Then, the second characteristic is that they themselves perform singular devotion to God, and they feel pleased upon seeing someone else's devotion towards God. A question arises here: aren't those whom Maharaj wants to call perfect saints already defined by the first characteristic? Why did Maharaj have to state the subsequent characteristics? Maharaj said that if there is faith in this manifest God, then perfect sainthood is already implied; if they are to be called devotees, they are already called so. What is the need to state this second characteristic? Right? So, the resolution to that is that in devotion, there is a greater reliance on emotion than on action. If there are 24 hours in a day, and you organize those 24 hours properly, and do not remain idle for even a single minute, except in the service and devotion of God. Does that mean you have become a complete devotee? Does that mean you have become a complete devotee? It does not mean so, and that is why Maharaj had to say this. Complete devotion does not come merely from superficial actions. Along with that, that other thing must also be there. And we must see what kind of emotion is there in that devotee of God. Only then does it happen. When the emotion is complete, then devotion is complete. Devotion is not complete just because the action is completed. Action is indeed the medium of emotion. Through it, emotion is expressed, that much is indeed true. But, it cannot be said that because action has come, emotion has also come. If emotion comes, action will definitely follow. So, the remaining five characteristics are meant to develop this emotion. And it seemed to me that Maharaj's point, the direct point, is that this Vachanamrut, the beginning of the Vachanamrut, starts with refuge. Just as Maharaj explained there how refuge becomes complete, here too it is the same; these five characteristics, all five and indeed all six characteristics, are means to strengthen the refuge if it is weak. If there are other devotees of God, and one feels pleased with them, then one's refuge increases. If one does not feel pleased, the refuge does not increase. One's personality might progress through jealousy, but the refuge in God does not increase. And the characteristics of saintliness were stated. But such characteristics of saintliness are stated so that if one's refuge is weak, it becomes strong. Those who practice this. This is both a means and a characteristic. It is a means and also a characteristic. These five, indeed all six, are means to attain saintliness, and they are also characteristics to know whether one is a saint or not. Understand. So, in the first characteristic, is the emotion not included? In the first characteristic, Shukmuni asked a question: "Maharaj, if there is a devotee of God, and in that..." How does this refuge not waver during difficult times and places? How does it not shake? Read this first question from the original text. Then Shukmuni asked Shreeji Maharaj, "O Maharaj, how can one recognize a person who has a firm refuge in God and His devotees in their heart, a refuge that does not waver despite any calamity, physical pleasure or pain, honor or insult, or adversity of time and place?" In the fifth Vachanamrut of Vartal, Maharaj... this question is: "What is called refuge?" So Maharaj said, "Abandoning all dharmas, surrender to Me alone. I will deliver you from all sins; do not grieve." In the way it is said in the Gita, one who behaves accordingly and seeks whatever happiness they desire only from God. They do not desire it from anyone else. If someone is like this, it is called refuge. Then, the beginning is from there... in that too, the beginning is from there... did Naradji ask the question? That is the third question. In between, Nityanand Swami asked the second question. Yes, "What is the nature of refuge?" For the nature of refuge, Maharaj said this: "Abandoning all dharmas." Then, "Even if there is this refuge, thoughts still arise in the mind; even when meditating on God, who else but Maya could be causing the wavering?" If one takes refuge in God and crosses over Maya, then who could be causing the wavering? And then this question was asked: "Some people show in their speech that they have a very firm refuge." So, what is the real test of whether there is real refuge or not? What is its real test? This is indeed the real test: "What is the real test of refuge?" Is it that they perform devotion to God? Or that they prostrate? They perform 108 prostrations every day. So, is that the test of their refuge, the real test? The real test is not that they perform 108 prostrations to God, but whether they do anything for the devotee of God. How much is their refuge in relation to the devotee of God? That much is their refuge in God firm. If they have a confrontational attitude with the devotee of God and do not have a sense of being dependent on them, then what kind of scripture is that? That shows the perfection of emotion. If one does it physically, then that is physical perfection. So in that, Maharaj said, there must be some alignment between this and that. Now, Maharaj said there that if one has a weak refuge in God, they will not stay amidst the hardships of God's devotees. They step aside, sit in a corner, and perform whatever worship they can. That is a characteristic of weak refuge. And what does that mean? What is the characteristic of firm refuge? They tolerate hardships. No matter how much hardship there is, no matter how much friction there is, they still do not back down. And if they emerge closer, then they have attained firm refuge. Here, it is the same question, right? That even if any kind of calamity comes due to time and place. Honor... pleasure or pain comes, honor or insult occurs, no matter how adverse the time and place become. Still, they do not waver. "How can it be known that it does not waver due to these?" It does not waver due to these; the refuge does not waver. The refuge does not waver, meaning the refuge does not weaken. Even if adverse situations arise, honor or insult occurs, nature comes... if a nature has become deeply rooted in the soul and it troubles us, and does not allow us to behave according to that nature, still the refuge does not waver. Its characteristic. That is what was said, right? How can that be known? One who has such refuge. Yes, so how can that be known? It is like that, right? How can it be known that there is firm refuge? And the opinion of their mind and the conduct of their body... "how can it be known" means what is their physical and mental state? And what is their physical action? So Maharaj stated the first characteristic, in which the emotion is not covered. In the first characteristic. Emotion is covered, but whether the emotion is perfectly intact or not cannot be known from that. This person's emotion is perfect. If they are pleading before Maharaj for 24 hours, then it cannot be known that their emotion is perfect; that is what Maharaj means to say. As long as they are pleading before Maharaj, it cannot be known. How do they conduct themselves with the devotee of God? How is their behavior? That is why Gunatitanand Swami said, "A saint is known by behavior." Not a saint by clothes. They might wear the clothes, and even after 100 years, saintliness might not have come. 50-60 years... we state the record, don't we, "How many years has it been since I became a saint?" So, it will be 50 years soon. It has been 50 years since they came to the Gurukul. Meaning, 50 years are yet to be completed. And since they became a saint, there is still some time left, it has been 45 years. Now, because it has been 45 years, does that mean they have become a saint? It cannot be said that "Since it has been 45 years, I have become a saint." A saint... even if someone has just arrived for the very first time, they might have become a saint, even if they are the first. How much refuge do they have in the devotee of God? How much humility do they have before the devotee of God? If the devotee of God is facing difficulty, how willing are they to abandon their own nature? Then Maharaj says their refuge is such that it will never back down. That is what Maharaj... mental attitude, and physical conduct. In physical conduct, Maharaj asked to abandon one's nature. So, if we merely perform physical conduct, serve them, and do not show off. They served, but how was the service? "Why do you have to stand? Then I will serve you." If they do not show off, then it does not mean there is refuge. Meaning, if we perform physical service, and if they wish for this nature to be abandoned, we abandon the nature as well. Then Maharaj says there is complete refuge. And what is the mentality like? What are their beliefs like? What is the "I" like? They feel pleased upon seeing the devotee of God performing devotion. No, no. Before that, the answer Maharaj gave was different, right? How does this person behave in their physical mind, and what is their physical conduct like? Is that included in it or not? No matter what pleasure or pain comes, they understand greatness only in relation to the one God. They consider the world to be insignificant. Apart from the relation with God, they consider any other relation to be insignificant. They understand greatness only of the one God. That is the mentality. They must have such a mental conviction that the devotees of God are better than me. If they do not have such a knot, then their refuge will not last long. If they think "I alone am superior and there is nothing in the devotee of God," then their refuge will not last long. If someone calls them slightly inferior, they run away. And they are not just called inferior, it is proven. Many times, society proves that "Brother, you are not superior, you are inferior." Their work and their own conduct prove that "Brother, you are not a superior devotee, you are inferior." That is why they run away. They want to remain only as superior. So, understand that mentality. Its basis is mentality. What is their mentality regarding being superior or inferior? If they have the mentality of being inferior, then their refuge lasts; if they have the mentality of being superior, then it does not last. AI translation of the Gujarati transcript above, produced in the same pass that transcribed the audio, one English segment per Gujarati segment. Devotional and technical terms with no precise English equivalent (kirtan, satsang, vasana, samskara, and similar) are kept as their plain transliteration rather than force-translated. Not human-proofread., AI-translated, unverified · Source details