In the ontological view of reality there is One who is totally independent He, Krsna - Narayana is Swatantra, everyone else is Paratantra, dependent for their existence (Aswatantra). He is the Shaktiman who has numerous Shaktis.
All of those Shaktis emanate from His left side, and remain
there as His exclusive consorts. In that way we serve Them as Radha-Krishna,
Sita-Rama, Laxmi-Narayana, and in other expansions in this material world
as Parvati-Shiva etc.
"The object of Krsna's pleasure potency is Radharani,
and He exhibits His potency or His energy as Radharani and then engages
in loving affairs with Her. In other words, Krsna does not take pleasure
in this external energy but exhibits His internal energy, His pleasure
potency, as Radharani. Thus Krsna manifests Himself as Radharani in order
to exhibit His internal pleasure potency. Of the many extensions, expansions
and incarnations of the Lord, this pleasure potency is the foremost and
chief.
It is not that Radharani is separate from Krsna.
Radharani is also Krsna, for there is no difference between the energy
and the energetic. Without energy, there is no meaning to the energetic,
and without the energetic, there is no energy. Similarly, without Radha
there is no meaning to Krsna, and without Krsna, there is no meaning to
Radha. Because of this, the Vaisnava philosophy first of all pays obeisances
to and worships the internal pleasure potency of the Supreme Lord. Thus
the Lord and His potency are always referred to as Radha-Krsna. Similarly,
those who worship the name of Narayana first of all utter the name of Laksmi,
as Laksmi-Narayana. Similarly, those who worship Lord Rama first of all
utter the name of Sita. In any case--Sita-Rama, Radha-Krsna, Laksmi-Narayana--the
potency always comes first.(A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Teachings
of Lord Caitanya: Introduction.).
This Shakti then has a unique position in relationship to the Shaktiman, God.
Lord Sri Caitanya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Himself has commented that Laxmi Devi is of Vishnu Tattwa:-
"O best of the brahmanas, Laksmiji is the constant
companion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, and therefore she
is called 'anapayini'. She is the mother of all creation. As Lord Visnu
is all-pervading, His spiritual potency, mother Laksmi, is also all-pervading."
Lord Visnu has three principal potencies--internal, external and marginal.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has accepted para-sakti, the spiritual energy of
the Lord, as being identical with the Lord. Thus she is also included in
the independent visnu-tattva."
"In the Kanti-mala commentary on the prameya-ratnavali
there is this statement: 'nanu kvacit nitya-mukta jivatvam laksmyah svikrtam,
tatraha--praheti. nityaiveti padye sarva-vyapti-kathanena kalakasthety
adi-padya-dvaye, suddho 'pity ukta ca mahaprabhuna svasisyan prati laksmya
bhagavad-advaitam upadistam. kvacid yat tasyas tu dvaitam uktam, tat tu
tad-avista-nitya-mukta jivam adaya sanatamas tu'. 'Although some authoritative
Vaisnava disciplic successions count the goddess of fortune among the ever-liberated
living entities (jivas) in Vaikuntha, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in accordance
with the statement in the Visnu Purana, has described Laksmi as being identical
with the visnu-tattva. The correct conclusion is that the descriptions
of Laksmi as being different from Visnu are stated when an eternally liberated
living entity is imbued with the quality of Laksmi; they do not pertain
to mother Laksmi, the eternal consort of Lord Visnu."(A.C.Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupad. Srimad Bhagavatam 6:19:13. purport.)
They together are considered as being:-
Mother and Father of everyone in the Universe.twam mata sarva bhutanam
deva devo harih pita
In Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi lila chapter 25., as in Padma Purana and Visnu Purana Canto 7 chapter 9. it mentioned that She (Laxmidevi) as :-
She has many exquisitely beautiful and also terrifying forms.anviksiki trayi varta
danda nitis twam eva ca
saumyasaumyair jagad rupais
twayaitad devi puritam
You may recall in the Srimad Bhagavatam the story of the
churning of the Milk Ocean, by the Devas and the Asuras. When Laxmi Devi
appeared as one of the four daughter's of Varuna (Kaamodaa, Shresthaa,
Varuni, and Sulaxmi or Valmuri).
Since that time She has been recognised as being
present in the form of the right handed conchshell, which is certainly
very rare.
"One should not become neglectful to offer due respect
to the deigods. One may not be a devotee of demigods, but that does not
mean that he should be disrespectful to them. For example, a vaisnava is
not a devotee of Lord Shiva or Lord Brahma, but he is duty bound to offer
all respects to such highly positioned demigods. According to vaisnava
philosophy, one should offer respect even to an ant, so then what need
is there to speak of such exalted persons like Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma?"
"In the Padma Purana it is said: 'Krsna, or Hari,
is the master of all the demigods, and therefore He is always worshippable.
But this does not mean that one should not offer respet to the demigods'."
(A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Nectar of Devotion page 67.; GBC.
1994. Pancharatra Pradipa page 54.)
"One should begin the worship of the demigod Ganapati, who drives away all impediments in the execution of devotonal service. In the Brahma samhita it is stated that Ganapati worships the lotus feet of Lord Nrsimhadeva, and in that way he has become auspicious for the devotees in clearing out all impediments. Therefore, all devotees should worship Ganapati".(A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Nectar of Devotion. page 70.)
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