The first part of this article has been dedicated to the story from "Gopala-Tapani-Upanishad".
The second part has been dedicated to the story from "Garga-Samhita".
Now let's turn to the Vani (वाणि) of Purna Purushottama Shree Shreemad SwamiNarayan and His explanation.
"Vachanmrut", Gadhadã I – 73, Conquering Lust, The World’s Greatest Brahm-Chãri ("Vachanmrut" in my library).
73.1. In the Samvat year 1876, on the night of Chaitra vad Amas [12 th April, 1820], Swami Shree Sahajanandji Maharaj was sitting on the veranda outside the north-facing room of His residence in Dada Khachar’s darbar in Gadhada.
He had also tied a white feto around His head. At that time, four senior sadhus, including Muktanand Swami, and some fifty other haribhaktas, had gathered before Him.
73.2. Then, Gopalanand Swami asked, “What is the nature of lust?”
73.3. Shreeji Maharaj answered, “Semen alone is the nature of lust.”
73.4. Gopalanand Swami then raised a doubt, “Semen is one of the seven basic constituents of the body – the seven basic constituents of the body are: ras (bodily fluids), rakta (blood), mans (muscle), med (fat), asthi (bones), majja (marrow), and shukra (semen). Then, how can semen alone be called the nature of lust? Also, how exactly is that semen produced?”
73.5. Shreeji Maharaj explained, “The mind resides in the mano-vaha nadi. Whenever a thought related to women arises in the mind, semen is churned from the body, and after collecting in the mano-vaha nadi, it is discharged through the genitals – just as ghee surfaces from yoghurt when it is churned by a churning rod. A person whose semen is not discharged through the genitals is known as an urdhva-reta and a perfect brahm-chari.
When Shree Krishna Bhagvan associated with the gopis during the ras-leela, he did not allow the discharge of semen.
For this reason, he was known as an urdhva-reta brahmchari, and had therefore conquered lust. Therefore, semen alone is the nature of lust. A person who has conquered semen, has conquered lust.”
73.6. Gopalanand Swami asked again, “When the body is burnt after death, its seven constituents are burnt along with it. Therefore, if semen alone is the nature of lust, then by the burning of semen along with the body, lust should also be burnt. Why then, does lust arise when the jeev enters another body?”
73.7. Shreeji Maharaj replied, “Semen is retained in the sukshma body. Moreover, it is because of the sukshma body that the sthul body is produced. When a ghost, which is mainly composed of a sukshma body, enters into the sthul body of another man and associates with a woman, that woman conceives a child by that ghost. Therefore, semen is definitely retained in the sukshma body.”
73.8. Gopalanand Swami questioned further, “Shivji was an urdhva-reta, yet on seeing Mohini, semen was discharged. This implies that as long as there is semen in the body, it is sure to be discharged whenever a man associates with a woman in the jagrat state or svapna state. So then, as long as there is semen in the body, how can a person be called a perfect brahm-chari?”
73.9. Shreeji Maharaj explained, “That can be said to be a fault in Shivji’s yogic powers. A person whose semen is discharged in the jagrat state or svapna state by the thought of a woman, cannot be called a true brahm-chari.
That is why in this whole world, Nar-Narayan Rushi is the only one who has firm brahm-charya.
Since we have accepted the refuge of that Nar-Narayan Rushi, by his grace and by worshipping him, we shall also gradually become nishkami and perfect brahm-charis like Him.
73.10. “Yogis try to burn the semen, which remains in the body, with great effort.
However, Shree Krishna Bhagvan maintained perfect brahmcharya, even in the midst of the company of women.
Such powers are only present in Bhagvan. No one else is capable of remaining uninfluenced in this way.
Therefore, other yogis should make an effort to avoid thinking of women in both the jagrat state and the svapna state.”
73.11. Shuk Muni then asked, “In Dvarika, Shree Krishna Bhagvan had 16,108 wives. It is said that He had ten sons and one daughter by each wife. How should one understand this?”
73.12. Shreeji Maharaj clarified, “The incidents of Dvarika are one thing, and then incidents of Vraj are another.
In Dvarika, Shree Krishna Bhagvan had adopted the philosophy of Sankhya.
A follower of the Sankhya philosophy believes his own self to be distinct from the mind, body, and indriyas.
While performing all actions, he does not regard himself as being the doer of those actions, nor does he experience either joy or grief from those actions. That was the principle adopted by Shree Krishna Bhagvan.
Therefore, He was said to be uninfluenced.
The Sankhya philosophy adopted by Shree Krishna Bhagvan in Dvarika is the very same Sankhya philosophy followed by kings such as Janak, who worshipped Bhagvan as grahasthas.
In the same way, Shree Krishna Bhagvan was also a grahastha, and was known as the king of Dvarika. Therefore, because He followed the Sankhya philosophy, he remained uninfluenced as well.
73.13. “However, in Vrundavan Shree Krishna Bhagvan had adopted the philosophy of Yog, by which He maintained His vow of perfect brahm-charya, despite associating with women.
At that time, He displayed the powers of Nar-Narayan Rushi within Himself. In the Shreemad Bhagvat, Kapil-Dev explains to Devhuti, ‘No one, except Nar-Narayan Rushi, is capable of overcoming my maya in the form of women’.
However, Shree Krishna Bhagvan conquered lust while associating with women.
73.14. “Now, consider the following incident: When Durvasa Rushi came and Shree Krishna Bhagvan began sending all the gopis with dishes filled with food for him, the gopis asked, ‘How shall we cross the Yamunaji River?’
73.15. “At that time, Shree Krishna Bhagvan said, ‘Tell Yamunaji that if Shree Krishna is forever a brahm-chari, then make way for us’. When the gopis said this to Yamunaji, she made way for them.
73.16. “After feeding Durvasa Rushi, all the gopis asked him, ‘Yamunaji is in our way. How shall we return home?’
73.17. “Durvasa Rushi then asked, ‘How did you come?’
73.18. “The gopis explained, ‘We told Yamunaji that if Shree Krishna is forever a brahm-chari, then make way for us. So she made way for us. But how shall we return home now?’
73.19. “Durvasa Rushi then said, ‘Tell Yamunaji that if Durvasa Rushi is forever fasting, then make way for us’.
When the gopis said this to Yamunaji, she made way for them. Seeing this, the gopis were extremely surprised.
However, they were unable to realise the greatness of Shree Krishna Bhagvan or Durvasa Rushi.
73.20. “Shree Krishna Bhagvan played with the gopis while maintaining His vow of perfect brahm-charya and was therefore still a brahm-chari.
Durvasa Rushi also united his atma with Shree Krishna Bhagvan, the atma of all, and although he ate all the food offered by the gopis, he was still forever fasting.
This was because in reality, he had fed all the food to Bhagvan. Therefore, the actions of the extremely great cannot be understood.
73.21. “If a person looks for followers of the Sankhya philosophy, he could find thousands.
However, to be an urdhva-reta by way of yogic powers, is only possible for Nar-Narayan.
In addition, a true bhakta of Nar-Narayan can also gradually develop firm brahm-charya by the power of his worship, but others cannot.
73.22. “Furthermore, if semen is discharged through the genitals in the jagrat state or svapna state, a person cannot be called a brahm-chari.
Nevertheless, a person who follows the eight types of tyag of women is walking on the path of brahm-charya.
So with time, by the grace of Nar-Narayan, he will gradually become a firm brahm-chari.
73.23. “When I was young, I had heard that semen is also released through a person’s sweat.
So in order to retain my semen, I learnt two types of jal-basti, and also kunjar-kriya.
In order to conquer lust, I learnt many yogic asans as well.
When I slept at night, I slept in the posture of gorakh-asan to prevent the discharge of semen even in the svapna state.
To conquer lust, I made such an effort that my body stopped sweating, and I no longer felt either the cold or the heat.
Then, when I came to Ramanand Swami, he tried to make me sweat by pasting aval leaves all over my body. Even then, my body would not sweat.
Therefore, conquering lust is the most difficult of all spiritual activities.
However, a person who has the firm strength of upasana of Bhagvan’s svarup, has become absolutely free from desires for the five vishays, and is firm in remaining free of worldly desires, becomes free of lust by the grace of Bhagvan.”
73.24. Nityanand Swami then asked, “What is the method of becoming free of worldly desires? Is it listening to talks, or is it vairagya?”
73.25. Shreeji Maharaj replied, “Vairagya alone cannot last; it is eventually destroyed.
Therefore, after developing knowledge of the atma and complete gnan of Bhagvan’s svarup, a person should think, ‘I am the atma and sachidanand, whereas the body and the brahmand are mayik and perishable. How can they compare to me?
Moreover, my Ishta-Dev is Purushottam Bhagvan, who is greater than even Akshar, and is the supporter of countless millions of brahmands. I have the firm refuge of that Bhagvan’.
Vairagya developed from these thoughts, is said to be coupled with gnan. It is this vairagya that is never destroyed.
For example, a burning flame is extinguished when water is poured over it.
However, the vadvanal fire, which rests in the ocean, cannot be extinguished even by the waters of the ocean itself.
Similarly, vairagya coupled with gnan is like the vadvanal fire and the fire of lightning – it cannot be extinguished.
Without that gnan, other forms of vairagya cannot be trusted.
73.26. “My vairagya is like that of the fire of lightning and the vadvanal fire. This nature of mine is known by those who have stayed extremely close to me.
However, those who remain far from me, are unable to realise my nature. Furthermore, this Mulji Brahm-Chari may appear to be naïve, yet he thoroughly knows my nature, and understands, ‘Maharaj is as distant as akash. He has no prejudices against or in favour of anyone’.
Also, because he knows my nature, he possesses qualities like those of Bhagvan.
Moreover, the antaryami Bhagvan residing within all, explains to the minds of all men and women, ‘There is no fault whatsoever in this Brahm-Chari’.
73.27. “The means of acquiring such great qualities is as follows: Whoever believes a great sant to be absolutely free of flaws becomes totally flawless himself.
However, if a person perceives flaws in a great sant, that person’s intellect becomes polluted, and inner enemies, like kam and krodh, all come to dwell within his heart.
As a result, the heart of that person who perceives faults in the Sat-Purush is greatly troubled by disturbing thoughts.
Although he may practice satsang, he never stops being unhappy.
73.28. “Those who are wise, realise all my characteristics by staying close to me. They realise, ‘Maharaj has no affection for any object in this world that can awaken infatuation, such as wealth, women, jewellery, food, and drink.
In fact, Maharaj remains distant from all these things.
Also, when He allows someone to sit near Him or talks to him of gnan, it is purely out of compassion for the kalyan of the jeev’.
On the other hand, those who are fools, whether they stay near or far, cannot understand my nature.
73.29. “These talks can only be understood by a person who has atma-nishtha, who offers bhakti to Bhagvan while holding His murti within the atma, and who does not abandon the worship of Bhagvan even after becoming brahm-rup.
Therefore, after developing atma-nishtha and understanding the greatness of Bhagvan’s murti, no desire for any objects remains.
Once worldly desires are eradicated, a person may experience pain and pleasure according to the prarabdha of his body, but the indriyas no longer remain sharp.
73.30. “The indriyas are the jagged edges of the manomay chakra.
They become blunt only by the complete understanding of brahm and Parbrahm.
For example, if a person, whose teeth have become very sensitive as a result of sucking lemons, has to chew some chick-peas, he would never be able to chew them. If he was extremely hungry, he would at most swallow them, but he would be unable to chew them.
Similarly, a person who has thoroughly understood the greatness of Bhagvan and the atma, feels no joy whatsoever in any of the pleasures of the vishays of any dham.
While the prarabdha of the body continues, he may indulge in food, drink, and other objects, but he would do so in the same way as the person with sensitised teeth, swallowing whole chick-peas.
73.31. “To eradicate worldly desires is indeed an extremely difficult task. In fact, they remain even after mastering samadhi.
After attaining samadhi, there is no way a person can return back into his body from the svarup of brahm. If he does return, it is because of one of three reasons.
Firstly, he returns to his body from samadhi if he holds desires for worldly pleasures.
Secondly, if someone is extremely powerful, he can enter into samadhi and return to the body according to his own will.
Lastly, if there is another person who is much more powerful, then that person can bring someone back into their body from samadhi.
These are the three ways of returning to the body from samadhi.
73.32. “When samadhi occurs, a person has the darshan of Brahm and sees the divine light of Brahm to be like that of countless millions of suns.
At that time, if that person does not have much understanding, he regards the murti of pratyaksha Purushottam Bhagvan to be inferior, and believes Brahm to be superior.
This leads to committing a breach of upasana. That is why firm nishchay should be developed in the pratyaksha murti, because only then can all things be accomplished.
I am also determined that I shall not allow any flaw whatsoever to remain in anyone who sincerely surrenders his mind to me.
Therefore, I shall not allow even a little distance to remain between us.”
73.33. Then, Muktanand Swami asked, “What are the characteristics of a person who has surrendered his mind, and what are the characteristics of a person who has not surrendered his mind?”
73.34. Shreeji Maharaj replied, “If a person, who has surrendered his mind to Bhagvan, is unable to be present while the talks of Bhagvan are going on, or for the darshan of Bhagvan, he experiences intense regret in his heart.
Whenever he listens to the talks of Bhagvan and has the darshan of Bhagvan, his love for Bhagvan continually increases, but never does his mind recede from those talks and darshan.
Moreover, when Bhagvan gives an agna to someone to stay far away, a person who has surrendered his mind would think to himself, ‘If that agna was given to me, I would gladly go to Buranpur or Kashi, or anywhere else for that matter’.
A person, who remains happy living according to the wishes of Bhagvan in this way, is near to me; even if he is a thousand miles away.
73.35. “On the other hand, a person who has not surrendered his mind in this way, is as good as being hundreds of thousands of miles away, even though he may be staying very close to me.
In fact, I am afraid of even giving advice to a person who has not surrendered his mind to me, as I fear ‘Will he accept it positively or negatively?’
These are the characteristics of a person who has surrendered his mind and who has not surrendered his mind.”
