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  1. Do we have to perform shraadh? If we don't perform this ritual, will the future generations suffer?

    No, don't be afraid. Shraadh is a ritual performed in the memory of people who have passed away. In their memory, you do some good work, feed a few people - that is what it is. Even the mantras that are chanted during shraadh say, "My ...
  2. Gurudev, science goes by logic whereas spirituality works on faith. Then why are there rituals for Puja and Karma-kaand (rituals for worship) in between the two?

    See, there is a place for Puja and Karma-kaand also. You do not need to think too deeply about it. By doing Puja and Karma-kaand the environment becomes sacred and fragrant.See, you can have a marriage in a Registrar’s office a ...
  3. Gurudev, how well does being religious help me in my spiritual quest?

    It is a different dimension. A little bit of religiosity is good in life. It adds a flavor which is needed both for yourself and for the society to continue. You don’t need to go to a temple, a church or a mosque to pray and meditate. But j ...
  4. Gurudev, there are some prayer rituals that we perform at home to nullify any bad things that are to happen. My question is, will the Divine do bad to us if we do not perform these poojas?

    No, there is nothing like that. The Divine is not going to do anything bad to you, or get angry at you. The purpose of pooja is to keep a good atmosphere, to bring in good energy to your home and to purify your mind and your heart.If you sit w ...
  5. Gurudev, devotees who visit the Tirupati temple donate their hair as offering at the shrine. Also, in India there is a tradition of shaving off one’s head when a dear one passes away. Why is this so, and what does shaving off one’s head have to do with our mind and our actions?

    This is more of a conventional norm that has become a tradition over the years. It is not prescribed as mandatory by our scriptures anywhere.There are two aspects to any ritual in India. One is that prescribed as a norm or a social convention, the o ...
  6. Gurudev, what is the significance of using water in all our rituals?

    Well, more than sixty percent of your body is the water element. And water resonates with feelings and sounds. The mantras get absorbed in water. There is a beautiful slideshow on it, maybe someone can show it, it may be on our website as well, how water ...
  7. Gurudev, what is the significance of offering ghee in the flames of yajnas?

    Ghee is basically oil, clarified butter! The final product of milk. I have not heard anybody offering oil in the yajnas. (Laughter) There are different kinds of engines. Some require petrol, some require diesel. Similarly I think the yajnas tune in only ...
  8. Gurudev, What is the importance of Mundan Sanskar (referring to the Indian tradition of Shaving a babies’ head after a year of birth)? Please tell us something about it.

    Our ancestors have told that we have to shave off the first hair of a child. Then the new hair will come. It is the same as how the first teeth fall on their own and only then do new teeth come. But the hair has to be removed first time; it does not fall o ...
  9. Gurudev, you said in Sanskrit, the word for water and love is the same. In this context, is there some significance of offering water to the Shiva linga.

    Yes, it is a symbol. In ancient times people would take water in both hands, gaze at the Sun and offer the water. Sun gazing is very good, because our eyes are photosensitive. So Sun gazing can get the Sun’s energy in the body. Sun gazing is kno ...
  10. When one is with the Guru, and following the path, is it necessary even then to participate or conduct rituals?

    If you have unshakeable faith on the Guru Tattva, then there is no need for anything else. But if you feel that you should perform certain rites and rituals, then that is fine too. Also, doing anything without faith in the Guru Tattva, does not bring ...