In the Samvat year 1876 on the twelfth day of the dark hall of the month of Paush, Shreeji Maharaj was seated facing the east, on a wooden bedstead laid under the neem tree in front of the temple of Shree Vasudev Narayan in the Durbar of Dada Khachar in Gadhada. He had put on all white garments. Saints and devotees from various places had gathered before Him in an assembly.
Then addressing the saints Shreeji Maharaj said, “Either you ask me a question or I ask you a question.” Thereupon the saints said: ‘You may please ask, Maharaj”.
Then Shreeji Maharaj said. ‘There is a man who is not so intelligent, but he is not tired of doing all that is necessary for his own good. And there is another man who is highly intelligent and is able to point out the faults of even the great persons. But he does not follow the path of his own good. What is the reason?” The saints tried to give an answer but could not give a satisfactory one. Shreeji Maharaj raised a doubt on very point. At last Shreeji Maharaj said. ‘Well, I will give the answer. Though the person is highly intelligent, his intelligence has turned vicious, and hence he cannot follow the path of his own good.
For example. we have milk of buffalo mixed with sugar but if a small drop of poison from the mouth of a serpent falls into it. all the milk and sugar turns into poison. Whoever drinks it will die. In the same way the man’s intelligence may be very sharp, but it 4s vitiated because of his misdeed of finding faults in some saints or God Himself. This misdeed is like the poison of the serpent. How is it then possible that he will follow the
path of his own good?
Moreover if some other person listens to the talks of the man with evil intelligence. the intelligence of the listener also will turn evil. and he also will fall from the holy fellowship. Wherever such a person with evil intelligence takes birth, he is
certainly going to speak ill of God and His devotees. On the other hand a person may have poor intelligence, but if it is not vitiated, he never gets tired of following the path of his own good.”
Then Muktanand Swami asked, “Maharaj, is it ever possible that a man with evil intelligence turns his face towards God?” Shreeji Maharaj replied. “It is never possible. He will never turn his face towards God.”
Thereupon Muktanand Swami said, “If that is so, then please show us the way how our intelligence should never turn evil, under any circumstances.”
Shreeji Maharaj said. “If a person avoids four vices: anger, pride, jealousy, and fraud in his dealings with God and His devotees, his intelligence will never turn evil. But if he harbors any one of these four vices he will meet with the fate of Jay and Vijay. Jay and Vijay were very wise but they had to fall from Vaikunth Lok-abode of Lord Vishnu, because they insulted Sanak and other sages being puffed up with pride and their intelligence turned evil. When intelligence turns evil even the virtues of God and His devotees will look like vices to such a person. Wherever he takes his birth he will be born as a demigod [attendant of Shiv] or a king of the demons. Then he remembers God, but with a spirit of vengeance.”
