12.1 In the Samvat year 1877, on Kãrtik sud Punam [20th November, 1820], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on a decorated bedstead on the veranda outside the east-facing rooms of Vastã Khãchar’s darbãr in Kãriyãni. He was wearing a white khes and a white dagli made of chhint. He has also tied a white feto with a bokãni around His head. A sabhã of paramhans, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
12.2 Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “Please begin a question-answer discussion.”
12.3 Then, the munis asked questions amongst themselves for quite some time, where the topic of the three bodies of the jeev (sthul, sukshma, and kãran) and the three bodies of ishvar (virãt, sutrãtmã and avyãkrut) arose.
12.4 Shreeji Mahãrãj then commented, “The kãran body is the mãyã of the jeev. That same kãran body evolves into the sthul and sukshma bodies. Therefore, all three bodies –sthul, sukshma, and kãran – can be said to be the mãyã of the jeev. In the same way, virãt, sutrãtmã, and avyãkrut can be said to be the mãyã of ishvar.
12.5 “The kãran body, the mãyã of the jeev, is attached so strongly to the jeev that they cannot be separated by any means whatsoever. However, if a person attains the company of a sant, realises the svarup of Bhagvãn through the words of that sant, performs dhyãn on the svarup of Bhagvãn, and takes in the words of Bhagvãn in his heart, then the kãran body attached to his jeev is burnt completely.
12.6 “For example, the shell of a tamarind seed is firmly attached to the seed. But, when the seed is roasted over a fire, the shell is burnt and then becomes detached. It can then be peeled off easily by rubbing the seed in your hands. Similarly, when the kãran body is ‘roasted’ by performing dhyãn and following the words of Bhagvãn, it becomes separated from the jeev just as easily as when a person rubs off the shell of a roasted tamarind seed. However, even if a person were to try a million other methods, he would not be able to destroy the jeev’s ignorance in the form of the kãran body.”
12.7 Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj asked a question to the munis: “During the jãgrat state, sattva-gun prevails and a person has knowledge of all objects. In spite of this, when a person hears something in the jãgrat state, it can only be strengthened if he thinks of it in the sukshma body. However rajo-gun prevails in the sukshma body; and during the state of rajo-gun, complete knowledge is not possible. However, in the sukshma body, when a person thinks about what he has heard during the jãgrat state, it becomes complete knowledge. How can this apparent contradiction be resolved?”
12.8 The munis collectively attempted to explain to the best of their understanding, but none could provide an adequate answer to Shreeji Mahãrãj’s question. Therefore, they folded their hands and said, “Mahãrãj, this question can only be answered by you.”
12.9 Shreeji Mahãrãj thereupon explained, “The answer is that the jeev, which is the kshetragna, dwells within the heart. The kshetragna enlightens the fourteen indriyas. Of these indriyas, the antah-karans dwell extremely close to the kshetragna. As a result, whatever a person hears is consolidated when he thinks about it in the antah-karans. After all, the kshetragna is more powerful than all the indriyas and the antah-karans, and so whatever it approves becomes thoroughly strengthened.”
12.10 Having heard this answer, the munis commented, “Mahãrãj, you have given a precise answer. No one besides you could have answered that question.”
12.11 Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “Regardless of how lustful, angry, greedy, or rude a person may be, if he listens to these types of talks with faith and love, all of his vicious natures would be eradicated. For example, if a man with teeth strong enough to chew raw chick-peas were to eat many sour mangoes, he then would not be able to chew even boiled rice. In that same way, if a person, who is strongly overpowered by vicious natures were to listen to these talks with shraddhã, then that person would no longer be capable of indulging in the panch-vishays. Moreover, the mind does not become as free of desires for vishays by subjecting the body to strict vrats such as tapta-kruchhra, chãndrãyan, as it does by listening to these talks of Bhagvãn. In addition, your minds must not become stable while performing dhyãn or by turning a mãlã as perfectly as they do while you are listening to these talks. Therefore, a person should listen to the talks of Purushottam-Nãrãyan with faith and love. There is no better method to stabilise the mind and to free it of the desires for vishays.”
End of Vachanãmrut Kãriyãni || 12 || 108 ||
End of Shree Kãriyãni Prakaran ||