Unravelling the Mystery of God

1 August 2001, 10:39am IST
Swami Parthasarathy.

The origin of man is something which baffles his understanding. who was his `first father'? similar puzzling questions confuse intelligent enquirers. did tree precede seed or seed precede tree? did hen succeed egg or egg succeed hen? what is the origin of all living creatures? what is the origin of the world? that is the question. the answer to this question seems to be wrapped up in utmost secrecy, obscurity, mystery. the best of human intellects have failed to throw light on this fundamental question. did the cause appear first or the effect? what is the primeval cause? can there be a causeless cause? the mystery that surrounds these questions agitates the human mind. to appease the agitated mind religious prophets gave a name to that causeless cause. the name was god.


god is reckoned to be the origin or source of the world. some posit a personal god with a form. others postulate an impersonal god without a form. the introduction of god as creator or originator is a mere proposition. an intellectual supposition. in arithmetic a problem is solved by first assuming the final answer to be x. that is the first step used in solving the problem. but x is not the real answer to the problem. x is only a postulation. an assumption. the real answer has to be derived methodically by applying the laws of arithmetic. similarly, the concept of god is a sheer proposition. god is taken to be the origin of the world. that does not solve the question. nevertheless, the vast majority has passively accepted god as creator, originator of everything. they firmly believe in the existence of the unknown being. they criticise and condemn those who do not toe the line. to them the existence of god is obvious. to question his existence is considered not only absurd but blasphemous, sacrilegious, diabolical.

if the mystery of the unknown is to be solved, it has to be dealt with in terms of what is already known to you. but alas! no one seems to heed this basic law of learning. the unknown god is described in equally unknown terminology. god is said to be infinite mercy, infinite love, omnipotent, omniscient, etc. but the human intellect cannot conceive infinity. how can such unknown agents solve the mystery of the unknown? these are mere words, words, words. omar khayyam draws your attention to the helplessness of such futile descriptions of the reality:

"they talked about and about

i came out of the same door i went in."

but the mass of humanity is innocent. they struggle with these unknown terms and terminology. little do they realise the futility of their efforts. time passes on and they are where they are. the knowledge of god remains ever in obscurity. the intelligent become conscious of their incapacity and give up their chase. the ignorant believe that they know god. in their innocence they parrot their limited concepts to the world.

the role and goal of vedanta is to unravel the mystery of the unknown "x" called god. vedanta puts forth no theory. nor proposition. nor hypothesis. the vedantic approach to the problem is scientific and experimental. it explains thoroughly, clearly, scientifically the facts of life. it proceeds logically from the known to the unknown. it reaches you wherever you are. it takes you step by step from the lowest depth of ignorance to the highest peak of knowledge. from delusion to realisation. you are made to understand, appreciate, experiment, verify and experience the ultimate truth.

vedanta does not merely give names to god. it provides you with the material to think for yourself. the knowledge of vedanta serves as a pointer indicating god. the knowledge per se means nothing. you cannot capture god with words, feelings or thoughts. finite efforts cannot achieve infinite. but at the same time you cannot reach god without this knowledge. knowledge takes you up to the furthermost point. vedanta or for that matter any religion cannot take you beyond that point. so do not get attached to the knowledge and remain there. no doubt, you need the knowledge. but make good use of it and go beyond it. vedantic knowledge will purify your mind. it will make your mind contemplative, meditative. plunge that mind into the silence within. you will then realise your godhead.