Harmony of Religions | Swami Sarvapriyananda

The subject today, the harmony of religions, it's really three main reasons why I have chosen this subject.

Um, one is Sri Ramakrishna, of course.

It's his birthday on nineteenth, um, nineteenth of February, that's Thursday.

And so one of the central teachings of Sri Ramakrishna was this harmony of religions.

I thought we should dwell on that.

The second reason is today is Shivaratri.

[laughs] We have Lord Shiva here, and I was reminded that the most famous Sanskrit hymn to Shiva, the Shiva Mahimna Stotra, the hymn on the glories of Shiva, it has many wonderful verses.

One of those verses, trai sankhya yogam pasupati matam vaishnavamiti prabhinne prasthani paramidamada pathyamiti ca ruchinam vaicitryat riju kutila nana patha juṣām nṛṇām eko gamya tvam asi paya sāmarṇava iva.

It's one of the beautiful verses.

What does it mean? It says, all these different paths, it says a trai, that means the Vedas, the Vedic path, of which Vedanta is of course a part.

Um, then the others which are developed from the Vedic path, the Sankhya, by which yoga is also included, uh, Sankhya, yoga, Pashupata, the worship of Shiva actually, one of the Shaivite sects, the Pashupata.

Vaishnava, the worship of, uh, God as Vishnu, and in that will be included the worship of God as the incarnations Rama and Krishna.

Pravinne prasthani, various are the f- the ways, let us say, uh, and each claim to be superior to the others.

Uh, these are the different ways.

Why are they different ways? Very interesting reason is given, ruchinam vaicitryat, because our constitutions are different.

We are many, and our constitutions are different.

Our mental propensities are different.

There are different ways in which we may most advantageously, um, reach God, reach out to God and reach God.

Ruchinam vaicitryat, nṛṇām nana patha, in various ways, uh, winding, that means the scenic route, some of the direct routes, the route path, some of the scenic route.

But then again, another metaphor is introduced, as all rivers flow to the ocean, O my Lord, all these, uh, paths lead to thee.

It's the same sentiment, you see.

Um, you see it reflected here.

The truth is one and the sages call it various.

We have got it right up there.

It's from the Vedas, from the Rig Veda.