Gadhada III-29

Two Twenty-Year-Old Devotees of God

On the night of Posh sudi 2, Samvat 1885 [7 January 1829], Shriji Mahārāj was sitting on a large, decorated cot that had been placed on the platform in front of the medi in Dādā Khāchar’s darbār in Gadhadā. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. At that time, an assembly of sādhus as well as devotees from various places had gathered before Him.

Thereupon Shriji Mahārāj asked Shuk Muni a question, “Suppose there are two satsangis. Both are twenty years of age, and both possess the virtues of faith, affectionate bhakti, vairāgya and dharma to an equal extent. But due to his prārabdha, one of them married, whereas the other did not find anyone and so remained a sānkhya-yogi. He also had a desire to marry, but he could not find someone. Since neither of them had intense vairāgya from the beginning, both have an acute desire for indulging in the vishays. The question, then, is whose acute desire will be calmed, the householder’s or the sānkhya-yogi’s? When replying, keep in mind that the Vedas state, ‘Only one who has intense vairāgya should renounce from the stage of the brahmacharya āshram; whereas one whose vairāgya is feeble should become a householder for the purpose of diminishing his intense desire to indulge in the vishays. Only then should he accept the vānprasth āshram, and thereafter the sannyās āshram.’ Therefore, answer carefully.”

Shuk Muni attempted to answer the question but was unable to do so satisfactorily.

Answering the question Himself, Shriji Mahārāj said, “The householder is good, and the other who is a sānkhya-yogi is bad. Why? Because he lacks intense vairāgya. As a result, he does not realize that the vishays are vain and false. Also, for the same reason, he has no firmness in his conviction of his self being ātmā. For this reason, if he happens to leave the Satsang fellowship and encounter vishays, he will become attached to them; if he does not come across vishays, however, he will be obliged to come back into Satsang. On the other hand, the householder will progress even if he has the darshan of a sādhu once every six months. Therefore, it is not appropriate for one who is deficient in vairāgya to renounce; it is only appropriate for someone who has intense vairāgya. If someone who is deficient in vairāgya does renounce, then his renunciation will not endure throughout his life. After one year, two years, or after even ten years, difficulties will definitely arise in his renunciation.”

Thereupon Shuk Muni raised a doubt. He questioned, “Mahārāj, if the one whose vairāgya is weak listens to the greatness of God from a sādhu and ponders over it in his mind, then will he not develop intense vairāgya? In fact, only very few people - due to their prārabdha - have intense vairāgya from the beginning. Generally, though, we see that a person develops vairāgya even though he did not possess it initially. How can this be accounted for?”

Shriji Mahārāj explained, “The answer to that is that one can never develop intense vairāgya merely by contemplating by oneself, or by any other means for that matter. However, if, in the same way that one has affection for God, one develops deep affection for the great Sant who possesses the four qualities of dharma, gnān, vairāgya and bhakti, then all of the actions one performs - seeing, listening, talking, etc. - will be performed according to the wishes of that great Sant whom one has attained, i.e., one will not do anything which is against the Sant’s wish. In one’s mind, one constantly fears behaving contrary to the wishes of that Sant; one feels, ‘If I do not behave according to his wish, then he will not maintain affection for me.’ That is why such a person will constantly behave according to the Sant’s wishes. Therefore, if someone has developed such attachment for the Sant, then even if he does not have vairāgya, his renunciation will endure till the end.

“Just see in our Satsang fellowship, since all of the males, females and paramhansas are attached to Me, all the other females observe religious vows to the same extent as the two or three senior women. Why? Because in their mind, they realize, ‘If we do not remain alert and observe the religious vows, the love which Mahārāj has for us will not remain, and He will become displeased.’ The paramhansas also behave in the same manner. In fact, it is the same for all of the other satsangis, brahmachāris and pārshads. All of the male and female devotees living far and wide are also alert in observing the religious vows; they too feel, ‘If we do not behave properly, Mahārāj will become displeased.’ Thus, all of them staunchly observe dharma out of affection for Me, even though they may possess vairāgya to a greater or lesser degree.

“However, when I recently fell ill in Panchālā, if something serious had happened to Me, then everyone’s firmness would not have remained as it is now. At such a time, one who has intense vairāgya can remain within dharma; or one who has affectionately attached one’s jiva to a person who has intense vairāgya can remain within dharma; or one who keeps contact with Satsang and, realizing God to be antaryāmi, behaves according to the niyams that have been prescribed for him can remain within dharma. Except for these, others cannot remain within dharma. Thus, what I have just explained is the only answer to the question I had asked.”

On the night of Posh sudi 2, Samvat 1885 [7 January 1829], Shriji Maharaj was sitting on a large, decorated cot that had been placed on the platform in front of the medi in Dada Khachar’s darbar in Gadhada. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. At that time, an assembly of sadhus as well as devotees from various places had gathered before Him.

Thereupon Shriji Maharaj asked Shuk Muni a question, “Suppose there are two satsangis. Both are twenty years of age, and both possess the virtues of faith, affectionate bhakti, vairagya and dharma to an equal extent. But due to his prarabdha, one of them married, whereas the other did not find anyone and so remained a sankhya-yogi. He also had a desire to marry, but he could not find someone. Since neither of them had intense vairagya from the beginning, both have an acute desire for indulging in the vishays. The question, then, is whose acute desire will be calmed, the householder’s or the sankhya-yogi’s? When replying, keep in mind that the Vedas state, ‘Only one who has intense vairagya should renounce from the stage of the brahmacharya ashram; whereas one whose vairagya is feeble should become a householder for the purpose of diminishing his intense desire to indulge in the vishays. Only then should he accept the vanprasth ashram, and thereafter the sannyas ashram.’ Therefore, answer carefully.”

Shuk Muni attempted to answer the question but was unable to do so satisfactorily.

Answering the question Himself, Shriji Maharaj said, “The householder is good, and the other who is a sankhya-yogi is bad. Why? Because he lacks intense vairagya. As a result, he does not realize that the vishays are vain and false. Also, for the same reason, he has no firmness in his conviction of his self being atma. For this reason, if he happens to leave the Satsang fellowship and encounter vishays, he will become attached to them; if he does not come across vishays, however, he will be obliged to come back into Satsang. On the other hand, the householder will progress even if he has the darshan of a sadhu once every six months. Therefore, it is not appropriate for one who is deficient in vairagya to renounce; it is only appropriate for someone who has intense vairagya. If someone who is deficient in vairagya does renounce, then his renunciation will not endure throughout his life. After one year, two years, or after even ten years, difficulties will definitely arise in his renunciation.”

Thereupon Shuk Muni raised a doubt. He questioned, “Maharaj, if the one whose vairagya is weak listens to the greatness of God from a sadhu and ponders over it in his mind, then will he not develop intense vairagya? In fact, only very few people - due to their prarabdha - have intense vairagya from the beginning. Generally, though, we see that a person develops vairagya even though he did not possess it initially. How can this be accounted for?”

Shriji Maharaj explained, “The answer to that is that one can never develop intense vairagya merely by contemplating by oneself, or by any other means for that matter. However, if, in the same way that one has affection for God, one develops deep affection for the great Sant who possesses the four qualities of dharma, gnan, vairagya and bhakti, then all of the actions one performs - seeing, listening, talking, etc. - will be performed according to the wishes of that great Sant whom one has attained, i.e., one will not do anything which is against the Sant’s wish. In one’s mind, one constantly fears behaving contrary to the wishes of that Sant; one feels, ‘If I do not behave according to his wish, then he will not maintain affection for me.’ That is why such a person will constantly behave according to the Sant’s wishes. Therefore, if someone has developed such attachment for the Sant, then even if he does not have vairagya, his renunciation will endure till the end.

“Just see in our Satsang fellowship, since all of the males, females and paramhansas are attached to Me, all the other females observe religious vows to the same extent as the two or three senior women. Why? Because in their mind, they realize, ‘If we do not remain alert and observe the religious vows, the love which Maharaj has for us will not remain, and He will become displeased.’ The paramhansas also behave in the same manner. In fact, it is the same for all of the other satsangis, brahmacharis and parshads. All of the male and female devotees living far and wide are also alert in observing the religious vows; they too feel, ‘If we do not behave properly, Maharaj will become displeased.’ Thus, all of them staunchly observe dharma out of affection for Me, even though they may possess vairagya to a greater or lesser degree.

“However, when I recently fell ill in Panchala, if something serious had happened to Me, then everyone’s firmness would not have remained as it is now. At such a time, one who has intense vairagya can remain within dharma; or one who has affectionately attached one’s jiva to a person who has intense vairagya can remain within dharma; or one who keeps contact with Satsang and, realizing God to be antaryami, behaves according to the niyams that have been prescribed for him can remain within dharma. Except for these, others cannot remain within dharma. Thus, what I have just explained is the only answer to the question I had asked.”