CHAPTER – 11

Suvrat said:-

Having honoured the wise devotees, who were very modest in behavior and who were very eager to listen to Him. 1

Shri Hari asked:-

What is the opinion of the people regarding Me, and about the householders, ascetics and women in general who have sought my shelter ? 2

In what manner do those, who do not have faith in Me, appraise their own Preceptors and sages (who are generally accepted as Gurus) by people? 3

Suvrat said:- 

O King, when Shri Hari asked this question, they told Him what they saw and what they heard in their own country. 4

The people said:-

O Lord, we will tell you the general opinion of the people who do not believe in You. 5

Blessed alone is Shri Hari on this earth, who protects the religion- the righteous law, which strongly promotes devotion, knowledge and non-attachment. 6

Because of Him alone, people except those being in householders stage i.e. who are celibates, widows, ascetics observe the difficult path of eightfold celibacy. 7

Shri Hari helps them to abstain from the passion for lust, which instigates even the learned people to behave like beasts and enjoy with the women of their own family. 8

He also helps His people to keep themselves away from the (greed of) money. This greed leads even the wise to kill their own brothers or friends. Sometimes they make others to kill them. 9

Shri Hari prevents His followers from enjoying the worldly pleasures by which even the virtuous people being mad with lust, consume food from the people from castes inferior to them. Being thus perturbed, they indulge in intermixture of castes (illegal inter caste marriages). 10-11

Blessed is Shri Hari, who helps his followers to refrain from the attachment to their own body and affection towards members of their own family, which leads men to hell. 12

In case of men, whenever there is attachment to the worldly pleasures, it will certainly recur in his life (and next birth). Shri Hari helps to dissuade His disciples from such attractions. 13

Being infatuated under the influence of pride, even the learned people do not respect their teachers and elderly persons. Nor do they, on account of such pride, honestly disclose their sins before the noble persons which will consequently lead to self purification. 14-15

Anger emerges from pride which in return results in mercilessness and cruelty. A person, mad with such pride adheres to such a language which he should never speak. Such wrath is detrimental to one self as well as to others. 16

Thus, virtuous people who have overcome pride, tolerate putting on of rubbish, beating, false blame, hate full vile speech, uttered by other people. 17

Hence really blessed is this Lord, Shri Hari. He is the true Preceptor. There is no great person other than Him, on this earth. 18 

Blessed really are those sages, who follow the principles preached by their Preceptor and faithfully strive to observe celibacy unfailingly. 19

Those householders are also blessed who have taken shelter in Shri Hari. They regard any other woman, as their own mother or sister. 20

Those householders will never touch widows and married women and will not stay in solitude even with their own mother, unless in critical circumstances. 21

They do not consume liquor or hemp or opium or consume prohibited food, fish or meat. They earn money by lawful means. 22

They will not accept even a blade of grass which has not been offered to them. Even in critical situation they will neither harm their own people nor others. 23

Although they are interested in final emancipation, and having received true knowledge from their Preceptor, they never torture their body. In religious scriptures there are stories of some people who jump from top of the mountain or torture their own body in one way or other. 24

In this era, His disciples who are courageous, steady, firm and faithful householders and housewives, who obey His orders, are really blessed. 25

Their wives also consider their husband as their only person for them and they consider any other man as their father or brother. 26

The widows who have taken shelter in Shri Hari, also observe the eightfold vow of celibacy like ascetics. They keep a distance of six feet while they walk (on road). They talk only with their father, brother or son and not with other men. 27-28

They hear the stories of Hari only from their father or son or the satsangis. They walk (in the streets) with their father only and not with other men. They will not stay in a lonely place even with their father. Thus all the widows who have taken shelter in Shri Hari follow this way of life. 29-30

All these devotees do not drink milk, water and ghee without filter. They observe vows on Ekadashi and Janmashtami etc. 31

They always take shelter in Shri Hari, and follow their own religion. Being absolute devotees of Lord Krishna they worship Him with great respect. 32

Thus, in this world, really blessed are those ladies and gentlemen who have taken shelter in Shri Hari. (Unlike Shri Hari) Our preceptors do not follow the religion themselves. They do not help their disciples to follow the right path. Shame on them and us, who are away from Shri Hari! 33-34

O Lord, O Narayan! Many people have communicated to us in this manner. Some people say, O Lord, we will also take shelter in Shri Hari. 35

Some people even say, if we leave our Kulaguru (family preceptor), then in society we will lose our credit. 36

Some wise people say, by taking shelter in Swaminarayan, our prestige will be saved, otherwise we will lose it. 37

Due to these so-called shameless Gurus, many of our sisters and daughters who are widows are pregnant (expecting mothers). They are committing great sin by secretly confining themselves for abortion. So, let us take shelter in Shri Hari to protect them from committing such a sin. 38-39

At that time some people said, ‘though they committed sin, we were able to conceal it till this time. Now on this earth since British people are ruling us, our secrets will be disclosed easily. If the king gets information by his spies about the pregnancy of widows and that the child is aborted and if they try to hide their sin, he will hang them.’ 40-42

The king will punish the relatives by imposing fine on them. In this way, because of that we will lose respect and in cure sin. 43 

If we fail in protecting their children, or if we kill them, it will be more than death for us, on this land. 44

Thus, on this earth nobody except Shri Hari is capable to protect all the people belonging to fourfold castes. Hence, we should take refuge in Him alone. 45

We should not allow our present shrewd Gurus to enter our houses. If they try to (enter), they should be beaten hard, so that they will not dare to come to you again. 46

As we follow and worship Shri Hari, those widows will worship Him, along with us; and thus we will earn good name and honour, more and more. 47

O Shri Hari, this is the opinion of the people from all the countries. We have told you everything that we have heard and seen. 48

Suvrat said:-

O King, hearing this, Shri Hari who was beholding the divine presence of his parents and they being pleased with Him (by His supremacy), exchanged laughter with His disciples. 49

Those devotees also, told Him all about what people thought and spoke about Shri Hari, gladly touched his feet and having bowed down, took their original seats, by His permission. 50

Thus ends the eleventh chapter entitled, ‘Narration of description of the information from the various countries reported to Shri Hari at the time of Annakut,’ in the third prakaran of Satsangi Jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra (the rules of the code of conduct). 11