3.1 In the Samvat year 1882, on Kãrtik vad 11 [6th December 1825], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on a sinhãsan in the mandir of Shree Lakshmi-Nãrãyan in Vadtãl. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. He was also wearing garlands of roses around His neck, and tassels decorated the pãgh upon His head. A sabhã of all the munis, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
3.2 Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “In our Uddhav Sampradãy a person who has dharma, gnãn, vairãgya, and bhakti towards Bhagvãn is called an ekãntik bhakta, and only he is worthy of being made renowned in our satsang. However, if these four qualities are not perfect and only one is predominant, then which of the four is the best, and incorporates the other three?”
3.3 Gopãlãnand Swãmi and Muktãnand Swãmi replied, “Mahãrãj, dharma is the best, because if there is dharma then the other three qualities will eventually develop in that person.”
3.4 To this, Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “Dharma may be present even in those who are vimukhs. Does that mean that we should make them renowned in satsang?”
3.5 Hearing this argument, no one could give a reply to the question. Shreeji Mahãrãj then explained, “If a person has bhakti towards Bhagvãn coupled with knowledge of His greatness, he will never fall from dharma – even if he has a lesser degree of ãtmã-nishthã, vairãgya, and dharma. This is because a person who realises Bhagvãn’s greatness, thinks, ‘If Brahmã and all the other devs follow Bhagvãn’s ãgnã, then how can I not follow His ãgnã?’ Bearing this in mind, he always abides by the niyams prescribed by Bhagvãn.”
3.6 Then, Shuk Muni asked, “If bhakti coupled with the knowledge of Bhagvãn’s greatness alone is enough, why are all four qualities prescribed as essential, and not just bhakti alone?”
3.7 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “If a person has intense bhakti for Bhagvãn coupled with the knowledge of His greatness, then all three are incorporated in bhakti alone. But, if his bhakti is of a medium intensity, then the other three are not incorporated within it. Therefore, it is said, ‘A person who has the type of bhakti which include all four qualities can be called an ekãntik bhakta’.
3.8 “Pruthu Rãjã had such extraordinary bhakti. When Bhagvãn awarded a vardãn upon him, he asked for ten thousand ears in order to hear kathãs related to Bhagvãn; he did not ask for anything else. Also, some gopis who were forbidden to go and play rãs discarded their bodies and went to Shree Krishna in spirit. If a person has such extraordinary bhakti, then the other three qualities are all incorporated in bhakti alone.”
3.9 Brahmãnand Swãmi then asked, “By what means can such extraordinary bhakti be attained?”
3.10 Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “It is attained by serving a great sant. There are four types of great sant. One is like a small flame, the second is like a torch, the third is like lightning, and the fourth is like the vadvãnal fire.
3.11 “A person, who is like a small flame, is extinguished by the wind in the form of the vishays. A person, who is like a torch, is extinguished by stronger gusts of wind in the form of the vishays. A person, who is like lightning, is not extinguished even by rainwater in the form of mãyã. However, vadvãnal fire stays in the ocean without being extinguished by the ocean water; it drinks the sea water and excretes it in the form of sweet water; in turn, the clouds carry this water and shower it upon the world; and from this, many types of tastes are formed. Similarly, a great sant, like the vadvãnal fire, transforms even the ‘salty’ jeevs who are like the saline sea water, into ‘sweet’ jeevs.
3.12 “Of the four types of great sant just described, if a person serves someone who is like lightning or the vadvãnal fire – by thought, word, and deed, and while staying within his dharma – then bhakti coupled with the knowledge of Bhagvãn’s greatness develops in that person.
3.13 “Also, a person should realise that the person who is like lightning is known as Bhagvãn’s ekãntik sãdhu – who is in sãdhan-dashã. The person who is like the vadvãnal fire is known as Bhagvãn’s great ekãntik sant – who has attained siddh-dashã.”
End of Vachanãmrut Vadtãl || 3 || 203 ||