Prasad by Swami Akhandanand-Ji Saraswati

PRASAD
By
Swami Akhandanandji Saraswati
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Publisher :
Satsahitya Prakashan Trust
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Phone : 23627976
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Copyright © 2010 Satsahitya Prakashan Trust
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Shri Harih
‘Prasad’ was the first book that was released after our Shri Sadgurudev
Swami Akhandanand Saraswati left his mortal body in November 1987.
Smt. Kunti Dharmachand Jalan transcribed the matter from his recorded
talks, and Shri Vishnu Gangal wrote the preamble.
The word |ÉºÉÉnù ‘prasaada’ is commonly used for food that is sanctified by
offering to the Lord, and then distributed as His blessing. It also indicates
a feeling of complete happiness that is the result of the Lord’s Grace, and
the blessings of Saints. Thus, I am delighted that Maharajshri’s loving
devotee, Smt. Purnima L. Toolsidass has translated ‘Prasad’, making it
available to the English speaking public and the future generations. I bless
her, and also Shri Pankaj Roy who has worked diligently to include the
Sanskrit, and prepared it for publication.
I have no doubts that whoever reads any of the profound and much needed
clarifications given in this will want to re-read it and pass it on to others,
so that Maharajshri’s Prasad may be distributed far and wide.
Swami Sadchidananda Saraswati.

Anand Vrindavan.
October 2008.
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Q. 1. What is the actual essence of ºÉä´ÉÉ se`vaa (rendering service)?
If a person listens to a Saint for many years with a feeling of respect, that is seva.
When we do what we feel like doing that is not called seva! All the methods that are
used for destroying the desires in our heart are called ºÉä´ÉÉ ‘se`vaa’.
If we do only what we enjoy doing, it results in our desires being strengthened. If we
do what we are told to do, our desires gradually become weaker. All actions that
enhance the ego are obstructions in seva, and also in our spiritual progress. Seva is
possible only when you consider yourself to be as insignificant as possible.
A person who wants to absorb some teaching sits at a lower level. Wisdom is not
gained by sitting on a high seat. The hand of the giver is always higher than the hand
of the one who receives. If you want to learn something from your Master you should
give up all illusions about your own importance. You should have humility, not only
with your Master, but also with all others.
Nobody who considers himself to be greater than an ant or a blade of grass gets the
real feeling of seva. The essence of seva is when a person becomes like a droop of
water that merges into the sea, and merges his little ‘I’ into the vast ocean of the
Paramatma.
Q. 2.What is the substance of the direct experience of the Paramatma?
It is not possible to know this unless and until you obtain the direct experience of the
Paramatma. Someone may even believe a Daitya (Demon), ¦ÉÚiÉ bhoota (ghost) or |ÉäiÉ
pre`ta (spirit) to be the Paramatma. A person may have a vision of a lustrous, golden
form, and think that that is the Paramatma.
However, as long as the º´É sva (the ‘I’, the Atma) remains separate from the
Paramatma, it will be an incomplete Paramatma. Half He – half I! Half of the mile is
His Kingdom and half is mine. Half of a ton is His and half is mine.
The experience of the Paramatma cannot be real as long as duality exists! You will
have the authentic experience only when the perception of duality is destroyed
completely. The grand attributes we superimpose on our individuality for self-
glorification is absolute hypocrisy! It has no connection whatsoever to the attainment
of the Paramatma. It is a kind of cheating, a swindle!
When a person moves towards the Paramatma with honesty, his life is
straightforward and uncomplicated. He chants the name of Bhagwan, his lifestyle is
upright, and his senses are restrained. This is the path for reaching the Paramatma.
To impress and influence others and build up a large following is not the experience
of the Paramatma. A person experiences the Paramatma when he serves the whole
world; not by making others serve him!
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Q.3. I read only ºÉÉÎk´ÉEò saattvik (spiritual) literature, but my mind is always
attracted towards improper things. What should I do?
The mind does not give up its inclination for sense objects by just ºÉÉÎk´ÉEò +vªÉªÉxÉ
saattvik adhyayana (spiritual study). It turns inwards when you have the Satsang
(saintly association) of those whose minds are free of sensual inclinations; or those
who have a genuine longing to be free of worldly desires.
If you do the Satsang of a Mandaleshwar (Head of a large Mutt) you will also be
impressed by that kind of pomp and adulation. If you associate with a Ê´É®úCiÉ virakta
(Monk with renunciation) you will roll in the sand and be satisfied with begged food.
The influence of your associates has the greatest effect upon your mind. Hence, as far
as possible, make sure that you do not keep the company of lowly people. nÖù:ºÉÆMÉºiÉÖ
ºÉ´ÉÇlÉÉ iªÉÉVªÉ: ‘Dusanga sarvathaa tyaajyah’ – the wrong kind of company is always to
be given up.
The Mahatmas who have total renunciation say that it is a sensual pleasure to touch
the smooth cheek after you have been shaved. Detachment from sensual pleasures is
not possible without associating with Satpurush (Saints).
ºÉÉvÉÖiÉÉ Saadhutaa (a saintly character) is not meant for building a Mutt or having a
ceremonial umbrella, or displaying grandeur. If you truly desire vairagya, associate
with Satpurush.
Q. 4. Where should a Ê´É®úCiÉú virakta (one who has renounced the world)
Mahatma stay? If we stay near the banks of the Ganga or Yamuna, we see all
the dirt. The mind becomes focused on the dirt, and then I no longer feel like
bathing, or doing +ÉSÉ¨ÉxÉú aachamana (rinsing the mouth or sipping the water as a
ritual).
Actually, in earlier times, the virakta Mahatmas would seek out dirty places and stay
there. There was a virakta Mahatma called Kuccha Baba at Kashi (Varanasi). He
lived near the place that was used as a public toilet.
The fact is that the purpose of ´Éè®úÉMªÉú vairaagya (renunciation or detachment) is not to
indulge our senses with pleasant sense objects. Vairagya means that the mind should
remain unsullied in spite of the dirt all around. External factors shouldn’t give rise to
any feeling of impurity. Neither should we have uäù¹É dve`sha (aversion) or ®úÉMÉ raaga
(attachment). It is not a sign of vairagya if we groom ourselves to appear elegant. It is
a clear sign of raga. People like worldly things, so they wear beautiful necklaces and
clothes, and style their hair to display greatness. This is not a sign of vairagya.
Renunciation lies in giving up, not in indulgence. A person who has renunciation is
quite content to sleep or sit anywhere.
ªÉäxÉ iÉäxÉ ÊSÉnùÉÎSUôzÉ, ªÉäxÉ iÉäxÉ ºÉÆnäù´ÉÉ .... ¥ÉÉÀhÉÉ:*
Ye`na te`na chidaachhinna, ye`na te`na samde`vaa…… braahmanaah.
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He wears what he gets, and eats what he is given. A virakta is not the same as a
Dandi Swami (an ordained Monk who has certain qualifications and restrictions)!
They are different in many ways. Bhagwan is everywhere – here, there, at all times,
and in every form. Everything is full of joy.
ºÉÆºEòÉ®ú Sanskaara (good tendencies) are implanted for developing an ethical and
disciplined lifestyle. A boy is told, ‘Now that your ªÉYÉÉä{É´ÉÒiÉú yagyopaveeta (sacred
thread ceremony) is done, you should have a bath every morning. You should do the
ritual of Sandhya Vandan. You should do VÉ{Éú japa (ritual chanting).’ The boy learns
who he should touch and who he shouldn’t. He learns what he should eat and what he
shouldn’t. All these regulations bring discipline into his life. When the lifestyle is
disciplined and ethical, he gradually becomes eligible to rise above the formal rules.
Formal rules are meant to make you fit to be elevated; they are not meant to keep you
tied down.
Q. 5. I study and teach Vedanta in order to popularize and spread it. Will this
give me ºÉnÂùMÉÊiÉú sadgati (liberation from rebirth)? Is it possible to obtain Moksha
through this activity?
As an area of work, this is also a good activity. It is far superior to becoming

involved in politics and spreading political ideologies.
One is better than another; a third is better still. Swami Vivekananda spread the
message of Vedanta. So did Swami Rama Tirtha. Their achievements were amazing.
They obtained sadgati in their very lives. They were VÉÒ´Éx¨ÉÖCiÉú jeevanmukta – liberated
souls.
It is better to attain spiritual progress gradually. Now – isn’t it an impossible thing to
imagine that all the people should want Mukti, everybody should be detached from
worldly considerations, and everybody should obtain the Paramatma?
Q. 6. How logical is it to say that a bhakta does not become a burden on his
Master, even though he is totally dependent on Him?
To be happy with whatever is given by Bhagwan, and to remain alive at His will or
die at His will. There is no burden in this, because we do not impose our desire on
Him, although our dependence is total.
We keep giving suggestions to Bhagwan. ‘Please make it rain today.’ ‘Please let it be
a warm day.’ ‘Please remove my disease.’ This means that Bhagwan’s wisdom is
rather less than ours, which is why we need to tell Him what He should do! Whatever
appeals to Bhagwan is best. It is He who does everything.
ªÉiEÞòiÉÆ ªÉiEòÊ®ú¹ªÉÉÊ¨É iÉiºÉ´ÉÈ xÉ ¨ÉªÉÉ EÞòiÉ¨ÉÂ*
i´ÉªÉÉEÞòiÉÆ iÉÖ ¡ò±É¦ÉÖEÂò i´É¨Éä´É .... **ú
Yatkritam yatkarishyaami tatsarvam na mayaa kritam,
Tvayaakritam tu falabhuk tvame`va……..
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(All I do and all that I will do in future – none of the actions are done by me.
Everything is done by You. You please enjoy the fruit. iÉ¨Éä´É Tvame`va – it is all You!)
Shri Madhusudan Saraswati says:
OÉxlÉºªÉèiÉºªÉ ªÉ: EòiÉÉÇ ºiÉÚiÉÉÆ ´ÉÉ ºÉÊxÉxtiÉÉ¨ÉÂ*
¨ÉÊªÉ xÉÉºiªÉä´É EòiÉÞÇi´É¨ÉJÉhb÷ÉxÉÖ¦É´ÉÉi¨ÉÊxÉ**
Granthasyaitasya yah kartaa stootaam vaa sanindyataam,
Mayi naastye`va kartritvamakhandaanubhavaatmani.
(You can praise or criticize the author of this book. I have no feeling of being the
author, so how does your praise or criticism concern me?)
Q. 7. What will be the behavior of the ºÉä´ªÉ se`vya (the one who is served) towards
the ºÉä´ÉEò se`vaka (the one who serves)?
He will see the feeling that lies behind the service. His behavior will depend on the
love of the servitor and the service rendered.
I have a friend who is an industrialist. He has advance information about the prices of
the shares that will rise. He gives a tip to his friend, who buys some shares and
becomes richer within a few minutes. Similarly, those who have knowledge about
Dharma, Kama (fulfillment of desires) and Moksha (liberation from rebirth) can give
these in just a few minutes.
If the sevya understands the faith, genuineness and integrity of his sevak, there is
nothing that he cannot bestow! However, neither the sevak nor the Guru are
completely open with the other. One point is that if the sevak serves the Guru with
complete unselfishness, his sincerity makes the Guru completely unselfish too. The
Guru’s Dharma is not fulfilled until he gives his disciple all he has. The Dharma of
the sevya is also fulfilled when he gives everything to the one who renders faithful
service.
And, what is ºÉ´ÉÇº´É sarvasya (everything)?
The greatest thing – sarvasya – is our Atma. If the Guru has given you Self-
realization, take it that he has given you everything.
Q. 8. The Puranas reveal many faults in the characters of Devarshi Narad and
Devraj Indra. What is the message behind this?
The Puranas give us the message that we should not lose hope even though we have
faults. We should not sink into dejection. Any person who has a body is likely to
have some faults. We should not consider ourselves lowly because of them; we
should try to uplift ourselves.
We should never feel that we will not get salvation until we become absolutely pure,
or that no path of spiritual progress is open for us. This is why even the characters of
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Vishnu and Mahesh are shown to have worldly faults. The indication is: don’t lose
hope if you have faults. There is a way by which you can progress. A great power is
with you. The Ishwara’s hand is on your head. He can lift you up from wherever you
are. Bhagwan’s hand reaches even the depths of Narak (Hell). It is not as though His
hand can’t reach Narak!
Instead of establishing people’s faults, we should try to help people to remove the
faults and uplift themselves. The Shastras recommend Sanyas and pure knowledge
for the salvation of the faultless. They also have methods for the uplifting the
downfallen and the depraved. It is not proper to say that nobody is {ÉÊiÉiÉÉ patita
(fallen), or that Bhagwan has never granted salvation to the fallen. Bhagwan bestows
Grace on the most sinful of sinners.
Bhagwan is ºÉ´ÉÇ°ü{Éú sarvaroopa (all forms), and there is no patit in His essence. So,
where does the question of any patit being uplifted arise? This is why we believe in
every letter and every line of our Shastras. So much so, that we believe even the
ancient definitions of the Shastras.
If our ego impels us to think that we are superior to the ancient definitions, it raises a
grave question. If Bhagwan is not there to uplift the downfallen, what is the purpose
of His existence?
It is another matter that our +xiÉ:Eò®úhÉ antahkaran (fourfold mind) should become pure
and we should become eligible to obtain the awareness of our essence; have a direct
experience of the Mahavakya that says that everything is the Brahman. However, the
path is not blocked, because everything is filled with the Paramatma. Every spot,
moment, and form is the Paramatma.
ºÉ´ÉÇ ºÉ´ÉÇMÉiÉ ºÉ´ÉÇ=®úÉªÉ*
Sarva sarvagata sarvauraalaya.
The Paramatma is everything, He is everywhere, He abides in all hearts.
Q. 9. It is seen that even a person who is steeped in Vedanta feels distressed

when he sees the suffering of a loved one. This is contradictory to the principle
of Vedanta. Why does this happen?
My brother, if a Vedanti doesn’t feel sad, who will? All the sorrows of the world are
his sorrows. The suffering of every insect, animal, moth, Devta (demigod) and
Daitya (Demon) is the suffering of the Vedanti. You should not see this from the
physical viewpoint. A fish swims in the water, enjoying itself. A fish is being cooked
in a pan. People enjoy the sight of the fish swimming in water, and those who fry the
fish enjoy cooking it. At Haridwar I saw huge goldfish swimming in the waters. A
man’s mouth began to water when he saw them. Another man stood eating fried fish
at a stall nearby.
My brother, a Vedanti is everything. It is he who is happy and he who is sad. It is he
who laments and he who chants the name of Rama. He sings the glories of Bhagwan,
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and everything is the same – there is no difference. Whether you lament or sing the
Lord’s glories, it is the same Bhagwan who is in all forms.
I asked a Mahatma, ‘Why do you say “hai-hai” (lamenting) all the time?’
He replied, ‘I enjoy lamenting.’ So, even lamenting can be enjoyable!
Someone said, ‘Laments contain sorrow. There is no pleasure in lamenting.’ My
brother, you will enjoy lamenting if you go on lamenting for a few days.
An astrologer told a man, ‘Your stars are unfavorable for two years. You will be all
right after that.’
‘What will happen after two years?’ asked the man.
‘After two years you will get used to your condition,’ he said. So, it is all like that.
Lead a simple life. Chant the name of Bhagwan. People have tried to make changes
in Dharma, in the political situation, in spiritual practices etc, but nobody has
succeeded. The world goes on as it always did. There were good people and bad
people in the earlier times, there are good and bad people today, and there will be
good people and bad people in future. It is just that people have developed the habit
of doing something or the other, and they continue with their activities. The world
goes on as it is. Nobody can change it. No matter how you groom your hair, it will
continue to grow. No matter how you oil your body, it will become dry. No matter
how hard you try to remain healthy, you will fall ill.
The world will always go on as it always has. Fill yourself with joy, and stop
worrying about the world. It makes no difference whether you say ‘Sita-Rama’ or
‘Brahman’. They are the same. Your serenity should not be lost. You should even
find lamenting enjoyable! Stay always in a happy frame of mind.
Q. 10. How did Raja Janak attain such a spiritually elevated state without
making any visible sacrifices?
Janak had done great acts of Dharma. He had done many good deeds and Yagyas in
his past lives. As a result, he attained a high level of spirituality. This state did not
drop down from the seventh Heaven for him! He had done a great deal of ºÉÉvÉxÉÉú
saadhanaa (effort for spiritual progress). He reached this state after several lifetimes
of sadhana. So, you should also do sadhana.
You want to get a diamond without paying a groat! My friend, you have to do
something to get something.
If you wish to attain the state Janak had attained, so sadhana as he had done. Why
don’t you declare, ‘I will be Udalaka! I will be Shuka! I will be Narad’? Why do you
seek to obtain something so precious so cheaply? That means, you want to be
dishonest even in {É®ú¨ÉÉlÉÇú paramaartha (the supreme spiritual achievement). You want
to cheat, paying two paise for something that is worth a hundred thousand.
You should do sadhana. Why don’t you say – as Parvati did – VÉxÉ¨É VÉxÉ¨É ±ÉÊMÉ ®úMÉc÷ ½þ¨ÉÉ®úÒ,
¤É®ú=Ä ¶ÉÆ¦ÉÖ xÉ iÉ ®ú½þ>Ä EÖÄò´ÉÉ®úÒú ‘Janama janama lagi ragada hamaaree, baraun shambhu na ta
rahaun kunvaaree’ ? I will attain Bhagwan no matter how many births I have to take.
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Why do you wish to procure things cheaply? You put in so much effort to grow food,
to earn wealth, to please your wife, and bring up your children. Is Bhagwan the
cheapest item for you? My brother, put in some effort for Him, too! If you begin to
do something, you will start enjoying it so much that you won’t be able to give up
your sadhana.
You see, a human being should have proper discipline in his life. All the ºÉÉvÉxÉ
saadhan (methods for spiritual progress) are practical. Sadhans are not Paramartha;
they are for proper worldly interaction. So, our behavior should always be good. We
should be decent and behave with decorum even before we get Gnan. Our behavior
should be even sweeter after we get Gnan. Our behavior should be excellent under all
circumstances.
When people get the feeling that they are at liberty to behave as they like because
they have obtained Gnan, they go on the wrong path, moving towards a downfall. So,
a ºÉi{ÉÖ¯û¹Éú satpurusha (seeker of Bhagwan) should always strive to keep up his sadhana,
starting from the preliminary level of ¶É¨É-nù¨É shama-dama (self restraint and other
disciplines), up to VÉÒ´ÉxÉ ¨ÉÖÎCiÉú jeevan mukti (enlightenment). A seeker of the ultimate
truth should never give up his efforts for spiritual progress.
There is a story in the ‘Tripura Rahasya’. A Raja was doing something improper one
night, when he heard some birds converse as they flew overhead. The birds were
discussing iÉk´É¨ÉÊºÉú ‘tattvamasi’ (the ultimate declaration of the Vedas that establishes
that the Atma and the Brahman are one). The Raja obtained Gnan when he heard
their talk. In the ‘Yoga Vasishtha’, it is said that seven enlightened souls suddenly
gave a sermon, discussing this in the sky, and the Raja heard them and was
enlightened. So, Gnan is º´ÉªÉÆ |ÉEòÉ¶Éú svayam-prakaasha (self evident). But, that doesn’t
mean that our behavior should deteriorate!
I had gone to Jodhpur. A lady used to come for Satsang (spiritual talks). She was
good looking, quite young, and a skillful speaker. Talking to her I got the impression
that she has a good grasp of Vedanta. Her visits increased in frequency and she
would sit close to me. Then the local people told me that she was a prostitute.
‘Maharaj, she discusses Vedanta to justify her behavior. She says that it is not Gnan
until a person feels that everything is the Brahman.’ This was some ten or fifteen
years ago. I don’t know if she is still there.
People thus take the support of the principle of Vedanta, as long as there is some
strength in their body and some desire in their mind. They use the principle of
Vedanta to fulfill desires and justify wrongdoing. Vedanta is not meant to be used to
justify wrongdoing; it is meant to destroy all faults.
When everything is the Brahman, what do you want? Your desire for something
shows that you have a preference for one thing over something else. Then, how can
you say that you have the Gnan that everything is the Paramatma?
The first level of Gnan is, ‘I am separate from everything.’ The second level is,
‘Nothing is separate from me.’ When I am separate from everything, I have the
capacity to give up everything. And, when nothing is separate form me, there is no
need to give up anything. This is how we obtain ºÉ´ÉÉÇi¨ÉÉ-oùÎ¹]õ sarvaatma-drishti – the
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viewpoint that the Atma of all is one. Nobody can become a Gnani by maintaining a
smooth complexion! You have to do sadhan to obtain Gnan.
‘Maharaj, is there a third state?’
Yes, certainly, there is a third state; why not? The third state is ¥ÉÀ bhram – it is the
state of delusion. There is a shloka in the commentary of Dashrupak:
Ê¦ÉIÉÉä ¨ÉÉÆºÉÊxÉ¹Éä´ÉhÉÆ |ÉEÖò¯û¹Éä ËEò iÉäxÉ ¨ÉtÆ Ê´ÉxÉÉ,
ËEò iÉä ¨Ét¨ÉÊ{É Ê|ÉªÉÆ Ê|ÉªÉ¨É½þÉä ´ÉÉ®úRÂóMÉxÉÉÊ¦É: ºÉ½þ:*
´Éä¶ªÉÉ pù´ªÉ¯ûÊSÉ: EÖòiÉºiÉ´É vÉxÉÆ tÚiÉäxÉ SÉÉèªÉæhÉ ´ÉÉ,
SÉÉèªÉÇtÚiÉ{É®úOÉ½þÉä%Ê{É ¦É´ÉÊiÉ xÉ¹]õºªÉ EòÉxªÉÉ MÉÊiÉ:**
Bhiksho maansanishe`vanam prakurushe` kim te`na madyam vinaa,
Kim te` madyamapi priyam priyamaho vaaraanganaabhih saha.
Ve`shyaa dravyaruchih kutastava dhanam dyute`na chaurye`na vaa,
Chauryadyutaparigrahopi bhavatee nashtasya kaanyaa gatih.
Ê¦ÉIÉÉä: ¨ÉÉÆºÉÊxÉ¹Éä´ÉhÉÆ |ÉEÖò{ÉÖ¯û¹Éä?ú ‘Bhiksho maansanishe`vanam prakupurushe` – O beggar, do

you eat meat?’
‘What can I do, Maharaj?’ said the beggar. ‘I eat it, but I don’t enjoy it.’
‘Why is that?’
ËEò iÉäxÉ ¨ÉtÆ Ê´ÉxÉÉ ‘Kim te`na madyam vinaa – if there is no wine to drink with it, there is
no fun in eating meat.’
‘Oh! So you drink wine, too?’
‘Yes, Maharaj. I do take wine and meat. However – ´ÉÉ®úÉRÂóMÉxÉÉÊ¦É: ºÉ½þ: vaaraanganaabhih
sahah – it is much more enjoyable if I have a prostitute with me.’
‘Oh! You also want a prostitute?’
‘Yes, Maharaj! She is very attractive.’
‘But for that, you need money. How will you get all these things without money?’
tÚiÉäxÉ SÉÉèªÉæhÉ ´ÉÉ ‘Dyute`na chaurye`na vaa – how can I get money unless I steal, rob, or
kill?’
‘Oh! You steal things?’
xÉ¹]õºªÉ EòÉxªÉÉ MÉÊiÉ Nashtasya kaanyaa gati – what is left, once you fall from your proper
position?
Q. 11. Is the Grace of the Guru º´ÉiÉ: svatah (automatic)?
Nothing that exists is svatah. The only thing that is self-evident is Brahmagnan. The
knowledge that our essence is the Brahman is the only self-evident factor, nothing
else.
To obtain the Guru’s Grace, we have to serve our Guru and please him. The Guru is
pleased with loving service and he bestows Grace. Else, even the worm and the cow
would be Graced equally. That will be unfair. It will be partiality.
The Grace of the Guru begins to shower automatically on the person who renders
loving service and behaves in accordance to the Guru’s values. Grace does not fall on
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someone who does nothing and whose lifestyle is not in keeping with the Guru’s
ideals.
Actually, the Guru always Graces everybody. The receptacle must be capable of
receiving the Grace. Anandmayee Ma would say, ‘There is a good rainfall, Father,
but what good will it do, if the vessel is upturned? The rain water will simply flow
away.’
Receive the Grace. Make yourself capable of absorbing it.
Q. 12. By what method can we get a Guru?
Become desperate to get a Guru. You should have the same urge to obtain a Guru, as
a hunter has to get his prey, or a Sanyasi has to renounce the world. Shri Tulsidasji
says:
EòÉÊ¨ÉË½þ xÉÉÊ®ú Ê{ÉªÉÉÊ®ú ÊVÉÊ¨É, ±ÉÉäÊ¦ÉË½þ Ê|ÉªÉ ÊVÉÊ¨É nùÉ¨É*
ÊiÉÊ¨É ®úPÉÖxÉÉlÉ ÊxÉ®úxiÉ®ú, Ê|ÉªÉ ±ÉÉMÉ½ÖÄþ ¨ÉÉäÊ½þ ®úÉ¨É**
Kaamihi naari piyaari jimi, lobhihi priya jimi daam,
Timi raghunaatha nirantara, priya laagahu mohi raama.
(Shri Rama, let me love You the way a lustful man loves women, and a greedy man
loves wealth.)
This is the kind of love we should have for Bhagwan. How strong is your longing for
a Guru? In this, you also have to see how ready you are to give up your worldly
desires. If a person is engrossed in the fulfillment of worldly desires, he will not get a
Guru. He will unable to do ºÉÉvÉxÉÉú saadhanaa (effort for spiritual progress). Nor will
he get Bhagwan. Such a person will continue to indulge his impulses until he falls ill.
He will become diseased, and incapable of doing anything. All his pride will vanish.
The day will come when he will be at the mercy of others.
Therefore, it is important to keep the body healthy, the character pure, and the senses
restrained. There should be a universal benevolence. All our actions should be
undertaken after due consideration, and be righteous and appropriate. There should
be no vanity or arrogance.
The Brahman does not have to be cultivated; it is our life that is to be cultivated. If
you build up your character, everything will be developed, but if your character is
spoilt, you can take it that everything is spoilt. For a human being to be a true human
he needs to free himself from the inherent animalism in his nature. People are
inclined to eat, drink, or say anything they feel like. Their hands, face, tongue, and
other organs are unrestrained. This lack of self control blocks our progress in life.
Progress in life means leading a simple life.
No worldly object should be so important that you become agitated for it. People
who say that they will die to fulfill some work – or to gain some sensual pleasure –
can die!
Think of this – someone asked, ‘Should our desires be not so strong that we become
agitated, or should they not arise at all?’
14
My brother, it is not in your control that no desire rises. It is not that the desires that
rise are only of this life. We have the subtle subconscious impressions of past lives,
too. So, desires can certainly rise up at any moment, but they should not be allowed
to overcome our better judgment.
¶ÉCxÉÉäiÉÒ½èþ´É ªÉ: ºÉÉäfÖÆø |ÉÉC¶É®úÒ®úÊ´É¨ÉÉäIÉhÉÉiÉÂ*
EòÉ¨ÉGòÉävÉÉänÂù¦É´ÉÆ ´ÉäMÉÆ ºÉ ªÉÖCiÉ: ºÉ ºÉÖJÉÒ xÉ®ú:** (MÉÒiÉÉ 5,23)
Shaknoteehaiva yah sodhum prakshareeavimokshanaat,
Kaamakrodhodbhavam ve`gam sa yuktah sa sukhee narah.
(Gita 5, 23)
We should have the capacity to withstand the onslaught of desire and anger, if we
want to be happy. It is impossible to say that no desire or anger should ever arise. Is
there anyone who can say which thought will crop up in his mind in the next
moment? Thoughts don’t phone us or make an appointment before coming. They
don’t send a Telegram to warn us, so we cannot block them before they arrive. We
can only block them after they come. The way to block them is to form the habit of
stopping them instead of succumbing to them.
If you truly have a longing for a Guru, develop the habit of controlling your desires.
Attach your love to Bhagwan – you will get your Guru.
Q. 13. What benefit does a person obtain when he gets Tattvagnan (knowledge
of the essence of the Brahman)?
A person who wants to obtain something is not eligible to get Tattvagnan. Only a
person who wants to remove his separate individuality, knowledge, and happiness –
and merge into the Paramatma – is eligible for Tattvagnan.
People want their gross body to become a Maharaja. They want their subtle body to
become Indra, the King of the Devtas, and they want their causal body to remain in
an unbroken Samadhi. They want to retain their individual identity and also be one
with the infinite, non-dual Brahman. That is not possible. It is not given in the Vedas,
or in the Shastras, or in science. Such a person lacks the qualification to obtain
Tattvagnan.
The relationship is bhakti – ‘I belong to Bhagwan and Bhagwan is mine.’ Gnan is
free of relationships. It is absolutely wrong to imagine that you will obtain
Tattvagnan and become a princely individual seated on a ceremonial throne, with
attendants. Or even that you will be established in the bliss of an unbroken Samadhi.
No person who wants to attain an exalted position is eligible for Tattvagnan.
¨ÉÚ±Éä EÖò`öÉ®úÉPÉÉiÉ:
‘Moole` kuthaaraghaatah.’
(This is axing the very roots of enlightenment.)
15
Q. 14. Even if we do not want to enhance our individual position, the ¤ÉÉävÉú bodha
(realization) will manifest in an individual, won’t it?
It is not correct to say that realization dawns to remove the feeling of individuality.
‘Bodha’ is not the proper word – it is merely the removal of +¤ÉÉävÉú abodha (absence of
realization). The birth of a particular realization is not called realization.
Q. When a person’s +YÉÉxÉú agnaana (lack of Gnan) is removed, will it have any
effect on him?
When a person’s agnan is removed, all the effects of agnan in his life are also
removed. That means, he will become free of every unnatural quality that has seeped
into the purity of his mind. Tattvagnan is not for creating something special; it is for
the realization of something that is special.
Q. Maharajji, what is the state of a person who has become free of all the effects
of abodha?
Actually, this is the obstacle that blocks Gnan. People want to be someone special.
Their desire is to become like Brahma, Vishnu or Mahesh, or have some other
special attribute. To be special means to be separate. It means duality. I am giving the
reply at the level the question is asked. If the level is changed, my answer will be
different.
It is impossible to be completely free of ®úÉMÉ-uäù¹É raaga-dve`sha (attachment-aversion).
Unless we get free of our attachments and aversions we will always have special
considerations. We will consider something to be greater and something to be
inferior; something to be good and something to be bad. There will be disputes
regarding the superiority of Brahma, Vishnu or Mahesh. People will argue over ºÉÉEòÉ®úú
saakaara (with form) and ÊxÉ®úÉEòÉ®úú niraakaara (without form). There will be
discussions about which is greater – the +ÊuùiÉÒªÉú adviteeya (non-dual) or uèùiÉú dvaita
(duality). The fact is that attachments and aversions cannot be eradicated until the
delusion of differences is destroyed.
Somebody asked, ‘Does +ÉiªÉÎxiÉEò-ÊxÉ´ÉÞÊkÉ aatyantik-nivritti (total removal of worldly
considerations) mean ¤ÉÉvÉú baadha (negation)?’ You alone know what badh means for
you! People generally form their own interpretations of about words. Only you know
what connotation the word ¤ÉÉvÉ baadha’ has for you. In common usage, it is
interpreted as iÉÖSUô tuchha – insignificant or lowly. All that is different is tuchha.
Doesn’t the meaning of badh become clear when Vishnu Bhagwan goes to the house
of Vrinda, when Brahmaji runs after Saraswati, and Shankar Bhagwan runs after
Mohini – or after Brahmaji – to behead him with his trident? Doesn’t Indra’s going to
the house of Gautam Rishi’s wife make the meaning clear?
Whenever lust, anger or greed are displayed – or pleasure in external objects is
mentioned – what else will it be called, except ‘tuchha’? I don’t say this from the
16
worldly viewpoint; I say it from the viewpoint of the realization of the non-dual
Brahman of the Upanishads.
From the worldly viewpoint, Indra is the King of the Devtas, Brahmaji is the creator
of the whole world, and Shankar Bhagwan causes Dissolution. Who can compare
with them? Who can be as great as them? They are superior to all others. However,
in comparison to the realization of the non-dual Brahman, the best individual and the
best condition is like Narak (Hell). This is the state of Advaita.
What is the beauty of the individual worth? It is something that lasts for three days.
What will your condition be like, if you don’t comb your hair for two weeks, don’t
oil your body for four weeks, and don’t wash your clothes for five weeks? So, the
meaning of badh is tuchha. It refers to something that you can neither call good nor
bad. It is good from one viewpoint, but bad from another. It is good for the lowly, but
bad for the elevated. This is what is called +ÊxÉ´ÉÇSÉxÉÒªÉú ‘anirvachaneeya’ (that, which
cannot be defined).
The fact is that good and bad depends on the viewpoint.
Q. 15. The Taittireeya Upanishad says, iÉ{ÉºÉÉ ¥ÉÀ ‘Tapasaa brahma’. From this it
seems that we have to do iÉ{Éú tapa (asceticism) to develop ÊVÉYÉÉºÉÉú jigyaasaa (a wish
to know the Brahman). Please explain the essence of tapa clearly.
When Brahmaji had his first glimpse of Creation, he realized the unimaginable skill
and artistry of the Ishwara. Then he had the thought that it is the duty of each one of
us to worship the Ishwara. Thinking on these lines, his body became heated, and he
began to perspire. Then he heard the two letters, iÉ-{É, iÉ-{Éú ‘ta-pa, ta-pa.’
Tapa means that we should not provide our senses the objects that they like. On the
contrary, we should let them face some discomfort, like heat. Tapa also means
illumination – |ÉEòÉ¶Éú prakaasha; and warmth – > ¹¨ÉÉ ushmaa. Don’t cool yourself with
the comfort of sense objects. Turn your mind inwards. The more detached you
become from the interactive external world, and give up thinking about worldly
matters – and the more you will focus on the essence of the senses – the more +xiÉ¨ÉÖÇJÉú
antarmukha (facing inwards) you will become.
It seems that our five senses are the cause of the world, because in the path of the
Paramartha (supreme achievement) |ÉEòÉ¶Éú prakaasha and =i{ÉÊkÉú utpatti (birth) are
synonyms. We are to be what Gnan is, and what we are to be, is Gnan! This is why
the Vedic verse says ºÉiªÉÆ YÉÉxÉÆ ‘Satyam gnaanam’ – existence is Gnan.
You stop thinking about external objects; a heat is created. For example, fruit
becomes sweet when it ripened by the heat of the sun. When our mind turns inwards,
our intellect and senses get the power to ripen even raw things, making them sweet.
Even sour things become sweet. So, this word ‘tapa’ is Bhagwan. iÉ{ÉÉä ¥ÉÀú ‘Tapo
brahma’ – tapa is the Brahman.
When we heat milk in a vessel, it thickens gradually, and then it becomes a
sweetmeat. In the same way, when we turn inwards by the power of tapa, our
intellect becomes sweeter. Ultimately it reaches the sweetest of all sweetness –
Bhagwan Himself! So, Bhagwan is the essence of tapa. He neither wants not creates
17
sense objects. He is º´ÉªÉÆ-|ÉEòÉ¶É svayam-prakaasha (self-effulgent) and +ÊuùiÉÒªÉ adviteeya
(non-dual).
So, the more focused our mind and senses are, the closer we will come to the One.
The Brahman is One, so tapa is the best method for knowing that one Brahman, and
for obtaining the experience of His non-dual reality, and become one with Him. Not
only the Taittareeya Upanishad, but various other Upanishads also state that iÉ{ÉºªÉÉ
tapasyaa (asceticism), ºÉiªÉ satya (truth) and Ê´ÉtÉ vidyaa (knowledge) are the methods
for obtaining the Parabrahma Paramatma. Our life is condensed and made complete
by it. Otherwise it flows away like water. This is why it is very important to have
tapa in our life.
Q. 16. I wish to inculcate the maxim, BEòEäò Ê´ÉYÉÉxÉ ºÉä ºÉ´ÉÇEòÉ Ê´ÉYÉÉxÉ ‘E`kake`
vignaanase` sarvakaa vignaana’ (the knowledge of everything through the
knowledge of One) into my life. What should I do?
To achieve this, you should focus on obtaining the knowledge of the One, instead of
focusing on obtaining knowledge about all the things.
Look; there is only one lamp, but it shows all the things in the room. Similarly, there
are many objects, but you know them through the five senses. There are five senses,
but one mind. You get thousand of urges, but the pù¹]õÉ drashtaa (one who sees) or ºÉÉIÉÒ
saakshee (observer) is one.
As soon as the drashtaa is connected in any way to the objects he sees, there is the
subtle ego of being the knower of many things. However, when he remains detached
from them there is nothing to make him conscious of multiplicity. All space, time
and matter that are perceived, are created by the drashtaa.
Where does North begin? Is it on the other side of the Himalayas, or even further
North? Where does the East arise – is it where the sun rises? No, Sir! Neither has the
North arisen anywhere in the North, nor has the East arisen anywhere in the East.
Neither did up start above, nor did down start below. Neither is outside created
outside, nor is inside created inside. It is our own viewpoint that exists as forms,
places and dates in time.
When were the past and the future created? Tell me; on which day were they first
created? Neither was the past ever created, nor will there be an end to the future. A
superimposed center point has been created in consciousness. This is connected to
the +xiÉ:Eò®úhÉ antahkaran (fourfold mind, or subtle body). We see everything as being
separate and different because of this center (our individuality). If there was no
antahkaran superimposed on your pure consciousness you would not even see the
outside world, leave alone the multiplicity in it.
Thus, the presence of this center of individuality is not created by the four directions
or the three tenses. Nor is it the result of consciousness. It is not that consciousness
has resulted in the creation of the past, present and future; or North, South, East and
West. All these are imagined because of +Ê´ÉtÉ avidyaa (ignorance or nescience),
because we do not have the proper knowledge about the essence of consciousness.
18
I am explaining the logic of these points, to endorse what is said by the Shruti
(Vedas). I am not telling you anything that is new. So, Satya and Gnan are one; and
Gnan is Satya. What seems to be real is also Gnan. Satya – this Creation – has no
existence that is separate from Gnan. To establish BEòEäò Ê´ÉYÉÉxÉºÉä +xÉäEòEäò Ê´ÉYÉÉxÉ ‘e`kake`
vignaanase` ane`kaka vignaana’, continue to give up the thought of multiplicity, and
let the One remain.
The more you give up the multiplicity, the closer you will come to the one. In the
beginning there will be millions, then there will be five, and then there will be one.
After that, the separate factors in one will also be removed. The differences are
ºÉVÉÉiÉÒªÉ sajaateeya (of the same group), Ê´ÉVÉÉiÉÒªÉ vijaateeya (of different groups), and
º´ÉMÉiÉ-¦Éänù svagat-bhe`da (within our self). All these will be removed, and you will have
the direct experience of the oneness in which all differences glimmer.
The main purpose of Vedanta is not to give the knowledge of the cause and effect.
Cause and effect contain the imagined factors of space, time and matter. The main
purpose of Vedanta is to remove the impression that these differences are real.
Therefore, giving up the belief that multiple objects exist is iªÉÉMÉäxÉèEòä +¨ÉÞiÉi´É¨ÉÉxÉºÉÖ:
‘tyaage`naike` amritatvamaanasuh.’ Here, tyaaga means the knowledge that makes
you give up the illusion that multiplicity is real. That is what Vedanta wants us to
achieve.
Q. 17. A person’s distress can be caused by his attachment for the world, or for
Bhagwan. Please tell us whether {ÉÉ{É paapa (past sins) are the cause of both, or
whether the distress caused by attachment for Bhagwan is caused by |Éä¨É pre`ma
(pure love) and {ÉÖhªÉ punya (past good deeds).
You see, the boundaries of paapa and punya are limited to actions that come under
Dharma. An action recommended by Dharma is punya and an action forbidden by
Dharma is paapa.
To weep for Bhagwan is not the fruit of past sins. When a person does good deeds
over countless lifetimes his punya accumulates, and purifies his +xiÉ:Eò®úhÉ antahkaran
(fourfold mind or subtle body), and a longing to obtain Bhagwan is the result.
To tell you the truth, a yearning for Bhagwan is not even the fruit of punya. It is
Bhagwan’s +xÉÖOÉ½þ anugraha (Grace). The inner purity – obtained through past good
deeds – is the cause of Bhagwan’s anugraha. Therefore –
nÖù:ºÉ½þ|É¹`öÊ´É®ú½þiÉÒµÉiÉÉ{ÉvÉÖiÉÉ¶ÉÖ¦ÉÉ:*
vªÉÉxÉ|ÉÉ{iÉÉSªÉÖiÉÉ¶±Éä¹ÉÊxÉ´ÉÞÇiªÉÉ IÉÒhÉ¨ÉRÂóMÉ±ÉÉ:**
iÉ¨Éä´É {É®ú¨ÉÉi¨ÉÉxÉÆ VÉÉ®ú¤ÉÖrùªÉÉÊ{É ºÉRÂóMÉiÉÉ:*
VÉ½ÖþMÉÖÇhÉ¨ÉªÉÆ näù½Æþ ºÉt:|ÉIÉÒhÉ¤ÉxvÉxÉÉ:**
Duhsahapre`shthavirahateevrataapadhutaashubhaah,
Dhyaanapraaptaachyutaashle`shanirvrityaa ksheenamagalaah.
Tame`va paramaatmaanam jaarabuddhyaapi sangataah,
Juhurgunamayam de`ham sadyahpraksheenabandhanaah.
19
All the three types of misfortunes – +ÉvªÉÉÎi¨ÉEò aadhyaatmika (metaphysical), +ÉÊvÉnèùÊ´ÉEò
aadhidaivika (caused by divine forces), and +ÉÊvÉ¦ÉÉèÊiÉEò aadhibhautika (caused by
nature) got together one day. They wanted to see the extent of the Ê´É®ú½þ viraha
(anguish of separation) experienced by a bhakta at being separated from Bhagwan.
They wanted to see if it was greater than the anguish they had the power to inflict.
When they saw the intensity of the suffering of the gopis, they began to tremble with
fear. ‘Oh, even our combined onslaught cannot inflict such suffering!’ they said.
Therefore, the sorrow of being separated form Bhagwan takes the antahkaran to the
state of +ÎMxÉxÉªÉ ºÉÖ{ÉlÉÉ®úÉªÉä agninaya supathaaraye`’ or, +ÎMxÉ¨ÉÒ±Éä {ÉÖ®úÉÊä ½þiÉÆ ‘agnimeele`
purohitam’ (purifies and elevates the antahkaran just as fire purifies all that is put
into it and send it upwards). This enables the person to obtain Bhagwan.
Actually, the anguish of being separated from Bhagwan is the greatest fire that
destroys the external world that we perceive because of our +YÉÉxÉ agnaana (lack of
Gnan). A person who feels no sorrow at being separated from Bhagwan will never
get the joy of obtaining Him. Therefore, the ecstasy of obtaining Bhagwan is
obtained only through the pain of separation.
And, when the gopis meditated on Shri Krishna and He manifested in their
meditation and embraced them, the same three types of happiness were totally unable
to match the degree of bliss felt by the gopis. They paled by comparison. No worldly
happiness can compare with the ecstasy that one moment’s meditation can give.
So, no worldly sorrow, and no worldly joy has the power to destroy worldly
tendencies and worldly constraints. Only Bhagwan – for whom the bhakta feels
sorrow and joy – has that power. Bhagwan sits astride that sorrow, or happiness,
when it is attached to Him. He annihilates all worldly considerations. That is why it
is said, xÉÉ´ÉºiÉÖ ¶ÉÎCiÉ Ê½þ ¤ÉÖÊrù +{ÉäIÉiÉä ‘naavastu shakti hi buddhi ape`kshate`’ – the power of
the object has no need of the intellect.
The ´ÉÞiªÉÉ°ügø SÉèiÉxªÉ vrittyaaroodha chaitanya (the consciousness that is carried upon the
urge) removes agnan. ´ÉÞÊkÉ Vritti (the urge) is caused by agnan; it does not remove
agnan. Similarly, vritti does not carry us to Bhagwan. Bhagwan abides in the ¦ÉMÉ´ÉnùÉEòÉ®ú
´ÉÞÊkÉ bhagavadaakaara vritti (the urge for Bhagwan) and He removes all sorrows, and
grants every happiness.
Q. 18. I have heard you say that you do not approve of +É±ÉºÉÒ aalasi (indolent or
idle) people. Bhagwan says, xÉÊ½þ EòÎ¶SÉiIÉhÉ¨ÉÊ{É VÉÉiÉÖ ÊiÉ¹`öiªÉEò¨ÉÇEòÞ iÉÂ ‘Nahi
kashchitkshanamapi jaatu tishthatyakarmakrit.’ (Nobody can stay idle for even a
minute.) Then, what is the meaning of the word ‘aalasi’?
Grammatically, the word ¶ÉÉä¦ÉÉ ‘shobhaa’ (beauty) comes from the root ±ÉºÉ ‘lasa’.
Lasa is the same as ®úºÉ ‘rasa’ (sweetness). So, xÉ ±ÉºÉ: ‘na lasah’ or xÉ ®úºÉ: ‘na rasah’ (no
sweetness) becomes +É±ÉºÉ: ‘aalasah’. A person who does not find rasa in Bhagwan is
aalasi. A person who is prepared to jump into the sea – or jump across the sky – to
obtain Bhagwan, is not aalasi. To him, every moment of separation seems like an
20
age. We need to take a mad leap into the ocean, for Bhagwan. We must jump into the
sea of ¦ÉMÉ´ÉnÂù ®úºÉ bhagvad rasa (the sweetness of Bhagwan). Until we do this, we are fit
to be called aalasi. The fact is that this Bhagwan – who is the essence of rasa – is in
our own Atma. And, the one who is immersed in Him is rasa; he is lasa. Lasa and
rasa mean the same thing.
The aalasi of the Gita is different. Here, you are told, ‘Don’t think, don’t move, and
don’t talk.’ This aalasa means to be one with the Paramatma. It only comes into the
life of some Tattvagya (enlightened Saint).
EòkÉÇ´ªÉnÖù:JÉ¨ÉÉiÉÇhb÷V´ÉÉ±ÉÉnùMvÉÉxiÉ®úÉi¨ÉxÉÉ*
Karttivyadukhamaartandajvaalaadagdhaantaraatmanaa.
As long as you are weighed down by the burden of duties and obligations, you will
not be able to focus on the Paramatma. The fact is that the burden of duty comes only
when the person looks at the interactive world.
Out duty towards the Paramatma is in the form of withdrawing from worldly
considerations, whereas our worldly duties are in the form of worldly activities.
There is a difference. The activities of the senses and the mind are different when
they are for the external world, and different when they are for the inner world.
Q. 19. I am a MÉÞ½þºlÉ ºÉÉvÉÖ grahastha saadhoo (a married householder with an

inclination for renunciation). My worldly attachments and aversions are
weakened, as my ºÉÉvÉxÉÉ saadhanaa (efforts for spiritual progress) increases. I no
longer feel like remaining at home. What should I do?
Do you want to follow your own inclinations, or do you want to remove the
inclination and do what a superior tells you to do?
Today, your mind is telling you to give up worldly activities. What will you do
tomorrow, if your mind tells you to get involved in worldly activities? If your
intellect gives you the proper guidance, it is fine; but if not, you should discuss the
matter with someone more knowledgeable, before taking a decision. Don’t study a
subject you can’t understand on your own, if you are not prepared to receive
guidance.
Hence, when you have some doubts, you should take the advice of someone who has
a better understanding of these matters. You do not really know your own capacity.
You are unaware of the Ê´ÉEòÉ®ú vikaara (mental distortions) and ºÉÆºEòÉ®ú sanskaara (subtle
subconscious impressions). It is not that people are bound by only their vikaras; they
are also bound by their sanskaras.
I know thousands of people – I am personally acquainted with them – who are not
troubled by the bonds of vikaras; they are troubled by their sanskaras! Only a person
who is free of both vikaras and sanskaras – who can detached himself from both –
can see whether his life is dominated by which, and what he should do to free himself
from the bonds they create for him.
21
When the bonds of sanskaras become very strong, the person becomes eligible for
ÊxÉ´ÉÞÊkÉ nivritti (withdrawal form worldly considerations). At present, if the bonds of
vikaras are very strong, the person should follow the Brahmacharya Ashram (the
stage of a celibate student), the Grihastha Ashram (the stage of the married
householder), or the Vanaprastha Ashram (the stage of retiring from the world and
turning towards God). The Ashram system is for removing the vikaras. The Sanyas
Ashram (renouncing the world) is for removing the sanskaras. iªÉÉMÉäxÉèEòä +¨ÉÞiÉi´É¨ÉÉxÉºÉÖ:
‘Tyaage`naike` amritatvamaanasuh’ – it is not possible to obtain the +¨ÉÞiÉi´É amritatva
(liberation) without iªÉÉMÉ tyaaga (renunciation).
Q. 20. If I sit down to do bhajan (sing devotional songs) my mind wanders. But
when I stop doing bhajan, I can concentrate and enjoy other activities. My |ÉÉhÉ
praana (life spirit) is being wasted. What should I do?
It is like this, you see, that our mind is of two kinds – ºÉè±ÉÉxÉÒ sailaanee and ¨ÉÖ¶iÉÊEò±É
mushtakila. The mushtakila mind does not shift from its place, but the sailani mind
jumps around like a monkey.
There are two possibilities in this. One is that your mind becomes so detached that it
leaves the world and clings to Bhagwan alone. Or else, it becomes so active that it
sees Bhagwan in everyone. It sees the Paramatma in everything.
Actually, the mind is our obedient servant. The Jeeva (Atma attached to a body) is
not a small thing. The whole world is made of the five elements. We perceive
everything through our five senses. Our mind is superior to them all. The Surya
Devta (the Sun) enables our eyes to see. The Devtas are greater than the mind and the
antahkaran (subtle body), and the Jeeva is greater than the Devtas. The Paramatma is
greater than the Jeeva.
Ê´É¹ÉªÉ Eò®úhÉ ºÉÖ®ú VÉÒ´É ºÉ¨ÉäiÉÉ*
ºÉEò±É BEò iÉå BEò ºÉSÉäiÉÉ**
ºÉ¤É Eò®ú {É®ú¨É |ÉEòÉ¶ÉEò VÉÉä<Ç*
®úÉ¨É +xÉÉÊnù +´ÉvÉ{ÉÊiÉ ºÉÉä<Ç**
Vishaya karana sura jeeva same`taa,
Sakala e`ka te` e`ka sache`taa.
Saba kara param prakaashaka joyee,
Raama anaadi avadhapati soyee.
Bhagwan Rama is the greatest of all. So, connect your mind gradually to Bhagwan
through Satsang (spiritual discourses). This, however, is possible only if you have a
Sadguru (true Guru) and he showers Grace on you. It is true that you are greater than
your mind, but you have made your mind the ruler. Actually, the mind is your
servant.
When Shri Hari Babaji went for a walk, he would place his hand on his chest. He
would walk for two or three miles, but his hand would not move form its place. It
was not allowed to move without his permission. Just as our hand obeys our will, our
22
mind should also obey our will. Don’t allow your mind to rule your actions. Make
your mind follow your instructions.
I will tell you something that is quite common. I had a friend who was an officer in
the Distillery Department. He was so submissive to his servant that he did whatever
the servant told him to do. His servant dictated all his decisions and policies.
I asked him, ‘My brother, why have you become the slave of your servant?’
‘Babaji,’ he said, ‘what am I to tell you? This servant is my wife, he is my son, he is
my brother and he is my friend. When I take a bribe, it is through him, I send him to
get drinks for me, all my wrong-doings are done with his help. I have become a
puppet in his hands. I do whatever he tells me to do.’
So, when we become enslaved by our mind and follow its dictates instead of ruling
over it, we become the servant and the mind becomes the master. This is the beigest
fault in our life. So much so, that even with regard to the mantra, the disciple tells the
Guru, ‘Maharaj, I will do the VÉ{É japa (ritual chanting) of this mantra, and this deity
will be my Ishtadev. Please instruct me accordingly.’
This will not help you to control your mind. Your mind will control you, and its
strength will increase. Do you have the power to control your inclinations? If your
Guru tells you to meditate upon another deity, or gives you another mantra, can you
follow his instructions? It is at such a time that you can see how much control you
actually have over your mind. There should be no laxity in this matter. Don’t be
dictated by your mind; make you mind obey your will.
There remains the point of thinking constantly about Bhagwan. An unbroken focus is
a remote dream! Let your mind remain steady on Bhagwan for just one minute in
time, one inch in space, and one grain in matter. Can you keep your mind steady for
one minute? Do you have the capacity to stop your mind from moving away from
this neem tree, for just one minute? Can you keep it steady for even one second?
So, Narayana! You should gradually pray to Bhagwan for this, and you should
practice keeping your mind controlled. You should observe the faults that are
inherent in worldly objects. The mind becomes steady through regular practice,
Bhagwan’s Grace, and the Guru’s blessings. It does not become steady by mere talk!
Nor can you control it by talking about it. A resolute, regular practice is necessary to
attach the mind to Bhagwan.
¶ÉÖ¦ÉÉ¶ÉÖ¦ÉÉ¦ªÉÉ¨ÉÂ ¨ÉÉMÉÉÇ¦ªÉÉ¨ÉÂ ´É½þÎxiÉ*
{ÉÉè¯û¹ÉähÉ |ÉªÉixÉäxÉ ªÉÉäVÉxÉÒªÉÉ ¶ÉÖ¦Éä ¨ÉÊiÉ*
Shubhaashbhaabhyaam maargaabhyaam vahanti,
Paurushe`na prayatne`na yojaneeyaa shubhe` mati.
Take your thoughts on the road to Bhagwan. Read about Him, listen to sermons, see
Him, pray to Him, and take refuge in Him. If you feel defeated, fall at His feet.
A cuckoo told her baby, ‘If an eagle pounces on you and you fall on the ground close
to death, raise your beak upwards. Don’t drink the water on the ground. If you want
to drink water, drink Bhagwan’s (rain) water.’
This is how we have to gradually immerse our mind in Bhagwan. This is not child’s
play. Don’t expect your mind to be immersed in Bhagwan in a day. You can’t ask
23
why it doesn’t remain fixed on Him! It is difficult for the mind to remain steady for
even five minutes.
If you practice diligently, you know that a diligent effort can even leave a mark on
stone. Your mind will gradually become immersed in Bhagwan.
Q. 21. Is there any difference in the essence of the son of Yashoda and Nanda,
and Shri Krishna?
There is no difference in the essence of Bhagwan and Bhagwan. The difference is in

the feelings of the bhaktas. Some bhaktas consider the Lord of Vaikuntha (the land of
Vishnu Bhagwan) to be the {ÉÚhÉÇ ¥ÉÀ poorna brahma (the Absolute Brahman), some
consider it to be Narayana, and some consider it to be Shri Krishna. The Ishwara is
one; the Jeeva (Atma attached to bodies) are many.
One day Bhagwan was thinking about how His ®úºÉ rasa (sweetness) could be
increased. He saw that His rasa was total. There was no scope for increasing it
anywhere in space, time or matter.
Then Bhagwan thought, ‘Very well; the rasa cannot be increased, but those who
drink the sweetness can be increased.’
So, it is like someone having a yellow sherbet and someone having a red sherbet. The
water is the same, the taste is the same, but the appearance is different. Similarly,
Bhagwan manifests in different forms to satisfy the desires of His bhaktas and grant
them the bliss of having an experience of Him.
Bhagwan assumes different forms to satisfy His bhaktas. To those who believe in
Goloka, He appears as Shri Krishna. To those who believe in Saket, He appears as
Shri Rama. To those who believe in Vaikuntha, He appears as Vishnu Bhagwan.
There is no difference in the essence of the forms He takes. None is greater and none
is lesser.
There is nobody who is Bhagwan’s equal, or His superior. If you see from one angle,
Bhagwan has no father and no grandfather, no brother and no son. Nobody else has
His power and glory. So, He manifests in many forms to give a special joy to His
bhaktas, and His bhaktas can then experience His divine sweetness.
You should not go into the intricacies of greater and lesser. You should meditate on
the Ishtadev given by your Guru, and do the japa of the mantra he has given you.
You should have full faith that this is the Bhagwan who is the greatest, the Absolute.
Our Ishtadev is the purport of all the Vedas. He is the purport of the Vedas, Itihases,
Puranas and other spiritual texts. We should do His bhajan.
If you start seeking the greater, there is no end to it. You can’t find the limits of even
the North-South, or the East-West. You can’t find the limits of the sky. Then, how
can you find the limits of the Atmadev who is the inner consciousness and inner
space? So, give up the thought of greater and lesser. No one is greater than Bhagwan.
He is great, He is small, He is the Atma, and He is the Devta we worship. ‘Whatever
exists is my Prabhu (Ishwara),’ is the feeling with which you should sit to worship
your Ishtadev.
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Q. 22. Are the ‘Anand Ramayana’ and ‘Adbhut Ramayana’ |ÉÉ¨ÉÉÊhÉEò praamaanik
(authoritative) books? How can we accept it as an authoritative representation
when Ravana is portrayed as a good man?
The ‘Adbhut Ramayana’ lays special stress on the character of Shri Sitaji Maharani.
It is a book that belongs to the Shakta Sect (who worship the Almighty as the Devi).
In this, Shri Janaki Maharani is even more powerful than Shri Rama. When Shri
Rama is unable to kill Ravana, it is Shri Janakiji who goes and kills him. So, the
worshippers of the different Sects should follow these books accordingly. I have no
objection to them. If Bhagwan wants to change, He will do so.
Regarding the ‘Anand Ramayana’ – this, too, is a very straightforward and beautiful
book. It has many episodes that can be understood and appreciated by even rustic and
uneducated people. It style is simple and homely.
When a book is meant to establish something, that object is called the |É¨ÉäªÉ ‘prame`ya’
(that, which is proved). What does |ÉÉ¨ÉÉÊhÉEò praamaanika mean? It means that the
prameya has been properly established. The purpose of the Anand Ramayana is to
establish the incomparable love of Shri Sita-Rama. It contains amazing stories about
the birth of Dashrath and Kaushalya, how they were put into caskets and thrown into
different rivers, and how the caskets landed up on the same sandy bank at the
confluence of the rivers. Then, the caskets were opened and Brahmaji got the two
infants married. Ravana knew that Brahmaji had preordained that he would be killed
by the son born to Kaushalya and Dashrath, so he separated them at birth. Instead,
they were found on the first day and were married.
Later on, there is a story that when Shri Ramachandra went to His in-laws place,
there was much revelry. At times, the people of Janakpur would visit Ayodhya, and
enact dramas.
There is a story about a dispute between Ramadas and Krishnadas, as to whether Shri
Rama is greater or Shri Krishna is greater. As soon as Shri Krishna was called, He
manifested with His black blanket and stout staff, His body covered with dust. Oh!
Krishnadas was declared to have great spiritual power.
After a long time, a large troop of soldiers came, followed by a crowd. They were
calling out, ¸ÉÒ ®úÉ¨ÉSÉxpùEòÒ VÉªÉ ½þÉä ‘Shree raamachandrakee jai ho.’ (Victory to Shri
Ramachandra.) Ramadas was deeply offended. He told Shri Ramachandra, ‘You
have humiliated me today! I was defeated because of Your late arrival! I will never
talk to You!’
Shri Ramachandra said, ‘My brother, Krishnadas called out to Gopal, the one who
has a black blanket. I was grazing the cows close by, so I appeared at once. You,
however, called out to the Emperor who has all the magnificence, so I had to give
orders, get the chariots, horses and elephants decorated, dress up, and only then could
I make My appearance!’ These are wonderful stories. I suggest you read and savor
them.
25
The purpose of reading stories about Bhagwan is not to investigate their authenticity.
Shri Ramachandra has an infinite number of forms. ®úÉ¨ÉSÉÊ®úiÉ ¶ÉiÉ-EòÉäÊ]õ +{ÉÉ®úÉ
‘Ramacharita shata-koti apaaraa’. There are innumerable ages and universes, in
which Bhagwan takes Avatars, and there are innumerable stories about His Avatars.
You should not feel surprised, nor doubt any of them.
There is an event in one Brahmanda (universe) at different times. Kagbhusundiji saw
millions of Brahmandas inside Shri Ramachandra’s stomach. Can you find out,
among the many Brahmandas that are constantly being created and destroyed, which
Brahmanda we are in, at this moment?
So, Narayana, Bhagwan’s ±ÉÒ±ÉÉ leelaa (sport) is always established. It takes place in
some world, at some time. It is not worth accepting the viewpoint of immature
novices. We should accept the viewpoint of our ancient Sanatan Dharma.
Q. 23. Indra and the other Devtas are smaller than the Jeeva (Atma attached to
a body). Then, why is it that we are supposed to worship them?
It is because we have desires! It is written in the Ramcharitmanas, ºÉEò±ÉºÉÉ®ú ºÉÖ®ú º´ÉÉlÉÔ

‘Sakalasaara sura svaarathee.’ All the Devtas are selfish. They are the servants of
the <ÎxpùªÉ indriya (senses). They are constantly engrossed in satisfying the senses.
Bhagwan is the only one we should worship. The descriptions of Bhagwan’s
greatness, and the power of His name, have been given to show us that it is only He –
not the Devtas – who is worthy of worship. When even a single Devtas has the power
to grant you some boon, think of what you can obtain by worshipping Bhagwan!
The Ramcharitmanas has not spared even Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, leave alone
other Devtas. It is mentioned in several places that Bhagwan Shri Rama is greater
than Vishnu Bhagwan.
However, this does not mean that Vishnu Bhagwan is smaller. It means that our
worship should be offered to our Ishtadev (chosen form of worship). In our worship,
our Ishtadev is our all in all. The man we are married to is our husband, even though
all men are men. Our Guru is our Guru, even though there are many Gurus. The
purpose of ºÉÉvÉxÉÉ saadhanaa (effort for spiritual progress) is to tie our mind to the
One.
Q. 24. What is the feeling that lies at the bottom of +ÉSÉÉªÉÉæ{ÉÉºÉxÉÉ

aachaaryopaasanaa (worship of the Acharya)?
Gnandevji has written several pages on the subject of worshipping the Guru. In his
opinion, it means to ={É ‘upa’ (close to) +ÉºÉxÉ ‘aasana’ (the seat) – place your mat of
worship close to your Guru. Your Guru applies sandal paste to Bhagwan, so you stay
close to him. Your Guru dresses Bhagwan in beautiful garments; remain close to
him. Try to reach the level of your Guru’s depth of love and devotion.
We are not to emerge from within and sit in the external world. We are to withdraw
into our heart, then into the inner world, and then into our Self. When we sit in our
26
Self, we are closer to the Ishwara, and the closer we are to Him, the closer we sit to
our Guru.
It is a very broad perception, caused by our selfishness, to consider the Guru and the
Ishwara to be separate. If the interest of the Guru and the disciple is one, they will
also be one.
Q. 25. The gopis lived in the Grihastha Ashram (the stage of a married
householder), and yet they are the ideal for even the Sanyasis (Monks). What is
their greatness?
The |Éä¨É pre`ma (pure love) of the gopis is described to tell us how to have pure love
for Bhagwan. What should pure love be like? It should be like the love of the gopis.
Their physical beauty was precious to them because it was for their Beloved; not for
their own ego.
The meaning of this is that they had offered up their all to Shri Krishna. They lived
for Him, not for themselves. As long as a gopi lives for herself, she is not a gopi. The
gopis are considered the ideal in prema because their Ê|ÉªÉiÉÉ priyataa (endearing
quality) is not for themselves; it is for their Beloved.
In Sanskrit, Ê|ÉªÉiÉÉ ‘priyataa’ means iÉÞÎ{iÉ ‘tripti’ (satisfaction). Ê|ÉªÉ iÉ{ÉÇhÉä ‘Priya tarpane`’.
The gopis don’t derive satisfaction from combing their hair and beautifying
themselves, or in eating good food and enjoying robust health. Their satisfaction lies
in doing whatever pleases Shri Krishna.
The gopis did not place their satisfaction and pleasure in themselves. They placed
them in Shri Krishna. This can be done only when the Atma is one. If there is the
slightest feeling of being separate, personal satisfaction will be in some other object;
not in the Self.
Complete satisfaction will be in ourselves only when the object of our love is wholly
our own. If he does not belong to us completely, the prema will not be complete
either. It is not prema for the body to die; nor is it prema to remember or talk about
someone. In this, there is a degree of forced effort. No effort is needed in pure love,
because prema is natural; it is effortless.
ªÉÉ {É¶ªÉÎxiÉ Ê|ÉªÉÆ º´É{xÉä vÉxªÉÉ ºÉÉ ºÉÊJÉ*
Yaa pashyanti priyam svapne` dhanyaa saa sakhi.
The sakhi (lady friend) who sees the Beloved in her dream is most fortunate!
+º¨ÉÉEÆò iÉÖ MÉiÉä EÞò¹hÉä MÉiÉÉ ÊxÉpù ´ÉèÊ®úhÉÒ*
Asmaakam tu gate` krishne` gataa nidraa vairinee.
When Shri Krishna left us, sleep left us too.

Prema is natural. It cannot be enforced through µÉiÉ vrata (certain days of abstinence),
iÉ{É tapa (asceticism), or ={É´ÉÉºÉ upavaasa (fasting).
Prema is for going within. That means, it takes something that is outside, into the
heart. Until the person experiences Ê´ÉªÉÉäMÉ viyoga (the pain of being separated from the
27
Beloved), he will not reach the innermost state of ºÉÆªÉÉäMÉ sanyoga (union). Prema is the
essence of our Atma, and so it is not whole when it goes into the outside world. It is
whole when the person comes into the heart.
People who consider themselves to be a body made of bones, flesh and skin believe
prema to be fulfilled when they obtain another person. When people consider
themselves to be the pure, naked Atma, their prema has no divisions of bone, flesh
and skin, no |ÉÉhÉ praana (life spirit), no desires, no mental distortions, no waking up
and no sleeping. {ªÉÉºÉ EòÉä ½þÒ °ü{É ¨ÉÉxÉÉä {ªÉÉ®úÒ VÉÚEòÉä °ü{É ½èþ ‘Pyaasa hee ko roopa maano
pyaaree jooko roopa hai.’ (Shri Radharani is the personification of a thirst for Shri
Krishna).
Prema remains incomplete so long as the lover and the Beloved retain their separate
identities. This is why, when a |Éä¨ÉÒ pre`mi (lover) goes on loving until she becomes
one with the Beloved, only then is the prema fulfilled. They are unaware of the
passing of time. The love of Shri Krishna-Radha is eternal. xÉ +ÉÊnù xÉ +xiÉ Ê´É½þÉ®ú Eò®èú nùÉä=
‘Na aadi na anta, vihaara karai dou.’ (There is no beginning and no end to their
frolicking together in time.) ±ÉÉ±É Ê|ÉªÉÉ¨Éå ¦É<Ç xÉ ÊSÉx½þÉ®úÒ ‘Laala priyaamein bhayee na
chinhaaree’ – they do not really know each other, because prema turns the lover into
the Beloved, and the Beloved becomes the lover.
This is something we see clearly in the world. When we believe that someone loves
us sincerely, our love for that person increases. However, when we realize that his
love is not genuine, our love for him reduces. Our love is increased when we feel he
loves us more, and our love is decreased when we feel that he loves us less. It is a
rule in prema that the more love you see in the other, the more your love will
increase.
Q. 26. Is there any such ÊxÉ¹`öÉ nishthaa (firm faith) where the disciple does not
place any questions to the Guru?
Yes, such a nishtha is considered to be a very elevated nishthaa. There was a Lama in
Tibet. He was the highest kind of Fakir (mendicant). He was not a Sanyasi (Monk),
nor was he a Vaishnav. He was a carefree man of God who had only two possessions
– his bÆ÷b÷ danda (staff) and Eò¨Éhb÷±ÉÖ kamandalu (a vessel). He had no third possession.
People believed that his danda and kamandalu contained his ÊºÉÊrù siddhi (supernatural
powers); that his Atma was in these two objects. The person who had true love for
him would inherit these when he passed away.
The village rustic came to him one day. The man was uneducated and quite dull
mentally. ‘Maharaj,’ he said, ‘please give me some task by which I can serve you.’
‘Go and pound the grain, and give rice to the poor,’ said the Mahatma.
The man went to the room behind the place the Mahatma sat, and began to pound the
grain and distribute the rice to the poor. After that day, he did not come before the
Mahatma; neither to bow down, nor to ask any question. He would just go to the
back room and do his work.
28
A time came when the Mahatma grew very old. People said that the time had come
for the Mahatma to decide who would inherit his danda and kamandalu. It was
decided that his disciples should write an essay on ‘This is the essence of Paramartha
(the supreme achievement)’. After the essays were read, it would be decided who
was the most worthy to receive these treasures.
Hundreds of people wrote essays in the hope of getting the danda and kamandalu.
One youth walked passed the rustic reading an essay aloud. ‘What is this, my
brother?’ asked the rustic.
‘Someone has written this essay,’ replied the youth. ‘Guruji will give his danda and
kamandalu to the person who writes the best essay. He will get all Guruji’s spiritual
powers.’
‘I also want to write an essay,’ said the rustic. ‘However, I don’t know how to write.
If you agree, I will speak and you please write what I say.’ The youth agreed.
In the rustic’s essay it was written, ‘There is no other Devta, and there is no nùÉxÉÒ
daanee (giver of alms). There is no other ±ÉÉäEò loka (world) and no {É®úÉ±ÉÉäEò paraloka
(world after death). There is no Swarga (Heaven) and no Narak (Hell). There is no
Ishwara, no Parameshwara, no Atma, and no Brahman. Whatever is, is. There is no
need to give it a name, or to decide what its form is.’
The youth went to the meeting and said, ‘This mad man has made me write an essay
for him.’ When the essay was read out, it was unanimously declared to be the most
superior essay. Guruji handed over his danda and kamandalu to the rustic and
disappeared.
Hence, it is an indication of a feeling of lacking something, when we place our faith
in any other – whether it is wealth, Dharma, sensual indulgences, or Moksha
(liberation form rebirth). Having faith in anything, except our essence, is a sign of
being incomplete. It exposes our feeling of lacking something.
Q. 27. What is the story behind the practice of doing Laxmi Puja (worshipping
the goddess Laxmi, who bestows prosperity and Grace) and lighting lamps at
Dewali?
You see, I forget the stories. These stories are meant to explain some principle,
usually connected to worldly benefits.
We see that thousands of lamps are lit, and we know that the essence of the flame in
them is one. VªÉÉäÊiÉ¹ÉÉ¨ÉÂ VªÉÉäÊiÉ®äúEÆò ‘Jyotishaam jyotire`kam’ – there is one light that shines
in all the lamps. The flames are different, but the iÉäVÉÉä näù´ÉiÉÉ te`jo de`vtaa - the divine
effulgence in them all is one.
So, Dewali is meant to explain to us that the essence of the Paramatma is one,
although there are many physical forms. It is like the brightness that is one in all the
flames. The lamps symbolize bodies, and the flame symbolizes the Atma – the
consciousness – in the different physical forms. VªÉÉäÊiÉ¹ÉÉ¨ÉÊ{É iÉVVªÉÉäÊiÉ: ‘Jyotishaamapi
tajjyotih’ – the jyoti (effulgence) of the jyoti (flame) is one and the same, in all
lamps.
29
The fruit of this Gnan is the lessening of ®úÉMÉ-uäù¹É raaga-dve`sha (attachments-
aversions). You will not favor anyone, you will not be blinded to anyone’s faults, or
be bound to anyone. You will not hate anyone, nor will you burn with envy. You will
have the personal experience of the Paramatma. You will get a vision of the Ishwara.
Q. 28. Shri Ganeshji is called ‘Gajanana’. Were elephants created before

Ganeshji?
There is no before and after in ºÉÞÎ¹]õ srishti (Creation). Creation is +xÉÉÊnù anaadi
(without a beginning), and it is ÊxÉiªÉ nitya (everlasting), because it has always existed.
It is not that Ganeshji was born on a particular day. Like the Ishwara, the interactive
world, and the countless universes, Ganeshji has always existed. So, it is not proper
to wonder whether Ganeshji was born earlier or later.
People have different concepts about time. The Jains consider time to be an element.
The Buddhists don’t, because they are Ê´ÉYÉÉxÉ´ÉÉnù vignaanavaada (believe in the
principle that Gnan is the ultimate reality) and ¶ÉÚxªÉ´ÉÉnù shoonyavaada (that there is
nothing but a vacuum). The Nyaya-vaisheshiks accept time to be an element.
Sankhya and Yoga consider time to be the tendency of the ¨É½þiÉk´É mahatattva (the
supreme essence). Followers of the Mimansa philosophy say that time is an element,
whereas the Kashmiri Shaivas believe time to be the exuberance of the Atma. They
believe that time is not separate from the Atma.
Therefore, when time is seen through some factor that is superimposed (on the
substratum of the Brahman), it is fragmented. However, if seen without the
considerations of matter it becomes an eternal, unbroken essence.
Unbroken time is the form of the Brahman, and fragmented time is the form of the
world. The ´ÉèªÉÉEò®úhÉ vaiyaakaran (science of language) does not accept time to be an
independent element. They believe it is dependent on human resolves. +Îº¨ÉxÉÂ ºÉ¨ÉªÉä
Asmin samaye` (at this time), +Îº¨ÉxÉÂ ªÉÖMÉä asmin yuge` (in this era), is also possible, and
+Îº¨ÉxÉÂ ´É¹Éæ asmin varshe` (in this year), and +Îº¨ÉxÉÂ IÉhÉä asmin kshane` (at this moment) is
also possible. Here, the word ‘asmin’ does not mean only a particular time; it refers
to the time in the heart of the one who is speaking. So, the feeling you have at present
is an imagined beginning of time and its eternal flow; it is a constant feeling that
people have always felt. It is just as Ganesh has always existed and Ganesh has
always been born, and He has always been worshipped.
ªÉ½þ ºÉÖÊxÉ ºÉÆ¶ÉªÉ Eò®ú½Öþ ¨ÉiÉ ºÉÖ®ú +xÉÉÊnù VÉÒªÉ VÉÉÊxÉ*
Yaha suni sanshaya karahu mata sura anaadi jeeya jaani.
Know that the Devtas are +xÉÉÊnù anaadi (without a beginning). The Devtas are not
born, or created, in a point in time. The stories of the Puranas are helpful in getting a
proper understanding about this. This is a philosophical subject, and the stories in the
Puranas confirm this. The Puranas have been written to affirm the Veda Shastra.
They reiterate what the Vedas say. The Veda Shastra says that EòÉ±É kaala (time) has
always existed.
30
Please tell me, where does the East begin? Can you tell me? Is it where the sun rises?
Then, what is beyond that? Is it the point when the sun is overhead? What is above
that? Is it where the sun sets? What is after that? Can you tell me when it is day, and
when it is night?
It is night in one place and day in another place. Day and night are created by the
superimposition of the earth. Similarly, objects are present due to mutual co-
dependence. Actually, they have no beginning in time.
So, East-West, North-South, above-below, outside-inside, past-present-future, and
this and that, are all perceived. They vanish when we sleep. EòÎ±{ÉiÉÆ jÉªÉ¨Éä´ÉèiÉiÉÂ – VÉiÉ VÉÒ´Éä
Eò±{ÉxÉ¨ÉÂ ‘Kalpitam trayame`vaitat – jagat jeeve` kalpanam’ – they are known only
because the mind is awake. When the mind sleeps, there is no sign of them.
So, this whole world is the form of the Paramatma. The suffering and poverty are
imagined by the mind. The Ê´ÉuùÉxÉ vidvaana (knowledgeable people) do not accept it as
real. Only those who lack Gnan accept them as real.
Q. 29. How can we show our gratitude for our body, through which we obtain
our Sadguru (true Guru), who gives us Paramartha (the supreme achievement;
the Brahman)?
Gratitude is when you use your body to serve the Paramatma and the Sadguru. What
is ºÉä´ÉÉ se`vaa (service)? To massage the feet or fill water is not seva!
True seva is when you make your ideas merge into the ideas of your Sadguru and the
Paramatma, make their resolves your resolves, and be happy in what they choose.
Seva is not exercising our own preference; it is choosing to the preference of the one
we serve.
So, to offer up our life to the Sadguru – thanks to whose Grace we obtain Bhagwan –
is gratitude. And, this is also offering our services to Bhagwan.
Q. 30. The Gita says that he who is born will have to die. If that be the case, why
are we told to break free of the bonds of death, even though it is inevitable?
It is like this; these unbreakable rules apply to those who don’t have bhakti for
Bhagwan, don’t have Gnan about His essence, and don’t take refuge in Him.
Actually, the Atma is unborn. xÉ EòÎ¶SÉiÉÂ VÉÉªÉiÉä VÉÒ´É ºÉ¨¦É´É ..... Ê´ÉtiÉä ‘Na kashchid jaayate`
jeeva sambhava……vidyate`.’ There is no birth and no death for the Atma. You read
in the Gita:
xÉ VÉÉªÉiÉä Ê©ÉªÉiÉä ´ÉÉ EònùÉÊSÉzÉÉªÉÆ ¦ÉÚi´ÉÉ ¦ÉÊ´ÉiÉÉ ´ÉÉ xÉ ¦ÉÚªÉ:*
Na jaayate` mriyate` vaa kadaachinnaayam bhootvaa bhavitaa vaa na bhooyah.
The Atma is not born; nor does it die. Death comes to the body, not to the Atma.
Therefore, these rules are for those who consider themselves to be the body. They do
not apply to those who are free of the subtle ego that identifies with the body.
31
Q. 31. I have heard you say that the Paramatma does not manifest, He has never
manifested, and He never will. It is only the +YÉÉxÉÉxvÉEòÉ®ú agnaanandhakaara (the
darkness of ignorance) that is removed. On the other hand, all the Puranas say
that Bhagwan manifests, grants boons, and returns to His eternal lands. How
can this contradiction be explained?
Actually, you also read that nobody exists except Bhagwan. Bhagwan is non-dual,
He is complete, He is everything. He is all the forms, He abides in all hearts, and He
is the Atma of all. You would have read this; not once, but several times.
When you read, give some thought to the statements you read. It is said in one place,
that there is no birth and no death; and it is also said that birth and death are real.
What is the indication behind this contradiction?
The meaning is that birth and death are not real for those who do bhajan (offer love
and devoted worship) of the Paramatma, have bhakti for Him, or attain the Gnan of
His essence. But, they are real for people who have +YÉÉxÉ agnaana (lack of Gnan),
and don’t worship Him.
The Ishwara is not far from us. It is not that ‘I am here, and the Paramatma is there.’
It is not that the Jeeva (Atma attached to a body) is in the North and the Paramatma is
in the South, or vice versa. It is not that the Paramatma is high above and the Jeeva is
down below. Nor is it that the Paramatma exists now, and the Jeeva will exist in
future! Therefore, the Paramatma and the Jeevatma are always whole and complete at
every moment in time, in every place, and in all forms. Then, why are we not aware
of the Paramatma?
We cannot see the Paramatma because of the darkness of agnan that comes in-
between. Therefore, it is only when the Ishwara bestows Grace on a person that the
vision of the Jeeva is cleared of the perception of multiplicity. This is achieved when
the vision of the Jeeva is purified by listening to the statements of the Vedanta.
When the vision of the Jeeva becomes free of duality, it becomes bright. The
Paramatma does not come from some other place; nor is He born, or become some
thing. The differences of place, time and matter do not exist in the Paramatma. It is
only the delusion in the intellect; and this delusion is caused by +Ê´ÉtÉ avidyaa
(nescience, or ignorance).
We don’t know our Self, so we have come to believe ourselves to be something else.
We are actually the essence of the Paramatma. We are the Atma that is eternal,
pristine, enlightened, and liberated. But we have merged our Self into matter that is
superimposed (on the substratum of the Brahman). We identify with the antahkaran
(subtle body) and believe ourselves to be a Jeeva.
This is why the meaning of obtaining the Paramatma is the removal of the darkness
of ignorance. When the darkness of ignorance is removed we get a darshan (vision)
of the Paramatma. This is called |ÉEòÉ¶Éò ‘prakaasha’ (illumination).
Goswamiji said that when we get the ÊSÉxiÉÉ¨ÉÊhÉ chintaamani (the gem of a lucid
intellect) we begin to get a glimmer in its glow. You can call it the Gnandrishti (the
vision of Gnan), or the Gnan dipak (the lamp of Gnan), that is called ‘prakash’.
32
Prakash means the removal of the darkness of ignorance, not the obtaining of a
Paramatma we did not have!
Q. 32. In the episode of Gnajendra Moksha, the elephant Ganjendra eulogized

many Devtas, but none of them saved him. Why is that?
You see, the Paramatma is always ready to save everybody, but the powers of the
Devtas are limited. It is like the power a policeman has, to pardon a person who has
done some minor offence. If the offence is serious, he has to take the man to the
nearest Police Station. The Police Superintendent has the power to give bail, and the
Collector has greater powers in dealing with more serious cases. There is a level of
power given to the levels of officers.
This OÉÉ½þ graaha (crocodile) that caught Ganjendra’s foot is +YÉÉxÉ agnaana (lack of
Gnan). When a person has a false concept of things, it is a ¥ÉÀ bhram (delusion). It is
a darkness that can be dispelled only by the Paramatma and no other. ÊxÉ¹ÉävÉ¶Éä¹ÉÉä VÉªÉnùÉiÉÂ
+¶Éä¹É: ‘Nishe`dhashe`dha jayadaat ashe`shah’ – Bhagwan is the only one who
remains after everything else is negated. He is all the forms. He is the only one who
can remove the graha of agnan. No other has the power to dispel the darkness of
ignorance.
Ganjendra had developed pride. His main fault was that he considered himself to be
the body. When he was King Indradyumna, a great Rishi – a Mahatma – came to his
palace. Indradyumna was seated in worship. He felt that he was exempt from
showing due respect to the Mahatma because he was a great devotee. So, he did not
rise to welcome the Mahatma as was proper. This happens very often when people
give great importance to rituals. When they are seated in some ritual of worship like
a Yagya, and a Mahatma comes there, the priests tell them to keep sitting. They
consider the ritual to be greater than a Mahatma. The rule is that we should always
rise to greet a Mahatma.
When someone greater comes, our |ÉÉhÉ praana (life spirit) automatically rises with
respect. It returns to our body when we get up. So, whenever a Mahapurush comes,
we should get up at once, whether we are doing some {ÉÚVÉÉ poojaa (worship) or ¦ÉVÉxÉ
bhajan (singing devotional songs). We should have the feeling that the Paramatma,
Himself, has come in the form of the Satpurush. We should get up and welcome him.
When you do puja, you are evoking the feeling of the Paramatma’s presence; and
here, the Paramatma presents Himself in the tangible form of a Mahatma. The proper
thing is that you get up to welcome the Mahatma even if you are seated doing some
puja, or reciting a passage from the Shastras.
Raja Indradyumna was doing puja, so he did not rise to greet the Mahatma. This
shows that he was proud of his puja. He identified with the body (that performed the
puja) The Mahatma cursed him to free him from this identification. The curse was
actually a blessing. Why was it a blessing? It was a blessing because it released him
from his human form, and gave him the form of an elephant. Then he was released
33
from his elephant form and he became a servant of the Paramatma. He merged into
the essence of the Paramatma.
This is why none other could grant salvation to Gajendra, except the Paramatma who
is the essence of Gnan. Gnan frees us from considering ourselves to be the body. This
is how the story of Indradyumna is given.
Q. 33. It is Hanuman Jayanti today. Shri Hanumanji is the repository of ¤É±É bala
(strength) and ¶ÉÉÆÊiÉ shaanti (peace). I request you to tell us something about
Hanumanji today.
The unique factor about Hanumanji is that he is the essence of Bhagwan, but assumes
the form of a monkey because he wants to serve Vishnu Bhagwan who takes an
Avatar as Shri Ramachandra.
The changing from a human form to the form of a monkey signifies that we cannot
be the equal of the one we serve. We do not sit at the same level. We should be
willing to do the smallest or lowliest of tasks.
Hanumanji’s second unique quality is that he has no mount; neither a swan, nor an
eagle, nor a bull. He stays without any mount. In fact, he makes himself Bhagwan’s
mount. He removes Bhagwan’s discomforts, and renders every possible service.
On certain occasions it is seen that even Sitaji is separated from Bhagwan, and it is
Hanumanji who brings them together. Even when Laxmanji is close to death, it is
Hanumanji who brings him back to life.
Therefore, Hanumanji’s capabilities are the capabilities of Shiva. He is the essence of
the Parameshwara. He is the Paramatma incarnate, and yet he manifests as the
servant of his Master. The great thing is that he bestows good fortune to people.
If you want to hear stories abut Hanumanji, there are many stories about him. Great
volumes have been written about him. I suggest you read them.
Q. Please tell us about your personal experience, when Hanumanji protected

you.
+Éi¨É´ÉÞkÉÆ xÉ EòlÉxÉÒªÉ¨ÉÂ ‘Aatmavritaam na kathaneeyam’ – we should not describe our own

experiences. I have experienced Hanumanji’s protection on several occasions, when I
was depressed, had lost all hope, and had no support of any kind. Hanumanji came,
himself, to protect me. What more can I say?
(Maharajji had composed the ‘Shri Hanumat Stotra’ a few decades before these talks.
One shloka is given below.)
Ê{ÉkÉÉÊvÉCªÉÉäilÉiÉÉ{ÉÉäx¨ÉÊlÉiÉiÉxÉÖÊ¨É¨ÉÆ ¶Éè¶É´Éä ¨ÉÚÐSUôiÉÆ SÉ

¨ÉÞiªÉÉä¨ÉÚÇiªÉÉÇÊ¦É{ÉzÉÆ EÞòiÉEò]Öõ®ú´ÉªÉÉ ¶ÉÚ±ÉEÖòxiÉÉÊnù¨ÉiªÉÉ*
vÉÉ´ÉxÉÂ ªÉÉä ¨ÉÉ¨É®úIÉiÉÂ Eò®úEòÊ±ÉiÉMÉnùÉä pùÉ´ÉªÉÄºiÉÉÆ vÉÞiÉÉÊpù:
½þÉnùÉÇEòÉ¶Éä ºÉ ÊxÉiªÉÆ º¡Öò®úiÉÖ ¨É¨É ¨ÉxÉ: |ÉÉhÉºÉ´ÉÇº´É¦ÉÚiÉ:**
34
Pittadhikyotthataaponmathitatanumimam shaishave` moorchhitam cha
mrityormoortyaabhipannam kritakaturnvayaa shoolakuntaadimatyaa,
Dhaavan yo maamarakshat karakalitagado draavayanstaam dhritaadrih
haardaakaashe` sa nityam sfuratu mama manah praanasarvasvabhootah.
‘When I was a child, I once had high fever due to excessive bile in the body, and I
became unconscious. I saw Death rushing towards me, screaming as she ran towards
me, holding a spear and an axe in her hands. Just then Hanumanji came running,
holding a mace and a mountain in his hands. He drove Mrityu (Death) away, and
saved me. Hanumanji is the absolute Master of my mind and |ÉÉhÉ praana (life spirit).
May he always glimmer in my heart.’
Q. 34. Please tell us, what is the contribution of the Jeeva –and what is the
contribution of the Ishwara – in the creation of this world.
Now, if someone were to ask, ‘Who made the Ishwara?’ it would be a doubt. If there
is a rule that there is a reason for every action, there would be a reason for that
reason, and another reason for that reason, and so on. That will create instability.
Therefore, the world doesn’t actually come from the Ishwara. The Paramatma
remains unchanged.
The Jeeva (Atma attached to a body) believes himself to be separate because of +YÉÉxÉ
agnaana (lack of Gnan), and he sees the Ishwara in this world. It is his belief that the
Ishwara has created this world.
Who has made the ocean, and the mountains, and the elephants and other beings?
Well, it is not the Ishwara who made them. They are the creation of the Jeeva; and
we will continue to perceive them as long as we have an +xiÉ:Eò®úhÉ antahkaran (subtle
body). This world will cease to appear as real when we no longer have an antahkaran.
So, from the viewpoint of Sanhkya, the world created by the Jeeva, and is one of
relationships – this is my pillar, this is my tree, this is my shrub. However, from the
viewpoint of Vedanta, it is not only the relationship that creates the world. To see the
object is Creation. That means, oùÎ¹]õ drishti (vision) is ºÉÞÎ¹]õ srishti (creation).
It is not that everything is created; take dreams, for example. Who made the blueness
of the sky? You can say, ‘My brother, the substratum of the blueness is the sky, so
the sky must have made the blue hue.’
No. The sky did not create the blue hue you see. It is the one who sees – the eye that
sees the blueness – who perceives it. No blueness has actually been created; it is an
illusion. It is a §ÉÉÆÊiÉ bhraanti – a mistaken belief – that the blueness is real. Neither the
Jeeva nor the Ishwara have made the blueness of the sky, but it glimmers as real.
There is a reason for this. The Atma is the essence of Gnan, and, to see is its nature.
The essence of the Paramatma is infinite, and to be invisible is His nature. Infinity
cannot come into the range of vision. It is the nature of the non-dual infinity that it
cannot be the object of anybody’s vision; and it is the nature of vision to make
something its object.
35
The state of affairs is that the Ishwara is self-effulgent and impenetrable. He is not
the object of Gnan. He is our own essence, and therefore, He is +{É®úÉäIÉ aparoksha
(experienced). From the viewpoint of the +YÉÉxÉÒ agnaani (one who lacks Gnan) He
cannot be seen; and from the viewpoint of the Tattvagya (an enlightened Saint) He is
seen constantly.
Therefore, the Ishwara is always +ÊxÉ´ÉÇSÉxÉÒªÉ anirvachaneeya (that, which cannot be
defined). That is His essence. He is invisible to the agnani, and He is the only one
seen everywhere, by the Gnani.
Q. a. It is also said that the Ishwara used the superimposition of Maya to create
the world.
Maya means +Ê´ÉtÉ avidyaa (nescience). It is a ÊxÉ´ÉÇSÉxÉÒªÉiÉÉ nirvachaneeyataa (the

quality of being beyond defining).
Q. b. What is the viewpoint of the Bhagwat with regard to Creation?
You see, there are many angles from which things are seen. If there is only one
viewpoint, the object is absolutely true. Therefore, to see a thing from many angles
and see it differently, indicates its falsity.
For example, there is a woman. One person sees her as a mother, another sees her as
a grandmother, a third sees her as a wife, and a fourth person sees her as a sister.
Someone else sees her as a sister-in-law, and yet another sees her as a daughter. The
woman is one and the same, but she is seen as a mother, grandmother, daughter,
sister-in-law, etc due to different viewpoints. Her being a mother, grandmother or
daughter, is a superimposition. The fact is that she is a woman.
In the same way, it is the characteristic of something Ê¨ÉlªÉÉ mithyaa (a relative truth)
when something is seen from different angles, and seems to be different to different
people. It could not be seen differently if it hadn’t been a relative truth, a
superimposed perception. To be a father is a false perception, because a man can be a
father only to his son; he can’t be a father to his father!
So, when many people see one object in many forms, it is something that is Ê¨ÉlªÉÉ
mithyaa . This is the multiplicity of viewpoints.
Q. 35. Which ¨ÉÉ±ÉÉ maalaa (rosary or necklace) is best – the Tulsi or the
Rudraksha?
The fact is that when we see something that is contradictory to our ºÉÆºEòÉ®ú sanskaara
(subtle subconscious impressions) and consider it to be faulty, that, itself, is a fault.
For example, if a Vaishnav sees a follower of the Gorakhnath Sect – or if a follower
of the Gorakhnath Sect sees a Vaishnav – each will misunderstand the other. The
sanskara of being a disciple of a Sect makes us so narrow minded that we fail to
understand that the other person is also a human being, just like us.
36
This is why people are unable to rise above the boundaries of individuality,
community, Sect, etc. They see the garb; not the human.
You may have heard that a case was taken to Court at Vrindavan. This was at the
time of the British rule. This dispute was about which side Shri Krishna’s ¨ÉÖEÖò]õ mukut
(crown) should be tilted, during the Raasa leela.
The followers of Nimbarkacharaya said that it should be tilted towards Shri
Radharani. Why? Because Shri Krishna’s love for her prompts Him to lean towards
her, so that her face would be shaded from the hot sunlight. And, the followers of
Vallabhacharya said that it should be tilted to the right, because Shri Krishna gazes at
Shri Radharani constantly. The quarrel reached to a fight, with people hitting each
other with sticks. The Police was summoned and they took the fighters to Court.
The Goswami Maharaj who lives next door had such a quarrel that one man bit off a
part of another’s nose! The dispute was over what the correct length of the ÊiÉ±ÉEò tilak
(auspicious mark on the forehead).
There was a Court case at Haridwar, as to whether the official name should be
Haridwar or Hardwar. One viewpoint was that since the Ganga comes from
Kedarnath (Shiva’s temple), it should be called ‘Hardwar’ (Hara is one of Shiva’s
names). The other viewpoint was the since the Ganga comes from Badrinath
(Vishnu’s temple), it should be called Haridwar (Hari is one of Vishnu’s names).
All these disputes are petty. We should never let our mind get engrossed in them. The
Shastras recommend the Tulsi as well as the Rudraksha, so there is no need to
criticize either.
Q. 36. It is said that in the Kaliyuga (the age of Kali) only wrong actions give {ÉÉ{É
paapa (sin); no punishment is given for wrong thoughts. What does this
indicate?
The indication is that the influence of the Ishwara dominates the minds in the other
three Yugas, but the influence of Kali dominates the mind in the Kali Yuga.
Due to the increased influence of Kali, the minds of people have become sullied and
lowly. Wickedness has reached such a level that even when {ÉÖhªÉ punya (spiritual merit
given for good deeds) is bestowed for good thoughts (not put into action); it is not
enough to uplift the person.
This is why Bhagwan has Graced us with this arrangement, that during the Kali
Yuga, people will get punya for good thoughts, but they will not incur sin unless they
do something wrong.
Tulsidasji has said, ¨ÉÉxÉºÉ {ÉÖhªÉ ½þÉäÊ½þ xÉ½þÓ {ÉÉ{ÉÉ ‘Maanasa punya hohi nahin paapa’ (good
thoughts get punya, but bad thoughts don’t get paapa). It is written in the Bhagwat –
+ÉºÉÖ ÊºÉÆSÉÊiÉ ¨ÉÉxÉºÉÉÊxÉ EÞòiÉÉÊxÉ SÉ*
Aasu sinchati maanasaani kritaani cha.
When the whole world develops the same traits, when the entire Army rebels, the
result is a change in the rule of the land. Everybody can’t be sentences to death.
37
Q. 37. The lives of people are troubled by many kinds of problems. People have
no peace. Please show us some method by which we can save ourselves.
The fact is that most of the problems are due to +YÉÉxÉ agnaana (lack of Gnan). They
are caused by delusion. Otherwise, what major problems do we face? Is it getting two
rotis (unleavened bread)? Is it having two yards of cloth to cover ourselves with? Or
is it lying down on the ground to sleep?
Problems arise because of our desire to accumulate. I cannot believe that anyone dies
due to hunger. He dies because he says he won’t eat rotis made of millet; he wants
rotis of wheat. He wants moong daal (lentils), not kesaari daal.
It is the urge of not wanting this, and wanting something else that is the cause of all
our sorrows. We want only what pleases us; we do not want to accept what the
Ishwara chooses. So much so that the husband refuses to accept what the wife wants,
and the wife refuses to accept the husband’s preference. They quarrel over the food
that is made, asking why another item was not made that day.
It is our desires that create our problems; otherwise, people fast gladly, for one day or
three days, to obtain Swarga (Heaven). Some people fast for a month, or even up to
ninety days. Why should you become unhappy if you don’t get any rotis for one day?
Actually, the factors that give us sorrow come from the urges we have, not by any
objects. We become upset if we don’t have silk garments; we never get upset if we
don’t have khadi or coarse cloth to wear!
Q. 38. In spite of knowing that Shri Sitaji’s character was blameless, Shri
Ramachandra sent her to the forest without making any provisions for her.
Furthermore, Janakiji also never blamed Him. What is the reason for this?
The reason is that the more a person is heated (the more he endures), the more he
shines. It is just like the iron attaining a gleam after it is put into the furnace. Janakiji
did not compromise her ideals in any way, even when she faced the severest of
hardships. This enhances her greatness in the eyes of people. They admire the
integrity of her pristine character. Draupadi, Damyanti and Sita are all examples of
the purity of an ideal woman.
Somebody once asked Mahatma Gandhi about the injustice, the suffering Shri
Ramachandra inflicted on Sitaji. ‘Just go and meet Sitaji once,’ he said. ‘Ask her
whether Shri Ramachandra was unjust to her or not.’
The fact is that Sitaji was a ºÉiÉÒ sati (devoted wife) of such a high caliber – she was so
great and magnanimous – that the greatness of her character was revealed by the way
she endured everything. In spite of being subjected to so much suffering, neither she,
nor Draupadi, nor Damyanti uttered a word of reproach to their husband. The
purpose of these stories is to tell people how lofty the character of a {ÉÊiÉµÉiÉÉ pativrataa
(devoted wife) should be.
38
The Valmiki Ramayana says, ºÉÒiÉÉªÉÉ SÉÊ®úiÉÆ ¨É½þiÉÂ ‘Seetaayaa charitam mahat – Sita’s
character is great.’ It does not eulogize the greatness of Shri Rama’s character. This
is because Sitaji had lived at Valmikiji’s Ashram at the end. He knew more about her
than anyone else. This is why Valmikiji spoke about the purity and brilliance of
Sitaji’s character. Every devoted wife should remember what a perfect wife Sitaji
was. They should respect their husbands.
Somebody asked Sitaji, ‘You are facing so much sorrow without Shri Ramachandra.
He is so unjust to you!’
‘He is not unjust to me,’ she replied. ‘You don’t know how much He suffers because
we are separated. You can’t fathom His suffering. I know it. My heart knows the fire
of compassion that rages in His heart because He is separated from me. It is like
bubbling, molten gold. The gold of His heart boils without me.’ So, Sitaji is the only
one who understands the feelings of Shri Ramachandra. Nobody else can.
This is the story of Sita’s greatness. To learn what the Shastras indicate, we should
understand the subtle significance from learned people, not read through them and
draw our own conclusions.
Q. 39. I have an acute desire to get the darshan (vision) of the Ishwara. What
should I do?
The thing is, if we have an ardent desire for something from Calcutta or Delhi, we
can buy a train or air plane ticket, and go there. We would have to make some effort
and procure what we want. However, when it is the Parameshwara we want, is He far
away, in some remote place like Calcutta, or Delhi, or London? The Paramatma is
here, where the desire is.
Actually, the intensity of the desire for the Paramatma is the obtaining of the
Paramatma. Therefore, as long as you have not obtained the Paramatma, it means
that you have not had a burning desire for Him. The day – the very minute – your
desire becomes intense, the stomach of your desire will burst open, and you will
obtain the Paramatma. Desire is a pregnant tendency; it is not barren. What lies in the
womb of your desire? Is it your wife, wealth, or son? Who is it that you truly want?
Who is seated in the womb of your desire?
If it is indeed the Ishwara alone, and nothing else, if He is the only desire that burns
in your heart, if every moment without Him is as bitter as poison for you, and your
suffering is like the fires of Dissolution, you will immediately obtain the Paramatma.
There is no delay in His coming, because He does not have to come form any other
place. He is present everywhere.
½þÊ®ú ´ªÉÉ{ÉEò ºÉ´ÉÇjÉ ºÉ¨ÉÉxÉÉ*
|Éä¨É iÉå |ÉEò]õ ½þÉäË½þ ¨Éé VÉÉxÉÉ**
Hari vyaapaka sarvatra samaanaa, pre`ma tein prakat hohi mein jaanaa.
(Bhagwan is all-pervading; love makes Him reveal Himself.)
39
Space is superimposed, when Bhagwan is considered to be all-pervading. He is not
actually all-pervading. Time is superimposed when Bhagwan is considered to be
everlasting; He is not actually everlasting. Neither is the Ishwara ´ªÉÉ{ÉEò vyaapaka (all-
pervading), nor is He ÊxÉiªÉ nitya (everlasting). And, everything is superimposed when
Bhagwan is considered to be all forms. The truth is that when everything is an
illusion, how can the Ishwara be all forms? At that level, there is no question of ºÉ´ÉÇ
sarva (everything), or ºÉ´ÉÉÇiÉÒiÉ sarvaateeta (beyond everything).
Therefore, we use the superimposed concepts of His being eternal (in time), being
all-pervading (in space), and being the matter in things, on the substratum that is the
Ishwara. Then we say, ‘He is vyapak, nitya, and sarvaroopa. The fact is that nothing
exists, except Him.
Q. 40. When someone says that he had the darshan (vision) of the Paramatma,
obtained the Paramatma, or had a direct experience of the Paramatma – what is
the meaning of these statements?
The meaning of all these statements is to stop us from seeing the interactive world as
real. You begin to see Bhagwan in everything and in everyone. The removal of the
perception of duality is the essence of the experience of the Ishwara.
Q. 41. In every Ashram, it is the rule that every resident and visitor must attend
the Arati (evening worship with a lamp), but there is no such rule in your
Ashram.
Look, my brother, I have no Ashram. The people to whom this Ashram belongs can
make this rule and enforce it; it is very good if the rule is followed.
However, if you say that this Ashram belongs to me, then – let me tell you, I have no
Ashram! Not a single tree, shrub, or patch of ground is mine.
Therefore, I do not want to make anyone follow any rules by saying that this is my
Ashram. If a person has come here with the aspiration of obtaining the Ishwara, and
if he feels that it will be helpful if he follows this rule, he should definitely do so; and
he should do it lovingly.
Q. Should he come to the Satsang (religious discourses) or not?
He should also come to the Satsang. If he has come for doing Satsang (associating
with spiritual people), he will surely attend the discourses. However, if he has come
for a picnic – isn’t that the word? – then he will not enjoy the Satsang, puja, or Arati.
If you go towards Behariji’s Mandir in the evening, you will find him enjoying some
roadside snacks!
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Q. 42. What is the state of +xÉxªÉiÉÉ ananyataa (unbroken love for Bhagwan) that is
free of all narrow-minded considerations?
¤ÉÆnù> ºÉ¤ÉË½þ ®úÉ¨ÉEäò xÉÉiÉä ‘Bandau sabahin raama ke` naate` - I salute everyone in our
relationship with Shri Rama.’ Bhagwan abides in all hearts. We say this, hear it, and
read it. We also try to understand it. However, it does not sink into our heart. So, we
should be watchful.
A customer came to a goldsmith. The goldsmith told his son, ‘There is some gold in
the safe. Bring it. I have to give it to the customer.’ The child went and looked, but
came back empty handed. ‘Father, there is no gold in the safe.’
‘Yes, son, it is there.’
‘No, Father, I didn’t see any gold in the safe.’
The goldsmith went with the boy, and took out some bangles from the safe. ‘Look,’
he said. ‘This is gold.’
‘No, Father,’ objected the boy. ‘This is not gold. These are bangles.’
Then the goldsmith took out a bracelet. ‘Look, this is also gold.’
‘No, Father, this is a bracelet,’ replied the boy. ‘This is an armlet, and this is a
necklace. None of these are gold; they are all ornaments.’
All the items were made of gold, but the child was unable to understand this.
Bhagwan is everything. There is nothing in which Bhagwan is not present. Just as
you see the nose, ears, hands, feet, and the complexion, why don’t you see also, that
there is a consciousness in them all? All these objects are made of the five elements,
and have an inherent consciousness. So, be alert, and see this.
How does the breath move? It goes round the naval once, goes up to the eyebrows,
and comes out through the nostrils. It leaves the impurities outside, and carries clean
air into the body again. Who is seated within, who sends the air out and draws it in
again?
Who is that? Just give this some thought. Who is it, who sees from behind the eyes?
Whose is the window from which the owner peeps out? Who is it that hears through
the ears? Who is it that speaks through the tongue? It is the Ishwara who is seated in
all hearts, making everyone dance.
When Lomashji cursed Kakbhusundiji, Kakbhusundiji said, =®ú|Éä®úEò ®úPÉÖ´ÉÆ¶É Ê´É¦ÉÚ¹ÉhÉ
‘Urapre`raka raghuvansha vibhooshana’ – it is not the Rishi’s fault, because Shri
Rama, who is seated in his heart, prompts him. The one who runs the machine can be
at fault, but the machine cannot be blamed for that.
So, when you interact in the world, let your eye not see only the hand, or only the
foot. Let it reach the spot from where the hand and feet are activated, from where the
breath comes and goes. When your vision reaches that depth, you will see Bhagwan
in everyone.
Q. 43. Please give some guidance – and your blessings – that whether I live at
home or at an Ashram, my mind should be filled with loving thoughts of
Bhagwan. Nothing should disturb or disrupt this.
41
Blessings should always be powerful. You can receive such an +É¶ÉÒ´ÉÉÇnù aashirvaada
(benediction). If your Guru, or Bhagwan, gives an ashirvad, you can get engrossed in
bhajan (loving worship; singing Bhagwan’s glories) in just a minute.
However, do you truly want this? Do you really want to move away from the world,
move away from your wife, son, wealth, etc and immerse yourself in thoughts of
Bhagwan? There should be an acute anguish in your heart for having forgotten
Bhagwan.
+¨ÉÚxªÉvÉxªÉÉÊxÉ ÊnùxÉÉxiÉ®úÉÊhÉ ½þ®äú iÉ´ÉÉ±ÉÉäEòxÉ¨ÉxiÉ®äúhÉ*
+xÉÉlÉ¤ÉxvÉÉä Eò¯ûhÉèEòÊºÉxvÉÉä ½þÉ ½þxiÉ ½þÉ ½þxiÉ EòlÉÆ xÉ¨ÉÉÊ¨É**
Amoonyadhanyaani dinaantaraani hare` tavaalokanamantare`na,
Anaathabandho karunaika sindho haa hanta haa hanta katham namaami.
‘These days of mine have passed very sadly, Prabho (Master)! They have been
wasted without Your darshan (vision). You are the friend of destitutes. Please Grace
me! When will the day come, when I will see You every moment, and think about
You constantly? My eyes will be filled with tears, my face will have an eager
expression, and my throat will be choked with emotion. When will the time come,
when I will be desperate for the Ishwara? When will I chant His name continuously,
by the Grace of a Saint, and my Guru?’
To attain such a state, do Bhagwan’s bhajan (sing His glories, adore Him) lovingly.
Pray to Him. Roll in the ground. Weep for Him. Call out to Him.
Just as people feel deeply distressed when they lose a son, parent, brother, or wife,
you should yearn to attain a state when He is constantly in your thoughts.
You should desire Bhagwan as intensely as you want food, water and clothing.
Associate with true bhaktas until you obtain such a desire for Him. Associating with
those who have a deep love for Bhagwan will bring the pain of yearning for
Bhagwan into your life.
Q. 44. Should we make the times suitable for us, or should we mould ourselves
to suit the times?
Look; the ºÉÉvÉEò saadhaka (spiritual seeker) wants only Bhagwan. Sadhaks pray to
Bhagwan and make the times suitable for them. ‘O Prabho (Master)! Let me wake up
at four in the morning and do Your bhajan all day long. Let me go to bed doing Your
bhajan, and wake up doing Your bhajan.’
People who are not interested in doing bhajan can leave it to Bhagwan. They can
think that they will do bhajan when Bhagwan makes them. Nobody knows when
Bhagwan will prompt them! He has no fixed rules! He is supremely independent.
So, there should be an intense urge in your heart – ‘When will the time come, when I
obtain Bhagwan’s darshan?’ It is essential that you have an intense wish for
Bhagwan. Mould yourself in such a way that not even a minute passes without
Bhagwan’s memory. Cry for Him, laugh for Him, and walk as though you are doing
a {ÉÊ®úGò¨ÉÉ parikramaa (respectful circumbulation).
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Eat for Bhagwan, as though you are offering food to Him. Listen to things as though
listening to devotional songs. Speak as tenderly as when you take His name. Fill
every moment of your life with Him. You will obtain the Paramatma.
Q. 45. It is seen that people make it their goal to give up something external, and
make no further spiritual progress. Master, please tell me, what level of, and
what kind of iªÉÉMÉ tyaaga (giving up) and ´Éè®úÉMªÉ vairaagya (detachment) is it that
places us in the state of our essence.
You should become agitated; that is one method. It should cause you acute agitation
if you have to pass even one moment without thinking about Bhagwan.
There was a Saint in Bihar. Tears flowed from his eyes continuously. ‘How sad it is,
that Bhagwan has not yet come!’
There was a Saint at Jabalpur. Every fiber of his body emitted the sound of
‘Raa…aam, Raa…aam’ continuously.
If you reach a place where you can stay with a Saint who has retired from the world,
it is possible for you to reach a mental state of that level.
Q. 46. When the Saints who practice yoga are overcome with lust, they do not
allow their ´ÉÒªÉÇ veerya (virility) to move downwards; they pull it upwards. How is
this ºÉÉvÉxÉÉ saadhanaa (effort for spiritual progress) done?
It is a matter of sadhana! One has to start this training at an early age. There are +ÉºÉxÉ
aasana (yogic postures) for this. The heel is pressed against the anus, and the
backbone is kept absolutely straight. The powers that descend along with the |ÉÉhÉ-´ÉÉªÉÖ
praana-vaayu (the life current) are drawn upwards. However, this cannot be done
without expert guidance. Even today, there are people in India who have this
knowledge.
The thing is that we hear something praised and get carried away. We believe it to
the best thing, and become determined to get it. However, we must be very careful in
this regard.
You should first of all, decide what is good, and what you actually want. Otherwise,
there are agents for everything. There are agents for Gnan, bhakti, and Yoga. They
will explain things, and argue to convince people that their path is the best.
Someone will say that you will attain Bhagwan by slitting the lobes of your ears.
Someone will say that you will get Bhagwan by wearing a particular ¨ÉÉ±ÉÉ maalaa
(necklace). They confuse you into wasting your life.
So, make up your mind first of all, about which is the best thing in the world, and set
your goal accordingly. Once you decide that that is the only thing you want, and then
you learn the method by which it can be obtained, you should proceed towards your
goal.
This is not an easy path. You have to bear severe hardships by rendering service, and
doing sadhana. In this, you have to walk on the banks of Gangaji, and learn many
43
things. You will have to wander in the mountains, and do so many things. You will
have to get acquainted with great Yogis. This is the Kali Yuga (the age of Kali). It is
the era of frauds and cheats.
Instead of getting involved in these snares, it is better if your thoughts dwell on
Bhagwan. It is the easiest thing, to chant His name. It bestows great good fortune.
There is no difficulty in this, nor is there any risk of adverse repercussions. There are
no obstacles. Nobody blocks your progress.
So, take the name of Bhagwan. This is also a method of pulling the veerya upwards.
If you consider the matter, drawing the veerya upwards is of little importance. How
much can you lift it? Will you do it in the physical body as long as it is alive, or will
you do it in the subtle body after the demise of the physical body? It is the subtle
body that goes to Swarga (Heaven). You will have to place the veerya somewhere. It
will be destroyed one day. The only thing you can keep with you always, is
Bhagwan. He can bestow the highest good fortune.
So don’t get involved in a maze of siddhis (supernatural powers). I have seen how
many people became mentally deranged in their efforts to obtain siddhis. I have seen
people die in an attempt to lift up their veerya.
The easiest ºÉÉvÉxÉÉ saadhanaa (effort for spiritual progress) is the one recommended by
Goswami Tulsidasji. Chant the name of Bhagwan. If you have a powerful intellect
and you have a Sadguru (true Guru), study Vedanta.
Deep thought on Vedanta, and Bhagwan’s bhakti, are the only paths prescribed by
the Shastras for obtaining the ultimate good fortune. You will get lost otherwise.
Incase you go onto the path of death – it is called the ´ÉÉ¨É {ÉlÉ vaam path – you will be
tied down for many years. If you go on the right path, you will get trapped in Swarga
(Heaven). If you go straight to the Brahmaloka (the realm of Brahma) you will get
ensnared by all the luxuries there.
Thus, this is a path that is full of danger. Nobody can walk on it successfully unless
he has a Sadguru.
Q. 47. What are the ways by which a sincere disciple can serve his Guru?
A ºÉä´ÉEò se`vak (one who serves lovingly) doesn’t need to ask what service he should
render. He is aware of his Master’s preferences and requirements. He knows what his
Guruji will require after six months, or six years. The sevak is more knowledgeable
than the Guru, in this respect! He is aware of his Guru’s needs. ‘My Guru needs to
sleep now. He needs to eat, now.’ The sevak knows exactly what service he should
render. The true sevak watches his Guru constantly.
I have not seen this, but I have heard that when Shri Udiya Babaji Maharaj lived at
Ramghat, he had a devotee who lived on the other bank of the Gangaji. He lived far
away, but his mind was always focused on Baba. If someone asked him what Baba
was doing at that time, he would reply, ‘Baba is having a bath.’ Or, ‘Baba is washing
his feet.’ ‘Baba is distributing |ÉºÉÉnù prasaada (sanctified food).’ He was a sevak. He
lived far away but we knew what was happening.
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Thus, a sevak doesn’t need to ask what he should do to serve his Guru. The sevak’s
heart, mind and body – and all he has – is used in serving his Master.
If a man is to get something, he has to use discrimination about what is for him, and
what is not his to take, because it belongs to his Master. For a sevak everything
belongs to his Master and no one other.
Q. 48. Arjuna had a place in the Nara-Narayana Avatar. He also obtained

Tattvagnan (knowledge about the essence of the Brahman) when he heard the
Gita. In spite of this, he had to go to Narak (Hell); he did not reach the state of
being immersed in the Brahman. Why is that?
You see, it is like this – some Jeevas (Atma attached to bodies) are ÊxÉiªÉ nitya
(eternal). They live as Jeevas, but actually they are the Ishwara. Their lives are
+ÉÊvÉnèùÊ´ÉEò aadhidaivika (divine). It is the same Parameshwara who appears in the
forms of Arjuna and Narayana. It is Bhagwan Himself, who continues the ±ÉÒ±ÉÉ leelaa
(frolic) of Creation, by assuming both forms.
There is no {ÉÉ{É paapa (sin) or {ÉÖhªÉ punya (spiritual merit) for Bhagwan, but He shows
the world that even the Ishwara has to go to Narak if he does something wrong. So,
common people are bound to suffer if they indulge in wrong-doing.
When we read that even Arjuna had to go to Narak, we realize that Narak is
inevitable for anyone who does wrong. So we should save ourselves from wrong
actions and do good deeds.
Look; I don’t know many tales and stories. I have neither read, nor heard many. My
subject is completely different. I know about that Ishwara who is here, in our heart,
as our ‘I’. I have very little knowledge – none, in fact – about the Ishwara who stays
far away from us.
Now, when I have to speak about that remote Ishwara, I have to make up stories.
Q. 49. What are the activities that should be a part of the daily life of a ºÉÉvÉEò
saadhaka (spiritual seeker)?
There are different kinds of sadhaks. Some are social workers, some are Yati (Monks
with no possessions), some do vªÉÉxÉ dhyaana (meditation), and some are ritualistic. So,
depending on the innate inclinations of the individual sadhak, the Guru prescribes a
daily routine for each person. Unless and until the sadhak relies completely on his
Guru for guidance – if he takes his own decisions about what he does – his daily
routine will be uncertain. For example, if the Guruji tells him to get a glass of water,
and he thinks the Guruji has told him not to get a glass of water! If this is the level of
his understanding about little routine tasks, how can we expect such a person to
understand the Parabrahm Paramatma? This is why a sadhak should always be
vigilant, no matter which path of ºÉÉvÉxÉÉ saadhanaa (effort for spiritual progress) he
takes. When a person does the ½þÉä¨É homa (fire worship) his left knee should touch the
45
ground. If his right knew touches it, it is a lapse due to carelessness. He can do a
|ÉÉªÉÎ¶SÉkÉ praayaashchitta (atonement ritual) for this. Separate vessels are kept for
separate purposes. If used wrongly, it is a lapse. There are many minute details in
ritualistic worship that must be observed with great care. Do you take care to ensure
that you don’t step on an ant as you walk? Are you careful that your spit doesn’t fall
on the book, as you read out the shlokas?
It shows a sadhak’s maturity when he is careful in all his actions. It is important to be
careful in what we say and do, otherwise it creates trouble. If a person is not careful
in what he says, how will he be careful in his actions, and how will he go into
Samadhi?
Every fiber of the body should be alert at all times. We should always be careful to
avoid carelessness and lapses. However, if you begin to think, ‘Let me indulge for a
while; what is the harm? Everyone does it,’ then it will lead to your downfall. A
sadhak should be constantly vigilant. Not even a tiny worm should be killed due to
his inattentiveness.
Q. 50. Please enlighten us about the necessity to do meditation, in order to

understand the truth behind the |É{ÉÆSÉ prapancha (interactive world).
What is prapanch? There is a pot, and there is a piece of cloth. There is sound, form,
touch, taste and smell. These five senses cause entanglement. The world created by
these five senses is called the ‘prapanch’. The perception of East-West, North-South,
above-below, this-that-you, etc are all created by our five senses. In this, the objects
are different, but the Gnan is one. The eyes are separate, and the ears are separate,
but the Gnan that is detached from the sound and touch is one. So, the differences are
caused by the different senses, not by different Gnans.
Similarly, the things seen by the pù¹]õÉ drashtaa (the one who sees) are many but he is
one. The existence of many objects does not mean that the drashtas are many. That
which is known is called the YÉäªÉ gye`ya. The existence of many gyeyas does not mean
that there are many Gnans. What I wish to say is that we see many things, but it is the
panorama of one Gnan; it is the illusion of Gnan.
There is only one Gnan. For example, there is one lamp. It is placed in a pot that has
many holes. One hole is covered with red paper, one hole is covered with green
paper, and one hole is covered with yellow paper. The light seen outside is one, but
to one person it seems red, to another it seems green, and to a third it seems yellow.
The source of the light is one. The holes are many. There are many objects that are
seen.
So, when someone sees that the objects that are seen are many, but the one who sees
them is one, the consciousness in all will be seen within his own Self. He will be
+xiÉªÉÉÇ¨ÉÒ antaryaami (one who knows what is in all hearts). This is how we come to
the conclusion that this prapanch takes on multiple forms, and the one who enables it
to be seen is the essence of one awareness – the Paramatma who is the essence of
Gnan.
46
Imagine that there is a dance theatre. The stage is illuminated by a single lamp that
shows ten or twenty male and female dancers, actors, and musicians. Then,
everybody leaves the stage. The lamp remains and the one who sees the lamp
remains. A little later, the one also goes away. Only the lamp is left on the stage.
There is only light; nothing else. So, when you see the oneness in all that is seen, the
one who sees is automatically separated.
We have seen so many people and things since our childhood. Neither those days nor
those nights remained. Those grains are no more; those moments have gone. We saw
Kashmir and we saw Kanya Kumari. We saw mountains and we saw grains of sand.
We saw a small earthen lamp and we saw a huge pot. These were all separate objects,
but the one who saw them was one.
So, the things that were seen are many. Things came and went, things happened, and
we went here and there. The one who saw remained unchanged. Just as the essence
of Gnan is in the body, if we reflect upon the matter we will realize that the
multiplicity is seen in the world; it is not seen in the Atma or in the Parameshwara.
Therefore, the oneness of the one who sees is made clear by the perception of
multiple objects in this world.
Q.51. A Mahatma is asking whether it is proper to give Sanyas to a lady who

wants to take the vows of renunciation and wear red garments.
Look; there is no rule against wearing red clothes. The ÊxÉ¹ÉävÉ nishe`dha (ban) is for a
lady to do the |Éä¹ÉÉäSSÉÉ®úhÉ praishocchaarana (speak the mantras for becoming a Monk),
chant the |ÉhÉ´Éò pranava (Aum), and accept a nùhb÷ danda (Monk’s staff).
So, if any lady wishes to wear red clothes, the Shastras do not forbid it. It is a
different matter to be a Sanyasi, and it is a different matter to wear red clothes. The
lady should not do the praishochaaran, she shouldn’t chant the pranav, and she
shouldn’t accept a danda.
Q. 52. What does it mean, to be ºÉ¨¨ÉÖJÉ sanmukha (face towards) Bhagwan? How
can we obtain such a state?
‘Whatever I see, whatever I do, and whatever I say, is all in the presence of
Bhagwan. Whether I see Him or not, He is looking at me.’ Let this feeling be
established firmly in your mind. It is true that we do not have a deep love for
Bhagwan, but He has a deep love for us. His love for us is so great that He is unable
to leave us for even one minute.
So, the first thing to develop is a deep faith in Bhagwan. This is not even the fifth
{ÉÖ¯û¹ÉÉlÉÇ purushaartha (human achievement); it is the sixth purushartha, to have the
conviction that Bhagwan is ºÉ´ÉÇºÉÉIÉÒ sarvasaakshee (the one who sees everything), and
He is watching me everywhere. He watches me when I sleep, and He watches me
when I am awake, sitting, or getting up. Just have this conviction. You don’t need to
47
remember Him or meditate on Him. Just say, ‘Prabhu is watching me. What will He
think if I do this?’
When I was with the Kalyan group at Gorakhpur, I would wonder how Bhaiji would
like the articles I wrote. When, as a child, I did anything in the house, I would keep
in mind what my father and grandfather would say, if someone told them what I had
done.
Think about the opinion of your elders, not about the opinion of your inferiors. The
more you focus on your superiors, the more your vision will be purified. But, if you
think, ‘Everyone else does it; what is the harm if I do it?’ then, you will fall into a pit
like others.
So, as far as possible we should focus on the people who are elevated. We should
remember that they are watching everything we do.
Q. 53. When a person we have helped repeatedly continues to betray us, and we
go on pardoning him, it gives us pain. How can this pain be removed?
You should feel, ‘My mind is very childish. It has not yet ripened. What is good and
what is bad in this world? It is all the ±ÉÒ±ÉÉ leelaa (frolic) of the Ishwara. What I see
today as bad, may turn out to be good in future. It may be beneficial at a later date, or
in another form. It is my own mental weakness that I see goodness and badness. We
humans don’t know which goodness is filled with what evil, and which evil has what
goodness hidden in it.
There was a Mahatma. He was traveling from Lahore to Karachi. A group of fifty or
hundred people accompanied him. It was a large congregation. The train halted at a
small station. There was a well close by, and a large banyan tree beside it. Mahatmaji
said, ‘Everybody is to get out here. Empty the train. We will cook rotis (unleavened
bread) here, drink the water of the well, and do Satsang (religious discourses) under
the tree.’
The people were displeased at this command, but everybody got off. They began to
cook rotis and listen to the Satsang. An hour or so later, they got the news that their
train had collided into another train at the next station. There was an accident.
Thus, what we understand to be undesirable also has some good in it. ºÉEò±É ®úÉ¨É¨ÉªÉ VÉÉÊxÉ,
¤ÉÆnù= ºÉ¤É½þÓ ®úÉ¨ÉEäò xÉÉiÉä ‘Sakala raamamaya jaani; bandau sabaheen raamake` naate`.’
(Knowing that everything is filled with Shri Rama, I salute everyone because we are
all related through Him.) What we see as bad in this world is not bad. It is our mind
that is bad, because it perceives badness. We should strive to mould our mind
properly. Nobody can improve another person by catching his mouth and holding his
hands, to stop him from saying or doing anything. If we want things to improve, we
should improve our mind. There is no other method.
Q.54. |ÉÉ®ú¤vÉ Praarabdha (fate created by the fruit of past actions) has no existence
in the eyes of a Tattvagya (one who has the knowledge of the essence of the
Brahman). However, if there is a ºÉÉvÉEò saadhaka (spiritual seeker) who is free of
desire for personal benefits, and he prays to the ¨ÉÉªÉÉ-Ê´ÉÊ¶É¹]õ-SÉèiÉxªÉ maayaa-
48
vishishta-chaitanya (the Ishwara, who uses Maya – His power of illusion) to
change the prarabdha of another, is such a change possible? Goswamiji has
written, ¦ÉÉ´ÉÒ ¨ÉäÊ]õ ºÉEòË½þ ÊjÉ{ÉÖ®úÉ®úÒ ‘Bhaavee me`ti sakahin tripuraaree’. (Bhagwan
Shankar can change a person’s fate). Please explain this.
¦É´ÉÒ ¨ÉäÊ]õ ºÉEòË½þ ÊjÉ{ÉÖ®úÉ®úÒ ‘Bhaavee me`ti sakahin tripuraaree’ is in connection to ={ÉÉºÉxÉÉ
upaasanaa (worship) and bhakti. The greatness of worship is such that it can change
everything. The description of prarabdha is, that in the eyes of an enlightened Saint,
the Atma has no previous birth and no future birth; it is not born at all. Just think of
the vision of a Tattvagya who has a physical form, but does not identify with it.
People can see his body, and he can also see his own body. He is aware of his
actions, done by his body, and yet he feels that the body is not real! What a vision!
Belief in prarabdha and belief in upasana – the two cannot go hand in hand.
Prarabdha is seen from the angle of karma (actions), and upasana is seen from the
angle of emotion; bhakti. They should not be mixed up.
If you want to do upasana, worship Bhagwan. Pray to him to do what you desire.
Your suggestion is quite proper. It is possible that Bhagwan listens to you. It is also
possible that it is your prarabdha that your fate will be changed if you do upasana. It
is also possible that someone else’s prarabdha gives him an illness, and that illness
will be removed if he does some specific upasana.
Upasana comes on the path of bhakti; and prarabdha comes on the path of Tattva
Gnan. The fact is, that for a Tattva Gnani, there is no prarabdha, because prarabdha is
only for someone who has a previous birth, a future birth, and a present birth. It is for
no other.
Q. 55. When people speak about näù½þÉvªÉÉºÉ de`haadhyaasa (identification with the
body) being removed, is this really possible, or is it just empty talk?
It is clear that your dehadhyasa has not been removed, but it is possible that someone
else’s has been removed. If you want to remove your dehadhyasa, do the Satsang
(listen to religious discourses) of the Mahatmas who you believe to have removed
their dehadhyasa.
Dehadhyasa cannot be removed without Satsang and Bhagwan’s EÞò{ÉÉ kripaa (Grace).
It is not easy to stop identifying with your body. In the present state of ¨ÉÎºVÉnùÉvªÉÉºÉ
masjidaadhyaasa (identifying with a Mosque), ¨ÉÎxnù®úÉvªÉÉºÉ mandiraadhaayasa
(identifying with a temple) and MÉÖ¯ûuùÉ®úÉvªÉÉºÉ gurudvaaraadhyaasa (identifying with a
Gurudvara), these have become so strong that there is little likelihood of the
dehadhyasa being removed.
Q. 56. What is the difference between a mantra and a Maha mantra? Should a
mantra be taken from a Sadguru (true Guru), or can we use one we have read
about? What is the mantra for making a mantra potent?
49
A mantra is that which is one, and is obtained from the Guru. It is not a mantra unless
it is given by the Sadguru and explained by him. Nor will the person have ÊxÉ¹`öÉ
nishthaa (full faith) in it.
A Maha mantra is a mantra that a person can chant after reading about it. Five
mantras were given in ‘Kalyan’, including a Shiva Mantra and a Vishnu mantra. You
can choose any one of them and chant it. Or, you can chant ½þ®äú ®úÉ¨É ½þ®úä ®úÉ¨É ‘Hare`
raama hare` raama’, because that is meant for all.
Mantra siddhi (the success of the mantra) is achieved when the mantra, the Devta
(the divine form that is worshipped) and the one who chants – all three – become
one.
So, chant your Guru mantra (the mantra given by your Guru). Why weigh yourself
down with all this information? The more detailed knowledge you gather, the greater
the load on your mind. You will be confused about what you should do.
A firm resolution, in sticking to your decision, is very close to the firmness of
Atmagnan (knowledge about the Atma). The fact is that a person can be firm in his
resolve only when it is about the Atma. If the decision is about any other, it may be
erroneous. However, the more resolved you are about yourself, the better you will
experience your Self. Actually, the final decision can only be about our Atma. All
other things can be nothing but belief, or emotion.
Q. 57. When I sit to do VÉ{É japa (ritual chanting), and hear some bhajan
(devotional song) being played, my mind abandons the japa and gets immersed
in the bhajan. Should I continue with my japa, or should I let my mind savor the
bhajan?
If your mind is so well-controlled that you can continue to do japa even if the bhajans
go on, that is best. However, if your mind is not so stable, let it get immersed in the
bhajans. Sing the bhajans, and meditate on the subject of the bhajans. You should
either merge into the bhajan, or the bhajan should merge into you. There is no other
solution. Or else, leave both and become an atheist!
Q. 58. I am a lover of the Raas-leela (the enacting of Shri Radha-Krishna’s

frolic of dancing with the gopis of Vrindavan). Is it proper if I stay with those
who have the roles of Shri Radha-Krishna, and render devoted service to them?
Please give me an answer.
Look, my brother, it is better to speak frankly. If your character is enhanced by your

proximity with the Raas-leela º´É°ü{É svaroopa (forms that enact Shri Radha-Krishna),
and if you truly feel that they are divine, and their presence helps focus your mind on
Bhagwan, there is nothing wrong in being in close touch with them. However, the
intellect of humans has a tendency to move downwards; it moves towards
degradation.
50
I know of many people who felt devotion for the Raas-leela svaroopas. Their
devotion kept shifting to new forms, four or five times. A gentleman lived near
Prabhudattaji Brahmachari. He worshipped the forms who enacted Shri Radha-
Krishna. He would take their SÉ®úhÉÉ¨ÉÞiÉ charanaamrita (water used for washing the feet
and taken as a purifying ritual), do ritual worship, offer food to them and eat their
leftovers. He would make them sit on his lap and shower his love on them.
Later on, such a feeling of lust rose up in him that it created friction between them.
Their quarrel led to fighting and worse. So, look well into your own heart. Make sure
that there is no sensual attraction. People get attached to young men who have not yet
to develop facial hair. They get a titillation of the senses. If any such feeling is
present, it is better to stay away from personal interaction. You should do their
darshan (see with reverence) from a distance, serve them (make offerings of cash and
kind) and meditate on their essence.
You may be knowing that Bhaiji, Hanumanprasadji, of the Gita Press had great love
for the svaroopa of the Raas-leela. He would eat their leftover food. He concealed
this from Jaydayalji as far as possible, because Jaydayalji was strongly opposed to
this practice. He did not even like to see the Raas-leela enacted.
It is not proper to have one rule for everybody, about who should be in close contact
with the Raas-leela svaroopas and who shouldn’t. There is no harm if a person whose
mind and heart are absolutely pure and free of lust keeps contact with them.
However, if any wayward thoughts come, it is better to save yourself from them. We
should render service and worship the svaroopas. There should be no change in the
offerings of cash and kind; but it is better to avoid personal interaction.
I am telling you this, because a Raas-leela was held here, at Baba’s Ashram. The
people who did Satsang (religious discourses) at Shriji Nikunj were invited. One of
their group was overcome with lust.
If anyone finds this offensive, I ask them to ignore it. I have faced this question for
the past 40-45 years, ever since I was with the Gita Press. I have answered it
repeatedly since then.
Q. 59. How can we obtain a firm single mindedness in bhakti?
Bhakti is not obtained through any method. It is obtained by leaving every method in
the hands of Bhagwan. It is the principle in bhakti that |Éä¨É pre`ma (pure love) cannot
be obtained by using the intellect. If a clever man loves someone, he will take
advantage of them. So, love Bhagwan with a simple prema.
Eò½þEÖò ¦ÉMÉÊiÉ {ÉlÉ Eò´ÉxÉ |ÉªÉÉºÉÉ*
VÉÉäMÉ xÉ VÉ{É-iÉ{É-¨ÉJÉ ={É´ÉÉºÉÉ**
ºÉ®ú±É ºÉÖ¦ÉÉ´É xÉ ¨ÉxÉ EÖòÊ]õ±ÉÉ<Ç*
VÉlÉÉ ±ÉÉ¦É ºÉÆiÉÉä¹É ºÉnùÉ<Ç**
¨ÉÉä®ú ¦ÉMÉiÉ Eò½þÉ< xÉ®ú +ÉºÉÉ**
Kahahu bhagati patha kavana prayaasaa,
Joga na japa-tapa-makha upavaasaa.
Sarala subhaava na mana kutilaayee,
51
Jathaa laabha santosha sabaayee.
Mora bhagata kahaayi nara aasaa.
Don’t place your dependence on the method; place it on Bhagwan. The more your
rely on Bhagwan, the more bhakti you will experience. The fact is, prema comes
from faith and trust in Bhagwan, and prema leads to ºÉä´ÉÉ se`vaa (service). Prema from
¸ÉrùÉ shraddhaa (faith), and seva from prema. This is bhakti.
ÊjÉ¦ÉRÂóMÉ{ÉÚ´ÉÇEÆò |Éä¨Éè´É EòÉªÉÇ¨ÉÂ ‘Tribhangapoorvakam pre`maiva kaaryam’ – the ÊjÉ{ÉÖ]õÒ triputi
(triad) should be broken, and become one. My Bhagwan and I are one; we are not
two. There is not curtain separating the bhakta from Bhagwan. There is no
disbalance. Whatever happens is all right; it is done by Bhagwan. All that I do is
directed by Him, and I do whatever He makes me do.
There is no difference whatsoever between Bhagwan’s resolve and the bhakta’s
resolve.
Q. 60. Which is superior – Gnan with bhakti, or Gnan without bhakti? Please
describe them separately.
The question of superior and inferior is quite separate. To belong to Bhagwan or

make Him ours – this relationship is bhakti. And, the realization that the Atma is
Bhagwan, is Gnan.
The life of a bhakta will be full of ®úºÉ rasa (sweet emotion). The life of a Gnani (one
who has Gnan) can also be filled with sweetness, if he wants, or else it can be thorny.
It is also possible that the Gnan either has detachment or that the Gnani lacks
detachment. In bhakti, however, detachment from worldly considerations is certain.
It is not possible to have |Éä¨É pre`ma (pure love) for the interactive world and also for
Bhagwan. Prema can have only one object – Bhagwan. True bhakti contains real
detachment.
Gnan is a lamp – it can be snuffed out, or it can continue to burn. Bhakti, on the other
hand, is a ËSÉiÉÉ¨ÉÊhÉ chintaamani (wish-fulfilling gem). It cannot be harmed by any
wind, rain or hail. All Bhagwan’s powers are revealed in bhakti. In Gnan, there is a
complete removal of all the weaknesses of a Jeeva (Atma attached to a body).
Bhakti is ®úºÉ |ÉvÉÉxÉ rasa pradhaana (dominated by rasa). And Gnan is ºÉiÉÂ |ÉvÉÉxÉ sat
pradhaana (dominated by pure existence – the Brahman). Samadhi comes from the
dominance of Sat. Gnan comes from the dominance of Chid (pure consciousness),
and bhakti comes from the dominance of +ÉxÉxnù aananda (pure bliss). The first
inclination for the Paramartha (supreme achievement) comes from the inclination for
bliss. Later on, the Gnan about the source of bliss increases steadily. Then, the person
gets established in that object (the Brahman), of which he obtains more and more
Gnan.
Thus, the inclination for Bhagwan – who is the essence of bliss and is the intellect
that is filled with rasa – is the factor that ultimately reveals the essence of Bhagwan.
It does not allow any veil to separate us from Bhagwan. And, the essence of bliss is
52
such that as soon as we obtain bliss, we are completely exposed. This anand shatters
all the barriers that separate us.
Hence, the point about superior and inferior is, that the mind that is inclined towards
detachment wants to become unattached from the world. It sees the world and
becomes aloof from it. The mind that is inclined towards bhakti does not see the
world at all; it sees only the Paramatma. The vision that is focused only on Bhagwan
is bhakti. Gnan is when a person sees the world and wants to let go of it.
Q. 61. How can we develop the vision where everything is the Paramatma?
There are two ways to achieve this. One is to repeat the thought that the Paramatma
is the only thing that exists. Nothing else exists. And you get the understanding of
what the essence of the ultimate reality is. You begin to give deep thought to it.
The vision of Vedanta examines the ´ÉºiÉÖ vastu (object; the Brahman). It thinks about
the ultimate reality that is the Brahman. And, the vision of bhakti is emotional. To go
on repeating ‘Rama, Rama’ continuously, so that no other sound remains.
This is also a science – when no other sound remains, there will be no other touch;
and when there is no other touch, there will be no other form; and then there will be
no other smell either. And, when no other sound, touch, form, taste or smell is left,
everything will seem to be filled with Bhagwan – everything will become ¦ÉMÉ´Éx¨ÉªÉ
bhagavanmaya.
The fact is, one cannot make anything bhagavanmaya. A person’s perception is
sharpened, and he begins to get the darshan (vision) of Bhagwan everywhere.
The |É¨ÉÉhÉ Ê´É¦ÉÉMÉ pramaana vibhaaga (the department of establishing) is separate, and
the ÊxÉ¨ÉÉÇhÉ Ê´É¦ÉÉMÉ nirmana vibhaaga (the department of creating) is separate. The
department of establishing belongs to the Vedantis, and the department of creating
belongs to the those who worship. They reiterate their emotions and create Bhagwan.
And, Bhagwan is self-revealing. He manifests and shows them that only He exists.
Q. 62. Is the ºÉÉvÉxÉÉ saadhanaa (effort for spiritual progress) simple and
automatically successful, or does the |Éä¨É pre`ma (pure love) of the gopis arise in
the heart due to sadhana?
You see, prema is present in every heart. The Atma is |Éä¨É º´É°ü{É pre`ma-svaroopa (the
essence of the Atma is pure love). The Atma is +ÉxÉxnù º´É°ü{É aananda-svaroopa (the
essence of the Atma is pure bliss). Regarding bhakti, it can be the bhakti developed
through several past lifetimes, or it can rise up suddenly due to the Grace of
Bhagwan. Bhagwan is so merciful that He cannot bear to see the suffering of people
through so many lifetimes. His heart melts with compassion, and He holds the person
close to His heart. Just as Grace is self-revealing, so is bhakti.
º´É|ÉEòÉ¶É °ü{É ÊnùxÉ-®úÉÊiÉ*
xÉË½þ EòUÖô SÉÊ½þB ÊnùªÉÉ PÉÞiÉ ´ÉÉiÉÒ**
Svaprakaasha roopa dina-raatee,
53
Nahin kachhu chahiya diyaa-dhrita-baatee.
(Bhakti reveals itself day and night without needing a lamp, oil, or matches.)
Bhakti can come by doing sadhana, or by the Grace of Bhagwan. Both are possible.
(Tattvagnan is also obtained in both these ways.) However, it is essential that the
mind is eligible for bhakti. Which heart should the ®úºÉ rasa (sweet emotion) be kept
in?
We see that when we set curds in an earthen vessel, it sets very well, but if a copper
or pewter vessel is used, the milk curdles. So the container must be suitable for what
is to be kept in it.
The heart that is inclined towards the sweetness of Bhagwan, and has His Grace, that
is where bhakti is. When the faith of the bhakta and the Grace of Bhagwan unite, it is
called bhakti. The infinite faith of a bhakta and the infinite patronage of Bhagwan for
the bhakta – this union is a marriage. This is the obtaining of the rasa of bhakti.
Q. Are the ¨ÉxÉ mana (mind), ¤ÉÖÊrù buddhi (intellect), +½ÆþEòÉ®ú ahankaara (subtle ego
of individuality) and ÊSÉkÉ chitta (mental movements) the four kinds of mental
tendencies? Is lust in the mind or in the heart?
You see, ´ÉÞkÉ vritti (inclination) means ´ÉiÉÉÇ´É vartaava (behavior). If you fold your
hands, it is |ÉhÉÉ¨Éò pranaama (bowing down), and if you tighten your fist to hit
someone, it is |É½þÉ®ú prahaara (an onslaught). The hand is the same, whether you call it
pranam or prahar. So, vritti means an action. The difference in the action makes no
difference to the object. It makes no difference whether you indicate one, two, or
three – the hand remains one. It does not become many. In the same way, the object
is one – the +xiÉ:Eò®úhÉ antahkaran (the fourfold mind, or subtle body). The different
types of movements and actions come and go in it.
People keep names for the different actions. If you bend your head, it becomes xÉ¨ÉÉÆÊºÉ
namaansi (namaz), and if you fold your hands, it becomes a xÉ¨ÉºEòÉ®ú namaskaara.
Only the names are different. Some people bow their heads, some fold their hands,
and some prostrate. It is only that they are named differently. Different names do not
affect the object in any way. The thing is one; everything is one object. There is only
one. The divisions – this is mine, and this is yours – are absolutely artificial.
Sankhya and Yoga say that the feelings of mine-yours are the world; I-you is the
world. This body is ‘me’, and that body is ‘you’ – is also wrong. And, ‘this body
belongs to me and that body belongs to you’, is also wrong. Under all circumstances,
everything is one. The names of the objects can be kept by you or by someone else.
It is said that the mind has four different kinds of movements and functions. Look; at
present I am sitting here. My mind makes a resolve, ‘Let me go to Behariji’s temple.’
The place in which this resolve rises is called the ¨ÉxÉ mana (mind). Then, the mind
has a second thought, ‘should I go or not?’ This is called ºÉÆ¶ÉªÉ sanshaya (doubt).
54
The mind remained the same, but the name became ‘sanshay’. After that, I take a
decision to go. The place where the resolve arose, and the indecision arose was the
same as the place in which the sanshay arose, and the decision was taken.
After that, I get the +½ÆþEòÉ®ú ahankaara (subtle ego of individuality) of walking. All
four are placed in one MÉÉä±ÉEò golak (a container, like coins kept in one vessel), and that
is called the ÊSÉkÉ ‘chitta’. And in the chitta, something flows out at times, and
something else flows out at times. ºÉÆEò±{É Sankalpa (resolve) rises up at times, and
nÖùÊ´ÉvÉÉ dvividhaa (indecision) rises up at times. At times there is a ÊxÉ¶SÉªÉ nishchay
(decision), and ahankar rises up at times.
I had a big boil on my stomach when I was three years old. That was some 73-74
years back, but I still remember it. My Mama (maternal uncle) took me onto his lap,
and the village barber cut it with his razor. I have forgotten so many incidents that
took place subsequently, but this memory is clear in my mind.
Where does this memory stay? That place is called the ¾þnùªÉ hriday (heart). ¾þnù Hrid
(you can call it ½þÉnÇù haarda or heart) is where memories are stored, and they are
brought up occasionally. You can call it something else in English, or Persian, or
Russian. However, this collection of memories and subtle subconscious impressions
overflows in the mind at times, and is dormant at times.
Q. 64. Is there s difference between iÉÒlÉÇ teertha and vÉÉ¨É dhaama (place of
pilgrimage), or are they the same?
You see, if you create distinctions there is no end to it. I have a friend in Vrindavan.
He says, ‘You all live in the forest division, and I live in the palace division.’ That
means, there are divisions even in Vrindavan. One is the forest and the other is the
palace.
Then, there is EÖÆòVÉ kunja (garden), ÊxÉiªÉ ÊxÉEÖòÆ VÉ nitya nikuna (the eternal garden) and ÊxÉ¦ÉÞkÉ
ÊxÉEÖÆòVÉ nibhritti nikunja (the secret garden). You can go on adding as many names as
you like. There is no end to it. In every heart, there is one thing that can be called by
any name and seen in any form. If you see the one in everything, it reduces your
attachments and aversions, but the more differences and distinctions you make, the
more attachments and aversions increase.
When the earth was still undivided by oceans, it was called ‘Bharatvarsha’. Then the
sea split up the land and new names were given to the different pieces. This is
Europe, this is America, this is Asia, etc. The earth is the same.
Then, even in Asia, this is Bharat, this is Shri Lanka, this is Burma and this is
Pakistan. What is all this? When new Nations are made, people are ready to fight
over it. After they are made, people make Treaties. We compromise. We saw the
States of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu being created. We saw Bangla Desh and
Pakistan being formed. Thus, these pieces are created and merged.
Our heart should not be broken into pieces. When external fragments create internal
fragments, it causes sorrow. Where is North? Are you seated to my North or to my
South? Am I in the North or the South of this room? People have created all these
55
distinctions due to the narrowness or magnanimity of their intellect. There is no real
difference.
‘Teertha’ is that, which a person can take the support of to swim (iÉ®ú tara) across the
sea of the world. It is like a boat we use to go across the river. And ‘Dham’ is where
people go and stay. This is the meaning of these two words in Sanskrit. To reach and
stay in our home is called ‘Dham’, and to travel by train is called ‘Tirtha’. Dham is
our residence and Tirtha is the method of going to it.
Q. 65. Why are Mahapurush (Saints) seen to suffer? Some people say that
Saints take on the suffering of other people. In that case, can they give their
suffering to another as well?
Look; this is an emotional subject. Neither does anybody take on anyone else’s
suffering, nor does anybody give his suffering to another. It depends on the ¨ÉºÉÉ±ÉÉ
masaalaa (the components of the matter). The same thing seems bitter at times and
sweet at times. If you eat an amla (a kind of fruit), it tastes bitter, but if you put it into
your mouth and drink water, it tastes very sweet.
What we call suffering has been given this name (suffering), but it is not actually
suffering. This is a natural state of the body. Just as it is natural for the body to
evacuate waste matter – and sometimes not pass a stool – it is natural for the body to
feel pain at times. Suffering is a name kept for one state of the body.
Lame people feel offended when anyone calls them lame. They are particularly
sensitive when they first get this debility. Later on, they begin to prefer being lame.
‘My lameness is better than your legs,’ they say. ‘My heart has no debility!’ So, this
goodness and badness is all a matter of belief. The body is a body, whether is that of
a Mahapurush or an ordinary individual.
The fact is that a human being is human. Nobody is ordinary and nobody is extra
ordinary. We are all the same. Every person experiences physical discomfort related
to the diet, clothes, conditions, age, strength and tendency. Or, he is free from
discomfort. Whatever the state of the person, it is all right. Whatever is happening is
all right. If someone recommends hot water, use hot water. If someone suggests cold
water, try that. When someone has fever, people apply a cold compress to the
forehead, but a hot compress is used if there is pain in the stomach. It is the play of
Nature to give us heat in one season, cold in another, and rains in the third. There is
no need to think it to be good or bad.
A husband and wife came to meet me one day. The lady had a plaster on her neck.
There was a small cut. Like a fool I asked her what had caused it. She glanced at her
husband and smiled. ‘This is his doing,’ she replied. Well! Look at that! She was
hurt, she had a plaster on her neck, and she was smiling at her husband’s antics.
I had gone to Jaipur. I asked the Maharani to show me what kind of clothes and
jewelry she wears. She showed me a heavy petticoat made from forty yards of rich
velvet. She showed the jewelry she wore from tip to toe. It was made of gold and
studded with diamonds. It must have weighed about five kilos. Now, had someone
56
asked the Maharani to carry something that weighed five kilos, she would have taken
affront, but she carried all this weight happily.
I see people who work in coal mines gather wood, cook their rotis, and eat hem with
great relish. They live happily. People weep bitterly and lament the death of their
loved ones. After some months, they hardy think about them. All these are the
assumptions of the mind. They have no substance.
Whether you say Hari, or Hara, or Hrim, or Rahim – they are all names of the one
Parameshwara. There is no scope for differentiating. All differentiation is lack of
understanding.
Q. 66. Is the absence of ®úÉMÉ-uäù¹É raaga-dve`sha (attachment-aversion) to be

cultivated for the sake of worldly interaction, or is it for the Atmadarshan (to
obtain a vision of the Atma)? A life that has no attachments or aversions will be
like the life of a pig. So, is the total absence of attachments and aversions the
complete faith in the Atma Tattva (the essence of the Atma)? The Atma does not
have any interaction. Can interaction be carried out without attachments and
aversions?
You are so knowledgeable that there is no scope for me to say anything. You know
perfectly well what is ´ªÉ´É½þÉ®ú vyavahaara (worldly interaction), and what is {É®ú¨ÉÉlÉÇ
paramaartha (the supreme achievement; the Brahman that is the Atma).
®úÉMÉ Raaga (attachment) means, to be dyed in the color of someone else. uäù¹É Dve`sha
(aversion) means, to burn when you think of someone. So, who is the person the very
thought of whom sets your mind on fire? I asked someone, ‘How is that person?’ He
snorted irritably. Just hearing the name made him snort.
I saw that there was great attachment between a boy and a girl. They got married
against the wishes of their parents and families. It was a love marriage, but it did not
last even two years. They quarreled so bitterly that it lead to a court case and a
divorce.
Another incident took place recently – not even two months ago. This was in one of
India’s topmost families. The daughter got married – I had attended the wedding.
Within two months, there was a demand for a divorce. As far as I recall, a divorce
was not possible due to some legal stipulation about the time factor. Nor were there
sufficient grounds for a divorce. So, the girl went to some small country in America,
procured a citizenship and quietly got the divorce. After a few months she married
another man. What is this?
What is the state of the mind? Who does it love and who does it hate? You like the
sensation if a buffalo licks you, but you run if a cow licks you. (The tongue of a cow
is so abrasive that it can peel off your skin. The tongue of a buffalo is so soft that it
gives a pleasant sensation to be licked by a buffalo.) When people get some skin
infection, they apply something sweet on it, and let a dog lick it. The infection gets
cured.
Now, see; what is in this world that is good and what is bad? Everything is good in
its rightful place, and everything is bad in its rightful place.
57
Q. 67. I have heard you refer to the ‘Tripura Rahasya’ on several occasions.
What is established in this, Maharajji?
The principle established in the ‘Yoga Vasishtha’ is the same as the principle
established in the ‘Tripura Rahasya’. But why do you want to know it so cheaply
from me? It is a small book. Put in some effort and read it. Even if you read ten pages
a day you will complete it within a month. The principle established in this book is
the +ÊuùiÉÒªÉ adviteeyataa (non-dual essence) of the Atma. It establishes that everything
is the essence of the Brahman.
Tripura means the three {ÉÖ®ú pura (cities) – the waking state, the dreaming state, and
the deep sleep state. These are three cities. The one ÊSÉkÉ-¶ÉÎCiÉ chit-shakti (the power of
pure consciousness) that is present in all three cities is called ÊjÉ{ÉÖ®úÉ ‘tripuraa’, to
indicate a female form, and ÊjÉ{ÉÖ®ú ‘tripura’, to indicate a masculine form. People use
ÊSÉÊiÉ ‘chiti’, or they use ‘chit’.
Q. 68. Why do the ºÉä´ÉEò se`vak (the people who serve the Guru) get angry with
bhaktas?
They are not true sevaks. They would not get angry if they had been true sevaks.
Actually, anger is also one of Nature’s Dharmas (it is natural). Just as the weather
becomes warm, or cool, or the rainy season comes and goes, the body also has
seasons. Sometimes a person gets up feeling irritable. He knows that he will get
angry with someone that day. And at times he wakes up feeling tranquil and happy.
He has a feeling of pleasurable anticipation.
The whole of Nature is affected, and so is the body of every person. We have to be
vigilant about this. We should always remember that this state is also a passing
phase. Feelings come and go. Tomorrow you will be pleased with the very person
who irritates you today.
Tomorrow you will get angry with the very person you are pleased with today. This
is how the world goes on. Even Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar get angry. Wherever a
person may be, he will experience that his body burns with heat or shivers with cold.
The same thing happens in Nature. The Ishwara has many forms. So, whichever form
presents itself at whichever time, it should be enjoyed.
No portion of the world remains unaffected. Everything is affected. That, which
remains unaffected is called the Paramatma by the Shastras.
Q. 69. Is the bhakti if the Vaishnavas (those who worship Bhagwan Vishnu) ºÉÉvªÉ
saadhya (attainable), or is it a ºÉÉvÉxÉÉ saadhanaa (effort for spiritual progress)?
How useful is this bhakti for someone who seeks to understand Vedanta?
The bhakti of the Vaishnavas is a sadhan up to a point, so long as they continue with
their efforts. It is also sadhya, as long as they wish to obtain bhakti. Actually, bhakti
is the Grace of Bhagwan. It is self-effulgent. There is nobody in this world who is not
58
a bhakta. Bhakti is a natural inclination – we wake up and comb our hair lovingly.
We wipe our eyes and apply kajal.
Some people love their hands and some people love their feet. Wrestlers are bhaktas
of their own physique. Ladies who are professional actors and singers love their
acting abilities and physical attributes. They spend hours practicing their singing.
That is what they enjoy. If a person is not fond of music, he is likely to hit the sitar so
hard that it breaks. So, people have different temperaments and act according to their
nature. There is no need to quarrel with anyone.
This is also useful to someone who wants to know about Vedanta. They should do
Bhagwan’s bhajan (sing His glories; adore Him). They will get detached from the
world. When a person gets angry, his eyes turn red. He feels excited when he
experiences lust. His tongue waters when he thinks about pickles from Jaipur. People
have different inclinations.
So, when a ÊVÉYÉÉºÉÖ jigyaasu (seeker of Bhagwan) works in the presence of his Master,
his bad habits will be removed. He will remember Bhagwan repeatedly. That means,
all this complicated presentation is meant to make you lead an ethical life.
Q. 70. What was Shri Udiyababaji’s lifestyle like, as an +´ÉtÚiÉ avadhoota

(ascetic)?
It gives me great pleasure to talk – or hear – about Shri Udiyababaji Maharaj. He was
a Mahapurush (Saint). He was clearly filled with the essence of Bhagwan.
A young man once invited Baba for lunch. ‘Please come to my house for bhiksha.’
Baba went one day, at about ten or eleven o’clock. The young man was not at home,
but his father – a staunch Arya Samaji – was at home. He was a hefty man with huge
moustaches.
Baba also had a good physique. The father said, ‘Oh, you hefty man! Where have
you come from?’
‘Sir, I am a mendicant,’ said Baba. ‘I have come to beg for my food.’
‘Why do you beg? Why don’t you do some work?’
‘Who will give me work? I am willing to work if someone gives it.’
‘Sit down and chop the feed of the cattle.’
Baba sat down with a pile of bajra (millet) and began to chop the thorny stalks.
Just then the young man arrived. ‘Oh! Oh! This is Maharaj!’ he exclaimed.
Now, see the situation. For Baba, it was all the same, whether he chopped millet,
begged for his food, or received worship.
Baba was once staying at Delhi. One bhakta said, ‘Maharaj, please have bhiksha at
my place.’ The man lived some five or six miles out of the city, and Baba would only
travel on foot. He started in good time. The man lived as a tenant. When Baba
reached his house, the landlord said, ‘I don’t allow Sadhus inside the house.’ People
argued and cajoled, but to no avail. ‘Maharaj has deigned to come all the way,’ they
pleaded. ‘Allow him to come in.’ The man remained obstinate.
59
Baba began to walk back, but the people again caught his feet, begging him to return.
Now, Baba walked for two or three furlongs, and walked back again, some six or
eight times. Ultimately he said, ‘My brother, bring the food here for me. I will eat it
on the roadside. As it is, I beg for my food.’
The man brought the food from his home, and Baba ate it lovingly on the roadside.
He was a great devotee of Baba’s; he was not an ordinary bhakta. That is why Baba
had accepted his invitation.
Q. 71. In the Satsang (religious discourses) we get the teaching that we should
save ourselves from anything that is wrong, and walk on the path of
righteousness. We are also told, ‘Whatever happens comes from the Ishwara. It
is He who does everything.’ Which of these should we accept?
What you should accept is that whatever happens should be seen as Bhagwan’s ±ÉÒ±ÉÉ
leelaa (frolic), so you should not let your mind get agitated about it. And, you should
be alert about what lies ahead of you. Don’t do anything that goes against the
commands of the Ishwara or the Shrutis and Smritis. The scriptures are Bhagwan’s
commands. Those who follow Bhagwan’s commands walk on the proper path, and
those who go against them go on the wrong path.
Whatever is happening comes from the Ishwara. This is the viewpoint of the bhakta.
And, nobody should do anything wrong. If he does, he is turned away from
Bhagwan.
The greatest wrong is to be turned away from Bhagwan, and the greatest good is to
keep ourselves turned towards Him.
Q. 72. If a man has fallen morally, can he uplift himself? How?
A person who has developed a taste for immoral activities will enjoy doing the things
that shouldn’t be done. This is why we should be careful about safeguarding our
purity since early childhood.
+¹]õ´É¹ÉÇ ¥ÉÉÀhÉÆ .........
Ashtavarsham braahmanam….
(A Brahmin is developed when he is eight years old.)
If, due to some cause, the character has been spoilt, we should take refuge in
Bhagwan’s name, to uplift ourselves. It is His name that purifies all who are
downfallen. It is His +´ÉiÉ®úhÉ avataran (coming down to our level). When we fall into
a lowly Hell and are steeped in mire, the one who descends and lifts us up, is our
most Beloved. He is the most merciful. What else is He?
I have seen this with my own eyes. There was a well just in front of the front door of
our house. A lady fell into the well while drawing water. She was using an earthen
pot. It hit the wall of the well as she was pulling it up. The pot broke and she lost her
balance, and fell into the well.
The husband of this lady was working in the field some distance away, He was
watching, and saw her fall into the well. He came running and jumped into the well.
60
He lifted her up in both arms. Then other people gathered and threw down a rope and
pulled them out.
So, this descending of Bhagwan to our level, His coming onto the gross level to raise
up the downfallen proves that we belong to Him. It is our relationship with Him, and
it is this that brings salvation to the Jeeva (Atma attached to a body).
Had this not been the case, we would be unable to find even four +´ÉtÚiÉ avadhoota
(ascetics) who were filled with virtues since their birth, accepted the Sacred Thread
with the proper rituals, lived lives of purity, had detachment, and were eligible to
reach Bhagwan. There may, at most, be one or two such people. Leave it to them to
safeguard Tattvagnan (the knowledge of the essence of the Brahman). Let them carry
this Gnan on the palm of their hand.
The fact is that for the salvation of common people, the ordinary mortals, this Avatar
of Bhagwan – His name – is the best method. We have fallen into a low level of
name and form. When Bhagwan’s name comes down to this level, it lifts us up. It
gives us good fortune.
Q. 73. It is said that when Shri Ramachandra was establishing the Shivaling at
Rameshwara, before building the bridge to Lanka, Ravana brought Sitaji there.
Is this authentic, or is it just imagined by someone?
®úÉ¨ÉSÉÊ®úiÉ ºÉiÉ EòÉäÊ]õ +{ÉÉ®úÉ ‘Ramacharita sata koti apaaraa’. You see, the story of Shri
Rama has been written in innumerable ways, depending on the different ages and
eons. So, if this story is given in one of them, there is nothing wrong about it.
The Rameshwara Mandir has two entrances. One faces the road and the other faces
the sea. The door that faces the sea has a verandah, with paintings and shlokas. You
can see then if go there someday.
It is the rule that when someone does a Yagya, his wife must sit with him for the
ritual; otherwise, he cannot do a Yagya. Now, when Shri Rama wanted to do a
Yagya, how could Sitaji come to sit with Him? So, it was decided that Ravana should
be made the Purohit (the priest who conducts the ritual). He would do the necessary
rituals to establish the Shivalinga successfully. He would bring Janakiji in order to
fulfill the requirements.
Laxmanji went to Ravana. ‘We elect you to do the |ÉÉhÉ |ÉÊiÉ¹`öÉ praana-pratishthaa
(evoke Shivaji).’ Ravana smiled. ‘You are very clever, my brothers! You wish to
fulfill all requirements for a successful Yagya.’ He gave his consent.
Ravana brought Janakiji in an air plane. He made her sit beside Ramchandraji, and
completed the ritual meticulously. Then he said, ‘If you wish, you may keep Janakiji
with you. I give her to you.’
‘No,’ replied Ramchandraji. ‘I will keep her with me after I have defeated you in
battle and won her back. I cannot keep her till I have defeated you.’
This shows the magnanimity of both Ravana and Ramchandraji. Ravana was a
learned Pundit of the Veda-shastra. He was so fearless that he did not hesitate to
bring Janakiji to Ramchandraji. And, Bhagwan Ramchandra was so valorous that He
refused to accept Sitaji as a gift given by Ravana. He said He would win her in battle.
61
This story is given in some ancient Ramayana. In spite of all my efforts, I was unable
to locate its origin. Others may know. However, the story is faultless. From one
viewpoint is it very proper.
Q. 74. You said that all beings have different abilities. Women can bear
children; dogs have the ability to guard, and so on. How can we bring these
abilities into our lives?
Look; I used to visit a Mahatma. He said that when any ÊVÉYÉÉºÉÖ jigyaasu (seeker of
Bhagwan) comes and surrenders to his Guru, the Guru meditates upon him. Through
the meditation, he sees the ºÉÉvÉxÉÉ saadhanaa (effort for spiritual progress) done by the
person in his past lives, and how elevated he is spiritually. The Guru is aware that his
disciple will progress rapidly if he is given a slightly lower sadhana. If he is given a
very high sadhana, he will try his best, but fail to attain a higher spiritual level.
Thus, nobody can gauge his own inner eligibility. All of us see the good in ourselves,
because the Paramatma-Atma is in all of us. So, everybody approves of himself. ÊxÉVÉ
EòÊ´ÉkÉ EäòÊ½þ ±ÉÉMÉ xÉ xÉÒEòÉ ‘Nija kavitta ke`hi laaga na neekaa’ (every poet likes his own
poetry). So, if anyone tries to gauge his own qualities, the dormant desire for ego
enhancement is attached to his evaluation. He begins to consider himself to be very
great. ‘What does he know, compared to me?’
At times, it is seen that the disciple says, ‘My Guruji has an amazing grasp of
Brahmagnan. He also knows about bhakti. However, he lacks knowledge about some
matters. He is very naive. He will be cheated.’
How can a person be a Sadguru (true Guru) if he has not been cheated, and escaped
from the world? ‘This matter is of great importance. This thing is so vital’ – people
get stuck in these things. How can a person who is stuck in worldly calculations
escape them? Hence, if we want to know our eligibility, we need a Guru – a Saint –
who can understand the desires, subtle subconscious impressions, condition, and
tendencies of our previous lifetimes. This is not a very difficult matter. If a person
gives it some thought, he can understand it quite easily.
It is written in the Shrimad Bhagwat, that we can tell at once, if a person has come
from a storehouse of coal or cotton, because he will have traces of coal – or cotton
fluff – on him. So, if a person wants to conceal his nature completely, he cannot do
so.
People burp contentedly after a good meal. They pat their stomach and say, ‘Ah-ha! I
have obtained Brahmananda (the bliss of Brahma).’ When we see such people, we
know at once where they find their greatest pleasure.
Q. 75. The Shrimad Bhagwat is the Maha Purana of the Vaishnavas. It

describes the greatness of Shri Krishna. However, the greatness of Bhagwan
Vishnu (who they worship) is described in the Vishnu Purana. Then, why is the
Shrimad Bhagwat the Maha Purana of the Vaishnavas? What is the difference
between the two Puranas?
62
The fact is, Vishnu and Bhagwan Krishna are not two essences. He is called
Bhagwan Krishna in one and Vishnu in the other. Both are the same, all-pervading
essence. Only the names are two; they are one. I can say this. Please don’t mind, but
only a person who has not read the Vishnu Purana will believe that there is any
difference between the Bhagwat and the Vishnu Purana. Absolutely the same
substance is given in both. In fact, the word ‘Bhagwan’ is defined in the Vishnu
Purana – Bä·ÉªÉÇºªÉ ºÉ¨ÉOÉºªÉ vÉ¨ÉÇºªÉ e`shvaryasya samagrasya dharmasya’ (The Ishwara is
one who is all powerful and is Dharma incarnate).
This definition of the word ‘Bhagwan’ is given in the Vishnu Purana. It is the method
of our Puranas that they describe the one Parameshwara in many ways, giving Him
many names. They want to make sure that people do not form the mistaken
impression that Bhagwan has only one name and only one form. If people believe
that, they will begin to fight over His name and form. If people say that Bhagwan is
not present in a Mosque; He is present only in a Mandir, then it is impossible for ®úÉMÉ
uäù¹É raaga-dve`sha (attachment-aversion) to be removed.
Bhagwan can be present in any form. It may be the round form of a Shaligram stone,
or the Shivalinga, or the Devi, or with an elephant’s head. Bhagwan is one, and only
one. He is in the form of a woman, and He is in the form of light. The meaning of the
descriptions of His many forms is to ensure that we do not assume that only one form
is His. Above the °ü{É roopa (form) is the +°ü{É aroopa (formless; the Brahman), the
one who is one, in all forms – recognize Him. Recognize His oneness, His
wholeness.
Therefore, there is no difference between the Bhagwat and the Vishnu Purana. They
are two names for the same substance. In fact, there is no difference between the
Shakti Purana and the Devi Purana; or the Ganesh Purana and the Shiva Purana
either. The base is the same. One is painted black and the other is painted white. The
superimposed painting is different; the feeling is one.
You would have heard this story. There was a Sethji (wealthy businessman) who had
a Ganeshji made of gold. The mouse of Ganeshji was also gold. Due to financial
difficulties, Sethji had to sell the gold Ganeshji and mouse. When he went to the
market to sell them he saw that the weight of the mouse was the same as Ganeshji.
They goldsmith said that their value was the same.
‘How can that be?’ asked Sethji. ‘This is an elephant and this is a mouse. This is
Bhagwan Ganesh and this is His mount, a mere mouse. How can they be of equal
value?’
‘Look, my brother, I don’t know about elephants and mice. I know that the gold in
them is the same.’ So, the fact is that Bhagwan is the one who is in all forms. He is
the forms of Vishnu, Krishna, and others. The same Krishna is four-armed at times;
when He is born at Vasudev’s house, and when He gives Arjuna the sermon – the
Gita – on the battlefield. iÉäxÉè´É °ü{ÉähÉ SÉiÉÖ¦ÉÖVÇ ÉäxÉ ‘Te`naiva rope`na chaturbhuje`na’. All this
is superfluous ‘make-up’. Actually, the Paramatma is one, and the same, in all forms.
Q. 76. What is the significance of ‘Rakta-beej’ in the Durga Path?
63
‘Rakta-beej’ symbolizes desire. Just as blood cells keep increasing, so do our desires.
One desire leads to another. It is a never-ending process. The whole bundle of desires
– the river, the sea of desires – needs to be destroyed at one go. And, this Maha
(great) Maya (power of illusion) Bhagwati, is the one who licks them up, devours
them, at one go. We cannot get free of desires unless we take refuge in Bhagwati
Shakti (the divine power) – the Maha Shakti. She is the same in all – in Vishnu,
Brahma, and Shiva. Shakti is not the name of a female form. Shakti is shakti (a
force); not a woman or a man. And the Maha Maya belongs to the Paramatma.
Desire cannot be controlled without Bhagwan’s shakti, without our taking refuge in
Him. People develop a false vanity, saying that they have controlled their desires.
They pretend and cheat, in order to fulfill their desires. They assume many roles. It is
extremely difficult to have truth and integrity in our life.
Thus, this Rakta-beej is the form of desire. The Jeeva (Atma attached to a body)
cannot gain victory over desire without the help of Bhagwan’s shakti. In the context
of ={ÉÉºÉxÉÉ upaasanaa (loving worship), the Shakti of Bhagwan’s Grace is also needed,
along with the shakti (effort) of the Jeeva. This is why the description of Rakta-beej
has been given.
Q. 77. At the time of the Raas-leela (Shri Krishna’s frolic of dancing with the
gopis of Vrindavan), why did Shri Radharani have ¨ÉÉxÉ maana (took affront due
to pride) during the Maha Raas (the great dance)? How did Thakurji
(Bhagwan) break this?
Look; the first thing is that pride comes into the lives of even great ºÉÉvÉEò saadhaka
(those who strive for spiritual progress), so we must be very careful not to allow it
into our lives.
The second thing is that pride reveals love. When someone is hurt sentimentally, the
other person makes himself small (gives in), and cajoles him or her. The fact is that
|Éä¨É pre`ma (pure love) does not lie in believing ourselves to be very great. Prema
flows towards the one who considers himself to be very small.
When someone thinks, ‘I have great love for him, but he doesn’t love me,’ there is no
prema. And, when someone thinks, ‘He loves me so much, but there is no love in my
heart,’ there is great love.
So, prema does not come where maana is. Just see Shri Krishna’s prema – He
touches Shri Radharani’s feet for forgiveness. He wants her to be pleased with Him
again. What a great lover Bhagwan is! Just take notice of the prema of Bhagwan,
where He wins over those who love Him by touching their feet in abject apology. He
serves them. ¸ÉrùÉ Shraddhaa (faith), |Éä¨É pre`ma, and ºÉä´ÉÉ se`vaa (loving service).
One day Shri Krishna was following the cows in the afternoon. Suddenly He stopped
and stood still. People were watching from afar, wondering why He had stopped
suddenly, and why He was standing still in the hot midday sun.
Lalita Sakhi understood that there must be some reason. She went close and saw Shri
Radharani’s footprints on the earth. Shri Krishna was shielding them from the direct
sun with His body. That is why He was standing still in the middle of the road.
64
This is the essence of the true lover – even the footprints of the Beloved should not
be exposed to the heat of the sun. A |Éä¨ÉÒ pre`mi (lover) is one who wishes to give all
possible comfort to the Beloved in every possible way.
Q. 78. Maharajji, you say, VÉÉÊ½þ Ê´ÉÊvÉ ®úÉJÉè ®úÉ¨É iÉÉÊ½þ Ê´ÉÊvÉ ®úÊ½þªÉä ‘Jaahi vidhi raakhe`
raam taahi vidhi rahiye`’ (whichever way Rama keeps you, accept it willingly.)
However, sometimes our wishes go contrary to the Ishwara’s wishes. How can
we destroy our desires? Please show us the path by which we can make the
Ishwara’s wishes our own.
Each time sorrow comes, it is because we have desires that are contrary to the
Ishwara’s resolve. Sorrow is a sign of our refusal to give consent to what He wants
and commands. This is a great offence.
A person who refuses to obey his mother, father, or Guru is guilty of an offence. In
the same way, until we accept what the Ishwara does – what happens – without
demur, it means our desires are ruling over us.
The proof that our desire has merged into the Ishwara’s is that we see everything as
His ±ÉÒ±ÉÉ leelaa (frolic). Whether He keeps us hungry or naked, whether He keeps us
comfortable or unwell, it is a game of His. The cause of our sorrow is that we do not
progress in keeping with the Ishwara’s wishes.
Q. 79. The Devtas (demigods) who are considered minor powers, contributed a
portion of their essence for the creation of the Devi (Goddess). Then, why is the
Devi called the Jagadamba (the Primordial Mother)? Bhagwan Vishnu was able
to kill the Demons Madhu and Kaitabh by the Grace of the Devi. What is the
secret of the Devi’s greatness?
Other Devtas are separate, but they are all present in the Jagatjanani Jagadamba. That
is why all the different powers they possess are present in the Mother.
The sea is composed of innumerable drops of water, but are the drops bigger, or is
the sea bigger? The earth is made of countless grains, but the grains are small and
yet, accumulated, they make the earth.
In the same way, all the Jeeva (Atma attached to the bodies) have consciousness, and
that comes from the Parameshwara. So don’t see the parts; see the one who is in all
the parts.
Q. 80. The Atma is the Paramatma. Everybody lives in the Atma. Saints and
Mahatmas are also the Atma. Then, why does the Atma become a nÖù®úÉi¨ÉÉ
duraatmaa (a wicked person)?
The duratma is also the Atma. Why don’t you see the duratma in the Atma? Who told
you not to see the Atma in the duratma? Doesn’t a snake have an Atma? Doesn’t a
65
scorpion have an Atma? The Atma that is in the swan, the elephant and the cow is
also in the snake and the mongoose. Try to see the Paramatma even in those who the
world calls ‘duratmas’.
How wonderful would be the viewpoint that sees the Paramatma even in people who
are called wicked. Hanumanji had a vision of Rama even in Ravana. When a person
begins to see a duratma as the Paramatma, all his impressions are made groundless.
All the moving and unmoving forms are forms of the Paramatma. It is another matter
about what Impression we have about whom. You need not believe him to be the
Paramatma, but al least make your heart the Paramatma!
Actually, the fact is that nothing exists except the Paramatma.
ºÉ´ÉÇ ºÉ´ÉÇMÉiÉ ºÉ´ÉÇ =®úÉ±ÉªÉ
Surva sarvagata sarva uraalaya – He is ºÉ´ÉÇ sarva (everything), ºÉ´ÉÇMÉiÉ sarvagata
(unrestricted), ºÉ´ÉÇ =ú®úÉ±ÉªÉ sarva uraalaya (abides in all hearts). ¨ÉªÉÉ iÉiÉÊ¨ÉnÆù ºÉ´ÉÇ i´ÉªÉÉ iÉiÉÊ¨ÉnÆù
ºÉ´ÉÈ - ªÉäxÉ ºÉ´ÉÇÊ¨ÉnÆù iÉiÉ¨ÉÂ Mayaa tatamidam sarvam tvayaa tatmidam sarvam – ye`na
sarvamidam tatam – He pervades the world as thread pervade cloth.
+½Æþ EÞòiºxÉºªÉ VÉMÉiÉ: |É¦É´É: |É±ÉªÉºiÉlÉÉ*
¨ÉkÉ: {É®úiÉ®Æú xÉÉxªÉËEòiEòÊSÉnùÎºiÉ vÉxÉÆVÉªÉ**
¨ÉÊªÉ ºÉ´ÉÇÊ¨ÉnÆù |ÉÉäiÉÆ ºÉÚjÉä ¨ÉÊhÉMÉhÉÉ <´É ** (MÉÒiÉÉ 7. 6-7)
Aham kritsnasya jagatah prabhavah pralaystathaa.
Mattah parataram naanyatkinchidasti dhananjaya,
Mayi sarvamidam protam sutre` maniganaa iva.
(Gita 7. 6-7)
(I am the origin and the end of Creation. There is no other cause of Creation but Me.
This whole world is like beads of thread strung on the thread that holds them
together.)
It is a different matter to ponder upon the Tattva (essence) of the Paramatma, and it is
a different matter – a completely different category – to think about whether we are
becoming a duratma or a sadatma (righteous person). There is nothing in common.
A person gets Satsang (the chance to listen to religious discourses) when Bhagwan
showers Grace on him. His +xiÉ:Eò®úhÉ antahkaran (fourfold mind, or subtle body) is
purified. Only then is he able to see the Paramatma in a Peepal tree, or a Bata tree, or
a Tulsi shrub, cow, or elephant. This is not an ordinary vision; this is an extremely
elevated viewpoint. It is not possible for this to come into the lives of all.
This is not common talk like, +ºÉÒ ¥ÉÀ, iÉÖºÉÒ ¥ÉÀ ‘Asi brahm, tusi brahm.’ (I am the
Brahman and you are the Brahman.) It is not even, ‘We are all one.’ This is a view
from a vantage of great integrity and elevated level.
Q. 81. How can we get the conviction that the Guru and the Ishta (the form we
worship) are one?
The closer you get to the conviction that the Atma and the Paramatma are one, the
stronger will be the conviction that the Guru and the Paramatma are one. Be honest
and examine your heart to see how deeply you believe that the Shaligram stone you
66
worship is actually the Paramatma. Statues are made in Jaipur and Vrindavan, but do
the artisans have the feeling that this is Bhagwan incarnate?
We must, with all honesty, believe that our Atma is separate from this body made of
flesh, bone and skin. We must believe that our Atma is not connected to our actions
and reactions, that it is unaffected by our thoughts and wishes, and that it is separate
from the states of dreaming, waking and deep sleep. The deeper our understanding,
the better we will understand our Guru. And, the more acute our perception about
ourselves and our Guru, the more accurate will be our understanding about the
Paramatma.
In his commentary on the Gita – the Gnaneshwari – Sant Gnaneshwar has written
several pages on +ÉSÉÉªÉÉæ{ÉÉºÉxÉÉ aachaaryopaasana (worship of the Guru). He has
explained it thus: ={ÉÉºÉxÉÉ upaasanaa (worship) is to place your +ÉºÉxÉ aasana (mat on
which you sit) ={É upa (close to) your Guru. Sit as close to your Guru as possible. If
your Guru applies sandalwood paste to Bhagwan and dresses Him up, participate in
that worship. Involve yourself in serving and worshipping Bhagwan along with him.
All right; does your Guru experience oneness with the Ishwara? ‘Yes, he does.’ That
is excellent. Share his experience. Place your aasana at the same depth as him.
We cannot come out and sit near the Ishwara. We have to go back into the heart of
our heart, into the innermost core of our Self. That is when we sit close to the
Ishwara; and the closer we are to the Ishwara, the closer we are to our Guru.
Actually, the Guru and the Ishwara seem to be separate because of our selfishness.
This is rather rough, but it is true.
*********************
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Prasad by Swami Akhandanand-Ji Saraswati

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PRASAD

Swami Akhandanandji Saraswati

Copyright © 2011 by Satsahitya Prakashan Trust. All Rights Reserved.

Swami Sadchidananda Saraswati.

Q. 2.What is the substance of the direct experience of the Paramatma?

As an area of work, this is also a good activity. It is far superior to becoming

The Paramatma is everything, He is everywhere, He abides in all hearts.

Q. 9. It is seen that even a person who is steeped in Vedanta feels distressed

Ê¦ÉIÉÉä: ¨ÉÉÆºÉÊxÉ¹Éä´ÉhÉÆ |ÉEÖò{ÉÖ¯û¹Éä?ú ‘Bhiksho maansanishe`vanam prakupurushe` – O beggar, do

Q. 11. Is the Grace of the Guru º´ÉiÉ: svatah (automatic)?

Q. 12. By what method can we get a Guru?

Q. 19. I am a MÉÞ½þºlÉ ºÉÉvÉÖ grahastha saadhoo (a married householder with an

There is no difference in the essence of Bhagwan and Bhagwan. The difference is in

It is because we have desires! It is written in the Ramcharitmanas, ºÉEò±ÉºÉÉ®ú ºÉÖ®ú º´ÉÉlÉÔ

Q. 24. What is the feeling that lies at the bottom of +ÉSÉÉªÉÉæ{ÉÉºÉxÉÉ

When Shri Krishna left us, sleep left us too.

Q. 28. Shri Ganeshji is called ‘Gajanana’. Were elephants created before

Q. 32. In the episode of Gnajendra Moksha, the elephant Ganjendra eulogized

Q. Please tell us about your personal experience, when Hanumanji protected

+Éi¨É´ÉÞkÉÆ xÉ EòlÉxÉÒªÉ¨ÉÂ ‘Aatmavritaam na kathaneeyam’ – we should not describe our own

Ê{ÉkÉÉÊvÉCªÉÉäilÉiÉÉ{ÉÉäx¨ÉÊlÉiÉiÉxÉÖÊ¨É¨ÉÆ ¶Éè¶É´Éä ¨ÉÚÐSUôiÉÆ SÉ

Maya means +Ê´ÉtÉ avidyaa (nescience). It is a ÊxÉ´ÉÇSÉxÉÒªÉiÉÉ nirvachaneeyataa (the

Q. b. What is the viewpoint of the Bhagwat with regard to Creation?

(Bhagwan is all-pervading; love makes Him reveal Himself.)

Q. Should he come to the Satsang (religious discourses) or not?

Q. 48. Arjuna had a place in the Nara-Narayana Avatar. He also obtained

Q. 50. Please enlighten us about the necessity to do meditation, in order to

Q.51. A Mahatma is asking whether it is proper to give Sanyas to a lady who

Q. 58. I am a lover of the Raas-leela (the enacting of Shri Radha-Krishna’s

Look, my brother, it is better to speak frankly. If your character is enhanced by your

Q. 59. How can we obtain a firm single mindedness in bhakti?

The question of superior and inferior is quite separate. To belong to Bhagwan or

Q. 66. Is the absence of ®úÉMÉ-uäù¹É raaga-dve`sha (attachment-aversion) to be

Q. 70. What was Shri Udiyababaji’s lifestyle like, as an +´ÉtÚiÉ avadhoota

Q. 72. If a man has fallen morally, can he uplift himself? How?

Q. 75. The Shrimad Bhagwat is the Maha Purana of the Vaishnavas. It

Q. 76. What is the significance of ‘Rakta-beej’ in the Durga Path?

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