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1. What is meant by the unimaginable power of unimaginable God?
[Smt. Chhanda asked:- Padanamaskaram to my most beloved Swami. Following are some fundamental doubts that came out in our everyday satsanga group discussion. All the doubts are related to different types of incarnations and Your explanation in the online satsanga of Datta Jayanti, 2025. We are not able to explain them through proper logic. I request You to kindly clarify them. What is meant by the unimaginable power of unimaginable...
[Prof. JSR Prasad asked:- Sāṣṭāṅga namaskārṃ Swami. Kindly enlighten me by clarifying the following doubts:]
1. What are meant by theoretical and practical devotions?
Swami replied:- Love to God expressed as excitation is theoretical devotion. Love to God expressed as service and sacrifice is practical devotion. Mere theoretical devotion without practical devotion is like a fake currency note...
[Prof. JSR Prasad asked:- Saashtaanga namaskaram Swami, kindly correlate the two statements: i) Abhadhnan purusham pashum – (souls are using God like an animal tied to the cart), ii) Adhishthanam tathaa kartaa… daivam caivaatra pancamam (God is only 20% responsible for the success of deeds of the souls).]
Swami replied:-
i) The first Vedic hymn is related to the context of free will granted by God since souls were very much bored by the discipline for a long time in Kruta Yuga. In that Yuga, people were not having any freedom and were doing justified deeds only as per the direction of God. After the Kruta Yuga, the bored souls got free will from God along with the divine preaching that gives instructions against...
33. The unimaginable God appears as a human incarnation or as an energetic incarnation. But can He appear as space?
[Devotee asked: There is a particular point I did not understand in a discourse You had given:
“The unimaginable God appears as space or subtle energy, which is an adhyasa or superimposition.”
In my understanding of the above point, the unimaginable God appears as a human incarnation or as an energetic incarnation. But can He appear as space?]
Swāmi replied: How has God created this universe? According to Shankara, it is a superimposition or adhyasa. God appears as energy because energy is relatively real while He is absolutely real. The example of the rope...
[Shri S. Phani Kumar asked:-]
Swami replied:- Parāvara means human incarnation of God because the meaning of the above quotation is “When God is seen”. For human beings, God can be seen only in the human incarnation. For energetic beings...
23. Swami, in order to exercise, we go to gyms, attend zumba dances, etc., where there are very big mirrors while worldly music is also played continuously. Should I avoid such locations so as to not become too body-conscious?
[A question asked by Kum. Thrylokya.]
Swāmi replied: It’s not necessary that everyone who goes to such places becomes body conscious. It depends on the individual. Some people may be capable enough of not getting distracted by such an atmosphere and they may go to such places simply to maintain their physical health. But if you feel that such an atmosphere will disturb your spiritual progress, you can decide to keep away from...
5. Swami, why don’t You make all the fake Babas experience Your state so that they understand the pain involved in it and stop cheating people?
[Smt. Sudha Rani asked: Just like how Sri Satya Sai Baba had given one of His devotees the experience of being in His state, why doesn’t Swami grant this experience to fake babas and dummies who act like incarnations of God to earn fame and money falsely. I think, in this way, You can completely get rid of those cheaters who are the reason behind the public’s bad perception of spirituality in the current time.]
Swāmi replied: It cannot be done in that way. That particular devotee of Shri Satya Sai Baba had taken the effort of coming to the true incarnation. Also, the devotee himself asked Shri Baba to grant him Baba’s...
[A direct interactive spiritual discussion with Shri Datta Swami happened on the auspicious occasion of His birthday on February 24, 2021, in which several devotees participated. Some of the questions of devotees answered by Swāmi are given below.]
1. If God knows there is a chance that the soul may misuse its free will, then why did God grant free will in the first place?
[Shri Hrushikesh asked: Swami, one of my friends recently read one of your discourses and had this question - When souls cannot utilize their free will properly, they do bad deeds and in turn, undergo punishments. At such times, the punishments awarded to the soul may also be postponed to a future date depending on the will of God. Also, God does not give anything that is bad for the soul no matter how much the soul may want it. If God knows there is a chance that the soul may misuse its free will, then why did God grant free will in the first place?]
Swāmi replied: I have given the answer to the question already in one of the older discourses. In Kruta Yuga, the souls became...
Shri Anil Antony asked:-
11. In Hinduism, what is the meaning of seeing a lizard constantly in the wash?
Swami replied:- There are certain traditional believes about the falling of lizard. Different places of the body touched by the lizard are said to be associated with different results. This is not an important topic because this is...
1. Please give Your comment on the following saying of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
[Shri Anil Antony asked: Paadanamaskaaram Swami, I request You to give answers to the following questions. At Your Lotus Divine Feet-anil. “A man practicing semen retention for twelve years develops a special power. He grows a new inner nerve called the nerve of memory”. Swami please give Your comment on this saying of Sri Ramakrishna Parama Hamsa.]
Swami replied:- The semen is prepared from blood. Its retention will make the person very healthy...
15. Swami, please correct my thinking if I am wrong.
[One day, Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa ordered one of His very close disciples, Swami Yogananda to kill a cockroach. But due to His extreme soft nature, the disciple could not kill it and left it. Then he regretted for this and confessed before Paramahamsa and He forgave him by saying that it is due to his soft nature only. My doubt is that the disciple earned more sin by not following his Sadguru’s...
10. Do the Gopikas who complained to mother Yashoda crossed the bond with their children?
[In reply to my Q8, Swami! You said in one place, "Even though Gopikas know that Krishna is God, they were covered by the illusory attraction towards their children and complained to mother Yashoda.". Does this mean then, the Gopikas who complained to mother Yashoda actually crossed the bond with their children? And it was the wish of Lord Krishna only that they will play the role of failed devotees? If it is so, then they are also the most fortunate souls who are in Goloka? Please clarify this doubt also as my ignorance is infinite.]
Swami replied:- God Krishna allowed Gopikas to recognize Him as God so that He wanted to test whether they would cross their bond with children for the sake of God. But, they failed and complained to mother...
1. Are the meanings of Vairagya and Samnyaasa more or less same?
[Smt. Chhanda asked:- Paadanamaskaram my Lord Krishna! Please enlighten me by clarifying my following ignorance:
By reading a discourse given by You, I got an understanding that the meanings of Vairagya and Samnyaasa are more or less same? As per my understanding, they are different. Please clarify. The discourse follows: “…Scholars are also confused about the meaning of the word ‘Vairagya’. This word is used in the meaning of special love or broken love. In other words, the word ‘Vairagya’ has two meanings...
SECOND PART: After bringing realisation about the existence of unimaginable God, who is responsible for the unimaginable nature of the first mediated energetic incarnation called Datta or Father of Heaven, subsequent energetic incarnations for the upper worlds and materialised Human incarnations for the Earth, must be explained. The ego and jealousy of human beings towards common medium resulting...
[Dr Nikhil asked:- I like to conduct a course for students in Spiritual Knowledge and I request You to give suggestions for this program.]
FIRST PART: Existence of unimaginable God and hell :-
Swami replied:- Tell Me whether a serpent-child is soft or an older cow. We can’t say that all children are good and all elders are bad. The goodness or badness depends upon the mental setup with which a soul is taking birth in this world. In the same mental setup, age can be considered. An elder serpent is more dangerous than a child serpent. A child-cow is more soft than a grown up cow...
(Knowledge of the Selfless Yoga)
1) Among the worldly bonds, bond with issues is greatest because the practical proof of the true love exists always in this bond. The final practical proof is the practical service and practical sacrifice of fruit of work (hard earned money). The parents do immense service to their issues since childhood and finally sacrifice all the total fruit of their work (hard earned wealth) to their...
[Shri Kishore Ram asked: Paadanamaskaram Swamiji, The word ‘I’ (aham) is connected to the soul, not the body. But I have a question — why is this sense of ‘I’ (ego) seen more strongly in male souls, where the male ego often becomes an obstacle in spiritual progress? Is this male ego something that exists by nature (by design), or is it a defect related to the male body, or is it something specific to that particular soul? At Your Divine Lotus Feet, Kishore Ram]
Swami replied:- Body is called as the fruit of previous deeds (Karma Phalam). When a soul in human birth confines itself to eating, drinking, sleeping and sex only without making any effort in learning the spiritual knowledge...
1. Could You explain the significance of stars in astrological analysis?
[Shri Hrushikesh asked: Dear Swami, one of my friend, Shreeharsha, has asked the following question. Request You to kindly enlighten us.
Question 1: Could You explain the significance of nakshatras in astrological analysis? Where we should use the nakshatras, Also, should we take into account the outer planets like Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto? If not, could You clarify why these planets...
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...
1. Is my understanding of lust belongs to body and love belongs to heart correct?
[Smt. Lakshmi Lavanya K asked: Namaste Swami. You are saying love is different from lust. I understand lust belongs to body and love belongs to heart!?
Swami replied:- Service by body also comes under love. The heart also can be related to lust if the heart is filled with romantic feelings. Love belongs to heart, but it is also expressed by the service with body...
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