LSCST: When did Hindu religion come to exist?
Swami Ram Swarup: Mahabharat war was fought about five thousand three hundred years ago and uptil that period all people were called Aryas. Thereafter knowledge of vedas started declining and several sects started coming into existence including Hinduism. In this connection, I paste my answer.
About Hindus
The word Hindu was used for all the citizens who lived in India across Sindhu River. This word was used for the first time by Greeks and Unanis. Thereafter Arabians and Farsis used this word. So in reality Hindu means all the citizens, whether Sikh, Muslim, Christian or others, of India. Just like in America all type of citizens live there but are called citizens of USA i.e.,Americans.
Nowadays it is called that Vedas, shastras, Geeta, Ramayana and some other holy books of Sanskrit languages are related to Hindus. Vedas are the ancient holy knowledge of the world given direct from God always, at the time of creation. I have written a lot about this and would request you to please read www.vedmandir.com.
However, shunya (zero) is created but God is not made by anybody else instead Almighty God creates universe. Shunya is also space, which is also created by God. So God is above space, beyond calculation, beyond imagination and beyond description. Yet God has unlimited qualities for
example, Yajurveda mantra 40/8 says that God is everywhere, He has no shape, no nervous system, nobody can make hole in Him, He is Almighty and does not require any assistance from anybody else. He is eternal, self sufficient, cannot be seen with eyes, beyond mind. He creates universe, nurses and destroys and again nurses and again creates. Just a small portion of His power creates universe and His great quality is also this that the whole universe which is seen by us is nothing because the Almighty God is greater than this creation. He gives birth according to our deeds (karmas) He is witness of all karmas being omnipresent and omniscient, etc., etc., that is the God has unlimited qualities and powers.
Kumar: Parnaam. You say atma is suffering. Atma cant suffer because it is not doing anything. Result is given to deeds not even to doer. Atma is there always without getting old, without any breakage. It is not affected at any cost. For us it is inside or outside for God it is everywhere since it is God Himself. The essence is it is not separate from God. then why this misconception is scattered? All upnishad say it. Atma is not binding. Not facing the result of anything. Why it is described like that?
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. Yes, please, Vedas state that Atma (soul) suffers, i.e., Atma as stated in Rigveda mantra 10/135/1,2 comes into womb of mother where he gets human body to face the result of previous lives’ deeds good or bad in the shape of happiness or sorrows. Atma suffers when the result of bad deed is to be faced. Atma itself can’t suffer but suffers through body. You see, if a thorn is pricked in body then pain starts. Now you see who will bear the pain, non-alive body or alive soul. Naturally non-alive matters are dead and can’t experience the pain. So Atma through the body part suffers with the pain. When a person is declared dead then it means that soul has left the non-alive body. Then if the body is beaten, cut, operated etc., then body does not suffers because the power which suffered the pain, sorrows etc., and felt happiness etc., has gone out of the body. So Atma suffers. Secondly, hands, eyes, mouth etc., can’t do anything until intellect gets order from Atma to do deed. This is an eternal process which can’t be changed. Otherwise if a person does murder of a other person then the punishment should have been given to the non-alive weapon but it is not done. Punishment is given to the criminal and through body Atma suffers. Yes, Atma is eternal, immortal and unchangeable but is bounded with deeds (Karma Bandhan). God is everywhere not atma please. You see, a person live in Delhi and he has seen Delhi only. So, he would know about Delhi only, otherwise he could have known about whole of the world, it is impossible because Atma is not omnipresent.
God being everywhere and Almighty and nurses us therefore all souls are within God and God is within all Atmas. But due to indulged in illusion every Atma does not know about God and too in the absence of eternal knowledge of Vedas. Yes, Atma when realises God by doing hard Tapasya, by doing Ashtang Yoga residing in human body then Atma is freed from all kinds of bindings and get salvation. Originally Atma is pure, alive and away from all kinds of dirt, but atma has forgotten its original shape being indulged in illusion spread all over the world through the effect of Rajogun, Tamogun and Satogun of Prakriti. The above statement is based on knowledge of four Vedas, six shastras and all ancient holy books of Rishi/munis, please.
Anonymous: Please tell me why my parents are getting problem for doing my marriage and also suggest the suitable solution of that problem. I am a Sikh.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. Difficulties/problems come in everybody’s life because it is the result of our previous lives’ deeds which we have to face in our present life. Whatever, we have been doing now, the total number of deeds result will have to be faced in next lives, say Rigveda mantras 10/135/1,2. RigVeda mantra 10/135/3 further states if a devotee starts going to a learned acharya of Vedas and yoga philosophy and starts gaining and practicing knowledge of Vedas and spiritual knowledge of saints i.e., Shri Gurubani etc., in the life to worship God then he kills all the bad deeds and becomes free from facing the result thereof. So, please do daily worship to destroy the obstacles in the life. God will help you.
