If there is dirt on the floor, you need a mop to clean it. If the mop you want to use to clean the floor is dirty, grease is there or diesel is there and you use the same mop to wipe the lentil curry on the floor, so will it get cleaned? So Sajag has one point of view that we have listened to the spiritual knowledge, now the only thing left is to reflect upon it Madhav has other point of view that because we are not yet 'Sattvaguni' we need someone to remind us about it again and again. so whose point should we consider more valid? He is pointing towards Madhav that his point is more valid. Yes, being Sattvaguni is the first step. That is why in ancient time great sages used to say that till the time your mind (Chitta) is not pure till that time, they didn't accept the person as their disciple. Now if they didn't accept them as disciple, why will they impart knowledge! Try to understand the tough part here. The master has 1000 ways to understand if the disciple is ready or not. Like, now it will be a very difficult thing to digest the fact I am going to say. Like Shukdevji was Ved Vyasji's son. Ved Vyasji who did nyasa of Vedas, who reformed it. That Ved Vyas ji's son is Shukdev. It is said that that when he took birth, he directly kept a condition that I will only take birth when my Kamandal is kept in front, no one should stop me and I'll directly go the forest. Otherwise I won't take birth. So Vyas ji's wife had to give this assurance and even Ved Vyas ji had to give assurance, assurance to a child who is not even born yet and he is keeping conditions. So as soon as he was born it is said that he took the Kamandal and headed towards the forest. If we don't consider literally but we can say that at a very young age he left for the forest. Just like a great sitarist's son, as people say that he was a born playing a sitar that doesn't mean that he was born with a sitar in his hand. Similarly, in a poetic way it is said in Bhagavad Puran that Sukhdev took birth and left for the forest. We can say that, we can consider this logically that at a very young age he left his parents and went to the forest. Now he lived in the forest for years, meditating but his mind was never at peace. It is such a weird thing. No son, no daughter, no wife, no house, no tax, no bill, no income tax, no tension to earn money, still his mind is not at peace. It is a very intense thing! By looking at his condition, Dev Rishi Narad came to him. Narad ji asked him- "O great Mahatma, O dispassionate Muni, what bothers you?" He said- I am meditating for so many years in the forest wearing a loin cloth and living but my mind is not calm at all. Narad ji said- "You are Rishi Ved Vyas ji's son, why don't you go to him and gain knowledge?" Now a son usually never feels his father to be worthy of reverence But still, he went back and said that - "Father, my mind is not at peace." A rishi is a rishi. He said- "Look, you have to attain self realisation otherwise your mind won't be at peace." Now how will that happen? At this time, there is only one great person- Liberated King Janak, go to him. So Shukdev ji bowed to his father and left. On his way, he was thinking, I am a born renunciate he is a King, he will give me knowledge! He left after listening to his father, even though he had doubts because his father had sent him and because he was also a good son. So he reached the palace and on his arrival he said to the gatekeeper that- "I want to meet your King, my name is Shukdev, I am Rishi Ved Vyas ji's son." Gatekeeper said- " You stand here great sage I will inform inside." He went inside and informed, King Janak says- Oh! Shukdev is here. Let him stand there. For seven days he was kept standing there. Nowadays disciples don't even wait for seven minutes, won't wait for 7 hours, not for 24 hours, won't wait for 12 hours even and Shukdev was kept waiting for seven days. Janak ji asked on the third day- "Did he leave or is still there?" He is there. Then he said- Put all the garbage of the palace on his head. Firstly, he kept waiting, that too standing and now the garbage is being put on him. Now you must be thinking - Why this? This is Janak ji's way of checking how much dispassion this mahatma has, how much egoistic he is, how much insult he can bear, how much fire he has inside him to know the truth. So they put garbage on him, still Shukdev was standing there. And remember the permission was to stand not to sit. "Guru k graha sevak jo rahe, guru ki aagya mann mein sahe" The one who cannot obey his master cannot be a disciple. So what was the order- to stand there. So Shukdev ji didn't sit, didn't lie down, didn't ask anything to eat, didn't ask for water to drink, didn't close his eyes to sleep, he was standing all the time. Think about this in this evil era if the master behaves like this with the disciple, will they stay? Which disciple has that fire, which disciple has that dispassion. Nobody! My children are alone, my father, my mother, have to get her kitchen needs, money, etc. 10-1000 things. Shukdev ji was still standing. On the eighth day he was called inside. Janak ji said- Come, come great mahatma, how come you are here? He said- "My father has sent me here so that you impart knowledge of self realisation to me." Janak ji said- "That will eventually happen, self realisation is the second thing you must be really thirsty and hungry, you eat something, take some rest then we will talk about this too." So he told the servants to take him inside the palace, give him something to eat, let him rest for the night and I will see him tomorrow morning Very grand meal, silken mattresses, food to eat, maids to fan him everything is available. Shukdev ji's mind didn't wander. Even after staying in a lavish palace, seeing all the enjoyments, his mind was calm. He said give me food in a pattal (a plate made out of leaves) I won't eat in a silver-gold plate. He had lentil curry and rice on the pattal. The maid said that the bed is ready for you to rest. Silk bedsheets and silk pillows are there. Shukdev ji laid down. As soon as he laid down he saw right above his head, a big heavy naked sword tied with a very thin cotton thread was hanging Think now, 7 days without food, water and sleep. Now he has been fed and has been given a bed to sleep on but a sword is hanging above the head, the cotton thread can break anytime, can Shukdev sleep? But because of his hesitation, he didn't move, he was lying there and the whole night he couldn't get a wink of sleep. The next morning, the maid said - "You can shower now and we will take you to meet the king." They took him to meet the King and saw some dancers were dancing in front of the King. All the ministers were there, king's assembly was going on... music is being played, dancers are dancing, Shukdev was asked to stand and told that "You can wait here, we will call you." Think again, he is in just his loin cloth, a renunciant. The person he has come to make his master is 'who'? A King. royal splendour, sitting on the royal throne... dancer is dancing, all ministers are watching, the royal assembly is going on, Just think, what must have Shukdev ji's mind gone through! First test- 7 days, Second test- Sword hanging on the top, Third test- Made him stand in the royal assembly, standing in front of the dancers. The royal assembly ended. Janak ji called him and said- "You want self realisation knowledge from me, I will give that later. First you do one thing, pick this up bowl filled with oil. Take this bowl in your hand, go and take a round and see how is my city Janakpur and remember if even a single drop of oil spills from this bowl, your neck will be chopped off." Now oil's viscosity is more or less than water? Yes? It is more. If a drop of water spills, it doesn't matter, because viscosity is low one drop can spill, the rest of the water is still in the bowl but if a drop of oil falls will it be one drop only? It becomes a line and a stream. They gave the bowl in Shukdev's hands. Two guards holding swords are standing right and left of Shukdev. What is the order? To take a round of Janakpur. Arrangements were done in the city, so many drums were being played, juggler was playing his game, glitter glamour everywhere, firecrackers were burst some where, something or the other was happening, children were screaming suddenly, means as many distractions as possible were there. Shukdev ji is holding the bowl and walking. two guards were walking with the swords waiting to chop off his head if even one single drop of oil spills. Shukdev ji came back after taking a complete round of whole Jankapur. This was his test number four. Then, Janak said - "Come along with me." So they went and sat in the garden outside the palace. Shukdev ji bowed down nicely in front of the master. Janak ji who is married, is a king is sitting on a higher seat and Shukdev ji, who is a renunciate, in loin cloth is sitting down. It is such a strange play. Then he asked - "Why do you want self-realisation?" So he had conversation with Shukdev it is said that during this conversation some loud noises were heard. Fire! Fire! Fire! The palace is on fire! So Shukdev ji got up. He started to leave. Janak ji asked - "Where are you going?" He replied- "Master! My kamandal and loin cloth is in your palace and the palace is on fire so I will get it. Janak ji said- "My whole palace is burning and I am sitting quietly here, your kamandal is there inside and for that you want to leave me and go inside. After four difficult tests, Shukdev ji failed in the fifth test. Waited for 7 days- First one. Sleeping under the hanging sword- Second one. Making his stand amidst the royal assembly- Third one. When he was made to stand outside the palace, even garbage was put on him. If we count this one too then it will be the fourth test and the fifth one- when the news was spread that the palace is on fire. Now Shukdev ji was confused There was no attachment or love but still he was concerned about the Kamandal. Meaning the one who has attachment of even a single thing in his mind is not eligible to receive knowledge, the one who doesn't have patience, is not eligible to receive knowledge, He had garbage put on him, he bore it but the one who cannot bear insult, is not eligible to receive knowledge and the one who analyses the conduct of their master and passes judgement on the master that disciple not at all deserves knowledge. In this whole journey of 8 to 9 days there was no discussion with Shukdev ji on spiritual knowledge. Only his dispassion, endurance of suffering, humility and his thirst for moksha were being tested. Now I would like you to keep yourself at the place of Shukdev ji that if you were treated the same way so 9 days is a very far-off thing, would you have survived for 2 minutes only? Now after so many difficult tests Shukdev ji got a chance to gain knowledge so their is nothing to be surprised that in just few days Shukdev ji attained self realisation. The master is capable, shotriya brahmnishta guru (a self-realised master well versed in Shastras) like Janak, how much capable! but the the disciple also should be like Shukdev. Very frequently people ask me how to identify a complete master? Does someone asks you how to identify a complete disciple? So if an incomplete disciple gets a complete master, there is no use. If the master is incomplete and the disciple is also incomplete the nothing will happen at all. So the question arises that is person who is listening is a complete listener? Is he well deserving? So the truth is that till the time he is not well deserving whatever knowledge he listens will bring pride but not actual wisdom. You are attached to the body, duality and malice are there, anger, desires, vasana (deep rooted desires) are always there in the mind. Then asks the master that I can't feel anything. What should the master do? To wipe a filthy place the mop should be clean and not a dirty one. So from time to time, a good housekeeper washes the cleaning cloth with hot soapy water , sterilise it with either dettol or savlon or any antiseptic washing it with soapy water, cleans it well because the house cannot be cleaned with a dirty piece of cloth. Similarly, you cannot gain knowledge with a filthy mind. "Shravan" doesn't mean just listening with your ears. Whatever you listened to, that should become a firm within you then we can say that you have listened. I am saying, you should have full conviction of it. So when you are not certain, then what did you listen! Nothing. So the question is not what master told you, the question is what did the disciple retain with conviction. This is a sure thing that whenever we read or listen to the story of Shukdev, one thing is clear that Janak is a king, is a householder, father of Sita ji, but his knowledge was so excellent that Ved Vyas ji sent his renunciate son to go and gain knowledge from him. So don't ever conclude that a person who is householder can never be self-realised or a king can never be self-realised and that every renunciate is self-realised There is amazing glory of knowledge. Very amazing! If there is brahman vidya (knowledge of the true self) what is on the outside does not matter. But the eligibility to have the knowledge of the true self, requires a lot of hard work. So you don't get anything for free and it is not cheap at all, it is very expensive deal. It is a very difficult deal also.
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