63.1 In the Samvat year 1881, on Mãgshar vad 2 [8th December 1824], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting in His place of residence in Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. Bhajanãnand Swãmi was reading the Shreemad Bhãgvat before Shreeji Mahãrãj, and a sabhã of paramhans, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had also gathered before Him.
63.2 Then, Muktãnand Swãmi asked, “The thought which rests between the drashtã and the drashya keeps the drashtã and drashya separated. In this, what should be understood as the consciousness of the jeev and what should be understood as the consciousness of the antah-karans?”
63.3 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “It seems to me that if a person’s jeev has become extremely powerful, then the vruttis of his antah-karans are in the vruttis of his jeev. These vruttis seem to be divided into four categories, according to the four respective functions of the antah-karans. Therefore, the awareness in the indriyas and antah-karans is that of the jeev itself. Therefore, the jeev allows the indriyas and antah-karans to apply themselves wherever it is appropriate to do so and restricts them from doing as they please where it is inappropriate to do so. In fact, if a person’s jeev has become very powerful, he would not even have impure dreams. On the other hand, if a person’s jeev is lacking in strength, then he should follow the principle of Sãnkhya and behave only as the ãtmã (drashtã); but, a person should not associate with his indriyas and antah-karans. By behaving as the ãtmã in this way, his jeev gains great strength.
63.4 “However, there is an even greater method than this to gain strength. If a person has love for Bhagvãn and His sant, possesses intense shraddhã in serving them, and also engages in the nine types of bhakti, then his jeev will instantly gain strength. Therefore, for making the jeev stronger, there is no method comparable to that of serving Bhagvãn and His bhaktas.
63.5 Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “I shall now tell you a personal principle of mine. When I became ill in the year of Samvat 1869, I saw Kailãs and Vaikunth, and I also saw myself riding on Nandishvar and riding on Garud. However, I did not find any pleasure in those powers. Then, I began to behave only as the ãtmã, at which point all disturbances decreased. However, then I thought, ‘Much better than behaving as the ãtmã is to stay within the company of Bhagvãn and His bhaktas’. I then become afraid, ‘What if by behaving as the ãtmã, I cannot return to this body again?’ Therefore, to stay within the company of Bhagvãn and His bhaktas and to be able to serve them in whichever way possible, is indeed the very best spiritual activity.”
63.6 Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj explained, “Countless types of mental and physical suffering arise during the final moments of a person’s life. But, when a person has the darshan of Bhagvãn and His sant, all those miseries are expelled. This is the greatness of Bhagvãn and His bhaktas. In actual fact, the bhaktas of Bhagvãn are indeed nothing but a murti of brahm. That is why a person should never perceive human traits in them.
63.7 “In addition, with the bhaktas of Bhagvãn a person should behave in the same way as family members do amongst themselves. For example, even if a person lectures his own family members out of love, or if they happen to lecture him, grudges still do not develop in their hearts. With bhaktas of Bhagvãn, a person should behave in the same way. On the other hand, if a person does develop a grudge with Bhagvãn or His bhaktas, I do not even like to look at him. In fact, my anger with such a person never subsides. Moreover, those in this world who commit the five great sins can still be redeemed someday, whereas a person who spites bhaktas of Bhagvãn can never be redeemed.
63.8 “Therefore, there is no reward greater than that of serving bhaktas of Bhagvãn, and there is no sin greater than that of spiting bhaktas of Bhagvãn. Therefore, if a person wishes to make his jeev powerful, then he should sincerely serve Bhagvãn and His bhaktas by thought, word, and deed.”
End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã II || 63 || 196 ||