Balaji is Lord Krishna
BY: KUNTIBHOJA DAS
Jun 10, NEW YORK (SUN) — Payonidhi dasa's recent criticism of ISKCON temples installing Balaji Deities is based primarily on his own misunderstanding of the Deity. He is under the impression that Balaji is a four-handed Vishnu deity. The Deity is physically a two-handed Krishna Deity. The conch and discus (usually held in the third and fourth hands) are added only with golden kavachas (armor), giving the appearance of four hands. The hands do not actually exist in the Deity itself.
The very name "balaji" means child Lord. There is no such thing as a Bala Vishnu, only a Bala Gopal, or child form of Krishna. The name Balaji refers to Lord Krishna as a child. This is further confirmed by the fact that all visiting devotees call out his name as "Govinda, Govinda, Goooovinda" while they walk up the mountain. As everyone knows, the name Govinda refers to Gopala Krishna, the cowherd boy, not to four-armed Narayana.
In a 1974 edition of Back To Godhead, an article appeared titled "Secretary to a Pure Devotee". In that article, Srila Prabhupada's opinion on this Deity was stated as follows:
"In the cottage there was a picture of the Balaji Deity. Prabhupada said that the Deity's name means "child," Krishna as a cowherd boy, not in His Vaikuntha aspect [His majestic form in the spiritual planets]."
Srila Prabhupada has also stated the following while visiting Andhra Pradesh:
"Still, in India there are many devotees, many Krishna conscious persons. Especially in this province. You are very great devotees of Balaji. Balaji is Krishna, Bala Krishna. So I wish that the government may be conducted under the guide of Balaji, Lord Krishna. That is my request."
It is true that Venkateswara is referred to as a four-armed Vishnu form in a purport to the Caitanya Caritamrita, but this is because he is often worshipped as Vishnu, by having two extra hands added with golden armor, and this practice has gone on for many hundreds of years. Since this temple has been administered and worshipped by Sri Vaishnavas for a thousand years, it is only expected that they will view the Deity as their ishta devata of Lakshmi Narayana.
The Balaji Deities installed in ISKCON temples are not four-handed Vishnu Deities, but two-handed Deities of Bala Krishna.
Overall, the mood of Payonidhi is very disturbing. Besides his ignorant fault finding, when you read his articles you feel self-glorification pouring out of every word. Every single article he has submitted to the Sun is an attempt to show how smart he is and how stupid devotees/swamis XYZ are. This has been pointed out to him by senior devotees on PAMHO many times, but he never gets the hint to speak like a devotee. Instead he tries to show his own intelligence, but only his pride ends up being visible.
Previously he had promised never to post again on the Sampradaya Sun when he became angry at some articles appearing on the Sun that he disagreed with. It is unfortunate that he couldn't keep his word and remain silent. But self promoters always need a venue to display their glories, so it is natural that he came back to the main Vaishnava news website.
Let us analyze Payonidhi's latest contribution a little more. He begins by stating:
Basu Gosh Prabhu has brought up a question about Lord Narasimha:
"Lakshmi Nrsimha worship was done by Bhaktivinod Thakur: his Deities are still worshipped at the Yogapith at Mayapur."
If we look at Basu Gosh's "question" we see that he is not asking a question at all. He is simply making a statement to put Payonidhi in his proper place. But Payonidhi wants to make himself appear important, so he says that Basu Gosh (a well known Sanskrit scholar) is asking him a question - as though this Sanskrit pandit needed to approach Payonobody for an answer to his shastric questions.
Basu Gosh was making a very valid point that even in our Gaudiya Sampradaya there are Deities of Vishnu installed and worshipped. This went completely over Payonidhi's head, as evident by his reply, "I am aware of that... What is the point?" If you see Payonidhi's previous articles he claims Vishnu Deities are never, ever, ever worshipped by Gaudiya Vaishnavas. His position was proven false by Basu Gosh with a single sentence.
Basu Gosh goes on to point out that Sita Rama Deities were also authorized by Srila Prabhupada - another case of a Deity that is not Radha Krishna, again proving that Payonidhi's view that only Radha Krishna can be worshipped in the Gaudiya Sampradaya as false. In response to this, Payonidhi tries to re-adjust his position to avoid defeat. He says:
"My point is very simple: Mahaprabhu, and Radha Krsna worship is the main tradition of our Sampradaya."
So now Radha and Krishna worship are just the main tradition, not the only tradition. He changes his original view in an attempt to accommodate the worship of Sita Rama and Lakshmi Nrisimha Deities in ancient Gaudiya Vaishnava temples. His new position is that Radha Krishna Deities are absolutely the only Deities worshipable for Gaudiya Vaishnavas, unless of course the Deities are Sita Rama or Lakshmi Narasimha - but certainly not Balaji (no way you can worship Him). His whole argument is just a "make it up as you go" presentation. Basically a big joke.
Next he creates a straw man argument as follows:
"Do we want to omit Radha Krsna in Vrindavan from ISKCON and just see Laxmi Narayana? This extroverted vision is not pleasing."
No one has suggested removing Radha Krishna from ISKCON and seeing only Lakshmi Narayana. The argument is whether or not Lord Balaji is able to be installed on an ISKCON (Gaudiya Vaishnava) altar. Unless Payonidhi has scriptural statements exactly saying that Balaji may not be worshipped by Gaudiya Vaishnavas, then he needs to close his mouth. There are Gaudiya Vaishnava temples in Vrindavan and Navadvipa with all Forms of the Lord, and even ancient Gaudiya Vaishnava temples with Lord Shiva, Ganesha and other devotee devas as well. Some guy living most of his devotional life in Europe under Harikesha wants to be the ultimate authority over Gaudiya Vaishnavism throughout the world. First explain how you chose the wrong guru four times, then come to answering other philosophical questions. Even today he pretends that he knew Harikesh was off all along. Then why the hell did you follow him? You must have been a fool. Another case of pride, not wanting to admit he made a mistake and doesn't know it all.
Next Payonidhi states:
"After having read the Caitanya-caritamrta for so many years, you should also know the conclusion of the CC. I quoted Srila Prabhupada stating Laxmi Narayana should not be worshipped."
Here Payonidhi displays his ignorance by stating the ultimate conclusion of Caitanya Caritamrita is that one should not worship Lakshmi Narayana. No Vaishnava scripture states that Vishnu should not be worshipped, rather they say the opposite. The only point of life is to worship Vishnu. The conclusion of Caitanya Caritamrita is something much higher than "do not worship Vishnu". Otherwise everyone in the world would be perfect, because the whole world doesn't worship Vishnu already.
Furthermore I would say Payonidhi is very puffed up to claim to know the ultimate "conclusion" of Caitanya Caritamrita and fit it into one sentence. Certainly Caitanya Caritamrita is filled with thousands of philosophical conclusions, but to say "there is one specific ultimate conclusion and it happens to be exactly what I am arguing about" is just the sign of the inflated ego of a foolish person.
Next Payonidhi speculates as to the reason Balaji was installed in Bangalore ISKCON temple:
"Venkatesvara was established with the idea there would be financial gain, and from this offense alone ISKCON lost that temple to the Riviks and will never get it back, as Srila Prabhupada does not want Laxmi Narayana worship."
As a full time fault finder, he is certain the reason was all money. He didn't think for a moment that it was to attract many millions of people to visit Srila Prabhupada's temple and worship Lord Krishna. Why did Srila Prabhupada allow Sita Rama to be installed in North India? It was because those Deities are popular in North India and many devotees would be attracted to worshipping them. In South India, Lord Balaji is the most popular form of Lord Krishna, so to install Him is proper utilization of intelligence for preaching.
Payonidhi goes one to pompously proclaim to know Srila Prabhupada's mind, and he even has the x-ray vision goggles to see the exact offenses Srila Prabhupada has accepted and the results those offenses bring. With his mystic goggles he lets all us mortals know that because of this great offense of installing Balaji (Krishna) in Bangalore ISKCON temple, that temple was "lost" to the ritviks. Plain old rubbish propaganda.
The reality of the situation is that the Bangalore temple still worships Srila Prabhupada and distributes more books then the entire ISKCON worldwide temples combined. Yes, amazing, but true. Certainly not the results of offending Srila Prabhupada, as Payonidhi likes to fantasize. Also he doesn't mention that Madhu Pandit (the Temple President of ISKCON Bangalore) has opened huge temples in a dozen major cities in India without even publicizing this fact. He is going on opening temple after temple without even trying to push his name out there for credit. ISKCON doesn't tell anyone either, because they don't want the devotees to know about the huge successes happening in Bangalore amongst the "offender" ritviks and "vishnu worshippers".
Next Payonidhi again puts himself on a high pedestal to warn all of us lowly devotees in ISKCON:
"Keep establishing Visnu deities in ISKCON and the reactions will be very grave. This is my stern warning."
Who is Payonidhi to be issuing a stern warning to all ISKCON devotees about offenses only he can see (with his x-ray goggles)? Wake up and look at yourself in the mirror. You are just a nobody who spends your time glorifying yourself and posting it on the Internet wherever it will be published. I have never seen so much puffed up pride in an article in my life.
Payonidhi then goes on to tell us that anyone who doesn't agree with him is "not accepting Srila Prabhupada's version":
"You are the one making conflict by not accepting Srila Prabhupada's version and harming your lata bija. The result is seen in the lack of understanding of Krsna's in Vrindavan and what is our line."
Once again, the false pride is bubbling over and just can't be contained in that sentence. And to make all of us ignorants understand our position properly he tells us that none of us understand Krishna in Vrindavan (only Payonidhi does), simply because we don't agree with him 100%.
As with every single article Payonidhi writes, he has to again bring up the same case of demigod worship that happened in 1996 which he claims to have solved by complaining to the GBC. Does he have to mention this in every single one of his articles? He keeps telling us how big he was, complaining to the GBC to get a resolution passed against it. In fact he wasn't even instrumental in this. It's like a bird sitting on a branch and a fruit coincidentally falling at the same time. He complains about everything, and it just so happened that one of the things he complained about had a resolution passed against it. And for that, 11 years later he wants to keep claiming that he was the one to hold up the entire world on his finger.
Next Payonidhi again displays his inflated pride:
"I have done my duty, and warned leaders in ISKCON to please not establish more Visnu deities."
Who made it Payonidhi's "duty" to point out all imagined faults to the ISKCON leaders? Did Srila Prabhupada instruct him that this was his duty? Of course not, because he never saw Srila Prabhupada in his life. He has self-appointed himself as the big shot guy to warn ISKCON leaders, and that's his self-appointed duty. Why don't you self-appoint yourself to wash pots and sweep the temple floors?
The truth is, each and every devotee in the world has intelligence (not just you). They have all studied Srila Prabhupada's books and have assimilated the teachings in various levels. Those devotees have as much right to act according to their understanding of Srila Prabhupada's instructions as you do. Those devotees working hard to build a temple from nothing have the right to exercise their intelligence under the guidance of the teachings of Srila Prabhupada without worrying whether Payonidhi will be happy with them. As learned preacher brahmanas, what Deity will be appropriate to install is their right to decide, not the demands of somebody sitting in America who did nothing to build that temple.
Payonidhi concludes by telling everyone that his view is the only right view because his view is exactly Srila Prabhupada's view:
"This is Srila Prabhupada's instruction. Take it or leave it. There is nothing further to discuss on this matter."
Again, it will be hard to find someone more puffed up and full of himself on the Internet. "Take it or leave it, my way or the highway." He is so certain that he knows it all, and no one in the world can convince him otherwise. If you don't accept his words as 100% perfect then, "nothing further to discuss." But he goes on repeating himself again and again. I thought there was nothing further to discuss? Close the mouth and be silent then.
And finally the most amazing thing Payonidhi writes:
"A humble devotee would say well we did this and this, but Srila Prabhupada asks us to observe Ekadasi fasting on Ramanavami, Gaura Purnima, Janmastami, etc. Well, I should accept."
If you accept his view, and silently go along, then you are an advance and humble devotee, but if you disagree with him, then you are puffed up and not advanced. Why does he get to argue and still remain "a humble devotee", but if anyone else disagrees with him they aren't being humble? To Payonidhi, a humble devotee is defined as one who agrees with him. What more can be argued with such an ignorant person?
And when other writer's point out REAL FAULTS in ISKCON, like child molester gurus, hitmen gurus, fake Goswami's writing sex novels, traveling hippy gurus, then Payonidhi jumps up and down screaming at everyone to shut up and stop fault finding. Why is he the self-appointed fault finder, but no one else can expose real faults?
