The subject of today’s discourse is “The Devotee and the Lord.” The Lord belongs to all, yet we call Him “the Lord of the devotees”. Why? It is said that only the devotee realizes the Lord. The one who cultivates knowledge by studying the scriptures will say, “The Lord belongs to all”, but spiritual aspirant says, “It is true that the Supreme Lord belongs to all, but only devotees can bind Him.”

Now the question is, how can the Supreme Entity be attained? In the scriptures it is said:

Náyamátmá pravacanena labhyo na medhayá na bahunáshrutena;
Yamevaeśa vrńute tena labhyastasyaeśa átmá vivrńute tanúḿ svám.

[This Atman or Self cannot be attained by giving learned discourses, nor by listening to pedantic discourses. Rather the Self is attainable by that spiritual aspirant to whom It manifests itself.]

Through erudition, deep study, or intellectual cultivation, no one will ever attain the Supreme Entity. Human life is short. Within this short span of time human beings have much work to do. It is not advisable to waste one’s valuable time in vain debate or fruitless study. Similarly, by giving lengthy discourses or by becoming profound scholars, no one can attain Parama Puruśa. The minimum qualification required to tread the path of spirituality is a pure heart. If one has a pure heart, this is sufficient.

The so-called scholars vainly think that when they can speak in calculated language and smile in a measured way they are superior to the common masses. But in my opinion, how much intellect can be contained in a small cranium? When people become insane, they are laughed at and teased by others. Similarly, when people grow old they lose their power of memory. To cherish the vanity of intellect is meaningless.

Some people think, “Well, since I have listened to so many learned discourses I have nothing else left to do.” If listening to learned discourses were sufficient, then the microphone I am using now certainly would have attained salvation, because it has heard many beautiful discourses. Listening to others’ discourses is not enough. It is only when He showers His grace upon one that one attains everything. No one can be a member of the inner circle of Parama Puruśa (Hariparimandal) by listening to many discourses. Only when one attains the minimum qualification, a pure heart, can one realize the true nature of Parama Puruśa. One can look upon Parama Puruśa as one’s personal treasure only by virtue of devotion. A devotee can give up everything except Parama Puruśa, for He is the life of a devotee. If ever a devotee is separated from Him he win surely die. In this case a devotee is like a miser.

How does Parama Puruśa manifest Himself to His devotees? Everyone longs to attain Parama Puruśa, but the problem is, how? The scriptures say,

Náyamátmá balahiinena labhyo na ca pramádáttapaso vápyaliuṋgát;
Etaerupáyaeryatate yastu vidváḿstasyaeśa átmá vishate Brahmadháma.

When the Supreme Operative Principle (Paramá Prakrti) functions through a certain structure, the energy functioning within that structure is called bala (energy). In the human being there are three kinds of energy: physical, psychic, and spiritual. Physical energy, by personal endeavour, can be converted into psychic energy, and psychic energy can be metamorphosed into spiritual vigour by virtue of sádhaná. Spiritual power is the strongest. Those who are timid shout “Non-violence! non-violence!” at the top of their voice. All kinds of timidity should be swept away. This requires tremendous psychic energy, which depends on moral or spiritual force.

The question is, how can one acquire such spiritual force? By sincerity, one can acquire psychic force, and through the practice of sádhaná one can acquire spiritual force. Those who are persistent in their endeavour do acquire psychic force. When one sits down to meditate after attaining that sort of psychic energy one easily acquires spiritual force. That spiritual force lies latent in you; it is not difficult to attain. You should ensure that the path of sádhaná you choose is not a defective one in which there is a mistake in the beginning, middle, and end. One should move ahead in one’s mission after determining one’s goal. Once the goal is fixed there remains almost no possibility, of error; hence you should always remember your goal. But once you fall into the trap of error it leads to danger. This is the reason why I advise people to remember their guru mantra, to always remain aware of the goal. The souls of those people who practice sádhaná in this way enter the abode of Brahma. Persistent endeavour and practical cult are essential to reach the goal. Hence, in sádhaná one should remember two essential factors: constant awareness of one’s goal, and persistent endeavour to attain that goal.

During sádhaná the spiritual aspirants should bear in mind that the Supreme Entity does not reside in any particular heaven or vaekuńt́ha, but remains with them at all times.

Tileśu taelaḿ dadhiniiva sarpirápah
Srotahsvarańiiśu cágnih;
Evamátmátmani grhyate’sao
Satyenaenaḿ tapasá yo’nupashyati.

“Parama Puruśa resides in you, just as oil resides in the sesame seed, or butter in milk, or water in the river current, or fire in a flint.”

Parama Puruśa hears all your internal thoughts. Nothing is unknown to Him. He is like a tape recorder in your mind. You may be forgetful with the passage of time, but not Parama Puruśa. Oil resides in sesame, yet it is not visible. If you crush the seeds the oil comes out, and the remaining non-essential parts are discarded. For the attainment of Parama Puruśa an introverted mind is indispensable. In milk lies clarified butter or ghee: but the butter can only be had if the milk is churned. Likewise, Parama Puruśa lies hidden in the cavity of the human mind. If people roam around in the external world in search of Him, they will never succeed.

Idaḿtiirthamidaḿ tiirthaḿ brahmati támásáh janáh
Átmatiirthaḿ na jánánti kathaḿ mokśa baránane.

“People of static nature wander about, bathing in places of pilgrimage in the hope of attaining merit.”

Perhaps the places of pilgrimage are full of polluted, murky water, infested with poisonous insects and worms. A dip in that water may cause skin disease. In that case a visit to a place of pilgrimage ultimately causes disease and suffering.

What should be done by those who are virtuous at heart? They should take a holy bath in their own mind and discover the inner Place of pilgrimage, instead of wasting time and energy in bathing in external places of pilgrimage.

The question of fasting (upavása) arises in this context. The Saḿskrta prefix upa means near. Upavása means sitting near. So upavása by connotation means sitting near Parama Puruśa as opposed to being extroversial. On the day of fasting people abstain from eating solid food. It is easier to concentrate the mind on those days than on other days. The meaning of the word anashana is “not taking food”.

So you understand that it is not possible for people of static nature to attain liberation. Butter lies latent in cream and appears when the cream is churned. Parama Puruśa is like butter: He resides inside you, not outside. But instead of realizing this, people worship Parama Puruśa with flowers and wood-apple leaves. This is completely misleading. It is said in Ánanda Sútram:

Prárthanárcanámátraeva Brahmamúlam: Prayer and worship are all misleading.

If one removes the sand from a dry river bed, one will discover the flow of pure water. Here the sand symbolises impurity and the water represents Parama Puruśa. If you rub two flints together fire is produced: this fire represents Parama Puruśa. This is how you will attain Him – by doing sádhaná.

It has been said earlier that the grace of Parama Puruśa is only showered on devotees. His grace is all that matters. It is true that the people of knowledge (jiṋániis) and the people of action (karmiis) may labour harder, but it is the devotees (bhaktas) alone who attain Parama Puruśa. There are two major obstacles on the path of knowledge: lethargy and vanity. A vain person remains far away from Parama Puruśa. Of all the different types of lethargy, spiritual lethargy is the worst. Spiritual lethargy means not to sit for meditation regularly. Those with spiritual lethargy have time for all other actions, but for spiritual practice there seems to be no time. They say, “It’s already late today – I’ll do a short meditation right now, and devote more time to sádhaná tomorrow.” They sit attentively inside the cinema hall, but in dharma sádhaná they feel sleepy.

Let me tell you a story in this connection. Lakśman accompanied Ram and Sita to the forest. For a long period of fourteen years, his duty was to keep watch at all times. One day he felt sleepy, and dozed off. Suddenly he woke up and was about to shoot the Goddess of Sleep with his bow and arrow. She said, “Lakśman, how unbecoming it is for you to do such a thing! People call you a great hero, but you are using your arrow against a woman.” Lakśman replied, “You know that I am on duty here, yet why have you come to trouble me?” The Goddess of Sleep said, “But it is also my duty to come and sit on your eyelids”. After a long discussion they finally reached a compromise. They decided that after fourteen years, when Ramchandra would return to Ayodhya to ascend the throne, the Goddess of Sleep would sit on Lakśman’s eyelids, because at that time he would have no more work to do.

Fourteen years passed. It was the day of Ramchandra’s coronation. Laksman was on duty. Suddenly Laksman felt extremely sleepy and was unable to prevent sleep from overpowering him. The Goddess of Sleep had not come alone – she was accompanied by a large retinue. Laksman felt embarassed. He thought, “What a nuisance this sleep is! If I fall asleep now my elder brother will think that I’m not interested in his coronation”. But the Goddess of Sleep was adamant. Then Laksman said, “Well, I understand your difficulty. But you should find another place to cast your spell. I suggest you go to a place where someone is delivering a spiritual discourse and sit on the eyelids of those in the audience who are impious.” And since then, this tradition has been maintained.

One of the major defects of people of action is vanity. Devotees have no such defect – they work by virtue of their implicit devotion to Parama Puruśa. There is no room for lethargy in their lives. For devotees, Parama Puruśa is their controller – the machine operator – and they are mere tools in His hands. They think that if they do not do Parama Puruśa’s work, then who else will do it? Thus devotees are greater than both jiṋániis and karmiis, people of knowledge and people of action. People of knowledge seek their Lord in books and not through practical realization. The scriptures say,

Anubhútiḿ viná muŕho vrthá brahmańi modate
Prativimbitashákhágraphalasvádanamodavat.

[Foolish people without any God-realization wrongly feel that they have attained Brahma; their elation is pure vanity. It is they who taste the reflection of a fruit in a pond and claim they have tasted the real fruit.]

People of knowledge do not enjoy the real fruits, they enjoy only their reflections. The Lord of the people of action is like a steamroller – an animate machine. Unless one is endowed with devotion, one cannot realize the Supreme Entity. Devotees feel that their Lord is their constant companion. They feel, “I am one with Him”.

People of knowledge know that Parama Puruśa is beyond the scope of word and thought – aváuṋmanasogocara – and hence they can never reach Him. People of action are almost like mechanical objects. But the sole intention of the devotees is service to God. For this one will have to come in the close proximity to the Lord. One will have to touch Him. The samádhi of the people of knowledge is a theoretical samádhi, whereas the devotees’ samádhi is one of realization. Devotees are happy even when the Lord threatens to punish them because they know that the Lord cannot punish them without touching them. So punishment is also a kind of boon for them.

It is through service that devotees come in contact with Parama Puruśa. To render service to Parama Puruśa you should sing kiirtana loudly. This can be nicely illustrated with an analogy. Suppose a mother has three children – a jiṋánii, a karmii, and a bhakta. The jiṋánii reasons, “Mother is cooking in the kitchen. I will see her in my spare time.” A karmii thinks, “What’s the necessity of meeting her? I will just try to satisfy her through service.” But the bhakta, instead of thinking, will burst into tears. Parama Puruśa in the form of the mother will have to come close to the devotee. The bhakta applies his or her intelligence to come in contact with Parama Puruśa and attain Him. What is the relation between the devotees and their Lord? It is said in the scriptures,

Tvamiishvaráńáḿ paramaḿ maheshvaraḿ
Tvaḿ devatánáḿ paramaiṋca daevatam.

You are the Lord of this universe, so you are Maheshvara. You are the Supreme Source of all the occult powers, so you are Mahádeva. You are the Lord of all Lords; You are the original and everyone else is a copy. You are the real King; the rest are theatrical kings.

Suppose there are two young boys – a prince and a farmer’s son. The prince becomes a king, but the farmer’s son merely plays the role of a king in a play. You are all the children of Parama Puruśa, and thus you are His princes and princesses. You should never allow any inferiority complex to dominate your minds. Always remember the Supreme Truth that you are the powerful and beautiful children of Parama Puruśa. You are destined to be victorious.