04 Feb 2025
[Prof. J.S.R. Prasad asked:- Sāṣṭāṅga namaskāram Swami. It is said that if one worships God Datta, such a soul will be separated from its worldly bonds (Dattaṃ chinnam). Due to this, devotees were threatened to drive them away from God Datta and this is happening from a long time. What is Your interpretation for such statement about God Datta? --At Your divine holy lotus feet]
Swami replied:- At the time of death, the soul is permanently separated from its specified worldly bonds forever. In the next birth, neither the same two souls are bonded nor the same bond continues between the two souls. This means that both the souls are forever separated and the bond between both the souls is also destroyed forever after the death and the specified bond. If the attachment of the soul to the worldly bonds is very much, the agony at the time of death is also very much proportionally related. When the soul becomes a devotee of God Datta, God Datta wants to avoid this death agony to His devoted soul. For this purpose, the fascination to worldly bonds must be reduced as far as possible so that at the time of death, the death agony is proportionally reduced or even may be completely eliminated. Hence, God Datta separates His devoted soul from its worldly bonds as far as possible so that His devoted soul can escape the death agony caused due to fascination to its worldly bonds. It is a practical truth that any soul should be separated from all its worldly bonds forever in the future births. Based on this practical truth, God Datta is taking care of the devotee to avoid its death agony. This is the meaning of the above statement (Dattaṃ Chinnam). This point is mentioned in the Gita (sthitvāsyām antakāle'pi).
People misunderstand God Datta, Who is trying to do the best for His devoted soul. Help is misunderstood as harm! One shall not misunderstand that God Datta is jealous of these beautiful worldly bonds. Such blame can be correct provided these beautiful worldly bonds are eternal with the soul. When the non-eternality of the worldly bonds is inevitable and practically observed truth, is it not foolish to blame God Datta, Who is trying to help His devoted soul from the future danger of death agony? There is no trace of negativity in the intention of God Datta because it is totally positive proving the real love of God Datta to His devotees. The total strength of this concept stands in the point that the separation of soul from its worldly bonds is inevitable on any day (Tasmādaparihārye'rthe... – Gita) at any time. The bond between God and a specific devotee is always permanent continuing in all the future births. The same brotherly bond between Rama and Lakshmana continued in the next birth also between Krishna and Balarama. Sage Ashtavakra said to King Janaka that bonds between the cinema actors will change from one birth to the other as the cinema changes. But, the bond between the producer cum director and the actors (employer-employee relationship) continues for all births (for all cinemas) while the role-bonds between actors will be changing. Once a soul becomes devotee to God Datta, is it not the justified responsibility of God to protect the devotee from future terrible agony? Elders advise the devotees not to worship God Datta because perhaps they want every soul to suffer with terrible death-agony as they are going to suffer with the same!
The relativity of the world is that any event can be defined by space and time, which are not absolutely real. One can be said to be the real disciple of God Datta digesting the philosophy of God Datta, provided the soul does not change with the change of place, time and surrounding events or circumstances. If this stability is developed, one will understand fully the preaching of God Datta. The soul shall remain constant in its peace, courage, detachment and its infinite bliss obtained by the grace of God Datta. Unless this unshakeable state is attained by the disciple, the soul cannot claim to be a devotee of God Datta. The Gita says that the soul shall stand firm without any disturbance while surrounding circumstances (atmosphere) are changing like passing clouds (Āgamāpāyino'nityāḥ – Gita). If this state is not achieved, the soul shall not take the name of God Datta as its guide and goal in its life.
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