Who is God?

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Who is God? Who are the Demigods? And what are incarnations? These are very often asked questions that are just as frequently answered very falsely. But here I will clear all misconceptions with the facts and the absolute truth. So let me start by asking one of the wisest living beings of our universe, Lord Brahma, who is god?

Brahma-samhita

TEXT 1

isvarah paramah krsnah

sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah

anadir adir govindah

sarva-karana-karanam

TRANSLATION

[Lord Brahma speaks] Krishna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.

Now that we have heard from lord Brahma the creator of our universe, and one of the most intelligent living beings, let’s get a second opinion from lord Shiva, Dear Lord Shiva, as a member of this material world full of troubles and suffering, what do you subscribe to us to rid us of this burden, and help us with the age old question, who is God?

(Gita-mahatmya 7, Shiva speaks to mother Parvati)

kam sastram devaki-putra-gitam

eko devo devaki-putra eva

eko mantras tasya namani yani

karmapy ekam tasya devasya seva

TRANSLATION

[Lord Shiva replies] In this present day, people are very eager to have one scripture, one God, one religion, and one occupation.

So Therefore:

ekam sastram devaki-putra-gitam: let there be one scripture only, one common scripture, for the whole world—Bhagavad-gita.

Eko devo devaki-putra eva: there is only one God—Sri Krishna the son of devaki.

Eko mantras tasya namani: And one hymn, one mantra, one prayer only—the chanting of His name: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Karmapy ekam tasya devasya seva: And there is one work only—the service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead – Sri Krishna.

Wow, so the answer is unanimous, Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva Both Declare that Lord Sri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Shiva even adds that our only objective is to serve Krishna, amazing. Finally the question that has been asked from time immemorial “who is God?” Has been answered, Krishna is God.

But since Krishna is God, then who are Brahma and Shiva in relation to Krishna?

The Vedic texts describe 330 million devatas, or universal controllers. The devatas are controllers of various aspects of nature within the material realm. For example, the scriptures describe a personality named Agni who is in charge of the element of fire.

 

Likewise, there is the description of the personality named Indra who controls the rain, Brahma who is in charge of creation and finally there is the Shiva who is in charge of material destruction.

 

All of these controllers (ishvaras) belong to God’s natural system of material administration. Within the material realm God has arranged a hierarchy of control for automatic administration of nature. Each of these personalities (numbering 330 million) can be called a controller (ishvaras) as they are each in charge of a particular aspect of nature.

 

They are actually secondary controllers. It is exactly like a government that has many levels of control, such as Prime Minister (national controller), Chief Minister (state controller) and District Magistrate (district controller). To an uneducated person, the District Magistrate is supreme. If one gets his blessings, any governmental work one needs to get done will be accomplished. But he is only supreme within his district. Above him there is a higher controller, who controls the entire state. If one surrenders to the state controller and receives his blessings, one need not fear the district controller. Thus one may think the Chief Minister of a state is actually supreme. But above him is the Prime Minister, who controls the entire country.

 

According to one’s level of knowledge, one will identify a particular level of supremacy. But factually there is only one supreme authority situated above all others. Thus ishvarah paramah krishnah – “The supreme controller among all controllers is Sri Krishna.”

 

Amazing, Brahma and Shiva are Demigods, the head demigods out of 330million, wow that’s some authority. However:

 

 

Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 10, text 2:

 

na me viduh sura-ganah
prabhavam na maharshayah
aham adir hi devanam
maharshinam ca sarvasah

Translation

“Neither the hosts of devatas nor the great sages know My origin or opulence’s, for, in every respect, I am the source of the devatas and the great sages.”

This clearly shows Krishna’s Superiority to the demigods, including Brahma and Shiva. Krishna means “One who attracts everyone” This is the supreme quality of God and therefore Krishna (and only Krishna) can be called Bhagavän, Bhaga means opulence’s and van means full off, therefore Krishna is full off opulence’s, by the word “full” we are saying he has all the opulence’s and are full and complete in each one, unlike the demigods and man, who have these opulence’s but they are incomplete and tainted by material nature.

So what are the position of the demigods and Krishna’s incarnations in relation to the Lord?

“All the majestic attributes of Govinda, aggregating sixty in number, are fully

present in His majestic manifestation, Narayana. Brahma and Siva are entities

adulterated with mundane qualities.”

 

Man, male and female Devatas, Brahma, Siva, Narayana share many qualities. Krishna has qualities that are exclusive to Him. There are a total of 64 qualities of which the first fifty are in unlimited quantity in Krishna, and graded quantity in other gods and deities; man has them in limited quantity. Qualities from 51 to 55 are in unlimited quantity in Krishna and are deemed special to Brahma, Siva and other gods and goddesses. Listed between 56 to 60, Narayana has still higher qualities which are not shared by the preceding entities. Qualities listed between 61 to 64 are the exclusive domain of Krishna, the Supreme Person. This is a modified list as depicted in Jaiva Dharma, Chapter 13.

 

Qualities of individual souls, deities, Brahma, Siva and Bhagavan

Qualities of Krishna include all 64 of them.

 

1) Beautiful limbs; 2) All- auspicious qualities; 3) Beauty; 4) Radiance; 5) Strength; 6) Eternal youth; 7) Linguist; Truth Sayer; 9) pleasing speaker; 10) eloquence; 11) Intelligent; 12) Learned; 13) good conversationalist; 14) connoisseur; 15) clever and dexterous; 16) Expert; 17) Gratitude; 18) Keeper of vows; 19) Knowledge of place, time and circumstance;

20) Seer through Sastric eyes; 21) Purity; 22) Self-control; 23) steadfast; 24) forbearance; 25) forgiveness; 26) Inscrutability;

27) Forgiveness; 28) equipoise; 29) Munificence 30) Dharma; 31) Chivalry; 32) Compassion; 33) respectful; 34) Amicability;

35) Modesty; 36) Shyness; 37) Saranagata Raksaka- Surrender-protector 38) Happiness; 39) protector of devotees; 40) Controlled by Prema of devotees; 41) Benefactor of all; 42) Tormentor of enemies; 43) Fame; 44) Beloved by all; 45) Partiality to Sadhus; 46) Enchanter of women’s mind; 47) Worthy of worship by all; 48) All opulence; 49) Superior to all; 50) The Controller.

 

All these qualities are in unlimited quantity in Krishna and in a limited quantity in Jivas, Individual souls.

Five qualities are in Brahma, Siva and other Deities.

 

51) One’s own divine form (Svarupa);

52) Omniscience;

53) Eternal Youth;

54) Being, Knowledge and Bliss (SatCitAnanda);

55) Possessor of all Siddhis;

 

The above 55 qualities are present in lesser amounts in Deities.

Lakshmipati Narayana has the following additional exclusive qualities.

 

56) Inconceivable great qualities and powers;

57) Myriad universes abide within His Body;

58) He is Bija or seed of all Avatars;

59) Giver of higher destination to those He killed;

60) Enchanter of the ones who attained the Delight of their souls.

 

The following qualities are in the exclusive domain of Sri Krishna not present in anyone other than HIM.

 

61) He is like the vast ocean with incessant waves of wonderful Lilas;

62) His adoration is Madhurya Prema (Sweet love and affection) showered by His devotees;

63) He enchants the three worlds with inimitable sounds of His flute;

64) The resplendent beauty of His transcendental form is enchanting to all mobiles and immobile forms.

 

Thus Sri Krishna is the Original Supreme Personality of godhead and cannot be compared to, nor stated equal to or less than any other being for He is the only absolute for all that is.

Krishna is described as “asamaurdhva” which means “none equal and none above”. There can never be the existence of two supremes, as they would mutually contradict each other’s supremacy. Therefore Krishna is the ultimate.

Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 10, Text 8

aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah

TRANSLATION

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.”

Therefore Great Personalities like Brahma and Shiva worship lord Krishna as their lord and master, and in order to please them one should worship Krishna with their prayers, if Krishna is pleased naturally they too are pleased. Because Krishna declares that not even a blade of grass moves without his sanction. All the demigods first get permission to grant boons and benedictions only after the approval of the supreme lord, Sri Krishna is the goal of all the beings of the living creation including the greatest of demigods, and therefore he is our goal too, serve Krishna, worship Krishna, and love Krishna.

Bolo Krishna, bhajo Krishna, koro Krishna sikha.

Krishna mata, Krishna pita, Krishna dhana prana.

Chant Krishna’s holy names, Worship Krishna and teach others of Krishna.

Krishna is your mother, Krishna is you father, Krishna is the treasure of you life breath.