Who Should Be Worshipped?

Let’s see what our great seers had to say in this regard? Who did Lord Krishna call the Supreme Soul – (Isht)? Who did Bhagwan Ram ask us to worship? Who has Lord Shiva asked us to hold in our memory? Who did these enlightened saints worship? If only you accept this simple fact, you will neither have any doubt, now, nor in the future. What is regretful is, we don’t ever think about it. If at all we think about it sometimes, we are so much apprehensive that we do not change our decisions in such matters. Perhaps the previous gods might get offended, and fling curses!

Look, Yogeshwar Shri Krishna has explicitly expressed his views in this matter-

Mamupetya punarjanm duhkhalayamshashwatam, Nashnuvanti mahatmanah samsiddhim paramam gatah. - (Geeta8/15)

Arjun! Having attained me a Purush (a living being) does not get a new birth, which is mortal and a quagmire of sorrow, but such a soul attains me. The quagmire of sorrow is being reborn. Not only having attained me such a soul is saved from rebirth but attains a perpetual place of ultimate blissfulness, an eternal place, i.e. ‘Sthanam Prapyasi Shashwatam’. Now, it is to be seen who gets rebirth.

Abrahmabhuvan allokaha Punaravartino Arjun, Mamupety Tu Kauntey Punarjanm Na Vidyate. - (Geeta 8/16)

Arjun! Inclusive of Lord Brahma and the fourteen worlds (levels of existence), the animate and the inanimate world, are of cyclical nature. But the soul, which has attained me, is saved from being reborn and is placed in the eternity. It is clear that the Brahma and the entire creation brought into being by him are naturally predisposed to be mortal. The Devta (Deities), Pitara (Forefathers), Danava (Devils), Rishis (Seers), the Sun, and the Moon – are included within it. The ultimate aim of human life is - attainment of immortality! Attainment of such aim, in accordance with Shri Krishna is possible through meditating upon One Supreme Soul. For example - you wish to crossover a sea. In case, if you use a bundle of papers, it would get destroyed after floating to some distance and you would get drowned in the sea. In the Similar manner, it will be useless to hope that you can get across the sea with any other means, which is prone to get sunk, and is destructible. Similarly, which itself has a tendency to mortality, which is destructive, cannot enable you attain the eternal place; it cannot lead you to immortality. Yes indeed! It can definitely lead you to your death. Hence contemplation upon One God is the decree of the Geeta.

If, according to the Geeta, the Devta are akin to quagmire of impermanence and sorrow, why should they be worshipped? About this, also, Shri Krishna has explained in (Chapter 7) – Arjun! Such dull witted people only worship other gods whose minds are anguished by worldly desires. There does not exist such power by name of Devata, but wherever it be - either in water, in stone, in tree or wherever the faith of the people incline, I nurture their faith by remaining present there and ordain the fruit of their worship, i.e. those worshippers do get the fruit of their worship but when it is consummated, it gets perished. Efforts were made day and night, but whatever fruit they achieve gets ultimately destroyed. Their entire labour turns to no avail.

Let that be destroyed, let that be only for some time, yet the fruit of the labour is obtained, isn’t it? What’s wrong with it than? Upon this, inthe ninth chapter Shri Krishna says, “One who worships the Devta, only worships me, but since his worship is not in accordance with the prescribed manner, it gets destroyed. Having given up everything, when you have put up great efforts in worshipping, and result that have obtained is its total destruction – it’s because the worship was not in accordance with the prescribed system.” Hence, if you have to put in labour, why not do it in the prescribed manner? If you have to walk on a path, why not tread on the right path?

In case, such a worship of the deities is not in accordance with the prescribed system, what is the correct system? Shri Krishna refers to this in the 18th chapter saying, “Arjun! Listen from me about the system by which a man achieves ultimate perfection, i.e. realisation of God, through dedication of innate calling.” The man attains the ultimate perfection by providing satisfaction to the Supreme Divine - the Supreme Being from which all the living beings have come into existence and that Supreme Being who permeates this entire world - by doing his work to the best of his abilities consistent with his innate nature. Hence the worship of One God is the only system of worship. Such worship is also a prescribed system of contemplation. This includes observance of breathing, restraining of senses, meditation of the holy saint who is an image of sanctifying holy pyre, that have been described by Shri Krishna in the fourth chapter on ‘Yagya’ and at various places in the Geeta. You can learn about it in greater detail in the Chapter entitled ‘Sanatan’. If found necessary, the question may be asked again.