Is it right for people to donate money to God Venkateshwara at Tirupati for getting their problems solved?

[This question was posed to Swami on the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima.]

Swami replied: Certainly, it is not the correct way. If you always follow justice, no problems will attack you since the problems are nothing but the punishments given by the same God for your sins. Such behavior of people is just like giving a bribe to a corrupt officer for getting some unjust work done. But there is a spark of merit in giving the bribe to God for getting the unjust work done. That spark is that the devotee is approaching God and not an unjust human being for help. The defect is common to both the devotee and the person approaching the corrupt official for help. But in the case of the devotee, the spark of merit is that he has faith in God instead of the corrupt official. This spark will grow with time and will eventually become a huge fire, when the devotee may reach the climax of true devotion. A freshly-lit fire is always covered in a lot of smoke in the initial stage. Every system has defects in the initial step, as said in the Gītā (Sarvārambhā hi doṣeṇa...). As time passes, the fire becomes brighter and huge flames rise from it. Such possibility of progress does not exist in the case of the person approaching the corrupt official.

People in the beginning stage are so attached to worldly benefits and boons that their faith in God is also polluted with doubt. Their doubt is that God may not actually exist as atheists say. Hence, they promise to give money to God only after the fulfilment of their work. It is the same process they adopt with the corrupt official also. A small part of payment is given to the corrupt official in the beginning and after the work gets completed, the rest major part is paid to the corrupt official. This is because they do not trust the corrupt official. Such people adopt the same method in the case of God too! The devotee adopting this corrupt method with God is far better than the person adopting the same with a corrupt official. God favours the prayer of the devotee and postpones the punishment to a later date with accumulated interest as a fine. This fact is not known to the devotee. Of course, there is a bright chance for the devoted person to get spiritual knowledge from a Sadguru by the grace of God. So, eventually, the devoted person will be reformed (Kśipram bhavati dharmātmā…—Gītā).

Keywords:

| Shri Datta Swami | Is it right for people to donate money to God Venkateshwara at Tirupati for getting their problems solved? | Sarvaarambhaa hi doshena Gita Kshipram bhavati dharmaatmaa