Is God Jealous?
In the Bhagwat Gita, the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna emphasizes on the topic of “exclusiveness in surrender of the mind”. Lord Krishna says in the Gita:
मामेकं शरणं ब्रज ॥ Gita 18.66
maamekan sharanan braj
“Surrender only unto Me”.
अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते ।
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ॥ Gita 9.22
ananyaashchintayanto maan ye janaah paryupaasate .
teshaan nityaabhiyuktaanaan yogaksheman vahaamyaham
“Those who constantly meditate on Me and selflessly serve only Me, I protect what they have and give them what they don’t have”.
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय॥ Gita 12.8
mayyev man aadhatsv
“Endow your mind and intellect with only Me”.
In all of these verses, in Gita, Shri Krishna has frequently used the word ev (एव). The word ev in Sanskrit means "only". So in all these verses Shri Krishna is telling Arjun to absorb his mind in Him and Him alone, to obtain His grace.
In this world, we love many different people, our mother, father, brother, sister, spouse, children, other relatives, friends etc. and no-one objects to us loving anyone else. However, as per the Gita God has put this very strange condition that love Me and Me alone (मामेकं शरणं ब्रज). Only then will I shower my grace upon you.
Many innocent devotees ask, “Why does God want us to love Him alone? Is He jealous?”
मामेकं शरणं ब्रज ॥ Gita 18.66
maamekan sharanan braj
“Surrender only unto Me”.
अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते ।
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ॥ Gita 9.22
ananyaashchintayanto maan ye janaah paryupaasate .
teshaan nityaabhiyuktaanaan yogaksheman vahaamyaham
“Those who constantly meditate on Me and selflessly serve only Me, I protect what they have and give them what they don’t have”.
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय॥ Gita 12.8
mayyev man aadhatsv
“Endow your mind and intellect with only Me”.
In all of these verses, in Gita, Shri Krishna has frequently used the word ev (एव). The word ev in Sanskrit means "only". So in all these verses Shri Krishna is telling Arjun to absorb his mind in Him and Him alone, to obtain His grace.
In this world, we love many different people, our mother, father, brother, sister, spouse, children, other relatives, friends etc. and no-one objects to us loving anyone else. However, as per the Gita God has put this very strange condition that love Me and Me alone (मामेकं शरणं ब्रज). Only then will I shower my grace upon you.
Many innocent devotees ask, “Why does God want us to love Him alone? Is He jealous?”
No God is not jealous. Jealousy is a characteristic of Maya, which is a maid of God. It cannot overpower God. Hence, God is not jealous and can never be jealous. Still He insists on exclusively loving Him. What is the reason behind this restriction of exclusiveness?
We all have experienced situations in life where at different times in our life our attachment to different people increases for example when one is growing up, one is very close to their parents, in adulthood, one becomes very attached to their spouses and parents do not object. When a child is born to them, they become very close to the children and the spouse does not object. However, when the same person gets interested in the spiritual path and starts getting attached to God and spending most of their time in singing the glories of God, the same family members seem to resist, resent and try to prevent the person from following the path of God for example have heard of the opposition which saints like Meera bai, Tukaram, Kabirdas etc had to face.
We all have experienced situations in life where at different times in our life our attachment to different people increases for example when one is growing up, one is very close to their parents, in adulthood, one becomes very attached to their spouses and parents do not object. When a child is born to them, they become very close to the children and the spouse does not object. However, when the same person gets interested in the spiritual path and starts getting attached to God and spending most of their time in singing the glories of God, the same family members seem to resist, resent and try to prevent the person from following the path of God for example have heard of the opposition which saints like Meera bai, Tukaram, Kabirdas etc had to face.
Just like the world does not like anyone loving God, God does not like anybody loving the material objects or people!
God has innumerable names, attributes, abodes and loving devotees. If someone loves any or all of them, God is delighted. He still calls the person an exclusive devotee. In other words, a devotee is free to love anything or anyone in the Divine realm. But God is not happy if you love any material thing (inert object) or material being (sentient entity).
The reason is obvious. God is our eternal relative and real well-wisher. He wants us to attain the aim of life and become eternally happy. If you love material beings or material things, your attachment to them increases. Thus, Maya gets a tighter grip on you and Mayic characteristics (anger, greed, jealousy) become more dominant within you. Thereby making you more miserable than before.
God has innumerable names, attributes, abodes and loving devotees. If someone loves any or all of them, God is delighted. He still calls the person an exclusive devotee. In other words, a devotee is free to love anything or anyone in the Divine realm. But God is not happy if you love any material thing (inert object) or material being (sentient entity).
The reason is obvious. God is our eternal relative and real well-wisher. He wants us to attain the aim of life and become eternally happy. If you love material beings or material things, your attachment to them increases. Thus, Maya gets a tighter grip on you and Mayic characteristics (anger, greed, jealousy) become more dominant within you. Thereby making you more miserable than before.
On the other hand, when one loves God, the ocean of bliss comes in the mind. Thus the aspirant experiences an ever-increasing bliss. As you continue to attach the mind more and more to God, the material attachments continue to reduce, making the mind pure. Once the mind is completely purified, Guru makes the mind divine and bestows God’s love. Only then the devotee can see God and attain His Divine powers, Divine knowledge and be in His Divine Abode forever.Always remember that at any given time both Maya and God cannot stay in one’s mind. Only when Maya goes then God will come. Like saint Kabirdas said
प्रेम गली सांकरी, तामें दो ना समाहिं ।
prem galee saankaree, taamen do na samaahin
“The path of love is narrow. Both Maya and God cannot stay in it”. Guru, or any divine personality are non-different from God Himself. They are all the same. God’s names, forms, pastimes, attributes, abodes and His devotees belong to the Divine area of God. They all dwell in each other at all times. God is delighted when you love His saints. In fact, in Shrimad Bhagavat Mahapuran 11.19.21 Shri Krishna has said “Worshiping My devotees is better than worshiping Me directly.”
So, God is not jealous. God wants to grant the permanent, ever increasing, ever new bliss to the individual soul. According to God’s law that bliss can be granted only in a divine mind. Moved by His earnest desire to make to devotee happy, He is advising the soul to renounce attachments to material people and material objects. Cleanse the mind by loving only His objects and His Saints and divine entities. Loving them purifies the mind. Once the heart is totally pure and clean, the Guru makes the heart Divine and bestows Divine love in it. Thereafter the soul will enjoy unlimited unending ever-increasing bliss.
प्रेम गली सांकरी, तामें दो ना समाहिं ।
prem galee saankaree, taamen do na samaahin
“The path of love is narrow. Both Maya and God cannot stay in it”. Guru, or any divine personality are non-different from God Himself. They are all the same. God’s names, forms, pastimes, attributes, abodes and His devotees belong to the Divine area of God. They all dwell in each other at all times. God is delighted when you love His saints. In fact, in Shrimad Bhagavat Mahapuran 11.19.21 Shri Krishna has said “Worshiping My devotees is better than worshiping Me directly.”
So, God is not jealous. God wants to grant the permanent, ever increasing, ever new bliss to the individual soul. According to God’s law that bliss can be granted only in a divine mind. Moved by His earnest desire to make to devotee happy, He is advising the soul to renounce attachments to material people and material objects. Cleanse the mind by loving only His objects and His Saints and divine entities. Loving them purifies the mind. Once the heart is totally pure and clean, the Guru makes the heart Divine and bestows Divine love in it. Thereafter the soul will enjoy unlimited unending ever-increasing bliss.
कामना अटैचमेन्ट के कारण होती है और अटैचमेन्ट बार बार चिन्तन के कारण होता है॥
Desire is caused by attachment and attachment to any object is caused by repeatedly thinking of that object as the cause of happiness.
- Jagadguru Kripalu Ji Maharaj
Desire is caused by attachment and attachment to any object is caused by repeatedly thinking of that object as the cause of happiness.
- Jagadguru Kripalu Ji Maharaj
|
<-- View Previous Posts of Divya Ras Bindu
|
To receive this publication monthly please subscribe by entering the information below
|
