Philosophy of Diuine Loue

"0 Lord! It was only through Your Grace that my

ignorance was eternally banished, and knowledge gained." It
must be noted that ignorance can never overpower knowledge,
just as darkness can never veil light. ..J
Divine Grace
Now let us see what the PuriiDas say in this regard-
athiipi te deva padiimbujadvaya-
niiyamiitmii pravacanena labhyo prasiidalesiinugrhita eva hi
na medhayii na bahunii srutena jiiniiti tattvariJ bhagavanmahimno
yamevai~a vr':!ute tena labhyas na ciinya eko'pi cirariJ vicinvan
tasyai~a iitmii vivr':!ute tanuriJ' sviim (Bhagouatom)
--..
He, the Supreme Being cannot be known even after
tamakratul;J pasyati vitasoko
constant efforts performed for innumerable ages. He can only
dhiitul;J prasiidiin mahimiinamiitmanal;J
be known by one upon whom He showers His infinite grace.
(Kotho'poni$od)
Only such a fortunate soul is gratified eternally. The Ramayal)a
too states-
Although God cannot be grasped by the greatest senses,
mind and intellect, He can be known by that fortunate individual soi jiinal jehi dehu janiii
whom He graces with His Divine power. The Gita too states jiinata tumahlriJ tumahiriJ hvai jiii
the same-
tumharihiriJ krPii tumahlriJ raghunandana,
jiinata bhagata bhagata ura candana
tatprasiidiit pariiriJ siintiriJ sthiinariJ priipsyasi siisvatam
(Glta) riima krpii binu sunu khagariii,
jiini na jiiyi riima prabhutiii
"Arjuna! It is only through the grace of God that you (RamayoT)o)
can attain your ultimate goal of happiness, and the eternally
blissful abode of the Lord." When Arjuna's delusion was With regard to liberation from material bondage, the /
destroyed and he attained perfect knowledge, he himself Ramayal)a emphatically asserts that it is impossible without .J
accepted this truth- God's grace-
so diisi raghuvira ki samujhe mithyii sopi
na~~o mohal;J smrtir labdhii tvatprasiidiin mayiicyuta chu~ai na riima krPii binu niitha kahahuriJ pada ropi
(Glta) (RamayoT)o)

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With regard to destruction of delusion, the Ramayana
again talks about the indispensability of God's grace. .
rajata sipa mahariJ bhasa jimi yatha bhanu kara varl
yadapi mr~a tihuriJ kala soi bhrama na sakai kou ~arl.
jasu krPii asa bhrama mi~i jai,
girlja soi krPiilu raghurai.
(RamayaQa)
Material afflictions can only be overcome through grace _
rama krPii nasahiriJ saba raga
(RamayaQa)
Holy association can only be attained through Divine
grace -
binu satsanga viveka na hoi
rama krPa binu sulabha na soi.
aba mohiriJ bha bharosa hanumanta,
binu harl krPii miiahiriJ nahiriJ santa.
santa visuddha miiahiriJ puni tehi
rama krPii karl citavahiriJ jehi.
(RamayaQa)
It is quite apparent that all the scriptures from the Vedas
to the RamayaJ;la, unanimously declare God's grace to be the
fundamental condition for liberation from material afflictions
and attainment of Supreme bliss. ' ya~ sarvajr'ia~
Now the point is, if everything depends upon God's
grace, then we are free. When God decides to grace us,
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Philosophy of Divine Loue
everything will automatically be solved. Any effort towards
performance of spiritual discipline, is totally futile. Most people
misinterpret the principle of God's grace in this way. They
resort to inaction under the pretext that nothing is possible
without His grace or will.
isvara ki iccha ke bin a eka patta bhi nahiriJ hil sakta
"Not a leaf can stir without His will." In fact some people
even go to the extent of blaming God for all their sinful
and immoral actions, and plead that they themselves are
innocent.
bhramayan sarvabhutani yantrarill!hani mayaya
isvara~ sarvabhutanariJ hrddese'rjuna ti~~hati.
(Gita)
uma darujo~itaki nairiJ sabahiriJ nacavata rama gusairiJ
(RamayaJ;la)
These quotations from the scriptures declare that all living
beings are like mechanical machines operated by God. It is
He who directs us, and we act according to His directions.
This philosophy is one of the most dangerous philosophies
a person can hold. It can result in bringing about absolute
ruin. But on the other hand, it can also lead to the highest
progress. Hence, it requires reflection.
1. Let us first consider whether God is all-knowing or
ignorant -
sarvavidyasya jr'ianamayariJ tapa~
(Veda)
He, the Supreme Lord is omniscient. Now, if God is
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omniscient and this All-knowing Person is our director, Le.
the doer of our every action, then how can we possibly perform
actions of ignorance?
2. If God is the doer of our every action, then why
do we feel that we are doing? If we were to actually accept
Him as the doer, we would never be unhappy.
3. If God is the doer of our every ilction, then He
should suffer the consequences of these actions or pardon
Himself. We should not be made to suffer the fruits of these
actions. Even an ordinary human being would not be so unfair
as to do something wrong himself and make another suffer
for it. Is it possible that one man does the eating, and the
hunger of another is satisfied? Or one man over-eats, and
another suffers the effects of over-eating?
4. If God is the doer of all actions, what was the need
of laying down all the elaborate rules and regulations in the
scriptures? He should not have gone to all that trouble, but
instead should have said, "0 human beings! you do not have
to do anything on your own. I will make you work according
to My Will."
5. God is said to be impartial. Now, if this impartial
God is accepted as the doer of everyone's actions, then why
did He grant eternal bliss to some, such as Prahlada, Dhruva,
Nanaka, Mira etc., while others are being made to suffer as
slaves in the bonds of lust, greed, and anger? How can He
be so unjust? What was the need of the 8.4 million species
of living-beings?
6. If it is stated that all this is a mere play of God;
no one actually experiences happiness or sorrow, then there
is no need of attaining knowledge of Brahman.
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According to these statements, it may be concluded that
if we accept God as the doer, then He would prove to be
a ruthless tyrant. Moreover, our negligence would also go on
increasing with this acceptance. We will become lazier and
lazier, and our every action will become demoniac. As it is,
we are careless, and if we totally accept God as the doer,
it would only mean sure downfall.
Some people accept the fact that God is blameless, that
is, He is not the doer. But they are unwilling to accept
blame for their own actions. Instead, they hold fate to be
responsible. They maintain, "Whatever is written in our
destiny, God makes us work in that direction. Hence, we
are blameless."
Some people
believesurair
hari'.lapi hare'.lapi brahma'.lapi this api
lalatalikhita rekha parimar!'turiJ na sakyate
(Slikti)
But such fatalists do not even know what fate is. The I
HitopadeSa explains-
piirvajanmakrtariJ karma taddaivamiti kathyate
(Hitopadesa)
The fruits of actions performed with a freedom of will
in past lives, are designated as fate in the present life. In
this way, whatever action is performed with a freedom of
will in the present life, comes back as fate in the future.
This obviously implies that we had freedom to act in the
past. Now, if we were free to act in the past, how can
we say that the laws of the spiritual government have changed
in the present, that is, we have lost that freedom to perform
action? Is it not absurd to hold such a view? The past was
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tru so many think Philosophy of Divine Loue
like this

the present once upon a time, and the present will be a jo na taral bhavasagara nara samaJa asa pai
past in the future. Thus, if we were free to act in the past, so krta nindaka mandamati atamahana gati jai
then we can do so even in the present. And if we claim so paratra du1:Jkha piivai sira dhuni dhuni pachitaya
that we are not free to act today, that is, we are bound kalahiriJ karmahiriJ isvarahiriJ mlthya do~a lagaya
by fate, then we must not have acted freely in the past either. (RamayoT)o)
Even a person with little common sense can understand this
logical fact. To resort to carelessness in the name of fate "One who, having attained this precious human form,
is even more foolish than considering God as the doer. No resorts to inaction, blaming God's will, time, fate etc., is actually
Veda, scripture or Saint advises us to resort to inaction and a self-murderer. He cannot attain peace or happiness even
depend upon fate. In performance of actions in the material in this world with this philosophy, then the question of attaining
world, we do not consider God as the doer, and cease to happiness in the Divine abode just does not arise." Thus,
work. Do we become lazy leaving everything to fate? We to misinterpret the fundamental condition of God's grace as
work doubly hard in order to acquire wealth, family, fame an excuse to do nothing, is the most dangerous path.
and so on. But when it comes to the subject of God-realization, Therefore, it can be inferred that God's grace is not arbitrary.
we resort to these excuses of God's grace and fate in order It depends upon the fulfillment of a condition. Whatever that
to do nothing. condition be, whosoever fulfills it, attains that Supreme grace
and becomes eternally gratified. Such fortunate souls are
referred to as Saints or great souls.
Some people blame 'time' and become negligent; others
blame circumstances in order to protect their indulgence in
sinful activities. But all this is due to our own ignorance.
In reality, God, fate, time etc., are not to be blamed at
all. Let me reveal a surprising fact. Some countries, mainly
the atheistic ones, hold the view that circumstances lead a
man to sin, whilst some countries, namely the theistic ones,
believe in the philosophy of God's will. But was there any
time in the history of both these, the theistic and atheistic
countries, when wrong-<loers were not punished for their deeds?
The atheists blame circumstances, while the theists blame God's
will, yet the wrong-<loers in these countries are not pardoned.
The conclusion is that some people have misinterpreted the
true philosophies in order to conceal their own faults, and
even increase them. In reality, each and
every individual soul is responsible for his own actions.
Tulasidasa wrote in the Ramaya,:\a-
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