1.1 In the Samvat year 1882, about an hour-and-a-half after sunrise on Chaitra sud 3 [10th April 1826], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on a decorated bedstead that had been placed under an ãsopãlav tree in the mansion in Jetalpur. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. Around His neck, He was wearing several garlands of guldãvadi flowers, tassels of dolariyã flowers were dangling from His pãgh, and two karnikãr flowers had been placed upon both of His ears. Also, He was playing with a beautiful lemon in His hands. A sabhã of sãdhus, as well as satsangi men and women from various places, had gathered before Him.
1.2 Then, addressing the entire sabhã, Shreeji Mahãrãj asked, “Everyone in this world accepts some philosophy or other. There are two major doctrines: One is the Dvait philosophy and the other is the Advait philosophy. Please explain which philosophy should be accepted by a mumukshu.”
1.3 Then, Purushottam Bhatt said in reply, “Mahãrãj, in the Advait philosophy, by believing their ãtmã to be Bhagvãn, people behave as they please. As a result of this, they fall from the path of kalyãn. Therefore, a mumukshu should accept the Dvait philosophy.”
1.4 Shreeji Mahãrãj then raised a doubt. He questioned, “According to the Dvait philosophy, jeev, ishvar, and Mãyã are satya. But, as long as Mãyã persists, how can the jeev attain kalyãn?”
1.5 Purushottam Bhatt replied, “A person attains kalyãn by performing pure karmas.”
1.6 Again, Shreeji Mahãrãj raised a doubt: “The two types of karmas, nivrutti and pravrutti, become merged into Mãyã in the form of sushupti. What is that state of sushupti like? Well, just as no one is capable of conquering Mount Lokã-Lok, similarly, no jeev is capable of conquering the sushupti. Above that, is Mãyã in its state of equilibrium, and it is extremely vast. No jeev can conquer it. Therefore, the means to go beyond Mãyã is as follows: When the jeev comes into contact with the pratyaksha svarup of Shree Purushottam Bhagvãn – who is beyond Mãyã, and who is the destroyer of Mãyã and all karmas – or His sant who has attained Bhagvãn, then by accepting their refuge, the jeev can go beyond Mãyã.”
1.7 After delivering this talk, Shreeji Mahãrãj went up into the mansion for His meal. After dinner, He returned and sat on a decorated bedstead under the ãsopãlav tree. Then, looking lovingly at all the sãdhus and bhaktas, He said, “In the beginning, when no one honours a person, imagine what his nature is like. Then, when a hundred people begin to follow him, his pride becomes of a different type. Also, when one thousand people, or ten thousand people, or ten million people follow him, his pride becomes of a different type altogether. Then, if he becomes like Brahmã, or Shiv, or Indra, and if he is wise, he would realise, ‘My greatness is not due to this status’. What is it due to? Well, greatness is due to the ãtmã, and due to association with a sant. This is because even though those like Brahmã, Shiv, and Indra are all great, they still crave for the dust from the feet of a sant.
1.8 “So, where does the greatness of a sant lie? Allow me to explain. The greatness of a sant is not due to wealth, or objects, or any kingdom; his greatness is due to his bhakti and upãsanã of Bhagvãn. Also, the sant has ãtmã-nishthã. It is due to these qualities that he is great.
1.9 “If a person cannot realise this, then he should develop a belief within his ãtmã that he should be deeply attached to a sant who has attained the pratyaksha svarup of Bhagvãn, and he should believe only that sant to be his own self. However, a person may doubt, ‘How is the master-servant relationship maintained?’ Well, take the example of Gãlav Rãjã. He wanted to perform a sacrifice for which he specifically required white horses with black ears. It so happened that those black-eared horses were at the home of Varun. But, since that region was beyond his reach, he called upon Garud. Then, having mounted Garud, he went there and brought back the horses. So, does this mean that Gãlav Rãjã’s sevã towards Garud diminished? No, it did not diminish. Similarly, the purpose of being deeply attached to a sant, who is a knower of Brahm, is that he has the ability of passing through the eight barriers (jad prakruti). That is the reason for being deeply attached to such a sant.”
1.10 Shreeji Mahãrãj then added that all should remember this principle, as it is the very life of everyone.
End of Vachanãmrut Jetalpur || 1 || 230 ||