Vartal-19

Becoming a Devotee of God; Indiscretion

On the evening of Mahā sudi 2, Samvat 1882 [9 February 1826], Shriji Mahārāj was sitting on a cushion with a cylindrical pillow that had been placed in the eastern roopchoki of the mandir of Shri Lakshminārāyan in Vartāl. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. At that time, an assembly of munis as well as devotees from various places had gathered before Him.

Then, after the evening ārti had finished, Shriji Mahārāj said, “Please listen, I wish to speak to all of you about God. Whenever a jiva attains a human body in Bharat-khand, God’s avatārs or God’s sādhus will certainly also be present on earth at that time. If that jiva can recognize them, then he becomes a devotee of God.

“Once he has become a devotee of God, it would be improper for him to bear affection for anything except God. This is because, compared to the bliss of the abode of God, the pleasures of worldly vishays are like excreta. Only worms that live in excreta feel that there is profound bliss in excreta - a human would realize excreta to be nothing but utter misery. Thus, one who has recognized God becomes an attendant of God. Thereafter, he should not cease to be an attendant of God by desiring to enjoy the pleasures of worldly vishays like worms in excreta.

“Also, whatever a devotee of God wishes for comes true. Therefore, it is his great indiscretion when he, out of ignorance, desires any object other than God. That is why a devotee of God should consider the pleasures and delights of the 14 realms to be like the excreta of a crow. He should bear strong affection - by thought, word and deed - only towards God and God’s Bhakta. He should believe, ‘If, perhaps, a devotee of God has some desires remaining in him other than those of God, he will still attain the status of Indra or will attain Brahmalok,¹ but unlike worldly people, he will certainly not pass through the cycle of births and deaths or go to narak. If that is so, then how can one describe the greatness of God and the bliss enjoyed by a true devotee of God?’ Therefore, a devotee of God should maintain deep affection only for God.”

On the evening of Maha sudi 2, Samvat 1882 [9 February 1826], Shriji Maharaj was sitting on a cushion with a cylindrical pillow that had been placed in the eastern roopchoki of the mandir of Shri Lakshminarayan in Vartal. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. At that time, an assembly of munis as well as devotees from various places had gathered before Him.

Then, after the evening arti had finished, Shriji Maharaj said, “Please listen, I wish to speak to all of you about God. Whenever a jiva attains a human body in Bharat-khand, God’s avatars or God’s sadhus will certainly also be present on earth at that time. If that jiva can recognize them, then he becomes a devotee of God.

“Once he has become a devotee of God, it would be improper for him to bear affection for anything except God. This is because, compared to the bliss of the abode of God, the pleasures of worldly vishays are like excreta. Only worms that live in excreta feel that there is profound bliss in excreta - a human would realize excreta to be nothing but utter misery. Thus, one who has recognized God becomes an attendant of God. Thereafter, he should not cease to be an attendant of God by desiring to enjoy the pleasures of worldly vishays like worms in excreta.

“Also, whatever a devotee of God wishes for comes true. Therefore, it is his great indiscretion when he, out of ignorance, desires any object other than God. That is why a devotee of God should consider the pleasures and delights of the 14 realms to be like the excreta of a crow. He should bear strong affection - by thought, word and deed - only towards God and God’s Bhakta. He should believe, ‘If, perhaps, a devotee of God has some desires remaining in him other than those of God, he will still attain the status of Indra or will attain Brahmalok,¹ but unlike worldly people, he will certainly not pass through the cycle of births and deaths or go to narak. If that is so, then how can one describe the greatness of God and the bliss enjoyed by a true devotee of God?’ Therefore, a devotee of God should maintain deep affection only for God.”

FOOTNOTES