Srila Prabhupada, Bombay, December 16, 1974: […] Krishna can utilize His energy in any way. Just like an electrician — he knows how to utilize electricity for the refrigerator and the heater, although the heating process is just opposite of the cooling process. We see opposite. Similarly, material nature and spiritual nature, just opposite, but the same way: the electricity utilize for heating and electricity utilized for cooling.
The energy is the same, but it is the manipulation of the engineer which can turn heat into cold and cold into heat. So therefore, for Krishna there is no material nature. Everything is spiritual nature. Even Krishna appears as material form, as stone, as matter, still, one who knows Krishna, he can derive Krishna’s favor from any form. Otherwise the devotees are recommended to worship the Deity in the temple.
So do you think that the acaryas and the sastra have advised them to waste their time by worshiping a stone? It is all recommended by the acaryas, big, big acaryas.
Just like Ramanujacarya. He established hundreds of temples all over India, Laksmi-Narayana temple especially, the Ramanuja-sampradaya. Similarly, Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s sampradaya established hundreds of temples of Radha-Krishna. Big, big acarya. Do you mean to say they did mistake? As some people of our India, they say, “There is no need of worshiping in the temple.” No. Why not need? Acaryopasanam, that is recommended, jnana. Acarya… Acaryas, they have established temples, many hundreds of thousands of temples, of Vishnu mandira.
So this should be worshiped. Otherwise you cannot… Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. If you do not follow acaryas, then…
tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah [Bg. 4.34]
The acaryas are tattva-darsi. They know how to make you devotee. Therefore they have prescribed, and Krishna in His any condition, life, He is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha.
isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1]
Unless Krishna becomes available to your service, then how you can serve? We have, at the present moment, no eyes to see Krishna. Therefore Krishna, out of His causeless mercy, He has appeared in His original form just to receive or accept service from you. You cannot serve Krishna in His virad-rupa. Therefore Krishna has come to you to accept your service in this metal or stone form. But He is not metal or stone. This is called krsna-tattva-jnana. Full Lecture
Speak Your Mind