Bhakti Sastri Essay

Essay Question - Explain with reference to verses, purports and cited analogies, from
Chapter 7 verses 20-23, why demigod worshipers are considered alpa medasah.

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga and all glories
to Srila Prabhupada.

The word alpa medhasa means (alpa - little and medhasa - intelligent) less intelligent. The
demigod worshippers are less intelligent because they indirectly worship Krishna through
demigods.
ye ’py anya-devatā-bhaktā
yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ
te ’pi mām eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam
Translation
Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship
only Me, O son of Kuntī, but they do so in a wrong way. ( BG 9.23)
They hope for some 'antavat phalam' (BG 7.23) perishable fruit and not realising that their
hard work, austerities and sacrifice is not going to make any difference in their lives
considering the eternity of the material existence.

The best material benediction one can get from the demigods is residence in their planets
as the demigods only have jurisdiction till their own planets. The Lord says in Bg 7.23
"devān deva-yajo yānti mad-bhaktā yānti mām api" Those who worship the demigods go to
the planets of the demigods and those who worship Him ultimately reach his abode. "ā-
brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino ’rjuna" (Bg 8.16) Even from the planet of Brahma
one has to come back down and suffer the material pangs then what to say of the rest of
the demigods. Because the demigod worshippers don't realize this fact they are considered
'alpa medhasa'.

The gravest reason for the demigod worshipers to be called alpa medhasa is 1. they still
haven't come to realize the intensity of their misfortune of not being with Krishna and 2.
They haven't realized that sense gratification is not the solution to become happy; they
have to look above the matter to actually become happy. It is this ajnana ; the biggest
reason for them being considered less intelligent.

The demigods are actually devotees of Krishna; they worship Krishna, knowing this the
Vaisnavas worship only Krishna and they give their highest respect to the demigods as
devotees of Krishna. Lord Brahma, Laxmi, Saraswati, Durga etc. are all very elevated
devotees of Krishna and especially Lord Shiva ( Vaisnavanam yatha Sambhu) he is
considered the best devotee of the Lord. The demigods actually don't like when people
worship them because they know the transcendental position of Krishna and they feel
embarrassed.

Then a question may arise, Why does Krishna who is the supersoul do this:
yo yo yāṁ yāṁ tanuṁ bhaktaḥ
śraddhayārcitum icchati
tasya tasyācalāṁ śraddhāṁ
tām eva vidadhāmy aham
Translation
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?

Because at least this way the living entity is progressing towards the Absolute Truth and at
least this way he is not an atheist anymore and accepts there to be someone far greater
and stronger than him. Eventually he will come into the association of a devotee of Krishna,
get purified and start worshipping Krishna. For example it's like the game snakes and
ladders; the goal is to attain eternal happiness Krishna, devotees of Krishna have the ability
to use the ladders and skip snakes but the demigod worshippers have to go through every
square and going back down through many snakes and getting purified they come in
contact with the vaishnavas and get the ability of using the ladders and skipping snakes
and they reach the goal .Though to reach the goal one has to at least start playing the game
hence Krishna who is the Supersoul helps the mis guided living entity find the beginning
steps of righteous life which will lead into association of Mahatmas who will help them
reach Krishna.

So, one should not be an alpa medhasa and directly start worshipping Krishna the reservoir
of all happiness and thus attain the
Absolute goal of life.

Hare Krishna….