34.1 In the Samvat year 1880, on Bhãdarvã sud 1 [5th September 1823], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on the veranda outside the east-facing rooms of Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã. He was wearing a white dhoti and had covered Himself with a white chãdar. He had also tied a black-bordered cloth around His head. A sabhã of paramhans, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him. Some of the paramhans were singing kirtans to the accompaniment of a dukad and sarodã.
34.2 Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “Please stop the kirtans, and let us conduct a question-answer discussion in order to dispel drowsiness.”
34.3 Having said that, Shreeji Mahãrãj continued, “First of all, allow me to ask a question: The twenty-four tattvas, such as the indriyas and antah-karans which are the result of Mãyã, reside in the jeev. Now, are those elements jad, or are they chaitanya?”
34.4 The paramhans replied, “Those tattvas are definitely chaitanya.”
34.5 Hearing the reply, Shreeji Mahãrãj contradicted, “If those elements are chaitanya, then along with the jeev residing in this body, there should be twenty-four jeevs for the twenty-four tattvas. Therefore, when the jeev attains kalyãn, it would be distributed among all of them. Moreover, all sins that are committed by the jeev would also be distributed among all of them. Therefore, that which experiences pleasure and pain cannot be said to be just one jeev. Furthermore, the three types of karmas – sanchit karmas, prãrabdha karmas, and kriyamãn karmas – cannot be said to apply to just one jeev. Furthermore, in the past, when Nãrad and the others attained kalyãn, only their own jeev attained kalyãn, but there is no mention of the jeevs of the twenty-four tattvas attaining kalyãn as well.”
34.6 By using such logic, Shreeji Mahãrãj proved the tattvas to be without a jeev. He then logically disproved each answer given by the paramhans. As a result, the paramhans were unable to answer the question in any way at all.
34.7 Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “Allow me to answer the question. Due to the indifference between an effect and its cause, there are two types of tattvas. The tattvas that are in the form of cause are chaitanya, and the tattvas that are in the form of the effect are jad. In actuality, the jeev resides in the heart; but through its power of consciousness, it behaves with oneness with the body, the indriyas, and the antah-karans. As a result, the body, the indriyas, and the antah-karans appear to be chaitanya; but, in reality, they are jad.
34.8 “When that jeev becomes a bhakta of Bhagvãn and attains the dhãm of Bhagvãn, the tattvas that are jad are left behind. Now, as those twenty-four tattvas are produced from Mãyã, they are forms of Mãyã and are jad; they appear differently in the form of the body, the indriyas, and the antah-karans. For example, there is one pruthvi that assumes the five forms of the skin, flesh, marrow, bones, and muscles. Due to the skill of the maker, it also comes in the form of glass. In the same way, that Mãyã, due to the will of Bhagvãn, appears in different forms (the body, the indriyas, and the antah-karans).”
End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã II || 34 || 167 ||