In the Samvat year 1876, on the second day of the dark half of the month of Margashirsh, Shreeji Maharaj was seated facing the south on a wooden bedstead under the neem tree near the temple of Shree Vasudav Narayan in the Darbar of Dada Khachar in Gadhada. He had put a white turban on His head and a white upper garment over His shoulder. He had covered His body with a white cotton ‘shawl’. Tassels of yellow flowers were hanging from His turban and bunches of yellow flowers studded with roses adorned His ears. Garlands of yellow flowers adorned His neck. He was playing with a white ‘sevanti’ flower in His right hand. Saints and devotees from various places had gathered before Him in an assembly.

Then Shreeji Maharaj started His discourse with an illustration. He said, ‘There is a devotee who is a renunciate and has renounced the worldly life. But his attitude towards vairagya [non-attachment] is not very intense. Though he observes all his Vartaman i.e. his sacred religious vows very strictly. a few desires of worldly life still linger in his mind. He tries to drive away these desires from his mind sincerely. He has also firm faith in God. And there is another devotee who is a householder. He also has firm faith in God. Though he runs his house as desired by God, he is disinterested in worldly life. Of course he is as much desirous of worldly life as is the renunciate. Having given this illustration Shreeji Maharaj asked the saints to judge who is the superior of the two.

Muktanand Swami said, “Naturally the one who has renounced the world is the superior of the two.” There upon Shreeji Maharaj raised a doubt, “How can that man who has renounced the world out of frustration be the superior of the two? And how is the householder who has stayed in the worldly life as willed by God inferior to the other?” Muktanand Swami tried much to give a convincing explanation, but could not satisfy Shreeji Maharaj. At last he said, “Maharaj, you may please give the answer.”

There upon Shreeji Maharaj said. “A person may be a renunciate, but his desires for worldly life are sure to revive if he gets sumptuous food to eat, or his mind is immature, or if he is overcome by excessive distress. The householder is much superior to the renunciate, because when the householder is overcome by distress, or meets with too much of happiness, he becomes cautious in mind lest these things might lead him to the bondage of worldly life. He always remains disinterested in worldly life. A person may be called a true renunciate, if not a single trace of worldly desires remains in his mind after he renounces this world. The householder is much superior to such a renunciate whose mind is full of worldly desires, if the householder observes his dharma, the duties of a householder properly. But the duties of a householder are difficult to

observe. Even if the householder comes across innumerable calamities or happy incidents, he would not let his mind stray from the service of the saints, or from his observance of his duties of a householder. He considers the company of the saints to be a priceless chintamani, a wishing stone, or a kalpavruksha, a wishing tree. [It is believed that the desires of a person are immediately fulfilled if he stands under this tree]. Riches and sons and daughters are like the unreal objects of the dreams for him. He considers the company of saints to be his real asset. Even if he meets with the greatest calamity he would not fall back from the righteous path. Such a

householder devotee is the best of all the devotees. To become a devotee of God is the most difficult task, and the company of such a devotee is very difficult to get.” With these words Shreeji Maharaj concluded His discourse and asked the assembly to sing devotional songs composed by Muktanand Swami. After a while Muktanand Swami again raised a question. “It

is said in the scriptures:

It means, ‘As is the course of thinking at the last moment, so shall be the course of life after death.’ It seems the scriptures mean only this, ‘If one thinks of God at the last moment, his course of life after death will be towards God. If not, his end will be bad’. If that is so, what is the purpose of worshipping God for the whole life?” There upon Shreeji Maharaj explained, “One who has really realized God in person will never lose ultimate good even if he remembers God or not at the last moment: The Lord is always there to protect him. And one who has turned His face away from the Lord will never achieve his final good even if he leaves his body in a state of perfect consciousness. He is sure to go to Yampuri, hell [the dark region of the god of death, a place of punishment after death]. Very many sinners die in a state of perfect consciousness, and devotees meet with an immature death. Does it mean that the sinners will achieve their final good and the devotees will not? Certainly not. The text must be interpreted like this: ‘As is the course of thinking now, so shall be the course of thinking at the time of death and so shall be the course of life after death.’ If a devotee thinks that he has already achieved his ultimate good now and for ever, he will achieve the same even at the last moment. And one who does not move in the company of saints, and has not realized the divine image of God. always thinks that he is ignorant and that he will never meet his good. Hence his course of life after death will be according to what he thinks now. But those who are always engaged in the service of God have nothing more to achieve. Even others who come in contact with such devotees achieve their final good. Hence there is no wonder that the devotees are sure to achieve their ultimate good. However, it is very difficult to be a true obedient devotee of God, because a true obedient devotee of god always considers this physical body to be unreal. He knows that the actual reality is the soul. He will never desire to enjoy anything which is not first offered to the lord. He will always act according to the will of the Lord and never otherwise. Such a man is said to be a true obedient devotee of God. Any other person, though he may be a true obedient devotee of God, if he is conscious of his body is said to be an ordinary devotee.”