62.1 In the Samvat year 1881, on Mãgshar sud 2 [22nd November 1824], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on a decorated bedstead on the veranda outside the north-facing rooms of Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã. He was wearing a white khes and had tied a white pãgh around His head. Also, He had covered Himself with a white chofãl. A sabhã of munis, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
62.2 Shreeji Mahãrãj then summoned His nephews, Ayodhyãprasãdji and Raghuvirji, and said to them, “You may ask me questions.”
62.3 Then, Ayodhyãprasãdji first asked, “In life, a man may be engrossed in the entanglements of worldly affairs all day long, and during that time, he may well perform some moral as well as immoral karmas. Moreover, he may engage in worship for only half an hour or so. Is this enough to burn all of the sins he has committed during the day, or not? That is my question?”
62.4 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “Even if a person has spent the whole day in pravrutti, and regardless of whatever type of activities he may have been involved in, when he engages in the worship of Bhagvãn, if his indriyas, antah-karans, and jeev all unite and become engrossed in worship, then even if he does so for half an hour, or even for a few minutes, all of his sins will be burnt to ashes. However, if his indriyas, antah-karans, and jeev do not unite and engage in worship, then his sins cannot be burned by worshipping for such a short while. Such a person can attain kalyãn only by the grace of Bhagvãn. This is the answer to your question.”
62.5 Next, Raghuvirji asked a question, “Mahãrãj, what must a person do for the moksh of the jeev?”
62.6 Shreeji Mahãrãj explained, “If a person seeks kalyãn, he should place his body, wealth, home, family, and relations in the sevã of Bhagvãn. Furthermore, he should avoid any object that may not be of use in the sevã of Bhagvãn. A person who lives a life centred around Bhagvãn joins the ranks of Nãrad and the Sanakãdik in the dhãm of Bhagvãn and attains ultimate moksh after he dies, even if he is a grahastha. This is the answer to your question.”
62.7 Having answered their questions, Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “Since the day I began thinking about it, I have noticed that there are three strengths which lead to kalyãn and which lead to extreme bliss. Of these, the first is the strength of intense ãtmã-nishthã, which is to believe a person’s true self to be the ãtmã and engage in worship of Bhagvãn, like Shukji. The second is like the strength of pati-vratã, which is to worship Bhagvãn as if He is his husband, just as the gopis did. The third is the strength of sevã, which is to worship Bhagvãn as His dãs, just like Hanumãnji and Uddhavji. Without these three strengths, there is no way in which the jeev can attain kalyãn. In fact, I, myself have firmly developed all three of these strengths. Even if a person possesses one of these strengths firmly, he becomes absolutely fulfilled.
62.8 “I shall now describe the characteristics of these three strengths individually. Firstly, the following are the characteristics of a person who has realised the ãtmã. On one side there is the ãtmã and on the other side is the crowd of Mãyã – the body, the indriyas, the antah-karans, the three gun, and the panch-vishays. The thought that rests between the two is full of gnãn. This thought remains steady, just as the tip of a flame remains steady in the absence of wind. It is this thought which prevents the body, indriyas, and antah-karans from becoming one with the ãtmã. In fact, even the thought itself does not become one with the ãtmã.
62.9 “When the jeev attains this thought, its vruttis, which once reached all the way to Kãshi, recede to reach only as far as Vadtãl. When that thought is strengthened, the vruttis then recede from Vadtãl to reach only as far as Gadhadã. Then, from reaching as far as Gadhadã, they recede and come into the vicinity of the body. From the body, the vruttis recede further and rest in the organs of the indriyas. From the organs of the indriyas, the vruttis of the indriyas turn inward towards the antah-karans. Finally, the vruttis of the indriyas and antah-karans become absorbed in the ãtmã. It is then that the jeev’s kãran body, which is full of worldly desires, is said to be destroyed.
62.10 “Furthermore, when this thought meets with the ãtmã, divine light is generated in the heart of the thinker, and he understands himself as being brahm-rup. In addition, he also has the realisation of Parbrahm Nãrãyan, who resides within that brahm. A person who has this realisation feels, ‘I am the ãtmã, and Paramãtmã eternally resides within me’. Such a sustained state is the highest level of ãtmã-nishthã.
62.11 “Secondly, the strength of a person with pati-vratã should be like that of the gopis of Vraj. For example, from the day the gopis touched the holy feet of Shree Krishna Bhagvãn, all the pleasures of this world became like poison to them. In this way, if a pati-vratã wife sees a man who is as handsome as Indra, or who is like a dev or some king, then she would withdraw her eyes, just as when a person sees a rotting dog or some faeces and becomes extremely disgusted and looks away. This is the highest level of pati-vratã. Therefore, if a person attaches his vruttis to Bhagvãn just as a pati-vratã wife does with her husband, his mind would never become pleased upon seeing anyone else.
62.12 “Thirdly, a person who has a strength of offering bhakti with sevã would like the darshan only of his ishta-dev; he would like to hear talks only about Him; he would like His ishta¬dev’s nature; and he would also prefer to stay only with Him. However, even though he has such love, for the sake of serving his ishta-dev and earning His pleasure, he wishes day and night, ‘If my ishta-dev were to command me, I would follow that command most happily’. If his ishta-dev was to give a command that would force him to stay far away, he would stay there happily, but in no way would he be disheartened. In fact, he finds supreme bliss in following the command itself. This is the highest level of sevã. Today, Gopãlãnand Swãmi and also Muktãnand Swãmi have the strength of offering bhakti with sevã.
62.13 “Among the bhaktas of Bhagvãn who possess one of these three strengths, there are three levels – uttam, madhyam, and kanishth. Those who are not found in any one of these categories can only be called wretched. Therefore, it is only proper to die after a person has thoroughly developed one of the three strengths; it is not appropriate to die if a person has not completely developed any single one of the three. Instead, it would be better if a person lives five days longer to dispel his misunderstandings and strengthen at least one of these three inclinations, and then die.”
62.14 Continuing, Shreeji Mahãrãj added, “The nature of the jeev is such that when a person is a grahastha, he would prefer to abandon worldly life; but once he has abandoned the world, he has desires for the pleasures of worldly life once again. This is the rebellious nature of the jeev. Therefore, a person who is a firm bhakta of Bhagvãn should worship Bhagvãn after discarding such a rebellious nature as well as all of his personal likes and dislikes. Moreover, it is only appropriate to die after eradicating all desires other than those of Bhagvãn.
62.15 “However, if a person does not have intense love for Bhagvãn, he should strengthen only ãtmã-nishthã by thought. This is because a bhakta of Bhagvãn should either possess firm ãtmã-nishthã or extremely deep love for Bhagvãn. If a person is not firm in either one of these two strengths, he should strictly abide by the niyams of this satsang. Only then will he be able to remain a satsangi; otherwise he will fall from satsang.
62.16 “When a bhakta of Bhagvãn experiences difficulties of any kind, it should be known that the source of those miseries is not Kãl, karma, or Mãyã. In actual fact, it is Bhagvãn Himself who inspires difficulties to fall upon His bhaktas in order to test their patience. Then, just as a man hides behind a curtain and watches, Bhagvãn hides in the heart of His bhakta and from there He observes the bhakta’s patience. Also who are Kãl, karma, and Mãyã that they could harm a bhakta of Bhagvãn? So, realising it to be Bhagvãn’s wish, a bhakta of Bhagvãn should remain cheerful.”
62.17 Upon hearing this, Muktãnand Swãmi asked a question: “Mahãrãj, the talk in which you have just described the three strengths is very subtle and difficult to put into practice. Only a few can understand it and only a few can actually live by it; not everyone can do so. However, there are hundreds of thousands of people in satsang, and it would be difficult for all of them to understand this principle. So, how can they progress?”
62.18 Shreeji Mahãrãj explained, “If a person behaves as a dãs of the dãs of a bhakta who possesses one of these three strengths, and if he also follows his ãgnã, then despite not understanding anything else, he would certainly become a pãrshad of Bhagvãn after this very life, and would therefore become fulfilled.
62.19 “In this world, the glory of Bhagvãn and His bhaktas is indeed very great. After all, no matter how sinful or insignificant a person may be, if he seeks the refuge of Bhagvãn and His bhaktas, that person will become absolutely fulfilled. Such is the greatness of Bhagvãn and His bhaktas. Therefore, a person who has received the opportunity to serve the bhaktas of Bhagvãn’s should remain fearless.”
62.20 Finally, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “I have delivered this talk about the three strengths mainly for the sake of Muktãnand Swãmi because I have a great deal of love for him. So, bearing in mind that Muktãnand Swãmi is suffering from an illness, I spoke today to be sure that no form of deficiency remains in his understanding.”
62.21 In reply, Muktãnand Swãmi said, “Mahãrãj, I also felt that you delivered this talk for me.”
End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã II || 62 || 195 ||