What is obtained from contemplation and dwelling in Vrindavan? Dialogue between Shri Dattatreya and Shri Prahlad // 19/08/26

On Sri Dham Vrindavan - words of Pujya Maharaj Ji - Listen to the video above.

Complete Discourse

वृंदावनेश्वरी तव पदारविंदम प्रेमा मकरंद रसो पूर्णम हृदपितम मधुपते स्मरताप मुगम निर्वाय परम शीतल माशयाम परम शीतल माया परम सच्चिदानंद घन प्रेमानंद स्वरूप नवनि निकुंज महामहिम परम पावन श्री वृंदावन धाम श्री वृंदावन धाम के लाडलेले युगल सरकार प्राणाराध्य प्राण प्रिय श्री प्रिया प्रीतम जो समस्त सहचरी वृंद खग मृग पशु पंछी तरु लता यमुना रस रानी रजरानी समस्त ब्रजवासी परकर आसक्ति यह परम बंधन का भी कारण है और यही मोक्ष का भी कारण है।

O Vrindavanesvari, Your lotus feet are filled with divine love's nectar; O Madhupate, remembering You removes sorrow; grant me Your eternal coolness; You are sat-chit-ananda, prema-ananda, the newness of nikunj, supremely glorious and pure Sri Vrindavan Dham. The beloved Divine Couple of Sri Vrindavan Dham, worthy of our very breath, dearer than life itself - Sri Priya Preetam - the companions, birds, deer, animals, birds, trees, vines, the Yamuna river, the queen of rasa, the queen of the earth, all the residents of Braj - attachment to them is both the cause of supreme bondage and the cause of liberation.

Attachment to one's own true nature is the state of the wise great soul. Attachment to the divine in the awakened, dream and deep sleep states - knowledge of Radha's lotus feet qualities - the wise great soul is completely unbounded - always supremely peaceful. And attachment to the body is always restless, attachment to pleasures is supremely restless. Peace comes from continuous renunciation - whoever has renounced pleasures and renounced attachment to the body.

He alone is the peaceful man. Otherwise he is restless. And a restless man does not experience happiness even in dreams. "Ashantasya kuta sukham" - for the restless, where is happiness? There are four centers of attachment for us: Name, Form, Leela, and Dham.

If you cannot have attachment in all four, then cultivate attachment in two - in Dham and in Name - then Form and Leela will manifest of themselves. And if you cannot have attachment in two, then cultivate attachment in one - in Name alone - Name will reveal Dham, will reveal Form, and will reveal Leela as well. Because dwelling in Dham is very rare.

Not everyone can dwell there. But everyone can perform naam jap. Wherever one may be, in any land or country, naam can be performed everywhere. And wherever naam jap is happening, there the deity of worship is present. Where the deity is, everything resides. Because where the vani of naam is, there Shyam and Shyama are. Hearing the vani of naam, Shyam and Shyama listen. Near the vani of naam, Shyam and Shyama are manifest.

So wherever you may be, in any land or place, if naam is flowing, then everything will be obtained by you - Dham, Form, Leela - everything will be revealed. The supreme love of Priya Preetam cannot be obtained without naam jap. The supreme Sri Vrindavan Dham will not be experienced without naam jap.

Even while dwelling in Dham, as long as there is not constant remembrance of God, the Chidananda Dham will only be slightly revealed. If you are dwelling in the manifest Dham with eyes created by Maya, you see only Maya. Priya Preetam are playing here - where is the darshan happening? Where are we becoming intoxicated with love?

They describe the lotus feet. What is Sri Vrindavan Dham? They say: Sri Vrindavan - intoxicated with rasa - Radha with extraordinary love, Sri Krishna with His love and thirst for Leela, remembrance is the nature of this. What is Sri Vrindavan Dham like? They say: intoxicated with rasa - that which intoxicates with rasa. The beauty of Form of Priya Preetam, the sweetness of qualities, the sweetness of Leela manifests the ecstasy of love in the heart.

Though they say they dwell in Dham, they are actually dwelling in their own world. All the time calculating money, all the time contemplating various pleasures, all the time thinking about gain and loss, attachment and aversion. Then where is the intoxication of Rasa in the Dham of Priya Preetam? This intoxication comes from contemplation - the intoxication of Rasa comes from contemplation. Contemplate Vrindavan - kindle this lamp of Vrindavan contemplation in your heart, then the darkness of ignorance will be destroyed, the sins of millions of births will be destroyed, and the intoxication of Rasa will enchant you.

Contemplate Vrindavan. Here the contemplation is about money. It is about pleasures. It is about attachment and aversion. How can things work out? Contemplate Vrindavan - this lamp cuts through the sorrows of birth and brings light, destroying the sinful actions done in the darkness of ignorance of millions of births, bringing the light of knowledge, the light of love - Contemplate Vrindavan.

How beautiful are the groves and nikunjas! As you hear about them, cultivate that feeling. You may not have seen them, but you can cultivate that feeling, can you not? The glory of Vrindavan that you hear about, the form of Vrindavan that you hear about, the groves and nikunjas of Vrindavan that you hear about, all the leelas of Vrindavan that you hear about - you can contemplate all of it. Imagine it. If you cannot enter the feeling, then imagine how it will be.

वृंदावन वृंदावन प्यारो अधिक याते प्रेम अपार जा में खेलत लाडली सर्वसु प्राण आधार

Vrindavan, Vrindavan is most dear; to think of it is immense love; wherein the Little Daughter plays, the very basis of all life.

Why does Vrindavan seem so beloved? We have developed immense attachment to it because our deity of worship, Sri Yugal Sarkar, our very life-breath's deity - Sri Ladli Maharaj - is continuously playing here. Priya Preetam are playing here. They are playing openly. We just need to change our vision. Priya Preetam themselves give that vision.

चश्मा नित्य बिहार को दियो बिहारिन मोए। नित्य विहार देखने के लिए जो चश्मा चाहिए नेत्र चाहिए वो दियो बिहारिन मोह।

O Viharini, grant me the spectacles to see the eternal play; grant me the eyes I need to see the eternal play.

When we keep the company of Her rasiks and remain continuously devoted to remembrance - sometimes singing bhajan, sometimes performing naam jap, sometimes chanting mantra, sometimes serving - then the Ladli is pleased. Being pleased, She grants us the vision. With that vision we are able to see Priya Preetam, not with this earthly vision.

Vrindavan is very dear to us. We have immense affection for it because our chosen deity - Sri Kishori and Kishore - Sri Ladli Lal - are continuously playing here. All the sakhis, having understood everything, are colored with the color of the Couple, knowing the taste of every moment, remain in their company. All the sakhis, drenched in the joy of serving Sri Priya Preetam, colored with the love of Sri Yugal Sarkar, continue to care for Priya Preetam according to the changing times. According to the season and its beauty, they inspire Priya Preetam for their sports and play. They gather all the items for service and joy, and continuously provide happiness to Sri Yugal Sarkar, most dear to their very life, according to each moment.

The glory of Vrindavan cannot be told. Look at the splendor of the garden — even Lakshmi covets it. Here in Braj, beyond the Yamuna in Bilvana, Lakshmi sits performing tapasya. In Vrindavan, in the assembly of the sakhis of Priya and Priyam, that we too may receive the fortune of seva — this is why Lakshmi performs tapasya. All are longing for Lakshmi, and Lakshmi longs that someday we may become a sahachari of Radha and receive the fortune of seva to Priyaji alongside the sakhis, the fortune to wander in the kunj and nikunj of Vrindavan, the fortune that comes with Priyaji.

The glory of Vrindavan cannot be described in words, because Vrindavan is the form of love, and love is inexpressible — love cannot be described. Vrindavan is an ocean of love. It is one's own dharma, said thus there; there dwells eternal Vrindavan, a vast ocean of love. It is called Vrindavan and it is also called the abode of love. This is the abode of love, Vrindavan. So as love itself is inexpressible, Vrindavan too is inexpressible. To whatever extent the great souls have described it — look, Mahaprabhu wanted to describe it. Harivansh Chandra says: "First, according to my understanding, pranaam." He says: "To the extent I can describe it, when even a little of the glory shines forth, I bow first. First, according to my understanding, pranaam. Shri Vrindavan, most beautiful, most beautiful. Shri Radhika's grace — without it, unfathomable to all minds. If any description of Vrindavan is possible at all, it is only if Shri Kishori, that is, love embodied, the youthful maiden, goddess of love — what is Shri Kishori? Love incarnate, the embodiment of love, condensed bliss, love itself — if love were to dwell in speech, then some description of Vrindavan might be possible."

This is why Hit Mahaprabhu is love incarnate. He describes it. The servant Maharaj says: "I do not know, my understanding is small — Shri Harivansh is wise. How great and what Vrindavan is, I cannot describe it, because my intellect is small. Only one wise like Shri Harivansh knows Vrindavan. Our intellect is very limited. The glory of Vrindavan is inexpressible. Understand this much: the entire splendor in all three worlds comes from a fraction of Lakshmi, and she, seeing the beauty and glory of Vrindavan, covets it."

Seeing the splendor of the garden, even Lakshmi covets it. The creepers of Vrindavan — millions of eternal trees cannot equal one creeper of Vrindavan. There is no dust equal to Vaikunth, and the mother of the world. The equality of one creeper of Vrindavan cannot be made by millions of kalpatarus enshrined in heaven. One kalpataru is capable of fulfilling all desires in the worldly sense. But a creeper of Vrindavan, if it grants grace, brings the attainment of the love of Priya and Priyam. Direct vision of Priya and Priyam. The creepers of Vrindavan are capable of granting the attainment of the eternal abode of Priya and Priyam. And misfortune befalls those who cut the creepers of Vrindavan.

Misfortune, because it is a very great offense to cut a creeper of Vrindavan. On cutting even one branch of a Vrindavan creeper, the sin of killing millions of cows and killing a Brahmin accrues. And if killing a cow and killing a Brahmin happen by mistake, that sin is destroyed by serving the dhaam. But if such a sin results from cutting the creepers of the dhaam, where will you wash it away? Therefore, be very careful. You may not live in Vrindavan, but do not cut its creepers. Plant creepers here. If you have a hundred yards of land, plant a small creeper in ten yards of it. Make that your shrine.

Coat it with cow dung and place four flowers there. Priya and Priyam will come. They will dwell there. This is the feeling that is cultivated in this dhaam. But now such cruelty has developed in hearts that no one even feels compassion, thinking that these creepers were formed through the tapasya of devotion to Priya and Priyam. Where Uddhav and other great souls wish to become creepers, grass, and medicine — these creepers are not ordinary things. They are great bhajan-saints. And what peace, what benefit will those who murder these great souls obtain? These Vrindavan creepers — millions of eternal trees cannot equal them. There is no dust equal to Vaikunth, and the mother of the world. And people are in maya. Even Vaikunth, transcendent of maya, cannot equal the dust of Vrindavan. Because that dust which Shiva and Sanaka pray for — may I place on my head, O Kishori, the dust of your feet. This dust is life-giving, capable of bringing Lal under control.

Those who partake of this rasa one day attain prema-unmad. From the lotus mouth of Sripati, hear what Narad was made to understand: "Keep Vrindavan away from all, hidden and concealed." Bhagavan Shri Hari says to the sage Narad that Vrindavan is our secret palace. It has been kept hidden from all. So teach Vrindavan residence only to the qualified, not to the unqualified. The glory of Vrindavan, the pastimes of Vrindavan, the qualities of Vrindavan — when you find someone qualified, someone filled with the desire to color themselves in the rasa of love for Priya and Priyam, someone who surrenders body, mind, and life to Priya and Priyam, then speak of the glory of Vrindavan. Otherwise, keep the glory of Vrindavan secret.

This is our exclusive place of divine play. If we are fortunate enough to reside here, that is a matter of great fortune. Shri Radha and Shri Krishna never leave Vrindavan even for a moment. They play here, and if we have been blessed to dwell here, we must be very careful. We have obtained a very great jewel. We have obtained great wealth. Now we must not let it slip away.

Vrindavan keeps its rasa secret from all.

The prema rasa of Vrindavan—not everyone can attain the right to it unless there is the company of rasiks.

O mind, without the company of rasiks, not even a trace of prema will arise.

When there is the company of rasiks, then prema arises. If there is prema, then you can see Vrindavan. This is the supremely sacred abode of Radha and Shri Krishna, of those who have dedicated their lives to austerity and the bliss of bhajan, those drenched in tears in the love of Radha and Shri Krishna. Vrindavan belongs to these great souls. It is very secret, most glorious. Whoever has taken residence here, whoever has been blessed to dwell here—the rare principle that is Radha and Krishna, which is the essence of Radha's principle and Krishna's principle, which is the mystery—that becomes revealed. Walking through the lanes, intoxicated with prema, singing the glories of Radha and Shri Krishna—this is the land of rasiks. In hand is the small drum, the patched cloth; dust all over the body. Oh Lord of the groves! Oh beloved of Radha! This is that land soaked with tears.

May we attain the divine in this very life. This is the supremely sacred crown jewel in the three worlds, the most worshipable Vrindavan dham. Braj is eighty-four kos in circumference. This is directly Krishna-filled land. All the avatars of God, all the acharyas, all the partial incarnations and expansions—all of them serve this dham. Wherever they are, whatever worship they do, they all serve this dham. And the dham will give to each what they desire wherever they are. If you worship Ram here, this very dham will give you Ayodhya. If you worship Shiva, this dham will give you Kailash. Whatever sentiment and emotion you have, the dham of Vrindavan fulfills that very emotion. So know Vrindavan dham with mind, with words, with deeds.

Shiva, Brahma, Uddhava and all—this desire dwells in their hearts: may I become a creeper or flower and bear on my head the dust of Vrindavan.

In the hearts of Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma, Uddhava and other great souls, there is constantly this desire: that we might become some creeper, tree, or shrub of Vrindavan, so that we might receive the dust of the feet of the residents of Braj, so that this dust of Vrindavan may touch our foreheads. Lord Shankara, Lord Brahma, Uddhava and other great souls long to serve the dust of Vrindavan, that we might become some tree, creeper, plant, or shrub of this place.

When Brahma received the grace to see Vrindavan's mercy, he saw everything as divine form, everything as Shri Krishna, everything as conscious bliss. When he gazed upon the calves and the cowherd boys, he saw Vrindavan, he saw the cowherd boys, he saw the calves—all as Shri Krishna. Everything is Krishna's form.

All is characterized by consciousness; all is full of Radha and Krishna.

Everything is divine form. Seeing the glory of Vrindavan, he trembled. He offered praise to the Lord. He circumambulated. After doing three circumambulations, he went to Brahmaloka. But till now he has not been fortunate enough to dwell in that dham. What did Brahma see? Along with all the four-armed beings, seeing all, he forgot his own lordship. Body and mind surrendered.

Everywhere is the Lord, everywhere is the Lord. The Lord was about to display his maya, and seeing the maya of the lord of maya, Brahma was trembling greatly. He forgot his lordship; his body and mind were saying "I am vanquished." All the fourteen worlds and all wealth together—all is abandoned except Vrinda Vipina, the field of rasa for the rasiks.

Even if you have great glory, even if you are a great authority, whoever you are, ultimately the body will be left behind. No matter how much wealth you have, all will be left behind. Then what will happen? Whatever sins and merits you have done, you must definitely experience their fruits. The deeds you have done, whether good or bad, you will have to experience. If you want to be saved, then take refuge in God's dham and chant the name thoroughly. This chanting of the name, this refuge in the dham, will burn both your sins and merits and make you worthy of attaining God. This is a game created by maya; it will not last long. Nothing continues for long for anyone. Here, everything is like this—one time rising, one time falling, one time elevation, one time degradation. Such a wheel keeps turning.

Like the wheel of a water-pump keeps turning, so it turns. Elevation and degradation, sorrow and joy, wealth and poverty—keep turning like this. Therefore, if possible, stay in Vrinda Vipina, spend your fleeting life there. Such time is rarely found; it is a precious opportunity; our life is very short. In Brahmaloka, as much time as it takes a needle to pass through one petal of a lotus flower here becomes one year. So our life of eighty or one hundred years—how much is it really? If in this life we want to achieve our ultimate welfare, then we should spend our time chanting the name of the Lord and taking refuge in the dham. If you cannot get residence in Vrindavan, then take refuge and chant the name thoroughly.

Life is very short. Work for your welfare. Welfare will not be found in worldly pleasures. Here everyone gathers things and dies and goes. Name and form all disappear. The form is burnt and that is the end of it in four days. After that, who remembers whom? There have been so many kings and emperors. They are recorded in history. Who remembers them? Therefore, work on your own emancipation.

Abandon the taste of bodily pleasures and the shame of the world; kill the mind, surrender the body, dwell in Vrindavan.

Abandon the taste of the tongue, abandon the pleasures of the body, and abandon the world's shame and reputation. Dwell in the dham of Vrindavan. One has to kill the mind and surrender the body to the dham. Kill the mind—go, go there, wander around there, see it there, visit that pilgrimage place. Or if the mind goes into various kinds of desires for pleasures, then one has to kill the mind. Killing it is very difficult. What does it mean to kill the mind? When a wave of desire arises in the mind, not to enjoy that pleasure for which it arose—to kill the waves of the mind is to kill the mind itself. The waves that arise in the mind from sense objects—to stop those that arise is to kill the mind. To make the mind free of sense objects is to kill the mind.

The mind is conquered and the body is brought under control; all illusions are removed. Whatever desires for worldly sense objects the mind had are destroyed. This ignorance is gone—the false belief that pleasure exists in sensual enjoyment. Therefore, like someone who has conquered the mind and lost the body in a game of dice, they staked everything in the game. They wagered Draupadi. They had wagered themselves too. So the Pandavas could not resist. Similarly, we cannot resist. Now, whether Vrindavan keeps us in palaces or gives us a hut to dwell in, whether it gives happiness or sorrow, whether it humiliates us, whether we go hungry or are fed sweets—completely dedicate your life to Vrindavan, with mind conquered and body surrendered, sing in Vrindavan, dwell in Vrindavan.

Having conquered the mind and surrendered the body, if someone creates a division while dwelling in Vrindavan, to them there is no enemy equal. Know this: whoever obstructs dwelling in Vrindavan—money, wealth, relatives, kin—anyone who through their affection or attraction draws us away from Vrindavan, there is no greater enemy than that. Whoever creates a division in dwelling in Vrindavan is an enemy equal to no other. And know that there is no enemy equal to whoever draws us out of Vrindavan. On the day you first entered Vrindavan, do you remember it? We did not know the day or anything—who, where, how, nothing. We only remembered the word "Raman Reti" from when we stayed for a month at Tirtharaj Prayag during the Kumbh. We would go to see the Rasa Lila. It was then that the word Raman Reti stayed with us—that in Vrindavan, Raman lives somewhere. In Mathura, Shri Thakur Ji Himself sent us to Vrindavan. We had absolutely no money. It was entirely by God's arrangement. When that Thakur Ji is established in Mathura, in the birthplace, at Keshavdev Ji—when the doors opened, we stayed awake the entire night in meditation and wept out loud with deep feeling.

The first time we had darshan of the divine Lord—of Vishsheshvar, Vishvanath Ji himself. After this, for the first time, we had darshan of any divine form—the supremely beautiful threefold-bent flute-player Thakur Ji. Now, with matted locks and saffron garments, moved by seeing us weep, from within, we received tulsi leaves, butter, candy, and a garland. This was a particular state. When we first arrived there, we started offering money. [Sound of sudden deep breathing] Some gave one hundred, some fifty—this is a land of emotional people. The priest was also moved by this. Then an elderly man came and asked: "Where have you come from, father?" I said, "From Kashi." "Where are you going?" "To Vrindavan." "Where in Vrindavan?" "Raman Reti." "Yes, Raman Reti." We did not know which Raman Reti—which one it was. He seated us on a tractor, dropped us at Attala Chunge. It was an Ekadashi day and circumambulation was happening. So I asked, "Where is Raman Reti?" He said, "Which Raman Reti? There are two Raman Retis."

Now we became confused. We only knew Raman Reti. He said, "Let me take you." When we arrived, he dropped us. This is the crossroads called Bhagwan Das Chaura. The one sitting here said, "This is where Raman lives." Where is all this crowd going? "The circumambulation of Vrindavan is happening." We had nothing. Not a rupee. We knew no one. Just an otherworldly attraction. You see, when you have taken refuge in Sri Dham Vrindavan, you see how Vrindavan provides shelter. Do not be swayed by anyone's temptation: "Your arrangements we Vrindavan dwellers will take care of. Come to Delhi, come to such and such place." No. Whoever creates a division in dwelling in Vrindavan is an enemy equal to no other. And know that there is no enemy equal to whoever draws us out of Vrindavan. Whether money, wealth, friend, or relative—you must take this resolve. You must take this resolve; otherwise you will be deceived. In Sewa Kunj, every day there is Sohni Seva and Vrindavan dwelling, and some outsiders came. They started sitting close and showing affection. Then they told us—they said, "We have five hundred blood sugar, father. Why don't you come? We will get you treated by good doctors." Now these worldly people do not know what great harm we are doing. If their life leaves while they are outside, how much can we account for?

Therefore, one dwelling in Vrindavan should not be taken outside. Even if they ask, do not take them out. They took him out and his body ended there. And when we heard that such and such person's body ended there, there is great inner sorrow. Although if they belong to the Beloved, the Beloved protects them wherever, but there was a shortcoming. There is no enemy equal to this. Know that the body will leave anyway. On whatever day it has to leave, on that day it will leave. However it has to leave, thus it will leave. We will not leave Vrindavan. Whoever tries to pull us away from Vrindavan should be considered the greatest enemy. "Come home once, stay for five or ten days and return." In those five or ten days, if the body leaves, then no—you must come to Vrindavan Dham, come meet us, have darshan. Bihari, Bihari Ji—your fortune we do not know. One should keep such steadfastness in the dwelling of Vrindavan. For whom there is no attachment to mother, friend, son, second—having abandoned these, steadfast in Vrindavan dwelling. Those in whose hearts there is no enthusiasm for dwelling in Vrindavan, no joy—we should not even touch such people. Those who forbid us from dwelling in Vrindavan, who create a division in our devotion to Vrindavan, we should keep distance from them. We should not even touch them. If we dwell in Vrindavan with such steadfastness, then Shripad Prabuddhananda Ji is saying: Sri Vrindavan is intoxicated with rasa, Radha intoxicated with extraordinary love. This maiden, through extraordinary love, will make you lost, will make you absorbed in rasa. Sri Krishna is filled with the thirst of love rasa, the love rasa and leela, the meditation on leelas. That very love rasa that Sri Krishna is filled with the thirst for—that love rasa, that leela—this Sri Dham Vrindavan will make it bloom in your heart.

Therefore, with mind, word and deed, let us take shelter in Shri Dham Vrindavan. Let us go to Shrimad Bhagavat Mahapuran, in which Shri Yudhishthir Ji Maharaj, during the Rajasui Yajna, asks Devrishi Narad Ji a question. In that question, the description of the brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas, and shudras of the brahmacharya ashram, and of the ashramas of brahmacharya, grihastha, vanaprastha, and sanyas was given appropriately. Shri Yudhishthir Ji asked: we wish to hear more about yati dharma. Narad Ji says that a yati should accept only the body as possession. Possession should be only this body-form; everything except the body should be renounced.

Sanyas dharma begins from here. So when sanyas is given, it is a strict state. He is made digambar. Naked and bare, he is made to stand in the Ganges. And this first principle is: only the body remains—raising your hands, speak: who belongs to you in this world? What do you have? Standing in the Ganges, he speaks: except for Lord Shri Narayan, there is no one else. Then begins sanyas dharma—its procedures. The first of sanyas dharma begins here: standing in the Ganges, speak: who belongs to you? Say: except for Lord Narayan, there is no one who is ours.

Now from here the sanyas process begins again. Then he takes sanyas of everything except the body. Then there is no attachment to any person.

Equal feeling towards all. It is not that when he sees family members his face lights up. This means you lied standing in the Ganges when you said there is no one who is yours. So now who appeared as yours again? Who appeared in the world again? This is very difficult. Very difficult. This dispassionate sanyas is very difficult.

By guru's grace, from the day he left home, never did he even eat a morsel of food. He never stayed even one night [in worldly attachment]. After sanyas, in his entire life, he never went back to that area. Not to mention that town, village, or house—he did not even go to that block, not to that block. His whole life passed; his family never even knew whether he was alive or dead. Some time later, when during our journey along the Ganges, it came to Vrindavan that they learned he was indeed alive—otherwise, from the earlier journey along the Ganges, from his dwelling in Kashi... It is to say, if anyone had a phone—but in those days phones did not exist, and on the banks of the Ganges, where would there be a phone? Who would have a phone?

No attachment to any person—this is the first characteristic of a sannyasi. No attachment to any person, no attachment to any object, no attachment to any place. By guru's grace, such was the sanyas dharma. It was the Lord's special grace that there was never even a bag in which two or four cloths could be kept.

One loincloth worn, one loincloth worn. One loincloth at the waist and one cloth above—wait, no: one cloth and two loincloths. And one kamandal. That is all—whether it is cold, heat, or rain, remaining in the same condition. Sanyas dharma is a very harsh dharma. We never cried—never did such a thing. Never did emotion come and [we] cry, or never did such a thing happen. Never. Whom would we cry for? Such a thing never came.

He wandered following the rule of staying in one village for one night. During the entire journey along the Ganges banks, once he went to a village. It was raining. It was the cold season. The body had become so cold that it seemed that some warm place was needed to pass the night. Otherwise, it is possible that by morning he would not be able to walk. Completely frozen—and that too when it was the cold season—he went to a village. There was fear because he had a young body and his physique was such that no one would believe whether he was a mahatma or whether it was fake, a performance. Who would keep a young man of 23, 24, or 25 years at their doorstep? So on the outskirts of the village, he saw animals tied up, and he said to them: would you arrange shelter for us for one night? They said: yes, we will arrange it. Where the buffalo is tied, you lie down right there on the side. He said yes, so they said: Look, we are village people; for covering against the cold, we won't give you a blanket—you might run away [with it]. He said, then they said: we can give you that burlap sack that we use to shoo the buffalo. He said: please definitely give me that burlap sack. When they threw it over him, the body became warm. He said: at 4 o'clock I will leave from here, and you will get the burlap sack back.

During the entire journey of the Ganges, this was the only shelter—otherwise, under a tree or in some ashram, he never took a blanket from the ashram-dwellers. Whatever the condition was, that's how he lived—there was great bliss in it. Brahmacharya has an effect, there is a firm resolve in the goal, and there is wonderful bliss in it.

In this sanyas dharma, regarding clothing: only a loincloth and above it a little cloth to cover, to cover the genitals. Apart from this, no clothes for a sannyasi. If he wears clothes, then let him wear only a loincloth. If this is so, then as much cloth as covers the thighs—wear that like a gamcha. We wore just one cloth like this, binding it from the chest down to the knee. And unless some necessity comes, do not take any other cloth. By necessity, I mean like serious fever. If the body is afflicted with severe cold, then at that moment, take some cloth just for that instant. Otherwise no.

The symbols of ashram are only the danda and kamandal. Wear these symbols of ashram until the state of avadhuta arrives. But even that—like Udiya Baba, who submerged the danda itself in the Ganges. A sannyasi should not hoard or possess anything. It is written about this: one should not hoard any object. The only storehouse is the belly. Whatever is found, accept it; if nothing is found, then nothing. Why keep it for tomorrow? Why for the day after? Because he kept even a small piece of haritaki, Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Dev told one of his servants: go to household life. You are not fit for dispassionate sanyas. A piece of haritaki—which after Mahaprabhu ate the food offering, he kept a piece for mouth purification—he kept it for Mahaprabhu.

Mahaprabhu said, "Come, marry and remain in household life; you are not fit for renunciation and sannyasa. A sannyasi should be peaceful. Always peaceful, devoted to God, do not take refuge in any person. For this reason I took refuge at the ghat—because at the ghat only Mahadev ji has authority. At the ghat whatever Mahadev ji arranges, that is what happens. When it rained, the temples were open—their small doors—I simply lay inside them. Otherwise outside at the ghat. Seeing this entire universe as transcending cause and effect, in the form of God, simply remaining peaceful, absorbed in one's own atma—this is the great path of bliss.

Do not think it is what people call a very dry path. How can I know without ever tasting it what Brahmananda is? How much bliss there is—Shankara's natural form absorbed when I entered that unbroken, infinite, immeasurable, unbroken bliss samadhi. This is no ordinary path. Now if you don't know it, you will say it is a very dry path. An atma-darshi sannyasi dwells in the state of waking and deep sleep—neither sleeping nor waking—always established in God, in one's own nature, liberated from the bondage of birth. When sannyasa was taken, the body's only possessions were one loincloth, one garment—no other possessions.

There is no vessel to keep things in. The belly itself is the vessel. There is no one, the great path of bliss. Believe truly, those waves of bliss where even when food was not found for many days, a wondrous bliss was seen. Neither suffering of the body nor honoring of the body. No concern for bodily suffering, no salutation, no respect whatsoever. Life is only in the form of God. I saw one saint there and from there vairag increased. This is toward Kannauj, beyond Fatehgarh, Ghatiya Ghat.

Now some names have changed. When we stayed for some days at that ghat on the bank of the Ganga, I saw a saint who wore only a thin marking and a loincloth, one of the greatest renunciates, and it was cold season, and it struck us that, friend, shame on our life—we consider ourselves renunciates and this one is advanced in age and such renunciation. But with such great self-denial at the ashram here, Maharaj Ji, just take a small blanket and cover yourself. But smiling, silent, skeletal body in skin, marking only, always. The bhajananandi mahatmas, the Ganga bank is like the GT Road where big vehicles keep going. The Ganga bank is like the GT Road, great mahatmas, one after another, Brahma-jnani mahatmas' darshan. Then something stirred inside—I threw down the kamandal, threw down the cloth, threw down the loincloth. I am young, a digambar.

This one is old. For quite a long time thus. Then I met Sachchidananda Swami ji. He said you are digambar, sitting like this in a corner. I said, by guru's command I abandoned clothing. He said, "No, no, that is good, that is good, very good." He was a great jnani mahatma. Why did you abandon clothing? If the body itself is not, then what of clothing? Yes, yes, this is it—when you are not the body, then what difficulty is there in wearing clothes? What difficulty is there in putting clothes on this body? I said there is no difficulty. He said, then wear them. From then on, because God's command—if this path had not come, there would have been no possibility otherwise.

There was no possibility otherwise. The path that was going, there would be no possibility. Then Mahadev ji turned thus and Harivansh Mahaprabhu caught me in the rasa—without that there would have been no possibility. Neither the suffering that would come to the body nor death, neither honor nor celebration of the body—no concern with anyone. Studying the scriptures that propound the atma-vastu, and for livelihood no effort at all. If one must stay in a village, only one night, even that outside the village, under some temple, school, or tree. Beg bhiksha from one village.

There are various methods of bhiksha. If one has pure thoughts, sit in one place and obtain it, or ask from five houses, but never go there again. This is the great dharma of sannyasa. Now hardly anyone is left. Now bhiksha itself no longer exists. Now all are living in their own sacred abodes, in pilgrimage places, in Kashi and other sacred cities, because time is no longer left that we go begging at people's homes. For livelihood, make no effort. Livelihood will come from God. Being detached, do not make arrangements for livelihood.

Make no arrangements. And even if food is not obtained for many days, achieve no splendor from it. Do not try. That today bhiksha was not obtained—search elsewhere—asked once, did not obtain—prarabdha finished. Do not gather a large group. Do not give discourses. Do not begin great undertakings. This is forbidden for a sannyasi. Peaceful, silent, equal-sighted, solitary—a sannyasi should not build an ashram to live in—it is forbidden. Do not build an ashram to live in. A sadhu's dwelling should be arranged such that, just as a mouse made a burrow and a snake lived in it and the mouse got out, just so—do not have the feeling "this is mine, this is ours" anywhere. There should be no attachment like this. Just as if sitting at a train station for a short while, it is fine. But brother, I must go. The train will come, I will board my train and go. Nothing is mine at the station. Just so should life be spent. Nothing is ours. We have nothing anywhere. And by guru's grace, just as the place where we live, that place is his. The one whose flat it is, he is still filling the hole, still arranging everything. By God's grace, it is not like Premanand is dead, put your thumb, get me a signature, otherwise it will be gone. Nothing, just as God removed us from home, even now it is the same. We own no object. Yes, now there is satsang, so they have built a hall, and they have made arrangements for it. Satsang is held, there is a dwelling, so they have arranged for that dwelling.

I have nothing of my own. My name Premanand is nowhere in official papers. Not in any bank, nowhere at all. And never in life. I have accepted this because God's work is happening, so let's say yes to it. But you four together—I am not of consequence. I take your responsibility. If you follow according to the command, according to dharma, then neither will this trap you nor will maya trap you. This is neither mine nor yours—this is the land of Vrindavan. It belongs to Shri Ji. Sing Shri Ji's glory, go to Shri Ji.

There is provision for this. So a sannyasi should not even make arrangements for their own dwelling. This is what the scriptures command. If they wish, they can renounce the marks of their ashram. The scripture instructs this. If they wish, they need not wear the marks of sannyasa. Their ashram has no signs. But they remain absorbed in self-inquiry, not in worldly affairs. I have seen such sannyasis in seclusion.

You cannot know in any way whether someone is a sannyasi. Any kind of mark—there is a Paramahamsa living in our Vrindavan. We have known them for many years. Their dhoti dries at someone's house, their dhoti dries at another's house. They eat somewhere, they sleep somewhere. Sometimes they take food at the braj-vasis' homes. We have no idea in whose house they will be found. They have come once or twice. They have come to Hit Dham too. It is very difficult to understand great souls of the highest order.

Whether they wear the marks of their ashram or discard them—they may have no signs of their ashram, but they remain absorbed in self-inquiry, not in worldly conduct and illusion. Despite being extremely contemplative, they should appear as if mad. The scriptures command this. Even if very wise, one should behave like the mad. We met many such saints in Kashi. They were of the highest order of Brahma-knowledge, but their conduct—such people would drink chai from a clay cup and pound it like this. When I saw it, I was amazed. The leela of Visvanath Ji is very strange.

They walk naked like this, drink chai from a clay cup like this, clap their hands like this. And they move in a grave manner. Despite being extremely powerful ascetics, in the eyes of ordinary people they appear no different from the mad and the mute. Such a condition should appear—that they are mad, mute, completely without sense. If by extraordinary power they decide to destroy something, it is destroyed in an instant. Extraordinary power. Maharaja Yudhishthira—in this matter, great souls describe an ancient history. The honor of the supreme avadhoot Dattatreya and Bhaktiraj Prahlad.

Once, the supreme devotee of the Lord, Shri Prahlad, was wandering secretly with some ministers to know what was in people's hearts. In earlier times, kings would go out in disguise with some of their personal attendants. They would wander in ordinary dress to see what was happening in society, how the system of governance was working. The kings themselves would move about in such simple dress. As he was walking, he saw an avdhoot lying on the ground. But when Prahlad, being a great soul of the highest order, saw him with his divine vision, he said, "This is no ordinary being." The light in his eyes revealed that he was of a very high order.

But he had no marks of any ashram, no mala around his neck, no tilak—no marks of any kind. There were no external signs by which one could know he was a mahatma. But Prahlad understood that he was a perfected being. Prahlad, the supreme devotee of the Lord, approached him and offered full prostrations. He worshiped him according to the ritual. And he asked this question: "O Lord, your body is sturdy and well-nourished like that of industrious and pleasure-seeking people. The industrious are those who engage in various kinds of business and so forth, eat excellent foods, exercise, and thus have strong bodies. It is the rule of the world that those who labor gain wealth. Those with wealth gain pleasures. Only those who enjoy pleasures have robust bodies—those who obtain fine foods. Yet you are lying down—you are not engaged in any labor. Yet your body shows that you are very healthy and well-nourished. And you have no wealth, because you are lying naked. So where will pleasures come from? And how do you have such a healthy body without any enjoyment? If there is something worth hearing, please tell us. From appearance, you look like a very learned, capable, and clever person. You are very wonderful. But you are learned.

It appears to you that you are some great scholar, wise and mahatma. You are lying down. What is the reason for this?"

Narada says: Dharmaraj, when Prahlad asked this question of the supreme avadhoot Dattatreya, then Dattatreya said, "Bhaktiraj, best of men, I honor you. Listen—what is the result of the inclination and renunciation of people's karmas? This you already know from the vision of knowledge. But let me tell you something: on account of your single-pointed devotion, the Lord of all gods, Narayana, is always near you. I see this.

The supreme avadhoot Dattatreya is saying: Impressed by your single-pointed devotion, the Lord never leaves your side. At all times, Lord Narayana is with you. I see this. Just as the sun destroys darkness, so has the Lord destroyed your ignorance. That is why you were able to recognize such a great soul. Prahlad, as much as I have understood, I will answer you accordingly. Prahlad, there is one craving—a thing such that it dwells in pleasure-seeking people and is never fulfilled.

Trishna means the desire to enjoy again and again what has already been enjoyed. O Prahlad, trishna is such a thing that stays with people who indulge in pleasures. The desire to enjoy again and again. And because of this very trishna, there is birth and death. And because of this trishna, people are burning. Worry, sorrow, fear, agitation, birth, death—through various kinds of trishna people perform actions, and from actions come auspicious and inauspicious results. From this their species keep changing and they keep wandering. Sometimes heaven, sometimes hell, sometimes animal species, sometimes human species—through various kinds of species. And this trishna is not in me.

Why am I ashtapusht? Because I have no desire for enjoyment and no trishna. Whoever's heart has no trishna for pleasures is very content. Jahi na chah kab kuch tum san sahaj saneha. Look, Prahlad, the men and women of the world perform actions for the attainment of happiness so that sorrow never comes, but why is the opposite result happening? They are only experiencing sorrow, sorrow. Why is the opposite result of their actions happening? They are not able to understand. All creatures, whether female or male, perform actions for happiness, but in the outcome they receive only sorrow.

There is no permanent, lasting happiness in pleasures. Why? Because happiness is in the Self. In the Paramatma, in God, and no one is making any effort for that. They are searching for happiness in enjoyments. When all effort ceases, then supreme happiness is attained. Look, look—this is a very subtle subject. Through effort we seek happiness. Avdhoot Ji is saying that when all effort ceases, then the atmananda, the Self-joy, becomes manifest. For this, one must understand the realm of pleasures as merely illusion and renounce pleasures. One must renounce trishna.

I, free from the trishna and desire for enjoyments, enjoy only the prarabdh of this body. And I remain lying here. The body's prarabdh—what is a human being's true self-interest? What is true happiness? True self-interest is the worship of God. To become established in one's own nature. Having forgotten true self-interest and taking false duality to be real, they have fallen into the terrible, strange jungle of birth and death. Just as an ignorant man seeing water produced in weeds and covered with algae does not recognize it as water—the water that appears to him in the desert, he goes toward it, but not even a drop of water is there.

Just so, covered by mala, vikshep, and avarana—these three things—the atmananda, abandoning that and going into vishayanda, where like the desert there is not even a drop of ananda, the whole life is being lost in that. That is why that life becomes fruitless. A human being is always attacked by bodily and mental suffering. His body too is mortal. He labors greatly to gather wealth and then dies and departs from here. No benefit. This greedy one, this pleasure-seeker, this infatuated one—they experience only sorrow upon sorrow. For fear they cannot sleep. From anxiety about wealth they cannot sleep.

From desire for pleasures they get no rest. Those greedy for wealth—from king, thief, enemy, kinsman, animal, bird, beggar, and time itself—indeed, sometimes I fear I might make a mistake about this. That too much money might not be spent. From this very worry they burn. A wise man should not become prey to sorrow, infatuation, fear, anger, attachment, cowardice, and toil. Therefore, renounce enjoyments, wealth, and various kinds of trishna. Otherwise only sorrow will come to your hand. I remain very content—I have no worry about wealth, no attachment to anyone, and I do not worry about the body. Its prarabdh is what it is. Sometimes good things were obtained, sometimes I went hungry. The body's prarabdh. In this world my greatest gurus are the python and the honeybee.

This is in the Ekadashi Skandh of the Twenty-Four Gurus. In this it is being said to Prahlad that my greatest gurus are the python. Ajgar kare na chaakri, panchi kare na kaam. Daas Malook kah gaye, sabke data Ram.
The python does not serve, the bird does not labor. Servant Malook has said, Ram is the giver of all.

The Avadhoot is lying. Through chance some very beautiful, sweet things were offered to me. Without such circumstances, I remained hungry for many, many days. The teaching I took was of dispassion and contentment. Look, the honeybee gathers honey. But others enjoy that honey. So the whole life long it gathers wealth. Others eat the fruits. I made the honeybee my guru. From it I learned that a sadhu should never gather anything. One should remain content. Remain content. The body has its prarabdh. If it is not written in your prarabdh that you will get food here, then some such aversion will arise that you will not eat, or the thought will come that you will not eat for two days. Why? Because that is prarabdh to be enjoyed. And from the python I learned that just as it lies still, food comes to it of its own accord. Thus should a sadhu remain. Food will come on its own. It will come by itself.

Have faith—everything will happen of itself. By God's inspiration, whatever little food comes to a sadhu, whether it is dry, whether it is without savor, whether it is tasteless, whether it comes full of many virtues and delicious—just receive it. This is the path of great contentment. To become a father in great contentment—this is the path of great contentment. But the true path is this—in hypocrisy and false play you will keep burning. Sometimes someone brings food with great faith, sometimes with great lack of faith. Sometimes someone shows respect, sometimes disrespect. Sometimes at night food is obtained, so it is received at night. Sometimes it comes during the day, so received during the day. Sometimes received once, so received once. Many, many days it did not come, so many days I did not eat. Thus the body's prarabdh—I keep watching it. Dattathreya went—this is why sometimes someone came and dressed the body in silken garments, sometimes someone came and took them away. Yes, sometimes someone came and fed me, sometimes lying in grass, sometimes lying on the earth, sometimes lying on a heap of ash, and sometimes in the palaces of kings. This lord of demons sometimes the body was bathed thoroughly and adorned with sandal, garments, and garlands of flowers, and sometimes wandering naked and exposed like a demon.

I do not criticize anyone, nor do I praise anyone, nor do I make any effort, nor do I harbor any thirst, nor do I harbor any desire. I remain established in the form of Paramatma. This is the state of an avadhut. A worshipper walking on the path of truth should not allow any desire to arise in the mind. Whatever the body's prarabdha karma is, experiences will follow. We witness this only - I am merely a witness. I am not an experiencer. Keep the mind always established in Paramatma, always in Paramatma and not in enjoyments. Prahlad is my autobiography.

You had asked why I am so healthy? Because I remain pleased. I do not harbor any desire, no thirst, no activity, no craving. In every circumstance - whether honor or dishonor, pleasure or pain, gain - I remain equally blissful. Narada Ji says that Prahlad Ji again bowed to Avdhut Shiromaṇi Dattatreya Ji, worshipped him, took his blessings, and went to his kingdom. So a yati, a sadhak, a vairagi should hold only this body, possess only cloth to cover the body, and keep witnessing its prarabdha karma.

Sometimes dishonor comes, sometimes honor comes - this is its prarabdha karma. Let it be experienced. You remain impartial. You remain peaceful. Do not get entangled in honor and dishonor. When good things come, receive them impartially. When plain things come, receive them impartially. See that this is the body's prarabdha karma - it is being sustained this way. For remaining in such blissfulness, this path of detachment, this path of withdrawal, is the path of supreme happiness. There is no worry. There is no worry. When all desire is destroyed, worry is destroyed, and the mind becomes carefree.

Those who desire nothing are established in dignity. And even if someone in householder life becomes like this, there is no worry. Trust in God, fulfill your duties, and do naam jap abundantly. Then they too will receive the same state that avdhuts receive, that paramahamsas attain. That very same state can be attained by householders too - by fulfilling their duties, by doing naam jap, by dedicating all actions to God. As a result, they will attain God-realization.

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

Original video: Shri Hit Radha Kripa (YouTube)