|| Shri Hari ||

Relationship with God

भगवान्‌से सम्बन्ध

If you want to desire something,  then desire God.   If you want to get angry,  get angry on God.1    If God gets angry with you,  then it is as good as a boon2  It is written in the Narada Bhakti Sutra ‒

‘कामक्रोधाभिमानादिकं तस्मिन्नेव करणीयम्’ (६५)  

Kaama-krodhaabhimaanaadikam tasminn eva karaneeyam (65)

One should feel desire, anger and pride only with regard to Him.  

Let us say,  that anything we do, it’s objective, it’s subject becomes God.   Whether we desire something, whether we get angry,  whether we become greedy,  whatever it may be,  let it be in God.   By doing so,  what will happen ?  ‒

‘तस्मात्केनाप्युपायेन मनः कृष्णे निवेशयेत् ।’

Those who are inclined towards God, any which way if they establish a relationship with God, then it will surely lead to salvation.

In which ever way,  we must engage our mind in God,  then it will only be our supreme good.   Just as, on coming in contact with fire,  if one touches it, even if it is by mistake that the foot touches a piece o burning coal,  then without our wanting too, it will surely burn ‒

‘अनिच्छयापि संस्पृष्टो दहत्येव हि पावकः ।’  

In whichever way one repeats the Divine Name of the Lord,  a relationship is established with God,  whether it be out of animosity, or love, or fear, or hatred,  such a relationship is the kind that can destroy all sins ‒

‘अशेषाघहरं विदुः’

Lord's Names uttered as a gesture or in joke or in the midst of a song or even out of disrespect washes away all sins.

This point has been said about God’s Divine Name,  then,  with regards to God’s Divine Form, what can one even say ?  

By having an affinity with God,  a relationship is established with God.  Just as by having affinity with the world,  we go through birth-death cycle ‒

‘कारणं गुणसंगोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ।’

‘अस्य गुणङ्गः सत् असत् योनिषु जन्मनः कारणम् ।’

Then what is the reason for our birth and death cycle ?   ‒

‘गुणङ्गः’  

‘Contact and association with the modes of Nature.’  

In the same way,  when one associates with the ‘Nirguna’  (attributeless One), then how can it be a cause of birth-death ?   This is the very same question that Parikshit asked,   in Raas-Panchadhyaayi - ‘Lord !  the Gopis knew God in the form of a glorious Person-head,  not as a form of Brahma.   Then how is it that the Gopis whose eyes were set on the attributes and qualities of God,  became free from these attributes and qualities ?   To this,  what was the answer given by Sukhdevji ?   Here he said that ‘Those who had hatred towards God,  they too attained God.’   ‒

‘चैद्यः सिद्धिं यथा गतः’ तो ‘किमुताधोक्षजप्रियाः’

Then what to speak about the salvation of those who are dear to God !   In which ever way,  if a relationship is established with God,  whether it be out of animosity,  or love, or devotion,  or hatred,  or fear  ‒

‘भयात् कंसः, द्वेषाच्चैद्यादयो नृपाः, वृष्णयः सम्बन्धात्, भक्त्या वयम्’

Naradji said ‒ ‘In which ever way,  one establishes a relationship with God,  it will surely lead to his supreme good (kalyaan).   There is one point,  which God and His loving devotees know.  No third person knows this Essence (tattva).’   

1   ‘क्रोधोऽपि देवस्य वरेण तुल्यः ।’

2 -  ‘वरेण तुल्यः’

‒From the book in Hindi ‘Bhagwad Praapti Sahaj Hai ’  by Swami Ramsukhdasji