Why do the scriptures claim many Supreme Gods to confuse us?
(1) Darshini asked like this:
Hare Krishna Anna. Why there are many religions? Why scriptures are very complicated regarding supreme personality ? In fact in kaliyuga scriptures should have been crystal clear so that people can easily accept it. I have come to conclusion that human form is meant to obtain supreme Lord and as said by you, only one god can be supreme personality. I accept it. Even if my goal is fixed I find many paths in front of me. In search of many questions , I saw many videos regarding different religions and all. Problem is every religion says their God to be supreme and quotes verses from scriptures . Coming to Hindus..there is conflict among different gods within. Trying to find answers I ended up making things still more complicated. I can never get answers on my own for sure. Presently I am chanting hare Krishna maha mantra only but I am not able to put complete faith in Krishna consioussness process and seeing people around me practicing different process , my mind gets still restless. Please guide me to take right path and decision Anna. Thank you in advance.
(2) Koena Ghosh asked like this:
Hare Krishna Prabhuji. Can you please explain the Devi Sukta of Rig veda? It states Devi to be the supreme and associates her with Parabrahma.
REPLY:
Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita clearly about why the scriptures claim many Supreme Gods. He recognizes and advices us not to discourage those who follow different paths including the worship of demigods.
There is a clear reason for the worship of this much of demigods in our country.
(I have explained them HERE in the Post titled “Why In India many gods are worshiped contrary to other countries?”. Read them.)
WHO WORSHIP DEMIGODS?
Let me now say what Krishna says about the worship of demigods.
Everyone in this world is packed with three Gunas (modes) and the mix of three gunas differ from person to person. According to their mix of modes/ gunas, they get attracted with a particular demigod. They follow a path which they feel comfortable.
Those who have material expectations worship Lord Shiva, Brahma deva, Durga devi, etc.. Those who have the desires to go out of material bonding worship Krishna.
However, if one is interested in worshiping Lord Ganesha or skanda, we should not discourage him. Krishna says that He Himself gives all the facilities to that devotee to worship Ganesha or skanda and Krishna Himself intensifies his faith in them.
Krishna facilitates whatever we wish and whoever we like to worship.
So, the people are given choices of deities to worship according to the mix of their mode of nature.
So, everyone believes that only the god he is worshiping is supreme. So, Krishna arranged different Puranas through Vyasadeva that claim that a particular demigod is supreme.
(LIST OF 18 PURANAS AND UPA-PURANAS ! READ HERE.)
In Siva Purana, Vyassadeva said that Lord Siva is Supreme.
In Brahma Purana, the same Vyasa deva says that Lord Brahma is supreme.
In Bhagavatha Purana, he says that Krishna is supreme.
In Devi Bhagavatha, Goddess Durga is mentioned as the supreme controller as said by you in the question.
Thus, the scriptures claim many Supreme Gods.
In practice, only what was said in the last and ultimate work should be taken as the final verdict. Vyasadeva wrote Srimad Bhagavatham as his last Purana after which he got satisfied. So, Srimad Bhagavatham is taken as the authority of all puranas.
So, ultimately, Krishna is the Supreme Personality among all as said by Himself as well as in Srimad Bhagavatham.
(What if a Krishna devotee’s horoscope indicates some other Gods? READ HERE!)
Krishna Himself recognizes here:
BG 4.12:
Men in this world desire success in fruitive activities, and therefore they worship the demigods Quickly, of course, men get results from fruitive work in this world.
BG 7.20:
Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.
BG 7.22:
Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.
BG 7.23:
Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.
BG 17.4:
Men in the mode of goodness worship the demigods; those in the mode of passion worship the demons; and those in the mode of ignorance worship ghosts and spirits.
(Krishna can’t be pleased easily, but demigods are pleased easily. Is it true? READ HERE!)
DOES KRISHNA PERMIT THE WORSHIP OF DEMIGODS?
Yes, sure. He also says that He encourages and facilitates that person to worship his choice of demigod. He is better than the atheists who refuse the existence of the supreme controllers.
It is interesting to know that Krishna Himself makes one’s faith in a demigod firm.
Is it true?
Yes, Read further:
Krishna says in BG 7.21:
I am in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular deity.
(Should a Krishna devotee worship other gods? READ HERE!)
DOES DEMIGOD WORSHIP FREES ONE FROM MATERIAL BONDAGE?
Impossible.
The demigods and all the inhabitants of the worlds of demigods are subject to three modes of nature (gunas).
Krishna says this in BG 18.40:
There is no being existing, either here or among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, which is freed from these three modes born of material nature.
So, you can’t expect getting liberated by worshiping the demigods.
(Can we offer Krishna Prasadam to other gods and accept the Prasadam of other gods? KNOW HERE!)
STATUS ATTAINABLE BY THE WORSHIP OF DEMIGODS
Our destination is different based on our worshipable persons. Krishna Himself says this in Bhagavad Gita:
BG 9.25:
Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me.
WHY SHOULD WE WORSHIP KRISHNA DIRECTLY?
Krishna says a clear reason for worshiping Him. He
BG 10.2:
Here, Krishna says that if one worships Him, he automatically worships all the demigods, ancestors, sages, etc.
“Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin or opulence, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and sages.”
BG 9.3 – Purport:
“By giving water to the root of a tree one satisfies its branches, twigs and leaves, and by supplying food to the stomach one satisfies all the senses of the body. Similarly, by engaging in the transcendental service of the Supreme Lord one automatically satisfies all the demigods and all other living entities.”
(What is the destination of Vaishnavas who worship other Gods too? READ HERE!)
WHO CAN UNDERSTAND KRISHNA?
BG 6.47:
And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me—he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.
BG 7.30:
Those in full consciousness of Me, who know Me, the Supreme Lord, to be the governing principle of the material manifestation, of the demigods, and of all methods of sacrifice, can understand and know Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even at the time of death.
Therefore, though you can worship so many gods/ devathas, being a Krishna devotee is the topmost position one can achieve in life. Because, there is no dispute in the claim of Krishna as Supreme Lord as said by Bhagavad Gita. It has been accepted even by the advaita acharya Sri Adhi Shankara.
Some Puranas have been written to fix the mind of a devotee in his choice of god atleast to keep him for time being in his choice of god. When he reads such puranas, he will develop a taste to know more and then read more and more literatures. This will teach him all about the supreme position of Krishna.
Are you clear now why the scriptures claim many Supreme Gods?
(Why Krishna alone is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Why Shiva Purana says Shiva as Supreme? READ HERE: )