Posted on: 08 Jul 2017
Dr. Nikhil Asked: Padanamaskarams Swamiji, I would like to bring the following questions related to the Ṛg Veda and Indian culture. I seek Your clarifications on the same. At Your Divine Feet, Nikhil.
1) Are the deities mentioned in the Ṛg Veda, the human incarnations of God or different devoted angels from the upper worlds, who have periodically incarnated on Earth to guide humanity?
[The Ṛg Veda describes different deities (devatās). Some of the descriptions appear to indicate that the deities must be in human form, living in the same time as the composers (sages) of the hymns (ṛcās). In other words, in these hymns, the sages do not appear to be referring to a deity present in some other world. Of course, many other hymns could equally apply to deities from worlds. Secondly, many hymns attribute divinity and miraculous powers to the deities. So, one cannot claim that the deities were not actually deities but merely some ordinary human beings, who were being worshiped by people just because they were powerful.
One explanation is that the sages had the understanding that certain human beings during their time, were actually incarnations of gods from the upper worlds. Thus, at times, the sages appear to be referring to the human incarnations of the gods and at other times, they appear to be referring to the same gods present in an energetic body in the upper world. Perhaps some of incarnations were even incarnations of Almighty God.
A good example in support of this explanation is the interaction between the Pāṇḍavās and Lord Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa, was in human form and was a relative, friend, supporter and advisor of the Pāṇḍavās. Whenever the Pāṇḍavās were in difficulty, He would come and help and guide them. If the Pāṇḍavās were composing hymns, describing Lord Kṛṣṇa, they would include the details of several specific instances when Lord Kṛṣṇa came to help them. Those hymns would clearly indicate that He was living in the same time as them, in human form. Assuming that they Pāṇḍavās clearly knew that Lord Kṛṣṇa was a human incarnation of Almighty God, they would also compose some other hymns indicating that He is the Omnipotent Lord of the universe or that He resides in the Milk Ocean in Vaikuṇṭha.
This explanation correlates well with the Gītā that God incarnates in human form in all times to guide humanity and protect justice. By extrapolation, it can be said that not only God but also His devoted angels (gods) incarnate to carry our God’s work as per His instructions. The Purāṇās amply support such an extrapolation. Most importantly, this explanation is generally in keeping with Your philosophy. I request Your clarifications on the same.]
Swami replied: The power is of two types:
i) Power of unimaginable domain, which can’t be touched by any human being through any instrument at any time and in any place and
ii) Power of imaginable domain, which is sub divided into
a) Power so far achieved by human beings and
b) Power to be achieved in future through research.
You should not say that (i) and (ii)-(b) become one and the same. The powers of angels come under (i) and not under (ii)-(b) because the power of angels is always separated by the unimaginable barrier or will of God. Of course, both (i) and (ii) types of powers are from God only. The (i) type of power is given to angels with certain limitation. The (ii) type power is given by God to human beings. The future research of human beings can’t cross the limitation put by God. If (ii)-(b) crosses this limitation, it will enter into type (i). Such entry can never take place due to will of God. When Datta or unimaginable God enters into a human being, the type (i) power comes to that human being. If this basic frame is accepted, there need not be any objection to say that God is incarnated as Krishna whereas an angel like Yama is incarnated as Dharma Raja. God keeps the highest part of type (i) power with Him as His personal portfolio. The power below this highest part is also in type (i) and belongs to the angels. Type (ii) power including (a) and (b) belongs to human beings given by God only. Every investigation in the modern science is only due to the blessing and will of God only (vijnaanam etat sarvam janaardanaat). The Prime Minister keeps a specific port folio with himself while controlling all the other portfolios of other ministers also. The entire spectrum of the powers ((i) and (ii) types) belongs to the unimaginable God only. In this spectrum, the highest layer of type (i) is kept as a specific portfolio of God. The lower portion of type (i) is given to angels by God. Next comes the type (ii)-(b) and then lastly the type (ii)-(a) given to human beings by God.
The angel can dissolve in a human being to become angel-incarnation. The unimaginable God through the first energetic form can identify with an energetic being or materialized human being as energetic or human incarnation of God. The unimaginable God entering a human being or an energetic being always takes place through Datta only. An angel (without God) can enter another energetic being or human being to become angel-incarnation. As long as the unimaginable barrier between the two unimaginable and imaginable domains is maintained without any disturbance (as long as the will of God continues), there is no problem. All the possibilities are acceptable. Without the will of God, the unimaginable barrier between these two domains can’t be disturbed by any human being with any sophisticated technology at any time and in any place. The concept of alien is a trial for such disturbance by an atheist, which is strongly condemned always. Such a trail will end in an effort to prove the absence of unimaginable domain or unimaginable God, who is beyond space.
2) How to overcome the misinterpretations of the Vedas, Indian philosophy and culture made by Western scholars?
[A number of indologists (researchers in the field of Indian history, culture and philosophy) consider the Vedas as mere works of literature, mythology, ethics and philosophy, composed by numerous sages over a long period of time. They do not accept the idea of divine revelation through the Veda or even that whatever is given in the Veda is the truth. They date the Vedas to as recently as 1500–500 BCE, and they do not accept the chronology given in the Hindu scriptures, which includes the cyclic model of creation and destruction over different timescales like yugas, manvantaras, and kalpas.
Many Hindus especially Hindu nationalists allege that it is part of a conspiracy of western scholars to portray the Hindu Vedic culture in a poor light and prove western (especially Christian) supremacy over Indian culture. They want to prove that Indian culture is an inferior and uncivilized culture involving the worship of natural forces (sun, fire, wind rain etc.) idols, and some humans (pagan culture). For these scholars, the Veda is only a pagan scripture and in no way comparable to the Bible or the Torah. Even this barbaric culture was derived from western culture, when European migrants brought this culture to India (Aryan Invasion Theory). The Greek culture, according to these Western scholars, was more ancient, philosophically more advanced and in general superior to Indian culture. They feel that in the past two thousand years, the West, has improved further and adopted Christianity on the spiritual side and modern science on the secular side. Thus, the Western civilization is the climax of cultural advancement of humanity. On the other hand, Indian culture is still holding on to degraded (pagan) ideas.
These western scholars are highly influential, publish a lot in scholarly journals and as a result, their opinions are accepted and treated to be highly reliable but the educated class. Nowadays, huge numbers of people all over the world, including the new generations. Occasionally, these western scholars even write some books or articles that very blatantly misinterpret certain aspects of Indian scriptures and traditions in a very offensive manner.]
Swami replied: A true scientist differs from atheist as much as a true ancient sage differs from the ignorant middle age scholar. Infact, atheism is born from the ignorance of the misinterpretations of middle age scholars, who framed the misinterpretations due to their stupid, egoistic ignorance. The middle age scholars never studied the subject of the scriptures, which is the meaning of words. They have simply recited the words like tape recorders and were never worried about the knowledge of the scripture. These misinterpretations are like insulting some castes as lower castes by birth and also insulting women by gender. This brought meaningless division in Hinduism, which was always split without unity. These middle age scholars represented their foolish misinterpretations as the real Hinduism by which the unity in Hindus is cracked. Any religion is expected to bring unity in a specific community of a country. The universal religion is expected to bring unity between all religions of all countries on the earth. These middle age scholars have brought not only splits within the religion but also splits among religions, affecting the peace of the world, which is the ultimate aim of God. In any religion, the thoughts of the original preacher are always diamonds. But these diamonds were mixed with small pieces of charcoal coming from the followers of that original preacher. These particles of charcoal are the insertions of the followers in the scripture. As you can see pieces of diamond and pieces of charcoal with your naked eye separately based on their colours, you can easily separate the original thoughts of the original preacher from the thoughts of followers with the help of just your common sense in which much logic is also not required. People supporting blind traditions washed the brains of even an ordinary human being rubbing the blindness on its eyes. Hence, contradictions appear within the primary or secondary scripture as said by scholars (shrutirvibhinnaa smrutayovibhinnaah).
In fact, atheism is originally born from the foolish misinterpretations of the followers only. When you differentiate two human beings by birth based on caste or based on gender, emotional revolution starts because such a distinction is meaningless even according to the enlightenment of least intelligence. If you make difference based on qualities and their deeds, it is appreciable even to least common sense. The unjust classification based on birth brought split and the root of the atheism is only due to this unjust difference. We appreciate fighting against such unjust difference and rectify the defect by the difference based on merits. This means that you are rectifying the polluted system. By this, you are filtering charcoal from diamond. Both diamond and charcoal are made of same element called as carbon. The difference in the colour is due to the difference between the crystal structure of diamond and amorphous structure of charcoal. Similarly, the statements of the original preacher and the statements of followers are made of same words, but the rationalities of their meanings differ. This rationality can be again decided by rational analysis only. The Veda says that even the climax of the Veda should be discussed with the help of sharp analysis and then only acceptance or rejection of it shall be decided (vedaanta vijnaana sunishchitaarthaah). The beginning of the Gita is on the necessity of analysis (buddhi yoga or sankhya yoga) only. The end of the Gita is again about the analysis of the scripture told even by God before accepting it for practice (vimrushyaitat…). Whatever was told as the Gita to Arjuna need not be analysed because it was heard directly from the mouth of God. The last suggestion of Krishna was in view of future human beings reading the Gita in which there is every possibility of insertions made by followers. Hence, the necessity of analysis was not for Arjuna but for the future generations in view of the future insertions. We can also take that the human incarnation of God is asking Arjuna to analyze Its knowledge since It never fears for the test. A concept decided by sharp analysis through debates is to be accepted by any human being like a washed pearl. When we say that God spoke, it only means the speech given by mediated God to a sage. Alternatively, the mediated God Datta (first energetic incarnation) may enter the sage and get Himself identified with the sage and whatever is spoken by the sage is spoken by Datta or unimaginable God only. This Datta is called as Brahma and hence we say that Brahma is the author of the Veda. Any statement of any human being (sage or even a modern human being) is the Veda or primary scripture provided it is proved as the original diamond through sharp analysis. The statement of an old sage like Charvaka can be wrong and the statement of the present human being called as Datta Swami can be correct. Both the statements must be subjected to the fire test of sharp analysis. There is no point of old or new since God is beyond time. Conservative people with blind fanatic faith of old time or a specific religion are fraud since they object the fire test of analysis.
I appreciate atheists as far as their emotion against the ignorant middle age scholar is concerned. But, the atheism grew too much resulting in negation of God and scripture itself. The reformation and rectification of system is appreciable. But, the undesirable over growth of atheism to eradicate the basic system itself is highly deplored. The basic system has merits and the insertions have defects. You filter the insertions and accept the basic scripture spoken by God. To control the copying, the basic examination-system itself need not be cancelled. You catch the rats by boxes and you need not burn the house itself. We oppose such over growth of atheists and appreciate them at their basic level. Every religion has both merits of original preacher and defects of the followers. If you filter all the insertions of all religions, you will find only one religion called as Universal Religion. Even if you consider your Hindu religion as the best of all, you can take the merit from other religion also. You can take the correct advice even from a small child (balaadapi subhaashitam). The Hindu religion must take the merit of unity within the religion from other religions.
There is only one God, who is beyond space and hence is unimaginable. The original scriptural-spiritual knowledge given to the entire world is from that unimaginable God only. The unimaginable God takes a medium and identifies Himself with it so that He can be seen and heard by the devoted energetic or human beings. Nobody can even imagine the unimaginable God and hence none can say that any scripture came from unimaginable God directly. The unimaginable God identifies with the medium into which He has entered. He remains unimaginable (sat cha) and simultaneously becomes imaginable and even visible (tyat cha abhavat). Both these concepts do not contradict each other. The electricity remains as a stream of electrons (sat) and simultaneously becomes the metallic wire into which it entered and got identified with the metallic wire (tyat). The electricity is now in two forms.
i) Invisible stream of electrons
ii) Visible metallic wire
The property of electricity is to give shock and this appears in the entire metallic wire wherever touched. The electrons are not modified into metallic wire. Hence, electricity remains in its original form and also becomes another form, which is metallic wire. Based on the property of shock, both these forms are called as electricity. The unimaginable God is recognized by the property of unimaginable events or miracles. Miracles are the inherent property of the unimaginable God. The unimaginable God performs miracles by Himself in His original unimaginable form and simultaneously performs the same miracles when the unimaginable God is mediated by energetic body (Datta) or by human body (Krishna). Based on these common miracles we say that the non-mediated unimaginable God, the energy mediated unimaginable God and the matter mediated unimaginable God are the only one unimaginable God. If you remove the insertions of the followers, the original preacher of any religion is the same one unimaginable God. You will find the pure spiritual knowledge of the universal religion when all the insertions are filtered from all the religions. Now where is the question of superiority or inferiority of any religion confined to its pure basic state? When this basic pure spiritual knowledge of universal religion is mixed by different insertions, different religions appear. The basic spiritual knowledge is like the basic powder of tiny diamond crystals. This is mixed with charcoal in one country, mixed with sand in other country and mixed with metallic powder in another country. These polluted diamond mixtures appeared as different materials with different names like charcoal, sand and metal. The difference is only between various religions (charcoal, sand and metal) and not in the basic universal spiritual knowledge or universal religion, which is the powder of diamond crystals. The difference comes only by ego and lack of proper sharp analysis.
The meaning of the word ‘Veda’ is simply knowledge and not any language. Of course, language is the vehicle of the meaning and is needed. Veda is the person travelling in the vehicle and not the vehicle itself even though vehicle is needed for travelling. The person travelling in car can also travel in train or even in airplane. The person is one and the same even though the vehicle changes. Hence, the Veda means the knowledge conveyed by any language. You can’t say that a person travelling in car alone is the person. If this crucial point is understood, the inter-religious splits will disappear once for all. As long as one maintains the fanatic of time and religion, he/she cannot realize the real and absolute unimaginable God existing beyond space and time. The four dimensional space-time model is for the creation only and not for the creator, who is beyond this four dimensional model. This is the essence of the knowledge of old Shankara and modern Einstein.
Shri Balaji asked: Namaste Swamiji.
3) Kindly clarify the correlation for the two consecutive verses (ananyas cintayanto maam..) and the next verse (yepy anyadevata bhakta yajante...).
[You have previously clarified that anyadevata means energetic/human incarnation of God. In (ananyas cinta...), what is the meaning of 'maam' He is refering to? Does He mean the first incarnation of God, Lord Datta? So in the next verse (yepy anyadevata bhakta yajante...), He says even if one worships other energetic/human incarnations, it is same as worshipping Him, Lord Datta.
Sincerely, Balaji]
Swami Replied: Electricity is invisible stream of electrons (unimaginable God). It is flowing through a silver wire (Datta). Now, the electrified silver wire is coated by copper metal. This gives a final picture of invisible electricity or stream of electrons (unimaginable God or Parabrahma) becoming the silver wire (Datta), which (the unimaginable God) also became the external copper wire (external energetic incarnation like Brahma or Vishnu or Shiva or external materialised incarnation like Rama or Krishna). Both silver and copper wires are visible and are called as media, which are part of creation only. The electricity or stream of electrons always enters copper wire through silver wire only. This electrified silver wire is called as Datta or Hiranyagarbha or Narayana or Sadashiva. The electricity will never directly enter into copper wire. The silver wire is the permanent visible address of the invisible electricity. There is no difference between electricity and silver wire because electricity pervaded all over the silver wire in and out (antarbahischa). This electrified silver wire (Datta) coated by copper is called as electrified copper wire (Brahma). This electrified silver wire may be coated by aluminium and is called as electrified aluminium wire (Vishnu). This silver wire may be coated by iron and is called as electrified iron wire (Shiva).
Since the innermost silver wire when coated is not seen, the invisible silver wire is similar to the invisible electricity since both silver and stream of electrons are invisible. This means that visible Datta on entering into Brahma or Vishnu or Shiva is similar to the invisible and unimaginable God. But, the silver wire is visible independently whereas the electricity is always invisible to naked eye. Similarly, Datta in Brahma is invisible like the unimaginable God in Datta. The difference is that Datta independently is visible whereas the unimaginable God in Datta is always invisible being unimaginable.
This silver wire is present in the three wires of copper (Brahma), aluminium (Vishnu) and iron (Shiva). The stream of electrons is always invisible (I am making this statement with reference to naked eye only without any instrument since any simile in creation is not complete for the unique unimaginable God). Similarly, Datta becomes visible energetic incarnation on coming out from Brahma or Vishnu or Shiva (Datta is visible separately from Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva also being unimaginable God). But, when we see Brahma or Vishnu or Shiva, the inner Datta is invisible. The innermost unimaginable God in Datta is always invisible since such God is always unimaginable. In the place of Brahma or Vishnu or Shiva, you can place Rama and Krishna also if the human incarnation is considered instead of energetic incarnation.
The ultimate receiver of all prayers and the ultimate giver of all boons is the ultimate unimaginable God only. But, such God is beyond space and imagination. Therefore, Datta, the first energetic form in which the unimaginable God merged and got Himself identified with it is always considered as the unimaginable God made imaginable and visible. When any other energetic form or materialised human form becomes incarnation, it is the Datta only, who merges with the second medium. Datta may enter or may exit the second medium but unimaginable God will never exit from Datta. The first energetic form is eternal since it has no end even though it has beginning (since it is created by the unimaginable God). All other secondary media have both beginning and end. Hence, Datta having all the three qualities (sattvam, rajas and tamas) in equal proportions represents the Lord (Eshwara) of creation. Datta means the unimaginable God given to the world. It is always better to take the unimaginable God as Datta or Hiranyagarbha or Narayana or Sadashiva. Datta enters the energetic form predominated by rajas called as Brahma. Datta enters energetic form predominated by Sattvam called as Vishnu. Datta enters energetic form predominated by Tamas called as Shiva. If you utter the word ‘unimaginable God’, it gives lot of strain to mind because the meaning of the word is that you can never imagine Him (avyaktaahi… Gita). Hence, the Gita advises all the souls to take the unimaginable God as Datta or Hiranyagarbha or Narayana or Sadashiva. In the above verses, the word ‘I’ represents the ultimate unimaginable God, who is not at all different in any way from Datta. Here, other deities mean Vishnu and Shiva. Whether you worship Brahma or Vishnu or Shiva, it is the direct worship of Datta only. Even though the hidden Datta is not worshipped directly (avidhipurvakam) while worshipping Brahma or Vishnu or Shiva, it is also direct worship of Datta only (tepimaameva…yajanti). Even while worshipping human incarnations like Rama, Krishna, Saibaba etc., it is direct worship of Datta only since Datta entered and merged with the medium.
But, when you worship other angels like Indra thinking that Indra is Datta, it is not direct worship of Datta. It is only worship of representative model of Datta. Similarly, you can worship any human being as Datta. In all such worships, Datta is indirectly worshipped and such worship will improve your theoretical devotion on God and hence is not useless.
If you worship Shakti like Vani, Lakshmi, Parvati, Radha etc, it is the worship of a devoted soul that reached the climax of devotion. In incarnation, God becomes the soul due to homogenous merge. The worship of such devotees is no doubt indirect worship of Datta only. But, God is a servant of such exceptional devotees. The worship of such devotees is greater than the worship of even the human incarnation since mastering is greater than equality. The worship of such devotee has merit that it is more powerful than the worship of human incarnation. The defect in this worship is that it is not the direct worship of God. Similarly, in the worship of incarnation the merit is that it is direct worship of God and the defect is that God will bless you in the way, which is best for your spiritual progress and not in the way as you desire. When you worship an exceptional devotee, who is the master of God, your wish is blindly fulfilled by God. The exceptional devotee is near to you because it is also a soul with a body. The soul of the exceptional devotee is paraprakruti and the body of the same devotee is aparaprakruti. You are also a mixture of these two types of prakruti. Hence, the exceptional devotee is homogenous with you. Your wish is easily agreed by the exceptional devotee and gets blindly fulfilled by the God acting as servant. Hence, the devotees worshipping Shakti (prakruti) get all the boons according to their will and sometimes fall. The devotee of incarnation will not have such fall because God will grant only that which is really the best in the eternal life of the soul. To fulfill all the desires, devotees follow the path of worship of Shakti. To get eternal salvation, direct worship of incarnation is followed since your desires are always filtered by God.
Shri Kishore Asked:
4) Somebody said that horoscope matching of bride and groom is foolish since astrology is confined only to the study of individual horoscope. Please explain.
Swami Replied: Astrology, if believed, should be believed completely in all the topics as per its scriptures written by sages. Scripture and ancient tradition shows matching of horoscopes. You need not worry that if a pair likes to marry each other, the astrologer may reject based on matching. In such case, if the match is rejected based on six and eight (shastaashtakam) the deities of the lords of the zodiacs can be worshipped by the couple after marriage so that such negative effect is neutralised. Astrology is an indirect subject of spiritual knowledge only, in which the planets having unimaginable powers are worshipped. The planets and their deities having unimaginable powers represent God only totally or partially and hence it is basically the subject of worship of unimaginable God mediated. If you worship the unimaginable God in any mediated form like planet or deity of planet etc., all that is worship of the ultimate unimaginable God taken as Datta through worship of representative model. Datta is Father of Heaven or Holy Spirit (inert energy in human form is Father of heaven and formless inert energy is Holy Spirit). In both, apart from inert energy, awareness and unimaginable God co-exist. Basing on the taste of psychology, you can worship one God or one God in different forms (knowing that every form is that one God only). It is just based on the taste of unity or plurality. A real devotee of God need not worry about astrology because astrology is for the majority of humanity in the beginning level of spiritual knowledge based on introduction of God for the sake of fulfilling the desires and solving the personal problems.
5) Planets and deities also have freedom given by God and therefore can err like human beings. Please comment.
Swami Replied: Angels or planets, being made of very much rajas and very less tamas, have least ignorance and err very rarely unlike the materialised human beings. Even after erring, the angels get easily rectified at once. The predominance of tamas in human beings indicates liking for more and more freedom, which leads to error and even to intensive error called as sin. In astrology, Saturn is said to be the planet of killing. Lord Yama is the deity of death. Both are brothers being the sons of the Sun. If anyone of these two errs, the other is also subjected to error. Yama returned the life of the husband of Savitri since she praised him. But when Markandeya praised Lord Shiva, he insisted to kill him in the name of punctuality of duty! Lord Shiva punished Yama for this error of lacking uniform policy and Yama never committed this error again. Indra, being lord of angels tried to kill Lord Shiva with his thunderbolt-weapon, but was solidified like a statue by the look of Lord Shiva. Angels err but human beings commit sin. The sages are always predominated by sattvam, next come angels, next human beings and lastly the demons stand as sattvam falling to rajas to tamas and to intensified tamas in this order.
6) Shri Kartik asked that You (Swami) said in the past that jealousy is related to rajas and tamas is related to fascination and sex. Here, you said that jealousy is related to Tamas and ego is related to rajas. How to solve this contradiction?
Swami Replied: I said that anger, greediness, ego and jealousy are related to rajas whereas sex and anger are related to tamas in speaking about human beings. Again I said here that ego is related to rajas and jealousy is related to tamas in speaking about angels.
All the six vices are related to rajas and tamas only. All the good qualities are related to sattvam. Sattvam, rajas and tamas are the three qualities existing in any soul in associated condition. Associated condition means either closely mixed components in single phase of a system (like milk and water) or in a system existing in separate phases (like water and kerosene). Rajas and tamas mix with each other intensively like milk and water. Both rajas and tamas existing like milk diluted with water can co-exist along with sattvam, which does not mix with rajas and tamas like kerosene not mixing with the diluted milk. We can say all these three qualities co-exist in associated condition. But, rajas and tamas always get intensively mixed to form a homogenous mixture of single phase.
Rajas represents inert energy with which the angels are made. The inertia (rest mass) of the inert energy is the tamas that is always associated with rajas in single phase. The matter with which the human beings are made always contains inert energy even in the deepest level like bond energy or binding energy in the atoms and molecules. Sattvam is the awareness which exists in energetic beings as well as human beings. Awareness is not an essential item to be present along with matter or inert energy. Awareness exists in the bodies of living beings in its own isolated nature. Sattvam is always different from rajas and tamas and therefore inert items made of rajas and tamas are available without sattvam or awareness. Sattvam cannot exist independently without the container of rajas and tamas, but sattvam always exists in isolated manner.
Therefore, all the six vices are invariably based on rajas and tamas only. In the case of angels, matter (tamas) is almost absent and only inert energy (rajas) exists in the body. This does not mean that the angel has no ignorance. It has a trace of tamas as the inertia of the inert energy. Rajas is based on ego. Ego is also due to ignorance (tamas) of the truth that God alone is really great. Therefore, even in ego based on rajas, tamas or ignorance exists. In jealousy also, rajas and tamas co-exist. When you feel jealous on seeing a greater person, the ego is hurt, which is resulting as jealousy. In jealousy, the other equally important part is tamas or ignorance due to which you are not realising that God alone is really great hero and all the souls are zeroes only. Thus, tamas or ignorance also contributes equally to jealousy. In the case of angels, the predominating part is rajas and the trace part is the inertia of inert energy or rajas only. Here, I have projected rajas to the energy and tamas or ignorance as jealousy due to absence of a separate predominating lot of tamas or matter. In the case of angels, trace of tamas is only available unlike lot of matter or tamas in human beings. Hence, I have to project jealousy on the base of tamas available as a trace only. My aim here is that angels were generally taught a lesson by God for their ego, which is the result of rajas predominating in them. Jealousy is less since tamas is in trace. While dealing the human beings sex and fascination were mainly predominated by tamas and hence both those were attributed to tamas or ignorance existing as separate huge lot. Both these are simply based on the ignorance of the truth. I have projected jealousy towards rajas because jealousy has dual nature of rajas and tamas. Such sharp analysis is given since you have asked this doubt. Otherwise, rajas and tamas together constitute the base of all six vices. Clear differentiation between rajas and tamas especially in the case of jealousy is practically not possible. Such differentiation is not of much spiritual use like the difference between soul and God.
7) Attainment of the level of soul or pure awareness by getting rid of the nature of individual soul was also stressed by you. Is it necessary for the soul in the service of God as a slave?
Swami Replied: Pure awareness is said to be the soul. In fact, the basic material of awareness is inert energy, which is projected as various items of this creation. If you say that, the soul is the cause of this universe, this inert energy must be the soul and the inertia is denoted in the Gita as ‘staanurachalah’. But, the pure awareness without any thought is almost like inert energy and can be roughly treated as soul. The main defect in this is that pure awareness is not the continuous inert energy, which is appearing as this entire creation. The awareness is limited to limited living beings only. However, from the point of neutral nature, the pure awareness can be roughly termed as soul. Shankara stressed on this concept to get release from worldly tensions (moksha). This is very essential for the physical and mental health of the human being to serve God as slave. Hanuman got relieved from the worldly bonds and attained excellent strength of pure awareness. Mind is related to body and hence such pure awareness helps the health of the body also. In service both these are needed very much.
Even thinking yourself as God is not objectionable provided it helps your character and conduct in pravrutti to improve. Since you are God and since God will never do any sin, you must not do any sin. Monism in this line is very useful to develop a soul in pravrutti, which is the foundation of nivrutti. It is utter foolishness to think that God is not related to pravrutti and is related to nivrutti only. In fact, it is reverse. God is worried more about pravrutti than nivrutti. An industrialist concentrates more on your behaviour in the office of industry to maintain law and order based on peace, instead of concentrating on your personal relationship to God (him) to become more and more close to God. In fact, this is the real idea of Shankara to preach monism for the reformation of society.
Attainment of soul has no extra profit, but, at the same time avoids the extra loss. You may not become a close devotee of God through nivrutti. You may not attain any divine advantage by pravrutti. But, you are sure of avoiding the disturbances in pravrutti, which is also a disturbance for nivrutti in sequence, since pravrutti is foundation of nivrutti. Absence of loss is also a profit for a wise person. Hence, attainment of soul by getting relieved from the nature of individual soul (bundle of thoughts) is absence of loss in pravrutti and thereby in nivrutti also.