Roopal: Pujya Swamiji as a Hindu, I have deep love and devotion to our deities and our Hindu way of life with all rituals and strong belief in reincarnation and karma. However, as I open up and speak to people, many people do not even believe in God ( mostly non-Hindus) and favor science over religion. They have more faith in another person ( other humans) than they do in God. How do I convince them that there is a God?
Roopal: Pujya Swamiji as a Hindu, I have deep love and devotion to our deities and our Hindu way of life with all rituals and strong belief in reincarnation and karma. However, as I open up and speak to people, many people do not even believe in God ( mostly non-Hindus) and favor science over religion. They have more faith in another person ( other humans) than they do in God. How do I convince them that there is a God?
Swami Ram Swarup: Actually, Hindus have been the followers of Sanatan Dharma. The meaning of Sanatan Dharma is eternal religion. Eternal religion is Vedas knowledge which emanates direct from the God at the beginning of the earth. Vedas preach only one worship of formless, Almighty God who creates, nurses and destroys the universe and who never takes Avatar. But for the last two thousand years our Hindus have been also the followers of Idol worship, Devta worship etc. and have forgotten the eternal path of Vedas.
So it is ones own desire what type of worship he does. So I paste here articles on – worship of God according to Vedas, karmas philosophy (three types of deeds) and Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh.
Worship of one God only
God is one and no other God is even equivalent to the God who creates the universe as is also said in Yajurveda mantra 27/36. The mantra says that God is one and neither other God was born, nor will be born, equivalent to this God.
So God needs no assistant to spread His knowledge. Even God has no desire. Suppose God today desires to spread the knowledge of Vedas then it will be originated in all human beings automatically. Why will he depute any assistant being Almighty?
Direct interaction with God is not possible in Vedas, God being above the senses, beyond calculation and beyond imagination. Interaction is only possible by mind and organs and in the realization of God the mind and body are no more functional. Death and birth etc., is also controlled by Almighty God wherein no unnatural occurring/ matters can be imposed. Nobody can change the fundamental law of nature. Vedas speak about only worshipping formless God.
Three types of Deeds
There are three types of deeds (karmas) – sanchit, prarabhadh and kriyamann. Suppose one soul has to take birth (body). It means he has to face total number of deeds of his all previous lives and these deeds are called sanchit karmas but sanchit deeds are huge/unlimited and cannot be faced in one life. So the karmas which can be faced in one life are called prarabhadh (luck-destiny). So God has not made our luck at His own but Almighty God has taken the deeds which we have already done.
Yajurveda mantra 7/48 clarifies that human being is free to do any deed good or bad but God only awards the result. Now the balance deeds from sanchit deeds will be counted in the next life. Now the deeds which we do in our day today present life are called kriyamann.
If we do pious deeds according to Vedas, shastras and holy books and based on pious preaches of Rishi, Muni/learned saints then our all sanchit deeds are burnt and we can get salvation. Human beings are free in the matter of doing deeds good or bad. But result will be awarded by God. So we must worship and do pious deeds under guidance of a learned Guru. One should go always ahead for hard working, pious deeds, worship to make future bright himself. One should always work hard towards a right path.
Worship does not mean that we are free to discharge only our family duties, education, etc., but rather it is a sin. We have to get progress in both way at a time i.e., spiritualism and worldly progress i.e., science, education, duties towards family etc. God creates the universe according to His eternal law framed in Vedas which are always unchangeable and unchallengeable. So we have to follow the law of God always to get long happy life.
Are Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh Gods?
Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh are not God. Vedas tell that there is only one formless God who never takes birth. He creates, nurses and destroys the universe. His power is enough to create and control the whole universe. He is Almighty i.e., He has all unlimited powers and therefore He does not need any assistance to create, nurse and destroy the universe by Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh. If God needs assistance then He will not be called Almighty. So God does not need any support but we all humans as well as all living beings need His support and blessings every time. However, in Vedas, there are innumerable names of Almighty God according to His divine qualities. So Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh etc., are also the names of the formless Almighty God. Brahma means the greatest. Vishnu means omnipresent and Mahesh means the greatest.
It is the personal matter of worship or not to worship. So atheists are also there. But it is very clear that God in Vedas as clarified that He Has blessed the human being with human body to worship and realise God. Nobody can attain happy life in the absence of worship of God. One more thing is clear from Vedas in which God states –Oh man/woman you live on the earth given by God and all comforts provided by the God. And if you do not remember/worship God then it is sin and punishment is awarded by the God.
Very few persons know that present science has also come out from Vedas, especially Rigveda. The knowledge of Vedas also emanates from God. So, it is clear that scientist also enjoy science which is given by God. God is not only the matter of blind faith. It is the matter of discussion with a learned acharya of Vedas and Yoga philosophy who from Vedas, shastras and Upnishads etc., and scientifically also prove the existence of God. For example- we see the creation and can think deeply that who has created it or is it a job of man/woman, scientist etc., then automatically after long discussion we would reach on the conclusion that men/women/scientist have not created the universe and then He who has created is called Almighty God.
Hari Agarwal: Guruji Pranam whether we should believe in astrology?
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. The present astrology has not been mentioned in eternal knowledge of Vedas, so learned of Vedas do not accept it.
Nek: Why onion and garlic are counted as non-veg?
Swami Ram Swarup: Onion and garlic are never counted as non-vegetarian, please. It is pure vegetarian food. However, both are Tamogunni food. If it is not digested completely then it generates laziness as well as sensuality. So, a brahamchari (celibate) must avoid it.
R P: Namastey, every weekend I do hawan in the morning but in the evening I don’t and on weekdays I don’t get a chance to do it. On the weekdays at night mom will tell us the meaning of every mantra. Is it ok do that?
Swami Ram Swarup: Yes, my daughter, at present it is O.K. Do continue it. My blessings to you for a long, happy life.
