## Six Obstacles That Block Worship: Uddhav Ji's Knowledge and the Unwavering Love of the Gopis (06/11/26)

Satsang of Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj — to hear the full discourse, watch the video above.

Full Discourse

Vrindavanesshwari, tav padaravindam, prema makarand raso purnam, haditam madhupate smarta mugam, nirvaya param shitala maya, param shitala maya, param sachchidananda ghan premanand swaroop, navni nikunj mahamahim param pavan Shri Vrindavan Dham, to the beloved darlings of Shri Vrindavan Dham, the Yugal Sarkar, the life-worshipped, dear life of Shri Priya Pritam, to all the Sakhi-vrind, the deer, animals, birds, trees and creepers, Shri Yamuna, Ras Rani, Raj Rani, and all the Brajvasi parikar, at whose feet are millions of salutations, millions of bows, namaskar. It is great grace. There is grace at every moment, grace in every arrangement. Everything is full of mercy.

There is grace in every circumstance. Only grace, grace upon grace. Whose grace never tires of showering grace, never has its fill. Grace rains down always. Such is the immense grace of Shri Ladli Lal upon all of us. Let us feel this. When we experience grace, we can attain Priyal. Enthusiasm grows. But when we look at ourselves, our steps falter and we begin to stumble, thinking that we lack the strength to conquer kaam, krodh, lobh and the like. We lack the ability to protect ourselves from the attraction of maya, and so we feel that attaining Bhagavat is very difficult.

But when we look toward grace, we feel that He is extremely merciful. If we cannot walk, He will come to us. This is firm faith. We do not have the qualification, but He will make us worthy of Himself. However we are, O Priya Pritam, we are yours. It is only the trust in this grace that is bringing us closer to attaining Bhagavat. We are seeing this. Believe me, the more you trust in grace, the more you believe, the closer you will become to the Lord. There is no sadhana greater than faith.

Perhaps only a rare person understands this: there is no sadhana greater than trusting the Lord. Hit Dhruv, which is faith, only then do matters improve; otherwise one wanders in the path of maya, colliding again and again. Without faith, there is no devotion; without faith there is no Ram, and without Ram's grace, life finds rest not even in a dream. Faith is faith. I am lowly, I am wretched, I am not at all worthy. Where are those rasik mahapurush who night and day spend their time in the love of Priya Pritam, and where are we, who night and day find happiness in the enjoyments of the senses and not once shed a tear, not once yearn for Priya Lal? How then can we present a claim that we are worthy of attaining You?

No, only grace, grace upon grace, grace from all sides, grace at all times, grace in every circumstance. Let us feel this. When you experience grace, grace draws you from both sides. Bhagavat's grace has immense power. It attracts the Lord too, toward the jeev, and it attracts the jeev toward the Lord, and smiling, it brings the two together. The living embodiment of our Lord's grace is Harivansh Mahaprabhu. Grace took the form of a body: when grace assumed a body, Maharaj Harivansh Mahaprabhu descended to the earth, making even the lowly jeevs entitled to the eternal essence of vihar, and taking Priya Pritam into his lap, gave that jeev the right to service. This is the form of grace.

Maharaj Harivanshchandra, the embodiment of mercy, how fortunate are those who took refuge in Harivansh Mahaprabhu, the ocean of grace, even if only in words. He is so generous that he brings happiness even to Priya Lal. He is so generous that he does not even look at how lowly one is, how sinful one may be. Whoever takes the name of Harivansh, Alak ladti rij ke mahal khavasi de, takes the form of grace, and such compassion arises. To one to whom he grants the gift of fearlessness, he destroys all bonds of karma. He cuts the bonds of karma, the vast ocean of worldly pleasure, he frees one from the chain of vidhi and nishedh, and makes one his own, establishing one in his abode.

He settles one in his own palace. He is very merciful, because he is the very incarnation of grace. Therefore, having taken refuge in the Acharya and attached the mind to the method of worship he prescribed, one begins to have supernatural experiences. Shripad is saying: Mahanand nishyandini, vishva chetomriga bandhini, aha randhini, bandha sandhe raso mat vrindavi valgini, ta hare divya bansi maham shilayami. Bansi, Hariji's flute, Harivansh, the one with the flute, is saying: Mahanand nishyandini, vishva chetomriga bandhini. Piercing the deer of the world-consciousness, binding it forever at the feet of Priyal, cutting the bonds of maya, piercing the restless mind that is the fickle chitt, and making the sound of the flute be filled with attachment to Priyal. And Maha Anand Nishyandini, the flute of Shri Hariji is that which showers the essence of supreme bliss.

These are what one gets to hear. Suddenly, in the ears alone, the sound of the flute is heard, a flute sound that no one here could possibly play. Supernatural, this breaks even the samadhi of Lord Shankar; it turns the inert into conscious and the conscious into inert. The power to destroy all bonds, all doubts, all attachments, is in the flute alone. The flute sound destroys all delusions, all attachments, all desires, and offers the self forever and ever at Priyal's feet. The flute that increases the essence of supreme bliss intoxicates one with the intoxicating essence of rasa.

Vrindavi vagini tam hare divya bansi maham shiyami hari: I bow in meditation to that divine flute of Hari which plays always in Vrindavan. Here the sound of the flute and the sound of the anklet continually resound. The anklet sound at Maharani Ji's feet and the flute sound resting on Lal Ji's lips will one day steal your heart. If you are in the refuge of Vanshi Ji, sing the padas of Chaurasi Ji that Vanshi Ji sang, and chant the naam and mantra that Vanshi Ji gave, then this Harivanshi will one day take away your heart, fill you with attachment to Priya Ji, intoxicate you with rasa, and grant you the divine residence in Vrindavan forever and ever.

What do we get to see when we meditate on the attraction of Vanshi Ji? The verse says:

bole kadava mda ghada karan netra kuleebh Vrindavan shri rasen nijangam muda guth tadjobh Priya sumapini bhat Radha

Radha, whose eyes are long and reach to the ears, whose eyes swirl with the intoxication of love.

She, Shri Kishori, who wears a blue veil and looks toward her beloved Shri Shyamsundar, surrounded by the whole group of sakhis. Vanshi Ji takes away the mind, intoxicates with rasa, destroys all bonds, and has the power to grant darshan of our worshipable Shri Radha Kishori.

Vanshi Ji grants darshan. How is Swamini Ji? Her eyes are always rolling, swirling with the rasa of love, charming, lovely, with sidelong glances. She lifts her blue veil and looks toward her beloved, surrounded by groups of sakhis. Swamini Ji looks toward the face of her beloved. Whoever meditates on such a form of Swamini Ji in the wondrous kunj of divine Vrindavan will become worthy of the worship of the world. Shripad says that such a person becomes vishwa-vandit, because the darshan of Priya Ji's form is extremely rare. The verse says:

sada Radhika Krishna ke sthal naam vilna tar divya shobha vibhand kande mahash vrinde nivyati Vrindavane vishv vandya

Whoever realizes the form of our dear Priya Ji will become worthy of the worship of the world. Only one who is in the refuge of Harivanshi Ji can realize the sight of Priya Ji's form.

Harivanshi Ji grants the complete method of seva, the qualification for seva, and the means of seva. When the divine leela-sthali of Shri Priya Pritam, Vrindavan, becomes manifest to the eyes, and Shri Priya Pritam, the worshipable deities of Shri Vrindavan, become manifest to the eyes, great bliss, great joy, and great love awaken in the heart. Therefore, be cautious of great enchantment, a crore of wicked sights, great siddhis, and a crore of foul intellects. Even if crores of beautiful apsaras surround you, there should be no desire to enjoy them. Even if handsome, god-like men come, there should be no desire to enjoy them. The verse says:

mahamohini koti dur drishti maha siddhi koti durgandh buddhi had vyakt Radha pda bhoj shobha kada lobhyam

Great enchantment, a crore of wicked sights, great siddhis, a crore of foul intellects; the splendor of Radha's lotus feet is beyond expression.

Only then will you attain the qualification for the seva of our Kishori and Kishor Ji. Such a foolish intellect arises only from ignorance, that there is happiness in these bodies. Otherwise, there is no happiness in bodies. There is only sukhabhas, the shadow of happiness. What you think is happiness is not happiness but the shadow of happiness. The line says:

samjh padti nahi. Yah mere Giridhar ki maya hai.

It is not understood. This is the illusion of my Giridhar.

This is delusion. This is ignorance. This is avidya. A worshipper who is so firm that even if crores of apsaras surround him, his mind does not waver, can attain the right to the darshan of our Swamini Ji.

Shripad Prabodhanand Ji Maharaj described in Vrindavan Mahimamrit that one who takes refuge at the golden lotus feet acquires such power that even Bhagwan's Mohini avatar cannot enchant him. The one who has surrendered his heart to the golden lotus feet, Maharani Ji grants him such power that even Bhagwan's Mohini avatar has no power to steal his mind. Even Bhagwan himself, when he embraces, kisses, and caresses her, considering her his life's lord, what does the sakhi say? The line is:

tav shri Radhe pad ras vilase mam mana

O Shri Radhe, my mind delights in the rasa of your feet. Even at that time, O Kishori Ji, the joy of my mind lies in the service of your lotus feet.

He also says: when great siddhis, the crore foul intellects, awaken, one should renounce them with the feeling of disgust. To attain prem siddhi, every siddhi is renounced. Whoever accepts other siddhis is no longer eligible for the siddhi of realizing Bhagwan. Therefore Goswami Tulsidas Ji Maharaj wrote:

Riddhi siddhi pere bahu ai buddhi lobh dikhave bhai hoe buddhi jo param sayani chintan chit nahit jaan hamara anhit ho jaega

Riddhis and siddhis came in abundance and tempted the intellect with greed. If the intellect is very wise, it does not look at them, knowing them to be harmful. So accepting siddhis is forbidden. He says: great siddhi, a crore foul intellects. Your vision regarding siddhis should be such that you see them as crores of foul-smelling things. The siddhis include appearing in many forms at once, knowing another's mind, seeing things far away, appearing in many places together, and flying through the sky. If you accept these siddhis, you do not get prem siddhi, and you lose the ability to know the wish of Priya Pritam's mind. Therefore, the siddhas of our Braj did not become siddhas by snapping their fingers or showing miracles.

This very miracle: tears are flowing from the eyes. Yes, Radha; yes, Prananath; yes, Krishna. In this way, weeping, one spends the whole life. This is the supreme siddhi attained. This is the siddhi in the form of love.

Only one whose mind is not swayed even on seeing crores upon crores of beautiful apsaras, or handsome men, can drink in the beauty of Shri Radha's lotus feet. Such a person looks upon even crores upon crores of great siddhis with the disgust one feels for a foul smell. Only such a person can attain the qualification to have darshan of our Vrindavanadhishwar Yugal Sarkar. And we do not have that much capacity.

This capacity is granted by the Acharya. Hit Maharaj grants it. What Hit Sajani grants is beyond our capacity. We get captivated by a small thing. We get enchanted by a small object. Protecting us from such great attractions and bringing us to the feet of Priyalal is the responsibility of the Acharya. When we take refuge in the Acharya, the one who took our hand with his lotus hands carries us across. He ferries us across this ocean of worldly existence with ease and delivers us to Priyalal. Therefore the upasak should keep devotion to the Acharya.

jo Harivansh tajo bhajo aur to moh shri Harivansh duhai
If I abandon Harivansh and take shelter in and worship anyone else, I swear by Shri Harivansh.

man kram vachan trishuddh sakal mat ham shri hit Harivansh upasi
In thought, deed and speech, with a pure heart, we all hold this view: we are worshippers of Shri Hit Harivansh.

With firm devotion to the Acharya, complete bhajan and the full fruit of bhajan, which is Priyalal, are certainly obtained. Believe it: there is great strength in surrender to Harivansh. Poojyapad Shri Udiya Baba Ji Maharaj, Poojya Baba, says that a person who has these six things in his life cannot do sadhana, aradhana or upasana. Listen carefully; he is a very experienced great soul.

The first: one to whom enjoyments (bhog) are very dear. Look: whether it is the enjoyment of taste (rasendra), the enjoyment of smell, the enjoyment of sight (netrendra), or the enjoyment of hearing (shravan indriya), all of these are only bhog. One who loves enjoyments cannot walk the path of upasana and sadhana. On the spiritual path you will become disheartened, and that is why we said: surrender to the Acharya. Without it, it is like swimming; surrender to the Acharya is like sitting in a boat.

shri Harivansh pratap naam nauka nij khevak bhavsagar sukh tart nikat hari Harivansh jo sevak
The boat of the Name, the glory of Shri Harivansh, with its own boatman: one crosses the ocean of existence with ease. Near to Hari is the servant of Harivansh.

Now look, we have a great fondness for eating very good foods. This will bring ruin. It is binding. And that very fondness we offer to Priyalal. Whatever foods we like, we offer them all to Priyalal with love. Taking them as prasad, nothing will be spoiled. The enjoyments that are dear to us, we offer to our Beloved, and He will take care of them.

The first: special fondness for enjoyments is a stain on a sadhak. A traveler on the path of God gives up even the greatest wealth, the greatest splendor and the greatest enjoyments in a single moment, because he knows that a mere resolve of our Lord created infinite universes, and that these are not real things.

The second: loving worldly people. It is a great obstacle in sadhana and upasana. Worldly, enjoyment-seeking people have such particles in their bodies that enjoyments begin to appeal to us, and worldly talk begins to seem good. Home, family, relationships and kin all begin to seem real.

The third: one whose nature is to talk a great deal, whose nature is to talk a lot of worldly gossip and deception. Some people are such that if you meet them, it becomes hard to get rid of them. The talk never ends. The talk never ends. One has to take leave of them midway with a namaste and walk away.

Alright, Maharaj. So if someone has a habit of talking a lot, then do naam kirtan. Talk about God. Recite the full Chaurasi Ji. The force of speech will calm down.

The fourth: the habit of eating a lot. The habit of eating a lot does not let bhajan happen, because all the vital energy goes into digesting food. So for bhajan we need space for breath, inhalation and exhalation, and that space is not available. If you stuff the stomach tight with food and then drink water on top, there is no room left for air. Then breathing is greatly obstructed, and so bhajan does not happen. You should be able to breathe comfortably. Meaning: if you can eat 10 rotis, eat four and fill up half with water. Water calms heat a lot. It strengthens brahmacharya. It clears the stomach. It is very necessary.

These new children don't drink water. Most are sick with constipation. They are just 18 or 20 and several diseases have already set in. The reason is that the body needs three to three and a half liters of water in 24 hours. It destroys the body's heat, clears the stomach and makes the complexion bright. Water is extremely essential because our body is made of five elements. We need all five elements to nourish this body. From the earth element come smell and so on. From the water element, water increases our lustre and nourishes our body. From the earth element, food grains and so on are also supplied. The air element is already being received by God's grace. The space element, sound, is everywhere. And the fire element is present as digestive fire (jatharagni).

ah vairo bhut prani naam deh ma
I, becoming the digestive fire, dwell in the bodies of all living beings.

In the form of fire, God is present here.

Don't eat too much. Eating too much is very harmful, and eating nothing at all is also harmful. Eat appropriate food, with moderation in diet and in conduct. If you want your sadhana to go right, wear appropriate clothing: wear enough that you feel, yes, it is cold. That is how much clothing one should wear. Now, if one is elderly or has a sick body, that is a different matter. We tell you: victory to practice (abhyas ki jai).

At this point, what do you wear? What do you wear here? Anyone, tell me. What do you wear here? And this is the most delicate place. And it bears the full cold, doesn't it? So why? From birth, such a practice was given that no clothing was put on here.

So it has become a practice. Bearing every winter, bearing every summer. Now don't put on so much clothing on the body. Wear only as much as it takes to feel, yes, it is winter. You will walk as we say. If the body is shivering, put on a sweater. Wrap yourself in just enough cloth to get by. Some people wear unnecessary clothes. One should not wear them. If you are to do sadhana, it must not be unnecessary. Heavy clothes, then a shawl over them, then a cap, then a muffler, so that even the air cannot touch you. Then tell me truthfully: are you a brahmachari? If you truly are a brahmachari, none of these things are needed.

Imagine, on the banks of the Ganga, what kind of cold there is in the month of Magh. At that time there was just one cloth, dyed with red ochre, and nothing else: no sweater, no shawl. If anyone offered a blanket or anything like it, the detachment was so firm and strong that it felt bad. It was as if someone were giving us something of the wrong path, and comforts seemed like that.

Once, on the Ganga bank on the Fatehgarh side, they stayed two days. There was a very expensive, very warm shawl. Out of their faith, they wrapped it around themselves, thinking, "Well, if God has inspired this." They were very devout.

When they walked wearing it, a question arose: if someone offers with faith, will you accept everything? Whatever they wish, you will take, according to their desire. Right there, everything would lie like corpses. They threw the shawl down and walked away. Such was the strength of their detachment that it would not accept anything. Even if we accepted something, detachment would have it removed in an instant.

Eat only as much food, wear only as much clothing, and keep only as much moderation in food and recreation as does not break your contemplation of God. Do not do odd, unnecessary actions by which your contemplation is lost. And the fifth:

chhatdam shil virat bahu karma nirat nirantar sajjan dharma

Six-fold self-control, virtue, dispassion, many deeds, and constant engagement in the dharma of the virtuous.

Sleeping too much. When love for bhajan arises in you, sleep will feel like an enemy, like a foe. You will feel that six hours have been wasted in vain. If we could nourish the senses with contemplation of God for six hours, why would we go into sleep? I say this truly: this enemy in the form of sleep is never fought. It is not fought at all, understand this completely. Stubbornness, the nature to fight: fight not others, but your own sense-objects, your own comfort and convenience. "What I wore in summer, I still wear; the winter clothing has not yet begun." I am not saying this out of ego. It is practice, prior practice, even though my kidneys have failed.

There is no strength in the body. If the kidneys were sound, you would stay with just one loincloth, lying right here on a mat. But what can we do? That is the arrangement of the body. So wearing more clothes, eating more, and sleeping more are not the marks of a sadhak. A sadhak's restlessness grows. Make your daily routine so intense that your heart becomes restless for attaining God, until it begins to weep. Sleeping is not right; fight it. Sleep only as much as is necessary. Shri Krishnanand Swami Ji Maharaj was such a one.

He was a great mahapurush. He began to fight sleep, and in twenty-four hours he rested only two hours. And Udiya Baba would just sit in padmasana, lean back like this, and rest for a short while. He never lay down to rest. For years he never lay flat. Sitting in padmasana, these mahapurushas conquered maya. We, with young bodies, are satisfied with just food, rest, and clothes, and are not content even with that. The sixth is joking around and entertainment.

Whoever has these six qualities cannot be a sadhak, cannot be an upasak. Which six? First, special attachment to pleasures. Second, loving worldly people. Third, speaking much. Fourth, eating much. Fifth, sleeping much. Sixth, joking with one another. Among these, three are singled out as especially maya-laden: sleeping much, speaking much, and eating much. If you eat more, speak more, and sleep more, your interest in bhajan will be lost. When bhajan is sung through the night, awake, then a fervour arises, and the same mantra, the same naam, resounds.

And it never happened like that. If sleep strikes, pour cold water over yourself like this. Stand up, on one leg. Would you think that is a joke? When a Gayatri anushthan was held, thick munj-grass ropes were tied in the thatched hut, and a cord was fastened to them. The topknot was tied to it so that one would not droop. One stood upright and chanted japa. This is a battle, brother. This is a war. Control these six things: give up special love for pleasures, give up association with worldly people.

Stop speaking so much. Eat less. Sleeping three or four hours is for a sadhak; six hours is for a worldly person. Whoever sleeps more than six hours is a heedless person.

So, joking and entertainment among yourselves. Brother, people sit down with the TV on, loud claps, laughing. None of this is for bhajanandis. Should they watch TV, or see the Paramatma turned inward in their own heart? Should they look at worldly people outside, or at the Supreme Person, the Paramatma? A sadhak should remember, "I am a sadhak." When you remember "I am a sadhak," you will stay alert.

When you forget this, the thought comes: come, let's have some fun. Otherwise, where is the entertainment? We must die, today or tomorrow. What entertainment, what "entertainment"? The delight of the mind comes from the naam of the Lord. For devotees, entertainment comes from the Lord. The joy of our mind comes from the Lord. Our entertainment should not be in the world; it should be in the Lord.

Let us now turn to the Shrimad Bhagavat Mahapuran. The supremely compassionate Lord Shri Krishnachandra sent Uddhav Ji, dressed in his own attire. Uddhav Ji first met Nand Baba and Yashoda Maiya.

He met all the residents of Braj, and he met the cowherd friends of Braj. Then, early in the morning, when all the gopis had gathered, they felt that Akrur had come again. "What has he come to take?" The gopis said, "Has he come to take all of us so that we can offer pitri tarpan to our ancestors? He has taken away our beloved Shri Krishna." Then someone said, "Akrur has not come. This time someone else has come." Meanwhile they looked and saw a figure with arms reaching to his knees, dark-complexioned, with eyes like lotus petals, wearing a peacock-feather crown and yellow silk garments. The only difference was that there was no Kaustubh gem and no Shri lanchhan mark.

They asked, "Who is this?" They learned that he is Shri Krishna's most intimate and dear friend, and that his name is Uddhav. They heard that he had brought a message from Shri Krishna, from Lord Ramaraman Shri Krishna. On hearing this, the gopis, who had been burning in the fire of separation, felt some relief in their hearts. Meanwhile Uddhav ji came close. The gopis honoured him with sweet words, "Welcome, please be seated," and with loving glances. They took him aside to a private place and offered him a seat. Uddhav ji was filled with inner pride, thinking that these Braj gopis did not have pure knowledge.

That is why they weep for Lord Shri Krishna, considering themselves far from the Lord. Uddhav ji said, "Listen to the teaching of Uddhav."

Listen, O Braj women, you who are beauty, grace and charm, foremost in all virtues, the banner of love, the creator of the essence of rapture, the treasure of joy, beautiful, the playmate of Shyam, of the new Vrindavan groves.

brajnari rup shil lawanya sab gun agri prem dhvaja ras rupni upjavan sukh punj sundar Shyam vilasini nav Vrindavan kunj

Listen, O Braj women, you who are beauty, grace and charm, foremost in all virtues, the banner of love, the creator of the essence of rapture, the treasure of joy, beautiful, the playmate of Shyam, of the new Vrindavan groves.

suno brajnagri

Listen, O Braj women.

Uddhav ji said, "We have heard from the Lord about your talk of love. You are the banner of love. You are foremost in beauty, grace, charm and all qualities. You enjoyed beautiful play with Shyam in the new Vrindavan. O women of Braj, listen to me."

kahan Shyam sandesh ek main tum pe ayo kahan samay sanket kahun avsar nahi payo.

I have come to you with a message from Shyam, but I have not found the right time or occasion to tell it.

I kept thinking to myself: when will I find a single place to deliver Nandlal's message, and then return to Mathura?

Uddhav ji said, "O women of Braj, listen. Shyam Sundar has given a very private message. I have been searching for a chance to find you alone, so that I could deliver that message and then return to the city of Mathura." As soon as he said, "I have brought Shyam Sundar's message," they heard the name of Shyam and forgot their homes and their surroundings. Their hearts were filled with the nectar of rapture, and the vine of love bloomed. The hair on every limb stood on end, tears came to their eyes, their throats choked, their voices trembled, and words would not come. This is the flow of love. When they heard that Shyam Sundar's message had come, they were all absorbed in Shyam Sundar. Bodily awareness was lost and they fell into a state of self-forgetting. Tears were flowing from everyone's eyes, and no voice would come out.

sunat Shyam ko naam bam grih ki sudhi bhuli bhar aand ras hriday prem beli dhrum phuli pulak rom sab ang bhae bhariya aae jal nain kanth ghute gadgad gira bol jat na bain

Hearing Shyam's name, they forgot even their own homes. The vine of love bloomed in their hearts, filled with the nectar of rapture. The hair on every limb stood on end, tears came to their eyes, their throats choked, their voices trembled, and words would not come.

Their throats choked with emotion and their bodies thrilled. Such was the state of love. Uddhav ji only said, "I have brought Shyam Sundar's message, and I have been searching for a private moment to meet you and describe it in solitude." After a while, their consciousness returned. "Ah, you are the friend of our Beloved," they said, and they came to their senses. They offered him a seat and an arghasan, and seated him. Then they circumambulated him, recognising him as Shyam's friend, and performed loving service. Thinking, "You are the dear friend of our Beloved," they offered him a fine arghya, seated him, and after four circumambulations and bowing down to him, they asked after Nandlal.

bajhat sudhi Nandlal ki bihsat mukh brajpal neeke hain balweer jo bolat vachan rasal

Asking after Nandlal, smiling, the protector of Braj spoke sweet words: "Is the brave Balveer well?"

sakha sun Shyam ke sahi batao hamare balwi shri Krishna kushal sena sukh purvak hai na unko koi pareshani to nahi hai Mathura mein

"Friend of Shyam, listen, tell us the truth. Is our Balveer Shri Krishna well and at ease? Is he having any trouble in Mathura?"

Uddhav ji says:

kushal Shyam aru Ram kushal sangi sab unke jad kul sigre kushal param aand saban ke bajhan braj kushlat ko ho ayo tum tir mili hai thore divas mein jan jidheer

Shyam is well and Ram is well, all their companions are well. The whole Yadu clan is well, and everyone is in supreme bliss. I have come to you to ask about Braj's welfare, and I have met you after a few days, O steadfast ones.

O women of Braj, listen. Uddhav ji said, "Shyam Sundar is well. Gaur Sundar Balram ji is well. All of his close devotees are well. All is well in the Yadu clan and in bliss, and I have been sent to ask after your welfare. I tell you this private word of the Lord: he said, 'I will surely come in a few days. Do not be impatient. We will certainly meet you.'"

suni mohan sandesh rup sumiran hoe ayo pulkit anan kamal ang avesh janayo bihal dharni pari braj banita murjhae da jal chhi prabhu dah udho bain suha

Hearing Mohan's message, they remembered his form. Their lotus faces thrilled with joy and their limbs showed rapture. Overcome, the Braj women fell to the ground and swooned.

O women of Braj, listen, how immense is this love! Hearing Mohan's message, "I will come, I will meet you, I will come very soon," they immediately felt as though Lord Shri Krishna stood before their eyes. They became so agitated and overwhelmed that they fainted and fell to the ground, and the women of Braj wilted and became unconscious. As soon as they heard Shyam Sundar's message-filled words, that he would come very soon, Uddhav said, "Please, hold your patience, dear ones." Overwhelmed, all the gopis fainted. Uddhav ji sprinkled them with the water that had been brought for the arghya. Then one revived the next, the second revived the third, and they brought everyone back to consciousness.

Uddhav began to teach. He thought that if he spoke more about love, they would become agitated again. So he decided to awaken their knowledge with the message he had come to give. Uddhav ji said, "O gopis, he is not distant from you. Look with the eye of knowledge: the whole universe is filled with him."

gyan ki aankh dekho akhil vishv bhrpur rup sab un visho loh daru pasan te mein jal thalam akash sachar achar barat sab jyoti brahm prakash

Look with the eye of knowledge: the entire universe is filled with him. His form is in all things, in iron, wood and stone. He is in water, land and sky, in the moving and the unmoving. All is the light of the radiance of Brahman.

O women of Braj, listen. Uddhav ji said, "O gopi-jan, give up this attachment (moh) that you have for Shyam Sundar. Listen patiently to the knowledge we are teaching you, and your weeping will stop. He is not far from you. See with the eyes of knowledge: the whole universe is full of Shri Krishna, and it is Shri Krishna alone."

There is no one but Shri Krishna. Look: in iron, in wood, in stone, in water, on land, in the earth, in the sky, everything that moves and everything that does not move is filled with Brahman. Sarvam khalmidam brahm
All of this is indeed Brahman.

O Braj-nagari, Shri Krishna is the very Brahman, and he pervades all those forms. He is the earth. He is the sky. He is the water. He is the stone. He is in the wood, and he is in the iron too. Brahman pervades everything that moves and everything that does not, because Shri Krishna is Brahman.

The Braj gopis said: what is this Brahman, this light and knowledge, to us? Why, Udho, do you speak of it? Our beautiful Shyam's path of love is simple. Mohan's form has appeared to my eyes, my speech, my ears and my nose. My awareness and my intellect, all of it, Hari's flute has enchanted with the snare of love. Kaun brahm ko jyoti gyan ka so kahe udho hamre sundar Shyam prem ko marg sudho nain bain shruti nasika mohan rup dikhayee sudhi buddhi sab Murli hari prem thagori lai
What do we care for that Brahman, that light and knowledge? Why do you speak of it, Udho? Our beautiful Shyam's path of love is straight and simple. Mohan's form has shown itself to my eyes, my speech, my ears and my nose. My awareness and my intellect, all of it, Hari's flute has captured with the snare of love.

Friend, listen. What Brahman and what light and knowledge are you talking about, Udho? Do you even know whom you are speaking of? Our Shyam Sundar is ours, and we are his. The path is straight, with nothing in between. He is our beloved, the dear one of our life. You may regard him as Brahman. We regard him as our beloved.

Look at our eyes: Shyam Sundar has settled into them. Look at my speech: it is only for Shyam Sundar. Look at my ears: they hear only talk of Shyam Sundar.

My nose knows only the fragrance of Shyam Sundar's body. Ah, Mohan has taken charge of all our limbs. Mohan has taken control everywhere. Wherever I look, wherever I listen, wherever I see, it is all Shyam. If you can see, then the Shyam groves, the Shyam bowers, the Yamuna, the dark-hued Shyama, and the sky full of dark clouds are all Shyam. Wherever I look, I see only Shyam Sundar. Wherever I look among the bowers, wherever I look in Vrindavan, I see Shyam Sundar. Whichever way I look at the Yamuna, I see Shyam Sundar. If I look at the sky, I see Shyam Sundar. If I look at the dark clouds, I see Shyam Sundar. Wherever I look, only Shyam Sundar appears. Shyam is filled into all colours. People say this is a new thing. It seems the pupils of people's eyes have changed.

Wherever I look, it is Shyam. In every colour, I see only the colour of Shyam. People say this is something new. I don't know whether I have gone mad or whether people's eyes are not right. Look, everywhere I see nothing but Shyam Sundar. Chandrasar, Ravisar, Shyam. The Mrigad is Shyam, Kamvijay is Shyam, the throat of Neelkanth is Shyam, as if Shyam were the one who holds sway. Wherever I look, the moon and the sun, I see only Shyam Sundar. The throat of Neelkanth is Shyam, musk is Shyam. It all feels as if a creeper of darkness has been sown everywhere.

chandrasar ravisar Shyam hai mrigad Shyam kam vijay hai neelkanth ko kanth Shyam hai mano Shyam taleeb hai
Moonlight and sunlight are Shyam; the musk deer is Shyam; Kamvijay is Shyam; the throat of Neelkanth is Shyam; as if Shyam were the one who holds sway.

shruti ko akshar Shyam dekhiyat deep shikha par Shyam tai hai. Nar devan ki kaun katha hai alakh brahm chavi Shyam mai hai jit dekho tit Shyam mai hai.
The syllables of the Vedas are seen as Shyam; the flame of the lamp is Shyam. What to speak of humans and gods? The invisible Brahman's form is filled with Shyam. Wherever you look, it is Shyam.

Wherever I look, I see only Shyam Sundar. Udho, this is a matter of my vision. My ears went first, and they met the qualities of his voice. My ears went to hear his flute-like voice, and my eyes went to take the nectar of his form. His smile, his dance, his glance, his smile, his grace, his charm, all of this has come to my mind and made me mad.

mere kan pehle hi jae mile gun mein shravan pheri rup sudha mati keeno nainhu payan hai hasan natan chitvan musikan sughrai rasikai mili mati pai pan hai mohi mohi mohan may ri man mero bhyo mohi mohi mohan may ri man mero bhyo harichand bhedna parat pehchan hai kan bhay pran mein kan bhay pran mein pran bhay kan mein ki mein na jaan par kan hai ki pran hai
My ears went first and met his qualities. My hearing went and wandered after the nectar of his form, and my eyes set out too. His laughing, his dancing, his glancing, his smiling, his grace and his charm have been fixed in my mind like betel. I am filled with Mohan, my mind has become Mohan's. Harishchandra, it is hard to recognise the difference. The ear has become the life-breath, the life-breath has become the ear. I cannot tell whether it is the ear or the life-breath.

So my hearing has gone to Shyam Sundar's side, and my eyes have gone too. His smiling, his walking, his looking, his grace and his charm have made us mad. He has captivated all of us gopis: my mind, my body and my life have all become Shyam Sundar. Udho, the life-breath has become the ear and the ear has become the life-breath. I cannot tell whether it is the ear or the life-breath. My life-breath has become Krishna-filled. Krishna has become life-filled. I can't tell whether it is the life-breath or Krishna.

batan mein ghatan mein beethin mein bagan mein vrikshan mein belin mein batika mein van mein dharan mein divar mein dehri dareechan mein hiran mein haran mein bhupan mein tan mein kanan mein kunjan mein gopin mein gayan mein Gokul mein godhan mein damini mein ghan mein jahan jahan dekho tahan Shyam hi dikhayee de
In the paths and the ghats, in the lanes and the gardens, in the trees and the creepers, in the flower-beds and the forests, in the ground and the walls, in the doorsteps and the windows, in the deer and the necklaces, in the ornaments and the bodies, in the groves and the bowers, in the gopis and the cows, in Gokul and its cattle-wealth, in the lightning and the clouds. Wherever you look, only Shyam is seen.

Wherever I look, you will see nothing but Shyam. What else do you see?

Wherever I look, I see only Shyam Sundar. Udho, which Brahman are you talking about? Udho, the one with form, and the formless Nirgun, with no attributes, which you describe as formless and untouched by the three qualities, has no hands, feet, nose, eyes or speech. He is imperishable, the light that illumines, the very life of the whole world.

Uddhav sargun sab upadhi rup nirgun le unko nirakaar nirlep lagat nahi teeno�� gun ko hath paye nahi nasika nain bain nahi kan achut jyoti prakashika sakal vishv ke pran
Udho, the Sargun, with all its attributes, is the form of the Nirgun. Take his formless, unattached nature: the three qualities do not touch him. He has no hands or feet, no nose, no eyes, no speech, no ears. He is the imperishable light that illumines, the life of the whole universe.

Udho spoke, listen, Braj-nagari: look, this form that you see is the form of Brahman with attributes. Contemplate the Nirgun form, which is formless and unattached, beyond the three qualities, with no hands, no feet, no nose, no eyes, no speech, no ears. He is of the nature of light. He is the foundation of the whole universe. He alone is the formless, attributeless Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Soul. O Braj-nagari.

Listen, Braj-nagari. The gopis replied: your Brahman has no mouth, you fool! If he has no mouth, then tell us, who ate the butter? Thief, thief, stealing from us, you say he has no mouth. You have become a fool. This pride of knowledge has become a ragged quilt. You say he has no mouth. If he has no mouth, then tell us, who ate the butter? You say he has no feet. Without feet, who walked with the cows through every grove? You tell me he has no eyes. I have applied kohl to my eyes, and you say he has no eyes. You say he has no hands. Then who lifted Govardhan? Hand, Nand and Yashoda's son, the prince of the ears, the lord of Braj. Listen, friend, to Shyam: if he has no mouth, then from whom did he get the butter? And if he has no feet, whom did he herd the cows for? And you speak of eyes: I put kohl in his eyes, and you say he has no hands. If he has no hands, with whom did he lift Govardhan? You say he is the foundation of the whole world. Ah, Nand Baba and Yashoda Maiya are his foundation.

Uddhav
Udho.

They gave him birth. They raised him, showered him with affection, and taught him to walk holding their finger. You say he is the support of the world. Uddhav ji has come to the right place, and God sent him here for exactly this reason. Uddhav said:

jah kaho tum kan tah ko pitu nahi mata. Akhiland brahmand vishv nahi mein jaata
Go and tell him, that one who has no father or mother, who cannot be contained even in the whole universe.

leela ko tar le dhar aae tanashyam jog jug hi paie parbahma pad dham
For his leela, Ghanshyam has taken form. The state of Parabrahman is attained only through yoga, age after age.

Listen, Braj gopis. Why have you forgotten? The one you call Kanhaiya has no mother or father. He is the creator of all the universes, the lord of the entire cosmos. Who could be his mother or father?

He has taken avatar for the sake of leela. If you understand what we are explaining about his Ghanshyam form, you will attain the state of Parabrahman.

The Braj women spoke: "Uddhav, tell that yoga to someone else. Tell it to the one who has not known the true yoga. You have come to teach us yoga, Uddhav."

Udhav jog jog ham nahi abla sar gyan ka jane kaise dhyan dharahi
Uddhav, we are not men of yoga. We are helpless women. How could we know the essence of knowledge, or hold meditation?

Uddhav, you have come to teach us yoga, brother. Sit in padmasana, close your eyes, and meditate:

are te mundan nain kahat ho hari murat jin mahi
You tell us to close the eyes in which the form of Hari is enshrined!

aisi katha kapt ki Madhukra ham te suni na jahi
Such a tale of deceit, Madhukar, we have never heard, nor can we bear to hear it.

shravan cheer sir jata bandha ye dukh kaun samahi
Earrings in the ears, matted locks bound on the head. Who can bear this sorrow?

chandan taj ang bhasm batavo birah anal ati dahi
You tell us to give up sandal paste and smear the body with ash, while the fire of separation burns us fiercely.

jogi bhramat jah lagi bhule so to hai apmahi
The yogi who wanders off and loses his way is truly dishonored.

sur Shyam te nyari na pal chhin jo ghatte parchhahi
We are never apart from Shyam, not for a moment, like a shadow that never leaves its form.

You are telling us to close the eyes in which Shyam Sundar is enshrined!

Go and teach others. Here, with prasadi sandal applied and our eyes meeting his eyes, we have found a joy that is not in yoga, not in Sankhya, not in ritual karma, and not in any other sadhan. Uddhav, you yourself have not understood what yoga is. You do not even have knowledge of yoga.

Uddhav, tell us, who attained yoga? You described yoga to those who already have it. You described yoga to Brahma ji. God once played raas with him by the authority of yoga, and Brahma ji came into the raas. We embraced in the raas. You are telling us about yoga, and you are describing yoga to those whose yoga is continuous.

jah kaho tum kan hath tah batao jog jog udho je pav prem sahit ham paas nand nandan gun gao
Go and tell whoever it is, Uddhav, tell that yoga to whoever wants it. Near us, with love, sing the glories of Nand Nandan.

If you want to give happiness to the gopis, then sing the glories of Nand Nandan. Stop talking about the nirgun Brahman.

nain bain man pran mein mohan gun bharpuri prem peeyu se chhar ke kaun samete dhuri
Our eyes, words, mind and breath are full of Mohan's qualities. Who would give up the nectar of love to gather dust?

Sakhi, listen. Giving up the nectar of Shyam's love, you speak of yoga, which is the gathering of dust. Oh, the one who is far from God in love is the one who will follow this path. When the nectar of love is being offered directly to drink, why speak of gathering dust?

Uddhav, dust is not bad. The Braj gopis are not people who give up easily.

dhuri buri jo hoi i kyon shish chadhave dhar kshetra mein ai karm kar hari pad pave
If dust were bad, why would it be placed on the head? Come to this sacred land, do karma, and attain Hari's feet.

dharah tevo tan bhyo dhar so brahmand lok chaturdas dhur ke saptadeep nau khand
From dust came this body. From dust came the universe, the fourteen worlds, the seven islands and the nine divisions.

Listen, Braj women. Uddhav said: do not condemn dust. No dust is bad. If one takes on the foot-dust of devotees, the foot-dust of Vrindavan, or the foot-dust of God on the forehead, then even God can be brought under control. If one partakes of the dust of the divine abodes of Braj, the 84 kos, then the state of Brahman and the feet of Hari are attained. And see, the creation of countless universes came from this same dust. The fourteen worlds are pervaded by dust. Do not condemn dust.

The Braj woman said: what we are talking about here is the yoga-like karma-dust you want to put in our eyes so that we can see Shyamsundar. We are speaking of karma-dust. Let those who are qualified for karma understand this karma-dust. Go and explain it to them. We are steeped in the nectar of love. You want to throw dust in our eyes, in whose eyes Nand Nandan dwells.

As long as karma exists, all karma binds. As long as Hari does not manifest, all the beings of the world turn away from God. Friend, listen: as long as Shyamsundar has not shone forth in the heart, all these karmakand and yoga practices are all there is. Munis meditate with their minds and still do not attain it. Shyamsundar is seated in our hearts. Are you instructing us about yoga and karma?

Uddhav said: "Do not condemn karma. Through karma comes liberation."

karm nindo kaha karm te sadgati hoi karm rup te bali nahi tribhuvan mein koi
Do not condemn karma. Through karma comes a good destiny. In the form of karma, no one in the three worlds is mightier than Bali.

karm te utpatti hai karmah te sab nash karm kiye te mukti hoe parbahma purwas
Creation comes from karma, and all destruction comes from karma. Liberation comes from doing karma, and dwelling in Parabrahman.

Listen, Braj women. Creation comes from karma. Destruction comes from karma. Liberation comes from karma. The state of Parabrahman comes from karma. Listen, gopis, karma is very exalted.

The gopis said: there are only two kinds of karma, auspicious and inauspicious, sin and merit. Sin and merit are like chains, one of iron and one of gold. Sinful karma is an iron chain, and meritorious karma is a golden chain. The living being is bound by both and is not liberated. Do not speak nonsense, Uddhav ji. The gopis said to Uddhav ji that both kinds of karma, sin and merit, are like iron and gold shackles that bind the feet.

karm paap aur punya loh sone ki beri payan bandhan do mano bahu teri
Sinful karma and meritorious karma are shackles of iron and gold, binding the feet. Know that both are bondage.

Karma is a binding condition for the living being. If one performs it with a sense of doership, it will take one at most to heaven, if the merit is high. If the sinful karma is low, it will take one to hell.

How could you say that by doing karma one attains liberation and reaches the abode of Parabrahman? The gopis are not ignorant. They are supremely wise. They say that high karma leads to heaven and low karma leads to suffering. Without love, everything is wasted, and all are consumed by the disease of sensual desire. Friend of Shyam, listen: without love for the Self, or without love for Krishna, no one attains the supreme state. O friend of Shyam, listen to what we are saying.

Uddhav ji said:

karm bui jog ko kahe dhare Padmasan sab dwaar rok indrin ko mare brahmagin jar shuddh have siddh samadhi lagai leen hoe sayuj mein jaate jyoti samai

Why would anyone take up karma or yoga, sit in the lotus pose, shut all the gates and subdue the senses? Purified by the fire of Brahman-knowledge, perfected in samadhi and absorbed, one merges through sayujya into the Light.

Listen, Braj nagari. He is describing the nature of liberation. When a yogi sits in the lotus pose, closes the gates of the senses and turns the senses inward, making them free of agitation, then the fire of Brahman-knowledge is kindled within him. In that fire of Brahman-knowledge, he burns away attachment to the three bodies, becomes perfected in samadhi, and attains the liberation of sayujya. Listen, Braj nagari: this karma itself seated him on the throne of liberation.

Then the Braj gopis said:

jogi jyoti bhaje bhakt nij rup hi jane prem piyush pragat Shyam sundar ane nirgun gun jo paie log kahe yah na ghar aae nagan puje bami pujan jae sakha sun Shyam ke

The yogi worships the Light, but the devotee knows his own true form. The nectar of love is revealed in Shyamsundar. People say the formless can be found through qualities, but it does not come home. Like one who, with a snake at home, goes off to worship the anthill. Friend of Shyam, listen.

The yogi takes as his goal the one for whom he practises yoga. The devotee regards that one as his beloved. He does not regard Him as Paramatma. He regards Him as his own: my friend, my beloved, my son, my companion, and so on. Look, the nectar of love is obtained through feeling this intimacy with Shyamsundar. And our Shyamsundar, seated in the heart, is our beloved.

Just as a garland cannot be strung without a thread, so without Shyamsundar one cannot obtain the nectar of love. The nectar of love is not obtained from the formless. It is obtained from Shyamsundar. And Uddhav, if a snake comes into the house and a man does not worship it but goes to worship the anthill, would he be called wise? You say, "Our Shyamsundar, the Supreme Brahman, the Paramatma, is ours, isn't He? Now, giving up love for Him, you speak of the formless and the without-form."

Uddhav said: Look, we speak the words of the Vedas.

jo hari ke gun hoi ved kyon neti bakhane nirgun sargun atma Upnishad jo gane

If Hari has qualities, why do the Vedas declare "neti, neti" (not this, not this)? The Upanishads sing of both the formless and the qualified Self.

You say that Uddhav's words disregard the formless. Look, even the Vedas say "neti, neti." If the formless did not exist, why would they say "neti, neti"? Look, the Upanishads have sung very beautifully of both the formless and the qualified elements. The Vedas and Puranas have also described them.

ved puran khoj ke na payo gun ek gun hi ke jo ho gun ka akash ki bolo akash kis mein sthir hai? Swayam mein.

Searching the Vedas and Puranas, they found no single quality. Tell me, in what is the sky of qualities established? In itself.

Likewise, the Supreme is the basis of no quality. He is established in Himself. He does not rest on any quality. Therefore, Shri Krishna, whom you know as having qualities, is nirgun. Uddhav ji speaks like this.

The gopis said: if there are no qualities of His, then from where do all the qualities shine forth? Bhagavan is the ocean of qualities. Very beautiful, very beautiful description. What Uddhav ji describes is pure knowledge, and what the gopis describe is pure love. Tell me, where would the qualities come from if they were not His? Can a tree grow without a seed? Just as a tree cannot grow without a seed, the root seed is Bhagavan. In the same way, the root seed of all qualities is Shri Krishna.

The shadow of the qualities is Hari's maya, the mirror in between. What a beautiful thing to say. Just as when a mirror is placed between us, a reflection appears, and when the mirror is removed, what remains? The mirror of maya is placed in between. Remove it and see who is left. The gopi is not a mere jnani.

vaag gun ki parchha hari maya darpan beech gun te gun nyare nahi amal bar mil ki sakha sun Shyam ke

The shadow of the qualities is Hari's maya, the mirror in between. Qualities are not separate from qualities. Friend of Shyam, listen.

There is no mud in water, yet from where did the mud arise? Did it not arise from the water itself? In the same way, there is no maya in Brahman, yet from where did maya come? It is Shri Krishna's own. How does this duality appear? Speaking of it: like the reflection of "I" in a mirror. This is a very high-level discourse.

Uddhav ji said:

maya ke gun aur aur gun hari ke jano wa gun ko in man aal kahe ko shano

Know that the qualities of maya are one thing and the qualities of Hari are another. Why do you mix Hari's qualities with the qualities of maya?

Gopi-jans, the qualities of maya are different: sattva, rajas and tamas. The qualities of Hari are different. Why are you mixing Hari's qualities with maya's qualities?

jake gun aur rup ko jaan na payo bhed tate nirgun brahm ko badat Upnishad ved

Because no one has been able to know the distinction of His qualities and form, the Upanishads and Vedas speak of the formless Brahman.

Listen, Braj nagari: those whose qualities and form no one has been able to know until today, the Vedas and Upanishads describe as the formless Brahman.

Listen, Braj nagari. The gopis said: then from where did the Vedas emerge? Uddhav, the Vedas emerged from the mouth as the breath of Hari's form. The Vedas arose from the breath of our Shyamsundar. Counter this claim, if you can: the Vedas describe nirgun Brahman. From where, then, did the Vedas come? From saguna Brahman.

jaki swas ved shruti chari so hari padhe achraj kya

Whose breath are the four Vedas and the Shrutis, if Hari recites them, what is surprising about that?

What pure logic the gopis have set out. "The Vedas emerged from the mouth as the breath of Hari's form." The Vedas also give authority for karma, action and attachment, but the Vedas arose from the breath of Shri Hari. Therefore, all who searched for Him within karma found nothing. See, He is found only in the absence of karma.

ved hari ke rup swas mukh te jo nisre karm kriya asakti sab pachhili sudh basre

The Vedas, which came out from the mouth as the breath of Hari's form, have all their past memory of karma, action and attachment dissolved.

Therefore, the anointing of love (prem abhishek) comes to one who, renouncing all karma, takes complete refuge in Bhagavan with his whole mind. Very beautiful. Love is the means by which Shyamsundar is fully known. In yesterday's discussion, at the beginning, it was said that Bhagavan declares: "I am fully known only through exclusive devotion (ananya bhakti)."

I come within sight. Otherwise, I cannot be reached by any other means.

Uddhav said:

Uddhav ne kaha prem hi ke ko vastu rup dekht lo lage vastu drishti bin kaho kaha premi anurage
Love takes hold only by seeing the form of an object. Without seeing the object, what affection can a lover have?

taran chand ke rup ko nahi payo gun jaan to unko kaha janie gunatit bhagwan
The form of the moon cannot be known by its qualities. Then how can the Lord, who is beyond all qualities, be known?

Listen, O Braj maidens. Love is kindled by seeing a form. Affection does not arise without seeing an object. Take this moonlight, the chandrika. Can it know the glory of the moon? No, because it is illuminated by the moon. In the same way, our sight is illuminated by the divine principle.

From that, our form becomes the primary thing, and quality becomes primary. The principle, the tattva, is nirguna, without qualities. So how is the Lord who is beyond qualities to be known? Listen, O Braj maidens. Just as moonlight cannot know the form of the moon, the intellect cannot know that nirguna, formless, supreme principle. The Vedas too say neti neti, not this, not this.

The Braj gopis say:

taran akash prakash jah mein raho durai
Moon, sky and light, where do you hide yourselves?

Your moonlight and the moon that gives it light are both in the sky. Understand the root matter. You said that moonlight does not know the principle of the moon. Then go further.

Your moonlight and the moon both abide in the sky, and in only a small part of it. The sky is infinite.

divya drishti binu kaho kaun pe dekho jai
Without divine vision, to whom can one go and see?

Without divine vision, no one can see through and across. One who has divine sight can see infinite universes, as if an amla fruit were placed in the palm and seen on all sides.

jinke ve ankhen nahi dekhe kyon wah rup kyon upje vishwas je pare karm ke kup
Those who do not have such eyes, how will they see that form? How can faith arise in those who have fallen into the well of karma?

Friend of Shyam, listen. Those who lack divine sight cannot see that form, cannot see that form full of love. Listen and have faith: those caught in the noose of karma cannot know the love-form of our Pritam.

Uddhav ji, when one does daily karma, bhakti enters into it. Then which bhakti are you speaking of?

jab karie nit karm bhakti hoon ya mein jai karm rup te kaho kaun pe chhutyo ai
When one performs daily karma, bhakti too is included in it. Tell me, who has ever escaped the form of karma?

Bhakti too is a form of karma: lighting the aarti, performing puja, doing this and that. All of that falls under karma. Uddhav ji is saying: who has ever escaped from karma?

By performing karma step by step, karma is destroyed. Then the soul, freed from karma, merges into the nirguna Brahman. Listen, O Braj women. Gradually, step by step, by doing karma, one rises above karma. One attains self-knowledge and becomes established in the nirguna Brahman. Hear my words, O Braj gopis.

The Braj gopis said:

jo hari ke nahi karm karm bandhan kyon ayo
If karma does not belong to Hari, how did the bondage of karma come about?

What a very strange thing you are saying. You say that by doing karma step by step, the bondage of karma is destroyed and one becomes established in one's own self. In that way Hari is free of the bondage of karma. We say no. He comes bound by the bond of love.

When a lover performs the act of love, and is moved by it, see, that is the act of love. All the devas, the earth, and the great rishis and munis gathered and prayed to God, and God, compelled, manifested and took incarnation. So they say that prayer too is a form of action.

When one performs daily karma, bhakti is included in it. Uddhav ji described this. Then the gopis said:

to nirgun ho vastu matra parman banayo jo unko parman hai to prabhuta kachu na
If the nirguna is made the sole object and standard of proof, and that is their measure, then there is no sovereignty at all.

nirgun bhay atit ke sagun sakal jag mai sakha sun Shyam ke nirgun se kaun pyar karta hai
The nirguna is beyond everything, while the sagun pervades the whole world. Friend of Shyam, listen: who loves the nirguna?

The nirguna is beyond. Our Pritam is the dear life-breath of all the world.

There is no proof for the nirguna. There is proof for our Pritam. Our Pritam dwells in our hearts, in our minds, and in our life-breath, and the whole world knows our Shri Krishna.

Shri Nand Das ji has beautifully described the discussion between Uddhav and the gopis. After a short description, the mood of the gopis changes. They stop Uddhav from speaking. Agitated and overcome with love, they weep, and through that loving talk Uddhav begins to find his own knowledge bland. He thinks: until now, while we were describing the nirguna and formless, not once did tears come to us, not once did our hearts melt. The gopis began to sob loudly, again and again: union, separation, separation, union. Uddhav's mind stopped working. Where is the gopis' state? The gopis answered every question Uddhav put to them. Seeing such a condition of love, Uddhav fell prostrate at their feet.

We know only one side: that he is the Supreme Brahman, the Paramatma. But you loved him. Your feeling is so deep that again and again you take the dust of his feet and apply it to your forehead.

We will continue the rest of the discussion. Victory to Shri Radhavallabh Lal!

This text is taken from the video's auto-generated subtitles and may contain word errors. For authentic words, please listen to the video.

Original video: Shri Hit Radha Kripa (YouTube)