:God Answers ten questions:
( excerpts from 11th Sakandh of Shirmad Bhagwat; Lord Krishna answers the questions himself)
Q.1 Which is said to be the greatest ‘daan’ ?
Ans: To impart Kshama ( pardon) is the greatest ‘daan’, because even if someone has hurt you, done evil to you and still you forgive him whole heartedly at that time your forgiveness becomes your ornament. Instead of punishing him you can forgive him and he will repent on doing a deed like this. His tears will follow out of the eyes and wash away his guilt. Nothing is greater than washing away someone’s guilt so forgiving or granting pardon for the mistake is the best “ daan”
Q.2.Which is the greatest “Tap”(penance)?
Ans: To give up all desires is the best “Tap” (penance) because lesser the desires that will make a person sanyansi even amongst the worldly pleasures. It is really difficult to give up all worldly desires to live and hence to give up all of the desires is considered to be the best penance.
Q.3. which is the greatest valor act?
Ans: To win over one’s own nature is the greatest act of valor, because one can win the whole world but one cannot win easily over one’s own nature. The victory over self is the best victory.
Q.4. Which is the greatest truth?
Ans: To see ”Paramatma” in every living being is the greatest truth.
Q.5. which is the best season?
Ans: The God replied: “ the sweet words that flow from one’s mouth” is the best season, because even in the spring if someone says “Katu vachan” ( unpleasant words) spoils the mood of the season but even in the times of autumn if someone says sweet words it brings a bloom on the face of the listener.
Q.6.Which is considered to be the best “Sanyas”?
Ans: The best “sanyas” is not only to leave all worldly attachments but also to leave all the pleasures that are available whether by the means of money or by the authorities.
Q.7. Which is the greatest “dhan” (wealth)?
Ans: the greatest wealth is the “dharma” because “dharma” is the most valuable wealth one can inherit.
Q.8. Which is the best “yagya”?
Ans: God himself is the best “yagya”, because God himself is a yagya in himself.
Q.9. which is the best “dakshina”?
Ans: To this God replied: Gyan( knowledge) is the best “dakshina”. All other worldly things will perish one day or can be snatched away with power whereas knowledge given to someone is something no one can take away nor can ask for a share into it. It will multiply only if it is used for the welfare.
Q.10. Which is the strongest Force?
Ans: to this God Replied: That Pranayam is the best driving force.
These are the questions that God replied but the gist of all if taken can be taken as Love:
To this: “How Love?”Is regarded as gist lets take a quick look at what all has been said by the God and take a look at the answers with “LOVE”:
Ans:1: The greatest Daan is kshama daan but when can one give Kshama ? Its only when one’s heart is full of love, for instance the Lord Mahavir’s ears were pierced with Spears where as Christ was crucified still they were able to forgive the perpetuators of the tyrannies on them only because their hearts were full of love and compassion and hence we can look at this as the Best Daan is “Prem Daan”.
For Ans 2: The Greatest penance is to give up all desires, but who can give up all desires? The one who is full of love can give up all desires and hence can give rise to the penance. For instance devotee poet Narsinh Mehta Loved God so much that he was able to leave a life of poor though was content. Mirabai was full of love for Lord Krishna and hence she could give up the pleasures of being a Queen and adapted the life of “jogan”. She could substantially stand the criticism of people because of love . All the great sages could penance because of love for God; hence the Love is the greatest penance. “prem Tap” is the best tap.
While the 3rd ans of god is about winning one’s own nature that makes it the best act of valor. This can be still taken with instance of Narsinh Mehta Who was a Brahmin of Nagar subcaste but still he went on to the Harijans(untouchables) to make them aware about God and made them pray. This courage of his considered to be most valiant in his time, similarly Mirabai being the queen of Mewad she became a Jogan and started roaming with The sages which is also a valiant act in her times, where all this has come from in them at that time. It is just because of sheer Love for God. The one who is coward is unable to achieve such great love for the God. Thus, Love can be taken as the best courage.
In the fourth answer, shri bhagwan says that to see God in all the living beings is the best truth . Every life has God into him and it’s the ultimate truth which can be only be said if you have an equal eye for all and that’s also not possible without love. If the heart is not full of love then one cant see God in all living beings: “ Jag mahi Jagdish Dise nahi, Jo na ho Hriday ma Prem”. When there is no ill feeling for anyone in the world than only one can see God in everyone. So as to see God in everyone one has to be full of love and that’s the ultimate truth.
While answering the 5th question God mentioned about the sweet words considering it as the best season but when does one utter sweet words? Sweet words can come only if one has love in his heart.
If there is all confrontation and ill will in one’s heart then sweetness of the words uttered is lost. The best season is also Love because without love no sweet words can come out.
In the 6th answer to give up “tyag” is has been regarded as the best sanyas; but this feeling of giving up things for good of the others comes only when the person has enough love for the people around him and the readiness to help everyone out. A sanyasi never thinks about himself while he serves someone’s purpose. The one who gives up all for the cause of humanity, for the cause of God must have enough love for the world, the humanity. The best example for this is mother and her new born baby; the mother is even ready to give her life while giving birth to the baby and so the love for the baby leads the mother to even give up her life. The Love itself has to be regarded as the greatest sanyas as this proves that to give up “tyag” has love in its root-cause.
About the seventh question the best wealth God replied : Dharma is the best wealth. Can Dharma be there without Love? There is not Religion in this world without Love. Hence Love is the best wealth one can have. All religions have one common basis and that is love and hence religion without love is not religion.
For the eight answer about the “yagya” The God says that He himself is the best “yagya”. The “yagya” performed as a ritual is consuming ghee, woods, Jav and til but Prem yagya is the most difficult one to be done where one has to give ones own self to the fire God, one’s ego has to be sacrificed in Love along with loads of tears just like ghee in other yagya’s help getting the fire more fierce the same tears do it in case of prem yagya. Hence the prem yagya is the best of all and God himself is the Ocean of Love which inturn is the greatest Prem yagya.
The ninth answer about the knowledge ”gyan” as the best Dakshina . if you treat your guests with some high knowledge talks but if they don’t understand anything it will be a futile effort. If you give some sage a lakh rupees but u don’t respect him that’s all vain. The gyan you give or the money u spend in charity is of no use if u don’t have love and respect. Instead if you sit near the guest and say that u don’t have anything to offer but with all love and respect you can give the best dakshina.
The last answer was about the Pranayam; the rhythm of breathing. The changes and hold over the breath is the best force one can have. The changes and the hold makes one eager for being face to face with god. Instance of Tulsidas can help us understand this: Tulsidasji went to meet his beloved Ratnavali rowing with a snake on dead body in the river. This instance shows that Love is the greatest force which is equivalent to the pranayam. If at all worldly love can give so much of force, just imagine how much force it would give out when it is for the God himself?!!
At last only one thing can be concluded that In the whole universe the best element without which the heart becomes a machine and that is Love: “Prem Devo Bhava”!!
The excerpts about the love are taken from dialogue from discourse from Shri Morari bapu who is a revered deliverer of the Shri Ram Charit Manas. This was published in a local news paper under the column Manas darshan , October 3,2010. The orginal article has been in gujarati but has been translated by me trying to keep the essence of the talk the same according to my understanding. I beg the pardon if any of my interpretations of the discourse have been found contradicting or unreasonable just because of my limited ability of vocabulary and to understand the Param Tatva delivered there by.
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