10.1 In the Samvat year 1877, on the night of Kãrtik sud 10 [15th November, 1820], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting in one of the east-facing rooms of Vastã Khãchar’s darbãr in Kãriyãni. A sabhã of ten or twelve senior sãdhus and five or six haribhaktas were sitting before Him. Shreeji Mahãrãj seemed to have a fever, and so he was warming Himself in front of a coal stove that had been placed before Him.
10.2 Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj told Muktãnand Swãmi, “Please check my pulse. It seems as if there is a slight illness in my body.”
10.3 Then, after checking His pulse, Muktãnand Swãmi said, “Mahãrãj! It seems to be a serious illness.” Saying this, he continued, “Mahãrãj, it seems that the times are tough for the satsangis right now. After all, Mahãrãj, you are as vital to the satsangis as their lives, and any illness in your body is the very meaning of a difficult period for all satsangis.”
10.4 Hearing this, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “In order to please Bhagvãn, Nãradji performed severe tap by enduring cold and heat, hunger and thirst, for many yugs; and due to this, he was able to please Bhagvãn. In the same way, a person who is wise deliberately performs tap by restraining his body and indriyas. Therefore, a sãdhu who is wise should also behave so as to deliberately induce suffering to his body and indriyas. If that is so, why should he wish to relieve whatever suffering comes his way due to Bhagvãn’s wish?
10.5 “Moreover, a tyãgi sãdhu should firmly maintain the following wish in his mind: ‘I do not desire the pleasures of the panch-vishays found in Dev-Lok, Brahm-Lok, Vaikunth, and other loks. In this very body, or by going to Badrikãshram and Shvet-Dvip after I die, I wish to please Bhagvãn by performing tap. Furthermore, even if it takes one life or two lives or a thousand lives, I wish to please Bhagvãn only by performing tap’.
10.6 “Furthermore, the jeev’s kalyãn is attained only by the following understanding: ‘Everything happens by the will of Shree Krishna-Nãrãyan, not by Kãl, karma, or Mãyã’. In this way, understanding that only Bhagvãn is the all-doer, is the best cause of kalyãn. Performing tap, however, earns Bhagvãn’s pleasure. Yet even while performing tap, a person should keep such feelings as Rãdhikãji and Lakshmiji keep for Bhagvãn when offering loving bhakti. If a person still understands only Bhagvãn to be the all-doer, then even if he does not perform tap, his jeev overcomes the misery of births and deaths. But, without performing tap, Bhagvãn’s pleasure is not bestowed upon that jeev.
10.7 “There is no sinner worse than the person who does not realise Bhagvãn to be the all-doer. In fact, he should be known to be a sinner worse than a person who has killed a cow, killed a brãhman, associated with the wife of his own guru, or criticised a sadguru who is a knower of brahm. This is because he believes Kãl, karma, and Mãyã, to be the cause of everything; not Bhagvãn. In fact, a person should not even stand in the shadow of such persons who are nãstik outcasts, nor should he listen to their talks, even unknowingly.
10.8 “Furthermore, by the grace of Bhagvãn, those who are bhaktas of Bhagvãn may become like Brahmã, Shiv, Shukji, or Nãrad; they may even become like Prakruti-Purush; or they may become like brahm or Akshar. However, no one is capable of becoming like Shree Purushottam-Nãrãyan. Therefore, just like a vile person is shunned, a person should immediately shun the company of those persons and those shãstras that disprove the upãsanã of Bhagvãn and break his master-servant relationship with Bhagvãn.”
10.9 Then, Muktãnand Swãmi asked, “Mahãrãj, a bhakta who serves Bhagvãn by offering beautiful clothes, jewellery, and various types of food, also desires to please Bhagvãn. Yet, you are saying that a person can only please Bhagvãn through tap. Then, what is inappropriate about pleasing Bhagvãn through such offerings, without restoring to tap?”
10.10 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “If the person who is offering bhakti to Bhagvãn with such lavish objects does so without any desires, solely for the purpose of earning Bhagvãn’s pleasure, then it is all right. On the other hand, if he is tempted by those objects, viewing them to be Bhagvãn’s prasãd, and leaving Bhagvãn aside, if he develops affection for those objects, then by indulging in the vishays, he will become engrossed in them and corrupted by them – that is what is inappropriate. Therefore, a tyãgi should realise Bhagvãn to be the all-doer and strive to please Bhagvãn only by performing tap. He should also worship Bhagvãn by offering loving bhakti in the same way as Rãdhikãji and Lakshmiji. That is my principle.”
10.11 Then, Brahmãnand Swãmi asked, “Mahãrãj, please tell us how we can benefit in this lok and in the lok we attain after death?”
10.12 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “The principle that I have just explained is itself the only means to attain supreme bliss, in this lok and in other loks.”
10.13 Then, Gopalãnand Swãmi asked, “Mahãrãj, in a person’s mind, he may have great enthusiasm to develop the qualities of tyãg and perform tap. But, if some obstacle is encountered in the process, what should he do?”
10.14 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “A person who has great dedication in any activity would never be held back, even if he were to face thousands of obstacles. That should be known to be true dedication. Just see, it has been twenty-one years since I first met Rãmãnand Swãmi. During this period, I have come across countless bhaktas who have been offering countless varieties of clothes, jewellery, food, and drink. Despite this, my mind has never been tempted by any of those objects. This is because I have dedication only for tyãg.
10.15 “Furthermore, in this world there are so many widows who, following the death of their husbands, continue to grieve. On the other hand, there are also many women who renounce their wedded husbands and engage themselves in worshipping Bhagvãn. Similarly, there are so many foolish men who mourn the loss of their own wives and continues to have desires for other women. However, there are so many men with vairãgya, who renounce their own wedded wives and engage themselves in worshipping Bhagvãn. In this way, each and every person has a different type of dedication.
10.16 “But, my dedication and principle is just this: A person should strive to please Bhagvãn by performing tap. Also, realising Bhagvãn to be the all-doer, he should offer bhakti to Him while maintaining a master-servant relationship, and he should not allow the upãsanã of that Bhagvãn to be violated in any way. All of you should accept these words of mine as the most supreme principle.”
End of Vachanãmrut Kãriyãni || 10 || 106 ||