Posted on: 23 Oct 2023
1. i) Do souls aspire to become like Rukmini and serve God, but not like Radha?
[Ms. Bhanu Samykya asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, You have said that the service of Rukmini is like a watchman (Rukmini is soul) and the service of Radha is like the director of office (Radha is God Shiva). I have a few doubts regarding this- Does it mean that souls should aspire to become like Rukmini and serve God (highest quantitative service) and not like Radha (highest qualitative service) because it is impossible for soul to be like or serve like God (i.e., to improve the quality of service)?]
Swami replied:- I have given these two examples to differentiate quality from quantity in divine service. When a simile is given, we should confine to only the point that is compared. We shall not enter deeply and try to connect all the points, which are irrelevant. When we compare the face to the moon, only the quality of pleasantness is to be considered. The Moon reduces day-by-day for 15 days and grows day-by-day for the other 15 days. Can you bring this point to the face? You should not bring the point of God and soul in this concept. This concept is confined to only say that quality is always more valid than quantity. You must confine only to this point.
ii) Was it possible for Rukmini to have increased her devotion but she failed due to the lack of effort?
[Was it possible for Rukmini also to have increased the quality of service but she failed due to the lack of effort and understanding divine knowledge even though she was in closest association with God Krishna?]
Swami replied:- Again, I am saying that the point is only about quality and quantity and not about the backgrounds of Rukmini and Radha. You must take the concept in the required angle only and if you touch all the other angles unnecessarily, the concept will confuse you thoroughly.
iii) Gopikas, being souls like Rukmini, could please Krishna like Radha. How was it possible for them?
[Gopikas being souls like Rukmini, could also please God Krishna like Radha (God Shiva). How is it possible for them? Is it because of Gopikas association with Radha or since their focus on the divine knowledge given by God Krishna is more than that of Rukmini?]
Swami replied:- Again, I am saying that this is unnecessary extrapolation of already unnecessarily extended concept.
iv) How to attain the proper balance between Knowledge, devotion and service?
[Based on this analogy, should the soul's main focus be on knowledge and increasing the quality of devotion? Instead of doing continuous service alone? How to attain the proper balance between Knowledge, devotion and service?]
Swami replied:- These three steps are not simultaneous steps. These steps are subsequent steps only. Even if you practice these steps simultaneously, you will give importance as per your inspiration in a particular span of time.
2. Why was the quality of sacrifice in Karna named bad while good in Bali’s case?
[Padanamaskaram Swami, I have a few doubts related to Mahabharata- In case of king Bali You said that sacrifice is the greatest good quality which made God become his gatekeeper. Then why was the same quality in Karna named as bad? Was that because the charity done by Karna was based on his ego instead on God's name?]
Swami replied:- There was no reference of God in the case of charity of Karna, which was based on his ego. In the case of Bali, the charity was based on the devotion to God.
ii) You said that one should do bad to bad people, then why was Draupadhi wrong in insulting Duryodhana?
Swami replied:- Since Draupadi was wrong, she was punished by God. But, the revenge of Duryodhana was many times stronger than the insult of Duryodhana by Draupadi since she only joked at Duryodhana.
iii) What made God Krishna stand on the side of the Pandavas even though both had defects?
[Both Kauravas and Pandavas are having a mixture of good and bad qualities, nobody seems to be completely good in character then what made God Krishna stand on the side of the Pandavas?]
Swami replied:- The bad of the Kauravas was like a hill and the bad of the Pandavas was like a small stone.
iv) Is blind rigidity correct while serving the Human Incarnation after identifying Him?
[Bhishma's promise to serve the Kauravas in any situation is foolish and blind because he had surrendered to a soul (Kauravas)? Is the same rigidity if kept in the direction of God or the Human Incarnation i.e serving God after identifying Him, irrespective of any situation in 'blind way' correct?]
Swami replied:- Blind rigidity in good action is very good. The same blind rigidity in bad action is very bad. Bhishma did not think about his promise (which is that he will protect anybody sitting on the throne) if the king sitting on the Hastinaapura throne was bad. In the case of God, blind rigidity in love leads several devotees to the grace of God. You can’t compare God to Bhishma because God will rectify any injustice in the devotee. Bhishma could not rectify his defect in his blind promise.
3. i) Can any soul be in the spiritual path without having any goal of reaching any loka?
[Padanamaskaram Swami, regarding the spiritual path I have a few doubts. God is the servant of passed souls in Goloka. Then why should anybody keep Goloka as goal? In the spiritual path, the highest fruit till date is Goloka, but does it mean that every soul should aim for it? Can any soul be in the spiritual path without having any goal of reaching anywhere? What is the actual goal in the spiritual path?]
Swami replied:- The only goal in the spiritual path is to develop true love to God. Loka belongs to the side of God since God selects the loka for the soul.
ii) Is aspiration on a spiritual path not selfishness?
[Padanamaskaram Swami, an ordinary soul aims for Brahmaloka, one in Brahmaloka aims for Goloka. is there no limit for such aspiration and is aspiration in the spiritual path not selfishness?]
Swami replied:- There is no aspiration about any loka in the mind of the devotee and these lokas are given by God only.
iii) Why should God elevate the climax devotee in front of all levels of devotees?
[Why should God elevate a climax devotee in front of all levels of devotees? In worldly life, the soul is advised to love God secretly by not revealing to its family to avoid hurting them. Then, why is God, the giver of yoga knowledge, hurting His own devotees by projecting extreme love on climax devotees in front of everyone? Swami, I'm full of jealousy as You already know, but this question is tormenting me. Please help me to understand the truth and come out of this attitude.]
Swami replied:- The appreciation to the climax devotee shown before devotees will help the devotees in their spiritual progress. Even if the devotees become jealous by misunderstanding God, they will come to know the actual intention of God in course of time.
4. i) Is Pravrutti a line of fire drawn by God for souls to see whether anyone crosses it for God out of love?
[Padanamaskaram Swami, regarding Pravrutti I got a few doubts.]
Swami replied:- The idea behind mandatory Pravrutti is only to see peace in the creation, which is the fundamental requirement. God never encourages Nivrutti even though He knows the value of Nivrutti in His heart.
ii) Why is Pravrutti compulsory for all souls when worldly bonds are not real?
[When worldly bonds are not real, why is Pravrutti compulsory to all souls? when bond with God is real, why is Nivrutti optional? I'm unable to get clarity on this Swami. Please enlighten me.]
Swami replied:- The bonds in Pravrutti are real to the soul because the world is real for the soul. World is inherently unreal in the view of God since God made the unreal world to become a real world by gifting His absolutely reality to the world. World is absolutely real to the soul because soul is a part of the world. World is relatively real to the absolutely real God.
iii) Can we discard the concept of ‘everyone is equal’ in both worldly life and spiritual life?
[As children, we were taught that everyone is equal. But, in view of spiritual knowledge, this principle implies the ego that nobody should be greater than me. Also, You revealed to us that helping bad people brings us sin. Therefore, can we discard this concept of equality in both worldly life and spiritual life?]
Swami replied:- The souls are equal because each soul is bit of awareness (soul is taken as individual soul). But, the souls are different due to qualitative difference in the thoughts or qualities present in the souls. This is unity in diversity.
iv) How to play in a controlled way in worldly life to avoid being trapped in Maya? Is this valid even before devotees?
[Swami, You have said that one should wear the armour of Maya in worldly life every second. Here I got two Questions- a) when we try to play the character in world with maya, due to repeated playing of that maya character every day we often fall into it without realizing it. How to keep the play in a controlled way, is it possible? b) is this concept valid even before devotees also? should we be in maya armour even with close devotees of God?]
Swami replied:- We are not sure whether even a devotee takes a new turn or not and hence, if you go into the world containing good and bad people (devoted or not devoted) you must wear the armour of maayaa to protect yourself from the maayaa of others. The armour may not be useful in the case of good people coming in contact with you, but still, there is no inconvenience to you if you have armour on the body. When bad people try to hit you, the armour is useful. By wearing this armour, you are not playing with others using this Maaya since this defensive method is not offensive because you are not trying to cheat others. Prevention of the cheating done by others to you is not even a trace of sin.
5. i) Based on association of a co-devotee with God, should one respect the devotee and not doubt him/her even though that soul is not God?
[Padanamaskaram Swami, in situation where Sita insulted Lakshmana in forest, I got a few doubts- Based on the association of a co-devotee with God, should one respect the devotee and not doubt him/her even though that soul is not God?]
Swami replied:- Respecting any soul is good. Respect is not devotion. Devotion is true love that is always to be concentrated on God only.
ii) Is doubting devotees also a sin?
[One should have utmost confidence on God but not on devotees (souls) right, then is doubting devotees (using intelligence to decide to trust a devotee’s words) also a sin?]
Swami replied:- Based on the context and based on your sharp analysis, you can believe or doubt any devotee. You should not generalize.
iii) What is the caution a devotee should take in the spiritual path to avoid negative thoughts and consequent sins?
[Taking the situation in present time, what is the caution a devotee should take in spiritual path to avoid that negative thoughts and avoid such sins? What is the root cause that has to be eradicated to avoid such sins?]
Swami replied:- If the devotee develops true love to God, all these side effects disappear spontaneously.
6. i) Can we say that unimaginable God = Energetic incarnations = Human incarnations in all aspects?
[Padanamaskaram Swami, regarding unimaginable God and Inacarnations, I have few doubts- Is the First Energitic Incarnation (God Datta) inside the creation, equivalent to unimaginable God outside the creation? Can we say that in all aspects, Unimaginable God = Energetic incarnations = Human incarnations?]
Swami replied:- Certainly. In all the incarnations, the common person is unimaginable God only and all the rest is just medium only. Same person exists in different number of dresses and different colours and designs of dresses.
ii) Is the soul/energetic medium of God Datta single and eternal?
[Swami,You have said that the 1st energetic incarnation is permanent merging of unimaginable God in energetic media. Is the soul/energetic medium of God Datta single and eternal? or does God Datta also change the energetic medium in upper worlds just like He changes human media whenever He incarnates on earth?]
Swami replied:- Soul and body are different since soul is awareness and body is inert. Even then, fundamentally both are one only in the sense that both are products of inert energy. The energetic medium (soul and body) of God Datta is definitely eternal.
iii) God is said to be beginningless. Does this imply that there is no possibility of existence of nothingness in past, present or future?
[- At Your Divine Lotus Feet, Bhanu Samykya.]
Swami replied:- Certainly. God is not having any cause and you cannot have the past before God. Then, nothingness has no existence.
7. What should I do to get out of practical implementation of ignorance?
[Ms. Bhanu Samykya asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, to get out of practical implementation of ignorance, what should I do? thoughts lead to practice right, then when I identify that I have negative thoughts & ignorance and know that I'm unable to stop them from being generated, what are cautionary steps to avoid implementing them in practice? -At Your Divine Lotus Feet, Bhanu Samykya.]
Swami replied:- It is very difficult to stop negative thoughts and ignorance since this is an offensive method. The safest defensive method is that you shall always immerse in the true devotion of God so that nothing can attack you. If your concentration is totally on observing a cinema in the theatre, you will not have even the knowledge of mosquitos and blood bugs in the seats biting you to drink your blood. Since you are immersed in God, there will be no damage to you at all. In the case of cinema, there will be damage of your health because cinema is a worldly item, whereas God is the omnipotent personality.