Hare Krsna to all
Pranams
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Recently I had the misfortune of taking some of my arotika paraphernalia to a funeral
ceremony and– the ghee lamp got left behind. I dont think anybody realized
how much I was missing that ghee lamp. Most devotees would think, its just a
brass ghee lamp, you can get another one, or dont worry we will get it back to
you soon, prabhu . So as it was going on towards a month of not having this
particular ghee lamp that I had been worshiping Krsna with for about 4 decades,
I was very attached to this Deity and definitely wanted Him back. (He came back today)
Below we have compiled a few quotes from Srila Prabhupadas lectures and books
where he nicely explains how EVERYTHING connected to Krsna IS Krsna. And what
is not connected in some way, to Krsna? Nothing, its only when we do not see that connection- that we are under the influence of the illusory energy of Krsna.
here is a picture of my simple ghee lamp, that finally came back to me. He is
worshipable, just as much as Krsna-and Lord Siva says ,even more so than Krsna.
Hare Krsna
Damaghosa das
Before getting aboard, Dhruva Mahārāja worshiped the airplane, circumambulated it, and also offered obeisances to the associates of Viṣṇu. In the meantime he became as brilliant and illuminating as molten gold. He was thus completely prepared to board the transcendental plane.
PURPORT
In the absolute world, the plane, the associates of Lord Viṣṇu and Lord Viṣṇu Himself are all spiritual. There is no material contamination. In quality, everything there is one. As Lord Viṣṇu isworshipable, so also are His associates, His paraphernalia, His airplane and His abode, for everything of Viṣṇu’s is as good as Lord Viṣṇu. Dhruva Mahārāja knew all this very well, as a pureVaiṣṇava, and he offered his respects to the associates and to the plane before riding in it. But in the meantime, his body changed into spiritual existence, and therefore it was illuminating like molten gold. In this way he also became one with the other paraphernalia of Viṣṇuloka.
Māyāvādī philosophers cannot imagine how this oneness can be achieved even in different varieties. Their idea of oneness is that there is no variety. Therefore they have become impersonalists. As Śiśumāra, Viṣṇuloka or Dhruvaloka are completely different from this material world, so a Viṣṇu temple within this world is also completely different from this material world. As soon as we are in a temple we should know very well that we are situated differently from the material world. In the temple, Lord Viṣṇu, His throne, His room and all other things associated with the temple are transcendental. The three modes, sattva–guṇa, rajo–guṇa and tamo-guṇa,have no entrance into the temple. It is said, therefore, that to live in the forest is in the mode of goodness, to live in the city is in the mode of passion, and to live in a brothel, liquor shop or slaughterhouse is in the mode of ignorance. But to live in the temple means to live in Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Everything in the temple is as worshipable as Lord Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa.
C.C. Madhya lila
When the King received the old cloth, he began to worship it exactly as he would worship the Lord personally.
PURPORT
This is also the conclusion of the Vedic injunctions. Since the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Absolute Truth, everything in relation to Him is also on the same platform. The King had great affection for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and although he did not see the Lord, he had nonetheless already attained the conclusion of devotional service. Immediately upon receiving the cloth from Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, the King began to worship it, accepting it as Śrī CaitanyaMahāprabhu. The Lord’s clothing, bedding, slippers and everything required as an ordinary necessity are all transformations of Śeṣa, Viṣṇu, the expansion of Śrī Baladeva. Thus the cloth and other paraphernalia of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are but other forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything connected to the Lord is worshipable. Śrī CaitanyaMahāprabhu instructs us that just as Kṛṣṇa is worshipable, Kṛṣṇa’s place, Vṛndāvana, is also worshipable. And as Vṛndāvana is worshipable, similarly the paraphernalia in Vṛndāvana–the trees, roads, river, everything-is worshipable. A pure devotee thus sings, jaya jaya vṛndāvana–vāsī yata jana: "All glories to the residents of Vṛndāvana." If a devotee has a staunch devotional attitude, all these conclusions will be awakened or revealed within the heart.
yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
"Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed." (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23)
Thus following in the footsteps of Mahārāja Pratāparudra and other devotees, we should learn to worship everything belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is referred to by Lord Śiva as tadīyānām. In the Padma Purāṇa it is said:
ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ
viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param
tasmāt parataraṁ devi
tadīyānāṁ samarcanam
"O Devī, the most exalted system of worship is the worship of Lord Viṣṇu. Greater than that is the worship of tadīya, or anything belonging to Viṣṇu." Śrī Viṣṇu is sac-cid-ānanda–vigraha.Similarly, the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa, the spiritual master, and all devotees of Viṣṇu are tadīya. The sac-cid-ānanda–vigraha, guru, Vaiṣṇavas, and things used by them must be considered tadīya and without a doubt worshipable by all living beings.
Hyderabad Aug 17 1976 lecture
So Kṛṣṇa–līlā is going on in the spiritual world, but by Kṛṣṇa’s desire that spiritual world also comes down in this material world. Just like a big man, he lives in his palace, but if he likes he can go anywhere, and he has the same facility of his palace by arrangement. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa comes within this material world, He has all the paraphernalia of his Goloka Vṛndāvana līlā. As such this Vṛndāvana is as good as the original Vṛndāvana. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa, tanayatad-dhāmaṁ vṛndāvanam. This Vṛndāvana is not ordinary place; it is the same GolokaVṛndāvana. By Kṛṣṇa’s omnipotency the same Vṛndāvana is duplicated. It is possible. That is called nitya–līlā. Wherever He likes, He can bring in Vṛndāvana and He can have His pastimes. So this temple, do not think that it is Hyderabad place. No. It is Goloka Vṛndāvana. You should be very careful. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa, tanaya tad-dhāmaṁ vṛndāvanam. As Kṛṣṇa isworshipable, similarly His place is also worshipable. Not that His place is different from Him. No. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya–nānā–sṛṅgāra–tan–mandira-mārjanādau **. As the worship of the Deity is important, similarly, śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya–nānā–sṛṅgāra–tan–mandira-mārj anādau **. To keep the temple very cleansed, very attractive, that is also Deity worship. Those who are here working, they should keep this temple as clean as possible. Then Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. Kṛṣṇa’s body—this temple. Do not think it otherwise. Temple should be worshiped in that way. Therefore I ask you not to come with shoes. Even the temple is not opened, it is still Kṛṣṇa’s temple. It is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya–nānā–sṛṅgāra **. You should always remember that. The temple management very nicely means to render service to Kṛṣṇa.
So we are going to open this temple. Those who are in charge, they must take care of the temple. Cleanliness. Tan–mandira-mārjanādau. The more we have got men, engage them. And do not think that temple cleaning and Deity worshiping are different. Do not be envious, that "This person has been given the in charge of decorating the Deity, and I have (been) given to wash the temple where there are not Deity." No. It is the same thing. There is no difference. It is spiritual. In spiritual… Just like either you worship Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet or you offer a garland to Kṛṣṇa on His head, it is the same thing. It is no such thing as "This is head, this is tail." No. This is absolute conception of… So Bhagavān, His līlā, His form, His pastimes, His place, they’re allBhagavān. Even higher, those who are highly elevated devotees, they do not see even this material world different from Bhagavān. Idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetara. That is described in theŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Nārada Muni says. The whole universe is Bhagavān, although it appears different from Him. Bhagavān ivetara. So actually everything is Bhagavān, but it is not thisMāyāvāda philosophy, that because everything is Bhagavān, there is no Bhagavān. No. Everything is Bhagavān, and still Bhagavān is there. Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam [Bg. 9.4]. Māyā,a person is there. Otherwise, there is no use of the word māyā. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam.Vaiṣṇava philosophy is that this material world is expansion of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And the Māyāvāda philosophy is that because God has become everything, there is no more God. Nirviśeṣa. That is called nirviśeṣa—without understanding the beauty.
In this way, try to understand Kṛṣṇa and His paraphernalia, His form, His name, His quality, everything. There are so many things to understand about Kṛṣṇa. That is called Kṛṣṇaconsciousness. The materialistic persons, they will think that "These people are wasting time. They are doing nothing." But the agnostic, the material person, he does not know anything. Because here is the study of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is so unlimited, what one life one can understand? It requires many lives. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyante [Bg. 7.19]. It is not so easy thing that we have understood immediately Kṛṣṇa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante, after many, many births if one is fortunate, he can understand Kṛṣṇa. So don’t lose a single moment.