Who Constantly Worship Me……….

Lord Sri Krishna says :

To them who constantly worship Me with love.
I give the Yoga of discrimination by which they come to Me.

‘Constantly’ does not mean that at all times you keep doing japa on your rosary or that you remain seated in the temple. Yes, at the time of doing japa on your rosary, do so. Yet, being a witness to all this and observing the falsity of this world keep plunging into that Source who is the controller of all phenomena. Those who constantly repeat the Name get immersed in and become one with the act of repetition. However, one should not remain confined to the repetition, rather should progress further to understand, love and repose in the Real Self.

Once, Sant Tulsidasji, after performing his daily ablutions, came to a well in a forest. He heard the singing of verse from the well. Goswami Tulsidasji was surprised. He thought-“Who is singing my verses inside this well?” Tulsidasji exclamined – “Whoever is singing these verse inside the well, be you human, yaksha, rakshasa, gandharva, kinnar, visible or invisible, whatever you are, I must definitely get a reply about your identity.

A voice replied- “O great sage, Tulsidasji! We were five friends. We used to chain ‘Rama-Rama’, but were ignorant of the eternal nature of Lord Rama. We also used to sing the verses and couplets composed by you. One day while wandering we arrived in this forest. One of our friends came to this well to fetch water. Being a novice at drawing water from a well, the rope slipped from his hands. Having lost grip of the rope, he lost his balance and fell into his well. In a thoughtless effort to save him, the second friend and then the third also fell into the well. In the rescue effort even the fourth one fell into the well. The last one thought,” How can I show my face to the world?”- and intentionally jumped into the well. We have all regressed and died. Now we are not getting mothers’ wombs to be reborn in. However, due to our having constantly repeated them, which we continue to repeat. Tulsidasji, we did not get to know the foundation on which our continuous chanting of the verses rested. Now, please bless us!”

‘Constantly’ does not mean that we constantly repeat a particular act. If one wears a locket with God’s picture around his neck, even then he cannot be said to be Constantly worshipping God because the body on which the locket is worn itself will not remain forever. The eyes through which he sees the picture are also going to turn into ash. Strive to experience the essence from which your ‘I’ emanates, from which your mind and intellect get life and along with the senses transact in this world. If such thoughts persists in your mind, you can continually experience the essence of your life. ‘Constantly’ means abiding in God without thinking of anything else.

The Need for a Guru

The treasure of Knowledge is hidden in each and every man. That is to say the Being of Guru is present in every man. The Guru is required so as to reveal it. To acquire knowledge of any subject, the Guru (master) of that subject is required. If one wants to become a doctor, a lawyer, a scholar or a thief, one has to go to an expert doctor, lawyer, scholar or thief respectively and seek the knowledge of that particular faculty. How then can one attain the Knowledge of the Supreme Being, the Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute, the treasure trove of real joy, without the help of a Guru?

Why does one need a perfected being in flesh and blood as a Guru for Self-realization? One should first get convinced of the fact that perfected beings-true saints or Satgurus-are manifestations of the Lord Himself. There is no difference between the Lord and a true Satguru. The ego is the only veil separating man form God. True saints destroy this veil and become one with God as a river becomes one with an ocean.

Because of his physical limitations, man is verily incapable of having a vision of the non-physical Being of God. He can approach God only if God assumes a human form and meets him at the physical plane. The merciful Lord does exactly the same for the deliverance of man. He assumes human form and comes to the world. This human form of God has been named the Guru. That is to stay Guru is God in human form. God awakens the Jivas through His human form and through His grace makes them one with His own Self. Diksha is the means of liberation.

We should find a Guru, who is endowed with Knowledge and dispassion. If one is to define Saguna (The Supreme Absolute conceived of as a person endowed with attributes like mercy, omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, etc.) and Nirguna (The impersonal, attributeless Absolute beyond all description or designation) Bhakti, one would say that a Brahmanishtha saint having Knowledge, dispassion, forgiveness, right discipline, thoughtfulness, contentment and like attributes is the Saguna Brahman. Surrending one’s whole being to Satguru with utmost faith is Saguna Bhakti. One’s Real Self, the Pure Consciousness beyond the three qualities of nature-Sattvik, Rajasic and Tamasic- is the Nirguna Brahman. Therefore, withdrawing from the perceptible world and coming back to one’s Real Self, the Pure Consciousness is Nirguna Bhakti. The Guru holds a unique place in Indian cuture philosophy, spiritually, religions- Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism-Guru-Tattva is accorded the supreme place.

Some people say it is wrong to worship a man. But if we don’t worship a human being, whom should we worship? Is it more appropriate to worship stones or a void? If we worship stones, they are idols of men only and the void or impersonal, attribute God is just an abstract idea. It is true that many human beings are virtually animals or demons but there also are among men saints, divine beings and Satguru.

Food and Devotional Practice

Food and devotional practice are both essential for us. Just as we cannot live without food, we are good as dead even without devotional practices. Devotional practice nourishes our subtle body in the same way as food nourishes our physical body. We should understand the necessity of both for the overall development of the body. It is common experience that without food, one cannot carry out devotional practice properly. Similarly, if we all vow not to have food without carrying out devotional practice, we can forget a relationship with God instantly.

Lord Krishna says:
‘Yoga becomes the destroyer of pain for him who is always moderate in eating and recreation (such as walking, etc.), who is moderate in exertion during his actions, who is moderate in sleep and wakefulness.’
(Gita : 6.17)

Diseases afflict the body only due to lack of moderation in eating, which then creates obstacles in devotional practice.

‘Devotion cannot be practiced on an empty stomach, 0 Gopala.
I return your necklace of heads and rosary to Your.’

It is only due to giving importance to food and forgetting devotional practice that today the country is almost famine stricken at various places. The power of devotional practice is great. We should establish a complimentary relationship between food and devotional practice life. Those devotees who gave importance to devotional practice,have never had to face shortage of food.

Swami Ramsukhdas Maharaj has said, “Japa of the divine name and Kirtan changes one’s destiny. One attains what is non-attainable, the impossible becomes possible-this is the experience of saints. If one cries out to and repeats the name of the One who has ordained the fruits of karma, what wonder if his destiny is changed ! if the beggars who do not get food to their fill, start doing japa of the divine name with a sincere heart, there will be no dearth of anything for them. However, japa should not be done for changing destiny or destroying sins. Just as it is not wise to exchange coal for precious stones, so also it is unwise to use the priceless wealth of divine name with a sincere heart, there will be no death of anything for them. However, japa should not be done for changing destiny or destroying sins. Just as it is not wise to exchange coal for precious stones, so also it is unwise to use the priceless wealth of divine name for the fulfillment of petty desires.” Pujya Bapuji too says, “Those who practice Trikal Sandhya, never have to beg for food-this has been declared by the scriptures.”

Non-dual ‘I-ness’

Sanjay was relating the happening on the battle-field to King Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra asked him, “Sanjay! Tell me who is going to win?”

Sanjay parried the questions for some time but finally said :

“Oh King! Wherever there is Krishna, the Lord of Yoga and wherever there is Arjuna, the archer, there is prosperity, happiness, victory and firm policy; such is my conviction.”
(The Gita : 18.78)

Dhritarashtra is stunned, “What are you saying?”

“If it doesn’t come true, then don’t consider me a disciple of Maharshi Veda Vyasji.”

A worthy disciple is proud of having acquired a Self-realized Guru and Satguru too is proud of having acquired worthy disciples. This is pride but this pride is not associated with the Real Self. It is real Self-esteem. What worldly people call self-esteem is in fact the ego based on individually or the subtle body. But the pride between a Satguru and his disciples is the pride based on the Supreme Brahman.

There are three types of ego. “I am the body; the height is this much and weight this much….”- this is bodily ego. “I am a devotee, a sadhu, a Yogi, a sadhaka…..”- this is subtle ego. However, “I am You and You are me, That is me and This is me……” – this is the pride of Oneness, of non duality, of Wisdom. This pride, is one which helps man cross obstacles, which delivers man from the material world. My Satguru, Sri Sri Lilashaji Bhagwan, once having judged the state of my mind, carried out an immensely generous act. Even today it comes to my mind.

It was early morning about 4-5 A.M. A satsang was going on and two-three of us disciples were sitting near Gurudev’s feet. Even after Gurudev had showered His grace, sometimes doubts would still linger in my mind. Showering his compassionate glance, Gurudev presented an incident. He said in the course of the satsang, “Many people, many poor disciple, because of past samskaras, present efforts the grace of God and the Satguru, do experience the Truth but before they get settled in that experience, they slide down from it. They have doubts, ‘Where do I have the power like what my Gurudev, Sai Lilashahji has? Many people have faith in Gurudev. Many come to listen to Him. But nobody pays attention to me ……. “Such doubts like ‘paying or not paying attention,’ ‘having or not having power’ are states of the mind. Even those sadhakas, who attain to the experience on the measuring scale of worldly gains.”

Then my Lord Gurudev looked at me. Lowering my head, I looked at His feet and at His face, overwhelmed with reverence. Gurudev cast another compassionate glance at me. He said, “If you agree to what Lilashah says, well and god, otherwise listen….” And He cast another glance at me.

“Asaram! This is the Gita and this is the Upanishad. I place them on my head and swear by them that what Lilashah is, you Asaram are also That. You are what I am and I am what you are.”

This is the experience of Self-pride. Satguru wants a disciple to reach such a stage in which he can make the sadhaka experience: “I am what you are. You are what Lord Krishna is. You are what Lord Rama is. You are what Lord Shiva is. You are what Ma Amba is. You are the entire universe and the universe is you.” A great soul who is constantly on the lookout for leading a disciple to such an experience of Self-realization- we call such a soul a ‘Satguru’.

The Supreme Means of Liberation

Seeker of the mystery of Supreme Being, Lord Braham engaged Himself in severe penance for one thousand years of gods (gods’ year = 365 human years). Please with Lord Brahma’s intense and severe penance, Lord Vishnu appeared before Him. Lord Brahman said to Lord Vishnu, “Lord! Instruct me in the mystery of the Supreme Being.”

Lord Vishnu was greatly pleased and praising Lord Brahma heartily with ‘Sadho-Sadho’ (well done), said, “There is an Upanishad by the name of ‘Param-Tattva-Rahasya’ in the Devadarshi branch of Atharva Veda. It contains the dialogue between a Guru and a disciple and is well known to all from ancient times. Listening to that dialogue destroys all bondage completely. The Knowledge of this Upanishad unravels all mysteries.

The disciple was calm and composed, in full control of his senses, immensely pure, devoted to the Guru and highly ascetic. He was fortunate to come by a Self-realized Guru. A true and worthy disciple circumambulated the Guru, prostrated before him and joining his hands in all humility said, “My Lord Gurudev! Instruct me in the supreme means of liberation.”

The Guru said, “When the virtuous deeds done in the course of a number of past lives fructify, one comes by the company of saints, which in effect is the essence of Vedas and other scriptures. Satsang tells us about the dos and don’t and one gets engaged in righteous conduct which eventually destroys all sins and one’s heart becomes extremely pure.

“The pure heart then yearns for Guru’s grace. With a minimal of Satguru’s grace all the psychic powers are attained, all bondage is destroyed and all obstacles to beatitude are gone. All virtues automatically come to him. One blind since birth has no idea of any form. Similarly, without Guru’s teaching, one cannot attain Knowledge of Supreme Being even in biliions of ages. And that Knowledge of Supreme Being is attained instantly with the minimal grace of Satguru.

“With Satguru’s grace alone one gets inclined towards and becomes devoted to listening to the narration of the Lord’s glory and practice of meditation. The knots of evil passions get destroyed thereby. With this one gets rid of all one’s desires and the heart becomes pure. In the pure heart, God is revealed. Intense devotion to Lord Vishnu is kindled in the heart and dispassion towards sense-enjoyments grows which in turn leads to Self-knowledge dawning in the intellect. With practice that Knowledge is perfected and stabilized.

With the experiential Knowledge being perfected and stabilized, one becomes liberated while living in the world. All good and evil deeds and desires are destroyed. Then there grows in the heart immensely strong, pure and sattivik desire leading to supreme devotion. By supreme devotion, the all-pervading Lord Narayana appears in all states. The entire universe appears then as a manifestation of Lord Narayana. One conducts oneself in the world imbued with the conviction that there is nothing apart from Lord Narayana.

This state of constant, natural and effortless Samadhi passed on by disciplic succession makes one behold the Lord in all states and beings.”

All That is Your’s should Become Mine

King Brihadash we worshipped his Gurudev with devotional faith. Quite often, he would sit in front of his Guruji. He would look at him with fixed gaze as if looking at God without even blinking his eyes. So the grace of the Supreme Self manifest in the form of his Guru showered on him and his merits went on increasing. In his kingdom, there was much yield of agricultural produce due to proper and timely rain. Nature becomes favorable & bestows its bounty upon a virtuous emperor. Seeing his affluence and prosperity grow manifold, the king thought: ‘I should perform Ashwamedha Yajna. One who completes 100 such yajnas becomes Indras, the king of god’s. So the king started the endeavor. He went on performing the yajnas one after the other.

At that time, Brihadashwa’s Gurudev was in Samadhi in a secluded place. When he came out of his Samadhi, he thought, ‘I wonder what my disciple Brihadashwa, who gazed one-pointed at me with reverence and looked at me with a sense of oneness, is doing?’

The Guru perceived that Brihdashwa was entangled in the vain desire of amassing merits through the performance of one hundred ashvamedha yajnas. ‘Till date, he has already accomplished ninety two yajnas. He will certainly try to reach the sea target of one hundred yajnas. After leaving this mortal sheath, he will attain the coveted seat of Indra and then for thousand or millions of years, he will enjoy heavenly pleasures. While living in my company, he gained merits but his indulgence in the celestial enjoyments will deplete his merits. Thereafter he will become a man once again. O my God! Where is he heading to? From the human birth, he can still descend towards lower births like that of a deer, rabbit or even of an insect.’

The Guru willingly cast off his body and entered another. Such jivanmukta great men never identify themselves with the body. They always revel in the eternal transcendent Being ‘I am Brahman’. To enter a body or to cast off the physical body is nothing but a mere sport for them. King Brihadashwa’s Guru came in the guise of a nine year old celibate boy exactly in the same way as the Lord Vaman had come in the form of a celibate body before his devotee Bali. By this time, Brihadashwa had already completed ninety nine yajnas. The last yajna i.e. the hundredth one was being performed. One cannot escape three things even after death. The first thing is one’s action. Till the karmas are not burnt by the fire of Knowledge imparted by a Self-realized Guru, one cannot escape them. One cannot part with the Supreme Consciousness, God, Who never abandons us. And a true worthy disciple cannot escape the grace of Satguru.

The Guru came to Brihadashwa in the guise of a nine year old dwarf Vamdev. The king stood up to honor him. After worthy adoration of his lotus feet, the king offered him a venerable seat. Brihadashwa said, “My Lord! I seek for your command! Any Brahmin, who happen to reach my doorstep, gets his wishes fulfilled. It is ordained for the person who performs ashavamedha yajna that the begging Brahim should be provided anything he asks for. My Lord! There is nothing in this world which is impossible for me to gift to you. So, I wait for your orders. I’ll certainly give it to you.”

The Brahmin young boy said, “What if you so back on your word?”

“Maharaj! I’ll never do that.

“Then make a donation pledge.”

Lord Satguru asked the king to swear exactly the same way as Lord Vaman had put Bali under an oath by giving water in his palm.

The Brahmin: ‘Make a pledge that you will provide me whatever I ask for.”

Brihadashwa: “Majaraj! I promise to give you everything you ask for. You may demand one thousand gold coins, or may be ten thousand gold coins. Even if you ask for my entire kingdom, I’ll have to give, for the performer of Ashvamedha yajna is ordained to keep his promise.”

The Brahmin said “I do not ask for any thing else except that ‘all that is yours’ should become mine.”

The compassionate Satguru asked for that which would make Brihadashwa a liberated man. Such a liberated sould would never become destitute, never would he have to bear the afflictions in mother’s womb, never is he subjected to attacks of passion and never does he suffer the consequences of virtuous and sinful actions.

“Neither it is desirable to indulge in enjoyments, nor to bear sufferings;
If one is intelligent, it is desirable to attain the Supreme.”

The disciple was performing yajnas for sense enjoyments. The Guru said, “All that is your’s should become mine.”

The king was oblivious of the fact that the Brahmin was his Guru. Thinking him to be a brilliant Brahmin, the king gave him all that he possessed. Thereafter Vamdev said, “You’ve given me the dana. Now give me the dakshina.

At this the king started looking towards his son but Vamdev said, “Brihadashwa! All your possessions are already given to me.”


Wherever his mind went, the Guru reminded him of the fact that now he owned everything the king became discomposed. His mind was agitated and he dozed off for a moment. Maybe it was his own reverie, the sacred resolve of his Guru or the effect of divine Maya. The king saw his own death and was taken to the infernal world where his account of karmas was being checked.

The messengers of the god of death told him, “You’ve not accomplished the targeted one hundred yajnas. The court reached ninety only. So you are not eligible for the coveted celestial seat of India. Yes, you can be considered for the post of’ ‘Upendrea. (Indra’s younger brother)’ With the sense of doership you have performed virtuous acions, you will experience happiness as the consequences of your virtuous deeds. But the effect of aberrations and miscalculations also falls into your account. For the performance of so many yajnas, you exploited your subjects by levying numerous taxes upon them. In the process of offering libations to the fire god, many insects were consigned to fire……..All this will result into nothing else but misery which you are bound to suffer. So, whether you want to enjoy the pleasures of Upendra or bear the wages of your sins, the choice is purely yours.”

Brihadashwa said, “It is better to suffer the miseries first and then enjoy the pleasure.”

The next moment he was thrown into a desert. He was scorched by the hot sand. The scorching effect of hot sand is much painful than the direct blaze of the sun. The king swooned due to unbearable pain. Upon coming to senses, he reflected, “Why did the messengers of the death god shove me off to this place? I offered everything that belonged to me to the Brahmin boy. When everything was given to the Brahmin including merits and sins of my actions, then why do I experience the fruit of sins?’

Brihadashwa said, “O king of death! What an injustice in your realm! I had given all that I possessed, then why was I thrown to bear this intense desert?”

Saying this he saw Vamdevji smiling at him. With the will of Vamdevji, Brihadashwa could perceive his Gurudeva’s form in him.

Brihadashwa said astonishingly, “Guruji, Your Majesty! I committed a mistake.”

Vamdevji said, “My son! Undoubtedly you made a pledge by saying ‘whatever is mine, is given to thee’ but even then a strong desire of enjoying the fruit of virtuous deeds persisted, in your mind. Consequently you were flung into a desert. Now renounce this desire also. Along with the desire to attain the throne of Indra, you will have to bear the miseries of desert life also. Not only this, time and again, you will have to bear the woes in mother’s womb as well. So you should not pine for the seat of Indra or any other god. Neither should you desire to become any demi god or a celestial musician. You must be resolute to your pledge that ‘Whatever is mine is given to thee.’ Thereafter neither the merits nor the sins will belong to you. Simultaneously the sense of jivahood, (being an individual soul) will also vanish. Thereafter you will become one with me.”

Thus the Guru saved Brihadashwa from the temptation of Indra’s throne and diverted his disciple’s mind from the troubles associated with satisfaction of desires. Instead he instructed him on renunciation of desires. After listening to the valuable precepts of his Satguru, the devoted disciple attained ‘That which is described in the Gita as ‘……..to which having gone they return not; that is my supreme abode.’ He attained Self-knowledge; having attained which there is no return ever to the mundane world. If you want to attain that Supreme State, then contract the anus (mulbandha) and touch the tongue to the palate. Contemplate ‘SO’ as you inhale and ‘HUM’ when you exhale. So ham (THAT I AM ……. Sarvoham (All that exists is Me)…. Akashsvarupoham ( I am all pervading as the sky)….. Chidakashoham.Attain to the resolveless state throughs this highly superior and subtle sadhana and establish yourself in the state of Brahmic Bliss.

Do not Doubt the Efficacy of Japa

The practice of Japa generates a divine aura, divine bliss and sattivic vibes in the environment which eradicate the thought-pollution prevalent in the atmosphere today. Japa of the divine name creates a divine armour which protects the japaka from negative elements and helps the person progress on the path of spiritual and material development.

Once you get a mantra from the Guru, half of your sadhana is completed by the power of diksha and if you do not repeat your past sins and bad habits, you are absolved of those sins and you become free from vices. As your japa increases, your sins will be gradually eradicated. However, more anushthanas are required in the case of a great sin. There was a great scholar named Vidyaranya Swami in the order of Lord Adi Shankaracharya. He was initiated with the Guru mantra and was told to perform an anushthana by his Guru.

The Ishtamantra is perfected by doing 1, 11, 110 number of japas if it is monosyllabilic mantra. In case of mantras which have more than one syllable in them, the japa should be performed for as many times as the number of syllables in the mantra multiplied by 1, 11, 110. By performing an anushthana, one gets protection from negativity and the inauspicious, and the presiding deity of the mantra is revealted, Vidyaranya Swami performed many anushthanas but saw that his presiding deity, divine Mother Bhagwati, had not yet revealed herself. No miracle of any sort had happened. “All this humbug. I should not have got entangled in this”, he thought, and collected some wood at the solitary place where he had built a hutment for himself. He lit a fire and offered all the religious books, articles of worship, rosary, gomukh etc. to the fire-god.

As everything was being engulfed by the fire, a divine lady with a magnetic aura around her manifested herself and said to Vidyaranya Swami, “What are you doing?”

He replied: “Mother! All this japa is nothing but humbug. I have performed several anushthanas and found that mantra japa is useless. Now I will spread the information among people that they should not waste their time by becoming religious. Let them earn, eat, enjoy and make merry. I will spread atheism. There is no God All this talk about mantras is useless.”

The goddess said, “Well! You may do whatever you like but at least turn around and look.”

Vidyaranya Swami saw that just like the fire which was burning before him, there was a conflagration behind him and huge boulders of the size of mountains were falling from above into it and were being blasted to pieces. One after another, several such boulders were being destroyed in the fire with a deadly sound. Dumbfounded, he thought, “What is this that I am seeing? The lady who spoke to me must be aware of the mystery behind this.” He turned around but the lady had disappeared! Where did she go? He wandered in the woods calling out to the goddess, “O Mother! O goddess!! O Mother of the world!!! Be gracious. You revealed yourself and have now disappeared. I don’t know who you really are. Please guide me.”

A heavenly voice was heard, “You have abandoned dharma, japa and the refuge of the Guru’s command. You are now an orphan. Go and wander according to the whims of your mind. There are many such orphans who wander, and after death they flow into the drain when they don’t get a mother’s womb to be reborn in. You too may go and do as you please. Will the sun become extinct by your saying that it does not exist? Will God perish by your propagating atheism?”

“Mother! I saw huge boulders being destroyed in the fire. What does that mean?”

The goddess replied, “The great sins of your past lives have been destroyed one by one by anushthanas.”

“Mother! Kindly guide me.”

The goddess said, “You have shown disregard to the mantra given by the Guru. Worship and pray to the Guru to forgive you. If you once again perform an anushthana, considering your Guru’s touch, the mantra and the rosary given by Him as the supreme means for your good, you will experience the efficacy of the japa and gain supernatural powers.”

Vidyaranya Swami fell at the Guru’s feet, cried and narrated the whole incident to Him. The compassionate Guru again gave him a rosary and the required scriptures, etc. and said, “You will now become successful by performing a single anushthana.”

He did as he was told and became such a great siddha (enlightened master) that he composed a scripture, which helped me (Pujya Bapuji) attain Self-realization.

Lord Krishna’s Gita blessed Arjuna with a divine intellect capable of comprehending the Real Essence (Tattva). Similarly, the Guru’s mantra destroyed the dangerous darkness caused by his mahapatakas committed by Vidyaranya Swami in his past lives to bless him with a divine intellect capable of realizing the Ultimate Truth. He composed the famous scripture ‘Panchdashi.’ The sadhaks of Vedanta and all the saints and devotees who follow the path of Wisdom are acquainted with this scripture.

So. It is not that if you do japa, you will get the result instantly. Japa first purifies the body, the mind and our past karma. Only after that past debt is cleared, will something be deposited in your account. When does one accumulate a bank balance? One may say, I have been depositing 200-500-1000 rupees with the bank everyday, but the balance in my account has not yet touched one lakh rupees!” Foolish person! You already owe three and a half lakh rupees to the bank and you still have to deposit 25 thousand rupees to clear that loan. How can you have a bank balance? Only after the debt is cleared will something be deposited in your account. On the same lines, japa creates an energy which destroys sins. The accumulated sins of the past are destroyed and one’s merite increase. Therefore one should do japa continuously.

One does attain supernatural powers if one does japa while steering clear of base acts. Do not doubt the efficacy of japa.

Diksha Elevates life

The life of a person who is not initiated by a Brahmanisha Satguru is worthless. It is like the make up and dressing of widow. You may attain secular education but it is necessary to bridle it with the rein of Vedic diksha. Not only is the life of an uninitiated person if ruined, but those who come into contact with such a person are also ruined. To eat, drink, suffer pains and enjoy pleasures, and die without having Knowledge of immortal Self is the life of such people.

Without diksha one cannot attain freedom from the cycle of birth and death. A blind man can run without an assistant no doubt, but is sure to meet with an accident. Without a Guru one cannot realize the hollowness of this material world, and without Knowledge the jiva cannot attain freedom just like a boat in deep sea can never reach the shore without a navigator. One cannot attain diksha from the Guru by dint of wealth, honor and status. Only the calm, humble and modest disciples endowed with faith can attain diksha. The vanity of wealth and power and vices like lust, anger, avarice, delusion, etc, get dissolved in the elixir of faith. The elixir of faith removes worry, fear and makes one intoxicated with divine love. One forgets his inferiority related to the transient body and even his egotism. After attaining diksha, the devotee endowed with faith, progresses towards his eternal nature. Hence diksha, faith and satsang are essential in life. There are three types of Gurus who give mantra diksha. One is the commercial guru, who gives diksha for a business.

‘You are my disciple, I am your Guru, give me dakshina Whether you become free or die, I am least concerned…’

Such people are wayward. They are themselves addicted to tobacco and indulge in all kinds of evil acts and give mantra-diksha to others at the same time! To give mantra-diksha is not a joke. It involves a great deal of responsibility and the Guru has to transfer his spiritual power to the disciple. Commercial Gurus are ignorant about this. Swami Vivekananda criticized such people severely.

The second type o guru is the sectarian guru is the sectarian guru who gives mantra of his sect. If someone belongs to Ramananda’s sect he will give the mantra ‘Sitaram Sitaram’. If he belongs to Vaishnav sect, the mantra will be one of the names of Lord Vishnu and if he belongs to the Shaiva sect it will be ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. A mullah or malvi will teach one to say, ‘Allah-o-Akbar’ according to his sect and religion. It is some rare ones, the saints of the people (lokasant), who give mantras according to the Vedic traditions. They have no sect of their own. They give mantras keeping in mind the good of the recipients.

The followers of Lord Ganapati’s sect will give the Gayatri mantra to all, it is fine. This too is the Vedic tradition, I am not against it. It is okay. They are far better than those commercial gurus but greater than them are those extraordinary Gurus like Narada, Kabir, Nanak, Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya, Bhagavatpad Lilashahji Bapu etc. who give a mantra and teach the method of japa by which the recipients would be benefited in the shortest time. I too tell about the different benefits of doing japa in different ways while giving diksha. Once the initiated sadhakas attend a Dhyana Yoga Shibir, they get the experiential knowledge about everything. They then feel, ‘We have been toiling in vain for all these years!’ After initiation, their hidden treasure are unlocked one by one and all the secrets of life are gradually revealed.

So you can start your journey from where you are. For example, if you are in Delhi, you cannot start your journey from Mumbai. You will have to start it from Delhi itself. Similarly, if you choose a mantra that affects the charka where you mind and prana are predominantly centered at, your life will be evolved quickly. That is why the saints of the people (lokasant), the Satguru never give the same mantra to students, mantra for health to those who want good health and a mantra preceded or followed by the pranava or just to the seekers of liberation. In this way, they give different mantras to different persons to bring about quick development in their lives.

While giving mantra-diksha, I teach such techniques and pranayamas, which purify the nadis of the brain and bring about a miraculous transformation of intellect. Then people say, ‘Bapuji has performed a miracle’. Infact, the treasure of miraculous powers was already there. I just showed the key to unlock it and you started experiencing the benefits. I also show some other methods of mantra-japa which regulate the respiratory system, avoid untimely death and increase longevity. It helps in the concentration of mind. As the prana permeates the whole body, it gives divine joy, creates divine energy and a divine aura around us. Just as when you slander some one or listen to it, a kind of harmful hormone is secreted by your glands, so also when you repeat God’s name while loving Him, the endorphins are secreted by your glands which give joy, peace and divine transformation in your life. ‘I took diksha and experienced this change in life, I experienced that……..’ The secret of these miracles is that I know the key to your treasure and I know the lock as well. I give the key along with mantra-diksha and you experience a miracle.

So, those who practice devotion after having Vedic initiation, their devotion become a destroyer of suffering. They do not follow the dictates of their minds but follow the commands of Guru. Half of their sadhana is completed just by getting Vedic initiation. And by practicing sadhana according to the prescribed rules for even a few days, their life is imbued with the Knowledge, meditation and Love of the Life-giver. They become qualified aspirants after liberation even while living and attain it.

An Eathly God and a Heavenly God

There are two types of Godly beins. One lives on earth and the other in heaven. By performing penances and meritorious deeds, a human being becomes a heavenly god. There he indulges in pleasures associated with wealth, happiness, and the music and dance of celestial nymphs. Thus his balance of merit dwindle. On the other hand, the god of earth endures difficulties, practices austerities, does japa, follows a daily discipline of sadhana please his Satguru and endeavours to attain Self-realization as exemplified by his Satguru. In addition, he performs karma for the sake of it and not for sake of enjoyment or for reaching heaven. He offers the fruites of his karma to God and to his Satguru. A heavenly god destroys his merites by enjoying the company of celestial nymphs (apsaras) whereas an earthly god performs penances, destroys his sins and awakent into his Blissful Self.

Truth is not attained by using Logic

Truth is attained through constant search (Self-enquiry). O mind! Knowledge dawn gradually. One attains wisdom about the Self but this is possible only by acquiring a Sri Satguru, the God endowed with body and attributes, by living in his company and by receiving His compassion and love. Hence, derive benefit from Satguru’s satsang and attain a firm stance in Brahman.

One cannot attain fulfillment through the knowledge of the body and the cosmos. The essence of Truth cannot be realized through intellectual reasoning, inference and intellectual knowledge. Neither is it known by being engaged in action, performing yajnas or renouncing sense enjoyments on the physical plane. Spiritual fulfillment, removal of doubts and peace can be attained only through the gracious glance of Sri Satguru and His love. ‘Tat-tvam-asi’ (You are That mahavakya (great sayings) of the Upanishads, the essence of Vedanta, the principles of Panchikarana described in the Vedanta- all these are hints given by Sri Satguru to indicate the Supreme Brahman who defies description. The true disciple has to experience the revelation of Brahman in his heart with the help of the hints heart with the help of the hints given by his Guru. To illustrate this point, consider this example. A man who has seen the moon points to the crescent moon of the second day of the fortnight in relation to a branch of the tree and look at the moon himself. And so long as he does not see the moon, he keeps asking again and again the person who has seen it and eventually succeeds in seeing it himself.

The Nector of Love the Gurudev Makes All Poisons Ineffective!

Vasishthji says in the ‘Sri Yogavasishtha Maharamayana, “O Ramji! Who in the three worlds can remain happy by disobeying the saint?”

Saints are supremely benevolent. We should be determined to do what they say. In this lies our supreme good. We should not fail t act on their orders.

Lord Shankara says :

One should never ignore the orders of the Guru, be it just or unjust. Carrying out His behests, one should live, day and night like a servant with the Guru.’

The disciple should not doubt the Guru’s words even if they appear false to him. He should carry out His orders in right earnest.

The story dates back to the time when Delhi was ruled by Akbar. Akbar had made his son Jehangir the ruler of Lahore. Jehangir was very fond of hunting and also of the flesh of wild ducks. Once he planned a hunting expedition for seven days along with his bodyguards, soldiers and hunters in the dense forest of Gurudaspur near Lahore. He had also taken his cooks along with him. Everyday they would kill and eat the flesh of wild ducks.

Once in the course of their expeditions, they lost their way in the jungle. Some of them went towards the north while the others proceeded towards the southern direction. The battalion which had took off towards the north reached the ashram of a saint named Bhagawandas. The saint, along with his disciples lived in the natural, pure environment of that place called Pindori. Taking recourse to spiritual discussions and silence, they would remain reposed in the Brahman.

Bhagawandasji Maharaj had a disciple name Narayandas. One day the Guru said to him, “Son! Strength is depleted through speech. Be silent and do japa of ‘Om’ or ‘SOHAM’ with the incoming and outgoing breaths. You will experience natural joy by this. Stay here till I come.”

‘Only the saint knows what obedience and service to the Guru is.
The ignorant knows not what it is.’

Having listened to the Guru’s command, Narayandas bowed in reverence and became silent. Now Jehangir’s soldiers came to Narayandas and asked him, “We have lost our way. Where does this road lead to?” Narayandas was silent, he didn’t say anything. The soldiers shook him telling him to speak. They also threatened him but when they saw it having no effect upon him, they thought, ‘Let us take him to Jehangir’s camp. He will speak when he is punished and beaten.’ They took Narayandas, the true and worthy disciple, along with them and hurled all kinds of abuses on him, scolded and threatened him but Narayandas had made a firm resolve, ‘The Guru has ordered me to remain silent till he comes. I will carry out his orders even at the cost of my life.’ He bore the beatings and abuse but did not say anything.

Be it the material world or the spiritual world, without faithful adherence to a particular rule, without self-effort or without going through tests and trials, one is not blessed with any great endowment and even if he is, it does not last. I too had to face many trials and difficulties at the Guru’s place. Hurdles, obstacles and difficulties make us capable of receiving divine endowments. Therefore, we should not fear or lose heart.

The soldiers presented Narayandas before Jehangir, who as he was tired, said, “We will see him tomorrow.” The soldiers were Muslims and Narayandas was the disciple of a Hindu Sadhu. They had lost their way and he was silent. Angered at this, they said, “He is a hyprocrite and causing trouble to us. He is our enemy and an infidel!”

Now the soldiers were many and Narayandas was alone. Yet he bore their beatings and abuses. How great was his determination! In the morning, the offender was presented before Jehangir. He had not committed any offence, he was just obeying his Guru’s order to remain silent. Jehangir scolded and threatened him. Carrying out his orders, the soldiers beat him up but he didn’t speak a word. Jehangir was more furious, “We are inquiring him and he doesn’t speak! What does he think he is! Take him to Lahore. There he will be made to speak through severe punishment.”

When Narayandas refused to speak even after being severely tortured in Lahore, Jehangir was mad with anger. He ordered, “Make him drink poison.” The poison was prepared and brought in a bowl. Narayandas looked one-pointedly at the bowl, remembered his Guru and contemplated,’ Aum Aum…..this poison can do no harm to me. I will not be affected by the poison.’

He gulped down the poison while mentally repeating ‘Aum’. When he has obeyed the Guru, how can the poison disobey him? Jehangir stood shocked with his eyes wide open. He waited for Narayandas to stagger and collapse but there was the same peace and fearlessness on his face. Fuming with anger, Jehangir said, “There is no effect on you yet! Give him a second bowl.”

Narayandas drunk the second as well. When the third was given and there was again no effect on him, Jehangir thought that the poison must be artificial. It was given to a cat which died immediately. Jehangir stood dumbfound. He exclaimed, “The poison is strong. How come he is not affected then? Give him a fourth bowl.” He drank the fourth as well. Then the fifth and the sixth. Jehangir in his anger continued with his atrocity just like a defeated gambler who bets double the amount he had staked in the previous game.

Narayandas had such firm faith in his Guru that through the power of remembering his Guru and thoughts his firm resolve, he rendered the poison ineffective till he was given six bowls to drink. However, Jehangir didn’t want to stop. He said, “You don’t speak yet, nor do your die! Give him the seventh bowl.” When the seventh bowl was given, Narayandas prayed to God, “May Your Will be carried out.”
Amazing is the sport of the Supreme Lord, the Lord of the universe, Who dwells in all hearts! While it was Narayandas, the obedient, true and worthy disciple of Bhagawandas, who had drunk the seventh bowl.” When the seventh bowl was given, Narayandas prayed to God, “May Your Will be carried out.”

Amazing is the sport of the Supreme Lord, the Lord of the universe, Who dwells in all hearts! While it was Narayandas, the obedient, true and worthy disciple of Bhagawandas, who had drunk the seventh bowl of poison, it was Jehangir who was affected by it!

Touba, Touba……! Allah………!! I am dying……..” saying so, he staggered and collapsed to the ground. “Your Highness! Your Highness!! Saying so, his men wrung their hands in despair as they tried to revive him. His Highness was no more. All shivered in fear. When the beloved saint and devotees of God bear injustice and atrocities, God cannot tolerate it. When somebody perpetrated injustice against me, I didn’t retaliate but is so happened that he died due to brain hemorrhage while flying by a helicopter. Another one who crossed the limit trying to do harm to me, fell into a wretched condition. One went to jail, somebody had to face some misfortune while another had to face some other trouble. So, when you bear injustice and remains steadfast in God, the perpetrators of injustice are sure to be punished by God.

On his return, Bhagawandas Maharaj saw that Narayandas was not in his place. He thought, ‘My disciple Narayandas is not one who will leave the ashram against my order.’ The Guru became silent and sat in meditation. The whole incident was revealed to him. He saw how his worthy disciple was dragged and beaten by Jehangir’s soldiers and how he was made to drink poison and was now held in captivity.

Maharaj could not stand it any longer. He reached there in moment through his astral body and said, “He is my disciple and is observing a vow of silence. I had ordered him not to break his silence till I came. You people have administered poison to him for no reason at all. The six bowls of poison were rendered ineffective by Nature, by the grace of God, but the effect of the seventh bowl was sent towards you. Your emperor has died because of that.”

The commander and soldiers started entreating the saint, “Maharaj! Have mercy on us……pardon our emperor Jehangir.”

The saint said, “First release my disciple.”

They immediately freed Narayandas and begged him forgiveness.

Bhagawandasji said, “Okay, I am going. Rajvaidya (the court physician)! Treat him for the deadly poison. Everything will be alright by the grace of God.”

“Your Holiness! Have mercy, have mercy upon us.”

“Okay, you treat him while I am here.”
After some treatment, the saint cast a Jehangir’s astral body, which was wandering, returned back to his physical body. As his body stirred, there was joy all around. Maharaj was thanked. Bhagawandas set out towards the forest accompanied by his disciple Narayandas. Jehangir recovered completely within a week but he was so frightened after this incident that he went to Pindori to beg forgiveness from Bhagawandas. He prayed before him and asked him how he could atone his sins. Bhagawandas said, “Son! Go hence forth never trouble a saint. This itself is the real atonement.” The cruelty of Jehangir and his soldiers, Narayandas’ vow of silence and his steadfast devotion to the Guru, those circumstances and Naryandas’ ability to overcome them have all been carried away in the stream of time. The cruelty of the cruel has forced them into miserable life-forms, the sadhana and resoluteness of the devotees of Guru will help them rise to a higher plane of existence but the supreme truth is that nobility, cruelty and their fruits come and go by the power of the Truth-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute, the Immutable Atman. Blessed is the Self-realized saint who is established in that Atman! Blessed are those who have their darshanm, and blessed are those who listen to and understand their ideas!

Awaken the Memory of Guru Tattva

Guru-Purnima is the pious festival that reminds you of your innate all-pervasiveness howsoever small you may be in physical and material status. If a wave believes itself to be an individual entity separate from the sea, it proceeds towards death. However, if it considers itself to be the ocean, it comes to know of its vastness. Similarly, if the Jiva, sees himself as Supreme Brahman, as Pure Consciousness, he will experience his all pervasiveness.

Even though you have a small body, are occupied in a small vocation and are engaged in small endeavours, you are an eternal part of the all pervading Brahman. The Purnima that reminds you of this fact; develops in you virtues of shama (the attainment of calmness), dama (self control) titiksha: (forbearance; to tolerance; the ability to withstand opposites like pleasure and pain, heat and cold, etc., with equal fortitude) samadhan (removal of doubts) and Ishwarapranidhana (offering of one’s life to God) and intiates you into a healthy, happy and honourable life is known as Guru-Purnima. It is called Jnana-Purnima as well. It falls in the month of Ashadha. Therefore, it is called Ashadhi Purnima as well. In honour of Maharshi Veda Vyasji, who compiled and edited the Knowledge of Vedas systematically in four volumes and wrote the first philosophical treatise of the world, this Purnima is called Vyas Purnima also. On this pious day, the Jiva worships his Brahmanishtha Satguru the living embodiment of Maharshi Veda Vyasji and by merging his little self into the all pervanding Supreme Self, experience all-pervasiveness.

One who worships his Gurudev on this pious day, in effect worships all that is to be worshipped. No deity remains to be worshipped after that. Even if you worship all the deities known to you, some deity or other entity worthy of worship may remain yet to be worshipped but if one has assimilated the Knowledge of Brahman in his life by the grace of a Brahmajnani Satguru, no entity remains to be worshipped by him. One, who worships the Satguru, who imbibes the knowledge imparted by Satguru, need not worship any other entity.

Vyas-Purnima teaches us that one who venerates the Satguru becomes venerable. I venerated my Satguru; I cannot count the number of people who venerate me. Had I been devoted to wealth or luxuries, my life would have fallen into the pit of absurdity but and I devoted my life to the Guru and it was imbued with divinity. Crores of men are making themselves holy by partaking of that Prasad of divinity. You see this with your own eyes.

When you worship Shaligram, you are not worshipping a piece of stone, you are worshipping a piece of stone, you are worshipping Lord Vishnu; when you are worshipping the Shiva-Lingam, you are worshipping Lord Shiva. In the same way, venerating the Guru is venerating Knowledge; it is revering the Consciousness, Supreme Self for revealing That in one’s heart. So long as man thirsts for knowledge, for real life, the pious festival of Guru-Purnima will continue to be celebrated.

The message that Guru-Purnima gives is that you should cut off the intricate knots of individuality and awaken the memory of the Guru Tattva, the all pervading Consciousness hidden in you. Lord Krishna’s message is memory of the True Self and self control. Maharshi Veda Vyasji’s message is memory of the True Self, self-control and realization of one’s all-pervading Being.

The Lord is in you; the Lord is in me;
The Lord is in all the beings.
Love one and all; nobody is an outside to you.’

Guru Bhakti Yoga

As every event, in order to take place, requires an external agency, the aspirant is in need of a Guru to enable the manifestation of the knowledge within him. The disciple and the Guru are two complementary entities or bits of universal process acting on each other in a reciprocal manner. The factors that bring about the rise of knowledge in the disciple are the receptive capacity of the disciple and consciousness-force of the Guru. There cannot to be such a knowledge interaction if the psychic condition of the disciple is not well-prepared and made ready to fit in with the nature of the entry of the consciousness of the Guru into it. This condition has to be fulfilled when any event in this universe takes place. No interaction of any kind can take place anywhere unless two complementary phases of universal process came together.

That knowledge can rise of its own accord from within by self analysis and that an external Guru is necessary at all is not a universally acceptable tenet. History has shown that the educational process is in great need of the intense activity of teachers in any branch of learning. If knowledge can naturally rise in everyone without any aid whatsoever there would be no need for schools, colleges and universities in the world. Even those who try to propound this misleading theory of the self-competency of the individual who can act independent of teachers are persons who have been trained by teachers. Yes; the effort on the part of the disciple or student is not, in any way, a small factor in the revelation of knowledge; it is as important as the need for instruction by a teacher. In this universe the subject and the object stand on the same level of reality, which fact is proved by the possibility of a mutual interaction of the two. There is no reaction between forces of different planes of consciousness, though in the case of the action of the Guru it is possible that he may focus his higher consciousness through the medium of a lesser plan in which the disciple is placed, in order to bring about the required transformation in the mind of the latter. This process of the action of the Guru’s consciousness is called Shakti-Sanchara or the descent of movement of the power of the Guru in the disciple. There are cases where Guru have even done Sadhana for the evolution of the disciple by bringing about the purification of the mind of the disciple through direct intervention of a higher consciousness.

There are people who carp and say: “We can find out good and evil, right and wrong, truth and falsehood, by consulting our conscience. There is no need for an external Guru.” It should be remembered that the conscience will not help a person in attaining to correct understanding unless he has reached the height of purity and desirelessness. The impure conscience cannot give right suggestion. The animal conscience cannot direct a person to spiritual knowledge. One’s reason and intellectual convictions are tremendously influenced by one’s subconscious and unconscious mind. The intellect, in most cases, act as a mere tool in the hands of buried instincts and desires. The conscience of the individual speaks in accordance with his tendencies, proclivities, inclinations, education, habits, passions and the society in which he is placed. The conscience of a savage speaks a language entirely different from that of a civilized European. The Conscience of an African Negro speaks in a manner quite different from the one in which the conscience of an ethically developed Yogi of India does. There are ten different conscience in ten different persons brought up in ten different conditions. Virochana thought for himself, took guidance from his conscience, enquired for himself and came to the conclusion the body is the ultimate self.

Bhai Manjh’ Steadfast Devotion to the Guru

One who remain engaged in the Guru’s service unruffled by the obstacles, hurdles and enticements in life, becomes a deserving disciple of the Guru. One who has assimilates the knowledge of the absolute Truth as well. He alone leads a blessed life, who remains steadfast in his devotion to the Guru even in the face of various adverse circumstances. A landlord called Majh came to Guru Arjan Dev and said, “Please make me your disciple.”

“Who do you follow at present?”asked Guru Arjan.

Sakhi Sarwar. We also have a temple in its name at home.”

“Go, pay obeisance to it for the last time and come back after razing the temple to the ground.”

“Yes Sir, as you command.”

Breaking the temple was not so easy but the landlord had faith in the Guru and didn’t care for anything so long as he was carrying out the Guru’s orders. So he destroyed the temple. The people ostracized him for desecrating the temple and criticized him severely. The landlord went to the feet of Guru Arjan Dev. Seeing a deserving disciple in the landlord, Arjan Dev bestowed initiation on him and taught him the method of sadhana.

Now the landlord would remain engaged in meditation and in doing japa of the Guru-mantra without wasting his time in rites and rituals. His whole life style was changed. He would give less time to farming. He was put to one test after another. Soon his horse died, then some of his bullocks, next thieves came and took some of his possessions. He now started facing more opposition from the people and all of his creditors demanded immediate repayment. The landlord mortgaged his land, cleared all his debt and himself started working on a farm. At the time the level of interest was such that it was almost interest was such that it was almost impossible for anyone who mortgaged his land to rise again. Once a landlord, Manjh was now working as a labourer himself, but his love for the Guru’s feet never decreased. After some time Manjh had to move to another village along with his wife and children. He began to make his livelihood by cutting and selling grass, Arjan Dev inquired about him and found out that he was living as an outcast, the whole society had ostracized him, but his faith was intact Arjan Dev was pleased to know this. Ostracized by the society, Manjh had won a place for himself in the Guru’s heart.

After some time the Guru again inquired about him and found out that he was leading a hand-to-mouth life. Guru Arjan sent one of his disciple to deliver a letter to Manjh.

“Be sure to demand twenty rupees as an offering before you give him the letter,” the Guru told the disciple.

Why would the Guru need money? However, He tries the disciple to test his faith and enhance his ability. And it is true that gold has to pass the test of fire several times to become pure. Manjh asked twenty rupees from his wife for the Guru’s letter. Twenty rupees in those days would be equal to around five to seven thousand rupees today. The wife replied, “Lord! I have two wedding bangles and other ornaments. Sell these and sent the money to Gurudev.”

The bangles were sold and rupees twenty sent to the Guru. Gurudev saw that his faith was still intact! After some time the Guru sent Manjh a second letter, for which he was to make an offering of twenty-five rupees.

From where was he to bring the money? There was not a single pie at home. He remembered that the headman of the village had once asked if his son could marry Bhai Manjh’s daughter. The caste system was prevalent in those days and the headman belonged to a lower caste. Manjh proposed to the headman, ‘I will marry my daughter to your son but I want only twenty-five rupees as marriage settlement nothing else.”

Manjh did not mind marrying his daughter to a boy of a lower caste, sending his daughter into a family of people with mean mentality.

Great is his faith in the Guru! The Guru saw that his faith had not wavered yet. He sent a message, “Come here a look after the ashram’s kitchen. Work in the kitchen and serve food to the people.”

Manjh carried out the Guru’s command implicitly and started working in the kitchen.

“Manjh looks after the kitchen but where does he take his food?” Guru asked one of his disciples after a few days.

He gets his food from the free community kitchen after serving food to every body,” the disciple said.

“Bhai Manjh is not doing real service,” said the Guru, “He is taking a wage in the form of food. This is not selfless service.”

Manjh took the Guru’s gesture as a command. From the next day on Manjh served in the kitchen during the day and went to the forest to cut wood. He then sold the wood in the bazaar and used the proceeds to buy food for his family. This went on for a few days. One evening, Manjh went to the forest to cut wood, which was needed for the Guru’s kitchen. A great storm blew up after he had finished cutting the wood. He tried to seek refuge under a tree with his bundle of wood on his head but the wind was so fierce that it blew him into a well.

Suddenly Guru Arjan Dev called some of his disciple and set out towards the forest with a long rope and a wooden board. The disciples were surprised. “Manjh is at the bottom of this well,” said the Guru when they reached the well.”Shout down to him and tell him that we will lower a board tied to a rope. Tell him to cling to the board and we will pull him out.”
He then spoke something into a person’s ears and told him to say that to Manjh. The person told Manjh, “Brother, see the wretched condition you are in. Why do you follow such a cruel Guru? Why don’t you abandon and forget him?”

Manjh shouted from within, “How dare you say that my Guru is cruel? I have only compassion for him in my heart. Never again speak such shameful words.”

The Guru himself had sent that person to break Manjh’s faith, but bravo Manjh! Manjh said, “I would rather die of hunger inside the well than listen to slander against the Guru. I will die as the Guru’s beloved and not as being one of the slanderers and those who are without a Guru. It is better to die as the Guru’s beloved than live immortally being one among the slanderers and those who have no Guru.”

Bhai Manjh first placed the dry wood he was carrying on his head on the wooden board. “Take this wood first,” he said, “ Because it is for the Guru’s kitchen. If it gets wet it would not burn.”

The wood was drawn up, and then Manjh himself was pulled out of the well. As he came out he saw his Guru. He prostrated at His feet. Lifting him up and patting him on the back. Guru Arjan Dev said, “I am proud of you! You have faced all the tests with unwavering faith, courage and devotion and have come out successful. I will be glad to gift you even the three worlds.”

Bhai Manjh was in tears as he said, “I want only you as a boon from you. I have no love for any other thing.” The Guru embraced Manjh and said,

Manjh is the Guru’s beloved and the Guru is Manjh’s beloved. Now Manjh like the Guru, is a ship that carries people safely across the ocean of phenomena.”

The Guru enlightened Manjh on the Truth. How trying and adverse were the circumstances! However, Manjh was undaunted. Manjh remained steadfast despite several attempts to break his faith. That is why from the Guru’s heart these words overflowed for him, “Manjh is my beloved. He, like the Guru, is a ship that carries people safely across the ocean of phenomena.”

Blessed is Manjh’s devotion to the Guru! Blessed is his faith and blessed is his love for the Guru!

The Guru-Purnima message

Guru-Purnima infuses the Jiva, who has been wandering for countless lives, with the blessedness of Knowledge, Bhakti and Yoga. Through the teachings of the preceptors, God and the scriptures and through the jiva’s own experience and makes him capable of saving himself from the agony he has been suffering in mother’s wombs and entitles him to attain to the Supreme State. Guru-Purnimas is the day of making one’s mind holy by recalling the memory of God-realized Gurus like Maharshi Veda Vyasji who make one capable of attaining to the Supreme State.

This is the day of practing penance and taking pious vows. It is the day when one should undertake some new resolve according to the guidance of the preceptor. ‘These are the shortcomings in my mind; these are the shortcomings in my life…..’ After such introspection, one should take a resolve to undertake some observance, japa or anushthana which one is capable of so as to weed out the shortcomings and then one should resolve to move ahead in one’s spiritual journey. It is the day when one should take stock of the spiritual endeavours made by him in the past year the spiritual experiences had thereby and should look to the Guru for tips for making further progress.

After the Vyas Purnima, schools of spirituality open and new lessons are taught. In summer the land becomes parched; the rain comes around Vyas Purnima and the earth is infused with a new life as are the trees. Similarly, Vyas Purnima brings new spiritual awakening, new radiance, new joy and new vigour in the sadhaka’s life and inspires him to move forward to a new life. Inspired by this pious festival, the Jiva can endeavour to realize God. Maharshi Veda Vyasji commenced writing the world’s first ever spiritual treaties, ‘Brahman-Sustra’ on this day. The Mahabharata was completed on the Guru-Purnima day and gods blessed this day saying, “The sadhaka, who worships his Guru on this day, who propitiates his Guru and determines his spiritual path with his Guru’s guidance, will earn the religious merit of doing all virtuous deeds throughout the year.”
Since then man has been celebrating the pious festival of Guru Purnima with great zeal and enthusiasm. Not only Indians but demigods and the yogis living in the heavens too celebrate Guru-Purnima with great zeal and enthusiasm.

This is not the occasion for longish tales; it is the occasion for longish tales; it is the occasion for sitting near the lotus feet of Satguru. It is not the occasion for discourses; it is the occasion for coming back to and reposing in the Transcendent True Self, the Bliss Absolute where all discourses emanate from and roll back to. It is an utsava. Utsava is made from the syllable ut (near) and sava (yajna or sacrifice). The yajna of realizing by the True Self, the Bliss Absolute, the nearest of the near, is the utsava of Vyas Purnima.

Other utsavas we celebrate but the utsava of Vyas Purnima like a mother cajoles us. A mother cajoles her child saying, “Come here my child1 You have been playing in the dirt for quiet sometime and have thereby become dirty. Now take a bath and clean yourself. I will give you butter and sugar candy.” Similarly Vyas Purnima says, ‘O Jiva! You have been wandering for several lives. Now come back to your real nature of Pure Consciousness, to Self-knowledge, to the Lord, the Giver of life.’ A mother cajoles the child and thereby cleans and nourishes him. Vyas Purnima cajoles and nourishes him. Vyas Purnima cajoles us and thereby purifies our mind, imbues it with virtues like humility, modesty etc. and very kindly endows us with the capability to assimilate Satguru’s experience of omnipresence through worshipping Him.

Our minds are invaded by violent winds of all kinds. Now we are plagued by doubt and now by fear or other such feeling. If the mind gets restive or gets derailed from the path of sadhana and make new resolutions and resume their journey with renewed vigour.

After the Vyas Purnima, the wandering, Self-realized saints stay at one place. There, they study Brahma-Sutra and other scriptures and commence writing new spiritual books.

At the time people in a society slide down towards degeneration. Demonic nature, dualistic thoughts, casteism and feelings of mine and thine spread through the society. Divorced from the non-dual reality, people are plagued by dualistic feelings which make them unquiet. The result is narrow mindedness, strife and unrest in the society. But when Self-realized Guru’s disseminate their knowledge in the society, people’s minds are imblued with virtues like oneness, peace, love, magnanimity, forgiveness, rectitude and purity etc. and sadhaka is filled with the prasad of the Supreme Consciousness.

Man either make progress or slides downwards. It is good to make progress but to save himself from sliding down, the sadhaka should submit to some Sattvik vows.

Take some pious vows for daily observations in your life. Write the vows on a piece of paper. To make the mind serious in observance of the vows, touch the paper to the Barhdada (sacred banyan tree in the Ashram infused with divine potency by Pujya Bapuji) or to the rostrum (from where Pujya Bapuji delivers satsang) and keep it with you. You can touch the paper to the place where you offer prayers or meditate at your house. Take some vow like, ‘I will do japa for so many counts of the rosary; I will do so many Pranayamas; I will observe silence for so many hours in the week, I will reserve one, two, or five days in a month for intensive spiritual practice; I will live in complete solitude for so many days in the year; I will spend so many days in the year for spreading the messages of dharma; I will employ my time and resources in Gurudev’s divine endeavours in order to propitiate Him and to attain to the Supreme State…’

It the sadhaka takes some pious vow of this nature on the Vyas Purnima day desiring to see Maharshi Veda Vyasji in the form of a God-realized saint adorn the throne in his heart, his effort will be aided by the good wishes of gods and the grace of Gurus and his goal will be accomplished sooner rather than later.

There is improvement at times and deterioration at others in one’s spiritual orientation; one happens to be in good company at times and in bad company at others. The animate beings other than man are subjected to bearing the fruits of their past actions but God has given some freedom to man. Man can go up also and he can slide down as well. He should try to make progress but should definitely strive not to slide down and to that end should observe some pious vows in life.
The true and worthy disciples apply themselves whole-heartedly in body and mind to worshipping the Guru. If the disciple maintains the attributes required of a disciple, the gift of assimilating Guru’s spiritual experiences is bestowed upon him. If the Guru is a true Guru and maintains the attributes of a Guru, he can bless his disciples with the gift of realization. Those who deserve to be granted the gift of God-realization are sadhakas or disciples and those who are capable of granting such true such gift are Gurus. The congregation of such true disciples and Satgurus is the festival of Vyas Purnima. On this day, the sadhaka takes moderate and light food like milk and fruits and with the help of activities, selfless service, remembrance of God, observing silence etc. makes a firm resolve to awaken his latent potencies. By and by as he is blessed with the gift of realization within, he becomes sinless. This is a festival of becoming sinless of being blessed with the gift of realization within and in due course of time of bridging the gap between Guru and disciple, God and the devotee, breaking the cycle of birth and death and realizing the Supreme Consciousness, the Ulitmate Truth beyond the power of nature.

Guru’s Grace Showered Through Holi Colours

My name is Mamta Singh. My husband is a scientist in Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). My son Gaurav is six and a half years old. He had gall stones. I consulted the best of doctors known to me but they were unanimous that the gall bladder needed to be removed by surgery. I was in great trouble. I went to Bhopal Memorial Hospital and consulted a doctor there. He told me to get the child admitted and get him operated urgently otherwise it can cause serious complications. Though I had not taken mantra-diksha, I had been devoted to Pujya Bapuji for about a year and a half. I had a flash of inspiration that we should go to Surat to attend the Holi Shibir held by Bapuji. I went to attend the Holi Shibir along with my husband and son Gaurav and there we took mantra-diksha. I was privileged to get sprayed with colours sprinkled by Pujya Bapuji. What happened afterwards proved that it was Bapuji’s grace that had been showered in the form of Holi colours.

We came back to Bhopal and got the sonography done. There was nothing in the gall bladder; the stone had vanished. My son was completely cured. I have no words to describe my joy. I simply want to say:

‘Whoever take refuge with the Guru,
Is happy here as well as in after life.’
-Mamta Singh

Our Beloved Bapuji Listens to the Cry from the Heart

A thousand salutations at Pujya Bapuji’s lotus feet!

The company where I am working had issued orders for transfer of all 50 of its employees in the Delhi branch at Dehradun with effect from 2nd of April 2009, a month in advance. In the meanwhile, Bapuji’s satsang was declared for 9th and 10th April in Buradi, (Delhi). By Your grace, I got the seva of guiding the satsang-goers to the satsang-site. I mentally prayed to Bapuji and the concerned officials of the company had to change their minds.

All the employees were to report at Dehradun on 2nd April, but on 1st April, the officials and the owner of the company called all the employees and postponed the transfers for the time being. All the employees are very happy and I am happier still for Guru’s grace has saved me from being deprived of seva of satsang-lovers.

A thousand salutations of You from all of us!

A thousand salutations of You from all of us!

Nurture Others, Do Not Exploit

Long back, there lived a rich merchant, Ramarai in the city of Ratanpur near Himmatnagar (Guj.) One day he thought, ‘I have so much of wealth and property. I should show it to the king so that he may know that I am not an ordinary person.’ The rich man discussed this with his four sons and daughters-in-law. All agreed except the youngest daughter-in-law, who was a satsangi. She said, “Whenever we take recourse to external things for happiness, we have to face sorrow.”

All ignored her advice. After several entreaties by the rich man, the king finally accepted his invitation for dinner. The rich man, who wanted to attain happiness by impressing the king, served him various dishes in dinner. The king was greatly satisfied, but the ego of the one who satisfied him was yet to be satisfied. Ramarai then led the king to his secret treasury in the basement. As the door was opened, the king was astonished to see a vast treasure of precious stones, diamonds, jewellery, beautiful untensils studded with gems etc. He exclaimed, “Wow……….. so many jewels! Fantastic, Sethji! You are really the richest man in town.”

The rich man was satisfied. He led the king further to other rooms and showed him many costly gold ornaments which were inherited from his father and fore-fathers. The king was dumbstruck. He thought, ‘I am a king only for name’s sake. It is the fellow who is wallowing in royal glory!’ Outwardly, the king praised the rich man while within he was thinking of how he could usurp his wealth. The king came back to the palace and narrated the whole thing to his minister and disclosed his intention as well. The minister and disclosed his intention as well. The minister said, “Your Highness! I have an idea. Call Ramarai and tell him that one who possesses wealth but lacks in wisdom, is not eligible for possessing wealth. Ask him two questions which he would not be able to answer after placing the condition that his wealth will be taken over by the State if he fails to answer the questions.” The king liked the minister’s idea.

The very next day the king called the rich man and said, “Ramarai! You have a great amount of wealth. So much of wealth should be in the possessions of those who are wise. People who lack wisdom cannot preserve wealth. In that case, it is the duty of the State to preserve such property. I will ask you two questions. If you don’t give the wealth in your possession will be against the rules of the State. The question is-what goes on increasing and what goes on decreasing?”

The king put these questions to the rich man as his intention was not good. He wanted to usurp the rich man’s wealth. As soon as he heard the questions, Ramarai started to tremble. He was dazed. He asked for a day’s time and came home somehow and narrated the whole matter to his family. All were shocked. They all remembered the youngest daughter-in-law, ‘Daughter! Now you tell us what should be done. We will do as you say.”

The daughter-in-law became calm for a moment and said, ‘Don’t worry. I shall give the answer.’ Her sympathetic words of truth consoled them. All were reassured.

The next day the daughter-in-law said, “Father! Go to the royal court and tell the king the even your youngest daughter-in-law will answer his questions.”

Ramarai reached the royal court and said, “Your Highness! Your questions were very easy, and even my youngest daughter-in-law will answer them. She will come here in a few minutes.

In the meantime, the daughter-in-law arrived with a bundle of grass in one hand and a bowl of milk in the other. She gave the bowl of milk to the king and placed the bundle of grass before the minister.

The king was perplexed. He said: What are you doing? She said, “You are as intelligent as a child. So you need milk. And the minister is as intelligent as a bull. So he needs the grass.” The king was enraged but the daughter was living Vedanta in practice. She said, “O king! We are your subjects. I am the daughter to him. Therefore, I am a daughter to you as well. It is not right for you to be enraged with your daughter.”

The king said, “How can you call me a child?”

“Father, What else can we call a person who follows others’ instigations and gets ready to exploit his subjects? And tell me, isn’t such a minister like a bull, who gives such counsel without thinking of the consequences, and makes the king take such a decision as would taint his name and glory? You are well acquainted with history. Those kings, who amassed wealth by exploiting their subjects, are counted among demons and others, whose hearts bled for their subjects, have attained to divinity. O King! You know this very well.”

All hailed her as she said this. She further said, “O King! You had asked two questions, “What goes on increasing and what goes on decreasing?’ The answer is- Desire goes on increasing while the life span goes on decreasing.”

Ramarai said, “O King! My daughter has answered both of your questions. Now what is your command?”

The King said, “You are my old friend. The wealth of the subjects already belongs to the king. I was misguided, please forgive me. This minister does not deserve to stay in my kingdom. I banish him from here.”

One, who hankers after external objects of pleasures to gratify their desires, and thus wastes his life, has not achieved anything great and rare but he, who avails himself of the company of saints, and practices Brahmavichar, enquiry on the nature of Brahman, has achieved that in life, and has availed fully of the benefits of a life which is decreasing every moment.

How to Tread the path of Spirituality

A spiritual seeker once asked Pujya Lilashahji Maharaj: “I feel a strong desire to tread the path towards God, but my mind does not assist me. What should I do?”

Santshree replied, “Have the desire for mukti (liberation).”

The seeker replied, “But my worldly desires and cravings do not get erased.”

Santshree replied, “If your desire and cravings do not away, then do not worry. Replace worldly desires with the desire to attain God. Daily repeat very loudly this firm resolve-‘Like King Janaka, I will realize the Self in this very birth,’ Devavrat (Bhishma Pitamah) resolved loudly that-‘Gandharvas! Listen. Devatas (gods)! Listen. Yakshas and Kinnaras! Listen. Rakshasas (demons)! Listen. I, the son of Shantanu, take the vow that I will observe absolute celibacy ….. that I will never marry .. never … never.’

“In the same way you too loudly repeat your pious resolve alone in a room: ‘I will establish myself in the soul in this very birth. I will free myself of affections and aversions in this very birth. I am the disciple of my Guru…. Like father like son….. I will also attain Self-realization in this birth….. In this manner, repeat these pious resolutions.

“Do not insist on anything else in life. Insistence is more harmful than unfavourable stars. Whatever comes to you, whether it is simple or delicious food, whatever you get to put on, accept it keeping in mind the health of the body and piety of the mind. Do not insist than ‘This is what should happen….. That is how I should become’. If your wish does not get fulfilled, your insistence will lead to agitation and unrest in your mind. Simultaneously, it will also fill your mind and intellect with attachment, conceit, affections and aversions. It is this insistence only that pushes one into eighty-four lakh lives. So do not hold on to any insistence. To overcome all kinds of resolves, just hold on to one, ‘Come what may, I will attain divine bliss, wisdom and peace in this very birth and lives as a liberated soul’.

In this manner, freeing the mind of all negative resolves and holding on to just one of God-realization your spiritual path will be simplified. Always contemplate-‘I am the soul. Just as, if a millionaire firmly visualizes himself as a pauper, he will start considering himself as one. However, if he visualizes himself as a millionaire, he will start regarding himself as a millionaire.

“In the same way contemplate and think to yourself as the soul. Every morning, in solitude, determine-‘I am Brahman; I am eternal; I am the Consciousness; I am liberated and I am the Truth’. However, be careful not to visualize yourself as a Marwari or Sindhi or Gujarati or Punjabit or even that you are happy or sad. This false belief will only make you sad and perturbed, instead of being happy. These fallacious samskaras will push you into the cycle of birth and death.

“Search for the means of peace and happiness in this birth and think as to what you should do to achieve that state. This does not mean that you approach a saint and plead-‘Sai! Change my wife’s nature.’ O Brother! Change your own nature; change your understanding. Suppose your wife’s temperament does change, then you will plead the same for your son, for your enemy and so on. Instead, why don’t you change yourself? Why don’t you withdraw your attachment to them? On the contrary, why do you want to get more involved and stuck with them?

Rather than insisting on obtaining things and circumstances as per your desire, accept what is and progress towards the path of liberation. You do not want to get rid of your folly and at the same time you want to bring an end to your sorrow. What is your folly? It is the wish to change the world, your wife, your husband, your son, your friend, your servant as per your imagination and become happy-this itself is your folly. No one has ever been able to find peace and happiness this way. The only way to happiness is to firmly establish the remembrance of your True Self. In this manner, by repeating these pious and true resolves regularly, by quitting the resolves based on your desires and tendencies and by remembering your True Self, your spiritual path with be simplified.”

The Supreme Vow

The best of all vow is to become selfless, to be free from desires.
‘I love Your flowers; I love Your thorns.
Grant me whatever You wish-
Happiness or sorrow; pleasure or pain.
I shall accept all circumstances given by my Master.’

This outlook will make you free from all burdens and tensions. It is not that your son or daughter gets married only if you desire for it and remains unmarried if you don’t. Marriage or other relationships do take place at the time destined for them. By desiring, we only hinder them. When we worry about something like a plot not being sold, we actually delay the thing happening.

You have a desire that your plot should be sold out. You give up this desire. It is only when you let go the desire that it fructifies. The condition of course is that you should not let go the desire for the sake of fructifying it. That will not be real abandonment. If you genuinely let go a desire, the desired event take place; for your heart becomes pure the moment you let go desire and a pure heart is endowed with the power to fructify its resolves.

The difference between saints and other people is that the later are anxious to get their wishes fulfilled and beg before saints to that end. Thousands come to them and are delivered of their troubles. Common men have a family of only 4-5 people; yet they always feel vexed. But the saints are related with thousands of families, who get inspiration and blessings from them; yet they are always blissful. Why? The reason is they have no personal desires or interest; they have no thirst for pleasures for themselves. They think their personality or body to be composed of five great elements of nature. I am telling you the secret of how to become a saint and how to fulfil your desires. The Lord says to Arjuna :

‘It is desire, it is anger born of the quality of Rajas, all sinful and all-devouring; know this as the foe here (in this world).’
(The Gita 3.37)

desire is a voracious eater. That is desire is never satiated. Howsoever many desires you may satisfy, more desires will spring up. They will squander your life but will present themselves. When there is no end to desires, better abandon them.

Desires arise like that of a good bungalow, good clothes, and other pleasure. Even if they are fulfilled and one enjoys the pleasure, the desires become stronger and deep-rooted. Such a person harms himself. His behaviour is self-injurious for he depends on sense-objects killing own Self-nature. Secondly, those deprived of those objects naturally feel humiliated by one who possesses them. Thus by enjoying pleasures one hurts other people mentally.

There are needs and there are desires. God is well aware of our needs. We need milk after birth; and we get it in appropriate manner and quality-it is neither too hot nor too cold, neither too sweet not tasteless. We need to breathe and the air for breathing is provided. We need water and it is easily available. We need land to walk on and it too is available. The sunrays are very essential for us and they are available to everybody-rich or poor. We need winters and summers at their respective times and they are available. We need winters and summers at their respective times and they are available. We need food and with a little effort, we can get enough to eat. But if we want to have variety of dishes or particular delicacies in meals, it is desire. We need to cover the body and we can wear clothes as per our capacity. But if we are impressed by others’ synthetic fashionable clothes and want the same for us even if we cannot afford it, it is desire.

Needs can be satisfied easily but there is no end to desires. Is there anybody on earth, who has fulfilled all his desires? Desires arise when we look at those who are superior to us in material possessions and not at our inferiors. If you look towards your superiors, there is no end to it. And if you peep into their lives closely, you will find that they are not able to take rest in the day nor are they able to get sound sleep in the night. Those who appear to be superior to you or happier from materialistic point of view are not happy in fact. If they consider themselves to be happy, they are mistaken. But the others who consider them to be happy and forfeit their own peace of mind are doubly mistaken.

The great men reveling in Self-bliss don’t pose to be big by virtue of external objects. They make use of their body, mind and possessions for making others happy. Therefore their wealth, splendour and radiance do not suppress others nor does it give rise to egotism and desire in others’ minds. It rather develops their divine love and Self-repose by erasing their ego.

Those who do Namaskar become Great

All great people have been young children and youngsters in the beginning. Therefore students should people on the fact that if so many young children and youngsters can become great, then why not us? They should have the important desire of making the greatness of their soul apparent by kindling their latent spiritual powers. That is our birthright.

What should we do to become great? Regularly bow to your parents and your Satguru, obey their wishes, serve and be positive towards them. Lord Shri Krishna made Arjun his medium for transmitting to humanity the key to unlocking one’s soul’s greatness:

‘Know that by long prostration by question and by service, the wise who have realized the Truth will instruct you in (that) knowledge.’
(Bhagawad Gita : 4.34)

How much importance God is giving to the act of humbly prostrating at the feet of Self-realized Satgurus!

How does one’s life span increases by paying respect? It you look to history for an answer, you will find many examples.

There was a sage called Mrikandu. His son’s name was Markandeya. A Self-realized great man came to Mrikandu Rishi’s ashram. Mrikandu Rishi told his son, “Son, do namaskar.”

The son paid respect to the great man with a lot of kindness and humility. The great man was looking at Markandeya in a focused way.

Mrikandu Rishi enquired, “Maharaj, what are you looking at?”

The Self realized great man said, “The child is very good but he has very few years to live.”

The rishi asked, “Maharaj! What should we do?”

“Sage, your good son has paid respect to me. I will definitely show you the path for your kind son’s wellbeing.”

The evolved man meditated. After a while, he opened his eyes and said, “Mrikandu, Self-realized souls are nothing but God’s physical form. Wherever they go becomes a pilgrimage site. They become happy when you humbly and gently pay respect to them. That is why they are considered as direct, visible forms of Lord Shiva. If your son continues to pay respect and has faith in great souls who are full of compassion, then he will go on to create history. He will be known for and will exemplify this wonderful saying in our spiritual literature:
‘By regularly paying obeisance to elders and by serving them, a human being’s life span, intellect, fame and strength-these four attributes increase.’

The boy continued to pay respect with a lot of humility and kindness to great souls. One day the seven sages (saptarishis) came there. Markandeya paid respect to them. The seven sages blessed him thus, ”May you become immortal”.

Mrikandu said, “Maharaj, You blessed him but his life-span is short. Kindly suggest us a way so that your blessings will fully fructify.”

“Sage! Let him worship Lord Shankar. Your body will bring glory to your family.”

That boy who was filled with devotion, treated the guidance and advice of the seven rishis as the advice of guru and got immersed in worshipping Lord Shiva.

According to his karma, when his lifespan got over, Yamraj appeared seated on Yamraj’s form. He hugged the Shivling and called out with great fervour: Oh! Remover of fears! Oh, Protector! Help me, Help me! Protect Me, Protect Me!”

Lord Shankar appeared with his trident. He said to Yamraj, “Why do you want to take him?”

Yamraj replied, “His lifespan is over.”

“Look again. Look properly.”

When Yamraj looked at Markandeya, there was no end to his dismay. In Markandeya’a destiny there was no evidence of death approaching. Yamraj turned around and left. Whatever Shankar says, that happens.

Lord Ashutosh said, “Markandeya! You have accepted with great respect the guidance of these wise, evolved people who are my embodiment. You have shown devotion to Me, you have done japa of My name. I am extremely happy with you. You will remain immortal till the end of this kalpa, you will be called immortal.”

In the list of seven immortals, now the name of Markandeya has been added.

Till date, for obtaining a long life, these eight immortals are remembered in the morning by chanting this shloka.

There is so much greatness associated with the custom of doing namaskar that even if a person pays respect to God with cunningness, his or her wellbeing occurs.

Improvement of Nature

Pride and selfishness are two major vices. They spoil the nature of a person, and they not only hurt others but also lead one to downfall. If one removes these feelings of vanity and selfishness, one’s nature will get improved.

On one side the man wants to meet his mind’s wish whereas on the other he wants to get his desired things. Every moment he waits for the opportunity to get money, respect, reverence or comforts of his life.’ When he nurtures such feelings in his mind, his inherent nature becomes vile. So undoubtedly pride, egoism or selfishness only spoils the nature of a person.

One should try to be egoless.

“One should remain unpretentious
without nurturing ill will in the mind,
Whatever benefits life others, one should
Always dwell in contentment.
(Sri Ram Charitmanas. Uttar Kand: 45.1)
One who remains guileless and behaves
naturally with everyone,
The Lord helps such a devotee attain salvation.”

The recollection of those who behave guilelessly, even towards fraudulent people, and who nurture the habit of ‘being beneficent evil doers’ gives peace of mind. Is it strenuous to attain such simplicity and artlessness? You may have to exert yourself in practicing deceit, because for that you will have to scheme some crooked plan in your mind whereas artless behavior does not require any sort of artfulness. It is true that hypocrisy and disguise needs forged documentation. Even then, one tends to err to default at one point of time or the other. When the person behaves unpretentiously, he enjoys every moment of his life. Abandon pride and selfishness, and think about the welfare of others. How to make others happy? How to do good to others? Always think and try to devise various means for the welfare of others. Think how you can help others to experience peace and happiness through satsang and by inculcating noble traits in them. You should not be worried even if you have no wealth, knowledge, ability, power or position. Inspite of having nothing, your benevolent feelings will improve your nature. On the contrary, your nature will get spoiled if you nurture falsehood, deceit, egotism, dogmatism and self-assertion. Such a vile nature will afflict you even in the mortal sheaths of birds or animals. It will not let you live happily even in these lower births. One who a good nature will definitely live happily even in these lower births, and if he is a human being, he will attain excellence.

Man has the privilege to improve his nature. Someone with money can purchase only in the market. None can ever think of buying anything in the woods. So this world is like a big market. Here everything is available. Make use of it by improving your nature, purify your mind in this market of human life. Once the human birth is over, you will remain as you are. You will not be able to make any improvement afterwards. Your nature may worsen in lower births but it is very difficult to find anything good in those births. Even if you do, it will be ephemeral and not spiritual. You cannot improve your nature. A good trainer may impart some knowledge only to lead a disciplined life; otherwise bad habits will continue to torment the whole life.

When an animal develops bad habits at a young age, it turns out to be a nuisance to everyone. Upon being irritated, it learns to hit back. It has to suffer beating throughout its life. So, one can learn a bad habit even while in the sheath of an animal. Hence, in a nutshell, evils and vices are attainable even in lower births. The opportunity to attain goodness is possible only a human birth. Here too, not all the time. When one gets satsang, sublime thoughts and scriptures, one should not miss the precious opportunity and try to cultivate goodness in oneself.

“It is great fortune that you have secured a human body, which-as all the scriptures declare-is difficult even for the gods to attain.”
(Sri Ram Charit. Uttar Kand: 42.4)

We have attained this human body, which even gods find difficult to attain; then why not make use of it? Why not improve our nature? Why not purify and sanctify it? Thereafter, you will enjoy all of life, because every being’s disposition whether good or bad remains always with him. So, wherever you go, improve your nature and purify it.

Abandon pride and selfishness and think how to do good to others, how you can give happiness to and bring about the welfare of others using your might, mind, intellect, abilities, potentialities, power, position, etc. Such feelings will purify your heart to such an extent that even others will get purified by your glance.

“One who doesn’t afflict others through body, mind or words,
Tulsidasji says, the darshan of such a one destroys sins.”

The darshan of such a great person relieves the being of his sins. You all can attain such a state in your life. Mirabai didn’t give anything to us. But listening to her poems gives us peace of mind; singing them cultivates devotion to God. We all revere Mirabai because her mind was full of divine love and beneficent feelings. She never came in our midst, but her sublime nature continues to elevate us. And we like her precepts, her poems, practically everything because her mind was pure. Mirabai’s mother-in-law was respectable to her, but nobody knows even her name. Whereas Mirabai became renowned not only in her own country, but she attained international acclaim also. She became renowned not by desire for name and fame but only due to her devotion to God.

In order to carry their names forward, householders wish to have a son. Most of them are blessed with sons but virtually their name never earned acclaim. Many have acquired posts and positions but could not hold on to them for long. What to talk of others? Today even the descendents do not remember the names of their predecessors several generations back. So do devotional practices. I can’t say whether your name will became known to others or not but you will certainly attain salvation and the entire world will be greatly benefited. Therefore, improve your nature and purify it. How will you do it?

Abandon self assertiveness. Give up pride and respect others and do good to them. Instead of being dogmatic, it is better to give significance to others even if the opinions of both are logical. Such a fair practice also help in improving one’s own nature.