19 Mar 2025
O Learned and Devoted Servants of God
1. Can we say that by crossing Dharma, Artha, Kaama, one gets liberation?
[Shri Ramakanth asked: Paada Namskaram Swami 🙏 I have the below questions. Kindly help me in eradicating my ignorance. 🙏 At Your divine lotus feet 🙏 In the Purushaarthas, is purusha just a reference for male gender? You said that the Lord alone is Purusha and the last birth will be a female birth before getting salvation like in the case of Gopikas. In that case, can we say that by crossing Dharma, Artha, Kaama, we get Moksha? What is Purushaa here?]
Swami replied:- Dharma, Artha and Kaama are related to the world. How can you get salvation from worldly bonds with the help of worldly items? You can cross the worldly bonds only with the help of God, who is beyond the world. If you develop the strongest devotion to God, you can get complete liberation from all the worldly bonds.
2. How do we correlate the following statements?
[You said that God doesn't answer through awareness and You also said in an example that great ideas like analysis of Newton when apple fell on his head come by the grace of Lord only. How do we correlate them?]
Swami replied:- Awareness is not required for God to think or to answer somebody. The unimaginable God can think and answer anybody through His omnipotence. Why should you worry whether He answers through awareness or omnipotence? Answer is given. That’s all.
3. When a mantra does not yield the desired result, it is attributed to errors in the procedure. Is this correct?
[We have previously discussed that mere words alone lack inherent power. When a mantra does not yield the desired result, it is often attributed to errors in the procedure or the practitioner's approach. Is this assessment accurate? A Tonoscope (a device that visualizes sound vibrations as geometric patterns) produces a Sri Chakra pattern when the sound "OM" is input into it. Using this phenomenon as evidence, some argue that words themselves hold a specific power and play a distinct role. Please clarify the concept Swami.]
Swami replied:- You study the Tonoscope again deeply with the help of an expert. Sound is a form of inert energy and this is known even to a child studying in school. I don’t understand that how the further studies in science bring a person to the level below the school student! Without standardizing the equipment in a desired pattern, how can the new results be produced? Even a new born baby will laugh at your concept! Mantra means the attraction of the mind towards God, who is beyond science. God can produce any miraculous results in accordance to your concept, but not the bloody inert sound.
4. Do the subsequent verses emphasize the role of water as the source of fire, air, moon, stars, seasons etc.?
[Do the subsequent verses along with "Yō'pām āyutānām veda, āyutānāvān bhavati" emphasize the role of water as the source of fire, air, moon, stars, clouds, and the seasons in sustaining life? If yes how? Why is it said that he who understands water as the source of these elements gets longevity and becomes established in himself?]
Swami replied:- The Veda says that solid state is generated from water (Adbhyaḥ pruthivī). In gaseous state, the atoms or molecules are very far from each other. In liquid state, this gap is reduced and in solid state, the gap is more reduced. The strength of bonds between atoms or molecules increase as we move from gaseous state to liquid state to solid state. Hence, from water (liquid), earth (solid) is developed. Here, the source of water is referred, which must be fire as per the Veda (Agnerāpaḥ). But, in the referred Vedic Hymn, the source of water is referred to God. Though it appears that water came from fire and water generated solid state, the cause for fire, for water, for earth is God only. For every created item, there is a nominal cause like fire for water, water for earth etc, but, the real cause is the Creator of this creation, which is God only. If you know such God and become devotee of such God, you will have a stable place (home) on this earth. This is the concluding meaning.
5. What is the real nature of space?
[Swami, You can elaborate the excellent explanation regarding what is the real nature of space. I understood that space is subtle inert energy but not nothing. Can we say that nothing never exists? Even before the creation God existed so it was not nothing.]
Swami replied:- Nothing can never exist. We name the unseen subtle item as nothing. We say that the space before our eyes is nothing. But, the space before our eyes is filled with so many particles of matter and particles of energy. This is called as ‘Anupalabdhi Pramaana’ in Indian logic. Even vacuum is very very subtle energy only acting as medium for the travelling electromagnetic radiations.
6. Can we say that Hiranyagarbha = Prajñānaghanaḥ?
[Questions from Datta Guru Bhagavad Gita: DGBG-2.55 – “The soul is a part of My creation, which is awareness and awareness is a specific form of energy only created by Me. The world is unreal in My view of absolute plane and hence, the soul is also unreal being a part of the world. Unreal (world) is unreal for reality (God). Unreal (world) is real for unreal (soul) being part of the unreal (world).”]
Swami replied:- Prajnānaghanah means the personification of spiritual knowledge. God in unimaginable state is associated with the complete spiritual knowledge and looks like as if the spiritual knowledge is personified. Spiritual knowledge is not the inherent characteristic of unimaginable God. It is only a permanently associated characteristic and is assumed as an inherent characteristic just like the yellow thread, which is always present on the neck of a married lady. She will not remove the yellow thread, but, it does not mean that she cannot remove it. This is an associated characteristic assumed to be inherent characteristic. Her inherent characteristic is the colour of her body, which cannot be removed by her. Hiranyagarbha is God Datta and God Datta is the same unimaginable God.
7. What is real (Unimaginable God) to unreal (souls)? Is it real or unreal? (Sadasat Chaham)
[DGBG-2.46 – “A small article is seen as big through magnifying lens. Ishwara (Myself with energetic body) is viewed as this huge world through My unimaginable power called as Maayaa (bimba pratibimba vāda). Hence, this creation is also called as Kaarya Brahma or God appearing as product. Ishwara is called as Kaarana Brahma or God as cause since there is no difference between unimaginable God (Parabrahma or Kaarana Brahma) and Ishwara due to complete merge.”]
Swami replied:- Real God is real to the soul, which has become real due to the gifted reality of God. Atheistic souls treat real God as unreal due to wrong intelligence. The rest of the world is also real because the world is gifted with the reality of God. If you take another angle in which the world is inherently unreal, the unreal world is real to the inherently unreal soul because soul is a tiny part of the world only.
8. Which among this is true:-
[i) Kaarya Brahma - Creation (Universe)
Kaarana Brahma - a) Creator (Mediated God - God Datta created the creation)
b) Creator (Unimaginable God)
ii) Kaarya Brahma - Creation (Mediated God); Kaarana Brahma - Creator (Unimaginable God)]
Swami replied:- Kaarana Brahma is the unimaginable God. Kaarya Brahma is the creation. Unmediated God and mediated God are one and the same except the difference that the mediated God has medium and the unmediated God is without medium. The mediated God is called as Kaarana Brahma from the view of the inner Kaarana Brahma. The same mediated God from the view of the medium is also called as Kaarya Brahma. The unimaginable God and mediated God are one and the same and hence, is the creator.
9. Can we tell that Kaarya Brahma dissolves in Kaarana Brahma?
Swami replied:- There is no dissolution of Kaarya Brahma in Kaarana Brahma even though the medium of Kaarya Brahma is created by Kaarana Brahma. The medium is created by Kaarana Brahma with which the Kaarana Brahma merged to become Kaarya Brahma, which is nothing but mediated Kaarana Brahma.
10. Can we not say that just like the entire creation is sent into subtle state, the mediated God also goes into the source Unimaginable God?
[Why should we not say that just like how the entire creation is sent into the most subtle state, the mediated God also resolves back into the source Unimaginable God, to take Yoga Nidra post final dissolution?
DGBG - 2.49 – “The dissolution of the energetic body along with the space never takes place so that You can’t imagine the presence of unimaginable God alone in the absolute plane. This means that the situation before this creation will be never attained. But, even this can happen so that the unimaginable God alone can directly maintain the creation in subtle state. Even the creation can disappear so that unimaginable God is leftover alone, who can create this world again as it is. All these possibilities are possible with unimaginable God. No possibility can be ruled out due to omnipotence of God. In all these possibilities, the unimaginable nature of God alone is the basic reason. Selection of a possibility depends on the will of God. But, the eternality of Lord is most proper (Uchita), which selects the first possibility.”]
Swami replied:- If you take the medium of Kaarana Brahma as Kaarya Brahma, since Kaarya Brahma is in union with Kaarana Brahma, such union can be treated as Yoga. Nidra means withdrawal from the creation-activity and in this sense, you can say that the mediated God is in Yoga Nidra.
11. What does absolute plane mean?
[What does absolute plane mean? If the situation of existence of unimaginable God alone will never happen post the creation of creation, multiplicity exists in the absolute plane due to the existence of the mediated God (Lord Datta, Trinity Forms, Divine Mother, etc). How can we call it absolute anymore? Who all remain post final dissolution?]
Swami replied:- The absolute plane means the existence of unimaginable God alone before creation. After dissolution of creation, not only God Datta exists, but also the world exists in subtle state. Such state can also be called as absolute plane through assumption. The absolute existence is the meaning of absolute plane.
12. Can You please explain the states of Unimaginable God?
[1) Dream state: 1A. Yoga Nidra where unimaginable God takes rest
1B. In trinity forms while One form is active, the other two forms are in rest (Creation, Ruling, Destruction). Can we call this a dream?
1C. Can we also say Lord is never bound by the dream as He never sleeps in real sense?
2) Daydream: His imagination that which is inherently unreal is given His reality which is gifted reality for Him to experience and He becomes a part of His daydream to entertain Himself. Is this correct?
3) Awaken state: Can we tell that this state is nothing but the Daydream state with respect to Him as daydream and being awake need not be separate states to Him? ]
Swami replied:-
1a) Yoga Nidra is not real sleep, but sleep with full awareness. The word ‘sleep’ has no real meaning in the case of unimaginable God. Yoga Nidra applies to the mediated God only.
1b) God Datta Himself while doing creation is called Brahma, while doing maintenance is called Vishnu and while doing dissolution is called Shiva.
1c) Correct.
13. If God doesn't have a state of dream, then can we say that God doesn't dream in Yoga Nidra?
Swami replied:- Yoga Nidra is not sleep at all in real sense. How can there be a dream without real sleep?
14. Why does God take Yoga Nidra only post the final dissolution?
[Why does God take Yoga Nidra only post the final dissolution. He can totally detach Himself from the creation and simultaneously maintain the creation due to His unimaginable nature. Is this wrong?]
Swami replied:- Yoga Nidra is the word used by us only and it is not sleep at all in real sense. Hence, your question is out of place.
15. Can we call unimaginable God as unimaginable awareness?
[Can we call unimaginable God as unimaginable awareness? He doesn't need awareness (material nervous system generated) to think. Hence, It is unimaginable. That Unimaginable awareness (by will or unimaginable awareness) created space or energy (which came from that unimaginable awareness) and that Unimaginable awareness exists as energy in incarnations (as unimaginable awareness) which can manifest its nature (miracles). Hence, can we call unimaginable God as unimaginable awareness?]
Swami replied:- When you use the word ‘unimaginable awareness’, the meaning of this word is that thinking is not done by awareness, but, is done by the unimaginable omnipotence. By ‘thinking’, we generally think that thinking needs the awareness that is generated by inert energy and nervous system. Before creation, there is neither inert energy nor nervous system in God to generate awareness. Hence, God thinks using His unimaginable omnipotence and not using the imaginable awareness. Therefore, we can call the unimaginable God as unimaginable awareness just like we call a human being as imaginable awareness (in fact, individual soul is called as imaginable awareness, which is generated from the inert energy in the functioning nervous system).
16. What is Paramavyoma?
[a) Space occupied by mediated God (energetic incarnations having subtle space)
b) Space occupied by mediated God (human incarnations having gross body hence gross space)
c) God's abode like Satya Loka, Brahma Loka, etc.
d) Space created before creation just for Himself where He alone exists.
In all these cases, He (Paramaatma) is occupying space. Space in Him or around Him.]
Swami replied:- a) Space occupied by the first energetic incarnation is Parama Vyoma. This space is the first space created by unmediated unimaginable God. The first energetic incarnation created further space and other incarnations of God occupy this further space. First space (Parama Vyoma) was occupied by the first created energetic being called Datta, who became God Datta after the merge of the unimaginable God with Datta. The other incarnations resulted when God Datta merged with the media (energetic or human) created by Him. The original God is unmediated unimaginable God, who does not require any space since such God is beyond space. Such God created Parama Vyoma or permanent space in which He also created the first energetic being called Datta. He merged with Datta to make Datta as God Datta. Indirectly, this means that God created Parama Vyoma for His self-occupation since He wants to become mediated God. For creating a medium, space is required and God Himself does not require space because God is beyond space.
17. Is the reality of the unimaginable God the same as the reality of souls?
[Is the reality of the unimaginable God the same as the reality of souls? He gifted His reality to us. So does God experience the same reality as us? If yes, why are we stuck with unreal human bonds?]
Swami replied:- As far as existence is concerned, reality is one and the same. I have already told that souls (part of world) have the same absolute reality of God since world is gifted with the absolute reality of God. God has no change, but, world changes. The existence of unchangeable God is inherently real and the existence of changeable world is not inherently real. In such world, the soul is special since it also does not change almost like God. This means that the soul is not really God without change since if God wishes, the soul will change. Souls are also created by God just like the rest of the world. The soul is a part of Prakruti (world) and is called Paraaprakruti. The soul is the best part (Paraa) of Prakruti or world because the soul does not change like the other parts of the world. But, this does not mean that the soul is inherently unchangeable because the soul can be changed by God. When some souls existed with Prajaapati, God Krishna created the same souls in Brundavanam at the same time. If a soul is like God, it cannot be re-created.
18. If stable state is attained, can we say that we have crossed Maayaa?
[Place and circumstances can be called as events characterized by space and time. So, if we attain this stable state, can we say that we have crossed Maayaa?]
Swami replied:- Stable state of mind with complete spiritual knowledge can cross Maayaa since Maayaa means crossing the ignorance that covers the soul. But, any soul cannot cross Mahaa Maayaa, the power of creation of God. Actually, Maayaa is called as Avidyaa and Mahaa Maayaa is called Maayaa. Maayii, the possessor of Maayaa is God (Māyinaṃ tu… - Gita). The soul can cross Avidyaa, which is like the illusion of serpent on rope. But, the soul can never cross the illusion of matter, space and awareness on inert energy created by God. Muula Maayaa is the illusion of space (subtle energy) created on God by Himself. This means:- We see the items of matter like chair, door etc., as very different from air or water. But, science has proved that matter is just a condensed form of energy only (E=mc2). Although every item of this creation is only a form of inert energy, we can never cross the illusion of matter, space and awareness to see the basic inert energy since it is the illusion created by God (Mahaa Maayaa). Seeing a rope as serpent is the illusion created by self (Maayaa or Avidyaa) and hence, one can cross it with effort. Since a soul being a part of creation cannot exist without space, crossing the illusion of space (Muula Maayaa) is impossible for the soul.
19. How did Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi tell that I don't feel pain since I am different from the body?
[How did Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi tell that I don't feel pain since I (Atman) am different from the body? Should we consider this as a miracle and not generalize this as a possibility for souls through self-enquiry or practice? If not, how do we interpret this?]
Swami replied:- The external physical body is superimposed on the internal soul or awareness and stands as the meaning for the word ‘I’ . This is called as Adhyaasa (superimposition) resulting in Dehaatma Bhraanti (illusion resulting in thinking the body as soul). This is strongly preached by Shankara. But, to cross such superimposition, God’s grace is needed. Shri Ramana Maharshi has that grace of God. In fact, He is the human incarnation of God Subrahmanya. For you and Me, it is not possible since we are souls embedded in physical body without the grace of God!
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