The Characteristics Of Love
In the SamvatSamvatThe 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 → year 1876, on the morning of MahãMahãEighth month of the Ãshãdhi Samvat year, normally falling between January and February.Tap to open in glossary → sudsudBright half of a Hindu lunar month in which the moon is in its waxing phase. The days between Amãs up to and including Punam. Also called shukla paksh.Tap to open in glossary → 8 [23rd January, 1820], Shreeji Mahãrãj was sitting facing west on a decorated bedstead on the platform under the neem tree in front of the mandirmandirTemple. Sacred Hindu place of worship.Tap to open in glossary → of ShreeShree1) Name of Lakshmi. 2) Used before the names of Bhagvãn and devs to signify their high status.Tap to open in glossary → VãsudevVãsudevOne of the four forms of Bhagvãn’s Vishvarup svarup. His Vãsudev-Nãrãyan role is to be worshipped by the jeevs in the brahmãnd (Virãt-Purush). The four-armed svarup of Bhagvãn. He holds four different weapons: gadã, padma, shankh, and chakra.Tap to open in glossary →-NãrãyanNãrãyanThe four-armed svarup of Bhagvãn. See Bhagvãn.Tap to open in glossary → in Dãdã KhãcharDãdã KhãcharA devotee in whose residential darbar in Gadhada Swaminarayan Bhagwan stayed for extended periods; the great majority of the Vachanamrut's Gadhada-section discourses (Gadhada I, II, and III) were given there, as the text itself repeatedly records ("in Dada Khachar's darbar in Gadhada").Tap to open in glossary →’s darbãrdarbãrCourt of residence belonging to a king or ruler, traditionally with a central courtyard surrounded by rooms with balconies.Tap to open in glossary → in Gadhadã. He was wearing a white kheskhesPiece of cloth that can be worn as a shawl to cover the upper body, or worn as a dhoti to cover the lower body.Tap to open in glossary →, and had covered Himself with a white chãdarchãdarA thin blanket. Was used by Shreeji Mahãrãj during the cooler months.Tap to open in glossary →. Also, He had tied a white fetofetoLong piece of cloth that can be twisted and tied around the head, or placed over the shoulder and tied around the waist.Tap to open in glossary → around His head, and had tied a bokãnibokãniCloth tied around the head, with one end crossing from under the chin to cover the ears and cheeks. Worn during cold weather.Tap to open in glossary → with one end of the fetofetoLong piece of cloth that can be twisted and tied around the head, or placed over the shoulder and tied around the waist.Tap to open in glossary →. A garland of white flowers decorated the fetofetoLong piece of cloth that can be twisted and tied around the head, or placed over the shoulder and tied around the waist.Tap to open in glossary →. A sabhãsabhãAssembly. A group of satsangis listening to kathã or singing kirtans.Tap to open in glossary → of munis, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
Shreeji Mahãrãj then asked, “What is the characteristic of having love towards BhagvãnBhagvãnGod. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.Tap to open in glossary →?”
Brahmãnand SwãmiBrahmãnand SwãmiOne of the five principal paramhansas who recorded Swaminarayan Bhagwan's discourses word for word, compiling them into the Vachanamrut.Tap to open in glossary → attempted to describe the characteristic of love, but was unable to do so adequately.
Hearing his reply, Shreeji Mahãrãj commented, “You have not even come close to describing love. You say it is remaining detached from the body and the brahmãndbrahmãndIndividual 'universe' comprising of a system of fourteen loks. There are countless millions of brahmãnds on various planes. Each brahmãnd, created and sustained by a Pradhãn-Purush pair, contains a trinity of Brahmã, Vishnu, and Shiv as the controlling devs. The fourteen loks of each brahmãnd are: Satya-Lok, Tap-Lok, Jan-Lok, Mahar-Lok, Svarg-Lok, Bhuvar-Lok, Mrutyu-Lok, Atal, Vital, Sutal, Talãtal, Mahãtal, Rasãtal, Pãtãl.Tap to open in glossary →, but that is not the characteristic of love. That is the characteristic of vairãgyavairãgyaDetachment. A hatred or strong dislike for the world and its mãyik pleasures (the panch-vishays). Remaining detached from the body and the brahmãnd, and from all things that are the products of Prakruti. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma.Tap to open in glossary →. In actual fact, love is constantly remembering BhagvãnBhagvãnGod. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.Tap to open in glossary →’s murtimurti1) 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 is called love.
“A bhaktabhaktaDevotee of Bhagvãn. A follower of Bhagvãn.Tap to open in glossary → with total love for BhagvãnBhagvãnGod. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.Tap to open in glossary →, never has any thoughts other than those of BhagvãnBhagvãnGod. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.Tap to open in glossary →. The extent to which he holds desires other than those of BhagvãnBhagvãnGod. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.Tap to open in glossary →, is the extent to which he lacks in his love. If, whether knowingly or unknowingly, some thoughts other than remembering BhagvãnBhagvãnGod. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.Tap to open in glossary →’s murtimurti1) 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 → were to arise in a person who has true love for BhagvãnBhagvãnGod. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.Tap to open in glossary →, it would be as distressful for him as someone throwing a handful of pebbles and sand into a delicious meal he is eating, or as painful as being branded on his forehead by a red-hot branding iron. A person who feels this way should be known to have love for BhagvãnBhagvãnGod. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.Tap to open in glossary →. So now, if all of you examine your hearts, you will realise how much love you have for BhagvãnBhagvãnGod. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.Tap to open in glossary →.”
Brahmãnand SwãmiBrahmãnand SwãmiOne of the five principal paramhansas who recorded Swaminarayan Bhagwan's discourses word for word, compiling them into the Vachanamrut.Tap to open in glossary → then asked, “By what means can a person develop such intense love for BhagvãnBhagvãnGod. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.Tap to open in glossary →?”
Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “Only by keeping profound association with the sat-purushsat-purushA true sant. A sant who guides a person on the path of Bhagvãn. A guru for a mumukshu. Through whom Bhagvãn remains ever-manifest, passing on His divine energy and experience, love and guidance to all beings on earth. They ensure that the gateway to liberation and Bhagvãn is forever open for all seekers. Surrendering to a sat-purush, and striving to obey his ãgnã, is the root of all spiritual activities. Also called sant, bhakta, ekãntik bhakta, ekãntik sant, param-bhãgvat, param-ekãntik sant, and sadguru.Tap to open in glossary → can a person develop intense love for BhagvãnBhagvãnGod. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.Tap to open in glossary →.”
At this point, Somlã Khãchar questioned, “But, we are intensely engaged in such profound association, yet why does such intense love not develop?”
Shreeji Mahãrãj explained, “It is true that you engage yourselves in such profound association, but as well as associating with me, you also associate with the world. As a result, intense love for BhagvãnBhagvãnGod. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.Tap to open in glossary → does not develop.”
Then, a brãhmanbrãhmanPriest. A religious and educated scholar traditionally assigned duties of worship, performing rites and rituals, and teaching. The highest of the four varnas (castes) of the ancient Indian social system.Tap to open in glossary → named Vãlo Dhruv, from Vaso, asked a question. “Mahãrãj, how can the feelings of ‘I-ness’ and ‘my-ness’ towards the body and its relations, be eradicated?”
Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “The jeevjeev1) That which is living. Infinite in number. Individual, embodied ãtmã still bound by Mãyã and consequently undergoing the cycle of births and deaths. The jeev is not separate the three bodies (sthul, sukshma, and kãran) and the three mental states (jãgrat, svapna, and sushupti), whereas the ãtmã is distinct from everything. 2) First of the five eternal entities (jeev, ishvar, Mãyã, and Akshar, and Parbrahm). 3) Sometimes used to mean the same as ãtmã.Tap to open in glossary → has a misconception that it does not believe itself to be the jeevãtmãjeevãtmãSee jeev. jhãnjh Pair of small, cymbals – slightly larger than manjirãs - used in the accompaniment of other percussionTap to open in glossary →, and distinct from the body. Instead, it believes itself to be the body. To illustrate how the body clings to the jeevãtmãjeevãtmãSee jeev. jhãnjh Pair of small, cymbals – slightly larger than manjirãs - used in the accompaniment of other percussionTap to open in glossary →, consider a person who wears a daglidagliWaistcoat with inner lining, usually worn in cold weather.Tap to open in glossary → after having it sewn by a tailor. That person then begins to believe, ‘The tailor is my father, and the tailor’s wife is my mother’. Such a person would be considered a fool. In the same way, the jeevãtmãjeevãtmãSee jeev. jhãnjh Pair of small, cymbals – slightly larger than manjirãs - used in the accompaniment of other percussionTap to open in glossary → is given a daglidagliWaistcoat with inner lining, usually worn in cold weather.Tap to open in glossary → in the form of this body. That body is born sometimes to a brãhmanbrãhmanPriest. A religious and educated scholar traditionally assigned duties of worship, performing rites and rituals, and teaching. The highest of the four varnas (castes) of the ancient Indian social system.Tap to open in glossary → couple, or sometimes to a low-caste couple, or in any of the other 8.4 million life-forms. Therefore, a person who believes the body to be his true self and believes the parents of that body to be his own parents, is called a fool. He should be considered to be like an animal.
“Moreover, out of those 8.4 million life-forms previously undertaken, there is not a single mother, sister, daughter, or wife who keeps the pati vratãpati vratãA faithful wife. A wife who observes the vow of fidelity is called a pati vratã. A true pati vratã possesses great powers, and even Bhagvãn must obey her wishes.Tap to open in glossary → vow any longer. So, how can a person who believes these relations to be his true relations, ever overcome the feelings of ‘I- ness’ and ‘my-ness’? Therefore, without such understanding, to eradicate attachment for a person’s birthplace and native land, is very difficult indeed.
“Therefore, as long as a person believes the body to be his true self, his entire understanding is totally useless. As long as he continues to hold pride in his varnavarnaA caste of the ancient Indian social system: brãhman, kshatriya, vaishya, and sudra.Tap to open in glossary → and ãshram, he will never see qualities of a sãdhusãdhuMale person who has abandoned worldly duties and has chosen a strict life of religious activities under strict vows of poverty, brahm-chãrya, and obedience. A tyãgi.Tap to open in glossary →. So, after discarding the feelings of ‘I-ness’ and ‘my-ness’ for the body and its relations, believing the ãtmããtmã1) The pure jeev, which is distinct from the three bodies and three mental states, and distinct from the indriyas, the antah-karans, worldly desires, or any other traces of Mãyã. It is imperishable and eternal, does not undergo births or deaths, and it leaves a physical body after that body dies and assumes another physical body. Infinite in number. 2) That which pervades, inspires, and controls.Tap to open in glossary → to be brahm-rupbrahm-rup1) Like the form of Brahm. 2) Possessing qualities similar to those of Brahm. Same as akshar-rup.Tap to open in glossary →, and after abandoning all worldly desires, if a person worships BhagvãnBhagvãnGod. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.Tap to open in glossary → while following svadharmasvadharmaA person’s own dharma, related to his varna and ãshram.Tap to open in glossary →, he should be known as a sãdhusãdhuMale person who has abandoned worldly duties and has chosen a strict life of religious activities under strict vows of poverty, brahm-chãrya, and obedience. A tyãgi.Tap to open in glossary →. No distance remains between PurushottamPurushottamGod. 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 forTap to open in glossary → BhagvãnBhagvãnGod. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.Tap to open in glossary → and a person who has acquired such qualities of a sãdhusãdhuMale person who has abandoned worldly duties and has chosen a strict life of religious activities under strict vows of poverty, brahm-chãrya, and obedience. A tyãgi.Tap to open in glossary →. Everything else may be possible, but to acquire such qualities of a sãdhusãdhuMale person who has abandoned worldly duties and has chosen a strict life of religious activities under strict vows of poverty, brahm-chãrya, and obedience. A tyãgi.Tap to open in glossary → is extremely difficult. In fact, I am such a sãdhusãdhuMale person who has abandoned worldly duties and has chosen a strict life of religious activities under strict vows of poverty, brahm-chãrya, and obedience. A tyãgi.Tap to open in glossary →, because I do not have even the slightest pride in my varnavarnaA caste of the ancient Indian social system: brãhman, kshatriya, vaishya, and sudra.Tap to open in glossary → and ãshram.”
Shreeji Mahãrãj spoke in this way for the purpose of enlightening His bhaktabhaktaDevotee of Bhagvãn. A follower of Bhagvãn.Tap to open in glossary →. In reality, He Himself is PurushottamPurushottamGod. 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 forTap to open in glossary → NãrãyanNãrãyanThe four-armed svarup of Bhagvãn. See Bhagvãn.Tap to open in glossary →. || End of VachanãmrutVachanãmrutAmrut in the form of words. A collection of 273 spiritual talks delivered by Swãminãrãyan Bhagvãn, that were carefully noted and collated by His senior sãdhus in His presence, and were authenticated by Him. Central philosophical shãstra of the Swãminãrãyan Sampradãy that summarises the essence of all Hindu shãstras.Tap to open in glossary → Gadhadã I || 44 || 44 ||