Asserted Topics:
Dharma, Gyān, Vairagya and Bhakti are interdependent
Key Points:
Perfect each of the aforementioned virtues.
Explanation
In this Vachanāmrut, Māharāj says: “In our Satsaṅg devotees of God desire for their ultimate salvation. It cannot be achieved by alone Ātmanishthā, love for God, Vairagya (non-attachment), or Swadharma. Ultimate Mōkṣha requires practice of all four virtues.” Each virtue has its own significance & limitations; hence one virtue cannot take the place of the other. Thus, the absence of one virtue cannot be fulfilled by another. Therefore, as much as there is a deficiency in any of the four qualities, there is a deficiency in Ultimate salvation. So four virtues are required. Now Maharaj tells about expectations of each virtue from another. The significance of each over another. Powers and limitations of each virtue.
Māharāj says that “If one tries to acquire Ātmanishthā (faith in soul/oneself) but has no love for God, he will not be able to earn God’s pleasure. He will miss the grandeur to be gained through His favour. He will not acquire the power to resist the influence of Maya”.
The above topic can be understood through the example of Karna and Prahalad in the scriptures. When Karna was studying in Parshuram’s Ashram, a black beetle landed on his thigh and started eating it, however Karna endured the pain. There were many other similar incidents of control in his life. However, without an attachment towards Lord Shree Krishna, Karna was not liberated. On the other hand, Prahalad was liberated because of his devotion to Lord Shree Krishna. Prahalad received the blessings of God, while Karna and others like him did not because while they had similar good virtues, without an attachment towards Lord Krishna, they did not get His blessings. Therefore, It’s worth thinking about the example of Renunciate and his austerity.
If one possesses only love and devotion towards God and neglects Ātmanishthā, the gains of love and devotion will be lost.” There were many saints during Māharāj’s lifetime, who had profound love for God. When Māharāj ordered them to practice difficult Prakarans (vows and fasts) they left the Satsaṅg because of a lack of Ātmanishthā (faith in one’s self).
“If one possesses both devotion and knowledge and neglects Vairagya, the gains of knowledge and devotion will have to be lost because of the attachment towards objects of the five senses.” Vairagya is the ornament of a devotee by which a devotee’s visage becomes superior. Without Vairagya devotees look ugly. Nāradji was a great devotee of God, however materialistic desires had arisen in his heart because of a lack of Vairagya, and for that reason God transformed Nāradji face into that of a monkey. Without Vairagya, the life – face of a devotee becomes ugly. Vairagya is like the face. A sign of beauty. Therefore, God who is proud to show his defect must have made Naradji a monkey’s face! It did not happen only then, even now those gestures are bound to occur partly due to lack of Vairagya among the devotees. Not that the photo turns out like that; But in action there is monkeyness. So God has shown such funny expample in the scriptures.
Another example of a lack of Vairagya also given in the scriptures which serve to inspire us is the story of Vāmanji. Shukrācharya knew that Vāmanji was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Greed overcame his mind because he thought if Vamanji will take everything from King Bali what will he get? In the end, he sacrifices one eye because of his greed. Gyān and Vairagya are considered the two eyes for a devotee. When one is lacking, it becomes the ugliness of the devotee. Thus to illustrate the lack of Vairagya, God describes Vairagya as the beauty of face. Without that devotees look ugly. The beauty in all aspects of a deevotee cannot be accomplished. Maharaj says without Vairagya, one cannot achieve Ātmanishthā and love for God.
Maharaj also says that even if there is Vairagya, if there is no love and devotion, then cannot attain the bliss of God’s form. There are many traditions/successions in the world that do not lack Vairagya but lack devotion. They do not get the extreme bliss of God.
Many examples are given in the scriptures of people who have had trouble achieving Ātyankit Kalyān (ultimate salvation), because they lacked one or more virtues.
Shabari had been a great devotee of God, but because of extreme devotion she broke Dharma in her devotion. Therefore, she was born in a lower caste. Vidurji, who was the incarnation of Dharma, was full of devotion, but since he lacked other virtues he was born as the son of a servant.
Sitāji and Draupadiji are revered as exemplary characters, but Sitāji’s venture beyond the borderline drawn by Laxman and Draupadi’s use of inappropriate words caused them immense pain. Such actions raise questions about the shortcomings either in their Dharma or in their knowledge.
King Yudhisthir is called as the best among all the people who are committed to righteousness (Dharmanishthā), but the lack of knowledge about Lord Shree Krishna bothered him a lot in his mind.
Vyasaji is known as an incarnation of God. He did not lack Dharma, Gyān, and Vairagya but had a slight weakness in Bhakti, thus doing great endovers did not gave him self-satisfaction. Faiba of village Machhiyav, was a devotee of Shreeji Māharāj, but became depressed because she lacked Gyān. Ashvatthāmā had a lot of Gyān and was even Brahmrup (above the three attributes of maya), but because he lacked Dharma, Vairagya and Bhakti, he did not get anything.
Each attribute has a single power that the other does not. For example:
(1) Dharma has the ability to mitigate the influence of adverse times and unfavorable places/environments, yet it lacks the capability to liberate the soul from this universe.
(2) Ātmanishthā holds the power to relinquish bodily attachments, but without devotion, it does not bestow salvation.
(3) Vairagya possesses the unique power to overcome the allure of the five objects of senses, surpassing any other means.
(4) Bhakti possesses the power to overcome Maya and establish a deep connection with the divine, an achievement unparalleled by any other method.Hence, the attainment of Atyantik Kalyan (Ultimate salvation) necessitates the practice of all four means. A true devotee of God should strive for perfection in all four aspects instead of merely being content with achieving proficiency in one.
-Swaminarayan Chintan