What is the purpose of going to the forest, Maharaj? There is detachment there, so one can keep meditating. Constant meditation. No disturbance at all. Constant meditation. And yet, Maharaj says, "I cannot go to the forest." So there is some other, greater, stronger desire than that. And that is, "We cannot leave the group of God's devotees." Why are they staying in the group? To do seva. Or to benefit from the group? There is also a desire for honor in it. All three are opposites. Desire for meditation, that desire for bhoga, and three are written here, three. One is the desire for meditation. Huh? Desire for meditation. No, on the other hand, the desire for bhoga. If there is a desire for meditation, the desire for bhoga draws us to cities and towns; why does that attraction happen? For bhoga. So there is a desire for bhoga in that. And there is a desire for honor. Just, honor. And Maharaj does not have a desire for honor. Among God's devotees, in a large group, what is achieved in a large group? Honor is achieved. Bhoga is obtained, alright. But all this eating and drinking, does it give us honor? If we go, and there are good jalebis and food, and as soon as we arrive, they put one or two garlands on us, even if they are made of jalebis, whatever they say. Even after experiencing bhoga, a person's burning desire for honor awakens more, and it awakens after fully obtaining bhoga. What if there is no bhoga first? Then, if there is a burning desire for bhoga, then garlands, garlands are nothing, "You arrange for a proper meal first." So after bhoga, the burning desire for honor awakens in him. And after honor, power. the burning desire for fame and power awakens. The burning desire for fame and power. These are successive steps forward. And all that is in these cities and towns, and a group of people; cities and towns mean many people should gather, I should not be alone, there should be a whole crowd. And wherever I go, a large crowd should gather. Or where there is a large crowd, I should reach there. It is one of the two. If we cannot gather a crowd, we reach a large crowd, so both purposes are served. So that is the series of the desire for bhoga. Desire for bhoga, desire for honor, desire for power, desire for fame. He loves to hear his fame. One who has a desire for honor, his ears are never satisfied. Hearing his own praise. So all this. Where is all that achieved? It is achieved where there is a large group. Maharaj says, "The group of God's devotees holds us back." And does not let us go to meditate. We, Maharaj, want to go to the forest and just meditate, and Maharaj has a strong desire for meditation. Even then, it does not let us go there to meditate. The group of God's devotees holds us back. And of God's devotees, meaning that the desire to serve God's devotees has beaten even our desire for meditation. It beats our desire for meditation. That we value the service of God's devotees that much. What is Maharaj talking about? Of ekantik-ness. The seed of ekantik-ness. So which is greater? Maharaj means to say that the extent to which ekantik-ness grows through that, it does not grow that much through meditation. It should be pure. There should be no bad intention in it. It should have a pure intention, so two tasks are done at once. God also becomes pleased, and one can also attain God. Two tasks at once. Maharaj said that look at this, we often, now this is a comparison of Maharaj with Maharaj himself. Maharaj's two desires. Sajatiya bhed, vijatiya bhed, and svagat bhed. Maharaj himself has two desires. One is the desire to go to the forest and meditate. And the desire to go into the group of God's devotees and serve. So in that, which desire is stronger for Maharaj? In that, which one triumphed more? To go into the group of God's devotees and serve them. Maharaj has said elsewhere, "We take birth." Based on that, if there is still some ambiguity in this, it is to be understood from the other perspective. That if there are true devotees of God and their group, and we go and serve in it, such is our extremely strong desire. No one can stop it. Many times we, ourselves, go and rush forward into the forest. We run away, yet we return after reaching the boundary. Seeing the group of God's devotees and seeing their service, we return. Such is the extremely strong desire in our soul. What we, in the worldly language, call a burning desire and craving, Maharaj says, "We have an extremely strong desire to serve God's devotees." Even the desire for meditation cannot lessen or dim it. Otherwise, we have both desires. Initially, when we came to Muktanand Swami, both of us had resolved, that once we have the darshan darshan Seeing. To see with admiration and devotion. To see Bhagvãn, a sat-purush, and murtis, with inner or outer vision, with the intention of receiving their grace and blessings. By doing darshan properly a bhakta develops affection for Bhagvãn, and Bhagvãn develops affection for that bhakta. [Sãrangpur – 2]. Tap to open in glossary → Taking just a water pot and a bag. Taking the puja and leaving. And there, both of us will keep meditating. When I meditate, you watch over me. And when you sit to meditate, I will watch over you. In the forest, one needs someone to watch over, right? So we will do that. But another desire came that dimmed that desire. To serve God and God's devotees. Maharaj went as far as to say, "We do not see as much benefit in the state of power," "so we feel like loosening the state of power a bit, taking a body in the midst of God and God's devotees, and doing whatever service is possible there." That is the seed of ekantik-ness. That is that. What grows the ekantik seed? Does the desire for meditation do it? Does the desire for rules do it? And of the service of God and God's devotees, does the desire for service do it? Who grows it more? Who grows it more? Maharaj says so. And Maharaj, discussing this Vachanamrut, says, "You may understand it however you wish, we are giving our own example." This is how it is with us. Everyone may understand it as they wish. The matter. "And naturally, there remains such a desire in the mind that I do not like cities, mansions, or royal courts at all." "And I like forests, mountains, rivers, trees, and solitary places extremely." "And we believe that it is good to sit in solitude and meditate on God." Why? The desire for bhoga is destructive to the desire for God. That is why ancient kings used to go from cities to forests. As in our scriptures and history, kings and emperors, Manu Manu Manu is responsible for overseeing the first stages of all life forms in the new cycle of creation and he lives for the entire cycle. Manu and his wife become the first parents for each cycle (Adam and Eve). In one day of Brahmã, fourteen Manus reign and die. The duration of the reign of one Manu is 306,720,000 human years, and is called a manvantar. Fourteen Manus are created and destroyed during one day of Brahmã. Tap to open in glossary → desire for bhoga, he had everything, yet, desire for power, desire for bhoga, all these are destructive to the desire for God. They should not be there. Then some of that seed remains. If this is present, even the seed does not remain. The seed, the seed cannot be protected. The desire for bhoga does not let the desire for God remain. Desire for power, desire for honor, desire for fame, if the soul is drawn to them, it is called desire. If power is obtained, it does not mean its seed is gone. If fame is obtained, it does not mean the seed of ekantik-ness is gone, or if honor is obtained, the seed of ekantik-ness is gone, not like that. If the burning desire for honor awakens, then it is gone. If his soul is drawn into them, in these four, then that seed is gone. Even if it is not obtained. Even if honor is not obtained. Then whether it is obtained or not does not matter, once the soul is drawn, it is gone. Not everyone obtains it, but everyone's soul is drawn to it. Not everyone gets money, but whose soul is not drawn to money? Everyone's. They are drawn and collapsed there, even if they die. Even if they die and do not get it, still. The soul is drawn. Similarly, Maharaj says, "Even if we do not get a platform, our soul is drawn to this." If we do not get a platform, it is fine, but we preserve the seed. Of ekantik-ness. Is it guaranteed that one will get money? Yet, which soul in the world is not drawn to money? So Maharaj says, "It is not necessary that one gets to practice ekantik-ness." "But our soul is drawn to it, so we have preserved the seed of ekantik-ness." Our soul is drawn. And what is that seed of ekantik-ness? So, of God, meditation. Remembrance of God, constant remembrance. And of God, service of God, service of God's devotees. Upasana, faith, all these are included. They preserve the seed of ekantik-ness. The desire to obey commands, all these preserve the seed of ekantik-ness, are symptoms. The stronger they are, the stronger his ekantik-ness becomes. "Such a desire always remains. And when I had not had the darshan darshan Seeing. To see with admiration and devotion. To see Bhagvãn, a sat-purush, and murtis, with inner or outer vision, with the intention of receiving their grace and blessings. By doing darshan properly a bhakta develops affection for Bhagvãn, and Bhagvãn develops affection for that bhakta. [Sãrangpur – 2]. Tap to open in glossary → "then with Muktanand Swami, we had made such a resolution," "that once you arrange for me to have the darshan darshan Seeing. To see with admiration and devotion. To see Bhagvãn, a sat-purush, and murtis, with inner or outer vision, with the intention of receiving their grace and blessings. By doing darshan properly a bhakta develops affection for Bhagvãn, and Bhagvãn develops affection for that bhakta. [Sãrangpur – 2]. Tap to open in glossary → Maharaj has an extreme aversion to bhoga, it shows. Extreme aversion to bhoga. And extreme desire for meditation. Even more than that, the desire to serve God's devotees is extraordinary. And Maharaj, those that protect this ekantik seed, and those that grow the seed, to show which factors they are, Maharaj speaks of himself. Even in Maharaj's internal life, though both aspects exist, both are not equal. Both aspects exist, bhoga, Maharaj has this, desire for meditation, and not forgetting, Maharaj says, "We never forget Maharaj's murti murti 1) Sacred idol of Bhagvãn used to offer worship. There are eight types of murtis that can be worshipped: stone, wood, metal, earth, engraved or drawn, sand, gems, and mental. 2) The form of Bhagvãn. Tap to open in glossary → murti murti 1) Sacred idol of Bhagvãn used to offer worship. There are eight types of murtis that can be worshipped: stone, wood, metal, earth, engraved or drawn, sand, gems, and mental. 2) The form of Bhagvãn. Tap to open in glossary → And this is the desire to serve God's devotees. Even internally, they are not all equal, there is some up and down. Up and down means that even in protecting the ekantik seed, there is up and down. Maharaj has given his complete example, "This is how it happens with us." No more perfect example than this, for this, to set this up. All of his, all of his desires are sublime, yet in them, this is, which one? All three of Maharaj's desires are sublime desires. Yes. But still, there is an internal division in them. Maharaj has not explicitly stated the division. But Maharaj has given an example, based on the description he made. Maharaj says, "We have an extreme desire to go to the forest and meditate." "And then, after coming into the group of God's devotees, many times we feel sad and that desire urges us, 'Come, let's go there.'" But still, we could not go, so what does that mean? That that desire was suppressed. And which desire is that? To stay in the group of God's devotees and do whatever service is possible. That is the desire. "And 'We will never come into populated areas,' such was the resolution of the mind, and even now the mind behaves exactly the same way." It is not that it has gone away, either. "And towards God and God's devotees, there is such intense love that time, karma karma Action. Deed. Any thought, word, or deed that will sooner or later reap its consequences. Karmas of a person are linked to their rewards (cause and effect). Bhagvãn is the giver of the rewards of the karmas; good deeds reap pleasant rewards, and bad deeds reap painful fruits. Karmas remain with a jeev until it has received its rewards. Tap to open in glossary → "And even if one tries to remove it from one's mind, it does not leave the heart at all." "Such is the extreme love towards God and God's devotees." "And sometimes we have felt sad with the intention of leaving the 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 → "It cannot be left in any way." "And where I do not know someone to be a devotee of God, even if they try tens of millions of ways to keep me, I cannot stay." "And no matter how much they serve us," meaning, serve us, give us honor, give us power, still, no. "And no matter how much they serve us, we cannot get along with a non-devotee at all." "In this way, with God and God's devotees, we have bound our mind with extreme love." "And other than that God, we have kept no other object dear." "Therefore, why would love for God not remain?" Since other things are broken, there is no way to break this, no scope. The desire for bhoga is completely broken. So there is no scope for this. Who is the greatest enemy of ekantik-ness? Desire for bhoga. Desire for honor, desire for power, and desire for fame. They are of ekantik-ness, meaning all of them are included in the desire for bhoga, they are all bhoga. It is its expansion. And that is the most, Maharaj says, "We do not have that, so no one can damage our seed of ekantik-ness." So whoever wants to maintain ekantik-ness has to test themselves against this as well. To see how much of this we have. 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