Prasang A Day

The Fruits of Similar Service of God and God’s Bhakta Thereafter, Nityãnand Swãmi asked, “Can a devotee who is of the lowest level eradicate his deficiency and become a devotee of the highest level in this very life, or not?” Shriji Mahãrãj replied, “Just as one performs the mãnsi pujã of God, if one also performs the mãnsi pujã of the ideal Bhakta along with God, by offering him the prasãd of God; and just as one prepares a thãl for God, similarly, if one also prepares a thãl for God’s ideal Bhakta and serves it to him; and just as one donates five rupees to God, similarly, if one also donates money to the great Sant – then by performing with extreme affection such similar service of God and the Sant who possesses the highest qualities, even if he is a devotee of the lowest type and was destined to become a devotee of the highest type after two lives, or after four lives, or after ten lives, or after 100 lives, he will become a devotee of the highest calibre in this very life. Such are the fruits of the similar service of God and God’s Bhakta.” [Vartãl-5]

The Kinds of Obstinacy that Should be Kept and Not Kept “The details of the kind of obstinacy a devotee should and should not keep are as follows: One type of obstinacy is observing the vows of non-lust and other such vows; the other type of obstinacy is behaving with the feeling that one will be able to sleep only if one’s place is here and not if it is elsewhere. The latter and other innumerable forms of obstinacy that are the result of trivial swabhãvs should not be considered the same as the former type of obstinacy. The obstinacy of observing religious vows is as essential as one’s own life; it is extremely beneficial. That type of obstinacy should be kept with an understanding of its importance. But if the latter type of obstinacy, which is due to swabhãvs, is formed, it should be thought of as worthless; and if the Sant asks one to abandon it, it should be abandoned. The former type of obstinacy, however, should not be abandoned.” [Gadhadã III-27]

What is Brahmapur like? Hearing Shriji Mahãrãj say this, Kubersinh asked further, “Mahãrãj, what is that Brahmapur like? Please describe it and the devotees of God that reside there.” Shriji Mahãrãj explained, “It is aksharrup Brahman which has become the abode for Shri Purushottam Nãrãyan to dwell in. That Aksharbrahman in the form of the abode of God is eternal in comparison to all the other aksharbrahmans.1 Within that Brahmadhãm, there are several types of palaces. Each palace has various types of decorative balconies and terraces. There are also many different types of fountains and many different types of gardens. The gardens contain innumerable flowers of innumerable species, each one radiant. It is so beautiful that it cannot be compared to any other abode. It is also called Golok. In addition, its splendour is countless times more than the divine riches of countless other abodes. “That abode is also limitless. Just as there is no limit to ãkãsh, regardless of the direction in which one looks, similarly, there is no limit to Brahmadhãm. Whether above, below or in the four directions, there is no boundary to the abode of God. This is because it is boundless. If one were to try to reach its end one would realize that it is endless. Such is the vastness of Brahmapur. “Also, the objects within Brahmapur are all divine and composed of chaitanya. Countless attendants, who are also radiant and have a divine form, reside in that abode. There, they are forever eager for the service of God, the antaryãmi of all life forms. It is the same master of that abode – the lord of Akshar and the muktas, Parabrahman Purushottam – who is present here in this Satsang. Only one who has such faith attains Brahmadhãm.”[Amdãvãd-6]

The Jiva has Improperly Associated with the Body “To inspire the jiva, that same God – while transcending mãyã in the form of deep sleep – resides in the jiva as its witness. The jiva, however, has associated with the body, the indriyas and the vishays. As a result of this improper association, the jiva has become one with the body, indriyas, etc. After forsaking their association, the jiva realises, ‘My self is Brahma, which is transcendental and free from mãyã.’…” [Gadhadã II-31]

The Undoubtable Truth “… Because regardless of how much a person may have mastered samãdhi, or how thoughtful he may be, if he begins to stay in the close company of women, there is no way in which he could maintain his dharma. Similarly, regardless of how staunch a woman may be in observing dharma, if she stays in the close company of men, then she would also in no way be able to maintain her dharma. Thus, no one should believe that men and women can stay in each other’s company and still be able to maintain their dharma. This fact is true, and no one should doubt it.” [Gadhadã II-35]

Perverse Nature of the Jiva “The nature of the jiva is such that when a person is a householder, he would prefer to renounce worldly life; but once he has renounced, he harbours desires for the pleasures of worldly life once again. Such is the perverse nature of the jiva. Therefore, one who is a staunch devotee of God should worship God after discarding such a perverse nature as well as all of one’s personal likes and dislikes…” [Gadhadã II-62]

What is the Most Extraordinary Characteristic of God? Thereupon Chhadidãr Kubersinhji asked Shriji Mahãrãj, “Mahãrãj, what is the most extraordinary characteristic of Shri Purushottam Nãrãyan?” Shriji Mahãrãj replied, “No one except Shri Purushottam Nãrãyan can control the nãdis and prãns of innumerable beings and grant them instant samãdhi. Nor can anyone else influence hundreds of thousands of people by having them abide by niyams. Nor does anyone else have the power to control Akshar and the muktas. These are the extraordinary characteristics of Purushottam Nãrãyan.” [Amdãvãd-5]

Necessities for Pleasing God “… Therefore, God is only pleased upon one who realises God to possess a definite form and to be the creator, sustainer and destroyer of the cosmos.” [Vartãl-2]

The Opportunity to Serve God's Sant “Furthermore, only those who have accumulated a great number of merits from performing good deeds receive the opportunity to serve God’s Sant, but those who have a few merits do not. So, one should develop affection for God’s Sant just as one has affection for one’s wife, son, parents or brother. Due to this affection, then, the jiva becomes absolutely fulfilled.” [Gadhadã II-59]

Harbouring Impure Desires Shriji Mahãrãj first thought for a while, and then said, “Everyone please listen; I wish to speak to you. For devotees of God, there is nothing worse than harbouring impure desires. This is because devotees who have such impure desires, even if they stay near Me, cannot be happy. In fact, before engaging in the worship of God, they asked, ‘Mahãrãj, please keep us near You.’ However, because they did not eradicate their impure desires, they are miserable.” [Jetalpur-3]