It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Anya-devatāḥ means Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā and others. There are many, thirty-three crores of different demigods: Indra, Candra, Varuṇa, so many. So the chief of them is Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva is therefore called Mahādeva. He is above all these demigods. And Lord Śi . . . Brahmā is called pitāmaha. Pitāmaha means he's the father of all demigods. He's father of Lord Śiva also.
So in this way, if we really want salvation, free, freedom from these clutches of māyā . . . that is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). This māyā is very, very hard to pass over. Duratyayā. Only means is: mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti. This is the version. Here it is also the same thing confirmed: śreyāṁsi. If you want ultimate goal—ultimate goal means to get free from the conditional life, repetition of birth, death, old age—then you have to take shelter of Lord Viṣṇu.
But people do not know that. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). For temporary benefit they go to worship other demigods. But that is not their ultimate goal. Alpavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Antavat tu phalam teṣāṁ. If you take any benediction from other demigods, that is antavat. That will be finished. That is temporary. Antavat tu phalam . . . tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām.
Just like Lord Śiva's name is Āśutoṣa. He's very quickly becomes pleased to offer benediction, therefore generally people go to Āśutoṣa, Lord Śiva. He does not consider. If you can please him, you can take any kind of benediction from him. He'll be ready: "All right. You take it." Because he wants to avoid botheration. So when the devotees come, bother him, so to . . . just to get him out, he says: "All right, whatever you like, you take and go away." (chuckles) Therefore his name is Āśutoṣa. And people take the shelter of Āśutoṣa, Lord Śiva, for quick result. But Lord Viṣṇu is not like that. If you want something extraordinary from Lord Viṣṇu, it is not possible. He'll not give. Lord Brahmā also.
So, so here it is indicated: śreyāṁsi. If you want your ultimate goal, then you take shelter of Viṣṇu, the Lord of sattva-guṇa. Then you'll be benefited. Not by others. But we are generally influenced by the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, lust and greediness. Therefore kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.20). We, we are lost of intelligence, influenced by lust and greediness, and therefore we take shelter of other demigods. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Alpa-medhasām. Means people do not know.
Suppose I take some material benefit, temporary benefit . . . every material benefit is temporary. Whatever benefit we have in this life, as soon as this body's finished, all our benefit finished. Then I'll have to take another body, which may not be even human form of body. Sometimes we are being too much attached to our present possession. We remain in the possession, but in a different form. In a different form.
There are many, I mean, Purānic, Paurānic incidences—that is long story—that by karma, we take birth in different forms of life, and if we have got too much attachment . . . sometimes a person, the proprietor of the house, after death, remains in that house as serpent, sometimes as dog, sometimes as tree. Being too much attached to the possession, they cannot get better life. And sometimes we can get the body of hog and monkey in Vṛndāvana also. That is a great science one has to learn: how the transformation of the body takes place, how our attachment acts in that way. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke (BG 8.6). This is a great science.