| 1. |
I (SAHAJANAND SWAMI) meditate in
my heart upon Lord Krishna, on whose left stands Radha, on whose
bosom resides Laxmiji and who plays (with his Bhaktas) in Vrindavan. |
| 2. |
I, SAHAJANAND SWAMI, write this
SHIKSHAPATRI - Gospel of Life Divine-from Vadtal to all
my followers, residing in various part of country, viz. |
| 3. |
Ayodhyaprasad and Raghuvir who have
been installed by Me as Acharya at Ahmedabad and Vadtal
respectively, sons of my brothers, Rampratapji and
Ichharamji, born of Shri Dharmadev. |
| 4. |
All naishtic Brahmacharis,
Mukundanand and others and all house-holders. Mayaram
Bhatt and others, all who have become My followers. |
| 5. |
All female, married (including
virgins also) and widows and all Sadhus, Muktanand and
others, all who have become My followers. |
| 6. |
All mentioned above, shall accept
My Blessings Divine, Blessings which protect their
Dharmas, which carry with them the Divine memory of
SrimanNarayan and which are endorsed by the Shastras. |
| 7. |
All the above shall ponder deeply
in their mind My object in writing this SHIKSHAPATRI -
which is to ensure ultimate good for all living beings. |
| 8. |
All those who follow the rules of
good conduct as prescribed by the Shastras (Such as
Srimad Bhagavat etc.) do indeed attain happiness both in
this world and the world beyond. |
| 9. |
And all those who disregard them
and behave according to their own whims are indeed
evil-minded and shall verily meet with great miseries in
this life and the life beyond. |
| 10. |
Therefore, you all, My followers,
shall always follow the precepts of this SHIKSHAPATRI
with care and caution, and with love and sincerity. |
| 11. |
My followers shall never kill any
living being under any circumstances, knowingly, not even
small insects like lice, bugs, etc. |
| 12. |
(My followers) shall never kill
goats and/or other living beings in sacrifice performed
for the propitiation of deities and Pitris (ancestors),
for non-violence is declared (by the Shastras) as the
highest Dharma of all the Dharmas. |
| 13. |
None shall ever kill a human being
for obtaining women, wealth or even sovereignty. |
| 14. |
None shall ever commit suicide even
in a place of pilgrimage or through anger or on account
of some untoward action by taking poison or by hanging or
by falling into a well or from a hill-top or by any other
means. |
| 15. |
None shall ever eat meat, even if
it be an offering in a sacrifice or shall ever drink
liquor or wine even if it be offered to a deity. |
| 16. |
When an untoward action is
committed either by oneself or by others, none shall
through anger or excitement cut or mutilate one's limbs
or limbs of other persons by means of any kind of weapon. |
| 17. |
None shall ever commit theft, even
for the sake of performing an act of Dharma. Even
articles such as firewood, flowers, etc. owned by others
shall never be taken without their permission. |
| 18. |
All my followers, males and
females, shall never practice adultery and/or gambling
and such other bad habits, nor shall eat or drink
intoxicants like hemp, opium etc. |
| 19. |
No one shall eat food prepared by a
person, taking (cooked) food from whose hands prohibited
in the Shastras or drink water from the vessels of such a
person even as a prasad (eatables offered to a deity) of
Shri Krishna, in any place, except at Jagannathpuri
(where prasad of Shri Jagannathji may e taken). |
| 20. |
No one should level false
accusations against anyone, even for the sake of
achieving some self-interest or shall utter indecent
words/abuses to others. |
| 21. |
None shall ever speak or hear ill
of deities, places of pilgrimage, Brahmins, chaste women,
Sadhus and the Vedas. |
| 22. |
None shall ever accept prasad of a
deity to whom offering of meat and/or liquor-wine are
offered and /or before whom goats and/or other living
beings are sacrificed. |
| 23. |
When (my followers) on their way,
come across temples of Shiv, and other deities, they
shall bow down to them and have their darshan
respectfully. |
| 24. |
None shall give up Dharma of one's
own varna (class) and Ashram nor shall practice Dharma of
persons of other varnas (classes) and Ashramas or shall
follow pseudo Dharma or Dharma dictated by one's own
whims. |
| 25. |
No one shall ever here sermons or
religious discourses or philosophical talks from a person
whose words are likely to lead one astray from the path
of devotion to Lord Krishna and/or from the path of one's
own Dharma. |
| 26. |
None shall speak even truth which
is likely to cause fatal misery to oneself or to others
and shall avoid company of ungrateful persons or shall
ever except illegal gratification from anybody. |
| 27. |
No one shall ever associate with a
thief, an addict, a hypocrite, a debauch, and a deceit. |
| 28. |
No one shall also associate with
persons, who under the grab of Bhakti (devotion) and Jnan
(knowledge) indulge in committing sins, themselves being
after women, wealth and (various) attachments (sexual
gratification), objects of worldly pleasures, delicious
dishes etc. |
| 29. |
None shall ever hear or believe in
the Shastras which clearly refute (the name, glory, form
and existence of) Lord Shri Krishna and his incarnations. |
| 30. |
None shall ever drink water and/or
milk (including all kinds of edible oils) unfiltered nor
shall use water containing many insects for purposes of
bath, etc, |
| 31. |
None shall ever take medicines
which are mixed with meat and/or liquor-wine or with
both; or take medicines given by physician whose
antecedents are not known. |
| 32. |
One shall never pass urine or
answer call of nature or even spit in places prohibited
for such use by people and by Shastras (e.g. places like
dilapidated temples, bank of river or pond, sown fields,
trees and their shadows, garden etc.) |
| 33. |
No one should enter in or go
through a door, not meant for the purpose or camp in a
private place without the permission of its proprietor. |
| 34. |
Male followers shall not here
religious or philosophical discourses from females nor
shall they enter into arguments with them or with a king
or with his men. |
| 35. |
None shall insult one's Guru, a
very great person, a person highly placed in society, a
learned man and a man with arms. |
| 36. |
One shall never act under sudden
impulse in haste; but an act pertaining to Dharma shall
be done all at once. One shall impart knowledge, acquired
by oneself, to others and shall always associate with
saintly persons. |
| 37. |
None shall go with empty hands for
darsan of Guru or of a deity or of a king or shall ever
commit breach of trust or shall praise oneself. |
| 38. |
My followers shall never wear
clothes so thin and fine as would expose their limbs for
such clothes are considered indecent (bad). |
| 39. |
None shall ever practice Bhakti of
Lord Shri Krishna devoid of Dharma or shall ever give up
his Bhakti, for fear of criticism from ignorant people. |
| 40. |
When they go to the temples of Lord
Shri Krishna for darsan either daily or on days of
festivals, male followers shall not touch females and
vice-versa (but when they come out of the temple
premises, they may behave with each other according to
their relation and social customs. |
| 41. |
My disciples, who are twice-born
(i.e. who belong to the first three classes, Brahmin,
Kshatriya and Vaishya) and who have been initiated as
such (i.e. as disciples) by their Acharya, (who is a
descendant of the family of Shri Dharmadev) shall wear on
their neck, double lined necklace prepared from Tulsi
beads and shall put on their forehead (and on bosom or
chest, and two arm also) a vertical mark (tilak). |
| 42. |
This vertical mark (tilak) shall be
made either with Gopichandan or with sandal paste with
saffron, etc. receive as prasad after puja of Lord Shri
Krishna. |
| 43. |
And in the middle of this mark
shall put on a round mark, either with Gopichandan or
with Kum-Kum (red-powder) received as prasad of Shri
Radha and/or Laxmiji. |
| 44. |
Persons, who are classed as higher
Shudras (sat-shudra) and who are Bhaktas of Lord Krishna
and who do follow their Dharmas properly, shall wear
necklace on their neck and put on marks on their forehead
etc. in the same way as twice born disciples do. |
| 45. |
All other Bhaktas (who are classed
below sat-shudras) shall were on their neck a double
lined necklace prepared from sandal wood or other such
wood and shall put on their forehead round mark only but
shall not put on vertical mark. |
| 46. |
Brahmin and other followers who are
required on the account of their family tradition, to put
on horizontal mark on their forehead and to wear on their
neck a necklace prepared from Rudraksha beads shall not
give up wearing them, even after becoming My followers. |
| 47. |
All shall realize that Narayan and
the Mahesh are one, for as Brahman they have been
described as one in the Vedas. |
| 48. |
My followers shall not adopt rules
of exigency prescribed in Shastras as ordinary routine
ones when the exigency is light. |
| 49. |
My followers shall get up daily
before sun-rise, offer prayers to Lord Krishna and then
shall go to answer call of nature. |
| 50. |
Thereafter, sitting in one place,
shall cleanse teeth, then shall take bath with filtered
and clean water and then shall wear one washed cloth and
put on another such cloth as apron. |
| 51. |
Thereafter, facing either north or
east, shall sit on a pure and comfortable sheet, placed
on pure ground and untouched by any other article (and
then sip pure water three times). |
| 52. |
Thereafter, all male followers
shall put on their forehead and on bosom or chest and on
the two arms also a round mark in the middle of the
vertical one (as explained before) and all married women
shall put on their forehead the round mark only with red
powder. |
| 53. |
All female followers who are widows
shall not put on their forehead either the round mark or
the vertical one. Thereafter, all male and female
followers shall worship Lord Shri Krishna mentally. |
| 54. |
Thereafter, all shall have darshan
of and shall bow respectfully to the image(drawn on paper
or cloth) of Lord Shri Krishna with Radha, then shall
chant His mantra (eight syllabled one) according to their
ability and then shall attend to (their worldly affairs)
jobs. |
| 55. |
My Bhaktas, who like Ambarish, have
dedicated their lies completely to Lord Shri Krishna,
shall also similarly go through all procedure of worship
of lord Shri Krishna, (as explained above) upto mental
worship. |
| 56. |
These Bhaktas, shall worship the
idol of Lord Shri Krishna, made either from stone or
metal or Saligram with offering like flowers, sandal
paste, fruit, etc. according to time place and their
means and then shall repeat His eight syllabled mantra. |
| 57. |
Thereafter, they shall chant
according to their ability, the Stotras (verses in
Sanskrit) in praise of Lord Shri Krishna and those who do
not know Sanskrit, shall sing His name and glory. |
| 58. |
Then they shall offer food to him
and then shall partake of it as His prasad, they shall
thus always remain in service of Lord Krishna with love. |
| 59. |
Shastras proclaim these Bhaktas as
Nirguna (i.e. completely free from mundane qualities like
Satva, Rajas, and Tamas) since Lord Shri Krishna (Hari)
is Nirguna. Because of their intimate relation with him,
all their action also become Nirguna. |
| 60. |
These Bhaktas shall never drink
even water nor shall eat leaves, fruits, roots etc.,
without first offering it to Lord Krishna. |
| 61. |
All Bhaktas, who are incapacitated
by old age or by some great adverse circumstances and who
are, therefore, unable perform worship (puja) of Lord
Shri Krishna themselves, shall give over the idol to some
other Bhakta for worship, etc. and then shall offer puja
according to their abilities. |
| 62. |
All shall worship with singular
devotion only that form of Lord Shri Krishna which is
installed by the Acharya (who is a descendant of the
family of Shri Dharmadev) and which is given to them for
the purpose by him. All other forms of Lord Shri Krishna
shall but be bowed and respected. |
| 63. |
All my followers shall daily go to
the temple of Lord Shri Krishna, in the evening and shall
sing loudly the name of Lord Shri Krishna. |
| 64. |
And shall read and/or listen to
with deep reverence, the narratives of His glories and
shall celebrate all festivals, with His songs, in
accompaniment of musical instruments. |
| 65. |
All my followers shall invariably
act daily as laid down above, shall study the Shastras
either in Sanskrit or regional language according to
their abilities. |
| 66. |
one must always entrust, after
proper consideration, a person with work just befitting
his aptitude and ability but shall not act otherwise. |
| 67. |
One shall always provide one's
servants with food, clothing etc., according to one's
means and according to their worth (merit). |
| 68. |
One shall always speak to a person
just befitting one's person and position and just in
accordance with the time and place; but shall not act
otherwise. |
| 69. |
All my followers who are prudent
shall receive their Guru, a king, a very old man and a
person who has renounced the world, a learned man and an
ascetic, respectfully, by rising from their seat going
forward, by offering them proper seat by sweet words. |
| 70. |
In the presence of a Guru, deity
and/or in an assembly none shall sit with one leg raised
and placed on another and/or with knees raised and tied
with piece of cloth. |
| 71. |
None shall ever enter into
arguments with Acharya. All shall treat him with respect
by offering him food grains, money, cloths etc. according
to their means. |
| 72. |
My followers, on hearing about the
his arrival shall immediately go forward to receive him
and when he departs shall also go forward to receive him
and when he departs shall go upto the outskirts of their
village to give him a worthy send-off. |
| 73. |
None shall ever perform an act,
which is likely to yield great advantage but which is
devoid of or is against Dharma, for Dharma alone is
capable of fulfilling the four Purusharths (aims of life
i.e. Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha). |
| 74. |
Action of past great men which are
not in conformity with Dharma shall never be accepted and
followed as precedent; but those actions which conform
with Dharma shall only be adopted (and followed). |
| 75. |
Never shall ever divulge secrets of
other persons anywhere and to anyone. Others shall be
treated as they deserve. This rule shall not be violated
in the name of equality. |
| 76. |
All my followers shall practice as
additional rules, which are explained below during the
period of four months (i.e. from the 11th day
of the bright half of Ashadha to the 11th day
of the bright half of Kartika). Those who are weak and
feeble, however, shall practice them only for the month
of Shravan. |
| 77. |
78. Listening to and 2. reading
narratives of glories of Lord Shri Krishna 3. singing his
name and songs 4. performing His worships (puja) with
elaborate rites 5. repeating (chanting) His Mantras
(names) 6. Chanting his Hymns (Stotras) 7. going round
His image/idol and |
| 78. |
8. lying down prostrate before Him.
These eight rules are considered best by Me. My followers
shall adopt anyone of them as additional rule (Dharma)
with devotion. |
| 79. |
All shall observe devoutly and with
proper festivities, the Vratas of all Ekadashi days of
every month as well as the birth day of Shri Krishna and
Shiv. |
| 80. |
All shall avoid with care sleeping
by day time on such days, for such an act destroys merits
of the fast just as sexual intercourse does on such days. |
| 81. |
Shri Vitthalnathji, son of Shri
Vallabhacharya, a king among the Vaishanavas, has given
decisions regarding all Vratas and festivals. |
| 82. |
All shall observe them accordingly.
The mode of worship of Lord Shri Krishna as explained by
him shall also be followed. |
| 83. |
All followers shall undertake
pilgrimage to place like Dwarika and others, observing
all rituals properly, and shall always be kind to the
poor according to their means. |
| 84. |
My followers shall regard the five
deities named here with reverence - Vishnu, Shiva,
Ganpati, Parvati and the Sun. |
| 85. |
In times of trouble caused by evil
spirits like Ghosts etc. none shall invoke inferior
deities but shall repeat the Mantra, known as Narayan
Kavach or of Hanuman. |
| 86. |
Whenever an eclipse of the Sun or
of the Moon takes place, all followers shall immediately
suspend all work and after purifying themselves (by means
of bath, etc.) shall repeat the Mantra of Lord Shri
Krishna. |
| 87. |
And when it is over, all shall take
bath together with all clothes worn at that time, and
thereafter, those who are householders shall give alms
according to their means and others shall perform worship
of Lord Shri Krishna. |
| 88. |
All My followers belonging to the
four varnas (classes) i.e. who are Brahmins, Kshatriyas,
Vaishyas and Shudras shall observe days of impurity (days
of Sutaka) consequent upon birth or death, as the case
may be, according to their social relations and as
prescribed for them by the Shastras. |
| 89. |
The followers, who are Brahmins,
shall acquire the qualities of tranquility,
self-restraint, forbearance and contentment, the
Kshatriyas shall acquire the qualities of valor,
fortitude etc. |
| 90. |
The Vaishyas shall go in for
agriculture, trade, banking etc. and the Shudras shall
take to service of the above three varnas (classes). |
| 91. |
The followers, who are twice-born,
shall perform as occasion requires, all sanskaras with
(beginning from conception) daily ceremonial offerings to
deities and the Shraddhas (obsequies) of the Pitris
(ancestors) as prescribed by in their respective Gruhya
Sutra according to their means. |
| 92. |
Whenever an untoward action or sin
is knowingly or unknowingly committed, all concerned
shall make amends (as shown in the Shastras and by
saintly persons) for it as best as they can. |
| 93. |
The Vedas, the Vyas Sutras, the
Puran, named Trimmed Bhagwat, Shri Vishnusahasranam; |
| 94. |
Shri Bhagvad-Gita and Vidurniti all
these (three) from Mahabharat, Shri Vasudev-mahatmya,
contained in Vishnukhand of Skand Puran |
| 95. |
The Yajnavalkya-Smruti from among
the Dharma Shastras, these eight are My favorite
Shastras. |
| 96. |
All my followers who desire to
secure their welfare shall hear them and those who are
twice-born shall study them, teach them to others and
shall read them. |
| 97. |
Of these eight Shastras, the
Yajnavalkya Smruti with the Mitakshara commentary thereon
shall be followed while taking decision on matters
relating to the conduct of life, social and legal matters
and expiation. |
| 98. |
And for realizing glory and
greatness of Lord Shri Krishna, the tenth and the fifth
canto of the Trimmed Bhagwat shall be pre-eminently
followed. |
| 99. |
the tenth and fifth canto of Srimad
Bhagvad shall and the Yagnavalkya Smruti shall be treated
as My favorite Bhakti shastras, Yoga shastras and
Dharmashastra respectively. |
| 100. |
And the commentary on Vyas-sutras
and Shri Bhagvad Gita by Ramanujacharya shall be treated
as my favorite Shastras on philosophy. |
| 101. |
Those portion of these Shastras
which explain the merits of knowledge of the form of Lord
Shri Krishna, of Dharma, of Bhakti and of Vairagya
(non-attachment) in highest terms only. |
| 102. |
Shall be treated as taking
precedence over all other portions. The sum and substance
of all these Shastras is Bhakti of Lord Krishna with
Dharma. |
| 103. |
Dharma means the path of good
conduct as enjoined by Smruties and Shrutis. Bhakti of
Lord Krishna means profound love for Him accompanied by
knowledge of His glorious greatness. |
| 104. |
Vairagya (non-attachment) means
absence of love for objects other than Lord Shri Krishna,
and knowledge means clear comprehension of the nature and
form of Jiva, Maya and Isha. |
| 105. |
Jiva is one who is installed in the
heart, is atomic and subtle, is all-consciousness, is the
knower, is pervading all over the body by means of his
power of knowledge and bears characterization such as
indivisibility, invulnerability, eternality, and so on. |
| 106. |
Maya is one which constitutes the
three qualities - Satva, Raja and Tama, is ignorance
incarnate, is power of Lord Shri Krishna and is the cause
prima for ego and personal attachment for body physic and
everything else related to it, on the part of Jiva. |
| 107. |
Just as Jiva is installed in the
heart, so does Isha abides in the heart of Jiva as the
inner controller, is absolutely independent and is the
judge Supreme of all action s of all Jivas. |
| 108. |
This Isha is Lord Shri Krishna, is
Supreme Brahman, is Bhagwan and is the source of all
incarnations. |
| 109. |
When Lord Shri Krishna is with
Radha He is known as RadhaKrishna, when He is with
Rukmini, Rama, i.e. Laxmiji, He is known as
Laxmi-Narayan. |
| 110. |
When he is with Arjun He is known
as Nar-Narayan and when He is with Balbhadra and others
He is named and known accordingly. |
| 111. |
These bhaktas, Radha and others,
sometimes stay by His side, and some times on account of
love par-excellence stay in His Body Divine then He is
described as alone. |
| 112. |
therefore, none shall draw lines of
differentiation between His various forms, be it
four-armed, eight-armed, thousand-armed and so forth, for
He always has two arms and assumes all these forms
according to His will. |
| 113. |
All person on the earth, therefore,
shall with fervent devotion worship Him alone. All shall
know that in this world there is nothing more conducive
to the realization of salvation than His Bhakti. |
| 114. |
Bhakti of Lord Shri Krishna, and
association with saintly persons (these two) are the
highest-achievements for persons endowed with merits like
learning etc. Without these two qualities even the most
learned shall decay and degenerate. |
| 115. |
Lord Shri Krishna, His incarnations
and His forms, only shall from the objects for
meditation. One shall never meditate upon Jivas-men as
well as deities, however great, as Bhaktas and knowers of
Brahman they may be. |
| 116. |
One shall first consider oneself as
distinctly different from the three bodies viz.: Gross
(Sthool) subtle (Shukshma) and causal (karan) then shall
identify oneself with Brahman and then with that form
sublime shall always worship Lord Krishna. |
| 117. |
All shall here with respects, daily
or once a year the tenth canto of Srimad Bhagwat. Those
who are learned shall read it daily or once a year. |
| 118. |
And shall perform Purushcharan
(Reading and listening sacred Shastras with due rites and
ceremonies) of the tenth division of Srimad Bhagwat and
Shri Vishnushahstranam and such other books, for the
performance of such Purushcharan always brings in desired
results. |
| 119. |
In times of difficulties, caused by
forces of nature or by human beings or by diseases, all
shall behave in a way so as to protect themselves and
others but shall not act otherwise. |
| 120. |
Aachar (conduct),
Vyavahar(behavior) and Prayaschit(expiation) in life
shall always be adopted according to place, time and age,
monetary condition, varna (class) and physical ability. |
| 121. |
Know you all, qualified monotheism,
Vishishtadwait is the doctrine of philosophy, favor,
Golok is the Abode Divine, dear to Me, and in that Abode
with Body Divine, to be in Service of Lord Shri Krishna,
is the final beatitude according to Me. |
| 122. |
So far are described general
Dharmas for all the followers, males and females, tyagies
and householders. All alike shall act accordingly. I now
proceed to describe hereunder their special Dharmas. |
| 123. |
Ayothayaprasad and Raghuvir, sons
of My elder and younger brother respectively (and who has
been installed by Me as Acharya) shall never preach to
females except those who are their nearest relatives. |
| 124. |
They shall never touch or speak
with them. They shall not be cruel to any living body nor
shall they accept deposits from anyone. |
| 125. |
They shall never stand as surety of
any person in social dealings and in times of distress,
shall (if need be) maintain themselves on alms but shall
never incur debt. |
| 126. |
They shall not sell food-grains
received by them from their followers but old food grains
may be exchanged for new ones, for such an exchange is
not considered as sale. |
| 127. |
They shall perform worship(puja) of
Shri Ganpati and Hanuman on the 4th day of the bright
half of the month Bhadrapad and on the 14th day of the dark half of the month of Aswin respectively. |
| 128. |
They are installed as Acharya
(Ayodhayprasadj at Ahmedabad and Raghuvirji at Vadtal)
with a view to (safeguard) guide all the followers in
their respective dharmas. They, therefore, shall initiate
into discipleship all male and aspirants (for final
beatitude). |
| 129. |
They shall see that all followers
act in conformity with their respective dharmas and shall
employ them in a way that just befitting their merits,
shall treat (all) saintly persons with respect and shall
study the Sat-Shastras with reverence. |
| 130. |
They shall perform with proper
rites and ceremonies, the worship of Shri Laxmi-Narayan
and other icons of Lord Shri Krishna, installed by Me in
big Temples. |
| 131. |
They shall courteously and
according to their means give food-grains and alms to a
person who has come to seek food to the temple of Lord
Shri Krishna. |
| 132. |
They shall establish an institution
with a learned Brahmin as teacher, and through it shall
propagate Sadvidya (right knowledge) on the earth for the
promotion of such learning in this world is indeed a
highly meritorious act. |
| 133. |
the wives of these Acharyas with
the concurrence f their husbands shall initiate and give
Mantra of lord Shri Krishna to females only but never to
any male. |
| 134. |
They shall never touch nor speak
with nor show their faces to any male who is not their
nearest relative. |
| 135. |
My male followers who are
householders shall not touch widows who are not their
nearest relatives. |
| 136. |
They shall never stay alone in a
lonely place even with their young mother, sister or
daughter, except in emergencies and shall never give away
in alms their wives to anybody. |
| 137. |
They shall never keep close
relation with a woman who has any kind of relation with a
king. |
| 138. |
Whenever a guest comes to their
house, they shall treat him courteously with food etc.
(according to their means), and shall perform all rites
and ceremonies pertaining to deities and Pitris
(ancestors) according to their means. |
| 139. |
All my followers during their
lifetime shall serve their parents, Guru and ailing
person, according to their ability. |
| 140. |
They shall follow vocation just
befitting to their class and Ashram. Those who follow
agriculture for maintenance shall not castrate their
bullocks. |
| 141. |
They shall make provision for
food-grains and money, according to their requirements
and according to their time and their capacity and those
who own cattle shall also store-up sufficient fodder
according to their means. |
| 142. |
Cows and other cattle shall be
maintained only if they can take care properly with
fodder, water etc. but not otherwise. |
| 143. |
They shall never enter into any
transaction regarding land and/or money even with their
own sons and friends, without putting it in writing with
proper attestation. |
| 144. |
They shall make transaction
regarding money to be paid in connection with marriage of
themselves or others, in writing with proper attestation;
but shall never do it orally. |
| 145. |
Expenses shall always be in
proportion to the income but shall never exceed it. All
shall clearly understand that those who spend more than
what they earn shall verily land themselves in great
miseries. |
| 146. |
Recollecting their income and
expenses incurred during routine and/or special
transactions, they shall daily write clearly in their own
hands, an account thereof. |
| 147. |
They shall offer to Lord Shri
Krishna one tenth part of food-grains and or money,
derived as income from their vocation, but those who are
financially weak shall offer one twentieth part instead. |
| 148. |
They shall perform ceremonial
observance of all Vratas, such as Ekadashi and other
according to their means as laid down in the Shastras,
for such observance yields desired results. |
| 149. |
They themselves or through someone
else shall perform or get performed with love the worship
(puja) of Shri Mahadev with leaves of Bilva tree (Angle
marmaloss) in the month of Shravan. |
| 150. |
They shall never borrow money from
their Acharyas or from the temple of Lord Shri Krishna
and shall never bring utensils, ornaments, garments and
such other articles, for use on social occasions from
them. |
| 151. |
Whenever they go for darsan (paying
homage to) of Lord Krishna, their Guru or Sadhu, they
shall not partake enroute or at their places food etc.
belonging to others, for partaking such food deprives
them of religious merit. therefore, (on such occasion)
they shall partake their own food. |
| 152. |
They shall pay in full whatever
remuneration either in cash or in food-grains or both as
promised to person employed for the work, but shall never
give less. They shall never conceal an act of repayment
of debt, family lineage, matrimony of their daughters
etc. and shall never deal with wicked persons. |
| 153. |
When loss of prestige or estate or
life is threatened in a place where they reside either
due to very bad times like famines or by enemies or by a
king. |
| 154. |
My followers, who are wise and
discreet shall immediately leave that place, even if it
be their native place or a place received as gift (giras)
and shall migrate to a place where such calamities do not
exist (or are not likely to arise) and live there in
peace and happiness. |
| 155. |
Those who are rich, shall perform
non-violent sacrifices like Vishnu-yag, and shall feed
Brahmins and Sadhus in place of pilgrimage and on
auspicious days like twelfth day of each half of a month
and such other days: |
| 156. |
They shall also celebrate big
festival in temples of Lord Krishna and shall give
various kind of alms to deserving Brahmins. |
| 157. |
The rulers who are my followers
shall treat their subjects as their own children
according to Dharmashastras and shall establish a rule of
dharma on earth. |
| 158. |
They shall thoroughly acquaint
themselves with the ways of administration of their state
viz.: characteristics of seven Angas, four Upayas and six
Gunas, four Tirthas of persons who possess legal and
administrative practical abilities, and of persons who
deserve punishment and who do not deserve it. |
| 159. |
Female followers who are married
shall serve their husbands like God, even if the are
blind, sick, poor or impotent and shall not speak harsh
words to them. |
| 160. |
They shall not even unintentionally
maintain any relations with persons who are young,
handsome, and/or who may be well versed unlearning, art,
etc. |
| 161. |
All chaste women shall never expose
their navel, breast and thigh to any other male and shall
not keep their bodies uncovered by a garment. Also they
shall not go to see vulgar shows nor shall they associate
with immodest and immoral women. |
| 162. |
When their husband have gone out to
another town or country they shall not wear fine clothes
and ornaments, nor shall make merry and cut jocks with
others nor shall pay visit to houses of other persons. |
| 163. |
Female followers who are widows
shall serve Lord Shri Krishna as their husband and shall
always follow the advice of their father, son and such
other relatives but shall never act independently. |
| 164. |
They shall never touch males who
are not their close relatives and (especially) when they
are young shall never speak to young persons who are not
their nearest relatives unless absolutely necessary. |
| 165. |
If they happen to touch a suckling
accidentally no blemish attaches to them, just as
touching animal carries no blemish for them. In times of
sheer necessity, if they touch or speak with an old man,
no blemish attaches to them. |
| 166. |
They shall not receive lessons of
any kind from males who are not their nearest relatives
and shall control their bodies an senses by frequent
observances of various Vratas and fasts. |
| 167. |
They shall not give any money even
for religious and charitable purpose, if the money is
just sufficient for their maintenance, but if it be in
excess, then only they may give some. |
| 168. |
They shall take food once a day
only, shall sleep on the floor and shall never knowingly
look at any living beings in coitus. |
| 169. |
They shall not wear dress like
married women, nor like a Sanyasini (a female recluse)
nor like a Vairagini (a nun) nor shall they put on dress
which is against the custom of the place and the practice
on their family. |
| 170. |
They shall never associate with nor
even touch women who practice abortion, nor shall indulge
in or hear amorous talks regarding males. |
| 171. |
Young widows shall never stay alone
in a lonely place even with their close relatives, who
are also young, except in exigency. |
| 172. |
They shall never play Holy nor
shall ever put on ornaments and /or fine cloths
interspersed with thread of gold or such other metals
(materials). |
| 173. |
All female followers, married
(including virgins also) and widows shall never bathe
naked nor shall never bathe naked nor shall they ever
conceal the fact of their menstruation. |
| 174. |
And when they come into menses they
shall not touch any person or other clothes for three
days but on the fourth day, after taking bath, they may
do so. (All Acharyas and their wives, shall observe all
the above Dharmas of house holders, males and females). |
| 175. |
All Naisthic Brahmacharis who are
My followers shall never touch nor speak with nor even
knowingly look at any female. |
| 176. |
They shall never talk nor hear
talks about them nor shall go for bath etc. to places
frequented by them. |
| 177. |
They shall never touch nor even
knowingly look at idols of females made from wood, stones
etc. and pictures of females other than those of deities. |
| 178. |
They shall never draw a facsimile
of females nor shall touch clothes worn by them and shall
never knowingly look at any living being in coitus. |
| 179. |
They shall not touch nor look at
nor speak with a male in guise of a female and shall not
deliver sermons or religious and philosophical discourses
addressed directly or indirectly to females. |
| 180. |
They shall disregard commands of
even their Guru, if such commands are likely to lead to a
breach of their vow of celibacy and shall always be
patient, contented and humble-minded (free from ego). |
| 181. |
They shall instantly check a female
who tries forcibly to come near them, either by advising
her or by administering reproaches, but shall not allow
her o come near. |
| 182. |
But when life of a female and/or
their own is in danger they shall protect her and or even
by touching her. |
| 183. |
They shall not smear their bodies
with oil and shall not keep or carry arms and/or dress
which is not proper for them and shall control sense of
taste. |
| 184. |
They shall not go for taking food
to a place of a Brahmin, where food is served by a female
but shall go to a place of another Brahmin where service
is done by a male. |
| 185. |
They shall study the Vedas, the
Shastras, etc. and shall serve their Guru (faithfully)
and shall always avoid association with effeminate males
just like females. |
| 186. |
They shall never drink water
carried in leather bags/buckets nor shall eat onion,
garlic, etc. |
| 187. |
They shall not take their meals
without taking bath and without performing Sandhya and
chanting Gayatri Mantra, and worship (Puja) of Shri
Vishnu and Vaishvadev sacrifice. |
| 188. |
All Sadhus like the Naishtic
Brahmacharis shall avoid sight of, speaking etc. to women
and effeminate males and shall master all inner enemies
like lust, anger, greed etc. |
| 189. |
They shall control all senses,
specially the sense of taste and shall never receive or
keep money themselves or through others. |
| 190. |
They shall not accept deposits from
anyone, shall never lose patience and shall never allow a
female to enter their premises. |
| 191. |
Except in emergency, they shall
never got out alone without a companion at night or at
any other time. |
| 192. |
They shall never put on or use
costly clothes with gaudy colors and designs or valuables
shawls even if they are willingly offered to them by
others. |
| 193. |
They shall never go to a place of a
house holder except for the purpose of taking food or
religious assembly and shall never while away their time
but shall pass it in devotion of Lord Shri Krishna. |
| 194. |
To the place of householder where
food is served by a male and females are not likely to be
visible. |
| 195. |
To such a house only, My Sadhus
shall go for taking food, if this be not possible, they
shall beg uncooked food stuffs only and then prepare
(cook) food for themselves and partake it after offering
to Lord Shri Krishna. |
| 196. |
In remote past, Bhartji, son of
Rishabhdev lived and behaved on earth like a detached
Brahmin. All my Paramhansa and Sadhus here also live and
behave similarly. |
| 197. |
All Brahmacharis and Sadhus shall
carefully abstain from the use of betel leaves, opium,
tobacco etc. |
| 198. |
They shall not take food prepared
bin connection with the performance of Sanskaras like
conception, all rites of obsequies upto the eleventh and
twelfth day after death. |
| 199. |
Except in emergency like sickness
they shall not sleep by a day nor knowingly indulge in or
hear gossips. |
| 200. |
Except in emergencies like sickness
they shall not sleep on a cot and shall always be frank
and be straigt forward with other Sadhus. |
| 201. |
Whenever a wicked person abuses
them or beats them they shall never abuse him nor beat
him, in return, but shall pardon him and always wish good
of him. |
| 202. |
They shall not act as an agent for
others nor shall they do back-biting nor shall they be
spies nor shall they have attachment to their body nor
shall they entertain feelings of intimacy with their
relatives. |
| 203. |
I have thus described above in
short, general and special Dharmas of all My followers.
For further details, they shall refer to other Shastras
of My Sampraday. |
| 204. |
I have Myself extracted substance
from all the Satshastras and then have written this
SHIKSHAPATRI which fulfills all desires of all men. |
| 205. |
Therefore, all My followers shall
always lead their lives with care in conformity with the
precepts of this SHIKSHAPATRI but shall never act
according to their whims. |
| 206. |
All my male female followers who
act according to the percepts of this SHIKSHAPATRI shall
indeed attain all the four Purusharthas. |
| 207. |
All male and female followers of My
Sampraday shall consider all the males and females who
live and behave against the precepts of this SHIKSHAPATRI
as outcast from My Sampraday. |
| 208. |
All My followers shall daily read
this SHIKSHAPATRI. Those who are not able to read shall
hear it daily with respects; |
| 209. |
And when a reader of SHIKSHAPATRI
is not readily available, they shall worship it daily.
All followers shall honor My word as My Image with deep
reverence. |
| 210. |
This SHIKSHAPATRI shall only be
given to persons endowed with spiritual qualities but
shall never be given to persons with wicked tendencies. |
| 211. |
This SHIKSHAPATRI is written by Me
on Vasant Panchami i.e. on the fifth day of the bright
half of the month of Maha of V.S. 1882 and is indeed all
auspicious. |
| 212. |
May Lord Shri Krishna, Destroyer of
all miseries of His followers, Protector of Bhakti with
Dharma and Giver of all desired happiness to His Bhaktas,
bestow on us all Bliss and Peace Divine. |