Scriptures
Vachnamrut Saar
1st - “There is no spiritual endeavor more difficult than to continuously engage one’s mind on the form of God, and there is no attainment greater than this.”
Whatever obstructs a devotee while meditating on the form of God is called maya.”
8th - "If the vruttis of the indriyas are engaged in the service of Bhagwan and His devotees, then the antahkaran is purified and the sins that have clung to the jiva since time immemorial are destroyed. However, if the vruttis of the indriyas are directed towards women and other vishays, then the antahkaran becomes corrupted, and one falls from the path of liberation."
15th - "A person whose heart is filled with bhakti towards God feels, ‘I must act according to the commands of God and His Sant exactly as they say.’ Such is the resolve in his heart. Moreover, he never—even by mistake—says, ‘I will follow some commands but not others.’"
18th - "If one gives liberty to the five indriyas without applying discrimination of what is suitable or unsuitable, one’s antahkaran will become polluted. On the other hand, if one indulges only in pure vishays through the five indriyas, then one’s antahkaran becomes pure. If the antahkaran becomes pure, one will be able to constantly remember God."
20th - "A person who does not indulge in the bliss of his own self, nor knows his own nature, is the most ignorant among the ignorant, the most senseless among the senseless, the most foolish among fools, and the vilest among the vile."
25th - "Having understood this, one should neither get carried away in elation nor feel unfulfilled. If feeling unfulfilled, consider that the blessings showered by God have not truly sprouted, akin to a seed sown in saline soil. Conversely, getting carried away and behaving waywardly is akin to throwing a seed into fire, which burns it."
27th - "All the countless marvels that have occurred in the past, are happening now, and will happen in the future, are all due to the direct presence of God...and, one who understands this, definitely God resides within his heart.”
33rd - "The firm refuge in God is the greatest endeavor among all spiritual endeavors to please Him. This refuge must be unwavering, without any doubt."
34th - “The happiness experienced by a devotee of God is a result of adhering to His commands, while the suffering experienced arises from failing to uphold His commands.”
49th - “Therefore, it is challenging for a devotee of God to maintain focus on worldly objects, whereas a worldly person finds it difficult to maintain focus on God. Hence, one who does not keep their focus on God is not truly a devotee of God.”
51st - “For example, just as a diamond can only be cut by another diamond and not by anything else, similarly, one's conviction in God can only be cultivated through God Himself. Likewise, the darshan of God is also possible only through God.”
54th - "Like how a person maintains a deep connection with their loved ones, similarly, if such a connection is established with the devotees of God, one never turns back from the path of God."
56th - "Many achieve the status of realized yogis, becomes omniscient, or even deities, attaining countless forms of greatness and the ultimate state of enlightenment through upasana of God. However, without upasana, though, nothing can be accomplished."
63rd - "A person with mature conviction feels within, 'I abide in such a way that I have achieved all. And wherever the manifest form of God resides, that itself is the supreme abode.'"
71st - "God forgives all other transgressions, but He does not forgive those who betray a devotee of God. Therefore, one should never harm a devotee of God in any manner."
72nd - "If a devotee of God possesses unwavering faith in God along with profound awareness of His greatness, and also recognizes the profound greatness of saints and companions in satsang, then even if that devotee faces challenging circumstances and unfavorable timing, the combined forces of circumstance and action cannot harm him due to the intense power of his devotion. Conversely, someone lacking faith in God and His saints does not receive any benefit, even if God intends to help that person."
Sarangpur
7th - "Wherever the jagged edges of the manomay chakra are worn away, that place should be recognized as Naimishāranya Kshetra, the field of saintly association. One should desire liberation there and remain with firm resolve."
10th - "From a physical perspective, God's abodes appear to be very far away. However, from the ātmā’s perspective, they are not even an atom's distance away. Therefore, the understanding of one who views from a physical perspective is false, while the understanding of one who views from the ātmā’s perspective is true."
"And a sādhu who understands, 'God is forever present in my soul,' realizes that God or God's abode is not even an atom's distance away. When one has the darshan of such a sādhu, it should be known that one has had the direct darshan of God."
17th - - “As the vision of a person who worships God becomes increasingly subtle, he progressively perceives the vastness of God and increasingly realizes the greatness of God.”
“As obstacles in the form of māyā are overcome, and one increasingly attains the proximity of God, one realizes the unlimited greatness of God, and one’s sense of servitude towards Him is increasingly strengthened.”
Kariyani
3rd - "The affection that people develop for each other is due to virtues, and the repulsion they experience for each other is due to faults. But those virtues and faults cannot be discerned from an individual’s superficial behavior. Because, outwardly, a person may walk like a cat, fixing his eyes on the floor as he walks, but inside, he may have intense lust. On seeing him behave in this manner, a person who is not wise would think, ‘He is a very great sādhu.’ On the other hand, someone else may walk with wandering eyes. On seeing him, a person who is not wise would think, ‘He is a fake sādhu.’ Inwardly, however, he may be extremely free of lust. Thus, a person cannot be judged by his superficial, physical behavior; only after staying with him can he be judged."
7th - "Having such a firm conviction of the manifest form of Purushottam is called ultimate liberation. One who has attained God-realization through such a conviction experiences the following: Wherever he casts his eyes - among all the mobile and immobile forms - he sees the form of God as if it is before his eyes - Other than that form, he does not perceive even an atom."
10th - 'And the salvation of life is such that it is demonstrated that everything has been done by Shri Swaminarayan; it is nothing that has been done by time, deeds, and maya; to understand God as the only creator is the ultimate cause of salvation... And there is no sinner worse than the person who does not realize God to be the all-doer. In fact, he should be known to be a sinner worse than one who has killed a cow, killed a Brāhmin, associated with the wife of one’s own guru, or maligned a true guru who is a knower of Brahma. Why? Because he believes time, deeds, etc., to be the cause of everything, not God. In fact, one should not even stand in the shadow of such persons who are atheists, nor should one listen to their talks, even unknowingly.'"
"Furthermore, in this world there are so many widows who, following the death of their husbands, continue to lament bitterly; on the other hand, there are also many women who renounce their wedded husbands and engage themselves in worshipping God. Similarly, there are so many foolish men who mourn the loss of their own wives and continue hankering after other women; on the other hand, there are so many men with vairāgya, who renounce their own wedded wives and engage themselves in worshipping God."
11th - - "He who has love for his beloved, God, will never disregard the wishes of his beloved. This is the hallmark of love.'"
Loya
3rd - "What would a person who has unwavering faith in God and His Sant, along with an understanding of their greatness, not do for their sake? Such a person would renounce their family, disregard public opinion, relinquish a kingdom, forsake pleasures, give up wealth, and, in the case of a man, renounce his wife, or in the case of a woman, renounce her husband."
"Even if a devotee were to die painfully, be devoured by a tiger, bitten by a snake, struck by a weapon, drown in water, or die in any other horrific way, one who has faith in God and His Sant, along with knowledge of their greatness, would believe: 'A devotee of God never meets an adverse fate; they will surely attain God's abode.' On the other hand, even if a non-believer dies naturally and is cremated with sandalwood and full obituary rites, they will certainly go to Yampuri."
6th - "If we are staying with a sadhu who strictly observes religious vows and has firm faith in God, but instead of reprimanding us, pampers us and lets us have our way, then even if he is considered great like Muktānand Swāmi in public opinion, his company should not be kept. On the other hand, if a sadhu repeatedly reprimands us, remains vigilant about our flaws, and does not stop pointing them out until they are corrected, and does not merely flatter us, then even if he is not considered great in public view, we should still keep his company.
10th - " Maya is extremely binding and causes intense misery for those who turn away from God. However, for devotees of God, that same Maya brings immense happiness.
11th - " One should meditate only on the form of God that one has attained, not on the forms of previous avatārs. Just as a woman remains faithful to her husband, one should remain devoted to the form of God that one has attained. "
"Therefore, one should listen to the sacred scriptures only from a holy person and never from an unholy person."
14th - "There is an all-transcending mass of divine light that is endless, beyond measurement from above, below, or in any of the four directions. In this mass of light is a large, ornate throne on which the divine form of Shri Narayan Purushottam Bhagwan presides.
17th - " Take, for example, a piece of iron. Once touched by a Parasmani, it is transformed into gold. Even the Parasmani itself cannot transform it back into iron. Similarly, one who has realized the greatness of God cannot be made to fall from the holy feet of God, even by God Himself. Could he then be made to fall by any other object? Certainly not."
18th - "Developing conviction in God is the most difficult task, and discussing this conviction is extremely challenging. I fear that discussing it might cause misunderstandings, leading someone to lose their firm faith or even have it completely uprooted. However, this fact must be conveyed, as avoiding the discussion is not an option. Misinterpretations can lead to many issues, and until one understands this fact, significant deficiencies will remain in one's conviction."
Panchala
1st - "Furthermore, human happiness surpasses that of animals; the happiness of a king exceeds that; the happiness of deities surpasses that; Indra's happiness exceeds theirs; then Brihaspati's, then Brahma's, then Vaikunth's. Beyond these, the happiness of Golok is supreme, and ultimately, the bliss of God's Akshardham is infinitely superior."
5th - "It is not right to be proud in front of God or His saints. Instead, one should set aside pride, act as a humble servant of servants, and maintain humility."
7th - " Moreover, if, by chance, a person possessing such firm Upasana of the manifest form of God - never harboring any doubts of māyā being present in the form of God - were to behave unbecomingly due to the influence of bad company or due to the influence of his own prārabdha karmas, even then he would attain liberation. On the other hand, one who has doubts in realizing God in this way, even if he is a staunch, urdhvaretā brahmachāri and a great renunciant, attaining liberation would still be extremely difficult for him. "
Gadhada Middle
9th - -"The path of Gyan should be understood in such a way that one never disrespects the form of God. If, at any time, one fails to follow God's commands, it should not be a cause for worry. However, under no circumstances should one ever commit an offense against the form of God. While disobedience to God's commands can be forgiven through prayer, there is no remedy for disrespecting the form of God."
13th - "... And even as I speak to you, it feels as though I am sitting there, and I see you all sitting there as well. However, I do not perceive the village of Gadhada or this veranda. Whoever realizes this form will, like Me, remain unattached to the pleasures of the senses. Although you also see this divine form, you do not fully comprehend it. Once you truly understand this reality, you will effortlessly conquer desires for the five senses and traits like lust and anger."
"Without a firm understanding of the form of God, no matter how much renunciation one practices or how many fasts one undertakes, one's flaws will not be eradicated."
14th - "Just as once a person recognizes a neem tree, they no longer doubt whether it is a neem tree or not, similarly, if one has an unwavering realization of God's form and no longer harbors any doubts about it, regardless of the company they keep or the scriptures they hear, such absolute conviction is what we call oneness; and this is what we refer to as unwavering samadhi."
21st - "One who possesses villages, wealth, and riches in this world is extremely unhappy. Only those who do not have wealth, riches, or a kingdom are truly happy."
22nd - "In a kingdom, the queen's authority is described as the same as that of the king; and just as the king's command is obeyed, so is the queens." Similarly, the majesty of a saint is like that of God."
23rd - "However, one whose mind remains unchanged—neither heating up upon encountering unpleasant Vishay nor cooling down upon encountering pleasant ones—such a person should be recognized as a Param-Bhagwat Sant."
26th - "A devotee of God should never do anything that displeases God or His devotees and should also forsake anyone who obstructs his worship of God, even if they are close relatives. Similarly, like abandoning an enemy, one should renounce any trait that does not please God."
33rd - "If any male or female devotee in the Satsang fellowship happens to break their vow of non-lust, please do not inform me about it. When I hear such news, I feel deeply saddened—just as a childless couple would feel if their newborn son suddenly passed away. Indeed, in such moments, I feel inclined to withdraw from this Satsang and depart. Therefore, only those who uphold this vow are beloved to me; they and I will always have a strong bond, both in this world and beyond."
40th - "Truly, I have concluded that the damage and misery caused by betraying a devotee of God surpasses that of any other sin. Conversely, there is no spiritual practice that brings as much benefit and happiness to a person as serving a devotee of God through thought, word, and deed."
50th - "Because I only bond with those whose determination matches mine. However, if someone harbors desires for worldly pleasures, even if I attempt to develop affection for them, I cannot. Therefore, only those devotees of God who are free from worldly desires are dear to me. This is my personal principle." 56th - "True love for God exists only when one does not develop love for anything other than God. If someone has as much love for other objects as they do for God, their foundation is indeed very fragile." 59th - "When one attains God or His Sant, there is no other liberation beyond this; this itself is ultimate liberation. Furthermore, only those who have accumulated a great number of merits from performing good deeds receive the opportunity to serve God’s Sant, but those who have fewer merits do not." 61st - "If a householder is devoted, they would willingly surrender everything for God and His devotees, even sacrificing their life for Satsang when needed. Upon receiving the command from their chosen deity (Ishtadev), they would immediately transform into a paramhansa. Such a devotee, whether seated prominently or modestly among others, is esteemed as great among all devotees. Similarly, a renunciant who remains steadfast in their vows despite encountering worldly temptations during travels is revered as exceptional among renunciants." 62nd - "If a person desires liberation, they should dedicate their body, wealth, home, family, and relationships to the service of God. Moreover, they should renounce any object that does not contribute to serving God." Vadtal 1st - “For instance, once someone has firmly recognized a mango tree, even if overcome by lust, anger, or greed, they will not doubt whether it is a mango tree or not. Similarly, if a person has unwavering conviction in the manifest form of Shri Krishna Bhagwān, without any doubt, they have attained nirvikalp samādhi, regardless of whether they have controlled their prāns or not." 4th - “All the spiritual endeavors for attaining liberation are encompassed in maintaining the company - through thought, word, and deed - of a Sant who possesses the 32 attributes of a sādhu.” 5th - “Similarly, if one serves God and a Sant with the highest qualities with extreme love and equal dedication, then even if one is a lower-tier devotee destined to become a top-tier devotee after two, four, ten, or a hundred lives, one will become a devotee of the highest caliber in this very life. Such are the fruits of serving God and His devotee with equal devotion." 8th - “For instance, when one becomes as pure as a deity and then offers puja, the deity accepts the puja." 11th - “Therefore, intense love for the Satpurush is the sole means to realizing one’s ātmā; it is the only means to understanding the greatness of the Satpurush; and it is also the only means to having the direct realization of God." 12th - “One who has absolute faith believes, ‘From the day I attained God, my liberation has been assured. Moreover, anyone who has my darshan or listens to my talks will be freed from all sins and attain the highest state of enlightenment.’ Therefore, maintaining such faith along with the knowledge of God’s greatness, one should consider oneself fulfilled. All of you should constantly be aware of this fact." 16th - “Moreover, if ruling a kingdom yields as much happiness as worshiping God, then why did Swayambhu, Manu, and other great kings renounce their kingdoms and retreat to the forests for austerity? And if the happiness of women equals that of worshiping God, then why did King Chitraketu abandon 10 millions of women? Compared to the joy of worshiping God, the joy of the fourteen realms is said to be like (narak) hell. This is the secret of my inner conviction that I have revealed before you." 18th - “As I am your spiritual master, guru, and preceptor, you should not emulate My physical conduct." 19th - “Compared to the bliss of God's abode, the pleasures of worldly objects are like excreta. Just as worms dwelling in excreta perceive profound bliss in it, a human being would perceive excreta as utter misery. Therefore, one who has recognized God becomes an attendant of God. Henceforth, such a person should not abandon being an attendant of God by desiring to enjoy the pleasures of worldly objects like worms in excreta.'" Amdavad (Ahmedabad) 3rd - “All living beings are dependent on the five vishays (senses and their objects). They either physically enjoy them, or if physical association is not possible, they contemplate them within their antahkaran (inner being). However, a jiva (individual soul) cannot remain without thinking about or enjoying the vishays even for a moment. Take the example of a banyan tree: everyone knows that the greenery of a banyan tree is sustained by its roots. Even if all its roots except a few minor ones are uprooted, the banyan tree remains green. Similarly, one may have outwardly renounced the vishays, but if thoughts of them are entertained within, those thoughts become the cause of births and deaths." 7th - “I proceeded alone to the abode of Shri Purushottam Narayan, which transcends everything. There, I perceived myself as Purushottam; I did not see anyone superior to me. In this manner, I traveled through these realms and eventually returned to my body. Then, upon introspection, I realized that I am the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of all the brahmands (universes). In those countless brahmands, it is my divine radiance that illuminates countless Shivas, countless Brahmas, countless Kailas, countless Vaikunths, Golok, Brahmapur, and countless millions of other realms. What am I like? Well, if I were to shake the earth with the toe of my foot, the worlds of countless brahmands would begin to tremble. It is also by my radiance that the sun, moon, stars, and others shine brightly. Therefore, if one firmly grasps this understanding of my form, one's mind becomes absorbed in me—God—and does not stray towards anything else, just as a mind would never encounter infidelity." 8th - “If someone, whether a senior sadhu or a junior sadhu, becomes angry, one should first offer prostration (saṣṭāṅga daṇḍavat praṇām) to the person upon whom the anger was expressed. Then, with a heart full of humility, one should please that person by speaking gentle and sincere words, pleading and meekly. This is my command." Ashlali 1st - "Those devotees who understand the strength of their own actions but do not comprehend the strength and support of God, and who do not consider themselves to be in the form of Brahm, they are mistaken." "However, a devotee who maintains unwavering devotion towards the pratyaksh form of Purushottam Bhagwan and serves with dedication is known as a 'bhagwat-nishtārthi'. Such a devotee is the greatest and the most excellent." Jetalpur 1st - "The means to transcend Maya is as follows: When the jiva encounters the manifest form of Shri Purushottam Bhagwan, who is beyond Maya and the destroyer of Maya and all karmas, or when it meets the Sant who has realized that God, then by seeking their refuge, the jiva can transcend Maya. This realization enables the soul to overcome all obstacles and attain liberation." 3rd - "Among all vicious traits, egotism is deemed the most destructive. Notice how even those with minor flaws in other spiritual disciplines manage to continue in Satsang, but those plagued by egotism never sustain themselves." "Someone who remains equally unaware of the world in the waking state as in the state of deep sleep — such a person is esteemed highly in our Satsang." 4th - ” The matter is completely different for sants like you; who remain adherent to the religious niyams and vows. I shall now describe this: If someone offers a meal to you with faith, he gains the benefits of performing millions of sacrificial ceremonies and ultimately, he attains salvation. If someone touches your feet, the sins of his millions of births are destroyed. If someone gives you clothing with faith, he also attains supreme salvation. The rivers and lakes into which you dip your feet, all become pilgrimage sites; the trees under which you have sat, and the trees whose fruits you have eaten, all benefit. If someone performs darshan to you with faith, or bows down to you with faith, his sins are abolished. In fact, anyone to whom you deliver discourses about God or persuade to abide by the vows of the religious decree, attains salvation. In that manner, all the activities of those who abide by the religious decree and vows, such as youSantss, are the cause of salvation. The reason for this is that you have the resolute refuge of the Pratyaksh sage Shree Narayan, and that sage Shree Narayan is always presiding in your assemblies.” 5th - "Therefore, if you adhere to My teachings, I will lead all of you to the abode from where I have come. Understand that you have already achieved liberation. Moreover, if you maintain unwavering faith in Me and follow My instructions, I will protect you even if you face great hardships or the calamities of seven consecutive famines. Even in seemingly insurmountable miseries, I will safeguard you—but this protection is contingent upon your steadfast adherence to the dharma of My Satsang and consistent practice of satsang. If you neglect this, you will endure severe suffering, and I will not intervene." Gadhada Last 2nd - "I consider this assembly of satsangis to be superior to the assemblies in Shwetdwip, Golok, Vaikunth, and Badrikashram. I perceive all the devotees here as extremely radiant. I swear by this assembly of sādhus that there is not even the slightest untruth in what I say." 7th - "I shall now reveal My innermost principle. For a person who desires his own liberation, nothing in this world is more blissful than God and His Sant. Therefore, just as a person is deeply attached to his own body, he should be equally attached to God and His Sant. One should remain absolutely loyal to the Bhakta of God and never abandon this loyalty, even if it leads to increased or decreased reputation, honor or insult, or even life or death. One should never allow aversion towards them to develop. Additionally, one should not have as much affection for one's body or bodily relations as one has for the Bhakta of God." 11th - “If the devotee has profound attachment and deep love for God and His Bhakta, just as he has for his own body, then the type of bliss that prevails in nirvikalp samādhi will continue to remain forever, even without that samādhi.” 12th - "Furthermore, even if someone is considered a satsangi, if he perceives faults in God or His devotees, he should be regarded as a rabid dog. Just as one infected by the saliva of a rabid dog also becomes rabid, the scriptures provide methods to cure such physical ailments. However, for those who perceive faults in God or His devotees, no scripture offers a way to be released from such a sin." 13th - "Since we have offered our body, mind, and wealth to God, now only the will of God is our prārabdha; there is no other prārabdha for us. Therefore, regardless of whatever pain or pleasure we may encounter by the will of God, we should not become disturbed in any way. We should remain pleased with whatever pleases God." 14th - "So, because of the sinful tendency of harboring worldly desires, the jiva does not develop affection for God in any way." 17th - "Therefore, from the infinite types of sins that exist, it is an immensely grave sin for a disciple of God to have affection for anything other than God." 19th - “The first is lust and the second is affection for one's relatives. In my eyes, one who possesses these two undesirable traits is like an animal. Of these two, I have an extreme repulsion for one who has excessive affection for one's relatives." 24th - "If someone shows laziness in listening to such discourses, it can be inferred that they will not acquire significant virtues." 36th - “The most extraordinary spiritual endeavor for liberation is to recognize Purushottam Bhagwan as eternally existing in the form of the divine sakar Murti amidst the radiant mass of Brahm-jyoti. Understanding that all avatars emanate from Him, one should seek refuge in the manifest form of God with deep devotion. Alongside, one should practice devotion while adhering to righteous conduct and associate with a saint who possesses such devotion. This path constitutes the exceptional means for attaining salvation, free from any obstacles.” 38th - "It is this same supreme Purushottam Bhagwan who, out of compassion for the purpose of granting liberation to souls, manifests on this earth. He is visible to all, your chosen deity, and accepts your service. There is no distinction between the manifest form of Purushottam Bhagwan visible before you and the form in Akshardham; they are the same. Furthermore, this manifest form of Purushottam Bhagwan controls everything, including Akshar. He is the lord of all lords, the cause of all causes, and reigns supreme over all avatars. Therefore, He is deserving of being worshipped with undivided devotion by everyone." "Greed for wealth and other possessions, desire for intimacy with women, craving for different tastes by the tongue, identification with the body, attachment to bad company, and fondness for relatives—those who harbor these six traits will never find happiness, neither in this life nor even after death." 39th - "Māyā is simply the perception of 'I' towards the body and 'mine' towards anything related to it. These perceptions must be overcome. Those who transcend māyā are said to have truly conquered it. Indeed, this is the established principle in all scriptures—to overcome māyā and cultivate love for God. Great devotees have prayed to God, 'Protect us from the māyā of ego and possessiveness and grant us love for You. May we also find the company of saints who have transcended māyā and love You; may we develop affection and a sense of belonging towards them.' Therefore, we too should seek the same, and earnestly contemplate and meditate on this principle."
