Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Itasca

Jay Shree Swaminarayan

Vachanamrut Ahmedabad

Chapter-2: Who excels in devotion?

On the eleventh day of the first fortnight of Falgun in Samvat year 1882, Swami Shree Sahajanandji Maharaj was seated near the temple Shree Narnarayandev on a cot well furnished with Gaddi and round pillow as back rest. The cot was placed on a octagonal dais. He was dressed in a white attire. A white and neatly forded side cloth was adorning his shoulders. A red turban was adorning his head. Nosegays of rose flowers were beautyfully suspended from his turban. tiny bunches of rose flowers were neatly arranged about his ears. He was garlanded with a garland of rose flowers. His wrists and arms were decorated with rose bouquets. Munis and devotees from various places seated in the assembly before him.

Then Shriji Maharaj addressed the Paramhansas, `I am asking one question, One devotee offers devotion to God becoming fully detached of the three states of body - the waking, dream and deep sleep, and the remains immune from the influence of the polluted evolutes of Maya - Rajas, Tamas and polluted Sattva, and remains always under the influence of pure Sattva. The devotee is deeply under the influence of the three Gunas (evolutes of Maya) but offers devotion to God with profound love and sincerity. Who then excels from these two?' The saints than declared that one who had great love for God excels the other.

Then Shriji Maharaj asked, `One offers worship to God being thoroughly purified and the other offers worship in a state ofutter impurity. Who then excels from these two?' In reply Munis said, `One who offers worship in a purified state excels the other'

Shriji Maharaj said, `One who offers worship to God discarding attachment to all the evolutes of Maya is considered by you as inferior to the one who offers worship with great love but with all the impurities of Maya. How do you explain this?' The saints could not explain it.

Shriji Maharaj then said to explain the code of the issue, 'The Geeta describes the fourt types of Bhaktas, and the Gyani (enlightened one) from these four types, is procalimed by Paramatma as his `Atma' - soul and He holds him as his dearest devotee. Therefore, a devotee who offers worship to shi God, after discarding all the attachment of Maya is the dearest devotee. He is the best.

The Sushupti (sleep) state of a Jiva (soul) is Mitya Pralaya (period of rest). The state of Sushupti (sleep) of Brahma is Nimitta Pralaya and when the evolutes of Maya merge in Maya, it is called Prakrut Pralaya. At the time of Cosmic evolution, the Jivas, Ishwaras and all other evolutes of Maya, who were resting in the womb of Maya during the period of rest, evolved again out of Maya with the influence of their casual body. But during the Atyantik Pralaya or the state of final rest which is a state of knowledge of the divine form of God, Prakriti and her evolutes faded out beyond all bognition. A Gyani who has reached the heights of such divine knowledge has shed all mundane attachments totally. Such a Gyani or enlightened one - Bhakta or saint - even if he takes birth on earth does so, as independently as God does, since hs is also immune to the influence of Kala (time), Karma (deeds) and Maya (eternal entity). Therefore, one who attains the state of enlightened one and offers worship to God excels other devotees. One who is singularly devoted to God and possesses the attributes of an Ekantic Bhakta (single minded devotee) can realize the significance of this discourse.'

Thus ends Vachanamrut : Ahmedabad Chapter-2