Anonymous: Swamiji, Pranam. Thank you for taking your precious time to answer our questions. I would like to sought your help in guiding one of my doubt. As mentioned in my earlier mail, I am a professional in the field of accounts and finance. I am one of approving authority is disbursement of payment to parties i.e. suppliers. I believe in ethics and do not like favour to anybody vide any mode. All payments shall be made as per procedure, rules & policies of company. However, during time of Diwali many of our parties distribute sweets or other household durables to seniors of our company considered by them as sort of business relationship. In fact knowing my nature no body has yet sought any favour from me but still they distribute these to us due to association with them. So Swamiji, my question is whether, as per Vedas, can I accept such gifts or not. Please guide me.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you .your pious decision/views to discharge your duties on the very important matter of finance are really heart-touching and highly appreciated. My blessings to you for the same. Yes please, you can accept such gifts if it is not too expensive. Yet, you will have to be strict on your pious deeds and such gifts should not effect your work.
Subhash Arya: Swamiji I confused in about mind[man] and brain who is part of body and budhdi and about work of soul. Please tell me that what and how working mind and budhdi and brain and soul?
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. On the bases of our previous pious deeds, we have been blessed by God with human body. Body is made of prakriti. Prakriti is non-alive matter so our body is non-alive. In our body five senses-eyes, ears, nose, skin, tongue and five organs of action – legs, arms, mouth, organs of excretion and urination. These are outer body parts. The inner body parts are mann(mind) , buddhi(intellect) , chitta({(faculty which receives knowledge from five senses and passes the same intellect is called Chitta and Chitta stores the effect of various karmas to be faced by soul in future at a proper time) ahankar(feeling of existence). within our body, we (soul) reside. Soul is alive matter. Due to soul’s existence the body works. When soul comes out of body then it is stated that person is dead and body thus does not work. Soul is the master of the body and above quoted senses, organs etc. in this connection, I paste few of my articles.
Soul’s existence
Soul, God and Prakriti are not made by anyone. These are eternal. The matter which is made is destroyed one day but God, Prakriti and souls being eternal truth, are not destroyed, but are immortal. Their existence is eternal and immortal that is why, in Vedas, these are called “SWAYAMBHU”. Swayambhu means which is not made. Souls are constant in number but innumerable in number. You see, even in a drop of water millions of bacteria are there which are souls. In air, there are unlimited bacteria, so are in blood etc., etc. All ants, birds, animals, human-beings, mosquitoes, flies etc., cannot be counted. So counting of souls by man is not possible.
Atma (Soul)
Atma consists of two meanings according to situation. For example when it is said that atma takes birth, then it means soul and when it is said that atma is Almighty and creates universe, then it means Almighty God. It is usually told nowadays that everything is atma which is false and not possible being against the Vedas. In Vedas, there are three eternal matters Almighty God, prakriti and souls. Almighty God and souls are alive matters whereas prakriti is non –alive matter. From Prakriti, all the matters of universe are created. But neither from God nor soul any matter is created. Soul can never be God being unchangeable and God can also never be soul being unchangeable. Soul due to the attraction towards prakriti is indulged in illusion and forgets his original form of immortal peace, purity etc. and has to face the birth and death again and again.
But Almighty being the commander of the souls and prakriti, is never attracted towards prakriti. He always remains purified. So, God cannot forget his original form and is never indulged in any kind of illusion. Therefore, everything like tree, tube light, stone, electric fan are made of prakriti and hence can never be God.
QUALITIES OF SOULS (JEEVATAMA)
Soul is alive. Soul has to face the result of his deeds. Soul takes body of human beings, animals, birds, trees etc., according to deeds of past lives. Soul feels sorrow, happiness etc., through body. When soul leaves body, it feels nothing but carries all karma to be faced in next birth through his chitta’s (chitta) vritti (vritti).
Souls are innumerable but are constant in number having similar qualities like being pure, immortal, alive etc. Soul is infinitesimally small, is invisible. The bodies of all living beings contain souls.
Not God but soul has desire, hatred/malice, merriment, sufferings, attachment etc. While attracting itself towards materialistic articles made of prakriti soul forgets his original form. As a result, soul recognizes himself as body. This is the stage of soul being unwise.
“NA TAM VIDATH YA IMA JAJAANANYUDYUSHMAKAMANTARAM BABHOOVA,
NEEHAREINN PRAVRITA JALAPYA CHASUTRIP UKTHASHASCHARANTI.”
(RIGVEDA MANTRA 10/82/7)
(TAM) that God (NA) not ( VIDATH) known (YAH) who (EMA) all worlds (JAJANN) creates and (YAT) from you (ANYAT) separate from other souls(YUSHMAKAM) from you (ANTARAM) with in all (BABHOOVA) is (NIHAREINN) fog like smoke (YAT) that God (PRAVARITAHA) covered (JALAPYAHA) baseless discussion (ASUTRIPAHA) satisfied only in Prann [breathing system] (UKTHASHASAHA) only paying lip service (CHARANTI) deals or behaves.
Meaning: Like an invisible matter which is covered with fog similarly dealing in only lip service and indulging in baseless discussion and are satisfied in their breathing system, Oh! Man-woman, you do not know the God who creates the five matters/universe and the God who is separate from other souls and who is within all.
Mind and intellect
Mind i.e., mann collects the data from five senses and sends it to intellect (Buddhi). The buddhi then sends it to soul to decide action etc. So mind and intellect both are necessary to observe each matter of universe, to study, the Vedas, to do worship etc., to realise God.
Antakaran
Antakaran-mann (mind), buddhi (intellect) Chitta Vritti {(faculty which receives knowledge from five senses and passes the same intellect is called Chitta and Chitta stores the effect of various karmas to be faced by soul in future at a proper time), Ahankar( feeling of one’s own existence). So by studying Vedas, performing Yajyen, name jaap of God and Ashtang Yoga practice, the Antakaran is purified.
