Is it not better to adopt a child instead of giving birth to one, in the current condition of overpopulation?

[Ms. Bhanu Samykya asked: Pādanamaskāram Swami! Swami, I have read from Your discourses that the system of marriage is devised by God for the smooth running of society. It also helps to bring new souls on earth which contributes to the divine entertainment of God. But by looking at the current scenario of overpopulation, I feel that adopting a child is better than giving birth to a new soul. Please enlighten me. At Your Divine Lotus Feet, - Bhanu Samykya.]

Swami replied: Overpopulation is balanced by God through births, deaths and natural calamities. It is the administration-problem of God. Why do you worry about it? God has created this world so that you can enjoy all the aspects of the creation created by Him. All souls are created by God, as said in the Gītā (Ahaṃ bījapradaḥ pitā) and so, He is the Father of all souls. God, the Father, will be happy if His issues enjoy all the aspects of the creation created by Him. He becomes unhappy if you enjoy only one aspect created by Him and if you do not enjoy others. The scriptures say that salvation comes from krama mukti, which means, after passing through the four stages in life known as the four āśramas. If you stick only to brahmacarya āśrama, which is the first stage of the unmarried student, God will be very unhappy with you. You cannot achieve salvation, if God is displeased. The mother prepares several food items and feels happy when all the food items are enjoyed by her child. If the child eats only one item and refuses all other items, the mother feels unhappy. No soul can get salvation if God is displeased with the soul. This was preached by the ancestors of Sage Jaratkāra. Jaratkāra had avoided marriage, but he got married after hearing this advice from his departed ancestors, who appeared before him. All the ancient sages, who are authorities in the spiritual field got married and they produced children since it is the divine programme of God. Even Hanumān got married on hearing the same advice from the sages. If everybody thinks like you of adopting a child without getting married, where are so many children available? One may adopt a child after marriage, if one is unable to produce children. But one should not adopt without getting married. One should only have children after getting married. If one does not get married, it is an injustice to some particular boy or girl in the world, because that person loses his or her perfect match (you). Thus, social balance gets disturbed.

Are you arriving at this decision of not getting married and adopting a child, for the sake of pursuing the spiritual path or due to some materialistic fear? Even if it is for the sake of the spiritual path, it is not correct because God becomes displeased with such a decision. God has arranged this system of marriage for the continuance of humanity, so that whenever He visits earth as an Incarnation, your issues will serve Him and give Him entertainment. If you do not get married, you might be obstructing the birth of a genius like Śaṅkara or a devotee like Mīrā. If it is some materialistic fear that is making you reach such a decision, you need not worry at all about it. God always sends a soul to this earth after creating sufficient food and other comforts for the soul. The soul thinks that it is maintaining its family, which is a false notion. A cart was being pulled by a horse. A dog was also running underneath the cart. The dog was tired and was breathing fast. A saint saw this dog and told it to stop running and take some rest. The dog replied “How can I stop? If I stop, this whole cart will stop!” The poor ignorant dog was thinking that it was pulling the cart! This is the inherent ego and ignorance of the soul. The soul thinks that it is doing the action of maintaining the family. This sense of doership is called kartṛtva. It is a false notion since even its own body is not under its control. The soul cannot even prevent a disease from attacking the body!

The Veda says that every soul must get married and produce children to please God (Prajātantuṃ mā vyavacchetsīḥ…). The preacher advises this to his disciple who completes his education, by the end of the first stage of brahmacarya āśrama. Even Incarnations of God like Rāma, Kṛṣṇa etc., got married and they produced children. Śaṅkara did not marry because He had to complete His spiritual program before the end of His short 32 year-life. During this period, He had to travel by foot all over the country in order to debate with scholars. In those days, fast conveyance like today was absent. Under such circumstances, marriage and family life would have been a hindrance in His divine program. Hence, He avoided marriage. We should not imitate Him except in following His spiritual message. Śaṅkara was an Incarnation of God Śiva and God Śiva is married and He also has two sons to stand as an example for souls in the world.

Salvation does not mean the physical absence of worldly bonds. Salvation means mental detachment from worldly bonds, while they exist physically. It is just like the lotus flower which rises above the water in a pond while its roots are under the water (Padmapatramivāmbhasā...—Gītā). A boat travels in the river and yet, the water does not enter in to it. This is the greatness of the boat. But the boat standing on the bank outside the water cannot claim this greatness. Kṛṣṇa was detached from the worldly bonds with His 16,108 wives and with the eleven children that He had from each wife. He was praised as the real Brahmacārī (celibate) by God Brahmā! In the competition between worldly bonds and the bond with God, the soul should win by voting for God. Without attending the examination, how can one claim to have passed it? Hence, avoiding worldly bonds is not salvation. The Gopikās got the highest salvation while they were householders. They were not as unmarried saints. The scripture says that the real duty of the real saint is the propagation of spiritual knowledge so as to establish world peace. Real sainthood is not about remaining unmarried and avoiding producing children (Na karmaṇāmanārambhāt naiṣkarmyaṃ puruṣo'śnute, na ca saṃnyasanādeva, siddhiṃ samadhigacchati…—Gītā).

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| Shri Datta Swami | Is it not better to adopt a child instead of giving birth to one, in the current condition of overpopulation? | Aham biijapradah pitaa Brahmacharya aashrama Jaratkaara Hanumaan Hanuman Shankara Miira Kartrutva Prajaatantum maa vyavatchetsiih Rama Raama Krishna Shiva Padmapatramivaambhasaa Gita Giita Brahmachaarii Brahma Gopikaas Na karmanaamanaarambhaat, naishkarmyam purushoshnute, na cha samnyasanaadeva siddhim samadhigachchati