20 Oct 2025
Part-1 Part-2
14a. Why is Surya called Savita in Aditya Hridayam?
[Shri Ramakanth asked:- Swami, I have few questions on Aditya Hridayam. Can you please explain them Swami? "Ādityah, Savitā, Sūryah" - You said that Savitaa means the creator of souls because the root word gives such a meaning (Şün prāņiprasave). So, Savitaa is Lord Brahma Datta. Why is Surya called Savita here? Since he (surya) is called Savita here, few people firmly believe that Gayatri Mantra is based on worship of the Sun god. Please clarify, Swami.]
Swami replied:- Surya or the presiding deity of sun planet is the external medium like external dress and Savita is the possessor of the dress or God. The external medium is essential for worship and meditation. The bearer of the dress is imposed on the dress, which facilitates the concentration of mind on God. This is the total essence of “Āditya Vidyā”, which is elaborated in the separate Vedic hymn (Nedaṃ tat yadida mupāsate).
b. How can the Sun-god, who is a created soul along with the creation, create the creation?
[In verse 'kavir viśvo mahātejā raktah sarvabhavodbhavah', the last word 'sarvabhava udbhavah' suggests that the Sun god is the creator of this universe. How can the Sun god, who is a created soul along with the creation, create the creation?]
Swami replied:- The external dress serves a limited purpose of easy meditation. All the other divine qualities are with the bearer of the dress. All the qualities belong to the police officer and not to his dress. But, the dress is useful to attract the concentration of the public towards the officer.
c. Is the following an indication that Sun-god is the embodiment of Trinity incarnation directly?
["Brahmeśānācyuteśāya sūryāya ādityavarcase" - Is this an indication that Sun god is the embodiment of Trinity incarnation (Lord Datta) directly?]
Swami replied:- The God present in Sun-incarnation is God Datta. When God Datta merges with the presiding deity of sun planet, it becomes the energetic incarnation of God Datta.
d. 'eṣa evāgnihotraṁ ca phalaṁ caivāgnihotriṇām' - What is the meaning of this?
Swami replied:- God Datta is the receiver of your sacrificed fruit of work like the fire is receiver of your offered ghee. God Datta is the giver of the final divine fruit to the devotees worshipping God through practical sacrifice.
e. 'vedāś ca kratavaś caiva kratūnām phalam eva ca' - What is the meaning of this?
Swami replied:- The Veda is in control of God Datta. The sacrifice (Yajna) is also in the control of God Datta. The fruit of sacrifice (Yajna Phalam) is also in the control of God Datta. The nominative case (Prathamā vibhakti) used here denotes not the identity (Tādātmya prathamā), but indicates the sense of possession (Tadadhīna Prathamā). “X is Y” – This is nominative case. Following this, the sun-incarnation is the Veda. This statement belongs to the second mode (sense of possession) of nominative case. The result is that the Veda is in control of Sun-God (God Datta). The first mode shall not be taken, which means that Sun-God Himself is the Veda.
15. What is the basis of Ajaati Vaada when Vivarta Vaada and Parinaama Vaada did not come into picture?
[What is the fundamental basis of Ajaati Vaada when Vivarta Vaada and Parinaama Vaada did not come into picture? If we are experiencing the creation, us being a part of creation should at least be real. How did Gaudapaada say that creation is unborn and unreal?]
Swami replied:- The creation is inherently unreal. Reality exists in all the three times. That which exists at present is temporary and anything existing temporarily is unreal. Based on this, Gaudapaada proposed Ajātivāda, which means that the creation is not generated at all. The experience of the creation in the present time is due to the gifted reality of God for the sake of His real entertainment.
16. Since Sītā willingly renounced the kingdom, why did she seem attracted to the golden deer?
[Since Sītā willingly renounced the kingdom and all its comforts just to be with Rāma, why then did she seem attracted to the golden deer in the forest — can this not be understood as part of the divine play (līlā) rather than ordinary desire?]
Swami replied:- The background is that she was attracted to the golden deer so that she can be stolen by Ravana that leads to his punishment. At the same time, the lesson for humanity is that the soul shall not be attracted to gold or riches.
17. Are the below incidents God’s divine play, rather than personal failures of any of them?
[Sita, though she had always regarded Lakshmana as a son to her and Lakshmana himself treated her as a mother, was momentarily overcome by māyā during the golden deer incident and accused him of having wrong intentions. Rama later considered this statement a sin, even though Sita may have spoken so only to compel Lakshmana to help Rama. Moreover, though Lakshmana knew no one could harm Rama and had been instructed to protect Sita, he chose to leave rather than ignore her harsh words. Given these circumstances, can we understand this episode as a divine play (līlā) where Sita’s delusion, Rama’s view of sin, and Lakshmana’s sacrifice all align to fulfill God’s divine play, rather than being personal failings of any of them?]
Swami replied:- You are correct in your conclusion. Everywhere, the main concept is to preach humanity about the various corners of Pravrutti in which the soul should be very alert doing sharp logical analysis.
18. Did God Krishna ever stop burning ghee in the fire of Yajna?
[Somebody asks me “Did Krishna ever stop burning ghee in the fire of Yajna or Vedic sacrifice?”]
Swami replied:- You must give the comprehensive answer given by Me that covers all the points like 1) God Krishna stopped burning the food that is prepared to burn in the fire of ritual and diverted that food to His friends, who were hungry. Ghee is a very precious food and the same advice applies to ghee mixed food also. Even cooked rice, mixed with ghee (abhighāra) is offered to the fire in the ritual called Agnaukaraṇam (Annaṃ caturdhā vibhajya, abhighaārya…). 2) Food mixed with ghee is also called as ghee as per lakṣaṇā śāstra (Ajahat lakṣaṇā) just like the seller possessing apples is called by the word “O Apples! Come here.” 3) The first hymn of the Rigveda says that the receiver (Havanīya) of ghee-food and the supplier (Hotā) of ghee-food is one and the same. This is possible only when a hungry person is eating the food supplying it with his hand. This can’t apply to the inert fire. 4) Fire is of three types:- i) Laukikāgni or Bhautikāgni, which is the fire lit by sticks ii) Vaidyutāgni, the electric fire and iii) Vaiśvānarāgni, the fire that stays in the stomach of a hungry person. The first two types of Agni are used to cook the food (Yajña sādhanam) and the second type of Agni is called divine fire (Devatāgni). The Veda says that a hungry guest is Vaiśvānarāgni (Vaiśvānaraḥ praviśati atithiḥ Brāhmaṇo gṛhān - Veda). This fire is said to be the God to be worshipped in the Vedic sacrifice (Ahaṃ Vaiśvānaro bhūtvā…- Gita). 5) The Veda says that food shall not be burnt or destroyed (Annaṃ na paricakṣīita). 6) This tradition is a bad tradition created by the priests in the beginning of Kali yuga since the priests simply recite the Veda without analyzing its meaning. A fellow, who blindly follows such blind priests will fall in the well (Andhenaiva nīyamānā yathā'ndhāḥ - Veda).
19. Did I get fever for not participating in the immersion of Ganapati idol?
[Swami, after learning from Your preaching that immersion of God’s idol in water is a bad tradition, I stopped participating in the udvaasa and nimarjanam rituals at home. Thank You for making us realize that we should always invite God but even think of sending Him out. But, somebody commented that immersing the statue of Ganapati is a good tradition. They said that I got severe fever the next day only because I did not come forward to immerse the statue of Ganapati. Please enlighten me.]
Swami replied:- You may think that since you got fever the next day for not immersing the statue of Ganapati, not immersing the statue of Ganapati might be a sin. This is called ‘Kākatālīyaka Nyāya.’ A crow sat on the tree and the fruit of the tree suddenly fell down. People thought that due to the pressure of the sitting crow, the fruit fell on the ground. Actually, the fruit was ready to fall from the tree and at the same time, the crow sat on the tree. Were you not getting fever in the past although you were immersing the statue of Ganapati every year? In the sixteen upacāras or even in the 64 upacāras of the worship of Ganapati, udvāsanam (send-off) of God is not mentioned at all. Inviting God on the statue (Āvāhanam) is mentioned in the beginning itself. You shall always invite God to stay in your house permanently. When you are asking God to leave the statue and immersing the statue in water, it means that you are withdrawing the life from the body and immersing the body in water. This is the greatest sin. Shankara condemned worship of the statue of God made by the mud (Pārthivāyatana pūjā). Ravana used to do this worship every day by inviting God Shiva on mud Shivalingam and say udvāsanam to immerse the Shiva lingam in the sea. Due to this condemned worship of God, he was destroyed along with all his family members. Only a statue of stone or metal shall be worshipped by doing invitation (Āvāhanam) and avoiding send-off (Udvāsanam) as done in the temples.
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