What is the significance of the gold, frankincense and myrrh offered by the three Magis to baby Jesus?

[Shri Anil asked: Padanamaskaram Swami! Kindly grace us with Your answer to the following question. It is mentioned in the Bible that when Jesus was born, three magis (wise men) from the east, visited the baby Jesus and presented gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They followed a moving star to reach the birth place of Jesus. Swami, what is the significance of this incident?]

Swami replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! Gold indicates God. Hiraṇyagarbha means the mediated God in whom God is hidden like gold. Both frankincense and myrrh are perfumes with a slight difference that the first one is a perfume that quickly evaporates in air while the second one is an oil perfume. The fragrance of the first perfume is lost in air quickly and it indicates the path of preaching spiritual knowledge without following it. Such a perfume loses its scent after some time when all its fragrance evaporates into the air. The second perfume indicates the retained fragrance since it is in the medium of oil. It continues to give off its fragrance for a long time in air. Gold indicates the Human Incarnation of God, who is Jesus. The two types of perfume indicate both types of disciples, namely (1) those who listen to the preaching without following it and (2) those who listen to the preaching and also follow it by way of participating in divine service. The Veda says that the perfume of divine service will spread like the fragrance of a flowering tree in full bloom (Yathā sampuṣpitasya vṛkṣasya dūrāt gandho vāti evaṃ puṇyasya karmaṇo dūrāt gandho vāti …).

Keywords:

| Shri Datta Swami | What is the significance of the gold, frankincense and myrrh offered by the three Magis to baby Jesus? | Yathaa sampushpitasya vrukshasya duuraat gandhovaati evam punyasya karmano duuraat gandho vaati

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