This section is compiled from articles written by Swami Ram Swarup, and the excerpts of user questions and answers. Portions of it are published in Questions – Answers on Vedanta and Enternal Vedas’ Philosophy book. It has been divided into:

  • Foreward
  • Vedas – A proof in token to recognize truth
  • Vedic Traitvad
  • Replies to questions by Ram Suri dated March 03, 2004
  • Replies to questions by Ram Suri dated March 24, 2004
  • Replies to questions by Ram Suri dated March 29, 2004
  • Replies to questions by Ram Suri dated April 04, 2004
  • Replies to questions by Ram Suri dated April 09, 2004
  • Replies to questions by Ram Suri dated April 14, 2004
  • Replies to questions by Ram Suri dated June 13, 2004
  • Replies to questions by Ram Suri dated June 24, 2004
  • Replies to questions by Ram Suri dated July 03, 2004
  • Replies to questions by Sanjeev Vadlaputi dated October 04, 2004

    Other questions & answers:
    Sanatana Dharma: Can you please tell me which is true: advaita philosophy or vishitadvaita philosophy? and why?
    Swami Ram Swarup: Advaita means there is no another. So when we study new Vedanta philosophy then we makes its meaning that there is only one God and nothing other. Whereas Vedas say then world like sun, moon, bodies, air etc., made by prakriti, souls and Almighty God these three matters are there, but new Vedanta says that sun, moon, prakriti etc., is being seen by misunderstanding and soul is itself God quoting the example that in a rope a snake is realised but actually that is a rope and by misunderstanding the rope is realised a snake. So this is their advaitwad that everything is God and there is nothing except God i.e, God, souls and the world is one. Whereas Vedas say about tretwad that God, soul and prakriti are reality. In Vishit Advaita it is said that God, souls and world are always different from each other. Soul(alive) and world (non alive) both are smallest bodies of God in Hindi Sukshm. This is also not told by Vedas.
    Sugani: Doubts on vedanta
    Swami Ram Swarup: Vedanta says that there is only one God and nothing else i.e., sun, moon, mother, father and every worldly article is God. Whereas Vedas says there are three truth i.e., God, Soul and prakriti. Vedanta says that soul and prakriti are also God. So one has to discuss and must get eternal proof on the matter.
    Truth Seeker: Pranam guruji, I saw in the Q & A section, you have continually said that in the vedas God is Only One and he is formless. But in Srimad Mahabhagavatam it is said that Brahmam, which is the aspect of God not bound by space and time is formless. The other two aspects of God – paramatma signifying localized form of God inliving beings and finally Bhagawan or Ishwara which refers to GOD in hisspiritual realm (Vaikuntha). These 2 aspects signifies that he has a form which is said as Sat-chit-ananda vigraha in scriptures. Are you saying thatBhagavatam is not authentic? I agree with what vedas say “Ekam Brahmamdvitiya nasti”. But does that mean that he hasnt got a personal form? If youfind anything wrong with my question, pls forgive me. Please explain? Thank you
    Swami Ram Swarup: There is no any aspect of God as God is Almighty and needs no any assistance. So Braham is only one who creates, nurses and destroys the universe. Braham means Supreme so there is only one Supreme power which is called almighty God. Living being and Bhagwan can be considered almighty God. Similarly water, pani, jal or aab or aapah etc., are the name of water and there is no any other water. However these names are mentioned in Bhagwat puran and not in Vedas and six shashtras. If God will reside only in Vaikuntha then HIS quality of omnipresent will be no more and there is no mention of Vaikuntha in the Vedas too. Sat means was, is and will remain in future always, chit means alive (chetan) and anand means God has not to bear any kind of result of deed and is therefore always an unlimited ocean of merriment i.e., anandswarup.

    So this quality is of only one Almighty God who has no form. Actually there is no any reason of becoming form. If you see that HE will kill Ravan so question arises that God has not come in form to create universe or to destroy the same being Almighty and empowered to do anything without any assistance then what is the necessity of having form. The learned Rishi
    Muni accepted four Vedas as proof (swatah praman) and shashtras as proof (partah praman) and no other. EKO BRAHAM DWITYA NASTI means there is only one God and equivalent to this one God there is no any other God. Your questions are interested and good one. You are most welcome again. I have written about this on web site too. I would request you to please study full web
    site and please send me e-mail again.
    Satish Sharma: Swamiji, Your answer to my question on 17/01/2003 cleared many of my doubts but some remained. I also received the books on “Veda” from you. I am very obliged for the affection shown towards me. Humbly , I admit that I have yet to fully go through these books. However, my curiosity again compel me to get more knowledge / clarification on my earlier question from you Swamiji. Swamiji , You said that Atma is not a part of Parmatma because God cannot be fragmented. Then what is “Parmatm Tatv” that Holy Books say that it is within you and you are to seek it? And whether the “Jeev Tatva” in our body and “Atma” are two different things in us or they are one and the same thing? However, my main question is again about the rebirth and consequences of the deeds of this life in our next life. Swamiji , in this life the “Jeev” in me is feeling the
    “SUKH/DUKH” on the basis of my “Karma” in my previous life. These SUKH/DUKH are felt by me (the “Jeev”) but as soon as I die, the memory of these SUKH/DUKH will vanish and my next life will again start like a clean slate. Now when memory plays such a large role in one’s life and in every new life a person starts his life and live it with a fresh memory then why not eat
    drink and be merry in this life (by good means or by bad means)? and my question remains the same old one that although in next life Mr. B’s life will be filled with SUKH /DUKHS as per the good/bad “Karma” of Mr. A(myself) in this life and the “Jeev” in both of us is the same. But since memory of A will never pass on to B, so for all purposes the pleasures enjoyed by Mr. A will live with him only and die with him. So why to worry about Mr. B of next life whom I will never be able to connect to and who will never come to know about me (Mr.A). Please forgive my continuous harping upon the same question but your guidance clear many of my doubts so I approach you.
    Swami Ram Swarup: Soul and God are different from each other. Third matter is prakriti which one is also different. Now a days most of the saints have started preaching without giving any vedic proof. Vedas even yoga shashtra sutra 1/7 say to give proof on each WORD. Sutra is PRATAKSHANUMAANAGAMAH PRAMANANAI. Means there are prataksh,anumaan and agam pramaan (proof), agam has two — present Rishi who is ashtang yogi and knows all Vedas. His proof or ved mantra’s proof are required which mostly the present saints do not give. Simply some say that rope is seen as a snake by misunderstanding. Another side they say EKO BRAHAM DWITYA NA ASTI. They clarify it that sun, moon, mother, father, body and every matter of the universe has no existence but God i.e., these articles are God. If all articles are God as per their self rule then the man who is seeing the rope as a snake by misunderstanding that man is also God, then why the God (the man) has got misunderstanding. Then they say for some time maya captures the God which is fundamentally wrong.

    Now I give you proof here about soul, God and prakriti. Rigved mantra 1/164/20 says DWA SUPRNA SAKHAYA SAYUJA SAMANM VRIKSHM PARISHASHVA JATE TAYORANYAH PIPPLAM SWADU ATTI ANASHNAN ANAYAH ABHI CHAKSHITI means there is one tree on which two birds
    are living. One bird eats the fruit of the tree but another does not eat and only looking towards the first bird who is eating the ripened fruit. The secret of this mantra is that tree and our body etc., are made from non alive prakriti matter (see Rigved mandal ten sukta 129 onwards too) which are always destroyed. So in our body the two birds are soul and God seprately. The soul (jivatma or we) does deeds and face result thereof. To face the result means to eat the ripened fruit . But another alive matter, Almighty God is not involved in any deed or result thereof. God only looks/spectator of all the deeds of the soul and awards result of the deeds. Param tatva is Almighty God. Soul can not be God.

    Man, budhi, chitta and ahankar are four which are called antahkaran. Whatever we have done in the past or we are doing in the present the effect of each karmas is inserted on chitta. So when soul leave the body (death)the all deeds effects goes with soul through antahkaran because suksham body of the soul remains with soul while leaving the body. So effect of karmas are not destroyed at that time untill one becomes able for salvation. So the clean slate is not permitted at this juncture. So is with the memory.

    Satish Sharma: 1. Swamiji, Namashkar. Your answer to my question has disturbed me more than satisfying my quest. I will ask some more questions part wise from your reply to my earlier qestion. -Swamiji , you said ‘Atma’ is not part of God. This has shaken most of my convictions that was based on the assumptions on what Lord Krishna said in Bhagwat Gita (Please forgive me in case I mis-quote because of my nonserious type reading of ‘Geeta’ without going in any details) that ‘I am you and you are in me’. Which in my present day belief is that ‘Atma’ is miniscule part of Divine and our quest should be to merge this ‘Atma’ with ‘Paramatma’. Please elaborate as to why you have quoted it to be not a part of God.
    Swami Ram Swarup: God can not be parted i.e., God is one Supreme power and HE can not be made in pieces. Suppose you have made burfi in a pot then you can cut a piece of burfi from the whole quantity but no piece can be seprated from one God which can be treated as a soul. Secondly the quality of the piece of burfi will ever be same as is of the whole quantity of burfi kept in the pot. But this is not applicable in the case of Almighty God. Though some qualities will be found same but not hundred percent. We utter Sachidanand, a name of God. Here are three words sat, chetan and anand. Which are applicable fully for God i.e., God is sat, sat means God was in the past, is in present and will remain in future for ever (eternal) so is the case of soul. Chetan means alive so is the case of soul. Anand means merriment so God is ocean of merriment but soul feels sorrows, sickness, problems, etc., soul does deeds and God gives results thereof to the soul in the
    shape of sin and pious but God never bears the result of deeds. HE is only spectator of our deeds but He is not involved in deeds. Soul takes birth means takes human or animal’s body etc., but God never takes birth.

    God is everywhere but soul is not everywhere. By taking birth soul has parents but God has no any parents. That is why in Vedas God is called swayam bhuhu. In Rigved Mantra 1/164/20 it is clearly stated that in human body there live two alive powers in it one is God and second is soul. In shatpath Brahmin Granth Yask Muni says that soul is like a body in which God lives. Therefore God is seprate and soul is seprate. God commands on souls and universe. You have quoted Bhagwat Geeta shalok but you have not quoted its number. To enable me to give you explanation in brief please quote its number. However when Yogeshwar Krishna says two words you and I then it clarifies sepration. When electric is in wire it means current is seprate and steel wire is seprate by qualites.

    Thirst remains in human being and it is quenched by other matter i.e., water. So soul (atma) is thirsty and the other matter is God by realising which the soul’s thirst is over. Your questions are interested and I appreciate you. Please quote Bhagwat Geeta shalok and send e-mail for further guidance.
    2. Swamiji, the second part of your reply that Body does not feel pleasure, agony, pain is also complex answer. When
    I, (‘Mr.A’of my previous question) am feeling some head-ache/fever/pain from some cut on my body or enjoying taste of some sweet fruit or ecstasy of sexual pleasure – if that is being felt by my ‘Atma’ and not my body then why in all
    our Scriptures it issaid that you leave all your bodily pleasures and turn your Atma towards ‘Paramatma’. Moreover, Lord Krishna says in Geeta that “Atma ko Aag Jala Nahin sakati….Is ko koi shoke santap nahin hota etc.etc.” Swamiji
    , right now I am unable to accept this fact that my body is not feeling the pain and pleasures but Atma is feeling this. When I am typing this question, my fingers are feeling the pressure on its tips on striking the keyboard through
    the nervous system/brain. How do you mention and allot this feeling to ‘Atma’?
    Swami Ram Swarup: Body is non alive and soul is alive. Soul experiences headche etc., through body.When soul
    comes out from the body and death is declared then body is before us but why body is not looking, hearing, walking, smelling, touching, laughing or eating etc., and what was the power in the body which was feeling the same. In Bhagwat Geeta too Shri Krishana says O Arjuna the soul (atma) can not be killed by weapons etc., (shalok 2/23) there are five senses that is eye, ear, nose, tongue and skin which gives message to mind (through mana) and mind further gives to soul to realise. That is why these are called indriya sukh that is bodily sukh which take us into sin etc. When soul manages to control on five senses and five perceptions and mana/mind. By means of yoga practice then soul realises himself as said in yog shashtra sutra 1/2 and 1/3. Atma ko aag nahin jala sakti (shalok 2/23) etc., is correct but when this atma comes in a body then atma has to bear the result of his previous deeds in the shape of good and bad- pleasures and sorrows. The original shape of atma is pure and is out of dirt but atma has forgotten his original shape/qualities due to attachment of rajo, tamo and sato gunas of Prakriti. When you take birth the soul by virtue of its attachment he is attached either with the God or with Prakriti’s guna according to the situation. Mostly soul is attached with prakriti and bears the consequences of feeling headache, problem, sorrows, death and birth etc., by studies of Vedas and pratice of ashtang yoga soul (atma) controls on senses and feels his origianl shape and then realises God. Your fingers are non alive matter then how your finger can feel anything and when soul goes out from body how fingers are able to type.
    3. Swamiji, now the third point ‘attachment of soul with Prakriti i.e. Rajogun, Tamogun ‘I am unable to understand as to what
    contest you have explained? Please describe in some detail.
    Swami Ram Swarup: Prakriti is non alive matter just like soil. Potter makes pot from soil. Soil can not convert himself in pot without potter. Similarly God makes universe like earth sun, moon and bodies etc., from prakriti. Prakriti has three qualities (gunas) that is rajo (sexual qualities etc.,), tamo (laziness quality etc,) and sato (proudness
    quality etc.,) from these three gunas the whole universe including our bodies are made. This subject is vast. I have written a book about this. Please send your postal address to enable me to send the said book for your study (free of cost).

    4. Swamiji, now the fourth part of your answer, in which answer to my abovesaid 2nd part also lies, says that ‘Atma feels
    through the media of body’ but my notions that I have mentioned above may please first be cleared. Please convince me that soul suffers or enjoys the worldly sorrows or pleasures through the media of body negating my views formed through
    Geetaor other such books & lectures.
    Swami Ram Swarup: Soul feels cold through body. But body does not feel. When soul goes out from body
    then dead body is provided with large bundle of ice then why the body does not feel cold.
    5. My last question is on the part of your answer that mentions-“souls being alive & bodies being nonalive”. Swamiji what do you mean by this I am not able to understand. My conviction or opinion is that the thing that niether takes birth nor dies can not be termed as alive. A thing that is an iota part of that Almighty God, I mean ‘Atma’ should not be termed as
    alive because alive or dead is that thing which has taken birth whereas ‘Atma’ is amar or ajanma. This conviction is also based on my reading of Geeta where Lord Krishna talks to Arjuna on his “Karma”during the start of Mahabharat war. Although there are lot of questions that are boiling in me but at least please reply first to my abovesaid doubts so that I can feel some satisfaction from your words . Please take as much space as you like to give answer or prescribe me some book from where I can get more clarity to my queries. I shall wait eagerly for your guidance.(08/01/2003)
    Swami Ram Swarup: Prakriti is non alive. Non alive means dead like stone and can not do any deed at his own
    accord. Alive means chetan and can think and do at his own accord. Prakriti is non alive. Our body is made from prakriti. Therefore our body is non alive. If table is made of wooden then table has quality of wood of burning. If hammer is
    made of iron then hammer has the quality of iron of melting and not burning so our body is made of prakriti which is non alive so our body has the same quality of the prakriti of non alive i.e., dead like stone. The soul never takes birth
    being eternal and alive but due to past deeds to be faced soul take body. And body takes birth from parents. God can not be made in pieces. God is one, bodiless beyond calculation, beyond imagination so one God can not be broken into pieces and even it is not necessary.
    Satish Sharma: Swami ji, I read your answers with interest, which clear many doubts in my mind. One thing that you rely on is Vedas, but we ordinary people can neither study Vedas nor can fully understand them even if we go read them. However, when spiritual people quote Vedas, it comes to my mind that had they been written in Hindi or elaborated in Hindi, we could also get benefit of them. Please inform whether these are available? If yes then where ? (24/12/2002) My question/doubt is – You say that ‘Atma’ is a part of ‘Parmatma’. It does not die. It can not be destroyed. No nothing can affect it in any form. It does not feel any grief, any happiness, any agony, any pain. It is only the body(‘sthool sharir’) that is affected by the abovesaid things. You also say that when a person dies, he carries with him only the deeds that he has performed in this life good or bad and these deeds of his determine his next birth as well as happiness & sorrows that he will have to bear in his new birth. Now my actual question is that I, say ‘Mr. A’does a lot of dishonest deeds and earn a lot of money and spends a lavish & comfortable life-wine, woman & all pleasures. The body of ‘Mr. A ‘ enjoys all these pleasures and then it dies. Now it takes a rebirth in human form as ‘Mr. B’ . As per your sayings this Mr.B’s body(sthool Sharir) will have to suffer for the dishonest deeds of Mr. A. Mr.A’s body enjoyed the fruits of dishonesty & Mr. B’s body is suffering the karmas of A. Soul(‘Atma’) of both was/is the same but since it is not affected by anything so both in case of life of A as well as B the soul was unaffected. Now what is so wrong for the body of Mr. A to earn money out of dishonest means and satisfies itself ? The memory of Mr. B will never recall that he was Mr. A. That is one body enjoyed & the other body suffered but both these bodies didn’t know each other nor will they ever know so why to do ‘Satkarma’ in this life and to put the present body in hardship for a future body whome I will never know or! remember. I hope I am able to convey my question
    properly . This dilemma haunts me and no I have not become dishonest but I feel that by the abovesaid logic what’s the harm in it. Please guide.
    Swami Ram Swarup: I have faith on Vedas because it is knowlegde direct from God originated in the heart of four Rishis at the time of creation. God is truth So knowledge came from the God in the shape of four vedas undoubtfully is as true as God. Actually we are born to listen the Vedas but after Mahabharat war we have forgotten. I would request you to please again see the web site regarding origin of Vedas and yoga and send e-mail sure. Yes Vedas are avilable in Hindi that is with Hindi description.

    Actually atma is not a part of God because God can not be deshaped and can not be made in parts like stone etc. So our soul is separate and our body is separate due to qualities yet some qualities are same like aliveness and immortal. Body does not feel pleasure, sorrows ,agony, pain etc., as you said because body is non alive, it is soul who bears being not knowing his own quality of evergreen due to covered with illusion and illusion is due to attachment of soul with prakriti that is rajo guna, tamo guna and sato guna i.e., worldly articles and affairs. Whereas real status of soul is of always merriment and not to become worried,sick etc. But soul has forgotten its real staus due to the attachment as stated. So soul feel agony, pain etc. as stated above through the media of body whereas it is not soul’s subject. Yes when person gets death (bodily only and not death of soul) he carries his good or bad deeds with him. But we can burn all the deeds by meditation
    etc., to get final liberation for which only we have taken human body. Mr. A is enjoying the result of his past deeds and present efforts too towards materialisrtic task only which are destroyed one day and are of no use if Mr. A is not getting spiritual preach and obeying thereof for which he was blessed with human body. Therefore his present deeds will be carried forward in his next life to give birth either in poorest family to bear sorrows etc., or in animal etc., according to karmas by God. Please amend here that the body of Mr. A is not enjoying but Mr. A himself( soul) is enjoying materialistic, temporary and destroyable facilites. So this is Mr. A who will suffer in his next birth. Soul being same but bodies being different and feeling will be of souls being alive and not of bodies being non alive and it will be according to karmas.
    Soul is always effected either in the body of A or B and bodies are not effected. Please contact again after studying full web site. Your questions are interested and beneficial for all concerned.

    Prafulla Chikerur: I am writing a script for a video programme of conserving nature, and have stated in it that the five elements are nothing but God. This has been refered to the human’s enless search for God, which he does’nt know exixts or not. Instead take care of the exixting God, that is Nature. To give it a background, I want a group to sing the rruchas in Ved relating to the five elements. This is one of my efforts to worship God. Please let me know how will I get those rruchas.
    Swami Ram Swarup: The meaning of nothing is that whatever we say it has got no existence but four Vedas, Geeta and Science accept the existence of five elements which are visible and are base for keeping us alive. We can not live without air, water, sun, moon, earth, space etc., too. While giving comments on Patanjali Yoga darshan, Vyas Muni says that if somebody says about a man carrying a bow made of horns of hare then it has got no truth because hare has no horns. So saying that there is nothing except God is not true because every element is being seen and it is utilised too whereas bow made of horn is untrue because nobody can see and utilise the horn of hare as it has got no existence. If we accept that there is nothing except God then we will have to accept that all visible five elements and things made thereof like trees, our body, stone etc., are also God. Secondly we will not be in a position to say that God is everywhere because everywhere words in this case will have no existence.If we will say that everything is a misunderstanding like a misunderstanding of a snake in a rope, then your statement becomes contradictory because when there is nothing except God then he who is seeing the rope and having misunderstanding of a snake, he is himself a God but God can not be misled. If somebody says that for some time illusion captures the God and God gets misunderstanding then it is all against four Vedas, six shashtras, Geeta and Ramayan. In this connection Yajurveda says about God, “ADITYA VARNAH TAMSAH PRASTAT” i.e., God is refulgent like the sun and free from ignorance/illusion. Without knowing this God nobody can overcome the death. For salvation there is no other way except knowing the said God (Yajurveda Mantra 31/18). Search of God is not endless. Because our previous and new Rishi Munis have realised God through Veda knowledge and ashtang yoga. Nature is actually prakriti from which the whole universe is made by God and in YajurVeda mantra 40/9 it is mentioned that he who is only searching nature(prakriti), he goes in darkness/illusion.Further mantra 11 says he who knows prakriti and God both simultaneously, he is wise. In Geeta chapter two shalok 45 Lord Krishna says to overcome the three qualities of prakriti i.e., Raj, Tam and Satv. As regard “Richa”i.e., Veda mantra asked by you about five elements, please send your postal address as it a lengthy and can not be typed here.
    Ram Suri: Dear Swamiji. Namaskar. I am grateful for your reply. Swamiji! my earlier question was that if I am able to make karma zero, then do I born again or not. Scriptures apparently say that there is no birth for such souls. In that case, where will be my soul? Will it be near divine or will it become divine by dissolving in divine? Where are all those liberated souls currently present? I will be thankful for your answer.
    Swami Ram Swarup: If the karmas become zero by doing pious deeds, worship, yoga practice etc., then there becomes no next birth because birth means soul is provided with organs like eyes etc., and legs etc., and body to face the result of past births’ deeds etc. When karmas become zero, then no need of next body and soul remains always in merriment with minute/smallest organs which are called invisible sukshm sharir in Hindi and this sharir remains in space. And such souls get salvation i.e., final liberation.
    Ram Suri: Swamiji. Namaskar. I am very thankful for your kind answer. But I have some doubts from your reply. You have said that according to advaita, there is only one thing present. If we ask who this one thing is, then the answer is divine (not God). Divine is one, without second. The various names, like sun, moon, wind, etc you have mentioned, are not divine. They are prakriti. Prakriti is not divine, and therefore, it works under divine’s command. Because, the above terms are described in Vedas, it does not mean that they are also divine. If you agree that the above names, like wind, sun, moon etc are nothing but prakriti, then apart from prakriti who else is present? It is divine. Therefore, divine is alone, one without a second. Your own explanation supports advaita, but you say that advaita is wrong. Vedas may also have said that divine, souls and Prakriti are present. Souls, bonded in karma, are not divine. Similarly, prakriti is also not divine, because, it chages every time, while divine never changes. When dealing in spirituality, we have to consider only divine and souls, but not physical body (prakriti) because, once, it is dead, it goes into prakriti. But spiritutality is concerned with souls and divine. According to advaita philosophy, the souls that are out of bondage of karma is nothing but divine. Upanishads also support this claim, ‘Tat tvam asi’, ‘Aham brahma asmi’ etc. Here we need to understand that eventhough, all souls are divine, but because, they are entangled in samsar, they are not entitled to be called divine. Once, the soul is able to annihilate the karma to zero by sadhana, etc activities, all layers of ignorance and bondage are broken. This soul is liberated from birth and death loop for ever, and hence eligible to attain or merge in divine. The rope and snake example you quoted can not be equated in spirituality. Why? Because, This intrepetation of example ends at buddi, starting from world, karma indria, gyan indria, mind, and buddi. Beyond buddi is the paRamatma. If we aim for divine, we need to control upto buddi. Therefore, the above example, does not even talk about divine, and hence no spirituality in it. Spirituality comes beyond buddi onwards. Once, the mind is controlled thoroughly by practicing various methods, then the same mind will help for divine realization (an uncontrolled mind is an enemy, while controlled mind is a friend, – as said in Gita). Can you please make your position clear by giving a better explanation? Upanishads are a part of Vedas, and when they declare that a pure soul is nothing but divine, it is correct. Can you please give a better explanation. If you like, we can continue this debate. I have no bad feelings or opinion about you or anyone else. Please forgive me if you are hurt by my explanation.
    Swami Ram Swarup: I do not say but the advaitvad says the remaining matter is God and not Divine because in advaitvad they say EKO BRAHAM DWITIYO NA ASTI. Its meaning, they say, — there is only one God and nothing else so the soul, body, sun , etc., all are God. But by misunderstanding like a snake in the rope these matters are being looked by an ignorant as sun, body etc. This does not suits from Vedas. I did not say that sun, moon, bodies etc., are prakriti but I told that these are made of prakriti. At the time of mahapralay these sun, moon ,etc., i.e., whole creation is merged in prakriti i.e., take the shape of prakriti and Prakriti is eternal like God and souls. Mud is one matter but pots made from mud take another shape. So sun, moon etc., are made from prakriti but not these are not prakriti. Hence the tretvad. So I do not ,even did not agree that sun, moon etc., are prakriti as you stressed above in your present question. I could not understand that what do you mean by Divine. If you consider its meaning God or like God then the answer will be changed because sun, moon are made from Prakriti and prakriti is non alive matter like mud and the matters are destroyed one day and cannot be God because God is immortal. So from prakriti God creates universe. Souls take bodies.

    If there is only one God and there is no prakriti and no souls or souls and prakriti are God then how God is omnipresent and to whom God is commanding? If we say that for sometime God has been captured by illusion then again it is wrong due to the purest qualities of God mentioned in all Vedas and also said YajurVeda mantra 40/8 i.e., shukRam, akaya, shudham, apapvidham, samabhyahah, yatha tathyatah, arthan i.e., God is almighty and needs no assistance to create and command on prakriti and souls, God is bodiless, purest and there may be no any kind of illusion etc., in God or on God. God can not do any sin and injustice actually God does not face any result of any deeds (karmas) as also said in yoga shashtra suta 1/24 but soul bears, so the difference between God and soul, and at last it is said in this
    mantra that God in real position has given the knowledge of every matters, prakriti, souls of himself by giving the knowledge through Vedas. My explanation do not support advaitvad but supports tretvad i.e., God, prakriti and souls according to Vedas. Samkhya shashtra of Kapil Muni and yoga shashtra of Patanjali Rishi clears that Vedas are eternal and are only the
    proof on the world to know the truth.so according to all the ancient holy books we have to take proof of Vedas to know reality or the proof of the past Rishis like Vyas etc., who knew Vedas and yoga philosophy (please see yoga shashtra sutra 1/7— prataksh-anumaan-agamah pRamanani for proof). So the proof of Vedas cannot be ignored being eternal and direct knowledge from God originated automatically in the heart of four Rishis at time of creation. Please clear the meaning of divine as we consider its meaning in Hindi as Divya, pavitr etc.,so in original soul is divya and pavitr (divine) God is also Divya and pavitr. But soul is bounded with karmas and illusion whereas God not. Soul takes body whereas God not. Soul is present at one place only with his body but God is everywhere etc., etc., etc., the differences between God and soul. Prakriti is also eternal but the sun, moon etc., made from prakriti are not eternal. How you and I or anybody else (soul ) reads, laughs, studies and do deeds etc? Answer is from mind and body and organs and these organs are made of prakriti. You are giving question and answer through your mind. So how we will not consider physical body from which we are giving answer etc.?

    Alone soul can do nothing. When soul goes out from body then neither soul nor body is able to do anything. So soul is dependent on body to react whereas God is independent. Without mind and body nothing can be considered what to talk of spirituality. We are thankless (in Urdu ehsanpharmosh) that we (souls) are using mind, eyes, nose, body, sun, moon, gold, silver, earth, fruits, water, air etc., etc., to live upon all made of prakriti and we are denying on the other hand. It means we take birth from our most respected learned mother and father and we are saying that their bodies are nothing. We do marriage, take pleasure, get beautiful bodies of children and become happy and again we say that these bodies are nothing and cannot be considered in spirituality. We study and take lecture from our teachers (souls) from their mouth and we are saying that there is no existence of mouth is not considered in spirituality. So the tretvad of Vedas is true but everybody is free to accept any VAD. Not I but Vedas don’t support advaitvad.

    You have said that ,”Vedas may also have said — ” so it is clear that you have not gone through the Vedas. AtharvVeda says “PASHYA DEVSYA KAVYAM NA MAMMAR NA JIRYATI” it means we study the immortal knowledge of Vedmantras. Gurunanak Dev Sahib says,”VED ONKAAR NIRMAY i.e., Vedas are originated by Almighty God Himself. Again Guru Maharaj says,”VED KATEV KAHO MAT JHOOTHE,JHOOTHA SO JO NA VICHARE. It means Vedas are true so I would request you to please go through all the Vedas, the immortal knowledge of God. What happens that we listen the smallest part of Veda, Shashtra, Mahabharta, Upnishads etc., from the present saints which mostly suits them. In AtharvaVeda kand 12 sukta 5 , it is said that the thorough knowledge must be attained and not in cut piece or stolen, otherwise God will give punishment so we must respect our Vedas. I have written a lot about Vedas and yoga on this web site and it is again my humble request to you to please go through the whole web site and send me e-mail again. In holy bhandaras, we take food and how can we ignore that food is nothing?

    In this connection, Kapil Muni also says in his Samkhya shahstra that , “NA KALPANAVIRODHAH PRAMAANDRISHTASYA”sutra 2/25 which means that when the truth has been defined in Vedas then it cannot be changed based on mere imagination like NA ASAT AH KHAYANAM NRISHRINGVAT SUTRA 5/52 means like horn on man ‘s head i.e., there is no horn on man’s head, it has proof of AtharvaVeda yet somebody says based on his own imagination that he has seen a man with horn on his head, so it is not acceptable being unauthentic. Soul as you said is bounded in karmas so not divine but soul is free from illusions and karmas in its original shape but being ignorant due to attachment with raj, tam, and sato guna of prakriti soul has forgotten his original shape and requires Vedas knowledge/spiritual knowledge through preaches to wash illusion like kaam, krodh, mad, lobh, ahankaar etc. Prakriti in original is never changed but the creation is made from prakriti , creation is not called prakriti as mud is not called pot (made of mud). Soul is called soul according to his qualities and divine is divine according to its qualities. And please define the meaning of Divine you consider.

    In Brihadarnakyo Upnishad shalok 1/4/10,AHAM BRAHAM ASMI has been stated . Suppose somebody is telling that class is making noise but class cannot make noise, only students are making noise. So when a Yogi after studying Vedas and doing ashtang yoga practice attains Samadhi i.e., salvation, the soul from his body starts saying Aham (I am)Braham Asmi (absorbed in God) and this absorption is like salt in water because at every state the qualities of salt are separate from water. If soul is considered God then why cannot soul create universe? This stage comes in Samadhi only. For example one says that he (my friend) and I are one but in reality they are separate. Similarly when Yogi attains Samadhi/Salvation, he says AHAM BRAHAM ASMI but soul and God are always separate. So when somebody will say that God Himself is soul or sun, moon etc., and God Himself is doing this play, then it is wrong.

    Now come to Tatwm Asi, In Chandoyogopnishad 6/2 it is said in the shaloka that (Rishi says to his son Shwetketu) God is to be known who is the smallest from soul and world and is Atma of world and souls. The said true God is Himself His Atma (i.e., God is Swayambhuh nobody has created God but God has created world from Prakriti ) then told TADATMA EKAH TAT ANTARYAMI TWAM ASI i.e., my son Shwetketu that God
    is within you, so the meaning of Tatwam asi is as the God is Atma of all non alive creations (world )and too of alives (souls) , so O ,Shwetketu , you are the same that is God is also your Atma i.e., God is also within you like whole creation. So Upnishad does not support the claim.As you say that souls are entangled in Sansar they are not entitled to be Divine and once the soul is able to anihilate the karmas to zero by sadhna, all layers of ignorance and bondage are broken so he will have to go in deep that soul makes karmas zero by doing worship etc., and not God, hence the separation. A yogi goes beyond Buddhi only through
    meditation etc., and takes the help of Buddhi. Without Buddhi he will be mad and learning of Vedas, shashtras, etc., is also based on Buddhi and organs. Yes, beyond Buddhi is Parmatma(God) and with mind (Budddhi ) the soul works, but in Salvation also soul has
    mann, Buddhi, five perceptions, five organs and five pran and it is called suksham sharir as mentioned in four Vedas and other ancient holy Granths. Suppose in salvation soul has no suksham sharir then how will he enjoy the salvation, (Parmanand) so God is beyond mind
    calculation and imagination but to realise God soul takes the assistance of mind etc. As regards the example of rope and snake it is always mentioned in advaitvad which I quoted and made it wrong based on Vedic theory of tretvad. Controlled and uncontrolled mind is applicable only for soul and not God. I am happy from your hard study and explaning your views and will request you to please continue.