Ashwin: Swamiji, my pranams to you. Q1. Suppose all the people of the world come back to Vedas slowly and follow only pious lives. Then sins will be slowly reduced to zero. Hence birth of animals become impossible as per Vedas. This creates an imbalance in the ecosystem. Hence sin is mandatory in this world. Correct me if I am wrong.
Q2.Did Karna really give his armour as Daan to Shri Krishna before the war? Thank you.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you.
1.) Vedas as well as ancient Rishis have already told that to follow and hold Vedic preach in human life is not easy because all senses, perceptions and mind are required to be controlled by doing hard practice of Ashtang Yoga philosophy. Other rules are also the hardest rules but everybody is entitled to follow Vedic path. Now, I tell you to follow Vedic path, assumptions are not allowed. Only hard-working in present life is appreciated. We have to focus our concentration only on present and not in future because future is made bright by following and discharging our present moral duties.
2.) No, please. Karnna could not give any kavach as daan to Sri Krishna Maharaj because such kavach has no existence.
Atharvaveda states that if a person performs daily havan/yajyen with ved mantras then in future, the aahutis of ved mantras become protecting armour (kavach) of the devotee.
Dave: Dear swamiji pranam, swamiji is it true that sometimes the soul may take years in getting a new body after leaving the previous one?
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. No, please. In this regard, I paste my answer as under-
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.
V. Subash: Thanks for the reply; but unable to understand the meaning. Since there is no mention about Shradha in Veda, it means we need not do shraddha after death of first year? If shradha has to be done as per practice, then my point is, can we seek the help of bachelor priest for performing the shradh, due to non-availability of qualified priest.
Swami Ram Swarup:You are welcome, please. Shradh can never be performed in any case being unauthentic and illegal. Shradh means to serve the parents by all means i.e., with food, by protecting them, caring for them, providing them with clothes while they are alive because the meaning of Shradh is faith/believe. When soul goes out of body, at the time of death then dead body is burnt on pyre and soul based on his deeds (good or bad) takes another birth after thirteen days of death. Now, we must think how a person can do Shradh i.e., can make a departed soul to eat, take clothes etc., (Chapter 39 of Yajurveda refers).