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Nishkama karma yoga is a word that often comes in the Bhagavad Gita. Karma, akarma and vikarma are also mentioned in the Gita (Karmanohyapi…). Karma means the work done with a selfish desire for the limited circle of one’s family. Karma yoga means the work done for the sake of Lord. Akarma means inaction; not doing either karma or karma yoga. Vikarma means action, which disturbs the peace of the world by harming...
The Bhagavad Gita says that nobody knows God (Maamtu veda na kashchana). The Veda says that words, mind, intelligence, logic and even imagination cannot touch God (Yato vachah…Manasa saha; Na medhaya; Naisha tarkena). The Veda also says that if one knows that God is unknown, he knows at least something about God (Yasyaamatam tasya matam). These three statements declare that God is unknowable and unreachable. Yet the same Veda says that God is present on this earth itself (Yat saakshat aparokshat). Similarly, the Gita also says that God reveals Himself on earth in every human generation as per the necessity (Tadaatmaanam srijaamyaham). These two statements say that God can be seen by humans. How can one reconcile these two contradicting sets of statements? The first set of statements implies that you cannot catch God by your effort. The second statement indicates that whenever the kindest God wants to reveal Himself, He comes down to earth. You can see God on earth...
Unattached work: In ancient India all the people were sages. They never did any work to earn extra wealth for getting extra enjoyment or to give it to their children. They were only doing karma, which is the work necessary to earn their livelihood. Such karma is not a sin because livelihood is essential. In doing such karma, an advice called nishkama karma yoga was given because it gives mental peace and strength. According to this advice, one should do work without attaching himself to the fruit of the work. This attachment to the fruit of the work is called as kama and if it is avoided, the person becomes peaceful...
1. Who is a sthitaprajña? What is the state of yoga or samādhi?
Dr. Nikhil asked: Padanamaskarams Swamiji, I have been asked to teach a course on mediation this semester to students. Due to the high mental stress that people are facing in society nowadays, Amma has instructed that meditation be taught to all students in the university. The course involves 1 theory session (50 min) and 1 practical mediation session (50 min) per week for the entire semester...
Ninety percent of the Veda describes the process of preparing food from materials and this is called as Dravya Yajna or Karma Yajna. Only 10% involves the process of analysis of spiritual knowledge as the Upanishads and this is called as Jnana Yajna. The Veda gives importance to karma. But, in the Gita, Lord said that jnana is better than karma (Shreyaan…). How to resolve this contradiction? First, you must differentiate karma and karma yoga. In both, the process of involvement of materials...
Today is the festival of Lord Dattatreya in the name ‘Datta Jayanthi’. Every festival is mainly characterized by preparing extra food items, by following processions in the streets, by arranging heavy music, etc. The actual idea of any festival is to increase your realization of spiritual knowledge. The right knowledge is with high power. You should assimilate it by thinking it again and...
[Shri Ramanath asked Swami whether Akkalkot Maharaj whose birth is not known is the fullest human incarnation as His devotees say. Following is Swami’s reply]:
For any concept, the scripture is valued. Otherwise everybody speaks whatever he likes and gives his own logic. The advocate has to quote the constitution and apply the logic in that line. Otherwise the argument has no base. The scriptures say that Sri Krishna is the fullest human incarnation (Shri Krishno Nanya Evahi). This is agreed by all since it has scriptural basis. But Krishna was born to Devaki. Therefore, the concept of fullest human incarnation...
Some devotees including Shri Balaji, Shri Hrushikesh, Shri Kishore Ram, and Kum. Purnima, went to meet Swami. Shri Swami gave them a message that greatly inspired them. Presented below is the same message in brief.
Sadguru (Satguru), the divine preacher is God Datta (Guruh Saakshaat Parabrahma). The same Sadguru is said to be God Brahmaa, God Vishnu and God Shiva (Guruh Brahmaa...). In any divine preacher, who is an Incarnation of God Datta, all the three divine preachers exist in harmony with each other. The three divine preachers are Shankara, who was an Incarnation of God Shiva, Ramanuja, who was an Incarnation of God Vishnu and Madhva, who was an Incarnation of God Brahmaa. The preaching of such an Incarnation of God Datta involves the correlation of the philosophies of these three divine preachers...
The answer is very clear by itself. Money is the basis of all the worldly bonds. Even your life and body leave you if you don’t supply food...
Yajna: All the Vedas describe ‘Yajna’ (sacrifice), which is nothing but the preparation of food. A fire is lit and it is called ‘Lowkikagni’ i.e., fire meant for cooking, but not for worship. The three parts of the fire, (Garhapatya, Ahavaneeya, and Dakshinagni) are only the three stoves for cooking various items of food. “Fools burn cooked food in this fire” says Kapila, the Incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The food, after proper cooking, must be...
Dr. Nikhil asked about the pressures in the worldly life and their consequent effects on the spiritual life.
Swami replied: There are three stages. In the first stage, the human being is very much involved in the family life and is strongly bound by the family bonds. This deep attachment is the reason for disturbance and tension. You are watching a cinema. You are not attached to any role in the picture. You are totally detached from every role. You know that the whole story is...
[Smt. Padma, wife of Shri Sarma passed a comment “God seems to be interested in money”. Sarma became angry and told her that she will be punished by God for commenting like that. Sarma came to Swami and complained about the matter. Swami told him, “You should not threaten anybody like that. You should analyze the topic and convince people through knowledge. By threatening, the thought is only suppressed and not removed”. Sarma came back along with his wife to Swami and Swami delivered the following divine discourse to the devotees.]
Why Is God After Money?: People say that God is [interested] in money. It is correct because money is Goddess Lakshmi. Lord Narayana is always in her heart. Money is also in the heart of God because Goddess Lakshmi is in His heart. Whatever is in the heart of Lord, the same came out in His word which is the Veda. The Veda says that sacrifice of money alone can please the Lord (Dhanena Tyagenaikena)...
[Krishnashtami Day 6] The Lord in human form receives our sacrifice and enjoys it. His enjoyment is reflected in His face and we recognize it, which gives us immense satisfaction (Bhoktaram Sarvatapasam). This possibility is absent in all the other forms of God and therefore God does not exist in the other forms but those forms can be kept as representatives or models, if you are unable to accept the human form. However, the recognition of the real human incarnation is very important since He will guide you in the correct path as your friend (Suhrudam Sarvabhutanam). If your guide is a false guide...
[Spiritual Preachings of Shir Datta Swami at Srisailam, 23-3-1993, 4.00 am.] Yajna means sacrifice. Dravya Yajna means sacrifice of food materials after worshipping God. Food is converted into inert energy, which in turn is converted into awareness in a specific system called nervous system. Thus, if you give food to someone, it means that you are donating inert energy to that person, which is becoming awareness. Apart from awareness, the inert energy is responsible for several activities like blood circulation, respiration, walking, talking etc. This inert energy is turned into awareness partly when it enters a specific system called brain and nervous system. No doubt, you have donated the awareness or nervous energy...
God and Your Efforts: In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says “Bahuni me...” i.e., “Several births have passed for you and for Me. I remember all of them but you do not remember.” Sometimes the sadhana (spiritual effort) done by a devotee during this birth may be little. Yet God shows a lot of grace on that devotee. The reason for this is the penance done by that devotee during his previous births. Even that devotee forgets the penance done by him. Other devotees...
[Krishnashtami day] Krishna is not counted in the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu as per the verse “Pari Purna Tamah Sakshat….” The Ashtapadi of Jayadeva also reveals the same. Vishnu represents the quality of Sattvam. However, if you see Krishna, He exhibited all the three qualities i.e. Sattvam, Rajas and Tamas equally. Brahma stands for Rajas and Shiva stands for Tamas. Vishnu stands for maintenance and administration of creation. Brahma is the author of the constitution of creation (Veda). Shiva is the force that punishes evil. An administrator needs the knowledge of the constitution and also the potentiality of punishment and only then will the administration...
Final Goal: To achieve Datta by Brahma Vidya is only the first step but to please Datta is the real and final step. To please Datta, the only way is sacrifice. Now the question is: sacrifice of what? People have taken it as the sacrifice of words, mind and intelligence. The sacrifice of these three items is only the sacrifice of one paisa in a rupee [100 paise=1 rupee]. These three items are attained by human beings without any effort, just by the birth itself. It is something like the donation of a tumbler of drinking water, which is supplied by the municipality in plenty. Even here, you are donating that, which is in excess for you. When there is leisure time and there is no possibility of earning more money by sacrificing these three items, then only you donate...
1) Bhatkernirūpaṇaṃ karma, doṣāddoṣaḥ guṇāt guṇaḥ |
Gurvasadguru bhedo'yam, vāhayoriva dṛśyate||
If the knowledge about God is true and complete, the devotion that arises out of it is also true. If this theoretical spiritual devotion is true, the practical proof of it is the practical devotion. We are not sure that the soul has gained complete true spiritual knowledge...
Posted on: 18/09/2021[Dr. Nikhil asked: Padanamaskarams Swamiji, I feel the following two verses from the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (3.10–3.11) clearly indicate that awareness is not the ultimate God.
indriyebhyaḥ parā hyarthā arthebhyaśca paraṃ manaḥ .
manasastu parā buddhirbuddherātmā mahān paraḥ .. 10..
mahataḥ paramavyaktamavyaktātpuruṣaḥ paraḥ...
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