Chander Shekhar Azad: What is Aatma? Who is Paramatma?What is difference between both? Where go,what do? What happen with Aatma after body death? What is Shanti, sukh, samridhi, swasthay?
Swami Ram Swarup: In this regard, I paste my relevant articles-
God is formless
Being formless there is no need of statue or temple of God according to Vedas. As a matter of fact, you, I or every human being, lives in a body. Body is separate, we are called souls. Vedas say soul has no form even. Then also we know each other. For example even if you have not seen the photograph of King Akbar then, you can know Akbar by means of the study of his qualities. So is the case with the God. If an aspirant really goes to his Guru and listens Vedas like Shri Ram, and ancient kings and their public then he will be able to know hundred percent about formless God. Then comes realization for which Vedas (especially Samveda) says that he who performs Yajna, does jaap (according to Vedas) and practises Ashtang Yoga Philosophy while remaining in family like Shri Ram etc., he sure realizes, being eternal law.
If we will meditate concentrating outside our body which is also against Vedas/Ashtang Yoga Philosophy, then our attention will always naturally remain outside i.e., attached with outer world i.e., decoration/music/dances etc. In that case subject matter of God will be over. It will be converted into spending fun, doing dances and singing attractive songs by ladies and gents, which is totally against Vedas. Thus the chapter of praising God, True Acharya, Rishi-Munis, performing Yajyen, practice of Ashtang Yoga, eternal knowledge of Vedas etc., will be over.
It is also baseless to say that study of Vedas and practice of yoga philosophy is difficult. It is self made story because Vedas are also called Shruti i.e., Vedas are to be listened first and not to be studied. So to listen to the Vedas, a learned Acharya is needed. The Acharya will explain the Ved mantras in the Yajna in your own language i.e., in English or Urdu etc., and for an aspirant to do asan, pranayaam, meditation etc., is also not difficult. It is all difficult for those human beings, including present false prophets, (who are against the Vedas), who are lazy, can’t awake early in the morning to listen Vedas and fail to do practice of yoga philosophy. Those people are always after money, materialistic articles and pomp and show etc.
Vedas are not written or spoken by God. This knowledge is emanated from God and is originated in the heart of four Rishis as stated above. God is Almighty i.e., He has all powers. So He needs no assistance to do universal deeds. In human body alive soul resides and soul is dependent, soul requires mouth to speak, eye to see, hand to write etc., etc. but not God. From His power God originates the knowledge of Vedas in the rishis without writing, or speaking etc. Vedas’ knowledge is divine. The fundamental of the Vedas is this that it was not written or spoken. The knowledge by the power of God was originated about one Arab 96 crore, 8 lakh and 53 000 years ago. Then first time the four rishis of unsexual creation started pronunciation of the mantras by the power of God. God wanted them to know word meanings and senses of the mantras and therefore the rishis knew all. Then first time the four rishis started pronunciation of the mantras. They taught the
mantras to other ignorant people. Then another rishis were produced who knew the Vedas by heart by listening only. There was no paper, ink or pen there. The Vedas were being learnt by mouth to mouth and traditionally this process is yet in force. But mostly not by heart but taking help of the printed book. So printed books are not called Vedas but these are called samhita.
Samhita means the collection of Ved mantras. Therefore Present printed books cannot be considered as Vedas and will never be in future, but samhita. Kapil Muni throws light on this point in his Sankhya Shastra 5/48 that when a rishi does tapsya in the shape of Yajyen, study of Vedas, practice of Ashtang Yoga then the Ved mantras still (now also) originate in heart of the Rishi and the rishi pronounces the mantras. Those mantras are called Vedas, which emanate from God. So Vedas must first be listened (study) from alive Acharya (Guru who knows Vedas). Then only Samhita (books of Vedas) can help.
After death
Yajurveda mantra 3/55, says, “DEVAIYAH JANAH NAH PUNAH MANAH DADATU” i.e., by blessings (preach and true education of Vedas) may learned Acharya give us next birth of human being so that we may again be able to learn the truth of Vedas and to get salvation. So one must always adopt true path by which he gets rebirth of human being to continue the real
spiritualism to get salvation etc., because Atharvaveda mantra 9/10/16 further says that human being who has done pious deeds and adopted true path they get pious human body in the next birth, otherwise soul gets the lowest/contemptible body, like animals, birds etc. Mantra is APAANG PRAANGETI SWDHAYAA GRIBHITAH AMARTYO MARTYENAA SAYONIHI. TA SHASHVANTA VISHUCHINA VIYANTA NYA NYAM CHIKYURN NI CHIKYURNYAM.
Soul according to its good or bad deeds(APANGETI) takes bodies of animals, birds, insects etc., and (PRANG) bodies of Rishis, Munis, i.e., (uuch Yoni) best bodies after leaving the present body. The soul (SWDHAYAA GRIBHITAH) duly attached with its own power of taking birth according to pious deeds and sins, enters other bodies (AMARTAYAH) though the soul is away from death, being immortal but after death of bodies, takes new bodies. These ideas of Vedas has very well been mentioned in Bhagwad Geeta shlok 2/20 wherein Yogeshwar Shri Krishna says (AJO NITYAH SHASHWATOAYAM PURAANNO NA HANYTE HANYAMANNE SHARIRE ) i.e., the soul is (AJAH NITAYAH SHASHWATOH) never takes birth and is eternal (NAHANYATE HANAYMANNE SHARIRE) in fact after death of body too soul is never dead being immortal. (TASHASHVANTA) this process of death and birth of bodies and souls is eternal.
(VISHUCHINA VYANTA) soul and bodies go far away to different directions [soul goes to Savita etc., {given below} according to Yajurveda chapter 39 and then takes birth and gets another body and five elements of body go to space and are mixed within air, fire etc., according to Yajurveda mantra 40/15] (ANYAM NICHIKYHU) many learned know about this fact (ANYAM NICHIKYHU) another who lack knowledge of Vedas, do not know the fact, i.e., we mostly know our body but not ourselves, i.e., soul. Death is sure i.e., the body will have to be cremated one day.
In Atharvaveda mantra 8/8/11 ‘Yamdut’ means = ‘YAM’ means God, and ‘dut’ means storm, cyclone, flood, earthquake, heavy rains, etc., etc., in mantra the air is Yam. So when a soul is to leave the body then by the power of God, sutratma air enters the body and takes the soul out of it then goes to Savita, etc.
In 39th chapter of Yajurveda the process of this cremation is mentioned. This process is also called as “NARMEDH YAJYEN”, “PURUSH MEDH YAJYEN” and “DAH KARAM” and “ANTEYESHATI KARAM”. Atharvaveda mantra 10/8/26 says “YEH CHAKAR SAH JAJAR” means He (God) who makes the body, He destroys the same one day. Sense of Yajurveda mantra 39/5 is that when the soul leaves the body then the soul wanders in so many places, takes another body according to its previous deeds (karmas). Yajurveda mantra 39/6 says that the soul after leaving the body, on the first day goes to Savita (sun), second day agnihi (fire), third Vaayu (normal air), fourth Aditya, fifth chandrma (moon), sixth ritu (seasons), seventh marutah, eighth brihaspati (tiniest air), ninth mitrah (breathing), tenth varunah (udan air), eleventh indrah (electricity), twelfth Vishvedevah (in all divine qualities). Then, after wandering in sky, gets body according to previous deeds. So these twelve days are completed, then after 13 days the soul takes another body. Rigveda mandal 10 sukta 135 says that normally soul after getting body faces the result of its past lives’ deeds and under influence of illusion (duly attracted towards illusion) does sins and again gets birth to face the sins. The soul is immortal and always separate from body. When an aspirant meets with a learned Acharya and gets spiritual education, then the fourth mantra says that the soul gets salvation.
Names of God
In the Vedas there is only one God but has so many names according to his qualities. For example His name is OM which means the God is the saviour of all. His name is SURYA (sun) i.e., sun has light but sun takes light from God because God has the supreme and Divine light of His own. His name is Chandrma (moon). Moon gives peace, calm, cold and charming light so the name of God is also Chandrma (moon) because God gives peace, calm etc., to those who worship etc., etc. we all people do not worship thirty three Goddesses as briefed above. Shiva means Kalyan i.e., happiness, welfare, good fortune and benediction etc., i.e., He who does welfare to human beings, He is Shiva and He is only one Almighty God said above. Vishnu means He who is everywhere and He is only one Almighty God.
Rig-Veda mantra 1/164/46 says,” EKAM SADRUPA VIPRAH BAHUDHA VADANTI,” i.e., EKAM SATAM means truth is one i.e., God is one but VIPRAH = Rishis, Munis who were/are learned of Vedas, BAHUDHA VADANTI utter so many names of God mentioned in Vedas like AGNIM YAMAM MATRISHVANAM AAHUHU meaning-the name of God are Agni, Yam, Matrishva and AAHUHU means “says”. In Yajurveda mantra 32/1 the names of God stated are AGNI, ADITYA, VAAYU, CHANDRMA, SHUKRAM, BRAHM, AAPAH, and PRAJAPATIHI ETC, ETC, ETC. I would explain the meaning of above all the names of God in brief due to shortage of time and space.
AGNI= agrini i.e., at the top or who comes first or who was before the creation and according to the said qualities, here the meaning of Agni pertains to God i.e., God is eternal and therefore exists always before the creation etc. that is why Rigveda mantra 1/1/1 says AGNIM Eedey – in the said mantra the meaning of Agni is God according to the qualities and situation. Meaning of Eedey means desire. Therefore the meaning of Agnim Eedey is , “I am desirous of God. Similarly YAM means controller of universe, Matrishva means air i.e., like the air God gives life to human beings. Aditya means which can not be broken into pieces, Chandrma means like moon God gives calm/peace, Shukram means Almighty, Braham means the superior/the biggest/the greatest etc., in the universe, Aapah means omnipresent, Prajapatihi means one who nurses the universe. So all the said meanings have the qualities of God and hence the name of God in the Vedas, but these are always uttered by Rishis Munis, who are learned of Vedas, as mentioned in Rig-Veda mantra quoted above. Therefore only Rishis Munis who are learned of Vedas, utter or tell the holy name of God mentioned in Vedas and those who do not know Vedas can never utter the above holy names of God. But the said holy names, on the other hand, are even of surprising nature to them.
One thing more, the holy names of God in the Vedas are according to the nature, knowledge and deeds (God creates, nurses, destroys and controls the universe etc.) of Almighty God. Therefore those names are eternal and countless. So I am not able to mention here infinite names of Almighty God being beyond imagination, beyond calculation and beyond description etc., and we have to worship the said Almighty God whose description is in four Vedas, whose study has mostly been made stopped by the present saints who were against the Vedas and speak only charming stories etc., and never tells about Vedas. Whereas the description of Vedas is in Geeta, Ramayana,
six shastras, Upnishads and all ancient holy books. The reason why the present (most of them) saints do not quote Vedas is that they do not study the Vedas, do not do Yajyen and do not obey Ashtang Yoga Philosophy mentioned in Vedas which was too adopted by Shri Ram, Shri Krishna, Mata Sita, King Harishchandra, king Dashrath and their subjects/ public etc. Therefore we must be aware of false prophets.
QUALITIES OF SOULS (JEEVATAMA)
Soul is alive. Soul has to face the result of his deeds. Soul takes body of human beings, animals, birds, trees etc., according to deeds of past lives. Soul feels sorrow, happiness etc., through body. When soul leaves body, it feels nothing but carries all karma to be faced in next birth through his chitta’s (chitta) vritti (vritti).
Souls are innumerable but are constant in number having similar qualities like being pure, immortal, alive etc. Soul is infinitesimally small, is invisible. The bodies of all living beings contain souls.
Not God but soul has desire, hatred/malice, merriment, sufferings, attachment etc. While attracting itself towards materialistic articles made of prakriti soul forgets his original form. As a result, soul recognizes himself as body. This is the stage of soul being unwise.
“NA TAM VIDATH YA IMA JAJAANANYUDYUSHMAKAMANTARAM BABHOOVA,
NEEHAREINN PRAVRITA JALAPYA CHASUTRIP UKTHASHASCHARANTI.”
(RIGVEDA MANTRA 10/82/7)
(TAM) that God (NA) not ( VIDATH) known (YAH) who (EMA) all worlds (JAJANN) creates and (YAT) from you (ANYAT) separate from other souls(YUSHMAKAM) from you (ANTARAM) with in all (BABHOOVA) is (NIHAREINN) fog like smoke (YAT) that God (PRAVARITAHA) covered (JALAPYAHA) baseless discussion (ASUTRIPAHA) satisfied only in Prann [breathing system] (UKTHASHASAHA) only paying lip service (CHARANTI) deals or behaves.
Meaning: Like an invisible matter which is covered with fog similarly dealing in only lip service and indulging in baseless discussion and are satisfied in their breathing system, Oh! Man-woman, you do not know the God who creates the five matters/universe and the God who is separate from other souls and who is within all.
There are three matters in the Vedas which is called “Traitwad” first Almighty God , second – souls , third – Prakriti.
Almighty God and souls are alive whereas Prakriti is non-alive from which God creates universe. So, there is not only atma (souls) but Almighty God and Prakriti are also there.
Souls (Atma) are several but God is one. Soul takes living being’s body based on his previous lives’ Karmas – good or bad so human being’s bodies , animals and birds’ body etc., are taken by souls.
So, God states in Vedas that services to mother, father , learned atithi, learned acharya of Vedas and Yoga philosophy are required to be rendered when they are alive only and not after death.
CREATION
The creation is eternal and automatic. There is no date of creation of the following:
(A) Almighty God who is alive, immortal, formless, creates, nurses and destroys the universe. He never indulges in any maya, mahamaya, illusion and deeds (good or bad. Yajurveda Mantra 40/8 and Yog shastra Sutra 1/26 also refer)
(B) Soul: Soul is alive, the purest, away from sins etc. but illusion covers the soul due to which soul forgets his original form and hence remains in sorrows, problems etc.
C) Prakriti: Non-alive and has three qualities. i.e., Raj, tam, Satva. At a proper time, the power of God acts in prakriti and the universe is created. So the creation is eternal and automatic.
Raj, Tam and Satva are the three qualities of prakriti. When the said gunnas remain idle dormant i.e., do not work, then combination of these three gunnas(qualities) in dormant stage is called prakriti and this time is called “final destruction” of the universe. When an appropriate time comes, the creation is to be started again. Then the power of God works in the above three gunnas i.e., in the prakriti and immediately the creation starts. Rajo gunn is a sign of sensuousness etc., Tamo gunn signifies laziness and sato gunn signifies ego, pride. Our human body is also made of the said three gunnas.
Vedas tell that there are three eternal/immortal matters- first: Almighty God, second: souls, third: prakriti. Almighty God creates, nurses and destroys the universe and again creates it. The said process of creation is eternal/immortal/everlasting. Almighty God creates the universe from prakriti. When the raj, tam and satva gunnas of prakriti remain idle (dormant condition/inactive) then creation does not take place. At an appropriate time, a power of Almighty God acts in prakriti (i.e., in Raj, tam and satva gunnas). Immediately the process of creation starts and the first matter of prakriti is made which is called –Mahat i.e., mind; from Mahat- ahankar is made, from ahankar panch (5) tan matrayein, from panch (5) tanmatrayein, panch (5) mahabhoot are created. From panch mahabhoot, the entire matter of universe i.e., Sun, Moon air, water , our bodies, bodies of other living beings etc., are created. The whole creation is thus created from prakriti
and remains still (in active) like a statue. This creation is called non-sexual creation. In the said creation, the young human bodies are created which are neither old nor babies. Then by the power of God, in the said bodies, breathing system (prann vaayu) starts operating. At last, God enters into the universe and immediately all the humans and other living beings become alive and start functioning. Similarly, the non-alive matters like Sun, moon, earth, air, water etc., start their respective functions.
Creation, Science, worldly matters etc., is not possible until the same is created by someone. Secondly, knowledge is attained when knowledge is imparted by someone.
Rigveda mantra 10/129/ 1-6 throw light about creation that at that time, there was nothing and no living beings did exist. So there was no learned acharya who could give the knowledge to the newly created living beings like parents who educate the children to make them able to speak language and to know about the matters like crow, animals, chapati, ghee, sun, moon i.e., all matters of the world. See, if a newly born baby is managed to live in dense jungle and nursed well but he is not given education about the worldly matters etc. i.e., mathematics, science, animals, sun, moon etc., then even at the young age of 20-25, 30 years, he will not be able to speak any language and when he will be brought out of the cave of dense jungle and will be asked about the sun, moon, animals, birds before him, then he will not be able to reply because he was not given the said knowledge.
When we see towards sun, moon, air, space, human body etc. It is clearly understood that the said creation has not been made by any human being but Almighty God, from whom the knowledge of four Vedas emanates. In Vedas, the knowledge right from straw to Brahma has been mentioned. So in the beginning of non-sexual earth, the Vedas originated in the heart of four rishis: Agni, Vaayu, Aditya and Angira, and from the rishis the knowledge of science, deeds and worship along with every matter is being given to the public by which the public became educated scientist and wrote books, etc.
In Vedas as well as in fourth chapter of Yog Shastras of Rishi Patanjali, it is mentioned that those who do not believe in God are provided more and more facilities by nature and such people get spoiled, etc.
On the contrary those who worship God, they naturally try to kill their desires and accordingly under the law, nature, help them to follow the true path to realize the God.
It is also pertinent to mention here that in Vedas, there is no mention of avtarwad or any proper noun, please. Vedas do not even contain any story or past, present or future life of anyone. Vedas contain knowledge i.e., entire science, form of deeds/duties and worship of God. Actually Vedas give knowledge right from straw to Brahma (God) of entire universe.
All four Vedas tell to worship a formless, Almighty, omnipresent, omniscient God who creates, nurses and destroys the universe. God was one, is one and shall ever remain one. He is unchangeable, unchallengeable and beyond description. He has unlimited qualities and thus unlimited names but is one. Because He is Almighty and needs no help of anyone to create, nurse and destroy the universe therefore no need to take avtar.
Shanti= if a person always feels peaceful and calm in all circumstances, i.e., in loss and profit, praise and disgrace, remains always satisfied with small earnings or big profits, never feels angry, sensual, proud etc., it means he has got peace(Shanti). However, I would like to explain here that the said pious qualities are never attained until a person does real worship of God like listening of Vedas, name jaap of God, daily hawan/yajyen and practice of yoga philosophy like asan, pranayaam, meditation etc., under guidance of learned acharya of Vedas and ashtang yoga philosophy. Everybody can do it while discharging all his duties towards family, society and nation. Swasthya= if a person has not got any disease. It means he has good health, which is also not attained without doing above worship, maintaining celibacy, daily walk, light exercises, taking nutritive diet daily. Then when a person becomes hard worker and worshipper as quoted above and
feels happiness (sukh) by seeing other peoples progress and paying respect and doing service towards parents, elders and others, it means he has attained such (comfort/pleasure) samridhi. He should never be a lazy person.
Bipin Badheka: Pranam, Swamiji. Charan Sparsh. I kindly request you to please reply for below.
1. There are how many mantras in each of 4 Vedas?
2. I think these mantras will be huge in numbers. It is already stated by you that one must listen Vedas from learned acharya. But along with that whether one should read each mantra, should know meaning of it? or only listening is enough? (but also preach/listening is to be to implemented in practical life as stated by you).
3. Now in above case if one should also read and understand mantras then in that case whether practically is it possible to write/publish books on four Vedas with all mantras along with brief meaning of each of them? I think only yogi like you can do this. But I actually don’t know whether practically this is possible or as per Vedas it can be done? Swamiji, do you have such plans to write Vedas in such format in future for benefit of aspirants? Request you to please guide us on this subject. Pranam.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you, my son.
(i)1. Rigveda = 10,589 mantras.
2. Yajurveda = 1,975 mantras.
3. Samveda = 1,875 mantras.
4. Atharvaveda = 5,977 mantras.
(ii) Listening of Ved mantras is enough. Rest of the shortcomings will be fulfilled by the learned acharya. We must know that God has only instructed in Vedas to listen Vedas and not to read. Now, printing press has come into existence. Therefore, help of printed book can be taken after listening only, otherwise will be of no use.
(iii) A learned acharya/yogi is only empowered (power given by Almighty God) to write description of Vedas as stated by you. However, the job is so lengthy that hardly pious job is undertaken by the dignitary. As regards, myself, I have been explaining the Vedas in Hindi, daily here and several mantras have been explained in articles as well as in books. Once, I explained the entire Yajurveda with word-meanings and idea of each mantra, my preach was recorded and some of my disciples also started writing from cassette but the job had to be stopped due to loss of the recorded cassettes.
Alvin Lal: Pranaam Guruji,
A) How long in time does initial creation take? I.e. from when there is nothing(shuniye)except prakirti and god to when there is everything functioning and god is omnipresent within all?
B) You have mentioned that Soul needs to take re-birth after 13 days, depending upon sanchit karma’s. Does this 13 days include the initial creation time for a new shristi after pralay? I think you have mentioned that soul retains all sanchit karmas, even after pralay for new birth/body in new shristi.. Is this correct ? How does soul spend 13 days in sun, moon, space…etc… after a new shristi creation before taking body? Does this mean that soul is not given body for 13 days after sun, moon etc… is created?
Bahaut Dhanaywaad Guruji.. Hope you can clear my curiosity… Alvin
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you.
(a) time limit is secret matter in Vedas and can only be known by personal efforts by an acharya. However, you know the creation started before One arab, ninety six crore eight lakh fifty three thousand one hundred nine years ago.
(b) Yes, sanchit karma is the balance of karmas which remains until are destroyed finally by attaining salvation. Before creation, soul remains without body.
