5.1 In the Samvat year 1882, on Mãgshar vad 4, [29th December 1825], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting facing north on a decorated seat under a mango tree along the banks of Lake Gomti, north of the mandir of Shree Lakshmi-Nãrãyan in Vadtãl. He was dressed entirely in extremely fine, white clothes, and He had several garlands of roses hanging around His neck. Bunches of two large roses had been placed upon His ears, and tassels of roses decorated His pãgh. A sabhã of all the munis, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
5.2 Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “Please ask complex questions in order to relieve everyone’s tiredness.” Having said that, Mahãrãj put a pillow facing west and lay down.
5.3 Then, Muktãnand Swãmi asked, “Shree Krishna Bhagvãn has said:
“This verse means, ‘A person who attains me will break through my Mãyã, which is composed of the three gun, and which cannot otherwise be broken through even by suffering hardships’. However, even after a person has attained Bhagvãn, he is still disturbed by thoughts and desires in his heart during the worship of Bhagvãn. What else, besides Mãyã, could be causing this? That is the question.”
5.4 Shreeji Mahãrãj sat upright from His lying posture, and with great compassion said, “Of the three gun of Mãyã, tamo-gun is predominant in the five bhuts, and the five tan-mãtras; rajo-gun is predominant in the ten indriyas, the buddhi, and the prãns; and sattva-gun is predominant in the man and the presiding devs of the indriyas and antah-karans. In the past, all those who have become bhaktas have possessed the products of the three gun – the bhuts, the indriyas, the antah-karans, and their presiding devs. Therefore, the answer to the question is as follows: A person who has the firm belief of Bhagvãn – who has realised Bhagvãn completely by believing that there are no mãyik qualities in His svarup, and that Bhagvãn is greater than Mãyã and the products of Mãyã (the three gun) – has gone beyond Bhagvãn’s Mãyã. Even though he has the products of the gun of mãyã within him (the bhuts, the indriyas, the antah-karans, and their presiding devs, each of which carries out its respective activities) he is still said to have gone beyond Mãyã. This is because even though the products of Mãyã are within him, he still realises that the pratyaksha svarup of Shree Vãsudev Bhagvãn, who is worthy to be worshipped by him, is beyond the gun of Mãyã; therefore, he himself should also be known to have gone beyond Mãyã.
5.5 “Even the shãstras acknowledge that the gun seem to have influenced all, including the devs and the rushis. Does that imply that they cannot be called muktas? Also, does that imply that they cannot be said to have gone beyond Mãyã? In fact, they are all muktas, and they have all gone beyond Mãyã. If we do not answer in this way then there is no other possible solution to that question. Therefore, this is the only answer.”
5.6 Then, Nityãnand Swãmi asked, “Mahãrãj, people go to seek the refuge of Bhagvãn. Then, what are the characteristics of having the refuge of Bhagvãn?”
5.7 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “Bhagvãn has said in the Geetã,
“In this verse he says, ‘Abandon all other forms of dharma and surrender only to me. I shall deliver you from all sins, so do not grieve’. A person who has such a firm refuge of Bhagvãn, even if he were to experience pain equivalent to that of final destruction, he would not believe anyone else to be his guardian against such misery, except Bhagvãn. Moreover, whatever happiness he wishes for, he seeks to attain only from Bhagvãn. He does not consider anyone but Bhagvãn to be the source of happiness. Moreover, he behaves only according to the wishes of Bhagvãn. Such a person can be known to have taken refuge in Bhagvãn. It is he who can be called a firm bhakta of Bhagvãn.”
5.8 Then, Nãjã Bhakta asked, “How can a person recognise someone who, when he speaks, shows that he has nishchay in Bhagvãn like that of a bhakta, but does not truly have the total refuge of Bhagvãn?”
5.9 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “Only after staying together and working together can a person recognise the strength or weakness of the nishchay of a bhakta of Bhagvãn. A person who has little nishchay would become distressed and find a path out of satsang. He would seek privacy where he could engage in worship to his capacity, but he would not be able to tolerate the pressures of living in the company of bhaktas. Therefore, refuge of Bhagvãn is of three levels: uttam, madhyam, and kanishth. Due to this, there are three levels of bhaktas.”
5.10 Then, Nityãnand Swãmi asked, “Can a bhakta who is of the kanishth level eradicate his deficiency and become a bhakta of the uttam level in this very life, or not?”
5.11 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “Just as a bhakta performs the mãnsi pujã of Bhagvãn, a person should also performs the mãnsi pujã of the uttam bhakta along with Bhagvãn, by offering him the prasãd of Bhagvãn; and just as a bhakta prepares a thãl for Bhagvãn, a person should also prepare a thãl for Bhagvãn’s uttam bhakta and serve it to him; and just as a bhakta donates five rupees to Bhagvãn, a person should also donates money to the great sant. Then, by performing sevã of Bhagvãn and His sant, who possesses the highest qualities, with extreme love – even if he is a bhakta of the kanishth type and was destined to become a bhakta of the highest type after two lives, or after four lives, or after ten lives, or after a hundred lives – he will become a bhakta of the uttam level in this very life. These are the rewards of the sevã of Bhagvãn and His bhaktas.”
End of Vachanãmrut Vadtãl || 5 || 205 ||