The implication is that only by desiring the fruit of action does one connect with the yajna. Merely performing it as a duty does not establish a connection with it. It does not connect with the action itself. If one acts in sattvaguna, purely for the sake of duty, then after doing it, they let go of that action. They do not remain overly attached to the action. That is why Gunatitanand Swami said to keep performing actions and remain detached from them. Mentally consider oneself separate. Even when performing good actions. Not when performing bad actions. Then one should take it upon themselves, thinking, "This is all my fault." Yes. Everyone detaches themselves from bad actions. If we tell someone, "Brother, you did this wrong," they say, "I didn't do it." So everyone sits detached. But even while performing good and successful actions, one must remain detached from them. Realizing that the action is separate and I am separate. The meaning of remaining detached is not to feed the ego. When a good action is done, the ego automatically gets stimulated. One's ego is proven to be greater than others. Thinking, "They cannot do it, but I can." So we ourselves decide that "My ego is great." Thus, one's ego gets stimulated. So it drifts into rajas. And if activities progress further, it drifts into tamas. And then, becoming egoistic, it drifts into a demonic nature. "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 → Thinking, "There should be no one like me." Not respecting anyone. Believing that there is no one like us; we are unique. We are indeed unique, just like our own photograph. The implication is that the chances of bondage naturally increase. One gets bound by actions like yajna and charity. One has to remain detached. Not desiring the fruit of action. All this entanglement is due to association with action. So doesn't that seem risky compared to renouncing action? Renouncing action does not mean that the internal flaws disappear. They remain dormant. Therefore, purification does not occur. If renouncing action led to purification, then lazy people would be the most pure. Because lazy people renounce action the most. Then no one would be as pure as them. If we wanted to worship, we would have to find a lazy person. If renouncing action led to purification, then lazy people would be superior. Therefore, when action is performed, even if it is the best and highest of all, and yet no flaws arise, then it becomes pure and fit to be accepted by God. One becomes worthy of surrendering to God. We do not offer spoiled things to God, do we? If we want to offer something, we wash and clean it properly, and then purify it. Similarly, we have to surrender our soul to God, so we must wash and clean it properly. The greatest impurity in it is the ego. That is one's ego. Thinking, "There is no one like me." But it happens that when one performs a good action and ego arises, then this happens. Benchmarking. The tool for this is benchmarking. Are there people better than us or not? Yes. Look at them. If we keep looking at those who are lesser than us, our pride increases. Therefore, Maharaj says to take them as witnesses. Even if one has no shortcomings, one should take the great ones as witnesses. Take the great ones as witnesses, thinking, "How much have I become like Gopalanand Swami? Has detachment like Gunatitanand Swami or Nishkulanand Swami Nishkulanand Swami Disciple of Sahajanand Swami (Swaminarayan Bhagwan) and author of the Bhaktachintamani, as stated in the scripture's own closing colophon at the end of every chapter. Tap to open in glossary → Then their ego decreases. And if they take the lesser ones as witnesses, they inflate. By witnessing the lesser ones, thinking, "He was doing this, and he was doing that, and he doesn't know anything, he is just babbling, whereas look at how I am reciting the alphabet." So, if one takes the lesser ones as witnesses, their ego increases. And if they take the great ones as witnesses, their ego decreases. Therefore, Maharaj has described this tool for reducing ego in the Vachanamrut. Secondly, is it not possible that if they know the scriptures or know what is to be done and what is not to be done, they certainly know the fruit, that this action yields this fruit. While performing the action, if its fruit is not obtained or success is not achieved, then keeping that in mind, they perform that action, thinking, "If this is not succeeding, let's do it this way to make it succeed." So in that case, is it considered performing action, meaning is it considered desiring the fruit or not? The prohibition of desiring the fruit is only for worldly fruits. Maharaj has said that one must desire spiritual fruits. And without that, action cannot be successful. Without desiring the fruit, God prohibited it saying, 'Karmany evadhikaras te ma phaleshu kadachana,' and in the path of God, one should desire the fruit with a selfless attitude, practice selfless service or selfless action, so what does that mean? Selfless means not desiring the fruit of this world and the heavenly realms. One should not desire the fruit that is obtained in this world and the heavenly realms. But one must desire spiritual fruits. That one's soul attains liberation, Maharaj becomes pleased, one joins in Maharaj's service, and we attain Akshardham—such fruits must be desired. Maharaj says that if one does not desire even this, they are considered tamoguni. Even if they do not desire such fruit, they are considered tamoguni. And to please Maharaj, we serve the mission. The medium of serving the mission is worldly. So in that, success or failure... Why worldly? It is spiritual indeed. Whose mission is it? Is it ours or Maharaj's? So if that is the case, it cannot be called worldly. Then, how much it spread—if it did not spread as much as the target we set, one should not feel joy or grief. "Siddhy-asiddhyor nirvikarah" (unaffected by success or failure). 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