Asserted Topics:
The Minediya (Cat-like) devotee.
Key Point:
- A devotee who practices devotion but cannot renounce hidden worldly desires is called a Minediya devotee.
Explanation:
This Vachanamrut is referred to by the senior santo as the discourse about the Minediya devotee. But what is a Minediya devotee? A Minediya devotee is one who, like a cat, quickly consumes acts of devotion such as meditation, circumambulation, and worship. There is a famous story involving Birbal and the emperor about a cat. Once, the emperor asked Birbal, “Which is greater, nature or association?” Birbal answered, “Nature is greater.” The emperor disagreed, saying, “No, association is greater. See how this cat has become so devoted because of our association. Every day during Quran recitation, it sits with a lamp on its head and listens with closed eyes.” Birbal said, “Your Majesty, I will show you the truth when the time comes.” Later, Birbal brought a few small mice to the Quran recital. When the mice were released during the recitation, the cat’s true nature was revealed. Maharaj, keeping in mind the cat’s tendencies and behavior, used the term Minediya bhakta (cat-like devotee) for such individuals.
The Minediya (cat) often sits quietly in solitude, appearing calm like a devotee, but its focus is only on two things: either on catching a mouse or drinking milk from the kitchen. Why is it sitting so calmly? It is doing so with the intent to capture its prey. Similarly, if subtle and hidden desires for worldly pleasures remain in the heart of a devotee, even while performing acts of devotion, such a person is called a Minediya bhakt.
This desire for worldly pleasures remains hidden in the heart, nurtured under the guise of Atmanishtha (faith in one’s own Self, the soul) or devotion. Maharaj explains that even the purpose of Atmanishtha is to cultivate a faultless understanding of God, and without this, merely indulging in the soul is akin to a hidden desire for pleasures. It is nothing more than the evil inclination in one’s heart. Maharaj asks, “What is the true nature of the eternal soul?” It is one that is untouched by Maya, the three gunas (attributes of nature), the body, the senses, and the conscience. Any appearance of the soul being affected is due to ignorance. But what is ignorance? It is not the complete absence of knowledge, for in total absence, action or intent is impossible. Rather, ignorance is partial knowledge, an incomplete experience. In such incomplete knowledge, delusions or weaknesses can thrive.
How can one attain Samyak Atma-gnan (perfect knowledge of the soul)? It is to know that “I am indestructible, indivisible, ageless, and immortal.” This is Atma-gnan (knowledge of the soul); however, Shri Ramanujacharya did not refer to this as Samyak Atma-gnan. According to him, the experience of one’s servitude to God (Sheshatva) is Samyak Atma-gnan. Similarly, according to Maharaj, Samyak Atma-gnan means the realization of Sevak-bhav (servant-like attitude) towards Paramatma (Supreme God) within oneself, as expressed in the phrase: “Tatra Brahmatmana Krshna-seva muktishcha gamyatam”—meaning that the soul, in its Brahma form, serving God itself is liberation. Without this realization, all other forms of Atma-gnan are incomplete and therefore considered ignorance.
Here too, Maharaj emphasizes that living as the soul is not about becoming one with Brahma and simply reveling in that state. The purpose is to develop a faultless understanding of Paramatma’s nature. Therefore, Maharaj says, just as a lizard near a lamp devours other insects, similarly, one must eliminate all thoughts except those of pure devotion and servitude to God, and love for God must be expressed with a true understanding of the self.
Maharaj says that one who loves Parmeshwar (God) will have no affection for anything other than Parmeshwar. This is because Parmatma’s nature is filled with supreme bliss, and there is no other entity in the entire universe that can compare to His blissful nature. Therefore, if one possesses discernment (vivek), they should naturally detach from worldly pleasures. Maharaj explains that the intellect of the jiva (soul) is so pitiful that it often cherishes trivial objects more dearly than God Himself. He further clarifies that one should not think that only pleasant objects hinder devotion to God while unpleasant ones do not. The foolish nature of the soul is like that of a dog, which gnaws on a dry bone in solitude, thinking it is enjoying it. Such is the foolish intellect of the soul.
King Chitraketu, in order to attain the bliss of God, renounced his one hundred thousand wives and the sovereignty of the entire Earth. He realized that compared to the joy of experiencing God, the pleasures of one hundred thousand wives, the joys of ruling the Earth, and even the pleasures of Indra-lok or Brahma-lok are insignificant. Such is the greatness of God. Therefore, after contemplating His greatness, one should renounce all hidden desires for anything other than God and become a brave devotee. A true warrior believes that if their bravery is not tested in battle, it is wasted. Similarly, devotees of God should understand that after attaining God, if they do not speak of the well-being of those souls who associate with them, then what is the use of their knowledge? Thus, a devotee may encounter minor disturbances in spreading God’s message but should never act cowardly.
Maharaj then had three devotional songs of Tulsidasji sung, all of which emphasized the central theme of not loving anything except God. Thus, one must fearlessly worship God. Even if something remains incomplete in this life, one should be determined not to fall into lower forms of life, such as hell, the eighty-four lakh life forms, or as a ghost or spirit. Instead, one should have the confidence that a better body will be attained in the future and continue to worship God with courage.