Then Shriji Maharaj said, "When you ask, are you only asking how a devotee develops affection for Bhagwan, or are you also asking how Bhagwan develops affection for a devotee?" Then Swayamprakashanand Swami said, "We are asking about both." Then Shriji Maharaj began to explain this in detail, "By speech, one should not hurt any living being, and with Parameshwar Let's talk about Bhagwan developing affection for a devotee. Until now, the talk was about the devotee developing affection for Bhagwan. Through virtues, through desires, through form, through self-interest, through greed, all these lead to affection for Bhagwan. Although Bhagwan also develops affection in that way. But in this, for Bhagwan to develop affection, Maharaj kept only one thing: through virtues. Bhagwan cannot have self-interest or greed. So? In that, it is said that a devotee's affection for Bhagwan through virtues lasts longer. In the devotee developing affection for Bhagwan through virtues, it is the same, and in Bhagwan developing affection for the devotee through virtues, it is also the same. Maharaj has clarified this question a bit more later, and in that Hari Hari An avatãr of Bhagvãn. He incarnated in His four-armed svarup to save an elephant from being killed by a crocodile. He cut off the crocodile’s head with His chakra. Tap to open in glossary → So both are included in both. A devotee of Bhagwan developing affection for Bhagwan through virtues becomes permanent. And Bhagwan developing affection for a devotee through virtues is also called permanent. The devotee developing affection for Bhagwan through virtues means mahima. Knowing Bhagwan's divine virtues is indeed His mahima; through virtues, there is mahima. So affection develops because of that, affection develops through mahima. And Bhagwan developing affection for a devotee cannot be said to be through mahima, because what mahima would Bhagwan see in a devotee? But when Bhagwan feels, "He is mine, he is a seeker and he is mine," so because of that, Bhagwan develops affection for him. Affection of belongingness develops. Therefore, the devotee also has to keep in mind that we want to belong to Bhagwan. Bhagwan should feel that "he is mine." Yesterday, we saw in that Vachanamrut how Bhagwan and great saints develop trust. We have in our minds that we want to serve Bhagwan until the end of our bodies and please Bhagwan. But how does Bhagwan develop trust? So, such circumstances were mentioned in which He develops trust. Suppose he has been excommunicated and is crying, and if someone comes and speaks ill of Bhagwan, he strikes them with words like sharp arrows. He does not become cowardly there. Then Bhagwan feels in His mind, "No, no, even though we have cast him out, he is still ours." Shriji Maharaj began to explain this in detail, "By speech, one should not hurt any living being, and while engaging in question-answers with Parameshwar or great saints..." Not hurting means not to slander. Not to criticize anyone. Does slandering please Him? So, do not slander anyone. That is the virtue of speech, of speech. A seeker does not get into slandering or gossiping about anyone. He contemplates on his own path. Someone may have virtues, someone may have flaws; he does not get much into slandering or praising them. Only then does this remain. What other meaning should be derived from 'not hurting anyone by speech'? It means not to slander anyone. Slander is an addiction, isn't it? So if it becomes an addiction, just as one feels restless without tea, one feels restless without slandering; it becomes an addiction. Among the eighteen types of addictions, slander is counted as one addiction in the Shikshapatri, the larger Shikshapatri. So, just as one gets addicted to tea and goes crazy if he doesn't get tea all day, similarly, if he hasn't formed the habit of slandering all day, or hasn't got a chance to slander, he goes crazy. If the addiction has set in. So, do not let that addiction set in from the beginning. This is like sleeping a little in the afternoon, that is an addiction, isn't it? Maharaj has called sleeping in the afternoon an addiction. Daytime sleeping is an addiction. In that way, slandering is an addiction. But this might go away, but that one does not go away easily. If it has set in. Once an addiction to tea, bidi, or alcohol has set in, then it is very difficult to get rid of it. This may not be that difficult, but it is difficult to get rid of. Therefore, do not hurt anyone by speech. For those who want to please Bhagwan, who have seekership, these are the characteristics of seekership. Bhagwan is pleased by seekership. That seekership should remain with him till the very end. Even when he becomes liberated. If he becomes liberated, should he forget seekership or what? What to do? Seekership should remain with him; he should let the characteristics of a seeker remain. "By speech, one should not hurt any living being, and when engaging in question-answers with Parameshwar or great saints, and if there is a mutual debate, and even if it seems that one is winning, the one who is younger than the elder should bow down before the elder. And our..." Yielding, like that. But one should not try too hard to maintain one's pride. Maharaj mentioned this as a virtue of speech. To please Bhagwan, there is such a virtue. Keep in mind to yield with honesty. But do not keep in mind to prove that "I am right," even if you are. Maharaj said so. Do not do anything that makes the elders look bad. We ourselves should back down before them. That is a virtue of speech and is meant to please Bhagwan. "When engaging in question-answers with Parameshwar or great saints, and if there is a mutual debate, and even if it seems that one is winning, the one who is younger than the elder should bow down before the elder." But Maharaj said that he did not say to yield to a non-believer. Strike him with words like sharp arrows. But with Bhagwan's devotees, try to yield. So that is a bit complicated. Therefore, taking the judgment of whom to yield to and whom not to yield to is very difficult. What if he yields to everyone? Then he is called a coward. Maharaj also said that, Maharaj said not to yield to this person. And what if he does not yield to anyone? Then he has become arrogant. So maintaining discretion is very sensitive. Where to draw the line of discretion is very difficult. So if that seekership becomes firm and real in his soul, then he gets the decision. If his goal to please Bhagwan becomes firm, truly settled in his soul, not just written down, but if it is settled in his soul to please Bhagwan, then he gets the decision, then he can make that decision. 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