Amdavad-2

Performing Puja after Washing and Bathing

On Fāgun sudi 11, Samvat 1882 [20 March 1826], Swāmi Shri Sahajānandji Mahārāj was sitting on a cushion with a cylindrical pillow that had been placed on a wooden cot on a square platform in front of the mandir of Shri Narnārāyan in Amdāvād. He was wearing a white khes and had covered Himself with a white cotton cloth. He had also tied a pink feto with dangling tassels of roses around His head. Two bunches of roses had been inserted above His ears, and garlands of roses adorned His neck as well. In addition to this, strings of roses had been tied around His arms as well as His wrists. In this manner, His entire body had been decorated with roses. At that time, an assembly of munis as well as devotees from various places had gathered before Him.

Then, addressing all of the paramhansas, Shriji Mahārāj said, “I would like to ask you a question. Suppose there is a devotee of God who behaves above the influence of wakefulness, dream and deep sleep. He has shed the influence of polluted rajogun, tamogun and sattvagun, and acts within pure sattvagun. That is how he worships God. Another devotee behaves under the influence of the three gunas, but nevertheless, he does have intense love for God. Of these two devotees, who is better?”

Thereupon the sādhus replied, “The one with love for God is better.”

Shriji Mahārāj then questioned, “Now consider the following: One person performs puja of God after washing, bathing and becoming pure; and another performs puja in an impure state. Of these two, who is better?”

The munis replied, “The person who performs puja after becoming pure is better.”

Hearing this, Shriji Mahārāj said, “You claim that one who worships God after overcoming māyik influences is inferior and that one who expresses love for God with māyik influences is superior. But how is he superior?”

Since no one could answer the question, Shriji Mahārāj said, “Of the four types of devotees¹ described in the Gitā, Shri Krishna Bhagwān has called only the one possessing gnān his own ātmā. Therefore, one who, having discarded māyik influences, becomes brahmarup and then worships God is the best devotee.

“Why? Because nitya-pralay is the jiva’s deep sleep. Nimitta-pralay is Brahmā’s deep sleep. Prākrut-pralay is that in which all of the entities that had evolved from Prakruti are assimilated back into Prakruti. In ātyantik-pralay, which is gnān-pralay, everything up to and including Prakruti is eclipsed by the light of Brahma. Furthermore, in nitya-pralay, all of the jiva’s adjuncts are absorbed; in nimitta-pralay all of ishwar’s adjuncts are absorbed; and in prākrut-pralay all of Purush’s adjuncts are absorbed. However, when the creation process is initiated, all three are again engulfed by their respective adjuncts.

“But a person who has overcome māyik influences by way of ātyantik-pralay, also called gnān-pralay, is never engulfed by those adjuncts again. If at any time he does assume a physical body, then just like God assumes a body by His own will, he also assumes a body by his own will; he does not assume a body due to kāl, karma or māyā.

“Therefore, the one who worships God after becoming brahmarup is definitely superior. Only one who is a faithful devotee of God and possesses the characteristics of an ekāntik bhakta can understand this fact.”

On Fagun sudi 11, Samvat 1882 [20 March 1826], Swami Shri Sahajanandji Maharaj was sitting on a cushion with a cylindrical pillow that had been placed on a wooden cot on a square platform in front of the mandir of Shri Narnarayan in Amdavad. He was wearing a white khes and had covered Himself with a white cotton cloth. He had also tied a pink feto with dangling tassels of roses around His head. Two bunches of roses had been inserted above His ears, and garlands of roses adorned His neck as well. In addition to this, strings of roses had been tied around His arms as well as His wrists. In this manner, His entire body had been decorated with roses. At that time, an assembly of munis as well as devotees from various places had gathered before Him.

Then, addressing all of the paramhansas, Shriji Maharaj said, “I would like to ask you a question. Suppose there is a devotee of God who behaves above the influence of wakefulness, dream and deep sleep. He has shed the influence of polluted rajogun, tamogun and sattvagun, and acts within pure sattvagun. That is how he worships God. Another devotee behaves under the influence of the three gunas, but nevertheless, he does have intense love for God. Of these two devotees, who is better?”

Thereupon the sadhus replied, “The one with love for God is better.”

Shriji Maharaj then questioned, “Now consider the following: One person performs puja of God after washing, bathing and becoming pure; and another performs puja in an impure state. Of these two, who is better?”

The munis replied, “The person who performs puja after becoming pure is better.”

Hearing this, Shriji Maharaj said, “You claim that one who worships God after overcoming mayik influences is inferior and that one who expresses love for God with mayik influences is superior. But how is he superior?”

Since no one could answer the question, Shriji Maharaj said, “Of the four types of devotees¹ described in the Gita, Shri Krishna Bhagwan has called only the one possessing gnan his own atma. Therefore, one who, having discarded mayik influences, becomes brahmarup and then worships God is the best devotee.

“Why? Because nitya-pralay is the jiva’s deep sleep. Nimitta-pralay is Brahma’s deep sleep. Prakrut-pralay is that in which all of the entities that had evolved from Prakruti are assimilated back into Prakruti. In atyantik-pralay, which is gnan-pralay, everything up to and including Prakruti is eclipsed by the light of Brahma. Furthermore, in nitya-pralay, all of the jiva’s adjuncts are absorbed; in nimitta-pralay all of ishwar’s adjuncts are absorbed; and in prakrut-pralay all of Purush’s adjuncts are absorbed. However, when the creation process is initiated, all three are again engulfed by their respective adjuncts.

“But a person who has overcome mayik influences by way of atyantik-pralay, also called gnan-pralay, is never engulfed by those adjuncts again. If at any time he does assume a physical body, then just like God assumes a body by His own will, he also assumes a body by his own will; he does not assume a body due to kal, karma or maya.

“Therefore, the one who worships God after becoming brahmarup is definitely superior. Only one who is a faithful devotee of God and possesses the characteristics of an ekantik bhakta can understand this fact.”

FOOTNOTES