Swaminarayan Hare Swaminarayan Hare. Swami has said, "And what is the way to please Shri Hariji Maharaj now?" The answer to that question is, "If one behaves according to Dharmamrut, Shikshapatri, and Nishkam Shuddhi, then He is pleased." Now, this means that when Maharaj is on this earth, then one can pray to Maharaj. If one asks for forgiveness, Maharaj becomes pleased. And He would also tell them, "Now do this." When Maharaj is not on earth in human form, what is the way to please God? Then, live according to these three scriptures: Dharmamrut, Shikshapatri, Shikshapatri, and Nishkam Shuddhi. And in Gunatitanand Swami's talks, it is written that a householder should live according to the 11 rules. He was told the five vows, but those five vows are included in the 11 rules. We say, don't we, that Nirvikalp Nirvikalp Without alternatives or doubts. Used to describe faith or Tap to open in glossary → These 11 rules are difficult even for a householder. Even if one is a good devotee, it is difficult. Like, "Do not listen to discourses from the mouth of a non-believer." Now, how difficult is that? When listening to a discourse, we have to sit and do everything. So, yesterday I was talking to Vipul Bhagat. It is easy to form a relation, but if we want to break it with someone sometime, that is said to be difficult. Although, maintaining a relation is difficult. But to break a relation with weak people, how difficult is that? Vibhishan had a relation with Ravana, that "I am Ravana's brother." So Hanumanji went, and Hanumanji found out that he has entered deep inside Ravana, not just superficially, but deep inside. And he is proud of it and has ego. Now, he has to break it. In reality, he was Ravana's brother. It is very difficult to manage a lesser relationship with family members and close relatives. If it is harmful in the path of liberation, then the relationship must be reduced. If it is not harmful in the path of liberation, then there is no problem. But if it is harmful, then one should reduce the relationship with them. Again, it should not be such that they feel, "This person is keeping a negative relationship with me." One has to manage it. If they are relatives, they should remain relatives; they should not stop being relatives. And one should not go too deep. Then it is said to be managed. So, "from the mouth of a non-believer," relationship with a non-believer and relationship with an ekantik devotee of God, both these relationships are difficult to maintain. As for the rest of the common relationships, there is not much problem in maintaining them. With a little knowledge, not much change occurs. These two are the givers of liberation. Both these relationships are instrumental in liberation. One in a negative way and the other in a positive way, but both are causes of liberation. Both relationships can spoil liberation. So, it is written in Gunatitanand Swami's talks that a householder should observe 11 rules. And a renunciant should observe three scriptures. Currently, when God is not on earth in human form, this is at least the foundation. Then, do as much more as possible. But do it within this frame. In these three scriptures, a renunciant should do it within the frame of these three scriptures. And a householder should do it within the frame of the 11 rules. Then Maharaj is pleased. "Now, what is the way to please Maharaj?" That is the question, isn't it? Both Gunatitanand Swami and Gopalanand Swami have taken up this question. Gunatitanand Swami also took it. Gunatitanand Swami took it as: when Maharaj was present, one would pray to Maharaj. If perhaps a mistake was made, even then, one would go to Maharaj and ask for forgiveness. One would pray to Maharaj. Maharaj would be pleased and say, "Very well, now do not do this." So, all of that was cleared. Now, who is there to do that? Who would say that? "And what is the way to please Shri Hariji Maharaj now?" The answer to that question is, "If one behaves according to Dharmamrut, Shikshapatri, and Nishkam Shuddhi, then He is pleased." For a renunciant, service and all this is good, no problem. Serving the saints, doing menial service, doing other things. But do it within these three scriptures. If householders are doing all that, they should do it within the frame of the 11 rules. Then Maharaj is very pleased. 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