Why is the fruit obtained from service called rare? Who is the authority of God's leela? // 05/04/2026

The nectar of yuggal leela from the blessed mouth of Pujya Maharaj Ji — listen to the video above.

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Vrindavaneswari tvai padarvindm prema makrand raso purnam hridpitam madhupte smarta mugam nirvai param shital mashyam param sheet shital may tajas koti brahmand viraj Radhe Radhe Radhe tu jas koti brahmand viraj Radhe shri shobha barni na jae agadhe Radhe shri shobha barni na jae agadhe bahut tak janm vicharat hi gaye sadhe sadhe shri haridas ke Swami Shyam kahatri pyari ye din main kram kram kari ladhe Shyam kahatri pyari ye din main kram kram kari ladhe Radhe Radhe Radhe Radhe tu jas koti brahmand viraj Radhe Radhe

O Vrindavan Ishvari, at your lotus feet, full of love's honeyed nectar, filling the heart—find rest, O bee. Cool mother, your radiance pervades infinite universes. Radhe Radhe Radhe, your glory pervades infinite universes, Radhe. Sri's beauty cannot be described; it is unfathomable. Many lifetimes passed in seeking, O Shyam, master of Hari Das, dear one, on this day step by step I found you. Radhe Radhe Radhe Radhe, your glory pervades infinite universes, Radhe Radhe.

Worshipper, worship, and the worshipped deity—when these three merge together, then one is called a siddha purush. I am in upasana. In such a ripened state, one draws near to one's chosen deity. Having endured hardship throughout a lifetime of sadhana, one attains the supreme benefit. What happiness is obtained? When the chosen deity becomes dear as one's own breath, when the ripened state awakens, then one becomes as dear to the chosen deity as their own breath. This is very rare. Among millions who love the Lord, there is but one. Among those millions of lovers, there is one rare one whom the Lord loves even more than His own life.

That rare one has no ego—not a trace. Neither from practice, nor from austerity, nor from sense control, nor from learning has ego touched them. Such humility is loved by the Lord even more than His own life. The Lord Himself has said: Our soul is Lord Shankara. My dear brother Balaram and Lakshmi—I do not love them as much. Indeed, I do not love even myself as much as I love a devoted bhakt like you, O Uddhav, one who has surrendered everything. The embodied love of the Lord's heart is our Shri Shyama. Shyama is none other than this. The love in Krishna's heart, taking living form, became our Shri Ji.

When the worshipper, to whom the guru—the connoisseur of rasa—has given mantra upasana, focuses their mind, their sense of being male or female fades away. The feeling "I am a woman, I am a man" disappears. It becomes like putting on clothes over the body—the clothes are just clothes, not me. Thus one comes to realize the body as it truly is. When, having renounced attachment to the body and become worthy of guru's grace, the power of mantra upasana manifests, then one attains the bhava deh, the subtle spiritual body.

When the bhava deh is attained, the bhava deh and the chosen deity become one. One sees oneself always near the chosen deity. Just as the physical body lies on a bed but in a dream you act, and while dreaming you have no awareness of the physical body—when you wake, awareness of the body returns. That dream born of ignorance is false. But when through upasana the ripened state of bhava is attained, then though consciousness fills the waking body and all actions are performed according to scripture, the sage dwelling in the bhava body does nothing. Eating, drinking, moving, rising, sitting—yet no scriptural rule governs them, and even time's rule does not hold sway.

Therefore Mahaprabhu Shri Harivansh Chandra said: The one dear to Radha, in love with Shri Radha Vallabh Lal, has such a mysterious state—whether they perform scriptural duties or not, whether they experience objects or not, whether they keep the company of worldly people or not—nothing makes any difference. Why? Because they are no longer the doer. The sense of being the doer has been surrendered to the lotus feet of the supreme cause. The sense of being the enjoyer has been surrendered. Then they attain this supreme happiness. Though for us it is very rare, for the acharya guru, by grace, it is completely natural. It is their wealth—they can give it in a second. What can I say of your glory, O merciful Shri Harivansh! Through you is distributed easily the beloved Lal.

It requires simply exclusivity—acharya exclusivity, guru exclusivity, upasana exclusivity, chosen deity exclusivity. By their grace it becomes very easy. By the grace of the son of Vyasa, Shri Harivansh Mahaprabhu, in the heart of the surrendered worshipper, the form that has authority for service to the beloved's consciousness-bliss becomes manifest as the sahachari form. Then they attain happiness. This happiness that Sri Pad is receiving is what is being described. They made a betel preparation and offered it to the Beloved. Here the upasana is centered on Shri Radha's feet. Because the perfection of sahachari consciousness comes through focus on Radha's feet. Therefore Lalu also pays respect to the sahacharis.

There is not even a trace of desire for any comfort. The principal service, the first service to Shri Ji—this brings immense joy to Lal Ji. Almost everywhere, service to the Lord occurs first, and then service to the one residing on His left side. In their fresh nikunj, in the mood of a sahachari, all kinds of service are offered first to Maharani Ji—first her bathing, first her dressing, whatever service is offered first to Maharani Ji.

Through the sakhi, betel leaf blessed by Krishna's mouth is offered—trembling with emotion, tasting the sweetness. "She is my life, my wealth, my mistress who dwells in my heart." Sri Pad says: "I am alive because of her. What is this attachment? This is attachment to Priya's feet. I am alive because of her. My life flourishes in Vrindavan—that is my life."

I am alive because of them. Look, where does she draw her life from—from Shri Ji. When such intense attachment is revealed, entry into bhav desh occurs. Now Priya offers her beloved a verse from Srimad Radha Sudha Nidhi by Mahaprabhu Harivansh, describing how the sakhi offers betel leaf in Krishna's mouth—his cheeks trembling with delight, tasting the sweetness. Then Radha is exactly like this. This is how Hit, whom you are seeing, serves. When Sri Ladli Ji's lotus hands offered the betel leaf to her beloved Sri Ladu's mouth, the sakhi knows Ladli's wish and tastes the betel leaf herself.

She trembles with joy. Because the sakhi's love for Priya and Priya's love for her beloved—my eyes, my body, my mind, my very life are for my beloved. Now the beloved offers that betel leaf to Priya's lotus mouth. This is exactly as Hit describes it. Sri Ladli becomes thrilled—trembling, tasting the sweetness, immersed in that love-nectar. Priya, graced by this exchange, offers the blessed betel leaf to her sahachari's mouth. Through the sweetness tasted by her beloved from that betel, Priya gives the blessed betel to her serving girl. That blessed betel reaches the sakhi, and she is overwhelmed by love.

Those whose feet are rare to behold—from that Priya's blessed mouth that has touched the beloved's mouth, let no one look with a separating eye. Our Priya and Beloved are said to be two, but they are one. Sometimes Lal Ji offers the betel leaf with her lotus hands to Priya. Then it returns from Priya's mouth. Lal also.. Harivansh sings: "Shyam and Shyam do not exist as two; there is never any difference. The life force is one; they are called two only for the sake of speaking." Sri Pad says: "This is my life. This is life."

Blessed is the life of those whose life is Priya's, whose life is the grace of Priya, who are intoxicated in Priya's love. Otherwise, this fierce maya, with its force, carries one away, keeping one distant from the Lord. There may be great learning, knowledge of the scriptures, elaborate descriptions—but if there is no realization of Brahman, no love for God, then nothing has been achieved. In Srimad Bhagavat, in the eleventh canto, it is described: the perfect saint is one who is a scholar versed in shabda brahman and has experienced param brahman. To find a scholar versed in shabda brahman is difficult.

It is not merely studying four teachings of the scriptures. Complete shabda brahman—full knowledge of the Vedas, Puranas, and histories—the scholar who knows all principles: if such a person does not have experience of param brahman, then nothing is achieved. To move toward the experience of param brahman is a very rare thing. The clever use of words, pleasing people through word-beauty, attracting through speech-beauty—this can be easy. But to transform one's nature into brahma-form, to make it Krishna-form, or to immerse oneself in divine love—this is completely different.

Completely different. To climb to such heights of love and become immersed in the bliss of Priya's service is an even greater thing. Dhruva received the highest elevation, the eternal status. But his heart burned when the Lord said "so be it." "Oh, I did not ask the Lord for His service, yet I obtained even the eternal status. This means desire was still within me; therefore I could not obtain the Lord's service. O Lord, show one more mercy. Grant me the company of Your greatest devotees so that my heart may become worthy of Your service. For there was a flaw within me.

There was desire. I accepted the mantra of Narad Ji Maharaj my Gurudev, but I did not accept his company. If I had kept his company, I would have asked for Your love, not for this eternal status. Therefore, grant me the company of the great devotees." When this body-identification dissolves, there is nothing here—just as in a dream there is nothing but the mind alone, so too in waking life the worshipper perceives nothing but the Lord, because there is nothing else. Nasato vidyate bhava—the unreal has no reality. This is understood through great grace. That worshipper who, in the meditation given by the guru, remains ever concentrated, absorbed in bhajan—their feeling gradually transforms.

Things change very quickly. Now the beloved, so dear to the realm of devotion, immersed in service - remember Sri's glory in Vrindavan, filled with supreme bliss and the flow of divine love, with a heart ever devoted, lost in the new gardens and secret groves of Vrindavan - she remains engrossed in serving her beloved Krishna. When such devotion dwells in the body, with fragrance, with the fan, with betel offerings, with soft touch and divine sustenance, adorned in garments of love - experiencing great love, her whole being trembles with emotion. Always as Radha's maidservant, she serves with heart and soul - blessed is such a life. Listen very carefully. If you are fanning this Divine Couple, this is no spiritual practice. This is an incantation to make them subordinate! As if you can make your Beloved subject through grand gestures.

You cannot understand what a magnanimous heart is like. One in whose heart there is not even the slightest desire - such a one is truly magnanimous. And when even the smallest service is offered to such a magnanimous heart, the servant becomes burdened by the weight of that service. Just as the supremely magnanimous Raghunath tells Hanuman: "Do me the favor of service" - what a tremendous thing to say! "Your service is such that I cannot remain at peace. I cannot repay you. My heart shrinks in shame before you." Such is a magnanimous Master! And then the magnanimity of the Divine Couple - what is it? You wave the fan to them - this becomes a great attainment! Service is a most precious thing. How fortunate are those who have even a small inclination toward God's service. Building a temple, installing the Divine Image, arranging servants - these are separate matters.

You are very wealthy. You are splendid. You have appointed four servants and given them money, and they serve. You are a virtuous soul. But you will not be called a lover. You are no richer than Amareesh. The Emperor Chakravartti Amareesh would wipe with his own hands. With his own hands he would serve Sri's body. One day in his absence, his newer queen came and said: "You are stealing the service! If you truly love service, then set up the Lord separately elsewhere, arrange everything there. Otherwise, in our service, the Sudarshan Chakra waits - she did not know this. When one serves the Lord with one's own hands, God becomes subordinate to that devotee's slavery. You can spend billions building temples and keep millions of servants.

But that becomes a different matter. Personal service with one's own hands - that is something else entirely. By making a garland, by stringing it - these hands become blessed. Through this alone comes God-realization. Pay attention! One act of service can grant you God-realization. Blessed one - "My beloved will wear this garland I have made." This contemplation flows within you. "She will wear this circlet on her forehead. My beloved will wear these bracelets on her arms." Your contemplation flows as you string the garland. You are stringing it or she is - this directly grants God-realization.

In this, outer practice is not seen. One path is to do countless practices, then it becomes very long - birth after birth of ascetic effort. But this service - one act of service directly grants God-realization. Do not be anxious about this. Welfare and God-realization - our beloved is very compassionate and magnanimous. Our strength is powerful for this reason: "He is not angry, he holds no grudge, he cannot be wrong. He remains ever pleased in his countenance." Such is our Master! Just now you heard a verse at the beginning: "Your glory dwells in millions of universes, O Radhe!" In millions of universes your fame spreads. The young beloved responds: "In millions of universes - how? Give me evidence. How is this possible?" The Lord of infinite universes has his servants absorbed in your service. Therefore - that Lord of infinite universes, because his very feet rest on the platform which Brahma and Shiva bow down to worship.

That Lord is absorbed in your service. "Your glory dwells in millions of universes, O Radhe." Your beauty and glory cannot be described - O infinite Master! What is the essence of Radha? Without the grace of Vrindavan's dust and the rasika gurus, no one can ever know it. Blessed are those forever fortunate who make garlands and offer them to Sri. Service grants direct God-realization. Understand this well. The Divine Couple is most compassionate. They made a garland for me. You do not know - when you pick up a flower to string it, when you thread it, when you form it into a garland form..

At that very moment they are watching both your devotion and your action. With great trembling they accept it. When do we know they are trembling? When trembling comes here in our own heart, we know our Master is pleased. When the Master is pleased, we do not judge the practice. This is household servitude. Servitude is of two kinds. One is an external servant whom you hire - whose needs you meet with money and wages. One is a household servant - who cares nothing for payment, has no concern with money. He serves only for the joy of service.

Seeing his Master pleased, he feels proud. He feels joy. These other services people do - they are not household servants. Some are quite amusing, excluded by the very word "service." Like saying "O Lord, please do this work for me. I will offer you the fifty-six food items." No, sir, just do this one thing for us. We will make such arrangements for you. Just look - is this not laughable? The Lord who sustains infinite universes, and you are tempting him! Now if he offers him the fifty-six items, will he be tempted and grant the work?

Wherever you look, see how foolishness spreads! "God, do this work for us. We will give you so much money. We will make such an offering - 151,000 rupees." Oh Mother Lakshmi, charity flows eternally at his feet! You fool, do not speak of giving and taking there. What is being discussed here is household service. Understand this matter. What we are saying - one act of service can grant you God-realization. This is not about a hired servant who works for wages. This is absurd - to say "O God, do my work, and I will do this for you." This is not service. This is not worship. This is an absurd matter.

Consider carefully - what is your understanding? Please contemplate on this matter. What do we take the Lord to be for us? That you would offer 100 grams of gold, a kilogram of gold, money, or food offerings? This is not how it is thought. The creation of infinite universes happened in the twinkling of an eye - He is that Lord. What a tremendous opportunity of service has been given to us. When we dedicate something we consider our own to the Lord, even that is not counted as service. When we serve expecting something in return, even that is not counted as service. Pay attention - we are speaking of service because through it alone does one attain the Lord. That is why we are elaborating on this in detail. Otherwise it will seem that the service is only being done for the Lord, to belong to the Lord, for the Lord's pleasure.

You say you are doing fan service. How fortunate! What extraordinary fortune! This body is His, the mind is His, the life force is His, life itself is His - there is no existence of mine at all. It is all His. What payment am I getting? I am getting to do fan service - that alone is what I am getting. Such a devotee who is completely sold to the Lord - even one service will bring him God-realization. The daily offering of garlands - a single flower from our Vrindavan cannot be equated with a flower brought from outside worth a crore. Pay attention - bring a flower worth a crore from outside and a single flower from a creeper in Vrindavan - our beloved Lord will be pleased with the single flower from Vrindavan, not with the crore from outside. Those colorful, expensive flowers - our beloved Lord does not like them. The sacred flower that manifested in the most holy land of Braj, in these 84 kos of territory, which is offered with humility - that is what pleases Him.

The fragrance on the Beloved's sacred form is perfume. It is fragrant sandalwood. When we apply it, saying "my Beloved, my Beloved, O Lord" - in this simple act you see, this is eternal service. This is service to the Beloved. The Lord came to Mathura. There a hunchbacked woman used to serve sandalwood in the royal court of Kans. The Lord said she will give me sandalwood. She had no faith that she would come and apply sandalwood to the Lord. My master, and obeisance - nothing else. Where are you taking this sandalwood, O Maharaj? This sandalwood of Kans' court - will give it to me. Look, very beautiful, yes. You are the adornment of men. You are very beautiful. In that moment, the Lord caused His feet to touch her with a jolt - immediately she became completely straight, beautiful, with a divine form. Now she has grasped the yellow garment. Where are you going? He said - We will come, we will meet you. When he went with Uddhav, Uddhav was completely amazed - this Lord who does not come to the meditation of sages has received this fortune - merely the fortune of applying sandalwood once. A tailor too - he cut and sewed the garments of the sakhis according to how they were, making them perfectly fitted. As is the tradition, the Lord's grace continued to increase and at the end he came to my abode. A gardener named Sudama offered a garland. In even a single act of service comes God-realization. As is the tradition, his prosperity continued to increase. Thus is our Lord, thus is our Lord.

Even our Lord has a master - Love. And the embodiment of Love is the Beloved. You might say - a master for the Lord? Yes, if anyone has bound the Lord, it is Love. The Lord is bound by Love, and the embodiment of that Love is our Beloved. You have offered a garland to both the Beloved and the Beloved Lord. Offer a garland once and read about it in the Bhagavat. Offer sandalwood once and read about it. Improve the clothing and attire once and read about it. This happens without any particular mood of service - not in a particular state of servitude, friendship, the beloved mood, or companionship - without any special mood like that, one who constantly offers sandalwood to the Lord, offers fragrance, fans with a fan - in Barsana, the Beloved, engaged in fan service. When an elder was serving, a sore developed in his leg and took the form of cancer. He did not stop from service. There was much suffering, and a devotee saw and said - You must go to Mathura once. He was told of fan service. He said - wherever the Beloved might rest in meditation. We will bring a carriage, we will take you to Mathura, and we will present you at the time of service. He agreed. When he saw the doctor today, he said the leg will be amputated - it is not going to heal. He said no, no - then we will not be able to go to Shri Ji, we will not be able to fan. No, no, we will die, but serving Shri Ji we will not do all this. No medicine, leave us to Shri Ji, to the fan service. At night, when Shri Ji rested, he came out of sleep. The Beloved came. Father, where is the pain? Look. Father, stand and see. There is no pain. Consciousness came to you. He stood up, completely fit. There is no suffering. In truth, this is their divine play - that pain is seen in the bodies of devotees, which are made of five elements and perishable. But what is eternal and internal - the supreme bliss that is attained - who can see that? The offering of betel to Shri Swamini - this is in their service method. Food was offered, fragrant oil was applied, and a betel roll was offered to the Divine Couple. Gentle, sweet foot massage - when we put Shri Ji to rest, we cover her with cloth from above and sit down in that mood. Pressing the feet of the Beloved, pressing the feet of the Lord - does it seem to you that this is just play? By this very act, He will become bound. When in solitude, in a peaceful mood, look from the heart one day at what you are doing - in the very act of foot massage, the sacred feet will come. The Lord is the true reality, not imagination. Gentle, gentle foot massage. Then, after we perform the service of waking the Beloved, we dress her in beautiful clothes and have her wear beautiful garlands. One who continues to do such things one day becomes immersed in great love intoxication.

In great love's overwhelming state, with body thrilled and free from ego, one merges with Shri Ji's companions. How is it described, O sadhak, for merging with Radha's maidservants? When will Shri Ji's service and care be such by Her gracious glance—"O Hari Hari, when will that come to me?"—seeking Kanth every day, in Madhusudan's weeping. When will such grace come upon us that I, O Divine Couple, united in servitude to You, weeping "Yes, my Mistress, yes, my Beloved," lost in unrighteous desires yet remaining in secret solitude—when will I remain in Your service, drowned within in love's turmoil and absorbed in serving You? This service to Vrindavanadhishwari, as if the merit of countless births has borne fruit—if it becomes Your faith, becomes Your intention, nearly—

Because of ego-attachment, in the path of sadhana, in renunciation and such things where there is praise—the sadhak will have interest there. But in the solitary, intimate service of Shri Ji, which no one knows, where the Beloved gives no praise—there interest cannot arise. Where four people see, there interest may come. Where the Beloved alone sees, to have solitary interest there—this is such a special grace. That is why it is said, "By gracious glance, O servants of Hari, Hari—when will such grace fall upon this servant?" Ever, O Hari, O Lord, O Beloved, may Your gracious glance come upon me that I may have interest in Your servitude. That is all, nothing more—may I have interest in Your servitude. The Acharya himself would gather dry wood fallen from the trees and vines of Vrindavan with his own lotus hands and prepare food.

Once Narmal Ji came. He saw that the Venerable Sadguru, the Lord, was gathering wood in His yellow garment. We who wear yellow robes—with the feeling of our Mistress's beloved form, and ever dwelling in Vrindavan free of spring—the beauty of spring-coloured Vrindavan and our Beloved's yellow robe we wear. This is the complete worship, given by the guru. There is no arbitrary choice—that yellow came to mind and we wore it. Not so. Narmal Ji saw that the Venerable Acharya was gathering wood in His yellow garment. So learned and wealthy is my Guru. He said, "Victory, victory—please, leave it. We shall speak to the fisherman; he will gather and heap many logs for you." The Mahaprabhu said, "Are you in your senses? What have you said?"

The Mahaprabhu's heart was grieved. From the grace of these supremely discerning great souls, I received service to my Mistress, and you speak of having the fisherman do my Mistress's service? You are my disciple. Go—I renounce you. From today, do not come before me. You come to Vrindavan with rajasic nature. You do not know. You have spoken of having the fisherman do the Mistress's service." When Shri Ji herself said to the Mahaprabhu, "This is not his fault; he said it for Your comfort; there was a slip in the words."

Had he said, "Lord, please stay; we too shall gather it together," that would have been somewhat appropriate. But when he spoke of the fisherman doing it—when Hariram Vyas Ji came, the Mahaprabhu at that time had the clay pot on the fire for Shri Ji's kitchen. It was reported that a very learned, traveling scholar, a victorious pandit, guru of the Orchha king, Hariram Vyas Ji, wishes to speak with you. He arrived first. The Mahaprabhu set down the pot. He said, "We shall ask questions later, but Lord, why did You set down the pot?" He said, "To speak with you."

"Work of the hands is speaking; serving with hands and speaking with mouth—let the work of the hands be done with hands and speak with the mouth." "That does not happen here. That does not happen here. This is not convention. This is love's worship." And at once he composed a verse which is in the Shrimat Chaurasi. When even one is very difficult, just consider—of what level is this emotion that we cannot even speak with the mouth? At that time, when we are in Shri Ji's kitchen, in that very thing my full attention—my Beloved will find me. We are drowned in that emotion.

When we speak with you, it is like the kitchen is neglected. Not speaking with you—not in service—our Beloved will find us there, full of that emotion, drowned. Shripada is saying, "When will such grace come upon us?" A very special thing the Venerable Udiya Baba is telling. Yesterday there was great appreciation of this. Baba is saying that when you connect with the Acharya lineage, this special benefit comes: that in this Acharya lineage, as many great souls who have become perfected through worship—when you accept their Deity of worship and worship with sincerity, then the grace of all those siddha great souls comes to that one.

That is why he quickly attains the realm of emotion. This most joyful teaching came. When we, the Acharya—just as we are joined to our Acharya Mahaprabhu Shri Harivansh Chandra Ji—as many great souls in the lineage have become perfected, they received that very mantra. They received that very worship which we received from grace. So when we begin service to our Deity of worship, to the belovedness of Shri Radhavallabh Lal Ji, in our own emotion, as much as we begin service within ourselves, then all the Acharya lineage, all those perfected from the Acharya through the lineage—their grace is obtained, from which that one attains that great rasa.

As many as have become God's own form—the strength of all of them assists the worshipper who connects with the Acharya lineage. That is why connecting with the Acharya lineage has such great importance. The fruit of arbitrary worship is attainment of the Guru. Here the Venerable Baba is saying that ocean-like worship—these are not pond-like worships that should come from small, small communities of the Acharya lineage. That is why God descends in the form of the Acharya, illuminates the lineage. Connect where it is joined, connect with the Acharya lineage.

No one is influenced by someone else's sweet words alone. The first thing is that knowledge of Shabdabrahm and understanding of Param Brahm are absolutely necessary. This is where we need to be connected. Shabdabrahm can speak of their own experiences. Param Brahm is what they have realised. If they have not realised it, if they have not attained God, if they do not have Brahm consciousness, then what will they speak? It won't be grasped, it won't make sense. Through the acharya tradition, one who follows the guru mantra and the method of upasana receives the grace and blessings of all the siddhas of the acharya tradition. Whatever mantra you have received and whatever steadfastness in practice you have obtained, become firm in that.

Become firm in such a way that under no circumstances should the mantra be abandoned, nor should the practice be abandoned. Understand this firmly, and then you will become firm. Even if someone criticises us greatly in front of us, no matter what circumstances arise, we should not waver from our mantra and our steadfastness. Just as the seven rishis came and asked Parvati Ji what qualities she saw in Mahadev Ji, and so forth, her steadfastness.. "Our salutations to Shambhu" — and the mantra, the guru's speech and the practice's steadfastness — what the chosen guru has given, the method of their worship — if these two things become firm, then at all times your natural bhajan vritti will awaken.

As long as this is not firm, there is no unbroken bhajan. The vritti of unbroken bhajan awakens in such a devotee that even in the presence of worldly pleasures, there is no inclination in the senses towards those pleasures. Absolutely not. No taste for them. Even when every pleasure is present, there is no desire within you to enjoy it — this is what it means that the vritti of bhajan has awakened. In Narayan Hari bhajan, the five sense-pleasures, sleep, laughter, love of the world, many things — look, where is our bhajan now? Where is the vritti of bhajan? Where is mature steadfastness? Where is the mantra consciousness? The Lord's name is a wish-fulfilling tree. Then why does the devotee ask for things? Do not ask. That wish-fulfilling tree is watching you. Whatever you need, He will give it of His own accord. There is absolutely no need to ask. He is not limited in knowledge that if we do not speak our needs He will not hear, He will not see. He is all-knowing, present everywhere, all-powerful.

His order is supremely auspicious. If you must harbour a wish or hope, let it be for one thing alone: that I may attain You. If I have attained You, I have attained everything. The Master of countless universes has become mine, so all the universes have become mine. Wealth and abundance have also become mine. And truly speaking, even desires cease. At the very remembrance of God's bliss, not a single anxiety remains. No desire, no wish, no sorrow. This is the greatest achievement for the devotee. In upasana you find this: that constant remembrance of whom is happening — this is what you must observe. If constant remembrance of God is happening within you, then you are a devotee of God.

If of worldly things, then you are a devotee of worldly things. In any case, look, one thing must be understood from within: this acclaim is not the fruit of upasana. It is not. The state within is the fruit of upasana. Not outward things. This is not about status in the world. This is about the divine realm. The attainment of upasana is seen here, within. Not seen outside. Seen within. What is the state within? Constant remembrance of God's form, remaining unmoved by honour and dishonour, blame and praise, and so forth — this is the state. The outward — how can we trust in it? This changing world, this changing body — how can we trust it? It is not a lasting thing. Do not think that if the fruit of our practice and bhajan in life is that we have become famous — this is the vritti of ignorance. This is not the vritti of practice. This is not the vritti of a devotee. This is not the vritti of the seeker or the wise. This is the vritti of profound ignorance. Recognition given by limited people, and from this we think ourselves great — this is limited knowledge. This is ignorance. The affectionate, constant remembrance of the Chosen One, the mature state of a devotee's upasana — this is what we must protect. We must be very cautious of honour, popularity, pleasing people. Such things have no real existence. No existence at all. You feel there is something, but there is nothing. Just as it seems that a hundred people should bow down to us —

there is something. It could never be. It cannot be. It might even be. Thousands of crowds might gather. Like when films are shown, what they call a theatre. What does it matter that thousands gather? Thousands of people are constantly coming and going the whole day. A three-hour show, thousands of people, what does it amount to? Nothing. False upon false. Thousands of people, the mentally sharp are also there, so there must be something. There is nothing. Wasted money, wasted time, wasted thinking, wasted play. He who is content with all this, when a hundred people bow to us, greet us, we think we are something. There is nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Zero. Say "great fame," but as long as merit remains there is merit. When merit ends, you will understand on your own what the state is. Glory and influence, honour and respect do not cause this.

Four people might not even notice. A great soul might pass by their side and they would hardly know. Never mistake honour and affection for the state of your practice. The state of practice is affectionate remembrance of the Chosen Deity and equanimity amid opposites. If this is attained, then the fruit of practice has been received. All this other — it is nothing. Nothing, brother, nothing. As we are saying, believe it: nothing. A marvel of flesh and body, a marvel of merit — the marvel is that of merit. The marvels are here, of the siddha-mahatmas, they are here. Turn your gaze inward. Look back into your own heart. Honour, comfort —

He is causing insult, and it feels bad. Yes, nothing has been attained spiritually. None of this is anyone's dharma — it's the play of your own merit and karma. Is there anyone in this world who is the object of blame for you? He says yes, there is. Is there anyone who is the object of praise? Yes, but nothing has happened to you. No knowledge has come to you. No spiritual awakening has arisen within you. If blame is given, it is blame of this body and the mind and senses that are attracted to objects. If praise is given, it is praise of one established in Truth, Consciousness and Bliss, the Divine. And the whole moving and non-moving world is lost in delusion.

What blame is there for this? All of this is divine play, the sport of the three-fold maya. The human body is very defiled. Its only brightness is attaining God. The greatest gain is the human body itself — God-realization. If this has not happened, then it is very filthy and worthless. If worship of God has not led to God-realization, then the rarity of this human body as described has not been for enjoyments. When a worshipper engages in sadhana, then to divert him from it, the greatest enemy stands forth — and his name is ego, pride. Wherever there is conceit, this is how you can tell whether there is conceit in you or not.

When you begin to see faults in others, then you have developed pride about your own qualities. That is why you see faults in others. The one who sees faults will surely criticise. He will criticise others. He will insult others. Sadhana teaches one to become the smallest. And when he considers himself virtuous and criticises others, then all his sadhana, all his tapasya and merit are destroyed. Listen very carefully — this is what is called satsang: association that connects you with Truth. The worshipper should always watch in his sadhana that there is no ego anywhere. Is there no pride growing? That is the sign. Whether you criticise or not — if by seeing others you begin to see faults, then pride about your own qualities has awakened within you, and it will bring you down, certainly it will bring you down. Great caution is needed. You should not look at what is false, what is false. Do not get caught in logic and reasoning. Whatever sadhana your guru has given you is ultimate truth. Surrender your mind to that alone. One who loves objects cannot be a lover of the Beloved. One who is a lover of the Beloved does not love objects.

Believe this: this life has been given only for love of the Divine. If in this life we have not experienced love for God, then what meaning does life have? Where does love arise from? Reading the life stories of God's devotees, keeping the company of God's devotees, continuously chanting God's naam, receiving God's prasad for nourishing the body, chanting the guru's mantra for nourishing the soul-form, singing and listening to God's pastimes — from all of this, love manifests. In yesterday's discourse, we heard how the Divine tells Arjun: My divine birth is divine. My divine deeds are divine. He who sings them, who listens to them — he is not born again. O! Attaining God is not a difficult matter. If we desire it. The reason we have not desired God-realization is that we have become entangled in the desire for objects. Our birth was for God-realization. If only this one thing settles in our heart. The Divine is saying: know My birth and deeds as divine. Janma karma ch divya yanyevam tattvato vetti na sa punarjanma aryun tasya punarjanma nahi hoga. He will not be born again. In the next verse there is a description. Now pay very close attention: who can know the Divine's birth and deeds as divine? Whoever knows will not be reborn. Then who will be able to know? Viraag bhaya krodha vritahaan mam mam upashrita bahvo gyaan tapasya puta mad bhava magatah. Vitrag — one whose attachment is finished, whose desire has ended — such a person is called vitrag. There is no attachment to any object, person, or place.

This is also understood through reading, hearing and contemplating the Divine's stories — attachment is destroyed. Here we wish to make a prayer that the Bhagavata stories, the Gita, and also the Puranic and Vedic teachings should be deeply pondered. Read them, listen to them, and contemplate them. But one does not have the authority to contemplate the sweet pastimes of the confidential nikunj until your masculine or feminine identity has weakened. Because if there is masculine identity and feminine identity within you, you might confuse those pastimes with ordinary worldly pastimes.

Then it becomes an offense. The heart becomes defiled. It is possible that your understanding could be affected. Listen very carefully. Sing the pads. Great ecstasy of love will increase. You will see — there are certain verses in the Vrindavan Mahatmya that we have not sung because not everyone is qualified. There are some pads that can only be sung; their meaning cannot be explained. Because the heart must be in a particular state to comprehend them. So contemplate the Gita and the Bhagavata. In the rasas of nikunj, contemplate the principles, and sing only the pastimes.

You have the authority to contemplate only after bodily consciousness has weakened. Remember this. Otherwise, the mind is very strange. Then, due to lack of authority, you might contemplate what you have no right to contemplate. That will not be right. Try to understand what we are saying. We are in Vrindavan, so we sing in high tones and sometimes touch on a bit of explanation. But outside, not everyone has the authority for explanation. Once, Pujya Radha Baba Swami Sri Hita Maharaj, the unique worshipper of Sri Radha Vallabh Ji in Vrindavan, was singing the pad Radha Pyari Tere Nayan Salol — then Baba stopped him in Gita Vatika and said: not everyone is qualified for this. After hearing this, you — perhaps five or ten people were sitting there — they said: Baba, we are residents of Vrindavan, we sing through microphones in front of thousands. Baba said: this is a very secret matter.

Said Baba, "Here it may remain hidden, but Vrindavan is the palace of Maharani Ji, and there all are rasic people. Therefore, do not read the commentary of these pads. New practitioners should not purchase the vani along with its meaning. Until your understanding is matured, accept the principles of the Bhagavata and Gita. Meditate on the mantras of nikunj and sing the vani—you will attain that state. Believe our word. First hear the Bhagavata from the mouth of a devotee, hear the divine word. This is the first principle. Intellect matured through the teachings of the Bhagavata and Gita—when bodily identification has become slack—generates rasa through singing rasa, and it progresses further.

If you contemplate the meaning of such pads, misunderstanding can also arise on your mind. Therefore the prayer is: new practitioners should not pay attention to the meaning. You do not have the capacity. Sing the pad, sing the shloka—they alone will give you the state. Veet rag is a beautiful thing. See the unmodified form of the leela. If there were even the slightest such thing in gopi love, then the Paramhansa Sri Sukhdeva Ji, who never turned to look at his father's face, who did not even look when his mother called—how could he ever sing of such indulgence?

Consider this. Uddhava, disciple of Brihaspati, bows at the feet of Nanda of Braj. Like Vibhishana, in his final moments he sings hymns of praise. Bhishma at that time contemplates the gopis. What is the Lord's leela play? This gopi love is such a mysterious tendency of love that even the great cannot understand. Therefore sing. Through singing, read the fruit-praise of the Rasa Panchadhyaya. It is written there: in this shloka is that whoever sings and recites this raas leela of Sri Krishna, with which the Lord showers wondrous bliss upon the gopis, will be free from heart disease. This leela that roots out heart disease—that is, destroys lust entirely and manifests love. In the fruit-praise of the Shrimad Chaurasi it is written: a boat for the ocean of birth and death, and water for the fire of lust. The leela is the water to extinguish the fire of lust. The singing of the Chaurasi destroys selfish desire and manifests love.

The prayer here is: do not turn your gaze toward the meaning. If you should ever read the meaning, do not contemplate it. Leave it aside. Until your devotional state is right, lust still arises within you, and countless desires dwell in you—you will not understand. If you view it with a material outlook, it is not right. Because Priya and Preetam are in Sat-Chit-Ananda, but your intellect is material. To overlay material understanding upon Sat-Chit-Ananda corrupts it. Therefore the prayer here is: sing the pads of Navani Nikunj, contemplate the principles of the Bhagavata and Gita, loosen bodily attachment. Then the contemplation that arises is one with cheeks wet with tears.

Gadgad sur nayna sajal dampati ras rahe bhin
The voice falters, the eyes are filled with tears, the couple is absorbed in rasa.

Therefore the practitioner should know: until bodily identification is not loosened, there are such shlokas, overflowing with rasa, that you cannot understand at all. Therefore see the incarnation leelas of the Lord and his teachings. In the scriptures we have found that when the Guru teaches his disciples, he tells them: 'Brother, see—from my teaching what my conduct does not match, never accept that. From my teaching, from the command of scripture, what my conduct does not match, never imitate.' Why? Because you do not have the state. If you imitate, you will be defeated. Walk according to what is my teaching for you, according to what is the command of scripture.

Consider: can anyone imitate the leelas of Sri Krishna, the Guru of the world? Such as the raas leela—not this. The Lord dances with so many gopis. This divine love play of the Lord, to whom do you address this raas? Said, 'Are you creating raas here?' You are speaking words filled with grave offense. The raas that the Lord is performing is the play of the Self-form. It is not of any person, man or woman.

Some leelas that the Lord performed can be imitated naturally, and we can become absorbed in love. Some leelas, by singing them, we can become absorbed in love. Some leelas, by reading and hearing them, we can be blessed. My Lord, thus: before the raas leela, there comes one leela of the Lord—the Govardhana leela. Then the raas leela. You speak of doing it, of imitating it. Come, do the Govardhana leela! No. Imitate the leelas that the Lord performs. Do the Govardhana leela. Even now there is a Maharaja of 21 kilometers—Giriraj Ji, Sri Krishna Chandra. The leelas the guru is performing must be sung. Who has the capacity to imitate? Who has it?

Lord Shankara—when the halahala poison came out from the churning of the ocean, he held it here. You hold back even a handful of water and show me! He held back both water and the halahala poison. So the conduct of powerful great souls—only that is worthy of imitation, which is in accordance with scripture, which they are commanding you to do. Not everything is to be imitated. Because in what state, in what condition is he? Therefore the Lord is saying here: who will know the divinity of my birth and actions? And whoever knows will not be reborn.

Then said: Veet rag—one whose passion is destroyed. My Priya, my dear child, see. In the view of one who sees in the manifest and in the condition of the present, there can be a great difference."

It is not that what you are seeing is exactly as it appears. What is your way of seeing? Once, Birbal told Emperor Akbar that what is seen can be false. According to how your thinking is, so the vision appears. You should understand this: what appears to us is not necessarily the truth. How can it be otherwise? When we are seeing, why would it not be true? So if you ever face such a question, let us know. Then we will give you an answer.

One day, the one who arranged the emperor's bed had a thought: my life is passing away arranging flower beds. Let me lie on the emperor's bed for five minutes before he arrives. So he lay down and thought, "His bedsheet is so fragrant and soft, let me feel it for a moment," and closing his eyes, he enjoyed the comfort for five minutes and fell asleep. But where does a servant sleep? And where does the emperor sleep in his bed? While the emperor was delayed, his wife came there. The next morning, the emperor was speaking without having eaten or drunk anything, and she thought something serious must have happened; he must have been exhausted and fallen asleep. She lay down beside him. Now when the emperor arrived, he saw a man in his bed and his wife there. He drew his sword. She said, "Birbal said that vision can be false."

He called Birbal and said, "You said vision can be false? Where can a vision be false? I am seeing the truth." He called him and said, "You said that vision can be false. According to the capacity of the one seeing, the vision appears. I am seeing my wife lying with another man. It is false." Birbal said, "Maharaj, it can be false. It is false. I do not say it is completely so, but it can be false. Now, who is this man? We do not know. But you stand behind the pillar for two minutes." He spoke to the queen, "Whom are you sleeping with, Maharaj?" She said, "I did not speak with Maharaj."

She said, "He was exhausted so he was sleeping; that is why I did not wake him. He fell asleep in the corner. That is fine, you go. We will wake Maharaj and bring him because he has not eaten." "Yes, that is fine." When he lifted the curtain, he saw flowers spread. He was very frightened. So he said, "Master, save my life. This is why I lay here; otherwise with whom?" He said, "There was no one with us." The emperor, standing behind the curtain, said, "Go quietly. If the emperor finds out, it is better." He said, "Sir, see, both are innocent. If you had killed them, you could have committed murder of two, but both are innocent. Our sight cannot determine the final truth of natural visions. So how can we determine the truth of sat-chit-anand? Therefore, we need to improve our vision. Veetraag—those whose attachment has been destroyed—those with supreme detachment taste the nectar of God's leelas. Therefore, the supreme detached, the crown jewel of paramhans, Sukhdev Ji—Sri Bhagavan Vyasdev, knowing him to be worthy of narrating the Shrimad Bhagavat, gave him the Bhagavat.

When anyone turns away from God, they develop attachment to perishable things and the body—this body is perishable. This attachment causes them to commit sins. They cannot see God's leelas. Let us first understand the way to attain our sat-chit-anand Lord. When anyone becomes free from all three attachments—the three qualities of the three natures, the creation of three bodies, the glory of the three worlds—those three attachments, then they attain God. But even in attaining God, there is a great difference, many kinds. Even in attaining God, if a siddha, a great soul with established rasa is present, they understand the gopi nature, the sakhi nature, what is your condition? In body consciousness. Now if you see with body consciousness, what will appear? As the spectacles are, so it will appear. Therefore, who knows the real secret of the leela? It is said, veetraag. Who is veetraag? It is said, one who has turned away from God—by the perishable nature created by God, in things, persons, places, bodies, there arises attachment. That whose attachment has been destroyed—they are called veetraag paramhans. This attachment continually creates desires. From rajogun, attachment is born, and from attachment, the desire for non-attainment, the desire for attainment is born. Let me enjoy this. What I heard, what I read, what I saw, let me enjoy. These are desires of nature. When desire arises, in enjoying beloved objects, greed arises. When there is obstruction in enjoying beloved objects, anger arises. God is saying that veetraag, those whose attachment has been destroyed and whose anger has been destroyed—

The scripture says: veet rag bhay krodho man maya mam upashit
Those free from attachment, fear, and anger, with minds fixed on Me, worship Me.

Not angry and without fear. As long as you conduct yourself sinfully, even without anyone creating fear, fear will keep afflicting you. Pay attention; look in the hearts. If you are feeling fear, a vague fear—be careful lest something happens. It is possible your heart is impure and you have committed sinful acts. Those will keep terrifying you. The one who is surrendered to God with a pure heart experiences fearlessness. Fearless, carefree, sorrowless—God is saying, one who is free from attachment and free from fear. Fear comes from only one place: ignorance-born attachment to perishable bodies, attachment to enjoyments, because of which sinful conduct—the fear that "this body should not perish." This fear remains. "The objects of enjoyment should not be lost." This fear remains, and an unexpressed fear remains in the mind—the fruit of sinful conduct—an imaginary fear that becomes what is nowadays called depression. They keep thinking meaningless thoughts and remain afraid. But bhajan, taking shelter in God—this makes one fearless. There is no fear. When our desires are fulfilled, anger comes. But if the devotee still has desire, and it is fulfilled, then grace is received. How much grace! If he had not given it, my mind would be caught.

When fulfillment has come, there is much tenderness. The Lord's tendency of affection is great. Such a person looks only toward the Lord—in fulfillment and in non-fulfillment alike. Therefore, neither does such a person become bound by greed nor by anger. Those are great souls in whom there is no desire. Yet, desire is mostly what initiates devotion. The fear that remains about harm befalling us—this ignorance, this nescience, the affection for perishable things and the perishable body—from this arise fear, anger, greed, attachment. All of these have their root in desire, in kama. From this, all defects arise. As long as this desire exists, how can you understand the Lord's lilas? How can you know them? As long as desire and play are happening through your body.

Desires manifest in your mind within. Until then, you cannot know the secret of the Lord's character. For the Lord is saying: one who knows my character, my deeds, my birth, as divine—such a one is not born again. So who knows this? Then the veetrag speak—those whose attachment has been destroyed, who have become fearless, in whose hearts there is no anger. And the Lord is saying: "Man maya mam upashita"—"absorbed in me." Those who are absorbed in me, constantly reciting naam, in meditation on the Lord, "mam upashrita"—taking refuge in me alone. There is constant thought of me, constant contemplation of me. From within, there is no attachment to anything else.

There is no desire to enjoy any worldly pleasures. When the tendency of that desire is not there, then there is no possibility of anger and greed. And when there is no desire, then no sinful conduct, then no fear. Fear comes only from sinful conduct. A desireless-hearted, supremely stable Lord was wandering in the Himalayas. A lion roared. It came forward growling. Pujya Paduka Baba was holding a stick. With the stick, he stood firm and said, "Listen, friend. If your food is already determined, then do not growl—consume it. If your food is not yet certain, then go and find something else." Such fearlessness! Even before a lion! Why? Because he is veetrag—attachment to the body has been destroyed. Shri Bhagavan is saying: "Mam pashita"—look, what a beautiful thing he is saying. Pay attention. It is the nature of ordinary people that they cannot live without refuge. Some refuge—refuge in the body, refuge in money, refuge opposed to the body, refuge in position, refuge in various pleasures, refuge in intoxication and such things. One cannot live without some refuge. Understand this well. Such has been the conviction that if one gives up all these refuges, one becomes immortal.

It seems to such a person, "I will die without this." Then one becomes immortal. This is maya's delusion. One always takes refuge in something or other. But that refuge is never lasting. Look carefully—what is lasting? Is the human body lasting? No. Is a bank balance lasting? No. Is any possession or position lasting? No. This is a matter worthy of very close attention. The fragment of the Absolute within you—in the nature of things, a tendency to take refuge has emerged. This is the bondage of nature. And you can only break free from this bondage when you take refuge in the one who created nature. The Absolute. The Lord.

As long as the fragment of the Absolute takes refuge in something of nature, it will continue to be struck by fear, anger, greed, attachment. Worry, sorrow, troubles of various kinds. Grasp the point. Grasp it with earnestness. You are a fragment of the Lord. From the refuge of nature, you cannot find peace. You cannot find tranquility. You cannot attain the immortal state. You will continue to wander, to suffer, to be afraid. Wandering, birth and death. The Lord alone is the extraordinary refuge. From there alone will you find rest, nowhere else. As Goswami Ji says: "Payo param viram Ram saman prabhu nahi kahuun."
I have found supreme rest in Ram; there is no lord equal to Ram, I say.

But no one wishes to take refuge in the Lord. They wish to take refuge in money. In the power of objects, in the power of position, in the power of family, in the power of the body, in the power of society. Only then might one have the Lord's darshan. People speak of things without understanding. Drupadi Ji is an avatar. Drupadi did not take birth. She is an avatar—an avatar of Shakti. She emerged from the sacrificial fire. But her refuge became firm only after this event. After the incident of the disrobing, not before. She had the refuge of the Pandavas, the refuge of the assembly, the refuge of her own strength, she took refuge in her teeth. When everything was stripped away, she took refuge in Govind, the dweller of Dwarka. Some saints came to understand this thing.

With them, this discussion was happening: keep your attention on the principle of refuge. Where is your refuge? Look within. Then you will attain the Lord immediately. What is corrupted, this birth—now it will be set right. Today itself, let there be refuge in Ram, refuge in Ram, refuge in Hari, refuge in the Lord. Whose refuge? Surdas Maharaj is saying: the refuge of one's own strength, the strength of austerity, and the strength of the arm—the fourth strength is money. Whose strength is it? The strength of one's own power, the strength of austerity, the strength of money, the strength of knowledge. Whose strength is it? He says: the strength of all is awakened where? He says: for the defeated, the one who has taken refuge in the Lord, who has taken refuge in the naam.

All these other refuges are not lasting. Rather, they confuse you and waste your time. One who has taken refuge in wealth—that is destruction. The scripture is saying so. Why is it destruction? Much power comes within. Because wrong refuge was taken—the refuge of wealth. Now that person becomes intoxicated. Drinking liquor, eating meat, engaging in adultery—only arrogance, only arrogance comes forth. Now if one is devoted to the Lord and wealth comes, that wealth goes elsewhere. Because the refuge is correct. He opens a hospital, a cowshed, engages in the service of saints, a cowshed, through various forms of religious activity bringing happiness to others.

Why? Because shelter is best. If one takes shelter only in wealth, then all faults come. Not only that—one becomes dependent on auspicious deeds. One becomes dependent on spiritual practice. See, the bhakt becomes visible. Bhagwan bhakt means taking God's shelter. Now these true sadhanas—they are not false, but when one becomes dependent on their shelter, then instead of God's direct shelter—now our legs are strong, so we are doing circumambulation. Tomorrow our legs break, then the shelter is God's. Through God's shelter, God-attainment will happen. Through their shelter, someone might attain it, but only partially. But if that shelter was taken, then it will seem that no sadhana is happening from us. You will become dissatisfied.

Only God's shelter—that's why we say many births were ruined; now they will be reformed. Right now, in this very moment, reform will happen. Right now, in this very moment, it will be settled. Many births were ruined. What about shelter only in God? It is not the shelter of attaining God through sadhana. Pay attention—this is very subtle. Shelter only in the Beloved. Sadhana is becoming good. Tomorrow sadhana does not become good—if such a disease comes, if such a body condition comes, if such a mind condition comes—then we will not attain God. What will happen? He says, "Why will it happen?" You cannot develop any sadhana. He says, "We did not take shelter in sadhana. We took shelter in the Beloved. Sarve sadhan var chiram nirasha. Understand this matter. This is internal, spiritual. Shelter only in God, only in God—from this alone is God-attainment."

In the past, when the discourse first began with Murari, there was only discussion of this shelter principle. Understand shelter. If the shelter is in sadhana, then the enjoyment is of sadhana. Sadhana's enjoyment is the comfort of sadhana. That's why this quality—this is not obvious; very subtle. Now, just as a limited-knowledge sadhak thinks: then sadhana should not be done at all. But until now, what were you doing? Who was making you do it? Come in the feeling that you are dependent on those [God's will]—sadhana is happening, it is being offered to the Lord. If it is not happening, then we are anyway offered to the Lord. Our God-attainment is certain, brother. This understanding becomes very difficult. If we have done circumambulation, then we can say we can attain God, because there is confidence in sadhana. And if we could not do it, then there will be a lack in our confidence.

You understand the final matter. If from within you have taken shelter in our Beloved, and nothing else is working, then God-attainment will happen. Understand our words. We are speaking of a very considered matter. Where is your shelter? The Lord considers even one moment of shelter as very great. Remember this: when Bali was struck and killed by God, Bali's last breath was turned toward God. But God spoke hidden words, stronger than usual. Hriday priti, mukh vachan kathhora—heart love, mouth words hard. And looking at God, he said: "I am enemy, Sugriva dear. What is the reason, O Lord, why did you kill me? We are both brothers. We know of each other's every deed. As I am, so is my brother. We are not great bhajananandi. We know from childhood we are companions. And I never opposed you. Why did you kill me?"

The subtle matter God knew: Sugriva had become my dependent.

"O arrogant one! The enemy of my dependent is my enemy. So for how many days had Sugriva been your dependent? Did he do any mala, meditate, do any austerity? And it was not selfless shelter—it was selfish shelter. 'My son will be killed. I will become king of Kishkindhya.' And, O father, he became king. Maharaj Ji, Ram Ji stayed on Parvat mountain. One day Bali did not come to bow—not by day, not by evening. For four months he did not come. Then from there, those fearful words—when God spoke to Lakshman Ji, 'Go tell him: I have the same arrow with which Bali was struck in my quiver. Then come and bow, O Lord. By taking this knowledge from you, we are telling you the matter with evidence. The words God spoke are very worthy of honor and understanding. You knew that Sugriva had become my dependent.

O arrogant one! You wanted to kill my dependent. The enemy of my dependent is my enemy. The friend of my dependent is my friend. That's why I killed you." Then he further spoke of the practical matter—younger brother's wife, sister, son, women. The internal matter he said: "My surrendered one, my dependent—other shelters are not lasting. Remember this: not even sadhana's shelter. That's why Sarve sadhan var chiram nirasha—sadhana's shelter makes one enjoy sadhana. What is sadhana's enjoyment? An ego: I do three circumambulations a day in Vrindavan. That ego that took shelter in sadhana—this ego is enjoying. If his three are complete, it doesn't matter. If his three days are not complete, it doesn't matter. Consider those to be his dependents. No body disorder comes—no negligence comes in bhaktas whose shelter is our God. However God's inclination is, let that lead.

If sadhana became very good, there is no joy for us. If no sadhana happened, there is no sorrow for us. This state is very difficult to understand. Until a worshipper becomes dependent on God, he continues to accept dependence on others. And that is why his sorrow does not end. Other shelter results in sorrow. Pay attention: apart from God, other shelter always brings sorrow. God's shelter always brings happiness. Sorrow has signs in the world. In the manifest world, shelter—enjoyments, bodies, positions, wealth—there is great attraction. Woman's shelter, son's shelter, house's shelter—these are great shelters. Inside, as long as this attraction remains, attraction to God does not come. And in all attractions inside, that alone is Krishna's.

As soon as one takes refuge in the Lord, attachment to even the most beloved things of the three worlds will end. This is the sign of that recognition. Nothing else will seem dear. Only He seems dear. Except for Him, in truth even to this day no one finds anything else dear. If He becomes hidden, then that body is burned, set on fire, buried. Was this love? The affection was only with the Lord.

bhav gyan tapsa puta mad bhav magta
Devotion, knowledge, austerity purified—the heart of devotion seeks only the Lord.

Jai Shri Radha Vallabh Lal.

This text is from the automatic captions of a video—there may be errors in the words. Please listen to the video for the authentic teaching.

Original video: Shri Hit Radha Kripa (YouTube)