The Wondrous Description of the Sakhis' Love

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

Full Discourse

Upasana and showing off are two different things. Upasana is humility, and secret practice. Showing off is ego, and making oneself visible and public. Upasana is concealment, and vasana is display. Being published (chhap jana) and being hidden (chhip jana) are very different. When someone does sadhana in secret, and their sadhana-vritti moves toward the bliss of Bhagwat, then through the glory of the Lord their fame spreads on its own. If they do not become enjoyers of that fame, then by the Lord's grace there can be no obstacle to their attainment of Bhagwat. If they become enjoyers of fame, there will be some delay. Kanchan (gold), kamini (woman) and kirti (fame) are three pits into which almost everyone falls.

Only a rare one gets out. The saying goes:

chalan chalan sab koi kahe birla pahunche koi ek kanchan ek kamini durlabh ghati doe

Everyone says "keep walking, keep walking," but only a rare one arrives. Gold and woman are two narrow passes, hard to cross.

Here we have not yet taken up kirti. The meaning is that everyone talks about walking the path of Bhagwat, but only a rare one reaches the goal. Gold and woman are two passes in which a person is struck down and thrown. Giving up gold is easy. Giving up the pride of position is harder. You may be renouncers of wealth, and renouncers of the enjoyment of desire, but to watch your own fame and praise, and the fame of others, grow, and not be jealous or envious, is very hard to escape.

Whoever escapes even this, then comes siddhis and riddhis. Whoever escapes even these, then comes moksha and the rest. When one escapes even these, then comes prem, and the highest form of prem, the sahachari svarup. Shripad Prabuddhanand Ji Maharaj is saying:

sada Radha Krishna pranlay pulka shrud gamam bhut kishori kandpa kul kanak Gaurang latika prasad shagwasta bharan krit bhoosh pranay prapad shri Vrindavan bhumi vichitra khil kala

Always Radha-Krishna, in the thrill and tears of love. Kishori, the golden-bodied creeper, adorned with Shri Ji's prasadi sandal and prasadi garments, drowned in the love-essence of Priya-Pritam, with not the slightest remembrance of self and no wish for self-happiness, only tat-sukh, absorbed in the joy of the Beloved's love. I offer my vandana to such sahacharis.

Priya Ji's love is the great current, and in it Lal Ji forgets himself. Seeing Lal Ji's attachment, Priya Ji forgets herself too. Both Priya and Pritam are full of attachment, and the sakhis, filled with supreme conscious awareness, serve Priya-Pritam. So the greatest love is that of the sakhis, who, in the love of Priya-Pritam, let tears of joy flow. What is the company of Priya Ji, with her extremely beautiful body? The beauty that astonishes crores of Lakshmis is found among Shri Ji's dasis and sahacharis. They are full of rasa, golden-complexioned, filled with the pride of Priya Ji, and very skilled at immersing Pritam in Priya Ji's happiness. They know all the arts, and they are the best among the kishoris.

I bow again and again to such sakhis from the land of Vrindavan. Why did I say "from the land of Vrindavan"? Because without the land of Vrindavan one cannot get to know the sakhis. Until one partakes of the dust of Vrindavan, one cannot know the sakhis. Shri Dhruvdas Ji gives himself up to the sakhis:

sakhiyon ki ho nij sakhiyan ki balhari jugal priti ar rup jinah ke jeevan yah sudhari ho nij nij sakhiyan ki balhari

I am a sacrifice to the sakhis, to my own sakhis, by whose love and beauty the Divine Couple's life is perfected. I am a sacrifice to my own sakhis.

I, the sacrifice, go for the sakhis of Priya-Pritam. [sound of clearing throat] What is the life of the sakhis?

The life of the sakhis is the love of Yugal Sarkar, Shri Shyama-Shyam, Ladili-Lal; the happiness of Ladili-Lal is their love; serving Ladili-Lal is their life. The life of the sakhis is love for Ladili-Lal and service to Ladili-Lal. I give myself up to such my own sakhis.

nain mag hoe pan karat din tah ras mein rahe leen sah na sakat pal pal kan antar jaise jal mein meen

Their eyes become the path, and they drink in the nectar day and night, remaining absorbed in rasa. They cannot bear even a moment's gap, like a fish out of water.

At every moment, the eyes of the sakhis drink the sweetness of the form of Priya-Pritam. Not even for a single moment does any sakhi remain apart from Priya-Pritam.

Where the description says there is no sakhi, who then describes the leela? If there is no sakhi, how did the sakhi who is describing it see that leela? The inner meaning is that Priya-Pritam know no sakhi is watching, but all the sakhis are watching Priya-Pritam, secretly, as is clearly described: sahi na sakat pal pal kan antar jaise jal te meen ho nij sakhiyan ki balhari. The sakhis cannot bear the gap of even one blink, just as a fish, separated from water, would writhe and give up its life.

Such sakhis cannot remain apart from Priya-Pritam even for a moment. So, as the leela describes, "there is no sakhi here, Priya-Pritam are playing," Priya-Pritam know that no sakhi is present, yet all the sakhis are watching Priya-Pritam secretly through the gaps of the kunj.

chhin chhin naval Priya sukh chahat aur na man kachu bhavat hit dhruv jih vidhi ruchi pyari man tah tah bhanti ladavat

Moment by moment, the ever-new Priya seeks happiness, and nothing else pleases the mind. Hit Dhruv says: in whatever way the Beloved likes, the mind pampers her in many ways.

What is our Priya Ji's desire at this moment? That thought comes into the minds of the sakhis.

Because the mind of the sakhi, the mind of Priya Ji and the mind of Lal Ji are one. What comes into Priya Ji's mind comes into the sakhis' minds, and what comes into the sakhis' minds comes into Priyaal's mind. The sakhis then arrange the joyful marriage play (vivah vinod), and at that very moment the bridegroom and bride become ready for the wedding. Priya and Pritam are ever new, moment by moment, and they desire joy.

What is the sakhis' joy? It is to bring happiness to Priya and Pritam, moment by moment. Which joy should they offer now? Which leela, which season, which song, which raag and ragini, which bhaav? All the sakhis keep contemplating this, moment by moment, with great skill, so that Priya and Pritam receive happiness. And na man kachhu bhaavat (na man kachu bhavat) — nothing pleases the mind. Nothing is in the mind except Priya and Pritam. That is why grahas, nakshatras, tirths and all such things are of no concern to them.

All of this, creation and everything else, is far away. Their only talk is of their beloved Ladli Lal and of being absorbed in Their affection. This is a very concentrated path of love. Prem gali ati saa mein donon samaae (prem gali ati sa mein donon samae) — the lane of love is so narrow that two cannot fit in it. When someone asks, "Don't you feel like going to such-and-such a place?", the answer is that there is no such feeling, because the mind is already elsewhere. The mind is needed only when it is still with us. When it has gone, it has gone. Ek tha so gayo Shyam pe (ek tha so gayo Shyam pe) — the one that was mine has gone to Shyam. Now, ab ko aaradhe (ab ko aradhe) — whom should I worship now? For worship one needs a mind. Uddhav, man na bhaye das bees (udhau man na bhae das bees) — the mind is not twenty or ten; the one I had is gone to Shyam, so whom shall I worship?

The mind has gone to the feet of Priya and Pritam. If it has not gone yet, keep it ready to be delivered, with only Priya, Priya and Pritam in it. We want nothing else. And what could be greater than this? The heart in which Priya and Pritam delight, in which Priya and Pritam are playing, that heart has become blessed.

Chhin chhin navel priya sukh chaahat aur na man kachhu bhaavat hit dhru ji vidhi ruchi pyaari mantee bhaanti ladaavat (chhin chhin naval Priya sukh chahat aur na man kachu bhavwat hit dhruv ji vidhi ruchi pyari manti bhanti ladavat)

Every moment, the ever-new Priya desires joy, and nothing else occupies the mind. Hit Dhruv ji says: as the beloved's taste and liking, so she delights Them in every manner. As Priya's liking is, so the sakhis, understanding everything, arrange the offerings and bring joy to Priya and Pritam, each sakhi in her own way.

Blessed are such sakhis, blessed indeed. Maha Nisanga naam — the great name Nisanga, sahaj, madhur, atma-priya katha. How will the sakhi bhaav be attained? Speak of a great soul who is set apart from all others, describe such a mahapurush. The name Maha Nisanga is enough. Nisanga means: no one's company, no one's colour. On the path of love, the greatest thing is this: whether we are able to offer any sadhana or not, we sit with ourselves completely placed as a trust (dharohar) for Priyaal. Take it whenever You wish, it is Your property, I have no claim on it. Over the body, the mind, the senses, the speech and the self, I have no right now.

This is Yours. This is what it means to be asang, without attachment. We take asangata to mean only not meeting men or women, but that is merely outer detachment. Inner detachment is to be asang from the body, from the senses, from the mind, from speech, from action and from the self, because all of this is a trust of Priya and Pritam, not mine. So may we have the company of those great souls who are Maha Nisanga, most detached of all.

Pujya Sadgurudev Bhagwan, who in the view of the public has reached such heights in the Vrindavan rasa and the sahachari bhaav, the great mahapurush Shri Sadgurudev Bhagwan, has no concern with anyone. People have only been joining for four days. He has no concern with anyone. The kamandal and the staff, the same way of life for twenty-odd years, the same food and drink, one and the same. Today I have never seen anything else: two rotis, a vegetable, in the evening half a litre of milk as Shri Ji's offering, twelve months a year, the same rotis, which are received as the uchchhishta (leftover) of the offering. He remained for twenty years in the service of the Sarkar.

So nothing changes the mind; it is the same, exactly the same, every day. Shri Ji. The great Nisanga naam. He has never had any concern with anyone, no concern at all. Maha Sanga naam, only absorbed in Priya and Pritam, day and night. May we have the company of such a mahapurush, the company of one who is always one, always with one colour and one company. Nit navin sang — there is no other company, ever new, always fresh, with love unbroken.

Yah jo kripa Harivansh ki, nirakhat nitya vihaar, pulkit tan romaavali, aanand nain sudhaar (yah jo kripa Harivansh ki nirakhat nitya vihar pulkit tan romavli anand nain sudhar)

This is the grace of Hit Harivansh: beholding the eternal play, the body thrills with hair standing on end, and the eyes are bathed in bliss. Yah jo kripa Harivansh ki, nitik dharm sang, maha sang naam, sabse alag. This is the grace of Harivansh, the constant company of dharma, the great company, the name set apart from all.

Nowhere is there any enthusiasm: not for seeing, not for meeting, not for eating, not for drinking, not for going, not for coming. The mind sits at the feet of Priya and Pritam. The great Nisanga naam, sahaj, madhur, atma-priya katha, has become his vyasan (addiction). To speak of Priya and Pritam, to listen, to speak of Bhagwat-charcha, has become an intoxication. Naturally there is such love that without hearing satsang, without discussing Bhagwat-charcha, his time cannot pass.

That is his intoxication. Prasang naam prem pulak gladas kulgiram — when he speaks of Priyaal's pastimes, the voice becomes choked with emotion, and tears flow. Apaare Shri Vrindavan rasa maha viharataam shironi mein sollaasam vah mahataam shri pad apaar. In the boundless ocean of love, completely apart from the ocean of mortal existence, I long to place upon my head the dust of the feet of those great souls who are attached to Shyama Shyam, who perform eternal play in Vrindavan.

Shripad is saying: one who is set apart from all, with no concern for anyone, only Priya and Pritam, only Priya and Pritam. Love arises only like Meera ji sings: Jaake sir mor mukut mero pati soi, mere to Giridhar Gopal doosro na koi (jake sir mor mukut mero pati soi mere to Giridhar gopal dusro na koi) — He with the peacock crown on His head is my husband; my Giridhar Gopal, there is no other. In the same way, there is no one for me except Priya and Pritam: mere to Shyama Shyam, doosro na koi. Devotion to Shyama Shyam alone is the essence of all bhajan. It is ananyata, and its very form is ananyata. The mind must not wander anywhere except to one's Ishta. If it wanders, there is no ananyata.

Shri Dhruvdas ji has said that one should find such a company of great souls, the great Nisanga naam, those whose nature has become talk of Priya and Pritam, discussing Bhagwat-charcha, listening to Bhagwat-charcha, and during Bhagwat-charcha, tears flowing, the throat choking, the body thrilling with emotion. Shripad says: I long to place upon my head the dust of the feet of such great souls.

Because when you hold the dust of such feet on your head, the same rasa will arise that is in their hearts. Those whom, as the Yugal Chandra (the tender moon-pair) written by Shri Dhruvdas Ji, you should know: hold the dust of their feet on your forehead, and regard them as greater than Priya-Pritam. Hold them dearer than your own body, with more love than even for Priya-Pritam. Those rasik mahapurush in whom this bhaav is found are the ones through whose introduction we came to know Priya-Pritam.

Today, on a board, it was written: "The only thing to know is that you cannot be known." That is wrong. What is to be known is this: what is our relationship with you?

"You cannot be known." Then what did so many brahm rishis know? Did they know a falsehood? So many mahapurush knew, knew fully and rightly. But because He is infinite, one phrase is said: even while knowing fully, He cannot be known completely, because He is infinite. That is a matter for outside, not for Vrindavan. The line "ras ne shruti bhako ta adh sudha ras chakhyo" (the captions garble this verse, so the exact words are uncertain) does not work in Vrindavan if the only knowing is "you cannot be known." No, we know your every vein; we know your every single movement.

How do you know?

By the grace of your name, by the grace of your holy character, by taking refuge at your feet, and knowing you comes about. And by your grace, when we have known you, then there is no difference left between you and me.

What we need to know is only this: we have no connection with anyone else. Our connection is with Him alone. What that connection is, the Guru will tell us. Whatever relationship the Gurudev has shown, that very relationship we should establish within ourselves. And that is the supreme gain of life.

This text is taken from the video's automatic (auto-generated) subtitles, so there may be errors in the words. For authentic words, be sure to listen to the video.

Original video: Bhajan Marg (YouTube)