Gadhada III-25

Pleasing Shriji Mahārāj; A True Devotee of God

On Kārtik sudi 10, Samvat 1885 [16 November 1828], Swāmi Shri Sahajānandji Mahārāj was sitting on a large, decorated cot on the veranda outside the west-facing rooms of Dādā Khāchar’s darbār in Gadhadā. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. At that time, an assembly of paramhansas as well as devotees from various places had gathered before Him.

Thereupon Shriji Mahārāj spoke out of compassion: “'Bhakti, upāsanā, service, shraddhā, firmness in observing dharma, and other spiritual endeavors related to God should all be performed without harboring desires for any other fruits.’ This fact is mentioned in the sacred scriptures, and it is true; but one should certainly harbor the following desire: ‘May God become pleased with me through these endeavors.’ That desire should be kept. If, on the other hand, a person does not keep such a desire and acts without any specific objective, then he should be known to possess tamogun. Therefore, one should develop the virtues of bhakti, upāsanā, etc. with the desire for fruits in the form of the pleasure of God. If a person nourishes any desire other than that, he will attain only fruits such as the four types of liberation.¹

“Furthermore, it is not the case that God’s pleasure is bestowed only on those who offer bhakti with various articles and not upon the poor. Someone may be poor, but if he offers water, leaves, fruits and flowers to God with shraddhā, that is enough to please Him. Why? Because God is extremely great. Just as a king rewards someone who composes even a single verse in his praise with a village, similarly, God also becomes gratified instantly.”

Continuing, Shriji Mahārāj said, “Who can be called a true devotee of God? If some prolonged illness were to overtake a person’s body, or if he receives neither food to eat nor any clothes to wear; in fact, regardless of the extent of pain or pleasure that come his way, if he still does not regress even slightly from the worship and bhakti of God, niyams, dharma or shraddhā, but on the contrary, progresses with time - then he is called a true devotee.”

Then Rājbāi had a question asked to Shriji Mahārāj, “Mahārāj, which virtues please You and which flaws displease You?”

Shriji Mahārāj replied, “The following are the flaws of speech: Specifically, if someone wishes to behave in some special way, then he should notify Me only once by saying: ‘Mahārāj, if You agree, then I shall behave like this.’ But he should not repeatedly ask, ‘Mahārāj, why are You not telling me whether I should behave like this or behave like that?’ That I do not like. Also, I do not like a person who, despite knowing Me as his Ishtadev, repeatedly cross-questions My words. Nor do I like a person who, without being asked, interrupts Me while I am speaking to someone. Regarding the performance of pious actions such as meditating on God, observance of dharma, offering bhakti, etc., I do not like a person who throws the burden of such actions on God by thinking, ‘Only if God wishes are these possible.’ Nor do I like a person who thinks, ‘I shall do this; and I shall do that,’ and thereby relies solely on his own strength and not on the strength of God. Also, I extremely dislike a person who speaks inconsistently and coarsely. Nor do I like a person who feels a sense of shame or laziness when it comes to talking of God, engaging in spiritual discourses or singing devotional songs, and yet feels no shame or laziness in performing worldly activities. Also, I do not like a person who boasts of his virtue of renunciation or bhakti or of anything else. I do not like a person who sits behind everyone else during an assembly instead of sitting as befits his own status. Moreover, when seniors are seated in an assembly, I do not like a person who forcibly pushes them aside to take his own place at the front of the assembly.

“In addition, I am pleased with female devotees who behave chastely by covering their own bodies and who, instead of keeping a wandering gaze, keep their gaze cast downwards when they walk. Many times, instead of doing My darshan with a fixed gaze, someone may forsake that darshan and look repeatedly in the direction of an approaching man or woman, or a dog walking by, or cattle walking by or in the direction of some noise. On such a person, I feel so much disgust that I feel, ‘What can I do? If I had not become a sādhu, I would beat him in some way!’ But that is not possible since beating someone is extremely inappropriate for a sādhu. I also do not like a person who conceals the truth, i.e., who does not disclose to an appropriate person the disturbing thoughts that arise in his mind. These three things are extremely detrimental: egotism, anger, and being suppressed by others, i.e., not revealing what is in one’s mind due to the suppression of others. Also, if devotees become disrespectful because they view each other as equals and do not maintain respect for one another, that is extremely inappropriate as well.”

On Kartik sudi 10, Samvat 1885 [16 November 1828], Swami Shri Sahajanandji Maharaj was sitting on a large, decorated cot on the veranda outside the west-facing rooms of Dada Khachar’s darbar in Gadhada. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. At that time, an assembly of paramhansas as well as devotees from various places had gathered before Him.

Thereupon Shriji Maharaj spoke out of compassion: “'Bhakti, upasana, service, shraddha, firmness in observing dharma, and other spiritual endeavors related to God should all be performed without harboring desires for any other fruits.’ This fact is mentioned in the sacred scriptures, and it is true; but one should certainly harbor the following desire: ‘May God become pleased with me through these endeavors.’ That desire should be kept. If, on the other hand, a person does not keep such a desire and acts without any specific objective, then he should be known to possess tamogun. Therefore, one should develop the virtues of bhakti, upasana, etc. with the desire for fruits in the form of the pleasure of God. If a person nourishes any desire other than that, he will attain only fruits such as the four types of liberation.¹

“Furthermore, it is not the case that God’s pleasure is bestowed only on those who offer bhakti with various articles and not upon the poor. Someone may be poor, but if he offers water, leaves, fruits and flowers to God with shraddha, that is enough to please Him. Why? Because God is extremely great. Just as a king rewards someone who composes even a single verse in his praise with a village, similarly, God also becomes gratified instantly.”

Continuing, Shriji Maharaj said, “Who can be called a true devotee of God? If some prolonged illness were to overtake a person’s body, or if he receives neither food to eat nor any clothes to wear; in fact, regardless of the extent of pain or pleasure that come his way, if he still does not regress even slightly from the worship and bhakti of God, niyams, dharma or shraddha, but on the contrary, progresses with time - then he is called a true devotee.”

Then Rajbai had a question asked to Shriji Maharaj, “Maharaj, which virtues please You and which flaws displease You?”

Shriji Maharaj replied, “The following are the flaws of speech: Specifically, if someone wishes to behave in some special way, then he should notify Me only once by saying: ‘Maharaj, if You agree, then I shall behave like this.’ But he should not repeatedly ask, ‘Maharaj, why are You not telling me whether I should behave like this or behave like that?’ That I do not like. Also, I do not like a person who, despite knowing Me as his Ishtadev, repeatedly cross-questions My words. Nor do I like a person who, without being asked, interrupts Me while I am speaking to someone. Regarding the performance of pious actions such as meditating on God, observance of dharma, offering bhakti, etc., I do not like a person who throws the burden of such actions on God by thinking, ‘Only if God wishes are these possible.’ Nor do I like a person who thinks, ‘I shall do this; and I shall do that,’ and thereby relies solely on his own strength and not on the strength of God. Also, I extremely dislike a person who speaks inconsistently and coarsely. Nor do I like a person who feels a sense of shame or laziness when it comes to talking of God, engaging in spiritual discourses or singing devotional songs, and yet feels no shame or laziness in performing worldly activities. Also, I do not like a person who boasts of his virtue of renunciation or bhakti or of anything else. I do not like a person who sits behind everyone else during an assembly instead of sitting as befits his own status. Moreover, when seniors are seated in an assembly, I do not like a person who forcibly pushes them aside to take his own place at the front of the assembly.

“In addition, I am pleased with female devotees who behave chastely by covering their own bodies and who, instead of keeping a wandering gaze, keep their gaze cast downwards when they walk. Many times, instead of doing My darshan with a fixed gaze, someone may forsake that darshan and look repeatedly in the direction of an approaching man or woman, or a dog walking by, or cattle walking by or in the direction of some noise. On such a person, I feel so much disgust that I feel, ‘What can I do? If I had not become a sadhu, I would beat him in some way!’ But that is not possible since beating someone is extremely inappropriate for a sadhu. I also do not like a person who conceals the truth, i.e., who does not disclose to an appropriate person the disturbing thoughts that arise in his mind. These three things are extremely detrimental: egotism, anger, and being suppressed by others, i.e., not revealing what is in one’s mind due to the suppression of others. Also, if devotees become disrespectful because they view each other as equals and do not maintain respect for one another, that is extremely inappropriate as well.”

FOOTNOTES