18 Oct 2025
Shri Anil asked:-
1. Why did God ask Abraham to do something evil (human sacrifice) to prove his love? Isn't that contrary to His nature?
[A question from internet forum. At Your Divine Lotus Feet-anil]
Swami replied:- It is only a test of true love. He stopped the test when Abraham became ready to kill his son.
2. Why did Jesus say the following?
["So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him". (Matthew 24:44). At Your Divine Lotus Feet-anil]
Swami replied:- Nobody was expecting about the arrival of God because the whole society was immersed in sinful deeds.
3. How can we cultivate patience in our spiritual life?
[Padanamaskaram Swami. Swami, You display infinite patience in answering every question on ‘Sweet Devotion’ with such depth and clarity, even when the same questions are asked repeatedly. There’s never a trace of frustration in Your responses. In contrast, we find ourselves lacking even a small measure of such patience. How can we cultivate patience in our spiritual life?]
Swami replied:- We can cultivate patience in our spiritual life by knowing and realizing the fact that the quality of patience is prescribed as the first requirement in the spiritual path. Knowledge of the problem is 50% solution of the problem. Shankara told that patience (shama) is the first required quality in the spiritual path. Shirdi Sai Baba also told that faith (shraddha) and patience (saburi) are the two important requirements to please God. When you realize the real importance, you will cultivate it.
4. Was Trump truly instrumental in ending the conflict between India and Pakistan?
[Swami, You mentioned that God can temporarily enter a person to fulfil a purpose such as ending a war between two nations. In the recent conflict between India and Pakistan, U.S. President Trump repeatedly claimed that his intervention was instrumental in ending the war. Since Prime Minister Modi has formally denied that claim and with resulting tensions including U.S. sanctions on India, was Trump truly instrumental in ending the conflict? At Your Divine Lotus Feet-anil]
Swami replied:- Trump is a politician and not a spiritual saint.
5. How is the friendship devotion of Arjuna greater than the servant devotion of Hanuman?
[Padanamaskaram Swami. How is the friendship devotion (Sakhya Bhakti) of Arjuna considered greater than the servant devotion (Dāsya Bhakti) of Hanuman? At Your Divine Lotus Feet-anil]
Swami replied:- As the closeness with God increases more and more, friendship-devotion appears in which love is the core material. In the stage of service with discipline, love is controlled by respect. Love without respect is a building without foundation. Hence, the next step after service-devotion is mentioned as friendship-devotion (Arcanam vandanam daasyam, sakhya maatma nivedanam).
6. Why should Jesus craft anything when He can get it done through miracle?
[Padanamaskaram Swami. Was Jesus a carpenter? Why should He craft anything when He can get it done through His miracle? - a question from internet forum. At Your Divine Lotus Feet-anil]
Swami replied:- God is the actor and the human incarnation is the role played by the actor in this world-drama. The manners and limitations of the role are followed by the actor strictly. Then only, He can become an example for the human audience.
7. Why did Prophet say that the majority of inhabitants of hell are women?
[Padanamaskaram Swami. Why did Prophet Muhammad say that the majority of inhabitants of hell are women? At Your Divine Lotus Feet-anil]
Swami replied:- Women were very much suppressed in the days of Prophet. A suppressed soul develops the tendency to do more sins due to its emotional psychology.
8. Swami, in the below verse any significance is there that the bones of Jesus were not broken?
[Shri Anil Antony asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, Please give Your replies to the following questions, at Your Lotus Feet-anil. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the soul. The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of Him shall not be broken. (John 19:30-36).]
Swami replied:- The skeleton involving bones is the inner strength of the body. All these bones represent various spiritual concepts. They can’t be broken by any human being. This is the essence of the above verse and it has no physical sense because it is immaterial whether the bones of a dead body are broken or not.
[Questions from internet forum:]
9. Why do people say Lord Balaji from Tirumala is still paying His debt to Kubera in Kaliyuga? What is its inner meaning?
Swami replied:- The inner meaning is that you should not spend money unnecessarily for any functions like marriage etc., and enter into debts. This is the preaching for entire humanity and has no internal sense.
10. Why don't we keep a camera in Nidhivan in Vrindavan to witness the Raas Leela?
Swami replied:- People did so and got terribly affected. Only deserving devotees, who understand the inner meaning of rasa-dance can see it. Every fellow is not deserving to see it since he/she will misunderstand it and foolishly criticize it.
11. Is Lord Shiva beyond the cycle of karma, or is He also subject to it like normal beings?
Swami replied:- God is beyond the cycle of karma (cycle of deeds and fruits). But as actor-God, He plays in roles that are controlled by the cycle of deeds and fruits so that the lessons are given to the humanity. We should only see God as the role and learn lessons so that we can be benefited.
12. How could Muhammad be a Prophet if He alleged that Jesus escaped crucifixion by sending a lookalike person?
[Padanamaskaram Swami. Kindly give replies to the following questions from internet -at Your Divine Lotus Feet-anil. How could Muhammad be a true Prophet (or Islam a true religion) if He alleged that Jesus escaped crucifixion by sending a lookalike person to take His place on the cross?]
Swami replied:- God can follow the tricks of the world since He is present in the world in a human form. You should be an American if you are in America. The final result of His action is most important. By saving His life, did He enjoy the worldly pleasures? Or did He use His saved life in the propagation of spiritual knowledge? This does not mean that I am supporting this view as true. I mean only that if God follows some worldly tricks to do some good finally, it is not wrong. It is called as white lie or Arthavaada.
13. Did God ever suggest a religion to Adam and Eve?
Swami replied:- There is no question of any specific religion in this incident. Only the basic spiritual concept is dealt here, which is about the faith of a devotee in the word of God. This point is common in all religions.
14. How did Lord Vishnu's avatars like Narasimha calm down after their powerful missions were over?
Swami replied:- Again, this is a preaching for humanity that when the work is over, emotion shall not be continued.
15. Did Jesus, Krishna or any other God who walked on Earth in flesh and blood ever commit any mistake?
Swami replied:- An arthavaada is a white lie because it looks like a sin, but it ends in meritorious fruit. Similarly, ignorant people may think that God has committed a mistake. The deep logical analysis of such mistake clearly proves that it is done for the sake of a good purpose only.
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