social service
People often say that Service to man is Service to God.  This is a very dangerous statement if it is not properly understood.  Service does not mean simply giving food, clothes, medicines etc., to suffering poor and needy people.  That poor person is suffering due to the punishment given by God due to his bad deeds.  You have not seen his past deeds but you are showing sympathy on him at present.  Your help is only temporary.  Make him a devotee by imparting knowledge.  Then the Lord will help him and that help is permanent.  So the word “service” should not be limited to donating food etc., In such case after receiving your help he may do sins which you have to share.

So convert him into a devotee by donating knowledge so that he becomes a devotee, to get personal help from the Lord and also helps others.  Since this is the work of the God, such service of yours’ becomes God’s service.  Donate knowledge and devotion, even for the wealthy people.  Poor did not mean lack of money only.  Poor means lack of knowledge and devotion also. Actually the original sense of this statement is different.  When the Lord comes in the human form, he appears as a man.  You have to detect him by his inherent quality that is blissful knowledge.

When you serve such a man your service becomes God’s service because that man is God.  When the God is born as a man called as Krishna, some people think that Krishna is a man and some others think that Krishna is a God.  So, there is a controversy.  God pervaded that man as the current pervades the metallic wire.  So both God and man co-exist.  Sankaracharya discussed that particular context only and concluded that though two are present, both become one and the same only.  Though wire and current are present, the wire is the current because the wire gives a shock wherever it is touched.  Similarly, when God pervades the human body, that human body is the God.  So, touching Krishna is touching God.  But people extrapolated this concept to every man and said, “Every man is God”.

 The disciples of Sankaracharya also thought like this.  When Sankara swallowed the molten lead and asked his disciples to swallow the same disciples realized Sankara proved that he alone is God and not his disciples.  If every man is already God what is the use of all this ‘Sadhana’?  Who is to get salvation?  If you are already God, do you mean that God gets salvation?  If there is no salvation, why all this sadhana, (effort)?  Why Prahlada did not accept his father as God?  Narasimha killed Hiranya Kashipu.  Both of them are Gods.  Then God killed God, which means God committed suicide!  


At the Lotus Feet of His Holiness Sri Dattaswami

Anil Antony