Whom Should We Worship?

 

## ◼️ **Whom Should We Worship?** ◼️

A question naturally arises: **Why should we worship the Supreme Being?** What necessity is there for devotion to God? Why should we not worship inert objects or ordinary human beings? What benefit can be gained from worshipping God?

Indeed, this is a very serious and thoughtful question.

The scriptures declare that **a person becomes like the one he worships**. One who constantly contemplates something gradually becomes coloured in its nature. Just as an iron ball, when kept long in fire, first becomes hot, then red, and finally assumes the very form of fire itself—likewise, a human being becomes shaped by the thoughts he focuses on.

If we worship human beings, it is certain we will acquire the qualities of those whom we adore. But humans are limited, imperfect, and full of weaknesses; therefore, by worshipping them we absorb not only their virtues but also their faults.

Worshipping inert objects destroys the subtle and refined tendencies of the mind; the worshipper becomes dull like the inert object itself. Hence the Veda declares:

🔥 **“Those who worship the non-sentient enter into deep darkness.”**

*(Yajurveda 40.9)*

Those who worship lifeless objects become inwardly devoid of light and wander in ignorance. If worshipping inert things truly brought peace, then the richest and most famous people—who possess the greatest amount of material objects—would never be unhappy. But reality is quite the opposite.

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## 🌻 **Devotion in the Vedas**

Inert objects are devoid of light, peace, and power. How, then, can peace come from their worship?

True worship requires a **Great Power**, a **source of peace, purity, strength, and bliss**. Devotion must be offered to the One who is omnipresent, omnipotent, the destroyer of sin, the fountain of peace—**the Supreme Reality, the Pure Absolute Consciousness (Sat-Chit-Ānanda)**.

The Veda proclaims:

🔥 **“He is the Supreme—pure, luminous, bodiless, woundless, sinewless, ever-pure, untouched by evil; the seer, the all-knower, self-existent, the creator and sustainer of all.”**

*(Yajurveda 40.8)*

The Supreme Being is bliss itself, free from sorrow, the giver of happiness, formless, disease-free, unbound by nerves or material limitations. He is pure, the purifier, untouched by sin, and liberates others from sin. He is the indwelling seer, the knower of all minds, omnipresent, self-existent, and the creator, sustainer, and ruler of the universe.

The Vedas declare that only by worshipping such a Supreme Being can human life become truly successful. Worshipping a mighty source naturally makes the worshipper mighty. To the extent that we worship the omnipotent Lord with sincere devotion and love, our inner strength increases.

The Veda says:

🔥 **“He alone gives strength to the soul—Him the whole universe worships; under His protection there is immortality, without Him is death.”**

*(Yajurveda 25.13)*

The soul is conscious; it cannot receive strength from inert objects. Life can be given only by that which is living. Just as life flows from life, so strength flows from the Supreme Living Being—God.

Therefore, the Veda declares that **only God is worthy of devotion**.

The ignorant worship inert things; the wise—those whose hearts shine with knowledge—never do so. They remain absorbed in devotion to the Supreme and are protected from spiritual death.

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## **What Is “Death”?**

Ordinarily, death means the separation of the soul from the body.

If the body dies when separated from the soul, then consider this:

**God is the Soul of the soul itself.**

He resides in the soul as the soul resides in the body. If the soul becomes disconnected from God—its own life-source—it becomes lifeless, though conscious.

God is the very life of the soul.

The Upanishad says:

🔥 **“He is the Ear of the ear, the Mind of the mind, the Speech of speech, the Life of life.”**

*(Kena Upanishad 1.2)*

Thus the Veda declares:

🔥 **“Under His shade is immortality; separated from Him is death.”**

Experiencing God within, surrendering completely to Him, and remaining absorbed in His devotion—that alone is the life of the soul.

To turn away from Him is spiritual death.

A human being, who is himself trapped in mortality, cannot save another from death.

Inert objects, being lifeless, cannot protect the soul from spiritual extinction.

Only the Supreme Being—God—is the soul’s true refuge and protector.

The Upanishad states:

🔥 **“He alone is the supreme support; knowing Him as the true refuge, one becomes liberated and rejoices in the Brahma-world.”**

*(Katha Upanishad 2.17)*

Thus, the necessity of divine devotion becomes clear.

Worship of inert things makes the mind lifeless, dull, and weak.

Worship of God fills us with life, energy, radiance, strength, and courage.

The greater the object of worship, the greater the rise of the worshipper.

The lesser the object, the smaller the growth.

Therefore, the Veda instructs us to pray daily:

🔥 **“Thou art energy—grant me energy.

Thou art strength—grant me strength.

Thou art power—grant me power.

Thou art vitality—grant me vitality.

Thou art forbearance—grant me forbearance.”**

*(Yajurveda 12.9)*

O Supreme One! I worship You so that I may receive Your light, Your strength, Your power, Your courage, Your endurance, and Your justice.

॥ **Om** ॥

**Source: Swami Satyananda ji (Satyopadeshmala)**

Reproduced by Dr. Vivek Arya