krishna.
Therefore, they too are known as the vaishnavas since they too are serving the Lord.
Though we have accepted Krishna as our Supreme Lord, we give respect to all the demigods also because they are serving Krishna. This does not mean that they are equal to Krishna.
Krishna is the creator and also topmost administrator. Others are serving Him.
However, out of their love on their respective demi gods, they write/ speak about them making them equal to Krishna. We need not bother about these things.
(Why only ISKCON says Krishna alone is Supreme and can liberate us? READ HERE!)
Because they feel worshiping those demigods is suitable for their dominated mix of rajo and thamo gunas in different proportions. Those who are dominated with Satva guna naturally favours worshiping Vishnu or Krishna.
Let us spread the glories of Krishna since we are dominated with satva guna. He will take care of other things.
Everyone is trying to glorify the demigod he is worshiping.
The president of a country may be the topmost authority. But, when a minister comes to his constituency, he is surrounded by thousands of his followers.
(Why thinking Krishna and demigods as non different is wrong? READ HERE?)
Does this mean they are bypassing the president?
Not so.
They are honouring their local authorities.
So, we need not think that there are many gods.
God is Krishna only and He has appointed many demigods as the administrators. Simple.
That’s all. No more reasons for the existence and worship of the demigods.
God is not plural. He is always Singular. Only One. But, His arrangements and administrators are innumerable and hence are plural.
And, we speak about demigods and respect them since they too are vaishnavas. For the same reason, Srimad Bhagavatham, a great vaishnava literature itself glorifies Lord Shiva in a whole volume.
So, nothing is wrong in glorifying the demigods since we always believe that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the demigods are His servants.
Krishna will be happy if the vaishnavas are glorified. Isn’t it?
But while glorifying the demigods, one should always keep in mind that Krishna alone is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and they are honouring the Servants of Krishna.
Hope you are clear now how the God can be More than One.
(Why Krishna alone is Supreme Personality of Godhead? READ HERE!)