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Divine teachings: Only God realized souls have divine powers

   Questions and Answers

   What happens often is that the patients' escorts lose heart halfway and they leave the place with the possessed person, claiming the treatment has no effect. They have in fact ignored the tantri's stipulation of a required tenure of stay for complete cure. This is not unlike many problems that we face in life. We lose composure and patience and then pass hasty and wrong judgment to our own detriment.

   In the final phase, the tanthri plucks a hair and dips it in the guruthi for complete annihilation of the ghost. This is one of the reasons why in Hindu custom, we offer the hair of a child to our kuladeivam, after the child's first birthday, praying nothing bad should possess the budding life in the course of its earthly journey.

   I always wondered, Swami being the very embodiment of Chothanikkarai Bagavathi, why not he exorcise spirits of afflicted ones? Swami says — yes indeed I am the embodiment of the Devi. But I have taken upon myself innumerable tasks for the welfare of mankind and the coming generations. The job of an exorcist is comparatively insignificant. I have put a protective shield around all of you that are under my wing. Through the potent instrument of the Kakasseri pada pooja, I have granted moksham to all of you, three prior generations of your pithrus and your next generation (five generations in all). The tanthri at Keezhkavu already does a very good job as an exorcist. If someone is lucky enough to see me within a few days of being possessed I would exorcise them in a few minutes. If I start doing this work full time, then it would amount to the chairman of a bank settling to perform routine clerical tasks. Naturally, the bank will suffer.

   Q. Whom do you consider as your best devotee?

   The one who does not expect anything, has no desire and who has implicit, unquestioning faith in me.

   Q. What is the significance of showing karpooraarathi to God?

   Swami says karpooram is a wonderful thing which burns itself while at the same time it sheds light for others. We have to pray that we too have such qualities. Moreover, the karpooram destroys itself while shedding light. We should pray to divinity that in a similar manner our ego should be burned and destroyed. Whenever karpooram is shown, the deity is invoked in the flame. When it is shown to us, one should invoke the deity within us and the hands should be drawn towards the chest.

   Q. Why can't women perform the karma for their parents and ancestors?

   Women have the right to bring life (give birth) while men have the right over death. Hence men can do karma while women cannot.

   Q. What is the significance behind kumkumam appearing sometimes on the photos at home given by you?

   Guruthi poojai is performed for Chothanikkara Bagavathi. Guruthi symbolizes blood. On many occasions, devotees undergo long life threatening surgeries with subsequent heavy loss of blood and have a near-death experience. On such occasions, Swami gets directly affected physically and it appears as kumkumam on his photos.

   Q. What is the significance of doing thopikaranam to Lord Ganesha?

   Our ear is above the mouth and it is not located on our cheeks. For Lord Ganapathi, His ear lobes extend up to the cheek. This personifies silence and restraint in speech. Therefore the moola manthra for Ganapathi who personifies silence is Gam, which means silence. Generally people with large and long ears speak less.

   Our heart is located on our left. The heart purifies the blood. It performs a critical body function. To bring the good to the right, we hold the right ear with the left hand and the left with the right hand. By doing so, we pray to Lord Ganesha to remove all bad obstacles and help us seek the good. We also pray to help us maintain silence and keep away from bad speech.

   This is the reason why Ganesha pooja is done at the beginning of any pooja and yathasthanam is done thereafter, signifying that everyone should remain silent — Gam, both physically and mentally during the pooja. Sometimes when Swami feels that on a particular day, devotees are not going to be silent or they are going astray in concentration, he specifically instructs not to do yathasthanam for Lord Ganesha.

   Q. What is pooja?

   Something you offer without any expectation.

   Q. What do you say about the non-believers in divine personalities like you and Sri Sathya Sai Baba and about those who question their credibility and actions?

   One who complains about others is himself a wrong doer. Let them ask themselves what they have done for humanity. Only God realized souls have divine powers. All their actions are to facilitate devotees to get blessings and come up in life, for better education and health.

   It will take time for non-believers to start believing but the divine personalities are ever-forgiving. It takes a different approach to turn non-believers into believers.

   Q. Certain people believe that instead of offering to God items like milk, honey, curd and ghee during abhishekam, one can offer these to poor people who are starving. Why is the abhishekam done this way?

   When you offer these items in the form of abhishekam to God, the end result is a better life for all of humanity. By offering to a select few among the poor rather than to God, you have benefitted only those select few and that too for a short while. On the other hand, this small quantity offered to God on one day results in better life for the masses and for an extended period.

   Q. Swami, What is the reason for your existence?

   To spread knowledge and wisdom to people, answer their questions and open their eyes to the reality of life. The fortunate few who have experienced my divine powers and miracles can share their experiences and what they have learnt with others.

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