Divya Deepavali Maha Mahotsav // 08/11/26

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

Full discourse

The supremely tender fair and dark lotus feet of Shri Yugal Sarkar, who flow with the divine, eternal, ecstatic nectar of love, are our entire life. They are our supreme wealth. They are our best means and our highest goal. Fill your heart with this conviction. Supreme rest will be attained right now. You think that rest will come from performing some action. Give up this illusion. Accepting the Beloved and the Lover at Their feet as our all is itself supreme rest. Now, do not become the cause of any result that a deed might bring.

Do not become the doer of any action. To attain the rasa of selfless love, you must simply fill your heart with this. Look, no particular practice has been described for attaining rasa. "Bhav saven bhajatam rasa kamadhenum tam Radhika charan renu aham smarami." "I remember the dust of Radhika's feet, the wish-fulfilling cow of rasa for those who worship with every feeling." Feel: my beloved Priya Ji, my dear Priyatam, what kind of nikunj is Priya Ji's, what kinds of garments does She wear, what kind of splendour does She have? How will I attain Her, how will I please Her? Just let this inner feeling awaken. You will ask, how can it awaken? First comes grace, and then it is described. By Their grace you received a human body. By grace you received the company of rasiks. You received the colour of Vrindavan. Now it is not rare. Now simply remain in feeling. Do not separate from bhav. Shri Shyama Shyam are our all. There is no one else. We discuss this every day so that the words sink deep into our hearts. Then see what bliss you will find. The glory of satsang lies only in this: many people's hearts remain empty even after great sadhanas, and their vices remain. The heart cannot be filled completely. It is filled by satsang alone. Satsang means freeing one from all attachments and effortlessly making one attached to the Lord.

That is why the Lord speaks of becoming indifferent to outward actions. "Vratani yajnash chhandamsi tirthani niyama yamah, yathavarundhe satsangah sarva sangapaho hi mam." "Vows, sacrifices, the Vedas, pilgrimages, observances and disciplines do not bind one to Me as satsang does, for satsang frees one from all attachments." Because every day we hear the same thing, we contemplate what we hear, and the heart holds onto it. Whether you are rising, sitting, walking or moving about, the rhythm of your heart will become Shyama Shyam. Your heartbeat will become Shyama Shyam. When you accept that our all, our supreme wealth, our best means and our highest goal is Shri Shyama Shyam, the whole question will be resolved.

Simply by believing, the whole question is solved. Suppose you feel you are stuck through believing. You will be freed through believing. "I am a woman. I am a [clearing throat sound] man. I belong to such-and-such caste. I belong to such-and-such country." I kept saying "I, I," and I became entangled in what I believed. The mistake was that I did not accept what is Yours. Now, whatever you have accepted as yours is a false belief: the body, the body's pleasures, relatives connected with the body. Change this false belief. In Shri Shyama Shyam, my Shyama Shyam, your rest will be found.

"Ek ahamta mamta yah jag mein hai dukhdai. [coughing sound] [clearing throat sound] Ye jab Shri Ji ki or lage to hot param sukhdai." "This egoism and possessiveness are painful in the world. When they turn towards Shri Ji, they become supremely blissful." Look, that is the same possessiveness. It is not a different thing. Whatever belief you applied to the world, applying the same belief to Shri Ji is the practice. The possessiveness you showed towards the world, you must show towards Shri Ji. Through this belief, constant contemplation arises. Just as for a person with no means, constant thought of the body, the body's pleasures, bodily relatives and the world arises without any effort, in the same way, for a worshipper who is endowed with a noble conviction, constant contemplation of the Lord arises spontaneously.

Believe this. Such a person does not need to sit in a particular posture. He does not need to take refuge in any special procedure. One who has made a firm resolve, whose constant contemplation of "my Shyama Shyam" begins to flow, sees the sweet, sweet beauty of Their form shining forth. When that beauty of form shines in his eyes, his mind becomes restless with intense attachment, and he longs, "Let me serve this form. Let me attain closeness to this form." When this longing grows strong in the heart of the Swamini, it compels the Swamini Herself, and She bestows upon him the worthiness to serve Her.

Those who cannot even imagine the possibility of serving the limbs of that Shri Swamini Ji, for whom a sahachari bhav is required, the great personalities of the Ishvar category, Brahma, Narad, Shiv, Swayambhu, Shri Swamini Ji grants them that worthiness. No one can attain the worthiness to serve the limbs of Shri Swamini Ji by reading any scripture, by perfectly accomplishing any practice in all its parts, or through austerity. Shri Lal Ji, at Her fair feet, prays to Ladli Ji to let him arrange the alta. He humbly requests Ladli Ji's sakhis. Leave aside others. Others do not have the capacity even to think that they could draw patterns on the forehead and the arms of Shri Swamini Ji, draw patterns on Swamini Ji's cheeks, apply musk and mrigamad paste to Her body, apply kohl to Her eyes, or braid Swamini Ji's plait. Such a possibility simply cannot arise. How fortunate we are to have found this path, the path of the great rasa! When will that day come when we take Priya Ji's tresses in our hands, untangle them with our fingers, and braid her plait with beautiful white jasmine, yellow jasmine, chameli and mogra flowers? When will that day come when Swamini Ji commands us, "Make modaks for my Priyatam, go and perform such-and-such service for Him"? A worshipper remains immersed in just this feeling. This is our rasa path. This is our worship. In Vrindavan, it is not an outward action.

Without letting the mind wander here and there, one stays immersed at all times in the samadhi of nitya vihar rasa. This opportunity has been given to one's own people. Swamini Ji has graciously accepted them and given them this chance, especially when they begin to feel restless for the service of Shri Ji. What a great height this is. Look at all of creation: whether it is the world or the devotee, both move about enjoying happiness. May the Lord someday show such grace that [sound of clearing throat] all the bonds of my karma are shattered and I attain supreme bliss.

Attain the supreme state. But for now, may Ladli Ji someday be gracious enough that I get the good fortune of adorning Ladli Ji's limbs, and the good fortune of following Ladli Ji's command. In our rasa-riti, the humble attitude of seeking Radha's glance of grace is for Radha's happiness. I am not saying that there should be no next birth; I am not saying that. Yatra yatra ma janma karma vira nar ke parame padeva (wherever I am born, through my deeds, at every step in the supreme abode). There is freedom here: wherever you wish, however you wish. But this is not a freedom to leave us. You should stay with us; that is what matters. Understand, this is a matter of bhava. Think about it: what do you lose in bhava? There is no talk here of spending money, no talk of sweating or of extra labour, and no talk of very great fasting. See, this is the path of rasa, not a path of fasting.

Your contemplation is on food. There is nothing special about that here. Quietly eat two rotis and contemplate Shri Ji. This is a matter of rasa, and it has to be understood. You are naked, your body is troubled by cold and heat, and your contemplation is elsewhere. Nothing special happens here. Torn, old, good, coarse, expensive: whatever Shri Ji has given you, cover the body with it and contemplate Shri Ji. The special thing for us is the contemplation of Shri Ji, not these outward activities. Understand your rasa. Without dharma, the dharmi is not understood, and without wearing dharma no one becomes a dharmi. And without becoming a dharmi through prem, no one attains this rasa.

prem devta mile bina siddh hoe na karaj.
Without meeting the deity of love, the work is never accomplished.

When this work is accomplished, do you know what happens? You sit in some corner, anywhere, and in front of you is the wondrous beauty of Shri Ji's nikunj and the wondrous play of Shri Ladli Lal. You are given a glimpse, and then they are gone. One does not make such demands of the Ishta, and there is no such state in the heart of the upasak. We have no such demands here. "Shri Swamini Ji, do not come." But when you do come, come with such courage that you never leave, and keep us always with you. It should not be that you give a little rasa and then withdraw it.

Keep us always with you. And Swami, who is most merciful, always keeps us close and stays with us. When the result of this rasa manifests as bhava-rasa, then one sees it. Let's go. In the nikunj, Deepawali is being celebrated. According to the bhava-dasha Swamini Ji has given, we contemplate and consider ourselves present in the service. This is a very subtle subject. For example, when the Rajbhog seva is going on, Lalita Ji and Vishakha Ji are doing it. It is not only this: you should contemplate that you too are with them. Contemplate your own presence as well, and they have given you some service to do.

You are following behind them. This is how one enters into bhava. Shringar is happening, so such-and-such sakhi is adorning Shri Ji. And what are you doing? You are watching? No, no. You are not a mere observer. You are a sevika; join in. Contemplate too: "May my sahachari form be thus." Contemplate as much as you can. Contemplate that our Gurudev Bhagwan is also seated before us in sahachari form. Contemplate Acharya Charan seated in sahachari form. Acharya Charan indicated to Gurudev Bhagwan in sahachari form, Gurudev Bhagwan gave us the command, and now we are near Shri Ji, holding a particular service of Shri Ji's shringar.

Then see that leela and that seva. Slowly, deep bhava will come, and then you will not have to contemplate; you will see your own sahachari form. Shri Ji, Shri Hit Ji Guru Ji, will by grace bestow the sahachari form upon you. Just as in the waking state we have identification (abhimana) with this gross body, and in dream we have identification with the subtle body, he is giving an example. It cannot be fully described; there is no adequate simile. How can the indescribable form be compared? This sahachari form is higher than waking, dream, and deep sleep, and higher even than the glorious forms of the Lord's associates.

It is higher even than Hari's four-armed associates, because Hari himself is tempted when he sees this rasa.

shiv Shri pati yadyapi lalchai bole nigmagam ki kaun chalave maha Vishnu ke man nahi ave
Even Shiva and Shripati are tempted. What then of speaking of the Vedas and Agamas? It does not even enter the mind of Maha Vishnu.

The sahachari position is very rare. Contemplate it, because Shri Ji is inspiring you. You are eligible. Those who are rajosevi, who have taken refuge in the Acharya, who have sheltered at Shri Ji's lotus feet, are fully eligible for this contemplation. Don't be afraid. You are not a woman, you are not a man, you are not a jiva, and you are not an ordinary human bound by karma. You are a sahachari of Shri Ji. When will you think of it? This siddhi does not come all at once. By continually contemplating this, the bhavana becomes siddha. Do you understand? Let us begin the bhavana. While rising, sitting, walking, and moving about, let us erase the notion that we are men or that we are women. Just as jnani mahapurush erase such notions and become established in their own atma-svarupa, so we erase this notion and become established in the sahachari svarupa. Swamini Ji will make us expert in all the arts. And you should contemplate:

bhav seven bhajta rasam
Worshipping rasa through the service of bhava.

Now, how beautiful is this subject of joy. When you get ready for Mangala seva, having bathed, applied raj, put on tilak, and worn the garland, first contemplate for one minute: "I am a sahachari, I am a sakhi of Shri Ji." Meditate on your form up to the tip of the nose.

Then the feeling of meditating on the Priya form will take shape. I am the servant of Shri Ji, her maidservant. By mistake we took ourselves to be men. We took our costume to be our true form. If a sakhi were dressed in a man's clothes, what would she think? She would think, "I am wearing a man's clothes, but I am a sakhi." When a man takes on the form of a female dancer in a dance, does his swagger vanish? He does not think, "I am not a man." He knows he is a man, but for a little while he takes the form of a dancer to perform. Our eternal form is that of a sakhi, and we have forgotten it. We must cultivate the feeling of the self, which has no form. Whatever form is imagined in it, that form becomes one's own. Take the 84 lakh species: these are not the forms of the self. These 84 lakh are costumes. And whatever costume the self accepts as its own, the self becomes weakened within it.

If one takes the costume of a pig, one feels, "I am a pig." The costume of a dog, and one feels, "I am a dog." In the costume of a deva, one feels, "I am a deva." In the costume of a human, one feels, "I am a human." But the true self has no form with a shape. Whatever form you give it, our people then meditate on that form. They say the devotee's feelings are rooted in the feeling of that form. Feeling is the experience of the true self. Once this feeling is united with the self, it becomes a servant, it becomes a gopi, it becomes a friend. Then its contemplation is: "I was always a sakhi. I am always a sakhi. I will always remain a sakhi." By mistake, in between, I had taken myself to be something else. Do you understand? To attain this rasa, we must contemplate exactly this.

When you turn toward this contemplation, your mind, intellect and consciousness will resist you, saying, "I am a man." Bodily pride will come again and again. You must cut it away again and again. Only when your feeling becomes firm can you perform the leela-bhava. Know this as well: if you try to do this from a male feeling, you will see that darkness comes. The vision of the nikunj cannot come without the feeling of being the Priya's servant. It cannot come. Nobody can make it happen. It comes only where it comes, and only when the feeling of the Priya's kinkari, the Priya's dasi, the Priya's sakhi arises. That form may not be attained yet, but when you contemplate, you gain the right to it. Understand that once you have the form, you need not make any effort at contemplation. It is there every moment.

[Verse, as heard:]

chin chhin barat sang wo to tapit na manat nain kunjand avlokitan wo to dekhta hai Madan mudit ang ang beech beech surat rang pal pal pal Harivansh piwat nain chasak jhal

Moment by moment, in the company of the beloved, the eyes do not feel the heat. In the nikunj they behold him, and he sees the limbs filled with joy of love. Between them the colour of their faces, moment by moment, Harivansh drinks it with his eyes, and the eyes drink in the sweetness.

Here you must contemplate, not in theory alone. Do you practise this every day? In the early morning hours, do you see yourself in the sakhi-bhava, or do you only imagine it? When will you do it? The body will fall away. Then you must do it exactly as we are saying: "I am the sakhi of Priyaji."

This is no matter apart from the siddhanta. We have explained it fully: colour the form of the self with bhava. It is like mixing water and sugar; then it becomes sharbat. The water is, as it were, the form, and we match it with the sakhi. Then our form becomes the sakhi-form. What do we then experience? The whole visible world disappears. Countless sakhis and priyals are looking at him alone. Among countless sakhas, Krishna and Balram are looking at him alone. Among countless gopis, Radha and Krishna are looking at him alone. Mahadev and Parvati, seated with their various parshads, are looking at him alone. In Saket-purush, Shri Siyaram is seated. These are not ten or twenty different Lords or different abodes. Wherever the feeling is absorbed, there is that same Saket, that same Kailash, that same Vrindavan, that same Chidanand form. Taking on the form of the dhams, the Dham gives the joy of the upasya, the object of worship, according to the devotee's feeling. Understand this firmly: the one same Lord takes many forms, and within the one Chidanandam, Vrindavan Dham takes the form of all dhams.

The one Vrindavanadhishwar takes the form of all dhamis. The dhamis and the dhams are not a fabrication of mine. This is the word of the acharya-mahapurushas. "Dhami dhaam to kaah tajo, kaako bhajo naam, gira vishram": "Why would you abandon the dham and its Lord? Whose name would you worship? Speech finds rest." Let us make ourselves firm in the word that Gurudev gave, the vani that Gurudev gave. From today, every day, with regularity, whatever path we are on, wherever we are, in whatever way we are joined to the acharya tradition, we should contemplate accordingly. We who practise the sakhi-bhava, and someone who is a sakhi-bhava practitioner, a sakha-bhava practitioner or a gopi-bhava practitioner, should each contemplate in their own way. Every morning, in the early hours, you can do this even before your bath. When you wake from bed, first of all make this resolve: I bow to Gurudev, the saints, the devotees and the Vaishnavas, and by their grace I am attaining the sakhi-bhava.

I am the form of a sakhi. When you come to seva, after applying tilak and so on, you think: this costume is a man's, but I am a sakhi. [clearing throat] When you take prasad, you are receiving the jootan, the remnants, of Shri Ji. I am the sakhi of Shri Ji. Bring this to mind many times, bring it slowly, little by little. Nobody can even imagine this. Do not take it as a game. I say this again and again, even as Vidhi and Narad would. This is not mere thought. This very thinking is a great merit and the form of the highest gain. I am a sakhi. Shri Ji, you consider this ordinary. If it were ordinary, you would have thought it through by now. Start thinking about it from today. It bestows an extraordinary status. "Sam rasam Radha Yama bhajat kil bhaav Braj manu rahasya tadasya tadapi sthitam, sadharan gati, asadharan gati": this is not an ordinary path. It is an extraordinary path.

In Shri Swamini Ji and in Shri Lal Ji, the sakhi-bhava that introduces the great method of rasa is an extraordinary movement. The bhava of rasa found in Kishori Ji will not be found as the bhava of bhava in Lal Ji. In Ladli Ji, mahabhava is described; in Lal Ji, the bhava of rasa is mostly described. This Vrindavan is a little upside down. Its rasa and its method of rasa are very strange. Everywhere, only the obeisance at the feet of Lal Ji along with Ladli Ji is shown.

Look in the Shrimad Bhagavatam. Ladli Ji also says to the hero, "I am your maidservant at your feet, Nath. Where are you, and where am I?" Something like this:

rasam radhayama bhajat kil bhavam braj mano
Worship Radha's rasa with true bhava, O jewel of Braj.

Whoever is wherever they are should remain in bhava through the Acharya parampara. Going forward, we should reach a state where not even a step should be separated from bhava. When we walk, move, or stir, it should come from within: "I am Shri Ji's maidservant."

You are carrying water. "I am Shri Ji's maidservant." Do not consider this service an ordinary matter. Just as enlightened great souls see themselves apart in every action, these actions are happening in prakriti:

gunanu gun warte manushya Parth sarvsa
All actions are carried out by the gunas of nature, O Partha.

Our svarupa is separate. In the same way, at every moment we hold these three bodies, and some resolve arises. The body acts, and some thought comes. We should establish it in the sahachari form. If we experience closeness to Shri Ji with seva and sauj, we will see it.

Today Deepavali is being celebrated in the nikunj. Saying so would be a playful statement, because Deepavali is always going on. You will say, "Yes, it is always going on." The light of Deepavali shines continuously, radiating from the limbs of Pyare Ji and Pyare Ju, and this light is always manifest all around. Eternal Deepavali is celebrated, and sometimes a new Deepavali is also celebrated. In the new Deepavali we see the splendour where Shri Pyari Ji is seated.

[sound of singing]

lal kunj lal sej lal bage rahe bani rajat hai do lal baat ke rang mein rajat hai do
A red grove, a red bed, red garments adorned; the two shine in the colour of red.

[sound of singing]

lal ke lalan
Of the red one's beloveds

[sound of singing]

ki lal bhumi lal phool rahe jhume lalan ki lal bhumi lal phool rahe jhume
On the red earth, red flowers sway for the beloveds, on the red earth, red flowers sway.

[sound of singing]

lalit ladti lal bole ang ang
Graceful, the red ones speak limb by limb.

[sound of singing]

mein lalit ladte lal phool ang ang mein lal kunj lal
Graceful red ones, red flowers, limb by limb; red grove, red.

[sound of singing]

se lal baje bachat hai ho lal ba ke rang mein lal kunj lal se lal bage
Red sounds are heard; in the colour of red, the red grove, red, red garments.

[sound of singing]

la ke rang mein lal lal sari tan bah re saheli
In the colour of red, red, red; O sakhi, the saris flow over the body.

[sound of singing]

sab lal lal sari tan bah re saheli sab lal lal sari tan bahie saheli
All red, red; the saris flow, O sakhi. All red, red; the saris flow, O sakhi.

[sound of singing]

sab lal lal sari tan saheli
All red, red; the saris on the body, O sakhi.

[sound of singing]

sab bheeje do pran pyare prem hi ke rang mein bheeje do pran pyare prem
All drenched: the two beloved lives, drenched in the colour of love alone; the two beloved lives, drenched in love.

[sound of singing]

hi ke rang mein hit dhruv chitavat lon sirat lovat lo
hit dhruv chitavat lochan sirat lovat lo
In the colour of love alone: Hit Dhruv gazes, the eyes are cooled, looking on.

[sound of singing]

Radha jab pyari ju pyari jul kunj lal se lal bage rahe
Radha, when Pyari Ju, Pyari Ju, the red grove, red, red garments..

[sound of singing]

bane rajat hai lal Madan ke rang mein lal bol lal se lal bhag rahe
Adorned and shining, red in the colour of Madan; red speech, red, red runs away.

[sound of singing]

raj lal rang mein aaj shiv Vrindavan ki ye maha mahima may kunj lal shobha se yukt hai.

In the red colour, today, this grove of Shiv Vrindavan, full of great glory, is endowed with red splendour.

By the command of Vrinda Sakhi, the grove is illuminated with exactly the splendour that befits the enactment of the leela. Shri Vrinda Sakhi is the presiding deity here. Without her grace, neither the manifest Vrindavan nor the divine Chidanand Vrindavan, which is contained within it, can be sheltered in or even recognised. Shri Ji too follows the words of Vrinda Sakhi exactly. Great is the grace of Vrinda Sakhi upon all of us, for she had all of us offer our bhava to Pyari Ji, so that we might be kept in Pyari Ji's palace. Although all of us are without bhava,

Vrinda Sakhi has put in a recommendation. That is why we have received residence in Vrindavan. So, by the inspiration of Vrinda Sakhi, every creeper, bird, deer, animal, and parrot takes exactly the posture and splendour that brings happiness to Pyari Ji, exactly as the leela of Pyari Ji is arranged. Immediately, such is the command of Vrinda Sakhi. Like the splendour of today's kunj: there is no green leaf in it, no green-winged bird, no bird of any other colour here. All are red. The leaves are also of rust-red hue, the splendour of the trees is rust-red, the fruits are rust-red, the ground is rust-red, the flowers are rust-red, and the sakhis' attire is rust-red. Red, red, red, and two reds are seated in the middle, like this.

[nasal sound] Ad, arey, life would leave if you got a little glimpse of this splendour. Get a little ready to see it. Who wants to see it now? Say, "We want to see it." It will be accepted only when nothing else seems pleasing, when no other thing seems to please at all. Those for whom nothing else pleases will get to see this splendour. Right now, many things still feel good. All this feeling good must fade; only then will it work out. It must fade every day. [nasal sound] This "every day," do you know, is a mantra of enchantment being chanted. What do you understand?

Sit like this. Do you know how far you have come? From the colourful, you have come to yellow, and from yellow, drink the rasa. Drink the rasa of servitude at the lotus feet of Pyari Ji. They will take you there. The red kunj has been created: beautiful red lotuses, beautiful rose petals, beautiful red jewels, the whole kunj red. No tree is like this, no tree bark is like this, no leaf of any creeper is like this, and no flower is not red. Meditate that the ground is also red, in this red nikunj, with beautiful red flowers of lotus and rose. In the middle, a bungalow has been built of red jewelled flowers. Soft, tender sprouts, red like the new leaves of a mango tree, and a bed of tender red leaves laid out, with beautiful flower petals spread on it, on which Priya and Pritam will be seated.

[nasal sound] Lal Kunj and the red bed, the arrangements for the service of Pyari Ji and Pyare Ji. The arrangements for every service are new each time. Every service and every service's arrangement is eternal (nitya). This is not a rose that is impermanent and will wilt. Eternal and new: new bed, new taste, new form, new affection, playful and very tender [singing] .. [singing] .. New bed, new taste, new form, new affection [singing] .. New, playful [singing] .. New taste, new form, new affection. All of this is for the increase of Shri Swamini Ji's happiness. Every moment, Vrindavan takes on a new form.

Such a wonder neither existed before nor will exist later. Lal Kunj, the eternally new nikunj: what a wondrous splendour is there. There is a new bed, a new taste, a new form, and a new affection. This is the new affection of the playful and tender Lal. It is new love, as if they have only just met. They don't speak. Without beginning or end, they enjoy their vihar. Since beginningless time, this nikunj has been a very strange riddle. It is not that this is new love; this is an incomparable affection between them, free of any comparison, and it has been there since beginningless time. New bed, new taste, new form, and both of them, our tender Shri Ladli Lal, are new and playful. A new utsav of Shri Swamini Ji is taking place. There was no Deepawali like this before, and there will be none like it later. Each coming one will be newer still, new every moment. When Shri Ladli Ji and Lal Ji sat on that bed, the sakhi had already dressed Pyari Ji in her garments, and, for the increase of Lal Ji's happiness, she had already prepared the arrangements of service.

A very beautiful, vivid sari, scented with perfume, with attar applied, was placed in Lal Ji's lotus hands, because the sakhi knew the taste of their hearts and followed the method of love.

sari surang sugandh sukhdai

The sari, vivid and fragrant, giving great joy.

[The rest of this passage is garbled in the captions and cannot be reliably rendered.] In Shri Priya Ji's body, Shri Lal Ji, with his own lotus hands, is dressing her in the sari.

Bright red, very soft, and saturated with fragrant substances. The border is decorated with beautiful flowers. With red and crimson flowers, the beloved Shri Ladli Ji is carefully dressing Lal Ji in a sari, one garment over another. Shri Ladli Ji, with her lotus hands, is dressing the fragrant Shri Lal Ji in a bagha (tunic). Ladli Lal, dressed in garments of red, sit on the red bed in the flower pavilion, and bunches of red flowers, adorned and arranged, are swaying. Ladli Ji, seeing Lal Ji, and Lal Ji, seeing Ladli Ji, are blooming with joy in every limb, and Ladli Lal are overjoyed. All the sakhis today are wearing red saris.

Everyone's blouse, everyone's sari, everyone's dress is red, red, red. The sakhis too, both dear ones, are wholly in the colour of love. And what is the colour of love? It is red, is it not? So today Ladli Lal are steeped in the red colour, the colour of love and affection. The way Shri Ladli Ji is looking at Lal Ji, only the sahacharis know; no one else does. Lal Ji is the life of Pyari Ji, and Pyari Ji is the life of the beloved Lal Ji.

priy prem ras ek ras do

Two beloveds, one essence of love.

rang bhare umgi .. Dhare rang bhare umgi

Overflowing, filled with colour.

Lal Ji is the life of Ladli Ji, and Ladli Ji is the life of Lal Ji. They are looking at each other with unblinking eyes. What a beautiful sight! They spread wondrous splendour: the red nikunj, the red flower pavilion, the red bed, Ladli Lal in red garments gazing into each other's eyes, and all the countless sahacharis in red garments. Even the ground is red today. Why? Because today the sakhis are celebrating the wondrous festival of Deepawali.

rajat nav nikunj piy pyari

Shining in the new nikunj, the Beloved and Pyari.

The sakhis have made Deepawali today for the increase of the happiness of Pyari Ji and Pyare Ji. Lamps of beautiful jewels are shining throughout the entire kunj.

It is as if the sun and moon were shining. These lamps are not ordinary lamps; they are wondrously radiant. The beauty of Pyari Ji and Pyare Ji's form is sparkling, and all around there are lamps made of jewels. The nail-light of Shri Swamini Ji and Lal Ji outshines the brilliance of crores of suns and moons. These are the lamps of that place. Aha, the sakhis have decorated the entire nikunj with lamps. Pyari Ji and Pyare Ji are seated, absorbed in bliss. Seeing the arrangement, it is not as if lamps were simply placed here and there. The arrangement is of the lamps, each with its own splendour. "Suswagatam" (welcome) is written with the lamps themselves.

Various paintings have been made with the lamps. The chowk, the ritual floor design that increases joy, has been created with the lamps. Many such designs have been made with lamps. The sakhis created the lamp-designs of the nikunj, which are charming and enchant the heart and bring happiness to Priya and Pritam. The lamps are glowing and shimmering. Pyari Ji and Pyare Ji are very delighted to see this. The sakhis placed a large chowki (seat) in front, where Priya and Pritam are seated. Above it they spread a cloth for playing dice, and they are setting out a beautiful chausar (board).

Shri Pyari Ji and Pyare Ji, joyfully looking toward the sakhi, say: "Pyari Ji, Pyare Ji, play dice together and increase the happiness of us sakhis."

khelt pase Priya bihari
Priya Bihari is playing dice

[singing sound]

jag jugal paraspat
the divine couple, mutually

[singing sound]

Krishna paksh nishi [singing sound] udit vivari
the dark-fortnight night rises, dispelling darkness

Krishna paksh nivari lat paas Priya bihari
dispelling the dark fortnight, Priya Bihari is close by

[singing sound]

Shri Pyari Ji and Pyare Ji are playing dice. Shri Ladli Ji asked Lal Ji, "What are you wagering?" Lal Ji said, "If you win, I will wager my flute." Pyari Ji said, "I will wager my besar (nose ornament)." The first stake was placed: the flute. Shri Ladli Ji and Lal Ji are both expert in the game.

They are masters of all the arts. But here, before Ladli's loving glance, none of Lal Ji's cleverness works. A gentle smile, a sidelong glance, brows like a bow, and eyes like arrows, with the kajal line as the arrowhead. The kajal-lined eyes are like arrows, and the brows are the bow of Kaam (desire). She pierced Shri Lal Ji with them. He was struck, the "mind-deer" was pierced and could no longer move. His intellect became lame, his mind became lame.

madhumay mukh avlokat mohan ek tak taki palak nahi tari
Mohan gazed at the honeyed face without blinking, without taking his eyes away

Shri Lal Ji's eyes became very red. In this pad it is said: "Your eyes are like lotuses, drowsy, fluttering, and restless, dark and dim." His eyelids, heavy with sleep, lifted and his pupils moved. Mohan the deer was pierced and could not move. Only a lover who has taken refuge at the dust of Shri Swamini Ji's feet can understand Lal Ji's condition at that moment. When Ladli, who is the essence of the ocean of love, smiled gently, moved her brows, and glanced sidelong at Lal Ji, he forgot his move and forgot how to play.

Though supreme among the clever, he lost. He could not win Shri Ladli Ji's besar. He lost his flute. The flute was won by Radha Rani.

[singing sound]

Radha rani dav payo vishbhanu suta ko
Radha Rani, the throw has fallen to Vrishabhanu's daughter

mohan roto thani dav paro suta mohan ro
Mohan's flute; the throw has fallen to the daughter's side, Mohan's..

Murli ji

[singing sound]

Radha rani Murli

[singing sound]

Radha rani

Ladli Ji's piece has landed, and she has won the flute. When the flute is won, sadness naturally comes to the loser. He looked toward Lalita Ji, and Lalita Ji said, "Then wager something, Pritam. Keep wagering until your piece comes. Now we will play again. Bring whatever you have. What does it matter that one game is lost? In my favour, you have one more game."

Yes, Pritam, the losers also keep something close. Yes, your.. Lal Ji, what will you place? Lal Ji places his pitambar (yellow silk shawl).

Now that the pitambar was placed, Mohan gazed at the honeyed face, fixed in one stare, and did not blink. Usually dice are played below, but here their dice are moving above. He gathered his courage and placed the pitambar, saying, "This is the pitambar. If you win, you get the pitambar. If not, your besar is ours." Ladli Ji smiled, and he forgot the next move of the game. Ah, Ladli Ji is Ladli Ji, Ladli Ji is Ladli Ji. Shri Lal Ji Maharaj says: my eyes have only one purpose. If they have a life, it belongs only to Ladli Ji.

kaho in nainan ki baat, ye ali Priya badan ambuj ras atke halat na jat
Tell of these eyes, O sakhi: caught in the nectar of Priya's lotus face, they cannot move away

Like a bumblebee that can roam over every flower, but when it reaches a lotus, it becomes enclosed in the lotus bud. In the same way, when Ladli Ji's eyes meet Lal Ji's eyes, Lal Ji's state changes. So "Mohan gazed at the honeyed face and did not blink." And not only that: smiling, Ladli makes her brows dance. [nasal sound] If Lal Ji smiles or glances sidelong and Ladli sees him, then crores of Kaams (cupids) would faint. Lal Ji, who crushes the pride of millions, who enchants the sages' minds, the world's mind, and Madan's (Cupid's) mind, is brought under Ladli's control. Where.. (the rest of this passage is not clear in the captions). Here, while trying to move the pieces, they forgot, and lost the pitambar too. Priya's pitambar, the flute was..

[singing sound]

Priya Pitambar Murli ji
Priya's pitambar, the flute

haan haan karat na ladli charan lute nisi biti
Ladli kept saying "no, no", and falling at (his) feet, the night passed

[singing sound]

lad charan lute
Lad falls at the feet

[singing sound]

piya pitambar Murli ji Priya pitambar Murli

[singing sound]

de rakhe ya durae sakhi Lalita ho
Give it back, or keep it hidden, O sakhi Lalita!

[screaming sound]

sati burai sakhi lata raho sati
O sakhi, Lata, stay..

Shri la vipul vinod bihari prakt karat tar ras
Shri Vipul Vinod Bihari reveals the sweetness of rasa

[singing sound]

shri will bihari nagad karat re
Shri Vipul Bihari, making a ruckus

Priya Pitambar Murli ji Priya Pitambar Murli

How much joy the sakhis are feeling!

Priya watches the quarrel between Priya and Pritam. Lal Ji says, "Return our yellow garment and the flute. Look, I fold my hands before you. I cannot live without the flute, dear. Return our flute. Her father lost it in the game. You did not steal it from us like this." Lalita Sakhi says, "Absolutely do not give it back. Keep it hidden. Yes, if you want it, come into the wager, play the game, and win it. Then take it away."

Lal Ji is considering that he cannot win. He thinks it over in his mind, saying that he cannot win. He told Shri Ladli Ji, "Fine, let us play," but he became certain that he would not win. Why does he throw the dice and gaze at her body?

chavi niharat hai chaupar mis bandhat dag shobha ki potri pasan ko darat hai van chavi niharat hai
Gazing at her beauty, he plays chaupar and ties the bundle of charm in his glances. He throws the dice, gazing at her beauty.

chau parat ji shobha ghunghat ki khuli got dharat chau cha sanukh mein baithe Priya [gana gane ki aawaz] kare kataksh chori ghunghat ki ho gadh sonu mein baithe piya chhod kabahu kabahu lachak jat samri samri karat baat hot hai chavi bar nain tat palan o [gana gane ki aawaz] lak jat savar savar karat baat hot hai palan o haan bali bali Vrindavan het rup ke samudra [gana gane ki aawaz] tai pairat nahi lahat par manat tatri Vrindavan hriday rup [gana gane ki aawaz] ma to pasen ko darat hai van chavi niharat hai chaupar mein bandhat dag shobha [gana gane ki aawaz] ki potri paas hai jo parmeshvar aadat shobha ki

(Sound of singing) The beauty of the veil is unveiled; the border of the veil is lifted. Priya sits in front, and she glances sideways. The veil slips, and Piya sits in the gold. Sometimes she sways gracefully, and the beauty of her eyes gazes from behind the lashes, speaking again and again. I am a sacrifice for Vrindavan, the ocean of beauty. (Sound of singing) He does not swim across it; he cannot find the shore, the river of Vrindavan's heart and beauty. (Sound of singing) He throws the dice and gazes at her beauty, binding the bundle of charm in the game of chaupar. (Sound of singing) The bundle of charm is with the Supreme Lord, the habit of beauty.

Play one more round, Pritam. If you win, we will return your flute and yellow garment. If we lose, we will give you our besar (nose ornament). Then Ali Priya began again:

Priya badan ambuj ras atke anat na jat jab jab rukat palak samput lat ati atur akulat
Caught in the nectar of Priya's lotus face, his gaze goes nowhere else. Whenever the lashes close, he becomes restless and eager.

aha pyari jo jab dekho tero mukh tab tab nayo nayo lagat aiso bhram hot dekh na kahni aisa

Ah, dear one, whenever I look at your face, it seems new each time. It creates such an illusion. Do not say such a thing.

It seems he has never seen his beloved Priya Ji. How is this? Now the dice are being played like this, like this. The dice are thrown this way, but his gaze is on the lotus face of Ladli Ji. Under the veil of blue cloth, the moonlike face of fair-complexioned Priya is adorned with beauty, more and more. The arrows of her glances strike from above, and she sways gracefully, and the beloved Lal cries out, "Ah!"

venu kar patitlitam sikandam bhrashtam cha pit vasnam Brajraj raj
The flute in his hand, the peacock feather fallen loose, the yellow garment slipping: the King of Braj.

Shri Ladli Ji's glances are the five arrows of Cupid, who holds them. There is no one in the three worlds who can withstand her glances. He even has the power to break the meditation of Mahadev, and history bears witness to this. The scriptures describe it. But in that case, the five arrows of Cupid turn back and strike him. When Lal Ji looks sideways, with a sidelong glance, the arrows return to him.

lekin ladli ji ki bhakut se prakt hue karod baan dharan karne wale kam ka pradurbhav hota hai. Shri ladli bhakut nirjit Madan mand sasmit badan ke ras vivas Ghanshyam piy gori
From the brow of Shri Ladli Ji, the appearance of Kaam, who bears ten million arrows, arises. Her brow has conquered Madan; with a gently smiling face, Ghanshyam is overwhelmed by the rasa of the fair beloved.

From Shri Ladli Ji's brow, the great love that manifests makes Lal helpless. Then he says, "Sometimes she sways gracefully." Yes, Radha, this is exactly how Lal plays. Which dice would he throw? Radha, this is why we keep speaking grand words. You may think that we treat attaining the Lord like sugar candy and halwa. But something even cheaper than that is under the control of our Swamini Ji.

It is under the control of Swamini Ji. Is there any doubt now? The whole pen is in their hands. Anukhyata, the chief, the lord of the sweet great love: we are maidservants of Shri Radha's feet. If you keep this much pride, you will see it yourself. "Sometimes she sways gracefully, adorning herself, speaking with the weight of beauty, her eyes gazing from behind the lashes."

Lal Ji saw that we would not be able to win. Lal, the crown jewel of the clever ones, what did he say? Priya Ji, until now you kept saying, "Keep this, keep this." Now we say that this should be kept. For the final throw. Ladli Ji said, "Fine," the innocent Ladli. "Yes, fine," said Priya Ji. "If we lose, you embrace us. If you lose, we embrace you. This is the final throw." Now, understand who won and who lost. In both cases, the joy of Lal Ji will increase. Ladli Ji: "If we lose, you give a tight embrace; bind us in your arms. If you lose, then also, yes, fine." Lal understood that we had lost.

Then Vrindavan Das Ji says, "I am a sacrifice to the crown jewel of the clever. Why does the final victory fall to you, Priya?" Yes, from the desire for which Lal keeps playing, I am a sacrifice, I am a sacrifice. When the throw was made, who wanted to win there? In losing there is the joy of winning. Lal lost. Now Ladli Ji and Lal Ji, Ladli Ji and Lal Ji, and the sakhis scatter flowers on each other, saying, "Victory, victory, victory!" In this way, the rasa-filled Deepavali festival of our Ladli and Lal is celebrated in the nikunj.

We should not let the mind become restless in any way. With a steady mind, taking refuge at the feet of Priya and Pritam, always remembering the mantra given by the guru, we should remain in our bhaav (inner mood).

Whatever bhaav the guru Ji has given, whether it is sakha bhaav, gopi bhaav, or sakhi bhaav, look: even the gyanis remain in the Brahma bhaav. "Aham Brahma," I am Brahman. This is exactly what we are teaching you: I am a sakhi, I am a gopi. Without bhaav, it is very difficult to be freed from this world, which is the form of abhaav (absence). Therefore, always remain in bhaav. I am a maidservant of Shri Ji. Believe me, on the day even a little of this bhaav has an effect on your heart, then kaam and krodh and such cannot touch you. Shripad Prabuddhanand Ji Maharaj has described that the one in whose heart is the bhaav of being a servant of Radha, even the Lord's avatar in the enchanting Mohini form cannot attract him.

Leave others aside. The one in whose heart even a little sprout of Radha kinkari bhav, Radha dasi bhav, or Radha sahachari bhav has taken root cannot be defeated by anyone. We are defeated, and we lose to the objects of the senses, only as long as there is deh bhav in our heart, in the body that Maya has created from the trigunatmika maya. Slowly we come into bhav. Keep your manan and chintan going continuously. Don't worry. When Shri Dham Vrindavan, Shri Ladli Ji, and Shri Gurudev Bhagwan are seated there, so capable, how would they let you drown?

They will not let you drown. The matter of our drowning is now finished. "Tihare aage-pichhe ke apradh, Harivansh kheve" (Harivansh will ferry across your past and future offences). Ah, ah, what a compassionate Acharya he is! Look at the words he says: whatever offences you will commit in the future too, we will see to those. Don't worry. He is not saying "galti" (mistakes) but "apradh" (offences). Harivansh is himself the ferryman of your past and future offences. Harivansh is Vrindavan, Priya-Lal, sakhi, all of it. Don't worry, just do chintan. Whatever happens through samskar, through ahankar, whatever activity arises, O Ladli Lal, you will have to hold us in those. Otherwise we will be swept away in the flow of Maya. And if you hold us, who can sweep us away? O compassionate one, remove us from the flow of this trigunatmika maya and immerse us in your naam-roop.

Always remain absorbed in prayer. Let no restlessness arise that would prevent us from standing before Priya-Lal, or from standing before Sadgurudev. Keep this caution. The rest of the discussion follows. Shri Radha Vallabh Lal ki jai.

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

Original video: Shri Hit Radha Kripa (YouTube)