Chinna Jeeyar Swami equates Shiva with Jesus – Prakasarao V. Velagapudi

Posted on Apr 27, 2022 by VOI

The following letter was sent to Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji on March 24, 2022. No reply has been received so far. Global Hindu Heritage Foundation would like to share this letter with concerned Hindus with the hope of receiving clarification from His Holiness Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji. Hindus look toward religious and spiritual leaders like Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji for proper interpretation of Hindu scriptures and also to promote, propagate and protect Hindu Dharma for the purpose of preserving peace, harmony, ahimsa, accommodation, tolerance, and tranquillity in the society. Jai Sri Ram. – Prof. Dr. Prakasarao V. Velagapudi

Global Hindu Heritage Foundation
14726 Harmony Lane, Frisco, TX 75035
Phone: 601-918-7111
Email: ghhfusaorg@gmail.com

March 24, 2022

His Highness Sri Tridandi Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamy
Sriramnagaram, Muchintal Road, Palmakol P.O.
Shamshabad, Hyderabad
Telangana State 509325.

Dear Honorable Sri Swamiji:

Sub: Your Statement, “I do not worship Shiva, but I give respect; I do not worship Jesus, but I give respect.” is highly inappropriate and unfortunate; Request you to rebut and clarify to bring needed unity among Hindus.

Global Hindi Heritage Foundation wishes to express its deep concern regarding your statement about Lord Shiva and Jesus. You stated that “I do not worship Shiva, but I give respect; I do not worship Jesus, but I give respect.”

We respectfully disagree with your statement equating Lord Shiva and Jesus. Comparing Lord Shiva and Jesus and saying that you respect both of them in the same breath and sentence is unfortunate, unnecessary, unwarranted, and unwise. Hindu scriptures and the Bible stand opposed in many respects. One religion that represents the teachings of Jesus is spread to the world with lies, deception, brutality, terrorism, killings, demeaning of Hindu Gods, destruction of Hindu temples, breaking up of Hindu Gods, and accusation of Hindu Gods as false.

1) First, it is contrary to our scriptures since they find no difference between Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. In fact, the scriptures say they are one and the same.

2) Second, your disciples, followers, and many Hindus might follow your suggestion in believing that there is no difference between Jesus and Shiva

3) Third, your statement might discourage your disciples and other Hindus to go to Shiva temples believing that Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami does not respect Lord Shiva.

4) Fourth, during the installation of Sri Ramanuja’s 216 feet majestic statue you conveyed samatha-sandesh, “the message of equality to keep us all united together.” Your recent statement on Shiva and Jesus is contrary to what you stated during the installation ceremony.

5) Fifth, on September 20, 2021, Your Holiness stated that “The statute of equality is necessary now as the world is racing towards discrimination, religious, caste, creed, gender, economic status and even nationality divide.” By stating that we do not respect Lord Shiva is creating more divide in the Hindu community rather than unity and harmony.

6) Your statement that you respect Jesus is beyond anybody’s comprehension since Jesus advocates violence, encourages hatred toward parents, promotes the destruction of our murthies, brands us as sinners, condemns us to eternal fire, and throws us into hell. This is all for not believing in him. It does not matter whether you follow Dharma, live a moral life, improve yourself by conducting yoga and meditation, and help mankind. Still, Hindus are condemned to hell.

7) Seventh, Christian missionaries and pastors are going to use your words—you respect Jesus—will use your words and go around convincing Hindus to convert to Christianity. Your statement has given powerful ammunition for the Christian arsenal for Christians to use against Hindus to engage in mass conversion.

8) Eight, we request His Holiness to clarify the statement denouncing Jesus’ hatred toward Hindu ideals, customs, and traditions.

Hindu Perspective

Our scriptures and many spiritual leaders have been of the opinion that there is no difference between Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. Shaiva Puranas call Shiva as Lord of Vishnu and Vaishnava Puranas call Vishnu as Lord of Shiva.

Harivamsa Parva of Mahabharata states:

The Supreme Lord of Rudra (Shiva) is Vishnu, and the Supreme Lord of Vishnu is Shiva. The same Lord is moving in the world always in two forms. (2.125.41)

Similarly, we find another verse which states that:

Shiva is in the form of Vishnu and Vishnu is in the form of Shiva. There is no difference between them, and both provide auspiciousness. (2.125.29)

Also, Arjun says “Thou art Shiva in the form of Vishnu, and Vishnu in the form of Shiva.” (Vana Parva: Kairata Parva: Section XXXIX)

Also, as per Chandogya Upanishad (6.2.1), there is only one God: “Ekam Evadvitiyam” meaning “He is One only without a second.” Your Holiness’s statement contradicts our own scriptures. All our Gods and Goddesses are the manifestation of that ONE.

What are the implications of the statement?

1) It is unfortunate that His Holiness is creating a division and differences between Shiva bhaktas and Vaishnava bhaktas. In fact, that statement is creating disunity, discord, and disharmony among Hindus.

2) Also, it may create a wrong impression among your devotees and Hindus in believing that Shiva is not to be worshipped because His Holiness Chinna Jeeyar Swami does not worship.

Bible God does not respect us

We are all sinners, to begin with. Unless we surrender to Jesus he would not recommend to the Father, a place in heaven. Christians believe that Jesus gave them the right to deceive, convert, subjugate, conquer, and proselytise any nation or religion, by any and all possible means. They are entitled to such methods as allurement, fraud, coercion, and violence in converting, but they criticise Hindus even if they talk about their atrocities of conversion.

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), German philosopher said, “I call Christianity the one great curse, the one great intrinsic depravity, the one great instinct for revenge for which no expedient is sufficiently poisonous, secret, subterranean, petty-I call it the one mortal blemish of mankind. In Christianity neither morality nor religion comes into contact with reality at any point.”

Swami Dayananda Saraswati equated the Christian fanatical aggressiveness to the declaration of war, and war is synonymous with violence. He said that “conversion is an act of violence … aggressive religions have no God-given right to destroy ancient faiths and cultures … it is an act of violence because it hurts deeply, not only the other members of the family of the converted, but the entire community that comes to know of it. When the hurt becomes acute, it explodes into violence … humanity cannot afford to lose any more of its existing religious traditions.”

Swami Dayananda Saraswati organised interfaith dialogue for about ten years to bring common understanding among all religions and proposed a resolution which says, “We respect all religions.” Christians and Muslims rejected the resolution saying that they would not respect Hinduism.

We have to hate our parents to be Jesus’ disciple

As per Jesus, one has to hate his / her parents if he wants to believe in Jesus. He also says that “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:25). “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;” (Matthew 10:37). “And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.” (Matthew 23:9-10)

For a Hindu who believes in “Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava” this is an affront attack on the morals and dignity of the human beings. It is outrageous to think that any God would hate the parents because people loved their parents more so than they loved Jesus himself.

Jealous Jesus says our murthies must be burn down

The Bible explicitly talks about idolatry. It is detestable. It says not to bow down to the idols, not to worship them, burn the temples, break down the murthies, smash them to the ground and punish them for 3-4 generations. Let us look at these pertinent verses:

“You must burn their idols in fire, and you must not covet the silver or gold that covers them. You must not take it, or it will become a trap to you, for it is detestable to the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 4:25); “You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.” (Deuteronomy 5:9); “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.” (Exodus 20:3 -5)

Zechariah 13:2: “On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more,” declares the Lord Almighty. “I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land.”

Idolaters to be put to death

“And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he dies; because he hath sought to draw thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.” (Deuteronomy 13:10,11)

“Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing (worshipping the idol), unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.” (Deuteronomy 17:5)

Smash the idols

“So, all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. And Jehoiada the priest posted guards for the house of the Lord.” (2 Kings 11:18)

“Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree. Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.” ( Deuteronomy 12:2)

Rebellious sons must be stoned to death

Deuteronomy 21:18-21 says: “If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father and mother, who does not heed them when they discipline him, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town at the gate of that place. They shall say to the elders of his town, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the town shall stone him to death. So, you shall purge the evil from your midst; and all Israel will hear and be afraid.”

Bible teaches to hate parents

Christians tend to demonize Hinduism and do not respect any other religions. Intolerant Christians say that all other religions are incomplete, and their followers go to hell and burn eternally for not accepting Jesus. Non-Christians will either go to hell or get condemned. They will not be saved. Jesus is the only father, not your real father.

“And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.” Matthew 23:9-10

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:25)

“Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant?” (Deuteronomy 33:9)

Came to divide, not to bring peace

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:34–39).

Blasphemer must be put to death

“Take the blasphemer outside the camp and have all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then have the whole assembly stone him. (Leviticus 24:14)

And the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death. The whole congregation is to stone him outside the camp.” (Numbers 15:35)

In Summary

These are some of the examples of nasty, inharmonious, deadly, hateful, nauseating, abusive, terrorist, inhuman, cruel, rapine, murderous, debauched, and poisonous statements advocated in the Bible.

Equating Lord Shiva with Jesus is shocking. Please make a statement clarifying your views to bring much-needed unity, and harmony and uphold Hindu Dharma.

Global Hindu Heritage Foundation respectfully requests His Holiness to clarify the statement to the effect that Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu are one and the same, there is no difference. Your clarification to this effect will bring unity and harmony the Hindu community desperately needs.

At the same time, we request you to acknowledge the rebellious and atrocious statements in the Bible and denounce their aggressive deceitful conversion tactics. Many presidents of the USA, many scholars, many scientists, nobel laureates, and eminent people acknowledged the cruelty of the Bible. The former president of the USA, Thomas Jefferson stated that “Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burned, tortured, fined, and imprisoned, yet we have not advanced one inch toward uniformity.”

With Salutations to His Holiness,

Prakasarao V. Velagapudi, PhD,
President
Global Hindu Heritage Foundation
Frisco, Texas, USA

(Prof. Dr. Prakasarao V. Velagapudi of the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation is an author and headed the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi before his retirement.)