If we want to leave everything to God but also want to earn money, what should we do?

A private conversation with Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj at Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj, Vrindavan. Sadhaks put their questions about their life and sadhana, and Maharaj Ji resolves them.

Full Discourse

Piyush Ji, Surat. Radhe Radhe Maharaj Ji, Maharaj Ji, respectful pranam, Maharaj Ji. While praying I remain in a dilemma. One mind asks God for wealth in front of Him, and the other says, don't ask God for a small thing like wealth; whatever you get will be the best. Maharaj Ji: Yes, that is the best thing indeed. But when we need something and we consider God our own, then we can pray to God. God Himself has described four kinds of devotees in the Gita. One is the arthārthī, who asks God for wealth.

One is the ārta, who seeks relief from distress. One is the jijñāsu, who wants to know God. One is the jñānī, who has already known God, who has become of God's own nature. So among these four kinds of devotees, the only thing is asking from God. We make effort and perform our duty, but our trust is in God. He will give us. Asking is no fault, because God has accepted it. Take the arthārthī devotee: when Dhruv Ji wanted to sit in the lap of Maharaj Uttanpad, the king's second wife, whose name was Suruchi, slapped him and said, "If you want to sit on this emperor's throne, you must be born from my womb. You were born of Suniti, so go and perform penance to Narayan and manifest in my womb; only then will you be the rightful holder of this throne." She spoke harsh words.

Dhruv Ji went to his mother Suniti and said, "Mother, the other mother said such and such." Her son spoke rightly. "Maharaj, you don't even consider me, your wife, worthy of being a maidservant. If you perform penance to Lord Narayan and please Narayan, whatever you desire will be attained." That was right advice. Dhruv Ji was only five years old, but the five-year-old child made a firm resolve: by pleasing Lord Narayan, I will attain a position that even my father and grandfather have not attained.

His father Uttanpad, grandfather Manu Ji, and great-grandfather Brahma Ji are not far away; they are right nearby. When Dhruv Ji left the city, God brought him to a saint, because when one intends to do bhajan, God brings them together with some saint. So Devarshi Narad Ji met him. Dhruv Ji bowed to Devarshi Narad Ji, and Narad Ji asked him, "You are five years old and a prince without any protection. Where are you going?" He said, "I have resolved to go to a secluded place, do bhajan of God, and please Lord Narayan."

Narad Ji said, "Ah, so your mother also forbade you from sitting in your father's lap. Come, I will have you anointed as the emperor right now. I will command it, and Uttanpad will have you crowned at once." Dhruv Ji considered: "I haven't even begun bhajan yet, and the moment I take a step toward bhajan, the throne is being offered to me, the throne from whose lap I was refused." Who can cut Devarshi Narad's words? So his Gurudev, now no. Now he would not step back. His faith was established, and he said, "I will attain Him only by worshipping God." Then Narad Ji first offered temptation and then showed fear: "There is a jungle, lions, wolves, big animals like these will eat you. How will you perform tapasya in the jungle?"

Dhruv Ji considered and said, "If God protects me, no one can harm even a hair on my head. And if my death is destined, I will die even here in the palace. Therefore I resolve that I cannot give up the worship of God." See, the disciple was firm, so the guru gave him the twelve-syllable mantra and said, "Go, may God shower His grace upon you." He came to Mathura, which they call Madhuban, and here on the sacred bank of the Yamuna he performed the anushthan of the twelve-syllable mantra. Mathura is God's eternally perfected place. God appeared, of course, but the scriptures describe Mathura's great glory.

Mathura is nitya, the eternal abode of Krishna; day and night Shyam never leaves its side.

Through all those leelas, in six months he attained the darshan of God, and he attained that unshakable position, so much so that even today the Saptarishis circumambulate that position where Dhruv Ji is seated.

So if we desire wealth too, we should ask only from God, perform bhajan, worship God, and fulfil our duty. Then even asking for wealth becomes meaningful. Whatever desires we have, we should ask from God, but not the way people do nowadays. Now people offer ₹00 as bhog and say, "Here is our one wish. Do you consider God a servant?" But God is the Master, friend. He is not a servant. Think of how one asks one's father. Does anyone say to their mother or father, "We will feed you so much, so give us ₹1000"?

We ask with authority, because you are our father and you are our mother. So we should ask God with authority too, but God sees what is inside. If there is another refuge, then God does not come quickly. Worship with single-minded devotion (ananya bhav) is essential. How did Dhruv Ji worship? He drank a sip of water, then ate a dry leaf, then he gave that up too. He drank only air, and in six months he manifested God before himself. Now we worship, but we drink liquor, eat unclean food, and act as we please, and we expect God to fulfil our desire just like that.

Perform tapasya, do sadhana, live a pure conduct, observe vrat and fasting. Then, when we worship God and ask for a desire, our request will be fulfilled. Se

This text has been taken from the auto-generated subtitles of the video. There may be word errors in it. For authentic words, be sure to listen to the video.

Original video: Bhajan Marg (YouTube)