॥ શ્રી સ્વામિનારાયણો વિજયતે ॥
॥ THE VACHANAMRUT ॥
Spiritual Discourses
by Bhagwan Swaminarayan
Gadhada III-5
Bhakti Coupled with the Knowledge of God’s Greatness
On Bhādarvā sudi 11, Samvat 1883 [12 September 1826], Shriji Mahārāj was sitting on a cushion with a cylindrical pillow on the veranda outside the west-facing rooms of Dādā Khāchar’s darbār in Gadhadā. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. He was also wearing a garland of mogrā flowers around His neck. Tassels of mogrā flowers decorated His pāgh, and strings of mogrā flowers adorned His wrists. At that time, an assembly of the muni-mandal as well as devotees from various places had gathered before Him.
Then Shriji Mahārāj said, “Someone please ask a question.”
Thereupon Muktānand Swāmi asked, “Mahārāj, of the various types of bhakti offered to God, which type of bhakti does not encounter any obstacles, and which type does encounter obstacles?”
In reply, Shriji Mahārāj said, “In the third canto of the Shrimad Bhāgwat, within the Kapil Gitā, Mother Devhuti says to Kapilji,
Yan-nāmadheya-shravanānukeertanād-yat-prahvanād-yat-smaranād-api kvachit |Shvādo’pi sadyaha savanāya kalpate katham punas-te bhagavan-nu darshanāt ||1 Aho bata shvapacho’to gareeyān yaj-jihvāgre vartate nāma tubhyam |
Tepus-tapas-te juhuvuhu sasnur-āryā brahmā-noochur-nāma grunanti ye te ||2
“The greatness of God is described in these two verses. Also, Kapilji describes his own greatness to Mother Devhuti by saying:
Mad-bhayād-vāti vāto’yam sooryas-tapati mad-bhayāt |Varshateendro dahatyagnir-mrutyush-charati mad-bhayāt ||3
“One who has bhakti for God coupled with such knowledge of His greatness encounters no obstacles in any form. On the other hand, one who offers bhakti without realizing the greatness of God, perceiving worldly attributes in Him, does encounter obstacles.”
Muktānand Swāmi then asked, “By what means can such bhakti coupled with the knowledge of God’s greatness be developed?”
Shriji Mahārāj replied, “Bhakti coupled with the knowledge of God’s greatness arises in one’s heart by serving and profoundly associating with eminent sādhus like Shukji and the Sanakādik.”
Thereafter Shuk Muni asked, “One devotee of God is such that his faith in God is perfect, and disturbances such as lust, anger, avarice, infatuation, etc., do not arise in his heart. A second devotee is such that his faith in God is perfect, but swabhāvs such as lust, anger, avarice, infatuation, etc., do cause a disturbance within. When these two types of devotees leave their bodies, do they attain the same level of bliss in the abode of God, or do they attain different levels of bliss?”
Shriji Mahārāj replied, “If a devotee of God whose faith is perfect and who is not disturbed by lust, anger, avarice, etc., desires anything other than the manifest form of Shri Krishna Bhagwān, then, even if he is a great renunciant and has firm vairāgya and intense ātmā-realization, he will attain a lower level of bliss. As for the other devotee, even though he also has perfect faith in God, when lust, anger, avarice, infatuation, etc., cause disturbances within, he feels remorse within his heart. But, except for the manifest form of Shri Krishna Bhagwān, he wishes for no other object. Then, even if he has only a slight amount of ātmā-realization and vairāgya, such a devotee still attains profound bliss in the abode of God after leaving his body.
“Why is this? Because the former devotee superficially appears to be a renunciant and free of other desires. But since he inwardly desires to attain ātmā-realization and other things, he is called a ‘sakām devotee’. In the higher realms, he will certainly attain less bliss. Conversely, the second devotee superficially appears to be a ‘sakām devotee’, but inwardly, that devotee wishes for nothing except the form of God. If a desire for pleasures other than the form of God arises, he feels intense remorse in his mind. Therefore, he is called a ‘nishkām devotee’. When such a devotee leaves his body, he attains profound bliss, becomes an attendant of God, and develops intense love for the form of Shri Krishna Bhagwān.”
Vachanamrut ॥ 5 ॥ 228 ॥
This Vachanamrut took place ago.
FOOTNOTES
1. यन्नामधेयश्रवणानुकीर्तनाद्यत्प्रह्वणाद्यत्स्मरणादपि क्वचित्।
श्वादोऽपि सद्यः सवनाय कल्पते कथं पुनस्ते भगवन्नु दर्शनात्॥
O Lord! If even a ‘shwapach’ [i.e. a vile person who eats dog-meat] becomes immediately suitable for performing yagnas [i.e. is perfectly purified] by merely hearing and repeating the name of God, by bowing to God and by remembering God, then what [can be said] of your darshan? - Shrimad Bhāgwat: 3.33.6
2. अहो बत श्वपचोऽतो गरीयान् यज्जिह्वाग्रे वर्तते नाम तुभ्यम्।
तेपुस्तपस्ते जुहुवुः सस्नुरार्या ब्रह्मानूचुर्नाम गृणन्ति ये ते॥
How amazing! Even a ‘shwapach’ [i.e. a vile person who eats dog-meat] becomes great if your name is on the tip of his tongue [i.e. he chants God’s name]. Indeed, those who chant your name are the ones who have performed all austerities, performed all yagnas, bathed [in the sacred waters of all the places of pilgrimage], studied all the Vedas; and they indeed are the ‘āryas’ [i.e. the noble ones]. - Shrimad Bhāgwat: 3.33.7
3. मद्भयाद्वाति वातोऽयं सूर्यस्तपति मद्भयात्।
वर्षतीन्द्रो दहत्यग्निर्म्रुत्युश्चरति मद्भयात्॥
It is by fear of me that the wind [Vāyu] blows, Surya [i.e. the sun] shines, Indra [i.e. the clouds] rains, Agni [i.e. fire] burns, and death [Yam] devours [the living]. - Shrimad Bhāgwat: 3.25.42
