Vadtãl 2 · Vachanamrut · Swaminarayan Scriptures

Realising Bhagvãn Through The Five Shãstras

In the Samvat year 1882, on Kãrtik sud 13 [22nd November 1825], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on a decorated bedstead under a mango tree on the banks of Lake Gomti, north of the mandir of Shree Lakshmi-Nãrãyan in Vadtãl. He was wearing a survãl made from yellow, silken cloth and a red dagli made from kinkhãb. He had also tied a pãgh around His head using an orange cloth with a brocaded border. An orange shelu with a brocaded border was placed upon His shoulder. In addition to this, His pãgh was decorated with garlands of champã flowers, and garlands of white flowers were hanging around His neck. A sabhã of munis, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.

Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “Please begin a question-answer discussion.”

Then, Kãndãsji Patel of the village Buvã folded his hands and asked, “Mahãrãj, by what means does Bhagvãn become pleased?”

Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “If we do not insult Bhagvãn, then Bhagvãn becomes pleased. Then, you may ask, ‘What does it mean to criticise Bhagvãn?’ Well, Bhagvãn is the all-doer of this world. However, if a person does not understand Him to be the all-doer and instead believes that it is Kãl that is the all-doer of this world, or that it is Mãyã, or that it is karma, or that is the svabhãv that is the all-doer, then he is insulting Bhagvãn. This is because actually Bhagvãn is the all-doer. To ignore this and to claim that only Kãl, karma, Mãyã, and svabhãv are the all-doers of this world is serious against Bhagvãn.

“For example, you are the Patel (chief of a village) of your village. If someone does not acknowledge your status in the village, then he can be said to be your slanderer. Also, if someone does not accept the control of an emperor of the world, but instead accepts the control of a person who is not even a king, then that man is known as a slanderer of the emperor. If a person writes and distributes letters stating, ‘Our king has no nose and ears; he has no hands or feet’, and therefore, describes the king as being deformed even though he has a normal body, then he is also known as a slanderer of the king. Similarly, Bhagvãn is complete, with limbs, hands, and feet. There is not the slightest deformation in any of His limbs. He eternally possesses a definite svarup. So, to say that He is not the all-doer and is nirãkãr, and that Kãl, Mãyã, karma are the cause of all – not Bhagvãn – is equivalent to insulting Bhagvãn.

“A person who does not insult Bhagvãn in this way is said to have performed perfect pujã of Bhagvãn. Otherwise, without such an understanding, even if a person performs pujã by offering items like sandalwood paste and flowers, he is still a slanderer of Bhagvãn. Therefore, Bhagvãn is only pleased upon a person who realises Bhagvãn to possess a definite svarup and to be the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of the universe.

“In the Veds, Bhagvãn Himself has described His nature in many ways, but no one could understand it. Then, the Sãnkhya shãstras prescribed the twenty-four tattvas and said that Bhagvãn is the twenty-fifth tattva. The ãchãrya of the Sãnkhya philosophy, Kapil Muni, thought, ‘The jeev behaves as if it is one with the three types of bodies (sthul, sukshma, and kãran) and it cannot remain separate from them. The ishvar also behaves as if it is one with its three bodies (virãt, sutrãtmã, and avyãkrut) and it too cannot remain separate from them.’ Therefore, the Sãnkhya shãstras count jeev and ishvar amongst the twenty-four tattvas and claim Paramãtmã to be the twenty-fifth tattva.

“The ãchãrya of the Yog shãstras, Hiranyagarbh Rushi, explains that there are twenty-four tattvas, and that jeev and ishvar are the twenty- fifth tattva; but, Paramãtmã is the twenty-sixth.

“This is how the Sãnkhya shãstras and the Yog shãstras described Bhagvãn’s nature; still, no one attained understanding of the nature of the Bhagvãn as He is. So, according to the Sãnkhya shãstras, it was concluded, ‘Whatever is greater than the twenty-four elements is satya’; and according to the Yog shãstras, it was concluded, ‘Paramãtmã, who is greater than jeev and ishvar, who themselves is beyond the twenty-four elements, is satya’. In this way, through these two philosophies, the nature of Bhagvãn was realised. However, is that Bhagvãn black, or yellow? Is He tall, or short? Is He sãkãr, or nirãkãr? That was not realised.

“Then, Vãsudev Bhagvãn composed the Panch-Rãtra Tãntra, in which he explained, ‘In his own Akshardhãm, Shree Krishna Purushottam Bhagvãn eternally possesses a divya sãkãr murti. This Bhagvãn gives darshan five times to the countless niranna-muktas of Shvet-Dvip. In Vaikunth, that same Bhagvãn assumes a four-armed form, holding a shankh, a chakra, a gadã, and a padma. Along with Him is Lakshmiji. He is also served by Vishvaksen and other pãrshads. It is that same Bhagvãn who is worthy of being offered pujã, worthy of worship and worthy of attainment. It is that same Bhagvãn who assumes the avatars of Ram and Krishna, and who appears in the four forms of Vãsudev, Sankarshan, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha’. In this way, Vãsudev Bhagvãn explained that Bhagvãn possesses a sãkãr murti.

“Then, Nãradji revised that same Panch-Rãtra Tãntra, after which it came to be known as the Nãrad Panch-Rãtra. In that, Bhagvãn’s svarup was explained in such a way that not even the slightest doubt remained. Also, Shivji explained the four-armed svarup and eight- armed svarup of Bhagvãn in the Pashupãt-Shãstra.

“Therefore, the Shreemad Bhãgvat states: nãrãyana-parã vedã devã nãrãyan-ãngajãhã nãrãyana-parã lokã nãrãyana-parã makhãhã nãrãyana-paro yogo nãrãyana-param tapaha nãrãyana-param gnãnam nãrãyana-parã gatihi The Veds are devoted to Nãrãyan, and the essence of the Veds is Nãrãyan; the devs are all formed from the svarup of Nãrãyan; the loks are all devoted to Nãrãyan, and all the loks are pervaded by Nãrãyan; all yagnas are devoted to Nãrãyan. All yog is devoted to Nãrãyan; all tap is devoted to Nãrãyan; all gnãn is devoted to Nãrãyan; and Nãrãyan is the objective of all activities. vãsudeva-parã vedã vãsudeva-parã makhãhã vãsudeva-parã yogã vãsudeva-parãhã kriyãhã vãsudeva-param gnãnam vãsudeva-param tapaha vãsudeva-paro dharmo vãsudeva-parã gatihi The Veds are devoted to Vãsudev, and the essence of the Veds is Vãsudev; all yagnas are devoted to Vãsudev; all yog is devoted to Vãsudev; all activities are devoted to Vãsudev. All gnãn is devoted to Vãsudev; all tap is devoted to Vãsudev; all dharma is devoted to Vãsudev; and Vãsudev is the objective of all activities.

“Therefore, the five shãstras have described the nature of Shree Krishna Vãsudev only. Only a person who realises Bhagvãn through these five shãstras can be said to possess total gnãn. For example, only when a person sees with his eyes does he come to know that milk is white; only when he smells with his nose does he come to know its smell; only when he touches it with his finger does he come to know whether it is hot or cold; and only when he tastes it with his tongue does he come to know its taste. In this way, only when milk is tested through all the indriyas can a person totally know its nature; it cannot be totally known through one indriya alone. Similarly, a person realises Bhagvãn’s nature totally when he realises it through the five shãstras. To have such knowledge is called total gnãn.

“Bhagvãn is pleased only upon someone who has such understanding; there is no other means of pleasing Him. Therefore, only a person who has this understanding can be said to possess total gnãn, and Bhagvãn becomes extremely pleased only upon such a person.” || End of Vachanãmrut Vadtãl || 2 || 202 ||