Vaat 3.52
Swamini Vato Prakaran 3 Vaat 52 · 3 · Verse 52
Sanskrit Original
Ane viṣhay to bāndhe evā chhe, paṇ jyā sudhī moh chhe tyā sudhī jaṇāy nahi. Kem je, kevā vairāgyavān! Tene paṇ bāndhyā. Tenā nām Govind Swāmī tathā Paramhansānand Swāmī tathā Mahāprabhu nāme sādhu, e ādik ghaṇā ghaṇāne bāndhyā. Tenī vikti je, Govind Swāmīne kevo vairāgya, to sansārno tyāg karīne chālyā ne rastāmā ek rājānī bāī1 das hajār rūpiyānu sonu laīne beṭhel. Pachhī Govind Swāmīnu rūp joīne kahe je, “Ā sonu ne hu tamārī chhu.” Pachhī vichār thayo je, “Prabhu bhajavā nīsare chhe tene āḍī siddhiyu āve chhe, te māre siddhi āvī.” Pachhī to potānu lūgaḍu mūkīne kahyu je, “Bes, khatre2 jaī āvu.” Em kahīne chālyā gayā. Evā vairāgyavān, te paṇ Gangāmānī dāḷ, bhāt ne roṭaliyumā bandhāṇā. Tene Mahārāje traṇ rāt ne traṇ divas sudhī3 gām ja āvavā dīdhu nahi; tyāre hāth joḍīne kahyu je, “He Mahārāj! Kem karavu chhe?” Pachhī Mahārāj bolyā je, “Rīngaṇā ne gājarnī māḷā gaḷāmā ghālīne Jetalpur jaī bhikṣhā māgo. Pachhī koī kaheshe je, ‘Govind Swāmī, kāī joīshe?’ Tyāre kahevu je, ‘Hāu!’ ‘Are, Govind Swāmī gānḍā thayā?’ Tyāre kahevu je, ‘Hāu!’” Em karīne swabhāv mukāvyā. Paramahansānand Swāmīe to gāyumā be varas āsan karyu te pāchhu sādhumā āsan thayu nathī. Ne traṇ vṛutti4 to pote Sāraswat bhaṇyā hatā ne Khojānā guru kahevātā, tene paṇ em thayu. Ne ek sādhu Mahāprabhu nāme hato te jhoḷīmā bandhāṇo. Tene Mahārāje kahyu je, “Have Narnārāyaṇnī jhoḷī rahevā dyo ne Lakṣhmīnārāyaṇnī jhoḷī māgo.” Pachhī Vartāl āvīne be-traṇ divas rahīne jāto rahyo. Em jīv bandhāy chhe. Footnotes: 1. 1. Bāndī (dāsī). 2. Dishāe, shauch. 3. Maḍhaḍāthī Gaḍhaḍā jatā vachche. 4. Vyākhyā, ṭīkā.
And the vishays will cause one to become bound by them. However, as long as there is infatuation, one will not realize it (that they are bound to them). Why? Because look at those with a high degree of vairāgya; yet, they became bound. Namely, Govind Swami, Paramhansanand Swami, a sadhu named Mahaprabhu, and many others were bound by vishays. Specifically, look at the level of Govind Swami’s vairāgya. When he renounced his home and was walking down one road, a king’s female servant sat on the path with gold worth 10,000 rupees. She saw Govind Swami’s handsome appearance and said, “This gold is yours and I am yours.” Govind Swami thought, “When one leaves to worship God, achievements come to hinder them. Achievements (in the form of women and wealth) are here to hinder me.” He said to her, “Wait here while I go to discharge.” With that excuse, he left her. This was his level of vairāgya. Yet, he became attached to Gangama’s dāl, rice, and rotis. To [detach] him, Maharaj did not let a village come in his path for three days and three nights. Then, he folded his hands and said, “Maharaj, what is it that you want to do? (What is your wish for me?)” Maharaj said, “Wear a garland of eggplants and carrots around your neck and beg for food in Jetalpur. If someone asks, ‘Govind Swami, do you want something?’ Tell them, ‘Hāu!’ ‘Govind Swami, have you gone mad?’ Say, ‘Hāu!’” This is how [Maharaj] freed him from that swabhāv.1 Paramhansanand Swami stayed with the cows (in a cowshed) for two years, and he never returned to staying with the sadhus again. He had studied three commentaries on the Saraswat and was considered the guru of the Khoja class. Maharaj told him, “Stop begging for Narnarayan and beg for Lakshminarayan. (Leave your travels in the Amdavad diocese and start traveling in the Vartal diocese.)” He initially transferred to Vartal, stayed two or three days, and then left (Satsang).2 This is how the jiva becomes bound. Footnotes: 1. 1. Govind Swami was a sadhu of a Hanuman mandir in Ayodhya. He went on a pilgrimage with 400 sadhus. When he arrived in Pandharpur, Nilkanth Varni had been there for two months. People spoke of Nilkanth Varni’s eminence and Govind Swami was eager to meet him. He left at night while others slept. This is when he met a king’s female attendant with 10,000 gold coins. He made an excuse and left her on the path. He eventually arrived in Gadhada and Maharaj praised him for rejecting a woman and wealth. He gave him dikshā and named him Govindanand Swami. He became known as Govind Swami in Satsang. He developed a taste for Gangama’s cooking. To detach him from her meals, Maharaj took him along a long path to Gadhada and kept him hungry for three days and three nights. Govind Swami realized his mistake and asked for atonement. Maharaj ordered him to wear a garland of carrots and act like a mad man. Govind Swami passed Maharaj’s test and received his grace. 2. Paramhansanand Swami was from Vātelā village. After receiving dikshā from Maharaj, he took care of the cowshed. He fed the cows, gave them water, cared for the sick ones dutifully. He made the cowshed his living quarter and took care of the cows his entire life. Once, Bhim Bhakta brought mangoes for Maharaj. Maharaj was eating the mango pulp while a few sadhus were watching. Maharaj lovingly gave some pulp to Paramhansanand Swami. He also traveled to villages to spread satsang.