Is the association with some divine personality necessary for the liberation of a soul?

(Shri G. Lakshman and Smt. Chhanda from Mumbai and Smt. Priyanka from Canada participated in this Satsanga along with some local devotees.)

Shri G Lakshman asked:- Paadanamaskaaram Swami. For the liberation of the soul, is the association with some divine personality necessary?

Swami replied:- For the liberation of a soul, three conditions are there as told by Shankara in His book called ‘Viveka Cuudaamani’, which are i) Human birth, ii) Intensive desire for liberation and iii) Associating with Sadguru or contemporary human incarnation (Manuṣyatvaṃ mumukṣutvam, mahā puruṣa saṃśrayaḥ). Out of these three, the liberating authority is God or Sadguru. Even though the order of release exists, a thief can be released from jail only when the jailer is present. Here, God is the authority to give the order of release like judge and God is also the authority to release the soul from worldly bonds like the jailer. Hence, nothing happens without Sadguru. The Advaita philosophers say that they themselves are released by their own effort, which is constant thinking that he/she is God. God Datta told in the Guru Gita that the grace of God is necessary for the soul not only for releasing itself from the worldly bonds (salvation or Moksha), but also for getting the fruit of Advaita (Īśvarānugrahādeva, puṃsāmadvaitavāsanā). This clearly means that without the grace of Sadguru or God, the soul cannot become God by its own effort. A soul can become God (incarnation) only when God wishes so to do some welfare work in the world through that specific human soul and merges with that soul.

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