22 Oct 2025
1. Why did Lord Rama accept Sage Agastya’s advice and build the Shiva Linga for killing Ravana?
[Shri Kishore Ram asked:- PaadaNamaskaram Swami, my humble request You to kindly clarify the questions given below. In the Ramayanam, after the war, when Lord Rama was returning with others, Sage Agastya advised Him to install a Shiva Linga at Rameswaram as a remedy (pariharam) for killing Ravana, since killing a Brahmin is considered a great sin (Brahmahatya Mahapaapam). My question is: although Ravana was a Brahmin by birth, his actions and deeds were those of a Chandala (sinful or impure). Since Lord Rama killed Ravana for his evil deeds and not because he was a Brahmin, why did Lord Rama accept Sage Agastya’s advice and build the Shiva Linga as a remedy?]
Swami replied:- Generally, the public imitates the human incarnation of God in their actions. Ravana was not only a Brahmana by birth, he was also a Brahmana by action like possessing spiritual knowledge and unimaginable devotion to God Shiva. Of course, he was also a karma-candala by his practical qualities and deeds. He is like a twilight with both light and darkness. Rama killed Ravana since His wife Sita was stolen by Ravana. The whole story appears that Rama is selfish to kill Ravana since Rama did not react even though Ravana did so many such sins in the past. Moreover, Rama told Ravana that if he returns back His wife, He would go away peacefully without hurting Ravana. This means that Rama will not bother about the future sins of Ravana just like Rama was not bothered about the past sins of Ravana. This gives a highly selfish picture of Rama. Actually, Rama is God and is not selfish at all. He killed Ravana for the sake of protection of the world. But, the analysis on the other side shows Rama as selfish.
Sage Agastya treated Rama as selfish and advised Him to get rid of His sin by worshipping God. Rama is treated as an ideal human being only and not as human incarnation for the sake of advising humanity. The message given by the Sage to humanity is that one should not imitate the human incarnation in killing somebody. In such situation, selfishness shall not decide the action to be done. The human being shall analyse such case very carefully before deciding to kill somebody. Killing may be justified in one way, but, due to your selfishness, you may decide somebody to be killed. In such case, sin will follow you. Nobody can imagine that Rama is followed by sin in the case of killing Ravana. This means that when a human being decides such course of action, he/she may not be able to see the other side of the action. This is a message for humanity through Rama even though Rama was sinless in this case. This is called as Lokasamgraha, which is the message to guide humanity in sinless path.
2. In the present time, what is the guarantee that the girl you marry is chaste?
[Swamiji, I was having a discussion with one of my colleagues about premarital or illegal relationships, which have become quite common these days. He said, “Even if you follow dharma (word of God) and remain pure without any affairs before marriage, what guarantee is there that you will marry a girl, who is also chaste? What if you find out after marriage that your wife had affairs or was involved in an illegal relationship earlier?” What should I reply to him, Swami?]
Swami replied:- Every soul will be punished for its own sin. The pure and innocent soul will not be punished since the other soul is a sinner. One shall not do sin for the sake of own safety and not for the safety of others. One does not know what was the story of his wife in the recent past birth. The soul shall confine to himself/herself only and leave the other soul to the decision of God. If a soul is sinless, it will be permanently protected by God. First of all, you should be sinless and advise others not to do sin. Even if a sin is done, if the soul realises it as the sin, repents before God and does not repeat the sin in future, such soul is excused by God and is declared as a sinless soul by God. This process of reformation applies to you as well as to any soul.
3a. What is the fruit in Your statement “even a small doubt on the Human Incarnation makes the devotee lose the final fruit”?
[Swamiji, in the recent Sunday Satsanga on 05/10/2025, You nicely explained about the importance of having complete faith in God. You said, “Either have 100% faith in God or have no faith at all.” This is my understanding of Your explanation: “In the context of reaching the final goal — even a small doubt (like 0.01%) on the Contemporary Human Incarnation of God can make the devotee lose the final fruit because only 100% is considered as pass in the eyes of God that gives final fruit and even 99.99% is also fail only giving no fruit. Therefore, even a 0% candidate, 10% candidate, 40% candidate or 99.99% candidate attains no fruit since all are considered as fail in the eyes of God”. I have a few questions on this, Swamiji: (a) What is the “fruit” You mentioned here? Is it the merging with God (Incarnation) or reaching Brahmaloka/Goloka, etc.?]
Swami replied:- The fruits mentioned by you are one and the same divine fruit.
b. Will a devotee with 10% faith in God lose all that he has gained so far, like little faith and service?
[If a devotee walks on the spiritual path with 10% faith in God, will he lose all that he gained so far (like his little faith or service to God)? If yes, then how can a devotee feel encouraged to move ahead, since it looks like only 100% means pass and anything less means fail?]
Swami replied:- What I told is only that the soul shall constantly improve the faith to 100% because the next birth is not assured as human birth. If the soul passes through several animal births in the future, this 10% faith also may disappear due to the influence of those births and the soul comes again to the state of zero. One must think that this is the final human birth and after this human birth, there is no chance of any human birth in the infinite future. Other religions like Christianity and Islam are benefitted by this concept. Even in Hinduism, the same concept is told. The word ‘durlabham’ means impossible to attain again (narajanma durlabha midaṃ – Shankara).
c. Will a devotee with 10% faith get another human birth with Human Incarnation to continue his progress?
[Based on this, if a devotee has only 10% faith and is doing sadhana (penance) in this birth, will he not get another human birth with a Sadguru (Human Incarnation) to continue his progress and reach God?]
Swami replied:- You are taking risk. God has to give the human rebirth. The decision is in the hands of the judge and you cannot influence the judge. You think that you are correct, but, the judge may think that you are not correct. In such case, it is better to try for 100% faith in this human birth itself.
4. Will Lord Hanumān still respond and help in resolving the problem even if Mahamantra is chanted mechanically?
[Shri Kishore Ram asked:- Paada Namaskaram Swami, You have graciously given us the Mahamantra — “Sri Anjaneya Sri Subrahmanya”, when chanted sincerely, relieves us from worldly difficulties. I had shared this divine mantra with one of my friends, and he raised a couple of questions for which I seek Your kind clarification: If one chants this mantra daily for some time, but does it mechanically without true feeling or concentration, will Lord Hanumān still respond and help in resolving the problem?]
Swami replied:- The mechanical recitation in the beginning stage is defective like the fire in the beginning stage is covered by smoke. As time proceeds, the smoke will disappear and the fire will burn very clearly. Hence, all efforts are defective in the beginning (sarvaarambā hi doṣeṇa…- Gita). God will help you in the beginning stage also hoping that you will advance in course of time.
5. Will Lord Hanumān help if one chants this mantra with the goal of serving You?
[If one chants this mantra with the goal of serving Shri Datta Swami, the Human Incarnation, even though at present the prayers are mainly for worldly issues — will Lord Hanumān still offer His help? If yes, would that not be considered unnatural — since approaching and serving the Human Incarnation is meant to be only through Jnaana (Knowledge), Bhakti (Devotion), and Karma (Service)?]
Swami replied:- As I told, God will encourage the devotee even in the beginning defective stage. If the worldly issues are solved, the devotee will have peace of mind and will be able to concentrate on God, who came here as human incarnation.
6. Aren’t the following two points contradictory?
[Swami, in the Raadha Krishna Gita – Chapter 8, what I understood is that
i) approaching God through a romantic relationship is not justified, as explained from verse 6 onwards, because following justice in this world-drama is very important. But at the same time, You also said that
ii) unless one cuts all worldly attachments (including the bond with one’s husband) for the sake of God, total salvation is not possible. Aren’t these two points contradictory, Swami? Kindly bless us with Your divine explanation and guidance on these doubts. At Your Divine Lotus Feet, Kishore]
Swami replied:- They appear as contradictory at the outset. You require a lot of deep and sharp analysis to understand the concept with clarity. A small kid going to school needs a chocolate every day. This is not wrong in view of the beginning defective stage. As the kid grows, it will develop attraction to the knowledge (advanced stage). The grownup student does not require any chocolate. If a criminal comes to you every day and demands a chocolate, such chocolate is useless because in the advanced state, the criminal is not going to change. There is difference between the kid going to school and the criminal demanding the same chocolate. Leading the soul from the beginning defective stage to the advanced stage is not a sin. To give the same chocolate to a criminal everyday is a sin. In the first case, you are encouraging the kid with love. In the second case, you are acting due to your fear for the criminal. Between these two cases, there is a ocean of difference even though both look exactly alike. Romantic relationship with God (Madhura Bhakti) comes during the beginning transformation of the soul from Dushpravrutti to Pravrutti and leaving the very fascination for romance comes during the advanced transformation of the soul from Pravrutti to Nivrutti. Total surrender to God by sacrificing all worldly bonds and all worldly fascinations without any aspiration from Him in return is called climax true devotion or Paraa Bhakti. There is an ocean of difference among these stages although every stage of devotion looks alike. However, every stage is said to be the highest as an arthavaada (white lie) to encourage the devotees of lower stages.
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