SB 1.17.34 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No 34
Yasmin harir bhagawam ijyamana Ijyatma murtir yajatam sam tanoti Kaman amoghan sthirajamgamanam Antarvahir vayuriva esha atma.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Yasmin—in such sacrificial ceremonies, Harir—the Supreme Lord, Bhagwan—the Personality of Godhead, Ijyamana—being worshipped, Ijyatma—the soul of all worshipable deities, Murtir—of the forms, Yajatam-those who worship, Sam—welfare, Tanoti—spreads, Kaman—desires, Amoghan—inviolable, Sthirajamgamanam—of all the moving and the unmoving, Antar—within, Vahir—outside, Vayur—air, Iva—like, Esha—of all of them, Atma—spirit soul.
TRANSLATION
In all sacrificial ceremonies although sometimes some demigod is worshipped still by such sacrifice the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead is worshipped; because He is the Supersoul of everyone and exists both inside and outside like the air and thus it is He only Who awards all welfare for the worshipper.
PURPORT
Even it is sometimes seen that demigods like Indra, Chandra etc are worshipped and offered sacrificial awards, still the rewards of all such sacrifices are awarded to the worshipper by the Supreme Lord and it is the Lord only who can offer all welfare for the worshipper. The demigods although worshipped cannot do anything without the sanction of the Lord because the Lord is the Supersoul of everyone both moving and non-moving. In the Bhagwat Geeta it is confirmed in the following sloka:-
- Yepi anya devatabhakta yajante sraddhyanwita
- Te api mam eva kounteya yajanti abidhipurvakam (B.G. 9/23)
The fact is that the Supreme Lord is one without a second. There is no other separate God except the Lord Himself. As such the Supreme Lord is eternally transcendental to the material creation. But there are many who worship the demigods like the Sun, Moon, Indra etc who are only material representatives of the Supreme Lord. They are in one sense or indirectly a qualitative representation of the Supreme Lord. A learned scholar or a learned devotee knows who is who and therefore directly they worship the Supreme Lord without any diversion for the material qualitative representations. But those who are not so learned they worship such qualitative material representations and their worship is uncermonious on account of irregular worship.