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First Published by Notion Press 2022

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I sincerely place my words of gratitude for Swami Nirvikalpanand

Saraswatiji, Hon’ble Secretary to Shrimajjagadguru Shankaracharyaji
Maharaj of Shri Govardhan Math, Puri for his unflinching guidance and
support. I will fail in my duty if I don’t thank Shri Hrishikesh Brahmchari for
his inputs in this valuable book. This acknowledgement is incomplete if I
don’t put on record the names of Sanjit Mohapatra, Sandeep Sehgal, Rajiv
Sharma, Natraj Maneshinde, Manoj Talwar, Shivangi Sharma, Aditya
Kashyap, Manish Pant, Sanatana, Padmashree, Priyank Chauhan, Deepankar
Kamboj, Rajiv Sharma, Soumya Behera for their priceless contributions in
compilation of this rare work. Last but not the least Brahmchari Prakarsha
Prakash, Mrs. Mudita Parameswaran and Ms. Ruchi Sood’s names need
special mention because the book wouldn’t have been in light without their
hard work.
– Indira Jha
Śrī Gaṇeśāya Namaḥ
 INTRODUCTION

It is indeed a matter of immense fortune that the sacred land of Bhārata

continues to give birth to great seers and mahātmās who, even in this modern
age, keep her rich ancient traditions and vast spiritual wisdom alive.
Śrīmajjadguru Śaṅkarācārya Svāmī Śrī Nischalananda Saraswatijī
Mahārāja, the hundred-and-forty-fifth Jagadguru Śaṅkarācārya of Śrī
Govardhana Maṭha has dedicated his life and all his efforts towards the
revival and protection of Vedic ārya sanātana dharma. In today’s age, when
westernisation has swept the nation in several aspects of life, dhārmika
values are being attacked at multiple fronts by the intolerance of various
religions, cults and ideologies, and the lack of dhārmika guidance in
governance – his determination has created massive ripples of hope.
Śrīmajjadguru Śaṅkarācārya Svāmī Śrī Nischalananda Saraswatijī Mahārāja
has highlighted the preciousness of Vedic knowledge, revealing the
indispensability of our eternal values for creating a better world and
environment, combatting contemporary issues in all spheres of life and
developing a meaningfully evolving society.
Advaita Vedānta is one of the most popular schools of philosophy in the
world today, be it in Bhārata or the West. However, few would have the
opportunity of discovering it in its pure form which has been preserved
through the traditional lineage (guru paramparā) at the four pīṭhas as
established by Ādi Śaṅkarācārya himself. To establish Bhārata as the
spiritual capital of the world, Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya honoured the four
dhāmas (dhārmika sites) based on Yogaśikhopaniśad and other sacred texts.
In the East, Govardhana Dhāma at Puri, in the South, Rāmeśvaram Dhāma,
Dvārakā Dhāma in the West and Badrināth Dhāma in the North. He
established four seats (Āmnāya pīṭhas) connected to the four dhāmas so that
Vedas, Vedic literature and Vedic people can be safe. The Govardhana
Maṭha of the East was established with ṚgVeda as its Veda. The antiquity of
the guru paramparā that Mahārājajī belongs to is awe-inspiring.
 As per Vedic literature, the original ancestor of all living beings is
Śrīmannārāyaṇa. All lineages originate from Him and He is our first Īṣṭa
(desired Īśvara) as well as our first teacher. Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, who
appeared in the year 507 BCE, was tenth in the tradition of Śrīmannārāyaṇa
Bhagavān. At the young age of twenty-four, he instated his first disciple,
Padmapādācārya, as the Śaṅkarācārya of Śrī Govardhana Maṭha. Svāmī Śrī
Nischalananda Saraswati Mahārājajī is the hundred-and-forty-fifth
Jagadguru Śaṅkarācārya of the Govardhana pīṭha. Hence, he is hundred-
and-fifty-fifth after Śrīmannārāyaṇa himself. His seat is over two-thousand-
five-hundred years old.
While today, several gurus are sprouting up in various parts of the world,
there will be only a rare few who hold weight in terms of spiritual experience,
knowledge of the Vedas and śāstras at a scholarly level and belong to a lofty
guru paramaparā that embodies the ancient wisdom of Bhārata. The
combination of all these three aspects in a guru is crucial for those who wish
to receive pure, unadulterated and trustworthy knowledge. Thus, to have
access to a guru of such stature is indeed exceptional when popular culture is
bent towards the glamour and pomp of personality cults and short-lived sects
that come into vogue.
Svāmī Śrī Nischalananda Saraswati Mahārājajī was born on June 30, 1943,
in a village called Haripur Bakshi Tol in the Madhubani district of Bihar. His
father, Pandit Śrī Lalvamshi Jha, was a high-ranking scholar of Sanskrit and
amongst the learned at the court of the then king of Mithila, and his mother
was Smt Gita Devi. His previous name was Nilambar. In his childhood,
Nilambar was bestowed with an extraordinary character with miraculous
spiritual experiences manifesting themselves from the age of two itself. At
seventeen years, he left his home and started in pursuit of his life journey. He
accepted the venerable Karpatrijī Mahārāja as his spiritual master and was
given the name Dhruva Chaitanya by Svāmī Śrī Naradanand Saraswatijī of
Naimisharanya. He immersed himself in Vedic studies. Dhruva Chaitanya
participated actively in Dharma Samrat Karpatrijī Mahārāja’s agitation for
cow protection. On vaiśākha kṛṣṇa ekādaśī of samvat 2031, April 18, 1974,
in Haridwar, he was given the sanyāsa order by Svāmī Śrī Karpatrijī
Mahārāja under the new name, Nischalananda Saraswati. He then studied the
works of Prasthānatryayī, Pañcadaśī, Vedānta Paribhāṣā, Nyāya, Mīmāṃsā,
Tantra and Advaita Siddhi from his gurudev. From 1982 to 1987, he studied
khaṇḍanakhaṇḍa khādya and the Yajurveda with special emphasis from the
then Śaṅkarācārya of Puri pīṭha Svāmī Śrī Niranjanadev Tirthajī Mahārāja
and spent five cāturmāsa with him. Deeply impressed by Svāmī
Nischalananda Saraswatijī Mahārāja’s outstanding brilliance and his
dedication towards sanātana dharma and his gurus, Śaṅkarācārya Svāmī Śrī
Niranjanadev Tirthajī Mahārāja anointed him the hundred-and-forty-fifth
Śaṅkarācārya of the Govardhana Maṭha at Puri.
Śrīmajjadguru Śaṅkarācārya Svāmī Śrī Nischalananda Saraswatijī
Mahārāja has been blessing lakhs of devotees during his intense yātrās
across the country to spiritually uplift and guide all. He gives discourses on
scriptures like the Upaniṣads, Śrīmadbhagvat Gītā, Śrīmad Bhāgavat, etc.,
taking a keen interest in mentoring students and sanyāsīs. A dedicated patriot,
he has established institutes like the Aditya Vahini and Anand Vahini to
protect our nation and its integrity. An authour of more than a hundred and
sixty books, Mahārājajī is a renowned scholar of Vedic Mathematics and has
also been approached for guidance by mathematicians and scientists across
the globe including those from ISRO, Oxford, Cambridge, etc. He has been
delivering speeches in various prestigious institutes and universities,
emphasising the importance of Vedic knowledge in relation to development,
education and sciences to bring about an ideological shift amongst the youth
and intellectuals.
A powerful orator, Mahārājajī expounds Vedic truth on philosophical,
scientific and practical levels. His impressive way of sharing this knowledge
takes deep roots in the minds of listeners and brings in a strong intellectual
conviction on several subject matters. Mahārājajī feels debate (śāstrārtha) is
not the right way of winning the hearts of the people, rather it creates
animosity. He instead believes in planting the potent seeds of truth in the
hearts of people to win over them.
 During his discourses, Mahārājajī gives an open platform to men, women,
youth and children to clear their doubts on the topics of nation, dharma and
spirituality. These question-answer sessions are one of the ways through
which he shares with us the sweet nectar of the Vedas and śāstras in a simple
form that can be life-transforming. It is a big blessing that in times of chaos
and distortions, the Enlightened Master – Śrīmajjadguru Śaṅkarācārya Svāmī
Śrī Nischalananda Saraswatijī Mahārāja has made himself approachable to
help quench the thirst for spiritual evolution and empower people to live a
fulfilling and purposeful life. From questions related to living a happy and
righteous life, matters pertaining to the nation and more complex questions
addressing dhārmika practices and spiritual sādhanās – these sessions need to
be carefully studied. They would resolve the struggles of many and provide
direction to earnest seekers.
This book is a collection of these sessions and brings forth Mahārājajī’s
profound wisdom. Having lived as an ascetic since the young age of
seventeen, his rich spiritual experience and scholarly knowledge make him a
strong authority on the subjects addressed.
Despite repeated onslaughts over the ages, the ancient wisdom of Vedic
ārya sanātana dharma is still alive and flourishing through the efforts of
Mahārājajī, in the 21st century. This knowledge remains fresh and lustrous –
cutting through the darkness of ignorance, as it has from time immemorial.
Through Mahārājajī’s teachings, one receives an understanding of the
contemporary world through Vedic philosophical, scientific and practical
wisdom.
Journey with The Enlightened is a humble effort to translate the question-
answer sessions into English. While it has been attempted to retain the
original meaning of what has been said by Mahārājajī during the discourses,
errors regarding any inaccuracy in translation or interpretation may be
forgiven. The language has been kept as crisp and easy as possible, and an
IAST (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration) format has been
used for words that are not easily translatable (or at times are non-
translatable) from Sanskrit. While the English language should suffice in
conveying the message intended, we urge the reader to make a small attempt
to get comfortable with Sanskrit vocabulary too. Those who are exploring the
ancient spiritual knowledge of Bhārata would probably come across such
words more than often during their quest.
The opportunity to put this book together has been a priceless one for the
authour and all the devotees involved. With the blessings of Śrīmajjadguru
Śaṅkarācārya Svāmī Śrī Nischalananda Saraswatijī Mahārāja and the grace
of Bhagavān, we pray that this book illuminates the minds of the readers with
great insights and knowledge.
 CONTENTS

Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Śiva-Liṅga and Śiva
2. Rādhā and the Bhāgavata
3. Sanātana Varṇāśrama System
4. Role and Responsibilities of a Śaṅkarācārya
5. Thirty-Three Crore Devīs and Devatās
6. The Secret of Premonition
7. Makkeshwar Mahadev
8. Yajñopavīta Saṃskāra and Women’s Eligibility
9. Are Jesus and Mohammad Avatāras?
10. Śaṅkara’s Curse to Nambūdiris
11. Non-Brāhmaṇas as Priests
12. Mantra Chanting
13. Recognising Īṣṭadeva
14. Marriage Rituals on Burning Pyre
15. Hindu
16. Sūtaka at Birth
17. Christianity Takes Advantage
18. Fake Gurus
19. Daṇḍī Sanyāsī
20. Judgement Behind Purity
21. Solution on Kashmir
22. Dharma and Īśvara
23. Bhārata as Hindu Rāṣṭra
24. Taking the Right Decisions
25. Terror, Terrorism and Terrorists
26. Cause of Earthquakes
27. Mantra and Guru
28. Four Maṭhas of Śaṅkara
29. Karma and Kartā
30. Men’s Contribution to the Household
31. Understand Jāti by Birth
32. Swarga-Narka
33. Chanting Method
34. Mathematics
35. Śrāddha
36. The Mind Wanders While Chanting
37. Youth’s Desire for the Overseas
38. Know our Buddha
39. Varṇāśrama in Devaloka
40. Message for the Next Generation
41. Recognising a Sadguru
42. The Founder of Hinduism
43. Mind, Intellect, Ego and Consciousness
44. Mūrti Pūjā
45. My Reasons for Sanyāsa
46. Dharma Is Not Religion
47. Widow’s Right to Kanyādāna
48. Origin of Maṭha
49. Reason behind Touching Our Ears
50. Should One Believe In Palmistry?
51. Is Gautama Buddha one of the Daśāvatāras?
52. Why is milk offered to the Śiva Liṅga?
 CHAPTER ONE

Śiva-Liṅga and Śiva

Question: What is the meaning of the word liṅga in Śiva-Liṅga?
Answer: The word, liṅga, is mostly used in Nyāya philosophy. The meaning
of this word in English is a symbol and, in Hindi, it is denoted by cihna,
which is basically a Saṃskṛta word. Like a non-stop stream of smoke is
considered to be an indicator of fire, this indicator is also called sūcaka,
jñāpaka and hetu. That is why the non-stop stream of smoke is considered to
be an indicator (liṅga) of fire through which we can infer the presence of the
fire.
The word Śiva-Liṅga is derived in two ways in scriptures.
God is described as śāntam śivam advaitam caturtham manyante sa ātmā
sa vijñeyah in the seventh mantra of the Māṇḍukya Upaniṣad. The name of
the attributeless, formless Saccidānanda Svarūpa Paramātmā is called Śiva.
Being his expressive indicator, the place of manifestation, the liṅga of Śiva
is called the Śiva-Liṅga. In the Upaniṣads, it is explained in a way that Śiva
himself is liṅga. The indicator of Śiva is liṅga, and Śiva himself had
manifested as liṅga.
In Arunachal and other places, the stories regarding Jyotirliṅga are popular
in a similar way. Bhagavān Śiva manifests his attributeless and formless self
as Śiva-Liṅga at various places with his play (līlā). Hence, there is no
difference between Śiva and his liṅga, just like there is no difference between
a sacred place and the seeker. Yadgatvā na nivartante taddhāma paramaṃ
mama.
Bhagavān Śiva is Aṣṭamūrti. The attributeless and formless manifestation
of Bhagavān Śiva is only illuminated by the Śiva-Liṅga. Bhagavān is
Aṣṭamūrti and Aṣṭamukha. He has faces in all eight directions. Dakṣiṇāmūrti
is also one of the manifestations of Bhagavān Śiva. He is famously known to
be facing the southern direction as is implied by the term “Dakṣiṇāmūrti.”
 In the five elements, Agni, Sūrya and Candramā are also included—so he
gets eight faces. There are Tvamarkaḥ (the fire element), tvam āpaḥ-
Puṣpadantaḥ (the water element) and other described forms of Bhagavān
Śiva. Since Śiva is Aṣṭamūrti, he himself is manifested in the form of the
eight parts of Prakṛti.
The five senses, the intellect, the mind and the ego that are present in our
lives are all part of the Śiva-Liṅga. In the Śrīmad Bhāgavat, it is mentioned
spiritually—lakṣaṇaiḥ anumāpakaiḥ—which means that the instrument is
inferred by its effect. If there is an effect, then the tool or medium is being
inferred and, through the instrument, the doer is inferred and the doer,
without any instrument and effort, is called a non-doer (niṣkriya) and
unmodified (nirvikāra).
In this manner, the instruments, like the mind, are also Śiva-Liṅga. They
are the manifestation of the Self in the form of Śiva and the truth of ātmā is
indicated by them. This way, I have explained the ‘Śiva-Liṅga.’
 CHAPTER TWO

Rādhā and the Bhāgavata

Question: Why is Rādhā not mentioned in the Bhāgavata?
Answer: You will find that, in many Purāṇas and the Śrīmad Bhāgavata,
there is mention of the word Rādhikā as Anayā. By taking references from
many Purāṇas of Vedavyāsa, the great scholars of gauḍīya sampradaya have
drawn the picture of Rādhā as Ekā, Rādhikā, Anayā, and so on. There is a
symbolic description of her.
Question: But why is it not in the original Bhāgavata?
Answer: Maybe not in an obvious way but, in other granthas, it is mentioned.
It is called Guṇopasaṃhāra Nyāya. Whenever Bhagavān Śukadeva used to
pronounce the word Rādhā, he would attain a specified state of consciousness
(sāttvika mūrchā) and would not be able to continue the narration; this
happened every time.
He used symbolic words to describe Rādhā. Is any other gopī’s name
mentioned? An indication has been given via the Śrīmad Bhāgavata. The
names of those devīs who got married to Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa Candra after his
yajñopavīta are all mentioned in the Śrīmad Bhāgavata. However, none of
his childhood friends’ names is mentioned there.
Question: But, in our Vrindavan, approximately three-hundred to three-
hundred-and-fifty years back, there was no deity (mūrti) of Rādhā.
Answer: It is important to understand this in a prescribed
way. Is there any mūrti of Rādhā in the Bām̐ke Vihārī Mandira in Vrindavan?
You are talking about what was there three-hundred to three-hundred-and-
fifty years back. I know the things related to Vrindavan. In the Bām̐ke Vihārī
Mandira, is there
Rādhā’s or Vihārījī’s mūrti? Whose mūrti is there in Rādhā Vallabha? Is it
Rādhā or Rādhābvallabha? Even if Rādhā’s mūrti is not there, you should
not say that Rādhā is not a historical figure.
 Clear your doubts—wherever Śrī Kṛṣṇa is present, Rādhā’s presence is
embodied there. If there is no mūrti of Rādhā, that does not mean that Rādhā
does not exist. It is a mistake if someone thinks so. What is the meaning of
the word Śrī Kṛṣṇa? It is made up of two words. In Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Rādhā
word is automatically embodied. There is a text called the Bhakti Rasārṇava,
written by my Pūjya Gurudeva. It is written in Saṃskṛta.
Baldev Upadhyay commented on Rādhā—he said that she is not a
historical figure. My guru, Svāmī Karapātrī Mahārāja, has written a detailed
rebuttal to that in Bhakti Rasārṇava. Please read that. We cannot just quote
one particular śāstra to prove something and not quote the other śāstras which
do contain the information. There are several granthas and śāstras written by
Vedavyāsa as a Brahma Purāṇa, etc.
As per the Guṇopasaṃhāra Nyāya, everything is not available in one
Upaniṣad. However, by studying all the Upaniṣads, meaning is derived
through this methodology. If you want to say that Rādhā Rānī is a fictional
character, do you consider yourself to be imaginary? All this knowledge
comes from the tradition of guru paramparā. If you can get all the meaning
by reading just one or two granthas, then why are these ācāryas needed?
 CHAPTER THREE

Sanātana Varṇāśrama System

Question: Why do we need the varna system?
Answer: The question is whether you want these varnas through a lineage or
as substitutes. It is just this, right? Is there an aversion towards the system of
lineages or towards the brāhmaṇa, kṣatrīya, vaiśya, śudra, antyaja? If the
aversion is to all these five divisions, then no system can run and neither can
the body function. To conclude, you will have to say that the aversion is
towards the varna system through a lineage.
Indians, Nepalese and Bhutanese can at best say that they do not want
brāhmaṇas, kṣatrīyas, vaiśyas, śudras, etc. through lineage. To this, my
question remains the same—do we need their substitutes or not?
If alternatives are needed, then, to create these substitutes of the
brāhmaṇas, kṣatrīyas, vaiśyas, śudras and antyajas, how much time will be
needed? How much wealth would be needed? Even then, is it possible for the
saṃskāras to be transferred? There is no answer to this question.
Another possible issue would be that everybody would try to fall into the
first, second or third divisions and nobody would try to fit into the fourth and
fifth columns. Some departments would get full with the alternatives of
brāhmaṇa, kṣatrīya or vaiśya and some departments would remain empty.
Therefore, to ensure that knowledge, defence, wealth and services are
available to everyone in a balanced way, and everyone’s livelihood is secure
from birth itself, the system called sanātana varṇāśrama exists—for the
welfare of all. It facilitates our progress from the worldly point of view and
directs us towards heavenly progress. It paves way for the attainment of
Bhagavān.
Let me tell you this in a few sentences. It is fine that the world does not
need Śaṅkarācārya. If one is brāhmaṇa, then a daṇḍī sanyāsī, one can
become a Śaṅkarācārya. Is the Śaṅkarācārya through the lineage not needed?
Tell me, who can be my alternative?
Who are the substitutes to brāhmaṇas? Teachers, judges, ministers,
advocates, etc. All these are dangers to this country. If you find a substitute
for me, it will be dangerous to this country. Who are the substitutes of
kṣatrīyas? Police and the military—the country faces dangers from them as
well. Who have become the substitutes to vaiśyas—the industrialists?
Agriculture, trade and cow protection, all face threats from them. Who has
emerged as substitutes to śudras—missionaries? From them, the services and
industries face threats.
It means that there is no substitute for me and if there would be any, it will
be destructive. Now, let us talk about Britishers whose lineage-based varṇa
system went extinct thousands of years ago. They have constraints so they
can only work through the substitutes of brāhmaṇas, kṣatrīyas, etc. The
government of India should keep in mind that, even in the twenty-first
century, Britain has still maintained an alternative dynasty. It is due to this
that Elizabeth has been ruling for a longer period than Victoria. They want to
keep this alternative dynasty secure and we are trying to destroy our lineal
dynasty, which means our thinking is much more inferior than that of the
British.
Those who do not have lineage-based brāhmaṇas or gurus, want to keep
their substitute, Pope, for good. Let me tell you that one hundred ninety-
seven crore twenty-nine lakh forty-nine thousand and one hundred and
seventeen years have passed off our guru paramparā in this kalpa. Can
anybody simply eliminate this very ancient paramparā by just a frown?
Another thing, who is under maximum threat? Those who have not got
varṇāśrama system from lineage, or us? The maximum threat is certainly to
those without the system of sanātana varṇāśrama. Whatever the problems
and challenges may be, we have to deal with them with appropriate
discernment and thinking.
Let me point this out—in the Śānti Parva of Mahābhārata (the translated
Mahābhārata is available from Gita Press), look at the index of Śānti Parva.
It explains the life of Parśurāma. Yudhiṣṭira asked Bhīṣma—when our
ancestor, the kṣatrīyas, were killed twenty-one times by Parśurāma, then
where did we come from? There would have been some kṣatrīyas left, so we
would have come. In this context, it is explained beautifully how the kṣatrīya
dynasty, forests, cows, the sea, etc. were protected by the brāhmaṇas. This
chapter must be read. It is worth learning how the kṣatrīyas were saved from
extinction since no other varna has the ability to rule. No other varṇa except
kṣatrīyas can rule. Brāhmaṇas cannot rule—not at all. They can guide. Īśvara
has created kṣatrīyas alone to rule and our arms are the representatives of
kṣatrīyas.
To have more knowledge about this, we have to refer to Śānti Parva of the
Mahābhārata that gives details on how a few kṣatrīyas were preserved and
arranged and, then, how the kṣatrīya clan was recreated by the brāhmaṇas.
 CHAPTER FOUR

Role and Responsibilities of a Śaṅkarācārya

Question: What are the regions that come under Purī Maṭha’s jurisdiction?
Answer: One-fourth of the whole world comes under Purī pīṭha. Bangladesh
is also under the jurisdiction of Govardhana Maṭha. Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya
kept Nepal under Purī pīṭha.
Not only this, out of four Kumbhas, each Kumbha also comes in the
domain of each Śaṅkarācārya. So, Prayag and Kashi come under the
jurisdiction of Purī pīṭha.
The paṇḍitas at Kashi may think Śaṅkarācāryas are their subordinates but
they are not the makers of the Śaṅkarācāryas. However, the reality is, that it
is not just Kashi, but the land up to Prayag and even the whole of Nepal, that
falls in the domain of the Purī pīṭha. So, Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya considered
this place under the jurisdiction of Purī pīṭha. Bangladesh of today is also
within the boundaries of Purī pīṭha.
Question: In Bangladesh, Hindus are being persecuted. What are your views
on the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh?
Answer: Please ponder over the fact that, up to 1846 AD, the ruler of Punjab
was Rājā Ranjit Singh. His rule extended up to today’s Afghanistan, which
was earlier called Kabul or Gandhar. Jammu and Kashmir were also under
his rule. Then, Britishers bifurcated Afghanistan from Bhārata, Burma from
Bhārata and Srilanka from Bhārata, then, what we call Bangladesh today
was Pakistan only. All these were lands of Bhārata, but Britishers separated
all these from Bhārata.
The prime ministers of independent Bhārata have divided it thirteen times
till now. There is no such day when the landmasses of Bhārata, especially
those on borders, do not get shifted about or are made to shift into
neighbouring countries. Now, these come within our area and we are aware
of our responsibilities.
 Britishers had this strategy that the sovereign Śaṅkarācāryas present in
India should not have any dominance in India, Nepal and other such
countries. Even in this twenty-first century, they have established the Pope
not only as the sovereign of all religions but also as a president and army
chief. So, the Pope is respected there, but in Bhārata. They appointed some
politicians as the prime minister as per their preference. They also projected a
politician as a spiritual figure. The British wished to deprive Bhārata of the
spiritual leadership of Śaṅkarācāryas so that it loses its existence and
principles. This has been their goal.
Whoever has been the prime minister till now, in their view, the
Śaṅkarācāryas are very capable of giving direction. Despite knowing this,
they do not come to us to seek any advice or direction. Internally, they
consider themselves to be the regulators of the Śaṅkarācāryas. It is strange to
see the workers of various political parties roaming around as saints and they
are regulators of those respective saints. They wish that the Śaṅkarācāryas
would be regulated by them.
In addition, temples and maṭhas, our institutions for education, defence,
culture, service, dharma and mokṣa are under the control of the government
today. The government is controlled by the business system. The government
and businesses are controlled secretly or otherwise by Christians. Bhārata is
a colonised country.
We understand our responsibility. I have not become a Śaṅkarācārya to
accumulate wealth and reputation and, every second, I am engaged in
fulfilling my responsibility. However, the biggest problem is that the
government doesn’t like to tolerate us. If the Government wants a
Śaṅkarācārya to remain, it is only as their party-worker so that there is no
conviction in the latter’s voice. The Śaṅkarācāryas are not just neglected by
the government, but also persecuted.
A recent example pertaining to the above can be given here. The behaviour
of the Odisha government towards me was like that towards an ordinary
mahanta, and not the Śaṅkarācārya of Purī pīṭha. Whatever little land was
left with the maṭha, was taken over by the government. The attempt was to
make sure that the Śaṅkarācārya maṭha and the Śaṅkarācārya are managed by
Śrī Jagannātha mandira administration. The Śrī Jagannātha mandira
administration is anyway managed by the chief minister. Some wicked
politicians have become so bold that their attempt is to make the
Śaṅkarācārya bereft of his existence. Whichever party is in power in Odisha,
their workers roam around as Śaṅkarācāryas or mahantas. Whatever
persecution and injustice are being done to these pīṭhas in independent
Bhārata, such persecution and injustice were not done even in Bhārata under
foreign rulers, especially the persecution being done to Purī Śaṅkarācārya.
The inhuman treatment that is being done, is better left unsaid.
So, I pointed out that I know that Bangladesh is within our jurisdiction, but
we are not quiet. We are not in favour of ammunition, but treading on the
path of Prahlāda. We are in the process of making a strategy. We shall work
to make Bhārata consolidated (akhanḍa) again, in whatever humanly way
possible. We are trying to make it possible day and night.
(*After untiring efforts put up by us, the Odisha government has cancelled
its previous order and issued a fresh order in the cabinet which says that the
Govarddhana Maṭha in Purī will continue to have its ownership on its land.)
 CHAPTER FIVE

Thirty-Three Crore Devīs and Devatās

Question: If we want to go beyond this material world (Bhavasāgara) by
choosing one of these three-hundred-and-thirty million Devatā and Devīs,
which one should we worship?
Answer: In the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, there is a mention of thirty-three
Devatās. Read the special edition of Devatāṅka Viśeṣāṅka of Kalyāṇa
(publication of Gita Press). Perhaps, it’s not available nowadays. The editor
of Kalyāṇa is my gurubhāī. One of my articles is also printed in that. In the
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, there has been a mention of thirty-three different
Devatās. Koṭi is a word of Saṃskṛta and it has two different meanings in
Hindi—one is ‘crore’ and the other is ‘classification.’ So, koṭi represents both
one crore and classification. So, when used as a number, it is a crore and,
when used to classify, it represents the thirty-three different types of Devatās
as mentioned in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.
A further inclusion of these thirty-three Devatās is done in five different
types. Notice that there are five fingers united into a single palm. When
Bhagavān creates a new universe after the cataclysm (pralaya), Bhagavān
then has to do the following five activities and, for each of these activities,
Bhagavān expresses himself in a new form to accomplish the task of creation
at the starting of mahāsarga.
Bhagavān Saccidānanda Svarūpa Sarveśvara expresses himself as an
avatāra of hiraṇyagarbhātmaka Sūrya or Brahmā. The original form is
Saccidānanda only. The Saccidānanda svarūpa Bhagavān expresses himself
in the avatāra of Brahmā or Sūrya to accomplish the task of seeding.
The meaning of sthiti is preserving. To accomplish the task of preserving,
he expresses himself as an avatāra of Viṣṇu.
To accomplish the task of destruction, he expresses himself as an avatāra
of Śiva. Scientists must pay attention. Take an example of a tree, there is a
Śakti which grows leaves on it. There is a Śakti that nurtures these leaves.
Another Śakti destroys them. In trees, you can observe the task of creation,
preservation, and destruction.
Now, the next task is evanescence (tirodhāna or nigraha). Control, in all
these five powers, is essential. That is the quality of tirodhāna, otherwise,
everyone will become uncontrollable. To accomplish the task of tirodhāna,
Bhagavān expresses himself as an avatāra of Śakti—Bhagavatī.
The next is anugraha. If you always restrict or punish your child, he will
become unruly. The same is true if you pamper him only. Hence, both
punishment and affection are required at the right time (nigraha and
anugraha). To accomplish the task of anugraha, Bhagavān expresses himself
in the avatāra of Gaṇapati.
The worshippers of Bhagavān Sūrya are called Sauras, worshippers of
Bhagavān Viṣṇu are known as Vaiṣṇavas, worshippers of Bhagavān Śiva are
known as Śaivas, worshippers of Mother Śakti are known as Śāktas, and the
worshippers of Bhagavān Gaṇeśa are known as Gāṇapatyas. The original
form of these five deities is the only one nirguṇa nirākāra or saguṇa
nirākāra. There is one origin to the world. The differentiation in deities is
based on their name, form or expression of work which they perform.
The conclusion is that, the inclusion of three-hundred-and-thirty million is
done in thirty-three. Further inclusion is done in five, and the five are situated
in that One.
 CHAPTER SIX

The Secret of Premonition

Question: Is it possible to have premonitions?
Answer: Nature (Prakṛti) sends signals several times. The Śakti of Bhagavān
sends signals several times. Some people can read these signals. You have to
notice ants or birds. Nowadays, we are talking about weather forecasting, but
birds get an idea in advance that it is going to rain. Ants also get to know
when it is about to rain. They can also sense the events which can occur in
the future. There are many signals given by our bodies. For a male, if the left
eye starts fluttering, it signals that something wrong could happen. If the right
eye starts blinking, you can expect to get some good news.
Many times, we miss someone whom we haven’t met for a long time. We
are not aware that the person has already started his journey to meet us and
can reach us within a day, in two days, in a minute, or maybe within an hour.
When there is a rise of goodness, positivity and truth in oneself, in Hindi it is
called sattva guṇa. Then, the person can sense the events which are to occur
in the future. The one who can examine can predict for himself. If dogs start
crying, it can be predicted that something wrong could happen in this area.
Normal barking is different from an odd cry.
In the same way, as the saying goes, Khara siāra bolahiṃ pratikūlā, suni
suni hoi bharata mana sūlā. If donkeys start crying unusually, it gives a hint
about some incident. In śāstras, it is mentioned that these are all signals
which can be interpreted by those few people who know about those signals.
There are signals of death as well. In the case of death approaching someone,
the behaviour of that person may suddenly change drastically. Sometimes,
one is not able to see one’s own shadow.
All these signals are sent by Īśvara to everyone, but not everyone can
identify these signals. These are called bad omens.
The direct answer to your question is that, when one’s inner sense or mind
(mana) is free from deceit, then one can sense the things that could happen in
the near future. It is said in the eighth chapter of Chāndogya Upaniṣad that
we have only one mana, else there are five karmendriyas and five
jñānendriyas. Karmendriya and jñānendriya can only sense the events which
are currently happening, but mana is called the divine eye of jīva. The
meaning of divya cakṣu is the one who can see the past, present and future,
that is, all the three kālas. There were trikāladarśī ṛṣis who had knowledge
about their previous birth and were well aware of what would happen next.
If there is divinity (divyatā) in the mana and it is free from perfidies, even
if one is not able to predict bad omens, still one can sense what is going to
happen in near future. The mana is considered to be a divya cakṣu in the
Chāndogya Upaniṣad. The mana can see through all three kālas but the
senses (indriya) can see only through the present kāla.
If the mana gets free from the senses, it becomes highly powerful. For
example, in deep sleep when, out of fourteen senses (karaṇa), five
karmendriyas and five jñānendriyas go to sleep, only four senses—the mind,
the intellect, the memory and the ego—are awake as instruments; at that time,
a huge power awakens.
That’s why, when one can make the mana free from karmendriya and
jñānendriya, this mana becomes powerful when it holds its position. In that
condition, when you are not getting sleep, the mana awakens with divya śakti
and the mana can see through the past, present and future. Sometimes, a
normal person also gets the sense of some future incidents.
The sages like Vālmīki, through their jñāna, had a sense of three kālas. The
one who can purify his mana can see through the past, present and future.
 CHAPTER SEVEN

Makkeshwar Mahadev
Question: There is a dilemma among us regarding Śiva-Liṅga as to whether it
is a symbolic representation of Śiva or a phallic representation. We haven’t
seen it personally, only heard of it. The custom in Mecca, which is visited by
the Hajis, is a Hindu custom. The pilgrims wear a seven-yard unstitched cloth
and circumambulate seven times from the right, and it is also said that
Makkeśvara is a representation of Śiva. Could you please throw some light
on this?
Answer: Those who are into the study of Nyāya, Vaiśeṣika and other
Darśanas won’t have such misconceptions.
You can see the daṇḍa in my hand. It is named Viṣṇu liṅga. Liṅga means
symbol. For instance, consider smoke. Looking at dense smoke, the presence
of fire can be inferred. This smoke is considered to be an indicator through
which a fire’s presence can be inferred. In the attainment (siddhi) of the
attainable (sādhya), liṅga is considered to be a virtue by which the fact is
established. In the context of male-female relationships also, the word liṅga
means a symbol.
The Śiva-Liṅga can be defined in two ways. As far as I remember, in
Svāmī Akhandānandaa Mahārāja’s āśrama at Vrindavan, I gave discourses
on the Śiva-Liṅga for about twenty-seven to twenty-eight days in reply to
Svāmī Kaivalyānanda’s question. It was probably in 1978 that I had lectured
on Śiva-Liṅga for an hour every day. Śiva-Liṅga can be understood in two
ways—one, it can be considered to be a symbol of Śiva and, two, it is Śiva
himself, who has manifested as liṅga.
Liṅga symbolises the attributeless-formless (nirguṇa-nirākāra), and
thosewith attributes-formless (saguṇa-nirākāraa). There are idols (arcā
vigraha) of Bhagavāna which have hands-legs etc. The pañca devatās are
worshipped through arcā vigrahas. The worship is also done using the liṅga,
which symbolises the saguṇaa nirākāra and nirguṇa nirākāra. Liṅga means
symbol. As said in Bhāgavata—lakṣaṇaiḥ anumāpakaiḥ. Through the Liṅga,
the attainable (sādhya) can be understood. It is not an offensive word. Even
in the context of the male-female gender, the word liṅga means symbol.
Coming to the topic of Makkeśvara, there is also the topic of
Jammukeśvara which you haven’t considered. The Jamma Masjid in Delhi is
the shrine of Jammukeśvara. There is a special edition on the Śiva
Mahāpurāṇa published by the Gita Press. Its name is probably Śivopāsaka
Aṅka. Makkeśvara and Jammukeśvara have been described in it. These
shrines are in the hands of vidharmīs. As far as the tradition is concerned,
there are probably no references to these shrines in the scriptures (śāstra).
Consider the shrine of Amaranātha which is considered holy owing to the
presence of the ice-formed liṅga. The priests at this shrine, though dressed
like the priests of Baidyanath Dham, are Muslims. The shrines of
Jammukeśvara and Makkeśvara are in the hands of Muslims. Now, consider
the shrine of Śrī Paśupatinātha in Nepal. Bhagavatpāda Śivavatāraa
Śaṅkarācārya was born in 507 BC. Neither Prophet Mohammad nor Christ
existed at that time, but their followers have distorted the time of Ādi
Śaṅkarācārya. This is a deceit of the British. The then king of Nepal had
embraced Jaina dharma.
When Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya visited Nepal with the desire to restore the
traditional worship of Paśupatinātha in the form of the Śiva-Liṅga, he first
kindled the faith of Nepal’s king towards vaidika sanātana dharma.
Similarly, in Rāmeśvaram, the prevailing sect had begun worshipping the
liṅga as their deity. Bhagavatpāda Śaṅkarācārya also restored Rāmeśvara as
Śiva-Liṅga. So, it’s all a matter of time. The shrines of Jammukeśvara and
Makkeśvara are now in the hands of vidharmīs. There are many such Śiva-
Liṅgas. One was pointed out by you, and I pointed out another.
 CHAPTER EIGHT

Yajñopavīta Saṃskāra and Women’s Eligibility

Question: What is yajñopavīta saṃskāra? Should women do yajñopavīta
saṃskāra?
Answer: The first word in yajñopavīta is yajña. Brāhmaṇas, kṣatrīyas and
vaiśyas are mainly authorised in śrauta-smārta yajña (prescribed as per Vedas
and smṛtis). These three are called dvija. The meaning of dvija is the one who
gets birth twice in a life—first, when he is born from his mother’s womb, and
the second time after yajñopavīta saṃskāra.
Yajñopavīta saṃskāra is the tradition to make them authorised in śāstra
sammata yajña (which are māntrika)—those who were born in traditional
brāhmaṇa, kṣatrīya or vaiśya varṇa. Brāhmaṇa children s should get their
yajñopavīta saṃskāra done between the age of five and sixteen years.
If it does not happen, then as an atonement, the vrātyaṣṭoma ceremony
must be done. Otherwise, he is a brāhmaṇa only for the surname’s sake. His
cosmic and divine upliftment stops because he becomes a vrātya.
If one desires to guide the brāhmaṇa child to a highly bright dimension,
then he can perform yajñopavīta saṃskāra, done at the age of five, and also
for his son or grandson. The age criteria for kṣatrīyas are decided between the
age of eleven and
twenty-two and, for vaiśyas, it is decided between the age of twelve and
twenty-four. Otherwise, he becomes a vrātya and remains as a brāhmaṇa,
kṣatrīya or vaiśya for the namesake only. He won’t attain any virtue in
performing kanyādāna. To become authorised in a prescribed, scriptural way
(śāstra sammata yajña), yajñopavīta and śikhā are mainly required. If
someone does not have śikhā or sūtra or does not follow the proper rituals of
worship for the following sūtra, then he remains brāhmaṇa, kṣatrīya or
vaiśya for namesake only. The path of sadgati is stopped and he cannot attain
mokṣa.
For women who have been born in brāhmaṇa, kṣatrīya or vaiśya varṇa and
have got married traditionally—they do not need any yajñopavīta saṃskāra
separately. They are authorised to listen to Vedas and mantras inside the
yajñaśālā by sitting on the right-hand side of their husbands, who would have
already got their yajñopavīta saṃskāra done. Wives do not need to put
offerings into the fire (āhuti) separately, it gets accomplished by their
presence with their husbands. That is why it is said that the accomplishment
of śāstra sammata karmas is possible with the help of a wife only.
Yajñopavīta is necessary for brāhmaṇa, kṣatrīya, vaiśya men before their
marriage, and authorisation in śāstra sammata yajña is achieved only after
marriage. He can become free from paternal and divine debt (pitṛ ṛṇa and
deva ṛṇa). Hence, those who have been born in brāhmaṇa, kṣatrīya or vaiśya
kula by Bhāgavata kṛpā, but were denied of yajñopavīta saṃskāra or the
yajñopavīta saṃskāra happened after the prescribed age because of
ignorance, are as good as being destroyed by their parents themselves.
We know the importance of yajñopavīta saṃskāra. Nowadays, people do
not know the significance of yajñopavīta saṃskāra because they do not have
the knowledge of the Vedas and other scriptures. In the māntrika yajña—
brāhmaṇa, kṣatrīya or vaiśya become authorised only if they have had their
yajñopavīta ceremony done as per tradition. In the olden days, the kula guru,
the father or the elder brother used to give upadeśa of the Gāyatrī mantra at
the time of yajñopavīta saṃskāra.
Only they are authorised to chant the Gāyatrī mantra, Mahā Mṛtyuñjaya,
Vedic mantras, etc., or are authorised to read the Vedas only after getting
yajñopavīta saṃskāra done, otherwise not.
 CHAPTER NINE

Are Jesus and Mohammad Avatāras?

Question: Why doesn’t Bhagavān descend to earth? Once Bhagavān came as
Rāma, once as Kṛṣṇa, once as Jesus Christ, and once as Prophet Mohammad.
Why is Bhagavān not coming now?
Answer: Where did you get to hear that Bhagavān descended in avatāra as
Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammad? Your awareness is completely
directionless, because, according to the Bible and Quran, Bhagavān is
formless (nirākāraa); his avatāra is not accepted. Bhagavān’s messenger or
son descends. This is their belief. You have asked this question by
transcending their very belief.
Another thing, if Bhagavān takes avatāra now, do you have the capacity to
bear him? How many people can bear him? How many of them would not be
a recipient of Bhagavān’s sudarśana cakra and gadā? Thus, Bhagavān takes
avatāra at the appropriate time. Bhagavān inspires his saints and devotees,
who are His instruments; through them, he implements his work. Bhagavān
has never denied us from making attempts in accordance with the purpose of
his avatāra. We all make attempts to fulfil the duties passed down to us by
our fathers and grandfathers. When Bhagavān takes avatāra, he goes through
a lot of sufferings to protect brāhmaṇa (vipra), cow (dhenu), God (sura),
saint (santa). We ought to take inspiration from Bhagavān’s avatāra. It is our
duty that we, in the name of Bhagavān, never see gomātā being troubled and
make efforts to protect gomātā and dharma.
Bhagavān can never go wrong. The Śrīmad Bhāgavata presents a point.
Hiraṇyakaśyapu troubled Prahlāda a lot. Bhagavān is incarnated as Nṛsiṃha
only at the appropriate time. However, Bhagavān, with all humility, said one
thing—though I have manifested before you by considering the right time,
please pardon me if you feel that I have arrived late. What does this mean?
Bhagavān appeared as Nṛsiṃha only at the right time. Prahlāda was also
aware of this. He did not complain to Bhagavān for this. You and I may
complain that Bhagavān is taking the time to get incarnated. However, have
we ever summoned Bhagavān with the utmost sincerity? Have we ever asked
Bhagavān for the strength and ability to facilitate the purpose of Bhagavān’s
avatāra? Bhagavān never goes wrong. It is we who commit mistakes.
In the name of Bhagavān, we should not tolerate the degradation of our
eternal symbols (sanātana-mānavindu). We have to be proactive in
protecting our mānavindu. Particularly, the good men must accept the
strength of Īśvara above, the strength of dharma in the middle and the
strength of unity (saṃgha) below. Without these, we will get crushed. The
good men have to have Īśvara, dharma and saṃgha bala. Only then can the
sanātana-mānavindu be protected.
Bhagavān Vṣṇu incarnated as Bhagavān Rāma. Before Rāma’s birth, there
was so much tyranny. Sage Vaśiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra could have complained
to Bhagavān, saying that he took a lot of time to incarnate; he should have
come sooner. Even in the times of Kaṃsa and Duryodhana, there was a lot of
despotism, but none of the saints complained to Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa saying,
“You should have come sooner.” Bhagavān arrives at the right time. When
cataracts are ripe, surgeons operate. Similarly, Bhagavān arrives when he
thinks fit. The mistakes are committed only by us. If your heart aches truly at
the current situation, it is really a good thing. Let us work together. As I have
said, resorting to saṃgha bala through well-intended conversations will
facilitate the protection of our mānavindu.
 CHAPTER TEN

Śaṅkara’s Curse to Nambūdiris

Question: Why did Śaṅkara curse the Nambūdiri brāhmaṇas?
Answer: Since I am a sanyāsī and, when my elder brother comes to meet me,
we may be in a dilemma on whether to do a pranam or not, but his dharma
will tell him to revere me (for my position as a Śaṅkarācārya). However, let
us say that, if my mother is alive and she comes to meet me, then what? The
highest position in this world is available to brāhmaṇas. They alone can
become daṇḍī svāmī, and then can ultimately rise to the position of
Śaṅkarācārya.
Now, seeing my mother, it would be my responsibility to fall at her feet
and greet her. It is prescribed that our daṇḍa cannot bow to even the lower
Devī-Devatās. This daṇḍa contains a lot of power of this universe which can
bow only to prescribed Devī-Devatās as per scripture. Yet, it is our
responsibility that, if the mother comes, then even Śaṅkarācāryas are bound
to bow down.
Śaṅkarācāryas are daṇḍī svāmīs and cannot touch fire (agni). We renounce
śikhā-sūtra-agni to become sanyāsīs. Śaṅkarācārya Mahābhāga told his
mother, “Mother! I am your only son, but you should renounce me for the
service of this great nation. Allow me to take sanyāsa. In the end, when you
call me, I will appear and will fulfil your desires.” When Śaṅkarācārya was in
Sringeri, his mother remembered him during her illness. Śaṅkarācārya
appeared before her without delay, through space, to his birthplace.
His mother told him, “Even though you are a sanyāsī, still, you have to
perform my last rites (dāha saṃskāra).” Śaṅkarācārya heeded her request
even after a protest by the people from his community. Even after being a
sanyāsī, the oath that he had given to his mother made him fulfil his mother’s
last wish. He performed dāha saṃskāra.
The brāhmaṇas protested and did not offer agni to do the last rites. Then,
Śaṅkarācārya arranged agni from the hand of his mother, arranged money
from somewhere and performed the last rites (dāha saṃskāra). That is when
he gave a curse to brāhmaṇas. Just as I have been forced to do dāha
saṃskāra of my mother, not in the funeral ground (śmaśāná) but outside the
door of the house, the dead from your family will be burnt in front of your
house from now onwards. He gave this curse to those Nambūdiri brāhmaṇas
—that the knowledge of the Vedas will vanish from your community.
 CHAPTER ELEVEN

Non-Brāhmaṇas as Priests
Question: In one of its recent judgements, the Supreme Court of India
allowed non-brāhmaṇas (those who are not a brāhmaṇa by birth) to perform
worship and perform rituals at temples. What is the honourable
Śaṅkarācārya’s views on this judgement by the Supreme Court?
Answer: There was once a case that came before the Supreme Court which
was about Ujjain Mahākāla mandira. The judgement pronounced by Justice
Mishra for that case was brilliant. In his judgement, matters were clarified
about what substances should and should not be used in the worship of the
Śiva-Liṅga, how much should be the quantity of those substances, etc. These
are entirely dhārmika matters. It is not the court’s business to interfere in
such matters.
Therefore, the committee of Mahākāla Ujjain, should not engage in
miscommunication in the name of the court.
Three essentials of a worship ceremony are:
1. The procedure of worship.
2. Substances used for worship.
3. The quantity of each substance.
There is a rule that governs the worship ceremony. There should not be a
scarcity of any substance that is required for worship; neither should any
substance be present in abundance. It should not be more than what is
required. No less, no more. Scarcity is a defect and abundance too is a defect.
I got your question. That is why I mentioned this recent judgement of the
Supreme Court itself. Electricity manifests itself via mechanical means. So,
who should decide how electricity is to be consumed? Should it be decided
by the experts on electricity or should it be decided by those who know
nothing about electricity? The right usage of electricity happens when the
end-user can take benefit and stay away from potential harm. What is the
intention behind allowance and prohibition? The dos and don’ts, no matter
whether they are worldly or Vedic, are never out of love and hate or
ignorance. Then, what is the ultimate aim of prescribing a method or
prohibiting something? The ultimate aim is that the user benefits by
following the dos on one hand and is saved from any harm by avoiding the
don’ts on the other. Bad-conductors, good-conductors are associated with
electricity and we have dos and don’ts about our electricity.
What is the aim? Just that the electricity consumer is benefited by
following the dos and is saved from any harm by avoiding the don’ts.
Similarly, while modern science is incapable of manifesting the Supreme
Element (Bhagavān) that is pervaded in water, land and space because
Bhagavān is not a subject of modern science or laboratory. Through Vedic
science, the method can manifest that all-pervading Saccidānanda
Paramātmā (Bhagavān) via a certain process or method, for example, the
tāntrika practice or māntrika practice. The experts of these Vedic sciences
and seers have prescribed certain dos and don’ts for the worship and
manifestation of the supreme power based on Vedic knowledge.
Any interference by those who have no knowledge of a subject and pass
judgement on that is ridiculous whether done by us or them. I respect the
Honourable Supreme Court but, being the main judge on spiritual matters, I
would like to make a symbolic statement that dhārmika, or spiritual matters,
have a philosophy (darśana) and science associated with them. There is a
strange phenomenon being observed in the world today. Everyone wants the
result according to Vedic scriptures, but they want a method that is worldly
or secular. Is this ever going to work? Do you realise it? It applies to the
Gāyatrī mantra or worship of Bhagavān or any such dhārmika matter.
I made a symbolic statement about the worship of an idol (mūrti pūjā).
How do we prove that the mūrti is a living deity? It cannot be known by eyes.
We know this from the śāstra. The procedure of revealing the deity inside a
mūrti comes to us from the śāstra. The deity should continue to reside in the
mūrti. The deity should not abandon the mūrti and no demon, ghost or evil
power should ever enter the mūrti. Where do we access the science of these
things? The science of all this comes to us from the śāstra. Therefore, as this
subject of the mūrti has been defined by sanātana dharma, that is why its
worship procedure should be laid down by the sanātana dharma itself and
not by any Supreme Court.
Those who believe that dhārmika matters should be decided by the
Supreme Court, let them be entitled and hold on to their belief. Let the
government subscribe to this belief. However, tell me one thing. The people
who worship, do they worship to gain benefits through worship or harm? It is
written in the śāstra that such a place gets cursed where the worship
ceremony of the Vedic deity is not carried out as per the methods and
procedures prescribed in the śāstra. If we go against this, unwanted elements
enter the idol. This is my judgement.
When Bhagavān Jagannātha enters his chariot at Purī dhāma, who all are
entitled to see Bhagavān Jagannātha by entering the chariot and who are
not? It was an unresolved problem whose resolution was pending for a
hundred and eight years. Their committee asked me to resolve this problem. I
gave my judgement in approximately forty pages. One gentleman filed a case
against me in the Cuttack High Court. The chief justice of the Cuttack High
Court, and with him another judge, passed the judgement that Śaṅkarācārya is
the chief justice on dhārmika matters.
Neither the judgement of the honourable Śaṅkarācārya can be overruled by
any court nor can its enforcement be stopped by any government. That is why
the Cuttack High Court directed the Odisha government to ensure that
Śaṅkarācārya’s decision is implemented as said. The same chief justice,
Adarsh Goyal has now moved from the Odisha High Court to the Supreme
Court. The Supreme Court passed the judgement—under what circumstances,
is not a matter of concern.
A judge passes a judgement after listening to the arguments of the lawyers
of all parties. Leave it to the judge to decide, considering irrefutable evidence
in the case. I speak on dhārmika matters alone. Once a dhārmika matter came
to the Kolkata High Court. They sent me a letter that, as this was a dhārmika
matter, they were told to go by my decision. Whatever I had to decide, that
would be the decision of the High Court.
If you can leave dhārmika matters to the experts of the dhārmika field, you
will do a big favour to yourself. Being rebellious does not help here.
Traditions are of two types:
1. Genuine tradition laid down by śāstra.
2. Blind beliefs in the name of tradition.
The superstitions can be rectified, but disrespecting the genuine tradition
prescribed by the śāstra won’t help you at all.
 CHAPTER TWELVE

Mantra Chanting
Question: Should one do kīrtana of vīja mantras?
Answer: There is no mantra meant for kīrtana. Only those who have been
given the dīkṣā of a mantra with the due procedure can recite the mantra.
Even they cannot do the kīrtana of mantras. This is madness—adharma in
the name of dharma. Some people do not even know about this. Those who
do not know, do not have devotion to śāstra. They will continue shouting
mantras on a mic or other electronic equipment. All these mantras can be
explosive and can harm instead of providing benefit. Mantras are not meant
for shouting or for kīrtana.
The who received a mantra from a guru recommended by the scriptures
and the traditional lineage (dīkṣita) within his limits, can do whispering
chanting (upāṃśu japa) or mental chanting (mānasa japa). There is no
requirement to speak.
Question: The Gāyatrī mantra and Mahāmantra are chanted in public places.
Should they be chanted publicly? And what is the benefit derived by chanting
these?
Answer: All mantras are not meant for chanting loudly. They have the power
to kill. Mantras have more inner strength than the atom bomb, and whoever
makes fun of or plays with these mantras, is going towards destruction. It is a
secret. If you give some private consultation to someone, which gets
published in your name, then will you be thrashed or not? Mantraṇā are kept
secret; mantras are much higher than secret discussions (mantraṇā). That is
why mantras are not for chanting loudly. By initiation, we adopt mantras. It
is the utmost secret.
The name of Bhagavān Rāma and Kṛṣṇa are for kīrtana using any of the
methods. There are so many secret mantras like Om, Gāyatrī mantra,
Navārṇa mantra, Mahā Mṛtyūñjaya mantra, these are not for chanting aloud
publicly. Both, who listen and chant mantras—like Om Namaḥ Śivāya—in
loud voices, incur sin. Is this a movement of traditional dharma? Mixing
various traditions without their understanding is neither fish nor fowl.
Many ārya samājī customs have been perpetuated by sanātana dharma
followers and vice-versa. A custom leading to dharma śāstra has neither
been heard of nor has there been knowledge of it. While listening from here
and there, they are simply copying. The Gāyatrī mantra is not a thing of
chanting. The Gāyatrī mantra is neither a thing of kīrtana nor a question of
discussion.
 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Recognising Īṣṭadeva
Question: We worship all Devatās. So, who is our Īṣṭa among them? How
can we identify our Īṣṭa Devatā?
Answer: Let’s take the example of one palm. There are five fingers
associated with this palm. What is binding these five fingers? From where do
these five fingers originate? It is from the palm only. Very few people have
six fingers; a person may have seven too. So, one has either five or six or
seven fingers. The person with eight fingers hasn’t been noticed yet. Maybe
you have seen him.
Generally, there is one palm and five fingers. Similarly, there is only one
Bhagavān, who is Saccidānanda. There is one Bhagavata essence
(Bhagavata tattva) named as sat, cit and ānanda. This universe is transitory,
intending to differentiate Bhagavān from the world.
The Vedas have named Bhagavān as sat, as this world is inert. The Vedas
have named Bhagavān as Cit, intending to differentiate Bhagavān from this
world. The Vedas have named Bhagavān as Ānanda, as this world is
sorrowful, intending to differentiate Bhagavān from this. The Vedas have
named Bhagavān as Ananta, as this world is finite, intending to differentiate
Bhagavān from this. The one who knows Brahma reaches the highest point.
Truth (Satya) is Brahma, knowledge (Jñāna) is Brahma, infinity (Ananta) is
Brahma (Satyamjñānam, Anantam Brahma, Vijñāna Ānandam Brahma,
Ānandao Brahma)—the Taittirīya Upaniṣad.
Based on these Upaniṣads, the Paramātmā is called Ananta, Saccidānanda
or Sadghana, Cidghana or Ānandaghana. When Bhagavān wants to create
the cosmos after the destruction, then, he is supposed to be the doer of five
tasks. Scientists may pay attention. What are Īśvara’s five tasks? Creation,
preservation, destruction, protection (from avidyā) and grace (anugraha). To
accomplish these five tasks, the one Sacchidānanda Īśvara manifests himself
as Hiraṇyagarbha Brahmā or Sūrya and does the activity of creation in this
form. To accomplish the tasks of preservation, he manifested in the form of
Viṣṇu. To accomplish the tasks of destruction, he manifested in the form of
Śiva. To accomplish the tasks of protection, he manifested in the form of
Śakti. To accomplish the tasks of grace, he manifested in the form of Gaṇeśa.
One Paramātmā manifests himself in five forms, to perform five tasks just
like the palm and five fingers.
Let me give an example. Scientists can even invent many machines based
on this principle. There are five elements—earth, water, fire, air, and space.
As per the Śiva Purāṇa, the origin is mentioned for all trees and creatures. If
one wants to study origination, then the earth can be considered as an
example. Through earth, creation takes place. Why is Bhagavān the creator?
It is in the same manner as the trees. They originate from the earth. Water is
called life and elixir. From water, we get the power of life. So, the task of
preservation is done by Bhagavān through water. The power of destruction
works through fire. The power of protection works through the air and the
power of mercy works through space. Space is stationary, but due to this
stationary space alone, we can observe the air, fire and water. The utility of
air, fire and water is dependent on that stable space. At the bottom, the earth
is almost stable and, above, the space is. In the middle, fire, water, and air are
moving around. To keep them in control, there is the earth at the bottom and
space upwards.
So, due to these five elements, five tasks are accomplished. Similarly, by
being only one, Bhagavān manifests himself as Hiraṇyagarbha Brahmā,
named Sūrya or Viṣṇu in the form of Nārāyaṇa, Rudra in the name of Śiva,
Śakti in the name of Devī Jagadambā and in the form of Gaṇeśa to fulfil the
tasks of grace. These five Devatās, accepted as per Vedas and other śāstras,
and their accepted incarnations (avatāras), are only Īṣṭa-devas as per
tradition.
Like Bhagavān Viṣṇu has Rāma and Kṛṣṇa as his avatāras; Bhagavān Śiva
has Hanumāna as his avatāra. These five Devatās are like fingers from the
palm of Saccitānanda Īśvara, to accomplish the five tasks and the śāstra
accepted avatāras. One can have his devotion on any one of the five, as per
tradition.
Tradition can also be of two types. One is kula paramparā. Earlier, when
people used to live in villages in joint families, there used to be Kula Devī or
Kula Devatā. This is one kind of tradition. Another kind of tradition is when,
in any past life, one had devotion to any of these five Devatās or their
avatāras and had done prayer to these. Then, naturally, one is attracted to that
particular Devatā. Based on this attraction only, can we ask for your Īṣṭa-
deva. If, due to kula paramparā, one is attracted to that Devī-Devatā, then let
us know about that or, if due to devotion in a past life, if your mind is
attracted to any of these five Devatās or their incarnations, then let us know
about that. There is no animosity between these five Devatās.
Gosvāmī Tulasidāsa established a tradition; so did Vedavyāsa. One needs
to ponder over this. Vedavyāsa not only created Purāṇa related to Brahmā,
Sūrya, Viṣṇu and Śiva, he also created the Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa related to
Śakti and the Gaṇeśa Purāṇa related to Gaṇeśa—not to create a rift over
these. These five Devatās are one only with the right understanding. They are
the same concerning their true nature. They are without a form and attribute.
Concerning their nature with form and attribute too, they are one. They are
different due to the difference in their name, form, character, and abode taken
for the mystic play (līla).
Tulasidāsa followed the tradition. He had to write the character of Rāma in
Rāmacarita Mānasa. In our tradition, before we write, we follow prescribed
procedures that can avoid any obstacles. Then, we should remember Gaṇeśa
and Sarasvatī, who is the deity of knowledge. So, before invoking Rāma,
Gosvāmījī invoked Sarasvatī and Gaṇeśa.
He did not invoke Rāma at first, but took the name of Gaṇeśa while
composing the Vinaya Patrikā, but wrote in the end, Mām̐gata Tulasidāsa
kara jore–Basahiṃ Rāma’siya mānasa more. So, the other four Devatās than
your Īṣṭa, you should respect them and tell them to grant more devotion to
your Īṣṭa Devatā.
If we ask Śiva to grant devotion towards Viṣṇu—will he be angry? There is
no animosity between these five Devatās. One should worship one and
respect the other four and tell them to grant devotion towards one’s Īṣṭa-deva.
Question: I perform pūjā and people ask me about my Kula Devatā or
Īṣṭadeva. I do not have an answer to that question because I do not know who
my Kula Devatā is. So, which Kula Devatā or Īṣṭadeva should I offer my
pūjā to?
Answer: If there is no difference between Īṣṭadeva and Kula Devatā, then
there should not be any confusion. Our mind may think of a different deity
than Kula Devī or Kula Devatā. If the devotee does not know about the Kula
Devatā or Kula Devī, in that case, this question may arise. These days, the
concept of a joint family is on the decline. Nuclear families are fast replacing
joint families; more so, in the urban areas.
In all cases, the Īṣṭa Devatā, or Kula Devatā or Kula Devī, is one of these
five Devatās or one of their avatāras that are mentioned in the scriptures. The
gist is that all Devatās derive from these five (pañca) Devatās. That is why it
is mandatory for a householder (gṛhastha) to worship panch Devatās. In your
case, select that Devatā as your Īṣṭa towards whom you have a natural
affinity—out of the five Devatās I mentioned earlier. Have faith in the
remaining four Devatās too. Before you go to sleep, pray this to the Īṣṭa
Devatā you selected—Oh Īṣṭa Devatā!, either by the way of dreams or by the
way of ākāśavāṇī, kindly let me know who is my Kula Devatā or Kula Devī.
Ākāśavāṇī will work only if you live in total isolation. You can get your
answer through your dream.
 CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Marriage Rituals on Burning Pyre

Question: A newspaper quoted Morari Bapu saying that marriage rituals
(vivāha saṃskāra) can be done on the funeral pyre and reportedly made it
happen. Should this be done?
Answer: Morari Bapu asks us to sing bhajanas of Īśvara and Allah together.
Morari Bapu is very near and dear to me. Whenever he came, he stayed with
me for half an hour. Whatever I spoke, he listened to everything in silence
with a smile on his face without uttering a single sentence.
He has composed the bhajanas of Īśvara as well as Allah. He even asks
people to sing these bhajanas; I have heard this before. If Morari Bapu
genuinely possesses the strength and spirit, he should ask the Muslims to
worship prophets in mosques by instating their idols (like we worship
Bhagavān Rāma and Kṛṣṇa in our temples). At least, he should ask them to
install an idol of Prophet Muhammad and Allah.
In fact, Morari Bapu is ignorant of the very basics of dharma. He doesn’t
possess the right to perform a marriage ceremony on a burning pyre. He is
not a dharmācārya. His stand represents his ignorance about dharma. I
discern this very well. Overreaching one’s boundaries and interfering in the
domain of others is not anyone’s right. Interfering in the ignorant and
unauthorised verticals leads to deformities in our culture.
There is a vast difference among different types of fire. Do you know the
different types of fire in prescribed arrangements for Vedic rituals
(yajñaśālā)? Āhavanīya-agni, āvasathya-agni and dakṣiṇāgni are few
classifications of Vedic fires. The rites to be performed in dakṣiṇāgni cannot
be performed in any other fire. It may lead to destruction. Although the
flames look similar to an ignorant, the prescribed fire is invoked following
the proper rites in yajñaśālā using proper mantras and the directions as
specified. Each fire has its own characteristics (svarūpa).
Hence, all of this is the subject matter of śāstras. We should also be aware
that the mantra and ritual processes possess more power than an atomic
bomb. One who is not adept or an expert in a particular subject should avoid
passing comments in this regard. Such blabbering will not strengthen
dharma. Rather, it will weaken it. The flames of the burning pyre these days
are just nominal. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatrīya and vaiśya perform Vedic rituals every
day by invoking fire (agnihotras). They are burnt on the pyre with the fire of
agnihotra. Today, there are no agnihotris. The dāha-saṃskāra has just been
reduced to formalities and is nominal. Then, they will begin saying, “We
should offer clothes to the dead and then to God.” Offer prescribed food for
Vedic rituals (bhoga/prasāda) to the dead and then to God. Then they will
say, “Marry a dead body.” This is the pinnacle of delusion.
One who is ignorant of a particular subject and is not authorised to deal in
specific subjects, such a person, regardless of all the heights he might have
achieved, should abstain from interfering in it. This is just like politicians
starting to interfere with matters of dharma. That would be illegitimate.
Everything has a place within its limits.
 CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Hindu
Question: What is the meaning of the word ‘Hindu?’
Answer: Long before the birth of Jesus and Muhammad, the word ‘Hindu’
was variously used in the context of gentle, beautiful, amiable, adorned,
rightful and vanquisher of enemies. When Alexander of Macedon led an
expedition up to what now comprises Punjab on the country’s western
borders, he had the desire to visit the Hindkoot or Hindukush. The word
Hindu is mentioned in one of the scriptures of Zoroastrians, called Shaatir.
The Zoroastrian (Parsi) holy book, Avesta, was written hundreds of years
before Alexander. The word Hindu is mentioned there.
Interestingly, the Afghan city of Balakh was once called Hindwar.
According to the ṚgVeda, sa and ha are one in places and the same thing as
per Vedic codes. Examined from this perspective, the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa
variously refers to the country as Sindhusthan for Hindusthan or Hindustan,
which was the perfect abode of Āryas. Also, in the Kālikā Purāṇa,
‘Hindavaḥ’ is used; in the ŚāraṃgadharaPaddhati, ‘Hindavaḥ’ is used; but
calling themselves people treading on the path of Vedas (Veda mārgoyam)
were called Hindu. Indu and Sindhu are, therefore, considered synonyms.
The Bṛhaspati Āgama text makes a very specific reference to the word
Hindustan. Also, in the Āśvamedhika Parva of the Mahābhārata, Āryavarta
is called Hindustan or Sindhustan. As per Bṛddha Smṛti, a Hindu is one who
is virtuous, shuns violence but is simultaneously capable of destroying
anarchic elements, and is the protector of the Vedas and cattle. It must also be
noted that the word ‘Hindu’ also occurs in the Rāma Koṣa and the Pārijāta
Haraṇa.
In an expansive definition of the word Hindu, the Mādhava Digvijaya
defines a Hindu as a person who has accepted the vīja mantra of the Vedas,
Om, as his mantra; who believes in rebirth; who worships cow; who worships
the river Gaṅgā; and, as per tradition, who considers the Vedic ṛṣis as his
gurus. A Hindu is capable of suppressing violence and is an upholder of the
kṣatrīya dharma. Such a person would be considered a Hindu. Furthermore,
the word Hindu is also used in the ṚgVeda. Words as hi and ndu both are
being used in the context of cow worshippers. I explained through many
examples that ‘Hindu’ is not a derogatory word given by Muslim rulers. The
word finds mentions in the work of ṛṣi Veda Vyāsa; repositories, such as the
Medinī Koṣa; and the Purāṇa, such as the Kālikā.
There is an excellent way to verify its meaning. Now, the political parties
in the contemporary scenario are identified based on their ideology. The word
Hindu was used in the period of the ṚgVeda for a cow-worshipper. In the
Atharva Veda, it is used in a similar context. So, the word Hindu is Vedic,
ancient and mentioned in several texts. That is how ancient foreign records
have referred to the people of this country. Hence, Sindhu and Indu are
synonymous with each other.
 CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Sūtaka at Birth
Question: Why is Sūtaka observed when a boy or girl is born?
Answer: The relation with blood goes on over generations. This is a
philosophical (dārśanika) principle. According to the Mudgala Upaniṣad,
Śānti Parva of the Mahābhārata, etc., among the six dhātus of our body (ṣāṭ
kauśika–tvak, māṃsa, śoṇita–mother, asthi, snāyū, majjā–father—the
Mudgalopaniṣad), the first three are inherited from the mother, while the
other three are inherited from the father. In everyone’s body, there is the
presence of both the mother and the father in the form of six dhātus. This has
been revealed in the Śānti Parva of the Mahābhārata. The flow of blood goes
on for seven generations. During the birth and death of a person, the relatives
of the person surely get impure (aśuddhi). This has a severe effect on the
hair. Hence, there is a practice of shaving off the hair. As per the southern
version of the Manusmṛti, during birth, the aśuddhi remains for one day. As
per the northern version, the aśuddhi is for ten days. In the case of death,
among the brāhmaṇas, purity (śuddhi) is gained after ten days. Among
kṣatrīya, śuddhi is gained after twelve days. In the case of vaiśyas, śuddhi is
gained after fifteen days and, among śudras, it is gained after a month. These
also stand valid on scientific grounds.
The relation, by the virtue of blood, goes on over generations. Even in the
case of gotra, the effect remains for seven generations. So, I have answered
your question. The answer to the scientific ground also needs reflection. On
the blood and life, there is surely an effect of śuddhi-aśuddhi, irrespective of
whether you consider someone your relative or not.
A youth called Deepak, from Shahajanpur, Uttar Pradesh, used to visit
Vihārījī’s shrine yearly when the lotus feet of the Bhagavān (caraṇa kamala)
were shown for darśana. Everyone, including the youth, used to take darśana
of caraṇa kamala of Vihārījī. All the temple priests (pūjāris) knew him and
would welcome him. He was a relative of Bishamchand Sheth. On one such
occasion, he tried very hard and even went close to the deity, but failed to get
the darśana of caraṇa of Vihārījī. He questioned the pūjāri about the same.
The pujari replied, “This is quite strange. The Bhagavān’s feet (caraṇa) are
open for darśana! All the others got the darśana of the feet of Vihārījī, but
why not you? We have kept the caraṇa open for darśana and not hidden it.”
The youth looked at his watch. He returned with disappointment. In those
days, there were no mobile phones. This was narrated by Deepak to me. He
was staying at Bishamchand’s place. He was later informed via phone that, at
the moment, just when Deepak was at Vihārījī’s shrine seeking darśana, one
of his relatives had faced death in an accident. The news reached later, but the
effect on the youth’s body was so profound that he, even with his eyes open,
couldn’t get the darśana of caraṇa kamala of Vihārījī. This was due to the
aśuddhi in the eyes.
Mahābhārata speaks of an incident. A guru asked for prescribed offerings
(dakṣiṇā) to a disciple (śiṣya) on the latter’s repeated insistence. The śiṣya
went to a king and said to him that he would need the queen’s earrings. They
were divine and the guru had commanded him to bring them for his wife. The
king happily agreed and said, “Our doors are always open for brāhmaṇas.
Please approach the queen. She will happily give away her earrings to a
vaṭuka, such as yourself.” The śiṣya went to the queen’s place. Though the
queen was seated there, he couldn’t see her. This is an incident from the
Mahābhārata.
He went back to the king and said, “Have you played a trick on me? There
is no queen in there.”
The king replied, “Please do not get offended. The queen is seated in the
verandah. But there is some aśuddhi in your body. Please try and recollect.
There might be some or the other aśuddhi.” The śiṣya recollected that he, out
of hurry, had to urinate in the forest and he had not followed procedures for
the śuddhi related rules of cleaning one’s feet to the required extent. The king
asked him to wash his limbs properly. After doing so, the śiṣya approached
the queen and could see her.
Also, Kaliyuga was after Rājā Nala for twelve years. He intended to enter
Rājā Nala’s body and trouble him. One day, Rājā Nala didn’t clean his heels
to the required extent after urination. Owing only to this extent of aśuddhi,
not due to any defect in the mind, only due to this amount of impurity in the
body, Kaliyuga entered into Rājā Nala and made the latter go through many
sufferings. Hence, the arrangements which we have regarding śuddhi,
aśuddhi, sūtaka etc., have reasons.
Even in the case of honeybees, when their member dies due to some
reason, on the thirteenth day, all of them observe mourning. Who taught the
Manusmṛti to them? They observe mourning on the thirteenth day. Thus, this
is a philosophical (dārśanika) principle indeed.
 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Christianity Takes Advantage

Question: How has disunity among Hindus given an advantage to
Christianity?
Answer: I have been honoured with the seat of Śaṅkarācārya. I do not intend
to criticise or pick a fight with any of the sects within Hindus. It might be
Brahmakumaris or disciples of Sri Ram Sharma, Ārya samājis or
Kabīrapaṃthīs. I believe in the principles enshrined by Manu. If there is no
harmony or reconciliation in principles, I will not leave our own principles.
On philosophical, scientific, or practical footing, exposing the importance of
our principles, I will not argue with any other sect within Hinduism.
If somebody wants to understand the darśanas, science and practicality
about the Sanātana dharma, we will definitely educate him. I will not take
interest in rebuttal, infighting or śāstrarth with other non-dhārmika sects like
Christians, Muslims, communists, and others like Jains and Buddhists who
are non-Vedic. I will try to win their hearts by espousing the principles of
Sanātana Vedic Hindu principles with the help of Veda (Śṛti), logic (yukti)
and experience (anubhūti). This announcement spread worldwide. Now,
Ashok Singhal was very restless and happy that it was difficult to get across
with me. I pointed out that śāstrartha is good. However, Svāmī Dayānanda
started the rebuttal of Sanātana dharma. By then, I had been anointed on the
seat of Śaṅkarācārya, that is, about twenty-five years ago.
Almost for a hundred years, the sanātana intellectuals have exhausted this
period in arguing among themselves. This was taken advantage of by the
Christians. They got us engaged between ourselves and entered cities through
education, jungles through social services, and here and there because our
Sanātani intellectuals kept fighting with Ārya Samāja people; sometimes
with disciples of Shri Ram Sharma or with Shri Ram Sharma himself; or with
Brahmakumaris; or with Kabīrapaṃthīs; or with somebody else. The
Christian system took full advantage of this. When I made this
announcement, then the whole world became astonished, thinking that it will
be very difficult to control this Śaṅkarācārya, his power will be manifold.
Then, secretly, an effort was made to bring my counterpart ācāryas in front
of me. However, I adopted the same practice with them. I defended myself
from their attack but never attacked them. That is why, with the grace of
Bhagavān, I have an influence on the whole world. I never intended to get
into infighting and instead tried to resolve the matter every time. Our hundred
years were wasted infighting among ourselves and foreign institutions took
advantage of it. In fact, I do not even fight with Muslims, Christians and
communists.
I try to make them understand as well if they intend to walk on the
righteous path and adopt Sanātana Vedic Ārya principles. It is impossible to
penetrate and refute it on the philosophical, scientific and practical footing,
among communists, etc. I spoke as per the third, fourth and fifth verses of the
eighteenth chapter of the fourth canto of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata. By ignoring
the tested principles of Vedic Maharṣis, no individual or institution, or nation
can succeed, materially or otherwise. Hence, these tested principles by
Maharṣis shall be emulated. So, the communists, Muslims or Christians,
having faith in truth, are entangled with us inside and are getting more
entangled.
Those who talk of terrorism and extremists are also subdued because they
know that it is not beneficial for them to walk on the path that they are
walking now. When Bhagavān said, “Karna, you have taken the oath that, till
the time Duryodhana fights the war in the leadership of Bhīṣma, you will not
take part in the war because Bhīṣma has chided you. So, till that time, if you
cannot fight on the side of Duryodhana, then fight on the side of Pāṇḍavas
on my behest.” Then he said to him in solitude, “You are the son of Kuntī,
and an elder brother of the Pāṇḍavas. Do you know this?” Karna smiled and
said, “I know this, but listen to my feelings also. You let the war happen.
Make this earth free of terrorists like me. I want to die but won’t die
unarmed. I will show my full valour, but I want Arjuna to succeed and I to
lose.” This is a great thing that Karna said on the path of dharma, but had
taken the side of the despot. “There should be no talk of truce. So, make such
a plot that me as well as Duryodhana, both get killed.”
Once, during the battle, Yudhiṣṭhira came near Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma signalled to
him to come near him and that he wouldn’t kill Yudhiṣṭhira. Bhīṣma had
taken an oath that he wouldn’t kill any of the five Pāṇḍavas. He then asked
Yudhiṣṭhira to come closer and whispered into his ear, “I have taken an oath
to kill ten thousand soldiers of your side every day.” Bhīṣma continued,
“Now I am disgusted with killing soldiers on the good side. Arrange to kill
me, I do not want to live as a warrior. This will be a great service to me.”
What a great thing Bhīṣma said! “As per a boon that I have, I can choose the
timing of my death, but wound me to make me incapable of fighting this
war.”
So, we know the mindset of demonic people also—they wish to die.
Ultimately, they also want. In earlier times, armed robbers near the Chambal
area never harassed the good people. It means that the toughest terrorist also
wants to end the terrorism he has created. The wickedness of such people
burns their own hearts. He also has in his mind that, if he is unable to leave
his terror activities, then there should be someone capable of defeating or
killing him, as he is himself unable to do so. So, what have I indicated?
Terrorists all over the world have the same wish—to be disarmed by
someone as they are unable to do so by themselves.
 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Fake Gurus
Question: Why are so many fake gurus moving around?
Answer: There are so-called ‘mentors.’ Due to them, the whole santa
community is getting bad eminence.
Do you know about the media network, business network, and the political
network of politicians? Those who rise due to the media, politicians and
businessmen—the very same factors become the reason for their downfall as
well. In India, this started with Chandra Swami. Narasimha Rao made him
rise and made him his agent. The spiritual figures (bābās) created by
politicians, businessmen and media—make them fall too. They are made to
fall when the negotiation fails between them. If the bargain stays till the end,
no matter how wicked they are, they are not in prison in India but remain in
heaven.
In Andhra, there was a Sai Baba. To see his dead body, Manmohan Singh
reached there. Did Soniajī reach there or not? Did he ever go to jail?
However, in his room, he had all the luxury items and, during his lifetime, a
lot used to happen; it used to get published. It means that, till the end of his
life, he maintained great coordination with all three networks. No matter how
bad you are, political, business and media networks are not concerned. If you
fail to maintain coordination with any one of them, then jail is ready for you.
Let’s see the case of Kanchi Mahārāja. In the end, he was adjudged
innocent by the court, but how much he had suffered. Didn’t the court judge
him innocent in the end? However, the charges for looting, lechery, murder,
etc., were levelled against him. Why? Before independence, were there any
such bābās? Which storyteller was created by Rāvana? Who created
Kālanemi? He was made a storyteller by Rāvana and he was such a charmer.
So much so that, for some time, Hanumāna also got duped. Earlier, just one
was made; Rāvana didn’t make ten or twenty of them. He made one
storyteller fulfil his task. Now, fifty of them are created. Some are BJP santa,
BJP storytellers (kathā vāchak); some are Congress santa, Congress
storytellers; some are SP sant, BSP sant; etc. Mulayam Singh didn’t create
one but four Śaṅkarācāryas. The person who has done three marriages was
projected and toured around as Śaṅkarācārya for four pīṭhas. You can
understand the audacity of these political leaders. If I declare someone prime
minister, then I will be considered mad. However, these leaders announce
Śaṅkarācārya of four pīṭhas. BJP’s Śaṅkarācārya, VHP’s Śaṅkarācārya,
Congress’s Śaṅkarācārya. What does this mean? This is a foreign conspiracy.
If church cases are propagated widely, will anybody in this world look at the
church? Whatever happens in the church, if that is made the topic of the
media, will anybody look at the church? Even after being so mischievous,
they protect their institution with extreme care and try to distort our
institutions.
This is the answer to your question. Whoever becomes a bābā on the
strength of dharma and Īśvara, nobody can humiliate him. Those bābās who
become storytellers through political leaders, through the media network and
the business network, then, can fall anytime.
 CHAPTER NINETEEN

Daṇḍī Sanyāsī
Question: What is the importance of daṇḍ carried by a daṇḍī sanyāsī?
Answer: Everyone must understand the meaning of a symbol. A symbol
means a sign. Sign in Saṃskṛta is known as liṅga. Liṅga means sign or
symbol. In scriptures (śāstra) this liṅga is known as Viṣṇu liṅga. It is a
symbol of Śrī Viṣṇu Bhagavān and it is also called Brahma daṇḍ. When a
brāhmaṇa takes up renunciation (sanyāsa) as prescribed in our scriptures,
then this daṇḍ is given to him. This means he is eligible to get this daṇḍ. The
Daṇḍ signifies Bhagavān Viṣṇu.
In this daṇḍ, the Śrī Yantra is initiated with prescribed cloth (vastra) and
sacred thread (yajñopavīta). Śrī Yantra is initiated with the required rituals as
prescribed by scriptures. You all heard the name of Śrī Parśurāma Bhagavān.
With this vastra and yajñopavīta, we construct Śrī Paraśu Mudrā.
The creation of Śrī Parśurāma Mudrā and all Śakti in this universe are
installed in this daṇḍa. We, daṇḍī sanyāsīs, perform abhiṣeka, tarpaṇa and
rituals, pūjā of this daṇḍ daily.
There are various types of daṇḍ as per the tradition. One daṇḍ is having six
knots. You may know that the mantra of the Sudarśana cakra is a six lettered
one. This six knotted daṇḍ is known as Sudarśana daṇḍ.
One daṇḍ is of eight knots. The mantra of Śrī Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān is eight
lettered one and the name of daṇḍ is Nārāyaṇa daṇḍ. Nārāyaṇa and Viṣṇu
are the same. Both are Śrī Viṣṇu. The Sudarśana cakra is also related to Śrī
Viṣṇu Bhagavān.
One daṇḍ has ten knots. The knot is on a specified wooden stick. The Daṇḍ
is selected according to the height of the saint and he should select the daṇḍa
himself. This daṇḍa must have six, eight, ten, twelve or fourteen knots as the
upper limit. A ten-knotted daṇḍ is known as Gopāla. The Gopāla mantra is a
ten lettered one. The Mahā Nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad has quoted this process. A
twelve-knotted daṇḍ is known as Vāsudeva. It is also related to Śrī Viṣṇu
Bhagavān. Nārada Muni had given dīkṣā of Vāsudeva mantra to Dhruv. This
mantra is a twelve lettered one. Then, a fourteen-knotted daṇḍ is known as
Ananta śeṣa nāga. Anant is also related to Śrī Viṣṇu Bhagavān and, in the
Upaniṣads, the mantra of Ananta is a fourteen-lettered one and the Śakti of
the entire universe (brahmāṇḍa) is installed in it.
This is a symbol or sign of Śrī Viṣṇu Bhagavān and, when brāhmaṇa takes
ritualistic renunciation (sanyāsa), at that time, his guru gives him a daṇḍ.
Now, why do we keep this daṇḍ covered? When we walk around, this daṇḍ
must not touch anyone. Otherwise, the purity of the daṇḍ will be affected.
This is a restriction. When the Indian deśī cow (gomātā) moos, a daṇḍī saint
can travel in the pure state without daṇḍ till the distance the moo travels, not
any further.
In earlier times, people used to go to the jungle with water in an ancient pot
(kamaṇḍalu) used by saints. So, in the impure state, you cannot carry daṇḍ or
touch it. Now we travel in trains, so by different contact, daṇḍī sanyāsī must
not have that impurity. Now, you all may know of products made from deśī
cow—milk, curd and clarified butter (ghṛta). Do we keep curd covered in a
utensil or not? We do it so that flies do not sit on it and make the curd
impure. The sweet should be uncovered at the appropriate time. Otherwise, it
is called a sham. Likewise, in earlier times, Indian ladies used to cover their
heads. That was the norm. They maintained that tradition and culture.
Nowadays, ladies do not dress in a traditional way. So, this is not considered
as cultured. Likewise, a male must also be fully dressed. In this way, daṇḍī
sanyāsīs keep the daṇḍa pure with the prescribed cover. When we do pūjā,
only then do we keep the daṇḍ uncovered and, at all other times, we keep the
daṇḍ covered. The reason is that the daṇḍ has the divine Śakti of the
universe. So, the purity of it has to be maintained always. Persons who are
ineligible and unauthorised are not supposed to see the uncovered daṇḍ. So,
we keep daṇḍ covered at all times.
 CHAPTER TWENTY

Judgement Behind Purity

Question: How and why is silk considered pure and even adorned by
Bhagavān?
Answer: Tulasidāsa has written on this. He said that the silkworm is grossly
impure. However, it gives beautiful clothing that is considered divine.
Keeping this in mind, people rear it with great care.
What does the śāstra say? In the eleventh canto of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata,
there is a chapter named virtue (guṇa) – vice (doṣa). Virtue and vice are
explained there. The view available in the Śrīmad Bhāgavata is that this
world is the work of māyā. According to the Bhagavad Gītā 9.10, Bhagavān
Kṛṣṇa has said the same thing and the same essence has been discovered in
the Śrīmad Bhāgavat. The whole world is full of vices but it cannot be
abandoned at once by us. Hence, we take the support of the concept of vices
and virtues as given in the śāstras to guide us. When the śāstra terms
something like a virtue, it is identified as a virtue, and if it considers
something as a vice, it is identified as a vice. The vices are abandoned, the
virtues defined by śāstra are adopted and, thereafter, one reaches the supreme
being bereft of those virtues as well.
Now, why is the worm considered grossly impure, Tulasidāsa has written.
We get the silk cloth from the silkworm only, since it creates the silk threads.
Then why is silk considered pure? The explanation in the śāstra should be the
answer to this. It is the same way for those who play the drum. The drum
(dhol) is made of leather. Otherwise, if you touch leather, it is considered
impure, but the same drum is played in temples. Different kinds of drums,
like tabalā and mṛdaṅga, are played and are considered pure. Similarly, why
is kuśa grass pure? Why is tulsi pure? Why is durvā pure?
If we examine this scientifically, we will get the reason much later. At first,
śāstra has explained their purity. Conch (Śaṅkha) is the bone of an aquatic
animal—why is it considered pure? When we fill water therein and sprinkle it
on somebody, why is the person considered pure? The answer to this “why”
is that śāstra has recommended its purity. So, we accept the description of
virtue and vice as is given by the śāstra. In the end, Tulasidāsa translated the
guṇa-doṣa chapter of the eleventh canto of the Bhāgavata. Sunahu tāta māyā
kṛta guna aru doṣa aneka. At the end, guna yaha ubhaya na dekhiahiṃ
dekhia so abibeka to clarify the view of virtue and vice. Virtue and vice have
been explained in the śāstra.
When the person becomes guṇātīta, one part of him becomes admissible
(grāhya), the other becomes inadmissible (agrāhya). That which is
admissible according to śāstra, once accepted, makes one rise above it. In the
tenth chapter, verse seventeen, of the Bhagavad Gītā, Śrī Kṛṣṇa has
explained this to Arjuna. This is your power as this cosmos is the
manifestation of supreme God. The manifestation of sat cit ānanda—a form
of the supreme God. In this scenario, the whole world cannot be renounced as
such, so one thing needs to be accepted and others can be renounced. The
manifestations of Bhagavān having been predominated by sattva are
described as kriyāsāra, deśasāra, vastusāra and bhāvasāra.
The divine power of Bhagavān is described in the tenth chapter of the
Bhagavad Gītā, and in the seventh, fifteenth and ninth chapters. From the
seventh to the fifteenth chapter, these powers have been described in their
own ways. If we take the support of each of these powers, then the mind gets
predominated by divine qualities and, in the end, the mind of the person
progresses directly to Bhagavān. Climbing the stairs by foot, we take one
stair, leaving the lower one below. In the end, the last stair is also left.
Similarly, what śāstra termed as guṇa, divine, admissible—holding onto
that, we gradually transgress the unreal delusion. From the first standard to
the second, then the second to the third—in the end, one passes MSc, MA,
etc. Similarly, the śāstra termed silk cloth as pure. Now, even then, if one has
doubt, we can study the divinity of silk. It has the quality of fighting
pollutants in research labs. If laboratory research is ever done for silk cloth,
then we can prove the word of the śāstra through experimentation. It may
take ten years and thousands of dollars. So, when the śāstra has described
something as a virtue, it should be considered a guṇa if something is termed
pure—it should be considered pure. Take another example. Parrots munch
fruits, particularly mangoes, when they are ripe. Those ripened mangoes
which a parrot eats with its beak are considered the best among the lot. Now,
that mango is a leftover (juthā) or not? Though eaten by a parrot, it is still
eaten after washing and it is not considered juthā. Our śāstra has considered
this admissible. Similarly, silk clothing and its purity have been explained by
the śāstra. You can do more tests for this. Turmeric is used in prayers and
saffron is also used. In Śāligrāma Bhagavān also, there is gold, isn’t it?
Materials like saffron are used in rituals and there is a scientific reason
behind their use, but if we try to find the scientific reason through research
labs for everything, it would take years.
As explained earlier, it has its argument and, keeping this in mind, the
śāstra should be followed. Virtue and vice as propagated by śāstra. Virtue
shall be considered accordingly. If one wants to experiment, then one can do
it. Take cow dung—when Bhagavān takes incarnation, then even he doesn’t
refrain from it. Even better, when Bhagavān takes incarnation, he doesn’t
refrain from cow urine. Why are cow dung and cow urine divine? Test this in
a research lab. The first answer is the same—śāstra has termed these as pure.
So, Naiyāyikas played a strange game. Morarji Desai established his stand
as ‘human urine is drinkable; being urine, it is equivalent to cow urine.’ It is
absolute ignorance.
Nyāyāyikas made an assumption. There can be a fallacy. Naiyāyikas asked
why we consider this assumption as wrong. From an argument point of view,
there is no fault in this assumption, but Naiyāyikas said their points. So now
we have to decide which assumption is the correct one.
The answer lies in the fact that the Śāstra declared that cow urine as
drinkable but not human urine. Even after having no fault in an assumption,
the speculation presented is void. Look, the Naiyāyikas do believe in the
Vedas. So, for the sake of argument, both urines are alike. Hence, human
urine is just as drinkable as cow urine. However, the Naiyāyikas said that cow
urine, being drinkable, is accepted by the śāstra, but human urine is not
accepted as drinkable by the śāstra. Therefore, if someone has ideas of purity
and impurity which are against śāstra, that is not suitable. It is mentioned that
one should operate as prescribed by the śāstra since, maybe on a particular
day, our brain may or may not work, or in a laboratory, we may take long a
drawn conclusion. For this, expertise is also needed.
 CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Solution on Kashmir
Question: How to solve the problem of Kashmir?
Answer: I have already given the solution to the Kashmir crisis so many
times, and I think I have the best solution. Probably our prime minister knows
this fact. If you want to listen, let me tell you. Sri Balraj Madhok visited me
twice and we had a discussion in private. He was the only leader who knew
about the problem of Kashmir very well. He fully agreed to the solution I
gave. The relatives of Indira Gandhi were Kashmiris and they understood the
problem well. One relative of her’s, who had studied abroad, approached me
in Delhi at eleven in the night while concealing his identity. Twenty years
ago, we had a discussion on the Kashmir problem for one hour. I had talked
to displaced Kashmiris living in the camps of Jammu five to seven times.
My problem is that the intelligence departments of the world pursue me
and the solution I give; but the Hindus, as well as the government, do not pay
heed to that. The intelligence departments spread it and the solutions reach
where they become problems. Where should I put the solutions? If these
leaders or the prime minister approach me in a secluded place, I would give
them solutions.
As I reveal the solutions in public meetings, the political leaders and the
public do not become aware. Rather, the exploitative forces distort the
solutions. I gave the solution to the problem of the Gaṅgā and Manmohan
Singh availed it. He declared the Gaṅgā as a national river and throttled it.
Subramanian Swamy too had adopted my solution to some extent. The retired
military personnel who served in Kashmir, have faith in India and are
healthy, and may be tried and tested. Thereafter, they may be allowed to
settle in Kashmir. I am deliberately talking about those personnel who are
indeed in favour of India. I have the information of the border without the
help of the intelligence department, without a file. I often visit the border in
Punjab at the time of the flag ceremony. The personnel, who are indeed
patriots, are about to retire and have physical fitness, may settle in Kashmir.
At least a fifty-kilometre area in districts should be given to Kashmiri
paṇḍitas. They should be settled with dignity, security and facilities. At the
same time, the process of the annihilation of the dacoits in Chambal valley
must be studied. The dacoits availed themselves of the poverty of the local
inhabitants and dwelt in their homes and looted others. The governments of
Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh worked for the development of the local
people. So naturally, the dacoits are uprooted. In Kashmir, poverty should be
eradicated. A campaign should be launched to make Kashmiris self-
dependent so that, as far as their food, clothing, housing, education, health,
transport, festivals, defence are concerned, no terrorist would succeed by
taking resort to the local people. The uniform of our forces is fixed; the
colour of the vehicles is fixed. Contrarily, the uniform and colour of the
vehicles of the terrorists are not fixed. So far, the government of India has not
been able to work out an alternative, ensuring the constitution of certain
forces in civil uniforms and having vehicles of no certain colour. By having
forces in civil uniforms and vehicles of no certain colour, we can kerb the
terrorists.
The strategy adopted by the prime minister has led to success in the case of
China. America too is curbing Pakistan. China also agrees with India, but for
how long it will agree with India, one cannot predict. If our prime minister
wishes, I say, that let alone Pakistan and Bangladesh; there are so many
people of ours in Britain alone that we can have independent rule anywhere.
Who can curb us? I gave a hint. There are so many chivalrous people in
Pakistan who are pro-India but the government of India does not have the
tactics to make use of them in Pakistan. In Bangladesh, we are not less
powerful. I can say that we have crores of people in Christian populated
countries, like America and Britain. Persons, whose four crore ancestors had
been killed mercilessly, are now Christians by a wheel of fortune. However,
they are looking for the opportunity when India will raise a voice and they
will avenge their ancestors’ killing.
We do not favour unrest in any country, but no other country in the world
can be hostile to India and remain secure for long. Our knowledge, defence,
business, and labour-power will dominate the world. The prime ministers of
India have not been able to tap the knowledge, defence, business and labour
potentials of India in the interest of the country. I do say that computers too
are the contribution of India. It may appear to you that foreign scientists have
invented the computer, but who are they? They were the disciples of the
hundred-and-forty-third Śaṅkarācārya of Purī pīṭha who gave the Vedic
mathematics to the world. Who were the mathematicians who invented the
computer? They were the disciples of Bhārati Kṛṣṇa Tīrthaji Mahārāja. The
computer has been invented based on the theory given by him, irrespective of
the country the instrument or the machine has been invented in. If the
knowledge power of India is withdrawn, the machine cannot be operated.
You may have heard the lectures of Mr. Bush. Now, he is an ex-president.
He used to give a statement every two months. The Indian children inhabiting
America are so talented that he fears America may become an object or a toy
in the hands of India. Modijī’s foreign policy is praiseworthy. We appreciate
what is praiseworthy, like we appreciate Narshima Rao, for Congress had
given birth to terrorism in Punjab and Narsimha Rao of that very Congress
suppressed terrorism. I appreciate him to that extent. I have no enmity with
anyone, but it is a question of discretion.
I just passed a hint. Why is China yielding to India? If India withdraws
trade with China, China will fall flat. You know when Mr. Bush was to travel
to India, what did he say? He said that he would not get a market like India
elsewhere. They came to India to explore the sources of money. India has
been exploited for twelve-hundred years. Nevertheless, India is so prosperous
in the eyes of America that it thinks it won’t get a market like India. It means
to send raw materials and purchase manufactured objects.
The control of Pakistan is in our hands. The prime minister reiterated my
sentences in his own words. Oh! The youth of Kashmir, the forces who
rescued you from drowning, you respect them by pelting stones on them.
Look at the pictures. Kashmiri youth saved their lives in a flood sitting on the
shoulder of the soldiers, along with the shoes on their feet.
 Recently, the home minister of India had said that the stone pelters should
be dealt with softly. They should be asked, which element—internal or
external—incite you to pelt stones? What does your intelligence department
do? Those youth should be inquired as to who nurtures them. I ask whether
the soldiers sacrificing their lives on the border have the right to defend
themselves or not? Even the common man has the sole right to defend
himself.
The condition of our forces has been made worse than even the common
man. How can the problem of Kashmir be resolved? Four generations have
passed in Jammu; hundreds of people have died of snake bites. The political
parties have asked to vote in the name of those displaced Hindus, but did they
meet out justice to them? I have given the solution to the problem of
Kashmir, some of it overtly and some covertly. If the government wishes, it
should implement it.
 CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Dharma and Īśvara

Question: In India, there are so many religions and every religion believes
that there is some God. There are good people who want to do good karma.
Why do we need so many types of dharma and why isn’t there only one
dharma when everybody believes there is only one Bhagavān?
Answer: Is the word dharma written in the Bible? Is the word dharma written
in the Quran Sharif?
Allah is different. Before Allah, you just talked about dharma. I will deal
with the term Īśvara as well, but first, I will talk about dharma. A basic
analysis of the word Īśvara will be done too.
We know the name, age and period of the creators of these religions. These
are creations of the mind of persons and we call their created religion dharma
due to our magnanimity.
If we apply the principles of dharma, do they qualify as dharma? This is
what we need to contemplate upon. It is due to our nobility that we call these
sects, their beliefs, and their theories as dharma. If we apply the actual
definition of dharma as per our scriptures, these do not qualify as dharma. In
English, it could be called religion only.
Jains and Buddhists may not consider themselves as Vedic, but they have
taken the word dharma from the Vedas as it has been used in Vedic literature.
They have taken the Omkāra from the Vedas. So, dharma cannot be
translated as religion. If we were to call a drop of water an ocean, or a spark a
fire, there is a lot of difference. That’s why, the way we define dharma, all
these stand nowhere near it.
One of my disciples in Vrindavan used to lie a lot. His father was in the
police force. I told his father that his son lies a lot; the father agreed and
expressed his frustrations about his lies. I told him to think about his degree
in law. The disciple already had a masters in history and his father said he
used to study law by himself. He talked about his ability to convict people
under particular sections of a particular law. Persons who know the law
through their self-study or passion cannot be called LLB or law professionals.
In the same way, if a particular stream of a river went somewhere, it cannot
become that same river. We should search for the origin of that stream.
Similarly, all religions are born from the sanātana dharma. You must have
heard the name of Bharati Krishna Tirtha Mahārāja, the hundred-and-forty-
third Śaṅkarācārya of Govardhana Maṭha. He has written a book in English
called Sanātana dharma and its Hindi translation is available with us. He
knew fourteen languages and, in one year, he passed MSc and MA in seven
subjects with high distinction. He used to say that, if we take out the
Bhagavad Gītā from the Bible, then nothing religious would remain there in
the Bible.
I point out further. You must have heard about a person called Mr. Bush.
When he was about to become the president for the second time, I read his
interview in a newspaper where he said, “I am a born Christian. I do believe
in the Bible. But the science about the universe described in the Bible seems
absolutely a myth against modern science. Hence, I do not believe in the
Bible on this part (New Indian Express, December 11, 2008).” I wondered
why nobody spoke against him. However, if you take the whole Vedic
scripture, or only seven hundred ślokas of the Bhagavad Gītā, or take only
seven mantras of tenth Manḍala of the ṚgVeda—which is the famous
Nāsadīya Sūktam—you can understand our depth. The Nāsadīya Sūktam has
only seven mantras and scientists all over the world are still engrossed in
these.
The way the nature of the universe is explained in those seven mantras, no
scientist can ever negate this and, in fact, is bound to follow that. So, any
stream of dharma due to which humanity somehow survives, if it reaches
somewhere, it does not mean absolute dharma. The whole dharma is Vedic
dharma, which is the oldest.
Now, let us talk about Īśvara. Between types of Īśvara, the definition and
meaning could differ in large points.
 Once, there was a Mullahjī. A feast (bhanḍārā) was happening in the house
of a brāhmaṇa. This Mullah, dressed as a Hindu, went into the bhanḍārā and
took a seat in the row. The person serving the food noticed that he hadn’t
seen this person before and the Mullah was also feeling uneasy. He said to
him, “Good man, please have the food but please give your introduction.”
The Mullah replied, “I am Dubey (brāhmaṇa surname as per birth).” The
brāhmaṇa serving the food further inquired, “Which Dubey?” The Muslim
replied, “Now something is still within ‘Dubey’ also!” It was easy to figure
out his fake identification.
So, what I am pointing out is that there is a difference between the two
Īśvara themselves and, there could be a depraved Īśvara as well. The Īśvara
created out of the imagination of a human is not an Īśvara. I will not take the
name, but a particular bābā is also being called Īśvara today. Bhāmatikāra
(author of Bhāmati) Vachaspati Mishra has used a word, vidhūra paribhāvita
kāntāsākṣātkāra. Vidhūra is a person whose wife has died. If he meditates
about this wife in his imagination and due to the strength of his feelings, he
can have a glimpse and can even be able to touch her. However, this is not
real. In the same way, there are many kinds of Īśvara. If any Īśvara is created
with the imagination of emotional people, that is not real Īśvara as it does not
have the traits of Īśvara.
Similarly, if a person believes in an Īśvara only due to his inference, then
too that Īśvara is not real Īśvara. Why is he not? The imaginary Īśvara born
out of the sentiments of an emotional person cannot become real Īśvara. It is
like the emotional person who saw his dead wife in his dream world. With
the power of inference and such logic, Īśvara cannot be proved to be true.
Once, I was delivering a discourse in Vrindavan. I told one of my
gurubhāīs about this topic though he is older than me according to age. His
name was Bipin Candra Mishra and his sanyāsī name was Bipin
Chandrananda Saraswati. He didn’t say anything at that moment but later
said, “I have been a lawyer. I did not like this argument of yours that any
Īśvara proved with the power of inference of logician, is not an Īśvara. The
inference should be the proof.” He disagreed with my points.
 Logic prevails by giving reference from the Śaṅkara Bhāṣya on the Kena
Upaniṣad. At a far-off place, we see smoke on a hilltop and can infer fire
there. That proven fire with inference there cannot remove darkness or cold
here. This is a very good example. So, any Īśvara proved with the power of
inference is not real Īśvara but only flights of fancy!
Nyāyayikas and Vaiśeṣikas too have considered the form of Īśvara, but that
is not a real Īśvara. Their Īśvara is non-existent (sat) but exists because of the
existence in general, not conscious (cit), but conscious because of one of the
attributes of the consciousness called jñāna, not blissfulness (ānanda) either.
Another small thing that everybody can understand is that any
knowledgeable, desire-driven, active and conscious person who creates this
instrument microphone with metal and plastic will have the ability to make
the mic, but not himself become a mic. Matters like plastic and metal which
are used for making this mic could become a mic but cannot be the maker of
that mic.
Similarly, they say that Īśvara, who can create the cosmos, cannot become
the cosmos himself. He can be a maker but not the matter itself. For that, I
will ask a rhetorical question. Any mechanic, no matter how good he is, has
not complete control over the instrument that he has made. He does not have
full control over that always, but Īśvara has. That is why Īśvara accepted that
the Vedas need a proper understanding.
We have the criteria to judge that Īśvara, one who is the maker as well as
the matter, alone has all the traits of the Īśvara. That is why they have
makeshift Īśvaras. The traits of Īśvara are present in Vedas only. Only the
dharma approved by the Vedas qualifies to be called dharma. According to
the Sūta Saṃhitā, what I have said about this mechanism is according to my
guru. Svāmī Karapātrī Mahārāja has written commentary on the Īśāvāsya
Upaniṣad.
Those whose Īśvara can create the cosmos but cannot become the cosmos,
their Īśvara cannot have full control over it and, when he has no control over
the cosmos, it means it has no traits of Īśvara. In reality, their Īśvara cannot
even make the universe.
One more thing, those whose Īśvara can create the cosmos and can become
the cosmos, their Īśvara alone can take incarnation. Those whose Īśvara can
create the cosmos but cannot become the cosmos, cannot take incarnation.
The Īśvara of Vaiśeṣikas, Nyāyāyikas, Sāṅkhyavādīs and Yogīs (four
different disciplines of Vedic philosophy) cannot take incarnation. Let me
give an example. There is this word ‘impression (ābhāsa).’ What would
cidābhāsa mean? It means that which looks like conscious consciousness
(cit) but does not have the traits of consciousness. Dharmābhāsa would be
that which seems like dharma but has no traits of dharma. Īśvarābhāsa would
be that which seems like Īśvara but has no traits of Īśvara. At other places, it
is dharmābhāsa and Īśvarābhāsa; so there is only one dharma and Īśvara. The
dharma which is described in the Vedas is the only dharma. Any of its
streams, which went here and there, are not dharma. The above philosophers
are right up to that extent which is acceptable to the root of dharma—called
the Veda.
 CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Bhārata as Hindu Rāṣṭra

Question: Is it be possible to make Bhārata a Hindu rāṣṭra?
Answer: Don’t be just spectators. Take the responsibility and make a resolve
that I have to make Bhārata a Hindu rāṣṭra. Everybody remains a spectator!
Will the meal be cooked in my home with the same attitude? Imagine if every
family member became a spectator and kept asking this question—the food
would never be cooked. If you intend to cook food, start working on that.
Only people like you and me will bring about a Hindu rāṣṭra.
Today, there is not even a cārvāka rāṣṭra, or not even like the atheists’.
You should know what cārvākas told atheists ṛṇam kṛtvā ghṛtam pivet, not
by loot, not by theft, but by borrowing. Repay the borrowings as per the
system. The term, ghṛtam pivet, here does not mean drinking colas or alcohol
with the borrowing but taking clarified butter (ghṛta) with borrowed money.
However, today in Bhārata, you can loot and, with that loot, drink alcohol,
not ghṛta. The atheist system, which is cleaner as compared to what exists
currently— even that is not available in Bhārata today.
Hindu rāṣṭra, Vedic rāṣṭra and Sanātana rāṣṭra are way too far. Who will
bring it about? It’s people like you and me who will.
The way you have mentioned this, you do have anguish and emotion. Then
congregate and work together to make it happen. If a hundred to two-hundred
people like you get united with the same objective, the path to the formation
of a Hindu rāṣṭra will get solidified. No need to contact astrologers to know
if it will or will not happen. Don’t be a spectator! The idea of Bhārata as a
Hindu rāṣṭra, which is in your heart, let us start working on that to make it
happen. Do get in contact with us. Why can’t this be achieved?
Seventy years ago, what kind of country did we have even under the
colonisation of the British? What anomaly happened in these seventy years?
We can eradicate this directionlessness of seventy years. We can remove it.
The kind of strength we have, nobody can match that. On philosophical,
scientific and practical footings, our principles are relevant.
No person, not even a great scientist, can say that I am born Ārya,
Sanātani, Vedic and Hindu. I consider the Bhagavad Gītā as proof, I believe
in the Gītā, but I do not subscribe to the theory of creation explained in the
Gītā. Our śāstras can guide us in science as well. No thinker can say this
about the Bhagavad Gītā which has seven hundred verses. In Nāsadīya
Sūktam, the description of creation and its nature, which has been done in
those seven mantras, no scientist can refute that. In fact, scientists benefit
from them, secretly or otherwise.
You do not know about this, but the scholars of Saṃskṛta who do not get
felicitated in India and do not get resources, NASA, by utilising their
services, invents. So, inventions are done by our scholars, but NASA takes
the credit. This means the whole world knows that Arthaśāstra,
Dharmaśāstra, Kāmaśāstra, Mokṣaśāstra, Nītiśāstra, Vāstuśāstra, and the
science of zero and one were brought by Sanātana Vedic Hindus (Āryas).
This is the kind of strength available to us. No principle or system in this
world can withstand our principles.
So, where is the limitation? We do not have the governance as per our
principles. So, who will bring it? We have to do this. Stop being a spectator
for the Hindu rāṣṭra but take effort for this.
 CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Taking the Right Decisions

Question: How to develop the art of making the right decisions at the right
time?
Answer: I am speaking from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad. There are senses and
there is the mind. Don’t you know both of them? Do you know about the
mind? Does everyone have a mind or not? How do you listen, through the
ears? Even a deaf person has this organ (the outer part of the ears) but still, he
is unable to hear.
The ability present in this medium, due to which we can hear, is called an
ear. The ear which stands as a visible organ doesn’t have the capacity to hear.
Even a dead person has this organ (the outer portion of the eyes). If he dies
with his eyes open, the eyes are called eyes just for namesake. He can see
while being alive. So, the organ of vision is there, but there is no eye for a
dead person.
The movement of senses is in the present only, not in the past or future.
The ability of the senses is restricted to the present only and, if mind and
intellect are free from the strangles of senses, we get free as well. Then, the
ability of the mind (mana) can reach the past (bhūta), present (varttamāna),
as well as future (bhaviṣya). So, it is declared in the Chāndogya Śṛti, the
mana of jīva is the divine eye, the movement of senses is only in the present,
but the movement of the mind is in all three forms of time—bhūta,
varttamāna, bhaviṣya.
Through prescribed food habits (sāttvika āhāra), recreation, behaviour and
prescribed meetings and discourses (satsaṅga), one gets the ability in life to
see in all three periods.
What is the speciality of the Vedas? Whatever is within the boundaries of
time, in fact, which is even beyond time, all those are explained in Vedas.
Through bhajans, satsaṅga, sāttvika diet and sāttvika recreation, a person
becomes capable. It is a state when one has a spontaneous solution available
to any problem as soon as it arises. It is a state where wit and intellectual
power become so divine.
I can tell you a key to this: memorise this verse from the Rāmacarita
Mānasa:
Janakasutā jaga janani jānakī। Atisaya priya karunānidhāna kī॥ Tāke juga
pada kamala manāvaum̐। Jāsu kṛpām̐ niramala mati pāvaum̐॥
This gives the same opportunity as the Gāyatrī mantra. Everybody can
recite this. You should recite this caupāī from Bāla Kāṇḍa at least thirty-two
times every day.
 CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Terror, Terrorism and Terrorists

Question: What can an individual do to end terrorism?
Answer: He who thinks about the interest of all, and who devotes his life to
the interest of others, can be called fit to fight and defeat terrorism. He who
can think of the ultimate well-being of the terrorists will be victorious over
terror and terrorism.
Terror is a disease. Lust, anger and greed, when increased beyond control,
lead a person to become a terrorist. What is the principle of terrorism?
Ātmanaḥ pratikūlāni pareṣāṃ na samācaret. This is quoted from the Padma
Purāṇa. The Bhagavad Gītā’s chapter six, verse thirty-two, is
Ātmaupamyena sarvatra samaṁ paśhyati yo’rjuna Sukhaṁ vā yadi vā
duḥkhaṁ sa yogī paramo mataḥ. These verses can give the right guidance
towards the solution to this illness.
When I was in the eighth standard in a school in Delhi, in our textbook,
there was a verse—“We must do to others as we wish them to do to us.” This
is a golden rule of life. In the Mahābhārata, there is a full chapter explaining
this principle of life. Even a violent person of the highest grade expects non-
violence (ahiṃsā) for himself. Even a lion thinks about the security of
himself and his family. The most notorious liars also expect that nobody
should lie to them or cheat them. Similarly, the top-notch thief also thinks
that nobody should loot what he has looted from his victims.
Even a first-rate, characterless person thinks that his daughter, daughter-in-
law and himself must not be made victims by other characterless persons.
Even the richest of rich who hoards wealth accumulated by incorrect means,
conning and cheating others, think others must not loot or cheat him. So, in
short, everyone expects non-violence (ahiṃsā), truth or truthfulness (satya),
non-stealing (asteya), celibacy (brahmacarya) and non-hoarding
(aparigraha) from others. When we are unable to perform or have these types
of attitudes for others, we go onto the path of terror and terrorism.
 Terrorism must be erased but, at the same time, we must wish ultimate
wellness for those involved in terrorism. Like Prahlāda has said a striking
thing—Svastyastu viśvasya khala: prasīdatāṃ. May the envious also be
happy. Now an ill person will be happy when his disease will be cured.
In two ways, terrorism can be ended. One way is that of the saints. To do it,
we have been given a mandate by Bhagavān to finish terror and not to kill the
terrorist. We have to kill the thought, ideology, emotion, feeling and craving
for doing acts of terror. It is similar to a doctor working to kill disease and not
the patient. Once the disease is cured, the patient is healthy.
Those diseased persons, in this case—the terrorists have themselves
become the disease (terrorism). They are infecting many persons. Bhagavān
says Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṃ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. What Bhagavān means is,
he will not stay without killing terrorists. Bhagavān says he will not spare
that person or persons. Saints are given the responsibility to change their
thoughts from terror and terrorism, and not to kill them.
Svāmī Akhanḍānanda Sarasvatī used to say a very interesting thing—that
fire and terrorism, by nature, are the same. He gave this analogy for
unmonitored lust, anger and greed. Fire will manifest itself by burning that
place which it is born of. When a matchstick is lit, it burns its head first, then
the whole stick. Similarly, if a person has uncontrollable lust, anger and greed
in his heart and nature, these weaknesses (terror) will burn his heart first.
Lust, anger and greed are like diseases, aren’t they? So, our advice is not to
think and harbour such weaknesses, as it will affect you first. These will
make you a terrorist and an unhappy person. A terrorist harms others later but
harms himself first. A person becomes a terrorist when he disregards his
intellect. Tattva pakṣapāto hi svabhāvo dhiyām—the nature of intelligence
and living beings is to side with the truth.
Without disregarding or neglecting our heart, emotions, principle and
intellect, nobody can do wrong acts or go on the wrong path or in the mode of
terror and terrorism.
 CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Cause of Earthquakes
Question: What is the impact of the planetary system on the earth that causes
earthquakes?
Answer: According to Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad Gītā’s fifteenth
chapter, Gāmāviśya ca bhūtāni dhārayāmyahamojasā. When the earth cannot
balance itself, an earthquake occurs. In the Mahābhārata and the Matsya
Purāṇa, mountains and rivers are bhūdhara. River Gaṅgā is called bhūdhara.
The divine streams and mountains maintain the balance of the earth. Along
with this, when mankind leads a virtuous, restrained, simple and prosperous
life that leads to calmness in the earth, there won’t be any tremors and
shakes.
When mankind moves towards destructive nature, then the rivers get
polluted and the mountains are destroyed, which result in an earthquake.
When the pillars which support the building, bridge and dam are not strong
enough, the building, bridge and dam are not safe. In the same way, when the
mountains break, or rivers are polluted, the earthquake occurs. Along with
this, earth, water, fire, air and space—the five natural elements—get affected.
The space remains static. That is why, despite the agile nature of water, fire
and wind, they maintain their existence and usefulness. Compared to water,
fire and wind, the earth is static. The earth also maintains the balance
between water, fire, and wind. When there is a disturbance in the water, it
influences the fire and the wind too. When the upholders of the earth, the
mountains and forests get disturbed, the earthquake occurs. Now, we have
seen the reason for the earthquake.
According to ancient people and astrologists, the moon and the sun both
are planets. Some planets will be earth-dominant like Mars is made from the
earth; a part of the water is the moon; a part of the fire is in the sun. The
speed of Saturn is very slow. In this also, we have a part of the earth. The
stars are made up of the impact of the wind, earth and fire. So, we need to
look into the planetary structure too. Therefore, we need to have a knowledge
of the four energy sources—earth, water, fire and air. When there is a
deformation and disturbance in the earth, water and air, the earthquake
occurs. The moon is made up of four things. It gets coolness from water, the
shadow from the earth, light from the fire and energy from the air as its life
force. In the moon, water, fire, and earth are prominent; the air is in fourth
place. Only then is the moon is formed. Which is the place of origin for the
moon? We call the moon as candā māmā. We call Lakṣmī our mother and her
brother moon, māmā. Because Lakṣmī comes from the ocean, the moon is
also from the same place—the Milk Ocean (kṣīra sindhu). Both have the
same origin—water.
Who holds the water? The earth-element is the answer. So, only the moon
influences the earth. When does the moon bring tremor on the earth? So, you
want to know which part of the earth and when will it occur? Our body is
made up of this earth. When do we get vibrations in our body? When does
the body get influenced by air and the mind? The moon is the controlling the
Devatā of the mind and, when there is a disturbance in the mind, won’t there
be a disturbance in the body? The vibration in the air also influences the
body. Digestive fire (Jaṭharāgni) is also there in our body. These three
influence the body.
The Bhagavāna says, “Ahaṃ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṃ dehamāśrita”—
we get food from the moon. This means, when we are influenced by the mind
and wind, then we get a vibration in our body. Here, we should remember
that the mind is the symbol of the moon. If, in all the four areas, there is
disturbance, the earthquake occurs on earth. In those areas and time, when
this disturbance occurs, the earthquake happens. In India, in which place and
time does the earthquake occur? It is the astrologer’s subject for research
considering these subtle techniques.
In the Mahābhārata, Gaṅgā is called bhūdhara. The origin-place of the
earth is water. This is a philosophical and scientific principle. According to
the days, the influence of the moon and sun will be on the ocean. Like
pūrṇimā, amāvāsyā, aṣṭamī and caturdaśī (specific days in the month based
on waxing and waning of the moon). The moon influences the water and the
water influences the earth because the place of origin and cause is also water.
Till now, researchers have found in days, like amāvāsyā, pūrṇimā, sūrya
grahaṇa, candra grahaṇa, when the ocean is influenced by tidal waves and
when the earthquake occurs.
This way, the moon is connected with these days (days in Hindu
astrological calculation). The time is derived by the moon and the sun. In the
Mahābhārata, the time can be derived from fire too. All these are the tejas, or
the fire materials that are luminous and influential. They all are useful in
calculating time. When the ocean is influenced by the sun and the moon,
earthquakes happen. That is why the days (tithis) are associated with it. Also,
the sun and moon affect the water. So, from the point of view of the
earthquake, there is commonness in the philosophical, scientific and
behavioural aspects. Now, when and where the earthquake is going to happen
is the subject of research.
Oceans, mountains and forests are called the upholders of the earth
(bhūdhara) in our scriptures. Whenever there is an imbalance in the
mountains, this happens. In Uttarakhand, the mountains were destroyed.
Hence the balance of the earth was disturbed. Somewhere, due to
deforestation or water contamination, the places become prone to earthquakes
—like Japan, which is more affected by earthquakes. So, mountains, water
bodies and forests are the main causes of the earthquake. Time is also a
factor. The calculation of time is done according to the sun and the moon.
Tithi, being a part of the time, affects the earth.
 CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Mantra and Guru

Question: Should mantra be taken from a guru only?
Answer: Electricity was invented by some scientists. Electricity, generated by
nature, perceived due to clouds, is flighty. It remains only for a moment. The
electricity that is produced by nature, and the process of its manifestation,
was pursued and studied by scientists in their own ways. Nowadays,
electricity has so many uses, like the operation of lights. If somebody wants
to be an expert on electricity, which is a piece of worldly knowledge, he has
to adopt the prescribed procedures and mentors.
By some particular person, through modern technologies, electrical
equipment was invented. To handle that machine, a guru is needed.
Otherwise, one may get electrocuted and die. The trend of construction of
dams has a particular method; scientists developed it over time. What
computers were twenty years ago and what they are today, it’s very different.
Mobile phones from about five to seven years back and those of today are
different. So, for worldly art and knowledge, a guru is needed too.
So, what about the spiritual path? The name of Rāma is recited, for what?
It is to find Rāma only.
On the serious paths to find that Bhagavat tattva, the path to mokṣa. How
can one have its knowledge without a guru? The word sahaja needs to be
understood. The one who, in his past life, has recited a particular name of
Bhagavāna many times, having become addicted to the saṃskāra of that
name, naturally, in this life, his mind is attracted to that particular name and
that form. This is sahaja. It does not mean arbitrary.
If somebody starts reciting the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya mantra or starts reciting
Om, he will be destroyed and it will lead to an explosion. A Śakti mantra has
more power than an atom bomb. So, the common name of Bhagavān, like
Rāma, Kṛṣṇa or Śiva, these are not deadly but liberators. However, if one has
formal dīkṣā, like dīkṣā of the name of Rāma, which has been given by a
guru, it is potent and that mantra will give fruits in our life rather quickly.
If we do it on our own, reciting it as many times as we want, we still cannot
get the ability to produce a similar force and power of that mantra. However,
if we take the name that is spoken and given by our guru, then, with the
ascetic powers of the guru and a proven vision, we will get the benefit of that
name while chanting (uccāraṇa). To tread on the path of spirituality, if not
today, then tomorrow, an appropriate guru is anyways needed.
For how long can we tread on this path without a guru? It’s not an ordinary
path. The Supreme God (Paramātmā) is beyond the dumb citta and
ahaṃkāra. He is even beyond earth, water, light, air, space, and all these
supreme elements. To reach him, eventually, one needs a guru.
Frequent names of Īśvara, like Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, Śiva, or whichever Īśvara one
is attracted to, it is said there is no harm in reciting these names.
 CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Four Maṭhas of Śaṅkara

Question: How did Śaṅkara go about establishing the four maṭhas and what
were the reasons behind this?
Answer: In 507 BCE, Bhagavān Śiva manifested himself in the form of Ādi
Śaṅkarācārya in Kerala. In the Vāyu Purāṇa and Śiva Purāṇa, Śaṅkarācārya
is accepted as an avatāra of Bhagavān Śiva.
He stayed here for thirty-two years.
During this life, he wrote commentaries on the Upaniṣad. He wrote a
commentary on Brahma Sūtras as well, which is the judgement of Vedanta
Darśana. He wrote a commentary on Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā as well. He
wrote many Prakaraṇa granthas as well. He wrote a treatise called Prapañca
Sāra with the observation of tantra. He also wrote praises on many gods and
goddesses. He purified the lost knowledge of Vedic science by his
extraordinary intelligence, blessed with the lineage of knowledge
transformation. He also manifested the knowledge and wisdom which was
otherwise lost.
During that time, Buddhists, Jains, Kāpālikas and many other philosophers
had too much influence. He expounded the highest meaning of the Vedas
with the help of reason and perception and impressed wise masters to follow
Vedas and their meanings. In the reign of destroyers of idols (mūrtis), it was
not easy to visit Badrinath. Śaṅkarācārya re-established Badrinath, who was
present in Naradkund, with his lotus-hands.
Purī also witnessed the reign of mūrti destroyers. He established
Jagannātha with his own hands, which was otherwise invisible. Similarly, in
Dvārakā, which too had the reign of mūrti destroyers, he established
Dvārakādhīśa with his own hands. Similarly, in Puṣkara, where devotees
could not even visit the arcāvigraha of Brahmā, he re-established Brahma
with his lotus-hands.
 In Nepal, Paśupatinātha was being worshipped in some other form; he
established and started the worship of the Śiva Liṅga again in accordance
with Vedic manner. Along with that, he worked for sanātana varṇa
vyavasthā in a Vedic manner. Around that time, he defeated many stalwarts
like Mandan Mishra in śāstrārtha and initiated them into sanyāsa.
In Yogaśikhopaniśad, within seven cakras of the human body, four pīṭhas
are described; he established these four pīṭhas on the spiritual level. In the
east, he established Govardhana Maṭha at Purī which is related to Ṛgveda,
around two-thousand-five-hundred-and-one years ago.
In the south, attached and related to Rāmeśvaram, he established another
pīṭham in Sringeri which is related to Yajurveda. In the west, he established
the Dvārakāpurī pīṭham, which is related to Sāmaveda. In the north, within
the boundary of Badarivana, in the Badrinath area, he established
Jyotirmaṭha pīṭham which is related to Atharvaveda.
To every single pīṭha, each one related to one Veda was given the
responsibility to keep alive all the Vedic literature like Upavedas and the
related attributes. These maṭhas got accountability for related kinds of
knowledge and sixty-four kinds of arts. He analysed sanyāsa āśrama which is
śrauta (Vedic) and appointed one ācārya for each pīṭham and assigned them
the designation of Jagadguru Śaṅkarācārya.
He composed a constitution to govern all the maṭhas in seventy verses,
naming Maṭhāmnāya Setu and Maṭhāmnāya Mahānuśāsanam. Hence, all the
maṭhas are governed by these seventy verses. He assigned one Devī, one
specified region and one gotra to each of these maṭhas. As the capital of a
country is not the whole area of that country, he connected these four
spiritual capitals to the whole world.
The time of Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya espoused is British propaganda.
However, the time when Śaṅkarācārya was present, there were no Jesus or
Muhammad or their followers. King Sudhanvā, who was from the generation
of Yudhiṣṭira, became a Buddhist himself after meeting Buddhists. He was
using his power for the degradation of the Vedic dharma. Along with
Kumarila Bhatta, Śaṅkarācārya corrected his mind and heart and established
him as a ruler of Vedic Āryas and made him responsible to preserve the
dignity of four pīṭhams. Sudhanvā was proclaimed as the ruler of the whole
world.
This is also important to understand that Śaṅkarācārya also explained the
ten forms of sanyāsīs. Two lineages of sanyāsīs, called Vana and Araṇya,
belong to the Govardhana Maṭha, Purī pīṭham. They were made responsible
to ensure the safety of vana and araṇya and ensure that the residents of these
also remain safe.
In Mahābhārata, there is Araṇya Parva under Vana Parva. The small
forest is called araṇya and the large forest is called vana. From the
perspective of the environment, Śaṅkarācārya gave much importance to vana
and araṇya. As you know, the earth is made of seven continents and the
name and categorisation of these continents is as per the name of the kind of
flora and other aspects. Jambudvīpa and Kuśadvīpa are the few examples
behind this categorisation. You might know the kuśa and jāmun fruit.
Similarly, Krauñca Dvīpa in the name of a mountain, and there are the Kṣīra
Sāgara and Kṣāra Sindhu named after the sea. So, on the basis of water,
mountains and forests, the continents were categorised. From this
perspective, Śaṅkarācārya kept the vana, araṇya and their residents safe and
kept the wicked people away. He promulgated sanyāsīs—Vana and Araṇya.
As an educational institute, he promulgated two sanyāsīs—Sarasvatī and
Bhāratī. As a higher institute of learning, he promulgated sanyāsīs named as
Sarasvatī. As a medium institute of learning, he promulgated sanyāsīs named
as Bhāratī. So, with the help of these institutes, there is no digression. The
education which is against morality and spirituality did not get a chance to
operate. To regulate the cities like Ayodhya and Mathura, Purī-named
sanyāsīs were promulgated. They are responsible for the right operation in all
those cities in the prescribed Vedic structure.
He promulgated Tīrtha and Āśrama named sanyāsīs related to Dwaraka
pīṭham, so that our Tīrthas (holy places) and āśrama do not get digressed.
Sāgara, Samudra, Parvat and Giri named sanyāsīs got their responsibility. A
big mountain is named parvat, a small mountain is called Giri as per Matsya
Purāṇa. Parvat, Giri and Sāgara named sanyāsīs were promulgated by
Śaṅkarācārya. A few years ago, Pakistani terrorists entered Mumbai through
the sea. If the guidance of Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya would have been
followed, then our seas would have been protected. The entry of any anti-
social elements and wicked people would have been barred.
Śaṅkarācārya said yathā deve tathā gurau. Expounding this line from
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, the ācāryas promulgated on these seats with due
procedure. Only they will be Śaṅkara’s reflection. He told this thing as per
the Śiva Purāṇa, that Bhagavān manifests in four Yugas as four gurus.
According to one procedure; in Kṛta yuga or Satya yuga, Brahmā is a guru
for the whole of the earth. In Tretā Yuga, Vaśiṣṭha is the guru. In Dvāpara
yuga, Vyāsa is the guru and, in Kaliyuga, Śaṅkarācārya is guru.
In the second process manifestation of Śiva, Dakṣiṇāmūrti is the guru. In
the Kṛta yuga or Satya yuga, Dattātreya Mahāgbhāg is the guru. In the
Tretā, Vedavyās is the guru. In the Dvāpara and up to the later stages of the
Kaliyuga, Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya and ācāryas who promulgated him are
gurus of the pīṭhas established by him.
So, in brief, I have given you a description of the life of Bhagavān
Śaṅkarācārya. In a thousand-and-sixty-five page, I have earnestly written the
life description of Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya which is available with us in the
Purī maṭha publication unit.
 CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Karma and Kartā

Question: In the Bhagavad Gītā, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān himself says that he
does everything. In that case, how do we get sin and virtue?
Answer: If something good happens, to whom do you give the credit? To
Bhagavān or to yourself? If something bad happens, you blame Bhagavān. Is
this not duplicity? If you believe that both good and bad deeds are done by
Bhagavān only, then why do people run after the credits for the good work?
Who did the good work? It’s me. Who did a bad job? It is Bhagavān.
There was a saint (sādhu). A cow (gau) came to his garden. He threw a
stick that killed the gau. The sin of killing the gau, called Gauhatyā, came
after him.
The sādhu was overtly a Vedanta philosopher. “Who are you?” he asked
the physical form of Sin.
“I am Gauhatyā.”
“Why have you come here?”
“You killed the gau. That is why I came to punish you,” Gauhatyā said.
The sādhu studied in Vedanta that, the Devatā for the hand is Īndra. Who is
responsible for the operation of the hand-organ? If Īndra would not have
given me the power, how would I have thrown the stick? You cannot touch
me. You go to Īndra. Gauhatyā went to Devatā Īndra. Īndra asked, “Why did
you come to me?”
“That sādhu told me to do so because you are the Devatā of hand.” Īndra
told gauhatyā to wait for a while.
Devarāj Īndra went to that saint in disguise. He asked the saint, who built
this āśrama? The sādhu said, “I did.”
“Who made this beautiful garden?”
Sādhu said, “I did.”
 “Who kept these peacocks, ducks?”
“I did.” Likewise, he asked many questions to which the answer was “I
did.”
At last, Devarāj Īndra said, “Bābā, all these are yours. But how come I
killed the gau?” So, Gauhatyā sin caught him for all his deeds.
Those who say that a leaf cannot move without the wish of Bhagavān
should understand it properly. See, there is a bulb. Electricity is coming to
this in the form of light. A fan is also a machine. The same electricity is
throwing air with the help of that fan. This sound equipment is making my
words louder through the power of electricity only. The camera is taking both
sounds and pictures at the same time. None of the machines can make a move
without electricity. Even all these machines have their own capacities.
Rainwater is sweet. When the same rain goes to the chillies, which taste
does it take? When the same water goes to the neem, to the sugarcane and to
the varieties of grains? Everything is nourished by the water. How does the
taste vary among the things according to their individual capacities?
There is light. Yet, with the presence of the same light, somebody may see
with a wrong intention. This is my enemy. I will see him. Some may look
with good intentions also. The good or bad result one gets is according to the
intention of the person who looks at it. In this, the light neither gets into good
or bad results.
Likewise, Īśvara is truth (sat), consciousness (cit) and bliss (ānanda).
There is no earth, water, air, fire or space without him. He is like power, like
electricity. However, according to the good and bad deeds of all the jīvas,
power is utilised. If you do not accept this fact, then two faults will be
considered in God. One is the fault of the fierceness and the second is the
fault of dissimilarity. God is neither fierce nor dissimilar for anyone.
Bhagavān creates the universe from the door of karma. One gets the body
of a pigeon, the other a lion or a tree. Bhagavān has a single flavour. People
get birth by their karma. Some are bound, some liberated. The creation
depends upon karma, not independent of it.
 CHAPTER THIRTY

Men’s Contribution to the Household

Question: When a lady is earning her livelihood like a man, why should the
ladies perform the household chores?
Answer: Alright, there is no need for the home ministry. This is what we
want. We want a home, but we do not want a home minister. The husband is
employed and the wife is also employed. Then why should the wife be
devoted to the husband? So, you took the relationship in the sense that a wife
should only be devoted to her husband only when she is dependent for her
livelihood on the latter.
Is it artha-śāstra or dharma-śāstra? This has no relationship whatsoever
with dharma. This directly infers that the husband-and-wife relationship is
more economical and not dhārmika. The meaning of the husband-and-wife
relationship is based on dharma and is sanctioned by the Vedas and other
similar śāstras.
This is the communist mindset that their relationship is based on
livelihood. They should together engage in trade and should together be
employed. This confusion is created to show the economic relationship
between husband and wife. This is the first fallacy that the relationship is
based on the economic aspect. Then, subsequently, it will go into the next
generation that the son and daughter-in-law should both be employed. So, if
the two are employed and economically independent, why should they serve
their parents? Then, what else lies in the fate of the old except to cry. Even
from the psychological perspective, it makes a hell out of a home.
What does this mean? We are not concerned here with exceptional
circumstances. If the couple is employed out of their interest, is engaged in
trade, then their children will be brought up by the maid and servants. They
would grow up irritated and peevish, and would never be devoted to their
parents. In such cases, even those born in wealthy families, would not feel
better than orphans. These days, neither the mother nor the father has the time
to educate, nurture and civilise a child. This situation is similar to the western
world, as is prevalent among birds and animals. In the animal world, how
long does the relationship between parents and child last?
Subsequently, neither the husband remains a husband, nor the wife remains
a wife and not even the child remains a child. Is this the way we wish to take
our human relationships and society altogether? Hence, there is a need to get
away with such misconceptions which convert the husband-and-wife
relationship to an economical one. In fact, it should be dhārmika.
Abiding by the dharma, we can reach noble attainment (sadgati). On the
other hand, there is no guarantee of following the economical structure.
Dooms and depressions are inherent through these methods of relationship.
From the worldly viewpoint, if both the husband and the wife retire, who will
serve whom, when both of them are entitled to pensions. Again, when the
children grow up and mature, they are employed, their wives are also
employed. Then, there is no reason behind giving food, clothing or residence
to their parents or parents-in-law, since they are both financially independent.
Finally, the lives of the old will be dependent on the old-age homes and
servants. How will such a life be?
Again, why should the son perform śrāddha rites? They have earned their
wealth out of their own efforts. Why should they perform śrāddha? Why
should they perform tarpaṇa? If all these stands are not true in your view,
then how can we preserve the inheritance? Everything shall be extinct.
Hence, we have the dhārmika basis for the relationships and not an
economical basis.
 CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Understand Jāti by Birth

Question: Should humans be classified based on birth or karma in society?
Answer: Are the head, hands, feet and rectum classified based on karma or
based on birth? From what time has this head been called a head? Since birth
or through karma? The answer is simple. Since when is the hand called a
hand? Did you get the hand from the womb of your mother, or did someone
make your hands out of wood? I hope you have understood.
Since when is the foot called a foot? It is from your birth only. If one is
suffering from a foot ailment, even then, the foot is called a foot from birth
only. Its karma too is decided from birth only. What purpose do the feet
serve? Walking. Yet, a toddler doesn’t walk. Gradually, his feet acquire the
ability to walk. Now, hands come from birth or through karma? They are
from your birth only. However, the karma which is to be done with the hands
is fulfilled through them only. So, birth is before karma. One learns to walk
on their feet later, but the feet are present since birth only. One learns to eat
with their hands later, but the hands are present since birth. Isn’t this correct?
Hands pre-exist due to birth and later karma is produced through that.
The calf of a cow starts jumping around from the time of birth itself, but
the children of humans have feet, have some action as well, but they are not
able to jump on birth. The children of humans have feet since their birth, but
they are taught to walk with their feet gradually. So, is birth primary or is
karma?
Birth is primary. In the human body, there is a difference in departments.
One department, the head, is the education department; hands, the defence
department; and secretion organ, the sanitation department. All these
different departments have their own utility. Are these departments there
from birth only or do they appear through karma? These are from birth, but
karma also exists.
As per the birth, specified karma is given to each organ. Brāhmaṇa-
brāhmaṇa person is brāhmaṇa, the adjective is also brāhmaṇa, and
substantive is also brāhmaṇa. It means a person born in a brāhmaṇa family
and, following the Veda prescribed brāhmaṇa karma, comes in the brāhmaṇa
brāhmaṇa segment. He is the idol among all brāhmaṇas as per the Śiva
Purāṇa. Who is the number two brāhmaṇa? Kṣatrīya brāhmaṇa. The
substantive will remain qualified as brāhmaṇa, and adjective has changed to
kṣatrīya. Who is the number three brāhmaṇa? Vaiśya brāhmaṇa. Since he
was born in a brāhmaṇa clan, one has to consider him a brāhmaṇa, but his
livelihood is like that of vaiśyas. Now a śudra brāhmaṇa is like Vṛtrāsura.
Read the sixth canto of Bhāgavata. Vṛtrāsura was a demon and condemned,
but still, Īndra had the sin of the killing a brāhmaṇa, since Vṛtrāsura was
born in the lineage of brāhmaṇa. Did he not get the sin of killing a
brāhmaṇa?
Devarāja Īndra (king of Devatās) suffered very much after doing this
necessary act. What does this mean? Even if a cow is weak and about to die
and somebody kills her, he gets the sin of killing a cow. If you do not deem
these points, then try to contemplate. But this is simple. I already said that
hands are there from birth. They are not getting the name after karma. Later,
the child is trained gradually and is able to perform accordingly. The calf
starts jumping around a little while after birth but, even in that case, the feet
are considered since birth only. Do eyes exist from birth or do they appear
through karma? Kittens are born with their eyes closed. Later, their eyes open
after a few days. So, are not eyes are from birth? Is the nose there is from
birth or does it appear through karma? It is from birth, and karma gets
attached to it later.
 CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Swarga-Narka
Question: If everything is felt by the body only, then what are the meaning of
heaven (swarga) and hell (narka)?
Answer: Taking your point, if we assume that everything is felt by the body
only, then why doesn’t a dead body feel anything? The dead body doesn’t
feel any heat, cold, hunger, thirst, respect, disrespect, etc. So, we should say
that everything that is felt within the body has a life, but it is incorrect to say
everything is felt by the body only. We have this body due to the fruits of our
good and bad, both karmas. We get a body during the dream state as well.
This gross body keeps lying at its place. We get a body in the dream state too.
That is due to our behavioural tendency or karmic imprint and cultural
upbringing. We feel with a different body in our dream state. We conduct
ourselves in the dream state using that subtle body.
In the same way, those who do not know the real nature of ātmā should
understand it properly. Due to the effect of past karmas, we have all this
body, and once we have exhausted the fruit of those karmas, new karmas are
ready to observe new experiences. Then, the similar jīvātmā enters another
gross body. While remaining in this body, we use another body in the dream.
Similarly, before dying, whatever karmas are ready to give fruits, a body is
formed in the imaginary world (bhāva rājya) of that jīva to which ego and
affection get attached. When the collection of past karmas (prārabdha)
attached to this body get destroyed, the jīva with subtle body (sūkṣma śarīra)
and causal body (kāraṇa śarīra) travels to various worlds (lokas).
That time too there is a body called bhāva rājya śarīra, or visionary body.
In the state of dream, we feel grief and happiness with the imaginary body.
Similarly, after death, the body one gets in the bhāva rājya due to the effect
of good and bad karmas, that body has everything like jñānendriyas,
karmendriyas, prāṇa, citta, mana, etc.
As a mirror is able to reflect the image of your face, similarly, these
jñānendriyas, karmendriyas, prāṇa, citta, antaḥkaraṇa, etc., which
collectively are called subtle (sūkṣma) body, are able to reflect the jīva. So,
the ability which the subtle body has, the jīva is reflected at the same level
and it has a feeling of grief and happiness with that body.
If it gets into heaven, then it gets a divine body manifestation in bhāva
rājya; if it is to get hell, it gets a distressed body in bhāva rājya. Ghosts do
not have a gross body but the body which they get in bhāva rājya, they suffer
in that body only. Similarly, the jīvātmā has to go to heaven and hell
according to that body which it sees in bhāva rājya, just before his death.
If it has to come again to this planet (earth), then it has to cover the
pañcāgni vidyā cycle. It is explained in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad,
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, etc. After it stays in heaven or hell, it travels
through rain, then into grains, then into male and female bodies. There are
also male and female varieties in animals and birds. Also, if it gets into the
body of a sanyāsī or impotent, or a brahmacārī, then the jīva will not get a
birth. If a householder eats that grain, then he may get birth in human form.
Till then, it remains in the form of grains, then rasa, then vīrya, then blood,
etc. It remains there in a very small form. This is called pañcāgni vidyā in
brief. The body of a father is also like fire—the furnace where the jīva is
thrown into, and then it is thrown into the furnace body of the mother from
where it comes out later. This is a vast science. So, the answer to your
question is only this—that the jīva does not get destroyed after the
destruction of the body.
What is your age?
“Svāmījī, forty-eight.”
Tell me how many dreams have you seen?
“Let’s say ten dreams in a year at the bare minimum.”
So, that makes four-hundred-and-eighty dream bodies.
“Are those bodies destroyed or are they still there?”
If the dream state is broken, the dream body is destroyed. So, at forty-eight
years, with ten dreams per year, the four-hundred-and-eighty dream bodies
have been destroyed, but the person doesn’t consider himself to have
perished. The body count is four-hundred-and-eighty but he considers
himself as only one.
“Then, what does this mean?”
That jīvātmā does not get perished with the destruction of the body and the
difference in bodies doesn’t necessarily mean the difference in jīvātmā.
 CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Chanting Method
Question: What is the correct method of mantra chanting?
Answer: Īśvara’s names—like Rāma, Śiva, Kṛṣṇa—a kīrtana can be done
with these. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare; Hare Rāma
Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare or Govind jaya jaya, Gopāla jaya jaya.
However, sounds like Om are the essence of the Vedas and contain a lot of
power. Those who get authorisation by śāstra and traditions can recite and
digest these sounds. It is written in the Manusmṛti that, by taking the name in
an elongated voice and high volume, the mental world (manorājya) is
clarified. It is written in the Manusmṛti that, by taking the name in elongated
and high volume, the imaginative world (manorājya) is pacified. When the
manorājya is pacified, then the consciousness of a person acquires the ability
to speak it in such a volume that he only is able to listen to the same. Then,
reciting that continuously, he gets more ability that the vāk gets, merged with
sense and mind. Then, by reciting it within, one can take it to intellect.
This is the prescribed order to perform it—parā, paśyanti, madhyamā and
vaikharī. All these are types of articulation (types of vāṇī). Vaikharī vāṇī
means reciting the name while speaking it.
When one recites the name by speaking it, while doing saṃkīrtana, then
the mind stays focused.
Recite in a long voice; it helps in controlling the manorājya. That’s why it
is written by Charandas: āṭha māsa mukha soṃ japai, solaha māsa kaṃṭha
jāpa. Recite it orally for eight months, speak it, do the kīrtana for sixteen
months—that is, double the period—take the mind to the throat and recite
there and for thirty-two months. Recite while taking the mind to the position
of the heart.
I don’t respond to this in a gathering because it is a matter of sādhanā,
even though you asked about it there. For sixty-four months, take the mind to
the navel and recite while it is attached there.
Then, Charandas has said, raga raga bole Rāma. From every vein of the
body, the name of Rāma will be so interfused that recitation will happen
itself, automatically. Now, look into this: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and so on. 1, 2, 4,
8, divide the minutes in this ratio. For one minute, recite it through the
mouth. For 2 minutes, make it lower, through the lips—so that it is heard by
oneself. Then, take the mind to the throat and mix it with the voice. Then,
take it to the heart, then to the navel.
There was one saint in Vrindavan. He was called Phūla Cora Bābā (the
saint who steals flowers).
He was from Multan. He was very fair and left his body at the age of a
hundred-and-ten. However, he didn’t tell anyone about himself and his
concerns. There is a garden of Vihārījī in Vrindavan. He used to steal flowers
and offer them to Vihārījī. That’s why he was called Phūla Cora. If anyone
gave him flowers, even if there were a variety of flowers and in good
numbers, he would throw all of them and would like to steal the flowers and,
only then, would he offer them to Bhagavān. People used to beat him but,
still, he used to steal the flowers, somehow getting into the garden.
He once told me an anecdote—he used to believe in me a lot and was very
elderly. Once, he was on the bank of river Narmada sometime during his
youth as a saint. Another saint was lying with his feet towards the Narmada
during the evening. Another saint was lying with his head or feet towards the
Narmada during the evening. He asked him, “O bābā! You are sleeping at the
banks of Narmada in the evening. Get up. Why don’t you do bhajana? For
this only, have you become a bābā?” The other bābā smiled but did not say
anything. He asked him twice; thrice. Then, the other bābā pointed out, put
your ears here. He was pointing out the various parts of his body. Phūla Cora
Bābā did exactly as told and, wherever he would put his ears, he heard the
voice Rāāāma… Rāāāma. He told me about this incident. The other bābā
said, “I hope you have understood how I do my bhajana.” That is why the
mahātmās used to say, sūraja ḍhalatā na dikhe baḍhatī dikhe na belā, sādhu
bhajana karatā na dikhe ye kudarata kā khelā. The sun goes slowly towards
sunset, from sunrise to sunset and then from sunset to sunrise, but this
happens very slowly. A vine grows and keeps growing every moment.
Similar is the case with our nails, those too grow every moment to the extent
those can, but we do not realise it. After one or two months, we realise that
our nails have grown. If we get our hair cut, after fifteen days, we feel that
this has grown in such a short time, but it grows every moment.
So, in the case with bhajana, even if a saint does not appear to be doing a
bhajana, but internally, the bhajana is working within him. I conclude that,
initially, do the saṃkīrtana of the name of Bhagavān in loud voice. From
that, gradually, comes the ability to control the mind (mana), if we pronounce
it slowly through lips only, then only we would be able to hear it and not
others. Then, take it to the throat and then mix it with voice and then recite.
Then, gradually, move it to the heart and then to the navel. If we keep doing
this, then the devotion will develop.
 CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Mathematics
Question: The mathematics we are teaching, half of them do not know their
use. Children ask us why we are learning this. We do not have an answer to
give them. They are just mugging up. There are so many under-qualified
people. They say that even if we have learnt mathematics and engineering,
we have never used them in our lives. We are not using mathematics beyond
addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Still, we keep on doing it.
Intellectually, one does not know anything about the objective, still one
repeats it for the sake of the examination. What is the benefit of this?
Answer: The whole universe is a product of mathematics and the whole
universe can be known by mathematics. Dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa all
can be justified by mathematics (gaṇita). This is what I am writing about
mathematics nowadays. The knowledge of mathematics cannot be
implemented at a behavioural level, which can be modified, provided the
teacher has a sharp intellect.
Place, time, and matter are calculated by gaṇita. No machine can be made
without gaṇita.
Gaṇita is used in astrology and geometry; the creation of the universe
happens through gaṇita.
Gaṇita is used in all disciplines.
What is hunger? Does it have a form, or is it formless? I ask this to
children. Can you see hunger or not? It is formless. Everything has some
attributes. Food is with form and attribute. Mathematics is working here. If
one knows the capacity of the stomach, density can be calculated. The
amount of density and weight-related to food can be predicted to satisfy
hunger.
Is it not mathematics? What about thirst? It is without form and attributes.
Water has the form and attributes to satisfy the requirement. How can you
live without mathematics? This thirst can be quenched by drinking so much
water; this is not different from mathematics.
Can a driver drive a vehicle without mathematics? A driver makes the car
cross by measuring the speed of the approaching vehicle with the speed of his
own car. If any of the drivers miss that calculation, the accident happens.
Now, we can come to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Take any mathematical problem. Where are all these not applicable? Plus and
minus are the root of all addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in
mathematics. The advanced forms of addition and subtraction are
multiplication and division. What are addition and subtraction? In the
behavioural world, it is connection and separation.
 CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Śrāddha
Question: The ātmā leaves one body and travels into another body. Śrāddha,
the ritual for the deceased, is done after the death. Where does the benefit of
that go?
Answer: It is written in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad. Bhagavāna Śaṅkarācārya
has written a detailed commentary on that. You must be familiar with the
bank where money is deposited; today all know this. Suppose a person has
sufficient money in his bank account. He has so much capital in his bank
account or his house that he can live his life in a good manner. You must
have understood this. Any other person may or may not deposit anything in
his account.
Similarly, those who have earned so much puṇya in their lifetime, his sons
or grandsons, whoever is authorised, can utilise this. In that case, doing or not
doing any śrāddha, he is liberated with his own capital only. Hope you
understand this. Yet, those who do not have this much capital of puṇya, sons
and grandsons, relatives, vows, mantras, prescribed material, all these
combined go to the jīvātmā or the jīva who has passed away.
So, now, consider dāha saṃskāra. It is duly performed as per śāstra.
Śrāddha and tarpaṇa are called that capital. That puṇya goes to that jīva on
the basis of relation, vow, prescribed method, prescribed material, and
feelings and reaches there.
In Matsya Purāṇa, it is explained in detail. You are in Bhārata, one of your
relatives lives in America. You can send the currency of India, through the
money exchange mechanism. It will be converted to dollars and will reach
him. Similarly, the body in which jīva resides, whatever food is useful for
that body, gets converted into that kind of material as per the exchange
mechanism. It is applicable to all living things. If somebody becomes a ghost
after death, then he will get the diet of a ghost. If he becomes a lion, then the
diet of a lion. In his name, his asthi, are processed in Gaṅgā or in Triveṇī,
with the effect of that puṇya, his imaginary world (bhava rājya) will be
changed. Imagine if somebody becomes a lion in his dream, but, after some
time, he finds himself as a ruler, then a gandharva, then a human, then only
bhāvarājya is transformed. Due to change in bhāvarājya, the body also looks
different in that particular world.
First, he considers himself to be the body of a lion then considers himself
to be a king. So, here lies the capital of puṇya, if the person is not born yet,
after his death. We need to understand this from this viewpoint. If the body is
formed only in bhāvarājya, so, with the capital of that puṇya, a new
bhāvarājya gets formed and he gets a divine body again. This is the principle
behind the mechanism of śrāddha.
 CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

The Mind Wanders While Chanting

Question: Very often, when we do japa or pūjā, our mind get distracted.
Why?
Answer: It is mentioned by Bhīṣma in Śānti Parva of Mahābhārata that
distraction of the mind during concentration (dhyāna) is an indication of
success and not a failure. This may seem strange that the distraction of the
mind during the time of dhyāna or japa of Bhagavān, or chanting the name of
Bhagavān, or chanting of mantra, is the first step towards success.
If some room is not at all cleaned for a few months and, when a person
starts cleaning it with the broom, it is natural that dust clouds will fill the
room. Is that a success or a failure? If a person feels nervous that dust should
not enter his nose or eyes, then sprinkle water over there and clean with a
broom made of coconut husk. Then, the dust will not go into the eyes or nose
and it will also flow along with the broom.
The impressions (saṃskāras) are accumulated within us for so many births.
When we do japa of the name of Bhagavān or mantra, then it takes us in
another direction. When we go around that turn, like a motorcycle or car,
then some tweak is certainly experienced. Similarly, the dust accumulated on
the mind in the form of impressions rises at the time of japa. Those were
attached to consciousness; they intend to rise and get destroyed and this
should be considered a success.
Vinaya Patrikā is written by Tulasidāsa; Hanumana Prasad Poddar has
translated it and it is published by Gita Press. Sūra Vinaya Patrikā is also
published by Gita Press. The stanza which you feel depicts and indicates the
true picture of your life, recite and sing that in isolation in front of your Īṣṭa
Devatā. Manusmṛti has got one principle that, if something is sung on a
higher pitch or by doing bhajana, the realm of mind gets quiet. While singing
the name of Bhagavān, slowly the mind starts getting quiet.
Śivajī has unique characterisation, Umā Rāma subhāu jehiṃ jānā… tāhi
bhajanau taji bhāva na ānā. When the mind slowly gets the taste of bhajana,
then it cannot remain without doing bhajana. At first, it gets distracted;
afterwards, it cannot remain without it. Let me tell you a strange anecdote. In
those days, until the child was five years old, they were not sent to school as
they were not mature enough. Children being sent to school before the age of
five is a tragedy for the nation. Until five years, as Chanakya has written,
lālayet pañca varṣāṇi. Let them play till the age of five. Their minds will
develop.
Anyway, I must have been about six years old. I was the only child in the
house. The elder brother came from Delhi, who was a physician somewhere.
He enquired about my admission in a school. The elder sister and uncle said,
no, he just plays around. He called our neighbour. I still remember that both
of them caught me and took me to school and I was in a bad situation. I
remember that I was crying a lot, “Let me play. I do not want to go to
school.” They took me to school by force and got me admitted. Then, I
remember, after two to three months, I got so engrossed in studies that, in
standard one itself, I used to study till midnight and then again after getting
up at five in the morning.
Even today, I often start writing my books even when travelling by train.
On average, I read for six hours minimum every day. People who stay close
to me know this. It is due to the habit of reading a lot. That was the day of
crying when I felt that I was being taken to hang and then, one day, members
of my family started thinking that I was studying day and night so I might
become mad. Similar is the case with the taste of bhajana.
Let me give you another example. I was younger when in Vrindavan, and I
was not in this position. Someone gave me sugarcane and a monkey was
watching it. The monkey’s small baby climbed down from a neem tree and
started making noise. I got to know that he was asking for the sugarcane. I
gave him a small piece and he started having it with much joy because I gave
it to him on my own and he didn’t have to snatch it.
That monkey ate it and threw the remains there. Then, the next day, around
the same time, that monkey came again from the same neem tree and started
asking for sugarcane. I told him that it was now in my stomach and there was
no more. Then, he climbed up that tree and brought a stick from the tree and
started enacting and telling me to give the same thing which I had given him
the previous day. I learnt that this monkey had got the taste of sugarcane and
came around the same time waving his tail. When bhajana is done regularly
for a few days, you can feel it in a similar way.
When you use eye drops as medicine for your eyes, the eyes start asking
for that. If you do not put the drops, you will feel itching in your eyes. Eyes
too get habituated to the medicine. So, till the time you do not get the habit of
bhajana, till then, not listening to your mind, you should remain engaged in
bhajana.
Abhyāsādramate yatra duḥkhāntaṃ ca nigacchati—18:36 Bhagavad Gītā.
While practising for this, you will get the benefit of taste (rasa). It is the
rasa of Bhagavān, the rasa of the name of Bhagavān. If you recite the name
of Bhagavān for around seven to eight months, then, in isolation, you will
have tears of love towards him and then you can know that bhajana has
entered you. There is another secret but visible as well. Before deep sleep, if
you take the name of Bhagavān for about ten to fifteen minutes in your mind
or in a soft voice, then you sleep with that bhajana for the next five to six
hours. The sleep will become deeper and deeper; the bhajana will get into the
system. The effect of that bhajana will be with you, even in the waking state,
the mind will be directed towards Bhagavān on its own.
 CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Youth’s Desire for the Overseas

Question: Why do the youngsters today want to go abroad?
Answer: Ponder over the reason for this. The reservation system is the gift of
some ex-prime ministers. His policy was to be a prime minister till the end of
this life. Even a single political leader with such a quest for constant power
can push the nation to a painful situation. His wish didn’t get fulfilled but it
destroyed the nation.
When this reservation system was implemented through the Mandal
Commission, I was in Meerut fulfilling cāturmāsa. I was not in the
Śaṅkarācārya position. That time, I pointed out five problems in the
reservation system. In the daily newspaper of Meerut, an editorial was printed
which was on the basis of my discourse, that the reservation system
implemented is very much directionless. It is dangerous for everybody and
has got five problems.
It causes loss of talent. Those who are beneficiaries of reservation, it is a
waste of their talent as well as of those who are not its beneficiaries. The loss
is in the growth of the nation. The third one is, it is not practical to
implement. The central and state government do not have so many jobs that
can accommodate all the intended beneficiaries. Fourth, it directs towards the
feeling of revenge. A person who is junior and becomes senior and an
incompetent person gets a competent job. Then, instead of sympathy, there is
a feeling of revenge. All the above four problems need serious consideration.
If these continue in a country for fourteen years, then that nation starts to
break and loses its independence. Now, it has been more than that.
Now, if these people are running to foreign countries, then it is due to the
effect of this system. In our country only, our talented people are working for
multinational companies, nobody is noticing that properly. They are anyway
running to foreign countries but, even in our country, our own talents are
getting sold to these foreign companies.
 America’s former president has many physicians. Out of his eleven
physicians, nine were of Indian origin. If our talent is not being used and
harnessed in Bhārata, then, obviously it will get sold to foreign companies in
India or outside. So, Bhārata will not have four noted strengths as talent,
defence, finance and labour.
Our prime ministers, presidents or chief ministers do not know how to use
these strengths. All these capabilities are supreme even today but our leaders
do not have the requisite ability to utilise these strengths for the benefit of the
nation and, consequently, the foreign countries have become attractive. If an
habitant from the forest looks at the villages, he doesn’t want to return to the
forest. The habitant from a village looks at the town, he doesn’t want to
return to the village. The habitant from a town looks at the capital, he doesn’t
want to return to the town. In the end, once he sees the metros in Delhi and
Mumbai, he doesn’t want to return to his own capital city. Later, when he
sees the foreign locations, then he doesn’t want to return to his own country.
Now, he wants to settle there, but what kind of news do we get?
Though he has earned a lot of money, his daughter gets pregnant before
marriage. Dharma is lost and becomes a slave of varṇa distortion. Daughter
goes somewhere, the son goes somewhere, we lose the dharma and then,
what is the value of the money earned? Assume that there are another two to
four presidents in foreign countries having such strategies, the Indian origin
people will be made to run from there. In the end, Bhārata will have to be
prepared to grant them livelihood. So, attraction for foreign countries was
created as if those countries are the source of talent, livelihood and money.
From childhood or school days itself, so much attraction has been created for
those countries. Till the time a bābā does not go to a foreign country for his
promotion, he isn’t accorded the same respect. Bābās make their names first
in foreign countries and then in Bhārata. Bhārataiyas say that he has taught
yoga to foreigners, why cannot he teach us? He touched on Bhārata later and
touched upon foreign countries first, why? Bhārata will not accept him till
the foreigners accept him.
One of my disciples was doing a doctorate in grammar. He asked,
“Vivekananda is praised so much but Ādi Śaṅkarācārya is not given that
much importance. What is the reason for this?”
I have a lot of respect for Vivekananda. In student life, I have studied all
his books on dharma, science, etc. I still have respect for him even today.
Yet, the question is, if he had not been given that much importance by the
foreigners, then Bhārata would have forgotten him much before. Is it not so?
There must have been at least thousands of people who were more learnt than
him but they didn’t get respect in foreign countries. So, as I said, we have
only created the attraction for foreign countries.
There is a strange departure. The forest dweller looks at a village; the
villager looks at a town; a town inhabitant looks at the capital city; the capital
inhabitant looks at the country’s capital, that is, Delhi; and the people of
Delhi look towards America, Britain, Germany, France, Japan, etc. So, a
threat to our resources is coming. Sleep is not available there so easily. What
kind of sleep can the dollar provide? Pillows and beds can be bought with
money, but one cannot buy a sound sleep. Can one buy appetite from money?
Surely you can buy good food with that money. When they do not even get
good sleep, leave alone samādhi, then, they come to us.
Vedic mathematics is the truth of Bhāratīya psychology. In Vedic
mathematics, there were thirteen principles available. Now, working on those
basics, thirty-two principles are found. These are small sentences in saṃskṛta.
Those are translated into English. The hundred-and-forty-third Śaṅkarācārya
Mahābhāga of Govardhana Maṭha Purī pīṭha wrote Vedic mathematics in
English and the primary principles are in sanskṛta. In foreign countries, it is
being used for space shuttles. In Bhārata, the mentality for this gift is
communal because it is written by a Bhāratīya. They are allergic to Vedic
mathematics as well.
Who has given the computer? You may not know this. It is given by
Govardhana Maṭha, Purī pīṭha. Bharati Krisha Teertha Mahārāja gave three
principles—ekādhikena pūrveṇa, eka nyūnena pūrveṇa and śiṣyate
śeṣasajñaḥ. His foreign disciples, who were mathematicians, invented the
computer on the basis of these principles. It means that, with that learning,
using the principles of Vedic mathematics, the disciples of Bharati Krisha
Teertha Mahārāja, invented the computer. Today, in independent Bhārata,
Vedic mathematics is not given importance. On the other hand, the whole
world greatly regards the Vedic mathematics and the pīṭha which gave us
these principles.
Now, I will tell you my point. I do not necessitate respect for myself but
the knowledge should be respected. In this Bhāratavarsh, talent and talented
people are exploited. Then, how can we utilise the talent? I can digest
disrespect, but these people disrespect knowledge as well, just because I do
not belong to a particular party. This is a strange thing. My works are in
Hindi, some in saṃskṛta, the texts on mathematics are primarily in saṃskṛta
only. I have given its explanation. I didn’t inform Oxford or Cambridge
University, still, their mathematician came to me twice.
The mathematicians from North Korea and South Korea came to meet me
twice. They were told to visit the places in Purī and Konark temple. They
visited our place for leisure but they ended up in Purī pīṭha. While staying at
a hotel, they had discussions with me four times, and the translator was one
of our own people.
You will be surprised to know what they said. If the world has one percent
of mathematics, then Purī pīṭha has a hundred times of it. They visited in a
small team. There were scholars of mathematics and one journalist from the
same country. That mathematician wrote a hundred pages of work on
mathematics, out of which thirty pages were about the supremacy of our
pīṭha. In Raipur and Jaipur, mathematics conferences are taking place at
regular intervals. At least a hundred-and-four nations, other than Bhārata,
know about my three works based on mathematics. Only our government
does not know about it till now. The foreign people know whatever
knowledge I have, but as I do not belong to any party, so I am avoided.
When they meet, they bow their heads, that is a separate thing. I will point
out that what I teach during the period of July to September. If I make it
available to Britishers, then I can get money flooding around. Tomorrow,
they will teach that knowledge in Bhārata only. People doing karmakāṇḍa in
Bhārata would also be Britishers. This means that, when talent is exploited
by the government, society is exploited. I will tell you another anecdote.
On May 5, 1999, the World Bank sent one British scholar, who was a
chairman of a church as well as a member of ‘World Faith Development
Dialogue.’ I had a conversation with her in Delhi for around two hours.
Somnath Dixit came from Noida as he got the responsibility of the translator.
All the problems of the World Bank were solved within fifteen minutes.
Then, she started crying. After talking to me, she talked to the king of Purī
for a half an hour. When she was crying, I told her that I did not disrespect
her. So, I wanted to know the actual reason behind her bawl.
What she said was in her own words, “What has happened to Bhārata?
Why cannot we utilise this knowledge and become a progressive nation?
That’s why I am crying.” She wouldn’t have thought that all the inaccuracy
of the World Bank can be solved by anybody within fifteen minutes. In that
small time of discussion, seven minutes would have been spent in translation,
so my answer would have been eight minutes.
This talent is not being used for Bhārata. When talent is exploited and if
there is less patience, then it is bound to be used for foreign companies in
Bhārata or outside. So, it is the responsibility of the Indian government and
social institutions to explore possibilities. Our talent should not get migrated
outside.
 CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Know our Buddha

Question: Is the Buddha of Hindus the same as that of Buddhists?
Answer: There are two Buddhas. One is among the ten avatāras of Bhagavān
Viṣṇu. All the ritualists (karmakāṇḍis) in Bhārata, Nepal and Bhutan talk
about Buddhāvatāre during rituals. However, they do not know who Buddha
is according to scriptural judgement. One Buddha was born in Nepal. His in-
laws’ house is in Nepal too. He was born in a kṣatrīya family. He might have
done his siddhi in Bodhgaya.
If we consider according to Bhaviṣya Purāṇa, Baudha avatāra was in
brāhmaṇa clan (kula).
In Śrīmad Bhāgavata, the territory of Buddhāvatāra is mentioned in a
futuristic manner.
“Kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati.” Bhagavān Vṣṇu will take incarnation of Buddha in
Kīkaṭa. Buddhāvatāra will be in Kīkaṭa. The word Kīkaṭa has been used in
ṚgVeda and in the commentary of Sāyaṇa Ācāry. It is said that Kīkaṭa is a
name of a country or a particular place. Yet it does not mention the name of a
popular place there, as the birthplace of Buddha. Śrīdhar Svāmī has written
commentary on Bhāgavata. It is the famous commentary and most discussed
in the world today. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has also appreciated the
commentary
Since Śrīdhar Svāmī has translated the word Kīkaṭa as Gaya territory, so I
had instructed so many gentlemen here to do research in this matter. Purī
comes under the territory of Puroṣottama Kṣetra. Just the name of Purī is not
Puroṣottama Kṣetra. Similarly, Gaya is a part of the Kīkaṭa area. It should be
a matter of research, where Buddha incarnated in brāhmaṇa varṇa. Few
gentlemen around four years back said that there is a village of brāhmaṇas in
a ridge and there is an ancient icon of Buddha there.
Let me tell you that the meditation (dhyāna) of Bhagavān Buddha has been
detailed in Agni Purāṇa. The Buddhists have drawn the picture of Gautam
Buddha on the basis of that verse (śloka) and established him according to
that scripture. Secondly, Amar Singh, who created ‘Amarkosha’ was a
Buddhist and he very cleverly wrote the names of Bhagavān Buddha, and
Gautama Buddha together. He used a specific word as a divider in between
both. People fail to understand this as a divider, due to which the incarnated
Buddha in the brāhmaṇa family has been forgotten and Gautama Buddha has
become famous as the Buddha.
Gautama was the gotra of both Buddhas. Gautama, the one born in the
kṣatrīya varṇa, and the other one born in the brāhmaṇa varṇa at Gaya, is
another reason for this confusion. The gotra of both brāhmaṇa and kṣatrīya is
based on the name of the same ṛṣi. Due to the confusion of the gotras being
on the basis of sages and the same gotra of both Budhhas, we have forgotten
our Buddha who is an incarnation of Viṣṇu and was born in a brāhmaṇa
varṇa.
Our respect to anyone does not depend on the varṇa and there are no
reservations regarding idealising someone. Shall we try and prove that
Bhagavān Rāma was born in a brāhmaṇa varṇa? No! We worship him, but
he was born in a kṣatrīya varṇa. Would we like to make Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa
a brāhmaṇa who was born in a kṣatrīya varṇa? We worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but
the truth should not be stifled.
 CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Varṇāśrama in Devaloka
Question: On what basis is varṇāśramaa characterised in Devatās?
Answer: From Kaśyapa and Aditi, the king of Devatās, Īndra, was born. He
was a brāhmaṇa, but his jāti is considered as kṣatrīya. We can find this
reference in Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. Since he is doing the karma of a
kṣatrīya, he works to protect and govern as a king. Vasu became vaiśya, some
other Devatās became śudras.
This explanation might make some people happy but we have to
understand this properly. This system doesn’t apply on earth. Which varṇa
system is applicable for Bhagavān Vṣṇu who manifests from Virāṭ? It is not
applicable to Bhagavān. It is not applicable to Brahmā and, if it is applicable
in some view, then Brahmā should be called as first brāhmaṇa. The Varṇa
system is not applicable to Viṣṇu but he is considered a kṣatrīya. He does the
job of protection, that is why he calls himself kṣatrīya. Bhṛgu, his grandson,
was a brāhmaṇa. Which means that his grandfather is kṣatrīya and grandson
is brāhmaṇa. This is beyond imagination without proper understanding. How
is the grandfather a kṣatrīya and the grandson a brāhmaṇa. What kind of
varṇa system is this?
Bhagavāna imposes himself as kṣatrīya but varṇa system is not applicable
to Nārāyaṇa. Then, some become happy to get their desired points. I said—
the varṇa system in this world is inferior and the varṇa system explained by
some popular figures is significant to Devaloka. There jāti is decided by
karma. Only on this basis can we call Īndra a kṣatrīya, and Agni and Candra,
brāhmaṇas. Soma means candramā as well as soma plant (somalatā). Then
why is somalatā named candramā? This is because, according to the lunar
day (tithi), the leaves come and fall. Śuklapakṣa and kṛṣṇapakṣa are used for
rejuvenation as well.
Brāhmaṇas coronate the prince as a king and, at that time, they recite a
mantra. The meaning is: “O! King, be alert, we are making you king. After
being crowned, do not tighten the grip on us. We give the introduction of our
king. Listen. Atri’s son, candramā is our king, not you! Kṣatrīya cannot rule
over us brāhmaṇas.” What is the psychology here? The Devatā of the mind is
the moon.
Due to the moon, our mind is so pacified, we praise the moon as our king.
With his blessing, even in dreams, the mind doesn’t go on the wrong paths.
This is the gross meaning. So, in Devatās, Candra and Agni are brāhmaṇas.
Agni is born from the mouth of Bhagavān. So, for the Devatās, the varṇa
system is based on karma; not for us.
What about animals and birds? Which varṇa system is applicable to them?
In Bhāgavata, the sixth chapter, when the three heads of Viśvarūpa were
cut, one of them which was drinking soma rasa, became a cuckoo (papīhā),
the one which was drinking surā became a sparrow (gauraiyā), the one eating
cereal became a partridge (tītara). Now there are different kinds of birds like
goose and crow. They have different food habits.
There was one political leader, a jeweller from Rajasthan. He wrote a book
‘Ratnapariksha’ and went to Jagjivan Ram (Babujī) to gift it to him. He asked
Babujī, “Please read this book and give some comments.” Jagjivan Rama
read it and later said, “Oh! I am striving to remove the jāti or varṇa system in
humans and here you have proved that there is jāti of gems as well.”
He said, “Babujī, I am not talking here as a political leader, but if I do not
subscribe to jātis in gems, they do not give purity and, in fact, become lethal.
There are brāhmaṇas, kṣatrīya, vaiśya, śudra in all kinds of gems. If a gem of
śudra kind is given to a brāhmaṇa, then the brāhmaṇa will die.”
“One of my companions got sick, and no physician could diagnose him.
We took him to our guru. He asked, ‘Tell Vedanti, what happened, why are
you getting weak?’”
“He said, ‘Mahārāja! only a few days of my life are left.’”
“Karapātrījī Mahārāja asked, ‘What happened?’”
“He said, ‘No physician is able to cure me.’”
 “Karapātrī Mahārāja looked at this forearm, ‘What is tied to your
forearm?’”
“He said, ‘The same thing that is tied to your forearm.’”
“Karapātrī Mahārāja said, ‘Okay, so you are copying me. Untie this, or
you will die.’”
“He asked, ‘And you?’”
“Karapātrī Mahārāja replied, ‘I can withstand its power, but you cannot.
That’s the miracle of a gem!’ Later, he found the cause of his illness after
removing that.”
So, the jeweller said to Jagjivan Ram, “Nobody will pay heed here to what
you have to say. Otherwise, we will be destroyed. Our business is of gems
only. By testing only, the jāti of a gem can be found. A particular gem is
given to a particular jāti and this is how our business works.”
So, Jagjivan Ram asked, “Are there jātis in humans as well?”
He replied, “If there are jātis in gems, then there are jātis in humans as
well!”
As per Mahābhārata, the varṇa system is applicable to Brahmā, otherwise
called as Virāṭ or Hiraṇyagarbha, but not to Bhagavāna Nārāyaṇa. The first
brāhmaṇa was Brahmājī as mentioned in the Mahābhārata. If I talk straight,
whoever has a body due to the effect of karma, the varṇa system starts from
there. Brahmājī gets birth due to his karma, due to the effect of performing
the due ritual of karma-upāsanā, Brahmā gets the body, that first prāṇi who
got the body due to the effect of karma comes under the mechanism of varṇa
system.
So—brāhmaṇa, kṣatrīya, vaiśya and śudra—Brahmā is the forefather of
them all. Brahmājī is a compound of all living beings. The body of Nārāyaṇa
is under vidyāpāda in ātmārthā creation, and ignorance is under jīvārthā
creation—that is why Nārāyaṇa is supreme. I am speaking this from Tripād
Vibhūti Mahānārāyaṇopaniṣad.
 CHAPTER FORTY

Message for the Next Generation

Question: What is your message for the future generations of Bhārata?
Answer: I went to DRDO, Chandipur, Baleshwar, Odisha, where missiles are
made; where Abdul Kalam was Director and now Vinay Das is there. I went
there. I went to different universities I went to IIM Ahmedabad, and ISRO as
well.
I explained Vedic science on philosophical, scientific, and practical planes.
The audience consisted of Hindus and non-Hindus as well, many of them
were scientists, but nobody objected to it and, in fact, appreciated it. So, I
have come to the conclusion that, on the philosophical, scientific and
practical plane, we should espouse sanātana siddhānta through distribution
systems, at a global level, the whole world is bound to follow us.
The whole world knows, including all the intellectuals worldwide, that due
to sanātana Vedic maharṣis alone, the world got the economic system,
righteous conducts, medical science, and all other material sciences. Food,
clothes, housing, education, health, transport, occasions, festivals, defence,
justice, marriage, etc., were all our original activities. Food, clothes, housing,
education, health, transport, occasions, festivals, defence, justice, marriage,
etc. were all our activities as the origin. The whole world is ready to accept
them. Some of the anarchist elements in our society, who intend to bypass
our importance and want to destroy our existence and ideals—barring them,
the world is ready to accept us. If the central and state rule of our Bhārata
realises the importance of our traditional philosophy (darśanas), scriptures
(śāstra) and scientists (maniṣis), then we can succeed much earlier, otherwise,
it will take time.
In yoga darśana, there are hundred-and-ninety-two sūtras, which are small
sentences. Today in Bhārata and outside, in the last fifty years, yoga has been
famous worldwide on the basis of just two or four sūtras by current mentors.
So, if one master all hundred-and-ninety-three sūtras and teaches them,
imagine that miraculous person and how many people will get impressed by
him. Only on the basis of one or two sūtras, a person becomes a world-
renowned yogī. The prime minister and other world leaders love our yoga,
but I know it very well that, out of hundred-and-ninety-two sūtras, only one
or two sūtras are enough to make someone a world-renowned yogī.
I have pointed out, in our tradition, on the basis of every single sentence of
our very long scriptures, the world can be rejuvenated. Like I said, “Rājyam
paṇyam na kārayet.” The life of a man is the life of a clan. The life of a
nation and country should be developed in a manner that it should not
become an object of trade in the market. So, my message to all the students is
to make their life meaningful. Keep in mind that more engagement should not
arise out of engagement. That motion that does not reach its destination, does
not become fruitful. It is considered significant only when it reaches its
destination. Otherwise, it is considered a misadventure.
I want to put forward a question and then answer it myself. The manners
adopted in the world due to physical measures cannot provide the rest
obtained from the womb of motion. The aeroplane is the first to run on land
for some time so that it can achieve the necessary force and velocity to leave
the land. Then, it can travel through the aerial route. In the same manner, in
our tradition, the engagements are acquired in a way, so that one is able to
achieve its goal. So, whatever is happening today in the name of progress,
has no goal.
If we analyse the life of humans and other living beings and the rules for
their engagements and disengagement, it seems aimless. If only eating,
drinking and enjoyment is the purpose of life, then the principle of deep sleep
is sufficient to spill water over materialism.
Materialistic people all over the world consider this body as ātmā, but
when one needs deep sleep, there must be a feeling of forgetting the body.
When relative objects come in contact with respective senses, the joy derived
is called viṣayajanya ānanda or bliss out of objects. Materialistic people are
in favour of viṣayajanya ānanda. However, when there is a pressure of deep
sleep, one forgets that viṣayānanda and needs sleep as a priority. So, that
science, which is watered down by deep sleep, how long should we stick to
it?
 CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Recognising a Sadguru
Question: It is difficult to understand which guru should be believed. Who is
real and who is not? Is there any way that we can find real knowledge?
Answer: When kula gurus were present, these kinds of problems were not
there. They were tested. Don’t you go by taxi? Do you ever ask the person
who is in the driver’s seat, whether he knows driving or not? Do you ask for a
driving licence? When travelling by train, if somebody asks for the same, that
person will be considered mad. I am saying this as per the modern sights.
You should believe in governance when it comes to the authenticity of a
pilot, taxi driver, etc.
Where can we find the lineage of gurus from the sanātana paramparā?
There could not be a problem in such matters, which we face recently. A
person who has completed intermediate education can only judge the ability
of a person who has completed intermediate or above.
Those who have passed the intermediate level can judge people who have
less ability than an intermediate passed out. The same is applicable for
different levels of educational qualification. The person who duly wishes for
the fruit has to achieve it through particular means. He can understand
whether one can take him to the level of Paramātmā or higher than his own
stand. Let us say that there are five or seven of such kinds. His intellect is so
pure that, by the impression of earlier birth, he is attracted to his guru which
he deserves. I saw a sanyāsī in Delhi for the first time in my life since I left
home. At Ramlila Maidan, there was my guru Svāmī Karapātrī Mahārāja
and Kṛishnabodhashramjī, Śaṅkarācārya of Jośī Maṭha. My elder brother
took me to the meeting and told me that he is Karapātrījī. Having seen him, I
thought that he is my guru. At that moment, I surrendered to him. Even
though I took sanyāsa dīkṣā in 1974.
So, wherever may be the guru, by the austerity and wealth of good deeds,
one is able to find him. Even in the fog, you should not get afraid. Wherever
you are, there is always visibility of ten metres. That is why, if anybody has
done a little bit of austerity or self-control in his earlier birth, he receives the
power as the capital by which he can calculate whether the one is able to take
him to the destination he wishes for.
 CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

The Founder of Hinduism

Question: How old is Hinduism? What is its world ranking as per the
followers? What is Īśvara? Is it very difficult to make an atheist understand
the meaning of visible Bhagavān on earth?
Answer: Bhagavān takes incarnations (avatāras) periodically to establish
dharma. Dharmasaṃsthāpanārthāya saṃbhavāmi yuge yuge but Bhagavān’s
avatāras are not the founders of dharma. It means, when dharma declines, it
is re-established by avatāras. Also, we must understand the meaning of the
decline of dharma. If ninety-nine percent of the people become top-class
liars, then it indicates the decline of truth. When there is a hundred percent of
liars it means there is a complete disappearance of truth.
When dharma declines, greed becomes inexhaustible; glānirbhavati
Bhārata. Bhagavān has said in the fourth chapter of Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā
that he takes avatāra to re-establish dharma.
But dharma is accomplished through Vedas; śāstras are the proofs.
Bhagavān has preached Vedas, but Bhagavān has not created the same. As a
healthy person does not make conscious efforts to breathe, similarly, Vedas
are like a natural breath of Bhagavān.
Bhagavān, who is called Parabrāhma, is without any beginning. Similarly,
Veda, which is called śabda brāhmaṇa, is also without any beginning.
Therefore, there is no founder of dharma. In Brahma sutras, it has been said
that Bhagavān is accomplished through śāstra; ‘śāstra yonitvāt.’ That
Bhagavān who encroaches the limits of śāstra is an inferior Bhagavān, while
the Bhagavān within the limits of Vedas and other śāstra is the real
Bhagavān.
Another meaning of śāstrayonitvāt is—śāstra is expressed through
Bhagavān. As per the first verse of the first chapter of Śrīmad Bhāgavata,
tene brahma hṛdāya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. Here, the meaning of
Brahma is Veda. Bhagavān preaches Vedas to Brahmā. One can contemplate
on the founder of Hinduism according to these aspects. It can be said that
Saccidānanda Svarūpa Sarveśvara establishes dharma at the beginning of the
creation, but that dharma is realised through Vedas.
Dharma does not disappear because what remains useful in every place,
every time, in every situation, and for every person and what is ever-
persistent is known as dharma. That, which proves the usefulness, existence,
and the being of a person or a thing, is dharma. The existence and usefulness
of fire exist until it has heat and light; the power, and usefulness of land exist
with its fragrance; the power and usefulness of water exist with its flavour;
this is the philosophical definition of dharma.
The practical definition of dharma, according to the Manusmṛti, is
practising qualities like self-control, forgiveness, etc. According to Jain
scriptures, it is practising the five vows (pañcaśīla) like non-violence, non-
possession, truth, non-stealing, and celibacy. These vows and qualities are
befitting for human nature. Then, there is varṇa dharma and āśramadharma.
Dharma prescribed for brāhmaṇas is also dharma.
There are two distinctions of dharma—including anuṣṭheya dharma, which
is accomplished by performing rituals like yajña, dāna, tapa. The rituals and
dharma can be accomplished by execution only. The second one is known as
siddha dharma, which is about the properties of an entity. The fragrance is a
property of the earth. Thus, it is the dharma of earth. When the truth is
spoken, only then is satya executed.
It is said that atheism is rising nowadays. It is happening because children
are influenced too much by television, computers and mobile phones. When
these children raise questions and make comments, their parents, who are
incompetent to answer the questions, are unable to give satisfactory replies.
Dr. Lakshmi Gautama, who is the principal of a degree college in
Vrindavan, is a post-graduate in saṃskṛta and holds a doctorate in Hindi and
history. Her daughter is a judge in Ranchi and has a six-year-old daughter.
Once the child was eating food with her left hand. Dr. Gautama asked her to
eat with her right hand on the pretext of me getting annoyed with the act.
Then, the girl asked her about the reason to eat with her right hand. The
professor didn’t have the answer, so she brought the child to me and
requested a solution.
The child said to her that Bhagavān has given two hands and, if he wanted
us to eat with the right hand, then he would have provided us with the right
hand only. Initially, I supported her by saying that Bhagavān has provided us
two eyes too and has not mandated their usage for seeing. She became happy
with my support and, after that, I told her the reason for eating with the right
hand. This example shows that, due to digital intervention and with
smartphones etc., everything is being done nowadays by considering the
body as ātmā. There are questions now which raise objections to dharma.
Why should we continue the varṇa system? Let us save Hindus by intense
intermingling among varṇas.
Even the popular Hindu savers’ parties raise the same slogan. It is their
motto to save Hindus by promoting the intermingling among varṇas. This is
going on now in the name of dharma. They believe that the lack of the
aforesaid intermingling is dangerous for Hinduism. While, actually, this
intermingling is a great danger to Hinduism. To resolve this contradiction,
Bhagavān makes people like us take birth. If you people are competent
enough to resolve all issues, then there is no requirement of us.
I have said earlier too that I have been feeling great pleasure since the time
that I have started interactions with the scientists. The scientists may be
Christians or Muslims too, but they have always listened to me with great
interest as if they are listening to those words for the first time.
There has not been even the slightest hint of boredom. That is why
sanātana dharma is useful for all the people under all circumstances during
all the times at the levels of philosophy, science and practicality.
To prove the usefulness of sanātana dharma, it should be deliberated on
the levels of the study of scriptures (Śṛti), application of logic (yukti), and
reflections on one’s own inner experience (anubhūti).
 CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Mind, Intellect, Ego and Consciousness

Question: There is ego present everywhere from Nārāyaṇa Bhagavāna to
mahatattva. It is also included in antaḥkaraṇa catuṣṭaya as the mind,
intellect, memory and ego. Could you please guide us to understand these
things properly?
Answer: It is the principle of Sāṅkhya philosophy, which yogīs have accepted
in their own way, that the avyakta, which they call prakṛti or pradhāna,
Vedanta philosophers call it māyā in their own way. Its first effect is called
mahatattva. Its importance is established as intellect is in our life. If you want
to know about mahatattva, then you should try to understand the activity of
your own intelligence. The function of the individual intellect is ahaṃtattva
due to which ego is present in our life. Similarly, they have five subtle
elements (tanmātrās) and five gross elements (mahābhūtas).
These are five elements of the universes. This gross body of yours and
mine is the aggregation of these five elements in different proportions.
Similarly, the trees are also the aggregation of these five elements in different
proportions.
According to Sāṅkhya theory, there are sixteen modifications (vikṛtis);
among them, five are sense organs, five are organs of action and the mind is
also included in it. So, in our life too, we have one mind, five senses and five
work organs. So, there is a oneness between the individual and the whole. To
understand the whole, the individual has been constructed.
To understand the state of creation, we study the waking state. To
understand the science of the origin of the creation, we should study the
dream state. To understand the dissolution of the creation, we should study
the deep sleep state. Mind (mana), intellect (buddhi), memory (citta) and ego
(ahaṃkāra) are known as antaḥkaraṇa catuṣṭaya—the four instruments of
inner consciousness.
Within our subtle body, we all have a mind, an intellect, a memory, and an
ego, commonly known as antaḥkaraṇa. Karaṇa means tool. If we think from
the viewpoint of sāṅkhyas and yogīs, antaḥkaraṇa has only three parts. First
is intelligence, which is also called mahatattva as a whole. Another is ego,
and the last is mind. Citta is left, which they consider among these three only.
Citta is not a separate element in sāṅkhya and yoga philosophy.
Yoga is the restraint of the fluctuations of the mind. They (yogīs) recognise
citta and recognise its use as well but consider only three parts to
consciousness. They consider it as one of the twenty-four discernments of
non-intimate objects (anātma vāstu). Bhagavāna Śrī Kṛṣṇa also said so in the
twelfth chapter of Śrīmadbhagvat Gītā. He took citta as one word for both
mind and intelligence.
The function of the mind is determination and choice. Whether a task
should be done or not, it is a determination and choice. The function of
intelligence is decision making. The function of citta is memory. The
function of the ego is pride. I am wealthy, popular, knowledgeable, there is
nobody like me, etc. are examples of the effects of ego. This pride also has a
distinction in sāttvika, rājasika and tāmasika. If someone knows himself as
brāhmaṇa, then his whole life should be followed according to that specific
prescription given in the scriptures. It applies to other Vedic segmentation
also with its recommended Vedic prescription. It is the positive use of pride.
On the other hand, being brāhmaṇa, if he scorns everyone, it is the misuse of
pride. Hanumāna tells himself, “I feel proud for being a servant of Śrī Rāma
and Śrī Rāma is my master.” Similarly, pride also has two types of use, easy
and difficult. So, pride is the symbol of ahaṃtattva only.
According to Vedanta, the subtle five elements are the cause for the mind,
intelligence, citta and ego, and their formation. In Vedanta, a subtle body,
which also contains antaḥkaraṇa, is made out of these elements. Sāṅkhya
explains it differently. According to nyāya philosophy, the mind and related
consciousness is not the modification of elements.
 CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Mūrti Pūjā
Question: Should mūrti pūjā of saints (santas) be done?
Answer: Whether you want an analysis of religion based on its principle
(siddhānta) or the lack of siddhānta, please let me know this first. If you
forego siddhānta, will things progress or deteriorate? If dharma will expand,
should it expand within the realms of its siddhānta or out of it?
There is a famous bābā coming to the picture now. He became popular
after his demise. He is accepted by multiple religions. His temples are formed
in different locations and most of his followers are Hindus. Why do you not
tell ārya samājīs to keep a mūrti of that saint you mentioned, in their
temples? Why do not you expect the same thing from Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs,
Parsis, Jews and Muslims?
Do not consider Hindus weak. In the clan in which he was born, was it a
Muslim clan or Hindu clan? If it was a Muslim clan, there is no mūrti pūjā
accepted there. You respect him. That is a different aspect. If a married
woman who is chaste calls a gathering of all other women and tells them,
“only my husband can be your husband,” isn’t this madness? Your husband is
adorable to you, make his mūrti, worship him, give him bhoga, nobody is
stopping you. Now, if you tell your friend that, I will consider you my friend
only if you worship my husband, isn’t this madness?
There is a limit. Whom should we call Īśvara? The mūrtis of Vaśiṣṭha,
Vyāsa, etc. are not established. Were they inferior to the saint that you are
referring to? We have a principle as Saccidānanda Svarūpa Sarveśvara, who
manifested himself at the start of the kalpa as Sūrya, Brahmā, etc. for the
creation of the cosmos. To serve as the preserver, he was manifested as Viṣṇu
and, to serve as the destroyer, he was manifested as Śiva. In the same way, as
the controller, He manifests as Śakti. To fulfil desire, He manifests as
Gaṇapati. Like all the five fingers come from the same palm, similarly, this
Saccidānanda Svarūpa Sarveśvara gets himself manifested as five devas.
 These five devas and their incarnations are accepted by the Vedas. Only
they can be established and worshipped in temples of sanātana dharma as an
idol. Is diversion from this eternal practice anarchic or propagation of
dharma? Is anarchy the same as śraddhā?
Another thing is, who believes in mūrti pūjā? Nyāyāyikas, vaiśeṣikas
followers of the Quran do not believe in mūrti pūjā. Do supporters of the
Bible believe in mūrti pūjā? Do seśvara sāṅkhyavādī or yogīs believe in
mūrti pūjā? The answer is no. Who has established murti pūjā? Whose
Bhagavān is the creator and creation, both? Whose Bhagavān is the creator of
the cosmos or who is created also? Our Bhagavān is the maker as well as
matter. Bhagavān takes incarnation directly because he is both a material
cause and an instrumental cause.
So, this is the summit of darśana. The faith in which that saint believed,
was it according to the above faith? Can they prove him to be both, the
material and the instrumental cause? I have visited his birthplace as well.
That is why propagation of any kind of siddhānta or dharma is unacceptable.
It is like the fundamental rights in the constitution. You can improvise while
keeping its preservation in mind.
So, whose mūrti shall be established or not, it shall be in accordance with
the principles of sanātana dharma. There was not only one such person, there
were thousands of them. What will happen if you establish all of them in
temples? Another thing is, if somebody establishes my mūrti and worships it,
it is difficult to say for how long my mūrti will remain as Īśvara.
But the true Paramātmā, whose mūrti is established in
temples with traditional methods (paramparā), the feeling towards him will
be constant for generations. If you go to Swargashrama or Mainpuri today,
there is a lot of lands on which the āśrama was built. They created samādhi
place and keep creating it for gurus in the lineage. Now, if a new guru dies,
they have to break the samādhi of an old guru. That is why vandalism,
anarchy, and deviation from principles is not the propagation of dharma.
I talk from a philosophical standpoint. I do not oppose anybody to the
extent that he gets popularised. Now, whatever I said, what action can you
take against this? Even if you go to the Supreme Court, it will be opined that
it is not proper to disrupt one’s faith. Now, if you tell other religions to burn a
dead body, will they agree? No. If we have to propagate Gītā, should it be
done by going against its principles? That’s why, we are ready to accept
anybody, but does it mean disrupting our principles?
We are ready to accept others, but that does not mean that we will do it in
the bargain of our principles. Today, there is one Īśvara, tomorrow another.
That is not Īśvara-like. So, is it not a disrespect to Īśvara? Make fifty
Śaṅkarācāryas and make them roam around, whatever they say. Isn’t this
disrespecting the truth?
Propagation of any principle (siddhānta), should not be done at the cost of
others. So, this is not the imagination of the mind. Now, you must think and
decide.
 CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

My Reasons for Sanyāsa

Question: What made Purī Pīṭhādhīśvara Svāmī Niścalānanda Sarasvatī
Mahārāja take Sanyāsa?
Answer: With the unity of Luv, Kush and Hanumānaī, the construction of
Rāma Temple will start. My beloved Subramaniam Swamy, helped me in the
protection of Rāma Setu. Keeping emotions aside, without contacting us, by
proposing the construction of a mosque at another end of Saryu, he raised the
spirit of those people.
Bhagavāna Rāma is in a tent because of me. I am the instrument. He is the
cause.
I will tell you a secret. While leaving the home, whatever pledge is taken
while walking on this path, becomes strong. Vibhīṣaṇa came and Bhagavān
Rāma and declared, “Oh king of Laṅkā! You are promulgated as ruler of
Lanka.” At that time, the war was not even won. Vibhīṣaṇa said, “Prathama
kachuka vāsanā rahī! Earlier, I wanted to be Lankesh but, after coming in
contact with your feet, vāsanā (desires) have been drowned.” What
Bhagavān said in reply, “Mama icchā! It is my wish that you become the
king of Lanka.”
Disturbed by the words of his stepmother and the bad treatment by his
father, Dhruv went to his mother. His mother asked him to obey the penance.
The desire to have a kingdom faded away. Even after having met the
Bhagavān, one who walks on this path, the desire at that time becomes
binding. It is bound to be fructified.
I will tell you the secret of Vedanta. If earlier someone wanted wealth, and
after coming in contact with Vedantins, he started listening to Vedanta. He
gave up the rituals intended for material accomplishments (anuṣṭhāna) which
are required for fulfilling that desire. It is by leaving pravṛtti mārga that one
comes to Vedantamārga. So, the fruit of listening and contemplating on
Vedanta would be, without the required instruments to complete the process,
that the particular desire would be fulfilled first.
I was a student of Tibya College High Secondary School, Delhi, and was
pondering on some mathematics problems while strolling on the roof of my
house in the evening during the navarātra festival. At the back, some
Garhwali brāhmaṇas were doing Rāma-līlā. I was neither the listener, nor the
speaker, nor the audience. A voice of somebody crying came over the sound
system. As I was strolling on the third floor, I guessed that Bhagavān Rāma
was going to the forest and Mahārāja Daśaratha was crying. I stopped
strolling and thought, my Īṣṭa Devatā, Bhagavān Rāma, went to the forest for
fourteen years to guard the principles. So, what kind of devotee am I? The
words of Rāma-līlā came to me and I was neither the audience nor the
listener and was not present there either. Then, a thought came to me and I
left home. To get that knowledge with which I could get myself free from the
eternal cycle of birth and death. With the grace of Bhagavān Sūrya, whom I
consider my guru, I knew that in Delhi.
I decided—Bhagavān Rāma, you spent fourteen years, my remaining life is
dedicated to your path to guard the Sanātana principles. So what kind of
devotee am I? Then, my family was doing their chores. A cloth was hanging,
I moved away, taking that, and today I am on the seat of Śaṅkarācārya. I did
not leave to become Śaṅkarācārya but, with the inspiration of Rāma, I went
to fulfil his task. Now, having met Bhagavān maybe even seventy-five times,
that resolution for which I left home and became a bābā was fulfilled.
The reason behind leaving my birthplace was to get the knowledge of
Brahma and the target behind becoming a bābā was to protect the sanātana
principles. That is why no power in this world can stop the construction of
the Rāma Mandira. Everybody is petrified. For hundreds of years, a country
may remain colonised, but the country doesn’t lose its right to become
independent. During our colonisation period, with an anarchic and inhuman
attitude, our principles were targeted.
In independent Bhārata, to protect our principles, the Mandira of
Bhagavān Rāma would only be built and nobody can tell us to forego this
right of ours.
 CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Dharma Is Not Religion

Question: Can the term dharma be translated as ‘religion?’
Answer: Sanātana Vedic ārya ṛṣis gave the science of theology, economics,
kāma śāstra, mokṣaśāstra, nīti śāstra, medicine science, astrology,
mathematics, vāstu science, etc. to the world. The science of traditional food,
clothing, housing, education, health, transportation, festivals, defence,
service, justice, marriage, etc. is the most acceptable science in the world.
Nobody can challenge these. Rather, either secretly or openly, they follow
them.
Neither current nor the previous governments of India were capable
enough to let Indian knowledge flourish. They are weak and this is the
diplomacy of the Britishers. Who are those who proclaim that dharma is a
fraud—communists? Who else? Who did you find? Maybe you have met
some apologetic Hindus. They themselves are unaware of dharma. None of
the serious thinkers will call dharma a fraud.
Communism is also an ideology, and its followers are called communists.
They do not believe in dharma and spirituality, but even they have principles.
So, only a person who has trust in those principles can be called a
communist. Another thing is that religion is not an exact translation of
dharma. You cannot understand dharma by exploring religion. Dharma has
so widely been defined and implemented in our region that it cannot be
translated by any other words.
There is no word like dharma in the Bible and Quran. Jains, Buddhists and
Sikhs have derived from sanātana Vedic dharma and added it to their books.
So, what is fraud? Solar eclipse and lunar eclipse. How old is the knowledge
of solar and lunar eclipse? All this knowledge can be collected from Vedic
literature. Present-day scientists cannot explain this even after spending
millions of dollars. Yet, we can tell when samudramanthan took place. On
the basis of Purāṇa and itihāsa (history), we can calculate this, and we can
tell how old the solar eclipse is and how old is the lunar eclipse. We can even
tell the age of the earth in this kalpa and the total age of the earth as well.
What is the total age of water, fire, air, or space? How many universes are
there? If you ask these questions to those who consider dharma as fraud, they
won’t be able to answer any of this.
Even present-day scientists won’t be able to answer these questions. We
can answer all these.
So, any rational person will not consider dharma as a fraud. The principles
of the realisation of Paramātmā is known as dharma. Who will call this
fraud? The principles of excellence pertaining to this world hereafter and the
attainment of divinity are known as dharma. If you call it a fraud, then it’s a
challenge to all present scientists to perform a single physical development
with respect to this world. Forget attainment of divinity, you can destroy the
world in the name of worldly development, but this is not even worldly
excellence.
Now, even the western world is accepting our concepts. The way that
development has been defined and implemented, it has become the source of
the explosion. So, even cosmic excellence can be achieved by dharma only.
There is no other way to achieve it. Dharma is the source of divine brilliance
as well. Dharma also leads to the path of attainment of divinity. Nobody
would call it a fraud.
Well, what is the dharma of the eyes? Their dharma is to look at things. Is
it also a fraud? Can you use the nose to see things? There was a suggestion
from the Odisha administration related to samudra ārati (pūjā ritual done for
the ocean). Our people have been doing samudra ārati every year for the last
eleven years. The annual celebration is on pauṣa pūrṇimā. The state
administration informed us that the place where this annual samudraārati is
performed is not suitable because of traffic conditions. They suggested a
place two kilometres away from the regular place. A delegation was sent by
the state government to me.
Do you know what my reply to them was? Both our eyes are not at the
proper place. The proper place for the eyes is the chest. So, the Odisha
government should first place these eyes on their chest. Nobody had any
answer to this. The chest has more area than the face. The eyes are suitably
placed on the face only. Who can say that this is a fraud? If the one who
made eyes, didn’t have proper knowledge that eyes should be placed on the
chest, what would have happened then? What is the dharma of the eyes? To
see. Is that a fraud? What is the dharma of ears? To listen? What is the
dharma of earth? It is smell (gandha). The dharma of water is taste (rasa).
The dharma of fire is formed (rūpa). The dharma of air is touch (sparsh).
The dharma of space is sound (śabda).
None of these people could stand in front of these principles. Those who
say all this is a fraud, are frauds themselves.
 CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

Widow’s Right to Kanyādāna

Question: Can a widow do kanyādāna?
Answer: A widow can certainly do kanyādāna. Why can’t she? Isn’t she the
mother of the girl? She has lost her husband, that is why she is a widow. But
the widow has a daughter, so she has the right to do it. Is the mother herself
not a kanyā? I guess no one here is a eunuch (kinnara).
You should read Garbhopaniśad. Among husband and wife, if the wife is
more radiant, then a girl is born. If the husband is more radiant, then a boy is
born. If both are radiant, then either twin will be born, or the child will be
transgender. It is there in another Upaniṣad, also in Mahābhārata—Śānti
Parva. This fact is also mentioned by Vācaspati Miśra, the author of
Bhāmati.
Our body, be it of man or woman, consists of six dhātus in equal measure.
What are these dhātus? This body is also called annamaya koṣa and also
ṣāṭkauśika. The author of Bhāmati has written about it and it is also present in
Upaniṣads. Śakuntalā means made up of six dhātus. The body, be it of a man
or a woman, consists of six dhātus in equal measure. The first three dhātus
are borne in our body from our mother. So, the body anyways has a mother
present in it. The first three dhātus are borne from the gross body of the
mother. The other three dhātus are borne from the father.
For this, you should read the Upaniṣads and the Mahābhārata, the
conversation of Śakuntalā with her husband, Duśyanta, where she spoke to
him with much anger. Read that as well. That is why it is mentioned in the
Mahābhārata that if a son is born, then the husband should think his wife is
equal to his mother because, through her, he has manifested himself as his
son. She is not only the mother of her son but also gives birth to her husband
in this particular form. Through the husband, the wife manifests herself as her
son.
Kanyādāna, when the word kanyā is used, then it is conjoint of both father
and mother. If both are present in her, then, from the view of philosophy
(darśana) and ritual (karmakāṇḍa), she has the right to do kanyādāna. Our
karmakāṇḍa is derived from darśana only. The daughter is born not only due
to the father but due to her mother as well. Similarly, the son is born not only
due to his father but due to her mother as well. Hence, both have the right to
do kanyādāna.
 CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

Origin of Maṭha
Question: You are the head of the Govardhana maṭha, which is the world’s
oldest maṭha. Could you please tell us about the origins and development of
the traditions of maṭha in Bhārata?
Answer: On the historical surface, as per the Vedic literature, the original
ancestor of all living beings is Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, who is also the teacher of
everyone. All the lineages originate from him and he is our first Īṣṭa (desired
Īśvara) as well as our first teacher.
Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, who appeared in the year 507 BCE, was the tenth in
the tradition of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān. He observed that the Vyāsa
pīṭha (dhārmika court) and the governance system were in the grip of the
non-Vedic people in India. So, what did he do then? It is the responsibility of
the sages to purify the knowledge, wisdom, and science, distorted through the
course of time. It was the requirement to express the same that had gone
extinct due to the passage of time by rediscovering it through consummate
meditation.
First, Bhagavān Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya purified the wisdom and science
with the help of the sacred texts which had been distorted by Buddhists and
others. He re-established the extinct wisdom and science with the help of his
prodigious mind. Then, he observed that the governance system was out of
trail without the Vedic principles. So, for its refinement, he expanded the role
of Kumārila Bhaṭṭa. He rekindled the faith of the king Sudhanvā who, despite
being from the tradition of Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira, had turned into a
Buddhist. Ādi Śaṅkarācārya anointed him the emperor of Bhārata through
the Vedic principles.
To establish Bhārata as the spiritual capital of the world, he honoured the
four dhāmas (dhārmika sites) on the basis of Yogaśikhopaniśad and other
sacred texts. In the east, Govardhana Dhāma at Purī, which itself is a
pilgrimage centre; in the south, Rāmeśvaram Dhāma; Dvārakā dhāma in the
west; and Badrinath Dhāma in the north. On the basis of the
yogaśikhopaniṣad, he established four Āmnāya pīṭhas or seats connected to
the four dhāmas so that Vedas, Vedic literature and Vedic people can be safe.
He established Govardhana maṭha in the east with ṚgVeda as its Veda.
On the philosophical level, Brahmā has four faces—out of his eastern face,
the ṚgVeda; southern face, the Yajurveda; western face, the Sāma Veda; and
northern face, the Atharvaveda are expressed. So, Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya
established the Pūrvāmnāya Govardhana maṭha in Puruṣottama Kṣetra,
Purī, by this order. You would feel happy to know that earlier, when it was
not easy to have the viewing (darśana) of Jagannātha and others, during the
regimes of iconoclasts for hundred-and-forty-four years, he honourably re-
established the idols (vigrahas) and instated his first disciple
Padmapādācārya as the first Jagadguru Śaṅkarācārya while declaring Purī,
as the spiritual capital.
He established a pīṭha connected to Rāmeśvaram in Sringeri (now in
Karnataka) with Yajurveda as its Veda, a pīṭha in Dvārakāwith SāmaVeda as
its Veda and a pīṭha connected to Badrinath in Jyotirmaṭha (known as
Joshimaṭha) with Atharvaveda as its Veda. He instated his four disciples as
four the Jagadguru Śaṅkarācāryas and gave them four separate parts of the
world.
In this way, the governance system controlled by dharma should be eternal,
impartial, and free of exploitation. Now, I would like to tell you that I am the
hundred-and-forty-fifth Jagadguru Śaṅkarācārya of the Govardhan pīṭha,
Padmapādācārya was the first one and I am the hundred-and-fifty-fifth after
Śrīmannārāyaṇa.
When Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya was twenty-four years of age, he instated his
first disciple as the Śaṅkarācārya of Śrī Govardhana Maṭha. Keeping this
view in mind, the duration of my seat has been two-thousand-five-hundred
years on this vaiśākha śukla daśamī and in this kalpa the guruparampara
(tradition) from Śrīman Nārāyaṇahas been continuing for 1,97,29,49,117
years. So, our guru parampara in this kalpa is of 1,97,29,49,117 years and
the tradition from the first Śaṅkarācārya, who was incarnated in year 507
BCE, is of two-thousand-five-hundred years or more.
Buddhists copied our scriptures and created vihāras where their monks
used to live and propagate their ideas. Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya noticed this
copying and established maṭhas. Though it was not the emulation of
Buddhists, it was as per the ancient sacred scriptures that he founded the four
pīṭhas. There are details of Mukti Maṇḍapa Nyāyapīṭha in Varanasi in
Bhasmajāvālopaniṣad. You will be surprised to know that the Mukti
Maṇḍapa was also established by him in Purī in connection with the four
pīṭhas so that the scholars of the Mukti Maṇḍapa could provide solutions to
dharma-related queries and problems arising within their jurisdiction, under
the guidance of Śaṅkarācārya, which is a tradition of the maṭha. It is the
brilliance of Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya that he established the maṭhas in the east
and the west on the seashore and the maṭhas in north and south in mountain
ranges. If you read the details of seven islands as per the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, and
Śrīmad Bhāgavata then you will realise this. The islands were divided on the
basis of the names of mountains, trees, vegetation and water bodies which are
very important in terms of the environment.
He divided śrauta sanyāsa (renunciation) into ten divisions according to
the place, time and, situation which are fantastic in themselves. There are
both spiritual and practical aspects to it. The names of the sanyāsīs affiliated
with the Govardhana maṭha are vana (forest) and araṇya (big forest) what
you all call surname today.
Though the meaning of Vana and Araṇya is same, the Vana Parva in the
Mahābhārata constitutes the Araṇya Parva. Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya wanted
that all the forests and forest dwellers should be secure under the leadership
of Vana and Araṇya named sanyāsīs.
Similarly, he established sanyāsīs in the name of Sarasvatī, Bhāratī, and
Purī in Sringeri, in the south. Sarasvatī and Bhāratī have the same meaning
but he established the tradition of sanyāsīs in the name of Sarasvatī and
Bhāratī so that there should not be lack of direction in lower, medium, and
higher types of educational institutions; education policy without ethics and
spirituality should not be there and people against dharma should not make
inroads there. He established the tradition of sanyāsīs in the name of Purī so
that our purīs - the holy pilgrimage cities, should not become directionless.
Āśrama and Tīrtha named sanyāsīs were installed at Dvārakā pīṭha in the
west. Tīrthasanyāsīs was given the responsibility of keeping the pilgrimage
centres safe from the insanity and immorality of unwanted elements. He
established the order of Āśrama namedsanyāsī to keep our sanyāsīs and
maṭhas safe and to save the same from the lack of direction. In the north, he
established the order of Giri, Parvat, and Sāgara sanyāsīs. A hill is known as
giri and a mountain is called a parvat.
Our hills, forests and their dwellers should be safe. Anarchists, foreigners,
and non-religious people should not succeed in their designs and must not
infiltrate our borders. As you know, a few years back some terrorists came
through the sea to Mumbai and wreaked havoc. Bhagavān Ādi Śaṅkarācārya
was wise to establish the order of Sāgara named sanyāsī to maintain the
security of our sea and ocean and the creatures and other stuff inside the
same. There are thorium deposits at the Rāma Setu at Rameswaram. So, the
sea, creatures, maritime boundary, other stuff like gems, etc., and people
living on the seacoast should be secure.
So, in brief, Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya decided Devī, Devatā, Tīrtha. etc. for
each maṭha and established the pīṭhas for the safety of entire sanātana Vedic
literature and principles. In the interest of the world, he gave the definition of
healthy politics, which is the creation of well-cultured, well-educated, secure,
prosperous, service-oriented, and healthy individuals and society. The
definition of divine politics is mentioned in the scriptures written by Śrī Ādi
Śaṅkarācārya which I have summed up. He demonstrated that which should
be done in a transition period; he selected healthy, good, revolutionary, and
spiritual sages; gave them suitable training and employed them on different
fronts.
Ādi Śaṅkarācārya did the works of selection, training, and employment of
people in the workplace during the life span of thirty-two years only. He
accomplished a great feat in a very short time frame. Today, we can easily
visit Badarinath as he played a role in the same. Paśupatinātha in Nepal and
Rāmeśvaram were not in the form of a Śiva Liṅga, he instated the same.
Visiting Dvārakādhīśa was not easy then due to the iconoclasts—as they
have broken many of our Bhagavān’s mūrtis—he established Dvārakādhīśa
again.
He enriched Vedic literature and he established spiritual sages as
Jagadguru Śaṅkarācārya through the disciplines of maṭhas so that the
government machinery which is eternal, impartial, and free of exploitation,
mass welfare-oriented and controlled by dharma should be easily available to
Bhārata and the world.
 CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

Reason behind Touching Our Ears

Question: Why do we hold our ears for an apology?
Answer: Nowadays, people say kāna garama karo (warm the ears) in the
sense of punishment. This is entirely wrong. What is the meaning of holding
the ears with hands? Our body consists of pilgrimages related to earth, water,
fire, air, and space. The earthly pilgrimages are in the outside world as well
as inside.
Vārun is pilgrimage related to water; āgneya stands for pilgrimage related
to fire; vāyavya is pilgrimage related to air. These ears are senses to manifest
the sound. Through them, the sound is heard. These ear senses are made of
one-fourth part of the space element. It is the area of manifestation of these
spaces. The space is limited by the ears according to naiyāyikas (followers of
nyāya philosophy). They consider space only as a sense of hearing.
Brāhmaṇa, kṣatrīya, vaiśya—who bear the sacred thread (yajñopavīta),
when going for nature calls, then they bind the yajñopavīta to the ear. Since
this is a pilgrimage related to space, the yajñopavīta is bound to this. The
common principle is that it is not unchaste. If any small mistake is
committed, or sinful act pāpa is committed, its remorse can be done by
holding the ears.
 CHAPTER FIFTY

Should One Believe In Palmistry?

Question: Should we trust the kuṇḍali and the lines on our palms?
Answer: The first thing, do you not have lines on your palms? One has to
admit the existence of these. Do you admit this or not? Now, the point is,
whether these lines speak something or not. People who know this say that
these lines speak something. Like telegram officials, tāra bābu (telegram
officials), used to know what was the meaning of the sound ‘kat kat.’
Policemen change words and keep secret code words like puṣpa, etc. On that
basis, they keep checking and changing the words so that nobody can copy
them.
There are people who can read these. I am not talking about the snobs and
frauds. Those who have the requisite knowledge, can read these. The palm
lines of Parvati were made to read by Nārada as per Rāmacarita Mānasa.
So, these lines are very important, and some people can actually read these.
You must be aware of rekhā-gaṇita, or geometry. Geometry is called rekhā-
gaṇita in Hindi. In saṃskṛta also, it is rekhā-gaṇita. Once you become an
engineer, this is all about geometry. What is a map after all? Somebody must
have made a map of this building.
The owner of this property must have an idea in his mind and the
architects, engineers, and practitioners of vāstu-śāstra must have understood
his ideas and transformed those as per their knowledge. This building must
not have been built all of a sudden. Wasn’t this made on paper through lines?
Wasn’t a map made first? There must be masons who could interpret that and
under the guidance of supportive engineers—the masons made it in this form.
So, engineers know how to draw the lines and masons can read those. Isn’t a
diagram of a bridge made before the bridge is built?
So, people who can read this diagram, on its basis, are able to tell the past,
present and future with accuracy. If there is no line on the forehead, it means
he hadn’t done worship in his past life. His worship has vanished. Someone
has a straight Vaiṣṇava line on his head naturally; someone has three lines
(tripuṇḍa) naturally, like him sitting in front. Through all these, the people
who can read can make out that it is for Bhagavāna Viṣṇu. The people who
worship Śakti, have the mark of a bindi.
All these lines can convey secret information but the person reading these
should be a specialist. Fraudsters are different, they can enter every field, but
jyotiṣa is great science.
 CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

Is Gautama Buddha one of the Daśāvatāras?

Question: Since when has Gautama Buddha been counted among our
avatāras?
Answer: The avatāra of Buddha happens in a brāhmaṇa or kṣatrīya family
and not in any other family as per the Buddhist sacred texts as well. The ten
avatāras of Bhagavān Vṣṇu are acceptable to Sanātanis. Of these ten, two are
forest dwellers, two water dwellers, four brāhmaṇas and two kṣatrīyas—this
is the series.
The forest dwellers—Bhagavān Narasiṃha, Bhagavān Varāha; the water
dwellers—Matsya (divine fish) and the Kūrma (tortoise); this becomes four.
Four incarnations of Bhagavān Vṣṇu are accepted in brāhmaṇa families. The
first is Bhagavān Vāmana, the second is Bhagavān Parśurāma, the third is
Bhagavān Buddha, and the fourth is Bhagavān Kalki.
Two are accepted in kṣatrīya families—Bhagavān Śrī Rāma Bhadra and
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Candra.
When we consider Śrī Kṛṣṇa as Nand ke ānanda (son of Nanda), then we
consider him as a trader (vaiśya). He is a kṣatrīya by birth, but he was
brought up in the house of Nanda, the caste of Nanda bābā was vaiśya. Thus,
Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is also called gvāla—cow herder. Duī vanacara duī vāri
cara, cāra vipra eka gvāla. Tulasī raghuvara lāla binu, ko kari sakata nihāla.
This is the translation of a verse in saṃskṛta. In the sacred texts of
Tulasidāsa, this promise is not there. Now, as per the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa, it is
believed that Bhagavān Buddha will descend in a brāhmaṇa family. His
place has been described in Śrīmad Bhāgavata as kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati. It has
been said that Bhagavān Buddha will incarnate in the Kīkaṭa area. The word
Kīkaṭa has been used in ṛk veda. It is said to be a region or a special country
in the Sāyaṇa Bhāṣya, but as per the commentary or annotation of Śrīmad
Bhāgavata by the great Śrīdhar Svāmī, the area of Gaya is known as Kīkaṭa.
 The pictures of Gautama Buddha which we find currently are as per his
description given in Agni Purāṇa. As you talked of the time period, it is
famous that a Buddhist known as Amar Singh wrote Amara Koṣa. He
cleverly wrote the names of Gautama Buddha and Bhagavān Buddha of
sanātanis together. He used some words as a divider in between which
people fail to focus on. Another reason for the confusion is that the gotra of
both Buddhas was Gautama.
The Buddha incarnated in kṣatrīya clan prior to which the Buddha who
incarnated in brāhmaṇa clan. We have mūrtis of Daśāvatāras (ten avatāras)
also. Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya himself has written a verse on Daśāvatāra.
Who is Gautama Buddha? He was born in the kṣatrīya clan with Gautama
Gotra. But Buddha was of brāhmaṇa family, whom we believe to be an
incarnation (avatāra) of Bhagavān Viṣṇu.
Buddhists have the belief that there is no ever-present (nitya siddha) God.
Buddha, by sādhana (sādhana siddha), has also been there, who too
incarnates from time to time. They do not believe in God at all. Through an
instrument, a jīva gains siddhi (accomplishment) after many births during the
passage of
time—that accomplished man incarnates as Buddha at times. This is the
belief of the Buddhists. So, there is varṇa based difference between the two.
There is a region-based difference; here Kīkaṭa means Gaya area.
We have also found a village where there is a very old statue of Buddha.
The sanātanis were even sentenced to death with the support of the Buddhists
in front of the British. The people of that village will come to meet me soon.
We are going to send a message to the Dalai Lama that you be satisfied with
the Gautama Buddha who was born in a kṣatrīya clan in Nepal.
Please do not oppose our Buddha who was born in the brāhmaṇa clan. The
Dalai Lama has great faith in me and is also in touch with me. From that
point of view, there is a difference between the varṇas, the time periods and
the places of birth of the two; according to the present time, the birthplace of
one is in India, and the birthplace of the other is Nepal, but their gotra is
same. The description of our Buddha, as per the Agni Purāṇa, has been
imitated by these Buddhists. Writing the names of both together in Amara
Koṣa is a reason for misunderstanding. There are some such divisions of
thirteen or seven; I have written about it in ten pages on the topic.
The thousand and eighty page biography of great Bhagavatpāda Ādi
Śaṅkarācārya, published by us, contains the answer to your question in ten
pages. Therefore, there is a distinction between the two Buddhas, but there is
also a similarity in the view of the gotra. Chalayasi is written in our
Daśāvatāra, which has been written by Jayadev. It has been told even in
Śrīmad Bhāgavata too that, in order to confuse and separate the unauthorised
person who had joined the yajña, Bhagavān Buddha expressed that there is
nothing in the yajña. With the intention of keeping scripture sanctioned, the
yajña purified and the performance of the yajña by authorised persons only.
He separated by telling the path of yama, niyama and yoga. So, as the
incarnation of Mohini was taken for deception… Chala kari ṭāreu tāsu brata
Prabhu sura kāraja kīnha.
…Bhagavān has to take the support of deceit also sometimes, for the
accomplishment of divine work, and for the protection of Ārya culture as
done by taking on the incarnation of Mohini. Similarly, to remove Devaraj
Īndra’s pride, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa got Govardhana worshipped. There in the
Bhāgavata, it seems Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mind is like that of atheists, but the intention
behind that is to remove the pride, to remove the arrogance of Devarāja
Īndra.
Similarly, the purpose of the incarnation of Buddha was that those who did
not agree to the discussion of authority-non-authority in Vedic dharma and
participated unauthorised in yajña performed with mantras were given a path
to separate pure yajña from them. It was to their benefit too—related to
yama, niyama, āsana and prāṇāyāma. They should benefit with desired piety,
non-violence, etc. and our yajna with eternal traditions should prosper from
classical view.
 CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

Why is milk offered to the Śiva Liṅga?

Question: What is the basis for offering milk to the Śiva Liṅga?
Answer: Why do you take milk? After taking birth, do you eat halvā, oranges
and apples, or do you take milk? Like you, we too have crossed the same
stage. What is our first diet after we are born? Is it not mothers’ milk? Or is it
snacks? If you make a newborn taste salty snack, the little child will spit it
out. One gets used to snacks later in life.
Be it a goat, an animal, or a man, the first habit is to take milk. Milk is very
good, so are cow’s milk, ghī butter, pañcagavya, etc. So, the material that is
mentioned in the worship of Bhagavān Śiva is prescribed for certain reasons.
So, we all offer milk to divine Bhagavān Śiva.
Bhagavān is pleased with this specific offering. Is it not Bhagavān who is
giving milk to everyone, whether there is an ocean of milk (kṣīra sāgara) or
not? Who is the centre of all the milk? Does electricity come from a
powerhouse or not? It is the reservoir because of which we have water
coming from the taps.
So, to express gratitude towards him, who is giving milk to everyone, the
one who is the owner of the sea of milk. He provides milk to every child
through his mother. It may be called a symbol of gratitude from our side.