Posted on: 16 Jan 2011
Knowing that you are not God is as important as recognizing the contemporary human incarnation. If you feel that you are also God, there is no use of catching the living human form of God. As a human being, you should follow the norms of the world and at the same time, you should serve the living human form of God after recognizing Him. The first part of your behavior towards world is called as pravritti and the simultaneous second part of your behavior towards the contemporary human incarnation is called as nivritti. To preach both these aspects to the human beings, God Himself took simultaneous dual roles called as Rama and Hanuman. Both were the incarnations of God but none felt that they were God. Even though the sages recognized Rama and praised Him as God, Rama denied their praise by saying that He was only a human being and that He knew Himself to be Rama, the son of Dasaratha (Aatmanam manusham manye..—.Ramayana). This indicates that you should never feel that you are God even though some ignorant preachers preach that you are God. Rama followed all the ethics, which are the commandments of God to the human beings regarding their behavior in this creation. Rama preached all the values of family life regarding the mutual loyalty between a wife and husband, regarding the love between brothers and regarding the respect to be paid to one’s parents.
Hanuman is the Ideal for Spiritual Life
Hanuman showed the path of nivritti or the spiritual path. The first and foremost point indicated by Hanuman is that you should recognize the contemporary human incarnation and serve Him with utmost loyalty. Hanuman served Rama in His worldly affairs. This indicates that you should serve the human incarnation in His worldly affairs also. The next point is that you should serve the human incarnation, who may be in any state of worldly life since Hanuman served Rama, who was a householder. Rama exhibited His blind love towards His wife by running after a golden deer in spite of the warning from Lakshmana. Rama showed His blind love towards His wife on another occasion also by saying that He would go back without killing Ravana if His wife were returned back to Him. This showed that Rama was not bothered about the atrocities of Ravana that would continue after returning Sita. This showed that He was not interested in the welfare of the world and was only interested in His wife. Hanuman did not misunderstand Rama in that situation. Later, Rama fell unconscious, when He was hit by the Nagaastra[1] and Hanuman revived Him by bringing Garuda from heaven. Even after this, Hanuman did not mistake Rama to be an ordinary human being. All this shows that you will be severely tested by God in human form regarding your faith in Him.
Another important aspect that you have to learn from Hanuman is that you should not feel you are God simply by achieving some miraculous powers. Hanuman had all the miraculous powers. For instance, he had jumped and crossed the ocean. He had also lifted a huge hill in his hands and had flown with it all the way to Lanka. Rama on the other hand, behaved like a helpless human being and crossed the sea only by constructing a bridge. Yet, Hanuman did not mistake Rama to be a human being. Therefore, miracles should not be the identity mark for recognizing God in human form. Even demons can perform miracles. Therefore, you should behave like Rama in your family life and should behave like Hanuman in your spiritual life. Both are perfect examples in the simultaneous dual roles of Rama and Hanuman.
Miracles Do Not Indicate God
Krishna performed several miracles but every miracle was done only because there was a serious need. Demons perform miracles for the sake of exhibition due to their ego. Arjuna could not recognize Krishna as God even though he witnessed the miracles of Krishna. Arjuna recognized Krishna as God only after hearing the Gita—the special knowledge. Arjuna himself could perform some miracles and he had also witnessed several demons performing miracles. Miracles are only for beginners in the spiritual line to show the existence of the unimaginable God through unimaginable acts called as miracles.
Severe Tests of Faith
Arjuna’s impression of Krishna was very much distorted due to the actions of Krishna in His childhood, like stealing butter and dancing with girls. Arjuna openly criticized Krishna mentioning these activities in the context of protecting Gaya. All this indicates that the human incarnation will test your faith through severe actions. At any cost, your faith should not be shaken. Dharmaraja always praised Krishna as God. But when Krishna asked him to tell a lie, Dharmaraja refused and failed in the test. Justice is not greater than God. In pravritti[2], since there is no God, one should vote for justice and against injustice. But, in nivritti, one should vote for God even if it is against justice. The Gopikas voted for God against justice and reached a higher position than the highest[3]. God is greater than justice since He is the protector of justice. You have to follow justice because it is a commandment of God. In pravritti, since there is no reference to God, justice stands in the highest position. You should keep Rama as an example for pravritti. You should keep Hanuman and the Gopikas as examples for nivritti. Arjuna believed in Krishna as God after hearing the Gita. But just after seventeen days[4], Arjuna did not get down from the chariot even though Krishna ordered him to do so. This means that you should maintain the faith that was created by the special knowledge.
Hanuman served the human incarnation even in His worldly affairs. The Gopikas sacrificed the butter, which was their livelihood. You should learn the sacrifice of work from Hanuman and the sacrifice of the fruit of work from the Gopikas for the sake of the contemporary human incarnation. Kunti[5] requested the Lord to always grant her difficulties so that she could always think of Him. This is a very important aspect and you should never pray to God to remove your difficulties, since difficulties surround you by His grace alone. Kuchela also never aspired for any materialistic help from God and you should learn this aspect from him. Draupadi insisted that the Lord destroy the Kauravas, who had insulted her. The Lord fulfilled her desire but got all her sons killed on the last day of the war. Therefore, you should never insist on the Lord fulfilling your desire. You should learn the aspects of devotion and service from the devotees associated with the human incarnations.
[1] In the epic battle between Rama and Ravana, Ravana’s son Indrajit shot the dreaded weapon, Nagastra (Cobra weapon) at Rama and Lakshmana that left both the brothers unconscious. Hanuman brought Garuda, the Divine Eagle from the heavens, to free the two brothers from the clutches of the Naagastra.
[2] Pravrutti is the worldly path, in which the individual interacts and behaves with other human beings in a just manner; it does not pertain to God and one’s interaction with God. One’s interaction and behavior towards God is the spiritual path or Nivrutti.
[3] A special world called the Goloka was created by the Lord for the Gopikas, who were the highest devotees of Lord Krishna. This is the fifteenth world and is higher than the Brahma Loka which was the highest heaven.
[4] When the Mahabharata war was over.
[5] One of the characters in the Mahabharata. Mother of three of the Pandava brothers, including Arjuna.