Did Lord Vishnu recommend Goddess worship?

[Guest guest]

I read somewhere that Lord Vishnu appeared to Agastya and told him that worship of the Goddess is the best way to achieve liberation and that the Lord in His Hayagriva incarnation recommend that Agastya worship Goddess Lalita/Tripura by chanting the Sri Lalita Sahasranama. Is this totally bogus, or does this actually take place in the Puranas (Brahmanda Purana)? If it did take place, why did the Lord recommend worship of the Goddess?

[Guest guest]

When Lord Vishnu says that, he says that is the best way for AGASTYA to reach liberation, not everyone in the three worlds...

 

The Lord recommends goddess worship for those who are not quite at the stage of spiritua understanding to worship Vishnu...

 

It depends on the goddess in question...

 

Worship of Radha or Lakshmi is fine, because by getting their favour, you are getting favour of Krishna and Lord Vishnu respectively...

 

However, worship of other goddesses such as Durga must only be done in order to get her favour so that Vishnu will be merciful...Not that Goddess is Supreme...

[Guest guest]

The Lord recommends goddess worship for those who are not quite at the stage of spiritua understanding to worship Vishnu...

 

 

Do you mean to say that AGASTYA is spiritually lower in stage to understand VISHNU.

 

[Guest guest]

No, different characters in the Lord's lilas or pastimes will play different roles...all the characters or devotees are self-realised souls, but in order to fulfil some purpose they act out certain things...

 

For example, Lord Buddha is not low in spiritual understanding, in fact he is the highest in terms of spiritual understanding, but part of his lila was to reject the existence of God and the existence of a spiritual world...that means that Buddha did that in order to make sure that those with lower spiritual understanding would not totallt reject spirituality but would at least follow some principles like ahimsa...

 

Similarly, Agastya is not low on spiritual understanding, he is taking part in lila with Vishnu so that those who are inclined to reject the male aspect of God will not totally reject God but will instead at least pray to some goddess...

[Ganeshprasad 0]

Jai Ganesh

 

 

The feminine energy or nature resides in all beings (Rupena Sansthita). As the flow of life, she is expressed as wisdom, sleep, the shadow, misunderstanding, peace, contentment, abundance, and many other qualities. To that constant presence, “I humble myself again and again.”

 

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Vishnu Mayeti Shabditaa

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Chetan Netya Bhidhyate

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Budhi Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Nidra Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Shudhaa Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Chaayaa Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Shakti Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Trishnaa Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Akshanti Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Jaati Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Lajjaa Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Shanti Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Shraddha Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Kaanti Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Lakshmi Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Vriti Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Smriti Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Dayaa Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Tushti Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Maatri Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

Yaa Devi Sarvabhuteshu Bhraanti Rupena Sanstitha

Namastasyei (3) Namo Namah

 

 

 

Hey jagjani hey jagdambe maa tu Bhavani Sarane lege

Mother please take me in your lap.

 

 

 

Re

(Similarly, Agastya is not low on spiritual understanding, he is taking part in lila with Vishnu so that those who are inclined to reject the male aspect of God will not totally reject God but will instead at least pray to some goddess...)

 

Sorry, is this your personal view or is it in some shastra?

 

Jai Shree Krishna

 

[Guest guest]

It is the view of the bona fide sampradayas...ask a guru in the sampradaya of vishnu/rudra etc and they will give the same answer...

[barney 0]

Aghastya was was a great rishi and to say he was not at the stage of sprituasl undertanding shows your stupidity. Whya are you being so bias against south Indian saints? God does not belong to any particular race or religion. God may appear to any one anywhere as he pleases and you do not have control or own him. What is the difference if worshipping Mother Durga or Lakshimi. They are all the same in different aspects. You have to undertand that before advicing anybody. If you do not know just shut up and let those who are learned to answer such questions.

[Guest guest]

I never said Agasthya was not at a stage of spiritual understanding - didn't you read my post? I said just like the Buddha rejected the Vedas only as part of his mission, in the same way, Agasthya recommended goddess worship as part of his mission.

 

The difference between worshipping Vishnu and Lakshmi is that it is even harder to get the blessings of Lakshmi - because she herself is devoted to Vishnu. If one can, however, somehow get Lakshmi's blessings then it is an amazing acheivement, since one automatically gets the blessing of Vishnu...

 

Worshipping Durga is a whole different situation. Why? Durga is the goddess of material energy. Worshipping her means worshipping for material gain. One can worship her so that she may make one's spiritual path less affected by material considerations...but not as the supreme...

 

This is from bona fide sastra and gurus... Prabhupada always said that Durga is material energy. Lakshmi is the inner potency of Vishnu. Radha is potent energy of Krishna.

 

Lakshmi, Radha worship is fine...why? because they in a sense control God. Lakshmi controls Vishnu, Radha controls Krishna...but Durga only controls the material energy...

[Ganeshprasad 0]

Jai Ganesh

 

Re

(Worshipping Durga is a whole different situation. Why? Durga is the goddess of material energy. Worshipping her means worshipping for material gain. One can worship her so that she may make one's spiritual path less affected by material considerations...but not as the supreme...)

 

She is sister of Lord Krishna, i take her mercy any time, she lead me to Lord Shiva the peaceful one.

 

Jai Shree Krishna

[Guest guest]

Durga is the goddess of material energy

 

From where did you get this information from ?

[Guest guest]

http://www.matchlessgift.info/001-500/322.html

 

Prabhupada:

 

There are some people, they think, "By satisfying Durga, we shall be happy." That is also mentioned in the sastras, but that happiness is only within this material world. Dhanam dehi rupam dehi rupavati-bharyam dehi yaso dehi, dehi, dehi. After worshipping goddess Durga, we ask all these benedictions: "Give me money, give me beautiful wife, give me reputation, give me strength, give me victory." Durga-devi gives you. But that is not actual happiness.

[Guest guest]

http://www.matchlessgift.info/001-500/152.html

 

Prabhupada:

 

Actually Krsna says maya, "By Me," adhyaksena, "by My superintendency," mayadhyaksena, "everything is working." That is also confirmed in the Brahma-samhita,

 

srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga [bs. 5.44].

 

This power, material nature, is called Durga. So Durga, the material nature... Durga means the predominating Deity of this fort. Durga. Durga means "fort". And durga means "where it is very difficult to enter." The fort is fortified. Therefore it is called Durga. Ga means going, and duh means difficult. Therefore fort is... The Sanskrit name of fort is called durga. And the predominating deity, it is called Durga.

[Guest guest]

Similarly, this material world, universe, it is covered by seven layers, and one layer, the first layer is there, and the second layer is ten times thicker than the first layer. The third layer is ten times thicker than the second layer. In this way, this universe is covered tight, very fortified. And there are innumerable universe. They are clustered together. And all these universes together is called the material world. And this is a very fortified place, and the predominating deity of this material world... Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka [bs. 5.44]. There is a power. That is called Durga. Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga, icchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sa [bs. 5.44]. Although this Durga is so powerful that she can create, she can maintain and she can dissolve, the whole cosmic manifestation... It is so powerful. At any moment it can dissolute.

 

But she is working just like chayeva. Chaya means shadow. Just like you have your hand and here is the shadow. If the hand moves, then shadow moves. Therefore it is said chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga. (end)

 

[Guest guest]

 

I read somewhere that Lord Vishnu appeared to Agastya and told him that worship of the Goddess is the best way to achieve liberation

 

 

Perhaps you should tell us what that "somewhere" was before encouraging everyone to speculate on all kinds of answers to your question.

 

I suspect the reference you referred to is merely in your imagination, or in some noncanonical text.

 

[Guest guest]

srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga [bs. 5.44].

 

1) Prabhupada quotes from brahma samhita - so there is no speculation involved...

 

2) Prabhupada is in the bona fide disciplic succession, so there is no doubt that he is an authority...

 

chayeva - shadow is from the actual Brahma Samhita shloka...

 

If worshipping the shadow of God is your goal of life, then do so...

 

But why not worship the source of the shadow?

 

Does it not make logical sense?

 

 

[Guest guest]

"Now I know why Prabhupada was not accepted in India and had to find shelter out of the country and landed in Us where 70% of its population are displaced. "

 

the fact that you are not honest is demonstrated by the fact that you have made this stupid statement many times but you has never answered to my simple objection

 

so i say it for the other readers.. to speak to you is simply useless (i know that you are quite old.. be careful for the moment when yamadutas will come bringing you to the next life)

 

vaishnavas are eternally in this world, vaishnava sampradaya is in india from immemorable time, gaudya vaishnava sampradaya who is the religious dynasty that has prabhupada as one of the most prominent masters is in india from 1496

 

so your stupid attempt to separate prabhupada from indian tradition is simply useless

 

gaudya vaishnava sampradaya with the exactly same ideas as srila prabhupada is increasing all over the world and in india .. where it was also centuries ago

 

in the west there's only from 1965

 

ok????

[Guest guest]

...was respected in India even before he spread to USA...he personally met the Indian PM before he left for USA...

[Guest guest]

Websites that provide the Lalita Sahasranama generally include a background on its origin in the introduction, as on this site;

 

http://www.astrojyoti.com/ls1.htm

 

I apologize for not being more specific in my initial post.

[Guest guest]

is barney a sai baba folower?

 

man, that is worrying...

[Guest guest]

Why do you quarrel over such a trivial matter? One who is Shiva, the one who is known as Vishnu and the one who is prayed by millions as mother Kali or Durga is but just a manifestation of the supreme paramatma. Paramatma is like an immense ocean of bliss - the Absolute. Sakaar roops are like ice-burgs floating on the ocean. Are these ice-burgs any different from the ocean? or are they different from one another? They are all the same - Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Shakti, Allah. They're just different names that point to the same truth.

[Guest guest]

Prabupadha is one of the greatest hindus the 20th century has seen.I will compare him with Sri Chandrasekarendra saraswathi sankaracharya,Sri Ramanuja and swami DukhaRam.There is no relief for anyone who utters even a word against him.You get a direct passport to hell if you do so.

I dont have anything against Saibaba if he stops claiming that he's an avathar.Except that he does many good things like spreading hindu religion and building water pipelines.But he says that hes krishna,rama,ishwara etc.Thats what I dont like.

I never knew what osho preached.Atleast baba accepts vedas.osho doesnt even do it.

[Guest guest]

And exactly where did you read, study or get the information that Durga is not SUPREME

[Guest guest]

"Why do you quarrel over such a trivial matter? One who is Shiva, the one who is known as Vishnu and the one who is prayed by millions as mother Kali or Durga is but just a manifestation of the supreme paramatma. Paramatma is like an immense ocean of bliss - the Absolute. Sakaar roops are like ice-burgs floating on the ocean. Are these ice-burgs any different from the ocean? or are they different from one another? They are all the same - Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Shakti, Allah. They're just different names that point to the same truth."

 

Supreme Paramatman is known as Parabrahman - and Gita says Parabrahman is Krsna

 

Supreme Controller is Krsna - Isvarah paramah krsna (Brahma Samhita)

 

Krsna is Supreme Personality of Godhead - Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam (Bhagavatam)

 

The potency of Krsna's name is three times that of Rama which is thousand times more potent then the holy name of Vishnu (Upanishads)

 

Krsna: No one is higher than me, O Arjuna (Bhagavad Gita)

Those who worship Demigods worship me indirectly BUT ..........IN A WRONG WAY (Bhagavad Gita)

 

 

[Guest guest]

"Prabupadha is one of the greatest hindus the 20th century has seen.I will compare him with Sri Chandrasekarendra saraswathi sankaracharya,Sri Ramanuja and swami DukhaRam.There is no relief for anyone who utters even a word against him.You get a direct passport to hell if you do so.

I dont have anything against Saibaba if he stops claiming that he's an avathar.Except that he does many good things like spreading hindu religion and building water pipelines.But he says that hes krishna,rama,ishwara etc.Thats what I dont like.

I never knew what osho preached.Atleast baba accepts vedas.osho doesnt even do it."

 

Saibaba has to stop saying he is avatar

 

- he has to prove he is not a paedophile

 

- he has to join a bona fide sampradaya b4 claiming to be a ...bona fide guru (otherwise he is not accepting the ...injunctions of the Vedas)

[Guest guest]

"And exactly where did you read, study or get the information that Durga is not SUPREME"

 

HERE YOU GO:

 

srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga [brahma Samhita. 5.44].

 

This power, material nature, is called Durga. So Durga, the material nature... Durga means the predominating Deity of this fort. Durga. Durga means "fort". And durga means "where it is very difficult to enter." The fort is fortified. Therefore it is called Durga. Ga means going, and duh means difficult. Therefore fort is... The Sanskrit name of fort is called durga. And the predominating deity, it is called Durga.

 

Similarly, this material world, universe, it is covered by seven layers, and one layer, the first layer is there, and the second layer is ten times thicker than the first layer. The third layer is ten times thicker than the second layer. In this way, this universe is covered tight, very fortified. And there are innumerable universe. They are clustered together. And all these universes together is called the material world. And this is a very fortified place, and the predominating deity of this material world... Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka [brahma samhita. 5.44]. There is a power. That is called Durga. Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga, icchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sa [brahma samhita. 5.44]. Although this Durga is so powerful that she can create, she can maintain and she can dissolve, the whole cosmic manifestation... It is so powerful. At any moment it can dissolute.

 

But she is working just like chayeva. Chaya means shadow. Just like you have your hand and here is the shadow. If the hand moves, then shadow moves. Therefore it is said chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga. (end)