Who is God?

by Swami Sivananda

God is Truth. God is love. God is Light of lights. He is an embodiment of eternal bliss, supreme peace and wisdom. He is all-merciful, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. He has neither beginning nor end. He is the Supreme Being or Paramatma. The Gita styles Him as Purushottama or Supreme Purusha or Mahesvara. He knows everything in detail (Sarva-vit). He is the support for this world, body, mind, Indriyas and Prana. Without Him not an atom can move. He is the womb for the Vedas. Indra, Agni, Varuna, Vayu and Yama are His assistants. Earth, water, fire, air and ether are His five powers. Maya is His illusive Sakti.

Brahma, Vishnu and Siva are the three aspects of God. Brahma is the creative aspect; Vishnu is the preservative aspect; and Siva is the destructive aspect. There are three other aspects: Virat is the manifested aspect; Hiranyagarbha is the immanent aspect; and Isvara is the causal aspect. Virat is the sum total of all physical bodies; Hiranyagarbha is the sum total of all minds-He is the cosmic mind; and Isvara is the sum total of all causal bodies (Karana Sarira).

Srishti (creation), Sthiti (preservation), Samhara (destruction), Tirodhana or Tirobhava (veiling), and Anugraha (grace) are the five kinds of activities of God.

God is the exquisite taste in vimto. He is the sweetness in the words of a beautiful, young lady. He is the strength in a Pahilvan (wrestler). He is the beauty in the Himalayan landscape. He is the thrilling melody in music. He is the fragrance in jasmine and Champaka. He is the softness in a velvety cushion and silk-cotton. He is the Prana in body, and intelligence in Antahkarana.

Earth denotes His all-supporting nature. Water proclaims the message of His purity and sanctity. Fire indicates His self-luminous nature. Air signifies His omnipotence. Ether heralds His all-pervading nature. Maya is under His perfect control. This is the Upadhi or subtle body of Isvara.

He has the six attributes of divine wisdom (Jnana), dispassion (Vairagya), powers (Aisvarya), strength (Bala), wealth (Sri) and fame (Kirti). Hence He is called Bhagavan. He is the absentee landlord of this world. He is the wire-puller (Sutradhara) of all these physical bodies of beings. He is the inner Ruler (Antaryamin) of all beings.

He dwells in your heart. He is in you and you are in Him. He is quite close to you. You were thinking in the beginning that He could be found only in Mount Kailasa, Ramesvaram, Mecca, Jerusalem, sky or Heaven. You had very vague ideas. This body is His moving temple. The sanctum sanctorum is the chambers of your own heart. Close your eyes. Withdraw your Indriyas from the sensual objects. Search Him there with one-pointed mind, devotion and pure love. You will surely find Him. He is waiting there with outstretched arms to embrace you. If you cannot find Him there, you cannot find Him anywhere else.

God-realisation alone can put an end to the Samsaric wheel of birth and death with its concomitant evils such as birth, growth, disease, death, sorrow, pain etc. Eternal happiness can be had only in God. That is the reason why sages and saints, scriptures and Srutis make a very emphatic statement and lay great stress on the importance and necessity of God-realisation. Bhakti or devotion can help one in the attainment of this God-realisation. So I have described in this book the various methods to cultivate Bhakti and come face to face with God, taste the nectar of God-consciousness which alone is the summum bonum of human life and human endeavour. Purify. Control the Indriyas. Sing His Name. Feel His Presence everywhere. Repeat His Mantra. Meditate on His form. Realise Him. Rejoice in Him. Attain peace, bliss and immortality.

Who is God? – Divine Reality, Inner Presence, and Supreme Truth

Who is God? This question has arisen in the hearts of seekers, saints, philosophers, and ordinary people throughout all ages. Some ask it in devotion, some in doubt, some in pain, and some in deep spiritual hunger. The answer cannot be limited to one small idea, because God is not merely a concept to be defined by the mind. God is the supreme reality, the source of life, the inner presence, and the highest truth behind all existence.

Different people understand God in different ways. To a devotee, God may be a loving Father, Mother, Friend, Master, or Beloved. To a philosopher, God may be the absolute truth beyond name, form, time, and space. To a yogi, God may be the inner controller and witness of all thoughts. To a simple heart, God may be the one who listens in prayer and gives strength during difficulty.

Who is God? God is the source from which everything arises, by which everything is sustained, and into which everything finally returns. The sun shines, the wind blows, the heart beats, the mind thinks, and life moves through a mysterious power. Behind this order, intelligence, beauty, and harmony, the seeker begins to feel the presence of a higher reality.

God is not far away from life. The Divine is present in the heart of all beings as consciousness, love, strength, and peace. We may search outside through temples, scriptures, rituals, and holy places, and these can help us. But finally, the seeker must discover the Divine within the purified heart. The outer path should lead to inner realization.

Who is God? God is both personal and impersonal, according to the approach of the seeker. When the heart needs love, God appears as a personal Lord who can be worshipped, remembered, and loved. When the intellect seeks the highest truth, God is understood as infinite existence, consciousness, and bliss. These are not contradictions; they are different doors to the same reality.

The mind cannot fully grasp God because the mind itself is limited. It thinks through names, forms, comparisons, and ideas. But the Divine is greater than all mental boundaries. Just as a small cup cannot contain the ocean, the limited intellect cannot contain the infinite. Still, through purity, devotion, meditation, humility, and grace, the seeker can experience the presence of God.

God is the witness of all inner movements. Thoughts arise and disappear, emotions change, desires come and go, and the body passes through childhood, youth, old age, and death. But awareness remains present through all experiences. This witnessing consciousness is a doorway to understanding the Divine within. The seeker who turns inward begins to feel that God is nearer than the nearest.

Who is God? God is love without selfishness, wisdom without ignorance, power without pride, and peace without disturbance. Human love is often mixed with expectation, fear, and attachment. Divine love is pure, patient, universal, and unconditional. When the heart becomes filled with compassion, forgiveness, humility, and service, it reflects a little of this divine nature.

God is also the moral centre of life. Without a higher truth, the mind may easily become ruled by ego, convenience, pleasure, and personal gain. Remembrance of God gives dignity to action. It reminds the seeker that truth, kindness, self-control, purity, and service are not merely social rules, but sacred expressions of spiritual life.

Prayer helps the seeker come closer to this truth. When a person prays sincerely, the heart becomes soft and open. Prayer is not only asking for worldly things. It is a way of saying, “Guide me, purify me, strengthen me, and lead me toward truth.” Such prayer gradually removes pride and awakens faith.

Who is God? God is the silent helper who gives strength when human strength fails. In sorrow, God appears as comfort. In confusion, God appears as guidance. In weakness, God appears as courage. In loneliness, God appears as inner companionship. Many people discover the Divine most deeply when worldly support becomes uncertain and the heart turns inward.

God can be approached through many paths. Through Bhakti, the seeker loves and surrenders. Through Jnana, the seeker inquires and realizes the self. Through Karma Yoga, the seeker serves without selfish attachment. Through Raja Yoga, the seeker disciplines the mind and enters meditation. Though the methods differ, the aim is the same: union with the supreme reality.

The presence of God is seen in nature, in the order of the universe, in the purity of saints, in the innocence of children, in acts of compassion, and in the quiet voice of conscience. Yet the clearest experience comes when the mind becomes calm and the heart becomes pure. A restless mind argues about God, but a purified heart begins to feel God.

In the end, Who is God? God is the eternal source, the inner witness, the loving presence, the supreme truth, and the goal of spiritual life. Through prayer, devotion, meditation, selfless service, purity, discrimination, and surrender, the seeker gradually moves from belief to experience. To know God is to discover peace, love, wisdom, strength, and liberation within one’s own heart.

The Psychic States