36.1 In the Samvat year 1880, on Bhãdarvã sud Punam [30th September 1823], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on a decorated bedstead on the veranda outside the west-facing rooms of Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. A sabhã of paramhans, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
36.2 Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “Please conduct a question-answer discussion.”
36.3 Then, Muktãnand Swãmi asked a question: “By what means can a person continuously engage his vrutti on Bhagvãn?”
36.4 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “Actually, there are four methods to achieve this. Of these, the first method is that the chitt has a tendency of becoming engrossed; so it can become engrossed in everything. So, just as it becomes engrossed in a person’s son or wife, it can also become engrossed in Bhagvãn. Therefore, that is one method.
36.5 “The second method is to be extremely brave. When a person with such bravery in his heart conceives some desirous thought other than that of Bhagvãn, as he is a brave bhakta, intense thinking arises within which dispel all desirous thoughts. Therefore, he continuously engages his vrutti on the svarup of Bhagvãn.
36.6 “The third method is fear. If extreme fear of birth, death, Narak, and the cycle of births and deaths exists in a person’s heart, he continuously engages his vrutti on the svarup of Bhagvãn due to fear.
36.7 “The fourth method is vairãgya. A person with vairãgya – through gnãn of the Sãnkhya shãstras – realises his own ãtmã to be distinct from the body; and except for that ãtmã, he realises all worldly objects to be asatya. Following this, he beholds Paramãtmã within his ãtmã and continuously thinks about Him.
36.8 “With the exception of a person on whom Bhagvãn bestows His grace – regarding which nothing can be said – people may attempt countless other means, but without resorting to these four methods, a person will not be able to continuously engage his vrutti on Bhagvãn. Of course, continuously engaging the vrutti on Bhagvãn is an extremely difficult achievement. It is only possible by those whose good deeds from many lives have ripened. For others, it is very difficult, indeed.”
36.9 Having described how to continuously engage the vrutti on Bhagvãn’s svarup, Shreeji Mahãrãj added, “In this world, everyone talks of mãyã. I have seen the characteristics of that mãyã as follows: Love for anything other than Bhagvãn is itself mãyã. In fact, the love a person has towards his own body and his relatives and towards the person who provides for his body, exceeds even the extreme love a person has for the panch-vishays. Therefore, a person who has eradicated love for his body, his relations, and those who provide for his body is said to have risen above Bhagvãn’s mãyã. In fact, a person who eradicates love for everyone other than Bhagvãn develops love towards Bhagvãn. Then, when love for Bhagvãn is developed, his vrutti continuously remains on Bhagvãn. When that is achieved, he has nothing further to achieve; he has become fulfilled.”
End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã II || 36 || 169 ||