Part-1

[Datta Jayanti message 07.12.2003] Datta means an incarnation given itself in human form to bless the devotees with vision, touch, co-living and conversation (Bhāyga catuṣṭaya). He attracts the bad fruits of the bad deeds of the devotees and suffer to liberate them from their difficulties and facilitates to carry on their spiritual efforts without any disturbance. It is not acceptable to say that Rama only or Krishna only is God Datta because if Datta is limited to one human generation, then all the remaining human generations do not get equal justice. Therefore, Datta should come in every human generation, every country and every religion. If not, He will again be found fault of partiality. If He comes only in one religion and in one region, poor people cannot come to that region to see Swami. But in one place, several individual souls are found belonging to different levels and so the incarnations suitable for the respective level has to come as Kalā, Aṃśa and Āveśa incarnations for the respective individual souls. In order to preach, all these incarnations follow the traditions of respective religion and language. These incarnations are not accepted by another religion in another country.

Therefore, in that country, different incarnations has to come for the benefit of individual souls existing at different levels related to that religion and that place. Today, there are many religions in the same country. Therefore, if we keep all this in mind, the number of incarnations should be more than lakhs. But, there is no difficulty for the Paramātman to come as innumerable number of incarnations. The Shrutis say "Sahasra śīrṣā puruṣaḥ" and "Sahasra śīrṣaṃ devam". ‘Sahasra’ in the hymn means an infinite number but not thousand. No one has the authority to deny this fact since it is not impossible to come as various incarnations for the omnipotent Paramātman. Any preacher who boasts that he is the only incarnation of Datta, is not Datta. Such a person is a demon in human form, with full of Rajas and Tamas. He will claim so based on performed miracles alone. Miracles are only God’s jewellery. Even though the claimant wore God’s jewellery, he did not get a single ray of unimaginable light from God’s body. Therefore, such a person cannot be even a Kalāvatāra. God has written about such people in the Bible: "O wicked people! Go away; I do not know who you are." Actually, God’s characteristics (svarūpa) are knowledge (Jñāna), bliss (Ānanda) and love (Prema), as the Veda says "Satyaṃ Jñānam Anantaṃ Brahma", "Ānando Brahma" and "Raso vai saḥ".

Knowledge is the Rājasic quality called Brahmā. Love is the Sāttvic quality called Vishnu. Ānanda is the Tāmasic quality called Shiva, who is always detached from the world. All these three incarnations are the incarnations of Lord Datta. It means that every incarnation of Lord Datta is associated with the Triguṇas. The trinities are the embodiment of Triguṇas (three qualities). There are no three Gods, God is only one. So, there are no trinities called Brahmā, Vishnu and Shiva. Therefore, Lord Datta does not have three faces. It is a story only created for children like ignorant people. Datta, in human form, is always one-faced. His six arms in the image indicated the six modifications of the body. These are i) asti (existence), ii) jāyate (taking birth), iii) vardhate (increment), iv) vipariṇamate (transformation), v) apacīyate (weakening) and vi) kṣīyate (decay). Therefore, the existence of Triguṇas in the God’s body donated to the humanity indicates the three faces as depicted in images. Since His human body has six modifications of birth, death etc., He appears with six hands. In that human body, Paramātman pervades and donates Himself to the devotees and so He is called ‘Datta’. One can be recognized by the face but not by his hands. This Paramatman inherently has knowledge, bliss and love as the three qualities. Therefore, the three qualities are related to the Paramātman. Whereas, the six modifications are related to the physical body He is merged with.

The Gita by saying, "Māyāṃ tu prakṛtiṃ viddhi" and "Māyinaṃ tu Maheśvaram", states that these three qualities together are called Māyā or Prakriti and that the Paramātman is always associated with this Māyā. These three qualities (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) are combined in different proportions mainly to form the sixteen divine qualities (kalyāṇa guṇas) known as Kāruṇya (kind), Tāruṇya (youthful), Saujanya (courteous), Audārya (generous), Gāmbhīrya (profundity of character), Saundarya (beautiful), Saurabhya (fragrant), Dhairya (courageous), Vīrya (valourous), Jñāna (scholarly), Bala (strong), Yoga (blessing the deserving with His association), Tejas (shining), Vilāsa (playful), Vibhūti (miraculous powers), Sāmarthya (capable) etc., and further these qualities shine as infinite divine qualities. Therefore, the Paramātman is associated with infinite divine qualities seen with thousand heads and appear with cosmic form (Viśvarūpa). Since these wonderful divine qualities which are the embodiment of the Paramātman are not there in the demons, God said that that there is no connection between such demons and Him. Therefore, Datta pervades the human body appearing with only one face and two hands.

He is showing the cinmudrā with the right hand, indicating the preaching of divine knowledge. He has eight miraculous powers (Aṣṭasiddhis) in His left hand. Therefore, the right part is the form of Guru and the left part is the form of God (Bhagavān). Conch (Shankha), drum (Ḍamaruka) and garland of beads (Japamālā) decorated on the right part represent knowledge. The Conch and drum are forms of sound. The sound become the syllables and the collection of syllables as sentences indicate the garland of beads. Acquisition of the knowledge happens through sentences. The disk (Cakra), trident (Trishula) and the sanctified water in the water pot (Kamandalu)indicate the source power and the eight miraculous powers. The knowledge, ānanda (bliss) and love of the Paramatman are infinite. Therefore, when He expresses His original form, the universe (Jagat) itself disappears! You, who are part of the world, also disappear. Therefore, it is impossible to see Him directly and get knowledge based on experience. Therefore, experiencing the Brahmajñāna directly is possible only for Brahman Himself, so says the Shruti, "Brahmavit Brahmaiva bhavati".

Even in the Gita, it is said that no individual soul can know the Paramātman directly: "māṃ tu veda na kaśana". Such Paramātman has made an arrangement to preach His experiential knowledge  to the devotees through His statement in the Gita – "Mānuṣīṃ Tanumāśritam". In other words, the main aim is to express His knowledge, bliss and love by pervading a human body. If one says, should He not pervade an inert idol or an animal or a bird instead of the human body? Even if He pervades as per one’s wish, how can an inanimate object or an animal or a bird express His knowledge, bliss and love to the devotees? What is the purpose of the incarnation when inert idols and inert photos do not express any one of His three divine qualities? Animals and birds can express their love and ānanda with some actions, but they cannot express knowledge. So, such bliss and love should come, following that knowledge embodied in a human body.

Part-2

After attaining the knowledge of Brahmā; love of Vishnu and bliss of Shiva should be attained. Such divine knowledge cannot be obtained either from scholars or from the Shastras. Such knowledge gives headache but not love and bliss. The Shruti says "Prajñānaṃ Brahma", which means that Paramātman possesses special divine knowledge that is not possible to anyone else. Such special knowledge is called ‘Prajñānam’. Preaching of this special knowledge is possible only through the human form, not through animals, birds and stones. To hear such special knowledge from the human incarnation of God, to love Him through service, to be loved by Him and to attain continuous bliss (Akhaṇḍa ānanda) is the real salvation and jīvanmukti. When some people express only Ānanda and love, they are not incarnations of Lord Datta because they do not possess all the three qualities. Some others speak whatever comes to their mouth and preach it as special knowledge. It is not true knowledge at all. Datta Himself is the preacher of the Veda and the Gita. So, knowledge of such people must refer to the authority of the Upanishads and the Gita and should be according to the Shastras.

The four great aphorisms (Mahāvākyas) of the Vedas say that the Paramātman is in human form and possesses special knowledge. These great aphorisms are "Tattvamasi", "Ahaṃ Brahmā'smi", "Ayam ātmā Brahma" and "Prajñānaṃ Brahma". These aphorisms mean that Brahman is like Me. Brahman is like you and Brahman is like him. In the translation of these aphorisms the comparative term “like” is in ellipsis. This figure of speech is called the ‘Lupta upamā alaṅkāra’ (simile). So, the translation with interpretation indicates that Brahman exists in human form. It means that He will exist only in human form. This is the meaning of "Mānuṣīṃ tanu māśritam". Considering the above, are all human beings Brahman? No. No. The aphorism in the Veda says "Prajñānaṃ Brahma". Prajnaanam means special knowledge that is not possible for any individual souls. This special knowledge, i.e., Prajñānam, is the identity mark to recognize the Paramātman. Shri Rama in Tretāyuga and Shri Krishna in Dvāpara are Parabrahmans. Love comes from Prajñānam and Ānanda comes from love. So, such special knowledge, i.e., Prajñānam, is the main characteristic of Lord Datta. If special knowledge exists, love and bliss (Ānanda) must be born out of that. So, there is no need to mention about love and bliss separately. Datta means the One who donates or sacrifices Himself. Therefore, without such a sacrifice, individual souls cannot become the form of Lord Datta. Therefore, state of Brahman cannot be fully attained. The meaning of such a sacrifice is that the Jīvanmukti attained be equally attained by all individual souls and get the salvation while alive (Jīvanmukti) here; thus sacrifice becomes the propagation activity. Karma Yoga or Seva, is to participate in the work of the Paramatman coming in human form, which is the upliftment of all the individual souls through propagating true spiritual knowledge which is known as the welfare of the world (Loka Kalyāṇa). Karma Yoga consists of Karma Saṃnyāsa and Karma phala tyāga. So, Karma Yoga is the practical service to the Lord.

Karma saṃnyāsa means to participate in the Swami’s work by doing some practical work. Karma phala tyāga means offering some of the money, earned by doing one’s own job, to the work of Swami. Hanuman participated in this program of Swami and directly attatined the post of Brahmā – the future creator. According to the Valmiki Ramayana, He did not perform any rituals, chantings and meditations (dhyāna). He attained the post of Paramātman only through practical service. The Karma phala tyāga mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita is not the sacrifice of the fruit of mental deeds like chanting etc. Without doing the practical service, mere praise through the words, mental feelings and shedding tears in emotion, are useless like simple zeros without a preceding number. The reason being, the Veda says through "Dhanena Tyagenaike" that the sacrifice of money is Karma phala tyāga. That Karma phala tyāga is the test of Datta. How much knowledge is digested by study throughout the year, is tested in the year end examination and the degree is awarded based on the result of the examination only but not on the year long study. Therefore, for a person who is defeated in the test of Karma phala tyāga, no matter how much meditation, chanting, bhajan and recitation he has done, is as useless just as studying for a year without writing the exam. The value of Karma phala tyāga is such that even the fruit acquired through a sinful act, when sacrificed to God, brings salvation, as in the case of Kannappa. Kannappa sacrificed the fruit (meat) of his deed (hunting) to Swami and then he was given salvation by ignoring the sinful act of the hunting. Though hunting is a sinful action, it is ignored because he showed highest level of devotion by plucking out his eyes and sacrificing them to Swami.