If all these things are within you, then you are a true Harivanshe //29/03/26

Satsang of Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj — to listen to the complete discourse, watch the video above.

Complete Discourse

Jai Harivansh, jai Harivansh, jai Harivanshs, jai jai Shri Harivansh, jai Harivansh, jai Harivansh, jai Harivansh, jai jai Shri Harivansh [singing voice] Guru Harivansh, breath Harivansh, life Harivansh, all-in-all Harivansh, Guru Harivansh, breath of Hari, life Harivansh, Harivansh, jai Harivansh, jai Harivansh, jai Harivansh, jai Harivansh, jai jai Shri Harivansh, jai Hari, jai Hari, jai jai Harivansh, jai Shri Harivansh [singing voice]

Shri Harivansh, be attentive. Harivansh, seeker of dharma, understand your dharma. If, though you are a seeker of dharma, you do not understand dharma, there will be difficulty in moving forward.

jo dharm so prit nahi so kaha bhyo jo dharm jukayo
If dharma has no love, what has come of it? If dharma is not adorned—

If you do not love Harivansh dharma, then you will not be able to understand Harivansh dharma. And where Harivansh dharma dwells, there the divine dharma wins, and personal love stands supreme above all. Bhagavat dharma, and above even Bhagavat dharma, the banner of Radha-vallabh Lal's personal love is waving. Therefore, listen carefully to the essence of bhajan—the Harivansh dharma. Understand what is the nature of the dharma in which you have been initiated, what is its glory.

shri Harivansh sujas gay so ras sab rasik kanu pai shri hariv sursis sab phal po kiyo sukrit sabko phalo kiyo sukrit sabko phal sit sab ko sit sab ko bhyo
Through the glory of Shri Harivansh, the taste is obtained by all who drink of rasa; the celestial Harivansh has given all fruit; merit to all; all have obtained fruit, bliss—bliss to all—

The vani that has been sung through Shri Harivansh—through singing it alone, you will obtain this rasa. We do not need any other sadhana.

Shyam shyama pragat pragat akshar nikat pragat ras shravat ati madhur vani so jubani rasik nitya nishidin ratat kahat aur sunat ras riti jani
Shyam and Shyama manifest, manifest; near manifests the rasa; hearing it, the sweet vani, such is the tongue of the lover. The rasika, night and day, chants it, speaks it, hears it, knowing the way of rasa.—

Chaturasi Ji—the clear vani, the nectar-ocean. To sing it and to listen to it—through this alone everything is obtained. The nam mantra, the vani, given by Shri Harivansh Mahaprabhu, the nim mantra that has issued from the mouth of Shri Harivansh Mahaprabhu, the Shrimad Chaturasi Ji clear vani and Shrimad Sudan Ji—this alone should be our pursuit. This alone is the subject of our endeavour.

Through the grace of the guru, this much alone has remained. If we are engaged in any sadhana, either the nim mantra is flowing or one of the pads of Chaturasi Ji is flowing. Through the guru's grace, we have no force in this ourselves. Somehow, one pad or another is flowing. Either Chaturasi Ji or some pad is flowing. Chaturasi Ji is very powerful. Keep singing, and the desire will awaken—the desire to see how beautiful are those whose glory we are singing. All these things are unbelievable. Whether you believe or not, people at Hit Dham were going to prepare offerings. You must have seen a certain lane made of kunj, and a pad was flowing.

aavat se vribhanu dulari rup chaturman ang romach chilla
Vribhanu's beloved approaches, in form the fourfold-minded, her limbs thrilled—

There was a longing to cry and cry out loud. Suddenly sight went there, and the scene changed. That beautiful kunj, where there were champak trees standing on both sides, a lane made of kunj in the middle—looking there, the offering lamps fell differently and lay there for hours. There was bliss in the night. It must have been around 11 o'clock. In a corner of Hit Dham there was a small platform made. The older people knew—there was a tamaal tree there. A pad was being sung:

manjul kalkunj desh Radha hari vishad raka nav kumud bandhu shrad jamini saval kanak tamal
Beautiful kunj-abode, Radha and Hari manifest, the night bright with new moons, the autumn night, dark as gold, the tamaal tree—

Under that platform, brother Devi Priya Pritam stood and sat there until past midnight—until one o'clock at night. It was a rough path, not yet the parikarma path. How can I tell you the state of the heart? And when we make a comparison, it is like comparing a dwarf and the sky. A dwarf can never reach the sky. But if the sky bows down and comes into his hand, then this is grace.

Once a cowherd from Maat village had learned the singing of the lovers' cultivation. He was singing very loudly:

bani shri Radha mohan ju ki jori indra Nilmani Shyam manohar sat Kumbh tanu gori
Behold the pair of Shri Radha-Mohon-Ju—sapphire-dark Shyam, charming, with the form of seven urns, fair—

He was singing with great joy. From behind came the sound of ankle-bells. He turned and looked—there stood Devi Priya Pritam. He asked, "Who are you?" He did not know. "Who are you, so beautiful?" They said, "We are the Harivansh pair. The one you are singing—'Behold the pair of Shri Radha-Mohon-Ju'—we are that pair." He understood—they were God, the Bhagavati in divine manifestation. He was trembling. The beautiful Lord spoke to him: "Go, Madan Ter, to Harivansh Chandra and tell him that Radha-Mohon Ji are hungry. We need curry, rice, kheer, bread." And this is your cow, let us see. He ran, he ran and came to Madan Ter and fell at the feet of Shri Harivansh Mahaprabhu. He said, "Radha-Mohon has come, and they are looking at our cow, and they have listed what they want—kheer, curry, bread, rice." Even today this offering is made. At Radhavallabh Ji, whatever offering is made, but curry, kheer, bread and the great prasad—this offering is certainly made.

The pair of Radha-Mohon-Ju—sapphire-dark Shyam, charming, with the form of seven urns, fair. From this alone, there came a direct vision of God. You who sing Chaturasi Ji vani, where Shyam and Shyama—you are singing Chaturasi Ji, the pad of Chaturasi Ji is flowing—Shyama and Shyam are with you. If they show mercy and compassion, they will come before our eyes. We need not worry. And see, even if our hearts are very impure and they do not come before us, we will be free from wandering through 84 lakh births. We will not have to go through 84 births at all. Those who recite the Chaturasi will be free.

chhut chaurasi bhramante
Free from wandering through the 84 births—

Yesterday it was clear. We become free from wandering through the 84 births, immersed in love, the suffering of existence gone. Free from wandering through 84 births, and beholding the divine couple—not just once or twice. There are hundreds of such experiences. Through the guru's grace, through the guru's compassion, such pads of Chaturasi Ji—look, to others it is a wonder. But for us, it is our daily bread. When practice becomes established, even poison does not work as poison. There was a great master who ate a tola of poison daily. When Sankhiya Odisha Baba heard of this, he went there and said, "I will see it myself." So he weighed out ten grams—a tola is ten grams. Sankhiya and datura poison he ground up, and having washed it completely, he drank it.

So he said, "Maharaj Ji, at this rate 10 or 20 people would die. Nothing happens to you." He replied, "No, listen. On the first day I took one seed and ground it down and licked it, and for a month I kept grinding and licking one seed. Then the next day—now I can eat 10 tolas of poison and it makes no difference."

So you see what great grace practice brings. The Chaurasi Pada and the own mantra strengthen the heart so much that even if the Lord's one emotional vision were to make someone swoon, now our beloved's heart has been made such that forget about a vision—she must be bathed, her divine limbs must be wiped, beautiful ubtan must be applied to her divine limbs, beautiful fragrances must be applied, beautiful sandalwood paste must be applied. If she were to swoon, who would do all this? Such great strength, such mighty power the Chaurasi Pada and the own mantra bestow!

Just by repeating it, holding it, listening to it, the taste becomes complete. Saying Harivansh, Harivansh, Harivansh, chanting Harivansh, Harivansh, the word Harivansh, the chanting of the Harivansh word happens. The Chaurasi Pada is now flowing. "Whoever loves is pleased, whoever is pleased does it with fullness within." And look at the beautiful play today. Now, for two and a half hours speak to no one, stay quiet, peaceful, sit in complete solitude. Like on the banks of the Yamuna, all the seva is happening. It is said that they sit in one place, remain quiet and peaceful, and their flow continues. So "Sing the beautiful praise of Sri Harivansh, believe firmly, firmly. That rasa all the rasikas have attained." The fruit of good deeds—the fruit of merit from countless births—has been obtained by you if you have developed love for the Chaurasi Pada. When there is real grace, the life becomes absorbed in the Harivansh word, nothing else. The life is absorbed in the Harivansh word. Just the Chaurasi Pada, the own mantra, and yugal seva—this much is our path, our focus.

The Chaurasi Pada, the swan-word, the nectar speech—it is all one thing. The word of the Mahaprabhu, the mantra given by the Mahaprabhu, and the seva given by the Mahaprabhu—this much is ours, and we know nothing else and accept nothing else. Both things are there. Now look, friend: "In rasa there is no rule, no prohibition. There is no auspicious moment, no deep Vedas; there are no inauspicious days, nothing."

In this rasa, for those who are surrendered to Harivansh, the scriptures say "do this" and the scriptures say "don't do this"—all of this is no longer in our control. Nabha Ji has written: "For Harivansh Mahaprabhu there is no rule, no prohibition, O servant."

Now, for example, according to the scriptures, at sunset, remaining silent, facing west, offering oblations to the sun, and chanting the Gayatri—this is prescribed. There is no self-study, no reading, no singing. At that time, staying silent, the scriptures prescribe the Gayatri chanting at the time of sunset.

Now, for us, beyond what the scriptures prescribe is what transcends the Vedas: the conch, the bell, whatever is used in the arati of our Vaishnav people. The mridang and other instruments are played abundantly, and our people attain the blessing of performing Shri Ji's arati. And before that, the evening prasad is offered, and there is a rule to immediately receive the prasad. When prasad is received, it is taken. From the time the sun sets, for half an hour—that is, 48 minutes, two gharis—eating and drinking is prohibited during this time.

The sun is setting. 48 minutes on this side, 48 minutes on that side. During this time, sitting in between, the practice of chanting is prescribed. By this time, the prasad becomes complete. So in this rasa, there is no rule, no prohibition. What do the scriptures say? Tell others, tell them: we are Harivanshi. We have understood we are Harivanshi. That's why, to understand this rasa quickly—whoever says "Harivansh rasa is rare to understand"—if you understand this..

They performed sandhya three times a day. Three-time sandhya—morning, midday, and evening—with the munja girdle, 108 munja threads, the munja thread, the munja thread in the braid, sitting on kusha grass, performing the three-time sandhya, the Gayatri ritual. But by guru's grace, such a life is no more. In a very scriptural way, without worshipping Balvashya Dev, one could not eat. Performing havan, worshipping Balvashya, remaining engaged all day. A life of celibacy and renunciation. What praise can we offer from our own mouth? And now the life that is, is not our life—it is our beloved's life.

Now if someone asks us "what are you?" we were saying yesterday that we could write a poster, we are nothing. What sadhana is there? Nothing. We cannot say anything about ourselves. What can we say? Just this much we can certainly say: we are Sri Ji's. That's all. Beyond this we can say nothing.

Whatever pride we had in sadhana, whatever arrogance of sadhana we had, whatever we spoke with pride—all of that is nothing for us. Now we have nothing. Except for our beloved, nothing. Whatever we have is just the beloved. We have no sadhana. No strength of any sadhana remains. Dust has been thrown on everything. Wherever there was pride, everything has been shattered. Nothing remains with us. Whatever arrogance we once spoke with, all that arrogance of ours has flowed away. By Sri Ji's grace, everything has flowed away. No arrogance remains.

Only one thing remains: our Mother, our Shyama, in the realm of madhurya—there is no rule, no prohibition. There are many scriptural rules. We don't follow even one rule. Our rule is Sri Ji, and everything else is prohibited. Listen carefully, O Hari, O follower of Harivansh! Our rule is only Sri Ji, from morning to evening. We don't know what day it is, what time. There is no thought here about what day it is, what weekday, what lunar date, what constellation. Nothing matters. The path of remaining absorbed in his word from morning to evening has been given by Harivansh Mahaprabhu. And "there, no auspicious moment, no planets, no Vedas, brother. These Aries, Taurus, and other signs—this is the sign."

This is an auspicious time. This is an inauspicious time. You have Krittika and Rohini nakshatras, Aries, Taurus—all these planets and nakshatras here have no significance whatsoever. From morning to evening, today like yesterday, like the day after, like the day after that, for twelve months, it is the same day, the same date, the same moment—Radha Radha Radha—or in rasa there is no rule, no prohibition. Don't do this, look, this is supreme love. Karmaabai had this love in her heart. She served Thakur Ji—she thought that everyone offers Thakur Ji food until bedtime, but when he wakes from sleep, it is not yet time for hunger, so morning comes very late. When it is time for Mangal bhog, at 3 o'clock she would make khichdi without bathing, without rinsing, without washing her mouth.

At 3 o'clock she would prepare the khichdi and call Thakur Ji, and Thakur Ji is an ocean of grace—when he saw her bhava, when he saw her love—I am hungry for bhava, bhava alone is the essence—moved by that bhava, he would come and sit in her lap and eat the khichdi. Thakur Jagannath Ji. Then afterward she would clean all the vessels and pots from breakfast, and do everything, and then go to bathe. One day she became famous. Karmaabai is a great devotee, she does bhajan for the Lord. Then a scholar came, one who follows the path of scripture and ritual. So his sunrise was happening—she was being called a great devotee. Now as she was about to go bathe, at first she remained quiet, but then he said, "Did you not hear? The time for bathing is 3, 4 o'clock. One should bathe then, one should do bhajan." So she said, "Master, how can we bathe at 3, 4 o'clock? At 3 o'clock we offer Thakur Ji the bhog of khichdi." She told him about her bhava. He said, "That is a great offense—without bathing, without becoming pure, it is a great offense to offer Thakur Ji! That is why we call it a great offense. Listen to others, don't. A great offense." Karmaabai was very simple-natured in her devotion, so she became afraid. So the Maharaj first bathed and marked his forehead according to the scriptural method.

Now she began. Now she bathed and did everything, and when she cooked, by 5 o'clock something was left over. So she called Thakur Ji. Thakur Ji came and had one mouthful, then the time came for the temple curtain to open and he left—so he left with the khichdi still in his mouth because the ritual was not yet complete, she had not given him water to rinse his mouth. So when the curtain was opened, Jagannath Ji's attendant said, "Hail, hail! The bhog has been offered—how is the khichdi still there?" Then he said that Karmaabai comes to our bhog every day. A ritualist scholar has come, Father, and confused his mind.

Tell Karmaabai: we are pleased with her just as she was before. Make it without bathing, without all the washing, and give it to us. For us, there is no rule, no prohibition in rasa. In offering bhog, this was not said. "Tasty Govinda," that mantra—whatever our beloved child made—Radha Vallabh Shri Harivansh Mahaprabhu, Radha Vallabh Shri—there is no mantra here, no impurity, no impurity. "Keshava nama Narayana nama Radha Vallabh Shri Harivansh Shri Radha, Shri Radha, Shri Radha"—or rasa. That is why no one else will accept. Look, in this very context, going forward they say: "Praise us or give us abuse—we do not accept your words. We do not yield. We will walk in the Harivansh dharma alone. Harivansh—consider it dharma. Their fruits have been done—the fruits of many lifetimes of merit have ripened. Who has the courage to eat when there is an eclipse? Here pang is served when there is an eclipse, at the Tatiya place pang is served. Kunj Bihari Shri Haridas—they get it.

We have no concern, so read about it. Our eclipse goes on day and night.

[throat clearing sound]

The moon-like Priya is being accomplished by Shyam. We dwell always in this lunar eclipse. We dwell in this solar eclipse. So in rasa there is no rule, no prohibition. No scriptural rule or procedure is in our rasa. From Mangal in the morning, to Mangal—Chaturasi Ji, our mantra alone—we know nothing. Days ahead we will explain further. So neither auspicious time, nor eclipse—whether Aries, Taurus, or eclipse, solar eclipse or lunar eclipse—we do not accept these. Their significance—in worldly custom they keep the temple closed. Worldly custom, because of society and the world, they keep it closed—it is not that—for our Thakur Ji there is no eclipse, because we are eternal worshippers of Vrindavan. And the Lord says in the Gita: "Na tasya surya na shashanko na pavaka—neither the sun, nor the moon, nor fire—which brightness illuminates the world by the sun, moon, and fire, these three lights do not enter this Vrindavan dhaam. Na tasya suryo na shashanko na pavaka—surya means the sun, sashanko means the moon, pavaka means fire. These three lights do not enter there. Tadha param—that dhaam is self-luminous. So we do the eightfold worship of Shri Priya and Preetam in the self-luminous dhaam. Here there is never a lunar eclipse or solar eclipse." So they said, "Behavior, behavior—you must do worldly behavior." We said, "We have torn the flag of behavior in shreds. That is why in this dharma—what you call Harivansh rasa—it is rare to understand, rare. Who is a true surrendered soul? Very few—absolutely firm in their own dharma. No belief of any kind whatsoever. One day is bad, one day is nothing. Today is a very bad day. Today is a very good day. This is this date, today is this—for us there is no bad day, no good day, because that is our daily routine. For us there is neither a good day nor a bad day. Every day is auspicious. Neither eclipse, nor nakshatra, nor good, nor bad. Neither day nor bad day, neither rule nor prohibition. No good, no bad. They say, "A cat crossed the road—it is bad." They killed the cat. Someone got the news. The cat crossed the road, so they stopped the car and surrounded that cat and killed it. Now it is bad. Is there no God in the cat? They say, "I saw an empty bucket—it is bad."

He said: A sneeze came while we were traveling. Very inauspicious has occurred. A cat crossed the path. But Shri Harivansh says this is auspicious. He showed them: "Look, this cat is crossing the path." And when he came ahead, flowers were falling in welcome. Drums were being played. And in the midst of complete auspiciousness, Maharaj said: "Why do you speak of a cat crossing the path? What happened? For Shri Harivansh, there is no auspiciousness, no inauspiciousness, no honor, no dishonor. There is no auspiciousness, no inauspiciousness. If today is a very auspicious day, what will it give us? Because we are engaged night and day in Priya and Preetam. If today is a very inauspicious day, what will it take from us?"

We are engaged in Priya and Preetam. Here there is neither auspiciousness nor inauspiciousness. There is only great grace. We do not keep a calendar. Those who keep a calendar are not cylinders. Surrender, surrender—those who have surrendered, the ones who take refuge—those who surrender do not keep a calendar. Now we do not even know what day it is, what day of the week, what constellation. I tell you truly: I do not know. I know ekadashi only from the crowds of Vrindavan. From the pilgrimage path, if someone tells us, "Today is this tithi, today is this date," we do not know. But we certainly track Thursday because we have to go to Guru Ji's place.

For us there is no auspiciousness, no inauspiciousness, no honor, no dishonor. Whoever honors me, I do not receive honor; whoever dishonors me, I do not feel dishonored. Someone said: "What have you found? What magic have you discovered that honor and dishonor have no effect on you?" Maharaj said: "Shri Harivansh's speech is an ocean of rasa, immersed completely, all treasures attained. In the ocean of Chatuarsi, our mind, like a fish, plays endlessly. Honor and dishonor have no effect. Whoever honors me—I do not increase my honor; whoever dishonors me—I do not feel disgraced. For us there is no auspiciousness, no inauspiciousness, no honor, no dishonor, and no endless confusion, delusion, deception, or cunningness.

"Here there is no place for falsehood; here falsehood does not work. Do not speak falsehood. In this rasa, there is no falsehood, no untruth. There is no falsehood. As it is, so it belongs to Shri Ji. Endless—if misunderstood—means falsehood and delusion. The word 'endless' can also sound like falsehood; but the word 'endless' is also worship itself.

"Like this: jai shri Harivansh anat sach nahi an
Jai Shri Harivansh - endless is truth, not [falsity].
If we interpret it as anitu, falsity comes; if we take it as ananta, truth comes. So we should neither take refuge in confusion nor speak falsehood nor become deluded. We must keep complete faith in our worship. Otherwise we will meet other people who will confuse us. That is why our satsang cannot happen with others. There should be no confusion in our worship. There should be no confusion. Doubt should be dissolved. We should walk on the same path that the Guru walks.

"Well, have you people come to understand our worship? If Shri Ji has brought you, then come silently. Why do you ask in the middle—where are you taking me? Wait, tell us. When you did not ask at the beginning, why ask in the middle? Come silently, come along. When we go out, we will also take you out. Why should you worry? You should have thought beforehand. After marriage, if you see the groom is dark, what then? Now you must live this life. It is not that if the groom is dark, you can leave him and choose another fair one. No.

"Now Harivansh—whose happiness, wealth, partnership [are in Him]—for us who are devoted to Harivansh, there is no auspiciousness, no inauspiciousness, no honor, no dishonor, no endless confusion, delusion, deception, or cunningness.

Bathing ritual—I bathed. "Hari Om Ma"—mantras, there is nothing special about them here. While bathing, if you remember the Yamunastaka, sing it; if not, sing Radha Vallabh Shri Harivansh Radha Vallabh Shri. The scriptural procedures we have in our bathing ritual, we accept them here. I took water and began.

The bathing ritual and japa anushthan. Maharaj said: "We are performing anushthan. In our sampradaya, japa anushthan in the beginning stage—we also honor the practice that one should do japa with a mala.

"But when one develops taste for the mantra, I tell you the truth: the mala seems to become a burden. And now many months pass when the mala does not come into hand. Though the affection is such that I say to Madhav: do not forget the mala. Keep the mala in your pocket always. You can ask for it anytime. But many months pass when we do not ask for it. There is no time to turn the mala, to count it, to turn it, to kiss it—there is no time for all this. There is no time.

"Go, why count? There is no counting here. Here there is constant remembrance of Priya Ji. In millions, in crores, these will be found. This is nothing. Here, jin naam li hit so hai ati din tako sang na chhar
One [recital of the] name [of whom] Hit says '[is] most precious; for days [He] does not abandon [that one].
Dhruv—the mala is not in hand; but whether you believe or not, not a second, not a moment should pass empty. I pray to Shri Ji that such misfortune never happens.

"The effort from within is such that not a second, not a moment should pass empty—may such misfortune never happen. Either Chatuarsi, or my mantra, or my name—one of these three is always running. Even if we sit silently, we should not be confused, we should not be confused in our worship. There can be many who confuse. It is not like this, it is like this, it is like this, not like that.

"Pure is our speech. Like tasmat shastram prmanam—therefore, scripture is proof—here we follow the speech of the Veda-enthusiasts, we follow the speech of the rasiks according to the rasiks' understanding. Deception—one thing inside, one thing outside—these things, for us who are Harivanshi, we are very pure-hearted. Very pure—these deceptions, show, cleverness, cunningness—these are not for us. Completely simple nature—no crookedness. Yet we are making mistakes. We are not able [to stop] making mistakes. Our Shri Ji has not yet granted us such grace.

"The day He applies the brake, that day even if we lift our eyes, we will not look toward what is wrong. What can we do? We are helpless. We are making mistakes. No, no, no—we swear. We [intend] not like this, not like this. We are at fault. We are making mistakes, or have made mistakes, or could make them in the future too."

Only Shrimati Ji can handle all this now. You can forgive if you wish. You can punish if you wish. We are like this. We cannot say anything. There is no power in us. And when there was power, we used to cry out about such things - that this cannot happen now, this cannot be said now. But all that changes. As it is now written in the shloka: "Joia joia pyaro kare, soi mohi bhav hai" - whatever the beloved does, that becomes pleasing to me. There is no capability in me to do anything. Nothing can be done by my own strength. Now I have no such capability. Whatever will be done through me, as it will be, whatever comes to pass - I am just watching.

If insult is meant to come, it will be brought about through me. You will insult us. If honor is meant to come, something will be done such that you will honor us. All these are external things. But deception and cunning - these do not exist in our rasiks. They are simple, straightforward in nature. The austerities of bathing, mantra repetition, and tapasya - these are not what we do. Our japa is not formal ritual. It is constant calling of the beloved, continuous calling. This calling is like a mantra - as if we are calling to the beloved. Here among our rasiks, as you can see, if you look at our Guru Ji, below the throat you will see it moving - constantly, constantly he is engaged in mantra remembrance. It is not a mala in the usual sense. By the grace of the Guru, such prasad of the feet came to us that though we made great effort in the beginning, once we found interest in the mantra itself, the mala was naturally set aside in the middle. That mala could not continue.

You people should not do this. There should be no competition. If you do compete, what is happening will stop. The bhajan will cease. When you look at class one and PhD - you are now practicing, but we have been practicing for 11 years. From the age of 11. And external austerities - these are not our way. Our austerities are internal. External austerity means not applying fragrance, not using perfumed substances - these come under tapasya. But in our tradition, if you do not apply perfumed substances, it is an offense. Apply the prasad. If you don't have it, then apply the prasad - because when you go into service, apply Shri Ji's prasad, the fragrant ointment, and then go into service. The second austerity is not to wear a mala - this falls under tapasya.

Not applying fragrance and not wearing a mala. But in our tradition, when the prasad mala is received, put it immediately around the neck and wear it with pride, with chest held high - it is the prasad mala of our Shri Ji. The third - sandalwood, fragrant substances, mala, sandalwood - these are forbidden for the ascetic. Here, apply them with pride! It is Shri Ji's prasad sandalwood. And the prasad ornaments, the prasad clothing - now for betel leaf: in austerity, betel is forbidden. Here, chew the betel that Shri Ji has enjoyed with joy and delight, while chanting the mantra. For betel and prasad are never considered remnants. Just as when Radhavallabh Ji received the bhog from Shri Ji and put it in his mouth - it is not considered remnants then. The mantra continues flowing brightly and clearly. Remnants are what are not blessed by Shri Ji. What comes through Shri Ji becomes nectar, not remnants. Even after receiving charanamrit, you can chant the mantra, and after receiving prasad you can chant the mantra. The prasad - this is explained in what follows about the servant's words, which will come in the next section.

Shri Harivansh - do not think it is small austerity. What is known austerity? Shri Harivansh the known dharma. Do not understand it as small austerity. Harivansh cannot understand dharma this way. And here it is said: bathing, mantra repetition, and austerity are not it. Now connect this to that other place where the servant says: "Without difficult austerity, this rasa cannot be obtained." And here it says: "Bathing and mantra repetition and austerity are not it." There the servant says - Shri Harivansh, the renowned dharma of austerity. The austerity of serving the dharmin and remembering the dharmin - this is the greatest austerity. If once in life it becomes so, if once you simply let go of all this, became the surrendered one of Shri Ji and Shri Ji's people - if once it became so - why? Why do you question? With this you would pass through in a flash, released. And why if you do it then you become stuck in the mud. It is hard to escape, and there are different processes of extraction. The Lord, how does He inspire? What should you do? Why? If you don't do why, then you will firmly escape from this maya and its illusions. And if you do why, then however well you go, you will get stuck in the mud. Firmly stuck. Therefore serve the dharmin and remember the dharmin. The word dharmin applies to both service and remembrance.

Serve the upasak of Harivansh and remember the upasak of Harivansh. This means something very great. When you meditate on your Guru, when you remember your Guru - dharmin jap is a very great thing. Even if you sit for just a little while and meditate on your Guru, contemplate your Guru - and those whose attachment is to their Guru - what can be said of them? Standing, sitting, walking, moving - the remembrance of their Guru remains constant. The greatest austerity is service to the dharmin of Harivansh and remembrance of the dharmin of Harivansh, their sumiarn - remembrance. Jap means sumiarn, remembrance.

Their remembrance, their meditation, again and again. Thus the scripture says: "Dhyan moolam guru murti, puja moolam guru padam, mantra moolam guru vaakyam, moksh moolam guru kripa" - meditation is rooted in the Guru's form, worship is rooted in the Guru's feet, mantra is rooted in the Guru's words, liberation is rooted in the Guru's grace. Blessed is one who in serving the Guru, even if some small service happens, even if something is accomplished through one - let my life be a sacrifice! Let my life become blessed, that I come into their command, that I walk according to their command. "Jnan dhyan tahan sakal prayas, suno rasik Harivansh vilas" - all knowledge, all meditation, all effort is there - listen, O rasik, to the play of Harivansh. Shri Harivansh alone is the goal. The knowledge they speak of - the knowledge of Sankhya and Yoga, this knowledge - "Sarvam khidim Brahmne, nanaasti kinchana" - it comes to you naturally.

It will happen - there is no need for effort. Even if one is cruel, sinful, wicked, or unworthy of conversation - yet it is manifest Shri Radhavallabh Lal. This is my firm conviction. It is not merely that they are dwelling there - it is manifest Shri Radhavallabh Lal who is present. This is my firm conviction. Is there any knowledge greater than this? No matter how cruel, how sinful, how wicked - it is manifest Shri Radhavallabh Lal. This is my firm conviction. So you too see it this way - this is the command of Shri Harivansh Mahaprabhu. Can there be any greater knowledge than this - to see everyone as your beloved deity? But the knowledge of Sankhya, Yoga - here effort is needed. That has no place here. That has no place here. Here, meditate on the name Radha - that very form of Radha will awaken. Here, the meditation is on the lotus feet of Priya Preetam, the meditation is on the name of Priya Preetam, and no other meditation.

What is our knowledge? Our Priya Preetam. What is our meditation? Priya Preetam. What is the practice? Priya Preetam. What is the prohibition? Everything else. Everything except Priya Preetam is prohibited. So knowledge, meditation, all effort - Listen, O lovers of the divine play, to the glory of Harivansh. O lovers of the divine play, hear - I sing the glory and splendor of such a Harivansh, and I myself am sung by Shri Harivansh, so I will sing only of Shri Harivansh. Now Sevak Ji Maharaj is saying: Where there is Harivansh's love and ecstasy, where is there selfishness or tastelessness, argument or debate? Where there is Harivansh's surrender and the mantra of Harivansh's name, the personal mantra born of surrender to Harivansh - there arises one love.

When someone speaks of rules and one does not follow them, they say, "You are quite mad!" We do not follow the matter, so here is the further description - yes, we are mad. Where there is Harivansh's love and ecstasy, where is there selfishness or tastelessness? This tastelessness, this desire for selfishness does not arise in those who follow Harivansh's dharma. Where the mantra born of Harivansh's name, the mantra born of surrender to Harivansh, the personal mantra born of it, the service of the divine couple born of the eighty-four divine plays and love born of it - there is no selfishness. If a tomato ripens on the banks of the Yamuna and we wash it in the Yamuna's waters and run with joy, when we offer it as prasad to Radha Piji, then offering ten million tomatoes as prasad will not give that same joy, because that one was nurtured with our sweat. And when we pick a flower - not a rose flower - and take it to Radha Mohan Ji, take it to Radha Piji, and when they adorn themselves and wear it, when we see it - what is it for the Harivansh worshipper? For Radha Piji, for Radha Mohan Ji, for our Priya Preetam - whatever we do, we do for Priya Preetam. Our self has dissolved. We bathe for Priya Preetam. We put on pure clothes for Priya Preetam. We apply sandalwood tilak for Priya Preetam. We look in the mirror for Priya Preetam. Now we go and engage in service - everything is being done for Priya Preetam. Where is there selfishness or tastelessness? These crude, tasteless matters of selfishness do not occur in those who follow Harivansh's dharma. Where the love of Harivansh finds expression, there such bland matters of selfishness, such selfish deeds - none of this happens. And if the Harivansh dharma is not followed, selfishness remains. But when selfishness is not present - and now this dharma is such that there is no place for argument or debate in it.

If someone comes and starts debating. Oh, the states become quite strange. Very strange states arise. Now those who do not know begin to slander. "How would you know our household matters, friend? You want to obtain everything through effort - we are at play with that. You want to obtain everything through effort - we are at play with that. Friend, what do you understand? What can you grasp?" They say, "That is the speech of the perfected ones." Are you perfected? Then whose line are we standing in?

Whose line are we standing in? We are standing in the line of our gurus, and before our gurus are the gurus before them - they are all perfected ones. So we are standing in the line of the perfected ones. We are not perfected, but we are standing in the line of the perfected ones, and we are moving by the command of the perfected ones. And our perfection will be what Sevak Ji's is, what Dhruvdas Ji's is. Be absolutely convinced - have faith. We will arrive - not by making ourselves smaller, but Shri Ji will call us and say, "Make yourself small, make your form small," and we will make Dhruvdas Ji's form large. We will not make it small. That very form, that very pride, that very service, that very dignity - this is what they are saying here. Argument and debate - establish your dharma yourself. Then the guru told of how Raja Mansingh was a great follower of the eternal dharma.

So he asked our revered Shri Rupa Goswami, "You do not observe Ekadashi. You do not follow the practices of eternal dharma. You do not observe tithis and festivals. You do not follow the rules and prohibitions that are prescribed. Prove what your dharma is." Then Rupa Goswami smiled. Then he said, "Prove it, or we will make you our prisoner and summon you." So what proof can be given here? What proof can be given of a matter of the heart? He does not know the language of the lovers of the divine play. He will accept proof from the Vedas and the Gita. And our dharma begins with: Sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam braj - "Abandon all dharmas and take refuge in me alone."

Sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam braj - Here one begins. How can anyone understand this? So argument and debate - if anyone begins to argue and debate, one should remain silent, accept defeat, and move on. One should not quarrel to establish one's own doctrine. One should not cause suffering or pain to anyone. We accept defeat. This is a matter of our heart. We do not argue and debate with you. But in the dharma in which we walk, we will continue to walk. We will not argue and debate. It is Sevak Ji's command: No argument and debate. We have no need to argue and debate with anyone to establish our doctrine.

We should not harbor confusion or doubt in our dharma. We must proceed with firm faith. This is why a follower of Harivanshdharma, if they listen to the words of others, will develop those impressions in themselves. Whatever words you hear, those impressions will form in you. When we hear things, we contemplate them, and that contemplation becomes our impression. So we should not develop any other impressions in ourselves.

Look, our dharma is a woman's dharma. We must please our husband. Another's husband may be very beautiful, very clever, very learned, very wise, but what is that to us? Our own husband is like God to us.

My husband is God to me. This dharma of ours—we did not come to it through knowledge or learning. The Parabrahma, the Supreme Soul, the ultimate reality, drew us into this dharma. Now that the Lord has given us this dharma, we will follow it. We will walk according to it and we have been saved, my friend, saved from great entanglement.

The Mahaprabhu—sometimes we think by the Yamuna shore—saved us from great snares. Saved us from the trap of scriptures, and directly kept us engaged all eight hours of the day in the affection of the Beloved. The rest of the discussion continues, Shri Hari.

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

Original video: Shri Hit Radha Kripa (YouTube)