Then the second characteristic is that they themselves perform single-minded devotion to God, and are pleased to see someone else's devotion to God. A question arises here: are the perfect saints that Maharaj wants to describe not already described by the first characteristic? So why did Maharaj have to state the subsequent characteristics? One may have worship of God, but does he have worship of the devotee? If so, then the refuge lasts long. One does not have to live with God, but with the devotee. And the problem that arises, arises with the devotee. No one easily has a problem with God at first. Then with the devotee, if God does not take our side in a dispute with a devotee, then a problem arises with God. God should take our side. Because we are 5/4. We are 5/4, so God should also take the side of 5/4, like that. So then a problem arises with God. Whose is God? He is not of 5/4, whose is He? He is of 3/4. "He who remains a servant of servants 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 → "I will rejoice in his color," like that. Maharaj said that. That we are the servants of servants. We are never the servants of the proud. We are servants of servants. Not servants of the boss. If one roams around acting like a boss, then we are not his servants. We are the servants of servants. So God belongs to 3/4, not 5/4. So what do you want to become? 3/4 or 5/4? What does Pritam Bhagat want to become? 5/4? Well, that is good. In the market, the value of 5/4 is higher. Yes, what am I saying? Huh? And of 3/4? Huh? 3/4 has value with God. 5/4 has value with Pritam Bhagat. So the resolution to this is that in devotion, sentiment is of greater support than action. It is the mentality of a servant of servants. The mentality of a servant of servants. When that mentality comes, then the refuge is complete. If it is physical, the refuge is not complete. Perfection comes from mentality, doesn't it? Physical never brings 100% perfection because it is limited, it has its limit. Temporary. Temporary, and it has limitations. Even if we do it physically, how much can we do? So it has its limitations. But mentality has no limitations. It is unlimited. So as it is said, worship, that subjective worship. Knowledge is objective, worship is subjective. What is subjective worship? What is the mentality towards that person? Mentality can make it unlimited. So subjective mentality is worship. How does one's mentality measure Him? The entire person whom one wants to worship, how does one measure Him? That is called worship. Just because we measured Maharaj, our worship did not become like that of Gopalanand Swami and Gunatitanand Swami. Because if we align our mentality with their mentality, then it happens. Otherwise it does not happen, the mentality does not form. So perfection comes from mentality. Perfection does not come just from that. And mentality has its reflection. And this is its reflection. That if there is some other devotee of God, if he is performing devotion, then one is more pleased than with oneself. More than with oneself. Because he has considered him better than himself. He has believed it from the heart and with honesty. So he is more pleased. If he sees his good and sees his progress, then he feels more joy in his heart. So the resolution to this is that in devotion, sentiment is of greater support than action. Sentiment is devotion. Not action, not knowledge. It is said in that Shandilya Bhakti Bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → So, not action, not knowledge. Knowledge should not be called devotion. Even Shishupal had the knowledge that 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 → Even Kansa knew that He is God, He is Vishnu Vishnu The dev of sustenance. Part of the trimurti. He lives in Vaikunth with his wife Lakshmi. Tap to open in glossary → And Vishnu Vishnu The dev of sustenance. Part of the trimurti. He lives in Vaikunth with his wife Lakshmi. Tap to open in glossary → So he had the knowledge. But he did not have devotion. So that is the difference between knowledge and devotion. Not action, action should also not be called devotion. Surrender should be called devotion. "Offering all actions to Him, and feeling supreme anxiety on forgetting Him." He has sentiment for Him, so because of sentiment, how much is the surrender? Only then is it called devotion. For a sadhu, surrender is of nature. And for a householder, surrender is of wealth. Wealth is his life. And for a sadhu, nature is his life. If nature goes, life goes. If he has to give up his nature, his life goes. And if that one loses wealth, then he becomes like that, he becomes completely liberal. He loses his consciousness in it. If he loses wealth, if the company goes bankrupt, what happens? He loses his consciousness. So when that goes, Maharaj says, when he fights against it, then his refuge becomes firm, otherwise the refuge does not become firm. And saintliness comes. In this, the characteristics of a sadhu are described, right? Those of a sadhu and of refuge, both go together. Refuge in God, when does it happen? Then both sadhu and God. So refuge in both goes together. The mentality of a servant of servants, is it natural or can it be developed if one wants to? It is never natural for anyone. If it were natural, why would they be wandering in this world? If they had brought the mentality of a servant of servants with them, then why would they be wandering in this world? And if they were wandering, they would have gone to God if they had such a mentality. They have to develop it. And it happens out of need. It does not happen out of cleverness. Does a clever person become anyone's servant? One who has a need becomes his servant. In reality, if there is a big company, and its owner, they were all mill owners. So this brother, if there is a company, then its CEO, this Reliance, if there is its CEO, then either he will be Mukesh Ambani himself, but often they are different, like that. CEO, Microsoft's CEO is different and its owner is different. So who is clever? The CEO. The CEO is clever. Even so, even if he is clever, he still respects him, like that. He respects him. So often cleverness is of no use. Even if there is cleverness, it is not there. He does not become the owner just because he is clever. So servant of servants, that has to be developed. Servitude of servants has to be developed. And only if one develops it, is the refuge complete, right? And if it were already developed in him, then why would God send him here? Why would He send him to this world? So it has to be done. And where does it develop more? If one tries to do it on one's own, it does not happen quickly. If one connects with some servant of God, then it automatically gets resolved directly. It got resolved for him. If one connects with him, becomes his servant, then this gets resolved. So it is not said to become a servant of God, but to become a servant of servants. Everyone is ready to become a servant of God, but not of the other. that everyone is ready to become a servant of God, but to become a servant of servants, no one is ready... Maharaj says, we are the servants of servants. We are the servants of servants. So that is the trouble. If a person performs devotion 24 hours a day, it cannot be said that he has definitely become a perfect devotee. Perfection does not come from physical devotion. It is necessary, but if one wants to bring perfection, mentality also has to be developed. Therefore, so that deficiency does not remain, the subsequent characteristics are described. So if there is no mentality, then refuge does not happen. If there is no mentality, how can refuge happen? Like, suppose that CEO, does he have refuge in him? Would he have refuge in him? He would have refuge in his family members. He may do his work. If he has become a servant, he may do his work, but he has not become a servant. He is selling his skill, his talent, he is marketing it. He is not taking refuge in him. He is marketing his skill, and taking money for it. His skill is more than that of the owner. Therefore, so that deficiency does not remain, the subsequent characteristics are described. Sometimes, even if a person performs devotion to Maharaj day and night, if someone else comes to the same platform to perform devotion to God, then the first one who performs devotion day and night may not be able to tolerate it due to jealousy, or he may feel diminished due to pride. Then his goal behind day and night devotion does not remain Maharaj's pure pleasure. It was mentioned in the previous Vachanamrut, Maharaj says, due to what do you fall back? To Brahmanand Swami, Shukmuni, Surakhachar, that due to what do you fall back? So what was said? When an equal insults. When an equal progresses, and also insults. And if an equal gets ahead of us, then? A person feels diminished. A person feels diminished. When two people are equal and then one of them gets ahead. Now, if they have brought past impressions, some may get ahead and some may lag behind, so does everyone progress together? But we do not have the capacity to adjust to that. That if he gets ahead, respect him. Any good thing is respectable, isn't it? Only ego is not respectable. A good thing is respectable. So if reality is good, respect it, but that cannot be given. So he does not have a problem with God, he has a problem with ego. He does not have refuge in God, he has refuge in ego. So he cannot be pleased. He cannot be pleased. If someone is our equal, if he is progressing, does he stop us from progressing? He does not stop us from progressing, but still this one cannot be pleased. He cannot be pleased. And then he is pleased, and in this, Maharaj has spoken about the devotee of God. Where is the talk of others? If some devotee of God is our equal, and he gets ahead of us, so where does the trouble arise in this? A devotee is jealous of a devotee. A mahant with a mahant. A sadhu with a sadhu. And a householder with a householder. A donor is jealous of a donor. In this, a donor is not jealous of us, why would he be jealous of the one who wants to give? If he is a donor, he is jealous of a donor, that he gives this much and I give like this. So on the same platform, the narrower it is, the more the jealousy. If there is only one position and two people want to become mahant, then? Then if both are devotees, then? Then does devotion remain? Then devotion goes away. If there is only one position and there are two candidates, if he respects the opponent there, then Maharaj says his refuge is firm. And his saintliness is firm. And he is called a servant of servants. He is not called just a servant of Maharaj. How much do we let go in this competition? If it is a lot, then we let go. If it is two annas, we say, okay you take it, you take that and I will take this. But if we are becoming completely zero, and there is only one point and two candidates, then what happens? At one place, if five people have filled forms for one MLA seat, what happens to them then? Huh? Four of them have to let it go. Huh? The remaining four have to let it go. They have to let it go to absolute zero. If they get something else, then there is no problem. In the IAS exam, if one gets fewer marks, but becomes a PSI, then there is no problem. But if they do not keep him even as a peon, he had filled the form for IAS, and if they do not keep him as a peon, then? Then does jealousy arise or not? Does servitude come or not? That okay, he became an IAS, so I am his servant. That is called 3/4. Servant of servants. And then Maharaj said that saintliness came in him. The characteristics of a sadhu are described, right? Six characteristics are described. Those six surpass a hundred, so many are described. Even if a hundred characteristics are described, this does not come, such are described in six. Sometimes, even if a person performs devotion to Maharaj day and night, if someone else comes to the same platform to perform devotion to God, then the first one who performs devotion day and night may not be able to tolerate it due to jealousy, or he may feel diminished due to pride. If someone performs devotion of a better quality than us, then does this one feel diminished or pleased? He feels diminished. Diminished. So what does that mean? He is not doing it to please Maharaj. He is not doing it to please Maharaj, and he does not have refuge in God. The refuge is not firm. That is what it means. Based on this Vachanamrut. 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