1.1 In the Samvat year 1877, on Shrãvan vad 5 [28th August, 1820], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on the veranda outside the north-facing rooms of Jeevã Khãchar’s darbãr in Sãrangpur. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. A sabhã of munis, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
1.2 Then, Muktãnand Swãmi asked a question: “The shlok ‘jitam jagat ken mano hee yen’ explains that a person who has conquered the mind has conquered the whole world. But, how can a person know whether the mind has been conquered?”
1.3 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “When the indriyas withdraw from the panch-vishays (shabda, sparsh, rup, ras, and gandh) and no desire to indulge in those vishays remains, then all the indriyas are said to be conquered. Also, when the indriyas do not come into contact with the vishays, the mind also does not come into contact with the indriyas, and its vrutti remains within the heart. In this way, a person who has rejected the panch-vishays with absolute determination should be known as having conquered his mind. But, if a person does have some love for the vishays, then even if he has conquered his mind, it should not be known as having been conquered.”
1.4 Again, Muktãnand Swãmi asked, “Can the vishays be defeated by vairãgya, or are they defeated by love for Bhagvãn?”
1.5 Shreeji Mahãrãj explained, “One way to defeat the vishays is ãtmã-nishthã, and the other is the realisation of Bhagvãn coupled with the knowledge of His greatness. Specifically, ãtmã-nishthã should be of the following type: ‘I am chaitanya, while the body is jad; I am pure, whereas the body is impure; I am imperishable, while the body is perishable; I am the embodiment of bliss, whereas the body is the embodiment of misery’. In this way, when a person realises the ãtmã to be totally distinct from the body in every way, he will never consider himself to be the body nor will he have love for the vishays. That is how the vishays are restrained through knowledge of the ãtmã.
1.6 “Also, a person should think of the greatness of Bhagvãn in the following way: ‘I am the ãtmã, while pratyaksha Bhagvãn, whom I have attained, is Paramãtmã. I have attained Shree Purushottam Bhagvãn in person, the very Purushottam Bhagvãn who is the lord of Golok, Vaikunth, Shvet-Dvip, and Brahmpur, as well as the master of Brahmã and the other devs, who themselves are the lords of countless millions of brahmãnds. That Paramãtmã forever resides in my ãtmã. I would discard all of my pleasures for the vishays of countless millions of brahmãnds, just for one second of darshan of that Bhagvãn. Moreover, if a person were to gather together all the pleasures of the vishays of countless millions of brahmãnds, even then it would not equal even one millionth of a fraction of the bliss which is present in just one pore of Bhagvãn. In fact, in the Moksh-Dharma, it is said that the loks of the other devs are like Narak, compared to the Akshardhãm of Bhagvãn. It is that very Bhagvãn whom I have attained in His pratyaksha svarup. So how can I possibly discard Him and wish for the pleasures of the vishays, which are like the pits of Narak? The pleasures of the vishays are nothing but the embodiment of misery’. So, the vishays can be restrained by realising Bhagvãn’s greatness in this way.
1.7 “The vairãgya generated by knowledge of ãtmã and Paramãtmã is such that it eradicates desires of the pleasures of all vishays. A person who has rejected the pleasures of the vishays by developing an understanding in this way, never again develops love for the vishays. Only such a person’s mind can be said to be conquered.
1.8 “Without this understanding, it may appear that a person has love, but when he encounters an appealing vishay, he abandons Bhagvãn and develops love for that object. Or, if he develops love for his son or wife, or he suffers an illness, or the pleasures of the vishays disappear, then his love for Bhagvãn decreases, and he becomes confused. Just as a dog’s puppy appears cute when it is young, the bhakti of such a person initially appears to be good, but ultimately it does not remain appealing.”
End of Vachanãmrut Sãrangpur || 1 || 79 ||