Om Avtarine Shri Swaminarayanaya Namo Namah Shri Harikrishnaya Namo Namah Shri Purna Purushottamaya Namo Namah Purna Purushottam Purushottam God. Supreme being. Bhagvãn. He is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, divine, always taking birth on earth for Tap to open in glossary → Vachanamrut number one, Gadhada First Chapter. Swaminarayan Hare Swaminarayan Hare On the day of Chaturthi in the month of Magshar of Samvat Samvat The calendar established by Indian emperor Vikramaditya of Ujjain following his victory 56 BCE. It is a lunar calendar based on ancient Hindu tradition. The Vikram Samvat calendar is 56.7 years ahead of the solar Gregorian calendar. The calendar most commonly used is the Kãrtiki Samvat, which begins on the first day of Kãrtik. However, the Vachanãmrut is written using the Ashãdhi Samvat, which begins on the first day of Ãshãdh. Tap to open in glossary → And all had worn white clothes, and in front of his lotus-like face, an assembly of sadhus and devotees from various countries was seated. Then Shriji Maharaj asked a question, Among all spiritual practices, which practice is difficult? Then all the brahmacharis, sadhus, and householders answered according to their understanding, but it was not satisfactory. Then Shriji Maharaj said, "Listen, we will answer." To keep the mind constantly focused on the form of God, no other spiritual practice is difficult than that. And for the person whose mind remains constantly focused on the form of God, no greater attainment than this is mentioned in the scriptures. Because the 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 → Just as a Chintamani in the hand of a person grants whatever that person desires. Similarly, for one whose mind remains constantly focused on the 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 → that jiva, Ishwar, Maya, and Brahma, if they wish to see their forms, they see them instantly. And Vaikunth Vaikunth The dhãm of Vishnu, and Rãm Bhagvãn. Tap to open in glossary → Golok Golok 1) The dhãm of Shree Krishna Bhagvãn. 2) Also means Akshardhãm. The prefix ‘go’ means light; therefore, meaning the ‘lok of light’ – Akshardhãm. Tap to open in glossary → Therefore, to keep the mind constantly focused on the form of God, there is no more difficult practice, nor is there any greater attainment than this. What is 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 → What question did Maharaj ask? Among all spiritual practices, which practice is difficult? And it should be great. It is great based on the answer. It is difficult, but it is also great. What is the criteria? Based on its attainment. Among the means to please God. All the means to please God that exist, Dharma Dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → Among them, which is the most difficult and which is the greatest? Maharaj has said that becoming nirvasnik (free from desires) is a great means. In the 60th Vachanamrut of the First Chapter, Maharaj has said that becoming nirvasnik is also a very great task. Here, Maharaj has said that the most difficult means, and the meaning of difficult, is also the greatest. And the greatest, in which subject? In which subject, brother? In other subjects, there might be something else great. Is it easy to maintain detachment? To achieve atmanishtha (self-realization) is difficult. This is difficult, indeed. To keep the mind focused on the form of God. But it is also great alongside it. Many things may be difficult, but not great. The fruit may not be that great. It becomes difficult. Penance is certainly difficult. It is not easy. To achieve atmanishtha, to give up body-consciousness. All of these are difficult. But not as great as this. Why not great? Because this is subtle. In this, the mind has to be made stable. And in penance, it is said that one has to endure with the body. If one has to endure with the body, then the mind becomes mad mad Arrogance. Tap to open in glossary → If penance cannot be endured much, then the mind becomes mad mad Arrogance. Tap to open in glossary → The body and mind are not very separate. If one has to endure with the body, then the mind's patience runs out after a certain point. The great thing is that someone became nirvasnik. So he sees Brahma. Then he gets the fruit of seeing Brahma. Someone performed a lot of penance. So Maharaj says that he wishes to see Golok Golok 1) The dhãm of Shree Krishna Bhagvãn. 2) Also means Akshardhãm. The prefix ‘go’ means light; therefore, meaning the ‘lok of light’ – Akshardhãm. Tap to open in glossary → If someone is a very religious person. And if he is completely religious, having firm religious devotion as described in the scriptures. Then he resolves that he should see Akshardham. Or that he should see Brahma. If Brahma is seen, then God is seen. Then God is seen? No, it is not seen. Why? If there is any other such means, then show such a means. That by performing that means, there is a guarantee of Brahma. There is a guarantee of Akshardham. Is that seen? That is not seen. If someone is nirvasnik. If someone is very nirvasnik and has no attachment anywhere. If such a nirvasnik person exists. But if this is not there. Then what does he attain? He attains good lokas. He attains good lokas, that's all. No one can attain something like this. That's it. That's why it's great. And it's difficult. It's both difficult and great. It's difficult. Because no one can do it much. No one even dares to confront it. It is also difficult. It is something that cannot be done quickly. And it is also great. Other means are not that great. Even if they are difficult. No single means is very easy. Maharaj has also said that becoming nirvasnik is a very great task. If one wants to achieve atmanishtha. Or to follow dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → To have singular devotion to God. All those are difficult means. To live with one's mind focused on God is even more difficult than samadhi, so said Gunatitanand Swami. To live with one's mind focused on God. That is, to have a single sentiment towards God up to a certain limit. The sentiment towards sadhus, devotees of God, and 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 → That is very difficult. So why did Maharaj say this here? These difficult means have been mentioned in many places. So why is this alone called difficult? What are you saying? Attainment like this is not achieved by other means. That's why it becomes great. Difficult and great, both are combined in this. Even more than upasana. We have talked about it many times, what is upasana? So, to become brahmarup and serve God, that is called upasana. But if there is no constant remembrance in it, then it is not upasana. Just as becoming brahmarup and serving God, in that, service is primary. In that, service is primary. Similarly, to serve and to remember God. That is called upasana. So what is called upasana? Among the two main ones, which one? To serve or to remember God? Which one? To remember. Remembering is primary. Remembrance makes service into upasana. If there is no remembrance, then service cannot become upasana. It's not that it's a useless thing. But if there are two important things, and only those two, then which one is more important? Then service remains just devotion. We all perform devotion to God. We perform service. But we don't remember God, so it doesn't reach the level of upasana. It doesn't come under the category of upasana. We perform service with complete devotion, not like a laborer. But still, upasana is not happening. What is the difference between our service and Gunatitanand Swami's service? We perform our service. We perform service, and Gopal Anand Swami Maharaj used to perform service. They were serving 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 → They might not be doing as much running around as we do. The speed of all activities that is there now. Such speed was not there then. Still, the saints worked very hard; they never sat sat 1) True. Real. 2) Permanent, imperishable and unchanging. Is unbound by the past, the present, and the future. Tap to open in glossary → But there were no such means as there are now, so there wasn't that much running around. So what is the difference between their service and our service? What is the difference? Their service was upasana. Service was upasana. Why so? Our service is also theirs; we serve 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 → We serve Maharaj and the devotees of God. Are you doing it or not? Then why doesn't it reach that level? What is lacking in it? Remembrance is lacking. Remembrance is lacking. They were serving, and we might be serving more than them, but we are not remembering as they were. That's why we fall behind. So what does that mean? Constant focus is difficult and also great. It is great. Maharaj has said that in terms of achieving attainment, there is nothing like this. In terms of achieving attainment, there is nothing like this. Not even service. So it's not that the importance of service is less. But this is one step ahead of service. It is one step ahead of service. That's why Maharaj called it the greatest means. And called it the most difficult means. In the question, it's only difficult. In the answer, It's both difficult and great. Maharaj has given such an answer. That it is difficult and also great. So the question is such that it is both great and difficult. This principle is the principle of the Upanishads. The soul, indeed, Is to be seen, heard, contemplated, and meditated upon. In that, what principle did the Upanishads establish? What did they do? That the soul is to be seen. To maintain constant remembrance of the Supreme Soul. Drashtavyo means To perform upasana. To perform upasana means remembrance. In this context, it means to maintain constant remembrance of the Supreme Soul. And all those others, Shrotavyo, Mantavyo, Nididhyasitavyo, mean They are means. It is attained by implication. It is attained by implication. If we tell someone to go to Vikarabad. So, if you want to go to Vikarabad, you have to sit on a bus, buy a ticket. That means, if you go there, it's already implied that you have to buy a ticket, otherwise how will you go? Similarly. To remember God, to constantly remember Him, how does that happen? By hearing. He listens to it, he listens to its glory. He contemplates it. He practices it practically. Then that happens. So that is already included within it. By implication, it is included within it. Within its core. Thus, the entire Vachanamrut is contained within the core of this one question. In the Vachanamrut, wherever it talks about becoming nirvasnik, there are all these things. 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