Lakshmi Puja is an essential aspect of Hindu Ritualistic practices, especially during Diwali or Deepavali. Lakshmidevi is worshipped as the Goddess of Fortune, and prayers are made to bestow wealth upon the worshippers. However, Lakshmidevi is also the wife of Lord Narayana. Should we attend, or should we avoid as a materialistic practice?
Hemanga Das, 15 August 2014
Hare Krishna Devotees!
Please accept my obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
The practice of performing Laxmi puja by householders in India is pretty common.My question is, What is the best thing to do when invited to Laxmi puja?
Can we attend these Pujas with an understanding that Laxmi is the wife Lord Narayana (One of Krishna’s incarnation) or should we see it as a demigod worship and refuse the invitation?
Thank you in advance.
your servant,
Hemanga Das
Bhakta Sunil, 19 August 2014
Hare Krishna
Please accept my humble obeisances
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
Prabhu ji , this may not be answer to your question : Regarding Laxmi Puja during Diwali , I remember having heard that one should worship both Laxmi Mata and Narayana Bhagavan. I mean worship , not only Laxmi Mata during Laxmi Puja , but both Laxmi Mata and Narayana Bhagavan in the Laxmi Puja
Requesting readers to correct me if I am wrong
Humbly,
Sunil
Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 20 August 2014
Dear Hemanga Prabhu,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudeva.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
It is true that it is not necessary for us to engage in demigod worship. The so-called Lakshmi Puja is essentially a prayer to the Goddess of wealth to please give wealth so that the worshiper may engage in sense gratification with the money. People want Lakshmi, but they don’t understand that where Lord Narayana goes, Lakshmidevi follows her husband.
However, as devotees in general society, if we outright reject all these things, then we will be seen as fanatics and we will not be effective in sharing Krishna consciousness with anyone.
So, since I know you are personally a fixed-up devotee, and I personally don’t see any risk if you go… I would say, weigh carefully all the pros and cons, and decide for yourself. Here are some advantages of going:
1. You make friendships with others and strengthen your relationships
2. You get a chance to share Krishna consciousness with others who may not come to temple etc.
3. You can pray to Lakshmidevi to please give you mercy so you can be a pure devotee – as long as you don’t pray to any demigod for sense gratification or consider any demigod the Supreme, you are fine.
You can take some books of Srila Prabhupada with you also, as presents for those who might not have them, on the auspicious occasion of Lakshmi Puja.
Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das
P.S: Srimati Lakshmidevi is also the primary link of the Sri Sampradaya, of which Sri Ramanujacharya is a great Vaishnava Acharya. We follow his instructions to this day!
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Is it necessary to perform the various ritualistic performances of sacrifice mentioned in the Vedas?
Arun Pandit, 4 September, 2019
Dear Prabhuji
On one side religious devotees perform poojas as religiously holy activities. At the same time the intent of such performances are for attaining blessings in material form. Does it not amount to mundane activities and also for fruitive contentment. Granted that all vedik kriyas are for religiously holy activities but ultimately all these kriyas are again for mundane gains
It is thus tantamount to conclude that all vedik kriyas are fruitive in nature and do not aim for moksha or ultimate surrender to paramatama.
Can you please clarify my opaque mind as to why then vedik kriyas and poojas are conducted by devotees if all of them do not lead to attainment of blissful peace of mind
If by any logic vedik kriyas are platforms or stepping stones for attainment kindly explain as to how they lead to this ultimate goal.
The whole hindu world seems to be confused in their so called vedik advances for attaining so called godly devotion.
Kindly elaborate on all vedik kriyas and poojas for my guidance and clarity
Arun Pandit
Devotee
Are Poojas and Kriyas necessary?
Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 5 September 2019
Dear Sriman Arun Pandit,
Hare Krishna!
Please could you be more specific? Which devotees(of which deity) performing which kriyas(task/procedure) and which poojas(ceremonies/worship)?
Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das
Tapas Chakraborty, 5 September 2019
Hare Krishna
The confusion of the human mind is with the delusion of truth. It’s not the Hindu society but the entire world is in delusion. The attachment in this materialistic world is cause of delusion and all miseries of humankind. Personalised wisdom is the sum total of ones Karma.
The absolute truth of all human wisdom and eternal truth is vividly elaborated in Bhagavadgita . One who reads Gita daily, understands and comprehends the divine message will be above all illusions and delusion.
All the questions you have raised has been answered vividly in Bhagavad-Gita
Thanks
Hare Krishna
Tapas Chakraborty
Arun Pandit, 5 September 2019
Dear Prabhuji
All deities according to Krishna are imbibed in Him. They are like limbs and attributes of Krishna and are likened to His indriyas. Even if one devotes to a particular deity ultimately it is His own attribute. Hence I do not wish to point to any particular deity or any particular kriya/pooja as long as they ultimately point to Krishna Himself.
Krishna is Ultimate and one may identify Him with any wishful name form nature or religion.
May truth prevail
yours truly
Arun
Are Kriyas necessary?
Arun Pandit, 5 September 2019
Dear Prabhuji
I am citing following shloka no.45 in Second Adhyay.
हे अर्जुन! वेद उपर्युक्त प्रकार से तीनों गुणों के कार्य रूप समस्त भोगों एवं उनके साधनों का प्रतिपादन करने वाले हैं, इसलिए तू उन भोगों एवं उनके साधनों में आसक्तिहीन, हर्ष-शोकादि द्वंद्वों से रहित, नित्यवस्तु परमात्मा में स्थित योग (अप्राप्त की प्राप्ति का नाम ‘योग’ है।) क्षेम (प्राप्त वस्तु की रक्षा का नाम ‘क्षेम’ है।) को न चाहने वाला और स्वाधीन अन्तःकरण वाला हो
Krishna does not point finger at any deity. All kriyas and poojas are of traigunyavishaya I.e. all vedik kriyas come under traigunyavishaya concluding that all are fruitive in nature and /or leading to swarga which also is abundance of pleasures.
Krishna says “Go beyond all traigunyavishaya vedas” and abrogate all worldly pleasures and surrender unto me for vaikunthavaas.
All vedik kriyas are conducted by avivek/विवेकहीन devotees. Nishkaam karmayog does not advise bhogik vedik kriyas and Krishna says you transcend all these avivekiya bhedbhav and kriyas and surrender unto me.
If my understanding of the shloka is different kindly advice me accordingly.
your truly
Arun
Arun Pandit, 6 September 2019
Sri Mahabhagavat Das prabhuji
I am awaiting precise answer to my mail and clarification of my opaque mind which is asking how do vedik kriyas and poojas help one contaminated self in its approach to samadhisht situation
your truly
Arun Pandit
Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 6 September 2019
Dear Sriman Arun Pandit,
Hare Krishna!
Thank you for the question. Thank you also to Sriman Tapas for your beautiful answer. I’m humbly begging that we should be trying to improve ourselves and bring ourselves to the platform of Krishna consciousness by following the instructions of Sri Guru Parampara, as given by Srila Prabhupada to us… chanting Hare Krishna with a vow, following the 4 regulative principles, serving the Krishna consciousness movement practically, dedicating one’s life to Sri Krishna, including formal initiation. To the extent we are surrendered to Sri Guru and Krishna, to that extent we are empowered to bring about a change in other’s consciousness, because as I’m sure we have all experienced… “A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still”.
For example, the idea that one may worship any deity (under the logic that every deity is a part-and-parcel of Krishna) is rejected by Sri Krishna Himself. BG 7.20 https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/7/20/ but we don’t aim to force people to stop their other practices, we simply beg them to add Krishna to their lives, and naturally the sweetness of Krishna consciousness will do its magic.
There is the main principle in Vedic Science… from the Padma Purana.
“smartavyah satatam vishnu vismartavo na jaatuchit
sarve vidhi nishedhayor etayor eva kinkarah”
Translated to English, this means “Always Remember Sri Vishnu, never forget Sri Vishnu, all the Vedic injunctions in terms of rules, regulations, and prohibitions are servants to these principles”.
Sri Krishna is the original Vishnu. “ete chaamsa kalaa pumsah krishnas tu bhagavaan svayam”.
Anything that will increase our Krishna consciousness should be performed, and everything else should be given up.
If we read the Srimad Bhagavatam, we see that in order to set an example for the general public, Lord Balaram went on pilgrimage to various places, including the temples of Kartikeya/Skanda, Lord Shiva, and Durga Devi. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also went to various places including temples of Lord Shiva. We see that the Gopis worshipped goddess Katyayani, who is another form of Durga Devi to get Krishna as their husband…
But one should not whimsically adopt vows, neither should one whimsically give up previously adopted vows.
All this should be done under the direct personal guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. Here is an example… for someone, taking Sannyas (ultimate renunciation as a monk) may be recommended as it will advance their Krishna consciousness, for someone else, it may not be recommended as it may decrease their Krishna consciousness.
The final word on this is by Srila Prabhupada, in his purport to BG 17.28
“Anything done without the transcendental objective—whether it be sacrifice, charity or penance—is useless. Therefore in this verse it is declared that such activities are abominable. Everything should be done for the Supreme in Krishna consciousness. Without such faith, and without the proper guidance, there can never be any fruit. In all the Vedic scriptures, faith in the Supreme is advised. In the pursuit of all Vedic instructions, the ultimate goal is the understanding of Krishna. No one can obtain success without following this principle. Therefore, the best course is to work from the very beginning in Krishna consciousness under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. That is the way to make everything successful.
In the conditional state, people are attracted to worshiping demigods, ghosts, or Yakshas like Kuvera. The mode of goodness is better than the modes of passion and ignorance, but one who takes directly to Krishna consciousness is transcendental to all three modes of material nature.
Although there is a process of gradual elevation, if one, by the association of pure devotees, takes directly to Krishna consciousness, that is the best way. And that is recommended in this chapter. To achieve success in this way, one must first find the proper spiritual master and receive training under his direction. Then one can achieve faith in the Supreme. When that faith matures, in course of time, it is called love of God. This love is the ultimate goal of the living entities. One should therefore take to Krishna consciousness directly. That is the message of this Seventeenth Chapter.”
I hope that this helps you on your journey to Sri Krishna’s lotus feet.
Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das
Dixit Aboti, 6 September 2019
Progress of learning as if we do in the academics gives us new light of thoughts and similar is the experience / intuition enters if one sincerely do the spiritual practices…..consciousness shall increase….. There is no medicine for it except chanting of Lord Krishna…
Dixit Aboti
Thunduparambil Jayaprasad, 11 September 2019
Hare Krishna…pranams to Prabhupada. All pujas and rituals in Vedas is to fulfill ones desires in right way ..by that he enjoyed his desire fulfilment (bhoga) and can go to next stage. like our varnasrama…final destination to be reached..if by jnana one got self realised that it is not real but only only delusion . then one can reach fast. this only happens if we surrender to a true guru like Prabhupada ..disciple has craving for truth. then guru reciprocates. hare Krishna
Thunduparambil Jayaprasad
Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 11 September 2019
Thank you!
It is important to note that to surrender to Srila Prabhupada, one must surrender to one of his bona fide disciples who are fit to accept disciples, like, for example, His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari. I am an initiated disciple of this bona fide disciple of Srila Prabhupada, and therefore I am a grand-disciple of Srila Prabhupada.
There are some who claim to surrender to Srila Prabhupada by forcing themselves upon Srila Prabhupada after he stopped initiating disciples in 1977, essentially picking their spiritual names from a hat, they are not properly situated in their surrender and have a long way to go in terms of reaching spiritual perfection.
Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das
Arun Pandit, 11 September 2019
Dear Sir
Have read your views on poojas and kriyas.
But I have yet not understood the sentences. Can you make me more clear and simple
By controlling mind and making it your friend one should restrict unwanted desires. For this purpose should one conduct poojas /kriyas?
your sincerely
Arun
Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 5 Feb 2021
Dear Sriman Arun Pandit, Hare Krishna! Please forgive me super delayed response on this… I missed this email somehow. If you chant a minimum of 16 rounds of Hare Krishna Mahamantra, and if you follow the 4 regulative principles, and strive to be a sincere disciple of a bona fide spiritual master in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, all other Pujas and Kriyas are not necessary. It is said that one who is chanting Hare Krishna with a firm vow has already executed all the pious rituals, bathed at all the holy places of pilgrimage and given all kinds of charity… Here is a good article: http://www.krishna.com/why-and-how-chant-hare-krsna
কোটি অশ্বমেধ এক কৃষ্ণ নাম সম । যেই কহে, সে পাষণ্ডী, দণ্ডে তারে যম ॥ ৭৯ ॥
koṭi aśvamedha eka kṛṣṇa nāma sama yei kahe, se pāṣaṇḍī, daṇḍe tāre yama
One who says that ten million aśvamedha sacrifices are equal to the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa is undoubtedly an atheist. He is sure to be punished by Yamarāja. CC Adi 3.79
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Sincerely,Mahabhagavat Das
Please subscribe to daily inspirational emails from His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Writings and lectures archived at sda-archives.com), written fresh every day from his travels around the world sharing the highest spiritual knowledge with everyone. Sign up now at www.joincourse.com