4.1 In the Samvat year 1877, on Shrãvan vad 8 [31st August, 1820], Shreeji Mahãrãj was sitting facing north on a decorated bedstead on the veranda outside the rooms of Jeevã Khãchar’s darbãr in Sãrangpur. He was wearing a white khes, and had tied a white pãgh around His head. He had covered Himself with a white pachhedi. A sabhã of munis, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
4.2 Svayamprakãshãnand Swãmi then asked a question: “Mahãrãj, how should a person clearly understand the distinction between the ãtmã and non-ãtmã, which will never cause him to mistake ãtmã and non-ãtmã to be one?”
4.3 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “That which is understood clearly is beneficial – whether it is understood by one verse, or by two verses, or by five verses, or by a hundred verses, or even by a thousand verses. So, once a person has developed such a clear understanding, no misconception remains about the ãtmã and non-ãtmã being one. Furthermore, only such clear understanding leads to happiness, whereas a foolish understanding does not lead to happiness. Therefore, a person should clearly understand, ‘I am the ãtmã, and not a single one of my characteristics can be found in the body. Also, not one of the characteristics of the body – which is jad, full of misery, and perishable – can be found in me, since I am chaitanya’. After making such a distinction and becoming totally free of worldly desires, a person should believe himself to be chaitanya and then think of Purushottam Bhagvãn. Distinguishing between that which is jad and that which is chaitanya in this way should be known as true wisdom.
4.4 “However, a person who believes himself to be the ãtmã for a while, but then believes himself to be the body for a while and fantasises about women, should be known as a fool. He will not experience happiness in his heart. For example, there may be some delicious food which is comparable to amrut , but if just a small amount of poison were to be mixed with it, then that food would never give a person pleasure, but would in fact lead to misery. In the same way, a person may think of that ãtmã all day, but if he believes himself to be the body and fantasises about women, even for just a moment, then all of his thoughts are useless. Therefore, a person should think only of the ãtmã, so he can become totally free of worldly desires.
4.5 “Now, someone may doubt: ‘What will become of me if I do not become totally free of worldly desires and happen to die in that imperfect state?’ Well, a bhakta of Bhagvãn should never think like that. Instead, he should realise, ‘If anything dies, it is this body. But as I am that ãtmã, which does not age and is immortal, I will never die’. Having developed such an understanding, he should maintain courage, keep a firm mind, and discard all desires other than those of Bhagvãn.
4.6 “Then, in the process of eradicating worldly desires in this way, if a few desires do remain, he will attain the Naraks described in the Moksh-Dharma. Specifically, if a bhakta of Bhagvãn retains any desires for the world, then he attains the loks of Indra and other devs. After migrating to those loks, he experiences the pleasures of apsãrãs, heavenly vehicles, palaces decorated with jewels, and other luxuries – which are like Narak, in comparison to the dhãm of Bhagvãn. However, a bhakta of Bhagvãn does not go to Yampuri, like a vimukh, nor does he re-enter the cycle of births and deaths.
4.7 “Therefore, even if a bhakta of Bhagvãn has worldly desires, if nothing else, he will become a dev. Then, having become a dev, he will become a human again. As a human, after offering bhakti to Bhagvãn and becoming free of worldly desires, he will ultimately attain the dhãm of Bhagvãn. But, he will not have to suffer from the miseries of Narak or the cycle of births and deaths, like the vimukh. Bearing this in mind, a bhakta of Bhagvãn should not become discouraged on seeing the force of worldly desires. Instead, he should joyfully continue to worship Bhagvãn, continue in his attempts to eradicate his desires, and maintain absolute faith in the words of Bhagvãn and His sant.”
End of Vachanãmrut Sãrangpur || 4 || 82 ||