God Is Pleased by the Practical Sacrifice

O Learned and Devoted Servants of God,

[Shri PVNM Sharma asked:- If you establish that sacrifice of fruit of work is greater than sacrifice of work, which is done by the pure saints, don’t you think that people will feel that God and salvation have gone to the hands of rich people?]

Swami:- Hanuman did sacrifice of work or Karmasaṃnyāsa to God Rama as divine service. Gopikas did sacrifice of fruit of work (butter) or Karmaphalatyāga to God Krishna. Rama and Krishna are one and the same God. Hanuman reached Brahmaloka to become future Brahma or creator. Gopikas reached Goloka, which is above the Brahmaloka. Vishnuloka and Shivaloka are in par level with Brahmaloka. Goloka is said to be above Vaikuntha or Vishnuloka. Hanuman became God by becoming Brahma whereas God became the servant of Gopikas. He has created Goloka above His abode so that the most holy feet-dust of Gopikas will fall on His head. This scene was already shown by God Krishna as a rehearsal by saying Narada that His headache will disappear if the feet dust of Gopikas is brought and applied on His head. This clearly proves that Karmaphalatyāga is greater than Karmasaṃnyāsa. The house holder doing both is greater than the saint doing only one karmasaṃnyāsa. God is pleased by the practical sacrifice proving the reality of theoretical love and is not pleased by mere shaven head and saffron cloth! This is one angle. The other angle in which the house holder prostrates to the saint is that the saint could sacrifice every worldly bond for the sake of God’s work whereas the house holder could not do such practical sacrifice.

People need not feel that salvation has gone to the hands of rich people. If that is true, how the poorest Sudaama got the top most salvation (grace of God) from God? If that is true, why Jesus praised the beggar donating one coin as the top most devotee even though several rich devotees donated hundreds of coins to God? The value of the sacrifice is decided by God not by the magnitude of donated part, but, by the percentage of the donated part in the total possessed part. The sacrifice of the beggar is 100% because nothing more is leftover with the beggar after donating that one coin. The sacrifice of rich people was not even 1% because lot coins remained with them even after donation of hundreds of coins. God does not see what you donated, but, sees what remains more with you! Even if you give one rupee, He will give the ticket up to His abode if nothing remains in your pocket. If you give 100 rupees and few hundreds are still leftover in your pocket, He gives ticket up to the next walkable station only. The total surrender is the real ultimate sacrifice (Sarvabhavena Bhārarata—Gīta).

There is a method of worship of God Venkateshwara situated on the top of seven hills, which is called “Total Robbing” (called niluvu dopiḍi in Telugu language). It means that when the devotee sees the God, the devotee with emotion will sacrifice everything possessed by the devotee, which is 100% sacrifice. Our clever people twisted this in to a very convenient angle like this:- First, the devotee will promise God in advance that he/she will worship God through total robbing provided God grants a specific desired practical boon. The devotee does not do this total robbing in advance because of the doubt that God may be existing or may not be existing, even if He exists, He may not sanction the practical boon even after advanced benefit of total robbing. You can’t complain to the authorities of temple about such cheating done by God. Hence, after getting the practical boon, let the total robbing be done. OK. God sanctioned the practical boon. Then, the devotee goes to the temple to perform total robbing-mode of worship. The devotee is very careful in this mode. When he/she goes to the temple, he/she goes with very megre amount of money and very very light gold ornament so that almost nothing is lost in the total robbing! Money is the strongest of the three strong worldly bonds (money, issues and life partner), called Eshanaas and hence, God always tests the strongest bond only. If the devotee succeeds in the test of strongest bond, other strong or relatively weaker bonds need not be tested.

There is a saying in Hindi that God exists in money (paisā me Paramātmā hai). This means that money is the strongest worldly bond and hence, God always comes to compete with the money. This does not mean that the grace of God is directly proportional to the quantity of sacrificed money. Sudāma got the top most grace of God just by sacrificing three handful lumps of parched rice to God Krishna. The grace of God Krishna is also not theoretical in return, but, practical sacrifice of the fruit of work only, which is the infinite treasure of wealth of God sanctioned to Sudāma. God says that His reaction will be in the same path of your action (Ye yathā māṃ prapadyante... Gītā). We think a lot to sacrifice a little of our lot of wealth, but, Sudāma sacrificed a little only (three handful lumps of parched rice) that too brought on loan! This is the climax of practical sacrifice of fruit of work and hence, the return fruit from God was also climax of sacrifice of fruit of work, which is His infinite divine treasure of wealth! Even Saktuprastha was tested in sacrifice of fruit of work only in extreme condition of hunger of the family for past several days in a severe draught. Theoretical fruit is given by God for theoretical sacrifice and practical fruit is given by God for practical sacrifice.

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