24 Mar 2024
Sutras 1-57 58-63 64-65 66-70 71-82 83-90 91-94
February 19, 2024
Bhāvamātra miti cet na, dṛśyamāna karmayogāt. |58|
[Smt. Chhandaa asked:- O the king of spiritual knowledge! Kindly clear the following doubts. Please comment on the following: If a devotee thinks, why should God come into its life as he has not done anything and only theoretical love exists?]
Swami replied:- God is omniscient and omnipotent. God will not come in proper time. Whenever He comes, that is the proper time. You cannot analyse the actions of God since His actions are unimaginable and beyond your logic. One thing I can say is that God enters into practical life (becoming very close) of the devotee only when the practical devotion is done by that devotee because the practical devotion is the proof of theoretical devotion. When theoretical devotion is proved by it, how can you say that it is still theoretical devotion? If only theoretical love exists without practical devotion, God will theoretically enter into the life of the devotee (preaching the true spiritual knowledge, which is not the closeness to the devotee) and not practically as said in the Gita (Ye yathā māṃ…).
Tarkānantara tarka iti cet na, anavasthā doṣāt. |59|
[Is there any place for logic after coming to the conclusion in determining the contemporary human incarnation? I mean once there is love for God after logical analysis, can there be any logic applicable?]
Swami replied:- Once you have done logical analysis and arrived at the conclusion regarding the contemporary human incarnation, where is the place for further logic? If you go on extending the logic, there will be no end and you cannot come to a firm decision. If there is no firm decision, even the unimaginable God can’t save you.
Āveśāt tarka iti cet na, yavanāśva gativat. |60|
[In continuation to my previous question, when a devotee is in love with God, then emotion will come into picture instead of logic. Is this a proper way to treat God?]
Swami replied:- Logic indicates the first step called Jnaana Yoga. Emotion indicates the second step called theoretical devotion. The third step is practical devotion. When practical devotion is also over, the devotee shall wait to achieve the final fruit. Instead of this, the devotee shall not go one step back. People say that the horse of the old nawab of Hyderabad goes three steps forward and four steps backward. Therefore, the resultant motion is towards the backward direction only! If you are asking this question in the case of a general devotee and if the devotee gets logic instead of emotion, it means that the devotee has not completed the first step called Jnaana Yoga or learning the spiritual knowledge completely from Sadguru. This means that without completing the first step (Jnaana Yoga), the devotee is jumping into the second step (Bhakti Yoga) so that instead of getting theoretical devotion (emotion), the devotee is getting logical doubt that belongs to the first step.
Śaraṇāgatyā vañcanetyatra dvayorapyupapatteḥ. |61|
[If a devotee thinks whatever happens, belongs to God only, whether it is good or bad. Then is it not indicating that the devotee is trying to escape the bad deeds. Please comment.]
Swami replied:- Your assumption is also correct in the case of people having crooked intelligence and, in such case, God also shows His powerful intelligence. If the devotee says that the bad deed is also done by God, God will reply to the devotee, “I am very much pleased with your total surrender to Me and I am sure that you will also say that the same God gave the punishment also for the bad deed”. Apart from this category, there are climax devotees like Prahlaada, who surrendered to God completely saying that whatever is coming, it is given by God only. You must recognize both these cases separately.
February 20, 2024
Mānava Daiva mityatra bhramāpanoda prādhānyam. |62|
[Smt. Chhandaa asked:- Paadanamaskaram Swami, Please answer the following: Swami, in order to eradicate ego and jealousy towards the contemporary human incarnation, we must start practicing in the worldly life itself. Is it not? Is it possible for any devotee to overcome these only in the case of the human incarnation but not with others?]
Swami replied:- The contemporary human incarnation and other human beings are exactly in the same human form. Hence, the ego and jealousy arising in the case of any human form is one and the same. In fact, to conquer ego and jealousy in the case of the human form of God is the most difficult because such human form of God gets proved to be the greatest. Regarding other co-human beings, it is the case of crossing ego-based jealousy towards greater beings. It is easier to cross ego-based jealousy in the case of co-human beings than to cross the same in the case of the contemporary human incarnation. Therefore, one should follow the programme under the name “Serve the humanity treating every human being as God (Mānava seva is Mādhava seva).” Such training removes hatred towards a co-human form and this helps the devotee not to hate the contemporary human form of God. But, this programme may introduce the false impression that every human being is God. If every human being is God, why did the Gopikas leave their family members and run for God Krishna? Hence, one must be careful about this possible wrong impression in this programme.
Na ca dharmeṇa bandhābhāva iti vācyaṃ kṣīṇabalāt. |63|
[Following Dharma (Justice) in both Artha and Kaama, makes the soul eligible for Moksha (Salvation). Please elaborate. At Your divine lotus feet always, Chhanda]
Swami replied:- Following justice in finance and sexual life reduces the strength of worldly bonds. This reduction in strength brings eligibility to enter Nivrutti in which the worldly bonds are completely eradicated. You cannot oppose a force without its reduction in the first stage. Therefore, here in Pravrutti, only the eligibility for salvation is mentioned and not the actual salvation. This is the gradual procedure for any normal devotee. Cases like Shankara are very rare, Who jumped from 100 to 0 (this means the strongest worldly bond gets eradicated completely by jumping from Pravrutti to Nivrutti) with a sudden long jump. Slow and steady walk wins the race–applies to ordinary human beings. If you see Dushpravrutti, which is below Pravrutti, the strength of the worldly bond is 1000 in which injustice alone prevails. In the case of Mahanivrutti, which is above the Nivrutti, the soul is born as a climax devotee since such devotee finished all the spiritual effort in the previous births. You shall not misunderstand that Pravrutti itself will eradicate the worldly bonds since this statement only means that Pravrutti reduces the strength of the worldly bonds. For example, if a devotee realizes that corruption is a sin, such devotee limits his earnings to justice only reducing his fascination towards his children. If the worldly bond with children is very strong, the soul follows corruption, which is injustice.
February 23, 2024
Na ca duḥkhāt duḥkhamiti vācyaṃ, samudra bindu mātrāt. |64|
[Smt. Chhandaa asked:- Swami, I am very very pained to learn from Your previous reply to my question (Q.17 on Bhagavatam) that God Krishna suffered in hell two times by hugging the red-hot copper statues for each Gopika for dancing with Him, to balance both justice in the world and the climax love of devotees. I am unable to eat, drink, sleep and unable to do any worldly work. Please guide me.]
Swami replied:- I have revealed the hidden part of the Bhagavatam with some good aim and finally, this turned towards a very bad direction. My aim is to praise the love and kindness of Lord Krishna towards His devotees so that devotees can improve their devotion to its climax very shortly. Kindness and love to devotees is one of the most auspicious qualities (Kalyaana Gunaas) hearing which, devotion reaches its climax for any soul. Hence, the aim of the revelation of God’s great qualities is to improve the devotion of the devotees so that they can become climax devotees and the aim is not to pain the hearts of the devotees. If your heart is pained, there is no advantage to you or to God Krishna. But, if you recognize the noble love of God and His subsequent sacrifice to protect them, your impression about God Krishna gets tremendously increased. The aim of the scripture is always positive and not negative at all. This is just one type of sin committed by the Gopikas in one generation. How many millions and millions of generations have gone so far and will come in future! Each Mega cycle consists of four ages (Kruta Yuga, Tretaa Yuga, Dwaapara Yuga and Kali Yuga). In every Mega cycle, these four ages get constantly repeated (Dhātā yathā pūrva makalpayat). Hence, this Bhaagavatam was repeated several times and will repeat several times in the future and these Mega cycles are infinite in number. Moreover, how many types of sins with their specific severe punishments exist! How many millions of real devotees are present in every generation! God is taking the punishment of every type of sin in the case of every real devotee in every generation since the beginning of this creation! If you estimate in this way, the sufferance of God is a mighty ocean! Such mighty ocean is the infinite kindness and love of God on His real devotees. The sufferance undergone by God Krishna in the case of Gopikas is just a drop of the entire ocean of the sufferance He took for all real devotees for the sake of all their sins. If you remove one drop from the ocean, will there be any significant change? Therefore, the devotee must understand the unimaginable ocean of love and kindness of God towards His real devotees so that His personality influences the mind of the devotee to develop climax devotion. We must try to develop the good qualities like love, kindness, tolerance and patience, etc., of God Krishna. Then only, the aim of the stories of God (Puraanams or secondary scriptures) gets fulfilled. If you are pained, God Krishna gets more and more pained and this will be extra pain apart from the pain suffered by Him! Is it your intention to pain Him more and more? Instead, if you love Him more and more due to His excellent personality, He will be more and more happy. You will also develop more and more devotion to become a climax devotee. Therefore, follow the good aim of the divine incidents, which illuminates the divine personality more and more. Make God happy and get the salvation in your spiritual path. Both these things can be done only when your love on God Krishna increases day by day.
Na ca premṇo duḥkhamiti vācyaṃ, priyādapriyāt ca. |65|
[Even though there is no advantage by getting pain to see Lord Krishna's suffering, is it not very selfish from the devotee's side? When the devotee is feeling the pain more, is this itself not an indication of increased love towards Krishna? We normally feel the pain for whom we have real love in our hearts. Is it not Swami?]
Swami replied:- If the person you love is suffering, you also suffer. If the same person is proved to be very great, you become very happy. Hence, you cannot say that love always gives suffering because it also gives happiness. In devotion, which is emotional (theoretical devotion), logical analysis, called as Jnaana Yoga (true spiritual knowledge) must be present like the torchlight in hand. Now, let us analyse both the above options of love. When your beloved is suffering, you also suffer. Seeing that suffering, your beloved will suffer more. Seeing that again, you suffer more. Where is the end to this? This is called as ad-infinitum (Anavasthaa dosha). After a long chain of mutual sufferings, if the suffering is going to end permanently, the suffering is useful. But, it is not happening like this. Endless suffering is the fruit of ignorance. You can also express your love through happiness you derive on the expressed great personality of your beloved. Seeing your happiness, your beloved also will become happy. This mutual long chain will end in happiness only at some place. You may ask that where is happiness in your beloved while your beloved is suffering. You have stopped only at the suffering of your beloved. You must proceed further because after suffering, God’s greatest personality of infinite love and infinite kindness are projected and you can be happy by seeing such divine personality. He has taken the sins onto Him not just to suffer and end the story at suffering only. His aim is to project His inherent divine personality to the world so that devotees get encouraged in His true devotion. You have not detected His final aim. He has selected suffering by Himself and He is not tortured by somebody. Had He been tortured by others through force, if you suffer for that, there is some meaning, even though such suffering also must be condemned since there is no use of it except spoiling your health and wasting sometime in unhappy suffering. Do you mean that Lord Krishna selected such suffering without knowing the pain of such suffering? He is omniscient and knows the pain of the suffering in the punishment. He did not care at all for such suffering. Why do you care for such suffering about which God Krishna never cared? The aim of the climax devotee is always to please and make God happy…happier…happiest.
March 02, 2024
Na ca śāntyānanda dvaya miti vācyam, ekatvāt. |66|
[Smt. Chhandaa asked:- Padanamaskaram, O Krishna! Please clarify the following doubts. You say that there are two ways to escape mental worry in this world. First way is by obtaining peace and second way is by achieving bliss. For a worldly person, there may be two different ways but for a spiritual aspirant it is only one way. Is it not correct?]
Swami replied:- True peace itself is true bliss. Here, peace means detachment from all worldly affairs. Peace from worldly miseries and worldly enjoyments is the indication of the existence of true and permanent bliss, which is given by the grace of God. Enjoying both happy and unhappy incidents is said to be Yoga, which also means that the permanent bliss exists.
Uktavyāghāta iti cet na, samanvayāt. |67|
[Swami, in one discourse You said “God gives the fruits of the intensive deeds here only”. Does it not mean that the fruits of the minor deeds only will be given in the upper world? If so, then this martya loka also becomes a bhoga loka and lesser enjoyment will be there in upper lokas. But in another discourse, You said that the intense fruits are given in upper loka. Please correct me.]
Swami replied:- Very intensive deeds give their fruits in this world immediately (Atyutkaṭaiḥ…). Fruits of normal deeds are postponed to the upper heaven and hell. Intensities of the deeds in the case of a good person and a bad person is as usual as already explained. I already told the theory that is:- A good person will enjoy good deeds in heaven and bad deeds here since the sensitivity of enjoyment is very high in the upper world. Based on the same reason, a bad fellow will enjoy good deeds here and bad deeds in hell.
Na Pravṛtti prādhānya miti vācyam, Nivṛttāvasaṅgāt. |68|
[Without success in Pravrutti, any extent of Nivrutti will keep you as a demon only. Please elaborate.]
Swami replied:- Here, Pravrutti or worldly life means dealing with your co-human beings. You should not violate the justice of Pravrutti in the case of your co-human beings. The violation of Pravrutti is advised only in Nivrutti in which you are dealing with God and not with human beings. When you deal with ordinary human beings, if justice is violated, that becomes demonism and this does not apply to Nivrutti or spiritual life.
Na ca duḥkhānandā viti vācyam, bāhya mātrāt. |69|
[Swami, while defining pure bliss You say "To give bliss to the Lord, you may have to invite lot of mental worries. This mental worry is for the sake of the Lord and is filled with sacrifice." In this, I am not able to understand, how this mental thought be a worry at all? Please explain.]
Swami replied:- Hanuman was very much worried and even thought of suicide when Sita was not found in Lanka. This shows the real interest of Hanuman in the God’s work. This is the superficial phase of happiness and misery present in worldly life and does not touch the internal bliss. Hanuman has ocean of internal bliss. But, misery and happiness are inevitable in worldly life. If He neglected worldly life, it will be negligence towards God’s service. Hence, in the service of God related to worldly life, this concept of detachment from misery and happiness does not apply because such concept is confined to the worldly life of self only. The service to God in worldly life is a separate special situation. Service of God comes both in spiritual life as well as in worldly life. Hanuman searching Sita is God’s work in worldly life, whereas propagation of spiritual knowledge of God is God’s work in spiritual life.
Na hi māyā taraṇa miti vācyam, puro dṛṣṭāntāt. |70|
[“You have to tackle the Maya carefully with a tactful approach according to human psychology” - Please explain it with some examples. Always at Your divine lotus feet, Chhanda]
Swami replied:- In the above example of Hanuman, the thought of suicide is the illusion created by Maayaa. He did not search the entirety of Lanka to conclude that Sita was not in Lanka. His search was only partial and such a conclusion shall not be drawn by Him. But, the illusion of Maayaa tested Him creating the idea that Sita was not found in the entirety of Lanka. His response to this illusion was the suicide, which proves His real interest in the service of God. Then, by the grace of God Rama, He came out of the illusion and analysed in a perfect way. Both these are subsequent examples of Maayaa and the grace of God.
March 13, 2024
Na ca kasyacideva smṛtiriti vācyam, janmāntara nirūpaṇāt. |71|
[Smt. Chhandaa asked:- Padanamaskaram, O Lord of the Universe! Please enlighten me on these following queries: You say that by the force of Karma Chakra only we do not remember previous births. Please discuss it in a deeper sense. What will happen to those cases who can remember their previous births? Is this remembrance also not a part of their karma chakra?]
Swami replied:- Some souls remember the previous births as per the will of God to prove that rebirth exists. After staying in the upper worlds for some time, the soul forgets the human birth that was spent here. It is taking birth again in this world and forgets the upper worlds by the will of God. If the soul remembers the upper worlds like hell, it will not do sin due to fear, which is not a real reformation because it is temporary. God wants real reformation of the soul and hence, the soul forgets the upper world.
Sevāyāṃ karmabandha iti cet na, phala tyāgāt. |72|
[As per the aphorism number 69, according to You, I can be detached from the worldly life for my personal life. But, when I am in Your (God) service, I have to be very much attached to this worldly life. Am I correct Swami? If not, please correct me.]
Swami replied:- Service of God here is very important, which can be done by a soul by following the human incarnation of God to assist Him in His spiritual program. One can work in this worldly life with detachment and need not be attached to the worldly life. Especially, when the fruit of work is dedicated to God, it obviously means that the soul is detached from worldly life.
Tyāgāt nāhantā iti cet na, Bali dṛṣṭāntāt. |73|
[Satyabhaama, who is the incarnation of mother earth, always used to fight with Krishna. But she is the one who could sacrifice her son for the sake of God only. If she is having ego, how is it possible for her to go upto this extent of sacrifice?]
Swami replied:- If one is sacrificing to God, that does not mean such a devotee must not have ego. King Bali sacrificed the little land to God Vishnu even though he knows that he is going to be harmed by God. King Bali was pushed down by God for his ego. Sacrifice may prove lack of selfish fascination, but, does not prove lack of ego.
Śṛto vivāha iti cet na, parasyāpi śravaṇāt. |74|
[In Uttaraparabrahmagita, You said ‘Scripture says that there is no salvation without marriage for the soul’ It is required both in Pravrutti as well as in Nivrutti – please explain it.]
Swami replied:- This is said by God in the scripture (Prajātantuṃ mā vyavacchetsīḥ). This is the advice given by God to ordinary souls because they may enter the lowest Dushpravrutti (sinful life). God also said in the scripture to climax devotees that one can take renunciation on any day he/she likes (Yadahareva virajet…). Shankara and Miira are the best examples for this. Even after marriage, this advice applies to examples like Ramanuja, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, etc.
Anapatyāt neti cet na, śṛteḥ. |75|
[In continuation of the above question, suppose a couple is not blessed with a child, then what will be their fate even though they are very devoted? Or what should they follow?]
Swami replied:- The Veda says that children cannot help the soul in anyway in spiritual line. The Veda says, “What can we do with these children?” (Kiṃ prajayā kariṣyāmaḥ…). Children are expected to help the parents in their old age. In the present times, such aim is also not fulfilled.
Mahānasvārtha iti cet na, tyāga yogāt. |76|
[“Veda and Gita say that any deed without selfish motive can’t bind soul. By sin like burnt ash in fire knowledge can’t further be oxidized, it also can’t bind soul by fruits like a seed burnt can’t give rise to a sprout, In Nivrutti this applies to both God and mad surrendered devotees” – please elaborate this, especially the last Nivrutti part.]
Swami replied:- Absence of selfish motive is not so sacred as the presence of sacrifice to God. The work will not bind the soul if the fruit of the work is dedicated to God. In such a context, absence of selfishness is glorified. Mere absence of selfishness has no value. Moreover, nobody does any deed without selfish motivation.
Jagat cakra miti cet na, rākṣasābhāvāt. |77|
[You said ‘God did not create any living being as food of another living being, Reject misinterpretations inserted into scriptures by sinful exploiters’- but Swami in the creation we see that the balance is established by a chain process. It is like a complete circle where one living being is eating another one. Does it not look to be contradictory? Please make my mind clear. Of course inserted misinterpretations have to be rejected. Always at the divine lotus feet of You my God, Chhanda]
Swami replied:- I would like to see your philosophy if demons exist even today and start eating you! One will understand the agony felt by the living being killed by another living being just for the sake of tasty food. In fact, vegetarian food is far far tastier than non-vegetarian food. Non-vegetarian food is the source of several diseases as per medical science. This is the highest sadism! This is the greatest sin (Ahiṃsā paramo dharmaḥ).
Trividha bheda iti cet na, teṣāmabhāvāt. |78|
[Padanamaskaram Swami. Please explain the following doubts from Datta Guru Bhagavad Gita. The unimaginable God is devoid of three differences: a) Sajaatiiya, b)Vijaatiiya and c) Svagata. In these, first one says there is no second similar item and the second says there is no dissimilar item also since in the absolute plane except God, anything else is not true. Swami, please explain what is meant by the second point? How is it different from the first point? What does it mean by “No dissimilar item” because everything is dissimilar from God already?]
Swami replied:- Similar item (Sajaatiiya) means that there is no second Brahman (unimaginable God). Dissimilar item (Vijaatiiya) means the world, which is different from Brahman and the world also is not true since Brahman alone is the absolute reality and is true. The world is inherently unreal and became real only due to the gifted reality by the unimaginable God. Svagata bheda means presence of different sub-items within the same Brahman like face, hands, legs, etc., in a human being. Brahman is one only without any sub-items within Itself. Hence, even this third difference does not exist in the case of Brahman. When the ultimate God Brahman is unimaginable, where is the question of these three differences in the case of unimaginable God? Here, the word ‘Brahman’ is taken to mean the unimaginable God, which is actually called as Parabrahman.
Bhāramātra bheda iti cet na, kriyā bhedāt ca. |79|
[A soul uses the word ‘I’ to mean the body having plurality. Even though all parts of the human body are basically energy and thus, have qualitative unity but have quantitative difference. What is this quantitative difference? Is it from the functioning point of view or something else?]
Swami replied:- The limbs of the body (external limbs like legs, feet, etc., and the internal limbs like mind, intelligence, basic-ego and memory) are basically inert energy only, which differ quantitatively in their energies because these limbs have different masses. As far as the internal limbs are concerned, the difference among them is the functional difference. Anyway, basic difference is unavoidable. You cannot connect the word ‘I’ to anyone of these since you are also telling “my legs, my mind”, etc., which mean that ‘I’ is different from these limbs individually as well as collectively.
Ubhayadhā bheda iti cet na, śakti dravya vimarśa bhedāt. |80|
[Energy is controlled by space. Hence, every part of the body of a human being is different from other parts in quality and quantity. Please explain how this controlling of energy by space is taking place to make all body parts different in quality and quantity? Does it mean then, there is qualitative difference also? Then it seems to be different from my previous question. Please clarify this.]
Swami replied:- The qualitative similarity exists if you take matter as energy. If matter alone is considered, there are different substances in matter. Due to this difference, qualitative difference also comes. Since the masses are different, anyway quantitative difference exists whether you take energy or matter as the fundamental basis. For example, the weight of the leg is different from the weight of the hand (quantitative difference) whether you take leg and hand as matter or energy. If you take tongue and eye as matter only, both differ from each other qualitatively as well as quantitatively. In quantitative difference, difference in space results if the concentrations are constant.
Ūhyabhedaḥ tasmin iti cet na, tadanūhyatvāt. |81|
[“The unity seen in worldly items shall be helping You to see the unity of God in every part of My body and in every divine form taken as incarnation by Me.” Please explain how to understand this.]
Swami replied:- Unity means matter or energy taken in qualitative sense only. All items are made by single matter or single energy or both matter and energy and the unity taken here is simply referred to the single word of matter or energy or both. Their external differences are overlooked. All this subject belongs to the imaginable items of the creation and not to the unimaginable creator. Even the incarnation attains unimaginable nature and hence, the science applied to imaginable items cannot be applied to the unimaginable nature of the unimaginable God.
Na ca kathaṃ tanuriti vācyam, tasya aṇimā siddheḥ. |82|
[Why do we need to say the body of God as Tanu but not as shariram or dehah? What is the difference between these three?]
Swami replied:- The energetic body of God Datta will neither disintegrate nor be burnt by fire. Shariiram means the body that disintegrates (śīryate iti) and Deha means that which is burnt by fire (dahyate iti). Tanu also means body, which becomes small and the first supernatural power of eight powers of God Datta or Iishwara is to become small (aṇimā siddhi). The prior two words indicate the body of the soul and the third word indicates the body of God (Vivṛṇute tanūṃ svām - Veda).
March 17, 2024
Na bheda iti cet na, yat aparīkṣitāḥ. |83|
[Smt. Chhandaa asked:- Padanamaskaram, Swami. In continuation to answers about Sthitaprajna, can I say that among all the Gopikas, only 12 Gopikas, who are in Goloka are Sthitaprajna? And rest of the sages were not.]
Swami replied:- The twelve Gopikas are almost equal to Sthitaprajna except the difference that the twelve Gopikas passed the tests of the three strongest worldly bonds whereas a Sthitaprajna has no test for any worldly bond because the worldly bonds are only inert and external without any link to the inner awareness. Tests are only for the souls having the external worldly bonds linked with their inner love and fascination. All the Gopikas were tested and twelve among them passed the tests. Sthitaprajna need not be tested at all and the pass degrees are conferred on them.
Na Janakasya phalamiti vācyaṃ, Hanumat sāmyāt. |84|
[King Janaka is the best example for Sthitaprajna. No doubt, He is higher than the greatest sages as he became the examiner even for sage Shuka. For a long time, I have this doubt. In today's perfect context, let me ask You, if it so then why was he not given the higher than the highest fruit? Or maybe he was given. Please clarify this. At Your divine lotus feet always, Chhanda.]
Swami replied:- Fruit is declared only for the candidates, who passed the test. What fruit you can declare for a candidate, who is conferred with the pass degree without the test? Such Sthitaprajna souls are conferred with salvation, living with God, accompanying Him to earth to assist the mission of the incarnation. They belong to the category of God Hanuman, who reached the highest Brahmaloka.
March 18, 2024
Śāśvata viraha iti cet na, śreyaḥ kāmāt. |85|
[Smt. Chhandaa asked:- God Krishna did not come to Brundaavanam even once in the entire life of God Krishna. Is it justified if You see the mad devotion and misery of the Gopikas due to this?]
Swami replied:- In the absence of association of the contemporary human incarnation, the devotion to God increases very much because the devotee will not see the common properties of the media, which dilute the devotion. If the devotee is staying far from God in human form, these properties of the medium of the human incarnation are not seen by the eyes of the devotee and due to this, the devotion to God increases very fast. Suppose take your son as an example. An institution is giving coaching for one month rigorously even without allowing your son to come back to your home at least on one day during that month. Your son will get a very colourful career due to that training. Will you blame the institution for not sending your son even on one day or will you praise the institution for giving very a colourful career in the future? If you have true love on your son, you will praise the institution and not blame. Similarly, the Gopikas were going to get the fruit, which is higher than the highest due to their climax devotion towards God Krishna. Will the Gopikas praise or blame God Krishna?
Deva dṛśeti cet na, bhakta jana śreyasaḥ. |86|
[Padanamaskaram Swami, please answer the following: Swami, first You told for a Sthitaprajna, a test is not required at all. They are salvated by God without any test. Now, You are saying that the test is necessary even for Sthitaprajna also, not for the sake of God, but for others as well as for the Sthitaprajna himself. How is this test different from the test of other ordinary devotees because there also the purpose is the same for testing. Is it only the intensity or something else?]
Swami replied:- I told that the test is not necessary from the omniscient angle of God. This was told in the case of all other devotees also. For the sake of the public, the test is necessary. If the test is not done, clever devotees will try to exploit the concept.
Na niyatā parīkṣeti vācyam, jana dṛṣṭeḥ kṣemāt ca. |87|
[Can I then say that tests for all souls are necessary, be it Sthitaprajna or any other real devotees?]
Swami replied:- Test is necessary, not from the view-point of God, but from the view-point of the public and from the view-point of the welfare of the devotee so that he/she will not be tempted to exploit the concept.
Na ca tasya phalamiti vācyam, viśeṣaṃ vinā sarva sāmānyāt. |88|
[If a Sthitaprajna is tested, then there must also be the fruit associated with the test. You also told, a Sthitaprajna can be the examiner for real devotees like greatest sages. Then, definitely he is higher and due to the test, he must get the higher than the highest fruit. Is it not Swami?]
Swami replied:- There is no difference between the other devotees and a Sthitaprajna except for one difference that a Sthitaprajna controls the climax mad devotion to continue the worldly duties. In all the other things, a Sthitaprajna is the same as the other climax devotee. I only told that a Sthitaprajna need not be tested because the internal bond is not formed. But, from the point of the public and the welfare of the devotee, tests are necessary. King Janaka was also tested.
Premādhikya miti cet na, sāmya muktaṃ yat. |89|
[The Gopikas could not control their divine madness for Lord Krishna and it happened very naturally after His leaving from Brundaavanam. But a Sthitaprajna will be able to control himself in that situation also. Does this love of the Gopikas not really greater than the Sthitaprajna's love for God? If he is so immersed in love with God, how will he be able to control? Does it not mean he is not 100% involved? I am not able to understand. Please clarify.]
Swami replied:- The quantity of devotion being its climax (10 units) is common to the Gopikas and the Sthitaprajna. If the Gopikas could not control, it does not mean that the climax devotion is more in the Gopikas. If somebody like a Sthitaprajna controlled the same madness, it does not mean that his/her climax devotion to God is lesser. This point is already explained above.
Rājño gamanamiti cet na, bhasmāvaśeṣāt. |90|
[When the soldier gave the news of the burning of Mithila city, King Janaka just smiled saying that if the Mithila city is burnt, nothing of him is burnt. That time he was completely immersed in the Satsanga with his sadguru Sage Yaajnavalkya. Here, in the competition between God and the three strongest worldly bonds, the strength of God defeated the strength of worldly bonds. But Swami, as a king, he must go and see the situation as the whole city was burning. Does it not look like Pravrutti was not followed properly? Can we say it was because of his extreme Nivrutti level, he could say like that? At the divine lotus feet of You always, Chhanda]
Swami replied:- Had the soldier told that Mithila city was damaged by catching the fire, King Janaka could have gone to the city to estimate the damages for rectification. The soldier told that the entire Mithila city was turned to ash along with the public and spouse and issues of Janaka. What was leftover there to go to the city for doing something positively as far as possible?
March 19, 2024
Ubhaya sāmya miti cet na, tayoḥ bhedāt. |91|
[Smt. Chhandaa asked:- Swami, if we compare the tests of king Janaka and the Gopikas, it is very clear that the test of Janaka was more severe as it involved the death of his all worldly bonds. But the Gopikas did not have to go through such severe situation. Can I say then that it is this severity, that itself is the proof for Janaka being a greater soul than the twelve passed Gopikas. Please clarify this.]
Swami replied:- Since the climax devotion in both cases is equal, their reactions will be also equal. If the test is not so severe in the case of Janaka, he will visit the city to get some rescue operations done because a Sthitaprajna never fails in doing the duties. The Gopikas have already gone to the climax mad state (it is also equal to the inner state of a Sthitaprajna) and due to lack of controlling capacity, they will not attend to their duties even if the test is not severe.
Ekasya viśeṣa iti cet na, sarvadhā sāmyāt. |92|
[There is no doubt that the Sthitaprajna is the better soul. Then again, my doubt is, if it is really so, then why did Lord Krishna keep the twelve passed Gopikas in Goloka, which is higher than the highest even though their test was less severe. There must be some specific reason behind this because God will never do any partiality to any soul. Even though the difference between Goloka and Vishnuloka is very less, still it is a little higher. Please enlighten me, Swami.]
Swami replied:- As far as the climax mad love to God is concerned, both the Sthitaprajna and the Gopikas are equal only. Since the Sthitaprajna can control the devotional mad love, it does not bring any greater value to him above the Gopikas. God is concerned with the mad divine love only, which is always in the highest intensity. The fruit is always based on this climax intensity of divine devotion and does not depend on other factors. There is no difference between any of the twelve Gopikas and a Sthitaprajna. Goloka is a very big world and can accommodate even Sthitaprajna souls in the outer extended region where also, the association with God Krishna exists. The twelve Gopikas are confined to a small special region in Goloka. Generally, Sthitaprajna-souls prefer to go to Brahmaloka to stay with God, just like the other liberated souls. One need not bother so much about these very minor differences. Such differences are not very much distinct because the climax mad love to God is one and the same.
March 20, 2024
Sthitaprajñā kathamiti cet mānasābhyāsāt. |93|
[Smt. Chhandaa asked:- Padanamaskaram swami, please throw the light on the following doubts. Can I say that a spiritual aspirant shall try to put effort to achieve the devotion of the level of a Sthitaprajna, but not of the Gopikas as a Sthitaprajna will be able to control the same madness that Gopikas cannot? In what way this extra factor can come and what should be the thinking? Please explain.]
Swami replied:- The extra factor with a Sthitaprajna is only the capacity to control the madness of devotion so that worldly duties can be performed without any disturbance. This extra factor depends on the strength of the mind. By putting repeated efforts for attachment to God, for detachment from worldly bonds and efforts for detachment from worldly bonds in the initial stage, the mind becomes strong (Abhyāsena tu kaunteya, vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate - Gita). Apart from this general procedure, while following the order of knowledge, theoretical devotion and practical devotion, the soul shall repeatedly remind the concept of Sthitaprajna that the climax stage of devotion must be controlled by mind so that worldly duties can be performed easily with perfect detachment. The stage of a Sthitaprajna shall come if there is very much pressure to perform worldly duties and we may think that full confidence on God is not there in the mind of a Sthitaprajna. If there is full confidence on God, God Himself will take care of the worldly duties. Such lack of confidence (as per our angle) may be taken in another angle of a Sthitaprajna that the Sthitaprajna does not want to bother God. In any case, the Sthitaprajna also has the climax devotion internally like the Gopikas and hence, this additional factor does not matter in any way for God.
Sā saviśeṣeti cet na, bhakti prādhānya sāmyāt. |94|
[You always say, there is no better devotee than the Gopika. But now it seems that a Sthitaprajna is a better devotee than the Gopika as the Sthitaprajna will be able to control his senses even in the separation of God. So a Sthitaprajna is the best devotee. Is my understanding correct Swami? Always at Your divine lotus feet, Chhanda]
Swami replied:- Both the Gopika and the Sthitaprajna are the best devotees because there is no trace of difference between the strengths of intensities of climax devotion in both cases. Controlling devotion to do worldly duties is not a factor involved in the devotion. Such a disconnected factor cannot affect the devotion so that you can separate the Gopika from a Sthitaprajna. Performing worldly duties is the personal work of the devotee that does not come under devotion with which only God is concerned. If a devotee like the Gopika becomes unable to perform worldly duties, God Himself will take care of such worldly duties because the climax devotee like Gopika is unable to even think of the damage of the family in case the devotee is not doing the worldly duties. Hence, both the Gopika and the Sthitaprajna are equal as far as the devotion to God is concerned. Doing or not doing worldly duties is immaterial as far as the main line of devotion is concerned. In the test of King Janaka, this fact got proved.
Sutras 1-57 58-63 64-65 66-70 71-82 83-90 91-94
(To be contd. …)
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