Posted on: 30 Jun 2021
1. What is the meaning of the following statement?
[Pādanamaskāraṃ Swāmi, some questions raised in internet discussion forum is presented below. Please grace Your response to the same. At Your Lotus Divine Feet-anil.
Is Gautama Buddha’s last statement before leaving the body “Appa Deepo Bhavo, find your own light” the most precious statement said by any Prophet? What is the meaning of this statement?]
Swāmi replied: Light means knowledge as said in the Gītā (Prakāśa upajāyate). This means that you shall not blindly believe anybody and follow the path without your own logical analysis. God Himself told Arjuna to analyse whatever was told by Him before practicing it (Vimṛśyaitadaśeṣeṇa… kuru - Gītā).
2. Is challenging a good idea to convince the atheists?
[A theist told an atheist: Since you are a non-believer, I challenge you to spend an entire night in a cemetery since you wouldn't fear being attacked or haunted by ghosts that do not exist as far as you are concerned. Related question: Is such a challenge a good idea to convince the atheists?]
Swāmi replied: This is not a good idea. The best idea is to ask him to explain a genuine miracle, which is a direct challenge to the atheist because miracle is the direct proof for the existence of unimaginable God.
3. If Bhūdevī is the wife of Varāha then why She is also the wife of Lord Bālāji? I didn't understand why She has 2 husbands?
Swāmi replied: I think that you have two brains and two hearts like two kidneys. Lord Varāha and Lord Bālāji are the two external forms (incarnations) of God Viṣṇu.
4. Why is our death time and place fixed?
[According to Hinduism, is there any way that our soul can leave the body on our own will without going through the process of painful death? If yes, then how can we leave our body & become free? Why our death time and place is fixed and we can't die early & end our sufferings in this material world?]
Swāmi replied: This is the climax of foolish ignorance. Even after death, the problems will not end. In fact, they become very serious especially in the hell. Catching the grace of God while alive is the best solution to liberate yourself from the problems before and after death.
5. Why was Arjuna defeated by tribal hunters after Lord Kṛṣṇa departed?
Swāmi replied: In spite of hearing the Bhagavad Gītā from God Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna was still having a residual ego that he is the greatest warrior in the world. Kṛṣṇa made him to realize that he is zero without Kṛṣṇa. Every merit is from the source called God and every defect is from the source called soul.
6. Why does Kenopaniṣad say there is no God no Śiva, Viṣṇu, Rudra only supreme Brahmam or Self is there?
Swāmi replied: You must understand carefully the two words used by you, which are supreme Brahman and self. Supreme Brahman is the unimaginable God. Self means a medium having form and name. The first energetic medium is called Datta or Father of heaven in other religions. Datta Himself is Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva or Rudra. The word self also means a human medium called human incarnation like Rāma, Kṛṣṇa etc. All other energetic and human incarnations are just the external media of Datta only. There is no trace of difference between the unimaginable God and His energetic or human incarnation because the unimaginable God perfectly merges with the medium to become one with the medium.
7. The birth chart of Lord Kṛṣṇa was the combination of which planets? He is considered to be an incarnation of sixteen arts, endowed with the greatest qualities?
Swāmi replied: Lord Kṛṣṇa is the human incarnation of Datta or unimaginable God. Any energetic or human incarnation is the unimaginable God merging with energetic or human medium only. Hence, there is no difference between any two incarnations. The unimaginable God mediated is one and the same possessing the same power. As per the requirement of the program the power is expressed. There is difference only in the expressed power and not in the possessed power. In the program of Kṛṣṇa there was a requirement for the expression of full possessed power. The unimaginable God is not fond of expressing His power in the absence of the requirement of the program. A demon is always fond of expressing his possessed power to project his personality. A true incarnation always tries to hide Its power so that It can freely mix with the devotees without causing excitation to them to answer all their doubts in ground state.
8. A person said: Most of the people are confused with 9th Avatār. The 9th Avatār is Lord Balarāma after Lord Kṛṣṇa and I think it is not Buddha as some believe.
Swāmi replied: There are two schools of this concept. One (Rāmo Rāmaśca Rāmaśca, Buddhaḥ Kalkireva ca) says that Buddha is the ninth incarnation and the other (Rāmo Rāmaśca Rāmaśca, Kṛṣṇaḥ Kalkireva ca) says that Kṛṣṇa is the nineth incarnation. In any school, Balarāma is not mentioned as ninth incarnation.
9. Is it true that north Indians are the real Āryans since its Aryāvart and Ārya is mentioned in Mahābhārat which was written thousands and thousands years back then they spread to other parts of the world?
Swāmi replied: In which way, this question is related to the spiritual knowledge? Ārya means the respectable human being. A human being is respected if it follows justice in worldly life and God in spiritual life. Such human being may exist in any region, religion, caste and gender in this entire world.
10. In Viveka Cūḍāmaṇi, it is said by Ādi Śaṇkara that one of most gifted things is to take birth as a man. Does that mean taking birth as women is not as worth as taking birth as men?
Swāmi replied: ‘Jantūnāṃ nara janma durlabha midam…’ is the actual text quoted by you and the word ‘nara’ means human being. Human birth is mentioned here and there is no point of gender. Similarly, there is no point of region, religion and caste also.
11. Why did Kṛṣṇa not leave His body the same like Rāma? Why was He killed by a hunter? Why is He died like an animal?
Swāmi replied: Rāma merged in Sarayū river and some criticise Rāma also for committing suicide, which is a sin. Rāma committed the sin of killing Vālī by hiding Himself in the back side of a tree. Kṛṣṇa underwent the fruit of that sin because Kṛṣṇa is the re-birth of Rāma. This was demonstrated to say that the human being cannot escape the punishment of the sin even in the next birth. Sometimes, God also postpones the fruit of a sin to the next birth due to compelling worship of the devotee. This incident gives the basic support for such concept. Actually, Rāma did not commit any sin because to kill a bad person like Vālī through such indirect way is not a sin. Moreover, it is impossible to kill Vālī since half of the strength of Vālī goes to the opponent in the direct fight with Vālī. In view of this special boon of Vālī, killing Vālī is not at all a sin in double sense.
12. A family who is my relative is struggling due to debt. Their father expired. Shall I help them little bit financially by giving food materials or leave them to their fate?
Swāmi replied: You must try to help any deserving human being, which pleases God. Finally, the fate alone wins. Any way, you shall always try to help any deserving human being. If a human being is suffering for food, you shall not analyse even the deservingness because it is emergent justice (Āpat dharma). Even though fate is the ultimate, which is the will of God, you must help the victimised human being especially at the level of food. If you are not helping such person, you will get sin even though the suffering of such person is the fate decided by God. You must sincerely follow your angle irrespective of divine administration. It is not a contradiction with the divine administration.
13. Is it wrong for a Hindu to worship Shirdi Sai Bāba and Puttaparthi Sathya Sai Bāba; as they are not mentioned in the holy scriptures of Sanātana Dharma?
Swāmi replied: In the Bhāgavatam, it is clearly mentioned that God will take several incarnations that can’t be counted (Avatārāhyasaṇkhyeyāḥ). Only, a few initial incarnations were mentioned with their names. If the names are not mentioned, you shall not reject such latter incarnations. God also said in the Gītā that whenever there is threat for justice and raise of injustice God will incarnate (Yadā yadā hi…).
14. Why is Lord Kārtikeya unmarried? Why is Kārtikeya not worshiped much compared to Lord Śiva, Lord Ganeśa and Goddess Pārvatī?
Swāmi replied: Kārtikeya married not once but twice. He married the daughter of Ādiśeṣa (Vallī) and the daughter of Indra (Devasenā). All the names mentioned by you (Kārtikeya, Gaṇapati, Śiva and Pārvatī) are the incarnations of the first energetic incarnation called Datta only. Datta is the first energetic incarnation of the ultimate unimaginable God called Parabrahman.
15. What are the Vedas? How did Vedas come to the world? Who wrote the Vedas for the first time in history?
Swāmi replied: The Vedas were dictated by God to the ancient sages. The author of the Vedas is God whereas the writer is the sage. The Veda was dictated by God and sages heard it and recorded as it is. The Veda means true spiritual knowledge. If the spiritual knowledge is true, even now, if somebody writes a book in any language of any religion, such book is called the Veda. The meaning of the word ‘Veda’ is simply true spiritual knowledge and such knowledge does not refer any language or religion or region or any specific details of the author. The author is not the true author because the true author of such true spiritual knowledge is God.
16. If Lord Śiva loved Goddess Pārvatī, then why did He take thousands of years to accept her whilst she was on a severe penance? Did He not feel sorry for her?
Swāmi replied: You are comparing Lord Śiva to the role of a cinema actor in a cinema or a human being in the world. You have not addressed Him as Śiva. You have addressed Him as Lord Śiva. Why did you add this extra word ‘Lord’? It means that there is something extra with Lord Śiva. Even then, God behaves in such ideal way, which stands as a standard path for humanity. Every bit of this story guides the humanity on the path of justice and control of mind.
17. Why did only Lord Śiva drink the poison and no one else?
Swāmi replied: Among the three divine forms called Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, each form is elevated with supremacy in a specific instance. This incident elevates God Śiva.
18. Why are there two Śaṇkarācāryas: Kanchi and Sringeri?
Swāmi replied: Why are there so many universities with so many professors? In the education system, various centres are essential to meet the requirements of each region. Similarly, some centres for spiritual knowledge are established by Ādi Śaṇkara.
19. A person said: Why don't Indians understand that Hinduism teaches pacifism and so they can't defend? Also, they don't eat protein and are physically weaker.
Swāmi replied: Primary proteins synthesized in plants are taken by vegetarian-sect of Hinduism. These primary proteins are broken and re-synthesised as secondary proteins in animals, which are not good for health. Peace indicates good physical health and also good mental health since mind is linked with the body. Therefore, you have given a scientific link between pacifism and proteins.
20. Are all the offerings for Śrī Kṛṣṇa actually for Lord Śiva? If yes, why?
Swāmi replied: There is no difference between Śiva and Kṛṣṇa. The flowers offered by Arjuna at the feet of Kṛṣṇa were found at the feet of Śiva, when he was taken to the abode of ṛṣṇiva by Kṛṣṇa. Śiva is energetic incarnation whereas Kṛṣṇa is human incarnation. The difference is only in the external media and there is no difference between internal mediated entity, which is the unimaginable God or Parabrahman.
21. In Hindu mythology, Bhagawan Brahmā is considered equal to Bhagavan Śiva and Viṣṇu, but there is no temple for Brahmā and no Hindu worshiped Him. Why?
Swāmi replied: Brahmā is none but Guru Datta. Brahmā is the author of the Veda or knowledge. Guru Datta is the preacher for whom spiritual knowledge is the main portfolio. Brahmā has the power of speech or Goddess Sarasvatī on His tongue, which indicates that Brahmā is the preacher of spiritual knowledge. Guru Datta is Guru or preacher doing the same preaching of spiritual knowledge. Brahmā is the first God and creator of other divine incarnations and hence, was called as Grandfather or Pitāmaha. We treat the other divine incarnations as our Father and Grandfather means Brahmā, who created these Father like incarnations. God Datta also takes all the divine incarnations since God Datta is the first energetic incarnation. Brahmā is also the first energetic incarnation. In this way, there is no trace of difference between God Brahmā and Guru Datta. Hence, all the temples of Guru Datta are the temples of God Brahmā only.
22. Who are the different Gods/people in the cosmic form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa?
Swāmi replied: All incarnations of God were shown as faces and all types of souls were shown in the body existing below faces. The different forms of the creator and the different forms of the creation were exhibited by God Kṛṣṇa in His cosmic vision.
23. A person asked me: If you have a relationship with God, why are you so ignorant when it comes to evolution? Why hasn't God explained evolution to you?
Swāmi replied: The evolutionists deny the existence of God and say that the human being is the final product of evolution. We also accept the process of evolution as described in the Puruṣa Sūktam, in which the generation of animals was told in the beginning and generation of human beings is told later on. This is the sequence of the creation made by God. The mother cooks white rice and then makes yellow rice from the white rice. You are saying that yellow rice is evolved from white rice. I agree with your statement just with a correction, which is that the mother prepared white rice first and then yellow rice. You say that evolution itself proceeded and we say that the evolution is carried on by God. We are not denying you, but, you are denying us.
24. Why does it feel so sad to see Muslims enjoying their life in India, especially after we gave them two separate countries?
Swāmi replied: All such comments bring hatred and quarrels between people. All the human beings are issues of the same one God. All the human beings in the world shall live like brothers and sisters praying the same divine Father in different dresses as per their likings. Finding unity among various forms of God and various scriptures of religions is the aim of the universal spirituality. As long as one does not accept this concept, the ultimate goal of his/her journey after death is only the liquid fire of hell.
25. Why did Muslim ruler release Bhakta Rāmadas? Did he (Muslim ruler) see Hindu God?
Swāmi replied: God Rāma showed the miracle by paying the gold coins to the Muslim ruler proving that the same unimaginable God exists in the divine form of every religion. The Muslim ruler realized the universal spirituality.