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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...
Temples and statues are necessary for low level people as said in the Shastra (Pratima Swalpa Buddhinaam). It is a teaching model for a school...
The first Veda (Rig Veda) starts with the word Agni i.e., the Holy Fire. The Mantra says that Agni means Purohita, Ritvik and Hota. These three...
Both sages (rishis) and demons (asuras) existed in humanity and even in the same caste called Brahmins. Ravana and Hiranyakasipu were Brahmins....
Shri Balaji asked: What are the five sacrifices (pañca yajñas)? If a person misses the Satguru, who is to be worshipped in the first Brahma yajña? Should he perform it or not? If the real Satguru is not available, will the performance of these five sacrifices take the soul to the highest step?
Swami replied: In fact, there are seven sacrifices (sapta yajñas) in which seven different entities are worshipped by offering food to them. They are as follows: 1) Brahma yajña, in which the contemporary Human Incarnation of God or the Satguru is to be worshipped. 2) Deva yajña, in which devotees...
It is correct that Yajna is most important and it is elaborately discussed in the first part of the Veda called Karma Kanda. But unfortuntately, the...
The five Yajnas are: Brahma Yajna: Serving the Lord in human form, who is called Brahma. Deva Yajna: Serving the devotees of the...
[Durgashtami Message] Significance of Temples: Why is there so much rush in temples? There is only one reason. People think that if they go to the temples they can escape from the difficulties, which are the fruits of their sins. They also think that they can get some benefits (which are the fruits of good deeds) for good deeds that they have not performed. Obviously this is not true. The scriptures say “Avashyam Anubhoktavyam” which means that we must enjoy...
[A Vedic Scholar, who presided over a meeting called as ‘Veda Vidvat Sabha’, stated that the reason for drought and floods is the non-performance of sacrifices in these days in which the ghee is poured in the fire. Swami ridiculed this view and gave the following message.]
Types of Yajnas: Burning ghee in the fire leads to environmental pollution, which causes the drought and flood. These ignorant people state that the cause and promoter of a disease itself is the remedial medicine. If you eat the sweet, the blood sugar will raise causing damage to heart and kidneys. The patient is already in serious...
The original Hindu tradition in ancient times when rishis (sages) existed was the most precious diamond in the world. There is no trace of doubt in this statement. But today the tradition has turned into charcoal. Perhaps many of you do not know that diamond and charcoal are two forms of same element i.e., carbon. When the carbon atoms are in a crystalline state, it is diamond. The same carbon atoms in an amorphous state are charcoal. The substance is same but the arrangement of atoms differs. Therefore, the same tradition was re-arranged and twisted. The tradition lost the brilliant shine of a diamond and has now acquired a black color. The diamond is very strong and cannot be cut. But the charcoal is easily broken. Thus, the strength of the ancient tradition has been completely lost...
A temple represents the body of the human incarnation (Deho devaalaya proktah). The statue in the temple represents the Lord in a human body (Jeevo devah sanatanah). The Gita also says that the Lord enters a human body and comes down to this earth (Manusheem tanum aashritam). The Veda says that the Lord can be seen here on the earth itself (Yat saakshat aparokshaat Brahma). The temple and the statue are only models to teach this concept. Once the concept is understood there is no need of any model. Hanuman recognized the human incarnation (Lord Rama) and sacrificed all his work to the Lord. Hanuman was not a householder and so he did not possess money to sacrifice to the Lord...
Hindus are spending lot of money on ritualistic functions like marriage etc., in which the major item is serving expensive varieties of food. The receivers of this food are mainly relatives and friends invited based on your blind passion for relatives and your attitude of business to friends. The donation of food is ‘Annadaanam’ and for any donation, the receiver must be an eligible person, selected not based on relationship or friendship. The eligibility is due to the spiritual knowledge and devotion of the person to God. Otherwise, you are giving food to un-deserving receivers, who may be your relatives and friends. In Mahabharata, the sage Vyasya told that donation to deserving person brings good fruits...
It is told in the Gita that clouds are formed due to the fire-sacrifices performed (Yajñāt bhavati parjanyaḥ). So, is it not necessary to perform these fire-sacrifices for getting rains?
Swami replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! The word yajña comes from the root word ‘yaj’, which means worshipping God through practical sacrifice and prayers. This root word does not convey the sense of burning ghee in the physical fire, as is commonly done. In fact, such burning of ghee has been bitterly criticized by Kapila and Krishna. The only way to worship God is by worshipping the contemporary Human Incarnation. Worship includes practical sacrifice and service...
[Reply to a question from Śrī Pavan] Swāmi replied: Homam means eating food alone and not burning the food in the physical fire. You eating the food is also homam, which is burning food in your hunger-fire, but it is not yajña, which means sacrifice. Only when you serve food to the Sadguru and to real devotees can it be called sacrifice (yajña). There is no sacrifice when you eat your own earned food. You are giving the food earned...
[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...
[Guru Purnima Message] GURU means the preacher, who removes ignorance-darkness by emitting knowledge-light. The field of the context is important here. If you are ignorant of mathematics, a teacher may remove your ignorance about mathematics by teaching mathematics. Such a teacher cannot be called as Guru. Guru is the preacher, who diverts you towards God by removing your ignorance about God. This is the most important field for any human being because it is the basis of every aspect of life here as well as there after death. The final knowledge of God is to know that you are always ignorant of God because God is unimaginable or ever unknown. Thus, to know the ignorance about God is knowledge. Whatever you know relates to the item...
[Dr. JSR Prasad (Prof. of Sanskrit specialised in logic, Central University, Hyderabad) asked: Svāmipādebhyo sāṣṭāṅga praṇāmāḥ! I have been invited by my close relatives to participate in a Sundarakāṇḍa Homa. After hearing Your spiritual knowledge, I am convinced that a homa performed by burning ghee in the physical fire is wrong. Should I go there or refuse? At Your lotus feet, Prasad.]
Swāmi replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! You may go and participate in the homa, as performed by them following the blind tradition. You will get an opportunity to put forth this spiritual knowledge before them. The force in the blind tradition is great because the tradition has been in existence for a long time. First, you have to run along with them for some time and only then slow down...
1) Yajñaḥ pūjā Sadgurostu, kṣudhāgnau saghṛtānnataḥ |
Nāgnau havanīya hotā, śrutaḥ cittvaṃ jaḍo na hi ||
[Yajna means worshipping the contemporary human incarnation, called as Sadguru by burning ghee-food in His hunger fire (vaiśvānarāgni) and not burning ghee in a physical fire lit by sticks. The first hymn of the first Veda (Rig Veda) says...
[This message is regarding the holy thread marriage or Upanayanam ritual in Hinduism. Sons of some close devotees of Shri Swami were initiated by this ritual and Shri Swami gave this message on the auspicious occasion.]
Opponent: Upanayanam means nearing God through worship and hence it should be applicable to all human beings. Confining it to certain castes makes it appear that the ancient sages, who were Brahmins, have been partial. This is highly deplorable, since everybody has equal right to reach God, the Divine Father. In order to clarify this, an answer should be given by Lord Dattatreya, Who being the son of sage Atri, belongs to the caste of sages.
Defendant (Swami): Lord Dattatreya is the absolute unimaginable God, Who entered the medium of a human body that was born to sage Atri. In light of the medium, He is born in the caste of sages. In the light of the inner God Who identified with that body for the sake of the propagation of divine knowledge...
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