Posted on: 23 Jul 2024
O Learned and Devoted Servants of God,
[Satsanga at Swami’s home on July 13, 2024: Shri Hrushikesh, Smt. Vaishnavi, Smt. Bharathi, Smt. Sreeusha, Ms. Sumangali Devi, Ms. Veena, Ms. Lalitha Lavanya, Shri Balaji visited His Holiness Shri Datta Swami at His home in Hyderabad on July 13, 2024 for a Satsanga. The following are the questions by the devotees and replies of Swami.]
1. My friend is worried about her job due to instability in the job market. How to tackle such a situation?
[Due to work pressure and job market uncertainty, I feel a lot of tension and many times feel a lack of energy to do routine normal work as well. Related question: My friend is worried that she might lose her job due to instability in the global job market. How to tackle such situations in life? She is always tense and unable to focus. Kindly guide her to help come out of this situation. Kindly advise.]
Swami replied:- By worrying due to tension, any problem is not going to be solved. The first law of thermodynamics is Q=∆E+W (Q = heat supplied to the system at constant pressure, ∆E = rise in the internal energy, W = work done by the system). Tension rises internal energy so that the heat gained by the body from food is completely consumed by ∆E. Then, W=0 since Q=∆E. This means that due to lack of energy in the body, the systems in the body will not function well resulting in illness of the body. The brain also does not work. In the absence of energy, several mistakes happen in your work by which you will certainly lose the job. Hence, tension is the cause for the loss of job and not the instability of market. If your work is perfect, anybody will invite you and for that your tension shall be zero so that ∆E=0 and Q=W. This means that all your energy is used in your work only. Tension constitutes vigorous feelings (Sankalpas). The person, who works without any feeling is very stable conserving all the energy for work only and he/she is called Sthitaprajna. This is the scientific analysis of this situation and Science is the topmost authority in all worldly matters (Pravrutti). Science fails only in the case of God (Nivrutti).
After taking the above care, you must pray to God so that the punishments of your sins will be postponed to a later time (of course with accumulated interest). An atheist may not like to pray God. An alternative path for the atheist is that he can reform himself (by realising the sin done, by repenting and by non-repetition of the sin during the rest of the life). Due to such reformation, all the pending sins get cancelled by God since the aim of punishment given by God is only for reformation of the soul and not for revenge. The nature of sin done by you in the past can be very easily known by the nature of the punishment received by you at the present. For example:- If your marriage is stopped by some hurdles, it means that you have stopped the marriage of somebody in the past. Hence, never do this sin in the future of the present birth. By this reformation, all your sins related to such activity get cancelled. If you want all the previous sins to be cancelled, don’t do any type of sin from today onwards. Even in the case of a devotee, who got the punishment postponed to the future, if the devotee is reformed before such future, the future punishment also gets cancelled. In this way, the devotee has a double benefit scheme (1. His/her present punishment is postponed to the future, 2. Before the attack of such future punishment, the devotee has every chance to reform himself/herself so that the future punishment is also cancelled).
2. My family calls me egoistic since I avoid the spiritual lectures of other Gurus. Kindly advise.
[My mind rebels a lot when I have to attend spiritual lectures of other preachers since these are mostly superficial & emotional without strong analysis and also, I don't see too much alignment with Your knowledge. Because of this, my family calls me as egoistic since I try to avoid other lectures. Kindly advise.]
Swami replied:- If you have strong understanding of the knowledge of your Sadguru, others’ lectures cannot contradict your concepts. When you hear them and find the defects in their logic, your concept is reinforced like how beatings make the body strong. By mentioning wrong arguments of others and by presenting the defects in them, the subject is developed. Also, the people, who are trapped by such false arguments can be relieved by your propagation of spiritual knowledge. Truth can never be affected by falsity like the light is unaffected by darkness. In a closed room, darkness is residing from 100 years. But once the light enters the room by opening the doors, the darkness has to run away immediately and cannot stay in the room applying the law of the tenant!
3. What is the distinction between Karma Samnyaasa and Karma Phala Tyaga in the context of householders?
[Please let me know on the distinction between Karma Samnyaasa and Karma Phala Tyaaga in the context of householders. A normal householder earns with the intention of maintenance of self, family, savings for the future and luxurious, comfortable living. Whereas a devotee householder like Sudaama earns solely with the intention of only basic maintenance and sacrificing the rest to God. Is there a distinction between the above two cases?]
Swami replied:- Jnaana Yoga (learning the details of God), Bhakti Yoga (getting mental inspiration by the knowing the divine personality of God) and Karma Yoga by doing both sacrifice of service spending energy (Karma Samnyaasa) and sacrifice of wealth to God (Karma Phala Tyaaga) are the subsequent steps in the spiritual path. Jnaana Yoga is like the water, Bhakti yoga is like the fertiliser and Karma yoga is like the mango plant that gives the final mango fruit. Hence, both theory (Jnaana yoga and Bhakti Yoga) and practice (Karma Yoga) are essential to reach the goal. The theoretical worship to God is called Asambhuuti Upaasana and the practical sacrifice (Karma Yoga) is called Sambhuuti Upaasana. Both are necessary in the spiritual journey. Of course, as far as the practical sacrifice or Karma Yoga is concerned, you must do as per your capability and devotion, whichever is the minimum. It means that if your capability is 10 and your devotion is 100, your practical sacrifice must be 10 only. Similarly, if your capability is 100 and devotion is 10, your practical sacrifice must be 10 only. The householder must do both sacrifices of service and wealth. A saint incapable of doing sacrifice of wealth must do sacrifice of service only. Sacrifice of wealth (matter) is far far greater than the sacrifice of service (energy) since very small matter is equal to a lot of energy (E=mc2). This means that the householder is far far more important than the saint. Sudaama was a householder and therefore, he thought that he must do sacrifice of wealth also. Since he was a very poor beggar, he took a little parched rice from others as loan and sacrificed to God Krishna. The magnitude of the sacrificed item is not important for God, who looks only at the percentage of the sacrificed item in the total possessed wealth of the devotee. Hence, rich people donating 100s of coins were not appreciated by Jesus, but the sacrifice of 1 coin by a lady beggar was appreciated by Him since her sacrifice was 100%. If you take Sudaama, he did sacrifice by taking loan and his sacrifice was 200%. Hence, God Krishna blessed Sudaama with unimaginable wealth. The nature of the devotee is not important but the sacrifice of the devotee to God is important. Sudaama was also begging for the sake of food for himself and for his family.
4. Can we say that the Karma Yoga of Janaka was to rule the kingdom as emperor?
[King Janaka's devotion was at the same level as that of the Gopikas. Can we say that his practical service towards God or Karma Yoga was to rule the kingdom as emperor?]
Swami replied:- Your point is exactly correct. Ruling the kingdom, maintaining justice and punishing injustice pleases God very much. After hearing the Gita from God Krishna, Arjuna fought the war not for the sake of his selfish share of the property, but he fought as a servant of God in the divine mission establishing justice and condemning injustice. Similarly, Janaka ruled the kingdom not to enjoy worldly pleasures, but to work as a servant of God in the mission of maintaining justice and peace in the kingdom, which is a part of humanity that comes under His purview.
5. Did the presence of Lord Krishna make Kurukshetra war as Nivrutti?
[Arjuna fought the Kurukshetra war as Swami Kaaryam to Lord Krishna. If he had fought the same war purely for upholding justice without Lord Krishna in the picture, it would only be Pravrutti. Is this correct?]
Swami replied:- The physical presence of God Krishna is not important. Even in the absence of God Krishna, if Arjuna had fought the war for the sake of condemning injustice, it would please God. God Krishna was physically present there because Arjuna was going to fight for his justified share and in such a case, it was also justified Pravrutti only except that such Pravrutti was mixed with selfishness. But, such selfishness is not unjust because that much maintenance of self is essential even to do the service in Nivrutti. But, the soul must have the aim that he is maintaining himself for the sake of doing service to God only. In such case only, all the worldly work done by the devotee to maintain himself and his family comes under the divine account of God. If such one aim is absent, all the efforts of the devotee are worldly only and come under the personal selfish worldly account of the devotee because such a devotee’s aim is only to enjoy the worldly pleasures.
6. Are the present wars even valid from the point of view of justice?
[Over the past centuries and in recent times, many wars have been fought for upholding justice or religion in the name of God. Are these even valid from the point of view of justice if they are fought without the sanction and analysis of an incarnation like Lord Krishna since there is every possibility of weak analysis due to ignorance, emotion or hatred?]
Swami replied:- Your points are perfectly correct. You cannot take the law into your hands personally. You must get the order from the court (God). When Swami Dayananda Sarasvati came to Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa to read His new commentary on the Vedas, Shri Ramakrishna asked “Did you get the permission from God?”. Therefore, if you propagate the spiritual knowledge of your Sadguru as it is, there is no need of permission from God since it is your spiritual duty. In such propagation, you are like the train strictly moving on the railway lines. But if you want to deviate to that side or this side, you are like a bus running on the road. In such a case, God shall appear before you and give oral permission. Even then, you shall not jump to propagate your new knowledge because the human tendency is fascination for name and fame as divine preacher. You must express your inability to God even to propagate your new knowledge. If your new knowledge is really wonderful and truly helps humanity, then God will merge with you to make you an incarnation and He Himself will preach your new knowledge in an excellent way. This point is presented here from the personal experience of Shri Datta Swami.
7. If one chants Rama mantra instead of "Shri Anjaneya, Shri Subrahmanya'', will one’s problems be solved?
[Shri Hrushikesh asked: You gave the mantra " Shri Anjaneya Shri Subrahmanya" to my friend Pavan, who approached You for help to resolve his problems in materialistic life. He recently heard a song on Lord Rama. In this song, there is a line which says that the Rama mantra is that which solves all the problems in life. Now, his question is: what is the difference between these two mantras? In case he chants Rama mantra instead of the "Shri Anjaneya Shri Subrahmanya '' mantra, won't his problems get resolved? Kindly throw some light on the importance of mantra chanting? Also, if we chant any name or any mantra of God, will our materialistic problems get resolved or not or only this specific mantra that You gave can only solve the problems?]
Swami replied:- Rama means the ultimate unimaginable God (Parabrahman), who created this universe for entertainment and hence, Rama is in a continuous state of entertainment (Ramate iti Rāmaḥ). In every form of God, this ultimate unimaginable God exists. Every divine form is only a dress and the person wearing the dress is Parabrahman or Rama. As per Sage Jaimini, the dress inspires the person in his action. If a police officer is in civil dress at home, his mood and action will be soft. If he is in uniform at office, he is very strict and emotional in his activities. Sarasvati gives education, Lakshmi gives money, Parvati gives health, Hanuman gives courage etc. Hence, even though the person is Parabrahman or Rama, the external dress (form) inspires God in a particular direction of activity. The problems in worldly life are the punishments of your sins implemented by the planets (presiding deities). Generally, Shani, Rahu, Ketu and Mangala or Kuja give the punishments of sins. God Hanuman controls Shani. God Subrahmanya controls the other three planets. The presiding deities of the planets are the executive forces of God, which are not different from God. The same is true in the case of Deities controlling these planets. The planets or Deities are different forms (dresses) of the same God called Parabrahman or Rama. Rama needs a form or dress to act in a particular direction of activity. Here, you shall not limit the word Rama to the son of Dasharatha, who is also one of the divine forms. If you worship Rama, you will be helped more in spiritual line. If you worship Hanuman, you will get relief in worldly problems. You must take Rama as the ultimate God, who is present in the form of Hanuman as well. Therefore, there is no contradiction in My advice.
8. Should I confront or keep silent with my boss for his unfair behaviour and leave the justice to God?
[My boss doesn't recognize my efforts. I am working till late midnight and he expects me to come early next morning. I am not worried about being recognized but the way he is behaving with me I feel is unfair. There is no impact on my work if I start a little late in the morning, I conveyed this to him that I am turning up late to the office because every day I am working late till night due to heavy workload. Do I keep my mouth shut without arguing with him and leave the justice to God? or Should I confront him for his unfair behaviour? Kindly advise.]
Swami replied: You should leave to God. In your past birth, you were also a manager doing like this to an employee. The sin will be exhausted by enjoying its punishment. You realise, repent and do not repeat this in the case of your subordinate. Pray to God as per My advice. God will take the necessary action. Informing your manager about such injustice is not a sin because your point is logical.
9. What is wrong with occasionally taking alcohol and not harming anyone with one’s behaviour?
[What is wrong in occasionally drinking alcohol when it doesn't become a habit and after drinking alcohol if a person is not harming anyone with his behaviour? Why is this habit wrong? You told many times in Your discourses that drinking and smoking is a sin as it affects the health of a person having these habits. My question is that there are many food substances that are as bad to health as alcohol. Sugar, fast food , high cholesterol food and food with heavy masalas are also dangerous for health. Then, why is it that You are specifically pointing out alcohol? When alcohol is taken in limit, why is it a sin to drink the same?]
Swami replied: God is already supplying the needed amount of alcohol through your food items. Hence, the alcohol taken by you becomes extra quantity and will spoil your health as you see in the frequent advertisements in TV. The point here is that the needed amount of alcohol is not injurious to health. Since God is already providing the needed alcohol to your body, even a trace of alcohol taken by you is excess only. The divine administration of God always provides you with needful things in this world unless it is the case of punishment for your sins done in the past. The punishment for sin is also essential (as you see the punishments given by courts to the criminals). The question of masala and alcohol depends on the degree of seriousness. Do you think that stealing the smallest mustard seed is equal to stealing a big pumpkin?
10. Kindly suggest alternative options for high protein foods with fewer carbohydrates and fat.
[You recently said in one of Your discourses that paneer is not good for health as it has a lot of cholesterol. For Vegetarians, there are very few high protein options. There are people switching from being vegetarian to non-vegetarian with the reason that there are limited protein options in vegetarian diets. Since paneer is a popular source of protein for vegetarians, if You are saying that Paneer is also not good due to high cholesterol, don't You think this statement that You made will make some vegetarians to shift to non-vegetarianism due to unavailability of high protein sources in vegetarian diet? Also, you might say that lentils have proteins. However, I heard from some sources that Lentils have more carbohydrates than protein. Kindly suggest to us the alternative options for high protein with less carbohydrates and fat.]
Swami replied:- Anything in required quantity is good for health. Anything above the required quantity is injurious to health. This point is limited to good food items only. Even a trace of poison shall be avoided completely. I said that answer previously to a household lady using paneer every day. In order to control her behaviour, I had to advise more seriously even to bring normal result. So, you should take that answer in the sense of excess taken than the required quantity.
11. Why did Karna get badly punished by the Lord?
[Karna was also punished by Lord Krishna during the Mahabharata war. Karna had a big heart and would do great charity. Why did Karna get badly punished by the Lord?]
Swami replied:- If one is good in one quality, other bad qualities can’t be excused and their punishments can’t be withdrawn. A gold medallist in a subject is stealing money. Should he be arrested or not? Actually, the soul of a demon took birth as Karna. The demon Ravana was also a climax devotee. Did God excuse all the sins seeing the merit of devotion of Ravana? Karna was also in the friendship of bad devilish Kauravas. Association is the root cause of qualities and subsequent deeds.
12. How can God directly send Sage Satyavrata to hell without preaching him?
[You said that intention makes an action as sinful or meritorious. In the case of Sage Satyavrata, God sent him to hell for telling the truth to the robbers for which a saint got killed. Don't You think that if a person has limited understanding of higher and lower dharma, God should have preached him instead of sending him to hell directly? Because of Satyavrata’s limited understanding of Dharma concept, he was always telling the truth in any situation. When his knowledge is not complete, how can God directly send him to hell without preaching him? When his intention is not about getting a person killed and only about saying the truth, why was he punished?]
Swami replied:- Satyavrata was a sage. Do you think that he was not taught by the elder sages in his phase of education (Brahmacarya Aashrama)? He somehow stuck to the concept of telling truth, which is a lower justice than the non-violence given to a good person, which is higher justice (Ahiṃsā paramo dharmaḥ). The scripture says that non-violence towards a good soul is the highest justice. Highest means that any other justice is lower than that and can be sacrificed to protect this highest justice. He was taught all this but he stuck to his own foolish idea. You are pleading as an advocate for Satyavrata. Were you present along with Satyavrata to say that he was not taught this point in his school? Learning cannot change the inherent behaviour or Prakruti as told several times in the Gita. The inherent nature is built up by associations that happened throughout several past births. Ravana was a great scholar of all scriptures. Did he lose his bad inherent nature? Arguing like this is reflecting the present advocates, who argue for any case just for the sake of earning money. Bhishma was also a great scholar, but he stuck to his foolish promise to protect the throne and kept silent when the Kauravas tried to remove the sari of Draupadi. He was punished by God and was laid on the bed of arrows for a long time. Similarly, the head of Drona was cut because he supported the lower justice, which is that he should be loyal to even bad persons for giving him food. God Krishna demonstrated this by breaking His promise that He would not use any weapon in the war. In the context of killing Bhishma, who was supporting injustice, even the wheel of a chariot taken by Him is a weapon because weapon means that object by which you wound or kill others. God Krishna ran towards Bhishma to kill Bhishma with that wheel taken in His hand.
13. How are the actions of Mohammed and Krishna justified?
[Prophet Mohammad married Ayesha, who was a child of 9 years and also married many women, who were married before and Lord Krishna also married Gopikas and Radha, who was already married. Kindly enlighten us how Lord Mohammad's and Lord Krishna's actions are justified?]
Swami replied:- Everything has to be analysed with reference to the rules of the then existing society. In the time of God Krishna, the rule was that one should marry an unmarried girl. God Krishna married 100 unmarried Gopikas, who did Kaatyaayanii Vratam aspiring to marry God Krishna. Radha was forcibly married to Ayanaghosha in her childhood and she was loving only God Krishna from the beginning. After marriage, she never allowed Ayanaghosha to even touch her. According to scriptures, one shall marry a girl loving him by mind. Scripture says that a girl is married when she dedicates her mind to the groom (Vācā dattā mano dattā, mantra dattā ca Kanyakā). Hence, Radha was unmarried as per the scripture. All her Trikaranams (mind, word and body) were very pure dedicated to God Krishna only. Hence, God Brahmaa performed the marriage of Radha and Krishna. In this way, God Krishna followed the social rules of his time. In the case of Prophet Mohammad, in His region and in His time, the social rules were different and He followed those liberal social rules. God in human form follows the social rules of that time so that He can freely mix up with the human beings to become a friend and clarify their spiritual doubts. As far as the relationship of God Krishna with the married Gopikas is concerned, the spiritual background was explained by Me in a very elaborate way on Madhura Bhakti. This can be studied. In brief, the main points of the explanation are:-
i. Gopikas were sages burning in penance for several births for the sake of God and Krishna was the highest human incarnation of God. Therefore, the lust provoked by hormones cannot exist on both sides.
ii. As per the Naarada Bhakti Suutras, Gopikas were well aware that Krishna was God. Even though Krishna refused them, they threatened Krishna that they will commit suicide if Krishna does not allow them to dance with Him.
iii. Intention gives the fruit and not the inert action. A father hugging and kissing his daughter is not punished since the intention is love on the child. A rowdy hugging and kissing a lady is punished by the police since his intention is forcible romance. In both these cases, the inert action is one and the same. But, the fruits of the actions are different based on the difference in the intention. Similarly, the intention of romance of Gopikas with God Krishna is pure devotion and not hormonal lust.
iv. The sages wanted salvation from worldly bonds to be sanctioned by God. God tested them in the 3 strongest worldly bonds (fascination to issues, wealth and spouse) in their female birth as the Gopikas. The prior two worldly bonds were tested by God Krishna by stealing butter (wealth) preserved for their children. Almost all the Gopikas failed in this joint test and complained to Yashoda, the mother of Krishna. Almost all the Gopikas passed in the third test by dancing with Krishna because the third bond is relatively weak having divorce facility! God Krishna gave pass certificate for 12 Gopikas, who passed in the three tests. God Krishna was like a male doctor helping the delivery of a pregnant woman concentrating on the safe delivery of the child only without paying any attention to the private part of the woman. Sages in the form of Gopikas were the students appearing for examination and God Krishna, the setter of question papers, evaluated the answer sheets and gave certificates as per their results.
v. God Krishna took immense care that ordinary human beings don’t imitate His divine actions. Although the actions of Krishna were not at all a sin, He considered it as sin and underwent punishment in hell so that ordinary people are afraid to commit sin. God Krishna not only underwent the punishment once but twice for the sake of each Gopika. Once for Himself and second time on the behalf of each Gopika, who crossed the bond with spouse for Him. God balances both justice and climax love at the same time.
14. When Ramanuja didn't preach against Shiva, why are Vaishnavas against the worship of Shiva?
[When Ramanuja didn't preach anything against Shankara and worship of Lord Shiva, then why is it that many Vaishnavas are against the worship of Lord Shiva? Also, can You kindly elaborate why Lord Ramanuja and Lord Madhva never wrote any shlokas on Lord Shiva, when Lord Shankara wrote an equal number of poems on Lord Shiva and Vishnu? As per my understanding, both Lord Ramanuja and Lord Madhva stressed on the worship of Vishnu and never on worship of Shiva. If my understanding is wrong, can You quote any poems written by either Lord Ramanuja or Lord Madhva on Lord Shiva?]
Swami replied:- Shankara preached monism saying that the ultimate unimaginable God is present in all Divine forms like the same person wearing different dresses. Hence, He worshipped every divine form of God with equality because the inner person is one and the same in spite of the difference in the dresses. Ramanuja and Madhva stuck to one Divine form only because God Vishnu is only the present ruler of the creation. God Brahmaa was important in the past since He completed His duty of creation and God Shiva will do His duty of destruction in the future. One is the past Chief Minister and another is the future Chief Minister. All of us are present in the present time in which God Vishnu is the present Chief Minister, who is relevantly powerful. Both concentrated on the same Parabrahman existing in the presently needed dress. You can give your complaint to a police officer present in his uniform sitting in his office only. Since the person is one and the same present in a specific uniform or other kinds of dresses, there is no difference among Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhva, who are the incarnations of God Shiva, God Vishnu and God Brahmaa respectively. Regarding the unity of their commentaries, you can refer to My elaborate messages given in the website, www.universal-spirituality.org.
15. How can Sun fail in teaching basic Pravrutti to Karna, who was his son?
[Lord Hanuman's Guru was Lord Surya. We all know that there is no other soul equal to Him in either Pravrutti or Nivrutti. How can Lord Surya fail in teaching basic Pravrutti to Karna, who was Lord Surya's son? How can Karna, who was born with Surya amsha, do such injustice to Pandavas? Is Karna also a servant of the Lord, who was playing the negative role like Jaya, Vijaya as Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha? Kindly elaborate.]
Swami replied:- Karna was the soul of a demon hidden in the globe of the sun. Along with solar energy, the individual soul of the demon entered the womb of Kunti. Hence, he was always in the association of the Kauravas, who were demons. His inherent nature and his imbibed nature from association was also devilish. Since the demon stayed in the sun for a long time, the demon attained the quality of charity from sun. Sun always donates energy to all human beings without aspiring for anything in return. Hence, charity is the good quality of sun attained by the demon due to association with sun. Regarding Hanuman, He was only a student of the Sun. Hanuman was the incarnation of God Shiva and hence, you cannot even dream a trace of bad quality in Him. One case is related to birth and the other case is only an external student learning the spiritual knowledge. There can’t be any comparison between the two cases.