Gadhada Last Section Vach. 15 Vachanamrut Rahasyarth Pradeepika Tika

Shreejimaharaj said to Muktanand Swami, “Today, I talked extensively with the disciple who cooks for Me.” Muktanand Swami then asked, “Oh Maharaj! What was Your discussion about?” Shreejimaharaj replied, “The conversation was about the period when a disciple of God sits to perform the mental worship (mansi-pooja) of God or sits to meditate on God. At such a time, the instances are recalled of when the soul has succumbed to the five sensations due to the influence of an adverse place, time, etc., or when he has been overcome by perversions such as lust, anger and greed. Consider a brave soldier who has been wounded in a battle. He sleeps on a bed, but until his bandages have not taken effect on his wounds, he is not relieved from the pain of his injuries. Until then, he cannot fall asleep. However, when the bandages do properly take effect, the pain of his injuries subsides and he is able to fall asleep. Similarly, the soul has been wounded by the five sensations, due to the influence of an adverse place, time, association or activity. From amongst the nine-fold devotion, the kind that relieves one from the pain caused by the wounds of the five sensations and prevents them from being recalled should be regarded as a bandage that has properly taken effect. That itself should be regarded as being the mode of worship and contemplation, through which one’s propensity is fortified. Then, whilst maintaining that propensity, one should perform mental worship, recitation of God’s name, etc; whatever one does should be performed whilst maintaining that propensity. Great benefits are derived by this. However, a person who does not recognise his own propensity, does not experience the bliss of worshipping and contemplating about God in any manner, and he is not relieved from the pain of the wounds that have been inflicted by the five sensations, in the same way that a wounded solider does not experience relief until his bandages have taken proper effect. Therefore, a disciple of God should ascertain the mode of devotion from amongst the nine- fold devotion, which when performed, affixes his mind to God and does not allow volitions about anything other than God to occur. He should realise, ‘this is my propensity’ and then, keep that mode of devotion predominant within him.  This narrative is a matter   of principle.”