Preaching of Shri Hari delivered in the assembly held mourn-ing the passing away of Sri Ramanand Swami after 14 days.
Preaching of Shri Hari delivered in the assembly held mourn-ing the passing away of Sri Ramanand Swami after 14 days.
Suvrat said:-
On the fourteenth day after passing away of the preceptor Sri Ramanand,Shri Hari, after bathing, went about his daily rituals. He then convened and presided over a special meeting of the disciples. 1.
Mukundanand and other loyal celibate followers of the preceptor were seated in front of Shri Hari. 2.
Also present were ascetics among whom was Muktanand, Brahmins including Mayaram and members of the warrior class such as Mulaji. 3.
In the back rows were seated the merchants Parvat, other devotees and low caste devotees such as Kaluj Bhai. Women led by Ladaki Bai were seated to one side, keeping their distance from the men. 4.
Some other devotees of Uddhava (Sri Ramanand Swami) like Mukund were present there and after giving respect to Shri Hari, they said to Him thus. 5.
“Salute to thee, O Sahajanand Swami. Thou art the preceptor incarnate, thou art the sage Narayan gifted with various virtues.
“O Lord, now only thou art our preceptor in the place of our Late Guru. Hence, from this day, you are our teacher and we are your disciples.
“We will always follow your orders with respect, since you are the knower and guide in determining what should be done and what should not be. Please instruct us accordingly.” 6 - 8.
Foremost preaching of Shree Hari as the Acharya of the Sampraday.
Suvrat said:-
In reverence to the devotees, and to strengthen their religious and moral state of mind, Shri Hari addressed those sincere devotees in accordance with the religious diction.” 9.
Narayan Muni said:-
“O good-natured Mukunda and all other devotees, please listen to me. I know that you all are dedicated to me, no doubt. 10.
As you all are born human and are desirous of salvation, you have to act in accordance with the duties expected of a spiritual seeker. 11.
Our holy preceptor Sri Ramanand had assigned your position in accordance with your ability, and now you have to institute yourselves there, as designated by him. 12.
Importance of Dharma.
Whether you are commoners or ascetics, you have to observe religious tenets and his teachings as irrevocable vows. Similarly you should not perform acts that are removed from the path of righteous moral code though it be much rewarding. Intelligent pious men never use impure water in any condition. 13 -14.
Those acts, which are appreciated by the noble thinkers of the Vedas, are known to be religious acts and those, which are condemned by them, are irreligious. 15.
One acquires knowledge, wealth, beauty, courage, noble birth,good health and relief from worldly miseries merely by practising dharma. 16.
The attainment of worldly pleasures gained through sense objects i.e. sound, touch, form, taste and smell by human beings is the result of religious observation. 17.
Given that a person who meets with death while meditating upon the dharma attains heavenly abode, what then can be said about one who actually practices it? 18.
Property obtained by treading the Dharmic path is real wealth. Hell to the riches acquired by immoral means! Dharma, the eternal principle in this world, should not be abandoned for the sake of lust for wealth. 19.
Only the faithful, peaceful and religious people can celebrate festivities after festivities, enjoy heavenly pleasures and worldly happiness to their hearts content. 20.
If dharma is practised perpetually, its adherents increase manifold. Prosperity, fulfilment of desires, happiness and knowledge can be achieved only through righteousness. 21.
One desirous of wealth and pleasures should practice dharma from the beginning itself. I am sure, there is nothing in the world, which is not attainable by one zealous about dharma. 22.
Just as a pool full of water attracts frogs and birds towards it do prosperity and wealth follow one who performs auspicious and Dharmic deeds. 23.
Kingdom (power), prosperity, happiness, accomplishments,pleasures of this and nether world are attainable only through righteousness. 24.
If dharma prospers, all living beings prosper. In its decline they degenerate. Hence, one should always follow dharma. 25.
One who follows Dharmic path told by the Vedas and the religious texts is bound to attain fame here and highest pleasure in the heaven. 26.
A human being can merit only one friend, Dharma, which accompanies him even after his death. All other things like body etc. meet with nothing but destruction. 27.
If dharma decays, it will make you perish. If it is protected, it will protect you. Hence one should always practice virtue in mind, speech and deeds. 28.
One should not give up his dharma for any desire, anger, fear,greed, worries or for the purpose of saving one’s own life. One should not think of taking recourse to un-dharmic acts,though there may arise difficulties due to observance of dharma. The un-dharmic persons meet with their destruction in no time because of their sins. 29 - 30.
The life of a human being is very fickle, like a drop of water on the edge of a blade of grass. Hence one should not be lax in adhering to dharma. 31.
One should always strive for gaining knowledge and wealth as if he were not to face old age or death. On the contrary, he should observe dharma unfailingly as if he were held by death. 32.
According to wise men, he that spends even a single day with- out observing dharma is but a breathing bellow though he lives on! 33.
It is not wrong to live on alms but without wavering from righteous path. He can still pride in his wealth, for saintly men value Dharma as the real wealth. 34.
If one is desirous of ample wealth, he should tread the righteous path, for this path alone brings him real accomplishment, just like ambrosia is not far away once you reach heaven. 35.
Hence, one should always accumulate merits through virtuous deeds, day after day. This virtue is helpful in crossing the ocean of ignorance, which is otherwise not easily transgressed. 36.
Six categories of Dharma explained.
There are six categories (of Dharma) told by the learned religious scholars. These are Varna Dharma, Ashrama Dharma, Varnashrama Dharma, Gauna Dharma, Naimittika Dharma and Sadharana Dharma.
O devotees! I will tell you about the nature of Sadharana Dharma’– common code of righteousness. 37 - 38.
They are: forgiveness, mercy, absence of envy, purity, absence of exertion, auspiciousness, absence of miserliness and dispassion. 39.
Forgiveness is to abstain from getting angry and violent against anyone who tortures either physically or mentally. 40.
Mercy is to protect one who is other than your relative or member of your family or a friend. Even a foe or anybody in
distress may be protected. 41.
Absence of envy means encouraging virtues of a person, praising even his minor virtues, and ignoring his vices. 42.
Purity is to avoid prohibited food, being in the company of persons who are praiseworthy, and to follow all the Dharmic and moral duties. 43.
Absence of exertion means not to do any such thing that brings suffering to the body, even if performed for an auspicious cause. 44.
Auspiciousness is being friendly with all living creatures, not uttering lies, and following high morals. 45.
Generosity means always distributing unhesitatingly whatever little quantity of anything you have, everyday. 46.
To be dispassionate is to be satisfied with whatever you have,not to think about wealth belonging to others, and not to have excessive attachment for physical pleasures. 47.
O devotees! I have told you in short, the characteristics of dharma which holds this entire creation intact. Hereafter, I will tell you about those ways and means, which need to be known by people desirous of salvation. 48.
Thus ends the first chapter entitled ‘Dharma explained and extolled in the conversation between Narayan Muni and Mukund’ in the second Prakarana of Satsangijivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 1
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