Ramanujacharya, with the word 'Akshar Akshar 1) Imperishable. In his personal form, Akshar serves Bhagvãn in Akshardhãm, and takes birth on earth as His ideal bhakta (sat-purush). Both forms are human in appearance. In his impersonal form, Akshar is the dhãm of Bhagvãn called Akshardhãm. In his all- pervading anvay form, Akshar is called Chidãkãsh. Tap to open in glossary → interprets it as the form of the soul. 'Aksharamupasate' means worshipping one's own soul, that is how Ramanujacharya interpreted it. Ramanujacharya interprets the word 'Akshar Akshar 1) Imperishable. In his personal form, Akshar serves Bhagvãn in Akshardhãm, and takes birth on earth as His ideal bhakta (sat-purush). Both forms are human in appearance. In his impersonal form, Akshar is the dhãm of Bhagvãn called Akshardhãm. In his all- pervading anvay form, Akshar is called Chidãkãsh. Tap to open in glossary → Akshar Akshar 1) Imperishable. In his personal form, Akshar serves Bhagvãn in Akshardhãm, and takes birth on earth as His ideal bhakta (sat-purush). Both forms are human in appearance. In his impersonal form, Akshar is the dhãm of Bhagvãn called Akshardhãm. In his all- pervading anvay form, Akshar is called Chidãkãsh. Tap to open in glossary → It could be either. Keeping that aside, Arjun's question is, who is superior? After this question asked by Arjun, God, in this chapter, Similarly, Maharaj, if we want to compare it with Maharaj's Vachanamrut, Maharaj has said the same thing. One person is such that he does not serve the devotee of God. And he does not hurt anyone either. No one is hurt by him. And another person is such that he, to God and God's devotee, serves them diligently. By him, someone might get hurt unintentionally too. So, who is superior of the two? Isn't that what is asked here? One is 'Avyaktam Aksharam Upasate' and the other is 'Ye tu paryupasate', who serves your devotees and God, between those two, 'Ke yogavittamah'? Who is the judge? So, these are Maharaj's questions and they will be found in this. After this question asked by Arjun, God, from the second verse of this chapter to the 20th verse of the 14th chapter, kept speaking continuously. This is the only such long chapter of 73 verses in the Gita. From this, it seems as if God gave it continuously. Otherwise, Arjun would ask again. But God kept giving it continuously, that is how it is here. This is the only such long chapter of 73 verses in the Gita. This clearly indicates that God wishes to explain some uniquely important principle in this chapter. Here, God's special interest is evident. The implication is that the most beneficial, highly confidential, and supreme feelings that God had in His heart for the jivas, the credit for revealing them goes to this God-inspired question of Arjun. Without a question, the secret does not come out. The scriptures also say so. If a question is asked, a deeper meaning emerges from it. And if one keeps giving a discourse and others keep listening, not as much comes out. Shree Shree 1) Name of Lakshmi. 2) Used before the names of Bhagvãn and devs to signify their high status. Tap to open in glossary → Mayyavesya mano ye mam nityayukta upasate, sraddhaya parayopetaste me yuktatama matah. Shree Shree 1) Name of Lakshmi. 2) Used before the names of Bhagvãn and devs to signify their high status. Tap to open in glossary → and who possess supreme, firm faith in Me, they are considered by Me to be the most perfect and superior among My devotees. God had given this very decision, without Arjun asking, in the 47th verse of the sixth chapter. Yoginamapi sarvesam madgatenantaratmana, sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah. But since his question on that subject was not there, Arjun could not grasp that decision. Because, not being his own question, even the heard words he had not asked the question himself, and Lord 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 → So then it went over his head. If someone else had asked the question and God had told him, even then it goes over one's head. If one has asked the question himself and the answer is given, then it stays. And that too, if it was asked to grasp it, then it stays. Otherwise, if it was asked just to test, then it does not stay. That is why, in all spiritual scriptures, there are only questions and answers. In the Gita also, questions and answers, questions and answers. In the Vachanamrut also, it is only questions and answers, questions and answers. Because, not being one's own question, the heard words often do not register. That is why he asked such a question in the first verse of this chapter. In the same way, one's own God has already said it, yet he asked the same question, meaning he was not paying attention. In the same way, in the absence of a complete desire and eagerness to know a subject in one's mind, and because of not being one's own question, the subtle and important things related to spiritual endeavors heard in 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 → if explained, they consider it as specifically for themselves It is a very important matter. Maharaj has said it here and there in all Vachanamruts, right? It is the 13th Vachanamrut of Madhya. So, a very important thing is said. Yet, even if we have read it many times, we do not understand it. What to do? We have never targeted it. If we target it, then it happens. Then we understand. We understand exactly as Maharaj said. Otherwise, it repeatedly goes over our head, that is what happens. In certain places, Maharaj said that this is the essence of all scriptures. So, if we had grasped just this one, we wouldn't have to do all this other stuff. It is the life-line of God's devotee. The main point of all scriptures has come to hand, Maharaj has written such words. But even though Maharaj says so, we do not grasp the point. Why? Our focus is not on it. If only Maharaj has the focus, then He keeps emphasizing the point. Usually, if explained after asking a question that arose within oneself, they consider it as specifically said for themselves and accept it with faith. Or, if one has firmly made it an objective, and then a related matter is heard even without one's question, even then, believing 'it is for me, it is very useful to me', they accept it immediately. They grasp it like that. If one is very hungry for a certain thing, and has not asked the question himself, even then, from someone else's Q&A, he grasps it. Like throwing bread to a dog and a crow flies down and snatches it away. So it happens like that. The other one might understand if explained, but this one understands it sooner than later. When does that happen? If one has an inner hunger for that very point, then it happens to him. So even if it is not his own question and someone else's dialogue is going on, and he has no relation to it, even then he grasps it. If that happens, then these are the two or three points of explaining and understanding scriptures. One is, if he has asked the question himself, and has asked it genuinely, and if a proper answer is received, then in his mind, that that point settles properly in his jiva. Or, he is very hungry for that thing. And he is wandering around, and somewhere a conversation happened at someone's place, then it turns out best for him. Or, if there is immense faith, trust, or devotion in the speaker. Or, if there is extreme devotion. Then he understands that point. If there is extreme devotion, then he understands. And if there is a lack of extreme devotion, then even if a megaphone is kept right over him, still he doesn't. In that too, the secret matter is never understood. So, extreme devotion is needed. Devotion means faith. If there is extreme faith that 'this is how everything is'. Or, if there is extreme hunger. And either he is struggling himself and asks someone a question, and its answer comes, then he gets it. Otherwise, it is said that they have gone carrying the books of Vachanamrut on their shoulders. The whole book is on the shoulder or under the arm. Now under the arm, earlier they had to carry on shoulders, now it stays under the arm. Now pocket Vachanamruts have come. Kalo Bhagat went to Gir and asked a question. When talks about lions come up, to know everything about lions. How many days can a lion stay without its prey, without eating? Without eating? He said, 100. Where did you get that from? Brahmanand Swami has written it. He fasts for 100 days. Meaning fasting. He would die doing it. A lion does not eat grass. How much he grasped the word that 'if Brahmanand Swami said it, it must be so'. It must be so. We do not feel that 'if Maharaj said it, it must be so'. We do not feel that. So, either he has extreme faith in it, then whatever he says is the authority. And either there is extreme hunger, or he is struggling to understand, for curiosity's sake. When there is a question, there is curiosity. It is not so much about hunger. We cannot say that hunger must be there. Or he is struggling, like 'what did Maharaj say in this'. Then if someone explains it and something new comes up, then he understands. When did we ever struggle? Huh? Maharaj has written names in the Vachanamrut that those Yoga, Sankhya, Yoga, Pancharatra, and Vedanta. So, at least once in life, before dying, let's glance through all of them, did that ever happen? Before dying, that is fine, do these new sadhus feel in their minds that before dying, let's glance through Satsangijivan, in every nook and corner? So, no one has read it. No one would have read it. They wouldn't have read the entire Nishkulanand Kavya. They wouldn't have read the entire Satsangijivan. Many times, even when these new sadhus give discourses, even they haven't read it. Directly taking the discourse from someone's mouth and directly delivering the discourse. A good one. He wouldn't have read it. So, there is a lack of inner desire. There is no demand within. So, because there is no demand, nothing happens. If someone pours it on the head, the water just spills over the vessel, that is what happens. If water is poured, it feels cool for a moment, if it is winter, it is even colder. Absolutely no demand from within. Not at all. 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