Private Dialogue and Darshan #1395

At Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj in Vrindavan, private dialogue with Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj. Sadhaks ask questions about their life and sadhana, and Maharaj Ji provides answers.

Full Discourse

Minakshi Sandip Ji from Australia: Shri Harivansh, Shri Harivansh Maharaj Ji, countless salutations to your feet. Maharaj Ji, in ancient times saints and sages also practiced householder life and attained liberation. So Maharaj Ji, what is the necessity of vairagya? Is the necessity of vairagya, or do we only call someone a renunciate who removes their clothes and leaves? Is this your question? Yes, this needs to be understood. Being a householder is not merely about marital relations. Being a renunciate is not merely about taking off your clothes and throwing them away.

Tell us of anyone who attained the Lord without destroying their attachments. Name even one Brahma Rishi who indulged greatly in worldly pleasures and enjoyments of all kinds and still attained the Lord.

The great souls whose names we speak—you won't even find food to eat in their homes. Kardama remained ever absorbed in the Lord, his body consecrated, and his wife Devi served this ascetic husband all day and night. Then the offspring they had, the Brahma Rishi—they did not indulge so easily. In their lifetime, for procreation only one or two times did they have relations with their wife. After practicing austerities for ten thousand years, only then did he desire a wife.

Kardama Ji performed austerities for 10,000 years. Then, when the Lord appeared, he said to Him, "I wish for a wife." Then Devahuti Ji, daughter of Manu, was given to him as a wife. Then he engaged in austerities again. After that, Devahuti remained in service for many years.

Then one day, looking at Devahuti, it seemed that Kardama sensed through divine perception that Devahuti could not speak, but was yearning that he grant her the fruits of householder dharma. So through his ascetic power, he created a nine-chambered palace and said, "Bathe in the lake." With his divine power, assuming nine forms, Kardama manifested nine daughters, and Lord Kapil Dev appeared there. He gave teachings and brought supreme welfare to both parents. So will you call him a renunciate or a householder? Consider this carefully.

Whichever saint's name you mention, tell us. Now, vairagya is written in our destiny; indulgence is not written in our fate, so we walk this path and attain the Lord. If indulgence is written in your destiny, then transform your indulgence into yoga and attain the Lord.

It is not that you indulge as you please and attain the Lord. How many of you have attained the Lord? Tell us. You are indulging—how many have attained the Lord through indulgence? And how many renunciates have attained the Lord? And those who are engaged night and day in bhajan—those who offer everything to the Lord, saying "All these things belong to you, O Lord; all prosperity is yours; I am but your servant, along with my children and wife"—such householders will attain the Lord. Whoever worships the Lord will attain the Lord, whether householder or renunciate.

Now, what is the necessity of becoming a renunciate? Look, it is the entire creation of the Lord.

The first incarnation of the Lord in creation was that of a renunciate and sannyasi. Sanak, Sanandan, Sanatan, Sanat Kumar—these are our first ancestors. In the creation, these four Brahma Rishis appeared first, embodying vairagya.

We do not do bhajan for ourselves. We do it for you.

Believe me, whose bhajan do we perform? For you. For the welfare of the family in which we were born. For the welfare of those whose food we eat. For the welfare of those whose clothes we wear. For the welfare of those we see. For the welfare of those we speak with.

A sant is the embodiment of welfare.

And do your own welfare. This is a matter of great fortune.

If you keep asking about the distinction between householder and renunciate, you will waste your time on your own welfare. But that one liberates seventy times seven worlds. They themselves are liberated and they liberate the worlds.

Such a mahatra has the capacity to purify the three worlds.

Those who are firm in their vow of chastity, who maintain an unwavering mind, as Narsi Mehta says—"Blessed blessed is your motherhood"—those who are firm in their loincloth, who never committed wrong actions in life, whose speech is firm, whose mind is firm, such a firm servant of the Lord can bring welfare to the entire world.

May all be happy, may all...

Now this cannot happen while living among children and family at home—whenever you felt like it you indulged with your wife, whenever you wanted you took food, whenever you felt like it you slept.

You indulged as your mind wished, and now you are hungry, but food is not found. Have you not abandoned the Lord? Has someone's memory struck your heart, thinking only "I want the Lord's love; I don't want anyone else's love"?

Not even one friend—you escaped well. At that time there was no boyfriend-girlfriend situation, you escaped very well.

So truly, in our time, in our generation, as we wander around outside—Babuji, there is no girlfriend like this. They think, "What kind of person is this who has no girlfriend?" It means they don't even count him as a person. They think he's useless, not worth being a friend with. Friend, think about it—get rid of this. What is this? It didn't exist in our time. Very much so—when we went to school, this sort of thing wasn't even a concept. People say to us, "If there's no girlfriend, call the Lord, friend! The Lord is such a wonderful friend."

Priya, beloved, stay blissfully—see, this way we found both. Priya, priya, beloved Shyama, Shyam. Don't ask us—we need no one. This is from the Lord.

We are devoted to service—that's why we sit before you and speak. The happiness in sitting this way is not the same as sitting that way. You understand what we're saying, and we understand you too. We speak only after renouncing our own happiness. Then what need is there to ask why we should embrace detachment? By renouncing our own happiness, we do bhajan for you. We give you the knowledge gathered through a lifetime of learning. Otherwise, why are you here? Did you come paying us some fee? No. Yes. You give your time. We take your time. You give your livelihood. We share our teaching. Both will be blessed. Through your sustenance our bhajan is made.

Through our teaching your bhajan will be made. Both will be blessed. And both are necessary. Just as children see the whole world with generous hearts—vasudha kutumbakam. Now listen, tell me truly: sitting here before us, do we seem like strangers to you? No. Let me tell you something. Doesn't it feel that they are ours, that they're from our household? Then can a householder see another this way? Why do you see us this way? Because we have no one but you. Except for all of you, we have no one. That's why it will seem to all of you that Babaji seems personally mine.

Babaji seems like he is mine. It seems this way because we have no one. And if we had someone, this feeling would stop right away. That's why detachment is the essential teaching. Without detachment, the world's welfare cannot be. The world's blessing cannot be. Do you understand? Rajendra Kumar Ji, Shri Harivansh Maharaj Ji—Maharaj Ji, does the atman in our body inspire us to right and wrong, or does our mind? First of all, this is a matter of ignorance. You say our atman is inspiring us—meaning two things have become separate: the atman has become one and you've become another. No, they haven't become separate. Look, ask again. Maharaj Ji, the atman in our body inspires us to right or wrong, right? Our atman has become separate, we've become separate. No—you are the atman. You are the atman. You and no one else. Why? Is there some difference? Think about it—perhaps we're making a mistake. The atman is you, isn't it? So now you yourself decide between right and wrong—is someone else deciding?

Whether you accept or reject—that's a matter of intellect and mind. So you are not mind and intellect. You are the atman. When mind and intellect want to do something wrong, there's an inner signal: this is wrong. But because you don't know your true nature and are absorbed in mind and intellect, you accept what mind and intellect say. You don't listen to your own voice. You reject your own voice and accept another's. Mind and intellect—that's why jails are full. That's why beings go to hell. That's why degradation happens. If you listened to your own voice and not to the mind's voice, you wouldn't need to ask anyone. You would become a knower of Brahman.

You would become established in your divine form. Do you understand? But we reject our own voice. People say, "An inner voice told me not to do it, but I did it anyway." So what came from within was your voice. What's speaking from outside—"I must do this"—that's the mind's voice. The mind, caught with the five sense organs, goes into nature-born pleasures, and the inner self forbids it. For the attainment of bliss, our human life came. We are absorbed in the bliss of enjoyment.

When we withdraw from the bliss of enjoyment, our own form is blissful. Our own form is blissful. No other bliss comes from anywhere else. The ocean of bliss, the treasure of joy whose fragment we are—that itself is our treasure of joy, conscious form, effortless natural bliss—God's fragment, the imperishable soul. Do you understand our words? Who is the atman? We are. We reject our own voice and accept the mind's voice, so caprice happens, and caprice brings punishment. If we listen to the atman's voice, the guru's voice, the scripture's voice, then we are blessed.

But we accept the mind's voice. The mind is caught with the five sense organs in pleasures, so we go wrong. Even in small pleasures the mind gets caught. Even when doing naam jap, even in small pleasures the mind gets caught. Absolutely, absolutely—it's the mind's nature. Those small habits—bidis, tobacco, tea, water—small habits we cannot give up. And the world's greater pleasures? If we do bhajan, we can give up everything. Or not? That's not it. If you increase your bhajan, the capacity of bhajan will grow, and gradually pleasures will be renounced.

And if pleasure is not renounced, it won't bind us. There is great power in bhajan. Look—he called upon Narayana for his son and attained God. If we deliberately say Radha, Radha, we won't attain God. So let us do nama jap abundantly. Don't even think of pleasures. Don't contemplate them even with a spirit of renunciation. To think of them at all is harmful. Let us meditate on God, and [throat clearing sound] without nourishment the body cannot function. Understand this too. The body needs water. The body needs food. Milk and ghee as necessary. Fruit as necessary.

If these don't work, the body won't function. No matter how good the car is. If you don't put petrol in it, the car won't run. It needs petrol. Now if someone says they've renounced petrol, the car still won't run. So some consumption is necessary for this body. Just as our life force is nourished by air, water, and food. It's necessary. Now, is food necessary, or is taste necessary? If our life force is being nourished by bread, lentils, and vegetables, then what need is there for burgers, pizza, and chow mein? You understand.

Now this desire—may God's grace eliminate it. If we get good milk, rabri, and rasgulla at home, then all glory to you. And if we only get salt and bread, then all glory to you. But food, air, and water are necessary for nourishing the life force. Just as when petrol is put in the car, one more thing is needed—like ghee is needed, milk and ghee are needed.

Now without it, bread alone won't suffice. From time to time, it also needs vitamins. Look, if we keep the car in good condition, the journey will be successful. And if the car is clean, and we maintain it well, then the journey happens. So we feel that proper nourishment is necessary. Now, when someone goes beyond 50 years of age, tea is taken, the body is kept warm, ablutions and such are done, bathing and washing are done, and things work out. We don't have to look at all that. We have to see that our body functions and devotion happens. We're saying that any pleasure that goes against scripture should not touch us, no matter what benefit or harm comes. And while consuming those pleasures that are in accordance with dharma, we should walk on the path of God. So it's not that someone can renounce all pleasures.

Maharaj Ji, what is the difference between mind and soul? Mind is of nature and soul is consciousness-bliss.

The difference is only difference. Just as there is a difference between us and the hand—only difference. The hand is made of five elements, and we are consciousness, dense, existence-consciousness-bliss. But we have forgotten ourselves and identified so strongly that "my hand" means "I"—that's how it appears. When you look in a mirror, it appears as "my body," but "I" doesn't appear. "I" doesn't appear. This is ignorance. The soul is very much consciousness-bliss, free of all desire. And the mind is the home of desires. It cannot exist without desire. If desire is removed, the mind won't remain. It will become no-mind. Desire itself is the mind. Thinking of objects is the mind. If thinking of objects is removed, what then is the mind? One who transcends the senses and mind has become God himself. The renunciation of desires is our practice.

So what is necessary is not called desire. Like when you're thirsty, drinking water is not desire. It's necessary. When hungry, taking food is not desire—it's necessary. But the way you take this food, the manner of taking food—now like covering the body with clothes is necessary. This is not desire. But the quality of it—now the quality is your desire. The necessity is to wear clothes. The necessity is for food and water. But its quality—that is your desire.

Now if we don't have desires, we remain in naturally blissful life. But we are troubled by desires. Aren't we troubled? It seems that if we had this much money, our work would go very well. But honestly, if you ask the truth, if you get that much money, you'll become even more troubled. This never ends—thinking that if we get this much, we'll be satisfied. It's like asking once, "Tell me just one desire. Speak only that, and don't do anything else, don't have any other desire." Then you have no solution.

Make just one desire in one place only—that is the attainment of God. After attaining Him, no desire remains. After knowing Him, there is no need for any more information. So that one desire alone—we have come in human birth only for the fulfillment of attaining God. But our mind is so caught that God seems foreign to us. And this foreign body and world seem our own. That's why the whole life is wasted. Chant the name well. Partake of pure food. Practice good conduct. Human birth is given for bliss. It's not given to fall into depression.

Regarding bliss, animals and birds are under the control of karma. We are only slightly under the control of karma. We can do new karma. We can make such effort that we can erase our karmas and attain God. But we remain caught in pleasures. When the body becomes diseased and moves toward old age, then devotion doesn't happen. Devotion doesn't happen then. If you've practiced before, devotion will happen in old age. If you haven't practiced devotion, you won't be able to practice it. And if you've practiced chanting Ramkrishna Hari, then you'll also chant. So if we haven't learned to shoot, we can't shoot now. But one who has learned to shoot will hit the target in a second. So if we practice this devotion from youth.

We understand the renunciation of pleasures. Renunciation of pleasures means renunciation of the forbidden. Now renounce the lustful gaze toward other women. What is forbidden and against dharma, I don't want that. So even while living at home, you are a sage. It's written in our scriptures that one who practices fidelity to one wife is called a brahmachari. How much allowance is given! For monks and sages to become brahmacharisws, they remain bound in a loincloth for life. And you are given such allowance—that if lust troubles you, keep your affection only for your wife. If you don't have attachment toward other women and sisters, you will be considered a brahmachari. What a great allowance the scripture is giving! Since you are maintaining the whole family, you need money. So honestly, nourish the family from the wealth you have earned.

You are a mahatma. Even living in a family, you are a mahatma—when you earn money through righteous means and nourish your family with it. If you walk in righteousness, then you are indeed a mahatma. You are remembering God. Just as renunciation brings us the attainment of God, so too will you attain God while living as a householder.

Jyoti Ji from Kanpur, Radhe Radhe Maharaj Ji, what is divine love? What should be the nature of love? Should love be for our own desires, or should we understand it as bhagavatic blessing? It seems to us that first we should do bhajan. Without bhajan, things will not be understood, because God and God's love are not two different things. God Himself is love itself. Love is God. Whatever love (priti) there is, whatever feeling (bhav) there is, that itself is God.

As you cultivate feeling, so will you experience God.
जाकी रही भावना जैसी प्रभु मूरत देखी।
As is one's feeling, so the form of the Lord is seen.

Now, love is not a discourse. Love is a hidden subject of the heart. In its subtle form—as Narad Ji explained love—it is most subtle indeed. Experiential in nature: it can only be known through experience. Inexpressible: Love's true nature cannot be described by words. Whatever is described is only the outer form.

Love's nature is this: there is no desire from the one we love. I am for him; he is not for me. The first mark of love is to be free from desire. In this alone, all else is cut away. As many as call themselves lovers, those who we call loving—this is self-centered intellect.

The first mark of love is to be free from desire. We are for him; he is not for us. Measure yourself by this: everything else is finished. We love seeing the gross physical body. The second cutting—the subtle—that pertains to subtlety. But we love based on what we see physically. Whether he is fair or dark, young or old, pleasing to our mind or not. We have not seen the subtle in its subtle form.

We have not seen his inner divine feeling. We are not loving him by seeing his soul. We are loving him by seeing his body.

And in its experiential form—you saw him and became absorbed in bliss. But that is not what happens. Love is action-based; your love is action-based. And what is love considered to be here? Simply that you saw him, and seeing him, tears came, your voice choked with emotion. In that very thing, there is surrender. Thrills are arising in the body. The states of love are coming.

This is experiential. This is experiential, and this is action-based. And this divine love—it is self-complete. In this, there is no need of another, and in this, there is need of another.

This happens from two, and this happens from one. This makes two into one. In this, two feelings come into one. We forget our own feeling and come into the feelings of woman and man.

प्रेम गलीयती साकरी तामे दो ना समाए। ब्रह्म नहीं माया नहीं जीव नहीं काल। अपनी सुधना रहो एक रहो नंदलाल।
In the narrow lane of love, both cannot fit. No Brahm, no maya, no jiva, no time. Take care of yourself, remain one, O Nandlal.

This is the state of love. Now, to attain this love, first engage steadfastly in bhajan. Without bhajan, you will not gain much benefit from questions and answers. Do bhajan.

Do naam jap abundantly. Do you do naam jap a lot? Yes, do naam jap very much. And do naam jap so much that while doing naam jap, tears come, and ask God: give me naam jap. While doing naam jap, let your hunger for the naam become so great that if someone asks you, "Are you doing naam jap?" you stop and say, "It is not what it should be."

What should the answer be? If the answer comes, "I do a lot of jap," this shows that the impact of the naam has not yet struck you. When the impact of the naam strikes, when bhajan strikes, then it will be like this. You will draw a long breath and say, "That is not how it should be."

As it should be—a bhajan-lover carries this hunger throughout the whole life. Throughout the whole life, even doing bhajan night and day, there is one pain: that bhajan does not happen in us. You will be amazed—even while bhajan happens day and night, there is one pain: that the bhajan that should happen does not happen in us. And distressed by this, they weep. In this, they ask the Lord: Lord, give me bhajan.

Immersed in bhajan night and day, still—this is bhajan of the true path. So do naam jap abundantly. Do bhajan, then you will understand love. Then you will understand God.

Before, I used to do more bhajan, but I started with naam jap. Now that I am established, naam jap flows so much—it flows so much that if someone asks me something, Radha comes from my mouth. Look, how peaceful it has become! Now what is happening? Just expand this so much that whether we are doing work, having conversations, walking, or speaking, we remain in this. Then you will see the result for yourself.

I mean, it is very difficult in this world. If there is anything difficult, it is naam jap. See for yourselves—all of you see. One here, one sitting there—we are saying: listen, if you have courage in you, fix your mind in one place for five minutes and show it. For five minutes we are saying: Radha—nothing else should come to mind but this. You will fail.

You cannot manage five minutes. You cannot hold for five minutes when we need to hold for the whole life. To hold for the whole life is different. Such talk is just empty words.

To sit quietly and shape the mind into the form of God is a very difficult thing. It is for that very attainment that we are striving.

Knowledge alone does not suffice. The soul cannot be attained through discourse alone. If someone gives a very good discourse, will that mean God is attained a little? If someone listens to many discourses, will that mean God is attained a little? If someone is very intelligent, will they attain it a little?

Only the one who does bhajan of God, who contemplates the soul, who constantly immerses their mind in the Lord—only such a one attains God.

Yes, Ramesh Ji, Indu Ji, Radhe Radhe, Radhe Radhe Maharaj Ji. Countless bows at your feet.

Maharaj Ji, for some time now I have been fortunate to hear your intimate satsang conversations. Maharaj Ji, Maharaj Ji, he has written quite extensively. He says that now in mature age, even though my heart is pained, I still seek the bhakti of the Lord. But that eagerness and fervor that was there in childhood and at the beginning of youth is not as strong now.

Maharaj Ji, I want to rebuke my hollow knowledge and abandon it. I pray to the Lord for love, bhakti, and surrender. Yet by the Lord's grace, this wicked knowledge and subtle ego often come to overpower me.

Maharaj: Do naam jap, do naam jap. Engage your mind in the Lord's name—this is the greatest thing. Abandoning thoughts of the world is itself sadhana. Thinking of God is the goal. Now, no matter how much knowledge one has, if continuous naam jap of the Lord is not happening—your question is: if continuous naam jap is not happening, what use is knowledge? If there is no exclusive meditation on God, then what value does knowledge have?

God has repeatedly said in many places in the Gita: meditate exclusively on Me. He has said again and again:

अनन्य चिंतो माम हे जन परिपासते अनन्य चेताम योमा स्मृति मन मनाभ मद भक्तो मा्याद माम मनो बुद्धि
Those who meditate on Me alone with undeviating mind, to them I am easily attainable.

The meaning of all these verses is: engage your mind in Me, engage your intellect in Me. How do you engage? Through naam jap. Radha Radha, Krishna Krishna, Ram Ram—whatever name is dear to you, repeat it over and over. There is no need to know anything, no need to gain anything. What is needed is unbroken meditation. Liberation, welfare, divine realization—all are available right now. In this very moment, if you speak Ram and the body departs, you will meet Ram. If you speak Shyam, you will meet Shyam. If you speak Radha, you will meet the Lord.

Now, we are currently meditating while thinking about knowledge. If the body leaves before we have attained self-knowledge, we will not attain God. Because self-knowledge has not yet happened. If self-knowledge had occurred, there would be no need for meditation. When the unthinkable state is attained, then in the present we need naam jap. There is no knowledge greater than naam jap of the Lord.

There is no vow greater than naam jap of the Lord. There is no charity greater than naam jap of the Lord. There is no learning greater than naam jap of the Lord. Therefore, do naam jap. You will receive rest now.

पायो परम विश्राम राम समान प्रभु नाय।
Having attained supreme peace, the Lord is equal to Ram.

Your heart will find peace. No more worry now, because later the anxiety of death will come.

अब इसके बाद मृत्यु दशा है।

After this comes the state of death. At that time, if practice is not done in suffering, knowledge will not remain—at that time naam will remain. God has said that in the state of death or unconsciousness, when My devotee is unable to remember Me, at that time I Myself become his remembrance and am established in his heart.

We should understand this: if there was such great bliss before, but now we do not have it—why did we lose it? Sensory pleasure, sensory pleasure—the pleasure of worldly objects is what obstructs divine bliss. So why doesn't knowledge die? Why doesn't knowledge depart? We say knowledge should go—why doesn't it go?

You do not have real knowledge now. If you attain real knowledge:

जथा स्वपन भ्रम जाई सोह जाने जेह देहु जनाई जानत तुमह तुम ही होए जाई
As dream-illusion vanishes upon waking, so the world vanishes when one knows the Self.

There is no question. When you know, there is no question. This world then does not remain. Then brahmic realization occurs.

सर्वम खलदम ब्रह्म सिया राम में सब।
Truly, all is Brahm; in Sita and Ram, all is present.

Can it not happen through grace alone? All your knowledge, all grace is hidden in the naam. If you do not do naam jap, if it could happen through the grace of saints alone, then we would not tell anyone to engage in the means. We could simply say: your welfare will happen. But if you do not do naam jap, do not have good conduct, do not surrender to God, will merely saying so bring welfare?

Tell us—in the lineage of any sages, has anyone ever attained the goal without being taught the means? It does not happen that way. You must do the means. Otherwise, God was standing right in front of Arjun. Why did He tell him?

"Meditate on Me, and then you will attain Me."

He was standing right there. Brother, just consider—you think of us as saints. We think of you as a householder devotee. But there God Himself was standing. And then He said:

मन मना भव मद भक्तो माद्यादि माम नमस्कार।
Become devoted to Me; bow to Me; meditate on Me.

Become devoted to Me. Engage your mind in Me. Bow to Me. Meditate on Me. Why is He saying this, brother? This must be done. If you do not meditate on God, then merely eating will not satisfy you. Attainment of God comes through your bhajan. The company of saints and great souls provides the means of bhajan, the enthusiasm for bhajan, the strength for bhajan. And the attainment of God comes through bhajan.

Do you understand?

Rahul Tripathi Ji: Maharaj Ji, Maharaj Ji, countless prostrations at your feet.

Maharaj Ji, I am serving in the Indian Army. And whenever I do the naam of Shri Ji daily—Maharaj Ji, my question is not just mine, but the question of all the soldiers of this nation.

When a soldier finishes his leave and returns to duty, he misses home very much. A little daughter's tears in her eyes, the longing gaze of a wife, a mother's empty lap—this is why we honor saints like this. This is why we honor Indian soldiers like this: because for many months they remain separated from their families, serving our nation without regard for bodily comfort. Whether they are stationed in fierce snowfall, whether they are placed in the line of gunfire, wherever they are stationed—where snow is falling, where snow continuously falls, where we cannot even stand—that is where their duty lies. And separation from loved ones is the most difficult of all, because we have witnessed it.

From the day we left home, we have not returned home in our life. We have erased it. Now they still hold that attachment. How much they have to suffer for it every time. I mean, we have settled on this: on the path devoted to God, we are not meant to meet again. Now, whatever happens to us, we don't care. But they care, don't they? And for the nation, they sacrifice their lives—they don't know if they will come back and be able to provide for their children or not. Is there any certainty? One moment a duty posting is assigned, the next moment a bullet comes from somewhere. That is why we pray to the soldiers of our nation: if you lay down your body without even chanting bhajan, you will attain what the great sacrificial rites bring—the attainment of heaven. That attainment of heaven will be yours.

And if you lay down your body while chanting Radha, Radhe, then you will attain God—what the great yogis attain through austerities and penance. You only have to sacrifice your attachment for the sake of nation service. You must understand that for the tricolour, we are laying down our daughters, our wives, our parents, and we are offering our lives for the protection of the tricolour. If our life is spared, it is for them; if not, we offer it to the tricolour. In India, if there is anyone most honourable, we see two: the renunciate ascetic saint or the soldier.

Suppose you are in a very high position—you have security, bodyguards. You are at home, eating food suited to your taste comfortably. You are sleeping on time. You are entertained. But that soldier of the nation eats whatever he gets, standing right there. When needed, he fires his weapon. And he endures every hardship. He may not even have time to call his family on the phone. If he is posted in a war zone, he may not have time to call, and it could well be the last day of his life. That is why we salute him. We honour him.

We honour those who serve in India's Army—whether in the air force, whether in the navy, whether they are ground fighters. And this sacrifice gives you the fortune to be wrapped in the tricolour. Every Indian citizen salutes. Every Indian citizen bows. Our soldiers—you are putting duty first without looking at the tears of small children. That is why, while giving your life to nation service, keep contemplation of God and keep your extended family in mind. If time allows and life is spared, we will meet; if not, our sacrifice is for the nation.

That is why we salute you, that is why we honour you. Maharaj Ji, now you are the answer to every question, you are the solace for every pain. Maharaj Ji, you say only this—that the nation's soldiers are standing very weak. Maharaj Ji, this weakness must be removed now. The two children of Guru Gobind Singh were being bricked up in a wall. But the children did not utter a word of regret, and Guru Gobind Singh did not waver as the children were bricked up alive. Your children are safe by God's grace. The children they sacrificed—in this battle you have entered, for national defence, nation, country, and religion are one and the same.

For the protection of dharma, the children of Guru Gobind Singh were being bricked up in the wall. But there was no cry from the children and no wavering in Guru Gobind Singh. They were bricked up but remained steadfast in dharma. Tegh Bahadur had his head cut off. Guru Arjun Dev burned his entire body. Those wicked people said, "If this tastes sweet to you"—that is the path of the brave. You are brave, you are not an ordinary person. You are a soldier of the nation, so you will not behave like an ordinary person. You will have the bearing of a lion. When you go toward family, at that moment all your love is for family, and when you part from family, say "Jai Hind"—now we understand that our life is dedicated to the nation. Become such brave and valiant warriors, then both this world and the next will be in your hands. This is no ordinary matter.

You are soldiers of the nation. There is no one who is not protected by you soldiers. If you were not there, we could not even chant here. You endure hardship there, so we can sleep peacefully in our quilts here. If you endure hardship there and allow even a small breach in security, then thousands, millions here could be killed. That is why you have the blessings of all of us. We give all our merit to you. Your family will also be protected, and you too will be protected. Do not worry. You

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Original video: Bhajan Marg (YouTube)