Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Itasca

Jay Shree Swaminarayan

What happens when you have faith in God?

Chapter-77

Religion and faith are equally important.

What happens on death of a good or bad person?

The factors determining the intelligence.

On the thirtieth day of the second Jyeshtha of Samvat 1876, Swami Shri Sahajanandji Maharaj was seated on a cot on the verandah facing west near the temple of Shri Vasudev Narayan at Gadhada. He had put on all white clothes. Saints and the devotees from the different places were assembled before him.

The saints were initiating spiritual dialogue amongst them. During such dialogue, one saint, with a bit misunderstanding, denounced Dharma on the strength of his knowledge of God. Hearing this, Shriji Maharaj said, "One who discards the rules of Dharma on the pretext that he has known God and that with his knowledge he is fully redeemed, is nothing short of a devil. God possesses different redemptive attributes which have been described in the dialogue between Prithvi and Dharma in the first Skandha of Shrimad Bhagwat and which are said to be possessed by a Sadhu. Therefore, one who claims to have known God must imbibe the redemptive attributes of God described in the eleventh Skandh of Shrimad Bhagwata and which are said to be possessed by a Sadhu. Therefore one who does not possess the thirty redemptive attributes of a Sadhu is neither a Sadhu nor a devotee. One who has truely known God imbibes the redemptive attributes of God, then he is called a Sadhu. As such, one who discards the rules of Dharma under the pretext of possessing knowledge of God or devotion to God, which is no doubt a redeeming factor, he commits a sacrilege. And one who so talks should be ousted immediately. He should be thus reprimended: "Since you indulge in such talk which promote demoralisation you are on the devils path."

Then a Sadhu asked, "Oh Maharaj! At times it happens that a sincere devotee of God has to undergo unbearable pain at the time of death, and some who have offered no such intense devotion at the time of death exhibit great spititual vigour, say the praises of God and die. What may be the reason for such inconsistency ? Kindly explain the cause behind such wherein a devotee has a suppressed spiritual vigour and another, not so devout, surprisingly exhibits great spiritual vigour."

Replying to the question, Shriji Maharaj said, "The influence of place, time, action, company, meditation, Mantra, intiation and scriptures, if are beneficent, inspires the Buddhi to sustain spiritual vigour. If the influence of above eight factors is maleficent, it becomes vitiated. And it is also because of the intluence or Yuga-Dharma which when inspired by Maya predominates in the hearts of the devotees. If at the time of death, Satya-Yuga, prevails in the heart, the devotee, at, the time of death would exhibit great spiritual consciousness. If it is Dwapar-Yuga, spiritual consciousness will be less. But if Kali-Yuga prevails in the heart death will become awful. Therefore, it is the influence of the Satya-Yuga which brings spiritual consciousness at the time of death. Again, it is one of these three states who mar or mend the death. If at the time of death one is in the waking state, then even if he maybe a sinner, he would die a happy death. If one is in a state of dream even if he is a devotee, he would speak irrelevantly and would die. And if at the time of death one is in a state of sleep, even if he may be a devotee or otherwise, one would remain unconscious and die in such a state.

Once again, one who is above the three states and had attained Brahm, would at the time of death exhibit spiritual vigour like the one that may be exhibited by God. But only the devout devotees can exhibit such spiritual vigour. Others can not show such divine powers. Therefore,the influence either beneficent or maleficent at the time of death depends upon Kala or on the prevaillng state of the individual. But a non-devotee even if he dies, with thorough consciousness is not redeemed. He would be consigned to hell, regardless of whether he dies in a state of consciousness or of unconsciousness. And the devotee, if he dies in any state is always redeemed beyond any doubt, Such a devotee even if he suffers pain due to the plevailence of the dream state or the deep sleep state, by the grace of God, he enjoys within the bliss of God. Therefore, a true devotee inspite of the influence either bad or good Of time or of the three states, when he dies, transmigrates to the divine abode of God."

Thus Ends Vachanamrit : Gadhada Pratham - 77.