Lalit: Are soul,god and prakriti independent. Like soul and God did prakriti existed always or God created prakriti. Does God has any control over prakriti?
Swami Ram Swarup: Yes, please. God, soul and prakriti are eternal and everlasting. As per Rigveda mantra 10/129/7, God is Lord of Prakriti and souls.
God does not create Prakriti because Prakriti is eternal.
However, after the final destruction of the universe, thereafter the entire matter of the universe converts into Prakriti. You see, the matter is not destructible i.e., why whole matter of the universe like Sun, Moon, Trees, bodies etc., change their form and are converted into Prakriti. After the stipulated time of final destruction, the God’s power, as stated in Yajurveda mantra 31/4 and other Ved mantras acts in prakriti and from Prakriti the whole matter of the world again comes into light i.e., is again created.
Kiran Das: Namaste swamji charna sparsh, what is your opinion about BIG BANG.10,000 scientist (2000 Indian scientist working under this project) will they trace SRUSHATI RAHASYA
Swami Ram Swarup: Srishti rahasya is already mentioned in Rigveda. Our ancient Rishi knew it based on Vedic knowledge and they wrote the same in their granth. My opinion is this that present scientist would not be able to know the srishti rahasya.
P M: Swamiji Namaskar: Q1) What is gotra system in Vedas?
Q2) Manu simriti speak against Shudra and believes in rigid caste system? Is it true?
Q3) What is kapal kriya? can women do it. Thanks
Swami Ram Swarup: 1. In the matter of gotra system, I paste my article below-
Gotra system
The meaning of ‘gotra’ is a path, family line, genealogy and a learned acharya on whose name the path of vansh (gotra) has been made. For-example, there was “Bhardwaj rishi” on whose name Bhardwaj gotra stands etc. Rigveda mantra 10/85/21 states that marriage of boy and girl must not be performed within gotra.
According to Rigveda Mantra 10/85/21 marriage should always be solemnized with girl from different gotra.
Manusmriti Shloka 3/5 states that the girl who is away from the six generations of parents is only to be married.
As per Yajurveda mantra 31/11, God has not made any caste system. There are four classes of human beings (varannas) according to the deeds and not by birth.
Those classes (VARNNAS) are — BRAHMIN, KSHATRIYE, VAISHYA and SHUDRA, which are changeable based on deeds. Further, human beings have made their own Gotras. It is not good to marry in the same Gotra.
2. Vedas as well as Manusmriti do not tell about caste system by birth. Yajurveda mantra 31/11 clearly states that varnna system is based on individual pious or bad deeds. I also paste my article below-
Four Ashrams
There are four ashrams in the life, Brahamcharya ashram up to age of 25 years, Grihastha ashram up to 50 years, Vanprasth ashram up to 75 years and Sanyas ashram up to 100 years. So one should try to discharge his duties of every ashram knowing duties thereof and then must take sanyas, but if anybody else is interested to take sanyas being ascetic by true speech etc., then he can take sanyas even at an early age.
I have already written about caste system (varn vyavastha). Yajurveda mantra 31/11 says that caste is based on present deeds (karmas) and not by birth. The sense of Mantra is that if a son of shudra studies Vedas, controls senses/organs and mind, does practice of Ashtang yoga, then he will be considered Brahmin and a Brahmin who has no such qualities he will be treated as shudra etc., etc. There is no caste system in Vedas based on birth and the other holy books like Manusmriti, six shastras, Upnishads, Valmiki Ramayana, Mahabharat (Bhagwad Geeta) etc., were written by ancient Rishis/Munis based on only the knowledge of Vedas, so no caste system exists therein based on birth.
In this connection Yajurveda mantra 31/11 also says that he who knows Vedas and God, he is Brahmin being most supreme in the world like a mouth in the body. So anyone (of any caste) can be a Brahmin by hard studies of Vedas, practising Ashtang yoga therein and thus realizing God. One who has physical power in his arms, he is Kashtriye-Rajput to protect the country. So anyone can be a Rajput, holding the said qualities. One who has powers in his thighs to travel and to do hard work to establish business, he is Vaishya (businessman). One who has not studied, based on his qualities that he could not gain the qualities of Brahmin, Kashtriye and Vaishya, he is shudra (may be of any caste).
There is a symbolic story in Mahabharat. That once Yudhistar saw that his brother Bhima was caught by a huge python. Yudhistar asked python that my brother is a great warrior having sufficient power that you could not catch him. So really you are not python, tell me, who you are. Python replied that he was a yaksha. O Yudishtar, if you would answer my question, then your brother would be released. Yaksha asked Yudhistar that if a son of Brahmin takes wine, meat, gambles and does bad deeds then whether he will be considered as Brahmin and when a shudra (lowest caste) reads Vedas, does practice of Ashtang yoga, controls his five senses, five organs and mind and does always pious deeds then whether the son of such shudra will remain shudra? Yudhistar replied that the Brahmin will be treated as shudra and shudra will be treated as Brahmin.
King Janak called all the emperors/anybody to break the bow to prove to be the best powerful emperor amongst all to marry his daughter Sita. So King Janak did not make any objection of caste system. So was the case of marriage of Draupadi where in the dress of a Brahmin Arjuna pierced the eye of the fish with arrow and Yudhistar married Draupadi. Draupadi was daughter of Khastriye, Rajput whereas in the dress, Yudhistar was Brahmin. So qualities are to be checked either of boy or girl.
3. Kapaal bharti kriya is a kind of prannayam but it is learnt under the guidance of /in presence of learned acharya. Women are also entitled to do the same.
