Is Salvation Obtained by Work or by the Grace of God?

[Shri Anil Antony asked: It is said in the Bible that salvation is not obtained by works but it is by the grace of God. It seems Your preaching is contradicting Bible. How do You explain this?]

Swami replied: Work for God is karma samnyasa. Dedication of fruit of work for God is Karma Phala Tyaga. The work indicates the practical sacrifice or service to God. When your work is devoid of ego, God is pleased to give the salvation. The Bible means the work polluted by ego by the word ‘work’. When such pollution exists, you demand the salvation just like purchasing an item from the market by paying the money, where the grace of the seller is not required. When your work is devoid of this ego and is purified by total surrender, God is pleased by such work. Shankara praised the divine Mother by beautiful verses composed by Himself under the title ‘Soundarya Lahari’. The verses were beautiful beyond imagination. In the last verse, Shankara told that He is submitting this prayer to the Divine Mother, which were actually composed by the Divine Mother Herself and taken by Him. He said, it is like taking the water from the ocean and pouring it down in the ocean as a drink submitted to the ocean. Therefore, the sacrifice of such pure work without ego alone can please the God and salvation is the consequence of His pleasure only. Salvation is not directly linked to your work like the monthly salary linked to your work. Therefore, there is no contradiction.