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the sky. This indicates that even if the highest Guru showers knowledge,
rigid people do not change. Durga, the power of Datta, killed this
Mahisha today. Similarly the traditional rigid ignorance present in the
brains of the people is killed by the powerful message of Guru Datta.
People are doing abhisheka (bath) to a stone, which is in the form
of a wave (Shivalingam). This stone represents the wave nature of
energy. Consciousness or life energy is the best energy. So the
Shivalingam represents the life energy that is in all the living beings.
Among all the living beings man is the highest form. Therefore
Shivalingam represents the human being. Among all the human beings
the human incarnation of God is the best. Therefore Shivalingam
represents the human incarnation of God.
Worship
Since God is coming in human form in every generation, a
particular human incarnation cannot be represented. The worship to
Shivalingam thus represents the worship or service to the human
incarnation of God. If such a human incarnation is not available, you
have to go to the next best. A devotee is the next best among human
beings. Therefore one can serve the devotee if the human incarnation is
not available. The human incarnation of God represents knowledge
(Jnana). Jnana is the highest. The human incarnation of God always
preaches divine knowledge. The next best alternative is devotion
(Bhakti). If Jnana (human incarnation of God) is not available, Bhakti
(devotee) should be given next higher value. You should not serve a
person who is not a devotee. You can serve and turn him into a devotee.
Under any circumstances an atheist should not be served or helped.
Every living being is indebted to God. If you do not express your
gratefulness to God, it is the highest sin. God created everything and
everybody.
Thus worshipping inert matter i.e., statues and photographs is a
very low form of worship. A statue represents matter. Energy is greater
than matter. Worship of the sun, fire etc., which are inert energy, is
better than the worship of the statue. Life energy (living beings) is more
precious than inert energy. Thus Shivalingam represents the highest and
the best life energy i.e., the human incarnation of God, which preaches
the divine knowledge. Participation in His mission of propagating the
knowledge is the best worship.
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Unless you take the internal meaning, you are not benefited in
your spiritual effort. If you take the external meaning it only gives
entertainment. Rama got victory over Ravana. Rama represents the
Satvam quality. Satvam represents knowledge. Ravana, the demon,
represents ignorance i.e., the Tamas quality. Arjuna defeated the
Kauravas and cows were liberated. Arjuna means white (in Sanskrit)
representing the bright knowledge. Kauravas are the sons of the blind
king who represents the Gurus of blind traditions. The cows represent
the innocent public. Therefore today is the day of the victory of Guru
Datta over blind ignorance.
Leave Blind Practices
[Deepavali – 2003] Today is the festival of Lord Krishna.
Deepavali [Diwali] means the series of lights. Krishna Himself told in
the Gita “Jnana Deepena” i.e., light means knowledge. In other verses
also, Swami told the same “Satvat Sanjayate” “Prakasa upa” i.e.,
Satvam (good quality) is light. Satvam means knowledge. So light is
knowledge. The Gita also says “Na Pavakah” i.e., sun, moon and fire
cannot shine before Lord. The Veda also says the same “Kutoya
magnih”. This clearly discourages taking the light in physical sense. The
Veda and the Gita are the authorities. Other Sanskrit verses written by
blind scholars are not authorities. Anybody who has learnt Sanskrit can
write a verse. Even Charvaka, the atheist, wrote Sanskrit verses.
So, why are you burning lights and firecrackers, which cause
pollution of the environment leading to the green house effect? Rains
are not coming properly due to this. By burning these lamps, the
darkness of ignorance is increasing. Life is the light and hunger is the
fire as said in the Gita “Aham Vaishvanaro”. Give food to the beggars
who are unable to do work and let their life-lamps glow. You are
burning these lights for so many generations. Did the Lord appear or
appreciate you at any time directly? Lakshmi (money) comes to you by
your sacrifice and not by these lights. These lights benefit merchants
alone. Adi Shankara did this real Deepavali. He enlightened the ignorant
people by wandering throughout India. The Lord was pleased by such
propagation of knowledge and appeared before him in the cave in the
Himalayas. Shankara dissolved in the Lord along with his body. Today
you must remember the real divine lights that propagated knowledge
and devotion. Such divine eternal lights are Shankara, Ramanuja,
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materials, which you must give to a hungry living being. That living
being can be a bird, an animal, an incapable beggar or a poor devotee.
Shiva represents knowledge as said “Jnanam Maheswarat”.
Therefore understand the true knowledge and do the worship in the
original and right sense. Then only Lord Shiva will be pleased with you
in this Karteeka month.
Stop Wastage
[Festival Of Serpents – 2003] You are pouring milk to serpents
today. But you are killing the serpents whenever and wherever you see.
A serpent never harms anybody unless it is hurt and fears for its own
life. It spreads its hood and gives a hissing sound as a warning. After
biting, the serpent does not drink your blood or eat your flesh. Man is
killing animals, which do not harm man or eat his flesh. Today you must
develop some kindness and understand the serpents. Then today will be
a meaningful festival. Moreover you are pouring milk in the abode of
snakes [termite-mounds or holes where snakes are commonly found].
The serpent does not drink and the milk is wasted. The Veda says
“Annam Naparichaksheeta” i.e., food should not be wasted and that
such wastage is sin. Milk is a complete food and by wasting it you are
earning a lot of sin. The Veda is the highest authority.
If a priest takes Rs.10/- from you and charges another Rs. 100/- for
unnecessary materials, which is wasted, you may sometimes get sin and
the money may go waste. An uneducated doctor takes Rs. 10/- as fees
and prescribes medicines worth of Rs. 100/-, which do not cure the
actual disease and sometimes lead to new diseases. You may give
Rs.100/- to a Sadguru and He gives clear knowledge to you like a
qualified doctor who takes Rs.100/- and prescribes a tablet worth of
Rs.2/-, which will cure the disease completely. The priest represents
Karma (Action) and the Sadguru represents Jnana (knowledge). The
Gita says that Jnana destroys Karma (Jnanaagnih…)
Understand the Real Meaning
The snake abode represents the human body and the snake
represents the hunger, which is the fire-energy represented by waves.
Energy is propagated in the form of waves and the serpent also moves in
the forms of waves. Therefore the serpent represents the life energy.
Giving milk to a hungry deserving person is the inner meaning of this
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festival. Datta is fond of milk. Therefore, you should offer milk to the
human incarnation of Lord Datta or to a devotee of Datta or to an
incapable beggar and preach to him about Datta.
Every serpent is not God. Only ‘Adishesha’ is God in the form of
a serpent. This is told in the Gita. Similarly Rama, Krishna, Jesus,
Buddha etc., are God in human form. This does not mean that every
human being is God. Today you must remember that ‘Adishesha’
represents an ordinary human being because ‘Adishesha’ is a serpent
and the serpent represents the life energy. ‘Adishesha’ was born as
Lakshmana when the Lord was born as Rama. Lakshmana served the
Lord personally as well as in His mission. Therefore, Lord Rama gave a
permanent togetherness (Sahavasa) with Him on earth. Rama never left
Lakshmana even for one day.
The pure mind represents the milk and the human incarnation of
Lord represents the snake abode. Pouring the milk in the snake abode
represents the dedication of your pure mind to the Lord. The serpent
represents the life energy of the human incarnation. Sometimes, the
human incarnation may go in a curved way like a serpent [deliberately
display some negative qualitites]. Krishna also showed some curved
ways. Like the hissing and biting of the serpent, the human incarnation
may threaten or even trouble the devotee to test his devotion. In spite of
the negative qualities of the serpent, you are offering milk. This means
that even if the human incarnation of Datta may exhibit some negative
behavior or threaten or harm you, you must dedicate your mind to Him
as you pour the milk to the serpent in spite of its negative qualities. This
is the innermost spiritual essence of this festival.
Light and Darkness
[Shivaratri - February 18, 2004] Shiva is knowledge (Jnanam
Maheswaraat Icchet). Knowledge is Satvam (Satvaat Sanjaayate
Jnaanam). Satvam is light (Prakaasa Upajaayate, Vivruddham Sattva
Mityuta). Therefore Shiva is light and is white in colour. Science says
that light energy is in the form of waves. The Shiva Linga (symbol of
Shiva) is in the form of a wave. In the word ‘Shiva Ratri’, ‘Ratri’ means
Tamas (darkness or ignorance). The Lord is controlling both knowledge
and ignorance (Mattah Smritih Jnaana Mapohamcha). The ignorance is
the human form. Knowledge is the form of Narayana. Narayana means
the abode of knowledge. Shiva is Narayana. Therefore Shivaratri is a
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mixture of Narayana and Nara (human body). When the Lord comes in
human form both the natures of Narayana and Nara are exhibited. When
electric current is passing in a wire the property of the wire, which is to
be lean and the property of the current, which is to give a shock, co-
exist.
Similarly in the human incarnation, the nature of the human body
and the knowledge of Narayana are mixed. On Shivaratri both darkness
and light are mixed. The sky is black with clouds, which indicates the
human form. The lightening in the sky, which shines now and then,
indicates the nature of Narayana. If the nature of Narayana alone is
exhibited this world will stop functioning. All the human beings will
leave their duties and will surround Lord Narayana. By this the world
looses its balance. Moreover people will surround Narayana and try to
snatch benefits from Him with selfishness. Then people will fall down
in their spiritual path because one should proceed in the spiritual path
without any selfishness. It is also not possible to test the firm faith of the
devotees if the nature of Narayana is completely exposed. In such case
every human being will show firm faith. Then it is not possible to
differentiate and reward human based on their faith. If the Lord appears
as a completely ordinary human being, without showing the nature of
Narayana nobody will approach Him because everybody will think the
Lord is an ordinary human being. Then also it is not possible to test a
human being since nobody will approach the Lord.
The Lord is the knowledge itself (Satyam, Jnanam Anantam
Brahma). The Lord created the ignorance, which is the second
substance, for entertainment (Ekaaki Naramate Sadviteeya Maicchat).
Therefore to test the devotees there should be both faith and doubt in
their hearts. The human nature creates doubt and the nature of Narayana
creates faith. This faith represents Shiva and the doubt represents Ratri.
The Lord in human form will play with the devotees in this world. The
devotees will sway from one side to the other by the properties of
knowledge and ignorance and thus the Lord plays with them.
Song of Datta
[During this discourse, Swami composed and recited the following
song extempore.]
Don’t say that I did not tell the truth
When I enquire you in the Pretaloka
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talks very sweet words and exhibits sweet feelings only to earn money
from a person. Your prayers are such sweet words. Your devotion is
such a sweet feeling. The prostitute may fool an ignorant human being
but can you fool the Lord who is omniscient? The sacred ash on your
forehead, the garlands around your neck and the silk cloth, which you
wear are just like the decoration of a prostitute to attract the Lord. You
are deceiving yourself. The Lord is furious with you. Even a human
being without manners will respond to you if you call him by his name.
But the Lord, who has the best manners, is not responding even though
you are calling Him hundreds of thousands of times in doing Japa
[repetition of the Lord’s name]. By this you can estimate the amount of
anger and hatred in the heart of the Lord for you. Even if you do not
take a single step on the true path, atleast do not take so many steps in
the false path. As you are taking more and more steps on the false path,
you are going farther and farther from the Lord and the Lord is
becoming more and more furious.
Control the Bhoga [enjoyment], which brings Roga (illness). The
association with your family bonds will bring you lot of mental worry.
Sacrifice the enjoyment and the association with your family bonds.
Develop the bond with the Lord alone and this is the true path. The
Veda says “Tyagenaike” and the Gita says “Tyaagaat Shanthih”, which
mean that sacrifice of the bonds with every human being and every
object in this world alone can bring salvation.
Insulting Depictions
[Ganesh Chaturthi September 9, 2005] It is pitiable to depict Lord
Ganapati [Ganesha] with the head of the elephant and offer grass and
leaves to Him, treating Him as an animal. The story itself is absurd
because the story says that Lord Shiva cuts the head of Ganapati, who
was prepared by Goddess Parvati. It is said that Lord Shiva was ignorant
of Ganapati being the son of Parvati. How ignorant is this fabrication!
Lord Shiva is said to be the deity of Knowledge (Jnanam
Maheswaraat). He is Sarvajna or omniscient. Is it not insulting Lord
Shiva who is the ultimate Lord? Even in the story of Markandeya,
people have fabricated a story that Lord Shiva killed Yama due to
excessive anger and emotion and that later on He realized His hasty
action. Lord Shiva really gets angry and becomes Rudra due to such
insulting stories, which denigrate His divine personality.
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eliminate the fraud preachers. Siddhi means the attainment of the Lord
in human form.
Sacrifice Under Ignorance
Dravya Yajna means the sacrifice of the fruit of your hard work,
which is called Karmaphala Tyaga in the Gita. This sacrifice is praised
as the highest stage of the spiritual effort and is emphasized everywhere
in Gita. The Veda also says that one gets the goal only by the sacrifice
of the fruit of his hard work (Dhanena Tyagenaikena). But in the Gita it
is said that knowledge is higher than sacrifice of materials (Shreyaan
Dravya mayaat). Now this is a contradiction. Here you have to solve it
like this: When materials are wasted in terms of sacrifice that is done
under ignorance, the ignorance can only be removed by knowledge.
Therefore, in this case knowledge of the inner meaning is better. The
Veda also says that the food or money should not be wasted (Annam
Naparicheksheeta). But when the fruit of work is properly utilized
without wastage, the sacrifice of material is the highest because it is a
practical sacrifice. Therefore, instead of purchasing leaves and branches
of trees, you can use your money to serve the Sadguru or real devotees
or beggars or atleast the hungry animals [in that order of preference].
Feed hungry animals with these leaves. Then the sacrifice is properly
done and will give you good result.
Today people are worshipping the statue of Ganapati made out of
earth. Such worship is condemned in the scriptures and especially by
Shankara as Parthiva Puja. Ravana used to do this every day and was
finally destroyed. It is actually a sin to establish the Lord in an earthen
statue. You do the ritual of initiation of life (Prana Pratistha) in the idol
and then on the 10th day you say ‘Udvasana’, which means that you are
removing the life from the body. It means killing Lord Ganapati! You
can invite the Lord but should never ask Him to get out after your work
is over. You even immerse the dead body [idol] in the river on the 10th
day! Instead, you should have a permanent photograph or statue and
worship it everyday. You must invite the Lord every day and should
never ask the Lord to go. Infact you should know that your invitation
will never bring the Lord unless it is fully filled with devotion. Do you
think that He comes on your invitation and goes out on your Udvasana?
Is He your servant?
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Some people say that if Lord Ganapati stays in the house, food
materials will quickly get exhausted. How foolish is this idea! He is the
Creator of this universe. He created you and food for you. Should you
have such an idea towards Him? Is this devotion? You are treating Him
as some human guest because when the guest stays for more number of
days, food materials in the house get exhausted. Infact the statue or
photograph does eat even a grain of your food. Ganapati actually
represents the Sadguru who is in human form. So now you think that if
Ganapati i.e., Sadguru stays in your house forever, food materials will
really get exhausted. In the correct sense of this statement Ganapati
means the human incarnation and not the statue or photograph. Thanks!
Atleast you have recognized that Ganapati means the human form of the
Lord and not the statue. Again this statement means that you can keep
the Sadguru in your house for 10 days at the maximum and that He
should be sent out by the 10th day. Therefore, you are treating the Lord
as an outsider and not even equal to one of your family members, whom
you keep forever and never ask them to leave. This shows the value you
give to the God!
You expect God to protect you in this world in every issue and
finally give you salvation in the upper world? On this day we should
analyse ourselves and feel ashamed regarding our behaviour to the Lord
who gave us this human birth and created all these cosmic facilities. The
story that the moon is cursed by Ganapati has also an inner meaning.
The moon represents the mind (Chandrama Manaso—Veda). This
means that when the Lord comes in the human form, the mind sees only
the outermost human body of the incarnation and laughs at the idea that
He is the Lord as said in the Gita (Avajananti Maam). The face of such a
fellow should not be seen by real devotees and this is the meaning of the
story that we should not see the moon on this occasion.
Interpretation of Symbolism
You should take the inner sense of the story, which alone is the
truth. Scholars explain the concept in a symbolic language for the sake
of illiterate and ignorant people. Ganapati was very brave and stood
against even Lord Shiva. This means that when the Lord is with full
knowledge in His original form, He is fully aware of His divine
strength. But when the head of Ganapati is replaced by the head of an
elephant, He forgot all his divine strength and was afraid of everything.
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This is a symbolic story. The actual meaning is that the Lord in his
original form is fully aware of Himself and His power. But when he
comes down in human form, He forgets His divine strength and fears
like an ordinary soul. This gives full enjoyment to the Lord in the
human role.
The vehicle of the huge Ganapati is a small rat. This means that
when you enter the service of the Lord, you need not think about your
capacity to do service. By the will and power of the Lord you will do
His service. You are just an external instrument and the Lord wants to
give you divine fame. The small rat carries the huge Ganapati and this is
not due to the strength of the rat. It is by the power of Ganapati, that the
rat carries Him. When Ganapati and His brother Kumara got into the
competition for the selection to the post of Ganapati (the leader of the
Ganas), the test was to go around the world and come back at the
earliest. Kumara played the role of an ignorant devotee. Kumara
represented the serpent, which is famous for its egoism (Tamas) and
jealousy (Rajas). He went round the world at a tremendous speed.
Ganapati surrendered to Narada who is the Sadguru. ‘Nara’ means
knowledge and ‘Da’ is giver. This shows that if you catch the Sadguru
and surrender to Him, you can achieve the goal very easily. By the
advice of Narada, Ganapati went around His parents [Shiva and
Parvati]. Shiva represents Parabrahman and Parvati represents the
creation. Therefore, Ganapati went around the Parabrahman and also the
creation. Kumara only went around the creation. The human forms of
Shiva and Parvati represent the Lord in human form and His real
devotees. Therefore service to the Lord in human form and His
devotees, is the ultimate path.
The rat was a demon and had become an enemy of the Lord.
Finally it was turned into a servant of the Lord. This means that even if
you misunderstand the Lord in human form for sometime, but you
realise the truth in course of time and surrender to Him, He will accept
you as His servant and give you a place in His innermost circle. You
need not hesitate due to your past behaviour. The Lord forgets
everything and showers love on you in the same way as He graces other
devotees.
Today you are offering the sugarcane to Lord Ganapati. The
sugarcane consists of the visible matter of cellulose and the invisible
sugar, which can be known only by experience. This represents the
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human incarnation. The visible cellulose is the visible human body. The
invisible sugar is the unimaginable Parabrahman, which can only be
experienced. Similarly the leaves represent the best item of food, which
are green leafy vegetables. The sages lived on leaves, which have herbal
medicinal value. Such food develops the quality of Sattvam, which
pleases the Lord. It is said that Lord Datta appeared to a sage called
Parnada. Parnada means he who eats green leafy vegetables. Unless you
understand the internal sense and get benefited, what is the use of
celebrating a divine festival simply by wasting the money and by
overeating?