Swaminarayan Hare Swaminarayan Hare On the day of Kartik Vadi Padva of Samvat Samvat The calendar established by Indian emperor Vikramaditya of Ujjain following his victory 56 BCE. It is a lunar calendar based on ancient Hindu tradition. The Vikram Samvat calendar is 56.7 years ahead of the solar Gregorian calendar. The calendar most commonly used is the Kãrtiki Samvat, which begins on the first day of Kãrtik. However, the Vachanãmrut is written using the Ashãdhi Samvat, which begins on the first day of Ãshãdh. Tap to open in glossary → Swami Shri Sahajanandji Maharaj was in the court of Dada Khachar in Gadhada, seated in the temple of Shri Gopinathji. And He was wearing all white garments. And in front of His lotus face, an assembly of Paramhansas and devotees from various places was seated. Then Shriji Maharaj said, "A jiva falls from the bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → One is by listening to the texts of dry Vedanta, which falsify other forms, and thus also falsify the forms of Bhagwan like Shri Krishna Krishna 1) An avatãr of Bhagvãn. He incarnated in the svarup of a cowherd. This is considered to be a greater avatãr than the others, as Shree Krishna possessed all of the powers of Bhagvãn, whereas other avatãrs possessed less power. Shree Krishna conveyed the message of love and humanity to the world. Also, He recited the epic poem, the Bhagvad Geetã, to Arjun in which He stated: ‘Whenever dharma declines and adharma increases, I shall incarnate myself as a human to save the holy, to destroy the sin of the sinner, and to establish dharma. I come into being from yug to yug’. 2) In the Vachanãmrut, Shreeji Mahãrãj also uses the name “Shree Krishna” to describe Bhagvãn Purushottam Nãrãyan. Tap to open in glossary → Those dry Vedantins should be known as extremely ignorant. And the second is one who thinks, 'If we worship Bhagwan, we will attain the pleasures of the five senses, such as women, food, and drink, in Golok Golok 1) The dhãm of Shree Krishna Bhagvãn. 2) Also means Akshardhãm. The prefix ‘go’ means light; therefore, meaning the ‘lok of light’ – Akshardhãm. Tap to open in glossary → Vaikunth Vaikunth The dhãm of Vishnu, and Rãm Bhagvãn. Tap to open in glossary → Then, due to attachment to those pleasures, he even forgets Bhagwan and, becoming fundamentally evil-minded, thinks, 'If those pleasures do not exist, then in that abode, Bhagwan also plays with women like Radhika and Lakshmi Lakshmi A devi (goddess) who is the wife of Vishnu. She is the devi of wealth. Therefore, money and gold is also called Lakshmi. She eternally remains in the sevã of Bhagvãn. Tap to open in glossary → Therefore, those pleasures are also good.' Therefore, those pleasures are also real. But he does not understand Bhagwan to be fulfilled and self-satisfied. And such actions of Bhagwan are for the happiness of His devotees. Therefore, one should perform bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → And one who has known the form of Bhagwan in this way, that the all-blissful murti murti 1) Sacred idol of Bhagvãn used to offer worship. There are eight types of murtis that can be worshipped: stone, wood, metal, earth, engraved or drawn, sand, gems, and mental. 2) The form of Bhagvãn. Tap to open in glossary → And the happiness in other five senses is but a tiny fraction of the bliss of Bhagwan. One who has understood Bhagwan with such mahima will never be bound by any object. And compared to the bliss of Bhagwan's abode, the pleasures of other realms are like hell, as stated in Mokshadharma. A devotee of Bhagwan should understand in this way. And if he does not understand so, he falls from Bhagwan in those two ways." Then Sura Khachar asked Shriji Maharaj a question, "Even after knowing Bhagwan and the Sant Sant A sãdhu. A tyãgi. In the Vachanãmrut, sant refers to sat- purush. Tap to open in glossary → Then Shriji Maharaj answered, "When he had developed conviction in Bhagwan, some deficiency remained in it at that very time. What is that? If someone, due to taste, desires to eat good things, and Bhagwan and the Sant Sant A sãdhu. A tyãgi. In the Vachanãmrut, sant refers to sat- purush. Tap to open in glossary → Or if a desire for lust remains and they expose it, or if greed remains and they make him renounce that greed and say, 'Give away this wealth, property, field, or orchard of yours to someone,' then he does not obey the word. Because of that, he falls back. When he does not obey the word, because of that, he falls back. Or if there is pride, and the Sant Sant A sãdhu. A tyãgi. In the Vachanãmrut, sant refers to sat- purush. Tap to open in glossary → In this way, even if there is conviction, whatever flaw remains within him causes him to fall back. And if one had developed conviction at that very time by eradicating those flaws, then he would not fall back. And in whomsoever those flaws still exist, if they reflect and look into their own hearts, they will realize, 'In this aspect, I am deficient. If He tells me to renounce this, I will become averse.' Thus, he knows it truly." Before developing conviction, one should eradicate this and then develop it. What does conviction mean? Conviction means in Bhagwan, to be connected, that is the meaning. With whatever feeling one is connected to Bhagwan, the meaning of conviction is 'sense of belonging'. But to be connected to Bhagwan with my feeling, that is having developed conviction. Before that, the inner enemies should be eradicated and then developed. In eradicating, it is like this, it is not that they are completely gone, but in his conviction, he has made a clarification. 'For this, I must not fall back.' He has decided, 'For this benefit, I must not fall back,' and has separated it from himself, then he does not fall back. Generally, it appears that before developing conviction, before making that conviction, it is not that one is completely pure and then conviction happens. But even while making conviction, one has understood, 'For this, I must not fall back,' and has kept them separate from oneself. The thing is, either they believe Bhagwan to be very great. These formless believers, the Advaitins, while understanding the mahima of Bhagwan, they have gone into the formless. That Bhagwan is very great, and that a body has limitations, while Bhagwan is unlimitedly great. So, believing that, they started believing in the formless. And either they started believing themselves to be wretched. So in both directions, in both ways, they fall. There is only one way to be saved. There are two ways of falling. The one way to be saved is that, and what are the two ways of falling? Either they believe Bhagwan to be like themselves. And if they believe Him to be very great, they believe Him to be formless. And they themselves face difficulty in understanding the three aspects. One is, the world they believe to be completely false. Like silver appearing in a shell, a mirage of water, flowers in the sky, they believe the world to be like that. And either they completely believe in the world. Then he goes into Charvaka. And the other goes into Advaita. If he believes the world to be completely false, then he goes into Advaita. And if he believes the world to be completely true, completely true, then he goes into Charvaka. So in both ways, he falls. That is the understanding of the world. What is one's own understanding? If he believes himself to be very great, he believes himself to be Bhagwan. And if he believes himself to be completely wretched, he believes himself to be wretched and sensual. He believes lust, anger, etc., to be very great. Then also, in both ways, he falls. And he believes Bhagwan to be like that; if he believes Bhagwan to be very great, he believes Him to be formless. And if he believes Him to be with form, then he believes Him to be like a human. He projects all his own imaginations onto Him. Therefore, in both ways, there is falling. That is discussed briefly. But in all three, there are two aspects. Two ways of falling. One way to be saved. One way to be saved. If one believes Bhagwan to be like a human, but believes Him to be the sole source of liberation and the destroyer of all flaws. Recently, in the discussion of Shri Bhashya, it was explained very beautifully. This Heyapratyanik. What does Heyapratyanik mean? What is its meaning? What is the meaning of Pratyanik? Its absence from afar. What? Its absence from afar. Pratyanik means opposition. Opponent. Heyapratyanik means the staunch enemy of flaws. But a very beautiful meaning was given there. In the Bhashya. That Pratyanik means the eradicator. To keep enmity with it has no meaning. Bhagwan is the eradicator of it. He is indeed the enemy, but He is the eradicator of it. And there was also Kalyanaitan. What does Kalyanaitan mean? What is called a liberating attribute? In a person, there is compassion. Or there is knowledge. Compassion is fine, as it is useful for others. Or there is vairagya. How does that become Kalyanaitan? If it is useful to oneself and others. If others get the benefit, then it is Kalyanaitan. To him, its experience, that is, the experience of bliss, if he makes others experience the bliss of that attribute, then it is Kalyanaitan. Bhagwan is Kalyanaitan. Bhagwan's attributes are not for Himself. He makes others experience the bliss of those attributes, so He Himself is automatically going to experience it. Therefore, Kalyanaitan. And Heyapratyanik means the eradicator of flaws. Eradicator of flaws. Bhagwan's name itself is such that Bhagwan's form itself is such that if someone contemplates on Him, his flaws automatically start getting eradicated and removed. And there is no one else like that, not even the muktas. That is why Maharaj said in the Shikshapatri, 'Only Krishna Krishna 1) An avatãr of Bhagvãn. He incarnated in the svarup of a cowherd. This is considered to be a greater avatãr than the others, as Shree Krishna possessed all of the powers of Bhagvãn, whereas other avatãrs possessed less power. Shree Krishna conveyed the message of love and humanity to the world. Also, He recited the epic poem, the Bhagvad Geetã, to Arjun in which He stated: ‘Whenever dharma declines and adharma increases, I shall incarnate myself as a human to save the holy, to destroy the sin of the sinner, and to establish dharma. I come into being from yug to yug’. 2) In the Vachanãmrut, Shreeji Mahãrãj also uses the name “Shree Krishna” to describe Bhagvãn Purushottam Nãrãyan. Tap to open in glossary → Even if one is a mukta mukta Free. Released. A liberated soul. A resident of any dhãm of Bhagvãn who has been freed from life in the lower loks to a more spiritually elevated state. There are varying levels of muktas: the muktas of Badrikãshram, Shvet-Dvip, Vaikunth, and Golok. The highest level of mukta, akshar- mukta, has attained ultimate kalyãn and is free from the bondage of Mãyã and the cycle of births and deaths. [Sãrangpur – 17]. Tap to open in glossary → He is called free from flaws. Not the eradicator of flaws. If one meditates on him, his flaws are not eradicated. This flaws are not eradicated. He himself is free from flaws, but he is not the eradicator of flaws. He is not Pratyanik. He is not Pratibhat. Therefore, if one believes Bhagwan to be like a human, then completely projects his own imaginations onto Him. And if he believes Bhagwan to be very great, he believes Him to be formless; so in both ways, Maharaj said, there is falling. Both. To believe Bhagwan to be great, to believe Bhagwan to be with form, to understand the mahima of Bhagwan, but with form, not by going beyond the form. All the mahima of Bhagwan is in His human body, that is, even if He has a human form, all His mahima is there; that itself is called mahima. And if he understands Him to have a human form, he should not understand Him to be like himself. If he understands Him to be like himself, then also he falls back. Therefore, understanding Him to be like a human, and believing Him to be the eradicator of flaws. And Kalyanaitan. Only one way to be saved. Those two ways of falling: believing Him to be like a human, or believing Him to be formless, then he falls. And only one way to be saved. Believing Him to be like a human, and free from all bonds, Kalyanaitan and Heyapratibhat, these two adjectives given are complete, perfect. Then all the remaining ones emerge from that. Believing Him to be such. So that is the one way to be saved. Believing about oneself, the beliefs about oneself, those two beliefs lead to falling. 'I am wretched,' that also is a belief leading to falling. And 'I am Bhagwan,' that also is a belief leading to falling. One should not believe oneself to be wretched. If there is any flaw within oneself, one should not identify with it, thinking, 'I am just like this, I am just like this,' and should not accept the flaw. One should believe oneself to be separate from it. He is separate from it. And if he believes himself to be Brahman, then also, he should not believe himself to be equal to Bhagwan. The attitude of being a servant of Bhagwan must not be lost; therefore, Maharaj said that upasana is called being a servant. Upasana with the attitude of a servant. And when the attitude of a servant is lost, the upasana is destroyed, as Maharaj said. One must hold onto the attitude of a servant. That means, believe oneself to be as great as possible, but the attitude of a servant must not be lost. Like that. So that is one way to be saved. He believes himself to be a servant, but does not believe himself to be wretched. He does not believe himself to be bound by natures like lust, anger, etc. That is one way to be saved. And in the world also, there are two beliefs; in the beliefs about the world, in both ways, there is falling. Either he believes the world to be completely false. And either he believes the world to be completely true. So it is not like that either. If he believes it to be completely false, like a mirage of water, or like flowers in the sky, then that belief is wrong. The world is real. And it has to be uprooted from the jiva. If he believes it to be false, then there is no need to uproot it. And if he believes it to be completely true, then there is no need to uproot it. Therefore, there remained no effort or spiritual endeavor to be made. Therefore, that is the way of falling. 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