In general, when we have the darshan of a saint, we will be blessed. But Nishkulanand Swami says that we should not just see the external appearance. Externally a person might look like a saint, but if he is under the influence of internal enemies like lust, self-admiration, miser, etc., such a wicked saint’s face is not worth seeing.
We should not take any guidance from such a wicked saint. What happens if we take his guidance? Well, we will become like him. What else could we become?
If a chaste woman goes to a prostitute and asks for guidance, what will be the guidance of the prostitute? She would say, “Why don’t you become like me?”
If we want to be happy, we should leave the association of a wicked saint. It is sinful to see such a saint. If we associate with him, we are guaranteed to become sinful. If we stay with him, even unknowingly, our intelligence will be polluted. The intelligence of even great souls like Bhishma Pitamah got polluted by staying with sinful souls. We are nothing in front of such great souls.
So Nishkulanand Swami says that, by staying near a wicked saint, by looking at him, by touching him, we will not get any blessings and we in turn become sinful. If possible, don’t associate with him in any way; don’t look at him; don’t touch him; don’t feed him any food; don’t sit near him; don’t even turn toward his direction; don’t support him in any way.
If a wicked saint preaches spiritually valid points, should we take them or not?
Nishkulanand Swami says that any type of katha from such a wicked saint is the most destructive speech. He might do perfect tilak-chandlo; he might do perfect puja, yet, in associating with him, there are more negative effects than positive effects.
By associating with such a wicked saint, we will become an atheist for life after life.
Wicked saint is like a cow that can’t give milk
Gunatitanand Swami has said that “This satsang is the form of a cow, and true saints are the udders of the cow. You get milk only from udders and not from any other parts of the cow.”
If we serve a cow that can’t give milk, what do we get from it? We might get cow-dung and gomutra (cow-urine), but we are never going to get milk.
A wicked saint is like a cow that can never give milk. By respecting a wicked saint, by serving him, by supporting him, what do we get in return? We get nothing.
Our fruits are based on the purity of the object we serve
Scriptures say that a wife should consider her husband as Bhagwan Himself. Some of the worldly wives should be considering their husbands as Bhagwan Himself. Can we say they are like Gopis?
No.
Krishna was not Gopis’ husband. Yet Gopis kept a relationship with Bhagwan in all eight possible ways a soul could have a relation with opposite-gender:
smaraṇam kīrtanaṁ keliḥ
prekṣaṇaṁ guhyam āsanam
saṅkalpo adhyavasāya.
Definition: Remembering opposite-gender, talking to or about opposite-gender (including reading about them), actually being with opposite-gender, looking at opposite-gender (even in mind), whispering (or keeping secrets) with opposite-gender, sitting with opposite-gender, desiring to be with opposite-gender, attempting or making plans to be with opposite-gender.
With such a relation with Bhagwan, Gopis became brahmrup. Gopis did not consider Krishna as Bhagwan and thought this person is very beautiful, yet they became like Bhagwan.
Worldly wives worshiped their husbands by considering them as Bhagwan, yet they could not become like Gopis. Why is that so?
We get fruits based on the worthiness of the object we serve. If the object we serve is brahmrup, we become brahmrup, else no.
First, get rid of wrong people, then serve the right people
Scriptures recommends five duties of a king to keep his citizens happy and prosperous.
दुष्टस्य दण्डः सुजनस्य पूजा
न्यायेन कोशस्य हि वर्धनं च |
अपक्षपातो निजराष्ट्ररक्षा
पञ्चैव धर्माः कथिता नृपाणाम् ||
dushtasya dandah sujanasya puja
nyayen koshasya hi vardhanam cha
apakshapato nijarashtraraksha
panchaiva dharmaha kathita nrupanam
[Subhashitam]Definition: Punishment of the wicked, rewarding the righteous, development of state revenues by right means, impartiality in granting favors, and protection of the state are the five duties of the king.
“First get rid of wrong people, then serve right people.” So, punishing the wrong people is the first duty. And so, first get rid of the wicked saint.
Wicked saints are so skillful and well prepared that it is very difficult to identify their wickedness. They maintain their saintliness better than true saints. When aspiring souls see a well-prepared wicked saint, they say, “Wah, Wah, what a great saint he is.”
Nishkulanand Swami is worried about such aspiring souls who would eventually be cheated by wicked saints.
If an aspiring soul sits in front of a wicked saint, the aspiring soul will get the quality of his wickedness, and the aspiring soul will not achieve his kalyan but will be dead in the path of kalyan.
References:
- Chosathpadi Katha Part 27 (Pad 41-42)
- dushtasya dandah sujanasya puja – Round The Clock Stories: Five sacred duties of an Administrator