Is God selfish and vain?
Question
Hiranyakashipu wanted everybody to worship him. Anyone who defied him was put to death. And so we say he was a vain, selfish and evil king. Whereas God says "worship only me and none other". And those who don't worship him are given a much worse punishment: suffer in the cycle of birth and death and roam around in 8.4 million life forms for countless lives.
Isn't it selfish that He wants everybody to worship Him, honor Him, glorify Him? Why is He not called selfish and vain?
Answer
I have explained it before, God is Almighty, self complacent, self-satisfied and the unlimited ocean of divine bliss. Hence He needs nothing from outside to be happy.
न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन। नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि॥
गीता 3.22
na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana। nānavāptamavāptavyaṁ varta eva ca karmaṇi॥
gītā 3.22
“He says Arjun! I need nothing to do since neither I have to gain or earn anything. Still I perform various actions to edify people the ideals of a virtuous life”.
Those who need something viz; wealth, respect, power or position etc. become jealous of the prosperity, honor and fame of others. Their life is surely vain. God is The ultimate source of all the virtues and majesty.
यं ब्रह्मा वरुणेन्द्ररुद्रमरुतः स्तुन्वन्ति दिवैः स्तवैः
वेदैः साङ्गपदक्रमोपनिषदैर्गायन्ति यं सामगाः|
ध्यानावस्थिततद्गतेन मनसा पश्यन्ति यं योगिनः
यस्यान्तं न विदुः सुरासुरगणा देवाय तस्मै नमः ||
भागवत 12.13.1
yaṁ brahmā varuṇēndrarudramarutaḥ stunvanti divaiḥ stavaiḥ
vēdaiḥ sāṅgapadakramōpaniṣadairgāyanti yaṁ sāmagāḥ|
dhyānāvasthitatadgatēna manasā paśyanti yaṁ yōginaḥ
yasyāntaṁ na viduḥ surāsuragaṇā dēvāya tasmai namaḥ ||
bhāgavata 12.13.1
"He is ever worshiped by Lord Shankar, Brahma and Narad ji etc"
आत्मप्रयोजनाभवे परानुग्रह एव हि॥
ātmaprayōjanābhavē parānugraha ēva hi॥
"God performs all the actions only to grace us."
He is the ocean of mercy and ocean of divine bliss. He wants us to worship Him so we can drown in the ocean of divine bliss. When you are shivering in the cold and the fire says come to me alone to get rid of the bone chilling cold , do you call fire vain and selfish? It water says to a thirsty one come to me alone to quench your thirst, would you call water arrogant or vain?
Likewise, all living beings want to attain happiness only. The exclusive reason behind every action, is a desire of getting happiness. Yet ignorantly we are groping for happiness in the jejune world of Maya, where there is no trace of happiness. Suggesting the right direction to a lost one, is not ego.
We are lost in the world of fantasy. This world is made of Maya. So this world is inert. It has no bliss and no misery in it. Still, we stubbornly want to derive happiness from the cosmic world. Failure to derive bliss is aggravating, then the tendency is to pin the blame on someone else for our unsuccess. We feel jealous of those who get temporary success.
There is no happiness in the material world. So the happiness we feel is just an illusion of happiness and then it fades away. Moreover, the sensual pleasures don't satisfy the jeev (the real "I"). That is why, immediately after the illusion of happiness we feel it’s not my happiness. And the happiness starts waning. Jagaguru Shankaracharya says –
जनयत्यर्जने दुखं तापयन्ति विपत्तिषु । मोहयन्ति च सम्पत्तौ कथमर्था सुखावहाः ॥
janayatyarjanē dukhaṁ tāpayanti vipattiṣu । mōhayanti ca sampattau kathamarthā sukhāvahāḥ ॥
"The material desires afflict when we strive to earn, delude when acquired, torments when lost. When do these things grant us happiness?"
There is effort and stress involved in acquiring material pleasures. The acquisition of material pleasures raises delusion and the loss of material possessions gives rise to pain. Thus, there is misery in all three states - before the possession, during the possession and after the loss of a material object. So, ponder when are they gratifying?
This is why Lord Krishna awakens us and informs us, don’t waste your precious time in wandering here and there for happiness. I am the real happiness. Come to me. I will grant everything or any specific thing you wish to attain.
So, the Almighty God, who needs nothing from anywhere, Himself awakens us to surrender to Him to attain true bliss. Is it His mercy or ego?
Surrender means, stop running towards the jejune world and move fully towards God. After complete surrender to Him, He serves His devotees like a servant. He fulfills all the desires and needs of His devotees without their appeal or anticipating anything in turn. He says
अनुव्रजाम्यहं नित्यं पूयेयेत्यंघ्रि-रेणुभिः॥
anuvrajāmyahaṁ nityaṁ pūyēyētyaṁghri-rēṇubhiḥ॥
"God Goes behind His devotees to get their foot dust."
A jeev cannot give anything to Him since God is divine and whatever we possess is material. Yet it is His mercy, he accepts everything from His devotees if offered with love. He says in Gita –
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति |
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मन: ||
गीता 9.26
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ tōyaṁ yō mē bhaktyā prayacchati |
tadahaṁ bhaktyupahr̥tamaśnāmi prayatātmana: ||
gītā 9.26
"I gladly accept a leaf, a flower or even water if it is offered with love." Further, He returns the same after making it divine and unlimited.
He is so merciful, even the one who has always been offensive to God and His devotees, He bestows His grace without reflecting on the jeev’s past offenses.
He the Almighty Lord of the universe. By His Yogamaya shakti He can turn the air, water or spaces into poison for the agnostic and antagonistic ones. Yet, He provides all the necessary things to His devotees and the rebellious ones.
The rebellious one wanders in 8.4 million species of life suffering immensely. He cannot harm God. God does not punish him, rather such a rebellious one punishes himself.
God is extremely merciful towards such an ignorant being. That is why, He tirelessly keeps on giving chances of self- improvement by sending saints to guide him. Occasionally, He too descends on the earth.
This proves accusing such a merciful and generous God as selfish and vain is utter lunacy and a severe offense. So please instead of missing the exclusive chance to attain divine bliss and committing a severe mistake of using ill words for such a kind master of all, surrender your mind to Him to become happy forever.