07 Oct 2022
Ms. Thrylokya asked:- Devotees of God are told as God Himself (Tanmayaa hi te—Narada Bhakti Sutram). Hence, can devotees preach like God? or will God preach through the mouth of devotees?
Swami replied:- The meaning of the word ‘Tanmaya’ means that the devotee is constantly associated with God in his/her mental plane. The devotee is in different states. Sometimes, the devotee may not be genuine and similarly the incarnation may also not be genuine. God can speak through any mouth in this world. Some human beings advise the devotee and in that context, you can say that God spoke to the devotee and this is in line with the saying that God comes as some human being to help the devotee. Such a person through whom God speaks is also a temporary human incarnation (Aavesha avataara). If the devotee belongs to the climax level, God becomes his/her servant as well. Since the devotee does not like monism and wants to be separate from God in order to love and serve God, God chooses this option to become the servant of the devotee. Such a state of the climax devotee is greater than even the human incarnation of God.
The question is not about who is speaking through whom. The question is about what is spoken. You must analyse what you have heard with very sharp logic and discuss with the speaker. The speaker may be God or a devotee since we do not know the truth. The spoken subject is very important and should be analysed by powerful and deep logic. If the spoken point is perfectly logical, conclude that God has spoken through him or her. If the spoken point is illogical, the speaker is a fraud claiming to be God or is a fraud devotee. Judge the speaker by your inner consciousness with the help of logical debates.
God is loved by devotees as father, brother, son, daughter, husband and darling. Prahlaada loved God as father. Lakshmana loved God as elder brother. Dasaradha, Nanda and Vasudeva loved God as their son. Sita and Rukmini loved God as their husband. Gopikas loved God as their darling. All these relationships are like different forms of candy sweets. The form does not decide the rate or value of the sweet. Only the weight of the candy material decides the value of the sweet. Service with sacrifice is the candy material and the weight of this material decides the value of devotion. The bond of husband is pious like the candy swan. The bond of darling is not pious like the candy donkey. But, practical service with sacrifice is the candy material and its quantity or weight decides the value of true love. You should not neglect the candy donkey and say that the darling-bond of Gopikas is very cheap and that the husband-bond of Rukmini is valuable. Rukmini reached the abode of God whereas Gopikas reached Goloka existing above the abode of God. Hence, it is not the form of bond that is important. It is the weight of the candy material that is important. The highest true love existed in the darling bond of the Gopikas and hence, they got the highest fruit.
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