Surrender – Satsung 1 (05 Dec 1999)
Dear ones! The essence or reality of human life is the work you are doing at this time. The name of God, the singing of God’s praises, the glorification of God—this is the supreme essence, the essential element of Kaliyuga. The work that is appropriate for the era is the supreme essence. In this Kaliyuga, the greatness of God’s name, its singing, and its glorification are the supreme essence, and this is also the essence of satsang. It is the essence of the Vedas, the essence of the Smritis, and therefore the essence of the Puranas.
Kaliyuga is solely based on the name. By singing the praises of Keshava in Kaliyuga, one attains liberation, which means fear is removed. By singing the praises of Hari, one attains liberation. This is the true deed of mankind, the true deed, and this is why man has come here. Oh, wealth, house, and property were there in hell—they must have been there too, ready-made. There must be beautiful houses in both hell and heaven. And if one goes to the divine realm, he will surely get a house. Even when one goes to jail, there is a cell. Why worry day and night for it, tell me? Baba Nanakdevji says:
“One who does not have love for God, in his heart is like a pig or a dog. Nanak says, consider him as such.”
That person’s body has become worse than a pig or a dog. They can appeal, “Oh Lord! What can we do? You have given us such a birth. You made us a donkey, what can we do?” In that situation, they can appeal, but after getting a human body, they cannot even appeal.
To blame the Lord for the effects of time is false. We will make false excuses there, saying, “Oh God! We did not get time, forgive us. We were born in such a poor household that we died earning and eating. When we had more money, we got tired managing it. Sometimes income tax officers, sometimes sales tax officers, sometimes thieves, sometimes ruffians, sometimes goons kept coming to our place, and we died guarding it. We did not have time; it was not written in our fate. Oh God! What can we do? You did not incline us towards You and gave us more afflictions.” All these are false blames, false excuses, and your appeal will be dismissed, mine will also be dismissed.
Yamaraja! Working in the ashram keeps us very late. Last night too, we worked until one o’clock. But if we use these as excuses, they will not be accepted. The appeal will be dismissed. After obtaining a human body, if we do not perform devotion to God, good deeds, good inspirations, good intellect, meaning good deeds, then the appeal cannot be made. What can be done now? The human body is only for devotion to God, for satsang, for doing good deeds, and for establishing humanity. You are sitting in the dense forest, for the work you have come, this is the real humanity. This makes human life meaningful.
This makes God happy, and the deities feel envious that if they were humans, they too would listen to satsang, live under the Guru’s protection, chant “Wahe Guru,” and keep saying “Jai Satgurudev.” Now, what can we do? We have become so engrossed in luxury (worldly pleasures) that we cannot even go. The deities are feeling envious of you. The primal goddess, Sri Devi, Goddess Lakshmi, and Shriman Narayan are extremely pleased. Mother Sri Devi is even more pleased that my children have gone to the earth and are engaging in such good deeds. Do you think God is not watching you? Every moment is being photographed there. Every minute is being recorded. He is the ruler of the entire universe, the omnipresent. He is present in every atom, in every particle. His influence is spread everywhere. He is also in the netherworld. He takes pictures of the netherworld too. Isn’t our photography happening? Surely, it is happening. Mother Lakshmi is very pleased to see that my devotee or my son or my part is listening to satsang. He is doing such good deeds. She forgets the wrong deeds done before. Our true deeds are what we are doing now. Whether we get knowledge here or not, it doesn’t matter. We have come to Him. Attendance is complete. Coming here, we get the benefit that we should get. Whether we get Vedantic teachings or not, whether we get scriptural teachings or not, but we have come for you. We have come to this ashram for your name.
In this materialistic world, no one has even a minute of time, I have heard this from many people. Tell me, in today’s era, there is no time even to die. Even in that time, you manage to find time. Will He not mark our attendance? Will He not take our photograph?
Is today’s day not significant for us? Whatever we have done, we have done; but this too, we have done. These are our true witnesses. Our true witnesses are: whatever you take and give will go with you. What did you take? The name of God. And what did you give? A piece of bread, some refreshment, or anything, provided service; and took the name of God. These are your two true witnesses. They will never fail you. Wherever you go, they will go with you. Relationships of the world, like parents, siblings, etc., are there, I do not deny them. But these relationships last only as long as the body does. Once the body is gone, no relative or friend goes along, no one gives testimony.
What is a true relationship? — Dharma and Karma. What you are doing is called Karma. Karma is not the name of a business. There are many businesses in the world, but they are not Karma. True Karma is what you are doing now. This is called Karma. What is done for God, for humanity, for the nourishment of the soul, is called Karma.
What is Dharma? — That which sustains is Dharma. There is no Dharma like serving others. The work you are doing for others is Dharma. Here, you are carrying soil, breaking stones, doing service. Will your children stay here? Our children will not stay here; they will only come. Millions and billions of others’ children will also come here. Therefore, the work being done for the welfare of others is the highest Dharma. You have come for God, taking His name, this is Karma. Whether you came on foot, by bus, or by truck, everyone came, but not all have their own means.
What you have done here is true Karma. Karma and Dharma will both be your witnesses. They will endorse it. Dharma will say that it is the guarantor, it testifies that you have done selfless service. Karma says that you have gone to satsang for humanity. We testify to this. What else you have done, you know best. If one strong witness is found, my dear ones, all cases are dismissed.
Your coming here is very beneficial. Thank you, again and again, thanks to your mothers, thanks to your fathers, who gave you birth on this earth, because the mother gives birth to devotees, donors, or heroes. Each of you sitting here has three qualities. What can be more devotional than this? You have given continuous service, monetary service day and night here. You are also donors. The one who gives one crore is not the only donor; the one who gives a penny is also a donor. Whoever gives is a hundred donors. Whether one gives a crore, a rupee, or a penny. The scriptures do not say that only the one who gives a crore rupees is a donor. What is given is not written, but something given with feeling, devotion given, service given, is the gift. Heroes are said to be strong. Here, sisters and daughters have done service by climbing the second floor. Is the one who beats the neighbor a hero? One who makes the neighborhood dance by force, is he a hero? Absolutely not, he is a villain doing bad deeds. The one who puts all his strength into good deeds is the hero. I see all three qualities in you. I am not flattering, I am seeing, hence saying. You are strong in all three ways. The mother has given birth to donors, devotees, and heroes.
Therefore, I thank you repeatedly. You are thanked, and the next three generations and the previous three generations are also thanked.
By merely the name of Lord Shrimannarayana, by mere devotion to Him, by merely accepting Him, one is liberated.
Not by studying, nor by performing yajnas. What religion did the elephant follow? What Vedas did it read? What Smritis did it study? Nothing. It simply called out with heartfelt emotion: Narayana. The elephant could only say “Nar” before it was saved. Ajamil’s salvation was done, the prostitute’s salvation was done by just one word. Note the special thing: the full word was not even spoken. Neither was Draupadi allowed to speak. Ajamil had just said “Nara” and God arrived. He comes even at half a word; such is the greatness of God. And we have come to serve Him. We have come to remember His name. We have heard His name with our ears, spoken it with our mouths, and danced with our hearts. Will these testimonies not stand? These are strong testimonies. They will overrule minor testimonies. One testimony is enough.
Further, what we call satsang, you all know the meaning of satsang. We should say it again. We speak repeatedly for food. We speak in the morning, then again in the afternoon, then we fall silent, then we speak again in the evening. And for clothes, we speak at least once in 24 hours, and some like Sheetal Swami speak four times a day to change clothes. So, we repeat daily. There is no sin in repeatedly saying God’s name or satsang.
Some of our beloved followers like Rakesh say that Guru Maharaj keeps saying the same things repeatedly. Well, you also eat the same bread and vegetables, sometimes mentioning laddoo. Then you say, make dal and roti. Now if I say, “Brother! Why do you keep repeating the same name? Change it every day.” How much will you change by changing it? In the end, you will come back to the old one. Well, have halwa, have puri, have kheer, but then you will again ask for roti. So, repeatedly saying the same thing is what preaching is. That is, I would say that supporting the truth is satsang. Accepting the truth is satsang. Listening to good things, saying good things—that is the essence of “sat.” Sat naam is the name of the best. Listening to and accepting the best things is satsang. The name of acceptance is satsang. Do not accept bad things; put a seal of approval on the best things, take them into your heart—that is satsang.
What should be said in today’s satsang?
The trustees have not said anything. What do they want? We do not know. The satsang here happens according to their will, and the satsang outside happens according to our will. Whatever we want, we can say. Outside, we do freestyle wrestling and say whatever comes to mind. And here, we are bound by them. What can we do, tell us. The lion sometimes has to come to the cage. Please quickly tell us what topic you want to hear about today. Time is passing by. Do not delay. If you do not say anything, today we will also do freestyle here.
Curiosity
Shri Guru Maharaj! For some time, I have had a perplexity within me. This time, I have decided that I will definitely present this question to you. And I understand that there are hundreds of devotees like me sitting here. Everyone must have such curiosities in their minds. I am presenting my curiosity to you.
Due to the condition of materialism, a person’s mind and brain are troubled. Today, our problems have increased so much, both at home and outside, in business, that there is no peace at any time. We are sitting in satsang, but our heart and mind are surrounded by those circumstances. The same worries are running in our minds: how will I get out of debt? I have a court case tomorrow, what will happen to it? We cannot receive the full benefit of satsang. On the other hand, there is a flood of various religions in the world. Because of this, humans feel that they are surrounded and trapped from all sides. Therefore, I would like to ask, Shri Guru Maharaj! Please tell us how we can come out of this swamp of worries and enjoy the satsang. Thank you.
Nārāyaṇam namaskṛtya naraṃ caiva narottamam,
After offering obeisance to Lord Nārāyaṇa, the supreme among men (Nara),
Devī Sarasvatīṃ Vyāsaṃ tato jaya mudīrayet,
Namo brahmaṇyadevaya go brāhmaṇa hitāya ca,
Jagat hitāya kṛṣṇāya govindāya namo namaḥ,
Namo kamalanābhāya namaḥ paṅkaja māline
Namaḥ paṅkaja netrāya śrī govindāya namo namaḥ
And to the Goddess Sarasvatī and Sage Vyāsa, one should then invoke victory.
Salutations to the deity who is the protector of dharma, who is the benefactor of cows and Brahmins, and who brings welfare to the world
Salutations again and again to Lord Kṛṣṇa, Govinda.
Salutations to the one with a lotus-like navel, who wears a garland of lotuses, and whose eyes are like lotuse
Salutations to Śrī Govinda, again and again.
Solution
One of our satsangis has just asked this question. Many religions have discussed this.
Due to this, we have become confused. My beloved! There is no need to be confused. This same confusion happened to Dharmaraj Yudhishthir Ji. Yudhishthir Ji was the incarnation of Dharma. The incarnation of Dharma should not have any doubt. But even he had it. He also asked his Satguru Dev, his Acharya Bhishma Pitamah Ji the same question that you have asked. He says, “What is the supreme duty among all duties according to your opinion?”
Oh Guru Maharaj! Oh Acharya Ji, I have developed a great doubt. There are countless religions. Among them, what is the best religion, according to you? What an intelligent question it is. Leave aside the opinion of the Vedas; tell us your opinion. He had studied all the four Vedas, 27 Smritis, all the Puranas, and six scriptures thoroughly. He beautifully said, “What is it according to your opinion?” And what is Dharma? There are 33 crore gods and goddesses. When my eyes fall upon these deities, I become confused. Therefore, who is venerable among them? Who is the one whose mere remembrance ends the cycle of birth and death? How can one be saved? What is the essential name?
Bhishma Pitamah began to say, “Oh Dharmaraj Yudhishthir Ji! If you say according to my opinion, then my opinion cannot be separate. The same is the opinion of the scriptures, the Vedas, the Puranas, the histories, the Upanishads, and my opinion is also the same: that there is one supreme deity. The favorite of the gods is Indra. And his favorite, his master, and the one who blesses all, the one who blesses even the gods, is one single deity. Therefore, the one who gives to all and maintains all, the one who protects all, the one who creates all—that one is the same.”
Yudhishthir said, “Maharaj! Who is he?”
Bhishma Pitamah said, “Vishnu, Vishnu, Maha Vishnu. That Maha Vishnu, that is, Narayana, Damodar, Govinda, Rama, Krishna—these are his numerous thousand names.”
Among these, whichever name you love, remember that name of God. This is the best form of worship. “What is the supreme duty among all duties?” It is said, the name of Sri Hari, the Supreme Soul, his refuge, that is the supreme duty. There is no duty above this. All sacrifices are done for the pleasure of God. Donations are given for the pleasure of God. Whatever service is done, it is done for God. For whom it is done, oh, accept Him. What greater duty can there be than this? This duty can never be opposed. If donations are given, there can be opposition, pride can come, and if pride comes after giving donations, then the donation is finished, and sin starts. God will say, “Oh fool, I gave you, and you are proud of what I gave you.” It turned into a sin. If there is even a little sorrow after giving a donation, God nullifies that donation and writes it as a sin. Why? If the thing I gave you, you gave somewhere for me, and you felt sorrow in it, was it yours? When you came as a four-pound child, what did you bring with you? You took it with understanding and my grace. Why are you feeling sorrow? Therefore, in these things, there can be sin. But when you consider God as your own, then there is no sin in it. Therefore, oh Dharmaraj Yudhishthir! According to my mind, the supreme duty is to consider God as your own. Therefore, I have given the answer to the first question, though not in great detail, but briefly.
You say that humans in today’s life are very troubled, are sad, sad from wealth, sad from body, sad from mind, sad from family—that is, countless sorrows that cannot even be named, how many sorrows there are. And how can a human surrounded by those sorrows do satsang or service or remember God, and what is the solution to his sorrows that he can go to the divine world Vaikuntha while still doing the work of the world?
It seems that the satsangi is very intelligent. He has asked the same question that a Jat Baba once asked. Jat Baba was a good man. Someone told him to worship God. All virtues will come into you. He started doing devotion. God was pleased. He said, “Jat Baba! What do you want?” Jat said, “Who are you?” God said, “I am God.” Jat said, “Oh God! Can you give me something?” God said, “Yes—whatever you ask for. Thakur gives from his own. You ask and see.” Jat said, “Oh, what is there to ask for. I don’t need to ask for anything.” God said, “Take something.” Jat Baba said, “I don’t need anything.” Then he said, “It is a small thing. I want to see my grandson drink milk in a golden bowl.” This is a small thing. Tell me, how intelligent was the Jat. He also asked for his eyesight. He asked for his marriage too. If he marries, he will have a son and then a grandson. He arranged for three generations. If there is no money at home, how will the golden bowl be made? When he has millions of rupees, then the bowl will be made. A bowl cannot be made by begging. And there should be enough milk at home. Tell me, the satsangi said that he was asking a small thing. Oh good man, this is the essence of the eighteen Puranas, six scriptures, and twenty-seven Smritis, which you have asked. Are you testing the Guru Baba?
My brother! Your question is absolutely appropriate. It is true that in Kaliyuga, numerous calamities naturally come. The scriptures have already written before the arrival of Kaliyuga that people will be tormented by various kinds of sorrows. They will be far from dharma. They will criticize God. They will turn away from God. This has already been written. They have written about the entire Kaliyuga, Dwapara, and Satyuga in the Bhavishya Purana. It is certain that in Kaliyuga, humans are tormented and unhappy. There is no intention of God or Goddess to cause sorrow in this. Mother Shri Devi, Mother Bhagwati, have no intention to cause sorrow. They definitely want to see their children happy. But if humans themselves engage in actions that bring sorrow, what can be done? That is, humans “swese karmanyabhiratah”—humans are engaged in their own actions and continue to perform actions as they please and “panchante papakarmanah.” They are suffering the consequences of their own sinful actions. I have not seen, nor does it happen, that I do something and you suffer. Humans are suffering from the consequences of their own actions. “Panchante” means they are digesting it, suffering from it.
Satsangi! This is not God’s fault. This is human-made fault. And how can we accept human-made faults, how can our sorrows be removed, how can we find peace? The answer to all these numerous questions is one—surrender. I have given the answer to all your questions—surrender.
“Neither knowledge nor strength nor wealth can save me. Oh Ram, save this most fallen, ignorant one.”
This means, “Oh Lord! Neither do I have strength, nor do I have knowledge, nor wealth for expenses, nor strength or intelligence with me.
“I am surrounded by countless afflictions. Therefore, I cannot even look towards you. When I raise my eyes towards you, they get covered. Lust, anger, etc., immediately turn me into a horse, making me lustful, greedy, delusional, and envious. Therefore, Lord, I cannot even see you. And I cannot do anything for you. My hands are shackled, and my feet are chained. The meaning of shackles on my hands is that I do not get free from worldly duties. So, what can I do for you? And there are chains on my feet. My wife says, where are you going to Baba Ji? You will also become Baba Ji. Therefore, there are chains of attachment on me. What can I do? I cannot even come. So, there are shackles on my hands and chains on my feet, and my mouth is locked. This mouth is made for jealousy, for cursing, for slandering. Now, how will I take your name? A big trouble has come. When such trouble happens—
Nahin vidyā nahīṃ bāhubal nahīṃ khaṛacan ko dām,
Neither knowledge nor strength nor wealth for expenses,
Mo sam patit ajñān kī tum pati rākho Rām
Save me, Oh Ram, the husband of the fallen, ignorant one
Society, the world, gods, goddesses—whoever disowns and calls a sinner, disowns and calls a sinful woman, disowns and calls filthy, disowns and calls one who does inauspicious deeds—society and the world discard and throw away, accepts refuge for that person. The meaning of refuge is we take refuge in someone, we make a declaration of acceptance.
Now we must consider the concept of refuge. If a human seeks refuge from another human, what protection can they provide?
Both are made of flesh and bones, excrete waste, and have similar weaknesses. They can only provide superficial protection. If we seek refuge from a goddess, she too cannot help because above her is her consort. The goddess is not independent. If it is Sri Devi, her consort is Narayan. If it is Shailputri Sati Devi, her consort is Shiva. Brahmani’s consort is Brahma. Many goddesses have their consorts above them. If they refuse, it becomes difficult. Therefore, we must consider whom to seek refuge from. We should seek refuge from one who has no one above them.
Satsangi! Now, this should be considered according to scriptural teachings, the teachings of saints, and sacred texts. According to all these sources, Sri Narayan is the one who is supremely independent. He who acts according to his own will is independent. Take His refuge. The word “refuge” seems simple. But when we study the discourse on refuge, it is an extraordinary text. The discourse on refuge only deals with the concept of refuge. We often do not understand it. We do not understand it even after studying many types of texts and listening to the words of saints; it does not sink into us. Only God knows what true refuge is. Yet, people interpret the concept of refuge in various ways based on their own minds and understanding. I will also explain it in a few simple words according to my understanding.
Seeking refuge means that when we refer to the Gita, the Lord says to Arjuna:
Sabhī prakār ke dharmon kā parityāg karo aur keval merī sharaṇ me āo. Main tumheṃ sabhī pāpon se mukt kar dūngā. Bhay mat karo
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me,
I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear
Bhagavad Gita 18/66
Why does the Lord say this to Arjuna? Arjuna had already expressed his acceptance in the second chapter by saying, “I am your disciple and a soul surrendered unto you. Please instruct me.” I have become your surrendered disciple. Then why is it repeated in the Gita? Because Arjuna accepted refuge verbally but did not act on it. Why didn’t he act—
Mera sharir kāṃp rahā hai, aur mere rom khaṛe ho rahe hain
My body is trembling, and my hair is standing on end
Bhagavad Gita 1/29
Maharaj Ji, I am sweating, my hands are shaking. This bow is slipping from my hands. God said, “Why?” “My brothers, relatives, family are standing in front of me, my in-laws and relations are standing in front of me, and to destroy the family is a great sin. To destroy the family is a cause of great sin. I will not do this.” Verbally, he accepted refuge, but he also kept his own thoughts. When a human keeps his own thoughts or his own will, he cannot be called surrendered. He is only verbally surrendered, not in reality. After surrendering, nothing remains. When nothing remains, what to say? When he starts saying, he has not accepted surrender. It is only out of fear. That means he is surrendered out of fear. “If you do not obey Baba, do not go to satsang, Baba will not do our work.” But this is your mistake. It is not like that. Whether someone comes or not, what relation does Baba have with this? If you come, it is your home, and if you do not come, it is your home—your wish.
There is one who seeks refuge out of fear, and one who seeks refuge out of destitution.
The destitute person is despised by society. One seeks refuge. One who is overcome by lust seeks refuge. Sugriva, overcome by lust, sought refuge in God. Bali took away his wife and his kingdom. He sought refuge to regain his kingdom and wife. Thus, there are many ways of seeking refuge. The Lord protects all four types of refugees, whether they seek refuge due to desire, fear, or suffering from wealth. The Lord certainly protects those who seek refuge. He protects those who seek refuge because He has vowed hundreds of times, not just once or twice.
In the Ramayana, the Lord reminds us that He cannot forsake a refugee. If He forsakes a refugee, let Him suffer the punishment of killing thousands of elephants and the punishment of killing Brahmins. If I forsake a refugee, my resolve is that I protect the refugee.
We have seen that He is supreme, who comes at the utterance of even half a syllable, who has been protecting saints since time immemorial, protecting many gods. Hanuman Ji Maharaj is the giver of eight siddhis and nine treasures. Where could the son of Anjani give, but—
Asavar dīnah jānakī mātā,
The destitute, the needy, Janaki Mata,
Rām rasāyaṇ tumhāre pāsā
Ram Rasayan is with you
Hanuman Chalisa, Verse 26
The treasure of Ram’s name is with you, Hanuman Ji. And Mother Sri Devi has given you blessings.
Mother Janaki has given you such a boon that you will possess the eight siddhis and nine treasures. You will become that, you will not. Meaning, when were the power of the eight siddhis and nine treasures given to them? When they became surrendered. They fully surrendered themselves. They did not know what will happen or what will not happen, they had no concern. “I only know one thing—I am yours.” That’s it. So, without asking, they were given the nine treasures and eight siddhis. In Kaliyuga, they were given worship without asking.
If you remain in the fruit of your actions, thinking, “I did this, I have done this,” then my dear, these sorrows cannot go away. Why can’t they go away? When you enjoy the fruit of good deeds, will a neighbor come to enjoy the fruit of bad deeds? You will also have to endure them. It is not that good deeds will be enjoyed in India and bad deeds in America; it is not like that. We will have to endure the fruits of our actions ourselves. We have to do it ourselves, and we have to endure it ourselves. That means if you want to overturn the basket of actions, if you want to stay away from the fruits of all actions, then overturn the basket.
Sisters and daughters know more about that basket. She went to the market, brought green chilies. She put them in the basket. The next day she felt like bringing more items. She brought green chilies again and placed them there. She brought potatoes and placed them there. She brought coriander and placed it there. She brought tomatoes and placed them there. Chilies were placed first, but when did the chilies come into notice? At the very end. First, other items were removed; then finally, the chilies came into notice. Similarly, the layers of our sorrows and happiness are accumulated one by one.
This has happened in this life-like basket. The layers of the actions we did in past lives have been accumulating. The actions we did later will open their layers first. When we whistled on the street, the shoes will first fall on us immediately. We will forget the past deeds. Today, if we commit theft, the police officer will put handcuffs on us.
Today’s actions come immediately before us. The fruits of previous good deeds will come later. We will see them when their turn comes. The path of karma is very profound—”karmanām gahanā gatiḥ.” I am speaking on this subject of how to eliminate suffering. Continuing from the same context, we perform fresh actions, and their fruits keep coming to us. The fruits of our past good deeds do not come into fruition. We die, and then we commit sinful actions again. Our fixed deposit remains accumulated; it does not come out. If we walk in the cycle of actions, our sorrows cannot end. That is, our cycle of birth and death cannot end. The shadow of our joys and sorrows cannot end. The sunshine and shade will continue to exist. If you want to end this, my dear ones, or if you want these sorrows not to exist, and even the sorrows that have come upon us not to be felt, if you want to think like this, there is only one solution, and that is—surrender. After surrender, there is no need for knowledge, strength, or physical power. “For some, strength is in penance, for some, strength is in conduct”—my strength is in penance, my deity is, my Guru Maharaj is, my fruit is, I do this, so they say—”For some, strength is in penance, for some, strength is in conduct.” Conduct means rules and discipline. “I have never looked at a woman with lustful eyes. I cannot touch her, unholy…”
“I will not eat from their hands. I am self-sustained. I will not let anyone touch my clothes. I will not go out in society.” That means having the strength of conduct. “I have never indulged in misconduct in my life. I have followed conduct until my last breath”—
“For some, strength is penance, for some, strength is conduct. Vyasa trusts the Prince and sleeps with legs stretched out.”
Vyasa Kavi says that, “O Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Lord Narayan, I have faith in you. I am surrendered to you. What do I care about others? Now, what worry do I have? I will sleep with my legs stretched out.”
So, beloved ones, such is ‘surrender.’ If you want to eliminate worldly troubles, social troubles, material troubles, and mental worries, there is a great remedy—surrender. Use this remedy. Then there will be no sorrow. Troubles will not come. Sorrow will never overwhelm you. You will attain supreme happiness, this is certain. This is my own experienced and proven experiment. I am not just saying this from reading scriptures. This is the experience of my life. As long as we had inner strength, we stayed in the forests with just a loincloth, had bodily strength, and had penance strength. We used to say that whatever we do will happen. We even tried that strength. We tried various types of accomplishments and practices. We studied various scriptures and even performed various types of sacrifices. Today’s thinking is that business doesn’t happen without intoxication. We tried that too. Perhaps it would increase our business of goods, but it decreased our business instead.
People don’t know how it grows. They say that by going to discos and drinking alcohol, business grows, but our business has decreased.
Sakal karm kar thakehuṃ gusāīṃ
Having performed all actions, I am exhausted, O Lord
Ramcharitmanas, Ayodhya Kanda
Dear ones! This body has performed all actions. And when it got tired of all actions, found no support, saw the blows of Yama, the fear of death remained constant, left everything and said, “Protect me, protect me.” He said, “Why should I protect you?” Then I said, “I have surrendered to you, so protect me.”
We have accepted surrender and seen the result. We are not just telling stories. We are not recounting Bhagavatam or Mimamsa history. We are sharing our life experiences. We surrendered and saw that supreme bliss came, there is no sorrow. We keep laughing. Whether we are in our twentieth body or not, we keep laughing. Whether this temple is built or not, we keep laughing. If our trustees say, “You even get angry sometimes.” Hey, if the snake doesn’t hiss, who will spare it? We will step on it. It will be crushed, and ants will eat it. And when it hisses loudly, we will say, “There is a snake, be careful.” So, we have done all actions and seen. We did not get benefits. And we got supreme benefits from surrender.
Every saint has accepted surrender. Tulsi Das Ji also did—
Ek āshā, ek vishvās, jīvan ke sabhī anya jālōṃ ko tyāg do,
One hope, one faith, abandon all other life’s entanglements,
Yah merī vintī hai,
Mujhe samriddhi, safalatā yā baṛī pratiṣṭhā nahīṃ chāhiye.
This is my request,
I do not want prosperity, success, or great recognition.
They surrendered so much that they needed no praise. “I have no desire for anyone to perform my aarti, I have no need for it at all. I just want to become even lower, to become a servant of servants.” But I need one thing, my Baba. He asked, “What is that?”
Hetu rahit anurāg Rām pad,
Unconditional love for the Lord’s feet,
Dindin adhikāī
Increasing day by day.
O Lord, may I never lose the refuge of your feet. Let this remain with me. I don’t need anything else, this is not related to me. Baba Nanakdev Ji also said, “Narayana, rise, Nanak the servant has gone.” This is no longer the self-realized Nanak; now he is the servant of servants. “Make me the servant of servants. O Lord, I have taken your refuge. I have held on to your door. I will carry the water of your door, I will swing the fan of your door.” He said, “Give me what you will.” If you want to give, give a piece, otherwise, I will remain hungry. If I die, I will die at your door. But I will die doing something. We will die serving you, we have no sorrow.
Every saint, every saint’s speech, every religious text has called for surrender. Look, the Vedas say “Neti-Neti” and fall silent, your end is not, your end is not. Vedavyas Ji Maharaj became troubled after composing 17 Puranas and could not sleep all night. He did not eat bread, did not drink water, he was so obsessed that he became fearful. Narad Ji said, “Vedavyas Ji! What has happened to you?” He replied, “Do not ask what has happened to me, but something has happened to me.” “What has happened?” He said, “I cannot say what has happened, but it has happened.” Then he said to write the Srimad Bhagavatam in praise of the Lord, and after writing about surrender, Vedavyasa Ji became calm.
The concept of surrender appeared in the Vedas, in the Smritis, in the Puranas, and in Mimamsa. They remained troubled as long as they continued to engage in debates about God. But when the word ‘surrender’ appeared, they became completely calm, just as adding a small amount of water to milk causes the foam to settle. The saints found peace only when they heard the word ‘surrender’ and understood its depth, by adopting it themselves. Then they all became peaceful, supremely happy, and blissful.
Even Shiva became troubled by his penance, started getting disturbed by yoga. In many ways, he became troubled. Then finally, he said—
Bār bār bar māngūṃ Hari dehū Śrīrang,
I ask again and again, O Lord, grant me Sri Ranga,
Pad saroj anapāyanī bhagati sadā satsaṅg.
Unbroken devotion to your lotus feet, and always to be in good company.
The word ‘unbroken’ means surrender. That is, I should not leave your feet. I should remain at your feet, continuously performing surrender. I should serve you by being in good company. In the end, Shiva asked for this out of exhaustion. Otherwise, what need did Shiva have to ask? He was an ascetic, a yogi, Brahmadev, the greatest among gods. He was everything. If he could grant any boon, why did he need to ask? Oh, a king asking for a hut—is that a good thing? Or asking for more—is that a good thing? But even Shiva is asking, with his begging bowl outstretched, “O my Sri Ranga, O Narayana who enjoys with Sri Ranga, grant me this alms.” God said, “What should I give?” He said, “I continuously take refuge in your feet, that is, my surrender to your feet should not break.” He too asked for refuge out of exhaustion.
A person gets tired of wealth. Many times, a person gets so tired of wealth that he says, “Oh God! I am tired.” A person also gets tired of having too many children. One also gets tired of physical strength. After eating too much, one stretches out his legs and says that today I ate one more chapati. A person gets tired of every excessive thing, and the only solution to this tiredness is surrender. When you are tired of the sufferings of the world, the sufferings of materialism, hardships, lack of money, in many ways; if you are not tired, then fight—who is stopping you? If you have felt the fatigue, if someone has felt the fatigue that now I am tired, I am defeated, if you are tired, if you are defeated, then accept the word surrender. The word surrender does not cost anything. Coming to Baba’s place, you do not have to give any diamonds, gold, or silver, or carry any bricks or stones, or give any special type of donation. You do not have to follow any specific order. Accept it if you want to; if not, then do not. And nothing is required in surrender—not even asafetida or alum, yet the color comes out brilliant. In it, asafetida or alum has nothing to do. Still, the color comes out brilliant. In what? In surrender.
Accepting is called surrender. Accept this that “Oh God! You are mine, and I am yours.” What did it cost in this, explain. If there is any fee charged, tell me. If there is anything to be done, tell me, and if there is anything to understand, explain it. “I am yours, and you are mine.” There is also a special thing in this. In the context of surrender, there are two phrases—”You are mine” and “I am yours.” If we accept that “You are mine,” then the desire to ask remains here. “You are mine, how will you not do it?” Surrender is only the duty of the living being, it has no rights. “You are mine,” the desire remains here. And “I am yours,” the desire ends here. If your will is to give, give it, will. If your will is not to give, then do not give. Keep me naked, keep me exposed, keep me hungry, keep me as you like. Just as a child is surrendered to his mother. The mother takes care of her son herself. She will dress him. If the child roams naked, the child will feel little shame. The shame will come to the mother that her child is roaming naked. If the child is smeared with feces and urine, when he calls out “mother” to his mother with a cheerful heart, the mother does not look at the feces or urine; she only sees the child. She does not even realize that the child is smeared in feces and urine. The mother only sees the child, and the child only gazes at the mother. The mother cleans the child well and puts a black dot on him so that the child is not affected by the evil eye.
My dear! Surrender is such a word that when a person gets tired, he should accept surrender. God is called the lover of those who surrender. He is not just called loving. The term “lover of those who surrender” means that He loves those who come into His refuge just as much, nurtures and protects them just as parents do for their children. Similarly, God also does the same. That is why they named Him—the lover of those who surrender, God.
They protect those who come into their refuge. It is also written in Durga Saptashati—
Śaraṇāgata dīnārta paritrāṇaparāyaṇe,
Those who take refuge in the distressed and destitute,
Sarvasyāti hare devi Nārāyaṇī namo’stute.
Salutations to you, O Narayani, who removes all fears.
The mother will protect you only when you come into her refuge and accept it. Just coming is not enough; acceptance is necessary. Mere verbal declaration is not enough to say that I am under your refuge.
Beloved! Surrender is not just about saying it, it is about accepting it. And the signs of surrender should be within; only then is it true surrender. Merely saying it verbally does not bring about surrender, nor does it bring anything. If saying it could bring things, I would start saying, “Let me become the richest person in the world, let me become higher than Lord Lakshmi Narayan.” By saying it, nothing is achieved. “I need sweets, I need desserts! I am just saying it, but what did I get?” Tell me this, meaning practice it. Accept the word “surrender,” and by accepting that word, follow the rules of surrender. Bring it into practice. After that, nothing remains to be done. That is why it is written—
Sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṃ śaraṇaṃ vraja
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto me.
Bhagavad Gita, 18/66
Arjuna! Abandon all forms of religion, as I say in the satsang that what—is God making him unrighteous? Who said that God is making Arjuna unrighteous? Thinking that doing this will bring sin, doing this will bring virtue, whether I should do this religion, that karma—abandon all these. Leave all of this. Then, what should I do, Maharaj?
God said, “Take refuge in Me alone.” The Lord used a singular term, not a plural. God and Shri are not separate. They are one. Krishna is in Radha, and Radha is in Krishna. Narayana is in Shri, and Shri is in Narayana. “In Me alone”—We are both one, cannot be separate. Arjuna! Do not accept refuge in many, but accept refuge in Me alone. Understand that I am the father of all. Understand that I am the creator of all. I am the sustainer. Again, I say—”In Me alone.” Surrender to Me.
Here, if we say that we worship another god, Govinda-Ram, then fear arises. When we take refuge, the one who takes refuge and the one in whom refuge is taken both become one. Then, the second becomes fearful. The scripture says that two are always fearful. The author of the scripture has said the truth, but those who understand can create something because fear comes from another, not from oneself. A child may fear others, but not the mother. The child clings to the mother. A dog may come, someone else may come; the child may fear them, but seeing the mother, the child’s fear disappears.
Therefore, if the scripture raises a doubt, establishes a law, and this doubt arises that when the singular term is used, the living being is different, the one taking refuge is different, then the second becomes fearful. I am resolving the doubt of his reasoning. God says, “All beings are my eternal fragment.”—O human! You are a part of Me. Just as a child is a part of the mother and father, the child does not fear the mother. Does not fear the father. The child’s fear disappears. That God is not a stranger. That it is ours, and we are His. Accepting this gradually diminishes every sorrow of humans. Now it is said that many have accepted this, yet their sorrows have not vanished. My beloved, sorrows and joys will keep coming. Will the Supreme Being stop the sun? Will He stop the rain? Will He hinder nature? They will come, but that devotee gains the strength to endure. Meaning, he becomes so strong that he doesn’t care about joy and sorrow. When one surrenders, there is no sense of self left. “This too is yours, and that too is yours. If joy comes, it is yours, and if sorrow comes, it is yours too. If you remain hungry, then I remain hungry; why should I stay? You are within me; I am your child. If you are steadfast, then you eat 56 types of food, enjoy—I will remain hungry at your door. I am your child; what is the issue?” Such self-confidence should be attained from today, dear ones.
If the basket is overturned, in such a situation, bad deeds come on one side, and good deeds come on the other. Whoever wants to use them can do so. Therefore, surrender eliminates all kinds of sorrows.
We say we are surrendered, but the true meaning of surrender is something we cannot implement. We do not want to adopt it practically in life. We call ourselves surrendered, but at the same time, we believe that what I will do, that will happen. I have done this. Oh brother, where have you surrendered? You have remained “I.” “I” is the name of the Supreme Being—”mamevansho.” “I am the spring among the seasons. I am Airavata among the elephants. I am Indra among the kings.” God can say “I,” but we use “I” every day. There is a question for the dear ones of the discipline: Can you, ever, for a month, for six months, show me a place in your body where “I” exists, and this Baba will serve you for life? If someone can do that, his body is sold. If someone shows me where “I” is in his body. If we say that the nail is “I,” it is wrong. This body is not “I,” but mine. The eye is mine, the mouth is mine, the fortune is mine, the hair is mine. So then, where is “I”? When everything is mine, then where is “I”? I have thoroughly examined my entire body and did not find “I.” When “I” is not in it, how can we say “I”? If we use something that is not ours, isn’t it a useless thing? Won’t we be unhappy because of it? If you use something that isn’t yours, ultimately bankruptcy is certain.
“I” is not in our body, yet we use it all the time. “I” has ego within it. As the Lord has said, “I am the spring among seasons, I am Airavata among elephants.” It has ego. Among humans, “I am Jagatguru.” It has ego. Such gurus, I have seen being beaten daily by Yamaraj with my own eyes. Someone might say, “How did you see it? You are sitting here.” I have encountered Yamaraj many times. Not just once or twice, but many times. I come and go there regularly. If you don’t believe it this time, it’s a different matter. My job is to come and go there. Besides, one has to go to meet and greet. I have a connection with Yamaraj. A daily connection. You might say, “Baba, you are sitting here.” These bodies are two. Let’s consider this as the five-element physical body (indicating his own body). There is a spiritual body. Our every…
Every day, twice, thrice, I encounter him. We say, “Don’t do this, do that.” He says, “Why?” “Because we have sanctified and initiated him with the Ashtakshar mantra, will this be the result?” If this happens, we appeal to the High Court. Will we accept the lower court’s decision? We will appeal to the Supreme Court. And if there is no hearing there, then we will get your verdict from the Panchamurti. We will get it from there. We will get it done by the President. So, this is our daily encounter, dear ones. Sometimes we also get into fights, what can we do?
Whoever becomes a devotee is not bound by Yamaraj. And slowly, his inactions become good deeds. If you say, “How do inactions become good deeds?” They certainly do. Inactions also start becoming good deeds after becoming a devotee. Vibhishan might not have been a demon, but he was from the demon lineage. By accepting the devotion of the Lord, he became one with the Lord. The Lord called him His arm, accepted him as His brother, and made him the king of Lanka. Tell me, how great is the fruit of devotion—
Jo sampatti siṃh Rāvaṇāhi dīnhi diye daśamukh,
The wealth that the lion Ravana achieved by giving ten heads,
Das śīś dekar Rāvaṇ ne jis sone kī Laṅkā ko prāpt kiyā,
That same wealth, Lord Rama without hesitation gave to Vibhishan.
That Lord without hesitation gave to Vibhishan. “Vibhishan! I am giving you nothing. That Lanka which Ravana achieved through unbreakable penance, sacrificing ten heads, was given to Vibhishan by Lord Hari, Lord Narayana, Lord Rama without hesitation.”
How great is the fruit of refuge! Refuge is the thing that, if truly accepted, we can buy those who sell materialistic things. The Gopis, having taken refuge, made the Lord dance—
Tāhi ahīr kī chhohariyāṃ,
The daughters of Ahir, making Him dance for a pot of buttermilk.
chhachhiyā bhar chhāchh pe nāc nacāveṃ
Is this a small matter? This is the play of refuge. Brahma is dancing, asking for buttermilk, being called a thief. People call Him a libertine, a thief, but they are fools. He is Brahma. Brahma has sullied His name for His devotees who took refuge. What hasn’t Brahma done for them? Because He is loving to His devotees who seek refuge. Those Gopis had taken refuge, even during the birth of Ram.
Jākī rahī bhāvanā jaisī,
As is the feeling, so is the Lord’s form.
Prabhu mūrat dekhī tinh taisī.
The Lord, in His heart, said to Himself, “O understanders, as is your feeling, so I will meet you accordingly. And if I can’t meet the women, I will take birth as Krishna to meet them.” This He said as a boon. The Gopis wanted love with the Lord, wanted to play with Him, wanted to fight with Him, wanted to abuse Him. Such were their feelings. Lord Krishna fulfilled the wishes of those who took refuge in Him.
We desire to take refuge today and expect heaps of wealth today itself—this is foolishness. Where have we taken refuge? We have taken refuge in wealth, not in the Lord.
The name of refuge means to give if you wish, not to give if you wish. But you are mine. One person said to the devotee: “Look, Lord! Ram is wealthy, and Shiva is such, and the fruits are like this, the fruits are like that, the fruits are like this.” Mahatma Ji said, “Fine, good thing. We are in His refuge. Whether He is wealthy, a possessor of wealth, what do we care? If He is poor, what do we care? If He is very beautiful, what do we care? If He is completely ugly, what do we care? We are in His refuge. We have seen one form, and that is ingrained in our minds.” The saint said, “Whether the Lord is a possessor of wealth, a millionaire, a billionaire, a possessor of treasures, whether He leaves the world and becomes a beggar, what do we care about that? If He begs, what do we care? We have seen that form, and that is what we behold day and night. We do not need to test His virtues or faults.”
Bringing bad thoughts into refuge is to move away from refuge. Keeping any kind of desire in refuge is to move away from refuge. True refuge is to leave it all to Him. “That you know, your work knows.” After that, He begins to protect from that very moment. And He does a little of His own and listens a little to the one who has taken refuge, so He protects only that much. It’s not that He doesn’t protect, but He will only protect that much. And if one keeps enforcing their own wishes and does not look towards the one they have taken refuge in, saying, “Do this work for me,” then it may be that He doesn’t do it. The Lord is dear to us. We cannot say that He is not dear. And we are dear to Him—that is also not wrong. Like parents ask those who have a son or daughter how dear they are. When a son becomes very stubborn, the mother coaxes him. If he still does not listen, she coaxes him again. If he still does not listen, the same mother who loves the child day and night will lift him and throw him, even if his hand breaks or his head splits. Whose? The child who becomes stubborn with his own will. Therefore, sometimes we should make our point and we should accept His point every day. Sometimes, if we feel like it, we should make our point too.
Look at the unique nature of seeking refuge. My dear ones! Whether it is night, wintertime, and everyone is sleeping in their beds, wearing clothes, with pillows, with all the comforts, and even if a call worth a lakh rupees comes, they won’t get up. If a loss of a lakh rupees happens, they will say let it go to the well, let us sleep, we will see tomorrow. And when a small child starts crying, the brother gets up, the father gets up. The aunt gets up, even the neighbors come. At 12 o’clock at night, in the month of December, in the month of January, the whole family gathers. Who? A child. But which child? The innocent one. Who wants nothing—that one. And the whole neighborhood gathers. They will soothe him, take him in their arms, calm him, stop him from crying. Someone will bring a candy, someone will bring something else. A hundred kinds of things will come without being asked. Then if his mind is satisfied, he will become quiet. I am explaining the play of refuge that, my dear, there is so much strength in refuge that it can gather Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, and all the gods and goddesses whenever it wishes. But it must be true refuge. ‘With Ram in the heart and a knife in the side’ won’t do.
This will be achieved. Just as I chant with my mala (prayer beads). I have been practicing for a long time. But how do I chant? Let me tell you that too. Mahatma Ji! It’s his birthday; did he get the tilak (a mark on the forehead) or not? Did he get the coconut or not? If he came, was he given fruit and snacks or not? This is the case of a saint who has a knife hidden behind his back because he has a greed for donations. He won’t give donations, so give him a coconut. If I had greed for money, I would say so. Otherwise, why would I say it? But this saint does not have that. This saint has humanity, not greed.
People forget the mala in their greed for money. They are doing the mala, but their mind is elsewhere, like a heron. Standing with closed eyes, ready to grab the fish as soon as it comes. So, my dear ones! If you accept such a refuge, worrying according to your own mind, then the one whose refuge you have taken will abandon you. “Oh fool, when you are worrying yourself, why are you involving me? When you don’t care about yourself,” He says, “what do I have to do with it?” The refuge is lost. Therefore, we must not abandon the refuge. We must only accept the word refuge that you are mine. If you give happiness, it is mine; if you give sorrow, it is mine. If you are cruel, you are mine; if you are beautiful, you are mine; if you are wealthy, you are mine; if you are poor, you are mine; if you are sick, you are mine; if you beg, you are mine. But the Lord does not have these characteristics that I am talking about. These are the characteristics of the world. The Lord neither ages nor becomes poor. He remains constant. Accepting His refuge awakens self-strength, like Draupadi, who sought refuge and was not disrobed. Like Gajendra, who sought refuge and was never allowed to die. And Ajamila, when one seeks refuge, all their sins and sufferings are destroyed. Meera sought refuge. The evidence of Meera is that she merged with Krishna in physical form. Such evidence is found. Lord Krishna held the edge of her sari. A little piece of the sari remained; otherwise, Meera would have been completely absorbed. Saint Peepa Ji ascended to the divine abode in physical form. Many devotees left this body and went with Him. Many devotees were absorbed, witnessing this. I am presenting the evidence of Meera. Such devotees who seek refuge in the Lord are taken into His heart, meaning He sees all their sorrows and pains. He gives them happiness, wealth, and the strength to endure. How does He give this strength? When a person truly accepts refuge in sincerity, self-strength comes automatically. He becomes enlightened. He says, “Your happiness is mine, your sorrow is mine. This temple is yours, this gold is yours, this white stone is yours. Then who am I? I am your servant. I seek your refuge. I am your slave.”
After seeking refuge, people say that their actions are absolved. They are completely foolish. Those ascetics are foolish; I consider them illiterate. Nowhere in the Gita does it say this. If actions are absolved, then why did Arjuna, who sought refuge, need to fight? Why did he need to cry? Why did he need to laugh? Why did he feel the sorrow of his children dying? Why did this happen when he was in the Lord’s refuge? But this is the result of karma. Arjuna gained the strength to endure. Thousands of arrows would pierce him, but he would rise in the morning and fight again. If we get a small wound, we make a fuss and call the entire household.
When one seeks refuge, strength comes to the body because the one I have taken refuge in knows, the master knows, he is not weak. He is great. I have taken shelter not with the weak, but with the great. If there is disgrace, it will be on Him, not me. As Narsi Mehta clearly said—
Jāyogī lāj tumhārī,
Your honor will be preserved, what harm can come to me, Lord?
Nāth merā kyā bigaḍegā.
“I am your devotee. I spent 56 crores of wealth in your name in one day.” When it was time for his daughter Nainabai’s marriage, he remained calm and did not cry. He started singing hymns—
Jāyogī lāj tumhārī,
Your honor will be preserved, what harm can come to me, Lord?
Nāth merā kyā bigaḍegā.
“I became a recluse, what harm can come to me? If there is disgrace, it will be on You.” When the Lord saw the true devotion and tested it, the Lord followed Narsi. First, He reached the door of his relative and said that “my master is coming.” He asked, “Who are you?” The Lord replied, “I am the servant of Narsi’s devotee.” He asked, “Who is with you?” He said, “This is his daughter-in-law.” “Whose?” “Seth Narsingh’s.” They said, “What kind of master? He has only a loincloth.” The Lord said, “The loincloth is what you see. All the wealth has been given to the servants.” Narsi Ji came with a joyous sound. “Seth sir! Please give the command. The preparations for the wedding feast are complete.” Narsi said, “Permission is granted.” “To whom are you speaking?” “Speaking to Trilokinath.” Immediately the wedding ritual was completed.
My dear ones! When a human being truly surrenders to the Supreme Soul, you will not ask anything from God. God will tell you to take it. You will say that you do not need it. God will say that you must take it. You will say you don’t want it. “I do not have any ego.” He tells this servant to take the gold. And the servant says, “Will you make me die in the jungle? Keep your gold with you. Give it to me when I need it.” He says, “Take this much money.” I say, “Why should I take it? Give it to me as I need it.” In the same way, God will give, and you will keep refusing. But these signs will come only when you become a true devotee; they do not come before. From that day on, your sorrows, all kinds of hardships, the pain of going to Yamaraja, the diseases of the body, and so on, will start healing on their own. Why? After that, the divine healer will know, for illnesses. He to whom we have surrendered is also a healer, a king, and the bestower of mercy. He is also a physician, He is everything. You will bring your physician from anywhere, and He will immediately administer medicine. And we often do this: medicine comes, and we feel like not taking it. This is absolutely true. We open the medicine and place it in front of God. “Baba, mother! You take it, I don’t have the time to take it.” Just as when a mother takes medicine, the child gets well, the child catches a cold, and the medicine is given to the mother. So, I tell the Mahatma to place the medicine in front of Baba and mother, and they will take it. When we have time, we will suckle at the mother’s breasts, the medicine will come. If there is time. If not, then not. My dear ones, these are the signs of true refuge.
A Sufi saint has said—
Prīt jahāṃ pardā nahīṃ,
Where there is love, there is no veil,
Aur jahāṃ pardā nahīṃ prīt,
Prīt kare pardā kare,
Yah prīt nahīṃ viprīt.
And where there is no veil, there is love,
Love does not create veils,
Such love is not real, it is opposite.
If one loves and still creates veils, how can it be called love? That is foolishness, pretense, deception, a sham. True love has no veils. Where there is love, what need is there for veils? This is something Lord Ramachandra showed us all in practice. When the Lord went to meet Bharata, He threw away His bow and arrows, took off His cloth, and threw it away on the distant path. The Lord Himself stood bare from above. Then He met Bharata, though the falling of a warrior’s bow is a great inauspicious act, and a great disaster for that warrior. It is a bad omen for the warrior. The Lord deliberately let the bow and arrows fall, and also let His cloth fall, and met Bharata. Bharata did not say anything. But Hanuman was watching the scene. Other women were also watching. Other people were watching. Lakshman was watching. They were worried. Ramachandra, filled with tears of love, kept crying, embracing Bharata to His chest. He said, “Bharata! I have given up these clothes so that no cloth may come between you and me. I have given up this bow so that there is no distance between you and me. And I have thrown these arrows so that no arrow of desire may come between you and me. Therefore, I have given up the arrows, given up the bow, and given up the cloth and embraced you in my heart.” Meaning—
Prīt kare pardā kare,
If love creates a veil,
Yah prīt nahīṃ viprīt.
This is not love, but the opposite.
If one claims to have taken refuge but still worries, if one takes refuge but remains mentally stressed, if one takes refuge but continues to dwell on their own thoughts, this is not true refuge, but a contradiction. Whether God listens or not is His will.
Sometimes a child asks for candy and gets upset. Such asking is a ‘want.’ That is a different matter. But the person who always wants things their way, who desires only for themselves, and calls themselves a devotee, is not a true devotee. Thus, the qualities of a devotee cannot manifest in them. Then, God does not listen to them. What can the Guru do in this? Therefore, surrender yourself to the Supreme. Let Him push you, hit you, leave you naked, insult you, or do anything to you. One feeling should remain — I am yours.
“You are mine” — this has a sense of right. “I am yours” — this has no right; it has sacrifice and duty. If you throw me out of the ashram, I am still yours. I will sit on the road. If you insult me and throw me out, I am still yours. If you forbid me to come, I am still yours. Wherever I am, I am yours. Adopting this feeling is true surrender. It is indeed difficult to create this feeling, but after gradual practice, it is not difficult. Why is it not difficult? It is a simple thing, and I will give an example.
A girl says to her mother that if she is separated from her, she will die, she will eat poison, she will not be separated from her for a minute, and she will commit suicide. She cannot live away from her. But when she gets married, she says to her mother, “Mom, I’m leaving, it’s evening.” They are used to eating parathas; who will make them? Or they will go to the office in the morning, used to curd-parathas. No one else knows their habits. The one who used to live for her mother has now forgotten. And when the mother says, “Daughter, please come, I am feeling a bit sick,” she says, “Mom, I am sorry, I cannot come because I have a headache.” She has forgotten her mother.
When she becomes a grandmother or a mother-in-law in the same house, when the daughter-in-law comes, she says, “What does the daughter-in-law care, she belongs to another house,” not realizing that she too came from another house. But she tells the daughter-in-law that she belongs to another house. She has forgotten that she too is an outsider. Similarly, when you accept God, worldly people will not remember you. Just as a girl does not remember her parents’ house after getting married but remembers her husband’s house, in the same way, if we accept the Lord of the universe as our own, believing, “I am yours,” then sorrow and happiness will not come near. This is guaranteed. He is not an ordinary husband. He is the Lord of the universe, the Lord of the earth, the Lord of wealth.
If you belong only to wealth, then the owl-riding Lakshmi cannot give you happiness. But where Narayana is remembered along with Lakshmi, there you will certainly find Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. The mother will do what the father won’t, and what the father won’t do, the mother will. We should take refuge in Lord Narayana and Lakshmi. So, my dear ones! Why should we suffer? Absolutely not. This is my guarantee.
Look at this baba (ascetic). Has this baba ever suffered after taking refuge in that mother and father (Lakshmi and Narayana)? People say to me that I have obtained an American visa. The government is ready to give you a place. There is a five-ten acre farm there, and you can take it. We say that our mother and father fulfill our needs right here. Why should we go abroad? When everything is happening right here, why should we go to a foreign place? This is the play of refuge. Can it be that Babaji receives and you do not? You will receive more because you are a householder. A householder earns ten times more merit. My dear ones! If I chant a hundred malas, I will receive the merit of one mala. I will have to give you the fruit of ninety-nine malas. From your hands, charity happens, guest hospitality happens. You perform five yajnas daily. Agni yajna, water yajna, guest yajna, and other such yajnas are performed by you every day. Those divine benefits are given to you more than us. You should develop a little faith in refuge.
Question – Since we have come under your refuge, we see the form of the divine in you. We see your form in God. Will this be considered the refuge of the divine?
Answer – God is in feelings. When it becomes clear in your mind that we are worshipping the Guru as the form of Narayana, then the result will be given. Why will I give it? If you have accepted him in any form, he will surely give.
A small example comes to my mind about Namdev Ji. Devotee Namdev Ji was in Gujarat. When he prepared food and was ready to offer it to God, a dog came and took both chapatis in his mouth and walked away.
In Gujarat, a dog is called ‘Vighnal.’ Leading was ‘Vighnal,’ and following was Namdev Ji. Namdev Ji said, “Oh Maharaj! Oh Maharaj, if there is less ghee, take more. Take sweets. Don’t eat dry food. Don’t eat remnants, eat divine food.” Leading was the dog, and following was Namdev Ji. Namdev Ji was saying, “Oh my God, oh my Vighnal God, oh my Narayan, please take this ghee.” The dog had been hungry for many days. He gave up his life. Namdev Ji said, “God! Why did you fall asleep? Why are you laughing at me?” Namdev Ji was saying this. God, in the form of Chaturbhuj, manifested from that dog and said, “Devotee! Feed me with your own hands.” Namdev Ji fed him. Even today, there is a temple of Vighnal in Gujarat. If you want to see it, definitely see it. It is famous by the name of Vighnal God. My dear! If God can manifest in a dog, why can’t He manifest in me? I am not worse than a dog. Set your feelings in your mind. You have taken refuge in God, not in me. You will get double the benefit. I will even take care of your remains. I won’t let you lose. It’s guaranteed. I have resolved your doubt, accept it as you wish. I will say only this: take refuge in God. If you have decided this, then do it.
When you consider the Guru as the form of Narayan and take refuge in him, Narayan will definitely come. If you keep only a business relationship with the Guru, then the Guru will also do only that much. The guise and name honor of God have always been maintained. Whether you see Narayan in the Guru, or the Guru in Narayan, sins will be eradicated. But they will be eradicated only if you accept it.
Summary
The essence of human life, particularly in Kaliyuga, is centered on the name and glorification of God. The real purpose of life is to sing praises of God and engage in true karma—selfless service and devotion, as outlined in the Vedas, Smritis, and Puranas. Material pursuits, while necessary, should not be the primary focus, as they are temporary. True fulfillment comes from spiritual practice and remembering God. The discourse highlights the importance of taking refuge in God, as it leads to liberation, removing the fear of suffering and ensuring that life’s purpose is fulfilled through devotion.
In the face of life’s challenges, such as materialism and various worldly sorrows, the answer lies in surrendering to God. Seeking refuge in God is the key to overcoming both joy and suffering. By truly surrendering, one gains the strength to endure difficulties, finding peace and contentment in all circumstances. This surrender is not just about words but requires a complete trust in the divine. Through this, the soul is protected, and one finds divine support in every aspect of life. The discourse encourages embracing a life of surrender, focusing on devotion, selfless service, and accepting all circumstances as part of God’s will.
Important Points
- The name of God and His glorification is the supreme essence of Kaliyuga.
- True karma is serving God and others selflessly.
- Material wealth and possessions are temporary; spiritual fulfillment is permanent.
- Surrender to God leads to liberation and removes the fear of suffering.
- Joy and sorrow are part of life, but true surrender gives strength to endure them.
- Refuge in God must be sincere and without conditions.
- Devotion to God ensures protection and divine support.
- The essence of satsang is accepting and practicing the truth.
- Material wealth does not equate to spiritual success; true wealth is devotion.
- Taking refuge in God eliminates karma and leads to eternal bliss.
