Chapter 52 - Dialogue between Muktanand Swami and Varniraj

The Meeting of Muktanand Swami and Nilakantha Varni. 

Suvrat said:- 

O king, Muktanand swami and other sages were amazed to see the steadiness of the celibate’s eyes, like meditating all the time. Muktanand asked him: 1. 

‘O great celibate, by looking at your eyes steady all the time, will you please tell us which deity you are meditating upon ? 2. 

Sri Nilakantha said:- 

‘O sinless one, Lord Shri Krishna, the beloved of Radha, the Almighty, is my favourite God, and is recognized by our scriptures also. 3. 

He is worshipped even by gods like Brahma, Shiva, Dharma and others. And he is the form of Varaha and other incarnations. He is Krishna, the supreme Godhead. 4. 

I meditate upon him all the time and I worship Him all the time, and I also sing, recite his name, which is said to be saving from the sins of Kali. 5. 

For those wandering through the cycle of birth and death and facing difficulties because of their own actions, there is no other refuge than Krishna in this Kali-age. 6. 

Except the lotus feet of the Lord, the leader of the cowherd boys (Gavendra) I have no love even to slightest extent for anyone or anything at all (in this world).,’ 7.

Suvrat said:- 

O king, from his words knowing him to be a noble devotee of Krishna, Muktanand who loved devotees of Krishna, was very much pleased and said to him: 8. 

Muktanand Muni said:- 

’All of us sadhus, staying here, are devoted to Krishna only and worship him and by the grace of our great Guru Ramanand Swami, we can see Him in our hearts. 9. 

The greatness of Shri Ramanand Swami. 

O Nilakantha, He is famous in this land by the name of Ramanand Swami. He is Uddhava himself! He is our Master, Sadguru; and deserves to be taken refuge by spiritual seekers. 10. 

Whom he blesses, does visualize; Shri Krishna playing flute in his hand, and engaged in everlasting Raas, in Goloka. 11. 

O religious one, to persons like you, virtuous, devoted and advanced in practicing austerities, he can give experience of Lord Krishna’s presence, as the Lord is won over by him. 12. 

We do not see him different from Shri Krishna, because Shri Krishna is at the moment in the form of Ramanand swami, and is working through him for the good of men. 13. 

Considering him Uddhava His own part and parcel, Lord Shri Krishna Himself has entitled him to be a Guru for those striving for liberation on this land (Bharata). 14. 

Hence, O virtuous one, in, in present days, there is no existence of authoritative guru other than Uddhava O celibate, listen to the two stanzas of Trutiya skand of the fourth Adhyaya from Bhagavata, in support to this. 15. 

The offering of the guru-seat by Shri Krishna. 

O religious one, Lord Shri Krishna said that ‘When I will disappear from this earth, Uddhava will be the worthiest and wisest person to have my knowledge and my teachings. He is the greatest among the realized souls. 16. 

Uddhava is no less to me even by a particle. He is not afflicted by gunas - modes of nature, like Rajas, and Tamas, passion and ignorance and their effects pain, greed, dullness, folly like etc; Hence he may live on this earth to impart my knowledge to the people of this earth.’ 17. 

O faultless Nilakantha! ‘Thus Shri Krishna himself said this; so we have taken refuge in him and under his guidance we all worship Lord Krishna, staying here.’ 18. 

Suvrat said:- 

O king, hearing these words of Muktanand, the celibate remembered his father Dharmadeva’s speech about Guru Ramanand Swami and his qualities. 19. 

Since then he became very eager to see, to serve Ramanand Muni, and to have his grace, so that he will be able to imagine Krishna in person. 20. 

The firm decision of Shri Nilkantha Varni to stay in satsang. 

Hence Nilkanth Varni saluted him (Muktananda Swami) and said with love: ‘O knowledgeable one, I also wish to join your group (of followers of Ramanand Muni). Please guide me on what I should do for my good. 21.

O Swami, Please kindly arrange a way in which I will be able to see Ramanand Swami at the earliest.’ Saying thus he told Muktanand Swami about his own birth (in a Brahmin family, his education, pilgrimage etc.) briefly. 22. 

At that time, Muktanand Swami, the leader of the ascetics congratulated him for his birth in Brahmin family, and said to him, “indeed you are the blessed one, because, you are on the way of fulfilling the purpose of human life. 23. 

These days our Master is staying in Bhujnagar. (Bhuj-Kutch)) He will certainly come back here, after two-three months. 24. 

If you wish to see Ramanand Swami, believe in my words and stay here with us just as all other sadhus till he comes back.’ 25. 

O king, by hearing the words of Muktanand Swami, Shri Hari lived there accordingly, the sadhus gave him lots of love therefore while doing his duties as a sadhu, Shri Hari waited for the arrival of Ramanand Muni. 26.

Teaching the way of living to the Mumukshu

There, free from pride, he helped the other sages in all ways, bringing leaves, dry wooden pieces, make cow dung cakes, fetch water, clean grains for cooking, wash utensils after cooking etc. 27.

He looked after any Sadhus who became ill, willingly, by giving them proper food, medicines and water etc. and gently rubbing their feet and pressing their forehead etc. 28. 

Observing his saintly qualities, very difficult to attain even by (self-) Muktanand Swami and other Santo’s respected and loved him just as they loved and respected their Guru Ramanand Swami. 29. 

With mind eager to meet the Master, the descent of Uddhava, he practiced penance all the daylong and also serving the sages; he did not fail to observe his own religious duties and devotional services. 30.

The honoured lord stayed there at Lojpur performing his role in human form (did not reveal his identity) hiding his divine powers, behaved in way where Muktanand Swami and other Santo’s friendly affection for him may increase. 31. 

Though at intervals he exhibited his divine powers, his difficult yogic skills and super-human qualities. 32. 

The darshan of Shri Hari in the form of God. 

Meditating on Krishna in their lotus heart, sitting in a lonely place, some of the sages saw the celestial figure of Shri Hari the celibate in glow of light (in place of Krishna). 33. 

Some of them in their hearts saw him manifested in the form of Ramanand Muni and others perceived him shining in their hearts as Shri Hari Krishna, same as they were seeing him outside! 34. 

Some of those sages saw him as Narayan Muni and again next moment as the same Nilkantha varni moving among them. 35. 

Witnessing his supernatural powers, they thought of him as the Lord himself. But due to his acting like a human, they forgot about it. 36. 

The rising of all knowingness and Ashtang Yoga. 

Some of them experienced that while meditating on Krishna, when their mind ran away by their previously attracted worldly objects. He forcibly brought it back to Krishna; even being at distance He awoke and alerted them and told them , O Sadhu your mind has been running away from the Lord, therefore hold it and fix it towards this Murti . He used to teach them this way. 37. 

Astonished by his miraculous deeds, they did not try to guess, who he really might be; hence they served him like God. 38. 

With wonder they saw him doing Neti, Dhouti, Basti and other Shuddhi Kriyas (prescribed in Hatha Yoga, for cleansing inner organs of the body) at times, which were almost impossible for them to do. 39.

At other times he showed the sages several types of (eightfold) Pranayama- breathing exercises namely Sunyaka with Purak, Rechak and Kumbhak and other Yogas, which astounded yogis even. 40. 

They thought him to be a ‘Raja Yogi’ (well versed in Patanjala Yoga) when they saw him holding breath (vital power) on different parts of the body, in meditation. 41. 

Whatever severe practices he did, caused astonishment to the sadhus, as they were impossible for all earthly man to do. 42. 

Though he was a wonder-yogi, he was also adorned with qualities of a sage. He was attentive like a servant to all, and dear to the sages. 43. 

Not only this, he offered food to whoever came, and used to welcome and give them whatever they wanted, and thus satisfy them. 44. 

Staying there, he observed hard penance like- enduring rain in rainy season, bathing in (or standing in) cold water in winter, and practicing five-fold fire penance Panchagni Vrata in hot season. Thus he surprised Muktanand swami and other sadhus more and more. 45.

Thus ends the fifty-second chapter entitled ‘Ramanand Muni’s preceptorship’ in the first Prakarana of Satsangi Jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 52