Kãriyãni-7 Vairãgya Due to Obsession; Ultimate Liberation 1 On the night of Kãrtik sudi 1, Samvat 1877 [6 November 1820], a row of oil lamps had been arranged around a dais in front of the north-facing rooms of Vastã Khãchar’s darbãr in Kãriyãni. There, Shriji Mahãrãj was sitting on a cot that had been placed on that dais. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. At that time, an assembly of paramhansas as well as devotees from various places had gathered before him. 2 Thereupon Kãshidãs of the village of Bochãsan asked Shriji Mahãrãj a question: “Mahãrãj, renunciants follow the path of nivrutti; thus, they are able to keep their vrutti constantly on God. But householders follow the path of pravrutti; hence, they are plagued with countless worldly problems. What understanding, then, must a householder maintain in order to fix his vrutti constantly on God?” 3 Shriji Mahãrãj replied, “The householder should believe, ‘Just as I had parents, wives and children during my past lives in the cycle of 8.4 million life forms3, I have the same in this life as well. In fact, there must be many mothers, sisters and daughters from many past lives wandering around, and yet, just as I do not have any sense of my-ness for them, similarly, I should not keep any sense of my-ness for the relations of this body either.’ Thinking in this manner, if he diverts his affection from everything else, and maintains firm affection only towards God, and keeps the company of a sadhu, then even a householder’s vrutti can remain constantly fixed on God, just like the vrutti of a renunciant.” 4 Hearing these words of Shriji Mahãrãj, all of the householders present in the assembly folded their hands and asked, “Mahãrãj, what will become of the householder who is unable to behave in that manner?” 5 Shriji Mahãrãj answered, “I spoke in reference to a person who, having eradicated all desires for all objects except God, keeps his vrutti constantly on God. But someone who is not so strong should abide by the codes of dharma of Satsang. He should also rely on the strength of God and the Sant, whose refuge he has taken, by believing, ‘God is the saviour of the sinners and the uplifter of the fallen, and I have attained him in person.’” Hearing such words from Shriji Mahãrãj, the devotees became extremely pleased. 6 Shriji Mahãrãj then asked the sadhus, “What causes vairãgya to arise?” 7 The sadhus replied according to their understanding, but Shriji Mahãrãj’s question could not be answered satisfactorily. So the munis said, “Mahãrãj, you will have to answer that question.” 8 Shriji Mahãrãj explained, “Upon hearing the words of the scriptures and the satpurush, developing an obsession that does not diminish once developed is the only cause for vairãgya; there is no other cause. Whoever is obsessed in such a manner will develop vairãgya, regardless of whether he is tãmasik, rãjasik or sãttvik. On the other hand, if a person does not have such an obsession, he will not develop vairãgya. Also, if someone’s obsession diminishes after a few days, then the vairãgya that develops can cause tremendous harm. How? Well, when he does have the obsession, he renounces and leaves his home. Then, after he accepts the saffron robes, the obsession that he had previously developed subsides; but the house he left behind would be in ruins. Then, like the dog of a washerman who is fed neither at home nor at the river, he falls from both paths. On the other hand, those who have firm vairãgya attain the highest state of enlightenment.” 9 Then Shriji Mahãrãj, in an extremely pleased mood, asked another question to the paramhansas: “What is ultimate liberation? Also, how does one who has attained God-realization and ultimate liberation feel in all of his activities?” 10 The munis answered according to their understanding, but Shriji Mahãrãj’s question was not answered satisfactorily. So, all of the munis folded their hands and said to Shriji Mahãrãj, “Mahãrãj, you will have to answer that question.” 11 Thereupon Shriji Mahãrãj said, “During the dissolution of the brahmãnd, the 24 elements2, which have evolved from Prakruti, are assimilated into Prakruti. Then Prakruti-Purush also disappear in the divine light of Aksharbrahman, after which only the concentrated light characterised by eternal existence, consciousness and bliss remains. The divine form of Purushottam Bhagwãn Vãsudev is constantly present in that divine light. Through that divine form, he himself becomes visible to everyone and manifests on earth in human form for the purpose of granting liberation to the jivas. But the jivas on earth who are ignorant fools claim that God has mãyik gunas within him. In reality, though, he does not have any mãyik gunas within him. He is forever gunãtit and has a divine form. Moreover, it is that very same God, who has a form and is divine, that the Vedanta scriptures propound as being uncuttable, unpierceable, nirgun, and pervading everywhere. It is to dispel the mãyik view from the mind of the jiva that he has been propounded as being nirgun. That God remains as he is during the time of creation, sustenance and dissolution of the cosmos; i.e., he does not undergo any changes like worldly objects do. He always maintains a divine form. Having such a firm conviction of the manifest form of Purushottam is called ultimate liberation. 12 “One who has attained God-realization through such a conviction experiences the following: Wherever he casts his eyes – among all the mobile and immobile forms – he sees the form of God as if it is before his eyes, the same form that constantly remains in Akshardhãm even after the dissolution of the body, the brahmãnd and Prakruti-Purush. Other than that form, he does not perceive even an atom. These are the characteristics of one who has attained God-realization.” H Vachanãmrut Kãriyãni-7 H 103H
Posted on: Wed, 03 Jul 2013 07:57:06 +0000