Gadhadã I 65 · Vachanamrut · Swaminarayan Scriptures

Gnãn-Shakti, Kriyã-Shakti, And Ichhã-Shakti

In the Samvat year 1876, on Fãgan vad 14 [13th March, 1820], Shreeji Mahãrãj was sitting on a mattress with a large, cylindrical pillow placed on the veranda outside His bedroom in Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. A sabhã of paramhans, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.

While the kathã was being read, Shreeji Mahãrãj called the senior paramhans near Him. When the kathã was completed, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “Now, all the senior sãdhus seated here will answer each other’s questions. This will reveal their level of intelligence.”

Svayamprakãshãnand Swãmi then asked Premãnand Swãmi, “How is ãkãsh created, and how is it destroyed?”

Paramãnand Swãmi attempted to answer the question, but was unable to provide a precise answer.

Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “When a child is initially in its mother’s womb and at the time of its birth, the cavities of its heart and other indriyas are small. But, as the child grows, those cavities develop; and the ãkãsh within increase as well. However, when the child becomes old, the cavities of its indriyas decrease in size, and the ãkãsh within also decrease. Similarly, when Virãt’s body is produced, ãkãsh appears to be created in the cavity of his heart and other internal organs. Also, when Virãt’s body is destroyed, the ãkãsh within appears to be destroyed as well. This is how ãkãsh is created and destroyed. However, just as Prakruti-Purush are eternal, the ãkãsh that is the supporter of all is also eternal. It is not subject to creation and destruction. However, ãkãsh is created and destroyed through samãdhi. A person who experiences samãdhi knows its method.”

Paramãnand Swãmi then asked Svayamprakãshãnand Swãmi, “How does the sushumnã nãdi reside within the body and outside of the body?”

Svayamprakãshãnand Swãmi attempted to answer the question, but could not do adequately.

Shreeji Mahãrãj then replied, “Whatever is present in this brahmãnd, is also present within this body. The only difference is that in the body the scale is small, whereas in the brahmãnd the scale is large. In fact, the arrangement of the brahmãnd is the same as that of the body. For example, just as there are rivers in the brahmãnd, similarly there are blood vessels in the body; just as there are oceans in the brahmãnd, similarly water is present in the abdomen of the body; and just as the sun and the moon are present in the brahmãnd, similarly the idã nãdi and pingalã nãdi house the sun and moon in the body. In the same way, just as other objects are present in the brahmãnd, they are also present in the body.

“Also, the nãdis of the indriyas in this body are coupled with those of the brahmãnd. When a person acquires control over the tongue, he attains Varun-Dev; when a person acquires control over speech, he attains Agni-Dev; when a person acquires control over the skin, he attains Vãyu-Dev; when he acquires control over the genitals, he attains Prajãpati; and when a person acquires control over the hands, he attains Indra. In the same way, when a person controls the brahm-randhra – the end portion of the sushumnã nãdi located in the heart – he reaches the arrogant dev by the name of Vaishvãnar Agni, which resides in the shishumãr chakra. It is then that he sees the uninterrupted path of light from the brahm-randhra to Prakruti- Purush. That path of light is known as sushumnã. This is how the sushumnã nãdi resides in the body and in the brahmãnd.”

Paramãnand Swãmi asked Svayamprakãshãnand Swãmi another question, “Which state is destroyed first – the jãgrat state, the svapna state, or the sushupti state?”

As Svayamprakãshãnand Swãmi was unable to answer that question, Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “When a person focuses on the svarup of Bhagvãn with love in the jãgrat state, the jãgrat state is destroyed first, then the svapna state, and finally the sushupti state. When the mind thinks of and focuses on the murti of Bhagvãn in the svapna state, the svapna state is destroyed first, then the jãgrat state, and finally the sushupti state. Furthermore, when a person attains the state of upsham, while concentrating on the svarup of Bhagvãn, the sushupti state is destroyed first, then the jãgrat state, and finally the svapna state.” Shreeji Mahãrãj answered the question in this way.

Svayamprakãshãnand Swãmi then asked Paramãnand Swãmi another question, “How should a person understand the ‘ichhã- shakti’, ‘gnãn-shakti’, and ‘kriyã-shakti’ of Bhagvãn?”

Laughing, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “Even you probably do not know the answer to that question.” He then began to give the answer Himself. “When sattva-gun is predominant, the rewards of any karmas performed by a jeev are experienced in the jãgrat state. When rajo- gun is predominant, the rewards of any karmas performed are experienced in the svapna state. When tamo-gun is predominant, the rewards of any karmas performed are experienced in the sushupti state.

“When a jeev enters the state of jãgrat, it becomes inert like a slab of stone, and retains no type of consciousness, such as, ‘I am a pundit, or I am a fool; I have done this task, or I want to do this task; this is my gender, or this is my varna, or this is my ãshram; this is my name, or my appearance is like this. Am I a dev, or am I a human? Am I a child, or am I old? Am I good, or am I a sinner?’ and so on. No such consciousness is retained. When a jeev enters this state, Bhagvãn awakens it from unconsciousness through His gnãn-shakti and makes it aware of its actions. This is known as gnãn-shakti, the power of understanding. Furthermore, whatever action a jeev engages in, it does so with the support of what is known as Bhagvãn’s kriyã-shakti, the power of application. Finally, whatever object is desired by the jeev, is acquired with the help of what is known as Bhagvãn’s ichhã- shakti, the power of free will.

“Moreover,the three states of jãgrat, svapna, and sushupti experienced by a jeev are not due to the consequences of its own karmas alone. They are experienced only when Bhagvãn, the giver of the rewards of karmas, allows the jeev to do so. When a jeev, indulging in the rewards of the jãgrat state, wishes to enter the svapna state, it cannot do so independently. This is because Bhagvãn, restrains its vrutti. Similarly, if it wishes to enter the jãgrat state from the svapna, it is unable to do so; nor can it enter the sushupti state or emerge from it to enter the svapna or jãgrat sates. It is only when Bhagvãn allows it to indulge in the rewards of the karmas of the particular state that it is able to indulge in them. However, a jeev cannot indulge in the rewards of its karmas according to its own will or as a direct consequence of karmas. This is how a person should understand the gnãn-shakti, kriyã-shakti, and ichhã-shakti of Bhagvãn.”

Shreeji Mahãrãj answered the question in this way, out of compassion. || End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã I || 65 || 65 ||