Posted on: 14 Dec 2021
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Trailokyā Uvāca:-
1) Dattocyate mahat satyaṃ, vācā sulabhayā tvayā|
Kuto yajñe ghṛtaṃ dagdhaṃ, śabda mātraiva kiṃ śṛutiḥ?||
[Ms. Trailokya asked:- O God Datta! You are speaking greatest truth in simplest language. Why is the ghee burnt in sacrifice even though ghee is said to be promoter of intelligence in Ayurveda-medical science? Is the Veda recited by priests in rituals confined to mere word-recitation only and is it not necessary to reveal its meaning?]
Śrī Dattasvāmī Uvāca:-
2) Trailokye! Pṛcchasi jñāne, sadā prāgāgrahaṃ vinā |
Ghṛtaṃ ghṛtānnaṃ deyaṃ hi, kṣudhā'pyagniḥ kṣudhāture||
[Shri Dattaswami spoke: O Trailokya! You are always asking for truth in the Spiritual knowledge without any prefixed bias. The food mixed with ghee is told as ghee, which shall be donated to a hungry person in whom the hunger itself is the fire in which the food mixed with ghee is to be burnt by the eater. By lakṣaṇā or indicated meaning, the possessor of an item can be called by the name of that item. The possessor (seller) of apples is called by people “O Apples!”. Hence, the food possessing ghee can be called as ‘Ghee’ and the person possessing hunger fire can be called as ‘Fire’. Therefore, the word ghee need not be the actual ghee and the word ‘fire’ need not be the actual inert fire.]
3) Rugādya mantrāt bhūtagneḥ, na hotṛ havanīyatā |
Kṣudhārto syāt dvidhā cittvāt, jaḍatvādanalasya ca ||
[In the Ṛgveda, the first hymn says that Agni or fire is the receiver of the offering as well as the supplier of the same offering. If the inert fire is mentioned as Agni in this hymn, how the inert fire can offer ghee to itself so that the fire can become both supplier of ghee as well as the receiver of the ghee? This means clearly that the inert fire referred in this hymn is not actually the inert fire, but, the supplier of ghee (ghee-food) as well as receiver of it. When a hungry person eats the ghee-food, he becomes the supplier and also receiver of the ghee food. Here, the hunger is the Vaiśvānarāgni-fire as told in the Gītā (Ahaṃ Vaiśvānaro bhūtvā…- Gītā). The possessor of the hunger fire is said to be Agni or fire. The first hymn of the Ṛgveda becomes meaningful only when you take the hungry person as the supplier as well as receiver of ghee-food. The inert fire can be receiver of ghee-food, but, can’t supply the ghee food to itself or to others. The hungry person having awareness can be receiver (Havanīya) as well as supplier (Hotā) of the ghee-food. The inert fire having no awareness can’t become supplier (Hotā) of ghee-food.]
4) Na nāśo'nnasya cāmnāyāt, jaḍāgniḥ pāka sādhanam|
Gīyate devatāgniḥ kṣut, ghṛtaṃ buddhi vivardhanam||
[Moreover, the Veda clearly says that food shall not be destroyed (Annaṃ na paricakṣīta…- Veda). Ghee is very precious food that helps to increase the strength of the intelligence as per Ayurvedic medical science. Pouring such precious food in the inert fire and burning it is the greatest sin. In such case, you may doubt that why the physical fire is lit in doing sacrifice or Yajña. The purpose is to cook the food with ghee for which only the physical fire is lit using sticks. The physical fire is said to be an instrument or helping aid for the sacrifice (Yajñasādhanam). The divine fire to be worshipped is the Vaiśvānarāgni that is present as hunger-fire in a hungry person as per the Giita.]
5) Ghṛtadīpā bhāsakāya, kimartham? svārtha bhāsi ca|
Dhī dīpaka jñānadīpe, daridre sārthakaṃ ghṛtam||
[God is said to be the source of light even for Sun, Moon, Stars etc. as per the Veda (Na tatra sūryo bhāti…- Veda). For such God why are you burning lights with oil and ghee? We, the souls, only require light for our sake. When for our sake light exists like Sunlight in the day and electric lights in the night, still you are burning the oil or ghee lamps for the sake of God! The oil and ghee burnt by you shall be donated to poor people, using which their intelligence will become more strengthened and their lights of knowledge will glow. When this is done, your oil and ghee become meaningful.]
6) Keci nmūḍhāh phalaṃ śabdāt, vadanti smṛti varṇanam |
Vyarthaśramāya nirdiṣṭaḥ, jñeyārthaśca tribhiḥ padaiḥ ||
[There was a foolish tradition called Pūrvamīmāṃsā, which says that the Veda means only the holy words, which alone bring all the miraculous results without caring about the meaning of those words, which bring some important knowledge (Śabdamātra devatā). The scripture says that the Veda shall be studied and its knowledge must be known (Vedo'dhyetavyo jñeyaśca). Here, the Veda itself means knowledge. Adhyayana itself means knowledge. Jñeya also means knowledge. In this way, the importance of knowledge is stressed thrice. The meaning of the Vedas, which is the sacred knowledge is also explained in secondary scriptures called Smṛtis for the sake of every human being. If knowledge is not important, why this unnecessary tedious effort in explaining the meaning of the Vedas through Smṛtis was done?]
7) Na mahat triguṇaṃ sūtraṃ, triguṇopādhi sūcakam |
Yatibhi styajyate pūjyaiḥ, tallakṣyārtha pramā budhaiḥ ||
[The ignorant priests claim themselves to be great in having the cross belt made of three strings, which is denied to some other castes and even to females of their own caste. If the cross belt is so holy, why the renounced saints of their own caste are throwing away such holy cross belt? Such saints are worshipped by these priests! Hence, the priests have not understood the real significance of this cross belt having three strings. It only indicates that a soul shall catch hold of the unimaginable God existing in human body (cross belt) that is made of the three fundamental qualities of Sattvam (awareness), Rajas (inert energy) and Tamas (inert matter). The unmediated unimaginable God is beyond imagination and can’t be worshipped. The energetic incarnation has only awareness and inert energy and can’t be worshipped by human beings since its body has no matter. This means that Sadguru, the contemporary human incarnation of God must be caught by the spiritual aspirant for getting true spiritual knowledge. Since the actual represented meaning is realized, the representative model of this concept is removed by the realized saint. In such case, is it correct to hurt other castes and all females by stressing the greatness due to presence of cross belt?]
8) Jīvahiṃsā mahāpāpaṃ, oṣadhībhya iti Śrutiḥ |
Śrutaṃ paśutvamājyaṃ ca, doṣā māmse ca viśrutāḥ ||
[Killing the living beings for the sake of food while alternative vegetable food is available in plenty is the highest sin. Plants do not have nervous system and hence, lack awareness. Some people argue that plants also have life and eating them is also sin. In such case, why Veda instructed the human beings to eat the plants? (Oṣadhībhyo'nnam). The Veda clearly says that the animal nature must be slaughtered in the sacrifice and not the actual animal. Similarly, Veda says that the desire must be burnt in sacrifice and not the ghee (Manyuḥ paśuḥ, kāma ājyam). Instead of the actual animal, an artificial animal made of flour of grains is cut to symbolize the killing of the animal nature. The word ‘ajā’ in the context of sacrifice doesnot mean goat, but, the flour of grains stored for three years, which are incapable of giving sprouts. It is widely said by medical scientists also that eating non-vegetarian food is not good for good health.]
9) Pūjārtha yajñe no hiṃsā, nā'nnadāhaśca so'rcitaḥ |
Śabdena sphaṭike bhinne, paunaḥpunyasya vijñatā ||
[The meaning of the word ‘Yajña’ or ‘sacrifice’ is to worship God in human form called as Sadguru and not at all to kill living beings and to burn the ghee, which is the most precious food. Some modern fans of the above said Pūrvamīmāṃsā blindly want to support whatever is ancient. Such people say that a crystal is broken by uttering a Vedic hymn, which proves that Vedic words themselves have the miraculous power. In such experiment, how can you say that the word has miraculous power? It is quite possible that a specific frequency of a specific sound has such power, which is purely the topic of science. You have to repeat the same experiment with the help of an atheist uttering the same sound with the same frequency. If the crystal breaks, it is proved as scientific phenomenon only.]
10) Svarāt samāsa vijñanaṃ, śāstrāt vyākaraṇāddhi tat |
Vibhūtir Bhagavatkāmāt, na svarā jjaḍaśaktijāt ||
[Some scholars of the above Pūrvamīmāṃsā say that by changing the accent in a Vedic hymn, which is ‘Indraśatro’, the demon Vṛtra was killed by god Indra even though the aim of the sacrifice was that Indra shall be killed by Vṛtra. By this, they say that the word and its accent have the miraculous power irrespective of the meaning. This is totally absurd. The priests changed the accent willingly to kill Vṛtra and such aim of the priests is related to the meaning of the word and not to mechanical accent. By stressing the word Indra, the meaning comes to be that Indra, who is the enemy shall grow (Indra! Śatro! Vardhasva). Here, Indra becomes prominent as the enemy of Vṛtra and the samāsa is Prathamā Tatpuruṣa. If the word ‘Śatro’ is stressed, the samāsa becomes Ṣaṣṭhī Tatpuruṣa, which means that the enemy of Indra shall grow thereby meaning that Vṛtra shall kill Indra. All this is done by those priests taking the help of knowledge of grammar and not the help of mere inert mechanical sound energy or svara. Moreover, Vṛtra is bad demon and Indra is good angel. The miraculous powers belong to God only and not to the inert mechanical sounds. In whatever manner the sacrifice might have been performed, it is the will of God that Indra must kill Vṛtra and that alone will take place even if the priests wished the victory of Vṛtra by uttering the word ‘Indraśatro’ in the angle of Ṣaṣṭhī tatpuruṣa samāsa. The reason is that neither the Vedic words nor the sages performing sacrifice are stronger than God.]
11. Paṭhanāt rakṣito Vedaḥ, prakṣepo mudraṇā nna hi |
Mudritaṃ paṭhyatāṃ kālo, yujyatāṃ jñānakarmaṇi ||
[Preserving the Vedic scripture by blind recitation was justified in ancient days because in those days, printing technology was absent and the scripture has to be preserved by recitation only. Even though preserving the scripture by writing on palm leaves existed in those days, still recitation was preferred so that no insertion can be done by anybody. Hence, Veda is not at all polluted and for this tedious work of preservation by recitation, we all must be grateful to the ancient scholars. But, now the printing technology is available and there is no fear of any insertion from outside. Hence, this blind recitation can be stopped and study of the scripture in view of its tremendous knowledge must be taken up by scholars and foolish repetition of the blind tradition of recitation must be avoided by the present priests.]
12) Prakṣepo likhite patre, syā nmudraṇa nirākṛtam |
Niṣedhaḥ paṭhane yuktaḥ, kimanyatra phalacyutiḥ? ||
[Some people say that the priest shall not recite the Veda from the written palm leaves or printed book by quoting a verse ‘Gītī.. likhita pāṭhakaḥ’. This verse was meaningful in those olden days when the scripture was written in palm leaves only. In such written scripture, there was possibility of pollution by insertion. Hence, to avoid such insertion, reading from the written script was objected. The written scripts were also very very few in number and hence, pollution was possible. But, now, hundreds of copies of the scripture are available and pollution of the scripture cannot be even dreamt. Hence, in the present days, this precaution is out of context. Moreover, in other religions, priests are reading from printed books and are explaining the spiritual knowledge. Are those scriptures futile in bringing down the grace of God and do you think that the blindly recited Vedic scripture without knowing meaning alone is capturing the grace of God?]
13) Ubahu strīṇāṃ niruddhau tau, strīṣveva staḥ na puṃsi ḥi |
Gānaṃ ca pacanaṃ tattvaṃ, svagartapatanaṃ dhruvam ||
[The egoistic ignorant priests deny the Gāyatrī hymn and doing sacrifice to other castes and all females. In fact, both these Gāyatrī and Yajña or sacrifice are confined only to females and not at all to any male. ‘Gāyatrī’ means the mode of singing the praise of God and ‘Yajña’ means to cook the food with the help of physical fire and serve to hungry people to satisfy their divine hunger fire. If we understand the essence of these two rituals, really these two rituals are with females only and not with any male. Females sing sweet songs in the praise of God and also cook the food to serve hungry people. Therefore, whatever is denied by these priests to females (and other castes) exists only with females and not with the male priests! A person himself will fall in the pit dug by him for the sake of others and this is the law of God!]
14) Sadgurau hi kṣudhā śānte, devatṛptyambuda śśruteḥ ।
Anyathā dhūma kāluṣyāt, vijñānokta mavarṣaṇam ।।
[There is a faith, which says that by doing Yajña or sacrifice, which is burning ghee in physical fire, rains will come to earth that help the production of food and this is also said in the Gītā. We are not denying any concept of this except the concept of burning ghee in physical fire. We are only saying that the food is to be burnt in hunger fire of a hungry person. If the food is burnt in physical fire, the smoke produced will cause pollution that stops rains and this is proved by science. When this food is burnt in hunger fire of Sadguru or human incarnation, the rains will come since gods are pleased, who are present in the body of Sadguru as said in the Veda (Yāvatīrvai devatāḥ…).]
15) Vedadharma karaḥ Kṛṣṇaḥ, yajñānnaṃ yācate makhāt ।
Kṣudhārta mitra tṛptyarthaṃ, mātre Kapila bodhitam ।।
[Kṛṣṇa is born to establish the Vedic justice as told in the Gītā. He will never disturb the Vedic ritual in anyway. In such case when the food was prepared by the wives of sages to be burnt in the physical fire of a sacrifice, why Kṛṣṇa went there along with His hungry friends and asked for that holy food to be eaten by His hungry friends? This means that Kṛṣṇa is also telling that sacrifice does not mean burning the food in physical fire, which is the same food to be burnt in the hunger fire of a hungry living being. Even sage Kapila, the incarnation of God Viṣṇu, told while preaching spiritual knowledge to His mother that burning food in the fire is foolishness of ignorance.]
16) Tyāga yajñā hi gīyante, grahaṇārthe pramodadāḥ ।
Agniśabda śśruto cittve, devākṣa brāhmaṇā'tithau।।
[Yajña or sacrifice does not mean burning anything in the fire. It only means sacrifice of some valuable item to a deserving receiver and based on this concept several sacrifices were mentioned in the Gītā (Evaṃ bahuvidhā yajñāḥ…). Even senses grasping some items from the world for enjoyment are mentioned as Yajñas or sacrifices and here the enjoying senses are said to be the receiving fire (Indriyāgniṣu juhvati - Gītā). On the same basis, the receiver of food while enjoying it is also fire and such eating is also Yajña-homa. The inert fire cannot enjoy the offered item and hence, all these examples prove that all the sacrifices indicate a living being with awareness is the menaing of the word ‘fire’. The Veda clearly says that all gods existing in Sadguru, who is enjoying the food will make all those gods to enjoy the same food through Him. A person with true spiritual knowledge called Brāhmaṇa is also said to be fire in the Veda (Āgneyo vai brāhmaṇaḥ) indicating that fire mentioned in sacrifice is not inert item. The Veda also says that a hungry guest is called Vaiśvānarāgni or Vaiśvānara fire (Vaiśvānaraḥ praviśatyatithiḥ…).]
17) Daivasṛṣṭe kule daivaṃ, na mukhyaṃ sṛṣṭi kāraṇāt ।
Guṇa karma kāraṇaṃ hi, na bhaṅgo vo matasya hi ।।
[While referring to the caste system, the ignorant priests say that God has created this caste system based on their qualities and deeds so that good people are born in the upper castes and bad people are born in the lower castes. We fully agree with this provided all the proved good people belong to upper castes only and all the proved bad people belong to lower castes only. You may say that the family-atmosphere influences qualities and deeds so that all good people born in upper castes will naturally become good people due to the influence of good family-atmosphere. We fully agree with this, but, we will decide the caste of a person on seeing his/her good qualities and deeds finally and for this you shall not have any objection since a good soul born in good caste and brought up by good family will naturally show good qualities only as the final result. Here, people are bringing God as the establisher of caste system without giving importance to the basis of qualities and deeds. The principle (qualities and deeds) on which God based Himself in establishing caste system is more important than the establisher.]
18) Prāmāṇyaṃ samayā nnaiva, tamaso vā paramparā ।
Prahlādasyeva yogo'pi, śiṣṭācāraḥ sutarkitaḥ ।।
[There are good and bad traditions of ancient sages and the priests of Kali age respectively. The soul shall separate the good and bad traditions with the help of his/her powerful logical analysis like the swan separating milk and water by its inherent talent. A tradition by mere long old age cannot be accepted as correct simply based on its long duration. The darkness may exist in a room for 100 years since the room was totally locked. When the door is opened, the Sunlight entering the room will drive away the darkness immediately. The darkness cannot fight for its right of long stay just like a person staying in a house for rent, based on the rental act! Kṛṣṇa established the right merit of the concept of Yoga in detail and then only told that such Yoga was coming as a tradition from long time. If the long age of a tradition itself stands as a proof for its righteousness, why Prahlāda rejected the long-standing tradition of hatred to God Viṣṇu that is coming for past several generations of his caste of demons? A good tradition is acceptable if it is coming from several good generations, which is called as Śiṣṭācāra. If the sunlight enters an opened room, in which already electric bulb is glowing, such light of electric bulb is not driven by the sun light. Only darkness is driven by the sunlight.]
19) Daivārtha yajñe vedyo'rthaḥ, karmākarma vikarmaṇām ।
Raṇo yajño na svakarma, vikarma phalamatra no ।।
[The word karma has two main meanings:- 1) work related to God or Nivṛtti and 2) worldly work that is necessary for the maintenance of worldly life or Pravṛtti. Both these together are called Yajña or sacrifice and the fruits of both these works do not bind the soul (Yajñārthāt karmaṇo'nyatra, loko'yaṃ karmabandhanaḥ— Gītā). The worldly work or pravṛtti is of two types: - 1. Worldly work for just maintenance and this type of worldly work comes under work related to God 2. Worldly work involing sins for storing wealth for future generations and this type of work doesnot come under the work of God. The binding work referred in the verse of Gītā is of second type. Worship and sacrifice to God are the two essential meanings of the word Yajña, which is not destruction of food in fire. The basis for Yajña is maintenance of life or Pravṛtti and hence such work is also included in Nivṛtti or Yajña. In doing such Yajña, the fruits will not bind the soul. Fighting against Kauravas is work of God, which is uplift of justice and destruction of injustice and the basis is also to maintain self and family for which Pāṇḍavas begged for just five villages only. Arjuna is neither fighting for the share nor for the whole kingdom to enjoy luxuries. In such fight Arjuna has to kill grandfather and teacher, which was thought to be a sin (Vikarma) and to avoid this, he chose to withdraw from fight or Yajña (Akarma). He thought that he is fighting for kingdom to enjoy luxuries and in such path, he thought that sin is committed by him. Kṛṣṇa clarified that fight is not the personal work of Arjuna, but, the divine work of God Kṛṣṇa or Yajña in which aspiration for maintenance of life was included, which is a part of Yajña. Yajña is participation in God’s work, which is related to work only (Yajñaḥ karma samudbhavaḥ- Gītā) and not burning food in fire.]
20) Niṣphalaṃ karma cā'karma, yajña eva hi jīvitam ।
Tyājyaṃ vikarma yajñe tat, sadguroreva niścayaḥ ।।
[The life shall be fulfilled when it is completely filled with Yajña or karma, which is service to God that includes the work required for earning to maintain the basic needs of life. The work done for unlawful earning for the sake of luxuries and selfishness is sin or vikarma that will be punished by God and this shall be avoided completely. Akarma is not only avoiding work but also wasteful work and this is also to be avoided (Mā te saṅgo'stvakarmaṇi— Gītā). In doing Yajña or karma if the fruit of extra work is sacrificed to God without selfish desire, the soul will not be bound by the fruit of work (Karmajaṃ buddhiyuktā hi, phalaṃ tyaktvā…, Karmabhirna sa bādhyate— Gītā). The Veda also says that if work is done for basic needs and sacrifice to God, the work will not bind the soul (Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ). While doing Yajña, if a doubt about sin or vikarma comes, Sadguru is the final authority as Kṛṣṇa decided that killing grandfather and teacher is not sin. Killing them is not sin because they were supporting injustice and destruction of injustice is justice.]
Iti Trailokya Gītāyāṃ ‘Yajña Vicāra yog nāma Pañcadaśādhyāyaḥ.
Like this, in Trailokya Gītā the fifteenth chapter called ‘Association of the enquiry of Sacrifice’ is completed.
Chapter-1: Daiva Kartavya Yogah (Association with Divine Duty)
Chapter 2: Kartavyatattva Yoga (The Association of Philosophy of Divine Duty)
Chapter-3: Yogavichaara Yoga (The Association of Enquiry of Yoga)
Chapter-4: Jnaanabhaktikarma Yoga (The Association of Knowledge, Devotion and Practice)
Chapter-5: Brahmaadivichaara Yoga (The Association of the Enquiry About Brahman)
Chapter-8: Madamaatsarya Jnaana Yoga (The Association with Knowledge of Ego and Jealousy)
Chapter-9: Gunavichaara Yoga (The Association with Enquiry of Qualities)
Chapter-10: Eshaana Vimarsha Yoga (The Association with Analysis of Strong Attachment)
Chapter-11: Madhurabhakti Vichaara Yoga (The Association with Enquiry of Sweet Devotion)
Chapter-12: Krishna Tattva Jnaana Yoga (The Association with Knowledge of Philosophy of Krishna)
Chapter-13: Bhagavat Varna Vichaara Yoga (The Association with Knowledge of Caste of God)
Chapter-15: Yajna Vichaara Yoga (The Association of the Enquiry of Sacrifice)
Chapter-16: Vishvamata Samanvaya Yoga (The Association of Correlation of World-Religions)
Chapter-17: Yogamaarga Jnaana Yoga (The Association of the Knowledge of the Path of Yoga)
Chapter-18: Visheshaamsa Jnaana Yoga (The Association of Knowledge of Special Points)