You cannot suppress desires without detachment
There is only one person without any desire. He is God. The person who desires and could suppress the desires is called a Saint (or devotee). The person who can observe his desires is called a human. The person who fights against desires without understanding and learning about the desires is called an animal.
If a Saint (or devotee) doesn’t possess detachment, he can’t suppress the desire. One can suppress desires only with the force of detachment and with the force of desire for God.
Only a Saint (or devotee) can suppress the desires. The one who would like to be a Saint or a devotee should first learn to find their desires and then try to learn the methods of suppressing them.
Shankar Bhagwan couldn’t suppress the desire that shattered his principles of life. He was considered a celibate. Brahmaji couldn’t suppress the desire that could break his relationships. Brahmaji desired upon seeing his daughter Saraswathi and couldn’t suppress his desire.
Infatuated people polish themselves
Arjun had infatuation (Moh) on his relationships. He said, “With war everyone will be killed. There will not be anyone to take the next generation forward. And that is against morality.”
Lord Krishna said to Arjun that it is his duty to fight the war. But Arjun replied that there is no better life than a renounced life. Arjun praised renounced life to protect his desire of saving all of his relations. He had nothing to do with renounced life. If he knew in real that renounced life was the best, he would not take away Lord’s sister in the pretext of a Sadhu and would have became a real Sadhu.People talk like Arjun when they are in infatuation.
We say, “That lady is very devoted.” But internally there is attachment to women inside us. “You fool, she might be a devotee, but you are not for sure.”
Lord Shiva requested Lord Narayan to show the Mohini form of God. Lord Narayan replied to Lord Shiva, “Dear Lord Shiva, you should not see that form of me.”
Lord Shiva replied, “Oh Maharaj? You don’t want me to see your divine form?”
In the pretext of devotion, Lord Shiva asked, “No Maharaj. Show me your beautiful divine form.”
We take a good form to fulfill our desires.
When Naradji got the desire to marry, he went to the Lord and asked, “Maharaj, I would like to take a householder life.”
The Lord asked him, “You are a renounced Saint. Why would you like to be a householder?”
Naradji replied, “Maharaj, householder life is the support of all and food provider of everyone including Saints.”
Naradji continued, “I took all the benefits of renounced life. I would also like to take the benefits of householder life. Please arrange it for me.”
Naradji did not ask the Lord that, “Maharaj, I have this desire, please fulfill me.”
He showcased himself in a polished way. The finishing of duplicate products is always better than the original products. Otherwise they wouldn’t be sold. If you don’t shape your desires in a polished way, you can’t fulfill them.He showcased himself in a polished way. The finishing of duplicate products is always better than the original products. Otherwise they wouldn’t be sold. If you don’t shape your desires in a polished way, you can’t fulfill them.
When Naradji requested the Lord to fulfill his desires, the Lord replied, “No.”
If Naradji had stopped when the Lord rejected his desire, he would have regained His respect. But Naradji continued, “No Maharaj, please fulfill my wish in whatever way possible.”
The scriptures say that the wishes of those who don’t control their senses is never fulfilled. God will not allow it to be fulfilled. The wishes of those who have their senses controlled are always fulfilled. Because he does everything by staying within his limits.
The Lord made all the arrangements to fulfill Naradji’s wishes but did not fulfill the wishes. Naradji felt as if his wishes were going to be fulfilled. It is just that the marriage garland has to go around his neck. He was in the assembly to get married, but God did not allow it to happen.
Infatuation results in suffering
Lord Shankar desired to see the form of Lord Vishnu as Mohini.
Lord Narayan tried a lot to stop Lord Shankar’s wishes by saying that it was not good for him.
Lord Shankar said, “You must show your form.”
Lord Mohini showed her beautiful form and Lord Shankar had to fall from his position. It has become a mark in his history.Lord Indra went to the home of a Rushi to fulfill his desires. The result is that he had to suffer a lot. He suffered so much that he didn’t enjoy even one hundredth part of what he suffered.
The soul thinks that, “I am going to enjoy,” and roams all over the world in all of the directions.
Chandra, Surya, Narad, Parasar, Saubhari, and Ekal Srinigi were all great. They were at the peak of their devotional activities. But they couldn’t stop their inner desires.
Ekal Srinigi went to the forest to perform penance. Saubhari Rishi was performing penance by staying in the waters for years. Was it all without detachment?
Just going to the forest doesn’t mean someone has detachment. Just because someone became a Saint (or devotee) doesn’t mean that he is full of detachment.
Naradji did good of so many souls. He made so many Saints and devotees. He also cultivated detachment in many devotees.
He is the Guru of Prahladji who was perfectly detached from everything except God. In this case the one (Naradji) who directed Prahladji to be detached was not detached. But the one who received detachment (Prahladji) was perfectly detached.Someone might make so many Saints. That doesn’t make him detached. The Saints he made might be well-detached. It is like a business. The one who shows some business opportunities to someone might actually fail while the ones who received the opportunity might actually be very successful.
You might be a doing a lot of devotional services, you might be very knowledgeable, you might be doing great works, and you might be helping others a lot. None of them prove that you are a detached soul.
Naradji inaugurated so many pious activities. Still he had faced a problem and couldn’t handle it. That concludes that even if you do all great works, it doesn’t mean that you possess detachment.
Saubhari Rishi was performing severe penance. Yet he was attracted. Attraction reduces only when we try to catch it and reduce it. If we do devotional activities, it will not reduce attachment. Ravan did a lot of devotion but he was a completely attached soul.
Measurement of detachment
In your life, you might have done great things. You might have done great devotional or social activities. But they don’t measure your detachment.In Prahladji’s life, there is not an incident to prove that he was attracted to something. Shukdevji life was also without any attachments. Jada Bharat’s life was also without any attachments. King Janak is another example of real detachment.
The number of attachment incidents that happens in a person’s life is the measure of his detachment. The more the number of attachment incidents, the less he is detached. Measurement of detachment is the number of incidents that he failed to be detached.
Naradji was detached all the times except for the time he had the desire to marry.
Among all the Saints Nar-Narayan Bhagwan is the only one who is perfectly detached.
In history, there were many great Saints who did a lot of great works. If the Guinness Book World Records were present in those days, they would all be present in the records. In recent years, was there anyone who could do penance inside water for tens of years? No. Saubhari Rishi did that for thousands of years. Is there anyone who did so many good works like Naradji? No.
Many souls like the Pandavas, Chitraketu, Agnidra, and Yayati were all great but they were also affected by attachments. Everyone, from the smallest insect to Lord Brahma is suffering every moment either to possess a sense object or to enjoy a sense object.
Nishkulanand Swami framed a rule that whether you are Lord Brahma or the smallest insect, if you desire for anything other than God, then you are fallen. If you don’t fall for any objects other than God, then you are called firmly detached.
References :
Sarsiddhi Katha Part 06.