॥ શ્રી સ્વામિનારાયણો વિજયતે ॥
ભગવાન સ્વામિનારાયણનાં
॥ વચનામૃત ॥
Gadhada III-21: A Golden Thread; Dharma Possesses the Same Eminence as Bhakti
Summary
- Bhāgwat dharma:
- Is ekāntik dharma itself.
- Is related to God.
- God’s avatārs are for the purpose of establishing bhāgwat dharma.
- The jiva attains God through bhāgwat dharma.
- Its eminence is equal to that of bhakti.
- Mere dharma of one’s caste and āshram is inferior compared to bhāgwat dharma and the fruit of the dharma of one’s caste and āshram is temporary.
- Shriji Mahārāj gives His opinion for the sake of revealing the ideals of a devotee:
- If Mahārāj tries to develop affection to anything other than God and His devotees, He cannot do so.
- Mahārāj prefers to stay only in forests or mountains but not in large towns or cities. Despite this, He stays in the midst of thousands of people for the sake of God and His devotees.
- No matter how much pravrutti Mahārāj has to engage in, He does so for the sake of His devotees, considering it to be nivrutti.
- One should not take note of [minor] flaws seen in devotees.
- One should derive pleasure in deliberately losing to devotees of God.
- Whoever perceives flaws in devotees and speaks ill of them:
- Mahārāj does not like to look at them.
- Mahārāj does not like food or water offered by their hands.
- Even if they are His relatives, Mahārāj develops an intense dislike for them.
- All of the satsangis are the same as the attendants of God residing in Akshardhām.
- Only those who have firm Satsang is Mahārāj’s kith and kin.
- Mahārāj wishes to remain in the midst of such satsangis during this life and the life after.
- One who offers bhakti without ātmā-realisation:
- Will be extremely distressed by lust, ego, and other internal enemies.
- Their true nature will be exposed in Satsang.
- Just as a thread of gold remains the same in all six seasons; similarly, when one’s satsang is firm, regardless of the amount of misery that may befall one and however many times one is insulted in Satsang, one’s mind never turns away from Satsang.
- Just as a thread dipped in wax remains stiff in winter and monsoon, but when summer comes, it becomes slack; similarly, when a devotee is insulted in Satsang or when he becomes physically distressed, he will withdraw from Satsang out of his own accord.
❖