H.H. Sri Sri Satchidananda Jnaneshwar Bharati Mahaswami. Following our evening prayers, I welcome you all to this beautiful Ashram where great saints reside. The glory of a saint spreads naturally, and many gather to seek their darshan and experience the divine. Saints naturally mingle with people, breaking worldly rules to alleviate their miseries. A human's life changes in the presence of a saint, acting like a touchstone (Parisa).
A seeker once approached a saint with a doubt: "We have a deep skepticism. If God exists, how can we see Him? Why doesn't He show Himself in human form?"
The saint smiled and used a beautiful analogy: "If you want butter, you cannot find it by looking directly at milk. You must boil the milk, curdle it, and churn it. Only then does the butter appear. Similarly, Paramatma is hidden within this creation. Through spiritual practice (Sadhana), pure intellect, and devotion, the divine manifests."
People often wonder about terms like Vaikuntha, Kailasa (Himalayas), or Satyaloka. These are symbolic representations. The white, pure Himalayas represent Shiva—the pristine, untainted consciousness. The ocean where Vishnu rests represents the vast, pure milk-ocean of Sattva Guna (purity). Satyaloka is the realm of supreme truth and ultimate light.
The Nature of Paramatma
God is not a separate physical person sitting somewhere; He is the absolute Energy and Consciousness (Shakti Swaroop). Just like electricity has no color or form but expresses itself through a bulb as light or an appliance as motion, Paramatma expresses Himself through various deities like Ganapati, Vishnu, and Ishwara.
Forms with four hands represent cosmic functions: two hands signify grace (Anugraha) and blessings (Prasada), while the others signify the dissolution of negativity. When your mind is focused through devotion and beautiful classical music—which naturally calms and purifies human tendencies—the realization of this omnipresent divine springs forth, filling life with eternal bliss.