Complete Universe exists in God

 

In Hinduism Lord Krishna is "true" Supreme Being and creator of the universe. Lord Krishna has said it many times in His discourse of "Bhagwad Gita". Lord Krishna is the ultimate God. The entire universe exists within Him.

"Lord Krishna / God is omnipresent and is in every atom of this Universe". But how God is there everywhere in the Universe?

Meaning of omnipresent is that one who is present everywhere. God is one who in it's un-manifest, unseen, subtle aspect is always present all around us. This omnipresent God is one who is full of knowledge & knows everything about this whole world & also knows about all the people of this world. Just like all this world look infinite so God is present in every inch of the space. Every nook & corner of this Universe is filled by Him. He is therefore called Brahm (God) who is Truth Absolute, Knowledge Absolute and is Infinite.

Now just see below verse of Bhagwat Gita:

"athakasa-sthito nityam
vayuh sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvani bhutani
mat-sthanity upadharaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 6)

 "Sri Krishna said: Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, so do all created beings rest in Me."

The meaning of above verse is that just like wind blowing everywhere always exists in space and both  can't be seen by our eyes, similarly whole world exists in all pervasive, God, Brahmn which exists just below this space. Whole material Universe exists within that Brahmn called God.

Below are some more verses from Bhagwat Gita which explains all pervading God in this Universe.

"maya tatam idam sarvam
jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na chaham tesv avasthitah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 4) 

"Sri Krishna said: By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them."

"prakritim svam avastabhya
visrijami punah punah
bhuta-gramam imam krtsnam
avasam prakriter vasat" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said: The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end."

God is called Brahmn,

Whole world dwells in Brahmn,

Whole world comes from Brahmn,

Whole world goes back in Brahmn,

Whole world breathes in Brahmn,

Let's worship that Brahmn, the God

Jai Sri Krishna

Whole World exists in God

 

राम वही जो रमता सकल जहान 

Above Hindi line meaning is that "God is omnipresent and is in every atom of this Universe". But how God is there everywhere in the Universe?

Meaning of omnipresent is that one who is present everywhere. God is one who in it's un-manifest, unseen, subtle aspect is always present all around us. This omnipresent God is one who is full of knowledge & knows everything about this whole world & also knows about all the people of this world. Just like all this world look infinite so God is present in every inch of the space. Every nook & corner of this Universe is filled by Him. He is therefore called Brahm (God) who is Truth Absolute, Knowledge Absolute and is Infinite.

Now just see below verse of Bhagwat Gita:

"athakasa-sthito nityam
vayuh sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvani bhutani
mat-sthanity upadharaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 6)

 "Sri Krishna said: Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, so do all created beings rest in Me."

The meaning of above verse is that just like wind blowing everywhere always exists in space and both  can't be seen by our eyes, similarly whole world exists in all pervasive, God, Brahmn which exists just below this space. Whole material Universe exists within that Brahmn called God.

Below are some more verses from Bhagwat Gita which explains all pervading God in this Universe.

"maya tatam idam sarvam
jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na chaham tesv avasthitah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 4) 

"Sri Krishna said: By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them."

"prakritim svam avastabhya
visrijami punah punah
bhuta-gramam imam krtsnam
avasam prakriter vasat" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said: The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end."

God is called Brahmn,

Whole world dwells in Brahmn,

Whole world comes from Brahmn,

Whole world goes back in Brahmn,

Whole world breathes in Brahmn,

Let's worship that Brahmn, the God

Jai Sri Krishna

God is always around us & all the time

God remains with us all the time & is always around us. He remains with us everywhere, wherever we go. Just like space, always remains with us, wherever we go, similarly, God remains with us,  wherever we go. He is a constant companion of us. Only we need to realize His presence.

God is all merciful & His Divine grace or Blessing or 'Kripa' (कृपा) can happen on all of us anywhere & everywhere. God is present everywhere i.e. He is omnipresent & is present at all places, all the times. He is there within your house, your living room & your place of worship. So it is not necessary to go to some outside place of worship only to find God but you can worship & get His Blessings within your home only. Below verse of Bhagwat Gita explains His omnipresent nature.

sarvatah pani-padam tat
sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah shrutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tishthati (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 14) 

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Everywhere are His (God's) hands and feet, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Super Soul exists, pervading everything in this world."

So just have faith in God & get the mercy of God within your home only. God's merciful hand shall extend to your house if you show devotion in Him. When His grace shall happen then God shall give you, whatever, you are lacking in life & also shall protect your life & belongings. Then you shall always be protected in life by God. Such type of Special mercy of God shall only happen on you when you shall engage your mind in thinking of God, become God's devotee, offer obeisance's to God and shall always worship Him. Being completely absorbed in God, surely you shall become eligible for God's Special mercy.

Below verses of Bhagwat Gita ensure that only:

"ananyas cintayanto mam
ye janah paryupasate
tesham nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have."

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna : Abandon all varieties of religion or Setting aside all meritorious deeds, just surrender unto Me. I shall liberate you from all sins. Do not fear."

So just think that God is forever in your heart & shall never give you up or never depart. He is always with you. So always trust in your life that God is near you.

Jai Sri Krishna

Four Blind men Describe an Elephant - Story that Analyses God

Do you know how God's Face look like?? May be no one can answer this question properly, as no one has come face to face with God anytime & we all have seen His pictures, idols etc. only in which God's face looks like, whatever, the painter or craftsman imagined it while making that picture or idol. There are others who believe in unmaniifest aspect of God i.e. they believe in faceless, nirakar aspect of God. So we have different perceptions of God as per our thinking & faith.

In general God is the faith of human beings that a Supernatural Power exists in this universe which has created us & all other universal forms. He is having supernatural powers, who is omniscient (knows everything), who is omnipresent (who is present everywhere), omnipotent (who is having all the powers & is all powerful), who is imperishable & indestructible. Faith of humans in such a big & great entity having all the powers is known as God.

When God is someone Superhuman, having Infinite size, knowledge & powers, then it is very difficult for a human being with limited knowledge & power to fully understand & describe the God. In this respect there is an analogy as to how differently we each understand or experience the God. There is this story about four blind men and the elephant:

There are four blind men who discover an elephant. Since the men have never encountered an elephant, they grope about, seeking to understand and describe this new wild being. One gets hold of the trunk and concludes that it is a snake. So for him elephant is like a snake. Another explores one of the elephant's legs and describes it as a tree. So for him elephant is like a tree. A third one finds the elephant's tail and announces that it is a rope. So for him elephant is like a rope. And the fourth blind man, after discovering the large body of the elephant, concludes that it is, after all, a wide mountain.

Each in his blindness is describing the same thing: an elephant. Yet each describes the same thing in a radically different way. We all are like those blind men only in our knowledge of God who describe the God as per our own understanding. Now say a fifth man (who could see) comes to the scene and he were to describe the elephant as an elephant, then he would tell clearly about the elephant as it is. Same is the case that only a true master who has seen God actually can tell how God looks like. Let's seek such a True master, Great soul or Guru who shall tell us about the true nature of God & shall lead us to Him.

"jyotisam api taj jyotis

tamasah param ucyate

jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam

hridi sarvasya visthitam" (Bhagwat Gita: ChapterThirteen verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, God is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is un-manifested. He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge,and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone’s heart."

Jai Sri Krishna

Celestial Bodies & the God

A Celestial Body is any natural body outside of the Earth's atmosphere. Examples are Sun, Moon, asteroids, planets, moons of other planets, stars etc. Celestial Bodies also range from single planets to star clusters, nebulae or entire galaxies also. Now who has made all these Celestial Bodies? As per Bhagwat Gita, the God, all powerful, all pervading Brahmn has created all these Celestial Bodies.

God is called Brahmn,

All Celestial Bodies dwell in Brahmn,

All Celestial Bodies come from Brahmn,

All Celestial Bodies goes back in Brahmn,

All Celestial Bodies breathe in Brahmn,

Let's worship that Brahmn, the God.

"Lord Krishna" Himself declares in Bhagwat-Gita that:

"yada aditya-gatam tejo
jagad bhasayate ’khilam
yac chandramasi yac chagnau
tat tejo viddhi mamakam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fifteen verse 12)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The splendor of the Sun, which dissipates the darkness of this whole world, comes from Me. And the splendor of the moon and the splendor of fire are also from Me."

"adityanam aham vishnur
jyotisam ravir amsuman
maricir marutam asmi
nakshatranam aham sasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 21) 

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Of the Adityas I am Vishnu, of Lights I am the Radiant Sun, of the Maruts I am Marici, and among the stars I am the moon."

"yad yad vibhutimat sattvam
srimad urjitam eva va
tat tad evavagaccha tvam
mama tejo-’msa-sambhavam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 41)

"Sri Krishna said: Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor."

"maya tatam idam sarvam
jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na chaham tesv avasthitah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 4)

"Sri Krishna said: By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them."

"athakasa-sthito nityam
vayuh sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvani bhutani
mat-sthanity upadharaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 6)

"Sri Krishna said: Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, all created beings rest in Me."

"prakritim svam avastabhya
visrijami punah punah
bhuta-gramam imam krtsnam
avasam prakriter vasat" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said: The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end."

So let's see one God in all Celestial Bodies. He himself is there as Splendor or Brilliance or Radiance of Sun, Moon & Fire. Not onlt that, as per Lord Krishna, all these opulent, beautiful and glorious creations just spring from but a spark of His splendor. So it is to be seen that God is present in all creation as His spark of brilliance is present in all the creation.

Jai Sri Krishna

All Pervasive Brahm (God)

God is omnipresent (present everywhere) in it's un-manifest aspect & is always present all around us. This omnipresent God consists of knowledge & knows everything about this whole world & also knows about all the people of this world. Every inch of the space is occupied by Him. Every nook & corner is filled by Him. He is therefore called Brahm (God) who is Truth Absolute, Knowledge Absolute and is Infinite.

To fulfill the desire of a devotee, this un-manifest, all pervasive Brahm (God) by the power of His Yogmaya, manifests Himself as an embodied Being and appears before the devotee. In fact there is no difference between the Manifest and Un-manifest aspects of God. It is the Un-manifest that becomes manifest only.

Brahm (God) manifests Himself in the same form in which a devotee likes to see Him. In Bhagwat Gita, Arjuna wanted to see God's Universal form in the first instance, then His celestial form endowed with four arms, and last of all His human form with two arms only. Divine Lord Krishna, in order to fulfill the desire of Arjuna, appeared before him in all these forms successively within a short time.

So the God appears before a devotee in whatever form he worship Him, whether it is the form of Rama, Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Ganesha or any other form. A devotee should always remember that the God whom he worships, always pervades through this whole universe & can manifest Himself in any form, anytime He wants to appear before his devotee. God is never invisible to such souls who have understood His true nature, nor does He ever lose sight of them.

God is called Brahmn,

Whole world dwells in Brahmn,

Whole world comes from Brahmn,

Whole world goes back in Brahmn,

Whole world breathes in Brahmn,

Let's worship that Brahmn, the God.

"maya tatam idam sarvam
jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na chaham tesv avasthitah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 4)

"Sri Krishna said: By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them."

"athakasa-sthito nityam
vayuh sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvani bhutani
mat-sthanity upadharaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 6)

"Sri Krishna said: Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, all created beings rest in Me."

"prakritim svam avastabhya
visrijami punah punah
bhuta-gramam imam krtsnam
avasam prakriter vasat" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said: The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end."

Jai Sri Krishna

Why Worship of a Deity is Necessary?

In Hinduism, one sect worships the God as subtle, formless, un-visible, unmanifest, nirankar & the one God who cannot take any shape. In fact Sikhism also talks of the same formless, unmanifest God. Bhagwat Gita also tells us that God is present in all creation as Supersoul who is formless, un-visible with naked eyes & unmanifest in nature. But how can a person concentrate on God who cannot be seen, who is formless but is present all around us & in all the creation? So to concentrate our mind on God we need to worship Sakaar God, the God who takes a Form & incarnates in different forms. As we need to concentrate our mind on something during our prayers, worship, so that is why it is necessary to have a Deity, a form of God on which we can concentrate our mind.

Swami Vivekananda in his youth age was in search of a true master who would lead him to God. Whenever, he used to meet any saint, he would ask him, "Have you seen God?", but no one would say with conviction that he has seen God. Same question he put to Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa when he saw him for the first time. At his question Sri Ramakrishna replied,"Yes, I have seen God as real as I am seeing you before me."

Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa was the caretaker of Kali Temple at Calcutta. He used to worship the stone image of Goddess Kali in the temple but due to his devotion, Mother Goddess Kali, used to take the live form & used to talk to him. As per Sri Ramakrishna:

"ALL doubts disappear when one sees God. It is one thing to hear of God, but quite a different thing to see Him. A man cannot have one hundred per cent conviction through mere hearing. But if he beholds God face to face, then he is wholly convinced.

Formal worship drops away after the vision of God. It was thus that my worship in the temple came to an end. I used to worship the deity in the Kali Temple. It was suddenly revealed to me that everything is Pure Spirit. The utensils of worship, the altar, the door-frame - all Pure Spirit. Then like a mad man I began to shower flowers in all directions. Whatever I saw I worshipped."

God is all pervasive Pure Spirit. This universe is infinite only due to that Infinite Pure Spirit pervasive all around us. Pure Spirit as infinite being is limitless, omnipresent & the one who fills this limitless space. Such an Infinite Pure Spirit exists everywhere. Below are few verses from Bhagwat Gita which describe about the infinite nature of Pure Spirit :

"sarvatah pani-padam tat
sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah shrutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tishthati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Everywhere are His (God's) hands and feet, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Super Soul exists, pervading everything in this world."

"mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sutre mani-gana iva" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 7)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, there is nothing else besides Me (Pure Spirit) in this world. Like clusters of yarn-beads formed by knots on a thread, all this world is threaded on me (Pure Spirit).

So though God is there in clay Idol in unmanifest form but that un-manifest God is Pure Spirit who is present everywhere & encompasses whole universe in it. That un-manifest God as Pure Spirit only takes live form before a true devotee. That infinite, un-manifest, Pure Spirit is realized in meditation as God & that Pure Spirit only helps us when we think of God & ask for His help. That all pervasive Pure Spirit is only called Bráhmn. So let's understand that Bráhmn, the all pervasive Pure Spirit & once we are able to understand & realize that then we shall transcend from Deity to Infinity as everything in this universe is Pure Spirit only.

God is Infinite Pure Spirit,
Whole world dwells in Infinite Pure Spirit,
Whole world comes from Infinite Pure Spirit,
Whole world goes back in Infinite Pure Spirit,
Whole world breathes in Infinite Pure Spirit,
Let's worship that Infinite Pure Spirit, the God.

Jai Sri Krishna

Omnipresent Soul

When we are sleeping & are in dream state or when we are in meditation, we loose consciousness of our body & dive deep within our self. If you just close your eyes & think of yourself, who you are, then you shall know that you are much more than this body. In fact you are the Omnipresent Soul.

Just like the space is all pervasive, in the similar manner, think yourself as all pervasive, Omnipresent Soul. In this way you shall go away from the narrow bodily feeling of yourself as one point body in space & shall feel the greatness of Soul which is all pervading in the universe.

As per Bhagwat Gita, think yourself to be that Soul which is beyond this body, which is unthinkable, imperishable, ineffable, eternal, all pervading, immobile, un-manifest & immutable.

"athakasa-sthito nityam
vayuh sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvani bhutani
mat-sthanity upadharaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 6)

"Sri Krishna said: Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, all created beings rest in Me.

"na jayate mriyate va kadacin
nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato ’yam purano
na hanyate hanyamane sarire" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: The soul is never born nor dies at any time. Soul has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. Soul is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. Soul is not slain when the body is slain."

So we should not think our self limited to this body only. We are that omnipresent soul which is appearing to be this perishable body, due to our self relating it with the body. The Omnipresent Soul which is invisible, indivisible & all pervasive in the universe, appears to be taking the shape of a body, when seen in relation to a body. In fact all pervasive, omnipresent soul is beyond the concept of shape, color etc.

Jai Shri Krishna

O God, You Alone Know Yourself

Once a debate started among spiritual scholars of Banaras about the God. Every scholar wanted to prove that he knew the God best. Vedantist tried to prove it through Vedas, while others tried to prove it through other Puranas & other spiritual scriptures. Somehow everyone knew only of the some aspects of the God & tried to explain that in his own way. However God is Infinite, Omnipotent & Omnipresent. Nobody can know that Infinite God in totality. Only God himself can know himself fully. In Ramayana, it is said that, “Hari Anant, Hari Katha Ananta”, which means that “God is Infinite & His Stories are Infinite.”

Below verse of Bhagwat Gita also says that:

"svayam evatmanatmanam
vettha tvam purushottama
bhuta-bhavana bhutesa
deva-deva jagat-pate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 15)

"Arjuna said to Lord Krishna: Indeed, You alone know Yourself by Your own internal potency, O Supreme human being, origin of all, Lord of all beings, God of gods, Lord of the universe!"

As per Bhagwat Gita, Supreme God Lord Krishna can be known by His devotees only. Those people who hate the Lord & are of demonic nature, do not know Him. Only those devotees who know Lord Krishna as Purusottama can know about Him who is the creator of all living entities. He is also the supreme controller of everyone & all these universes. He is the origin of all other demigods, so to worship some demigod is indirectly worshiping that Supreme Lord only, though not correctly as we can worship Him directly also. That Supreme Lord is also worshipped by all the demigods so we should directly worship that Lord.



Jai Shri Krishna

From Deity to Infinity

Swami Vivekananda in his youth age was in search of a true master who would lead him to God. Whenever, he used to meet any saint, he would ask him, "Have you seen God?", but no one would say with conviction that he has seen God. Same question he put to Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa when he saw him for the first time. At his question Sri Ramakrishna replied,"Yes, I have seen God as real as I am seeing you before me."

Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa was the caretaker of Kali Temple at Calcutta. He used to worship the stone image of Goddess Kali in the temple but due to his devotion, Mother Goddess Kali, used to take the live form & used to talk to him. As per Sri Ramakrishna:

"ALL doubts disappear when one sees God. It is one thing to hear of God, but quite a different thing to see Him. A man cannot have one hundred per cent conviction through mere hearing. But if he beholds God face to face, then he is wholly convinced.

Formal worship drops away after the vision of God. It was thus that my worship in the temple came to an end. I used to worship the deity in the Kali Temple. It was suddenly revealed to me that everything is Pure Spirit. The utensils of worship, the altar, the door-frame - all Pure Spirit. Then like a mad man I began to shower flowers in all directions. Whatever I saw I worshipped."

God is all pervasive Pure Spirit. This universe is infinite only due to that Infinite Pure Spirit pervasive all around us. Pure Spirit as infinite being is limitless, omnipresent & the one who fills this limitless space. Such an Infinite Pure Spirit exists everywhere. Below are few verses from Bhagwat Gita which describe about the infinite nature of Pure Spirit :

"sarvatah pani-padam tat
sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah shrutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tishthati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Everywhere are His (God's) hands and feet, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Super Soul exists, pervading everything in this world."

"mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sutre mani-gana iva" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 7)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, there is nothing else besides Me (Pure Spirit) in this world. Like clusters of yarn-beads formed by knots on a thread, all this world is threaded on me (Pure Spirit).

So though God is there in clay Idol in unmanifest form but that un-manifest God is Pure Spirit who is present everywhere & encompasses whole universe in it. That un-manifest God as Pure Spirit only takes live form before a true devotee. That infinite, un-manifest, Pure Spirit is realized in meditation as God & that Pure Spirit only helps us when we think of God & ask for His help. That all pervasive Pure Spirit is only called Bráhmn. So let's understand that Bráhmn, the all pervasive Pure Spirit & once we are able to understand & realize that then we shall transcend from Deity to Infinity as everything in this universe is Pure Spirit only.

God is Infinite Pure Spirit,
Whole world dwells in Infinite Pure Spirit,
Whole world comes from Infinite Pure Spirit,
Whole world goes back in Infinite Pure Spirit,
Whole world breathes in Infinite Pure Spirit,
Let's worship that Infinite Pure Spirit, the God.

Jai Sri Krishna.

Idol Worship

In many religions of the world people do idol worship while there are other religions where idol worship is forbidden. In Hinduism people do pray the idols of their revered Gods but there are people in other religions who disapprove of such idolism. Now big question is whether God is actually there in Clay Idol or not?

As per the philosophy of Bhagwat Gita & Hinduism, God is omnipresent (present everywhere) in it's un-manifest aspect & is always present all around us. Every inch of the space is occupied by Him. Every nook & corner is filled by Him. In this aspect He is called Brahm (God) who is Truth Absolute, Knowledge Absolute and is Infinite.

It is this un-manifest aspect of God that is present in Clay Idols that Hindus worship as their God. Now to fulfill the desire of a devotee, this un-manifest, all pervasive Brahm (God) who is there in Clay Idol, by the power of His Yogmaya, manifests Himself as an embodied Being and appears before the devotee. So in this way the Un-manifest God in Clay Idol becomes manifest before the devotees.

So this omnipresent, un-manifest God appears before a devotee in whatever form he worships Him, whether it is the form of Rama, Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Ganesha or any other form. A devotee should always remember that the God whom he worships, always pervades through this whole universe & can manifest Himself in any form, anytime He wants to appear before his devotee. God is never invisible to such souls who have understood His true nature, nor does He ever lose sight of them.

In Bhagwat Gita, Arjuna asked Lord Krishna to show him the "Cosmic Form of God" & Lord Krishna showed Arjuna his physical "Virat Rupa" or "Cosmic Form of God" in which all these universes & all these planets, stars etc. were present. This physical "Virat Rupa" of God or this whole universe is the external body of the omnipresent, un-manifest God. Similarly this small Clay Body of God is the miniature aspect of that "Virat Rupa" or all inclusive physical universes.

Generally we see that, whenever, people go to the temple & come in front of the Clay Idol, people close their eyes. Why it is so that when people come before their revered God, they close their eyes? Simple answer to this is that they feel God much closer to their heart inside themselves when they come in front of the Clay Idol. Yes, God who is there in omnipresent, un-manifest aspect in the Clay Idol is also sitting in their hearts in un-manifest aspect. So that is the reason that while closing their eyes before the Clay Idol, people feel the presence of un-manifest God present everywhere & also in their heart.

So the answer to the question, "Whether God is actually there in the Clay Idol or not?" is in Yes. Yes, God is there in the Clay Idol. Let us respect the feelings & thinking of those people who do Idol Worship.

Jai Shri Krishna

Nature of Your Soul

Most of us identify ourselves with this body of ours. We see this body of ours in the mirror & feel that this is our real self. We start feeling ourselves as one point body in space & forget to feel the greatness of soul which is sustaining this body of ours & which is all pervading in this universe.

As per Bhagwat Gita, think yourself to be that soul which is beyond this body, which is unthinkable, imperishable, ineffable, eternal, all pervading, immobile, un-manifest & immutable. In fact your nature is also that only which is also called Brahmn.

In fact we are the omnipresent soul inside our body & this soul can never die though body may die. Bhagwat Gita explains this:

“acchedyo-ayam adahyo-ayam
akledyo-asoshya ev ch
nity sarv-gatah sthanur

achalo-ayam sanatanah” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter II verse 24)

"Sri Krishna said: For this individual soul is incapable of being cut; and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. This soul is eternal, constant, omnipresent, unchangeable, immovable and everlasting."

“dehi nityam avadhyo-ayam
dehe sarvasy bharat
tasmat sarvani bhutani

na tvam shochitum-arhasi” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter II verse 30)

"Sri Krishna said: O descendant of Bharata, this soul residing in the bodies of all can never be slain. Therefore you should not grieve for any living being."

"athakasa-sthito nityam
vayuh sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvani bhutani

mat-sthanity upadharaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 6)

"Sri Krishna said: Understand that just as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, so do all created beings rest in Me (Universal Soul)."

The above verses explain the omnipresent & everlasting nature of God or the Universal Soul (one who is present everywhere).

So we should not think our self limited to this body only. We are that omnipresent soul which is appearing to be this perishable body, due to our self relating it with the body. The Omnipresent Soul which is invisible, indivisible & all pervasive in the universe, appears to be taking the shape of a body, when seen in relation to a body. In fact all pervasive, omnipresent soul is beyond the concept of shape, color etc.

Jai Shri Krishna

Infinite God

Infinite simply means “Without Limits”. When we think of God as infinite then we just think of Him as limitless, Omnipresent & the one who fills this limitless space. Such an Infinite God exists everywhere & is not limited by time or space. In all the religions of the world God is designated as a singular, universal Supreme Being who encompasses all this creation. His all the attributes such as power, wisdom, love, compassion etc. are limitless & hence Infinite. Let's all pray to that one Infinite God.

The God who is present everywhere in space & creation is called Omnipresent God. There is no place in creation which can be without the presence of God & He is present there at every point of time and space. God fills all the space & places in heaven and on earth.

God has existed since time immemorial and will always exist as He is eternal. God has no beginning or end. There was never a time that He did not exist & there shall never be a time when He shall ceases to exist.

Here below are few verses from Bhagwat Gita which describe about the infinite nature of God:

"sarvatah pani-padam tat
sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah shrutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tishthati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 14)
"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Everywhere are His (God's) hands and feet, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Super Soul exists, pervading everything in this world."
"mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sutre mani-gana iva" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 7)"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, there is nothing else besides Me in this world. Like clusters of yarn-beads formed by knots on a thread, all this world is threaded on me.
Here below is a "Hymn to that Universal, Omnipresent Infinite God". It is from "Svetasvatara Upanishad":

"O God,

You are the Ancient One & the Lord of Shining Light,
You dwell beyond all the darkness and the night;
knowing You alone can a man cross over death,
There is no other path for him to take."

All heads are Your heads, all faces Your faces,
You dwell inside the heart & also in all hidden places.
Through the whole universe, You have extended Yourself.
You are Shiva, the auspicious, the ever-present Lord."

With hands and feet everywhere, eyes and ears
Everywhere, heads and mouths everywhere,
You have filled up every corner of the space.
Smaller than smallest and larger than largest."

Present are You in the depths of our heart.
When free of desires and unshaken by sorrow, we
Seek for You only, then by Your grace,
Your Form and Your glory stand clearly before us.

"O Lord, Creator of even Brahma, the creator,
Revealer to him of the knowledge called Veda,
To You, I come in my longing for freedom;
To You, for refuge, with reverence, I come!"

So let's pay our obeisance's to such an Infinite God. Let's also think that God is always near to us & is always in our heart. Then He too shall never give you up or never depart. God is always with you & shall always be with you if you think Him to be supreme. So always have trust in your life that God is near you though He is present in all the creation.



Jai Sri Krishna

God is in Which Direction?

Recently as per one news item "Saudi villagers prayed in wrong direction for 10 years". As per the news:

"Muslim worshippers at a mosque in a Saudi Arabian village near Mecca discovered that they were praying for 10 years in the wrong direction. Muslims are meant to pray in the direction of the most sacred site in Islam, known as the Kaaba, a large granite structure in the holy city of Mecca.

Villagers in Hadda, 20 km north-west of Mecca, should have prayed southeast, but instead bent down five times a day in a northern direction. After realizing the error, the mosque's leaders changed the direction of the prayer carpets so the worshippers now face the Kaaba."

As per another news item, "Indonesian Muslims told to change prayer direction". As per the news:

"Indonesia’s Muslims learned that they have been praying in the wrong direction, after the country’s highest Islamic authority said its directive on the direction of Mecca actually had people facing Africa.

Muslims are supposed to face the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia during prayer and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued an edict in March stipulating westward was the correct direction from the world’s most populous Muslim country.

“But it has been decided that actually the mosques are facing Somalia or Kenya, so we are now suggesting people to shift the direction slightly to the north-west,” the head of the MUI, Cholil Ridwan, told Reuters. “There’s no need to knock down mosques, just shift your direction slightly during prayer.”

Now the main question is, in which direction God actually is?

Actually the God is the Omnipresent Soul who is invisible & is all pervasive in this world. God is present all around us & is hidden in this invisible space & is there in all the directions. God gets seated himself always within this all pervasive Space in all directions & sees all our activities & controls this whole world. In the "Antaryami" aspect, God is seated in our heart & listens to all our prayers. So the belief that God is present in only one direction is not correct but that God is present in all directions. In, whatever, direction you pray to God, He will always listen to your prayers. So if you think that you were praying in the wrong direction then just don't worry, your prayers have not been wasted as God has already listened to your prayers as He is sitting in your heart & is always listening to your prayers.

"O Lord, In all directions are Your heads, all faces Your faces,
O Lord, You dwell inside the heart & also in all hidden places.
O Lord, Through the whole universe, You have extended Yourself.
O Lord, You are the auspicious, the ever-present Lord."

"O Lord, With hands and feet everywhere, eyes and ears
Everywhere, heads and mouths everywhere,
O Lord, You have filled up every corner of the space.
O Lord, Smaller than smallest and larger than largest."

"O Lord, Present are You in the depths of our heart.
O Lord, When free of desires and unshaken by sorrow, we
Seek for You only, then by Your grace,
O Lord, Your Form and Your glory stand clearly before us.

Below are verses from Bhagwat Gita which explain about God's Omnipresent nature through which He is present all around us.

sarvatah pani-padam tat
sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah shrutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tishthati (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Everywhere are His (God's) hands and feet, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Super Soul (God) exists, pervading everything in this world."

"athakasa-sthito nityam
vayuh sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvani bhutani
mat-sthanity upadharaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 6)

"Sri Krishna says in Gita: Just like the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, so do all created beings rest in Me i.e. in God, who in its unmanifest aspect always rests within this all pervasive space."

One Who Has Hands & Feet Everywhere

Why do we go to a temple, church, gurudwara, mosque or all other religious places of our faith? Simple answer to it is that we go to Pray to God & get His blessings. Quite right, but is it so that God shall bless you in a temple, church, gurudwara, mosque etc. only? God is all merciful & His Divine grace or Blessing or 'Kripa' (कृपा) can happen on all of us anywhere & everywhere. God is present everywhere i.e. He is omnipresent & is present at all places, all the times. He is there within your house, your living room & your place of worship. So it is not necessary to go to some outside place of worship only to find God but you can worship & get His Blessings within your home only. Below verse of Bhagwat Gita explains His omnipresent nature.

sarvatah pani-padam tat
sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah shrutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tishthati (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Everywhere are His (God's) hands and feet, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Super Soul exists, pervading everything in this world."

So just have faith in God & get the mercy of God within your home only. God's merciful hand shall extend to your house if you show devotion in Him. When His grace shall happen then God shall give you, whatever, you are lacking in life & also shall protect your life & belongings. Then you shall always be protected in life by God. Such type of Special mercy of God shall only happen on you when you shall engage your mind in thinking of God, become God's devotee, offer obeisance's to God and shall always worship Him. Being completely absorbed in God, surely you shall become eligible for God's Special mercy.

Below verses of Bhagwat Gita ensure that only:

"ananyas cintayanto mam
ye janah paryupasate
tesham nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have."

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna : Abandon all varieties of religion or Setting aside all meritorious deeds, just surrender unto Me. I shall liberate you from all sins. Do not fear."

So just think that God is forever in your heart & shall never give you up or never depart. He is always with you. So always trust in your life that God is near you.

Hidden God

Let's see few things which are not present directly in Nature but can be produced by little effort & logic. Butter & Clarified butter (Ghee) are not directly present in Nature but can be made by churning the milk. So butter is already present in milk in the hidden form which can be produced by little effort. Similarly Mustard oil is not directly present in Nature but can be made by crushing the Mustard oil seeds. So Mustard oil is already present in it's seeds in the hidden form. Similarly, the Divine God is present in subtle omnipresent form in this universe & is hiding here in everything, just like Butter is hidden in milk & Mustard oil is hidden in it's seeds. Only thing is that we need to churn our mind & should have faith in God, then we shall be able to know Him, just the way we are able to dig & discover the water under dry riverbeds.

Now let's see few things in our day to day life, which though are hidden or invisible from our eyes but are still present there. All of you might be using the mobile phone, getting internet through Wi-Fi technology, listening to radio, seeing the television through dish technology etc. All these are using a wireless technology in which subtle, radio or micro waves are transmitted by the Transmitter (broadcaster) through the INVISIBLE space & we receive these waves in our Mobile phone, Laptop, Radio, Television etc. Have anyone of you seen these waves travelling through the space with your eyes, but it is a reality that these invisible rays travel always through an invisible medium called Space & do wonders.

Isn't it amazing? Yes, it's amazing & proves the existence of invisible space & invisible rays. If this invisible medium called SPACE is doing wonders practically in our lives then can't you think of another Invisible medium called GOD which is also creating wonders in our lives. Yes, its true that "Invisible GOD" which is present within this invisible space, is always looking at our lives & controlling our lives but we don't see & realize that. Here below is a Verse from Bhagwat Gita which exemplify this very loudly.

Yathakasa-sthito nityam
vayuh sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvani bhutani
mat-sthanity upadharaya (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 6)
"Sri Krishna says in Gita: Just like the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, so do all created beings rest in Me i.e. in God, who in its unmanifest aspect always rests within this all pervasive space."

From the above verse it is very clear that God gets seated himself always within this all pervasive Space & sees all our activities & controls this whole universe. So Let's start wondering about this Space & the God who is seated within this space in the invisible form. Once we realize this, then it shall be very easy to see GOD all around us & shall be able to feel the omnipresent nature of God. That Supreme God is only called Brahmn.

Here below is a "Hymn to that Universal, Omnipresent Lord". It is from "Svetasvatara Upanishad":

"O Lord, You are the Ancient One & the Lord of Shining Light,
O Lord, You dwell beyond all darkness and the night;
O Lord, knowing You alone can a man cross over death,
O Lord, There is no other path for him to take."

"O Lord, All heads are Your heads, all faces Your faces,
O Lord, You dwell inside the heart & also in all hidden places.
O Lord, Through the whole universe, You have extended Yourself.
O Lord, You are Shiva, the auspicious, the ever-present Lord."

"O Lord, With hands and feet everywhere, eyes and ears
Everywhere, heads and mouths everywhere,
O Lord, You have filled up every corner of the space.
O Lord, Smaller than smallest and larger than largest."

"O Lord, Present are You in the depths of our heart.
O Lord, When free of desires and unshaken by sorrow, we
Seek for You only, then by Your grace,
O Lord, Your Form and Your glory stand clearly before us.

"O Lord, You are the woman and You are the man,
O Lord, You are the youth and the maiden, too;
O Lord, The old one tottering there with his cane
Is You, who are born here again and again.

"O Lord, You are the bird of dark-blue hue and the parrot green
With bright red eyes; You are the thunder-cloud's black sheen,
O Lord, You are the seasons and the seas. Beginning less and
Endless, You are He from whom all worlds are born.

"O Lord, Can men ever roll up space like a skin?
Then, unless they have known You without and within,
O Lord, How can they cross over sorrow and death?
O Lord, whose light needs no other light.

"O Lord, Creator of even Brahma, the creator,
Revealer to him of the knowledge called Veda,
O Lord, To You, I come in my longing for freedom;
O Lord, To You, for refuge, with reverence, I come!"

God Is There In Clay Idol

In many religions of the world people do idol worship while there are other religions where idol worship is forbidden. In Hinduism people do pray the idols of their revered Gods but there are people in other religions who disapprove of such idolism. Now big question is whether God is actually there in Clay Idol or not?

As per the philosophy of Bhagwat Gita & Hinduism, God is omnipresent (present everywhere) in it's un-manifest aspect & is always present all around us. Every inch of the space is occupied by Him. Every nook & corner is filled by Him. In this aspect He is called Brahm (God) who is Truth Absolute, Knowledge Absolute and is Infinite.

It is this un-manifest aspect of God that is present in Clay Idols that Hindus worship as their God. Now to fulfill the desire of a devotee, this un-manifest, all pervasive Brahm (God) who is there in Clay Idol, by the power of His Yogmaya, manifests Himself as an embodied Being and appears before the devotee. So in this way the Un-manifest God in Clay Idol becomes manifest before the devotees.

So this omnipresent, un-manifest God appears before a devotee in whatever form he worships Him, whether it is the form of Rama, Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Ganesha or any other form. A devotee should always remember that the God whom he worships, always pervades through this whole universe & can manifest Himself in any form, anytime He wants to appear before his devotee. God is never invisible to such souls who have understood His true nature, nor does He ever lose sight of them.

In Bhagwat Gita, Arjuna asked Lord Krishna to show him the "Cosmic Form of God" & Lord Krishna showed Arjuna his physical "Virat Rupa" or "Cosmic Form of God" in which all these universes & all these planets, stars etc. were present. This physical "Virat Rupa" of God or this whole universe is the external body of the omnipresent, un-manifest God. Similarly this small Clay Body of God is the miniature aspect of that "Virat Rupa" or all inclusive physical universes.

Generally we see that, whenever, people go to the temple & come in front of the Clay Idol, people close their eyes. Why it is so that when people come before their revered God, they close their eyes? Simple answer to this is that they feel God much closer to their heart inside themselves when they come in front of the Clay Idol. Yes, God who is there in omnipresent, un-manifest aspect in the Clay Idol is also sitting in their hearts in un-manifest aspect. So that is the reason that while closing their eyes before the Clay Idol, people feel the presence of un-manifest God present everywhere & also in their heart.

So the answer to the question, "Whether God is actually there in the Clay Idol or not?" is in Yes. Yes, God is there in the Clay Idol. Let us respect the feelings & thinking of those people who do Idol Worship.

Our Understanding or Perception of God

Can anyone tell, how God's Face look like?? May be no one can answer this question properly, as no one has come face to face with God anytime & we all have seen His pictures, idols etc. only in which God's face looks like, whatever, the painter or craftsman imagined it while making that picture or idol. There are others who believe in unmaniifest aspect of God i.e. they believe in faceless, nirakar aspect of God. So we have different perceptions of God as per our thinking & faith.

In general God is the faith of human beings that a Supernatural Power exists in this universe which has created us & all other universal forms. He is having supernatural powers, who is omniscient (knows everything), who is omnipresent (who is present everywhere), omnipotent (who is having all the powers & is all powerful), who is imperishable & indestructible. Faith of humans in such a big & great entity having all the powers is known as God.

When God is someone Superhuman, having Infinite size, knowledge & powers, then it is very difficult for a human being with limited knowledge & power to fully understand & describe the God. In this respect there is an analogy as to how differently we each understand or experience the God. There is this story about four blind men and the elephant:

There are four blind men who discover an elephant. Since the men have never encountered an elephant, they grope about, seeking to understand and describe this new wild being. One gets hold of the trunk and concludes that it is a snake. So for him elephant is like a snake. Another explores one of the elephant's legs and describes it as a tree. So for him elephant is like a tree. A third one finds the elephant's tail and announces that it is a rope. So for him elephant is like a rope. And the fourth blind man, after discovering the large body of the elephant, concludes that it is, after all, a wide mountain.

Each in his blindness is describing the same thing: an elephant. Yet each describes the same thing in a radically different way. We all are like those blind men only in our knowledge of God who describe the God as per our own understanding. Now say a fifth man (who could see) comes to the scene and he were to describe the elephant as an elephant, then he would tell clearly about the elephant as it is. Same is the case that only a true master who has seen God actually can tell how God looks like. Let's seek such a True master, Great soul or Guru who shall tell us about the true nature of God & shall lead us to Him.

Dive in the omnipresence of your self

Just Close your eyes & think of yourself as the omnipresent soul. Just like the space is all pervasive, in the similar manner think of the all pervasive, omnipresent nature of your self /soul. In this way you shall go away from the narrow bodily feeling of yourself as one point body in space & shall feel the greatness of soul which is all pervading in the universe.

As per Gita, think yourself to be that soul which is beyond this body, which is unthinkable, imperishable, ineffable, eternal, all pervading, immobile, unmanifest & immutable. In fact your nature is also that only which is also called Brahma.