Message on Shivaratri

Light and Darkness

Shiva is knowledge (Jānaṃ Maheśvarāt icchet). Knowledge is Sattvam (Sattvāt sañjāyate jñānam). Sattvam is light (Prakāśa upajāyate, Vivṛddhaṃ sattva mityuta). Therefore, Shiva is light and is white in colour. Science says that the light energy is in the form of waves. The Shiva Linga is in the form of wave. In the word ‘Shiva Raatri,’ Raatri means Tamas or darkness or ignorance. The Lord is controlling both knowledge and ignorance (Mattaḥ smṛtiḥ jñāna mapohanañca). The ignorance is the human form. Knowledge is the form of Narayana. Narayana means the abode of knowledge. Shiva is Narayana. Therefore, Shivaratri is a mixture of Narayana and Nara (human body). When the Lord comes in human form both the natures of Narayana and Nara are exhibited. When the current is passing in the wire the property of the wire to be lean and the property of the current to give shock co-exist. Similarly, in the human incarnation the nature of the human body and the knowledge of Narayana are mixed. On Shivaratri both the darkness and the light of lights is mixed. The sky is black with clouds, which indicates the human form. The lightening in the sky, which, shines now and then, indicates the nature of Narayana. If the nature of Narayana alone is exhibited this world will stop functioning. All the human beings will leave their duties and will surround the Lord Narayana. By this the world loses the balance.

Moreover, people will surround Narayana and try to snatch benefits with selfishness. Then people will fall down in their spiritual path because one should proceed in the spiritual path without any selfishness. It is also not possible to test the firm faith of the devotees if the nature of Narayana is completely exposed. In such case every human being will show firm faith. Then the human beings cannot be discriminated. If the Lord appears as a human being without showing the nature of Narayana nobody will approach Him because everybody thinks the Lord as an ordinary human being. Then also it is not possible to test a human being since nobody approaches the Lord. The Lord is the knowledge itself (Satyam, Jñānam Anantam Brahma). The ignorance, which is the second substance, is created by the Lord for entertainment (Ekākī na ramate sa dvitīya maicchat). Therefore, to test the devotees there should be both faith and doubt in their hearts. The human nature creates doubt and the nature of Narayana creates faith. This faith represents Shiva and the doubt represents Raatri. The Lord in human form will play with the devotees in this world. The devotees will be moving from one side to the other side by the properties of such mixture and the Lord plays with them.

Divine Discourse by Swami:

Don’t say that I did not say the truth
When I enquire you in the Pretaloka
You will try to escape from Me by saying
That you did not know the truth

Oh! Priests! you scolded Me already
When I came to the house of Sheela
That I was fallen from Vedic actions
Then, My dog recited all the Vedas

The attachment to your family bonds is
Like deep darkness solidified in your heart
What is the use of these outer lamps?
Except burning the oil and ghee
Give this oil and ghee as the food

To the beggars who die with hunger
Let their life lights glow with happiness
That is the real sacred ‘Diipaaraadhana’

Datta came in human form to preach you
You are not recognizing Him, but you are worshipping
The imaginary photos and statues of the old garments
Left by Him in the past, what is the use?

Moksha means Mo= Moha, Ksha= Kshaya. Therefore, Moksha means destruction of the attachment to the family bonds. This attraction towards the family bonds is solidified in your heart from several births. Such darkness can be removed only by the preaching sentences of Lord Datta which are like the rays of the Sun. Unless you are attracted towards Lord Datta you can never reach the Lord. Unless the attachment to your family bonds is removed, salvation is only a dream. Datta means the human form of the Lord that is given to this world. Sages could not get salvation by chanting hymns, penance, meditation, yoga etc., and even by attaining the superpowers unless they were born as Gopikas and worshipped Krishna who is the Lord Datta in human form. They were detached from the family bonds and were attracted to the Lord who was present before them. The path towards God is full of thorns giving you several problems, miseries and terrible loss. Shankara left His mother, Prahlada left his father, Buddha left wife, son and kingdom, Radha died for Lord Krishna, Kannappa plucked his eyes and Hanuman tore His heart with His own nails. All these are the forms of the true path leading to the Lord. In your path, which is chanting hymns, meditation, singing songs etc., you are getting peace and bliss. The Lord is not responding even once.

Unless you weep, the Lord will not be pleased. Unless you lose the peace the Lord will not be peaceful. Jesus told the same in the Bible “I did not come to give you peace, I came with a sword to cut your family bonds. Unless you leave your parents, husbands, wives, children and even your lives you cannot be dear to Me”. The Gita also says ‘Mat gata prāṇāḥ’ which means that the devotee’s life itself is the Lord. In the ten stages of devotion the last stage is death (Unmādo maraṇaṃ tataḥ). When you are cutting your family bonds you will certainly weep and feel it as loss and trouble. Therefore, Jesus told “The path that leads to Me is very narrow with one or two persons only travelling in it. The path that leads to the Hell is very wide and happy with full of people”. The Gita also says ‘Kaścit māṃ vetti, Bahūnāṃ janma nāmante’.

Vyasa did lot of penance and wrote several scriptures. But he was running after his son called Shuka, who was walking intoxicated with the love of the Lord. This is told in the beginning of the Bhagavatam (Dvaipāyano viraha kātara). The same Vyasa could not get food at Varanasi for three days. He became angry and was ready to curse Varanasi. But see the Saktuprastha, who did not get food for the last ten days during the draught. He could get a little flour and was going to eat with his family. But when the guest came, he sacrificed that to the guest with full happiness. Therefore, if you are happy in your spiritual path, such path is filled with flowers and is leading to hell. The reason is that such path is strengthening your unreal family bonds. When your spiritual path gives you sorrow, such path is full of thorns and is leading to the Lord. The reason is that, in such path you have to cut your family bonds and that gives you lot of pain and misery. The affection and attraction towards the Lord, which you are showing today is not from your heart. It is only apparent and you are acting. You are trying to use the Lord for the happiness of your family bonds. Such devotees are called as divine prostitutes.

The prostitute talks very sweet words and exhibits sweet feelings only to earn money from a person. Your prayers are such sweet words. Your devotion is such sweet feeling. The prostitute may fool an ignorant human being but can you fool the Lord who is omniscient? The sacred ash on your forehead, the garlands around your neck and the silk cloth which you wear are just like the decoration of a prostitute to attract the Lord. You are deceiving yourself. The Lord is furious with you. Even a human being without manners will respond if you call him by his name. But the Lord, who is having the best manners, is not responding even if you are calling Him lakhs of times in doing Japa. By this you estimate the quantity of anger and hatred present in the heart of the Lord on you. Even if you are not putting a single step in the true path, don’t put so many steps in the false path. As you are putting more and more steps in the false path, you are becoming more and more far from the Lord and the Lord is becoming more and more furious. Control the Bhoga, which brings Roga (illness). The association with your family bonds will bring you lot of mental worry. Sacrifice the enjoyment and association with your family bonds. Develop the bond with the Lord only and this is the true path. Veda says ‘Tyāgenaike’ and the Gita says ‘Tyāgāt śāntiḥ’ which mean that sacrifice of the bonds with every human being and every object in this world alone can bring the salvation.

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