Question
Hare krishna maharaj
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to you and all vaisnavas.
One of the offense of chanting Hare krishna is to consider the names of demigods to be equal to o independent of the name of visnu or krishna.
Demigod worship are considered materialistic because they want material things like money women rain etc.
In Bhagavad gita krishna criticizes those who worship demigods as foolish. But reading the pastime of lifting Govardhan hill we see that Nanda Maharaj and the inhabitants in Vrndavan were preparing to worship Indra for rain .
Since all the habitants of vrndavan are liberated souls how come they were worshiping Indra.
Understanding that a worshiper of demigods run the risk of becoming entangle in fruitive activities and karma
Answer
Dear Mataji or Prabhu,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada deals with this topic in the 24th chapter of the Krishna Book.
He says:
“While engaged with the brahmanas who were too much involved in the performance of Vedic sacrifices, Krsna and Balarama also saw that the cowherd men were preparing a similar sacrifice in order to pacify Indra, the King of heaven, who is responsible for supplying water.
As stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta, a devotee of Krsna has strong and firm faith in the understanding that if he is simply engaged in Krsna consciousness and Krsna’s transcendental loving service, then he is freed from all other obligations. A pure devotee of Lord Krsna doesn’t have to perform any of the ritualistic functions enjoined in the Vedas; nor is he required to worship any demigods. Being a devotee of Lord Krsna, one is understood to have performed all kinds of Vedic rituals and all kinds of worship to the demigods. One does not develop devotional service for Krsna by performing the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or worshiping the demigods, but it should be understood that one who is engaged fully in the service of the Lord has already fulfilled all Vedic injunctions.
In order to stop all such activities by His devotees, Krsna wanted to firmly establish exclusive devotional service during His presence in Vrndavana. Because He is the omniscient Personality of Godhead, Krsna knew that the cowherd men were preparing for the Indra sacrifice, but as a matter of etiquette He began to inquire with great honor and submission from elder personalities like Maharaja Nanda.”
This is the reason why Krishna didn’t like that his father and all the Vrajavasis were preparing an Indra-yajna and why he stopped it. Of couse we know that there were additional reasons why He did that.
However it was necessary that Nanda Maharaja took the part of an ordinary Vaisya (just like Arjuna in Kuruksetra took the part of an ordinary Ksatriya) and replied that they needed rain and Indra was in charge of dispensing rain. We find all this in the Vedas.
Like in the Bhagavad-gita, in this way we can enjoy two point of views: if we are non devotee farmers we should worship Indra; if we are devotee farmers we do not need to worship any Devas.
Both teaching are necessary in society, otherwise those who reject Krishna consciousness well be left with the impression that there is no need whatsoever to worship anyone, which will go against the teachings of the Vedas.
Your servant
Manonatha Dasa (ACBSP)
PS
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