40.1 In the Samvat year 1876, in the early hours of Mahã sud 4 [19th January, 1820], Shreeji Mahãrãj was sitting on a decorated bedstead under the neem tree in front of the mandir of Shree Vãsudev-Nãrãyan in Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã. He was wearing a white khes and had covered Himself with a white chãdar. He had tied a white pãgh around His head, with a tassel of yellow flowers hanging from it. He was wearing a garland of yellow flowers around His neck. A sabhã of munis, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
40.2 Muktãnand Swãmi then asked Shreeji Mahãrãj, “What is savikalp samãdhi, and what is nirvikalp samãdhi?”
40.3 Shreeji Mahãrãj answered, “If a person who has sthiti in the svarup of Bhagvãn does not have any impure desires, but does have some pure desires. For example, ‘I wish to become like Nãrad, the Sanakãdik and Shukji’, or ‘I wish to go to the ãshram of Nar-Nãrãyan and stay with the munis there to perform tap’, or ‘I wish to go to Shvet-Dvip and become like a mukta of Shvet-Dvip by performing tap’ – then such a person is said to be in savikalp samãdhi. On the other hand, a person who does not have such thoughts, has attained the characteristics of Akshar-Brahm, and remains engaged only in the murti of Bhagvãn, is said to be in nirvikalp samãdhi.”
40.4 Then, Muktãnand Swãmi asked again, “Mahãrãj, what is the difference between bhakti and upãsanã?”
40.5 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied:
shravanam kirtanam vishnoha smaranam pãd-sevanam
archanam vandanam dãsyam sakhyam ãtma-nivedanam
Nine ways of offering bhakti to Bhagvãn: shravan, kirtan, smaran , pãd sevan, archan, vandan, dãsya, sakhya, ãtma-nivedan.
“To worship Bhagvãn in these nine ways is known as bhakti.
40.6 “Upãsanã can be defined as having a firm belief that Bhagvãn’s svarup is sãkãr. Even if a person becomes brahm-rup, that belief never disappears. Moreover, even if he happens to listen to shãstras proposing the view that Bhagvãn is nirãkãr, he would still understand Bhagvãn to always be sãkãr. Regardless of what is mentioned in the shãstras, he would only promote Bhagvãn’s svarup as sãkãr, never allowing his own upãsanã to be disproved. A person who has such a firm understanding is considered to possess upãsanã.”
End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã I || 40 || 40 ||