Book 10 – Discourse
Narayan is the Supreme Principle word. This has been accepted by our Hindu culture or numerous sacred texts and many saints. Saint Shiromani Tulsidas Ji also, while writing the story of Lord Shri Ram, accepts his chosen deity Narayan. He writes very clearly in the Mangalacharan –
Neel sarohu syam tarun arun baarij nayan,
With a blue lotus-like complexion, youthful and dark, with reddish lotus-like eyes,
Karat so mam ur dhaam sada dheer saagar sayan
He ever resides in my heart, as He rests upon the ocean of serenity
Lord Shrimannarayana, who always rests in the ocean of calmness, please reside in my heart.
Meera also accepted the Supreme Principle of Narayan. She continued to worship Krishna. Krishna is indeed God – Krishna is God Himself. Vedvyas Ji Maharaj writes in Shrimad Bhagavat that Krishna is Narayan. Ram is Narayan. However, at the end, Meera said –
Pag ghoonghroo baandh Meera naachi re,
Tying anklets on my feet, Meera danced in devotion.
Main to mere Narayan ki, aap hi ho gayi daasi re
I have completely surrendered myself as a servant of my Lord Narayan
In the end, she accepted the Supreme Principle. Kabir Das Ji sang the praises of Ram. People consider Kabir as a worshiper of the formless, but he worshipped the tangible Ram. In the end, in the assembly of saints, he said –
Kahat Kabir suno bhai santo,
Kabir says, listen, O saintly ones,
Bhaj man Saarangpaani
O mind, chant the name of Saarangpani (Lord Vishnu/Krishna)
Sarangpani means Lord Narayan. There is no survival without remembering him.
This has been the message of numerous saints. Without this Supreme Principle, there can be no liberation. This name bestows Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kama (desire), and Moksha (liberation). Everyone has accepted this. In the Punjab region, Baba Nanak Dev Ji also says that I am very tired, I have become old –
Sar kape pag dagmage,
The head trembles, the legs stagger,
Bhayo jyoti te heena
The body has lost its radiance (vitality)
This is mentioned in the Guru Granth Sahib. My fear of death has not vanished. When I see the torments by Yama on the path of meditation, I start sweating –
Jab sant dayaal kripal bhaye mo par,
When the kind and compassionate saint showered grace upon me,
Tab yah baat bataayi,
Sarva dharm tab pooran hoi hai,
Nanak gahau Prabhu sharanai
Then he revealed this truth to me,
All dharmas are fulfilled only when,
O Nanak, one takes refuge in the Lord’s shelter
Without surrendering to God, the cycle of birth and death cannot end. It will continue. But I remained devoted to the formless. When I asked, Guru Maharaj indicated –
Naam, Niranjan, Neer Narayan
Baba is decreeing that I was a Nirankari, Guru Maharaj said that Nirankar has ended. Now you will only survive by worshipping the tangible, and its name is Narayan.
Nārāyaṇa kahate narak na jāye,
Chanting ‘Narayana’ prevents one from going to hell,
Nārāyaṇa seva sangala phal pāye
Serving Narayana grants all auspicious fruits
What are all the fruits – Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. You will obtain all these four substances merely by taking his name, merely by believing in him. They said that the Nirankari Nanak has ended, a new life is being given to you. Therefore, your name is – Nanakdas –
Nanak daasan kar daasa
Nanak is the servant of the Lord’s servants
You are being made a servant of servants. Nanak Dev Ji says that Baba has given me refuge in Narayan and said to me, “O Nanak! All the sorrows of the world – in materialism, there are sorrows, but in spiritualism, there are also great sufferings, and the remedy for all of them is in the word Narayan.”
My dear ones! The greatest suffering, the greatest sorrow is in being born and dying. In the mother’s womb, the being is hung upside down for 9 or 10 months. Those who are to be severely punished are ordered by the government to be hung upside down. The being hangs upside down there. There is no air there. Around the being, there is a fort of excreta and urine. It hangs in a small pouch. The mother drinks hot or cold, it affects the body but says nothing. How much suffering must there be, think about it, and the suffering of dying is a thousand times more because after birth we take on many relationships, wealth, and splendor.
I get so attached, so many desires increase in me, and it becomes very difficult to leave them. For wealth, house, family, bungalow, a person is ready to die or kill. Think about how much pain a soul feels at the time of leaving all these. According to the scriptures, “The pain of being stung by a thousand scorpions is the same as the pain of dying.” Seeing Yamaraja, urine flows out of fear, and one becomes unconscious. The throat chokes. Such a great pain it is! Nanak! Only Narayan can alleviate these pains. He has numerous names, one of which is ‘The Reliever of Suffering.’
Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam
Your Name is the destroyer of all sorrows
My dear ones! There is no difference between Rama, Krishna, Govind, and Gopal. Once, Baba Nanak was deeply troubled. He was pondering whether to worship Rama, Krishna, Govind, or Gopal. Such a concern troubled Guru Nanak Dev. Then his Guru Maharaj arrived, whose name was Bhakta Renu Ji. He was also a great devotee of Vaishnavas. He came and said, “Hey Nanak! What is the stress about?” He said, “There is no stress about anything.” Guru Maharaj said, “You are confused.” He writes –
Raam Raam Raam Raam Raam Raam Raam ur dhaariye,
Engrave ‘Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram’ in your heart.
Govind Keshav Madan Gopal ek kshan na bisariye,
Binavat Nanak sarv sukha karat bhauka ek Narayan
Never forget even for a moment Govind, Keshav, Madan Gopal.
Nanak prays— the one Narayan alone grants all happiness and removes fear
Remember everyone, but do not forget Narayan because the root essence is him –
Jo seenche tu mool ko, to fule phale aghaay
If you water the root, the plant blooms and bears abundant fruits
If you water the root, the plant will flourish and bear fruit. Rama, Krishna, etc., are his many forms, his many divine plays, all merge into him. Worship whoever you like. Hari Bol, Narayan Bol. This is what he has decreed in the Guru Granth Sahib.
My dear ones! Saints say that they speak from the saint’s perspective, but they do not speak from the saint’s perspective but from their own perspective. Yesterday, we told you that there is a flood of religions at this time. Every street has its own religion. In every street, there are two religious leaders. They spread various kinds of misconceptions among the people according to their own views, not religion.
Yesterday, I said the same thing – “There is only one steadfast religion.” No scripture, no book, or no saint has ever endorsed another religion. God has used the singular term for religion – “Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya”; “Whenever there is a decline in righteousness”; “Where there is Dharma, there is victory.” The Vedas also speak of one religion, so how can there be many religions, you think about it.
There is only one religion. There cannot be many religions. After following that religion, not a single sorrow can remain in human life. That God is the protector, compassionate, merciful. Why would he let us remain sad? To save ourselves from the flood of many religions, we appeal to you that, O human! Adopt that religion in which creation was made in the beginning. Baba Nanakdev Ji says –
Shabde dharti, shabde aakash,
Through the Word, the earth exists; through the Word, the sky exists.
Shabde shabd bhaya prakaash
Through the Word, divine illumination occurs
Created words, created religion, created the word Guru. Religion originated through that. If we follow the original religion, it is a very good thing. Our welfare will surely happen.
Yesterday I told you –
Sanatanstvam Purusho Mato Me.
You are the eternal (Sanatana) Supreme Person (Purusha), as I consider
In the Gita, Arjuna said this to Krishna. It means that God is the eternal, indestructible person and the soul is also eternal. Because God has said in the Gita –
Mamaivānśo jīvaloke jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
The living beings in this world are, in fact, My eternal fragments
The eternal soul is a part of me. So, my dear ones! When souls are eternal, and God is eternal, the path for both must also be eternal. If we want to go to Delhi and ask for the way to Agra, it will be completely wrong. Oh, the city you want to go to, you ask for its address and go in its direction. If someone going to Kolkata asks for the way to Mumbai, I would say that his intellect is corrupted, meaning his intellect has become flawed. When God says –
Sanatanstvam Purusho Mato Me, then our wandering is useless. Because of this wandering, the soul cries because the soul cannot have many husbands. The soul has one husband. The soul is one, so its husband is also one. She wants to meet her husband. She wants to ask about her husband.
If a sister’s or daughter’s husband is abroad and there is no news from him for four to six months, ask that sister or daughter. She will start feeling despondent. She will start wearing old, dirty clothes. She will not wash clothes, will not apply oil or soap. She will not go to the beauty parlor. When she receives a letter from her husband saying that he is happy, has secured a contract with a company for 3 years, and will receive a salary of five lakh rupees, and there is nothing to worry about. Such a small letter arrives. Upon receiving that letter, she becomes so happy that she cannot contain her joy for a minute. She immediately goes to the temple, bows, and says, “Baba! Your glory, your victory,” and at the same time, she will wear new clothes and inform the neighborhood, the sisters and daughters. In our Rajasthani language – ‘Hey sister! What has happened to you?’ Oh sister, don’t ask us this, what has happened! Just: something has happened. What has happened? She said, “I have come to distribute sweets.” Take sweets. She distributes sweets. ‘Hey sister! What is the reason for the sweets?’ Hey sister! Our news has come, about our husband. He is happy. So, I am distributing sweets.’
Oh, the soul is looking for its husband, the Supreme Being. You are getting trapped in various meditations and yogas. Aren’t you deceiving your soul by doing this? Oh, the soul will rejoice by listening to its husband, the Supreme Being. When the soul is happy, every pore of your body will stand up, and your inner soul which is in your heart will be pleased, then how will the body be sad, tell me.
To make the soul happy, it needs the name of its husband, the Supreme Being. It cannot be happy in any other way. In meditation, she sees her husband in a dream, but when does she distribute sweets? Tell me. And when a tangible letter arrives then she starts distributing sweets. And then in happiness, she will take out new clothes, apply tika, mehndi, kohl, and many other things. She will be joyous. Similarly, the soul has its husband as the Supreme Being. By turning away from the Supreme Being, we keep experiencing various kinds of sorrow. This is what I told you yesterday as well.
After humanity, this goal must be set. The goal must be set. Because we have become human, but if no goal is set, then our life has become useless. Nothing will be achieved.
If we set the goal of materialism, it has not lasted till today and it will not last. Whatever is born must die. Whether it is an antelope, a king, or a world teacher. Be it Ram or Krishna. If they came, they left. If we set the goal of materialism, then the goal for which this human body was given to us will not be achieved. Baba says –
Ek bhagati bhagwān, jih prāṇī ke nāhīn man,
One who does not have devotion to God in his heart,
Jaise sūkar svān, Nānak māne tāhi tan
Is like a pig or a dog; Nanak considers such a body worthless
This body has fallen lower than a pig or a dog, or it will fall or has fallen. When it turns away from the devotion of God, when it turns away from His remembrance, its state is like that. We must set the ultimate goal of life. To fulfill that ultimate goal, set small goals, no harm. In reality, they are not goals but needs of the ultimate goal, merely means. Like we set a goal that we have to give work to the idle children of Hapur. For that, we will set up a large factory.
The plan is made. For that factory, land is needed, buildings, machinery, raw materials are needed, and many things for the comfort and convenience of the artisans, officers are needed, like a dispensary, etc. We have to make a target that the building should be ready in how much time, when the machinery should be fitted. Even though these are small targets, in reality, they are just means to achieve the ultimate goal. Buildings, machinery are not the goal, they are means. The body, material objects, material circumstances are means, not the goal. The goal is salvation, to get rid of being born again and again and dying again and again, this is the goal of humanity. Materialism can be used or misused, it cannot be achieved. What is changeable itself, perishable, how will it be the support of the soul? The goal of the soul is only to attain the imperishable. The goal of the perishable is a deception. Taking the support of the perishable is a great folly.
Yesterday we said that God is not found in yoga. He is not found in meditation. Yogis can see, but cannot attain. The name of faith and union with God through the name of the Lord is yoga. The simple meaning of yoga is – union. Closing the eyes is not called yoga, holding the nose is not called yoga. Doing this is a mistake, it is the destruction of one’s life. Only time is being wasted. Nothing will be achieved by closing eyes and ears. The Supreme Being resides in the name. He is the one with the name. He is tangible and always resides in the name. It cannot be that He does not reside in it.
Our scriptures, Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, and Smritis have declared the form and prayed to the form. In Krishna’s prayer, it is mentioned –
Vaṁśī-vibhūṣita-karān nava-nīrada-ābhāt,
With hands adorned by the flute, resembling a fresh raincloud in complexion,
Pītāmbarād aruṇa-bimba-phalādharoṣṭhāt,
Pūrṇendu-sundara-mukhād aravinda-netrāt,
Kṛṣṇāt paraṁ kimapi tattvam ahaṁ na jāne
Dressed in yellow garments, with lips like a red bimba fruit,
With a face as beautiful as the full moon and eyes like blooming lotuses—
Beyond Krishna, I know of no higher truth
A detailed description of Lord Krishna’s form has been made. A detailed description of Lord Rama’s form has been done by Saint Tulsidas.
Nīlāmbuja-śyāmala-komalāṅgaṁ,
I bow to Lord Rama, the Lord of the Raghu dynasty,
Sītāsamāropita-vāma-bhāgam,
Pāṇau mahāsāyaka-cāru-cāpaṁ,
Namāmi Rāmaṁ Raghunātha-nātham
Who has a dark, tender complexion like a blue lotus,
Who has Goddess Sita seated on His left side,
And who holds a great bow and a beautiful arrow in His hand
A detailed description of the form –
Śāntākāraṁ bhujagaśayanaṁ padmanābhaṁ sureśaṁ,
I bow to Lord Vishnu, the one who removes the fear of worldly existence,
Viśvādhāraṁ gaganasadṛśaṁ meghavarṇaṁ śubhāṅgam,
Lakṣmīkāntaṁ kamalanayanaṁ yogibhir-dhyānagamyam,
Vande Viṣṇuṁ bhavabhayaharaṁ sarvalokaikanātham
Who is peaceful in nature, reclining on the serpent (Shesha),
From whose navel springs a lotus (the seat of Brahma), and who is the Lord of all gods.
He is the foundation of the universe, vast like the sky, dark as the clouds, and of auspicious form.
He is the consort of Lakshmi, the lotus-eyed one, attainable through meditation by yogis,
And the sole Lord of all worlds
My point is this, dear ones! Who knows where today’s religious leaders have found those texts, where they have read, where they have studied, or where they have heard that they are abandoning the Vedas, Puranas, and scriptures to run their own religion. It could be the religion of Ravana, a tamasic religion. Where there is no endorsement of the Vedas, no approval of the Gita, and no essence of the Ramayana. It is found, where there is no amalgamation of other texts, that religion may be there, but it is a demonic religion. If you move towards demonic religion, my dear ones! Why should we destroy our humanity?
Lord Krishna is saying –
Mamaivāṁśo jīvaloke jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
The living beings in this world are, in fact, My eternal fragments
The soul is my part. People nowadays ask for proof, what is the proof? Our ten fingers are marked with the symbols of the conch and chakra. Even after this, if you wander, it is your choice. We belong to the one who has the conch and chakra symbols. If we consider ourselves to belong to someone else, it is your choice.
My dear ones! We think we will do it tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow. The entire society is in a state of ‘chanting and chanting constantly’. A neighbor said that Baba teaches meditation, we will learn meditation. Did he truly awaken the Anahata sound? He said, yes, yes, he did. This is the condition in our society.
What is that religion that has been continuing since time immemorial? You say, “Hail the eternal religion.” Everyone says it. Have you ever thought about what that eternal religion is that you are hailing? And it is said that these Babas are sitting with long tilaks, see this (pointing to their forehead) but you sing, every child sings, teachers make them sing in school –
Aao bachchon tumhein dikhayein, jhaanki Hindustan ki,
Come, children, let me show you a glimpse of Hindustan.
Is mitti se tilak karo, yeh mitti hai balidaan ki
Apply a tilak with this soil, for this is the land of sacrifice
They make children sing this. Don’t they say so? They only say … look at this sect, it is providing practical experience – I am asking for this blessing, may I never be away from your lotus feet, may I continue to serve your lotus feet, may I remember you, may I listen to your satsang.
No matter how undeserving a person is, when the sound of Narayana enters him, he will no longer remain undeserving but will become deserving. Lord Krishna says in the Gita – Arjuna!
Api chet su-durāchāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk,
Even if a person of extremely bad conduct worships Me with exclusive devotion,
Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ
He should be considered a saint, for he is rightly resolved
Lord Krishna says that no matter how sinful a person is, if he worships me, he is a saint. In the Gita, Lord says –
Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja,
Abandon all forms of dharma and surrender unto Me alone.
Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
I will liberate you from all sins; do not grieve
Do not worry about anything, do not grieve about anything. Accept my refuge. Surrender does not mean just saying that I surrender to you. Mere words will not suffice, my dear ones! Absolutely not. There are certain conditions for surrender. Those conditions must be followed. If worry and grief arise in the mind, they obstruct the state of surrender. Oh, good man! You have surrendered to me and still worry, then what kind of surrender is that? Surrender means that you are mine and I am yours. This is called surrender. I am yours and you are mine. This is the essence. Accepting is what surrender means. You don’t need to ask for anything. In this context, there is a historical account.
Kunti was crying in the forest. She wasn’t crying for sorrow, but her tears of love were flowing. She was looking at the form of Lord Krishna, remembering Him, and crying with His name. Tears of joy were flowing. At that moment, a saint arrived. He said, “Mother Kunti; Mother Kunti!” Her eyes opened. She said, “Come, saint.” The saint said, “Why are you crying? What sorrow is making you cry? The Lord is your friend, your companion, your relative. He is your deity, your beloved deity. You remember His name. Is this the result that you don’t get food on time, that thorns pierce your feet? You cry. Is this the result?” Hearing this, Mother Kunti fell silent. She remained silent and then said, “Mahatma Ji! This does not befit you to say. I am not crying out of sorrow. Tears of love came to me remembering my Lord out of love. I don’t need wealth. Saint! You are not a saint. You shouldn’t speak these words.” The saint said, “Mother Kunti! What mistake did I make? When the Lord is your relative, your protector, the lord of the three worlds, then why are you living in poverty? What wrong did I say?” Kunti said, “Saint! You have said absolutely wrong. The Lord is very compassionate, merciful, very joyful, very gentle.” The saint said, “How?” Kunti said, “Like this – our sons violated the scriptures. It is a great sin to insult someone in society. They made fun of Duryodhana, isn’t this a sin? Mentioning gambling is itself a sin. Didn’t my sons gamble? Didn’t they commit a great sin?
If an ignorant person commits a sin, it is understandable. These educated people are surrendered to God, yet they gamble. Did those people not commit a crime? Gamblers face ruin. When Lord Shiva and Parvati gambled, they ended up in a conflict. They didn’t speak to each other for a long time. Wherever gambling occurred, ruin followed. Didn’t my sons commit this heinous crime? Didn’t I pray to God for the kingdom? Isn’t this my crime? Oh, He is the omniscient Lord. Despite such great crimes, He is protecting our lives. Oh Mahatma, why don’t you say that He saved my children from many dangers, protected our lives for 12 years, led us towards penance, and gave us joy?
Today’s devotees, after surrendering to God or Guru, complain that they surrendered but didn’t receive anything. Oh, you will get what no one in this world has received. Just wait.
Pūrva janma kā lahanā pāī
One reaps the consequences of past births
Put your hand on your heart and see; you have committed numerous heinous crimes against the Supreme Being. Yet, God and the saints keep embracing you, continually protecting you. They do not let you be deprived of food. Isn’t this sufficient protection? Think about it. Kunti said that she is weeping for God’s name, indifferent to materialism. If He gives, it is very good, and if He doesn’t, it is also very good.
Surrendering to wealth is not surrendering to God. If we need something from Him, then we have surrendered to the need. True surrender is considered that even if he is naked, hunchbacked, a fakir, black or lame, whether he is a millionaire, billionaire, or anything; he belongs to God. What do we have to do with that? We are concerned with the friendship, not his deeds. O Narayana! We have surrendered to you. What are you? What do you do? What do we have to do with it? That is called surrender. After surrender, not a single trouble remains. Valmiki surrendered –
Ulṭā nām japat jag jānā,
By chanting the divine name in reverse, the whole world witnessed,
Bālmīki bhae Brahma samānā
Valmiki transformed and became one with Brahman (the Supreme)
People say that Valmiki chanted the reversed name ‘Mara Mara.’ This is absolutely wrong. One who can say ‘Mara’ can also say ‘Rama.’ The meaning of reverse is that he turned away from materialism and turned towards the spiritual world. Then he took the name of Rama and became Brahma.
My dear ones! We do not want to be completely away from household life. By distance, I do not mean becoming a monk. For one hour, half an hour, one minute, 5 minutes of worship, at least leave the household and say, “O Lord! You are mine.” Do this. After surrender, you will lack nothing, this is certain. Tell me, which rosary did the Gopis in Vrindavan chant? Or did any yogi teach them yoga? They would beat Uddhava, the knowledgeable one, but let him go. Grandma said, why do you keep following him? Laughing and chatting about trivial matters.
The body is there. It is a physical body, worship the formless, worship Brahman. But they said – Uddho! The mind cannot be ten or twenty. Oh, Uddho! Our minds cannot be ten or twenty. We had one mind, and it got attached to Shyam. Now what should we do? We accepted the physical form, we are ruined, we are lost. Now what to do? Uddhav Ji! Just go quietly.
Ūdho to sūdhō bhayō
Uddhava became enlightened (or wise)
That Uddho became wise and lay down at the feet of the Gopis and kept turning over the wisdom bundle. He did not have any consciousness. Many days passed. The conversation in the wisdom bundle happened with the Gopis. He kept returning there. He remained hungry and thirsty for many days. Tears kept falling from his eyes. And he fought with Radha Krishna Ji that you deceived me. Oh, you did not tell me about the real worship of the physical form. You were deceitful. You kept trapping me in yoga and meditation. They said, “Oh Uddhav! Until the soul attains knowledge, I do not let it see the physical form. So you keep wandering.” Uddho started saying that now I will not wander anymore, he fell at their feet.
The state of surrender is such a thing that after surrendering, we do not have any worries. Sisters’ daughters get married. Before the marriage, when the father comes home and discusses it, the girl tells her friends that today a great thing happened. Friends say what happened sister? “What happened sister? Oh today our father was talking to us happily that we saw a boy.” Happiness spreads. When the engagement is finalized, then in every house, in the family, among the neighbors,
She goes around telling her friends that she is engaged. My dear ones! She was so happy. And then she got married. Initially, she used to say, “Mother! I can’t live without you even for a minute, I will die. It would be impossible for me to live even for a minute without you. I will die if I separate from you.” “Mother! I can’t leave you, I will die,” and when she got married and came back to her mother’s house, the mother says, “Daughter, stay for two days.” She says, “Mother! Forgive me. I can’t stay even for a minute.” Oh, the one who was ready to die for her mother now says, “Mother! I can’t stay the night. I have to go back in a hurry. I have to make potato parathas for him in the morning, I have to prepare yogurt for him. He likes fenugreek curry, I have to cook for him.” The mother says, “You used to say you would die without me.” But now she says, “Now I will die without him.”
Tell me, after getting married does that girl bring a mill from her house? Or does she bring a sack of flour? Or a sack of rice? Or a sack of sugar? The one she has surrendered to, he builds the house, brings the flour, makes all the arrangements, organizes the living because she has surrendered. I am giving the example of surrender, not for laughter; just as a wife lives in surrender to her husband, she works all day for him, she adorns herself for him, applies cream and powder for him, keeps her body healthy for him. She does all this not for society but for her husband. This is called surrender.
The Gopis used to work many times harder than us. Today, all the work is done by machines. They had a single sentiment – “Oh God! I am churning this for You.” These children are Yours, this house is Yours, I am Yours, my husband is Yours. They had a sense of surrender. Although they ate more than us, they ate it considering it as God’s prasad (offering). “Oh Lord! This is Your gift. It is the prasad of Your grace.” Today, we relish our food without even mentioning God’s name. They do not even eat it. Still, we can offer the food before them. We should eat prasad only after offering it to God and Guru. That food is grains, and eating it without offering it to God is like eating sin.
I gave the example that the wife does everything for her husband. Similarly, we should do everything for the Supreme Being. “Oh Lord! I am working for You. I am doing this job for the sake of Your children. Baba! They are Yours! I have made this bread for You. I eat it as prasad.” My dear ones! I assert, I claim, it is true that if you weigh and offer the food to Thakur Ji (God), I guarantee that there will be an increase of 10 grams in a kilo. If it does not increase by 10 grams, then Baba Ji is false. The 10 grams that increase have become prasad. God has proìmvided His nectar to you. It has brought prosperity. In houses where food is not offered to God, there is no prosperity. They keep offering grains every eighth day. And if someone comes, they keep making vegetables three times. Why? Because there is no prosperity there. Offer the food to Thakur Ji, and keep the prasad, it will bring prosperity, and the children’s intelligence will improve.
Everything will improve. The husband will be pleased, the ancestral gods will be pleased, and Thakurji will be pleased. I am telling you a simple solution, my dear ones! The essence of three days. You people should take simple measures and worship God wherever and whenever you want. I read a story in Bhaktamal.
A devotee was taking the name of God – Ram Ram, Sita Ram, Govind, Gopal. And where was he doing this? While going to the toilet. Hanuman Ji passed by. He felt very bad. He said, “Lowly, undeserving, foolish child, you are taking the holy name of my master in such an unholy place.” While walking, Hanuman Ji swung his stick in the air, just the air, did not hit. He swung the stick and moved on. The poor fellow fainted. Meanwhile, Hanuman Ji was going to meet Ram Ji. When Hanuman Ji reached Ram Ji, Ram Ji was groaning – “Oh, I am dead, oh, I am dead. That undeserving, that low Hanuman, he broke my hands and feet. Oh, I am dead.” Hanuman Ji is listening. Lord Ram, with eyes closed, says – “That wicked Hanuman, that sinful Hanuman, he broke my hands and feet, he gave me pain, oh, I am dead, oh, I am dead.” Hanuman Ji said, “What is my Ram Ji saying?” He woke him up. Ram Ji did not open his eyes, turned away. “Oh, if that Hanuman comes before me, I don’t know what I will do.” Hanuman Ji said – “Maharaj Ji! This servant Hanuman is standing before you.” Ram Ji said – “Hanuman! Did you meet any of my devotees on the way? What was he doing?” Hanuman Ji said, “He was going to the toilet chanting ‘Jai Sitaram, Jai Sitaram.’ I did not like it.” Lord said – “Oh, fool! You troubled him, he is my devotee. One can take my name at any time, in any condition, at any place, be it holy or unholy, there is no harm in it. The name is taken with life and faith. The name and life never go to the toilet. While going to the toilet, one should not worship God. There is no provision for worship, but one can take the name like the Gopis did. Sisters and daughters! You should also take the name in the same way. When you cook, say – “Hey Thakurji Baba, Guru Baba! I am cooking for you.” If you cook for us, how will it work? We will see. If something falls short, our name will be defamed. If you take our name and cook and suppose one day there is no food, then you won’t be hungry, I will be. I will find a way to earn and bring it to you. But you take my name. You cook and eat yourself, have you ever said, “Hey Baba! You also eat, Lord you also eat.” This is called supreme power, this is called supreme surrender. Once surrendered, nothing remains. Then your sacrifices, your charity, your merits; do less, do more but do it for God, God is yours and you are God’s.
You are educated. I remained illiterate. Always failed in the third grade. Could never pass the third grade. I took up the job of a town crier. A town crier does not need much education. He doesn’t need to be B.A., M.A. An illiterate also beats the drum. Actually, there are only four grades – Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. I have spent many lives in Dharma, Artha, and Kama, but I deliberately fail in the third grade. So that God gives me more lives so that I can beat his drum and beat and beat and I keep getting beaten. For this reason, I intentionally fail in the third grade. I am not interested in attaining salvation. I have a credit card; I will attain salvation whenever I want, but I don’t want to know it now.
You all are educated people. You must have studied algebra in school. In it, ‘suppose’ is used, which means to assume, like a, b, c, or anything – x, y, z. If you do not assume, the answer will not come. Suppose Ram, suppose Krishna, suppose Narayan, suppose Hari. Assume the one who is the lord of the world. Assuming is what is called surrender. And what is surrender? Assuming you are the supreme being, I am your soul. From today I will serve you. I will serve the house, I will serve society, I will serve children, I will serve society by considering it as your service. I will see you in everything. I will see the goddess Lakshmi in my wife. I will not take service, I will only give service. This is called surrender. If you do not assume, the answer will not come. Algebra is an English word. If you remove ‘L’ from it, zebra remains. And zebra means a striped donkey. If we remain crooked like ‘L’ wondering where God resides, what is the use of Babajis, where does Thakurji reside, then we will remain donkeys. We will walk like donkeys carrying loads. Nothing will be achieved. Human life will go in vain. So assume. Life will be successful. Surrender becomes a big play. It saves from many big diseases.
I have told you the story of the lion and the goat many times that a goat was left alone in the forest. She had the marks of the lion’s paws.
I sought refuge in the mark. If any wild animal came, it would say that I am under the protection of the one whose footprints these are. No one ate it. In the end, even when the goat told the lion that she was under the protection of the one with these marks, the lion did nothing to her. Instead, the lion called the elephant and told him to carry the goat on his back and take her home. This is the miracle of surrender! In our Rajasthani language, we say –
Khoj pakad vishram le, dhani mile lo aay,
Seek, hold on, and rest—your Master has arrived.
Gajiya gaj mastak chadhi, ghar pahunchi hai jaay
Like an elephant that climbs atop the royal seat, it reaches home
Rest means support, trust. My dear ones! If you take the support of God’s name, the support of His feet, then God will take you to His supreme abode, will take you beyond the Vaitarani river. He will take you across the Karmanasha river and beyond the Girija river to the divine Vaikuntha realm. There, poor Yamaraj will have no jurisdiction. Yamaraj will not speak at all, he will remain completely silent.
My prayer is that those who practice yoga, meditation, etc., should leave all that from today and take the name of God, take refuge in His feet if they want to improve their lives. Otherwise, it’s your choice, do what you like. It makes no difference to us. Our commission is going on. Whether you buy goods or not, we will get the commission. We will say that we went to Haripur, and those people did not agree, what can we do. And if you agree, we will appeal for you. It’s a guaranteed thing. As companions of God, raising our hands high, we say that we will appeal that your word was accepted in Haripur. Settle in Haripur, and flourish there.
Give, make joy. And if you do not buy my goods, then my dear ones! Then there is Hapur of Haripur, what can we do? If you follow what Babaji says, my dear ones! I guarantee this on behalf of my master, not from myself, my master says that there will be greenery again in Haripur, there will be joy again, if you follow Babaji’s words.
(A three-day satsang of Shri Guru Maharaj Ji was held in Hapur. Some excerpts from his discourses are printed here. The message of Guru Maharaj is not only for the residents of Hapur but for the entire human race, just as Lord Krishna’s message in the Gita was not only for Arjuna but for the entire human race.)
Summary
Sri Guru Maharaj Ji emphasizes the supreme importance of “Narayan” as the ultimate reality, which has been acknowledged in Hindu scriptures, by great saints like Tulsidas, Meera Bai, Kabir Das, and Guru Nanak. They all recognized that devotion to the divine name of Narayan leads to liberation. The teachings highlight that the cycle of birth and death brings immense suffering, and only surrender to Narayan can relieve one from these pains. Scriptures and saints affirm that chanting “Narayan” ensures righteousness (Dharma), prosperity (Artha), fulfillment of desires (Kama), and ultimately, liberation (Moksha). Guru Nanak initially followed the formless aspect of God (Nirankar) but later realized the significance of the personal form of Narayan. True devotion transcends sectarian differences, as Krishna, Rama, Govind, and Gopal are all manifestations of the same Supreme Being.
Guru Maharaj warns against the confusion created by multiple religions and sects that deviate from the original Sanatan Dharma. He reiterates the eternal truth spoken in the Gita, where Krishna declares that all beings are His eternal fragments and that surrendering to Him is the ultimate path to salvation. True surrender does not mean mere verbal acceptance but complete trust in God’s will, eliminating worries and material attachments. He narrates stories of saints and devotees who attained divine grace through surrender, illustrating that material goals are temporary while the ultimate goal of human life is salvation. The discourse concludes by urging people to abandon superficial practices and embrace wholehearted devotion to the divine name, ensuring spiritual fulfillment and eternal peace.
Important Points
- Narayan is the supreme reality acknowledged in scriptures and by saints across traditions.
- Saints like Tulsidas, Meera Bai, Kabir, and Guru Nanak emphasized devotion to Narayan.
- The greatest suffering is the cycle of birth and death, which only Narayan can break.
- Chanting Narayan’s name grants Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha.
- Guru Nanak initially followed Nirankar but later realized the significance of personal devotion.
- The confusion of multiple religions deviates from the eternal Sanatan Dharma.
- Krishna declares in the Gita that all beings are His eternal fragments.
- True surrender to God removes all worries and material attachments.
- Material goals are temporary; the ultimate goal is salvation.
- Mere rituals and meditation are ineffective without surrender to God.
- The Supreme Being is always present in His name; chanting connects directly to Him.
- Surrender is exemplified by devotees like Kunti, Valmiki, and the Gopis.
- The Gopis achieved ultimate devotion through their unconditional love for Krishna.
- Faith in God and offering daily actions as service to Him bring prosperity and spiritual progress.
- The essence of life is complete trust in God’s will, leading to liberation.
