Gadhadã I-47

[Jay Patel]

Morning of Mahã  sudi 12, Samvat 1876 [26 January 1820]

Mahãrãj was sitting on a large, decorated cot on the platform under the neem tree in front of the mandir of Shri Vãsudevnãrãyan in  Dãdã Khãchar’s  darbãr in Gadhadã.
Dressed entirely in white clothes.
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Maharaj says of many devotees some have firmness in the observance of  dharma, some have firmness in realising oneself as  ãtmã, some have firmness in vairãgya, and some have firmness in  bhakti.  Although one particular type of firmness is predominant in all devotees, they also possess all of the other types, but to a lesser extent.

Firmness in Dharma

                  when a devotee engages in himself seva od bhagwan and swami while following the dharma of his cast.

                   enjoys building mandirs,cultivalting gardens, offering delicases,and doing seva of mandir.

                    Offers bhakti by listening to katha 

Firmness in atma realisation

                   always behaves as the ãtmã

                    understands his  Ishtadev – the manifest form of Shri Krishna Paramãtmã – as all-transcending, extremely pure, and forever possessing a divine form.

                    He also enjoys scriptures that contain such talks.  His nature is such that he is unable to tolerate anything that obstructs him in behaving as the ãtmã.

Firmness in vairagya 

dislike for all worldly objects

he never remembers his home, his family or other objects that he has renounced

Firmness in bhakti

intense love only for God’s form

unable to focus his mind’s vrutti towards worldly objects.

the extent to which they cannot behave according to those characteristics is their drawback.

Connection: We should try to attain all 4 of these states