8.1 In the Samvat year 1876, on Mãgshar sud 11 [27th November, 1819], Shreeji Mahãrãj was sitting in Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. A sabhã of sãdhus, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
8.2 Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “If the indriyas are engaged in the sevã of Shree Krishna Bhagvãn and His bhakta, then the antah-karans are purified and the sins, which have been attached to the jeev for eternity, are destroyed. On the other hand, if the vruttis of the indriyas are directed towards women and other vishays, then a person’s antah-karans become polluted and he falls from the path of kalyãn.
8.3 “Therefore, a person should indulge in the vishays only as prescribed in the shãstras, but should never indulge in them by disobeying the niyams that are described in the shãstras. Also, a person should keep the company of a sant and should avoid kusang. In this way, when a person avoids kusang and keeps the company of a sant, the sense of ‘I-ness’ that he has towards his body and the sense of ‘my-ness’ that he has towards his bodily relations, are destroyed. He also develops profound love for Bhagvãn, and vairãgya towards everything except Bhagvãn.”
8.4 Then, on that same day, three hours after sunrise, Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting in Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr, facing the neem tree. A sabhã of paramhans was seated underneath the neem tree. Grahastha satsangis were also seated in the sabhã. Sãnkhya-yogi and female bhaktas were also seated in the sabhã.
8.5 Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “Paramhans. Talk about your strengths in satsang; and if there is a weakness, then do no talk about it. Only talk about the strengths. Whoever has firm nishchay in Bhagvãn, should talk about that; and whoever has great knowledge about the ãtmã, should talk about that – ‘I am not a body; I am an ãtmã’. Also, those who have the strength of one of the five qualities – nirlobhi, or nishkãmi, or nispruhi, or nisvãdi, or nirmãni – talk about your strength.”
8.6 Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj happily said, “First, I will talk about my strength. Then, you will talk about your strength.”
8.7 Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “By the grace of Nar-Nãrãyan, I know I am an ãtmã, I am achhedhya, I am abhedhya, and I am sachidãnand. My greatness is due to the strength of my own svarup, and upãsanã of Nar-Nãrãyan; it is not due to expensive clothes, valuable jewellery, chariots, pãlkhi, elephants, and horses. Also, my greatness is not due to all the satsangi men and kings in the world standing before me with folded hands. If they were to leave satsang and become vimukhs, and if I do not have clothes to wear or a place to live, I will not feel inferior. My upãsanã of Nar-Nãrãyan is the cause of my greatness, and it is the reason that I know ‘I am brahm’, and how I know ‘I am an ãtmã’. If I try to leave my greatness, or if other devs try to reduce my greatness, it still will not diminish.
8.8 “My upãsanã of the Nar-Nãrãyan, who is Parbrahm and Paramãtmã, is such that ‘This Bhagvãn has a sãkãr murti’. If someone speaks of their experiences, or uses shãstras to convince me that Bhagvãn is nirãkãr, I will never trust their talks. This is because, due to His grace, I can see the sãkãr svarup of Bhagvãn in front of me.
8.9 “In my heart, I understand that those who say Bhagvãn is nirãkãr, have not fully understood Him, have never had darshan of His svarup, and they do not understand the shãstras. In the shãstras, those who have written that Bhagvãn has a nirãkãr svarup, have written this to show that Bhagvãn’s svarup is not like our mãyik svarup. In Bhagvãn’s physical body, the features that can be destroyed – five bhuts, ten indriyas, four antah-karans – are not like those found in humans. It is for this reason that the shãstras have described Bhagvãn as nirãkãr.
8.10 “The indriyas that are in Bhagvãn’s body cannot be destroyed. With his eyes, he looks towards Purush, who then looks towards Mãyã. This causes millions of universes to evolve from Mãyã. In these universes, the devs evolve, and in each universe, the sthãvar and jangam objects form. This proves that Bhagvãn has eyes.
8.11 “Then, when the universe and all the sthãvar and jangam objects are destroyed, and mahã-pralay occurs, only Bhagvãn remains. The Veds then pray to Bhagvãn. Listening to these prayers, he creates the universe again. This proves that Bhagvãn has ears.
8.12 “In this way, there are fourteen indriyas, which are alokik and cannot be explained.
8.13 “Through physical svarups, such as Rãm and Krishna, Bhagvãn comes to earth for the kalyãn of the jeevs. Due to his extreme compassion, he takes a svarup that can be seen by the jeev. Bhagvãn believes that if he does not take a physical svarup that can be seen, then how will the jeev perform dhyãn, smaran, and pujã? For this reason, Bhagvãn takes a pratyaksha svarup that can be seen by all – both satsangis and kusangis.
8.14 “But, Bhagvãn is the way He is. His indriyas or body do not become mãyik just because the jeev is able to see Him. For this reason, I can never believe anyone who claims that Bhagvãn is nirãkãr.
8.15 “If all the females in the universe come to my sevã, and if all the objects in the universe are offered to me, I will not become attached to them. This is due to the strength from my upãsanã of Nar-Nãrãyan. But, even if I do become attracted to these objects, I am not attached to them. This is due to the grace of my Bhagvãn, who allows me to have firm knowledge of my own svarup.
8.16 “I do not know how to give someone a son, give money, make the dead come alive, or kill someone. But, I do know how to give kalyãn to a jeev, and take that jeev to Akshardhãm. I shall not speak anymore. If I do speak, I will end up speaking more than I should.”
8.17 Saying all this, Mahãrãj looked at all the paramhans, with cool eyes like the season of Sharad. He then said, “Now, talk about your own strengths in satsang.”
8.18 Mahãrãj then said, “You and I have the same strengths. Therefore, my strengths are a part of you. Keep firm nishchay in everything I have said today.” In this way, Mahãrãj explained his own strengths in satsang for the benefit of the bhaktas. In reality, He Himself is Purushottam Nãrãyan.
End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã I || 8 || 8 ||