All the demigods are respectable, but the ārādhya (worshipable Lord) is Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. We do bhajan in our life, but if we cannot surrender to one, that one should be the person who can take care of us, show us the path in every condition of our life — and that Supreme Personality is Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. If we do not have exclusive devotion towards Śrī Kṛṣṇa, then we cannot progress in spiritual life. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is stated: “Kṛṣṇa ek śaraṇ” — that means, if we surrender, it should be only to Kṛṣṇa.

To teach us this, once Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu was giving hari-kathā with His devotees. At that time, Murāri Gupta came. As he arrived, Mahāprabhu began to explain the topic more elaborately — about how Nanda-nandana Śrī Kṛṣṇa is, His rūpa (form), guṇa (qualities), līlā (pastimes), and mādhurya (sweetness). As the hari-kathā concluded, Mahāprabhu asked Murāri Gupta, “Did you listen?”

Murāri Gupta replied, “All this rūpa, līlā, guṇa, and mādhurya are in Śrī Kṛṣṇa, not in Śrī Rāma. Though They are one, Their forms are different. That is why I want you to practise Śrī Kṛṣṇa bhajan.”

Because Mahāprabhu knew he was Lord Himself, Murāri Gupta folded his hands in front of Him. When he returned home, he began to think deeply, as he had Sītā-Rāma on his altar: “I have surrendered myself at Their lotus feet. Yet Mahāprabhu has ordered me to follow Śrī Kṛṣṇa bhajan. What should I do?”

He was confused — “Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu is also the Supreme Lord, and this is His order. How can I disobey?”

Being completely surrendered to Śrī Rāma, Murāri Gupta spent the whole night in turmoil, unable to sleep, thinking deeply about what to do.

The next day, when Mahāprabhu asked Murāri Gupta, “How are you?”

He said, “I am very distressed because You ordered me to practise Kṛṣṇa bhajan, but I am completely surrendered to Lord Rāma. How can I leave Him?”

Mahāprabhu replied, “See, I was just testing how firm your faith is. Because you are completely surrendered to Śrī Rāma, you are His eternal sevaka.”

In this way, Mahāprabhu Himself teaches us how firm our determination towards God should be. Even if God Himself comes and tells us to worship someone else, our faith should not waver. We should have unwavering determination towards the one we have surrendered to — and that is God, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

In Murāri Gupta’s case, the Lord Himself came and still showed us the example of one who is firmly determined towards his chosen Lord. This is called “Kṛṣṇa ek śaraṇam.”

Our Guru Mahārāj, Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tīrtha Goswāmī Mahārāj, has often quoted a verse:

“Harir eva śaraṇārādhyah” — meaning, one should worship Hari alone forever.
He is sarveshvara — the Lord of all demigods.

At the same time, Mahāprabhu instructs that other demigods should not be disrespected. Everyone should be respected. So, we should respect the demigods and also the devotees of the demigods.

But our īṣṭa-devatā — our worshipable Lord — as taught by Mahāprabhu, should be one: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This should be our niṣṭhā (firm determination) towards Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

— BV VISHNU