Sadguru Nishkulanand Swami narrates here in his unique style the Katha of Dashama Skandha of Shreemad Bhagwat:
(Shreeji Maharaj is the idol form of auspiciousness. Lord Vrajraj is the soul and heart of the residents of Vraj. O Lord! Please be kind to me. I desire to sing your praises.)
Sadguru Nishkulanand Swami begins the scripture of Sneh Geeta with due blessings of Shree Swaminarayan Bhagwan.
Auspicious beginning is the rise of virtuous will. To walk on the path of devotion is itself a blessing of God. Devotion is not possible without the blessings of God.
A soul receives devotional pleasure of holy company (Satsang) through the punyas of his last many births. The Katha of Sneh Geeta sang by Sadguru Niskulanand Muni himself is supreme in our Satsang. The scripture of Sneh Geeta showers on mankind the blissful light of eternal enlightenment. The story begins with the pooja (worship) of the Holy Scripture. Why do we do pooja and worship of this scripture? We do it because it treasures the divine leelas of God.
Sneh Geeta has two wings. Shraddha (faith) and Bhavna (devotional sentiments). A bird can fly with its two wings. Similarly, Shraddha (faith) invokes true knowledge in our intelligence and Bhavna purifies our mind and destroys sin.
God is attainable through firm faith. Three things, namely love for God, faith in God and trust in God are a must to attain God. The scripture teaches us love and affection towards our personal God – Lord Shree Hari. Swami says, ‘O God! I desire earnestly to sing your praises. One cannot sing the praises of God without His mercy.’
(I desire to sing your devotional songs. I desire it utmost. I wish to sing Sneh Geeta in accordance to my spiritual wisdom.
Those who desire to please God should rise early in the
morning. There are many benefits to rising early. One can attend comfortably to mental worship, gurumantra japa, pradakshina, darshan of early morning aarti and first salute to one’s personal God. One can listen attentively to early morning katha sessions held at the temple.
A man planning a visit to another town rises early in the morning, readies himself for the journey and reaches the railway station quite early, before the time of his departure. A man puts in best efforts for a comfortable tour. Similarly, a man who has to travel a long way for his ultimate destination – Akshardham – needs to do daily poojan, archan, katha–satsang, japa and kirtan, by rising early in the morning.
(Now listen to this katha of sublimelove and affection.) I have considered everything from all angles, I have thought much about japa (holy chants), tapa (penance) tiratha (pilgrimage of holy shrines), yoga (meditational concentration) and yagya (holy-fire), but come to the singular conclusion that devotional love has no alternative.)
Spicy vegetables are tasteless if we have forgotten to add a pinch of salt. Similarly, devotion and spiritual wisdom look dull without devotional love. Though beautiful by being bedecked with ornaments, jewelry and precious attires, she still look ugly and repulsive if she is without a nose.
Install God constantly in the seat of your heart
Sadguru Nishkulanand Swami insists for devotional love and love for God. The attributes like donations, nine kinds of devotion, poojan, sacred scriptures, satsang and samaiya, bear no fruit in absence of devotional love. Satsang will be dry and rough without devotional love. It would be like a meal cooked without butter oil.
A body has no value without the soul. The world has no value without devotional love. Rain in a saline land yields no fruits and a most fertile land yields nothing in the absence of rain. Similarly, devotion is futile in absence of devotional love.
Love instills power in devotion. Act to your best ability to increase your love for God – devotional love.
(A lake is dry without water. Flowers are useless without fragrance. The heart is lonely without love.)
A dry lake is of no use. Fresh and colourful flowers are of no use without their fragrance. The heart would be dry and lonesome without the moisture of devotional love arising from satsang, katha and kirtan. Devotion is dry and lifeless without selfless love. Don’t do dry devotion. Do devotion with love.
If the kirtan (O Shyam! You are real wealth…) was sang loudly, it may reach the temple but it still would not reach God. If you want it to reach God, you have to attach your heart and soul to that song. Similarly, a scholar of scriptures would be consigned to infernal regions if his knowledge were not wedded to devotional love. Shreeji Maharaj himself says so in his sacred scripture of Shikshapatri.
Dry devotion cannot be relished. Knowledge, deep study of the scriptures, virtuous attributes and knowledge of the scriptures are futile if there is no love in your devotion for God. There may be many mango trees in an orchard, but those trees will be of no use if they do not bear any fruits. By chewing the leaves and branches of a mango tree you cannot enjoy mango juice! Only the fruits – the real mangoes - have juice and flavour within them.
Pooja where you think only of God in your japa and worship is the best. If you thought about your householder chores or thought about the world and your relations during pooja, then this would be classed as inferior.
Spend your morning hours in dhyana (meditation), pooja, mala(chanting on rosary beads) and prayer. If we remember God only for two hours a day, God will remember us for the whole day.
(Plain knowledge is dry without devotional love. A heart without love is like a marriage party without a groom.)
Don’t miss the Groom The son of a village head – Patel - was marrying. The marriage party was getting ready to visit the village of the bride. All were busy in preparation. Modern vehicles were not available in those days. People were used to traveling by horse, camel, chariot and bullock cart. The Marriage party travelled on bullock carts. The town where the bride resided in was very far, about 80 km away. The fifteen bullock carts carried the marriage party in different groups. The groom and his best friend with the music band rode a special bullock cart. The marriage party was very enthusiastic for a grand welcome and feast meals.
In ancient times, farmers used to take good care of their bullocks by offering to them wholesome oil cakes and pure butter oil. The bullock carts began their journey by competing with their companions. Unfortunately the bullocks pulling the groom’s cart, though looking healthy, were actually quite weak in terms of maintaining speed. The cart would not pick up speed. The bullock carts of the marriage party over took the cart of the groom and travelled much ahead of the groom’s cart. Nobody bothered about the groom and his cart. The marriage party was in a high spirit, looking forward to the forthcoming pleasure available to them as honoured guests. The exhausted bullocks trailed the carts for some time and stopped finally somewhere – a little away from the town. The cart driver said, “The bullocks are tired. What shall we do now? All have travelled ahead and left us here. The auspicious time of marriage is almost over. If we continued by travelling with such a slow speed, it will take the whole day to reach the bride’s village. We cannot bear thirst and hunger for such a long time. If you don’t mind, may we go back home? Our village is near. We will get some food and water.”
The groom’s cart came back home. The scene was quite different at the place of the in-laws. The marriage party had arrived at the out skirts of the village and the inlaws were informed of the arrival of the marriage party. Youths and elders of the marriage party were in a happy mood, cheering their successful journey. Some enthusiastic youths went in a group to the house of the bride and asked them to arrange cool drinking water and refreshments to comfort the marriage party.
The bride’s father said, “It is so nice of you to come. You have come to us at an appointed time. I am very happy to receive you at our place. Let us first go to receive the groom.” The youths and elders looked at each other when the bride’s father desired to meet the groom. Nobody knew the whereabouts of the groom and his cart. Some hopeful youths climbed the trees and checked the road afar. But there was no visible sign of the cart or the groom. They came back to the bride’s father. The bride’s father said, “You will all be honoured, in the company of the groom. You may have meals and hospitality in the company of our honoured groom. But the groom himself is missing. You cannot expect anything if the groom is not with you. It is better if you go back and come here with the groom.”
Exhausted and hungry, the group came back to the groom’s village. Their journey of 160 km to and from turned futile in the absence of the groom. This story carries a meaningful teaching. God is Lord and master of all living things. God is the groom for all of us. All our efforts, ego and wealth is worthless in absence of God. Don’t forget God. Stay with God to escape the 84-lakh births. You are safe and secure only in the presence of God.
Shreeji Maharaj shows the key to happiness
Shreeji Maharaj says that the pleasure attained by concentrating on the blissful image of God is the best and supreme amongst the pleasures available in all the lokas.
(Surrender your mind with devotional love. Love heartily. The Lord of Nishkulanand Swami lives eternally with his darling devotees.)
Life is worthless without devotional love. Nothing will be needed further, if your heart is filled with devotional love. The Soul cannot be at peace in absence of selfless love. Wealth, power, honour and charms are of no use if not wedded to devotional love. They become a shackle or prison in absence of devotional love.
If you thought and talked constantly about this matter, your heart and soul would be crushed under the weight of the matter. A cashier in a factory possesses the keys of the treasury. Mere possession of the key cannot make him the master and owner of the wealth. Similarly, you cannot claim to be a lord or master yourself, simply because you own some wealth. Wealth and progeny is worthless in absence of devotional love.
Nobody is able to redeem us in the absence of devotional love. Sadguru Nishkulanand Swami says, “Try your best and try at your earliest to fill your heart with devotional love – sublime love. Don’t allow the dirt of material desires to rule upon your heart.” This is the core of the teachings.
True devotional love thrills the heart, soul and body and only then do the tears of blissful pleasure roll from one’s eyes. Do devotion with love. attach yourself to the divine image of God. Stay away from material desires.