Talk:Arthārthī Worshipper

By Vishal Agarwal

This worshipper seeks wealth, fame, victory, a long life or some otherworldly benefit or even a post-mortem stay in heaven from the Bhagavān. His bhakti is of the rājasa type. Everyday examples of a devotee in this category are:

• Bhagavān, may I win this lottery.
• May my son do well financially.
• May I get a good ACT score so that I can get into Harvard.

The Vedas contain many prayers that can be employed by the arthārthī worshipper. In fact, much of the Vedic saṁhitās and brāhmaṇas are meant for this type of worshipper. An example of a prayer that asks for wealth is given below:

"Indra is the devatā of heaven and earth, waters and mountains. Indra is the Bhagavān of prosperity and wisdom. Hence Indra ought to be invoked for acquisition as well as protection of one's riches.Ṛgveda 1.89.10"

The Bhagavān of the Universe often appears too high, remote, inaccessible or above the mundane things that the worshipper often needs. Therefore, in all major religious traditions, those aspiring for more mundane gifts often bypass the Bhagavān of the Universe and approach lesser powers instead. This is true even of monotheistic faiths in actual practice despite their theoretical rejection of any divinity except their 'God'. The Catholics, for example, have various saints they worship. Muslims often worship at the graves of their saints, or jinns etc. Buddhists, who are theoretically agnostic, worship Hindu Deities like Brahmā, Viṣṇu and so on in Sri Lanka, Thailand and other places. The Sikhs also visit Hindu shrines or worship their gurus. Hindu dharma recognizes the fact of worship of entities other than the Bhagavān of the Universe. In the Bhagavad Gītā, Kṛṣṇa says:

"Those whose knowledge has been affected by different desires seek refuge in other gods. They observe diverse rituals relevant to the tradition of worship of these respective devas, being constrained by their own material nature.Gītā 7.20"

Within the Hindu tradition itself are prescribed numerous different ceremonies of worship, fasting, austerities etc., to please different devatās and obtain specific beneficial results. But Kṛṣṇa also emphasizes that worshippers of these different devatās must not be ridiculed because He himself increases their faith in these various devas:

"Whichever form (god) such a devotee seeks to worship with faith, in that very form I make his faith unswerving (or firm).Gītā 7.21"

Kṛṣṇa also emphasizes that these devatās do not have any independent power of their own. In fact, it is the One Supreme Being who operates through the medium of these devatās, and is the sole source of all blessings and gifts that the worshipper wants:

"Endowed with that faith, he seeks to worship that form (god) and through that, he fulfills his desires, which are really fulfilled by Me (through the medium of that form or god).Gītā 7.22"

Nevertheless, even the arthārthī worshipper who prays to none other than the Supreme Being must eventually rise above seeking mundane gifts and pleasures because this worshipper cannot attain the final goal of mokṣa:

"But limited and temporary is the fruit gained by these worshippers who have a limited intelligence. The worshippers of gods go to the gods, likewise My worshippers reach Me.Gītā 7.23"

In fact, even attainment of heaven through worship is a temporary benefit and is a trivial reward compared to mokṣa:

"The knowers of the threefold vedas who drink the soma (juice), and are purified of evil, worshipping Me with yajñas, seek the goal of heaven. They reach the holy world of Indra and enjoy the celestial pleasures of the devas in heaven.Gītā 9.20" "Having enjoyed the vast realm of heaven, they then enter the world of mortals when their merit is exhausted. Thus, conforming to the dharmas of the threefold vedas, desirous of enjoyments, they attain to the state of coming and going.Gītā 9.21"

One can worship the various devatās as separate elevated beings who respond to our prayers for specific material objects easily. Kṛṣṇa does not thoroughly condemn this type of worship, but urges Arjuna to understand that the boon- or wish-granting ability of these devatās arises ultimately from Parabrahman, and is at His pleasure alone. Therefore, rather than worshipping these devatās as independent, powerful beings separate from Parabrahman, one should regard them as manifestations of the glory of Parabrahman alone. But even better than the latter mode of worship is to seek even material favors and other boons directly from Parabrahman, thereby bypassing intermediary devatās altogether. Kṛṣṇa does not look down upon devotees who seek material benefits or deliverance from pain from Him because it is better to have at least some living relationship with Parabrahman than to have no relationship at all.

Swāmī Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṁsa once said:

"Do you know what the God of worldly people is like? It is like children talking to one another while at play, 'I swear by God.' They have learnt this statement from the quarrels of their aunts or grandmothers. Or it is like God to a dandy. The dandy, all spick and span, his lips red from chewing betel-leaf, walks in the garden, comb in hand, and plucking a flower, exclaims to his friend, 'Ah! What a beautiful flower God has made!' But this feeling of a worldly person is momentary. It lasts as long as a drop of water on a red-hot frying pan."

Examples of bhaktas who wanted wealth and power are: Dhruva, who worshipped Viṣṇu because he wanted a kingdom where he could not be insulted by his stepmother and stepbrother. Another example is that of Sugrīva, who served Bhagavān Rāma so that he could drive out Vāli and become the king of Kiṣkindhā. King Hiraṇyakaśipu, who asked for immortality, or Rāvaṇa asking for boons.

Story: The Noble Prince Dhruva

Thousands of years ago, there ruled a king named Uttānapāda. He had two queens, Surucī and Sunīti. Surucī was his favorite queen. Sunīti had a son named Dhruva.

One day, Dhruva came running to his father and sat on his lap. Surucī, his stepmother, scolded Dhruva and said, "You have no right to sit on your father's lap. Only my own son can sit on his lap."

Dhruva became very upset and asked his mother, "Mom, how can I become my Dad's favorite? How can I become more powerful than my Dad? How can I become the King of his country?" But his mother asked him not to be upset with his father. Instead, he should only worship Bhagavān Viṣṇu, who is more powerful and rich than anyone else. Dhruva left the palace and went to a forest to worship Bhagavān Viṣṇu. Ṛṣi Nārada appeared before him and tried to convince Dhruva not to leave his home to worship Viṣṇu. But Dhruva did not agree. Then Nārada told Dhruva that he should chant the prayer "oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya" constantly if he wanted to please Bhagavān Viṣṇu.

Dhruva meditated and prayed to Viṣṇu chanting that prayer for six months. After some time, he stopped eating food. His prayer was so powerful that when he gave up food, all creatures on the earth became hungry. Then, he gave up water, and all creatures became thirsty. And at last, Dhruva even stopped breathing in air. All creatures then started feeling suffocated. Pleased with the prayers of Dhruva, Bhagavān Viṣṇu appeared before Dhruva. He said, "My child, ask me what you want, and I will give it to you." Dhruva replied, "Dear God, I had come to ask you for a lot of power and money so that I become more powerful and richer king than my father. But now I do not want all that. I have seen how beautiful you are. And I feel very happy now. I do not want anything more. Just give me one thing—I want that I should never forget my Bhagavān Viṣṇu."

Bhagavān Viṣṇu was very pleased with Dhruva. He said, "Dhruva, go back to your father's palace. He is waiting for you and he will make you the king. And after you have been the king for a very long time, I will make you the Pole Star in the sky. Just like you did not move for six months while worshipping Me, the Pole Star will never leave its position in the sky." This is why, the Pole Star is called Dhruva by Hindus.

The story shows that most people ask Bhagavān for money, power, children, and other gifts. But a person like Dhruva who really loves Bhagavān in his heart only asks that he should never forget Bhagavān in his life. He does not ask Bhagavān for any riches, because Bhagavān is his true treasure.

When King Uttānapāda heard about this incident, he took his family and ministers and rushed to the forest. There, he embraced his son Dhruva and asked him to return to the palace. Everyone loved Dhruva as long as he lived. And after Uttānapāda died, Dhruva became the new King.