56.1 In the Samvat year 1880, on Ashãdh sud 5 [1st July 1824], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on a mattress with a large, cylindrical pillow that had been placed on a decorated bedstead on the veranda outside the east-facing rooms of Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. A sabhã of munis, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him in a sabhã. Some of the sãdhus were singing kirtans to the accompaniment of a dukad and sarodã.
56.2 After the singing had finished, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “Upon hearing these kirtans, my ãtmã delved into deep thought, from which I have concluded that deep love for Bhagvãn is a great thing. Then, I remembered Gopãlãnand Swãmi and all the bhaktas who have deep love for Bhagvãn; and I could see their love towards Bhagvãn in all of their antah-karans and jeevs. Then, I examined my own ãtmã, and it appeared to me that others do not seem to have as much love for Bhagvãn as I do. After all, if they were to encounter unpleasant circumstances, then even though they are great, their mind would at least be slightly affected. Therefore, I felt that ultimately their foundation appears to be weak. In fact, if they were to encounter extremely unpleasant circumstances, their love for Bhagvãn would not remain stable at all.
56.3 “So, after examining everyone, it seems to me that my position is better; regardless of the extent of unpleasant circumstances that I may encounter, in no way will my antah-karans ever be affected. If a person’s love for Bhagvãn is true, he never develops love for anything other than Bhagvãn. In fact, the essence of all shãstras is simply this: Bhagvãn is the sole source of eternal bliss and the supreme essence of everything. Excluding Bhagvãn, all other objects are absolutely worthless and totally insignificant.
56.4 “If a person does have as much love for other objects as he does for Bhagvãn, then his foundation is indeed very weak. Consider the analogy of a piece of lightly dyed cloth. It may look very nice initially, but if water happens to fall on it, and it is then put out to dry in the sun, then it becomes useless. It would become so useless that it would not even remain like a white piece of cloth. In the same way, when a person who has affection for the panch-vishays encounters evil company, a person can never be certain about him.
56.5 “Therefore, to please Bhagvãn, a bhakta should totally discard the panch-vishays. He should also abandon any affection for objects which may obstruct his love for Bhagvãn.”
End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã II || 56 || 189 ||