HINDUISM - Q & A Part 7

Will the god get angry if we are not worshipping?

The god is not bothered about anything like you worship or criticize. God is not bothered about your flower, nivedyam, lamp, manthra, pooja or temple. The worship of the god, prayer, manthra, pooja, etc., are all for ourselves.

What is the relation between the god and human beings?

Since we got birth on this earth from our parents, our relation with our parents is divine. Like that we are here because of the god, the omnipotent omnipresent power which gave us this shape size, and all what is inside and outside our body.. So our relation with god is divine. It is just like human relation, we have relation with god or divine power.

Why should we worship at all?

We have three debts according to Hindu dharma. The debt towards god is known as Deva runa, that towards parents and our forefathers is known as Pitru runa and the last one is Rushi runa towards the Rushies who created the sanathana dharma.

How to get rid of these runas ?

These three runas are permanent and we cannot get mukti from this runa. Hence we always remember and worship god. We remember our parents even after their death by performing the pitru srardha. Before chanting any manthra we remember the name of the Rushi who composed them. Thus we repeatedly offer our homage to all the three. Thus arose the worship of god, according to Indian customs.

Does it mean that we worship god for offering our thanks?

Yes! definitely it is for the same. And also to know that something beyond our capacity is existing and it is guiding us. So many negatives from our mind can be wiped out.

Is the concept of god in all religion same?

No ! In Semitic religion it differs significantly from that of the Indian religion or sanathana dharma. Even though people say that it is the same, it varies significantly. And in no way it can be compared too. The qualities described for Semitic god are almost opposite to Hindu gods.

Can we point out one major difference?

One of the most crucial differences is that in Semitic religion, the people are god fearing people. In our case we are god loving.. The feeling of fear is negative where as the feeling of love and bhakti is positive.

What is meant by bhakti?

Bhakti is devotion and love with respect. It is the sharing of the feeling. Bhaktham means dividing. Dividing between yourselves and god. Every feeling is an interrelation between god and human beings. This bhakti is at an ordinary man’s level only. When you get immersed in the realization of divine power, all the terms will vanish.

How the human relation can be extrapolated to that of god?

We have friendship, brotherly relation, relation between lovers, parental relations, etc. This is extrapolated towards divine - human relations.

How many types of bhakti can be explained?

As I told you bhakti is the feeling between the bhakta and the divine power. There are five positive and one negative (sixthe) type of bhakti in sanathana dharma.

Can we explain these six bhakties in a common man’s language?

I shall try to do so with examples. There are saantha bhava bhakti which means the relation is silent, neither asking for something nor expecting anything from the god. Here the devotee is enjoying the feeling that I am with god. Vidura and Bishma had this type of bhakti towards Lord Krishna

What is the second bhakti bhava?

The second bhakti bhava is the daasya bhava, where the god is the manager or master and you feel that you want to become the servant. This relation between god the master and you the servant is daasya bhava. Bhakti that Hanuman had towards Rama was dasya bhava bhakti.

How can we explain the third bhava?

The third bhava is sakhya bhava. Which is like the relation between two friends. God is my friend and we stay and walk together and discuss each other about everything. The relation between Arjuna and Krishna was sakhya bhava bhakti. To some extent the relation between sudhama and Krishna was also like this.

What is the fourth bhava bhakti?

The fourth bhava bhakti is the maadhurya bhava bhakti. The relation between the 18 –20 years old Gopikas and 10 –11 years old Krishna was narrated as madhurya bhava bhakti. Same bhakti could be seen for Bhakta Meera towards Lord Krishna. The sweet feeling in the mind.

What is the fifth bhava bhakti?

The Vaalsalya bhava bhatkti is the fifth bhava in which the god and yourself are like the parent and child. You as the parent and god as the child. Thygaraja swamigal had the this type of relation with Lord Rama. Many ladies used to chant keerthans about Krishna as though Krishna of childhood (infant Krishna) and their relation with Krishna is like towards a small child in the hands of the mother.

Should we remember all the five bhavas bhakti in the order?

Not at all required. There is no order. It is only the relation according to which you have to explain.

What is the last one or sixth bhava Bhakti which is said to be negative?

It is known in many names like. Satru Bhava Bhakti or dwesha bhava bhakti or dweshya bhava bhakti etc. In this bhava you feel that god is your strong enemy. Kaamsa felt so with Krishna. Ravana felt so with Rama. Hiranyakasipu also felt so. Their mind was filled with hatred and enmity towards god or divine power. Many atheists fall under this category of negative bahakti.

What is the relation between puranic dwesha bhakti and atheism?

It is simple. Anyone who hate the god or would like to go on criticize the divinity, their mind is always filled with the eeswara smarana (memory) which is required (even though negative) and that smarana is same as the bhakti.

What is the punishment given to dwesha bhava bhakthaas by god?

Remember that the dwesha bhava bhakti is said to be the best form of bhakti. This is repeatedly mentioned in Bhagavatha purana. In this bhava you always remember the god as your satru. You know we remember our enemies more than our friends.

Is there any science in Bhakti?

Definitely ! Bhakti has a powerful part in psychology. Faith is the basis of bhakti and every feeling of the mind can be guided and controlled by bhakti. This is particularly applicable to fear, failures, worries, complexes, tension, anger, etc., which are negative feeling in our mind.