Is it useful to remain completely away from worldly matters like Rishyasringa?

[An online spiritual discussion was conducted on December 26, 2020, in which several devotees participated. Some of the questions of devotees answered by Swāmi are given below.]

[Shri Bharath Krishna asked: Ṛṣyaśṛṅga lived a life in a remote forest, completely isolated from women and worldly life. He could completely focus on God alone and develop intense devotion. How can I live a life like Ṛṣyaśṛṅga? I might not get mokṣa in that birth. But in my next birth, I will definitely choose God over other worldly bonds when he tests my devotion, right? That way, would it not be useful to be away from all worldly matters like Ṛṣyaśṛṅga?]

Swāmi replied: Marriage is in no way connected to salvation or mokṣa. Salvation means the liberation from your worldly bonds when you have worldly bonds. Escaping from developing any worldly bonds and thinking that you have got salvation is a bogus salvation. It is just like saying that you never failed in the examination because you never wrote the examination! Having developed worldly bonds, when you are able to come out of those worldly bonds due to your attraction to God, it is the true liberation from the worldly bonds and is called salvation. Mere salvation without any attraction to God is not only foolishness, but is also a waste. Due to the attraction to God, the existing worldly bonds should naturally drop away, without any force. That is the real salvation. There should be a competition between your bond with God and your worldly bonds. In that game, the bond with God should win over the other worldly bonds. How can you use the word salvation or liberation unless there are worldly bonds that bind you? When you are not bound, where is the question of liberation?

As a soul, you must pass through the path stipulated by God for souls. You should not compare yourself with Śaṅkara or Ṛṣyaśṛṅga. Śaṅkara was the Incarnation of God Śiva. So, there was no question of salvation in His case. Even Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, got married to the daughter of King Daśaratha called Śānti. It was only in his childhood that he was brought up isolated from the rest of the world and women. But when youth came, he got married to Śānti. Sage Jaratkāru was advised by his departed ancestors to get married and produce children, otherwise, they would fall down into hell. Sage Jaratkāru got married and produced a son called Sage Āstīka, who became a very important sage. If you get married, you may produce a great son like Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja, Madhva or Vivekānanda. The duty of the soul is to get married and produce children, so that the human race is extended in the service of God. When God descends on earth as an Incarnation, there must be co-actors and plenty of audience to serve God by giving Him entertainment. Hence, it is the duty of every soul to get married and have children. As per the commandment of the Veda given to souls, every soul should get married and produce children (Prajātantum mā vyvatchetsīḥ…—Veda). Even God Hanumān, the purest celibate, got married to Suvarcalā, when His departed ancestors advised Him to get married and produce children. They warned Him that salvation is not possible unless one gets married. The meaning of this is that unless one is tied by a rope, where is the question of liberation from the bond? Mokṣa means the liberation from bonds. God has created this system of forming bonds and subsequently getting liberation from them. Getting bound is like entering the game and getting liberation is like winning the game.

Keywords:

| Shri Datta Swami | Is it useful to remain completely away from worldly matters like Rishyasringa? | Rishyashringa moksa moksha Shanti Jaratkaru Shankara Shiva Ramanuja Vivekananda Prajatantum ma vyvatchhetsih Suvarchala

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