*Also try the new Advanced search options
Caste system Yoga & Meditation Corruption Gayathri Yajnas Temples & Rituals Atheism Terrorism Pravrutti Hinduism Christianity Islam Unity of religions Human Incarnation Karma Yoga Madhura Bhakti Advaita Unified Vedanta
Dr. Nikhil asked: What are the various main misunderstood interpretations in Hinduism?
Shri Swami replied: 1) Unimaginable God: a) This is a misunderstanding in all the religions including Hinduism. This space, which is subtle energy, is infinite. This infinity is not the absolute inherent characteristic of the space. It means that the space is not infinite by itself. The space is generated from the unimaginable God. If you reach the boundary of the space, you touch God like...
Swāmi replied: i) If you want to specify the name of the caste in which a person is born, you can add the word ‘bandhu’ after the name of that caste or add the word ‘janma’ before the name of that caste. If a person is born in the caste of Brāhmaṇas, you can call that person as ‘Brāhmaṇa bandhu’ or ‘Brahma bandhu’ or ‘Janma Brāhmaṇa’. This means that that person is born or related to the caste of Brāhmaṇas...
The Gita says that the caste is based on the qualities and profession (Guna Karma Vibhagashah) of the person. [The four castes are Brahmins (priest...
The caste system is based on qualities and profession. The Gita says that it is not based on birth (Chaatur Varnyam Maya Sristam). The Dharma...
Swami replied: Paramahamsa cleaned the toilets of lower caste to indicate that one should never have ego of your progress and that you should not...
[A devotee raised a peculiar issue stating that some people of backward castes claim Narakasura as their ancestor, who was a good person and was killed by the upward castes in wrong way. They state that he was ‘Asura’ meaning that he does not drink wine. Hence, Deepaavali is a function of the victory of injustice over justice. Given below is Shri Swami’s response.]
You believe that Narakasura was killed by Krishna on the basis of a Scripture that gives the life history of Narakasura. If you believe that Scripture for this point, you must believe the same Scripture for the other points also related...
The Lord is impressed by the spiritual values only and not by nationality, religion, caste, age, sex etc. The only real spiritual value is...
A bad student was debarred from the school so that the student will change his behavior and become a good student. The aim of the punishment is only...
Dr. K. V. Prasad (USA) asked: In the Gita, God Krishna said in the verse “Cāturvarṇyam...” that He is responsible for the caste system and yet, not responsible for it. What is the meaning of this mutual contradiction?
Swami replied: In this verse, the first two lines say “Originally, I have created the caste system based on qualities and deeds (Chaatuvarnyam...)”. The word ‘Srushtam’ indicates the stage at the very beginning of creation or srushti. The next two lines of this verse say “Even though I am responsible for this caste system, I am yet not responsible for it (Tasya kartaaramapi maam...)”. On careful analysis, we can resolve the mutual contradiction seen in this verse...
Swāmi replied: The soul having the quality of leading others to God (Brāhmaṇa) came from the face of God. It is not a reverse statement, which means that a soul coming from the face of God became Brāhmaṇa. The Vedic text says ‘Brāhmaṇo'sya mukha māsīt’. This means that the soul, which is already Brāhmaṇa came from His face. Face or head indicates intelligence or logic, which is necessary...
[Evening Message] People give a lot of importance to the Gayatri mantra without realizing the true concept of it. When the actual concept is not realized, the misunderstanding misleads the people to negative results and their desired results are not at all touched. There are three subsequent steps in the spiritual path. The first step is knowledge (jnana yoga) by which you first realize the true information about the goal and its address. Then, you will also realize the true path for reaching the goal. Then, you will also realize the true status of yourself. All these three realizations constitute the triad (Triputi) of information about the goal (Jneya), path (Jnana) and the aspirant (Jnata). You must realize that your goal is the unimaginable God...
There is a misunderstanding that women were suppressed in Hinduism without independence. People quote Manu Smruti in this context, which says that woman should not be independent (Na stree svatantryamarhati…). But, the same Manu says that women should be worshipped to please God (Yatranaryastu pujyante ramante tatra devatah…). Both these contradict each other. If you do not give even basic independence to somebody, how can you worship him or her? Will you worship a person without independence, put in prison? This means that the first statement of Manu is misinterpreted. The actual meaning of first statement is that women should not move independently without escort because...
Shri Hrushikesh asked:- Dear Swami, The opponent Mr. Raghavender Rao condemns that fact that Women and Shudras are not eligible for Upanayanam. Below is the dialogue between me and opponent. Kindly look in to the same and enlighten us with your holy words.
[Hrushikesh: I said Śūdras, women, and Dalits are definitely eligible for upaṇayanam?...
Swami Replied:-
A) ‘Upanayanam and Gaayatri’:- Your opponent has not given any argument on this except saying that this is not accepted by Vedanta-Sutras and commentators of Vedanta. Without logical analysis, we can’t accept any portion of any scripture since there is every possibility of insertion by some selfish people...
Shri Anil asked:- What is the situation of caste system in the beginning of this creation?
Swami replied:- God said in the Gita that He created four castes based on qualities and deeds and that He is responsible for the caste system and that He is also not responsible for the caste system (Chaaturvarnyam mayaa srushtam, gunakarmavibhaagashah, tasya kartaarapi maam, viddhyakartaaramavyayam...). The total verse shall be understood carefully...
Shri Anil Anthony asked:- Padanamaskaram Swami; 1) Regarding caste I have few queries:
a) A soul after millions of births will have a certain solidified quality. In such case taking birth in a Brahmana family or any other caste out of 4 castes, it will make that soul either brahmana or other castes respectively? I meant to say is that a brahmana by birth...
Swami Replied:- One thing is very clear that a group of qualities come under a single headline called as Brahmana etc. This classification was done by God Himself and there is nothing wrong up to this point. It is just a classification like all the elements are classified into various groups having similar properties ...
Ms. Laxmi Thrylokya asked:- While explaining the caste system, You said that Gayatri was not allowed for all women and the fourth caste. Does this not bring hatred in the hearts of all women and the fourth caste against the priests, who were responsible for this? Will it not lead to further division of Hinduism?
Swami Replied:- The hatred in the minds of the assumed victims will come provided there was real loss. The real loss was only to the priest and the assumed loss did not happen to the assumed victims...
A saint (monk, sanyasi) does not do any worship using flowers, fume sticks, camphor, coconuts etc. He does not burn ghee (clarified butter) or oil in the lamp. He does not do any sacrifice by burning ghee and food in the fire. Only the householders are doing such rituals with the help of priests. When a saint comes, all householders including priests are supposed to prostrate before the saint. What does this mean? The stage of the saint is certainly a higher stage. The saint also does not chant the Gayatri hymn. He has given up the sacred thread because he knows that the sacred thread (yajnopaveetam) with three strings is only a model representing the three qualities of the nature (prakriti). This model indicates...
Trailokyā Uvāca:-
1) Brūṣe Datta! sadā Satyaṃ, tamassva para bheda bhit! |
Aspṛśya Brāhmaṇau kau ca?, sā Gāyatrī dvijasya kim? ||
[Ms. Trailokya asked:- O God Datta! You always speak only truth in the Spiritual knowledge. You never have the ignorance in which one thinks that some are his people and some are outsiders irrespective of merit and defect. Who is the untouchable and who is the Brāhmaṇa? Does the Gāyatrī hymn and Upanayanam ritual belong to Dvijas only, who are Brāhmaṇas...
1) Varṇā rāgādayo jīva-nitya śīlaṃ vadanti hi|
Sandhyā raktaḥ sitaścandraḥ, varṇo nitya guṇāśrayaḥ||
[Varna means colour that represents the inherent character of a soul. We also find the general comment “he showed his true colour”. A person’s character may change from time to time due to various association-effects. But the person’s inherent character...
O, Brahmin priests! Even today you are the qualified agents for the propagation of divine knowledge of the Lord. Even today the public is inviting you alone to perform religious ceremonies, which are either auspicious or inauspicious. Every human being has to attend the ceremonies and spend some of his time, energy and money either willingly or unwillingly. Everybody is forced by tradition to attend these ceremonies. Even a human being who is busy with his business or profession and does not spend even a single minute for spiritual knowledge and God also has to attend these ceremonies...
*In case of any difficulty, use simple search option