Asserted Topics:
Devotion towards Bhagwan with fidelity and the devotee’s stance.
Key Points:
- Fidelity towards Bhagwan and the devotee’s stance.
- A devotee of Bhagwan should maintain loyalty towards Bhagwan and His devotees.
Explanation:
This Vachanamrut emphasizes the importance of firm faith and steadfastness in Satsang. Maharaj instructs that a devotee of Bhagwan must maintain unwavering fidelity (pativrata) towards Shreeji Maharaj (Bhagwan) and show courage in upholding Satsang. In a devoted wife, fidelity is the foremost quality, not judgment of her husband’s virtues. It is through her unwavering devotion to her husband that she attains divinity, not through her own intellect or her husband’s capabilities. Even many wives of demons, due to their unshaken devotion towards their husbands, are regarded as chaste wives and are renowned in scriptures and the three worlds. Once a relationship is formed, it must be upheld even at the cost of one’s life. In this, there is no consideration of profit or loss, justice or injustice, or the virtues of the relationship. If one starts evaluating based on virtues, the fidelity of a chaste wife cannot remain intact.
Maharaj explains that even if the husband is old, sick, poor, unattractive, or incapable of fulfilling her desires, a chaste wife’s mind will not waver by looking at the virtues of another man. Similarly, if the wife belongs to a poor household and is approached by a great king with desires, her mind will not be swayed if she is a faithful wife. In the same way, a devotee must uphold the fidelity of a chaste wife towards Bhagwan. One must not bring doubts or suspicions about their Ishtadev (personal deity). Even if other deities fulfill desires, a devotee must not turn to them for fulfillment. If personal desires are thwarted, one must still stand firm with Bhagwan. If the mind stays content only when worldly or personal desires are fulfilled, then it cannot be called true fidelity. The power, influence, or success of a chaste wife comes from the firmness of her fidelity. Similarly, the strength of a devotee lies in their steadfastness towards their Ishtadev, and this is what pleases Bhagwan. Just as a husband is pleased by the fidelity of his wife, not her cleverness, Maharaj explains that even a simple woman can uphold her chastity, while a clever woman may be adulterous.
Moreover, Maharaj emphasizes that if someone speaks ill of one’s Ishtadev, one should not act like a coward and shrink back; instead, they should respond with the courage of a warrior. A devotee of Bhagwan should not be suppressed by the shadows of sinful individuals. When a devotee becomes greedy for worldly desires, they are often forced to bow under the influence of even trivial individuals. Therefore, to maintain the honor of one’s Ishtadev, one must curb their desires. Live in such a way that no one can force you into submission. The duty of a devotee is to boldly respond to those who slander their faith.
In the world, it is often said that “a Sant (ascetic) should have an equal view towards all,” but this is not the view of the scriptures. Why? Because Narad, Sanakadik, Dhruv, Prahlad, and others have always taken the side of Bhagwan and His devotees. No one has ever taken the side of a person who is opposed to God (vimukh). True devotion towards Bhagwan inherently involves partiality towards Bhagwan and His devotees. It is considered devotion only when it favors Bhagwan and His true devotees. In matters concerning devotion, there is no place for judging fairness between a devotee and a vimukh. Even if the world disapproves, devotion delights in favoring Bhagwan and His devotees. If someone does not like this partiality, then they are not yet a complete devotee; there remains a bit of vimukhata (opposition) in their heart, which prompts them to act in such a manner. Standing in favor of Bhagwan or His devotees does not make a person unjust. If that were the case, then all the devotees of the past would have been labeled as unjust.
In the Bhaktachintamani, Sadguru Nishkulanand Swami writes:
તેમાં કાઢશો દોષ જો તમે, તિયાં કહીએ છીએ સ્વામી અમે
આગે ત્યાગ્યું એમ મોટે મોટે, તેને આવી નહિ કાંઈ ખોટે
જુઓ વિભીષણે તજ્યો ભ્રાત, તેમ તજી ભરતજીએ માત
તજી વિદુરે કુળની વિધિ, ઋષિ પત્નીએ તજ્યા સંબંધી
ગોપીએ તજ્યો પતિનો સંગ, તજ્યો પુત્ર વેન રાજા અંગ
તજ્યો પ્રહલાદે પિતાને વળી, તેમ ગુરુ તજ્યો રાજા બળી
તેની અપકીર્તિ નવ્ય થઈ, સામું કીર્તિ શાસ્ત્ર માંહી કઈ
માટે એ રીત અનાદિ ખરી, કૃષ્ણ વિમુખ મેલ્યા પરહરી
Temāṃ kāḍhaśo doṣ jo tame, tiyāṃ kahīe chhīe Swāmī ame
Āge tyāgyuṃ em moṭe moṭe, tene āvī nahī kāī khoṭe
Juō Vibhīṣaṇe tajyo bhrāt, tem taji Bharatajīe māt
Tajī Vidure kuḷnī vidhi, ṛṣhi patnīe tajyā saṃbandhī,
Gopīe tajyo patino saṃga, tajyo putra Vena rājā aṃga
Tajyo Prahlāde pitāne vaḷī, tem guru tajyo rājā Balī
Tenī apakīrti navya thaī, sāmuṃ kīrti śāstra māṃhī kaī
Māṭe e rīt anādi kharī, Kṛṣhṇa vimukh meḷyā paraharī
“If you find faults in this, Swami, we say,
Many great ones have renounced, without falling into disrepute.
Look at Vibhishan who renounced his brother, Bharat who renounced his mother,
Vidur renounced his family customs, and the wives of the Rishis renounced their relations.
The Gopis renounced the company of their husbands, Ang renounced his son, King Vena.
Prahlad renounced his father, and King Bali renounced his Guru.
Their reputations were not tarnished, but rather, their praise is written in the scriptures.
This practice is eternal; Krishna drives away those who turn away from Him.”
(Bhaktachintamani 42:23/26).
Were the devotees mentioned above unjust? Did they lose their humanity? Were they lacking in nobility? No, they upheld true and proper justice between a vimukh and Bhagwan or His devotees. That is why Maharaj says that this is not the opinion of the scriptures; it is the opinion of the vimukh. The world is not short of noble kin who, when they are criticized, advise others to act justly towards all. The world finds it acceptable to side with a vimukh because they share a kindred nature, but for someone who, despite wearing the guise of a devotee, seeks fairness and expresses sympathy towards a vimukh, what does that indicate? It reveals that vimukhata is still hidden within that devotee’s heart. This sympathy is not born out of goodness but out of vimukhata. Becoming a devotee does not mean one has lost all their nobility, and being a vimukh does not mean one is entirely virtuous. Maharaj says that the twisted feelings and sympathy for a vimukh reflect the vimukhata deeply embedded in one’s self. Maharaj emphasizes that one who takes the side of a vimukh will inevitably become a vimukh either in this life or the next.When is taking sides truly considered as such? Simply accepting two plus two equals four is not taking sides. Even in a court of law, one must admit the truth, even if it supports the enemy’s case. Similarly, if we support a devotee when justice tilts in their favor, this cannot be called taking sides; it is merely standing by justice, not the devotee. It is only when we support the devotee even when they may have a fault, standing by them among other devotees, that we can be said to have taken their side. It is only then that we are truly considered devotees. Hence, Maharaj says, a devotee of Bhagwan must always take the side of Bhagwan and His devotees and must abandon the side of the vimukh.