P 61 68 Quotes

1. Until the desire to attain God (Īshvara) becomes unwavering, one will be flying and wandering around like a kite; not knowing where, lost in circles of innumerable passions.

2. Threads of myriad desires must be gathered and unified to prepare a fat rope of the form of devotion to Bhagvan, and with the help of that, come out of the circle of samsāra.

3. If any sinful deed is done, then we must pray to Paramātmān (Supreme Self), saying “Lord, we have no control over our senses and organs of action; do forgive, this will not happen in the future”.

4. Shāstra or scripture alone is the authority on sin and virtue. Action or demeanor that is in accordance with our authority from the point of view of scripture is virtue, and action or demeanor that is unauthorized from the point of view of scripture is sin.

5. Somebody said to a saint, “Sir, you are a great Saint.” The saint said, “Of what benefit is it to you if I am great. You be good, then it’s alright”.

6. There is only a slight difference between the words ‘Guru’ and ‘gorū’ (cattle). The Guru’s eye is on the spiritual welfare of the disciple and gorū (or cattle) is only concerned with easy access to food. The Guru who is only concerned with food, clothing and casual interactions with his disciples, who does not strive to eliminate their character flaws, and cannot present them with a vision (darśana) of the Ultimate Truth, such a one is not a Guru to his disciples, he is only cattle (or gorū). If pupils wish to provide fodder and water for their cattle, then by all means they should do so, to provide food and clothing for someone is not wrong; however, guidance for one’s spiritual welfare must be sought only from one in whom all the special characteristics of a Guru are present. One must quest for a fully-qualified Guru.

7. Scriptures mention two essential qualities of a Guru – being well-versed in the Vedas (śrotriya) and being firmly established in Brahman (brahmaniṣṭha).

It is written:
“For knowing that Reality, he should go, with a bundle of sacrificial firewood in hand, to a teacher, versed in the Vedas and absorbed in Brahman”.
The highest state that can be pointed out, which is Brahman, to know that, one must go to such a teacher who is a śrotriya and a brahmaniṣṭha.
Because if one is a śrotriya, knower of the Vedas and the meaning of the Vedas, then he will be able to resolve the doubts of the students. And being a brahmaniṣṭha, once the arguments subside, he can also bring about an authentic realization of the Essence. Therefore, the Guru must be endowed with these two attributes.
He alone is considered to be a good farmer, who has his own plough and oxen, and also seeds at home for sowing, because only such a one can properly cultivate a fallow wasteland and prepare the field in time for sowing the seeds. If there are no seeds at home, then by the time the seeds have been procured, the land would have deteriorated again.
Similarly, if the Guru is only a śrotriya (versed in the Vedas), then he can certainly resolve the doubts and arguments of the disciple, but after the arguments subside, he cannot bring about a de facto realization as he himself does not have an actual perception of the Essence. Thereafter, within a short while new arguments will arise in the mind of the student.
Likewise, a field once prepared and readied will again become unserviceable. For this reason, an effective Guru is that one alone who having delivered a bona fide resolution of the students’ doubts, and put an end to their arguments, can bring about realization of the Supreme Goal.
Therefore, for a Guru, in the scriptures, being versed in the Vedas and being absorbed in Brahman – these two essential qualities have been mentioned.
The scriptures therefore describe two essential characteristics of a true Guru – that he be versed in the Vedas and absorbed in Brahman.

8. Nowadays, people imagine that even Paramātmā (Supreme Being) is blind. Evading the eyes of everyday worldly people, they commit despicable deeds, thinking no one will know. But Bhagvān, the indwelling inmost Self in all, the ruler, ordainer and controller of this world and all the worlds, is omnipresent, He witnesses every kind of worldly life of every single being, in every moment; hidden from His sight, no deed can ever be done. Therefore, if you truly, genuinely wish to be good, then persevere thus, so as to not let any deplorable act come into His view. To pretend to be noble in the eyes of common worldly folk, and yet covertly keep doing dirty disgraceful deeds on the sly, is not just deceiving others, it is deceiving oneself. From this results terrible downfall of mankind.

9. Using a thin thread only a small pot of water can be pulled up (from a well). However, if many such threads are twined together to form a strong rope, then very large buckets can be drawn. Similarly, man, through his petty little desires, obtains a small, trifling measure of mundane pleasure. If those innumerable desires (vāsanā) are gathered to create a thick rope of Bhagavad vāsanā (desire or passion for God), then attainment of immeasurable joy and bliss can happen quite naturally and effortlessly.

10. Bind together myriad desires and initiate the flow of one single predominant desire, which will be so supremely powerful that any hindrance that could subdue the momentum of its course will dissolve into it and become its aid.

11. The nature of desire (vāsanā) one has for wealth, for son, for friends, for food and clothing, if one has the same for Paramātmā (highest Self) as well, then with such desire that lacks power how could one possibly attain Paramātmā?
Paramātmā is very much distinctive as compared to spouse, wealth, close friends, and progeny. Therefore to realize It, one has to invoke and cultivate an excellent desire of a highly exalted quality. Only then can It be attained. Ordinary desire will not work.

12. As soon as the calf’s urge to drink milk becomes evident, on account of motherly love, the way in which milk, drawn from various organs throughout the entire body of the mother cow, cumulates in her udder and becomes available to the calf, in a similar manner, the inner feelings of devotion within a devotee attracts the grace and power of the all-pervasive Paramātmā to centralize and manifest as a concentrated energy form in and around an idol/image etc., thereby becoming available to the devotee.

13. In order to manifest daivī śakti (divine power) in an idol/image of a deity and thereby bring about spiritual upliftment and welfare of the worshipper four aspects are primarily essential, namely:

1. The idol/image must be exactly in accordance with the nature and character (svarūpa) of the deities as described or depicted in the scriptures.

2. The idol or image must be consecrated as per scriptural laws.

3. After the consecration is done, the idol of the deity must be duly worshipped as per vidhi (scriptural instructions, rules etc.), by means of japa (repeated chanting of a sacred name of the deity), pāṭha (reading and recitation of appropriate sacred texts), pūjana (worship through pūja), havan (ritual fire ceremony), and

4. Behaviour that is inconsistent with the scriptures, and activities against the will of the builder of the place, must not happen in the temple or devasthāna.

The extent of perfection in the manner in which these four aspects are observed, to that extent will the idols or images of the deities be abundantly endowed with divine power, and that much greater will the spiritual upliftment and welfare of the devotees be.

As much negligence there is in these matters, to that extent will the idols and images be devoid of divine grace; and consequently there will be that much misfortune for the worshippers.

14. The worshipper, through the merits of the power of his tapas (penance), deep inner feeling (bhāvanā) and performing pūja, can bring about abundant increase of divine power in the idols and images of the deities, and thereby gets fulfillment of his desired wishes.

15. Wherever ceremonial worship (arcana, pūjana, vaṃdana etc.) is done to the idols, duly as per vidhi, there auspiciousness prevails always, proliferation of happiness, well-being, and prosperity occurs, and good fortune (abhyudaya) is acquired in every way.

16. The places where, in temples (devālaya) there is neglect of ceremonial worship (pūjana) as per vidhi, there occurs disease/sickness, famine, decline or degeneration of government and populace, and adversity in every way.

17. In the temples (devālaya) where idols are consecrated by dvija-jātis, admission of antyajas into the sanctum causes sparśa-doṣa (defilement by touch), and as a result of that, the idols and temples get tainted and corrupted (dūṣita). In scriptures, we come across the testimony that defilement and corruption of idols in this manner leads to diminution (or wane) of the divine power (daivī śakti) within them, and in such idols that are devoid or bereft of divinity (devatva), disembodied evil spirits (bhūta-preta) take up residence, and also that worship (pūjana) of these ghost-infested (bhūta-preta-nivāsita) idols brings about undesirable circumstances (aniṣṭa) in the country such as earthquakes (bhūkampa), fire outbreaks (agni prakopa), disease and sickness (roga), famine (durbhikṣa), decline (kṣaya) of government and populace etc.

18. The trend of admitting antyajas into the sanctum, that is being followed nowadays, is detrimental to every social order in the country. In view of all-round well-being of the nation, the powerful, influential people who are dedicated to the Dharma (dharmānuragī) should endeavour to stop this.

This movement that runs counter to Ved-śāstra (Vedas, Vedic scriptures, Vedic doctrine) leads to defilement of temples and shrines, resulting in dimunition of divine power (daivī śakti) and proliferation of demonic forces (āsurī śakti) in the country, and will become a cause for the downfall of the nation.

For the well-being of oneself and everyone, the āstika community needs to counteract this appropriately and sensibly, and have the shrines that have been corrupted so far be consecrated again through śāstra vidhāna (scriptural laws and instructions) and arrange for (performance of) regular ceremonial worship as per vidhi.

If circumstantially, the āstika people are powerless in doing so, then at the very least they must necessarily sever all connections with these tainted, corrupted shrines until they are consecrated (prāṇa pratiṣṭhā) again, and also not go there for Deva darśana (vision of deity), pūjana (ceremonial worship) etc. Because by worshipping idols that have been tainted and corrupted this way, there is potential for harm rather than good.

But one thing is certain that, witnessing the sanctity of temples getting violated before themselves, if the āstika community remains in apathetic silence, then they alone will have to bear the consequences of this grave misdeed.

19. Antyajas do not have the authority for ceremonial worship of idols consecrated by dvija-jātis. This does not mean that the śāstras (scriptures) show disregard or lack of concern for the kalyāṇa (spiritual upliftment and welfare) of antyajas.

We find confirmation and evidence in the Purāṇas, that just simply by Bhagavan-nāma-smaraṇa (remembering the name of Bhagavān) and kīrtana (singing praises) many have attained to or realized the Paramagati (Highest or Ultimate Goal).

According to the Dharma-śāstras, the merit obtained by dvija-jātis on performing deva-pūjana (ceremonial deity worship) furnished with the requisite pūja-sāmagri (paraphernalia or accoutrements for ceremonial worship) as mentioned in the śāstra, alongside doing japa-tapa, having purified oneself with snāna (ritual bath and ablutions) and sandhyā, (prayer at dawn, noon and dusk), that same level of merit is easily attained by antyajas by simply offering sabhakti praṇāma (reverential prostrations and salutations) to the kalaśa, stūpa and dhvaja of the temple.

Thus, means and measures (upāya) for spiritual upliftment (kalyāṇa) of everyone have been prescribed or revealed in the Dharma-śāstras. Owing to adhikāri-bheda, for some, the methods are simple, and for others it might be more involved and intricate.

Obeying scriptural injunctions and conducting ourselves in accordance with our authority and fitness alone is conducive to kalyāṇa. By self-willed obstinacy (durāgraha) leading to disregard for Ved-śāstra, no kalyāṇa is possible for anyone.

Therefore, those who desire kalyāṇa must act sensibly (satarka) and do what is necessary and appropriate.

20. Do not be afraid of death, because one day you will certainly have to die. So long as you are alive, remain vigilant (satarka) and act sensibly. Let no such deed happen for which there could be regret (paścāttāpa) at the time of death.

21. True dying is that alone such that rebirth does not occur. Death of Bhagavad-bhaktas, who are utterly devoted to steadfast adherence and proper conduct (ācaraṇa) of svadharma, certainly happens just this way.

22. The question or issue of go-rakṣa (cow protection) is a matter that is concerned with the protection and safeguard of Hindū-Dharma, (and also) life and society at large. Neglecting this for a long period of time is detrimental to the welfare (kalyāṇa) of the country. It is the duty (kartavya) of every gṛhastha (householder, man of the world) to be earnest and dedicated towards go-pālana (breeding, care and nurture of cows) and go-rakṣaṇa (cow protection and conservation). And it is as much of a duty of the Indian government authorities (Bhāratīya śāsana-sattā) to make utmost efforts for the promotion and betterment of cow breeds (go-vaṃśa).