Swaminarayan Hare Swaminarayan Hare And self-realization and detachment, all these endeavors are for the sake of devotion with greatness. And renunciation is that which, even after reaching the realm of Indra Indra The king of the devs. He resides in Svarg-Lok. Tap to open in glossary → And renunciation is that which, even after reaching the realm of Indra Indra The king of the devs. He resides in Svarg-Lok. Tap to open in glossary → Self-realization, detachment, and dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → All these endeavors are not equal. In this, some are primary and some are secondary. Maharaj himself has said in the Vachanamrut that if self-realization etc. hinder devotion, they should be set aside. And devotion is primary for pleasing God. Therefore, Ramanujacharya has written the Samahar principle for devotion to God. Samahar or option. In what is called Sadhan Saptak, Samahar is mentioned. In the 32 types of knowledge mentioned, option is mentioned. Even with just one knowledge, one can attain God. There are 32 types of such Brahmavidya. So, depending on one's different inclinations, one can attain God by taking refuge in any one of them. That is how Brahmavidya is described in the Upanishads. But in this, Samahar is mentioned. But Samahar is mentioned in the sense of parts and the whole. Samahar means all together become one endeavor. If all together become one endeavor, they are not all equal. Even if all together are performing the endeavor, they cannot be called equal. Ramanujacharya accepted the secondary part-whole relationship, that is, the part-whole relationship. In our human body, there are different parts. All are useful in the body. But still, there is primary and secondary. Maharaj says if the head is cut off, one does not live; if hands or legs are cut off, everyone lives. When there was a dispute among all of them, they went to Brahma, didn't they? Who is the greatest? Nowadays, we say in all organizations and such, who is the greatest? Who is the mother-in-law here? Who is the mother-in-law? Not true, not right, but between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, who is the mother-in-law? Whose word rules? That is a big question. So these senses and the mind all went together to Brahma and said, "Please appoint our leader." We cannot function randomly like this. Determine who has what role and whose word rules where. So Brahma also got confused, and indeed, we would also get confused. Brahma got confused and said, "Now, whom should I make the greatest?" Brahma then had good intellect, so he said, "Do one thing." Go out one by one for a year. Or lie down on your side and sleep, meaning I will not do it. I will not do my work. Go out like that. So they went out, and everyone said, "No problem." First, the eyes went out, so even blind people go to work, they even go to do jobs. So they managed to work like blind people. Hands went, legs went, ears went. They went for a year each, but nothing stopped without anyone. Then the life-force said, "Now it is my turn." So it rose one step up from the heart. Immediately, the eyeballs popped out, ears became deaf, the nose went cold, teeth clenched, and everything started turning upside down. And all of them ran from there, each to their own. Saying, "Jivraj Bapa, Jivraj Bapa, please do not go, you are the greatest." Who is the greatest in this? So, not everyone is equal in this body either. There are ups and downs, everyone works together, doing team work. So in team work, everyone has to work. Even a peon is called a member of team work, and a director is also called a member of team work. But everyone's role is not equal. Similarly, all these endeavors are dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → If there are other virtues, everyone's role is not equal. Maharaj and the scriptures determined that the role of bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → Therefore, bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → It is fine if those are more or less, but if bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → So, if there are all other virtues like dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → Then one should plan in such a way that bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → They should be used for that purpose. Otherwise, only one becomes excessive. If someone is dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → So that is called dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → And they do not listen to anyone, thinking only they are right. They do not even listen to God. There is a story in Swami's talks. There was a brahmachari who was very particular about purity. Then Maharaj once gave him prasad in a dream, not in reality. He was given prasad in a dream, so the brahmachari did not take it, he did not eat it at all. In a dream, one should definitely eat it. Why did he not eat it? "I am a brahmachari, and Maharaj was said to have lost his caste back then." Brahman does not lose caste, but still they said he lost caste. So he did not eat Maharaj's prasad. That is called dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → If there is wisdom, then there is no problem. So, some are very prominent in dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → But if that prominence does not help bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → Then it makes the person rigid. Vairagya also makes one rigid. And dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → One should set it up in such a way that it helps bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → So in this, it is said that self-realization etc. are all for bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → If they are not used for that, then they are useless. Self-realization, detachment, and dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → Other virtues are also like that. In this, Maharaj has mentioned dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → He talked only about those three, but if we have other virtues. Or some kind of skill. If one does not use it in devotion to God. Then it is inauspicious; Maharaj himself used the word 'inauspicious' in the Vachanamrut. Meaning, it is detrimental to liberation. It does not lead to liberation; even good virtues do not lead to liberation. Even if there is detachment. Even if there is knowledge. Even if there is dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → But if they are not connected with bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → It becomes detrimental to liberation. But if those virtues are present and 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 on the contrary, they become detrimental to liberation. The true meaning and fully meaningful use of virtues like self-realization and other good qualities is considered to be that through them, devotion to Maharaj is performed, or devotion is increased, or devotion is protected. It is for protection. It is for the increase of bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → It is to help bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → Therefore, Shreeji Maharaj has said in the Shikshapatri: 'The ultimate fruit of the virtues of the virtuous is devotion to 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 → satsang satsang 1) True company. The practice of associating with Bhagvãn’s sant, other satsangis, the ãtmã, and the sacred shãstras, and also observing vartmãns and niyams. 2) Also refers to the sampradãy, which is the presence of good company. Tap to open in glossary → Now Maharaj said, 'yanti vidopyadhah.' Even if one is wise, one attains downfall. If there is no bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → Even if those virtues are present. And there is no devotion to God. Then one attains downfall. So if there are virtues, even if one does not attain elevation, shouldn't one at least remain as is? Or not? Why? Because their wrong samskaras are indeed present. Are there wrong samskaras in dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → How can there be wrong samskaras in them? Wrong samskaras are when there is no detachment. And there is no dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → Then one has wrong samskaras. If all these are present. Then how can one have wrong samskaras? Then how does their downfall happen? Exactly. If there is no devotion to God, these virtues increase pride. They increase it 100%. So even if they are alone, they increase pride. They increase pride and ego; Maharaj says that self-realization, otherwise, is said to be the staunch enemy of body-ego. But still, self-realization increases body-ego. It does not remove body-ego. Only devotion to God makes all of these equally meaningful; if there is no devotion, it does not happen. Someone might have a doubt in mind that if those good virtues are present and one does not perform devotion, there may be no benefit, but why should there be harm? Why is it said 'otherwise, even the wise fall down'? It can be understood that their good may not happen, so the solution is that all these good virtues cannot remain inactive. They do not remain inactive. They must do something or the other. If there is no devotion, they do the opposite. Therefore, if they are not directed towards the path of devotion, they will surely go towards the path of downfall. If they are not used in devotion, they will surely increase ego. All these virtues either increase ego or do the opposite. So, just as Maharaj said to man man Mind. One of the four antah-karans, with the function of (pronounced mun) generating thoughts and desires, and governing all of the indriyas. Tap to open in glossary → That 'time should not be wasted without devotion to God.' Do not let time go in vain; do not let time go in vain without performing devotion to God. So these virtues are also like that. That if there is wasted time, if they are idle, they do something else wrong. Even these virtues, if they are not engaged in devotion to God. Then they go on the wrong path. Or they increase ego. If they are not used in devotion, they will surely increase ego. All these virtues either increase devotion or increase ego. They do one of the two. If they are given the first chance for devotion, then ego does not increase, nor is anything wrong done. If devotion is not attained, then wrong things are done. Therefore, with care, engage them in devotion to God. A devotee of God should remain engaged in good activities. If one does not remain engaged in good activities, then weakness is already present; weakness is indeed present in them. 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