Anirudh: Hello, If God is all pervading and supreme being without any beginning and end, why did he create the universe at all? What was the need for the completeness to become incomplete?
Swami Ram Swarup: In this connection, my views in an article are as under-
CREATION
The creation is eternal and automatic. There is no date of creation of the following:
(A) Almighty God who is alive, immortal, formless, creates, nurses and destroys the universe. He never indulges in any maya, mahamaya, illusion and deeds (good or bad. Yajurveda Mantra 40/8 and Yog shastra Sutra 1/26 also refer)
(B) Soul: Soul is alive, the purest, away from sins etc. but illusion covers the soul due to which soul forgets his original form and hence remains in sorrows, problems etc.
C) Prakriti: Non-alive and has three qualities. i.e., Raj, tam, Satva. At a proper time, the power of God acts in prakriti and the universe is created. So the creation is eternal and automatic.
Raj, Tam and Satva are the three qualities of prakriti. When the said gunnas remain idle dormant i.e., do not work, then combination of these three gunnas(qualities) in dormant stage is called prakriti and this time is called “final destruction” of the universe. When an appropriate time comes, the creation is to be started again. Then the power of God works in the above three gunnas i.e., in the prakriti and immediately the creation starts. Rajo gunn is a sign of sensuousness etc., Tamo gunn signifies laziness and sato gunn signifies ego, pride. Our human body is also made of the said three gunnas.
Vedas tell that there are three eternal/immortal matters- first: Almighty God, second: souls, third: prakriti. Almighty God creates, nurses and destroys the universe and again creates it. The said process of creation is eternal/immortal/everlasting. Almighty God creates the universe from prakriti. When the raj, tam and satva gunnas of prakriti remain idle (dormant condition/inactive) then creation does not take place. At an appropriate time, a power of Almighty God acts in prakriti (i.e., in Raj, tam and satva gunnas). Immediately the process of creation starts and the first matter of prakriti is made which is called –Mahat i.e., mind; from Mahat- ahankar is made, from ahankar panch (5) tan matrayein, from panch (5) tanmatrayein, panch (5) mahabhoot are created. From panch mahabhoot, the entire matter of universe i.e., Sun, Moon air, water , our bodies, bodies of other living beings etc., are created. The whole creation is thus created from prakriti and remains still (in active) like a statue. This creation is called non-sexual creation. In the said creation, the young human bodies are created which are neither old nor babies. Then by the power of God, in the said bodies, breathing system (prann vaayu) starts operating. At last, God enters into the universe and immediately all the humans and other living beings become alive and start functioning. Similarly, the non-alive matters like Sun, moon, earth, air, water etc., start their respective functions.
Creation, Science, worldly matters etc., is not possible until the same is created by someone. Secondly, knowledge is attained when knowledge is imparted by someone.
Rigveda mantra 10/129/ 1-6 throw light about creation that at that time, there was nothing and no living beings did exist. So there was no learned acharya who could give the knowledge to the newly created living beings like parents who educate the children to make them able to speak language and to know about the matters like crow, animals, chapati, ghee, sun, moon i.e., all matters of the world. See, if a newly born baby is managed to live in dense jungle and nursed well but he is not given education about the worldly matters etc. i.e., mathematics, science, animals, sun, moon etc., then even at the young age of 20-25, 30 years, he will not be able to speak any language and when he will be brought out of the cave of dense jungle and will be asked about the sun, moon, animals, birds before him, then he will not be able to reply because he was not given the said knowledge.
When we see towards sun, moon, air, space, human body etc. It is clearly understood that the said creation has not been made by any human being but Almighty God, from whom the knowledge of four Vedas emanates. In Vedas, the knowledge right from straw to Brahma has been mentioned. So in the beginning of non-sexual earth, the Vedas originated in the heart of four rishis: Agni, Vaayu, Aditya and Angira, and from the rishis the knowledge of science, deeds and worship along with every matter is being given to the public by which the public became educated scientist and wrote books, etc.
In Vedas as well as in fourth chapter of Yog Shastras of Rishi Patanjali, it is mentioned that those who do not believe in God are provided more and more facilities by nature and such people get spoiled etc.
On the contrary those who worship God, they naturally try to kill their desires and accordingly under the law, nature, help them to follow the true path to realize the God.
It is also pertinent to mention here that in Vedas, there is no mention of avtarwad or any proper noun, please. Vedas do not even contain any story or past, present or future life of anyone. Vedas contain knowledge i.e., entire science, form of deeds/duties and worship of God. Actually Vedas give knowledge right from straw to Brahma (God) of entire universe.
All four Vedas tell to worship a formless, Almighty, omnipresent, omniscient God who creates, nurses and destroys the universe. God was one, is one and shall ever remain one. He is unchangeable, unchallengeable and beyond description. He has unlimited qualities and thus unlimited names but is one. Because He is Almighty and needs no help of anyone to create, nurse and destroy the universe therefore no need to take avtar.
God inspires the human beings through Vedas to become learned of Vedas. He has no desire to take birth to educate the people. Suppose, He desires to educate the world then like the four rishis, who attain knowledge of Vedas direct from Almighty God, under the eternal, unchangeable law of God, (without God taking birth like man/woman) at present also the knowledge could have been attained by entire universe within no time, by the desire of God. However, this can’t happen since God is desireless. In this connection Shwetashwataropnishad shlok 6/8 also states—–
“SWABHAVIKI GYAN BAL KRIYA CHA”
i.e., divine knowledge, deeds and power to control the universe is automatic. It means only a fraction of His power is sufficient to control the universe as stated above. God hence needs not to think or desire etc.
Now, I would say here that there is a problem to educate a person immediately due to lack of Vedas’ knowledge. The so called saints who are against the Vedas or who have never studied Vedas try to impose their self-made meaning of holy books or self-made path on the public, by stating to the public that Vedas are difficult to understand and there is no justification to do Yajyen etc. The said false views of so called saints have now been accepted almost everywhere and people do not want to listen to Vedas. So, it becomes very difficult to teach the true path to public and consequently there arises the problem to make people understand difference amongst Almighty God, souls and non-alive Prakriti. So we will have to revert back to path of eternal knowledge of four Vedas which emanate direct from God at the beginning of the earth.
AWAKENING TO VEDAS’ KNOWLEDGE
There are three matters in the universe which are eternal.
First – Almighty God, who creates, nurses and destroys the universe and again creates it. This process is eternal and everlasting as well.
Second- Soul who resides in living body based on karmas’ (deeds) philosophy. God is one but souls are innumerable. Both i.e., God and souls are alive.
Third- Prakriti which is non-alive Matter is from which Almighty God generates universe. At a fixed time, the universe is destroyed, this process is called Pralaya i.e., final destruction. All the learned acharyas also leave their human body along with destruction of universe. Now, the new creation again begins and Almighty God creates it from non-alive Prakriti. After creating the entire world including sun, moon, stars, air, fire, space(sky), vegetation, water, earth etc., living being’s bodies (including human being’s bodies) are also made. This process is very well mentioned in Rigveda mandal 10, Sukta 129. Mantras of the sukta can’t be described here, this being lengthy process and I have already described the said mantras several times. I have also written several books pertaining the same. Now, Almighty God enters the awaiting immortal souls residing in the living being’s bodies based on karma’s philosophy. Some souls attain human body, others that of birds, mosquitoes, animals etc. Those who have been blessed by God with human body, are entitled to study Vedas, do yajyen, name jaap and practice of yoga philosophy while discharging their duties so as to attain salvation. But question arises how a man can do the said worship, who will give him the knowledge of Vedas? The reason being that the learned acharyas of the previous world have left their bodies. In this new creation, the human bodies are made of Prakriti, are of yours age and therefore the present creation is called non-sexual creation. When after creating the universe, the God enters the universe and universe starts functioning, at this time as already stated human as well as other bodies, being non-sexual, are made of young age. The point should again be deeply reckoned that the said non-sexual creation of human-beings remains totally ignorant in the absence of knowledge. The knowledge cannot be given in the absence of learned acharyas who have left their bodies with the destruction of previous universe. Fundamental law of nature should also be noted that knowledge is only attained when it is given by someone.
That is why a child is made to be sent to school where the teacher educates him. So the knowledge of four Vedas at that time emanates direct from Almighty God, as stated in Rigveda mandal 10, sukta 129 and Yajurveda mantra 31/7 which is an eternal proof. The said proof can’t be challenged or oversighted.
Now question arises how does the knowledge emanates from God? You know, God is Almighty which means he has unlimited powers and does not need any assistance to control the universe. The said fact is mentioned in all four Vedas.
So, God selects the four souls who take human body in the new non-sexual creation. God maintains His natural justice hence He selects the said four Rishis named- Agni, Vayu, Aditya and Angira, who were the best knowledgeable souls in the previous universe but could not attain salvation. Hence, God alone selects such said four souls to give them knowledge of Vedas. As known already, God is Almighty so with His divine power, first the ved mantras of Rigveda start originating in the heart of Agni Rishi. Then Yajurveda mantras originate in Vayu rishi, Samveda mantras originate in Aditya Rishi and last of all Atharvaveda mantras originate in the heart of Angira rishi.
Since Almighty God wanted that the words as well as meanings, Sandhi-Vichched (grammatical breakup) and idea of each mantra should be originated in the heart of said Rishis, accordingly it happens and the Rishis of non-sexual creation become wise for the first time. In this connection, Patanjali Rishi states his experience after realising God, by studying Vedas and practising ashtang yoga that
“SA ESHAHA POORVESHAAMAPI GURUHU KALENANVACHCHEDAT”
Meaning- The Almighty God is the guru of (POORVESHAM) the ancient four rishis of non-sexual creation. A man whose name is ‘Brahma’ studies all four Vedas from four Rishis, says Rigveda mantra 10/181/1,2. Now, there may arise a doubt as to how the knowledge of four Vedas originates in the heart of four Rishis. Suppose, a man is sitting idle and several thoughts originate within him then what is the source of origination. The said thoughts which are listened by man originate automatically within his heart. Sometimes, if a man has to catch the train in the morning or anytime then a thought immediately originates in his heart that he has to work accordingly to catch the train. Similarly, with the divine power of God, ved mantras originate automatically in the heart of four Rishis. This is due to the fact that God is Almighty and does not need any assistance of mouth, pen, paper etc., to deliver the knowledge. Now, the four Rishis recite mantras and give knowledge to “Brahma” and traditionally this divine knowledge has been handed over to generations orally, as is also stated in Samveda mantra 744. The said procedure of origination of Vedas in heart of four said Rishis is eternal and everlasting.
Creation, nursing, final destruction and again creation is a process and is eternal and everlasting process. In the universe, there is only Almighty God, who is called “Param purush” i.e., Param purush i.e., complete in all respect, most supreme. He is boundless. I mean to say, God has unlimited qualities, power and working capacity etc., whereas we the souls have limited. That is why, God is called beyond imagination, beyond calculation and beyond description. However, your question “Need for completeness to become incomplete” may please to be clarified.
S S: Order for Vedas a divine light series, from Australia.
Swami Ram Swarup: The books have since been sent to you, please.
M: Pranams Swamiji.. We have a marble idol(vinayak) at home and my son wants to do abhishekam at home for that idol.. Can we do abhishekam for marble vigraha.. Thanks in advance for your valuable advise swamiji..
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you, my daughter. This is your own faith and you may go ahead, please. But as far as Vedas are concerned, such worship along with abhishek of idols is not mentioned in Vedas. In this regard, I also paste my article-
Idol worship is not mentioned in Vedas.
If an aspirant will concentrate over mouth of idol then for sometime he will concentrate on chin, nose, head etc., but concentration on one point will not be achieved. Secondly, Vedas do not preach to concentrate outside the body. Yog shastra sutra 3/1 also states, “DESHBANDHASYA CHITTASYA DHARNA” i.e., concentrate on a point of body like agyachakra, tip of the nose or heart. So we cannot go against the ved-shastras. Yes, idol worship has been started within two thousand and five hundred years. That is why, Vedas do not tell for idol worship but if people desire, they can go ahead.
Pictures, drawings etc., may not be considered idols but it is an art and not worship of God. We must know that knowledge of Vedas emanates direct from God and idol worship has been made by human beings. So now we have to decide whether we obey God or human beings. If we still follow the path made by humans then no problem, one must go ahead. On the other hand, follower of Vedas must continue his own path.
In four Vedas, the media to realize the God has been stated as –
Study of Vedas under guidance of acharya which is a real media and as mentioned in the Vedas, one has to follow the preach mentioned therein viz., performance of Yajyen, name jaap of God , regular contact with learned acharya of Vedas, ashtang Yoga Practice under his guidance etc. The said media is stated by God Himself in Vedas. Man, an artist, clay and every matter right from straw to sun, moon, air, space etc., is the creation of God. It thus concludes that we have to worship and realize the creator and we must not be attracted towards creation. Attraction is the task of senses, perceptions and mind which is destroyed but the creator is immortal. No other media is stated in Vedas except the human body through which the said worship is done by a Yogi, Rishi-muni or aspirant.
Vedas-shastras state that God is omnipresent and according to Yajurveda mantra 40/6 it is true but other mantras state that God is “Ninnaya” that is hidden in the universe and we have to locate the hidden God and not the visible, non-alive matters of the world.
T.V., radios etc., all articles are man-made and controlled by some mechanism. And examples of man-made mechanism are actually not applied on Almighty, omnipresent God. Any mechanism, for example- rocket launching , launching of satellites etc., involves the mind of a man and mind has limited power otherwise mind could have searched the hidden Almighty God also but Vedas state that mind, intellect , senses etc., have limited power and God is beyond imagination , beyond description, beyond calculation. That is why, our ancient Rishis, Rajrishis practised Vedic path that is did practice of Ashtang Yoga Philosophy, Yajyen etc.
As such they exercised control over mind, intellect, senses etc. A Yogi when makes the mind dead etc., and forgets even himself (soul) then he realizes the God. This eternal Vedic path of Yoga philosophy has been very well preached by Rishi Patanjali in his Yog Shastra.
God is not a matter to be seen with eyes. So how can He be seen alone in everything with the destructive eye?
Ego is not one-sided matter. If there is ego, neither a formless God is realized nor difference between idol or formless God is established. It is ego that most of the people respect the idol worship as well as formless God’s worship mentioned in Vedas but when an aspirant follows the Vedas, his mind becomes stable, then he only accepts worship of formless God and not others. Whereas, the worshipper who worships idol, he accepts formless God also i.e., he cannot ignore Vedas and can not accept one path alone. We must deeply think over it that why is it so?
God being formless has not preached regarding any of His substitute or symbol, so the aspirant who knows Vedic philosophy accepts the God’s preach accordingly. When God in four Vedas, has not stated about His mark or representative then how the follower would accept the same? Vedas have been preaching the formless worship as quoted above eternally whereas the worship of idol has been made for the last about two thousand five hundred years ago by the human-beings. So there is difference of worship of formless God and idol.
Idol worship is the worship where the sentiments and emotions of heart are involved and all the said involvements are man-made as well as destructible. How a mind/intellect having limited power can dig out the Almighty, formless, hidden God from the creation? God is Almighty i.e., He has unlimited powers whereas soul who is being assisted by mind, intellect and senses etc., has limited power.
Yajurveda mantra 1/5 and Rigveda mantra 3/56/1 states that even God cannot transgress His rules. So how can God be transformed according to our emotions and be forced to accept our sentiments which are not according to His laws of nature.
All Vedas state that His laws of creation remain unchangeable. So there is no value of our sentiments etc., contrary to His rules and regulations. In the said Rigveda mantra, God strictly states “that all mountains, seas, rivers and even the Yogis who have realized Him (God) are incapable to change His rules and regulations and the way of worship etc.” So our self-made worship, emotions and sentiments etc., are of no use until these are according to Vedas.
As regards flag, yes it is invaluable not only for soldiers but for countrymen as well. However, the flag of each country is different. Will any other countryman sacrifice his life for our Tiranga? We, the Indians are enough to sacrifice our lives to maintain the dignity of our adorable Tiranga. So flags are different, the countries being different but God is one and only one for entire universe. So worldly example in the matter of formless, Almighty God is not applicable, please.
Also the matter of image being very clear to the devotee when it speaks to him in his own language of devotion, forces a learned man to say that the said speech between his mind and soul is worldly speech and even destructible whereas when a Yogi realizes God, he is completely unable to speak, hear, see, smell, eat, think etc. In this connection, the description of Yog shastra sutra 4/30,31, 32 pertaining to Dharmamegh Samadhi refers.
Yes, only currency notes are valuable. Similarly the Yogis –like Yogeshwar Sri Krishna Maharaj, Sri Ram, Vyas muniji, Guru Vasishth, Atri Rishi, Patanjali Rishi and the present Yogis-Rishis –Munis who have realized God, following the Vedic path are valuable. The stamp of beloved God is everywhere that is in sky, water, vegetation, in each living being etc. But as far as worship is concerned then the follower of Vedas only worships formless God who creates, nurses and destroys the universe, alone being Almighty. He is Almighty, therefore, He doesnot need any assistance from anyone.
This is never forgotten that the image has been brought from Jaipur etc., so if one can worship an image then why can’t one worship all pervading, omnipotent, omniscient, merciful God, who is the source of everything, who is eternal, unchangeable, life of life and soul of soul etc. Why do we change Him from being unchangeable to changeable idol?
Practice makes man perfect. So the beginner will get the sanskar (effect) on his chitta of idol worship and the same will never be omitted again. Secondly, according to the Vedas idol worship is not authentic. You see, there is no shape of soul. Atharvaveda mantra 10/8/25 states that size of soul is less than the tip of hair i.e., soul is the minutest matter which remains unseen. But when an aspirant tries to know about the soul, he knows based on qualities. We know about a person according to the description of his qualities- good or bad. Accordingly, we know Ravanna, King Harishchandra etc., based on their bad and good qualities respectively. So is the case of formless God. God has given His description/His divine qualities in Vedas only. After studying the Vedas, we first know the God based on Shabda Brahma i.e., Ved mantras. Thereafter, when we worship Him according to Vedas, we attain Samadhi and realize Him. This fact has also been mentioned in Shantiparv of Mahabharat wherein Bheeshma tells Yudhishthir that Oh! Yudhishthir, he who gets perfection in ved mantras first, then he realises God.
When Formless, Almighty God has not stated in any Ved about the idol worship then how will He be pleased by idol worship? Yajurveda mantra 32/3 states “NA TASYA PRATIMA ASTI” i.e., God cannot be measured. So there cannot be any idol of God because He is immeasurable. However, if people get peace in following idol worship, they may continue. Here I am only discussing the fact of Vedas.
Touching of hand and body etc., is materialistic matter which can only please mind, intellect through skin but it can’t be quoted in respect of Formless, Almighty God.
Whole world can be considered as the body of God but in reality God does not have body because God is alive whereas world is non-alive matter. So God is separate and world is separate. God remains immortal whereas world is destructible.
The image will be destroyed one day but not God. When there is no body of God then how will we be able to offer flowers, sandal wood paste, food etc., to Him.
Yajurveda mantra 40/8 states God to be the purest and He needs not to be purified by bathing, changing clothes and applying sandal wood paste etc. It is an idol or body of human-being which requires purification again and again.
External form of worship will strengthen the idol only because we will be singing, describing the attributes of idol/creation and not to Formless God. If we in the beginning are not able to judge the true, divine qualities of formless God then our love and faith will remain unstable.
Such aspirant will only feel nearness to the idol and not formless God who is already within him and who already resides the nearest to the soul i.e., within the soul.
We will have to study the Vedas which state that idol worship is not permitted by God. Yet, if an aspirant wants to worship an idol then I am telling again and again that he can go ahead at his own. On receipt of your e-mail, I am giving answer based on Vedic philosophy only that what Vedas say about idol worship. Vedas do not speak about idol worship and avtarwad. However, people are free to go ahead on their own and do whatever they like.
When I will see any art which is liked by soul through eye, definitely it will be admired and the scene which is disliked will be ignored. So if many people admire the idol of Ganesh sitting on conch, admiration is natural. As far as Vedas-shastras and other holy ancient books written by Rishis are concerned in the worship of formless God, spirit has no concern. Neither spirit exists nor has any concern with the worship of God.
So in the end I again say that he who wishes to worship idol, he may go ahead at his own. I have only told Vedas’ views on the matter of idol worship on receipt of your this particular e-mail.
You are also advised to read at least one of my books named- Vedas- A divine light part-I worth Rs. 80/- excluding postal charges, which will give you immense knowledge of eternal Vedas’ philosophy which emanates direct from Almighty God in the beginning of every creation.
