Knowledge Is Power

Today we will look at the meaning of the divya nama महातपाः and look at the role of occult powers in spirituality.

महातपाः
Mundakopanishad says
यः सर्वज्ञः सर्वविद् यस्य ज्ञानमयं तपः।
तस्मादेतद् ब्रह्म नाम रूपमन्नं च जायते।
यस्य ज्ञानमयं तप॥
The tapas that he stands for is knowledge, true knowledge, real knowledge.
What is the purpose of tapas?
तपोभिः प्राप्यतेऽभीष्टं नासाध्यं हि तपस्यतः।
To achieve anything and everything that you want.
There is nothing that can not be achieved through tapas.
But what Bhagavan gives is not mystical powers to bless or curse as a result of doing tapas.
What Bhagavan gives is knowledge.
The greatest reward.
That is why his method is the greatest and he is महातपाः।
तपसा विन्दते महत्- Everything great can be achieved through knowledge.
Obviously even for using a mobile phone you should have knowledge.
There are still people who can not use a mobile phone or make use of only a small percentage of what all you can do with a mobile phone.
That is because they have not bothered to acquire the required knowledge.
Knowledge is power.
Knowledge makes you powerful.
You may have Mercedes Benz with you.
But you should have the knowledge to drive it.
Knowledge is most important.
As your knowledge grows your power also grows.
Someday he will bless you with all knowledge and you can become all powerful like him.
षड्गुणाः व्याख्यास्यन्ते तेषु ज्ञानबले संकर्षणस्य गुणौ व्यूढौ।
ज्ञानं च प्राचीनभव परिश्रान्ति शान्तये संजिहीर्षा लक्षणं अत्र।
Out of the six gunas of Bhagavan, knowledge and strength are associated with his aspect called Sankarshana in the Chaturvyuha.
The purpose of knowledge is to give relief to people who have been suffering from time immemorial.
As your knowledge grows your troubles go on reducing.

Many people think that sadhana in Hinduism is about developing occult powers.
One of the reasons for this is because some very popular books on yoga talk about these occult powers.
The same books caution also about not going after these occult powers.
Power to foresee the future, read others minds, time travel.
These are natural when you progress in the spiritual path, as you grow.
They are there for sure.
You are going to a tourist place to enjoy.
Let's say Kullu-Manali.
You are driving.
Kullu-Manali is your destination.
On the way you see a movie hall.
You stop and watch a good movie, enjoy.
That's fine.
But you don't spend the rest of your life there watching show after show every day.
Your destination is Kullu-Manali.
That you shouldn't forget.
Scriptures talk about these powers only as signs of your progress.
They are milestones.
A milestone is only to show you how far away is your destination.
When you see a milestone you don't stop and build your life around that, ok let me put a tea stall here, so many people travel through here, I can make a living.
That's not the purpose.
This is not Hinduism, this is not what Sanatana Dharma is for.
Yamunacharya makes it clear.
Narayana is Brahman because he is the highest, the greatest and he has the power to make others also the greatest.
There is a king.
He can make you his minister or a commander.
But you will never be equal to him.
Here is a God who is ready to make you equal to him.
He doesn't feel insecure about doing that.
He is Brahman and he can make you also Brahman.
Meaning allows you to merge into him.
Of course, through stages like sarupya, salokya.
Hinduism tells you to aspire for this position, the highest position.
Not something as silly or as petty as curing somebody's headache.
That is the job of medicines, that is the job of doctors.
That is not what spirituality is for.
People may appreciate you.
You will feel great, they will say: he is very powerful.
But you are harming yourself spiritually.
Unless of course you have consciously chosen it as your livelihood.
Don't get excited about developing these mystical powers.
I have got intuitive powers.
Everybody has intuitive powers.
Some notice them, some do not, that's the only difference.
You will notice when your mind is less cluttered.
When Bhagavan came to know that injustice was being done to the Pandavas, he didn't use his Sudrshana chakra and kill all the Kauravas.
He said: fight, I will show you how to fight.
He didn't use his omnipotence to solve their problem.
It's your fight, you have to fight it.
I can give you some directions.
Some useful tips I can give you.
Some course correction I can do for you.
But there is no substitute for effort.
So don't think that by doing sadhana suddenly you will attract wealth or fame or position.
It may happen, that's a different issue.
But that is not the purpose of sadhana.
That is just a milestone to show your position and progress.