Text 27] Divinity and Divine Service 121

The separated parts and parcels have different positions in the estima-
tion of material powers, and some of them are like Kalabhairava, Smagaha-
bhairava, Sani, Mahakali, Candika. These demigods are worshiped mostly
by those who are in the lowest categories of the mode of darkness or
ignorance, and there are others who are in the mode of passion and
worship demigods like Brahma, Siva, Sirya, Ganega and many similar
deities, urged by the desire for material enjoyment. But those who are
actually situated in the mode of goodness (sattva-guna) of material nature
worship only Visnu-tattvas. Visnu-tattvas are represented by various names
and forms such as Narayana, Damodara, Vamana, Govinda, Adhoksaja,
atc. The qualified brahmanas worship the Visnu-tattvas represented by the
Salagr ima-sila, and so also some of the higher castes like the ksatriyas and
vaisyas worship the Visnu-tattvas generally.

Highly qualified brahmanas situated in the mode of goodness have no
grudges against the mode of worship of others. They have all respect for
other demigods, even though they are ghastly looking, like the Kala-
bhairava or Mahakali, etc. They know very well that these horrible
features of the Supreme Lord are all different servitors of the Lord under
different conditions, yet they reject the worship of both horrible and
attractive features of the demigods, and they concentrate only on the
forms of Visnu because they are serious about liberation from the ma-
terial conditions. The demigods, even to the stage of Brahma, the supreme
of all the demigods, cannot offer liberation to anyone. Hiranyakasipu
underwent a severe type of penance to become eternal in life, but his
worshipful deity, Brahma, could not satisfy him with such blessings.
Therefore Visnu is called mukti-pdda, or the Personality of Godhead who
can bestow upon us mukti, liberation, and none else. The demigods, being
like other living entities in the material world, are all liquidated at the time
of the annihilation of the material structure. They are themselves unable
to get liberation, and what to speak of giving liberation to their devotees.
The demigods can award the worshipers some temporary benefit only and
not the ultimate one.

It is for this reason only that candidates for liberation deliberately reject
the worship of the demigods, although they have no disrespect for any one
of them.

TEXT 27
TRIE: Tate waft |
CUES
Reqerrm Braise: 112011
