ekantik vartalaap evam darshan #1336

At Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj in Vrindavan, an intimate conversation with Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj. Seekers put forward questions about their life and sadhana, and Maharaj Ji resolves them.

The Full Discourse

Dangat Sharma Ji: Radhe Radhe, Maharaj Ji. What is the nature of the atman? Is the atman free? What is the nature of Ishwar? Is Ishwar free?

Maharaj Ji: Yes, the atman is supremely free. The atman is one. It appears in many forms. For example, if ten million pots are placed and the sun's reflection falls in all of them, the sun does not become ten million. The sun is only one. According to the pots, it appears small or large within them. Similarly, the atman is one. These are all pots.

jad chaitanya eko brahm dwiteeyo nast
Inert matter and consciousness are one Brahman; there is no second.

The atman is one. Whoever removes this illusion of multiplicity within multiplicity—that one is the great soul. That one is the learned. That one is the wise. That one has overcome this false delusion. When the illusion of multiplicity disappears from among multiplicity, it is experienced that the atman is one.

ek ko brahm dviti nast
One is Brahman; there is no second.

There is nothing else. Is there a question in this?

Sharma Ji: Is the atman free?

Maharaj Ji: Yes, supremely free. Supremely free. That is Ishwar. That is the atman. Whoever believes there is a difference between atman and Paramatman is ignorant. That one is ignorant. That alone exists.

matta partram na kinch Dhananjay
There is nothing beyond me, O Dhananjay.

"There is none other than me," Bhagavan Shri Krishna is saying. The wise call That Brahman. Yogis call That Parameshwar, Paramatman. Bhaktas call That Bhagavan. Those in love call That their Beloved. It is one and the same. Not two.

Being one, it manifests as many. "I am one, yet I become many." That one is playing. There is no other.

That one is supremely free. No one rules over That; all are under Its rule. All are under Its rule. What is all? Maya. What is Maya? Delusion.

It rules over itself. It plays with itself and destroys itself by itself. Do you understand? It is a most wondrous play. Whoever knows this—some hear it in wonder, some see it in wonder, some experience it in wonder. If you experience it, you are liberated. If you do not experience it, then speak much knowledge and hear much knowledge, and you will remain caught in Maya's grasp.

This is a most wondrous play of Maya. It is possible to have intellectual knowledge of the atman but not direct perception. It is possible to speak discourses on bhakti but have no love for Bhagavan. This is an inner matter. It is possible you cannot give discourses but you have direct perception of the atman. You have love of the atman.

This means it is such an untold story that understanding itself becomes impossible. Only when Bhagavan and the guru bestow direct experience—that is the atman. Not through many discourses, not through great intellect, not through much hearing. Only through the guru's grace does pure knowledge arise. May the delusion of the knot between matter and consciousness that has settled be destroyed.

Sharma Ji: Maharaj Ji, what are truth and falsehood? What is the true source of peace?

Maharaj Ji: Yes. First, the distinction between truth and falsehood is made through discrimination.

brahm satyam jagat mithya
Brahman is true; the world is false.

I am completely That. Truth is Hari's worship. The world is all a dream. First, accept this completely. Then see where you are situated—in truth or in falsehood? Look honestly, O beloved. Are you engaged in falsehood or in truth? Effort for truth does occur, but if you know what truth is, then you will move towards it. If we do not know, then there is the guru. Everyone should know—look to Bhagavan. Grant such knowledge to all.

If someone in the neighborhood has died and someone is weeping, and you are asked to explain a bit, then you have the capability to explain: "See, brother, this is the realm of death. Everyone must die here. Everyone must leave here. There is nothing true here." And when the dead body is carried, even the villagers say, "Ram naam satya"—the name of Ram is truth—introducing the truth. Everyone knows this. "Ram naam satya"—that is what is said, isn't it?

But what is truth? Look—this whole life long, what rests on our shoulders is false work. If at least at the time of death all recite "ram naam satya"..

Whoever is established in Bhagavan is established in truth. And whoever is established in worldly affairs is established in falsehood. This is an inner matter. This is an inner matter. It is possible one in the guise of a saint may be established in falsehood, and you may be established in truth. This distinction cannot be known. Only the guru and Bhagavan know this. Do you understand?

The distinction between truth and falsehood is made through discrimination. And when discrimination awakens, it will be through satsang.

bin satsang vivek na hoi, Ram kripa bin sulabh na hoi
Without satsang there is no discrimination; without Bhagavan's grace it is not attainable.

So discrimination becomes so keen that it immediately gives the experience of truth and causes the abandonment of falsehood. Truth is never absent. It is not absent anywhere. And falsehood has no existence anywhere.

na sate vidyate bhav, nabhav vidyate sata
The unreal does not exist; the real does not cease to be.

Now consider carefully. When you eat, when you drink water, when you enjoy pleasures, when you engage in various activities—do you do these as play or as truth? At that time it seems true. This, just this, is the state of ignorance. And the wise one—that one will engage in the same activities, but as if in a role, in a disguise. For four hours becomes a king or queen, later takes the money—no attachment to the queen, no attachment to the king. Do you understand?

Similarly, here is our activity—husband, son, family, relations, all..

But this is like a play. They know themselves: "I am neither male nor female here; I am the form of Param Brahm, the Supreme Self." Yet they don't say it; their behavior may appear like an ignorant person's, but their state remains in God. This is the truth, yes.

What is the real source of peace?

shraddwan labhte gyanam
The faithful gain knowledge. Listen very carefully. Through devotion, through focused pursuit and controlled senses, knowledge is gained; having gained knowledge, supreme peace is attained. Whoever is faithful, whoever practices satsang with saints and great souls, whoever studies the scriptures—whatever knowledge they obtain from that, through that knowledge they regulate their senses and mind. And when they obtain self-knowledge by regulating their senses and mind, then supreme peace is attained.

In other words, peace comes from renouncing pleasures. Through renunciation comes peace. Whoever renounces pleasure—you see, the mind keeps convincing itself: "If you indulge in this pleasure, you will find peace," it keeps saying. But when the desire for that pleasure awakens, the mind says, "If you enjoy this pleasure, peace will be here, the trouble will end." But the trouble doesn't end; it only increases. Through renunciation comes peace—God is saying this. So the state of peace is in self-knowledge, in the renunciation of desires. The true object, the Supreme Self, is the Self.

When the feeling of the complete Supreme Self pervades you, then this world too is "All this is Brahm." Otherwise, consider it false first, and awaken the true state in Brahm. The Self is supremely free. It is the supreme illuminator of all. Nothing illuminates it. It is the support of all. Nothing supports it. It is self-established. Do you understand? And that very one is you. Just understand this much and you become liberated while living. They say it's very difficult. It's simple to say, but difficult to understand, difficult to grasp, and difficult to practice. Discrimination is a very difficult path. It's easy to speak these words—even if there is severe pain in the body, then say "I am Brahm, understand now." When knowledge is applied to yourself—when adversity comes upon you, when all kinds of suffering come to the body, yet if your smile remains secure, then the knowledge is secure. Otherwise, no matter how much you say "I am not the body," if you're told that cancer is in its final stage..

Then if your photograph is taken, all that knowledge will flow away to a corner. Will it flow away? Yes, that is called merely intellectual knowledge. If there is pure understanding, then even at that moment you will remain in that state. You had to realize this anyway—you had to become merely an instrument. It will pass. This will pass. I am imperishable. What can death do to harm me? This is what knowledge means. If you're getting food to eat, clothes to wear, then say "I am Brahm." Say it! And when the blows of adversity strike, then say in that moment "I am Brahm"—then you will understand the point.

What is the relationship between jiva and jagat, Maharaj?

Illusion with illusion.

jasu kripa sab bhram mit jae girja swai kripalu raghurain
By His grace, all illusions are dispelled; the merciful Lord Raghuraj Himself grants grace.

It's like someone standing in a glass temple. Glass has many qualities—one magnifies the form, one shows it small, one shows it distorted. Now, that person standing in the glass temple sees many forms of themselves. If they become attached to one form and hate another, what is it? It's just illusion, isn't it? That's all it is. Similarly, there is one Supreme Self. And we consider it as our wife. We consider it our son, friend, we call someone an enemy, someone low, someone great.

What is this? It's only our own illusion. The true object..when you know the true object, then "The learned Brahmin, endowed with knowledge and humility..sees the same in all"—there is one in all, I am that one. The play ends. The illusion ends. This relationship between jiva and jagat has arisen from illusion. If this illusion is destroyed—what is called ignorance, avidya, ego—then the jiva becomes liberated while living. Are you following? You, Ramdin Tiwari from Bhopal..

Radha Vallabh Siya, Shri Harivansh Mahaprabhu Ji—countless bows at your feet, Maharaj Ji. This servant is initiated by Maharaj Ji, Swami Shankaracharya Maharaj Ji. Maharaj Ji, I received the tarak mantra from you. There is natural inclination and love in Ram naam. Maharaj Ji, for three years I have been regularly listening to your discourse through YouTube.

Maharaj Ji, this has come to mind:

soi jaan dehit tum hi tum hi hoi jai
That alone is worth knowing—you alone become you alone.

Maharaj Ji, by your grace:

tumhari kripa tum hi raghunandan janat bhagat bhagat ur chandan
By your grace, you alone, O Raghunandan, are known; the devotees have you as sandalwood in their hearts.

The question, Maharaj Ji, is: Is the attainment of God grace-dependent or effort-dependent? If it's grace-dependent, Lord, then what about our effort? Both our effort and God's grace—because even the urge to make effort came from God's grace. You were saying in satsang today that a cowardly person cannot attain God. Our puruṣārtha, our effort, and God's grace—but even the puruṣārtha that arises is from God's grace.

Because we are saying Ram Ram, it is from Ram Ji's grace. We came to the assembly of saints, to satsang, from Ram Ji's grace. When "the compassionate, merciful Raghav, protector of the poor, then one obtains the company of saints"—whatever puruṣārtha we have is also happening through grace. But we will remain steadfast in effort, trusting in grace, with firm resolve that even if our life leaves us, we will not act wrongly; we will act rightly. And every moment should not be wasted—not a single moment should go empty without remembrance of God. That's what I try to do. Yes, it is our effort, God's grace is His. Our effort..now this: regarding wrong behaviors, the tendencies toward them—these are being tolerated..

They are not performed by them. Vrittis (tendencies) arise. If you endure them, they gradually subside. The negative tendencies that exist within us, which are prompted by our ill intellect, need to be destroyed. By the tendencies of the path of truth, we suppress the path of untruth, and then the fruit of the path of truth is to become free of ego. This is all happening by God's grace. The bhakt begins to experience this. All his worldly and spiritual conduct and ultimate well-being, he begins to see. God is causing it. God Himself sits in the heart and causes it.

Nothing is being done by me. He becomes a jivanmukta, a great soul liberated while living. His mind is in Ram, intellect is in Ram, consciousness is in Ram, ego is in Ram. He attains the form of God. The more one does naam jap and follows God's command, that much more grace descends upon him. See, Goswami Ji said, who becomes fit for complete grace?

He answered: Forsaking mind, action, and speech, abandoning cunning, one worships—and Raghurai bestows grace. Whoever, with mind, speech, and action, forsaking deception and deceit, worships God, God certainly bestows grace upon him. And by God's grace he became filled with God. Consider that grace alone as true. No one has any power of their own. Just because of ego, one receives punishment for everything. If ego dissolves, then one becomes the form of God. Every action becomes fruitless. All actions that bind one to auspicious and inauspicious fruits become fruitless. One will attain God.

As long as fruit remains, God is not attained. This is a very subtle subject. As long as actions have fruit, there is enjoyment of that fruit. When actions become fruitless, when there is no attachment to auspicious, inauspicious, pain, or pleasure, then one attains God. As long as good and bad remain, God is not attained. And where both good and bad are destroyed, one attains God. So God's great grace is upon you that you are dedicating your life to God's name. Go forward humbly and without pride.

Yes, Maharaj Ji. When I remain in sattvic mood in the morning, doing worship and study, I remain in bliss. After leaving that place, that state doesn't remain. Yes, because maya also has its own influence. Just as bhakti has influence, so maya's influence is not small—it's very great. If we keep a guard and protector with us, then we remain secure because we have our guard. So naam itself is our protector at all times.

naam Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram na Janaki ji ke hai na naam paru divas nish dhyan tumhare kapaat lochan nij pad jantit jah pran ke
Name, Radhe Radhe Radhe Radhe Radhe—the name is not Janaki's, the name is the guide day and night; keep your meditation on You, eyes fixed on Your lotus feet, life after life.

And another point: the great bhakt Hanuman Ji. When we go for any work, immediately first we remember the Lord. At every moment, especially at that time, [we think], "Lord, at this time I am going for Your work. Please grant such grace that while doing this work, I don't forget You. And let this work be dedicated to Your feet."

pravish nagar keej sab kaja hriday rakh kaushal raja
Enter the city, accomplish all work, keep the Lord in your heart, O Lord of all skill.

All will be auspicious. God is the source of all auspiciousness. All becomes auspicious; all actions done with God-remembrance become worship.

Guru Ji, my guru has merged into God. It's been a year and a half. After him, I see his image in you. His image—just from the devotion with which you are worshipping. For the first time, I am having your direct darshan.

Aastha from Kota, Rajasthan. Shri Maharaj, Maharaj Ji, millions of salutations at Your feet. Maharaj Ji, the mind behaves as the environment it lives in. Maharaj Ji, how can one stay on one's path in such circumstances?

naam naam pahru divas nish dhyan tumhare kapaat
Name, name—the protector day and night, meditation on You, eyes fixed on You.

In Lanka, by doing naam jap, Vibhishan Ji is protected. In Lanka, there is the great devotee Vibhishan Ji. God Himself is giving proof of this. God is saying to Vibhishan Ji:

tum sakhe sant priy more dharo deh na tumhare jaise santo ke liye main avatar dharan karta hoon
You are my friend, dear saint. I take incarnation for saints like you.

God Sri Ram Ji called Vibhishan Ji a saint. God Shankara called Vibhishan Ji a saint. When Ravana kicked him and Vibhishan Ji said with folded hands:

tum pitu saris bhale moh mara
You are like my father, yet in delusion you have struck me.

Then Lord Shankara spoke from Kailash:

Uma sant kahi bai jo mand karat jo kare bhalai
Uma, I call him a saint—he does no harm to others and does good.

Look, this Vibhishan is a saint. So when a saint can exist in Lanka through the power of naam, then consider: how is Sita protected in Lanka?

naam paru divas nish dhyan tumhare kapaat lochan nij pad jantit jah pran ke
Name is the protector day and night; meditation on You; eyes fixed on Your lotus feet, life after life.

Naam is protecting her. Therefore, wherever you go, no matter how bad the company, if naam jap continues, there will be no negative influence on you. And if there is no naam jap, then the environment's influence will definitely affect you. As is the company, so one becomes colored by it. So don't forget naam jap and go into any company.

We're saying: if you're going to watch a film with friends, keep doing naam jap. Radhe Radhe Radhe—and not even one influence will stick. And you'll feel frustrated: "Why did I come with them?" And when you drop naam jap, you'll start enjoying it. If you do naam jap, the unrighteous actions won't seem good. Look—while doing naam jap, keep chanting Radhe Radhe Radhe, don't stop. And even if there's any worldly pleasure, you'll find no taste in it. Because the reality has been illuminated.

Now when there is light, you won't see a snake in the rope. You'll understand it's just a rope. So these pleasures are unreal. When you're absorbed in naam meditation, no pleasure can give you happiness. It will be mere acting. That is a paramhans—one who doesn't desire pleasures and enjoys them as mere play. Suppose there is a householder. All those family pleasures—he performs them as mere play. He will become jivanmukta. A saint living in household life—but when one desires and enjoys pleasures with attachment, that becomes binding. But one who is free from desire and absorbed in God's remembrance, even while enjoying pleasures, those pleasures can never overcome them. Those pleasures cannot create attachment or possessiveness. So Rahim says:

jo rahim uttam prakriti ka kar sakat kusang chandan vish vyapat nahi lapte rahat bhujang
One with an elevated nature can protect themselves from bad company; even as a serpent clings to sandalwood, the poison does not affect it.

Even though snakes coil around sandalwood, the sandalwood gives it its own quality of coolness, not poison. The poison doesn't enter the sandalwood.

So if we are doing naam jap and have a noble nature, it doesn't matter what environment we live in. But if we don't do naam jap, the environment will have an effect. The environment has its own influence. Pure food and naam jap—you will conquer the world. But if there's no naam jap and the food is impure, then the intellect becomes corrupted. The intellect becomes corrupted.

Omendr Khatri ji—Radhe Radhe Maharaj ji, countless prostrations at your feet. Maharaj ji, even after continuous effort, if the results are opposite, and even after these opposite results, if remembrance of God continues to come, should we keep striving in that direction, or should we abandon that effort?

Now we must see whether that action you're referring to is your dharma. If it is your dharma, then you should continue your effort. You should not abandon it.

swadharmo nidhnam shrey: par dharmo bhyawah:
It is better to die in one's own dharma; another's dharma brings fear.

To abandon your own dharmic duty and perform another's is fear-inducing. Whatever your dharma is, whatever your dharmic action is—if we lose once, lose twice, we will not keep losing; we will win. Because if there is day, there is night; if there is night, there is day. If we have lost, victory also exists and will come to us. We are parts of God, and we are doing naam jap of God, so our victory will happen. We should not abandon that action which is connected to your ancestral dharma and is dharmic.

Sumit Kumar Sharma ji from Germany—our brother Sharma ji will come up. Radhavallabh Shri Harivansh Mahaprabhu ji.

Maharaj ji, due to my job I live abroad physically, but mentally I try to dwell in your divine feet and in the Vrindavan dhaam.

Maharaj ji, my question is—abroad, there is a lot of emphasis on "I did this, I did that." In the workplace too, this defect is promoted, propagated, and displayed. Because if there is any spirituality there, it only goes up to heaven and hell. Nothing beyond that. If anywhere there is talk of jivanmukti, love, or the supreme state, it will be connected to some rishi of India or a disciple of some Indian rishi. Nowhere else in the world is there anything beyond heaven and hell. Liberation, jivanmukti, and supreme love—these are the discoveries of India's rishis.

India's rishis knew it and attained it. If this teaching exists anywhere in the world, it is connected to India's rishis, whether connected through tradition or in any other way. So now everywhere, it's just a play of ego. An arrogant person, deluded by ego, thinks "I did this, I will do this." This is the language of an arrogant person, and they want to be happy in this. They want happiness in this. Enjoying all kinds of pleasures and considering this to be life's secret. After death, everything will remain here. Then what becomes of you?

Nobody has any awareness of this. Those who have satsang are at least beginning to worry about it. But those who haven't received satsang have grown old caught in this. All they see is getting good food, good pleasures. Even if the senses don't work, there's still desire, still craving, still the seeking of pleasure. We say that if you don't hear satsang and if you haven't practiced bhajan, this is all there is. The entire world is attached to this. Those who listen to satsang, their discrimination is awakened, so at least you should not get caught in this ego.

There are many devotees living abroad whose sadhana and devotion, when heard, fill my heart with pride. Those who have received satsang and are receiving knowledge—for others, without this, eat the best, enjoy the best, and just die. That's all there is, isn't it? Earn well, eat well, enjoy well, and die. That's all. That's the goal. There is no goal beyond this. India's rishis realized that this—eat, sleep, enjoy, and die—is not even beyond animals. Animals too do just this. We're busy with this all day. Animals are engaged in filling their bellies, enjoying pleasures, and sleeping. These are their only functions. If humans have only these functions, what is the difference between animal and human? Human duty is to earn, nourish the family, keep the body strong, and fix the mind on God. The purpose of life is attainment of God. There are many means of living. These pleasures, these attachments—all are means of living. But for whom should we live? For God, for the Supreme Self, for the soul. If life is perfected now and becomes auspicious now, you are worthy of gratitude—that while living in such a place of luxury, you are engaged in divine conduct and divine contemplation. So we live among everyone, but we are called true satsangi only if no one's color rubs off on us. Because we have to go everywhere, even to places full of luxury. Just as Ravana's Lanka had extraordinary luxuries, Vibhishana ji was not affected by any of it.

No color could taint Hanuman Ji. That dweller there, Trijata, no color could taint her either. Trijata was also a great bhakt of Bhagwan. No color could taint her. So whoever contemplates Bhagwan, wherever he may live, no color will taint him. His own color may change, but there must be contemplation of Bhagwan. If contemplation turns to worldly desires, then color will taint him. Then color will taint. In our country, love and affection create such a pure life. Think, she accepted water from him and the two became one. He belonged only to her and she belonged only to him. What a wonderful, blessed life with blessed children.

Now you come home after your duty. Your mind is joyful. You come home after duty and find out where? He says she went with someone else. Now what will your heart say? Or will you bring someone else along to see what others say, what the heart will say? Today hearts are being greatly cleansed. What our feelings should be toward parents, what they should be toward a wife, what they should be toward a son, that pure faith—faith is disappearing from among everyone. We don't know if a son might kill his mother or kill his father. We don't know what relationship exists between husband and wife. Such selfishness, such selfishness. Look at the effect you see. They say a son has cut his mother's throat. How is this possible? We drank her milk. We lived in her womb. How can we do such things to that mother? Intellect is changing, becoming corrupted. Therefore there is happiness in love—a son's love, a wife's love, parents' love. Look at how much bliss will remain in that home now. What are homes becoming now? They have become places of conflict. Envy, hatred, conflict, infidelity, and various kinds of impurities. We are speaking of our own time.

When we were children, there was no electricity in the village. In the evening, a lamp was lit, kerosene was poured in a bottle, cloth wicks were arranged, and the Ramayana would be read. Ten or twenty people would sit and listen. The Ramayana was read every day. The older, wealthier people had lanterns. Usually we would fill a bottle with oil and arrange cloth wicks and from that the Ramayana (reading) would happen. Every evening there would be aarti. At 4:00 in the morning, Mother would go out, sweep the courtyard near the threshold, and light lamps. Where have all these auspicious things gone today? Today it is all selfishness, and modernism keeps increasing.

People sleep until 2:00, 4:00 in the morning. They wake up at 8:00, 10:00. So they don't even know when morning has come. Our scriptures say that if one does not wake at Brahm Muhurt, if the sun is rising and you are sleeping, then your lifespan, your Shri—meaning Lakshmi—your pure intellect, all of this will be destroyed. Who cares? So look, what intellect remains? We have seen those who rose in early morning, all those with pure feelings would offer tribute to the sun, chant the Gayatri mantra, conduct themselves purely. Now where do children wake up?

At 11, 12:00 they wake up. All these foreign ways have come to our country. They imitate them, and we imitate them. [clears throat] They have started keeping topknots. They wear dhotis and such things. We are imitating them. We consider them great. And they are adopting our ways. You see, by the grace of Prabhupada Ji, such is his mercy that thousands of English people chant Krishna Krishna. They are chanting. Many Indian saints have bestowed great grace abroad such that people are chanting the naam abundantly.

They are walking in dharma. So it seems to us that we Indians should improve ourselves. First improve yourself, then improve each child one by one. Improve each person, then (India) will become the world guru. Our conduct should also improve. Our purity should be preserved. So our India—let us tell you—is the world guru. There are certain practices which new children are not doing now. The realizations that the rishis of India had, such realizations exist nowhere else. Therefore outside (in the West) it is only earn, eat, enjoy, and "I did this, I did that."

These are only matters of ego. Maharaj Ji, this morning in satsang you said that if only my beloved son is this, not that, then what is the worship ritual beyond this? The worship ritual will begin by itself. If we are sweeping, that is worship; if we are digging with a spade, that is worship; whatever duty we perform according to our position becomes worship. When you accept in your heart that (He/She) is my beloved son, the worship will happen. Worship does not mean only waving the aarti lamp or applying sandalwood to Bhagwan. That is one part of worship. When Arjun was following Bhagwan's command, even war became worship.

Those from the army who come to us, we explain to them that your worship is not about just taking rosary beads without preparation. Rather, wherever and whenever you are ordered to be stationed, with complete dedication to the nation, and inside chanting Radha Radha Radha, with the understanding that I belong to Prabhu. This pride should remain—that I belong to Prabhu. Then all actions will become worship. Your speaking will become praise. Your sleeping will become samadhi. Your walking will become circumambulation. All your actions will become worship. When you say I am the beloved of the Beloved, do you understand what I am saying?

And then when time allows, do more worship of Bhagwan. But every action will become worship when you surrender to Bhagwan. Yes, Radha Raman Ji from Firozabad says Radhe-Radhe. Maharaj Ji, Maharaj Ji, my question is—as you say to people, that whenever wrong thoughts come to our mind or the mind attempts any wrongdoing, we should start contemplating the naam Radha Radha. Rather, we should do this from before. We don't fill the gun when the enemy comes. It's not like that; we load it beforehand and keep it ready at the door so that when the enemy comes, we shoot.

Once you've started taking the naam—Radha Radha—whatever comes along cannot do anything to you. But Maharaj Ji, what happens is this: when you do continuous naam jap, many times negative thoughts come to your mind. At those moments, when the mind is tempted by something else, if you don't abandon the naam—this is important—don't abandon the naam. It's the enemy's work to make you forget the naam entirely. That causes great harm.

At that moment, the enemy creates impressions in you. You start contemplating worldly pleasure—food, sensory enjoyment—whatever the senses desire. The moment the mind presents before you some event or new thing you hear, and you imagine enjoying it, that very moment separates you from God. As it is written: dhato vishay sangasteshh puja—your attention has awakened toward worldly desires and you've forgotten the Lord. Now the desire to enjoy, the resolve to enjoy, the craving for it—its fulfillment brings anger, and in its fulfillment comes greed. All this is loss, only loss.

Both greed and anger breed delusion. Through delusion comes loss of memory, confusion of memory, destruction of intellect. When intellect is destroyed, the sadhak loses bhajan. To be destroyed means to fall from the spiritual path. Do you understand? At that moment, we must stand firm in bhajan. When the enemy comes, if you throw down your weapon and remain idle, what gain is that? Brother, we carry our gun all the time, walking around. When the enemy comes, if we throw it away, what benefit? Before the enemy, we must fight firmly.

Now, when desire—the enemy—comes saying "Radha Radha, be quiet, listen to my words," he will present before you an imaginative scene. He will touch your heart with a sense of pleasure. You'll think: "Let me taste this once, let me enjoy this once, let me hear this once, just once." That's when he'll drag you. And if you don't keep saying Radha Radha Radha Radha, he'll burn you. You'll feel a burning. If you endure that burning, you'll move forward.

If you don't endure it, he'll drag you away so completely that your mind won't engage in bhajan anymore. That's when you must fight, child. But at that moment, you don't remember to fight. At that moment, you become absorbed in the entertainment materials he throws before you. You start picking at the bait. You don't see the trap—you see only the bait. As the saying goes: vishan chuga jin chug chugat kachuk sukh hoy, phir faansi aisi lage te sam dukh na koi—when we peck at worldly pleasures, we get some temporary happiness, but then the noose tightens and brings suffering equal to that happiness. Just as birds don't see the trap, only the bait, and when they bend down to peck, the trap snares them—just so, worldly pleasures appear attractive to us, but we don't see the bondage within them. We'll have to experience that bondage later.

Whatever object, whatever worldly thing seems dear to us, it traps us. To be trapped means this: in the end, when your thoughts become separated from God regarding that thing, that object has trapped you. When that face keeps appearing repeatedly, when that scene keeps coming, know this: it's maya, separated from God, and it has ensnared me. What mistake did I make that I got trapped? Then it will become clear to you: I forgot God and took this as truth. Because of that, I got trapped. Then it's very difficult, brother. War is not simple. Take wrestling, for instance. If you make one mistake during a throw, the washerman will beat you from all sides. Any war at all—now it's war with maya. We are not weak. We don't lack strength. God's strength is with us. Bhakti's strength is with us.

Just as God's maya is his—mam maya—so too, we are also his. Mamva anshoh jeev loke—God is saying, "You are my part." So we're not the weaker party. We can overcome. But we forget our own strength and fall into his temptation. Yes, we fall into his temptation. Understand this through the game of kabaddi. We must go into maya's half chanting the naam. The principle of kabaddi is: if your breath breaks before you reach your own side, you're out. If you can't bring yourself back to your own side, you're out. Either way, you're out.

So we must do Radha Radha Radha Radha in all activities. We must enter into maya—trade, employment, all worldly dealings. But inside, keep Radha Radha. Don't let the breath break, and return to your own side. "I am God's servant." Every action, every word should be pure, offered to God's feet. If we remember this, we reach our side. Otherwise, if the breath breaks, if we forget God, then you're out. Your goal is lost, then you're out. Many baits—maya will scatter many grains. Recognition doesn't come easily. Recognition comes only in the heart of one who does naam jap.

Thousands of mistakes happen. Not just one or two, but thousands, because the opposing force is formidable. It's not ordinary. One small mistake in the throw and the washerman lands you flat. When you fall, later you realize. But at first, it doesn't even feel like a war is happening. It doesn't feel like we're fighting maya. It doesn't feel that way at all. Yes, very strange. Very strange. And once you fall into the swamp, there's no recovering. Very strange and marvelous. You're young—God has blessed you with a young body—and your intellect is turning toward spiritual purpose.

Move forward well. All right. Losing is not a big thing. Staying defeated is the big thing. Losing is nothing. When we lose, we should maintain enthusiasm: Why did I lose? What's the point where I went wrong? We should find it and seal that gap. "Oh, I lost my contemplation. I considered this separate thing as great, separate from God. I thought it was pleasurable, so I made the mistake. Next time, we'll be careful." Now, for a day or two, he won't present such questions to you this way. He'll present them suddenly. When you've already forgotten.

He will suddenly snatch it away and trap you again. Then you will think you have failed again. So do not despair. If he defeats you a thousand times, even after that thousand, we will stand up and walk on the path of God. Such a wayfarer wins. The one who gives up in despair, thinking after ten attempts and ten failures, "Now we cannot succeed" — no, defeat may come, but we must not stop. We must take the next step forward. Are you understanding? Karan Ji from Vrindavan. Akshay Patel Ji from Australia — both of you had similar questions on sharnagati. Maharaj Ji, Karan Ji's question is: Maharaj Ji, asking this question about sharnagati is indeed to raise questions about sharnagati, but I am asking this question to make my own sharnagati stronger. Maharaj Ji, what are the characteristics of a bhakt surrendered to Priya and Pritam? And Maharaj Ji, another person is asking: yesterday's satsang was truly extraordinary and unforgettable. According to that, God's complete sharnagati — we were speaking in supreme joy, weren't we? We were speaking from our heart. Look, if characteristics are asked about, then it becomes a test.

When we are to have sharnagati, first we must accept that we are not worthy of any characteristics. There is no power of self, no power of austerity, and strength of arms — the fourth power is money. Das Sur Kishore, by grace alone do the weak have God's naam; all strength is abandoned to God's naam. Child, when we look in our heart and see that we have no capacity within us — but your ego has not yet dissolved, so you will not understand our words. Nothing is in your hands. Look at the truth truthfully. Did you create your body? Did you or did you not? Did you create your mind? Did you? This subtle body, this nature — did you create it? And who are you? You are a part of the Lord, so you also did not create yourself. Well, this is just your ego speaking, isn't it? Nothing but ego. Tell us. Absolutely. Clear meaning — we are explaining. Now look, if one hair falls from your head, you cannot reattach it again.

Even if you glue it, you cannot reattach it. Meaning, your capacity is nothing. You have only been given freedom. Dharma and adharma, sinful actions — which do you prefer? What do you want to do? If you don't prefer either of these, then by doing bhajan you can attain God. That much freedom you have been given, and nothing more. Beyond that, you cannot do anything. So when it was pondered that karma — even auspicious karma — traps you in pleasure, and inauspicious karma binds you in sorrow, and bhajan alone gives unbroken happiness. Now we want to do bhajan, but the mind does not do bhajan because its habit is of corrupt conduct, and the body has become so attached, thinking "I am male," that our attraction has turned toward sense enjoyments.

Now to free ourselves from this bondage, we do not have the knowledge we need. This is a certain truth, child. Among millions of wise men, perhaps one will have true understanding — who can actually apply what he knows. But everyone has the information. The application is not there. One among millions has true understanding that "I am the form of Consciousness, God's nature. I am not the body." The slightest pain in the body comes, and all that knowledge turns to dust. Now when we realized that we do not have that knowledge, we do not have that love, we do not have any virtue within us.

O Lord, I am Yours. O Master, I am Yours. Look at it truthfully. Now if we were to tell the characteristics.. Shri Krishna's anukulan pratikulan visarjan — to walk only by God's command and to abandon everything contrary to His command. If one's entire life is like this — but if it is said to be complete, then we too would say that just as He is leading, we are following. We cannot say "Why this? Why that?" — the moment we do, questions of maya arise. This happened to Narad Ji too — "I have conquered desire," the question came, and he failed. He could not answer God. He even cursed God. So entangled in maya he became. So child, the greatest characteristic is that we have no characteristics at all. The greatest characteristic of sharnagati is: when does a soul become surrendered?

When does surrender happen? When one accepts oneself as completely helpless. Until then, it is just the performance of surrender. As long as we see some capacity within us, it is just the performance of surrender. And when there is no capacity left within us, then true sharnagati happens. Whether one is a terrorist or a thief or anyone — when does surrender happen? When does one surrender? When he sees all four directions closed, every path blocked, thinking "Now they will shoot" — then it happens, isn't it? So for us, looking all around, we see only darkness. We have not conquered desire, we have not conquered anger, we have not conquered greed, we have not conquered attachment, we have not conquered ego, we have not conquered envy. These six flaws — jit anang akama — such is the surrendered bhakt of God. These six flaws: desire, anger, greed, attachment, pride, envy — one conquers these and becomes sinless.

Akama — there is no desire in him. If we were to start describing characteristics, not even one do we have within us. Look honestly. No, well then, he has victory over the six waves. The six waves are: old age, sorrow, attachment, hunger, thirst, death — he has victory over these. And over these six he has victory: mind and five senses. Victory over six faults: desire, anger, greed, attachment, pride, envy, sorrow, attachment, old age, death, hunger, thirst — these six, plus mind and five senses — do we have these six within us? Tell us honestly. Is hunger in your control? Is thirst in your control? Is old age in your control? Is sorrow in your control? Is death in your control? What is in your control? Nothing. Is your mind in your control? Are your five senses in your control? We have not conquered desire, we have not conquered anger, we have not conquered greed.

Now look at these—then the ultimately destitute beloved of Hari. Their destituteness, beloved, dear Lord—except for the Lord we have nothing. But is the heart truly like this? We cannot speak it from words alone, not from the heart. Aniketa—without a home, amani—without ego. In their home there is no sense of ego. In their family there is no possessiveness. Everyone's possessiveness I have gathered, tied to my lotus feet with a rope. They have not a single characteristic. If we speak of characteristics, the scriptures are full of them. Then titiksha—tolerance, forbearance. To endure every hardship. To endure heat, cold, and rain. But where is this tolerance now? Look, winter has just started and everyone has begun wearing fine clothes. Why? Because the capacity to endure cold is difficult. It is no small thing, to endure cold.

Our people, those by the Ganges—their whole life is endured. And this is only because we are not there. The Ganges is not now as it was. To endure such openly—when they have done all this, then we say we have taken shelter. In us, one is running—why? He did all this himself, gave that capacity. Now from tomorrow, if told to begin, we would layer sweaters on top of sweaters.

If He gave that capacity, then the way we live, we feel: the very first characteristic of sharanagati is that I am not worthy of anything. Receive this in your heart. The second characteristic is: O Lord, make me however You wish to make me. The third characteristic: I can stumble, fall in any way at any time. Hold me. We speak of firm sharanagati. I can stumble anywhere, anytime, fall. Hold me. As is the characteristic of the great devotee in the Bhagavata—even if offered the kingdom and prosperity of the three worlds, they do not forget God for even half a moment. These are great devotees. In small pleasures, can they forget the Lord?

If good food comes, they will forget the Lord. While eating they will forget the Lord. And bhog—food offering—is even more powerful than that. Then they will forget the Lord. In our people, there is no other characteristic. We speak only this: Sakala anga gun heen ho sharanagati, sakala anga gunheen ho, tako yatan na koi, ek kishori kripaa te jo kachu hoe so hoi. I have no qualities in myself whatsoever, O Shri Ji. I am in Your shelter. Now I will be made by You, not by myself. Radhe Radhe Radhe—all virtues will come. All divine qualities will come. Because there is no ego.

But in that, it will never appear that I have virtues. Others will see it. If you ask him, he will weep and say only this: I am very lowly. Yes, it is true that my Lord has shown me grace. I am His sharanagat. That is all. Otherwise, I am very lowly. That is the matter. If we think that by reading or hearing the characteristics of sharanagati we can follow them, understand that it is not so. In our discourse yesterday I said: there are two types of sharanagati. One is the sharanagati of the monkey's cub. One is the sharanagati of the kitten's cub.

The monkey's cub clings itself. While playing, it sits on the mother's back. And when the monkey needs to leap, it gives just a slight signal—be ready!—and it leaps. If it misses, it will fall with a thud in between. It let go. And there is nothing like this in the kitten's cub. No signal, no hint, nothing that matters. Put it in your mouth and carry it. Wherever you need to take it, place it. This is better sharanagati—do not give us signals. We will just meow, sit as we are sitting. Wherever You need to take us, whatever virtues to give us, whatever knowledge to give us, however You wish to make us worthy—You make me, Lord. I have no capacity. Pure sharanagati, and simply let the naam jap not stop. Always be in sharanagati. Always in sharanagati means: if your mind is telling you to do something wrong, if you do not have the capacity to refuse it, then your gaze should go to the One Who has capacity. The Lord. Look to the Lord: my mind is filled with desire, leading me on a wrong path. Lord, save me. O Lord, O Compassionate One, I do not have the capacity to escape. Radhe Radhe Radhe—that alone would be the highest good.

Whatever happens, your supreme good will happen. Because you have already reported to God. Now if He does not save you—I am telling you one thing. For whatever reason, wherever you fall, there will be the lap of God. Your fall cannot happen. Your destruction cannot happen. Your decline cannot happen. Even as this happens, your elevation will happen. Are you understanding our words? So grasp two things of God's shelter: from the heart, God's shelter, and from the tongue, naam jap. It will become good. All characteristics will come. All virtues will come. All capacity will come.

Look.

This text is taken from automatic captions of a video — there may be errors in words. To hear the authentic words, please listen to the video.

Original video: Bhajan Marg (YouTube)