57.1 In the Samvat year 1881, during the even ãrti on Ashãdh sud 6 [2nd July 1824], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on a decorated bedstead on the veranda outside the east-facing rooms of Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã. A few torches had been lit. Tassels made of flowers were hanging from the white pãgh that had been tied around His head. He was wearing a white khes and had covered Himself with a white chãdar. A sabhã of paramhans, 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.
57.2 Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “Please listen, I wish to speak to all of you. When you were singing kirtans, and as I was listening to them, a thought occurred to me, which I shall now share with you. If a person wants to love Bhagvãn, he should love Him while believing himself to be the pure ãtmã. What is that ãtmã like? Well, within it there are no obstructions either of Mãyã or the entities evolved from Mãyã (the three gun, the body, the indriyas, and the antah-karans). Whatever obstructions seem to be in the ãtmã are due to ignorance. However, no obstructions of any form remain in a person who has totally dispelled them through gnãn and vairãgya. However, to behave as the ãtmã does not mean to believe himself to be brahm and act waywardly. In actual fact, the purpose of behaving as the ãtmã is to realise, ‘I am the ãtmã, and there are obstructions of Mãyã within me. If that is so, how can there be even the slightest trace of Mãyã in Paramãtmã Nãrãyan Vãsudev, who is beyond the ãtmã?’ For this reason, the quality of ãtmã-nishthã should be firmly developed so that a person does not perceive any fault in Bhagvãn.
57.3 “Then, keeping his thought in the midst of the light of the ãtmã, he should destroy anything that tries to disturb him from behaving as the ãtmã. For example, when a lizard comes near the light of an oil lamp, it kills any insect that comes near the light. In the same way, the thought that rests within the light of the ãtmã destroys everything apart from the ãtmã.
57.4 “Furthermore, if a person truly loves Bhagvãn, he would never develop love for anything else. If there is an object that appears to be dearer to him than Bhagvãn, he would completely discard it. That is true tyãg. He would discard that object irrespective of whether it is a significant object or an insignificant object – only that is called tyãg. On the other hand, if a person can outwardly give up many other things but cannot discard an object that obstructs him in worshipping Bhagvãn, his tyãg is useless.
57.5 “Also, do not think that only appealing objects obstruct a person’s worship of Bhagvãn and insignificant objects do not. After all, the very nature of the jeev is such that some people prefer sweet items, some prefer salty items, some prefer sour items, and some prefer bitter items. Therefore, it is the petty mentality of the jeev that it keeps even the most insignificant objects dearer to it than Bhagvãn. However, when a person considers the greatness of Bhagvãn, no such object can compare to even a millionth of a fraction of His greatness.
57.6 “If a person has developed love for Bhagvãn having thoroughly realised Bhagvãn in this way, he would not develop love towards any worldly object, such as the body, and the brahmãnd. Instead, all worldly objects would become insignificant to him. After all, it was when Chitraketu Rãjã thoroughly realised the greatness of Bhagvãn that he abandoned his ten million wives. He even abandoned his empire, which spanned across the entire country. He ultimately realised, ‘Of what value is the pleasure of ten million women before the bliss of Bhagvãn? Of what value are the pleasures of an empire spanning the entire country? Of what value are the pleasures of the lok of Indra and the lok of Brahmã?’
57.7 “In contrast, a person who has love for some objects other than such a great Bhagvãn possesses a very petty mentality. Just as a dog deprives pleasure from taking a dry bone to some isolated place and then licking it, in the same way, a foolish person believes that there are pleasures in such miseries, and therefore develops love for worthless objects. If a bhakta of Bhagvãn does have more love for some object than he has for Bhagvãn, then he is nothing but a ‘cat-like’ (deceitful) bhakta. On the other hand, a true bhakta of Bhagvãn would definitely not hold anything dearer to him than Bhagvãn.”
57.8 Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “A bhakta of Bhagvãn who possesses gnãn, vairãgya, bhakti, and dharma realises, ‘A person who is brave and who walks boldly towards his enemy at the time of battle is indeed truly brave. Conversely, it is pointless when a person who is brave is not utilised in battle, just like wealth that is not spent. Similarly, since I have attained Bhagvãn, if I do not talk about kalyãn to those who keep my company, then of what use is my gnãn?’ Bearing this in mind, he would not have any cowardice in talking about Bhagvãn – even if some opposition were to arise regarding his preaching.”
57.9 Having said this, Shreeji Mahãrãj requested the singing of three verses written by Tulsidãs: ‘Jãki Lagan Rãmso Nahi...’, ‘Ehi Kahyo Sunu Ved Chahu...’, and ‘Jãku Priya Na Rãm Vaidehi...’.
57.10 Shreeji Mahãrãj then added, “We should live according to the words mentioned in these verses. While doing so, if some deficiency remains, and if a person were to die at that time, he will still not enter the cycle of births and deaths, nor will he become a ghost. In fact, at the very worst, he will join the ranks of Indra or Brahma; his fate will not be any worse than that. Therefore, a person should fearlessly engage in the worship of Bhagvãn.”
57.11 At that point, Mulji Brahm-Chãri came to call Shreeji Mahãrãj for His meals, and they both left the sabhã together.
End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã II || 57 || 190 ||