The greatest, most powerful spiritual endeavor. Selfless action. Maharaj called it selfless service. And there is no other spiritual endeavor as great as this to reduce vasana. In the last section, wasn't that the example of Uka Khachar's service? That when there is intense vasana, how does it reduce? So, according to normal circumstances, it was said that for a householder, it reduces quickly. Huh? In normal circumstances, for a householder, intense vasana reduces first. I mean, Maharaj said that if they follow their dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → Nowadays, just because the name householder is mentioned, it doesn't mean they will benefit. If they follow the dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → and remain connected to God, Maharaj says, believing that these worldly enjoyments and relatives are like a dream, and having found God is my true benefit, that is their desire for liberation. If they follow dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → In the Vedas and scriptures, what is the purpose of entering the householder stage? What is the motive? Why enter the householder stage? To generate vairagya. To generate vairagya. That means, if there is a desire for liberation in their mind, then vairagya is generated. Otherwise, they get even more entangled in this worldly setup. It is not that vairagya is automatically generated in the householder stage. So, if they are a seeker of liberation, then it happens, even in that. Then they naturally receive such difficult circumstances from God that they immediately develop vairagya. It is attained naturally. And this person has to create such circumstances on their own. Without passing through difficult circumstances, vasana does not reduce. In difficult circumstances, as long as it does not feel hard on the mind, as long as such a difficult situation is not created, vasana does not reduce quickly, it does not go away. Maharaj, keeping the comparison between a renunciant and a householder in front, has asked a question in Vachanamrut Gadhada Pratham Pratham First. Tap to open in glossary → Another similar question is asked in Vachanamrut Gadhada Antya Antya End. Final. Tap to open in glossary → In all three places, keeping the fundamental concept the same, questions are asked from different perspectives, hence the answers are also different. In Pratham Pratham First. Tap to open in glossary → Here, the question asked is, what state do both attain after death. And in Vachanamrut Antya Antya End. Final. Tap to open in glossary → Often such questions and answers take place as to which ashram ashram 1) Stage of life. There are four ãshrams in total, each with their duties and responsibilities – brahm-chãrya, grahastha, vãnprasth, and sannyãs. 2) Hermitage. Place where tyãgis live. Tap to open in glossary → Maharaj has not done that. It is not like that here, the question is not whether renunciation is superior or the householder stage is superior. Whichever one practices is superior. Maharaj says, the ashram ashram 1) Stage of life. There are four ãshrams in total, each with their duties and responsibilities – brahm-chãrya, grahastha, vãnprasth, and sannyãs. 2) Hermitage. Place where tyãgis live. Tap to open in glossary → In Hindu society, it is always renunciation that has been worshipped, not desirelessness. Whereas Maharaj was an advocate of desirelessness. Maharaj has emphasized desirelessness, not renunciation. On desirelessness. In Hindu society, renunciation is worshipped. Oh, he is a renunciant, so roll at his feet. No matter how they are. If the fire of vasana is burning within them, that is not visible. So, because he is a renunciant, worship him, give to him. Even if a householder is worthy, do not give to him, take from him. In Hindu society, it is always renunciation that has been worshipped, not desirelessness. Whereas Maharaj was an advocate of desirelessness, not of the renunciant stage. Is that written in it? Or was he an advocate? He was an advocate. Whereas Maharaj was an advocate of desirelessness, not of the renunciant stage. That is why Maharaj, keeping both in front, ultimately leans towards desirelessness. Therefore, it is not that the renunciant stage was not dear to Maharaj, it was certainly dear. Maharaj pampered the renunciants to an extent that he did not pamper the householder devotees. He pampered the sadhus to an extent that he did not pamper the householder devotees, so it is not to be said that Maharaj did not love the renunciant stage. Renunciation is glorious, Maharaj even prostrated before a renunciant, Muktanand Swami. That you introduce me to the world. But there must be a responsibility of introducing. That through this body, introduce Maharaj to others. And if one takes such responsibility and strives, then their vasana reduces. If it arises in their mind to do something for Maharaj, then their vasana cannot persist under any circumstances. Because that becomes selfless service. And then that is what is called taking refuge. Maharaj called that taking refuge. In Vachanamrut Vartal 5, the characteristic of taking refuge is described, and such an indication is made there. To remain in hardships for the sake of God and God's devotee. Meaning, if one does something for them, hardship occurs. That is why Maharaj says that if their refuge was to become firm in 100 births, it becomes firm in this very birth. That is the Vachanamrut on taking refuge. Whereas Maharaj was an advocate of desirelessness, not of the renunciant stage. That is why Maharaj, keeping both in front, ultimately leans towards desirelessness. In all three places, this tone of his is the same. In Vachanamrut Pratham Pratham First. Tap to open in glossary → Desirelessness is of great importance. The importance of the ashram ashram 1) Stage of life. There are four ãshrams in total, each with their duties and responsibilities – brahm-chãrya, grahastha, vãnprasth, and sannyãs. 2) Hermitage. Place where tyãgis live. Tap to open in glossary → It is not that the ashram ashram 1) Stage of life. There are four ãshrams in total, each with their duties and responsibilities – brahm-chãrya, grahastha, vãnprasth, and sannyãs. 2) Hermitage. Place where tyãgis live. Tap to open in glossary → It has importance. But desirelessness comes first. Desirelessness is of greater importance than everything else, and the importance of the ashram ashram 1) Stage of life. There are four ãshrams in total, each with their duties and responsibilities – brahm-chãrya, grahastha, vãnprasth, and sannyãs. 2) Hermitage. Place where tyãgis live. Tap to open in glossary → Therefore, it is not that the renunciant stage was not dear to Maharaj, it was certainly dear. Not only that, but it would not be wrong to say that it was dearer to him than the householder stage. Because if Maharaj did not consider the renunciant stage better of the two, why would he himself become a renunciant and accept the renunciant stage? Did he not become a renunciant himself? His priority is shown by Maharaj in the renunciant stage. If Maharaj considered the householder stage superior, he would have become a householder himself. So Maharaj could not even tolerate the slightest scent of the householder stage. Because if Maharaj did not consider the renunciant stage better of the two, why would he himself become a renunciant and accept the renunciant stage? But he chose the renunciant stage itself. But again, he was an advocate of renunciation. But even more than that, he was an advocate of desirelessness. If someone entered the householder stage and could not become a renunciant, Maharaj would say, no problem. Become desireless. Meaning, you will sit right alongside the renunciants. So Maharaj was indeed an advocate of renunciation, but he was an even greater advocate of desirelessness. And that was Maharaj's target, to make everyone desireless. So Maharaj must indeed consider the renunciant stage superior, but it is certain that he considers the state of desirelessness even more superior. So Maharaj means to say that renunciants should not assume that just because they became renunciants, their work is done, and consider themselves successful. After becoming a renunciant, one must examine, how desireless am I? Have I become more desireless than a householder, or is it just like a householder? If it is like a householder, Maharaj says your level is still low, even if it is equal to that. Because the other person has more chances. Of vasana leaving, and you do not have as many. If you have become more desireless than that, then it is fine. Here, Gopalanand Swami answered Maharaj's question that when a renunciant leaves the body, due to having intense vasana to enjoy sensory pleasures in their heart, God will make them a great householder in the mortal realm or in the celestial realm. And after enjoying the pleasures and then repenting, when they become desireless, they will go to the abode of God. Whereas a householder, being desireless, will go directly to the abode of God after death and attain the service of God's lotus feet. From this, it is evident that the ashram ashram 1) Stage of life. There are four ãshrams in total, each with their duties and responsibilities – brahm-chãrya, grahastha, vãnprasth, and sannyãs. 2) Hermitage. Place where tyãgis live. Tap to open in glossary → Because if that were the case, then one in the renunciant stage, even if full of vasana, would attain a good state, and a householder, no matter how desireless, would attain a lower state than a renunciant, but it is not so. There is no such direct relationship between any particular ashram ashram 1) Stage of life. There are four ãshrams in total, each with their duties and responsibilities – brahm-chãrya, grahastha, vãnprasth, and sannyãs. 2) Hermitage. Place where tyãgis live. Tap to open in glossary → Desirelessness is the regulator of the state after death. By the standard of desirelessness, one's good or bad state is determined, not by the ashram ashram 1) Stage of life. There are four ãshrams in total, each with their duties and responsibilities – brahm-chãrya, grahastha, vãnprasth, and sannyãs. 2) Hermitage. Place where tyãgis live. Tap to open in glossary → The ashram ashram 1) Stage of life. There are four ãshrams in total, each with their duties and responsibilities – brahm-chãrya, grahastha, vãnprasth, and sannyãs. 2) Hermitage. Place where tyãgis live. Tap to open in glossary → If it is the renunciant stage, one does not have to labor or make effort for food, clothing, and shelter. A householder's time in their life, 80 to 90 percent of it goes into fulfilling all the needs of their children. Even if a person is wealthy, and does not worry much about livelihood, it still goes into planning how much and when it will be useful for seven generations of their children. They do not think, 'Well, my householder life is going well, so now let me work for the redemption of my soul,' they do not think so. Because the momentum has built up, the momentum of business has built up, so that it lasts for seven generations of their children, even if there is no need, they still do the same. So most of their time goes into serving all of them, and there is no guarantee whether they all become desireless or not. And there is no benefit of that to this person. They might all have bad traits, Maharaj says, and might not be following any dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → yet this person pours out their efforts for them. Pours out for them. This is their biggest minus point. Otherwise, mentally, their state is better, Maharaj, their private state. Because they get pushed from all sides, and wear and tear from all sides, adversity from all sides, so only Maharaj seems favorable to them. Favorable only in Maharaj. No one is as favorable as Maharaj. When that happens, they advance in desirelessness. If they gird up their loins and strive, then they can advance further than the other. But they do not gird up their loins and strive, that is why it does not happen. The circumstances, all the physical circumstances of both, often play a role. So, if we cannot become desireless on our own, then we should create physical circumstances that lead to desirelessness. Then it happens. 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