Watering the Root through the Worship of Lord Viṣṇu
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the ultimate purpose of human life and all Vedic injunctions is to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu. By understanding the science of worshiping Him, one fulfills all material and spiritual desires, ultimately achieving the supreme destination of returning home, back to Godhead.
The Ultimate Goal of Varṇāśrama
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Vedic system of four social orders and four spiritual orders is not meant for mundane, materialistic organization. Rather, the entire varṇāśrama-dharma institution is systematically designed to train individuals in the proper worship of Lord Viṣṇu.
- One must ultimately worship Lord Visnu, and for that purpose the varnasrama system organizes society into brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas, sudras, brahmacaris, grhasthas, vanaprasthas and sannyasis.
- The varnasrama system is entirely meant for visnu-aradhana, worship of Lord Visnu. Varnasramacaravata purusena parah puman/ visnur aradhyate - CC Madhya 8.58 - (Visnu Purana 3.8.9). The ultimate goal of life is to please Lord Visnu, the Supreme Lord.
- Visnu worship is the ultimate aim of human life. Those who take the license of married life for sense enjoyment must also take responsibility to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, and the first stepping-stone is varnasrama-dharma system.
Watering the Cosmic Root
People often mistakenly worship various demigods to acquire immediate material benefits. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that Lord Viṣṇu is the root of the entire cosmic manifestation; by worshiping Him directly, all other cosmic administrators and living entities are automatically satisfied.
- Just by pouring water on the root of a tree, one nourishes its trunk and all of its branches, fruits and flowers, and just by supplying food to the stomach, one satisfies all the limbs of the body. Similarly, by worshiping Lord Visnu one can satisfy everyone.
- The personified Vedas continued, "In other words, You are the root of the whole creation. Therefore those who engage in Your devotional service without deviation, who always worship You, actually pour water on the root of the universal tree."
- For actually when Lord Visnu is worshiped, all the other demigods are also worshiped. Yasmin tuste jagat tustam: if the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied, everyone is satisfied.
Lord Śiva's Supreme Conclusion
To dispel any confusion regarding whom to worship among the many Vedic deities, Śrīla Prabhupāda points to the authority of Lord Śiva. As one of the twelve great authorities (mahājanas), Lord Śiva explicitly instructs that of all types of worship, the worship of Lord Viṣṇu is the absolute best.
- As stated in the Padma Purana: Of all types of worship, worship of Lord Visnu is best, and better than the worship of Lord Visnu is the worship of His devotee, the Vaisnava.
- Lord Siva advised, aradhananam sarvesam visnor aradhanam param (Padma Purana). - My dear Parvati, of all kinds of worship, worship of Lord Visnu is the best.
- When we speak of Visnu, we also refer to that which relates to Visnu. In the Siva Purana, Lord Siva recommends Visnu worship to be the topmost worship, and better than Visnu worship is worship of the Vaisnava or anything that is related to Visnu.
Worship in the Age of Kali
While previous ages required elaborate temple worship, strict vows, and expensive sacrifices, the method has been simplified for the current age. Śrīla Prabhupāda established the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to teach the world that Lord Viṣṇu is now perfectly worshiped through the congregational chanting of His holy names.
- In Dvapara-yuga, devotees of Lord Visnu and Krsna rendered devotional service according to the principles of Pancaratra. In this Age of Kali, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshiped simply by the chanting of His holy names.
- This Krsna consciousness movement is started just to educate people how to worship Lord Visnu. Visnor aradhanam param - this is our mission to teach all over the world.
- In our movement Lord Visnu is worshiped in every temple according to a schedule of twenty-four hours of engagement in performing kirtana, chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, offering palatable food to Lord Visnu and distributing this food.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda conclusively presents that human society reaches its perfection only when it revolves around the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. The traditional varṇāśrama system was entirely engineered to facilitate this goal. By ignoring the minor demigods and focusing completely on Lord Viṣṇu, a devotee effectively waters the root of the cosmic tree, fulfilling all obligations to the universe. This conclusion is not based on sectarian sentiment but is authorized by supreme authorities like Lord Śiva. Most mercifully, in this difficult age of Kali, the elaborate processes of the past are replaced by the sublime and accessible process of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, allowing anyone to perfectly execute the highest form of worship.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Worship of Lord Visnu. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.