In Part 7 of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati’s Speech on the Gita, Swamiji elaborates on the five main personal forms of God worshipped in India—Shakti, Shiv, Vishnu, Ram, and Krishn. He outlines the philosophies and devotional paths of various spiritual traditions, from the followers of Shiv and Vishnu to the rasik Saints immersed in Radha Krishn’s leelas. Drawing from the teachings of great acharyas like Ramanujacharya and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Swamiji shows how each tradition fosters a unique connection with the Divine. He concludes by tying all these paths back to the Gita, which accepts all forms of sincere devotion while gently guiding the soul toward Krishn.
Read Part 1 Here:- Swami Prakashanand Saraswati’s Speech on the Gita – Part 1
According to Swami Prakashanand Saraswati..
The blessed souls: Yesterday we learned about impersonal aspect of religions who worship impersonal aspect of God. The other kinds of religions relate to specifically personal forms of God. There are mainly five kinds. I explained two before; five I will explain today. Worshippers of Shakti, means Goddess. Worshippers of Shiv, God Shiv. Worshippers of Vishnu or Maha Vishnu, Worshippers of Bhagwan Ram, and worshippers of Bhagwan Krishn. These are five main forms of Godhead Personality. And there are religions of these kinds in India.
Read Part 2 Here:- Swami Prakashanand Saraswati’s Speech on the Gita – Part 2
Shakti or Goddess: There are quite a few forms, like Durga or Maha Durga, Maha Lakshmi, Gauri, Kali or Maha Kali, Saraswati. These are five main forms of Divine Goddesses with capital G. They are all forms of God, and their description is in great detail in Devi Bhagwatam, and Durga’s and Maha Kali’s other activities are in Durga Saptashati. So there are many worshippers who worship these forms of Goddess. There is no particular religion. You may call it Hindu Religion.
Then there are worshippers of God Shiv. Many in India who worship God Shiv, many people. Not a particular religion with a particular name – just, you can call them Shaiv Bhakta or Shaiv, means bhaktas of God Shiv or devotees of God Shiv. There is a Puran, Shiv Puran – one of the eighteen puranas written by Ved Vyas. So in Shiv Puran, there’s great detail. Shiv’s activities, Shiv’s form, Shiv’s philosophy is all described. It’s called Shiv Puran. It relates to God Shiv, the Puran. It’s a big book. And also in the Ramayan there’s a Shiv-Parvati marriage ceremony greatly described. So, there are quite a few number of people, large number of people, who worship God Shiv in India.
Read Part 3 Here:- Swami Prakashanand Saraswati’s Speech on the Gita – Part 3
Then Vishnu or Maha Vishnu, the same thing – means Maha Vishnu (Maha means the supreme Vishnu). Maha Vishnu is the creator of this whole universe. He resides in his own abode, Vaikunth Dham. But when he creates the universe, it splits up into unlimited number of brahmandas. Just like unlimited number of galaxies. In every galaxy there are millions of earth planets with their own planetary system, and every earth planet has human beings. So every earth planet’s planetary system is called one brahmanda. So in one brahmanda, the supreme Vishnu, Maha Vishnu, also appears, and he is called Vishnu. So in every brahmanda there is one Vishnu and Maha Vishnu. But both are same. Just same, no difference. Worship Vishnu or worship Maha Vishnu. There is also Vishnu Puran related to Vishnu, Bhagwan Vishnu, and also an Upanishad, (Sanskrit). And there was a great acharya, Jagadguru Ramanujacharya who extensively explained about the bhakti and worship of Godhead Personality. He personally worshipped Maha Vishnu, So, from his sampraday, from his religion (it’s called Raman’s religion, Vishnu bhakti), you can’t stay started, but flourished, you can say. So Vishnu bhakti, Vishnu religion is Ramanujacharya religion from Ramanujacharya.
Read Part 4 Here:- Swami Prakashanand Saraswati’s Speech on the Gita – Part 4
Then Bhagwan Ram. There is a religion in India, it’s called Ramanand religion. They worship Bhagwan Ram. Ramanujacharya, actually in his explanation of worship, he says you can worship either Bhagwan Ram or Krishn or Vishnu. All three are same. So in his religion, most of them worship Vishnu, and some of them worship Ram, and some of them also worship Krishn. He prescribes all three forms of worship, and they are all called Vaishnavas. But he mainly explained the part of bhakti. He calls it parabhakti. Parabhakti. Means surrender. Exclusive surrender to the personality of the Godhead. And surrendering what? Surrendering your vanity first. First surrender your vanity, your pride, and become humble. When you become humble, then look for His grace. You are helpless, but He is powerful. You can simply ask Him, request Him wholeheartedly. So wholeheartedly asking for His grace, that is your doing, and when your wholeheartedness is completed, He is there to grace you. He doesn’t have to come from somewhere. He’s already there. Your surrender is complete, and you have seen. That’s it. That is parabhakti, sharanagati. In this way Raman sampraday, they explain pure bhakti to the personality of God.
The fifth – Krishn religion. Krishn religions are quite a few, but five are important, starting from Nimbarkacharya, Vallabhacharya, Hit Harivansh, Haridas Swami, Vishnu Swami, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. These are all the prominent ones. Then they have some branches, but these are the main prominent ones. All these Saints, they explained the intimate relation, playfulness, leelas of Radha and Krishn in Divine Vrindaban or in Golok or in Braj. Some relate to Braj or Golok. Some are related to Vrindaban, Divine Vrindaban. But all worshippers of Radha and Krishn. Out of them, Vallabhacharya, in his sampraday, in his religion, they worship Shrinathji. Shrinathji means Krishn and Yamunaji, a Gopi. Yamunaji is a Gopi. Some worship Bal Krishn, or most of them worship Bal Krishn in Vallabh sampraday. Means young Krishn, stealing curd from Gopis’ house and stealing their heart also at the same time, playing with the gwalbals in jungle, quarreling with Mother Yashoda. So all those playful, naughty pranks of Krishn in his bal leela, young leela – they all like it. And also some who worship Krishn Radha also in that sampraday. Sampraday means religion. In Vallabhacharya’s time, Chaitanya Mahaprabhuji was also there at same time.
Read Part 5 Here:- Swami Prakashanand Saraswati’s Speech on the Gita – Part 5
Chaitanya Mahaprabhuji and his disciples, they introduced Radha Krishn worship. Chaitanya Mahaprabhuji himself, he acted as a devotee of Krishn. And who could be the best devotee of Krishn? Only Radha. Who else could be? Radha knows about Krishn. Krishn knows about Radha because Both are One. Who else can know the depth of Their love? Nobody can know, so Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, as Radha avatar, He worshipped Krishn and showed what is Krishn love. So in that sampraday, Radha-Krishn worship is introduced. But they mostly relate to Braj leela. When Krishn was on earth planet whatever He did, whatever He played, all those, they relate mostly to those Braj leelas.
Read Part 6 Here:- Swami Prakashanand Saraswati’s Speech on the Gita – Part 6
Nimbarkacharya also introduced Radha-Krishn devotion. Hit Harivansh and Haridas (Swami Haridas), they were also at the same time in Vrindaban, and these two were called great rasik Saints of Vrindaban at that time, and both were always absorbed in Radha-Krishn love. Say for instance, suppose Haridas Swami is making some garland for Radha and Krishn. He picked a flower, lying in his hand. And he is so absorbed, he forgot. Oh remembered, yes, he has to make the garland. It took hours to make a garland for Radharani or his beloved Krishn. With every flower he pierces on the string, he has love. “Oh, this is going to be on the neck of my beloved Krishn and Radharani”. He was so absorbed in seva, 24 hours absorbed in seva. Cooking some food… suppose he’s making kheer: right amount of sugar, right amount of milk, right amount of quantity of rice, all together, properly cooked. Carefully. Now he’s not going into trance because if he goes into trance, that might burn. It’s a main service. So he’s fully conscious. Fully conscious. Very carefully cooking the food. Service means doing the right service. He has so great love for Radha and Krishn, yet keeping mind conscious was something also very great. He had same love “Oh, Radha is going to eat that prasad.” Same feeling, yet he has to be conscious and alert. “This is for Radharani. This is for my beloved Krishn. It should cook properly”. So his love, his greatness was beyond description.
Haridas and Harivansh both in their writings, in their philosophy, they only mentioned Radha-Krishn leelas. That’s all. Nothing else. Only Radha, Krishn, and Gopis. That’s all. Divine Vrindaban. They did not mention much about bal leela or Yashoda Maiya or other leelas. Only Radha-Krishn, Gopis, their leelas. Means only nikunj leelas in Vrindaban they explained. Vishnu Swami, he also introduced Radha-Krishn devotion. And Chaitanya, I explained, he introduced real devotion to Krishn. Means he exposed his love. What is Krishn love? What is the depth, intensity of Krishn love? Suppose he’s saying “Krishn, Krishn, Krishn, Krishn”… enters into a kind of ecstasy. His ecstasy was of many kinds and classes and types. So those who were very close to him, they recognized and in the writings, Chaitanya Charitamrit some of them are described. Anyway, all these great, great Divine personalities, they showed the path to realize Krishn love. So these religions are also in India. In short, I described all those religions.
Now come to Gita, what Gita says about these. Gita has a very simple answer. (Sanskrit) Gita explains that any kind of devotee, worshipping any form of God, if he is doing faithfully and sincerely, he receives the vision of his desired form of God. Simple answer. So, Gita described the devotion to all the forms of God, but it stresses more towards Krishn. (Sanskrit) Krishn says, “Soul has to come to Me, then he receives liberation (Sanskrit). Those who have realized the form of God, after realization, the whole world becomes the form of their Divine Beloved.” So Gita mainly explains the form of devotion, what it should be. That’s it.
There are three main things: exclusiveness – only to one form of God. You can’t worship many forms of God. Exclusiveness (Sanskrit). And second thing, no worldly desires. No worldly desire. Exclusiveness; no worldly desire. And renunciation. Three things are important. Exclusive, no worldly desire, renunciation. All these three qualities must be in your devotion, in your adoration, then it is called bhakti of the Gita (Sanskrit). “Oh Arjun, give your mind to Me, give your heart to Me, then you will stay in Me. (Sanskrit) Leave everything and come to Me. So (Sanskrit) Oh Arjun, I am telling you the secret of the secret of the secret of the Divine”. (Arjun) “That much secret?” (Krishn) “Yes.” (Arjun asked) “What is that secret?” (Krishn) “Worship Me, that’s it. Worship Me. Surrender to Me. Love Me. That’s it.” So this is the secret of secret of secrets of the Divine world to worship Krishn, to love Krishn, to come to Krishn, to pray to Krishn, and to be with Krishn.
So in those few verses in the third series of Gita, I explained in great detail the last three verses of the Gita about exclusive bhakti. So, in this way Gita explains the exclusiveness of devotion. Means pure, exclusive, dedicated devotion with a renounced heart and mind. That is bhakti. So Gita takes you to this part of devotion of Krishn, and rasik marg, of devotion. It attains the entrance of rasik marg of devotion.
Conclusion:
In this powerful discourse, Swami Prakashanand Saraswati reveals how diverse devotional paths—whether to Shiv, Vishnu, Ram, or Radha Krishn—are valid expressions of love for God, provided they are practiced with sincerity and faith. Referencing the Gita, he explains that all genuine worship leads the soul closer to its desired form of God, yet ultimate “liberation” in the form of blissful God Realization lies in loving devotion to Krishn. In Part 8, Swamiji goes deeper into what happens after God-realization, and how that vision transforms one’s experience of the world and the self.