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God
Vijayananda J
Krishna Kadiri
1st May 2013

Agenda

Opinions and Questions around God

Definition and Qualities of God
Pramana for God (What is not Pramana for
God)?
Answers to some basic problems
Paramatma and Sadhana
Paramatma and Moksha

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Paramatma

What is your idea of God?

List your questions on God

Example: Does Paramatma have one nose or two noses?

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Common Opinions, arguments

God cannot be seen, heard or even experienced. So he does not exist.

Can God create a stone that He cannot lift? If yes, He is not allpowerful. If no, He is not all-capable.
If God is merciful, why are there tsunamis, earthquakes and such
disasters, in which innocent people die?
If God is merciful, why are his devotees in trouble? Did Pandavas not
suffer for such a long time? Prahlada etc.
I am devoted to God. But another person is more successful. If God
existed, he will help me only. Therefore God does not exist.
God likes goodness and devotion. If you are good to others and do not
harm others, it is sufficient. No need for AchAraNe.

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Common Opinions, arguments ... contd.

God may be all-powerful but His avataras are not. See, Rama cried
when he did not find Seeta. He had to depend on Hanuman and other
monkeys for help.
All Gods Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, Indra etc. are different forms of the
same God.
Shiva is the real God
There is no ONE real God. Each God just plays his role.
It is not He, but a She. Adi-shakti is the mother of Brahma, Vishnu and
Shiva. She created them. She is the real Goddess.
God does not have any form. It (not He or She) is nirAkAra.
God is pure energy and consciousness. It does not have any qualities
nirguNa.

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Common Opinions, arguments ... contd.

Why did God create? What was his purpose? Did he have
some lacuna before creating us?
After seeing the above questions, I have one - Why take
trouble trying to know about God? Let Him be happy
wherever he is. I will be happy here. These detective
pursuits, trying to find out God, are useless.

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In pursuit of answers

True, why take trouble trying to know about God? What is

the use?
How do we find if there is a purpose or not? Which
pramANa will tell us if there is a purpose or not?

Not pratyakSha because the purpose can be atIndriya

Not anumAna because the purpose is not inferable; because Gods
preference is not known through pratyakSha or anumAna.

Only Agama can come to our rescue. Only it can tell us

about God. And also, if there is any use in knowing more
about Him.
Not All Agamas, only those which are in tune with the
Vedas - sadAgamas
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So what do sadAgamas say..

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Because of whom all beings are born, because of whom all beings sustain, and into whom all
beings go.. Attempt to learn more about That. That is known as Brahma.

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Why is He called Brahma? In whom, all qualities are complete, full.
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O Vishnu, no god who is already born or to be born can ever acquire your infinite
powers.
$ + 5 9 $
Only by knowing him, one becomes immortal. There is no other way.
(5 = mokSha, only bliss, no misery, no boring lectures. Wow!)
> ) 9
A jnAni is dearest to Me says Paramatma
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More on Paramatma

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Two main qualities:

Guna-paripurna and sarva-doSha-vivarjita

Full of Infinite excellent qualities and not even a trace of fault

guNas = ,

No such Doshas = , 29, 2@ (), J, J5@.... !@ (N )... )

), , &@, , $, F@..... )

Infinite forms, Infinite qualities, each quality is infinite.

No infinity is higher than Him. Infinity above him is a
logical impossibility (like round-square).
No difference within himself.
Obviously superior to everything else.
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More on Paramatma

Antaryami antar niyAmaka

Of everything else: jaDa, jiiva

What about space, time, numbers?

For them too!

So Vishnu is Paramatmas name?

Yes, but all names are His. So what does a name signify? Why do we tease somebody as
fatty or address the milkman as milkman, when they both have names?
Then Shiva is same as Vishnu?
Lord Vishnu can be called as Shiva because he is shiva (means auspicious). Can Shiva be
called Vishnu? No, because Shiva is not all pervading (Vishnu = all-pervading).

So who is Shiva then? A jIva (though of very high yogyatA) who is also auspicious

How did this Shiva jiva become auspicious? Because Vishnu granted him auspiciousness

Summary: Vishnu (Paramatma) and Shiva (Jivatma) are different. But the word shiva
refers to Vishnu and Shiva both. But it refers primarily to Vishnu.

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Now answer those questions

Remember the following:

God is known through Vedas and other such sadAgamas.

He has infinite guNas and totally devoid of doShas.

He does not have doShas such as , 29, 2@ (), J,

J5@.... !@ (N )... )

Sarva-svami including Prakriti

If we dont get answers, we will go back to sadAgamas.

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Few Answers

He creates for the sake of jiivas. To give them an opportunity to get mokSha. He
has no purpose.
There cannot be any infinity more infinite than Him. So a stone that He cannot
lift is a logical impossibility (like a round-square).

He has a form. He has infinite forms actually.

He does not have J, J5@

He gives karma-phala. Karma is beginningless.

He makes you do karma as per your svabhAva.

Then punish him, not me, for any paapakarma?

No, he is just manifesting your nature, like electric current does with bulbs. If you were
independent to do it, you would have done the same karma then.

Good karma leads to good results. Bad karma leads to bad results.

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Paramatma and Sadhana

Good karma leads to good results. Bad karma leads to bad results.
But both results will bind the person in samsaara. Imagine staying in the
school itself forever!
Only karma done in a spirit of devotion and as service of Paramatma will help
you get out of bondage.

Can I then keep eating lots of sweets in a spirit of devotion and service of Paramatma?

No, karma that is vihita (enjoined on you).

How do I know them?

Through Shaastra. Not through guesses. Not through guessed benefits.

So, AchaaraNe is not needed? Acharane is to cleanse the mind. Only then
correct knowledge will stay there. Can you store clean water in a dirty pot?

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Paramatma and Sadhana

Main saadhana is , O, J (Acharane is for cleansing the mind).

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Only by knowing Vedas, Pancharatras, Mahabharata, Puranas as propounding Vishnu (i.e. only
through correct knowledge of Vishnu), one can get out of (very painful and boring) samsaara.

Bhakti means Pure, extremely firm and exceeding affection that rises out of correct
knowledge of Vishnus mahatmya. Only with this kind of bhakti does one get mukti.

What? But so many people are devoted and sincere?

Yes, but correct knowledge is important. Even Hiranyakashipu was devoted and sincere.

How do we get correct knowledge of Vishnu, taratamya etc.?

By reading Srimad Anandatirtha's works collectively called sarvamUla.

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Paramatma and Moksha

All Good, but what will I get out of this?

Moksha only bliss, no duHkha, no janma, no maraNa.

Wont that become boring after a while?

No, getting bored is a problem created by restless mind, made out of prakriti. That wont be there in mokSha.

Good, how long is the struggle?

Till you get it

But others offer a fast-track service.

Their system is flawed. They wont get you anywhere.

How do you know?

Shaastra!

So it is a painful struggle?
No, if you focus on learning about Vishnu, his glories, his followers and their glories. It
can be very enjoyable.
Ok, how will I know if I am on the right path?
Do guru-seva (lot of it), do niShkaama karma, try to study sarvamUla, develop good
qualities Paramatma will support you and even give you hints that he is supporting
you.
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Paramatma and Moksha

Tell me about Vishnus followers

Vayu is the foremost follower. No ignorance. No sloth (laziness). Full of knowledge and
bliss.

How do you know?

Shaastra Balittha sukta etc.

There are other Gods with decreasing yogyatA i.e. jnAna, bhakti etc. but they are all to be
respected according to their yogyatA

How do I know their yogyatA?

Shaastra

Why should we worship them according to yogyatA?

To please Vishnu as their antaryAmi. And Vishnus sannidhana is more in jivas with more yogyatA. These
devatas are aparoxa-jnAnis

What is aparoxa-jnAna?

Direct perception of Lord. No involvement of indriyas, manas etc.

Wow!

Yes, and you will be more or less happy throughout after that.
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Summary

Paramatma can be known only through sadAgamas.

He is guNapuurNa, sarva-doSha-vivarjita

We should do vihitakarma to please Him.

We should gain correct knowledge of Him through sadAgamas, after serving gurus.

We should love him in the correct way. Every instant.

If we get any more questions, we should search for answers in shaastra, with help from
gurus.
What to do if other intelligent people dont agree with our philosophy?
Do not worry. Vishnu will take care of them as well as you. If you too get questions, go
back to shaastra.
Intelligent people can also get wrong in philosophical matters, if they dont have
Vishnus, Vayus blessings.

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&$5 @2
^ a d fg j
shrImadhvesha-Krishnarpanamastu

What does arpaNa mean?

Good. Ask questions everywhere. There is no end to learning till moksha. arpaNa means
offering
What are we offering?
The Karma that we did
But wait, I dont see the karma, I dont take it in my hand and put it in Vishnus hand. So what
offering are we doing?
Offering karma means to recognize that Vishnu alone is the independent doer of these
karmas, that he did them through mukhyapraaNa, who in turn got them done through
devatas in us. There is no physical give-n-take in this offering .
Alright, ^ a d fg j
Good. Do this for all karmas.

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