Shreeji Maharaj was in Gadhada, in the middle part, in the court of Dada Khachar, in the temple of Shree Shree 1) Name of Lakshmi. 2) Used before the names of Bhagvãn and devs to signify their high status. Tap to open in glossary → He was seated and was wearing all white garments. And in front of His lotus-like face, the sadhus and devotees from various regions were seated in an assembly. Then Muktanand Swami asked Shreeji Maharaj a question: "The devotees of God who remain in the service of God in Akshardham, what are the means to attain that service?" Then Shreeji Maharaj said, "Shraddha, swadharma, vairagya, control of the senses in every way, ahimsa, brahmacharya, association with sadhus, atmanishta, coupled with the knowledge of His greatness, unwavering bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → compassion, austerities, those devotees of God who are greater than oneself in virtues, maintaining a guru guru A teacher. He will guide you on the path of kalyãn. Tap to open in glossary → maintaining a friendly feeling towards those devotees of God who are one's equals, maintaining a disciple-like feeling towards those devotees of God who are junior to oneself and doing good to them. In this way, through these sixteen means, the ekantik devotees of God attain the service of God in Akshardham in an excellent manner." Then... What was said? If these sixteen means are present, then in Akshardham, God's... If there is single-minded bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → If there is just bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → then do they not go to Akshardham? They do. Then, leaving aside one, why perform sixteen? Leaving aside one, why perform sixteen? For the protection of bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → What? For the protection of bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → For protection, even for protection, Maharaj has already mentioned dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → So Maharaj gave such a big list of sixteen, that is not understood at all. What do you, brother, Swami, understand? Fine. Yesterday, while listening to a discourse, it was written that people are touch-screen people. The new generation is touch-screen. If touched slightly, then so many other files come out. So the touch-screen doesn't understand that I, to him... He spoke very well about how this will be like this, like this, like this. Imagine like that. Have you heard it? About the touch-screen. So in this, no touch-screen is happening. The new generation is the touch-screen generation. To shraddha... touch-screen. Now what does it seem like? The meaning of each word comes later, but what about all sixteen? From where did Maharaj bring out and state that list of sixteen? Otherwise, Maharaj used to say that, by performing one means, in which all means are included, which is that powerful means? So in one place, Maharaj said that, it is refuge. If one refuge is powerful, then all means are included in it. In another place, He said, how do all means happen? So if there is 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 → if there is association with 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 → then all means are included in it. All means are indeed for going to Akshardham, right? So here, Maharaj mentioned only sixteen. So, in a way, they are all to each other compatible and supportive. Then Maharaj can be said to have repeated. No, when explained in detail, He mentioned sixteen, otherwise He would have mentioned four, or else one. Then, compared to that, He has explained in much greater detail. He mentioned sixty-four attributes and such. Attributes... So that is fine, detail and that short and concise and detailed, that is fine. But we must take the meaning of this as, one who is fit to go to Akshardham must have these attributes. For whom going to Akshardham is decided, these must develop in him. One who performs bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → then his bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → when, if these are not present, it is not considered bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → With others, if they are senior, he doesn't give respect, if they are junior, he despises them, with his equals, he doesn't maintain a friendly feeling, if there is no shraddha, then going to Akshardham is not decided. Otherwise, that would conflict. That if there is only bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → if there is only bhakti bhakti Devotion to Bhagvãn. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. There are nine types of bhakti: Tap to open in glossary → does he still not go to the abode of God? If there is only conviction, only refuge, Maharaj said if there is mature refuge, then to the abode of God... Maharaj also said that in one means, all means are included. And yet, Maharaj had to say this, so it means that by performing that one means, all these automatically develop, and if these do not develop, then he is not performing that means. Even if he is performing it. If you make some effort, shouldn't there be a result? He makes effort, performs means, and these are the results of the means. These are the results of the means. Then he develops shraddha. Shraddha, faith, and astikta. These three together. Call it shraddha, call it faith, and call it astikta. Depending on the context, the word changes. What is called astikta? If it is in God and scriptures, in the Vedas. If it is in sadhus, it is called astikta, Maharaj Himself said so. The righteous and the unrighteous. There are two types of people in this world. Those who are righteous... The attributes of the righteous? To him, theft, violence... He likes the association of sadhus. Theft and violence, that is indeed true. He likes the association of sadhus. And the other doesn't like it, doesn't like it from within. Even if he sometimes doesn't steal. He might not steal at all. Still, he doesn't like the association of sadhus. Then should he be called astik or not? Maharaj says he is drowned in evil deeds like theft, theft, adultery, etc. There is a person who is not drowned in evil deeds. He has a clean sheet. And he doesn't like the association of sadhus, so should he be called astik or not? No. Why, all those came and you say he doesn't steal, doesn't lie. Even if there is a conflict, one should think. Those with touch-screens would think like that, right? Vishwamangal Swami looked at me while I was walking, why did he look? That Swami must have instigated him. That is touch-screen, you see. That is touch-screen, you see. Even if there is a conflict, one should look. If there is no direct meaning, there might be a conflicting meaning. We might think Maharaj didn't mention sixteen, otherwise why say sixteen, why not thirty-two? And again, other means to go to Akshardham have been mentioned. So what meaning should be derived? The meaning to be derived is, one for whom going to the abode of God is decided has these. If these are not present, then going there is not decided yet. Going to Akshardham. If they believe so, let them believe. Or else they are yet to come. But one who wants to go to Akshardham must develop these, and if going is decided, these will definitely develop. If going there is not decided, they will not develop. In that, shraddha. What is shraddha? There must be astikta in sadhus. If he doesn't have astikta in the true sadhu of God, then all other astikta will not remain anywhere. That is not astikta. What is astikta in sadhus? As he says. What, brother Swami? To accept as he says. That is called our faith in him, accepting as he says is called faith. Accepted with faith, fine. Stand there in the sun, and if he stands, what is it called? Is it called astikta? Or is it called faith? Faith. Now what is the difference between the two? Respect. Respect and with feeling. So, and shraddha, faith, and astikta, what is the difference among all three? Shraddha means readiness in what is said. To do it quickly. He said, if tomorrow morning comes, I will show it done by evening. That is called shraddha. What is faith? To do as much as he says. No doubt in that. Then faith. But faith doesn't mean shraddha is included. We made a commitment between the two, that, brother, you do this much. Make this much change, change this much. If such commitment is made, when is it called shraddha? If done before time. Before time? Readiness is called that. Then he has shraddha in it. He says, and if done before time, then he has shraddha in it. And he says, and if he accepts, then? Faith. It is faith. But what is astikta? What? Without... Doing without being told. Astikta, that is indeed called shraddha, right? Astikta means respect. Astikta means, this is the one with whom we want to remain after going to the abode of God. What is astikta? All this is true. Akshardham is true and He is there and we want to remain with Him. In Gunatitanand Swami's talks, it is said that we want to attain after death, He is attained before death. That is very difficult. Now he keeps saying so, what is it to us? So astikta, if one has to go to Akshardham, shouldn't this develop? Otherwise, how will he go? Want to go there and meet. Shraddha, faith, shraddha is written, but shraddha, faith, and astikta. Faith, I think, has Maharaj mentioned it again in this or not? Or is it not included? So all three have been taken, by Maharaj in shraddha. In shraddha, all three are included. But if mentioned individually, or all three together, then this much difference is there. Astikta means he must accept, that, no, I want to go to Akshardham and remain with Him. Want to remain there. Now if we want to remain there, shouldn't we make things right here first? It is not right here, so going there is not decided. It is not right here, so going there is not decided. Then he himself, we might think we will go anywhere. Is it necessary to go to Akshardham, brother, we will go anywhere else. Here, if we are not to remain here, we will go anywhere. Is it necessary to go to Akshardham only? Is it necessary to remain in this Gurukul only? We will go anywhere, where do we not get food? Similarly, where is kalyan not attained? He doesn't want to go to Akshardham only. If he has astikta, it would be like this. All this belongs to God and these are His attendants and this is His work, so astikta must develop in that, right? That is it ours or someone else's or this or that, astikta must develop in him. Astikta means that astikta. That is this. When that is fully accepted, then it is called astikta. That is this. He is God, these are His muktas, this is His work, this is His garden, when he accepts so, then in doing work or performing seva, his shraddha increases, he does it before time. Then he does it before time. Doing before time is called shraddha in reality, shraddha is indeed called that. But here, the meaning of shraddha is that shraddha, faith, and astikta, all three are present. If one wants to go to Akshardham. That must be cultivated. If he has no faith at all that this is Maharaj's work, and this is His garden, then how will he go to Akshardham? It is the means to go to Akshardham, right? Sixteen means to attain the abode in Akshardham. 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