Is liberation for devotees of Other Gods except Krishna possible?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Sir, Hare Krishna. I had a thought which I would like to ask. If Krishna is Godhead himself, who was God before Lord Krishna was born? Was there not anyone before that time whom the people could worship for their salvation? If Krishna is the path and goal, does all the people born before Him not salvaged? And does the people who don’t know about krishna in this world cannot attain God? What is the other way out? Rather it seems objecting God ? May be because its difficult for me to SEE God in person form. Please don’t take it otherwise, correct and guide me. It’ll be highly appreciated.”
REPLY:
(1)
How can the people exist when their source does not exist?
Krishna has no starting point or end point. He is called ADHI PURUSHA, ie, the Source who is always existing. That is why, He is the Supreme personality of Godhead.
Which is eternally existing? Krishna or His creations?
It is Krishna. He casually creates everything. Before the creations, the Lord alone was there. He only created all these material creations. Whatever we use now, whoever we associate with, all came from Krishna.
But, Krishna did not come from anyone. He is always existing. He is the source for everything.
(FIVE TYPES OF MUKTI (LIBERATION) AND CHOICE OF DEVOTEES! READ HERE!)
(2)
Next you ask, who gave salvation to the people before Krishna. As Krishna is the eternally existing person, there is no question of who existed before Him. Krishna did not come suddenly and magically from anywhere. He is always existing and we only are created from His own body from time to time.
So, we need no other person or demigod to give boons like salvation. Always Krishna is there to give anything to us. Though we get anything through any other gods, all are given from Krishna only.
Most importantly, the devotees of Krishna do not pray for Salvation, ie, mukti. They are not ready to get anything less than Krishna Himself.
(3)
Next, you have asked whether anyone who does not know Krishna can attain Him.
No. If you like to meet the President of a country, you should cross many stages. First, you should have a purpose and that should be useful for the government and the people; Second, you should make a request to the office of the President. Then, he will meet you if he finds that you are worth to meet.
Similarly, if you like to meet Krishna, you need not learn all the knowledge given by the scriptures, but, you need total surrender to the Lord only. Learning may help in devotion, but it is not the prerequisite to get Krishna. You should feel His presence in you and develop your attachments with Krishna.
(How to understand if even the enemies killed by Krishna are also liberated? READ HERE!)
And, you should decide why you like to Go back to the Lord. If it is to enjoy like Krishna, you will not be allowed there. If you like to serve the Lord selflessly and eternally, you will be permitted there. However, to become eligible to go back to the Lord’s Kingdom, you should become free from the contaminations of material attachments and desires, and you should have successfully diverted your attachments and desires towards Krishna.
So, when you have deserted all material attachments and develop spontaneous love for Krishna, you will be allowed to end your further births and then enter into the kingdom of Lord.
Similarly, if you develop the same kind of attachments with other gods, you will be allowed to enter the worlds of those respective Gods. However, after your good deeds are over, you will have to leave their worlds and take birth again in this earth.
Whereas, if you go to Krishna, unless you yourself wish, you will not be sent back to these material planets again.
Gopis were the cowherd girls who did not go to any Gurukul or school. But, they got the great opportunity for closely associating with the Lord. Because, they had surrendered themselves to the Lord Himself, and they were always thinking of Krishna though their bodies were engaging in their material household duties.
(FOLLOWING MULTIPLE CONCEPTS IN DEVOTION – DEMERITS! READ HERE!)
So, if you can surrender to lord like Gopis, you have no barrier to go back to Lord.
Can anyone who does not know Krishna get salvation? Is liberation for devotees of Other Gods except Krishna possible?
Salvation is Mukti. There is no need for any GIVER for mukti. It is the status to attain.
Yes, Liberation for devotees of Other Gods except Krishna is possible. Though one is not a devotee of ANY GOD, liberation is possible. It is possible for anyone who just develop detachment with the material world. They can just mingle with the Brahma Jothi, briefly called as Brahmam. They lose their identity.
But, they can not get Krishna and chance to eternally serve Him and they will not be permitted to enter into Krishna’s Kingdom or the Spiritual and Vaikunta planets.
Salvation or Liberation should not be confused with going back to the Godhead Krishna. Salvation is possible for anyone. No need for a God to get salvation. Those who just desert their attachments are sent out of material bonding and made to attain mukti. That’s all.
That means, one can take rebirth only if he has some desires pending. In the case of those materialistic people who have deserted their desires and attachments, there will be no reason to give them rebirth. So, THEY ATTAIN SALVATION, ie, MUKTI.
But, Going back to Godhead Krishna is not possible just by deserting material attachments, but ONLY BY THE DEVOTEES WHO DESERTED MATERIAL ATTACHMENTS AND ALSO DEVELOPED PREMA FOR KRISHNA.
So, Getting Liberation is an automatic process; You yourself can attain it by deserting material attachments. But Going back to Krishna requires the mercy of Krishna! To get that mercy of Krishna, we should develop Selfless devotion and Prema for Krishna.
Hope you are clear about whether liberation for devotees of Other Gods except Krishna possible.
(MUKTI or MOKSHA or DEVOTIONAL SERVICE – WHAT IS THE TARGET OF DEVOTEES? READ HERE!)