The Glory of Satsanga

Excerpts from the nectarine precepts that emanated from the pious lips of Pujyashree during 28th and 29th August 2007 at Godhra (Gujarat): What constitutes the greatest of all austerities? Where does one find the happiness of the highest order? What is the source of the most sublime knowledge? What initiates one into the greatest form of yoga? And where does one come by all these things easily and indeed effortlessly?

The greatest of all austerities is satsanga. The biggest treasure of knowledge is available at satsanga. Satsanga open the doors to the most sublime form of happiness and verily, satsanga is the biggest of all achievements.

‘A single ghadi (24 minutes) or even a half, nay be it halved again, spent in the company of a saint, frees us from sins innumerable, says Tulsidas.’

Satsanga eradicates millions of sins and miseries at one go. Even the greatest of yoga, austerities, wealth, fame and happiness simply pale into insignificance when compared to satsanga. There is no austerity greater than satsanga. The heights of knowledge, meditation, merit and beneficence attained in satsanga are simply not available through any other form of austerity, at least I haven’t seen or hard of any, this far in my life. Hiranyakashipu carried out severe austerities for as many as 60 thousand years. He did gain Hiranyapur, but nevertheless ended up without enlightenment and love for God; he rather started tormenting (Prahlada) a devotee of God. Ravana too did come by Lanka made of gold through austerities, but his golden Lanka could not give him what Vibhishana attained from Satsanga.

Satsanga eradicates innumerable sins and hence is superior even to the most severest of austerities. Satsanga is more meritorious than even strict endurance and severe penance. One may obtain all the wealth of the world, but if he does not avail himself of satsanga and the Guru-mantra, he will only become conceited and end up getting mired in the bog of sensual pleasures. Such a one is unfortunate. Wealth, liquor, meat; anxiety and fear will relegate him to baser forms of existence. If one having wealth, does avail himself of satsanga and attains spiritual initiation, he will be ushered into the path of noble deeds and charity, earning him merits and finally leading him to God-realization.