Abide by law of virtue to get God's grace

THIS IS A COLLECTED LIST OF INTERVIEWS AND TALKS BY THE SRINGERI ACHARYALS ON VARIOUS RELIGIOUS TOPICS DURING THE 1990’S. THEY WERE PUBLISHED IN “THE HINDU” NEWSPAPER.

What is the relevance of the Law of Righteousness when the world is fast progressing in the fields of science and technology, is a question that is often raised by many. They have not obviously understood the nature of this moral law which has its source in the Vedas, the divine revelations. The stability of the entire universe, in fact its very survival, depends on this law. The Lord Himself has proclaimed: ``With this, (the law), you nourish the shining ones and may the latter nourish you. This process of sustaining one another will enable you to reap the supreme good.''

God has prescribed this law for the entire humanity in the form of Vedic commands. Some ask whether God has appeared before anyone to tell him what should be done. ``What then is the meaning of God's grace?'' For this, some have given a fallacious answer that these ``directives'' appear to have been concocted by a few to deceive the common man.

The ancients have provided us a suitable reply: ``God's grace does not mean that He will go about with staff in His hand, even as a shepherd does as he drives his animals to a meadow.'' This indicates that He bestows on us, the proper motive for action, which is stimulated by an urge and a desire which too arise from God. ``If the urge for action comes from God, it should only be to perform noble deeds. How can then one indulge in evil acts?'' If God is responsible for this also, does it mean that He wants us to indulge in wicked deeds too? What sort of a God He is who goads us to perpetrate evil acts are the other arguments of skeptics. Scriptures have the ready explanation for these also.

On the occasion of the ``Vardhanthi'' of Sri Bharathi Theertha Mahaswami of Sringeri Math celebrated recently, speakers referred to the answers for doubts, provided by him in one of his discourses. Since a person has to face the results of his evil acts done in his previous birth, God gives him the desires in his subsequent births. God cannot be blamed for what the man does because this succession of births, wherein he experiences the fruits of the acts carried out in previous lives, in his subsequent appearances, has continued from time immemorial. Vyasa and Adi Sankara have laid emphasis on the eternal nature of ``Samsara.'' Hence the concept of reaping the consequence of one's previous actions is neither improper nor unscriptural. Those who are eager to obtain God's grace and want to please Him, have to abide by the Law of Virtue laid down by Him.

God has given the humans the power of discrimination and it is their responsibility to use it properly.