24 Aug 2016
(Recently some ardent devotees of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba approached Swami expressing their pain about the criticism of Baba from Shri Swamiji (Shri Swarupananda ji), the head of Dvaarakaapeeth. Swami gave the following message to them).
Swami replied: I shall answer all the criticism of Shri Sai Baba that came from Shri Swamiji, the head of Shankara Peetha of Dvaaraka. I can’t tolerate this attack and this is the issue of prestige of My ancestral dynasty, the precious chain starting from Lord Dattatreya, whose human incarnations like Shri Padavallabha, Shri Narasimha Saraswati, Shri Maanikya Prabhu, Shri Akkalkot Maharaj, Shri Shirdi Sai Baba, Shri Satya Sai Baba etc., who are the diamonds.
Shri Swamiji differentiates Hinduism and Islam opposing the trials of Shri Sai Baba for the correlation of the two religions, which is totally unfair. Religion means the path of efforts to please the God having a specific name and form particularly concerned to a specific religion. The philosophy of any religion is the analysis of the details of its specific path and details of its specific form of God. There are several religions like Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism etc. If you take Islam religion, the specific representation of God is Allah and its philosophy is about the formless aspect of God, opposes the concept of human incarnation etc. Its language is called Urdu and Muslim habits about dress, food etc., are called as Islam culture. Religion is concerned to the spiritual aspect whereas culture is concerned about external aspect. The cultures can’t be one, but the religions are always one because God in all the forms is one only and the essence of the paths of the religions is only the effort to please God. We mistake culture for religion and get divided within us.
Just like you have different religions in this world, you had different sub-religions (Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shakteyism etc.,) in the religion called as Hinduism. Thus, Hinduism is a micro world or a reflection of the macro world (Universe) in small scale. Adi Shankara proved that all the sub-religions in Hinduism are one and the same. He broke the walls between the rooms (sub-religions) and made the house (Hinduism) as one hall. The same work was done by Prophet Mohammad in Islam by uniting hundreds of sub-religions existing before Islam and made Islam as one single hall. Shri Sai Baba broke the wall between these two halls and made a big hall. What is the difference between Shri Shankara, Prophet Mohammad and Shri Sai Baba? Shri Swamiji is a follower of Adi Shankara! This is the greatest tragedy!!
Shri Satya Sai Baba united Hinduism and Christianity in similar way. The dress of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba is Islamic whereas the dress of Shri Satya Sai Baba (long gown) is of Christianity. Shri Swami Vivekananda united all world religions as one biggest hall. His preacher, Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa became the follower of each religion for some time and finally declared that He experienced oneness in all the religions. If Shri Swamiji criticized Shri Shirdi Sai Baba, he simultaneously criticized Adi Shankara, his founder preacher also. Shri Shankara brought union between Shaivism (having horizontal marks on forehead using Rudraaksha garlands) and Vaishnavism (having vertical marks on forehead using Tulasi garlands) with different cultures. Here the difference in the external cultures couldn’t stop the union of the two sub-religions. Applying the same, how the difference in the external cultures of Hinduism and Islam can stop the union of Hinduism and Islam religions? The union of Shaivism with Vaishnavism is called as Smaarta-sub-religion, the founder of which is Shankara and Shri Swamiji naturally belongs to this unified religious path (Smaarta)! The follower of Smaarta worships all festivals of Shiva and Vishnu, worshipping both Shiva and Vishnu as one God. Following the same logic followed by Shankara in uniting all sub-religions in Hinduism, we can extend it to all religions of the world and unite Jehovah of Christianity and Allah of Islam to the united single God of Shiva and Vishnu. If you oppose one type of logic in one place, you must not support that same logic in another place. If you do so, it is your self-contradiction.
Shri Swamiji criticizes Shri Shirdi Sai Baba as a Muslim. He was in the dress of Muslim and stayed in old masjid (since He was not allowed into temple), but, proved Himself as the greatest Hindu. He was prepared to sit on the lower step in rain refusing to move to the upper step on which the statue of God Hanuman existed! In such situation, any one of our Hindus will certainly jump to the higher step to sit along with the statue!! Once, a Muslim blessed by Baba with child came to Baba with sweets. Baba told him to go to the temple of Hanuman and distribute sweets there saying “once Hanuman and Allah were boxing with each other and Allah was defeated”. He was constantly chanting that Allah is the master (Allah Malik) and such saying is only to remove ignorant-conservative view of one’s own religion!
All religions appear to be different due to their externally observed cultures. But, God and path to please God (both these together are called as religion) are one and the same in all religions. The different paths ending in the same centre are taken as the simile for different religions. Here, this simile is applied since religion is mistaken as external culture. If the religion is taken as the path and goal together, there can’t be any difference between religions since goals or paths of all religions are one and the same. God Shiva is said to be the deity of knowledge (Jnaanam Maheshwaraat...), and both Shankara and Shri Sai Baba are the two incarnations of Lord Shiva came for scholars (as Shankara) and for common people (as Shri Sai Baba).
Actually, the original God is unimaginable, but, the three divine preachers took God as awareness. Actually, God is said to be unimaginable mediated in awareness. Whether God is unimaginable or the awareness, the factors of external culture like name, form, language of scripture, external living habits etc., can’t touch the actual unimaginable God even as per the philosophy of Shankara (name and form are myth— Shankara).
Shri Swami Vivekananda tried His level best to unite all regions of world. This Swami (Shri Datta Swami) feels that such union can be brought only by deep analysis coming from the faculty of intelligence in brain and not by emotion of mind coming from heart. Now, only brains exist and hearts have disappeared long back! If the logic of intelligence, the highest faculty in human body, gets convinced, no need to convince anyone more in this world! Union of all religions (Sarvamata Samanvaya) is achieved by the following logical argument projected by Shri Datta Swami:
India, the place of Hindu religion, was invented in 1700 AD and till then there was no connection between India and other countries. Till then, neither preaching of Krishna went out nor preaching of Jesus entered in. Each religion says that the disbeliever of their specific God (Krishna or Jesus) will go to hell! Our ancestors before 1700 AD went to hell as per Christianity and ancestors of outer countries before 1700 AD went to hell as per Hinduism! Each religion says that their God is the creator of this one earth and this one entire humanity. This becomes impossible if Gods and religions are different. Essentially one God or essentially one religion exists. That one God alone created this one earth and this one humanity. If one specific God of one specific religion alone exists, such God gave gospel in a specific region without spreading it immediately all over the world, some generations of outer country missed the opportunity of gospel and went to hell for their no fault! This is extreme partiality of God! This blame will not appear in our concept of oneness of all religions.
Our concept is: From the beginning of this creation, the one God, who created this one earth and this one humanity on this one earth, came in different forms with different names till now and gave the same subject of one gospel in different languages. Since subject of all gospels is one and the same, there is no danger of any generation of any region missing this gospel of other region on this earth. One, who follows the subject of gospel of his religion in his region, he/she followed all gospels of all religions in all regions. The follower, anywhere, at any time, goes to God and the disbeliever goes to hell. There is no possibility of partiality of God to any religion of any region.
Shri Swamiji says that Sai Baba is not God since He was a non-vegetarian. If so Shri Rama was also non-vegetarian as per the proof from Valmiki Ramayanam. It is 8th wonder of the world that Shri Swamiji says Shri Rama as God and simultaneously denies Shri Sai Baba as God! I agree that non-vegetarian food is a sin since it provokes killing of innocent living beings. Actually, Shri Sai Baba only distributed non-vegetarian food to non-vegetarians and never ate the non-vegetarian food. He was always claiming as Hindu Brahmin showing ears with holes as proof for the thread marriage happened. Shri Satya Sai Baba also told in message of one Guru Purnima that Shri Shirdi Sai Baba was born in Brahmin family-Bharadwaja Gotram. He told that Lord Shiva and Shakti gave boon to sage Bharadwaja that both of them will be born in His Gotram for three times. Lord Shiva was born as Shri Shirdi Sai Baba. Shiva and Shakti were born as Shri Satya Sai Baba. Shakti will be born as Prema Sai Baba in Karnataka in future. Both these points mutually support with each other.
God comes as human incarnation to rectify all points of humanity. In one coming, He neglects some points stressing on other points. In the subsequent visit, the neglected points are stressed again. All points should not be stressed each time by which human psychology refuses rectification of any point! The human incarnation also follows the neglected points to become friendly with human beings. A person has to jump into mud pond to lift the fallen and the person is also painted by mud. When a person wishes to stop the running strong bull, he catches its neck-rope first, runs along with it for some distance and then only stops it. Similarly, God in human form follows the culture for some time along with the human beings and then only analyses the background to expose the truth. Do you think that Shri Rama, who wept seeing the wounded bird (Jataayu) and Jesus, who pressed the lamb on His heart, are fond of killing living beings for food?
Shri Swamiji says that Baba killed a goat! Nowhere in His life history, such incident was reported. Of course, I don’t know whether Shri Swamiji has taken series of CDs of the entire life of Sai Baba, in which, what he reported might have existed!! The actual incident happened is that Baba asked a devotee, who was a traditional Hindu Brahman, to kill a goat on the day of pious Ekaadashi. The devotee became ready! Baba stopped him and told that He will kill the goat (perhaps Shri Swamiji misunderstood this sentence). The goat, immediately fell down by itself (for God’s sake don’t misinterpret this that Baba killed it and hence it fell down!) and died. This shows the omniscience of Baba. Actually, Baba tested the devotee about his total surrender to Him, in which, devotee votes for God against even justice (sarvadharmaan... Gita).
Shri Swamiji criticizes that Baba has no Guruparamparaa like that of Shankara as Narayana-Shankaraachaarya-Chandrasekhara Saraswati. Similarly, Baba has Guruparamparaa: Lord Venkateshwara-Venkusaa Avadhuta-Baba. Baba was keeping very carefully the brick given by His Guru-Venkusaa throughout His life.
Shri Swamiji says that the devotees of Baba should not take bath in pious Ganga river. I feel that he is correct in this point at least. His reason must have been: since the devotees of Baba are very pure and since the water of Ganga is very impure (highest pollution reported), a pure item should not be dipped in impure water!
Shri Swamiji says that Baba’s preaching has no mention of the Vedic authority. Fantastic! Even Shri Krishna didn’t quote the Vedic authority anywhere in the Gita to prove that what He said has sanction from the Veda. Does this mean that Shri Swamiji is saying that the Gita is also not valid! Even Shankara wrote certain poems in which the Vedic authority was not given while introducing concepts. All those verses of Shankara are invalid! Shankara quoted the Veda in commentaries since scholars have the nature of getting convinced on seeing the authority from the Veda only. Shankara fulfilled this inevitable requirement. When God says something, it is as good as the Veda since the Veda was composed by Him only. His statement (Veda) can’t be authority for His own statement given elsewhere (as preaching). The Veda means knowledge and not merely a specific statement. If the same concept is in the Veda, the Veda is quoted, even though that specific the Vedic statement is not quoted. A scholar quotes the Veda and gives its misinterpretation. Do you accept that misinterpretation since the Vedic statement is quoted as it is? The preaching of any human incarnation can be found in the Veda or in any scripture of other religion also since every human incarnation is God, who is the author of the scriptures of all religions. Scholars being human beings, being other than God, have to quote the Veda to support their concept since authority is always from outside and never from one’s own self.
Shri Swamiji says that the Bhagavatam mentions only 22 incarnations and Baba is not in the list. O God! What is the time of composition of the Bhagavatam and what is the time of life of Baba! How the name of Baba can come in the Bhagavatam, which was written long ago? Is there the name of Shankara in that list, whom you worship as incarnation of God Shiva! Shankara was also born later than the Bhagavatam like Baba. I fear, you may even say that Shankara is not incarnation!! Shankara is incarnation from the authority of the Veda, about which only, you are shouting all this time! The Veda says that Lord Shiva is in the form of shaved headed (vyuptakeshaaya...), which means that Shiva was saint Shankara (saint shaves head). The Veda is more authoritative than the Bhagavatam (Shrutireva gariiyasii).
My dear innocent Swamiji! you quote Bhagavatam for the number of incarnations of God. Did you not see the next verse in the same Bhagavatam that incarnations of God are infinite in number (Avataaraa hyasamkhyeyaah...). Some important incarnations of God, which came up to that time of composing the Bhagavatam were only mentioned as 22. Fearing for the incarnations like you, the Bhagavatam says the next verse also!
Shri Swamiji says that the idol of Baba in His temple is not fit for worship since the idols of God in other temples are initiated with life (ritual called Praanapratishthaa). Eureka! The statues in the other temples initiated with life are moving and talking, whereas the statue of Baba is inert since this ritual was not done to it! Life initiation is not bringing even a trace of life into any statue so that it is not moving even half inch! You say that the name of Baba is not in the Vedic hymn of the ritual. Then, since names of other Gods are mentioned in the Vedic hymn and the ritual is meaningful as per your version, life must appear in those statues! But, life is not appearing in those statues as well as in these statues of Baba and so the point is uniform in all cases. In such case, criticism has no place at all due to equality of concept (inert nature) in all statues irrespective of ritual. Even in the statues of Shankara established in your asylums (maths) through this ritual, same common point of inert nature in statue exists. Is there any hymn in the Veda mentioning the name of Shankaraachaarya, who is the latest person like Baba? In fact, no Vedic hymn mentions the name of any deity in this ritual since only initiation of life is mentioned without any name (iha praanah...).
My most beloved Swamiji also says that three requirements must exist in the ritual of life-initiation: 1) Truth (Satyam) 2) Awareness (chetanaa) and 3) deservingness (yogyataa). Swamiji says that the Veda is the final authority, if I remember correctly. Can Swamiji give the Vedic quotation in support of this concept? Please. You must understand the actual intention of this ritual. If life enters the inert statue, it becomes alive human body (since most of divine statues are in human form only). This does not mean that the inert statue becomes alive human body by the ritual performed by just a human priest! The ritual does not introduce life into inert statue. It only says that this inert statue associated with life (by will of God and not by ritual) becomes the human body, which alone is the perfect medium for the entry of the God to become human incarnation for the sake of preaching the humanity (Maanushiim tanu maashritam... Gita). The Veda says that God will never enter inert statue (Natasya pratimaa...). Of course, inert statue can be worshipped by beginners as representation of God (Pratimaa hyalpa buddhiinaam...). The three words of Shri Swamiji can be interpreted in the following way to appreciate him at least in one point. If the inert statue (inert human body) becomes really (truth) alive human body by the will of God (not by ritual), such alive (awareness) human body only deserves (deservingness) to become human incarnation. Victory to Shri Swamiji for giving a good concept!
You should not argue that God entered even the inert pillar while killing demon Hiranyakashipu. If it is so, did the pillar became alive, moved and killed the demon? God entered into alive body of Narasimha (specially created for specific requirement to kill the demon) and came out of the inert pillar to kill the demon. He entered the pillar and also all the objects since Prahlada told that He is everywhere. Hence, this example is not going to affect our concept in anyway.
Shri Swamiji has gone to such high level to say that Datta is only a sage born to sage Atri and incarnation of Datta can’t be God. This is the climax of innocence! You take the Bhagavatam as authority in deciding the incarnations of God. Same Bhagavatam says that Atri and Anasuya did lot of penance on Ruksha Mountain for the clarification of a serious Vedic doubt. The Veda says that the only Brahman is creator, ruler and destroyer of the world (yato vaa imaani...). But, Brahma as creator, Vishnu as ruler and Shiva as destroyer of this world are existing separately. This brings contradiction to the Vedic definition of God (Brahman). Then, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva appeared to whom Atri posed his doubt. All the three were united as one form with three heads fulfilling the Vedic definition. Later on, the couple got three sons: Brahma as Chandra, Vishnu as Datta and Shiva as Durvaasa. Both Chandra and Durvaasa gave their divine essence to Datta and from then Datta is one only appearing with three divine powers. This is one appearing as three forms and the union of three forms to become original one again. This is not simply the history of a sage. You are underestimating the sage. Sage is the highest spiritual soul in the entire humanity. Hence, the absolute highest God selected sage, the highest soul for His human incarnation as Lord Dattatreya. Is this appearing to you as history of sage and not as the highest spiritual knowledge of highest God?
Shri Baba appeared as Lord Dattatreya to devotees. Shri Satya Sai Baba also appeared as God Dattatreya when a photo was taken. Lord Dattatreya is very famous in doing miracles to answer atheists. Had human incarnations of God Datta like Sai Baba been absent, by this time, almost all human beings must have become atheists and Shri Swamiji will not find even a place to stand. Thus, Swamiji is cutting the branch of tree on which he is sitting.
My dear Swamiji! If you turn over pages of history of Hinduism itself in this country, you can find mutual killings of devotees of Shaivism and Vaishnavism. It is the total credit of Shankara, whose correlation between all the sub-religions of Hinduism established that the same one God appears in different forms with different names in different religions. Similarly, the credit of unification of religions of world goes to the first personality called as Shri Shirdi Sai Baba. Later on, the credit goes to Swami Vivekananda, Shri Satya Sai Baba etc. The inter religious conflicts are provoked by people like you, which turn to be wild flames of fire of final dissolution of humanity in the name of terrorism etc., as we hear blasts of bombs and firing of guns on innocent human beings. God comes in various human forms to arrest this and bring unity in the humanity for the peaceful balance of the world. Shri Shankara was really the first incarnation of God, who came for this purpose in Hinduism. A Kaapaalika tried to kill Shankara for doing such wonderful work by performing black magic causing ‘Bhagandara’ disease! If one helps such divine programme of God, such person shall be blessed by God. If one opposes this program, such soul will fall in the liquid fire of the hell forever.
{Shri Swami told that those devotees propagating this message by E-mails or even hard copies (if necessary translating in to mother tongue), such souls shall receive the divine blessings of Lord Dattatreya through Shri Shirdi Sai Baba}
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