12.1 In the Samvat year 1877, on the night of Mãgshar vad 9 [28th December, 1820], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting in Surã Khãchar’s darbãr in Loyã. He was dressed entirely in white clothes, and was also wearing a red, woollen dagli. A sabhã of paramhans, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
12.2 Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj raised a question: “Nishchay in Bhagvãn is of two types: savikalp nishchay and nirvikalp nishchay. In each type of nishchay there are three sub-categories: uttam, madhyam, and kanishth. Please describe the distinguishing characteristics of each of these six sub-categories.”
12.3 The paramhans were unable to answer, so Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “The characteristics of a person with the kanishth savikalp nishchay are as follows: As long as Bhagvãn exhibits kãm, krodh, lobh, mãn, and svãd, to the same extent as other humans, the person’s nishchay in Bhagvãn remains. However, if Bhagvãn were to display these svabhãvs more so than others, his nishchay would be shattered.
12.4 “The nishchay of someone with the madhyam savikalp nishchay remains firm even if Bhagvãn exhibits kãm and krodh to a double degree than that of humans.
12.5 “Finally, a person with the uttam savikalp nishchay would never doubt any action of Bhagvãn, even if Bhagvãn were to behave crudely like a person of a low varna and ãshram; or exhibit anger or violence; or indulge in drinking alcohol, meat-eating, or adultery. This is because he understands Bhagvãn to be the all-doer, the supreme lord, and the experience of everything. Such a person realises that whatever actions take place in the world are the result of Bhagvãn, who is anvay within all beings as their controller. If He were to indulge in some shameful deed, it would not affect Him at all since He Himself is the all-doer. In this way, a person who has realised Bhagvãn as the lord of all, is known as a bhakta of Bhagvãn with the uttam savikalp nishchay.
12.6 “As for a bhakta with the kanishth nirvikalp nishchay, no matter what good or bad deeds he witnesses being performed by Bhagvãn, he understands that in all actions Bhagvãn performs, He is still a non-doer, since He is brahm. That brahm is like ãkãsh; everything resides in ãkãsh and all actions take place within it. The bhakta realises such qualities of brahm of Bhagvãn. For example, during the narration of the rãs-leelã, Parikshit Rãjã asked Shukji, ‘Bhagvãn assumes an avatãr to uphold dharma. Then, why did He associate with the gopis?’ Shukji replied, ‘Shree Krishna is radiant like fire; whatever actions He performs, good or bad, are burnt to ashes’. In this way, a person who understands Bhagvãn as brahm, and unaffected by the actions He performs, is said to have the kanishth nirvikalp nishchay.
12.7 “A person who becomes like the niranna-muktas of Shvet-Dvip – who are free from the shad-urmi (six physical and emotional feelings) – and worships Vãsudev, is said to possess a madhyam nirvikalp nishchay.
12.8 “Finally, a person possessing the uttam nirvikalp nishchay realises that countless millions of brahmãnds, each encircled by the eight barriers (jad prakruti), appear like mere atoms before Akshar. Such is the greatness of Akshar, the dhãm of Purushottam Nãrãyan. A person who worships Purushottam realising himself to be akshar-rup, can be said to possess the uttam nirvikalp nishchay.”
12.9 Then, Chaitanyãnand Swãmi asked, “Mahãrãj, how have these distinctions in nishchay arisen?”
12.10 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “When a mumukshu initially approaches a guru, several factors cause distinctions in his nishchay: the pleasantness and unpleasantness of desh, kãl, sang, dikshã, kriyã, mantra, and shãstras, with regards to the guru; as well as the intensity of his own shraddhã. Therefore, a person should always associate with pleasant desh, kãl, kriyã, and sang. Moreover, a person should acquire wisdom from a speaker who is calm and faultless.”
12.11 Chaitanyãnand Swãmi asked further, “If under such circumstances a person develops the kanishth nishchay, can it later develop into the uttam nishchay?”
12.12 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “If the listener possesses extreme shraddhã; and if he encounters pleasant desh, kãl, kriyã, and sang; and if he encounters a guru with the uttam gnãn, then the highest nishchay will develop. Otherwise, such nishchay would develop after many lives.”
End of Vachanãmrut Loyã || 12 || 120 ||