Why Krishna alone is Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Two Questions from two devotees:
(1)
“sir why krishna is said to be as a supreme godhead and all other vishnu rup (the one on sheshnag) and other gods eg. Siva as demigod as we don’t even know about origin of siv. sir, please tell Is shiv is demigod or not”
(2)
“At the time of preaching abt Krsna con., many of people offend by saying this how can u prove that krsna is a god almighty , there are shiva, ganesha, rama, sai baba, & many more.. o.k, we agree dat krsna is god but still many people worshipped demi gods , how i can prove that all demigods are not eternal, if they r not meant for worship, then why they come into existence??? Hope this would be clear very soon.”
REPLY:
First, no others claim that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krishna claimed in Bhagavad Gita.
Neither Lord Siva, or Ganesha or Karthikeya, etc said in record that they alone are the Supreme and Krishna is not.
Let us know what Srila Prabhupada says why Krishna alone is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and about the origin and position of Demigods:
(i) Srila Prabhupada in BHAGAVAD GITA AS IT IS: Ch-4, Text-12:
“Actually, the demigods are not different forms of God, but they are God’s different parts and parcels. God is one, and the parts and parcels are many. The Vedas say, nityo nityanam: God is one. Isvarah paramah krsnah. The Supreme God is one–Krsna–and the demigods are delegated with powers to manage this material world. These demigods are all living entities (nityanam) with different grades of material power. They cannot be equal to the Supreme God–Narayana, Visnu, or Krsna. Anyone who thinks that God and the demigods are on the same level is called an atheist, or pasandi.”
(16 KALAS OF KRISHNA/ VISHNU! KALAS OF OTHER GODS & LIVING BEINGS! READ HERE!)
(ii) Srila Prabhupada’s discussion on September 18, 1973, Bombay:
Guest (2): No, No. But then what is the connection then between Krishna and Shiva?
Prabhupäda: Krishna and Shiva, just like ‘dahi’ and ‘dudha’. Dahi is nothing but dudha, but still it is not dudha.
Guest (2): It’s a a different form.
Prabhupada: Not different form, different action also. If you want milk, if I give you dahi, and if I say, “Oh dahi and dudha, the same thing. Why you are not accepting this dahi?”, will you accept?
Guest (2): Correct.
Prabhupäda: Although the same thing, but action is different. If you become devotee of Lord Shiva, you’ll get opportunity of material opulences. Because Lord Shiva is the husband of Durga, and Durga is the superintendent of this material world. So Durga is under control. If one becomes a devotee of Lord Shiva, then Durga gives him, eh? Dhanam dehi rupam dehi rupavati-bharyam dehi yaço dehi. So you’ll get all this, nice position, nice wife, nice power, famous… All this material, not spiritual. So to worship any other demigod than Krishna is materialism. That is not spiritualism.
Guest (1): Worshiping Vishnu is also material?
Prabhupäda: No. Vishnu is not. Vishnu is Krishna, Vishnu the same, expansion. That you have to understand.
(iii) The prayer to be offered to Lord Siva is mentioned in Brahma-samhita (5.45):
“Just as milk is transformed into curd by the action of acids, but yet the effect curd is neither same as, nor different from, its cause, viz., milk, so I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whom the state of Sambhu (Siva) is a transformation for the performance of the work of destruction.”
We have to pray to Lord Shiva in connection with Lord Krishna. And we can seek his blessings in becoming nice vaishnavas as he is the Topmost Vaishnava. But our original object of worship should always be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna.
(Why the scriptures claim many Supreme Gods that confuses my devotion to Krishna? READ HERE!)
(iv) SIVA IS “SARVESHVARA”; KRISHNA IS “JAGAD-ISA”:
Srila Prabhupadda’s Purport for Srimad-Bhagavatam 8:12:4:
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, resides within the material world as the sattva-guna-avatara. Lord Siva is the tamo-guna-avatara, and Lord Brahma is the rajo-guna-avatara, but although Lord Visnu is among them, He is not in the same category. Lord Visnu is deva-deva, the chief of all the demigods. Since Lord Siva is in this material world, the energy of the Supreme Lord, Visnu, includes Lord Siva. Lord Visnu is therefore called jagad-vyapi, “the all-pervading Lord.”
Lord Siva is sometimes called Mahesvara, and so people think that Lord Siva is everything. But here Lord Siva addresses Lord Visnu as Jagad-isa, “the master of the universe.” Lord Siva is sometimes called Visvesvara, but here he addresses Lord Visnu as Jagan-maya, indicating that even Visvesvara is under Lord Visnu’s control. Lord Visnu is the master of the spiritual world, yet He controls the material world also, as stated in Bhagavad-gita (mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sacaracaram). Lord Brahma and Lord Siva are also sometimes called isvara, but the supreme isvara is Lord Visnu, Lord Krsna.”
Thus, Brahma is connected with material world. Krishna controls all creations, ie, both spritual and material worlds.
(Krishna, as Buddha denied vedas & Shiva as Sankaracharya reestablished Vedas, as requested by Krishna. Why?? READ HERE!)
(v) Srila Prabhupada’s Discussion on 11.5.1977:
“All Vedic literature agrees that Krsna is the source of Brahma, Siva and all other demigods. In the Atharva Veda it is said, yo brahmanam vidadhati purvam yo vai vedams ca gapayati sma krsnah: ‘It was Krsna who in the beginning instructed Brahma in Vedic knowledge and who disseminated Vedic knowledge in the past.’
Then again it is said, atha puruso ha vai narayano ‘kamayata prajah srjeyety upakramya: ‘Then the Supreme Personality Narayana desired to create living entities.’
Again it is said, narayanad brahma jayate, narayanad prajapatih prajayate, narayanad indro jayate, narayanad astau vasavo jayante, narayanad ekadasa rudra jayante, narayanad dvadasadityah: ‘From Narayana, Brahma is born, and from Narayana, the patriarchs are also born. From Narayana, Indra is born, from Narayana the eight Vasus are born, from Narayana the eleven Rudras are born, from Narayana the twelve Adityas are born.’
It is said in the same Vedas, brahmanyo devaki-putrah: ‘The son of Devaki, Krsna, is the Supreme Personality.’
Then it is said, eko vai narayana asin na brahma na isano napo nagni-samau… [break] … dyav-aprthivi na naksatrani na suryah sa ekaki na ramate tasya dhyanantah sthasya yatra chandogaih kriyamanastakadi-samjnaka stuti-stomah stomam ucyate: ‘In the beginning of the creation there was only the Supreme Personality Narayana. There was no Brahma, no Siva, no fire, no moon, no stars in the sky, no sun. There was only Krsna, who creates all and enjoys all.’
(Though they have advanced knowledge of God, why many Indians violate the disciplinary rules in public places? READ HERE!)
In the many Puranas it is said that Lord Siva was born from the highest, the Supreme Lord Krsna, and the Vedas say that it is the Supreme Lord, the creator of Brahma and Siva, who is to be worshiped.
In the Moksa-dharma of Mahabharata, Krsna also says, prajapatim ca rudram capy aham eva srjami vai tau hi mam na vijanito mama maya-vimohitau : ‘The patriarchs, Siva and others are created by Me, though they do not know that they are created by Me because they are deluded by My illusory energy.’
In the Varaha Purana it is also said, narayanah paro devas tasmaj jatas caturmukhah tasmad rudro ‘bhavad devah sa ca sarva-jnatam gatah : ‘Narayana is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and from Him Brahma was born, from whom Siva was born.’
Lord Krsna is the source of all generations, and He is called the most efficient cause of everything. He says that ‘Because everything is born of Me, I am the original source of it all. Everything is under Me. No one is above Me.’ There is no supreme controller other than Krsna. One who understands Krsna in such a way from a bona fide spiritual master and from Vedic literature, who engages all his energy in Krsna consciousness, becomes a truly learned man. In comparison to him, all others, who do not know Krsna properly, are but fools. Only a fool would consider Krsna to be an ordinary man. A Krsna conscious person should not be bewildered by fools. He should avoid all unauthorized commentaries and interpretations on Bhagavad-gita and proceed in Krsna consciousness with determination and firmness.”
(Why In India many gods are worshiped contrary to other countries? READ HERE!)
What these references indicate?
In Srimad Bhagavatham purports, Srila Prabhupada has said that Lord Siva is NEARLY equal to Vishnu, but, when Siva controls the affairs of material world, he comes in touch with this material world. Whereas, though Krishna is managing all His creations through a vast group of devotees, He is not attached with these material worlds. So, Only Krishna can liberate a person from the material bondage.
However, Lord Siva and other gods can bless us in advancing in the devotion to Krishna. Because, Lord Siva Himself is the devotee of Krishna as per Bhagavatham.
Krishna is the main root. All other gods are like branch roots. If you pour water to main root, it will automatically reach branch roots also.
Krishna is the ADHI PURUSHA, ie, He has no origin. All the others are the expansions and avatars of Krishna for various purposes of maintaining His creations.
(Why Lord Siva is worshiped as LINGA and why Gopis worshiped Shiva? READ HERE!)
NOW, LET US READ SOME RELATED DETAILS FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING
(A) WHERE BRAHMA LIVES?
Brahma Dev is the controller of “Brahma Loka” that is the top most “material planet”. He came from Krishna Himself at the time of creations. Even Brahma is subject to birth and death. Present Brahma has completed half of his life time. After the completion of another half, this Brahma will die and new Brahma will be appointed by Krishna. This is the procedure. So, Brahma is totally different from the other two. He is in material world.
While Brahma is one of the living entities, he is very powerful due to his devotional service. Lord Brahma is the master of the mode of material passion, and is directly empowered by Garbhodakasayi Visnu to create innumerable living entities.
(B) WHO IS BHAGAWAN?
Bhagawan means Krishna alone. We are all athma and we came from the Paramathma, ie , Krishna. And, Krishna is free from birth and death and He is the creator of entire creations.
Since Krishna is the ADHI PURUSHA, He alone existed before creations. He has appointed many devotees like many Brahmas to take care of the affairs of all the worlds. He is always in lilas with his associates in His eternal living place Goloka Vrindavana.
(C) WHO ARE TRIMURTHIS?
They are three guna-avataras, or qualitative incarnations of Visnu, also known as the ‘Trimurti’: Brahma, Visnu and Siva.
(TYPES OF AVATARS (INCARNATIONS) OF KRISHNA or VISHNU – COMPLETE DETAILS! READ HERE!)
CONCLUSION:
We should respect all the forms / expansions/ avatars of Krishna including Lord Siva, Brahma, Ganesha, Karthikeya, etc. We should not speak degrading anyone. Usually, I pray for my advancement in the devotion to Krishna from all the other gods. At the same time, we have to recognize the positions enjoyed by them and the unique position enjoyed by Krishna. There is no need for any dispute in that. Krishna is the Adhi Purusha and the Paramathma who is the source for everyone and everything we know including Lord Siva and Brahma!
Though you offer prayers or things to any other gods, it finally goes to Krishna only. This is told by Krishna Himself in Bhagavad Gita.
Hope all of you are clear about Why Krishna is Supreme Personality of Godhead.
(Krishna Vs Vishnu – Who is Supreme and Who is avatar? What are the three types of Vishnus? READ HERE!)