11.1 In the Samvat year 1877, on Shrãvan vad Amãs [7th September, 1820], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on a decorated bedstead 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.
11.2 Then, Muktãnand Swãmi asked a question: “Personal effort is mentioned in the shãstras, but how much is actually achieved by personal effort, and how much is achieved by Bhagvãn’s grace?”
11.3 Shreeji Mahãrãj explained, “A person who, by the words of a sadguru and the shãstras, has attained firm vairãgya, has firm shraddhã, strictly follows the eight types of brahm-chãrya, has affection towards ahinsã, and absolutely firmly realises himself to be the ãtmã, is relieved of the burden of births and deaths which hangs over his head. Then, just like a grain of rice that has had its outer chaff removed does not grow, a mukta who has the gun just mentioned, is freed from eternal ignorance in the form of mãyã. He is therefore freed from the cycle of births and deaths, and attains the state of ãtmã-nishthã. This much can be achieved by personal effort.
11.4 “Bhagvãn’s grace is only bestowed upon a person who has these characteristics. When he attains the grace of Bhagvãn, he becomes an ekãntik bhakta. Even the Shrutis state:
niranjanaha paramam sãmyam-upaiti
“The meaning of this Vedic shlok is that a person who is free from the blemishes of mãyã, attains qualities similar to those of Bhagvãn. Just as Bhagvãn is never bound by any pure or impure karmas that He may perform, the mukta is also never bound by pure or impure karmas.
11.5 “Due to her love, Lakshmiji sometimes becomes absorbed in Bhagvãn’s murti, whereas on other occasions, while remaining separate from Bhagvãn, she remains in Bhagvãn’s sevã. In the same way, out of intense love, the bhakta also sometimes becomes absorbed in Bhagvãn, and at other times he is separate and remains in Bhagvãn’s sevã. Moreover, just as Bhagvãn is independent, that bhakta also becomes independent. These powers can only be attained by the grace of Bhagvãn.”
11.6 Then, Nityãnand Swãmi asked, “Bhagvãn’s grace is bestowed upon a person who has absorbed all these characteristics perfectly. But, what becomes of a person who has some deficiency in developing these characteristics?”
11.7 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “If a person has a deficiency in any of the qualities of vairãgya, brahm-chãrya, shraddhã, ahinsã, and ãtmã-nishthã, then he does not attain ãtyantik moksh, and Bhagvãn’s Akshardhãm. Instead, he attains some other dhãm of Bhagvãn. If he has even more worldly desires remaining, he attains the loks of the devs. In the Moksh-Dharma, these loks are described as being like Narak compared to the dhãm of Bhagvãn. Then, after being a dev, he returns to being a human, and from being a human he again becomes a dev.
anek-janma-sansiddh-stato yãti parãm gatim
A yogi who has become siddh after many lives, attains Akshardhãm.
“This shlok explains that a bhakta of Bhagvãn who has worldly desires does not go to Narak, nor does he have to undergo births and deaths in the cycle of 8.4 million life-forms. Instead, he takes innumerable births as a dev and a human being. Then, only when he develops the previously described qualities of vairãgya, brahm-chãrya, shraddhã, ahinsã, and ãtmã-nishthã, does he become worthy of attaining the grace of Bhagvãn. He then becomes an ekãntik bhakta of Bhagvãn, and attains His gunãtit dhãm, Akshardhãm.
11.8 “So, whether it takes one life or innumerable lives, only when a person develops the previously described characteristics and becomes extremely free of worldly desires, does he become worthy of attaining the grace of Bhagvãn, and only then will he attain ãtyantik moksh. Without it, he will definitely not attain it.”
11.9 Then, Nrusinhãnand Swãmi asked, “Is there a method by which a person can eradicate all of his deficiencies within this very lifetime?”
11.10 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “If a person becomes extremely vigilant and determined, then all of his deficiencies can be eradicated within this very lifetime. If his deficiencies have not been eradicated while he is alive, and if he were to become free of worldly desires and develop intense love for Bhagvãn during his last moments, then even in those last moments Bhagvãn would shower His grace upon him, and he would attain the dhãm of Bhagvãn.
11.11 “Therefore, whether after one life, or after countless lives, or even in the last moments before a person dies, should a bhakta’s vruttis become intensely focused on Bhagvãn, no deficiency would remain in that bhakta.”
End of Vachanãmrut Sãrangpur || 11 || 89 ||