Asserted Topics:
The secret of Maharaj’s inner self.
Key Points:
- The zeal Maharaj feels towards achieving equality with Akshardham (the eternal divine abode), his love for Purushottam Bhagwan (Bhagwan Swaminarayan) and his devotees, and his determination to overcome all obstacles reveal the secret of his mission.
Explanation:
In this Vachanamrut, Shriji Maharaj states that today he wants to reveal a secret about his life to all his devotees. Just as rivers merge into the sea, just as a faithful wife and a butterfly both sacrifice themselves to fire, and just as a brave warrior sacrifices everything on the battlefield, he has submerged his soul into the undivided, complete form of Brahm. His love is firmly attached to Purushottam Bhagwan who resides in Akshardham (the divine abode of God) and to the devotees of that supreme God. He has no love for anything other than God and his devotees. This is his unwavering state of being.
In this Vachanamrut, Shriji Maharaj explains that he is revealing his secret to all of his beloved devotees. The term ‘secret’ is relative, depending on the subject matter. Here, when Maharaj speaks of his secret, the curiosity arises—what aspect of Maharaj’s life or personality is this secret about? Maharaj’s secret here pertains particularly to his vairagya (detachment), his absolute renunciation, and the greatness of the work he has undertaken in this world. Therefore, Maharaj further elaborates in the Vachanamrut by saying that though he is extremely detached in his heart, he does not outwardly boast about it. His vairagya is unparalleled. When he looks within his heart and compares it to the hearts of other devotees, even among the great Paramhansas (renunciates) and esteemed Sankhya-yogi women, he notices that they still have some attachment to the world. However, in his own heart, no trace of worldly desire ever arises—not even in his dreams.
No one has the power to distract Maharaj from his devotion to Bhagwan and his saints. What is the secret behind this? It is the zeal and determination that burn within his heart. This zeal is like an intense passion that, once kindled, becomes unstoppable—just as a highly selfish person quickly becomes embroiled in disputes over self-interest, and if this escalates, it turns into an obsession. Similarly, zeal for righteousness (dharma) can lead to an obsession for one’s goal.
Here, Maharaj describes the fire of zeal in his heart and his unwavering determination towards his goal. Just as rivers merge into the sea, a person driven by passion sacrifices everything for their goal. Similarly, just as a faithful wife and a butterfly perish in the fire, zeal leads a person to approach the goal even if it entails destruction. A warrior sacrifices everything for the happiness of his master, even to the extent of breaking himself into pieces with joy.
Maharaj continues, saying that this triple form of zeal and determination always burns in his heart. The first is that his soul is completely merged in the luminous form of Akshardham. This represents his pursuit of complete unity with Akshardham. When two competitors are equally matched, both are filled with the obsession that they cannot afford to fall short in any way. They are unwilling to accept even a slightly lesser result. Sadguru Nishkulanand Swami has said in his Bhaktachintamani, Chapter 60:
जेने मरवाणुं होए मन मां ते मागजो बृहद वैराग्य
ते अक्षरथी आणीक़ोरे रेवा न दिये जाग्य…..
જેને મરવાનું હોય મનમાં તે માગજો બૃહદ વૈરાગ્ય
તે અક્ષરથી આણીકોરે રેવા ન દિયે જાગ્ય…..
The zeal for unity with Aksharbrahm drives Maharaj. Anything less than that unity or capability is unacceptable to him. Thus, Maharaj has merged his soul into the form of Aksharbrahm.
The second form of zeal Maharaj describes is the unwavering love he has attached to Purushottam Bhagwan (the supreme divine being) who resides in Aksharbrahm (the eternal divine abode), as well as the love he has for God’s devotees. The progress of love and vairagya (detachment) usually happens in leaps. Its nature is such that it doesn’t advance slowly. Even in worldly matters, when a young man and woman fall in love, they become entirely consumed, and even if they give up everything, they do not turn back. The same is true for a renunciant. If the spark of detachment truly ignites within them, turning back becomes impossible. Both love and detachment carry a momentum within them.
However, dharma (righteousness) and gnan (knowledge) do not arise suddenly. The scriptures say, “Shanaih shanaih sanchinuyat” (slowly and steadily one must accumulate it), and as the saying goes, “Practice makes even the dull-minded wise.” These two (dharma and gnan) progress slowly. Unlike love and detachment, they don’t advance with leaps. There is certainly firmness within them, but their momentum is less intense. Maharaj says that he has firmly attached love to Bhagwan and his devotees and has kindled the zeal of that love.
Maharaj mentions in the Vachanamrut that though his thoughts are few, they are powerful and resolute, so much so that if anything obstructs them, it would be instantly destroyed. Nothing can survive in his mind except for Bhagwan and his devotees.
The third form of zeal is that no one has the power to remove him from this devotion to Bhagwan. Maharaj says that he has taken a firm stance to fight against all obstacles. Until today, neither Kal (time or death) has been able to destroy his soul, nor has Karma (the law of cause and effect) bound him, nor has Maya been able to absorb him. Now that he has realized Bhagwan, what power do these forces have over him? He has built up his courage and resolved to fight back. This form of zeal has been firmly established in his heart, resulting in unparalleled detachment and an immense surge of strength, allowing him to live in a state of complete freedom. This zeal within his heart, as described above, is the very secret of his inner state.In Vach.G.M.39, Maharaj speaks of channeling this zeal towards the soul’s oneness with God. He mentions that despite being surrounded by temptations like women and wealth, as well as the allure of the five senses and the ego, this zeal is so deeply ingrained that he is not bound by anything. Just like in his previous bodies, he remains oblivious to the material world. If someone else were to strive as he does, they too would remain completely unattached. Maharaj even goes on to say that those who associate with him should not allow any trace of worldly attachment to remain in their hearts. Only those who have the same level of determination in their hearts as he does can truly be in his company. Even if he wishes to love someone with desires for worldly pleasures in their heart, he cannot. Thus, only devotees who are free from worldly desires are dear to him. This is the secret of his inner self. In this way, Maharaj teaches his disciples by giving his own example. After all, he is Bhagwan himself.