Interviewer:
Hello everyone. Seeking the blessings of the Mother at Shantikunj and with sweet greetings to you all, I'm starting today's episode. A warm welcome to those new to the Gupta Sadhak Shyamakapa YouTube channel, and thank you to our long-time friends for staying with us.
Interviewer:
Pranam (greetings), Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, we see so much opulence and luxury in various temples. My question to you today is: can God be won over with wealth and opulence?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Look, God likes abundance. He prefers to be amidst abundance. You will notice that almost all major temples have an atmosphere of abundance—whether you go to Tirupati or Vaishno Devi. People give money with specific intentions; no one gives without a purpose. Perhaps someone experienced something good, so they gave money to God. Or perhaps they hope for something good to happen, so they donate. It is through these donations that the opulence you see is created.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Think about what we had here before. We had plastic, we sat on the ground, bricks were sticking out, and we had a torn mat. Everyone, including the Mother, saw that. But look at it now—there is no plastic, no bricks poking out. This happened because of the people's donations.
Interviewer:
But Gurudev, my core question is: can God be subdued or "won over" by this wealth? Or is He won over by something else?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
No, God cannot be won over by wealth or opulence. To reach God, you must have respect, love, and devotion. Without these, He will not grant you Darshan (divine vision). Many people hope for it, thinking, "God is calling me, He will show Himself," but it is not that simple. It is very difficult. Many call Him but never see Him. People often ask me, "How can I find God?" Only God knows what He truly is. An ordinary person cannot understand Him just by calling out a few times.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
A lot depends on Sukriti—the merit of one's previous lives. If someone has done great deeds in a past life, they might receive His vision. It all depends on your past karma. We don't know what anyone did in their previous life. Someone might have done wonderful things, while another might have done something terrible.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Sometimes people come to me and say, "I haven't done anything wrong or harmed anyone, so why am I suffering so much?" I tell them they don't know what they did in their past life—whose house they might have set on fire or whom they might have harmed. They are reaping the fruits of that now. This is the teaching of the Gita; you must face the consequences of your past lives, both good and bad.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
On the other hand, you see some people who don't work at all but live in great luxury. Why? Because of their past good deeds. I have seen it with my own eyes—one man works himself to exhaustion and can't even keep his wife at home, while another man does nothing and lives like a king. This is the reality of karma.
Interviewer:
You mentioned that God is won over by devotion, love, and renunciation, not wealth. But we often hear about Manat (vows), where people say, "If you do this for me, I will give you that." Does that bring results?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Sometimes it does. For instance, I've seen people suffering from incurable diseases who made a vow for an animal sacrifice (Boli) and were cured. Because they made the vow, they felt obligated to fulfill it. I have personally seen sacrifices at Tarapeeth.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
However, I do not personally like the practice of sacrifice. Why kill a helpless animal for your own wish? What is the animal's fault? To kill a living being to fulfill a personal desire is not something I have ever supported, nor do I now. But, I have heard and read in the scriptures that the Mother (Goddess Kali) is Bali-priya (one who loves sacrifice). The scriptures say she loves the blood of sacrifice. I don't know the divine reasoning behind it, but it is written in the texts.
Interviewer:
People also offer gold tongues or jewelry to the deities. Is that just a human whim or a matter of faith?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
It is nothing but faith and a way for people to find self-satisfaction. God does not "eat" or "wear" these things. People do it for their own peace of mind. You don't realize what kind of "wealth" God actually wants. For God, the greatest wealth is the Sadhak (the dedicated devotee).
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Think of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's mother. When asked about jewelry, she said, "My son is my only jewel. What do I need gold for?" Similarly, a true devotee is God's true opulence. God comes to those who call Him with that level of sincerity.
Interviewer:
So, God cannot be reached through pride or money?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Not at all. As the poet Kamalakanta said, if one calls Him the right way, He must respond. There is no room for ego, money, or material wealth there. You must call Him with your heart. To reach God, you must renounce these material attachments. He has no greed; your desire to give is your own, not His.
Interviewer:
Thank you, Gurudev. It was wonderful to hear your perspective today. Pranam.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pranam.