The Foundational Emblems of Indian Culture: Shikha and Sutra (Translation of a discourse of Revered Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya)

(Post 04)

(http://literature.awgp.org/akhandjyoti/2004/Sept_Oct/ShikhaSutra/)

Prophet Hazarat Muhammad had opposed idol worship because of the sinful customs that were propagated and practiced through it during his times.

The place where he was born was dominated by the blind rule of might is right, those days. Dacoits and hoodlums used to rob the villages, and take away all the crops, cattle and young women for their pleasure; some of them used to possess ten to fifty women. Some of the children born by them were allowed to grow to serve as bonded laborers or work in the dacoit gangs. As it was found a waste to raise the rest, those kids were killed in the name of sacrifices before the giant idols, made in the lands occupied by the dacoits.

The angelic soul of Hazarat Muhammad was born in human form to eliminate such heinous acts and insane customs.

He destroyed the roots of such evils by opposing the mindless and cruel rituals of worship.

It was the necessity of that time and that place.

This does not mean that all kinds of idol-worship are bad or irrational.

You must remember that all the idols of Divine manifestations are simply the source of reminding us of God.

We may, for example, go to the temples of Lord Krishna, and also bend our head and offer prayers.

But we should know that this pranam and prayers are not for the stone that is enshrined in the temple. Rather, these are for Lord Krishna, whose divine incarnation in human form had taken place to bestow the light of divinity, to establish the law of righteousness, to give new direction of enlightened progress to the world.

The idols simply help to awaken our devotional sentiments.

These may activate the linkage of our inner mind with Him during meditation or emotionally engrossed prayers, if we have really purified our mind and have adopted the true meaning of devotional faith in our lives.

The Foundational Emblems of Indian Culture: Shikha and Sutra (Translation of a discourse of Revered Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya)

(Post 03)

(http://literature.awgp.org/akhandjyoti/2004/Sept_Oct/ShikhaSutra/)  

The idols we enshrine in the temples, the Holy Scriptures like the Vedas, Bhagvad Gita, the Ramayana, and the Guru Granth Sahib are symbols of deities for us. We worship them.

The symbols of our faith, our reverence for them are the source of light in our lives.

Many times people also place the photographs of their ideal heroes, their guides, their gurus in their houses and at their place of work. My disciples have also placed the photographs of Mataji and myself at the Gayatri Tapobhumi Mathura and in our old house (now Akhand Jyoti Sansthan), in our memory, since we left that place. This indicates their affection and respect for us.

Well! In fact, emblems carry within them a message, an effect and have great importance in our lives as sources of inspiration, and moral support and guidance.

They have intimate linkage with sentiments and create immense impact on human psychology.

I do have great regards for them, and have also enshrined them in the form of idols, pictures and other models.

Look at the temples of Goddess Gayatri at Shantikunj and Brahmvarchas for example; or the model of the Himalayas there.

Some of you might wonder then why do I sometimes criticize symbolic worship, and even admonish you against it in some of my writings and speeches?

Good, if you have noticed that, I will certainly admonish you, if you remain stuck only to the symbol and learn nothing from it.

If you regard an idol as omnipotent, and believe that just bending your head and praying before it will solve all your problems, then you are living in a fantasy, in blind faith.

Then, for some of you Lord Krishna sitting in the temple of Badrinath would be superior to that in the temples of Mathura or Vrindawan; while the latter would be mightier for some others. Does it have any sense?

The Foundational Emblems of Indian Culture: Shikha and Sutra (Translation of a discourse of Revered Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya)

(Post 02)

(http://literature.awgp.org/akhandjyoti/2004/Sept_Oct/ShikhaSutra/) 

The communists deny all religions and even deny the existence of God. Worshiping His idols is therefore a mark of blind faith and absurdity in their views.

But, what if somebody burns their red flag, or tears off the manuscript of the manifesto of communism?

They would certainly feel hurt and insulted and react furiously against any such attempt.

But why should they? After all, the flag is only a piece of cloth and there must be several copies of their manifesto available in print.

Well, it is not the physical entity, but the sentiments, the faith in the implications associated with it that count.

So many of our freedom fighters had dared to risk their lives for protecting our national flag; great revolutionaries had sacrificed their lives by placing this mark of our national prestige in place of the British flag those days!

The Foundational Emblems of Indian Culture: Shikha and Sutra (Translation of a discourse of Revered Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya)

(Post 01)

(http://literature.awgp.org/akhandjyoti/2004/Sept_Oct/ShikhaSutra/)

The Foundational Emblems of Indian Culture: Shikha and Sutra
(Translation of Hindi discourse: "Bhartiya Sanskrati Ke Pratik: Shikha Aur Sutra")

Let us begin with the collective chanting of the Gayatri Mantra:

 "Om Bhoor Bhuvah Swah Tatsaviturvarenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayaat"

Idol Worship and the Importance of Symbols

Sisters and Brothers,

I often talk about the importance and necessity of the devotion and worship of God.

Worshiping the idols of deities is an integral part of the Hindu religious practices.

Multiple representations of divine manifestations in the idol forms were visualized by our Rishis of the Vedic times.

The specific forms symbolize specific divine qualities and powers of the manifestations of God, and also incorporate ethical teachings for us.

The Arya Samajis do not believe in idol-worship, but they also respectfully place the idols and photographs of Swami Dayanand Saraswati in their yagyashalas, community halls and offices, and pay due regards before these symbols.

The followers of Islam are against idol-worship; but, paying reverence to the sacred black stone at Kaba, by kissing it, is essential for making their holy pilgrimage to Makka-Sharif complete.

So, the rectangular sacred black stone is for them, what a round, smooth black idol of Shiva is for a Hindu - a sacred symbol of God.

Every religion has its holy symbols and rituals of worship.

Lord Shiva and the Philosophy Associated with Him (Translation of a discourse of Revered Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya)

(Post 28)

(http://literature.awgp.org/akhandjyoti/2004/Jul_Aug/v1.LordShivaPhilosophy) 

We discussed today the meaning and philosophy of the gross manifestations of Lord Shiva as described in the Puranas.

A large number of stories and descriptions are also available in the texts that lucidly illustrate the great teachings and philosophies of the other incarnations and manifestations of Hindu Gods.

There lived about 33 crore people on the Indian subcontinent in the Vedic Age. They were the true devotees, spiritually enlightened, virtuous men and women, who, because of their divine characteristics were revered as 33 crore devatas on this earth.

If we had tried to search and grasp the truth behind the teachings of the Puranas, and put into practice the Vedic philosophy, we also would have been like those pearls of the human society, and would have gloriously accomplished the divine purpose of our life.


We are lucky to have been born on this sacred land, which once upon a time was the Land of gods.

It can and should still regain its glory, if we, the devotees, the worshipers of the Vedic (Indian) Philosophy, sincerely adopt its values, and attempt towards spiritual elevation of our conduct, and refinement of the ambience around us.


Divine beings generate love, peace, beauty, piety, bliss and prosperity wherever they go. You should also adopt and expand such qualities.

I wish you all the success in your endeavors to proceed in this direction.

Thank you for listening with patience.

Lord Shiva and the Philosophy Associated with Him (Translation of a discourse of Revered Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya)

(Post 27)

(http://literature.awgp.org/akhandjyoti/2004/Jul_Aug/v1.LordShivaPhilosophy) 

Be Blessed by Shiva's Grace:

The Almighty God of Hindu religion, for whom we observe fast on Shivaratri, perform japa, ceremonial worship, sacred ablution (abhisheka), and what not, can't He, the Omnipotent, destroy all evils and eliminate our adversities?

Can't He help us in our progress?

He indeed can and He will, if we are His deserving devotees.

He loves all of us and wants to bestow all His grace upon us; but it is our infirmities, our vices that hinder or limit the flow of His blessings.

His grace is like the water-laden clouds.
(The clouds shower the treasure of rains, without discrimination, wherever they fall)

But how much water a pond or a pot would collect from the rain, depends upon its own capacity.

If we deserve, we will surely be blessed by Shiva's enormous generosity.

His blessings will continue to grow, as our abilities, our merits increase, and we shall get everything that a true devotee of Shankar deserves.

Lord Shiva and the Philosophy Associated with Him (Translation of a discourse of Revered Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya)

(Post 26)

(http://literature.awgp.org/akhandjyoti/2004/Jul_Aug/v1.LordShivaPhilosophy) 

The word "Shiva" in Sanskrit means highest good.

Lord Shiva (Shiva) is the presiding Deity of eternal, auspicious well-being of all creation.

But we, the so-called worshipers of Shiva, never even think of global good.
(Forget about global, we don't even attempt to expand the narrow domain of our selfish interests, and engage ourselves in altruistic service and upliftment of the needy around us).

We keep chanting "Om Namah Shivaya", but don't bother to know its meaning; in reality, 'Shiva' is far away from our lives.

We don't even know what is the true well-being of our soul or our own life, and how to attain it?

The japa (rhythmic chanting) of Shiva's name will bestow blessings if "Shiva" (Highest Good) is embodied in our attitude, aspirations, thoughts and deeds.

It is time we realize that worshiping only the external, gross form is no better than not doing anything at all.