"Quest" Bhagavat Vani 2010

BY HDG B.S. TIRTHA MAHARAJ

Quest is a search, a pursuit, the mental process by which knowledge is acquired. GVA Founder Acharya His Divine Grace Shrila B. S. Tirtha Maharaja resolves the quest of seekers by responding to the issues that confront them.

If you have some concerns that challenge you, please write to QUEST at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Q. Is there any link between the ancient Hindu word "avatar" and the name of James Cameron movie "avatar"?
A. It is said that God Krishna and His expansion Narayana reside in the spiritual Planet known as VAIKUNTHA. There is a causal ocean (Karana samudra) also known as Viraja river that divides the spiritual world and the material world, the former situated above and the latter below it.
When God comes to this material world, His coming is known as Avatar. In Sanskrit “AVA” means “down” and “TR or TAR” means “to cross.” Since God comes down to this material world by crossing the causal ocean, His descent is described as “Avatar”. The Supreme Lord Krishna is known as AVATARI which means the source of all avatars or incarnations.
How this ancient Vedic term is presented in the film is another matter.

Q. Can one realize God through virtuous behaviour?
A. No. According to the Gita, ethics, morality and virtue are qualities exhibited by a person living in the material mode of goodness, sattva. These, at the most, only help in the pursuit of transcendence. God is realized only when one attains 'nirguna’ or transcendental platform, when one is totally free from the influence of material nature.

Q. Why does God give us miseries?
A. The fact is that our own cumulative actions of all our previous lives are the cause of either miseries or happiness in this life; and God has no hand in it directly. However, every setback in life accords an opportunity to ponder or reflect over the meaninglessness of material effort. Actually, the moments of grief should bring deep introspection instead of brooding over distressing situations. These are actually eyeopeners. Precisely, for this reason, it is said that even 'adversity is the benediction of God’. The chances are that we may turn to spirituality, the real purpose of life. People waste their valuable years in seeking various types of physical pleasures. On the contrary, every activity we perform must fuel our inner strengths and not external growth. To face miseries, a mature understanding of positive values of spiritual culture is required.

Q. Is sannyasa a prerequisite for devotion to God?
A. No. Devotional service can be performed by a perfect celibate, a restrained householder, a regulated retired person and a fully surrendered renunciate.

Q. Is the Hindu God any different from the Muslim God?
A. No, it is ridiculous that God can belong to any particular designated group. Such a claim is foolish because God owned exclusively by a segment of human species is no God at all.

Q. Can the practice of yoga lead one to God realization?
A. If by 'the practice of yoga’ you mean the body postures currently in vogue, then, the answer  is 'No'. A mere mastering of various physical postures and breathing exercises cannot help one to realize God. At the most, these keep a person healthy. The actual aim of Ashtanga yoga of the Patanjali school is to reach the eighth step known as Samadhi or meditation in which one becomes totally mentally absorbed in God. This type of meditation is not possible in Kali yuga. Only loving services rendered on Bhakti yoga principles can attract Krishna’s attention. Bhakti yoga begins with 'shravanam’, or hearing about the Supreme Lord Krishna and 'kirtanam’ or the glorifying of God Krishna.

Q. Why did Lord Krishna reject  Arjuna`s views based on Vedic principles and instead forced him to engage in war?
A. Basically, every living entity is a spirit soul and not the material body which is merely a super-imposition. Therefore our position is that we are servants of Lord Krishna. All the activities of the body are influenced and governed by three modes of material nature namely, Sattva (goodness), Rajah (passion) and Tamah (ignorance). Hence, firmly rejecting the scriptural propaganda that commands those influenced by trimodal material nature for strict adherence to ritualistic sacrifices and righteous behaviour that merely assures material prosperity here and promotion to heaven after death, the Supreme Lord Krishna wanted Arjuna to rise above these alluring propositions realizing his spiritual position and offer transcendental, loving devotional service to the Lord as per his eternal status. Since the Lord had descended to annihilate the demoniac kings and establish religious principles, He wanted Arjuna to assist Him in the war against them. Hence,  Arjuna’s engagement in the war is a spiritual activity, corresponding to his natural status as a warrior.

Q. What is the use of religion if it cannot promote peace in human society?
A. If religion cannot promote peace in human society, at the same time, peace cannot be brought about by rejecting religion. This is only a negative conception, a reaction on the rebound. Peace can be attained by the correct understanding and spreading of the universal religion, that is Krishna consciousness. As long as sectarian religions are powerful, there cannot be any peace in society.

Q. Why do many educated people scoff at the Vedic religion?
A. They may not, if the preachers present it in a logical way. My own experience is that while some do not grudge the philosophical aspect of religion, many certainly abhor the irritating sentimentalism and orchestrated display of emotional gesticulations. An improper understanding of true Vedic purports has resulted in emergence of religious extremism, fostering of fundamentalism and distorted spiritual practices. The great sage Vyasadeva has presented the philosophy of Krishna consciousness in a very scientific way in 'Shrimad Bhagavatam'. If an educated person, in the right frame of mind, studies it sincerely, he/she will certainly understand what a perfect universal religion it is.

Q. Why do the old generally start becoming religious?
A. As one advances in age, when initial revelries of youthful and middle age become subdued, some (but not all of them!) fortunate people in their old age, may wake up to the sobering thought that their actions all along their lives have produced only unintended - and negative - results. They then realize that it was all a sheer waste of time performing those fruitless actions. Unless one is born into a family of devotees, religion does not  generally appeal in the childhood stage of illusion, the adolescent stage of infatuation and the middle-age  period of confusion.

Q. What is the difference between a religious person and a Krishna conscious person?
A. Although the positive assurance of an enhanced scope of more refined standard of enjoyment of various objects does serve as compelling impetus for leading a religious life, a true insight will reveal how such an enticement pales into insignificance when compared to the eternal blissful life Lord Krishna promises us in His spiritual abode.

Q. What is dharma?
A. This word in Sanskrit has many meanings. The principal understanding of this word is the intrinsic characteristic of an entity. For example, heat and light are the dharma of fire.

Q. Why do even some devotees lack contentment?
A. In Bhakti yoga, superficiality and pretentiousness don’t work. One has to be serious. No deceitful dedication, but real surrender is required. Only when we render loving service to the Supreme Lord Krishna without hypocrisy, does the Lord respond. We can get total satisfaction only when Guru and Lord Krishna are pleased. There is no other short cut.

Q. What is the goal of 'Vaishnava’ philosophy?
A. A Vaishnava’s goal is loftier than the present spiritual concepts embraced by the contemporary  separatist theologies. Vaishnavism promotes faith in a personal God dwelling in a spiritual abode. It is the essential point of all Vedic teachings. Vedic wisdom and theories are open to exploration and discussion for the aspirants to determine and decide a particular process that will ultimately lead one to God realization.

Q. What is the role of Acharya in one’s spiritual life?
A. Although Vedic injunctions are based on a firm set of principles, an Acharya or the enlightened seer interprets them according to time and circumstances. He does so without compromising the underlying principles that they reveal so that the original intent on which they are grounded, is not lost. Such modified, improvised or revised instructions should be practical within the framework of continually evolving society so that the ancient wisdom becomes beneficial to life’s contemporary requirements. Only a very pure devotee of Lord Krishna is qualified to function as a bona fide Acharya.

Q. Why should we accept the authority of the Vedas?
A. In deference to different ideals that arise in the human psyche, the Vedas prescribe material and spiritual goals as well as the necessary means to achieve them. While different directions and diverse processes offer scope for attaining respective objectives, diligent adherence to scriptural mandates, in letter and spirit, consistently assures one attainment of spiritual emancipation and ultimately God realization.

Q. Why is the path of Bhakti considered superior?
A. The Bhagavad Gita covers the whole gamut of complex philosophies in a nutshell. As one assimilates its teachings, he or she will realize how it has dwarfed all the other conceptions. Lord Krishna asserts that only through Bhakti, can he be realized. The Gita does not present different processes of liberation as many seem to imagine or interpret. Because of the difference in the eligibility of different aspirants, the Lord explains the paths of karma, jnana and dhyana yoga to reach the platform of Bhakti yoga. The three paths, other than Bhakti, are not independent means to achieve God realization. Even to attain the limited and partial results that these offer, a mixture of Bhakti is inevitable. The only path Krishna recommends consistently throughout His discourse in the Gita is pure devotion or Bhakti. Hence Bhakti yoga is superior.

Q. Can we attain liberation through charity and social welfare activities?
A. No. The elementary lesson that the Gita gives us is that the physical body is temporary, and therefore, perishable, while the consciousness spread throughout the body is eternal. The precious human life should be devoted in realizing the conscious self. Hence, those who are engaged in such activities based on bodily conception are considered the best among fools because they perform these actions without a clear understanding of the pernicious implications. All such pious activities only result in repeated cycles of birth and death that perpetuates bondage and not liberation.

Q. What is self realization?
A. A preliminary understanding of one’s identity as consciousness is known as self realization. This  ultimately leads one to God realization when pursued further.

Q. Who is a civilized person?
A. The whole system of material creation is so planned that conditioned souls may have the opportunity for God realization which includes self realization. One who takes advantage of this arrangement can be called a civilized person.