28 Jul 2024
O Learned and Devoted Servants of God
Purnima is the full moon night. Night represents the spiritual ignorance, which means the ignorance about true and complete spiritual knowledge. Worldly ignorance means the lack of knowledge of worldly matters. The full moon means the Sadguru, who is the contemporary human incarnation of God coming down to earth to uplift all the human beings in spiritual line. Angels have full spiritual knowledge and hence, there is no need for God to incarnate for them. Demons have excess of ego and hence, there is no use of preaching them. Human beings are in the middle level and can either go up or fall down. If the human form of God helps them, they can go up to the level of angels. If such help is not there, they will fall down to the level of demons. Hence, there is full need for the God to come down to the earth to uplift human beings.
The Purnima comes in the end of Shukla Paksha or first half of the month. In this first half, the moon gradually grows to its end in the final Purnima. This first half represents the sequence of Gurus (Spiritual Preachers), who lead the devotee finally to the Sadguru or Purnima. Such true Gurus preach the knowledge of the Sadguru only like trains running on fixed railway tracks without even a trace of deviation to any side. If the Guru deviates from the fixed railway track established by the Sadguru, such a Guru is like the bus travelling on a road deviating slightly to this side or that side. Such false Gurus are called as Asadgurus.
Today is the birthday of Sage Vyaasa, who gave an ocean of spiritual literature and hence, Guru Purnima is celebrated in the memory of Sage Vyaasa. The ultimate and the original Sadguru is God Datta, who was also born on the Purnima day. God Buddha was also born on the Purnima day. All these three Sadgurus must be worshipped on this day.
The most important aspect of Guru Purnima is that the human devotee must know the path to become very very close to God. This very close union with God is called Yoga. If the path is correct, one will certainly reach God and become very very close to God. Before knowing this correct path, the important pre-requisite is that the travelling devotee shall know that he/she is not God. If the devotee is God, the devotee is no more a devotee since the devotee himself is God. Since God need not reach God, there is no need of the knowledge of the path. In such a case, there is no meaning for the word ‘Yoga’ because God cannot unite with God. Even the Sadguru, who is the human incarnation of God behaves like a devotee practicing the path of Yoga so that He can be a practical example for the other devotees. Hanuman is the incarnation of the ultimate God, but, He came down to show how a devotee shall practically travel in the path of Yoga. Generally, every Sadguru behaves like a devotee so that the human devotees take Him as the practical example. Even God Krishna worshipped God and did penance on the Himalayas to get a child. Of course, God Rama always behaved like a devotee without exposing His divine nature and the reason here was that God Rama’s sole aim was only to show the practical aspect of the devotee while travelling in the spiritual line. The main aspect of God Rama was to show that God is very much pleased by those following justice and that God is very much furious with those following injustice. This aspect is the main basis in the spiritual line and hence, we say that Pravrutti (worldly life) is the basis of Nivrutti (Spiritual life). In this context, the behaviour of God Krishna is misunderstood so that devotees think that God Krishna did injustice and did not follow justice. God Krishna is the ultimate Sadguru as the preacher of Bhagavad Gita. What He did in the case of the Gopikas is perfect justice and there is no trace of injustice. The Brahma Suutrams written by Sage Vyaasa give the correlation of all the Upanishads, whereas the Bhagavad Gita spoken by God Krishna is the essence of all the Upanishads. The Upanishads, the Brahma Suutrams and the Bhagavad Gita are the three authorities in Hindu religion called the Prasthaana Trayam. Hence, God Krishna is the topmost incarnation of God Datta. Regarding the topic of God Krishna and the Gopikas, a lot of explanation was already given by Me and mentioning all that here will take a lot of time.
There are three divine preachers, who are Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhva. Shankara said that soul is God (Of course, He said this in a different context, which is to convert atheists into theists.). Ramanuja told that God and soul are different but inseparable and that the soul is an inseparable part of God. Madhva says that God and soul are totally different and fully separate items. Ramanuja appears to be a bridge between Shankara (Monism) and Madhva (Dualism). What Madhva told is the starting point for every one of us because we are certainly different from God and also separated from God. We are different because God is omnipotent, whereas our potency is almost zero. We are separated from God because God is beyond the creation and we are in the creation. Therefore, it is very clear that the starting point in the spiritual journey is Madhva only. When we start from Madhva, we are travelling through the path of Ramanuja. The path of Ramanuja is that we are part and parcel of God and inseparable limbs of God. The meaning of this is that after some progress in the spiritual line, God is pleased with us and treats us as inseparable limbs of His body. A father pleased with his two sons says that they both are his eyes. The eyes are inseparable limbs of any human body. Here, in saying that both sons are both eyes, it should not be taken in a literal sense. The implied sense here is that both the sons are very important to the father like the two eyes. This means that after some spiritual progress, God is pleased with us and treats us with closeness like the inseparable limbs of His body. This point means that we have entered the world of God (Saalokyam), we have become close to God (Saamiipyam), we follow certain similarities with God (Saaruupyam) and that we have become very very close to God like His eyes (Saayujyam). The final part in the spiritual journey is Shankara. Actually, we have reached the final goal of the spiritual journey by Saayujyam itself. Saayujyam is the final fruit of Yoga. Actually, the spiritual journey stops here itself. Up to this point, there is no fault in our aspiration because we aspired for this final step of Saayujyam only due to our climax love to God. We did not aspire for any benefit through Saayujyam and hence, our love to God is most pure.
If you say all this, the third step of Shankara need not be mentioned because the ultimate goal is reached. All this is correct, but there is the third step of Shankara, which is not in your aspiration, but exists if God Himself wishes for it. Thus, in this third step, our involvement is a big zero. This third step is only planned by God about which we do not have even a trace of desire. In this third step, if God wants to do some welfare to the world of devotees, God plans to merge with one of us to become human incarnation. You cannot say no to His wish and you must feel that this is only an opportunity to serve God’s mission on this earth. You must be very very careful about the ego that is likely to enter your soul. In this step, God by Himself as per His own wish only, God merges with you to make you as the contemporary human incarnation for a specific generation. The main program of God is to answer all the doubts in spiritual knowledge because sometimes a Guru may not be able to answer a most complicated doubt. The contemporary human incarnation of God called Sadguru will answer every doubt just like the sun removes every part of darkness. Apart from this main aim, God comes down to fulfill the desire of some devotees, who want to see Him personally (darshana), who want to touch Him (sparshana), who want to talk with Him (sambhaashana) and who want to live with Him (sahavaasa). The human being-component of this Sadguru must be very very careful about the ego because if such ego enters the human being-component, God will immediately quit the Sadguru. This happened when Parashuraama got ego. This never happened in the case of Shri Rama because He never got even a trace of ego during His lifetime. This is the most important precaution for anyone of us having the chance to become human incarnation. The human being-component must always be in dualism thinking himself always as the servant of the God-component. The devotee of the human incarnation (anyone of us) must always be in monism and be very very careful in not mistaking the human incarnation as a human being, in which case the devotee will not be benefitted in anyway. The Sadguru must always be in dualism thinking that He is different from God and the devotee must always be in monism thinking that the human incarnation is God directly. If Sadguru enters monism thinking that He is God, the Sadguru is lost. If the devotee enters monism thinking that he is God, the devotee is lost.
Actually, we as ordinary human beings do not exist in the starting point of Madhva because there is another special point in the philosophy of Madhva that God is the master and the human being is the servant. For this, He takes the example of Rama and Hanuman. If we are in the starting point of Madhva, all of us should have been equal to Hanuman! Of course, all of us are equal to Hanuman in one sense that all of us are monkeys! The starting point for the journey over the sea is a port. We must reach the port by land journey. Similarly, we must reach the stage of Hanuman through a lot of spiritual effort. The stage of Hanuman is that He is totally absorbed in God and got salvation from all the worldly bonds including father and mother also. He left His home to reach God Rama and He never married also. To reach such a starting stage itself, we have to make a lot of land journey as the pre-requisite. Hence, the philosophy of Madhva cannot be taken as the starting point, which represents this world of ordinary human beings. Hanuman completed the learning of spiritual knowledge from god Sun (Surya) and understood that a soul bound by a body can reach only a mediated God. If the soul is bound by an energetic body, an energetic incarnation is relevant and if the soul is bound by a human body, a human incarnation is relevant. Hanuman is bound by a materialized body and hence, God in human form is only relevant to Him. He was told by god Surya that He should stay with Sugriiva so that He can meet God Rama there. Sadguru always shows illusions to test the student. Sugriiva is the son of Surya and Vaali is the son of Indra. Vaali was bad since Indra was also bad in the case of Ahalya. Surya is pure and hence, Sugriiva is also pure. The illusion here is that Surya might be selfish so that Hanuman will protect his son Sugriiva from Vaali. We will think that Hanuman was unnecessarily asked to stay with Sugriiva till God Rama arrives there. Instead, Hanuman could go to Ayodhya or Dandaka Forest to meet God Rama directly. Hence, we would have a doubt on Sadguru Surya. But, the intention of Surya was that when Rama needed the services of Hanuman, Rama would come to Sugriiva so that Hanuman could start the service as soon as He saw Rama. If we are in the place of Hanuman, we will certainly mistake the Sadguru in this way. That is why, we have to do a long land journey to reach the stage of Hanuman. We would think that the Sadguru is selfish and we could find out God Rama in the forest very easily.
In fact, Rama does not need service from any soul. He came down to test the true love of devotees through service and sacrifice so that He can grant salvation to them. But, we mistake that God is in need and treat Him as an ordinary human being. Even though we know that He is God, we want to escape from service and sacrifice conveniently by saying “Does the omnipotent God need our petty services and sacrifice?” If God Rama makes a small will in His mind, Ravana will be burnt to ash and Sita will stand by Him. But, God wanted to give an opportunity to angels born as monkeys so that they can get salvation. It is an opportunity created by God so that the devotees can use it and get uplifted. We misunderstand the whole truth exactly in the opposite way. An examiner in viva voce test puts a simple question to the candidate. If the student thinks that the examiner is ignorant and he is in need of the answer from him, what a pitiable student he is?
When we offer worship to God without aspiring for anything other than God, God is very much pleased to offer the highest divine fruit called Saayujyam or Kaivalyam. When we ask for a petty desire, we will lose the divine fruit as well as fruit for our desire. We become cheap in the eyes of God when we worship Him for a petty desire. A son came and started pressing the feet of his father for a few hours. The father was pleased and thought that he shall write a will in the name of his son to give his entire property worth of crores to his son. But, the son asked for hundred rupees from his father to spend for some worldly happiness. The father understood that the service of his son done to him for the past few hours was only for a hundred rupees and not due to his inherent and aspirationless love towards his father! The father refused to give even the hundred rupees and dropped the idea of writing the will. Same is the fate of devotees worshipping God for petty worldly desires. When Shri Rama visited the asylums of several sages on the way while searching for Sita, the sages never tried to help Rama by giving any information regarding Sita, thinking that the omniscient God Rama knows everything. Actually, when God comes in human medium, He is bound by the limitations of the human medium so that He can test the real love of a devotee through practical service and sacrifice. The sages prayed Rama for their salvation praising Rama as God. Rama acted as an ignorant human being telling that He is an ordinary human being, named Rama and the son of Dasharatha (Ātmānaṃ mānuṣam…). Here, the human being component present in the human incarnation replied to the sages as above and the God-component kept silent so that Rama spoke the truth only. When He went to Shabari, she never asked for her selfish salvation. She knows the value of salvation being the disciple of Sage Maatanga. She served Rama with fruits and gave the information of Sita taken by Ravana. Her view was only to serve God in all angles. The line of Shabari from the beginning was only the broad-gauge line, which is “What can I do for God?” The line of sages from the beginning was only the meter-gauge line, which is “What can I get from God?” Hence, Rama sent her alive to the abode of God with her physical body by a divine plane called from His abode called Vaikuntha.
We shall not misunderstand God for giving salvation to a low caste female like Shabari neglecting the upper caste male sages. God has no consideration for caste or gender of a soul. The caste is based on qualities and deeds and is not based on birth (Guṇa karma vibhāgaśaḥ… Gita). The gender also is meaningless because the soul or awareness is one and the same in males and females. Except a few external differences in the physical body, the soul is one and the same awareness in every human being. There is no difference of gender even in the internal anatomy of the physical body. In fact, the word ‘Purusha’, used to denote male is not having that sense in any angle. This word means the awareness that is lying by spreading all over the human body through nerves (Puri dehe śete iti puruṣaḥ). Hence, Purusha means the soul or awareness present in every living human body and there is no trace of sense of gender in this word. The word ‘Purusha’ is in male gender (Pum linga) since every Sanskrit word has its own gender irrespective of the meaning or object denoted by that word. For example, the word ‘Daaraah’ means wife. Surprisingly, this word is in male gender and is also in plural form. If you take the gender and form of this word, it means the wife is male and plural (Dārāḥ puṃsi ca bhūmnyeva)! This should not be misunderstood that the wife means a group of males! Hence, whenever the word ‘Purusha’ or ‘Jiiva’ is mentioned, it means only the common soul present in every human being irrespective of caste and gender. Such misunderstandings started from the beginning of the Kali age because the Vedic scholars started reciting the Vedas like inert tape recorders without studying the meaning of the Vedas. These priests are only reciters of the Veda (Veda Paathakas) and not scholars of the knowledge of the Veda (Veda Panditas). Hence, a true Sadguru will never differentiate souls by caste or gender or region or religion, etc.
In the third stage called Vaanaprastha, the scripture says that the husband and wife must be like brother and sister. This means that both are trying for spiritual development with co-operation with each other. Two male saints can also live together helping each other in the common effort for spiritual development. In this way, the distinction between the two souls by gender disappears because spiritual progress is for the inner soul and not for the external physical body. The fourth stage is ‘Samnyaasa’ for which the main duty is to propagate true and complete spiritual knowledge established by Sadguru. If either husband or wife leaves the gross body, the other can enter Samnyaasa to propagate spiritual knowledge. Even if both continue to live, both can enter into Samnyaasa continuing the same co-existence. Two male saints taking Samnyaasa and doing propagation of spiritual knowledge can co-exist together helping mutually. In a similar way, the husband and wife can take Samnyaasa and do the propagation of spiritual knowledge continuing their mutual co-operation. Sureshvara, who was called Mandana Mishra while he was a householder, took sainthood from Shankara. His wife Bhaarati also entered into sainthood staying with Sureshvara under the headship of Shankara. Both participated in the propagation of spiritual knowledge of Shankara. Here, sainthood means the propagation of spiritual knowledge only and does not mean that either husband or wife alone shall be doing this main duty. Once the main duty is performed, the Aashrama is fulfilled. Other minor details do not come as hurdle for any Aashrama.
God Datta was with Anaghaa as a householder (Gruhastha Aashrama). He was wearing saffron cloth as a saint (Samnyaasa Aashrama). The sages of Badari were confused seeing Him. He said that He is beyond any Aashrama if one considers the Aashrama by minute negligible details. He told that while remaining as householder, He is propagating spiritual knowledge. Hence, in view of performing the duties (which is the most important basis for deciding an Aashrama), He is both householder as well as saint. Hence, the main duty is important and not the minute negligible details. I say that for taking Samnyaasa, even saffron cloth is unnecessary. If you have a laptop, which is a real saffron cloth and propagate the spiritual knowledge through emails to different devotees across the world, you are a real Samnyaasi. In ancient days, such electronic facility did not exist for communication and for the propagation of spiritual knowledge, one had to travel by feet through forests to reach the scholars for spiritual debates. In such a case, if family exists, it is very inconvenient to take the family through forests. Hence, several became saints straight from Brahmacarya Aashrama without marriage. Shankara came to propagate true spiritual knowledge by condemning the wrong atheistic philosophies of Buddhists and Puurva Miimamsakas in the entire country and hence, did not marry.
Apart from the above-mentioned atrocities of ignorance of these priests, other blunders were to negate the utterance of Gayatri and performance of sacrifice (Yajna) to females. Actually, Gayatri means the mode of singing prayer to God and sacrifice means to cook the food on physical fire and offer it to the divine fire called Vaishvaanaraagni present in a hungry stomach. Males are not doing both these things and hence, Gayatri as well as sacrifice are with females only.
Japa does not mean mechanical repetition of the name of God without any feeling in the mind. Japa means the repetition of various divine incidents through which the divine personality of God is projected and this definition for the word ‘Japa’ is stated by Shankara in His Soundarya Laharii (Aviśrāntaṃ patyuḥ guṇa gaṇa kathāmreḍana japā). The feeling is important for God and not the mechanical work without any devotional feeling since God gives importance to feeling (Bhāvagrāhī Janārdanaḥ). Mechanical repetition of the name of God or any mantra given by a Guru is totally useless. Mantra means a line in prose or poetry or song related to God that spontaneously attracts your mind to make you repeat it again and again spontaneously without any force or other attraction like getting a benefit (Mananāt trāyate iti mantraḥ). If the line is a song, it is the highest mantra because a song always has the highest attraction (Vedānāṃ sāmavedo'smi). Hence, Gayatri mantra, which means a song related to God attracting your mind spontaneously without any link to any aspiration is said to be the best (Na Gāyatryāḥ paro mantraḥ). Even a cinema song that attracts your mind can be the Gayatri mantra if you direct that song towards God. Even doing mechanical meditation by closing your eyes and thinking a form is not meditation because there is no basic love-based attraction to God. If you have spontaneous and natural worry about God, such thinking can be called as meditation. In fact, the word ‘Dhyaana’ comes from the root word ‘Dhyai-cintaayaam’, which means worry. Just like a boy loving a girl is always in worry of that girl enters into spontaneous meditation of that girl. Such is the real meditation than a devotee trying to force his mind on God by closing his eyes. The real worry about the girl is in the boy but the real worry about God is not in the devotee. But, this is the real essence of meditation or Dhyaana. In this Kali age, this meditation is in such a horrible state of concentrating the mind on respiration (Dhyaasa on Svaasa) instead of on God! In old age, the number of worldly bonds increase tremendously like son, daughter-in-law, daughter, son-in-law and their children, etc. The old person is the most worried soul as said by Shankara (Vṛddhastāvat cintāsaktaḥ). In old age, the soul is expected to be worried about God and be in meditation of God. But, Shankara meant that the old person is more and more worried about worldly bonds.
Whenever we take the spiritual line like going to a temple, worldly worry only becomes the initiator and promoter. Only to solve the worldly problem or to get some worldly benefit, we go to a temple. We are not going to the temple based on our personal real love to the divine personality of God. This is purely business devotion. When we go to the temple, we offer some practical service or sacrifice to God as an exchange for getting a practical boon from God and this is Vaishya Bhakti (Merchant devotion). Worse than this devotion is to offer theoretical devotion as an exchange for practical boons from God and this is called as Veshyaa Bhakti (Prostitution devotion). A prostitute talks very wisely and sings love songs on her customers to grab money from them. Similarly, we recite prayers and read divine books to get practical boons from God. The idea here is that if the practical boon does not come (doubting that God might be absent by chance), there is no practical loss from our side. This concept entered business devotion also and some devotees say to God “If you give this practical benefit to us, then, we will do this practical service or sacrifice to you”. Here also, the same idea exists, which is that if God is not existing by chance or is not giving practical benefit, we need not be in any loss. Some devotees say “Does the omnipotent God needs our petty service and sacrifice?” Here also, the doubt that whether God exists or not is the hidden basis. All such over-intelligent ideas are developed because the devotee is not having perfect faith even in the basic existence of God.
The Veda introduces the worship of God based on fulfillment of worldly desires in order to attract the soul in the initial stage. Thus, God is introduced in the beginning of Pravrutti itself showing the materialistic advantages that can be achieved through the worship of God. In the beginning stage of any system, defect is inevitable like the smoke in the beginning stage of kindling the fire. God also understands this inevitable defect and grants boons for the impure devotion also so that the devotees shall develop at least the initial faith that God exists basically. In course of time, the smoke disappears and the kindled fire becomes very bright. Similarly, in course of time, this impure devotion is expected to gradually become pure by the absence of any desire to be fulfilled from God. But, even the oldest man just going to die in a few minutes prays to God to give him heaven for selfish happiness and to avoid hell for his sins. In this way, selfish desires are not disappearing in any human being at any stage. If the selfish desires disappear spontaneously, the devotion to God and God Himself will disappear. Can anyone dream salvation to any human being in view of these circumstances? In view of this, the devotees getting salvation are countable on fingers since the beginning of this creation. In this way, the real spiritual life (Nivrutti) is very very rare like the Kohinoor diamond. Devotees of God aspiring for selfish desires are many like the heaps of gravel stones. This clarifies the eternal value of the spiritual line. Even though the gold medal comes only to one topmost student, every student in the class tries for that gold medal because nobody knows who gets the gold medal in the final examination. Apart from all this, the hidden intention of the Veda is also that nobody knows when death attacks a human being. There is no harm even if Pravrutti is lost due to early death. But, if Nivrutti is lost, the damage is irreparable because human rebirth is very very rare. In view of this point, the Veda and our good tradition introduce God to every soul from the beginning of the childhood by linking worship of God to materialistic benefits so that every soul in every age gets attracted to God and will not face the above said irreparable damage. Shankara showed this practically by becoming a good devotee from childhood since He ended His life very shortly.
There is only one God in unmediated state called Parabrahman and in the mediated state called God Datta. This one God appeared as three incarnations, who are Brahmaa, Vishnu and Shiva. God Brahmaa is the possessor of Rajas, God Vishnu is the possessor of Sattvam and God Shiva is the possessor of Tamas. Due to the nature of Rajas and Tamas, God Brahmaa and God Shiva quickly grant any boon to even demons. God Vishnu never appears to give any boon to any demon. He appears only to those devotees having no aspiration in return from God. This leads us to think that God Vishnu is really intelligent and capable, whereas God Brahmaa and God Shiva are not so deeply intelligent and act in a hasty manner without seeing the future repercussions. Such concept is totally wrong. The reason is that God Datta exists in all the three divine forms and any sanction is done by God Datta only and not by the external incarnation like Brahmaa or Vishnu or Shiva. In such case, mutual contradiction attacks God Datta. This is also invalid if you understand the parental affection of God Datta, who created all the souls. In the Gita, it is said that God is the real parent since God created all the souls in the beginning of the creation (Ahaṃ bīja pradaḥ pitā). Now, let us study the nature of the biological parents towards their issues, who are bonded in a single birth only so that you can imagine the greatness of the love of God towards His soul-issues from the beginning of the creation involving millions and millions of births. Parents show inherent love on their issues whenever the issue asks for anything. Due to the fascination towards issues, the parents feel full enjoyment in granting the desires of their issues. But, if the issue misuses the parental love and if the parents are wise, they become harsh to rectify the issue through harsh treatment. If parents are blind with fascination, the parents will not act in order not to displease their issues and as a result of this, the issues are ruined. God is not a blind foolish parent. God, being the Divine Parent, is having both love towards issues and wiseness to rectify the spoiled issue at the same time. Now, the mutual contradiction comes if the same parent shows love by fulfilling the desire of the issue and if the same parent punishes the issue to rectify its bad nature. Hence, the same God Datta-parent took three different forms to act in both roles. Two forms are allotted to bad devotees and one form is allotted to good devotees. Brahmaa and Shiva took the roles of parent for bad devotees and Vishnu took the role of parent for good devotees. Hence, Vishnu never appears for the penance of bad devotees. He appears for the penance of good devotees like Dhruva etc. Brahmaa and Shiva (two roles) stand for bad devotees, who are in majority. These two roles represent the inherent love of parents to fulfill the desires of the issues because parents feel happy if the desires of their issues are fulfilled. But, some of these bad devotees may misuse the inherent parental love and become undisciplined. Now, the wise parent will rectify the issue through harsh treatment by giving punishment. This part is taken by the same parent, God Datta, in a different form called Vishnu. These activities are congenial to the qualities for which these three divine forms are the presiding deities.
We think that the fruit of monism, called ‘Kaivalyam’ is the highest fruit that we can get in the philosophy of Shankara and therefore, we always wish for it and constantly do penance repeating the mantra “I am Brahman (Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi)”. Our ignorance here is that we are unaware of the final fruit of dualism, which is Saayujyam. In this Saayujyam, God becomes the servant of the devotee. In Kaivalyam, the devotee becomes equal to God. Hence, Saayujyam is always greater than Kaivalyam. Therefore, we shall not aspire for Kaivalyam, which is lower than Saayujyam. Kaivalyam is the fruit given by God for the sake of His work to be done in this world. Aspiration for Kaivalyam will always disqualify the soul to become incarnation in future. It is the wish of God to select you for His mission on this earth for which Kaivalyam of the working devotee and God is necessary. Even in Saayujyam, the soul shall not aspire for any other facility because the aspiration to become very close to God shall be only due to the purest and climax love on God. Aspiration for any facility other than God spoils the whole spiritual effort like a drop of poison spoiling the entire pot of milk. We are not aspiring for any other advantage except to serve God through Saayujyam. When you love God for achieving some desire to be fulfilled, you are aspiring God to become your servant by becoming an instrument to get your desire fulfilled (Instrumental devotion or Saadhana bhakti), in which you are making God as instrument to achieve your desire. You must aspire nothing and nobody other than God and this is called as Goal devotion or Saadhya bhakti.
Shankara stressed on Jnaana Yoga (spiritual knowledge), which is the first stage and hence, He came in the beginning. Next, Ramanuja came stressing on theoretical devotion (vedanaa or extreme suffering). In the childhood itself, Ramanuja suffered a lot by weeping on hearing that the color of the eyes of God Vishnu were compared to the red anus of the monkey (Kapyāsaṃ puṇḍarīka nayanam – Veda). Then came Madhva finally and concentrated on practical devotion (sacrifice of service called Karma Samnyaasa and sacrifice of fruit of work called Karma Phala Tyaaga) because practical devotion or Karma Yoga is the proof of real theoretical devotion. Madhva took Rama and Hanuman for the sacrifice of service. He took God Krishna and the Gopikas for the sacrifice of fruit of work since butter was the fruit of work of the Gopikas.
Transfer of knowledge takes place from the preacher to the disciple. Both are equally important for the generation and transfer of knowledge. The preacher generates knowledge and the receiver receives the knowledge. If the proper receiver is absent, the knowledge is not generated. The anode releases electrons and the cathode receives the electrons. The flow of these electrons (electricity) takes place between the anode-preacher and the cathode-disciple. Both the preacher and the disciple are equally important in the propagation of spiritual knowledge. Hence, Krishna told that He is Arjuna (Pāṇḍavānāṃ Dhanañjayaḥ), which means that Arjuna is equally important as God Krishna in the generation of the Gita.
All this true spiritual knowledge given today on Guru Purnima is from God Datta, who incarnates as Sadguru speaking complete truth only, which is called ‘Fire Bath’. It is the bath with fire and hence, it is the most inconvenient bath. Complete truth is always very much inconvenient, especially to the devotees of Kali age accustomed to the fulfillment of selfish desires at any cost. The present spiritual preachers are called Gurus, who are actually to be called as Asadgurus standing quite opposite to Sadguru. These Asadgurus themselves are like the present devotees having fascination for selfish desires like name, fame and money. Their preaching is very much convenient to the present devotees since the nature of the preacher and disciple is one and the same. The preaching of these Asadgurus is most convenient giving a lot of happiness to the disciples like ‘Water Bath’. A Christian preacher, John, told that he is giving water bath to the devotees by sprinkling water and shortly the divine preacher (Jesus) will come and give fire bath that contains fully true knowledge. The Gita also says that true spiritual knowledge is fire (Jnānāgniḥ…). Sadguru is not in need of anything from anybody and hence, He speaks only the complete truth. Asadguru needs some benefits from the disciples and hence, speaks false knowledge that is very much liked by the present devotees in the Kali age. Cold represents worldly fascination and heat represents fascination to God. There are four types of human beings deserving their corresponding baths:-
1) Worldly people without trace of devotion to God:- They take cold water bath.
2) Worldly devotees just entered the devotion to God:- They take warm water bath.
3) Worldly devotees advanced in the devotion to God:- They take hot water bath.
4) Spiritual devotees in climax devotion to God:- They take fire bath.
Worldly people are atheists without any interest in God. Worldly devotees are having devotion to God not because they have real love to God based on attraction to the divine personality of God. Their devotion to God increases since the heat increases from warm state to hot state. But, the increase of their devotion to God is simply based on the increase in their fascination to worldly desires only and not based on the increase in the pure devotion to God (actually, their impure devotion increased) even though it falsely appears that their real love to God increased. In this case, there is no pure love to God at all and the increase in devotion is simply the increase in their false love only. Coming to the last type of devotees taking fire bath, it is the climax of purest love to God.
The true spiritual knowledge (Brahma Jnaanam or Brahma Vidyaa) is thought to be very difficult to understand. But, this is totally false. Spiritual knowledge is the easiest subject that can be understood even by a student studying in school. True spiritual knowledge is very difficult to practice. False devotees unable to practice this true spiritual knowledge try to escape by putting blame on the subject of the spiritual knowledge. Their argument is that since they could not understand Brahma Jnaanam, they are unable to implement it!
If your life aim is to serve God Datta only, which is the prime aim of your entire life from birth to death, all your needful expenses and needful expenses of your family members coming under the maintenance expenses come under your sacrifice to God. However, under these expenses, your expenditure for your luxuries will not be included. Apart from the present expenditure and the savings for future maintenance of yourself and your family, whatever little you sacrifice to God including the present and future expenses becomes your total sacrifice to God. If you are spending Rs.100 in the present for the needs of yourself and your family and if you are saving Rs. 100 for the future needs of yourself and your family and dedicate Rs. 10 to God, your total sacrifice to God will be Rs. 210 and not mere Rs. 10. In this way of your account, you must be very sincere and truthful about your aim of life without any intellectual trickish hypocrisy. Like this, you become equal to Saktuprastha, who donated everything possessed by Him to God. For ordinary level of devotees, the advice is that you shall sacrifice to God based on your capability (Yathaa Shakti) and intensity of devotion to God (Yathaa Bhakti), whichever is minimum. Four possibilities result:-
1) Capability is Rs. 100 but intensity of devotion is Rs. 10:- Sacrifice Rs.10 only.
2) Capability is Rs. 10 but intensity of devotion is Rs. 100:- Sacrifice Rs.10 only.
3) Capability is Rs. 100 and intensity of devotion is Rs. 100:- Sacrifice Rs.100 only.
4) Capability is Rs. 10 and intensity of devotion is Rs. 10:- Sacrifice Rs.10 only.
A devotee need not blame injustice in this creation. This creation is ultimately governed by God only. The worldly governments help God’s administration superficially to some extent only. There may be cheatings in the worldly governments while implementing justice. The ultimate government of God rectifies all such faults of the worldly governments and ultimately God’s justice alone is implemented. Hence, anybody need not blame anything outside and everyone shall blame his/her inner defects only, which cause sins. Everyone covers inner blaming by external blaming. Nothing can be faulty in God or in the divine administration of God just like you cannot find darkness in the globe of the Sun or in the sunlight. Similarly, you cannot find a sunray in the night or in the darkness. Some people try to search for goodness in the character of Karna, who was a demon born to Kunti through Sun. Kauravas were also incarnations of demons, whereas Pandavas were incarnations of angels. God Krishna tried His level best to drag Karna to the side of the Pandavas. But, Karna did not agree because a demon likes only the association of demons. Karna knows that Pandavas are his real brothers and that Draupadi is really related to him like a sister. Even then, Karna provoked Duryodhana to make her naked in the court and also to invite Draupadi to sit on his lap. Karna has only one good quality of charity, which was obtained by him from Sun during his association with the Sun for a long time.
God created this world for His entertainment, but always supported justice and condemned injustice. Some people blame that they are suffering in the creation created for God’s entertainment. This is completely wrong. A rich man started a college in order to engage himself in some work without keeping idle. But, he was running the college with perfect discipline and complete facilities. A student failed due to his negligence to studies and committed suicide. The father of the student files a case in the court that his son committed suicide since the rich man started the college to engage himself in some work. The court finds that the college is perfect in all angles and the suicide of the student is only due to his negligence to studies and dismisses the petition!
Past tradition is authority in doing good things provided the past tradition was followed by good people. Past tradition followed by bad people cannot be an authority. Sometimes, even good people may err and propagate a bad tradition. A better authority is Smruti or secondary scripture like the Dharma Shaastra, etc. Even this better authority may err since there is every possibility of insertions of selfish concepts by bad scholars. Further better authority or the so-called best authority is the Veda that is preserved through recitation from generation to generation avoiding the risk of insertion or deletion. In spite of all this, you are free to analyze even the Veda through sharp and deep logic so that the final authority is systematic sharp and deep logical analysis.
God Datta gives Kaivalyam in different style. Generally, the soul merging with God is treated as the final divine fruit called Kaivalyam. In this process, the soul disappears and further credit comes only to God and God does not like this because He is already bored with the credit in the upper worlds. ‘Datta’ means to give and not to take. He merges with the devotee in the final stage to give credit to the identity of the devotee for His work done through the devotee (Jiivan Mukta). He gives Kaivalyam to the devotee on passing the 3rd annual test. The 1st quarterly test is Brahma Parikshaa in which God keeps silent for the prayer of the devotee asking for money. After this test, 90% of the devotees run away. In the 2nd half-yearly test called Vishnu Parikshaa, God takes away your money instead of giving money. After this test, 90% of the remaining 10% also run away. In the 3rd annual-test called Rudra Parikshaa, God gives unbearable torture to the remaining one devotee. If this one devotee passes the test and still worships God, God Datta will merge in him giving the climax Kaivalyam. All these three tests together are called Datta Parikshaa or the test of God Datta before giving the final divine fruit.
An ordinary human being is not worried about God. A devotee may be worried about God but such worry is only related to the fulfillment of selfish desires only. The Sadguru or contemporary human incarnation looking like a climax devotee to God is totally different from any type of human being. When Jesus was crucified, two more persons were crucified by His right and left sides. The first victim told that if Jesus was God, He should save Himself and such victim is the human being of ordinary level. The next victim told that Jesus was God and prayed Jesus to provide a place for him in heaven. This victim is a devotee of God but worrying about selfish protection only. The central crucified Jesus is the Sadguru appearing as climax devotee to God. During the entire procedure of crucifixion, Jesus never begged anybody for His life and promised protection in the upper worlds to the victim, who prayed for the same. The wonderful divine nature of Jesus was His prayer to God to excuse the criminals, who tortured Him horribly!
When somebody harmed you, you must try to fight against him provided you are capable to fight. Sometimes, even if you are capable to fight, you cannot fight because it is a retort case. It means that you harmed him in the previous birth and hence, he harmed back as per the divine administration. Even if it is not a retort case and is a fresh case (it means your enemy harmed you freshly in this birth), there will be delay from the side of God because God gives some time to the criminal for change by reformation. Meanwhile, you are crying for the delay foolishly because by punishing the enemy, your loss is not compensated. Moreover, for your serious attitude of revenge, you will also be punished without compensation for the previous damage leading to double loss. If you leave everything to God and keep silent, God will compensate your loss. God Krishna decided to kill Kauravas for harming Draupadi as fresh case. Before their killing, Draupadi was roaring with revenge. Anyway, Kauravas were killed by God Krishna. For her revengeful attitude, her five sons were also killed. The wisest thing is to keep peaceful and pray God leaving everything to God.
You need not earn more money through sinful deeds and sacrifice it to God. If you have already earned sinful money in ignorance, you can sacrifice it to God and do not repeat the sins to earn in future. Even a little sinful money earned will link to the already earned justified money and drag away the whole money just like a railway engine linking to standing compartments will drag away all the compartments. The sinful money enjoyed by you and your future generations will destroy all of you.
Mere detachment from worldly bonds is not at all salvation and such detachment is useless and foolish. If you have tasted the divine nectar, your bond with coffee is spontaneously dropped and such detachment to coffee is the salvation from worldly bonds. If you are detached from coffee without tasting the divine nectar, such detachment is useless because you will return back to drink a bucket of coffee. Detachment from coffee is not a pre-requisite to achieve the divine nectar. Mind always has attachment to drink something and hence, you shall allow it to drink coffee if the divine nectar is not achieved. Hence, leaving coffee in the absence of divine nectar is foolishness and loss on both sides (neither you drink coffee nor the divine nectar). Hence, detachment from worldly bonds that happens due to attachment to God alone is salvation and not mere detachment from worldly bonds without attachment to God. You can attach to God by any method that suits to your psychology. You can also use all methods provided that suits to your psychology. For us, the result (whether you are attached to God or not) is important and not the method.
Sacrifice of money (Karma Phala Tyaaga) shall not be misunderstood to think that God can be purchased by money. In this line, poor people always got the victory and not rich people. As income increases, greediness also increases simultaneously and naturally the percentage of sacrifice is also diminished. If you have Rs. 100 only, you will donate that Rs. 100 very easily. But, if you earn Rs. 1000, you will donate Rs. 200 at the maximum! Even if you donate Rs. 900, it is not 100% sacrifice. When Adi Shankara went for begging, several people gave Him sufficient food and their donation was not 100%. But, when He went to a poor lady having nothing in her house, she searched the entire house and got a small fruit, which was donated by her to Him. Such sacrifice was 100%. Shankara was moved by her devotion and made the rain of golden fruits. Everybody was giving some meals to Him every day and He did not rain any gold for them because their sacrifice was not 100% even though their donated item was far far greater than the item donated by the poor lady.
When you sacrifice money to God Datta, Kaalabhairava will deposit it in the Datta Bank as a ‘fixed deposit’ that will be given to you with accumulated interest (the interest is infinite based on the need) when you are in need in this birth or in future births. No worldly bank can help the soul in the future birth like Datta Bank. But, this shall not be in your view while sacrificing money to God. You shall sacrifice based on your true love towards the divine personality of God without aspiring anything in return from God. In Issue devotion (parents showing love to their issues) and in Fan devotion (a fan showing true love on his fascinated hero even committing suicide on his death), sacrifice without any aspiration in return is perfectly seen. A grandfather bought and brought a biscuit packet and gave to his daughter-in-law asking her to keep it confidential. The mother gave a biscuit to her son. Now, the grandfather is begging his grandson for a bit of the biscuit. If the grandson knows that his grandfather brought that packet of biscuits, the grandson will give even a full biscuit due to gratefulness and gratefulness is not true love. Karma Yoga, the final stage in spiritual journey (after Jnaana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga) is sub-divided into sacrifice of physical energy (Karma Samnyaasa) and sacrifice of fruit of work or money (Karma Phala Tyaaga). In Karma Yoga, Karma Phala Tyaaga is considered to be the last effort and the Gita says that beyond this, it is only full stop. Sacrifice of fruit of work or matter or money is far far greater than Sacrifice of energy (Karma Samnyaasa) because very small matter is equal to very huge energy as per E=mc2. An employee spending energy (work) respects the employer paying matter or money and not the reverse!
The Gita clearly says that caste is by qualities and deeds and not by birth. In the Veda, Satyakaama Jaabaala (whose father was unknown) was decided as Brahmana since he told the truth. The conclusion here is that since he told the truth, he is Brahmana. The conclusion is not that since he is Brahmana, he told the truth. King Janashruti was Kshtriya, still, he was addressed as Shudra by Sage Raikva since he was worried (Shudra means worrying person). A pot maker, Romaharshana, was made the president of a big sacrifice by all sages respecting his excellent knowledge in the scriptures. Ravana was born Brahmana, but he was cursed worse than a chandaala due to his worst qualities and deeds. Brahmana priests wash the feet of Rama (Kshatriya) and Krishna (BC Yadava) and keep the photo of Shabari (ST caste) in their prayer rooms. All these are very prominent in this Kali age since Kali always wants quarrels in the people by splits based on caste, gender, religion, region, etc.
If you sincerely aim to serve God only, the maintenance expenses of yourself and your family come under the sacrificed amount to God. The reason is that you have to maintain yourself and maintain your family for your mental peace to do the service to God. Luxurious expenses are strictly prohibited. It is already told that the expenses for vices can be controlled for good health and diverted to God. By this way, you become equal to Saktuprastha and Sudaama, who sacrificed everything to God. But, you must be truthful and sincere before God without playing any game with Him. If He starts playing, our address will not be found! In some hidden nerve, something may be hidden, which you may not know, but, everything is known to God.
Intention related to awareness is the most important aspect since intention alone can bring reward or punishment because the action is inert. Sage Vyaasa generated children for the wives of his demised brother on the order of his mother without any ill intention for illegal sex. Gopikas kissed and hugged God Krishna with climax devotion that He is God and not due to hormonal lust. A father kisses and hugs his daughter with affection while a rowdy does the same with hormonal lust. The inert action is one and the same in both cases, but, only the latter is punished for his bad intention. Sage Narada explained this point very well in his Bhakti Suutras. Neither God Krishna nor the sages born as Gopikas have lust. If ordinary human beings stand on both sides, both would have gone to hell. Intention to kill is a more serious sin than the action of killing. Even the intention without action can get the fruit and the action without intention does not get the fruit. This is told by the Gita that a scholar will find action in the inaction and inaction in the action. Lack of sharp analysis makes subtle justice to appear as injustice.
A devotee shall not feel that he/she did not get expected result in service since such illusion happens due to the ignorance of the devotee. Service to God must always be done without any expectation of a result in return. If there is any expectation, it will be business devotion only. In Pravrutti or Nivrutti, the results of our past deeds appear and this shall not be forgotten at any time. Some feel that the caste of Brahmanas was favoured by God since the precious divine knowledge is given to them only by God. The malaria department gets the literature of precautions to prevent malaria. After getting it, the people in the department will study it and propagate it to the public. The department will not keep the literature with them only personally and get its benefits. If you blame the department for possessing the literature, it has no other way than to commit suicide for your climax foolishness! Similarly, the caste of Brahmanas is supposed to propagate divine knowledge in society and whoever practices it gets the benefit. Mere propagation will not give any benefit to anybody. The hatred induced by Kali in this age gives such meaningless conclusions and spoil the brains to fight with each other. There is no partiality to God in assigning the duties to various castes. Somebody has to be born from the face of God to propagate spiritual knowledge in the society and the random probability must be understood scientifically in such situation even if he is a fool. All the four castes are equal even though they are different in their professions. If the feet are cut, can the person stand at all? If Shudra is not producing food from agriculture, can the society stand at all? From the feet of God, the most sacred river Ganga is born and Shudras are her brothers. A Brahmana has to do a lot of worship to remove a sin, but one dip in the Ganga will remove all sins!
The Veda says that even the male souls are females and wives of God. Here, the word ‘Bhartaa’ (husband) means the maintainer (bibharti iti) and the word ‘Bhaaryaa’ (wife) means the maintained item. You should not bring wrong romantic sense here. Shri Paramahamsa wore saree and jewels as Gopika for one month in Brundaavanam. The aim of all this is only to crush one’s male ego that is frequently shown on females. Such ego hinders salvation.
Whether you are a scientist or non-scientist and whether you are talking with a scientist or a non-scientist, genuine miracles of God can’t be answered by anybody in this world, which establishes the existence of unimaginable omnipotent God, whether mediated or not. You see the recent miracle (YouTube videos are available) that is still running on in a very poor house, opposite to Sarasvati Vidya Mandir, Hindupuram, Satya Sai District, Andhra Pradesh, India. A very small statue of Shirdi Sai Baba is giving water continuously from the foot for the past two months. People took the statue in their hands after wiping the statue thoroughly with a cloth, but still the flow of water from the foot of Baba continued! Using all science and engineering technologies, let anybody answer this one miracle happening before the eyes of everybody. Believe in the existence of God and follow the divine path of Sadguru to be happy while living in this world and after reaching the upper worlds. If you become an intensive devotee of God, you will be very close to God immersed in infinite bliss forever.
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