Question & Answer sessions with HH Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji – 2015
Why is India called Dev Bhoomi ?
Question :
To establish Dharma, why did God incarnate only in the Indian Subcontinent and not in any of the other Continents when the entire earth was created by Him?
Answer :
When the entire body is mine, why should I use only the eyes to see? Today, for a change, I will see with my ears. Why should one listen only with the ears? Why not with the nose? This question is like that. India is like the heart for the entire world. Never forget that. India is great. We must be proud to be Indians. God chose India. He has faith that here virtue will be maintained and preserved. This is a country of holy rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Krishna, Kaveri, Godavari, and so on, and the land existing amidst them is sacred.
If you see the Indian map, the feet of India are always kept washed by waters. It teaches us to be pure and clean. The two hands are also always kept clean by the seas. The middle region – Madhya Pradesh – is the residence of Maha Kaleswar and Omkareswar, reminding us of the powers of Time and Omkara which we must never forget. In the upper regions of India, which represent the Ajna Chakra, we have holy places like Kasi.
Up above in the Himalayas, it is always cold. What does it mean? Keep your thoughts cool, pristine, and pleasant. If the map itself teaches so many valuable lessons, how great the country itself must be!
That is why God has established Himself here as the twelve Jyotirlingas and the eighteen Sakti Peethas. It is not that in other countries God does not reside. In Afghanistan, the presence of Mother Goddess is there. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and other nearby Asian countries also have powerful energy centers but many of them are not recognized by modern man.
The Smriti says that while mankind had not even set foot in other continents yet, and there was no question of a human civilization there, already in India, great kingdoms were established and thriving. Such is the greatness of India. Even before the concept of man arose in the other regions, India already had many Sages and Jnanis (men of great wisdom). “People of other countries will learn of man’s ancient history when they visit India. India has the honor of being Guru to the entire Universe, as Jagadguru.” These are not my words, but declarations made by the great seers and Mahatmas.
Because God has incarnated here, we must not say that India alone is a sacred country. It is not right to do so. How the other countries preserve the sanctity of their lands, is dependent upon them. Here, we are fortunate that Sages and Sadgurus are showing us the righteous path, and are preserving the sacredness of our country. We should be proud that this is being acknowledged by foreigners also. That is why God has incarnated here.
Jaya Guru Datta