6.2. The Process of Āśraya-grahaṇa

Svāminārāyaṇa states:

“Irrespective of how evil a person may be before joining the satsaṅga fellowship, he should be admitted into satsaṅga after he takes the appropriate vows.” (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā I/18, p.55)

When a seeker takes refuge at the feet of Parabrahman, through a process of initiation called ‘vartamāna’, he is assured of freedom from the whole stock of past karmas known as sañcita-karma. This implies that he will be relieved from the transmigratory cycles of birth and death forever. However, the surrendered one has to work out all the necessary efforts, acquire the appropriate resolute knowledge, and obey all codes and commands of Parabrahman faithfully; failing here means he loses the golden opportunity of freedom forever. Thus, the act of initiation does not give the surrendered one a license to act in an unrestrained or immoral and unethical way.

First of all, an aspirant must have a burning desire to be free from the clutch of māyā. Secondly, he must be polite and childlike aumous. Then he should approach the Guru or Parabrahman.

Bhadreśadāsa explains the system of āśraya-grahaṇa from the Mundaka-upaniṣad:

“śainako mahāśālo vidhivat śāstrādiṣṭavidhyanusāraṃ samitpānyādhirbhūtvā upasannaḥ” (Mundaka-upaniṣad 1/1/3, p. 233)

“Śaunaka the son of Sunaka, was wealthy. His great sacrificial hall attested his wealth. One day, Śaunaka approached Aṅgiras in a traditional manner, he approached as a humble disciple presents himself to a Guru.”

Regardless of holding immense wealth, there was something else that he sought to attain. The Upaniṣad also proves to Śaunaka’s modesty. Being able to humbly approach Aṅgiras as a young disciple would approach a Guru, Śaunaka is depicted as willing to put aside his pride to acquire brahmavidyā. The admission or initiation into the fellowship of Parabrahman through vartamāna has another significant benefit that now the surrendered one need not fear any harassment from malevolent spirits, the malefic influence of stars and deities of lower order. He has come under the protective umbrella of the Supreme Parabrahmanhead, who controls all, rules over all, and is the redeemer of all. Subsequently, the devotee leads his spiritual life audaciously under the nurture and shelter of Parabrahman. His vāsanās (latent desires/inclinations of past) shall get consumed and his causal body (kāraṇa-śarira) shall wear away only through accurate knowledge and perfect obedience, for he has sought refuge in Parabrahman. Therefore, he enjoys the privilege of freeing himself forever, which otherwise is not available to careless and motiveless jīvas.

In the Svāminārāyaṇa tradition, the present Guru Mahanta Svāmī Mahārāja has given the vartamāna mantra for all the householders and renunciates:

dhanyosmi pūrṇakāmosmi niṣpāpo nirbhayaḥ sukhī |
akṣaraguruyogena svāminārāyaṇāśrayāt || 19^[1]

“I am fortunate, fulfilled, sinless, fearless and happy because I have taken the refuge of Parabrahman Svāminārāyaṇa through the Akṣarabrahman Guru.”

An aspirant who has surrendered himself to Parabrahman with complete faith and commitment knows that as a finite, limited being, all his efforts and endeavors are deficient and incomplete. They are not totally efficacious and sufficient, and hence, with persistence, he keeps his reverent efforts continuous-like an enthusiast child endeavoring to reach for a fruit on a tree by constant high hops and jumps. A kind-hearted elderly man sees it; he comes to the rescue of a child and gets it. Equally, Parabrahman seeing the efforts of his devotee, takes mercy on him and, holding his hand, He elevates him, liberates him.

In quest of shelter and refuge at the feet of Parabrahman as the only liberator from the bondage and transmigration is the exclusive way of attaining ultimate emancipation.^[2] Benefaction from Parabrahman entails the growth of all other means (including ekāntika-dharma) of the highest accomplishment. Refuge at the feet of Parabrahman takes care of the devotees from great danger. The devotees are reliant on Him, who takes care of the rise and effervescence of dharma (dutifulness), jñāna (knowledge) vairāgya (detachment) and bhakti (devotion) in their heart.^[3] In devotee’s heart, resolved Parabrahman’s knowledge rests in the act of seeking refuge at the feet of Parabrahman as my only shelter, protector, supporter and liberator. Such an āśraya or refuge is possible when the currently manifest (pragaṭa) Parabrahman’s true transcendental form is resolutely known.^[4] When the devotee is well-anchored with Parabrahman as the surrendered-servant, he, through right efforts, can assuredly win the grace of Parabrahman and attain final emancipation; which otherwise remains an ideal which is simply unattainable. It is noteworthy that when ‘āśraya’ i.e., ‘shelter or refuge’ is inscribed as the sole or exclusive means, there is no intention to deny or undermine the value and importance of other means such as duty, morality, knowledge, renunciation, devotion etc. It is eulogized to the highest position simply because it can bring forth all of them.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Mahant swami Maharaj, Satsangdiksha, Svāminārāyaṇa Aksharpith, Ahmedabad, 2020 264

[2]:

Bhagavad-Gītā 9/22, Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā II/13

[3]:

Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā II/66

[4]:

Vac. Panch. 2 265