ekantik vartalaap evam darshan #1427

Private conversation with Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj at Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj, Vrindavan. Sadhaks bring the questions of their life and sadhana, and Maharaj Ji resolves them.

Complete Pravachan

Saurabh Gupta ji from Aligarh: Radhe Radhe Maharaj Ji, my most humble and respectful prostrations at your feet. Maharaj Ji, is there any mantra or stotra which, when heard, can give spiritual strength and pure sanskar to the unborn child in the womb? The power of God's naam kirtan and God's leela katha is immeasurable. Prahlad ji Maharaj, who became such a great bhagwat, while Hiranyakashipu was engaged in harsh tapasya to ask a boon from Brahma ji, was still in Kayadhu ji's womb when the devtas attacked. Because Hiranyakashipu was absorbed in tapasya, the devtas defeated the daitya generals, and when they searched the whole palace, everyone else had fled. Kayadhu was pregnant, so they took her captive, and while they were carrying her away as a prisoner, Devarshi Narad ji met them on the way. He asked, "Where are you taking her?" They said, "The child that will be born to Hiranyakashipu inside her, I will kill him." He said, "What is your capacity to kill that child? Give up even the thought of this shameful act." So they let Kayadhu go, and Devarshi Narad ji took Kayadhu to his ashram, and there, through God's naam kirtan and God's katha, Prahlad ji became a maha bhagwat while still in the womb.

Just as the unborn child Abhimanyu learned from Arjun ji the art of breaking the chakravyuh, when it came to breaking the seventh gate, the last one, the mother fell asleep, so he could not hear the rest, because he was listening through the mother's ears. So this shows that if we feed the pregnant woman sattvik food, recite God's katha to her, have her do God's naam kirtan, and have the scriptures recited to her, her supreme welfare will be assured, and she should do plenty of naam jap of Ram, Krishna, Hari, or whichever name is dear to her. Through this, the unborn child will become a devotee of God, a bhakt.

He will become dharmatma. But once conception has taken place, one should not have intercourse. These householders act arbitrarily, and so the children's limbs are affected, which is very harmful, and children are born lustful. From the day one learns that the woman is pregnant, one should remain celibate until the child is born. Nowadays people neither read nor follow these saints and the scriptures.

Ankita ji from Bengaluru: Radhe Radhe Maharaj Ji, Maharaj Ji, how should one live for oneself? What is a remedy? How do I end the fear within? Know yourself, know yourself, just that will be enough. For yourself, will you live as a woman? You are living for the body. You are living for the cravings of the senses. You are living for enjoyments. Where are you living for yourself? If you want to know yourself, but you have not known, then whom are you living for? It is only the body that is going to end. You know only that you are a woman, isn't it? So all the indulgence of the senses, luxury, food and drink, all the living you do is living as a woman. Where is the living for yourself? Who are you? Do you know? Yes. Now, the true path is that when you know yourself, living is not for yourself. It is for others. Living is not for yourself; it is for others. Only the life of the one who lives for others becomes meaningful in this world. You are the imperishable child of the eternal, blissful God. He is of the form of bliss; he is neither woman nor man.

It is only because of lack of knowledge that we are trapped in ignorance. Do you understand? We think: do naam jap, do plenty of naam jap, listen to God's leela katha, listen to satsang, serve the father-in-law and mother-in-law, regard the husband as the form of God, live for the family, live for society, live with the feeling of giving happiness to others, and then you will start to feel bliss. When we do things thinking of the body as "I" for our own pleasure, then sin begins to happen through us, then misconduct begins through us, mistakes begin through us, offences begin to form through us. If you are able to understand this, do naam jap, serve the father-in-law and mother-in-law, look at the husband with the feeling of God, and serve the husband's family. Now, if the husband's behaviour towards you is harsh and bitter, then try to bear it by God's grace. Then a blessed life is lived.. What are people doing for themselves, for their own happiness? People kill their husbands for their own sake. For their own sake they kill their wives. For their own sake they kill their children.

For their own sake they insult their elders. Selfishness, this is already a very low matter. Understand yourself: once you know your true nature, then service to others will happen on its own. Then the service of the whole world will happen automatically. Do you understand? Sant Digvijay Ram ji, Chittorgarh. Ram Ram, Maharaj Ji. Maharaj Ji, one is liberated just once by the name of Ram. This is what is said in the sant vani, Maharaj Ji. It is said in our vani too, but there is a condition: "Ek bar jin naam liye hit so hoye ati deen, samast ahankar galit ati daidya." Hit means love. This is where the point gets stuck: "Mile na raghupati bin anuraga." Love must first manifest. Otherwise, even if one chants lakhs, crores, arabs of times, love will manifest; then, when it comes out just once, bhagwat prapti will happen through it. "Ek bar jin naam liye hit so hoye ati deen, tako sang na chhadi hi dhruv apno kar leen." The Lord does not abandon the one who, with love, has become extremely humble, whose whole ego has melted away, and who has attained love for God.

One who calls out sincerely, Bhagwan appears before him. Do you understand? Yes. One who chants the Name free of the ten offenses against the Name attains prem. So we have to chant the Name again and again, and do it with care. Our ego should melt away. Gradually we should make our mind take the form of the Name.

Suppose the mala is turning in the hand and the Name is moving on the tongue, but the mind is out in the world. Then the connection is not right. All three must become one. If the beads turn in the hand and the mouth speaks, but the mind wanders off, that is not sumiran.

What is sumiran? It is when the mind becomes fully absorbed in it. We say "Ram," and Ram is before our eyes, Ram is sounding in our ears, and our whole thinking is of Ram alone. The whole inner self takes the form of Ram. That bhajan comes very quickly, but in the beginning everyone's condition will be somewhat like this. That is why it is said:

bhav kubhav anakh alas ho naam japat mangal dashu

Whether with devotion or without, in anger or in laziness, chanting the Name brings blessings in all ten directions.

Whether you chant with bhav or with kubhav, the good comes in all ten directions. But when one advances a little further, it is said that sumiran must happen together with the mind, because bondage and liberation belong to the mind. If the mind is attached to the objects of the senses, it is the cause of bondage. If the mind is attached to Bhagwan, it is the cause of liberation.

Take the example of Ajamil. His last moment, his last moment, his last moment had come. In calling for his son, he called out "Narayan." Yet so great is the glory of the Name of Bhagwan that as he said "Narayan," his breath ended in that very moment, and the messengers of Yama were strangling him. At that same moment, Bhagwan's attendants came and said: "Now, by what right do you take him? He took the name of Narayan at his last moment." The name was uttered at the last moment, and there was no bhav in that utterance.

The bhav was for his son. Yes, without bhav, the Name of Narayan showed its miracle. This is the glory of Bhagwan's Name. Because of the last moment, the Name had its effect. Did he not call "Narayan, Narayan" throughout his life, calling for his son? Did his feeling ever change? He kept calling his son. But when he called "Narayan" at the last moment, at that very time the attendants of Bhagwan came and granted him the state of liberation while still alive. They gave him the opportunity. Afterwards he did sadhana in Haridwar and became a mahapurush who had attained Bhagwan.

In our tradition, Ramcharan Ji Maharaj, the Acharya of the Ram Snehi Sampradaya, said that chanting unknowingly is one thing, but if we chant "Narayan, Narayan" knowingly, why would our welfare not be done?

Indeed, there is one more small point. Bhagwan's Name, satsang, and seva to all living beings are three different things. Which is the best path? All three are equal, because as we chant the Name, the chanting does not happen without satsang.

bhajan na hoe sang bin bhajan bina nahi prem

Bhajan does not happen without satsang, and without bhajan there is no prem.

Prem is the root of bhajan. Through satsang, bhajan happens, and only through bhajan is prem attained. The fruit of both satsang and bhajan is that in society and in conduct, we develop a feeling of doing good for others and a feeling of Bhagwan in everyone. So the three are connected.

If even one of the three is removed, the matter becomes disordered. If our conduct gets spoiled and we are bhajanandi, then bhajan will be disturbed. If we begin bhajan and do not get satsang, then we will not have the discernment to remove the obstacles to bhajan. Without satsang there is no viveka, and the fruit of both satsang and bhajan is that our conduct becomes absorbed in Ram. Our conduct becomes absorbed in Bhagwan. Therefore all three are essential. A sadhak should do all three: he should do bhajan, he should do satsang, and he should do good for others.

par hit saris dharm nahi

There is no dharma like doing good for others.

Because we cannot live without conduct and action. We cannot remain for even a moment without action. So if we only sit in seclusion for bhajan, still at some point we will have to go out into worldly affairs. When we go into worldly affairs, we should keep the feeling of doing good for others. We should keep the feeling of others' welfare. How will their welfare happen? How will they find happiness? How will they find peace? These should be our thoughts. Only then are we sadhak, only then are we sadhu. So all three things are essential. Among them, the supremacy belongs to satsang.

Because both streams of bhajan and doing good for others flow from satsang. If there is no satsang, there will be no interest in bhajan. Bhajan will not even begin. The most fundamental work is satsang, and from satsang come bhajan, and from both satsang and bhajan comes the feeling of doing good for others.

Radhe Radhe. Maharaj Ji, Gurudev, I cannot keep my niyams completely. I keep cursing myself for not keeping my daily routine of bhajan. I think, "I will not do it again from tomorrow," but even after being scolded and beaten by my mother, I do not improve. Mother, father, over small matters I even get angry and answer back.

Look, in this one has to walk with great seriousness. Our faults are not from today. We cannot just take a vow now and say "from today I will not do it," because we are not Bhishma. Gradually, one by one, you have to cut away each fault. Little by little, remove each fault. Keep walking on what is true. Keep leaving behind what is false. The strength for this will come through the Name. If you chant "Radha, Radha, Radha, Radha, Radha, Radha, Radha" more and more, bad habits will fall away by themselves. Good qualities will come by themselves.

Niyam is kept only when a strong person keeps it, not a weak one. Strength is not physical strength; it is spiritual strength. Spiritual strength comes from chanting the Name, listening to the scriptures, studying the scriptures, and the company of saints. Through these, spiritual strength enters within us.

And however harshly your mother and father speak, touch their feet. Never say harsh words to them. Never hold a feeling of wanting to beat or hit them. However old they become, touch their feet every day. Yes, touch their feet every day. When they abuse you, stand with folded hands. Guruji, when Mother scolds us, you told us in satsang: when mother and father scold, chant the name of Radha in the mind, so that nothing else gets through.

Yes, yes, I do. But when they talk this much, they suddenly forget everything, and then I also turn around and answer back. No, the best thing is not to answer back at all. Keep listening with folded hands, however much abuse they hurl. Bow at their feet. Then you will see how much your good fortune rises. When your father is beating you, or your mother is scolding and beating you, just turn toward their feet like that, and your progress will happen. To be such a son is a great fortune, so why not be fortunate? What does it cost you? Even if they give you two or four slaps, don't answer back. Touch their feet and go. Then see how God makes you progress.

matri devo bhav pitr devo bhav
Mother is God; father is God.

God is watching, and He will bring you well-being.

Alright. Madhav Vashishth Ji Maharaj Ji is saying that about the costume that is dressed on Shri Ji. What care should be taken with it? For example, now summer has come. In summer, should Shri Ji also be comfortable, and should she feel the breeze? Clothes that feel agreeable to us, how is that called service to God? By body-consciousness (deh bhav).

How is service to God done? Just as an ignorant person nourishes his own body. When it is summer, what clothing does an ignorant person wear for his body? What water does he want? What food does he want? We have to do exactly that, just as an embodied soul, proud of the body, does to give comfort to its body. In the same way, we should do it for the comfort of our beloved deity (iṣṭa).

It is said of Lakshman Ji how he served Siya-Ram Ji. Just as an unwise person does for the comfort of his body, brother, in summer; now, for instance, in winter, we heat the water only as much as is needed. First put it on your own hand and check. Then bathe Shri Ji. Just as we wear soft, warm clothes, for Shri Ji, now that summer has come, dress her in clothes that will not make her feel the heat. The garment should be worn by her and should be pleasant, pleasant to the touch. Thin clothes, excellent and pleasant clothes, so that Shri Ji finds comfort.

In offering bhog likewise, there are seasonal fruits, water, sharbat, and fruit juice. With such good feelings, serve as much as you can, and Shri Ji will be pleased in that measure.

Maharaj Ji, questions are coming one after another. So, Maharaj Ji, the costume of Shri Ji: after it is worn, must we wash it again and again before dressing her in it, or can we keep it and dress her in it again at any time?

No. If it is washable, suppose someone has many, then dress her in it once or twice, then give it to someone. Otherwise, what can be washed should be washed, but wash it in a place for Shri Ji Thakur Ji where no urination has been done. Wash it in a place like that. Just as we wash in a basin (tasla), we wash in a large vessel, take it out of the water once, wash it however is possible, and pour that water at the roots of trees. Handle the divine garments carefully. They are washed in such a way that they are washed as a purification (prakshalan), once.

So there, there is no need for much soap in it, since they are already clean. If the purpose is to purify through prakshalan, then water is poured and a vessel is placed below, a large tray. All the water goes into the tray. The tray is lifted and the water is poured at the base of a tree, so that it does not fall under anyone's feet or go into a bathroom. Now, here in Vrindavan there is no issue. This is God's abode, and the whole land of God's abode is sachchidanand-mayi (full of divine bliss). Here it is not a problem. But in villages and streets, take care of this.

But ji, once the costume has been dressed on her, if it is not dirty, we can keep it carefully and dress her in it again. It is not that it must be washed, or that it has become prasad. No, it is not like that.

And regarding ornaments, Maharaj Ji, ornaments can be dressed on her for a lifetime. Ornaments can be worn for life, but only those made of flowers and such. Yes, flower garlands and similar items that have become prasad cannot be dressed again.

Ji, does color have importance in the costume? No color has any importance. Whatever color the heart fancies, that is the color we dress her in. There is no rulebook for Shri Ji. Our mind takes a fancy: we saw green, so today we dress her in green. Today red. Today black. Today yellow. Black clothes are worn. Why not? On Amavasya (new moon) we wear black clothes.

Our Priya Pritam is dressed in black clothes on Amavasya. Priya Pritam! Hey, it is a matter of our own feeling. Do they need any cloth? As our feelings keep forming, so..

It was summer. After serving Thakur Ji and putting Him to rest, Jaimal Ji went up to the roof. He was a king in his own mansion, and a cool breeze was blowing. It came to his mind: "Friend, we are putting Thakur Ji to sleep downstairs and taking the breeze up here. This is not right." So he had a separate palace built for Thakur Ji. Just like his own bungalow above, with breeze coming through the windows on all sides, latticed screens all around like a royal court, and a mattress laid out, he built an entire bedchamber, a completely cool chamber. Every evening he would go and put Priya Pritam to sleep. He would massage the feet of the Shri Vigraha, put Him to sleep, come back, and remove the ladder so that no one could reach there.

His wife wondered, "What is this affair? Every day he climbs the ladder to the upper room, away from the palace, and we're too afraid to ask. Something must be going on." She began to suspect that something was wrong. Whom does he go to meet? What is the arrangement? He doesn't let anyone go up there. He used to do the service there himself. When he was asleep, she placed the ladder and went up. She didn't find an idol. She saw Priya-Pritam sleeping in person. She climbed up, had darshan, and was suddenly trembling: "Oh, what was I thinking? Here is Priya.." She came down, and the next day she said, "Forgive us, we had doubts that you were going upstairs." He asked, "Why did you go up?" She said, "I went up and saw Priya-Pritam sleeping in person." He embraced her and said, "My life has been fulfilled by serving, but the Lord has given you direct darshan. The Lord gave you darshan in person because he accepted the service."

Think of the feeling: "We are sleeping out in the open, and Priya-Pritam are sleeping below." So with that feeling, since it is summer, one takes raibel, roses, and lotuses, and makes a bed. Raibel is spread at the base, lotus petals on top, roses above that, and over it a fine cloth for Priya-Pritam. The fragrance, the coolness, and the feeling of Priya-Pritam's love:

bhavotsaven bhajitam ras kam dhenu
For those who worship with the festival of feeling, the wish-fulfilling cow of rasa.

How can we explain this to you? For the baskets that are arranged for Bihari Ji, one goes out at night to beg for flowers. They give two flowers each, and the devotee goes back weeping and says, "We are poor beggars, Lord. What bed can we make for you?" So one plucks a few flowers like this, and when offering them to Shri Ji, the heart feels that Shri Ji is truly receiving it, because there is a feeling of humility. You have no money, you begged for the flowers, and the feeling is, "Accept the service of this poor one." If you take four roses and four petals, place them like this, and feel that you have made a bed for Priya-Pritam, then the Lord accepts that bed. The Lord says, "bhavotsaven bhajta" — I am hungry for feeling. Whoever created the three worlds, what does he need? He is the giver of us all. We give to him, but he accepts our feeling.

Rajendra Kumar from Bharatpur. Radhe Radhe, Radhe-Radhe. Maharaj Ji, Maharaj Ji. I have been doing naam jap for a year. Maharaj Ji, my mind does not stay calm. People say they want peace, but they don't stay calm, and I don't know why. Maharaj Ji, I am also trying to do japa. Still, until we control our desires, peace and happiness do not come.

bin santosh na kam na sahi aur achat kam sukh sapne na.
Without contentment, desires are not fulfilled, and while desires remain, there is no happiness, not even in dreams.

As long as these desires are alive, they don't let us live. They keep disturbing us.

Hold on to some contentment. Be content with the way God is running things. This is:

yatha labh santosh sada kahu so kachu na chaho
Be content with whatever you gain, and never ask anything from anyone.

When contentment comes, peace comes on its own. As long as there is no contentment, there is no peace. Some desire or other keeps disturbing you, some matter or other keeps disturbing you, and you can't even sleep. Consider this: if there is no matter left inside, then supreme bliss would awaken. Understand this principle: if no matter remains within, a tranquil soul becomes brahmabhoot, free from kalmash, sinless. That is what brahmabhoot is. Some matter remains within us, which we cannot grasp, and it keeps us disturbed. Look inside. There is some matter, some desire, some restlessness, some preference, some craving. Everything is fine now by the Lord's grace, Maharaj Ji. There is no work left to do. Then why is there restlessness? I have done Ram naam japa for a year. I eat food, and I eat it after offering it to the Lord. So what is this restlessness about? Catch hold of it. What is the inner restlessness about?

Maharaj Ji, it can happen that the mind is more absorbed in bhajan, and that the mind is not engaged in worldly conduct. That can also happen. But don't become indifferent. Don't become indifferent to your job. This also doesn't seem right at all. I don't know, the mind becomes completely agitated, sleep doesn't come, I can't think of anything at all, Maharaj Ji.

Understand this: if sleep doesn't come because of bhajan, that is, if the whole night passes in bhajan and sleep doesn't come, then there is no problem. And if there is some physical deficiency, something that prevents sleep, show it to a doctor.

Stay blissful, stay blissful, and keep watching the matter inside. We feel that you have been doing naam jap for a year, and our lives too are spent doing naam jap, that is certain. Now, if you ask us about our mind, it feels like a closed room, solitary and quiet. But the Lord has given us a duty, and we have to do it. We are saying this while holding our mind back. We are doing question and answer with you. When the mind starts to be absorbed in bhajan, the world begins to seem worthless, and then nothing feels good.

It doesn't feel good. But even so, one should carry out one's duty. Just as we are performing our duty by subduing the mind, you should do the same.

As for the matter of sleep, I understand it less. If you do bhajan all day, sleep comes soundly. You get tired, so sleep comes. If the whole night passes in bhajan and sleep doesn't come, then it is even more blissful, because you are not disturbed. We feel it is some demand of the body, some medicine, by which our mind might become calm and steady.

As the Beloved does, so it pleases me. Tej Pratap Ji from Delhi asks: Gurudev, Radha Shri Harivansh Maharaj Ji, when we think a lot about someone or keep looking at someone again and again, that thing certainly appears in our dreams one day. But Gurudev, when we watch Bhagwan's leelas, or remember Him a lot, why does Bhagwan not appear in our dreams in that same form? Maharaj Ji, why does this not happen? Listening to Bhagwan's leelas a lot and contemplating Bhagwan a lot, and then having this incompleteness, that Bhagwan's leelas do not come in our dreams. What kind of talk is this? How much bhajan do you do? How many leelas do you read? Which Purana have you studied? Which scriptures have you heard? Speak. Sitting at which saint's feet have you heard all the scriptures? How many hours of naam jap do you do? How much kirtan do you do?

How many hours do you spend on scriptural study (swadhyay)? It is easy to just ask a child's question. This is how the dignity of Bhagwan's leela gets broken. Here it seems that you are awake but still sleeping. The joy that Bhagwan gives in a dream, yes, yes. Sometimes, through the company of special great souls, sometimes through Bhagwan's auspicious leelas, it seems that being awake is pointless, and it is better to stay asleep, where Bhagwan's leelas and contemplation keep going. Even if you turn a mala of words, two malas, the heart still becomes pure. But if you do it a lot, as you say, then do it a lot and see: with open eyes, darshan will begin. With open eyes, contemplation of Bhagwan's leela will begin. What kind of talk is this? You also speak to us this way. This is our hope, this is our life.

This is our sadhana. This is our perfection. Did you understand? Yes. So your question was wrong. Look at Bhagwan's leelas. Which Purana have you heard completely by singing? Which Purana have you studied properly? Which Purana's leela have you contemplated properly? Speak. Let's see. What do you see? Ramayan. Read the Ramcharitmanas once from start to finish, and study the Ramcharitmanas. Read the great soul who wrote the text after a lifetime of saying "Ram, Ram" and doing tapasya. These are only made for initial entertainment.

Look, they are only acting. There is no purity in them, no good qualities. Those who are acting do not have good qualities. If you want to see the character of Yudhishthira, read the Mahabharata, which was written by Bhagwan Shri Krishna Dwaipayan Vyas Dev. When you become acquainted with that Yudhishthira, then your heart will become pure. These are very good creations only for attraction, because to bring the sachchidanand leela into a natural, material leela, when sachchidanand Bhagwan incarnated and performed sachchidanandmay leelas, the chinmay leela simply cannot be brought into a material leela.

Whatever was imitated in the way it was, it gave so much joy that when the Ramayan was being shown, the traffic used to stop. Everyone became calm. People watched with joy. So think: when, at that time, you read the sachchidanandmay leela in the Valmiki Ramayan, when you read it in the Ramcharitmanas, when you chant Ram Ram and contemplate the leela by reading it, then you will become Brahmarishi, you will become an eternal bhakt of Bhagwan. What kind of talk is this? Imitation simply cannot be done. Whatever small imitation there is, it should lead us a little towards Bhagwan, and make us enter into Bhagwan's leelas. That is what the Ramayan will do. Recite the Ramayan every day.

Perform aarti and puja of the Ramayan every day with a contemplative attitude, chant Bhagwan's naam abundantly, and do bhakti of Bhagwan. Then you will enter the leela. These are not such leelas. Their leelas are only that they are playing the role of our Prabhu. When they come in the form of our Prabhu at that time, whatever form of our Prabhu they take on, we bow to it the way we bow to a saint's attire. But entry into the leela in us will not happen just by watching the Ramayan and Mahabharat on TV. For that you need sadhana.

For that you need bhakti. For that you have to read the Ramayan. You have to read the Bhagwat. You have to read the Mahabharat. You have to contemplate it. You have to keep your character in order. Then you will enter the leela. Then the leela will shine in your dreams and in your waking state.

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Original video: Bhajan Marg (YouTube)