02 Nov 2025
1. Were the other two tests related to attachment to children and money also divine dramas performed by the Gopikas?
[Shri Kishore Ram asked: Paadanamaskaram Swamiji, Swami, You explained that the Raasakeli dance between Lord Krishna and the Gopikas was a Divine Drama performed by God to teach a lesson to souls in Kaliyuga. Since most people in this age live sinful lives, especially involving illegal sexual relationships, this divine act was meant to redirect such desires towards God instead of worldly attachments. By doing so, the soul can reach God instead of falling into hell — without the need to completely suppress the feeling itself.
At the same time, You said that this drama was also a test of the Gopikas’ attachment to their husbands. My question is — the other two tests, related to attachment to children and money, where most of the Gopikas could not succeed, were they also divine dramas performed by those ancient sages (the Gopikas) to demonstrate that the bond with children cannot easily be broken for the sake of God (anaahatha)? at Your Divine Lotus Feet. Kishore Ram]
Swami replied:- The other two tests related to children and money were not in the drama. Those two tests were really conducted in their lives. The bond with children is the strongest among the three strong bonds. Even Sage Vyasa could not overcome this bond.
2. How can I reduce my excessive attachment towards my children?
[Paadanamaskaram Swamiji, Swami, how can I reduce my excessive attachment towards my children so that I don’t end up committing sinful actions, like earning through wrong means for their sake, or developing wrong thoughts and reduced faith towards God? at Your Service, kishore ram]
Swami replied:- No Efforts are recommended to overcome the three strong worldly bonds. They should spontaneously drop by themselves due to the strong attachment with God. Without this path, it is impossible to break or even reduce the excessive attachment to these three bonds. Attachment to worldly bonds can be broken or at least reduced by the attachment to God only.
3. Is pure theoretical devotion better than the person performing practical service with desires?
[Paadanamaskaram Swamiji, in today’s Satsanga (Sunday – 19-10-2025), You explained about the greatness of the Gopikas’ theoretical devotion (towards God Krishna), saying that it is greater than their practical lust. Based on this concept, I want to ask a question —
A person who has pure devotion to God prays with love, respect, and gratitude, without asking for anything. Another devotee serves the Human Incarnation of God but does it with selfish desires, expecting some benefit or help in worldly problems. In this case, I feel the first person, who has pure theoretical devotion, is better than the second person who performs practical service with desires. Kindly clarify, Swamiji.]
Swami replied:- You are perfectly correct provided the first devotee with pure theoretical devotion does not have the capacity to do practical service and sacrifice to God.
4. On what basis do You choose a soul for partial incarnation and other soul for a full incarnation?
[Paadanamaskaram Swamiji, I have a question. Suppose there are two souls — Soul A and Soul B. You (as Parabrahman), wish to merge with both souls because both are Your great devotees. You decide to merge with them as Human Incarnations for two different programs, in different places and at different times. However, the program of Soul A is only a partial incarnation (Avesha Avatara), where You express only a part of Your divine power through Soul A and then withdraw once the program is completed. On the other hand, with Soul B, You stay completely merged and express Your full divine power for the entire lifetime of that soul’s body.
My question is — on what basis did You (Parabrahman) choose Soul A for a partial incarnation (Avesha Avatara) and Soul B for a full incarnation? Is it because Soul B’s devotion is greater than that of Soul A? Is this the reason for the difference, Swamiji? At Your Divine Lotus Feet, kishore ram]
Swami replied:- It depends on the nature of the program.
5. What is the solution for men with excessive lust and living a sinful life by forming illegal relationships?
[Paadanamaskaram Swamiji, Now that we have understood that for men, diverting lust towards God is not truly possible (it is only Arthavaada), since You explained that there is no sexual activity in the upper worlds because there is no Tamas (material body) there, what is the solution for men who are struggling with excessive lust and are already living a sinful life by forming illegal relationships with multiple women?]
Swami replied:- To pacify lust, multiple relationships are not necessary. Even in single relationship, the lust can be satisfied. Such pacification is not a sin at all, but it must end with the production of children. If you put this as the goal, you will at least confine to one wife.
6a. Does final birth mean not just an ordinary female birth, but one where the soul has reached the highest stage of devotion?
[Paadanamaskaram Swamiji, In RaadhaKrishna Gita, Chapter 9, Verse 19, You mentioned that lust (Tamas) and ego (Rajas) are destroyed in the soul’s final birth as a woman. I have a couple of questions: Does “final birth” here mean not just an ordinary female birth, but one where the soul has reached the highest stage of devotion accumulated over many past lives?]
Swami replied:- Every female birth is not the final birth of a soul. But, the final birth of every soul is a female birth. The final birth means the highest stage of devotion to God. The soul passing in the written examination (passing the test of bond with money and children) alone is allowed to the final test of physical fitness (sweet devotion in female birth if the soul could not conquer lust) and it ultimately loses all the worldly fascinations to merge with God in the upper world.
b. How could the ancient sages burn their lust while they were still in male bodies?
[Is it not possible for a man to completely remove ego and lust while in a male body? If not, how were the ancient sages able to burn their lust while they were still in male bodies?]
Swami replied:- The lust can be burnt in penance. Penance or Tapas means thinking about God only without even a small break. The ego is always based on the basic ego, which is the identification of self. The basic ego is always wound up with the masculine ego, which disappears only when the masculine body disappears.
7. Why does the Veda describe souls as wives of God when He does not have feelings of a husband toward the souls?
[Paadanamaskaram Swamiji, In the Veda, it is mentioned “Striyaḥ satīḥ…” which means all souls are considered as wives of God. But, You recently explained that God does not have feelings of a husband toward the souls and that He is the Father of all souls in creation. In that case, why does the Veda describe souls as “wives of God”? Wouldn’t calling them “children of God” be more accurate? at Your Divine Lotus Feet. kishore ram]
Swami replied:- The son/daughter is diverted from the love to father as soon as the marriage is over. Hence, service mingled with love exists in the case of a couple. Service with respect exists in the case of father. Love is far greater force than respect. Here, wife represents such love mixed service and not any sexual relationship with God. Similarly, when the soul is told as a female, it means that the soul is without masculine ego before God. This is told in the view of qualities and service and not in the view of female gender and sexual relationship.
8a) Does Eka bhakti means devotion on single divine form is the highest?
[Swami, Ekabhakti is highest as said in the Giita. Does this mean that the devotion on single divine form is the highest?]
Swami replied:- Ekabhakti means single pointed devotion on God diverting all your fascinations from all the items of the world as single fascination to God. This means that you are concentrating on God in all the 24 hours during the day. This is the right interpretation of the word ‘Eka Bhakti’. If you say that the devotion on single form is the highest, this may lead to a wrong interpretation that even if you concentrate 23 hours and 50 minutes on the world and 10 minutes on single form of God, such state is the highest! Of course, you can concentrate on single form of God also. But, such concentration shall be throughout the 24 hours of a day. Hence, whether you concentrate on single form or many forms of God is not the main point. The main point is whether you are concentrating on God in every second of time leaving the worldly fascinations completely without giving even a second of time for those worldly fascinations or not.
b) How did Shuurpanakha lose lust during the penance to God Shiva?
Swami replied:- Penance means constant thinking about God without allotting even a second of time for the world. Such thinking of God is said to be penance by the Veda (Taddhi tapaḥ taddhi tapaḥ). It includes studying the personality of God, discussing the knowledge about God that leads to serving and sacrificing in the mission of God. When such strongest and continuous concentration about God results, all the worldly thoughts get smashed. Lust is also a sexual thought of mind. Due to this lust thought, the hormones become active and concentrate the lust thought more and more. If such lust thought is not born at all, the hormones become inactive forever and lust can’t be generated. A thought about God can cut a thought about worldly fascination like a diamond cutting another diamond. Shuurpanakha started penance with the thought of lust only. But, as the penance progressed, all her lust was burnt in her penance-fire. Hence, when she was born as Kubja in the next birth, she never expressed any lust on God Krishna. She worshipped Krishna with sandal paste like an excellent devotee. God Krishna fulfilled her desire because God Shiva gave the boon. Of course, God Krishna also satisfied her with His illusory form created by Him so that His celibacy is not disturbed. This is the usual procedure of God in such situations to encourage the devoted souls in sweet devotion. Kubja also was satisfied that she met with Krishna because the identity of real form of Krishna is always kept as divine secret. The purpose of encouragement of the devotee is served and at the same time, God Krishna remained as a perfect celibate as told by God Brahma.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★