Dominion over Demigods

Lord Brahma is the first created living being and secondary creator of the material universe. Directed by Lord Vishnu, he creates all life forms in the universes. He also rules the mode of passion.

 

Once Lord Brahma wanted to examine the potency of Krishna, he took away all the calves and cowherd boys and kept them in a secluded place. When one full year had passed, Brahma returned and saw that Krishna was still engaged as usual with His friends and the calves and cows. Then Krishna exhibited all the calves and cowherd boys as four-armed forms of Narayana. Brahma could then understand Krishna’s potency, and he was astonished by the pastimes of Krishna, his worshipable Lord. Krishna, however, bestowed His causeless mercy upon Brahma and released him from illusion. At that time Lord Brahma began to offer prayers to glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

pasyesa me nayam ananta adye
paratmani tvayy api mayi-mayini
maya vitatyeksitum atma-vaibhava
hy aha kiyan aiccham ivarcir agnau

My Lord, just see my uncivilized impudence! To test Your power I tried to extend my illusory potency to cover You, the unlimited and primeval Supersoul, who bewilder even the masters of illusion. What am I compared to You? I am just like a small spark in the presence of a great fire. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.11)

Also In the Brahma-samhita prayers Lord Brahma states

isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam

Krishna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes. (Brahma-samhita 5.2)

 

Lord Indra

 

Lord Indra is the chief demigod of heaven and presiding deity of rain, and the father of Arjuna. He is the son of Aditi.

 

Once Lord Indra was overcome by anger when the residents of Vraja cancelled his sacrifice. He tried to punish them by sending forth a devastating rainfall to Vrindavana, and Lord Sri Krishna protected Gokula by lifting Govardhana Hill and for seven days using it as an umbrella to ward off the rain. Ashamed of having attacked Vrindavana with a violent storm, Indra secretly came before Lord Krishna, offered obeisances and praised Him.

pita gurus tvam jagatam adhisho
duratyayah kala upatta-dandah
hitaya ceccha-tanubhih samihase
manam vidhunvan jagad-isha-maninam

You are the father and spiritual master of this entire universe, and also its supreme controller. You are insurmountable time, imposing punishment upon the sinful for their own benefit. Indeed, in Your various incarnations, selected by Your own free will, You act decisively to remove the false pride of those who presume themselves masters of this world. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.27.6)

namas tubhyam bhagavate
purusaya mahatmane
vasudevaya krsnaya
satvatam pataye namah

Obeisances unto You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the great Soul, who are all-pervading and who reside in the hearts of all. My obeisances unto You, Krishna, the chief of the Yadu dynasty. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.27.10)

 

Yamaraja

 

Yamaraja is the demigod of death, who passes judgment on non-devotees at the time of death. He is the son of the sun-god and the brother of the sacred river Yamuna.

 

Yamaraja instructs his messengers, the yamadutas as follows

yama uvaca
paro mad-anyo jagatas tasthusash ca
otam protam patavad yatra vishvam
yad-amshato ‘sya sthiti-janma-nasha
nasy otavad yasya vashe ca lokah

My dear servants, you have accepted me as the Supreme, but factually I am not. Above me, and above all the other demigods, including Indra and Chandra, is the one supreme master and controller. The partial manifestations of His personality are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, who are in charge of the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this universe. He is like the two threads that form the length and breadth of a woven cloth. The entire world is controlled by Him just as a bull is controlled by a rope in its nose. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.12)

aham mahendro nirrtih pracetah
somo ‘gnir ishah pavano virincih
aditya-vishve vasavo ‘tha sadhya
marud-gana rudra-ganah sasiddhah

anye ca ye vishva-srjo ‘maresha
bhrgv-adayo ‘sprsta-rajas-tamaskah
yasyehitam na viduh sprsta-mayah
sattva-pradhana api kim tato ‘nye

 

I, Yamaraja; Indra, the King of heaven; Nirrti; Varuna; Chandra, the moon-god; Agni; Lord Shiva; Pavana; Lord Brahma; Surya, the sun-god; Vishvasu; the eight Vasus; the Sadhyas; the Maruts; the Rudras; the Siddhas; and Maraci and the other great rishis engaged in maintaining the departmental affairs of the universe, as well as the best of the demigods headed by Brhaspati, and the great sages headed by Bhrgu are all certainly freed from the influence of the two base material modes of nature, namely passion and ignorance. Nevertheless, although we are in the mode of goodness, we cannot understand the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What, then, is to be said of others, who, under illusion, merely speculate to know God? (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.14-15)

 

Lord Ganesha

 

Lord Ganesha is the demigod in charge of material opulence and freedom from misfortune. He is the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati, and is the scribe who wrote down the Mahabharata. He has an elephant head.