Text 4] The Structure of the Universe 20

te ‘pi mam eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-pirvakam

“Devotees who worship the demigods with firm faith worship Me also,
but not according to regulative principles.” In other words, if one wor-
ships the demigods but does not understand the relationship between the
demigods and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his worship is ir-
regular. Krsna also says in Bhagavad-gita (9.24), aham hi sarva-
yajnanam bhokta ca prabhur eva ca: “| am the only enjoyer of ritualistic
ceremonies.”

It may be argued that the demigods are as important as Lord Visnu
because the names of the demigods are different names of Visnu. This,

however, is not a sound conclusion, for it is contradicted in the Vedic
literatures. The Vedas declare:

candramdé manaso jatas caksoh siryo ajayata. srotradayas ca pranas
ca mukhdd agnir ajdyata. naérayanad brahma, nardyandd rudro jayate,
narayandat prajapatih jdyate, nérdyandd indro jayate, ndrdyandd astau
vasavo jadyante, ndrayanad ekddasa rudra jayante.

“The demigod of the moon, Candra, came from the mind of Narayana,
and the sun-god came from His eyes. The controlling deities of hearing
and the life air came from Narayana, and the controlling deity of fire was
generated from His mouth. Prajapati, Lord Brahma, came from
Narayana, Indra came from Narayana, and the eight Vasus, the eleven
expansions of Lord Siva and the twelve Adityas also came from
Narayana.” In the smrti Vedic literature it is also said:

brahma sambhus tathaivarkas
candraméas ca Satakratuh

evam ddyas tathaivanye
yukta vaisnava-tejasa

Jagat-karydvasane tu
viyujyante ca tejasa

vitejas ca te sarve
pafcatvam upayanti te
