Part-1

[11-01-2003] In the shop like family, there are different items like money, parents, husband/wife, children, teachers, relatives and friends. Along with these items, there is also an item called ‘God’ who came in human form. Which of these items do you value the most? When God is valued above all items, another item called ‘justice’ is also found in this shop. In the absence of God, justice is more valuable than all other items. But when the item – justice competes with the item – God, the person who gives more value to God is called a ‘devotee.’ Giving value to God is known only through practical actions. Mere words respecting God do not reveal His true value. Therefore, the value of devotion is not revealed in meditating upon Swami, not in chanting bhajans, not in shedding emotional tears and not in being excited while chanting mantras.

A chaste woman was always claiming chastity in her feelings, words and songs. The value she gave to her husband was more than her own life. She was telling the story that Padmavati immediately gave up her life after hearing the news of the death of her husband, great Jayadeva. To find out how much she really valued him, on a festival day, her husband took bath, sat down before food and immediately fell down, pretending as if he is dead. He held his breath when his wife tested his breath. It was confirmed that the husband had died. She thought: “The festival food prepared is very attractive. But, if I cry for my husband’s death now, everyone will come running. Then these delicious food items cannot be eaten at all.” So, she immediately locked the door, ate the food and sweets calmly, washed her hands and mouth cleanly. Then, she opened the door and started crying loudly, "My dear husband! How many food items and sweets have I made for you? You have passed away without tasting them." Hearing this, people gathered over there. She has been crying, repeating these statements again and again. Meanwhile, her husband, who pretended to be dead, woke up and said, "Why are you crying? You have eaten the food items and sweets to full satisfaction, even though I have not tasted them." Her true devotion to her husband was known to all by this incident!

Therefore, devotion becomes true only when it is proven in practice., You should show the value of God in practice. Neither meditation, nor lectures, nor singing songs on Him can prove your devotion to God. Devotion is not proved even by salutation – a physical action. Truly, the value you give to God will come to know through your practice in time. All the above theoretical devotion will be meaningful when it is really proved in practice. Just as the organs have their importance in a living body, meditation, bhajans, etc., are all fruitful parts of sādhanā when there is true devotion proven in practice. A very small incident is enough to test the value that you give to Swami. A sage is doing penance for God. A mad devotee is chanting Hari bhajan under a Tamarind tree. Both of them saw Narada going to the upper worlds. Both asked Narada to find out when they would attain salvation. After conversing with Swami, Narada is coming back after a few days. Both of them asked Narada about their concerns.

Part-2

Narada said to the sage, "You will get salvation in another four births." The sage felt depressed thinking that he has to still wait for four more births for his salvation. Then Narada said to the mad devotee, "Swami said that you will get salvation after several crores of births equal to the number of leaves this tamarind tree has." Immediately, the devotee jumped with joy, saying, “can I reach the Lord so soon?” He was flying and shouting that when Swami Himself declared this, how merciful Swami is! Then a great radiance from the sky fell on that mad devotee. Swami's words were heard through that radiance. “O devotee! You are reaching the Lord at this very moment.” Then the devotee immediately reached the Lord through that radiance. What is the message of this story? When the sage was told that he would reach the Lord in four births, he wondered if it was too late. That is, he underestimated the value of God. Not only that, even knowing that the words were spoken by Swami Himself, he mocked those words without giving any value. But why did that mad devotee think that his salvation after so many crores of births, was a very small unit of time? In his eyes, God is highly valuable. He heard what Swami had said and praised Him as "how compassionate He was”. So, his true devotion is proved by that single response. You can tell if the rice is cooked or not by testing a single grain. Therefore, the tests of Datta are very subtle, sensitive and gentle. Generally, people think that the tests of Datta are something terrible, like the fire test of Sita in the Ramayana.

One day, Paramahamsa was killing bedbugs in His bed when Vivekananda came. Other disciples also came to visit their Sadguru. Vivekananda, who knew the philosophy of his master, kept silent on seeing His actions. Other disciples thought in their minds, why is Paramahamsa doing violence against these living creatures? Vivekananda thought to clear their doubts and asked, "Gurudeva! Are You doing violence against these living creatures?" Then Paramahamsa said – "I lie in this bed and meditate on God. Then these bedbugs are biting Me and disturbing My meditation. The justice of non-violence is not equal to God for Me. I do not mind, even if killing bedbugs brings sin. I do not care about anything compared to the value of God. For the sake of God, I will even violate the justice." Thus, the disciples realized the meaning of their master’s actions. It is a tradition that one should not even give alms to a begger on the day of śrāddha (rituals of departed ancestors), but when Lord Datta came in disguise, Sumati offered food to Him before the priests had eaten the food. It was against the tradition that no one must eat before the priests have eaten on that day. Therefore, she violated even the justice for the sake of the God (Swami). So, she was blessed by Lord Datta to take birth as her son through her womb.

A soul should not commit injustice while dealing with other souls. Justice should be given more value. Rama, in His incarnation, practiced and showed how a soul should behave in the worldly life from the beginning to the end. Therefore, He underwent the fruit of the punishment of killing Vali from behind the tree in the incarnation as Krishna. But, no matter how many mischievous things He did in the incarnation of Krishna, He did not experience the fruits of any such acts either in that incarnation or in the subsequent incarnations. He tactfully brought Shikhandi in the war and made her stand against Bhishma. Being vulnerable to her, Bhishma was killed. Krishna asked Dharmaraja to tell a lie and by doing so, Drona got killed. But, why did He not undergo the punishments of these unjustified deeds? The reason is that He acted as the God in the incarnation of Krishna. This is unlike in the case of a soul committing injustice to other souls, and suffering for its own consequences. But in the case of God, He is always greater than justice and injustice.

Whereas, in the case of souls, justice is greater than souls. In another incident in the Mahabharata, Dharmaraja was performing the annual rituals to the departed souls (Pitru yajña) in his dynasty. Tarpaṇas (sanctified water) and piṇḍas (rice balls) are offered to the manes (departed ancestors) as per tradition. Even before Dharmaraja offered the piṇḍa ritualistically (reciting the holy mantras), Bhishma appeared and requested him to give that piṇḍa as he was very hungry, by spreading his hand. Dharmaraja refused to give it, since it is against the rules of Pitru yajña. This is justified because it is a worldly affair. Bhishma, the one who asked for the food, is a soul. Following justice by performing the ritual is greater than any soul. But, when the sages were performing a Deva Yajña, Krishna came and requested the wives of sages for food, just like Bhishma. Verily, the Deva Yajña is greater than the Pitru Yajña. But the wives of the sages thought Krishna was greater than the Deva Yajña ritual. Much before the food is used in that Yajña, it was offered to Krishna. Because of that noble act, they were salvated. On the other hand, Anasūyā, the mother of Shri Datta, also failed in a Datta's test. In her story, it is only a human imagination that the three powers (Trishaktis) of the divine Trinity sent them to test the devotion of Anasūyā, out of jealousy inspired by Narada. This is not correct. Many have inserted their own creative poetry and hymns in the texts like the Puranas. These verses are called ‘Prakshepas.’ Shri Datta went to Anasūyā in His divine Trinity form and asked her to remove the clothes before serving Him the food.

Part-3

There is not even an atom in this creation that Lord Datta does not know, when the entire creation is only His imagination. Losing this knowledge and forgetting the truth that Lord Datta is greater than all forms of justice, Anasūyā turned the divine Trinity into infants and served the food as desired by them initially. According to Anasūyā’s wish, the Trinity became infants only by God Datta’s ‘will,’ but not because of her ‘power.’ All powers in the world are His powers only. It is ignorance to say that the divine Trinity are defeated by Anasūyā. It was Anasūyā who was defeated, not the God, who is in the form of the Trinity. Victory and defeat belong to the one who is being tested, but not to the one who is testing the other. He is not in need of anything like success or defeat. The God is Nirvikāra (unchanged), Nirvikalpa (without an alternative), Nischala (Firm), Nitya (Eternal), Niranjana (pure), Nishkalanka (spotless), Nirāmaya (healthy), Nityananda Svarūpa (eternally blissful) and there is nothing in this creation that is not attained by Him; there is nothing to be attained by Him, as said in the Gita –  "Nānavāptamavāptavyam"and "Āpta kāmasya kā spṛhā", in the Shruti. Why does the Paramātman have a desire, who is Satyakāma (whatever He wishes is materialized) and Satya Saṃkalpa (His wish is truthful always)? It means the one who is enjoyment personified (Ānanda svarūpa) does not require enjoyment from another object in His creation. Fire does not feel heat and water does not feel thirst. Similarly, Ānanda svarūpa does not require any effort to attain enjoyment. To help the souls in their sādhanās (spiritual efforts), He shows their true level through tests and motivates them to do sādhanās further. Therefore, tests of Datta are meant for the welfare of souls and never for His entertainment.

Dharmaraja, the eldest of Pāṇḍavas, always gave priority to justice. The reason is that he was born with a part (amsha) of the divinity of the god of justice (Dharma Deva). Thus, he is mostly the embodiment of justice. He preferred himself to anybody and anything due to his over obsession with Dharma. This is also true. But he, who was the embodiment of justice, forgot that God Krishna is greater than him. Swami ordered him to speak the lie that Ashwatthama had died in the war, but he refused to do so. He felt that Dharma, i.e., himself, was greater than the God and became egoistic. But, God’s intention was to establish true Dharma only. So, for violating the God’s order, he had to visit the hell. But, Krishna, who forced him to tell a lie, did not go to hell, though speaking a lie is sin. According to the scripture, the doer and the one who encouraged to do the deed, will get the same fruit (Kartā kārayitā caiva). But Krishna did not get the fruit for making Dharmarja to speak the lie. The reason is that Krishna exhibited His divinity as Lord of the universe, from the beginning to the end of His life. But in the incarnation as Rama, He just acted like an ordinary soul. Rama appeared in the human form covering Himself with a thick blanket of Maya (Māyāmānuṣa). Krishna appeared covering His human form with a very thin nylon cloth like Māyā (Lilāmānuṣa). Rama is completely hidden in the Māyā. Krishna is covered with a thin cloth of Māyā. The wire is visible when current flows through it, but the flowing current is invisible. This is the nature of the incarnation of Rama. Current flows through the wire in the heater and the wire glows red. When the brightness is too high, the wire cannot be seen. A red flame is only visible. This is the nature of the incarnation of Krishna. The message of the incarnation of Rama in the Ramayana is to prove that justice is the greatest of all when a soul deals with other souls. Whereas the message of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavatam is to prove that the God is greater than justice, which is greater than anybody and anything in this whole creation.