Posted on 12 May 2026. 
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[Prof. JSR Prasad asked:- Sāṣṭāṅga namaskārṃ Swami. Kindly enlighten me by clarifying the following doubts:]
1. What are meant by theoretical and practical devotions?
Swami replied:- Love to God expressed as excitation is theoretical devotion. Love to God expressed as service and sacrifice is practical devotion. Mere theoretical devotion without practical devotion is like a fake currency note or like a human body without life.
2. How is there a sequence of Jñānayoga, Bhaktiyoga and Karmayoga?
[Jñānayoga, Bhaktiyoga and Karmayoga can be done simultaneously. In such a case, how is there a sequence of Jñānayoga, Bhaktiyoga and Karmayoga?]
Swami replied:- Suppose you are studying B.Sc., degree with MPC group (Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry). Suppose the total period of the academic year is nine months out of twelve months (deducting holidays). In the college, are they teaching Mathematics continuously for three months, Physics for the next three months and Chemistry in the last three months? Every day, all the three subjects are taught concept-wise and topic-wise. At the end of the academic year, you have become a scholar in all the three subjects and you are tested in all the three subjects. You are also passing in all the three subjects. Similarly, you can continue Jñānayoga, Bhaktiyoga and Karmayoga simultaneously in your lifetime. This is the most best practically wise policy. In spiritual knowledge, the Sadguru can teach all the three steps (Jñānayoga, Bhaktiyoga and Karmayoga) completely in one hour!
3. Can a soul reach God by any one of these three Yogas (Jñānayoga, Bhaktiyoga and Karmayoga)?
Swami replied:- Suppose a doctor gives three types of tablets to be used in the morning, at noon and at night for curing a specific disease. Suppose the patient takes three tablets of the same type every day at the three prescribed times. Will the disease be cured? There may be three reasons for the same disease and each tablet cures one reason. One type of tablet in excess is more than the prescribed dose and hence, may develop a new disease as side reaction. Now, the main disease is not cured and a new disease is also developed, making the condition more and more critical. The person, who is interested in reaching God by one type of Yoga only is such a foolish person as given in the example.
4. What is the difference between Jñānayoga and Sāṅkhyayoga and also what is the difference between Bhaktiyoga and Dhyānayoga?
Swami replied:- Suppose there are both similarities and differences between two items. You can say that both are the same based on the similarities and both are different based on the differences. Rama and Krishna look alike in beauty and have the basic character of protecting justice. We can say both are the same. Rama and Krishna behaved differently because the surrounding atmospheres were different and the behaviour should be as per the surrounding atmosphere. In such case, some of their behaviour is different. Sometimes, in one chapter, some concepts of Jñānayoga may be told and in some other chapter, some other concepts of Jñānayoga might have been told. The author might have named the first chapter as Jñānayoga and the latter chapter as Sāṅkhyayoga. This does not mean Jñānayoga is different from Sāṅkhyayoga.
5. Why can’t we separate the first set of six chapters as Karmayoga, the next set as Bhaktiyoga and the next set as Jñānayoga?
[You told that in every śloka of Bhagavad Gita, all the three are mixed and hence, You cannot separate the first 6 chapters as Karmayoga, the next 6 chapters as Bhaktiyoga and the last 6 chapters as Jñānayoga. Please explain this.]
Swami replied:- These three Yogas are interrelated everywhere. If knowledge (Jñānayoga) is there, the attraction (Bhaktiyoga) is developed at once and the practical sacrifice (Karmayoga) based on true attraction can be expressed immediately. Even each test of God Datta is related to testing the three Yogas simultaneously. If all the details of God (Jñānayoga) are known, the theoretical devotion (Bhaktiyoga) is developed simultaneously. As more and more knowledge of God is acquired, more and more theoretical attraction is developed. As more and more theoretical attraction is developed, more and more practical service and practical sacrifice are expressed.
6. Does the Veda support the practice of putting food into the yajna fire?
[Prof. JSR Prasad asked:- Sāṣṭāṅga Namaskāram Swami. In performing the ritual for the departed soul, the ritual is done in three steps:- i) Agnau Karaṇam, which means putting some food into the physical fire. ii) Feeding the priests and iii) Throwing some food in a river or a tank. In this ritual, we are burning some food in the physical fire and such food is also associated with ghee. Is it not destruction of food, which is against the Veda (Annaṃ na paricakṣīta)?]
Swami replied:- Certainly it is against the instruction of the Veda. In this ritual, there are five sacrifices (Yajñas). The first sacrifice is for God (Brahma yajña). The second sacrifice is for divine angel (Deva yajña). The third sacrifice is for the departed (or living) parents (Pitṛ yajña). The fourth sacrifice is for human beings (Manuṣya yajña) and the fifth sacrifice is for birds and animals (Bhūta yajña). At the end of these five yajñas, one shall eat the food (Ātma yajña). These five yajñas are combined, which result in three steps:- i) Agnau karaṇam (Brahma yajña and Deva yajña are mixed), ii) Bhoktṛ-bhojanam (Pitṛyajña and Manuṣya yajña are mixed) and iii) Piṇḍa pradānam (Bhūta yajña).
Therefore, Agnaukaraṇam is a mixture of Brahma yajña and Deva yajña, which is feeding Sadguru or guru in the beginning. He is called as ‘Agri’ (means first) or ‘Agni’ (means fire) to be fed first. Since feeding means giving food to the hunger-fire present in the stomach of Sadguru or Guru, the Sadguru or the Guru represents the meaning of the word ‘Agri’ or ‘Agni.’ Therefore, feeding Sadguru or Guru with food mixed with ghee is called as ‘Agnau karaṇam.’ Ignorant people, without understanding the meaning of the word Agni as ‘Vaiśvānarāgni’ present in the stomach, burn food in physical fire. The possessor of hunger-fire (Agni) can be called as the possessed item (Agni). Hence, the Veda says that a hungry guest is fire or Agni or Vaiśvānarāgni (Vaiśvānaraḥ praviśatyatithiḥ). Here in the first step, both Sadguru or God (Brahman) and guru or angel like human being (Deva) are fed. The Veda also says that the Sadguru or Guru or the principle priest is Agni or fire (Agnimīḷe purohitaṃ). The original word ‘Agri’ means first and the derived word Agni means hunger-fire to be satisfied by food. The resulting meaning of both these words is that the hungry person, who is Sadguru or Guru or principal priest, should be fed first of all in the beginning of the ritual itself. In the second step, the departed parent (Pitṛ) and a human being (Manuṣya) are fed. In the third step, the animals and birds (Bhūta) are fed.
The fire is of three types:- i) Bhautikāgni or Laukikāgni (fire lit by sticks), ii) Vaidyutāgni (fire lit by electricity) and iii) Vaiśvānarāgni (the hunger fire present in a hungry person is presented as God-fire or Vaiśvānarāgni). God said that He Himself is Vaiśvānarāgni (Ahaṃ Vaiśvānaro bhūtvā- Gita). This hunger-fire (Vaiśvānarāgni) must be worshipped with ghee mixed food and such service is the service done to God as is done in the case of a hungry devotee or a helpless hungry beggar. The first two types of fire (fire lit by sticks and fire lit by electricity) are used to cook the food and hence, are called as ‘instruments of sacrifice’ (Yajña sādhanam). The third type of fire to be worshipped with food is called as the worshipped goal of sacrifice (Yajñopāsyaḥ).
The ghee means the food mixed with ghee. The food mixed with ghee can be called as ‘ghee’ by ‘Lakṣaṇā’ just like the bearer of apple fruits is called as ‘apple fruits.’ Similarly, the possessor of hunger-fire (Vaiśvānarāgni) is called as ‘Vaiśvānara’ as said above by the Veda. The ignorant priests took the ghee mixed food as ghee and the possessor of hunger-fire as physical fire and started burning the ghee in the physical fire causing pollution that stops the rain. Such ignorant priests can be treated as demons, who harm the world by stopping rains!
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