Fourth Stage of Bhakti | Anarth Nivritti (Part 1) | Sri Vinod Babaji Maharaj

Anartha means obstacles in the path of Bhakti. There are four kinds of Anarthas : 

1. Dushkriti jaata Anartha 
2. Sukriti jaata Anartha
3. Aparadha jaata Anartha
4. Bhaktyuttha Anartha

1. Dushkriti Jata Anartha: These are the obstacles that result from our bad deeds of this life and previous lives. They come in the form of diseases, disappointments, quarrels, loss and tragedies. As soon as you start engaging in bhajan, someone comes and starts quarrelling with you for insignificant issues. Or, a new neighbour arrives in your neighbourhood and constantly argues with you. If that is somehow taken care of, then your family members start quarrelling in your home. If that is somehow subdued, you develop a new disease. Now, you need to run to the doctor every now and then. Lack of time for chanting. One after the other, small and big issues crop up so that the sadhak is not able to engage in bhajan with determination and progress forward. 

But there is one good thing about Dushkriti Jata Anartha, that is, the sadhak becomes detached from his body and the materialistic world. He realizes that this body is a house of diseases and obstacles. We worry and put so much effort to keep this body healthy and disease-free but whenever we want to concentrate on bhajan, something or the other happens to the body (pain, weakness, lack of energy, diseases, etc) and we are unable to do bhajan. Therefore, the sadhak develops detachment from the body, the world and all the attractive things in it.

Dushkriti Jata Anarthas come in five forms: Laya, Vikshep, Kashay, Rasaswad and Apratipatti. (Read about them here).

The sadhak must try to increase his concentration on Harinaam. He must refrain from the association of materialistic people or engage in worldly exchanges. He must not give much importance to petty bodily pains and pleasures. He must not let any obstacle hinder his bhajan. If a sadhak continues to chant Harinaam with determination, the stock of Dushkriti Jata Anartha diminishes. If he leaves or slackens his grip on bhajan, Maya will attract him and put him on the cycle of birth and death. Since we have an endless stockpile of Prarabdha (the results of our actions through innumerable past lives) and are still creating new Prarabdha through our actions based on material ego, it is not viable to diminish the stockpile of Anarthas or Prarabdha only through experiencing the result of our actions. By chanting Harinaam with faith and devotion, we set fire to the stock pile of Anarthas. 

Therefore, we experience a lot of struggles physically and mentally, but a sadhak must remember that this is just the pile of Anartha burning. Don't give up chanting Harinaam, and eventually, Anarthas will diminish. But it is very difficult to tolerate the burning experience. It is not possible to tolerate this process without Harinaam. Naam Prabhu burns the Anarthas and cools the heart.

2. Sukriti Jata Anartha: As Dushkriti Jata Anartha diminishes, next come the results of good deeds of innumerable births and create such obstacles which the sadhak doesn't even recognize as Anartha! It looks like it is the effect of honest Bhajan, but rather are only obstacles. People start recognizing the sadhak as 'a pure devotee' and 'Maharaj ji'. Out of faith, people want to serve the sadhak and make his bhajan 'better'. So, they provide him money, facilities, call him to prestigious meetings, show respect to him in public, etc. The sadhak gets attracted to name and fame, harbours false ego about being a great sadhu and gets more and more attached to his body through the facilities provided to him.

The attachment to family and home was like being bound in an iron chain while attachment to the title of 'Maharaj ji' and its facilities is like being bound in a gold chain. Both bind the sadhak to Maya. But the Sukriti Jata Anartha is more dangerous than Dushkriti Jata Anartha, since it can be easily misinterpreted as beneficial to bhajan and hence, is tempting. Dushkriti Jata Anartha causes indifference to worldly pleasures, while Sukriti Jata Anartha causes temptation towards false ego and bodily attachment. The mind which should be immersed in the contemplation of Radha Krishna, becomes addicted to fame, glory, bodily pleasures, etc. The sadhak must never accept these and persevere to live a life of austerity.

3.‎ Aparadha Jata Anartha: This type of Anartha is even more dangerous than Sukriti Jata Anartha. When we commit an Aparadha (offence) to a Vaishnav, the Bhakti in our heart dies and we fall from our Bhakti path. The indications of Aparadha Jata Anartha are losing interest in chanting Harinaam, lacking devotion to Radha Krishna, build up of ego and pride, considering oneself a great devotee, lack of respect for sadhus, a state of false satisfaction and lack of yearning for Prema bhakti, etc.

It is not easy to recognize an elevated soul. One day, one ordinary man in kurta and dhoti (traditional Indian clothes for men), who looked like a day labourer, came to the ashram. As I sat beside him talking, I felt very pleasant and experienced a flow of Harinaam running through me. At first, I didn't want to believe it, since the man wore no Tilak (mark on forehead) nor did he have any Japa mala. I thought it might have happened just due to Radharani's desire. But I noticed the same thing happening whenever I went near him. I was amazed. At night, the person stayed in the ashram. I went upstairs to sleep. At midnight, I woke up and saw him roaming around in the ashram and chanting. He chanted all night. Later he told me that he was an engineer. He had even worked in Germany and France as an engineer. Somehow he developed acute detachment from material life and started chanting Harinaam day and night. But nobody could ever know that by seeing him, he looked like a simple householder. We think a great Sadhu means a big fat man with long dreadlocks, long beard, broad Tilak marked on the forehead, big Tulasi bead Kanthi around the neck and white or saffron-coloured clothes. But these are not the attributes of a Sadhu. Even Grihasthas can be highly enlightened souls. What are the attributes of a Sadhu?

"Mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā
vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye"
(Srimad Bhagavatam 5.5.2)

Meaning: Those are highly enlightened souls who are indifferent to the dualities of life, calm in every situation, undisturbed by anger and well-wishers of all living beings.

“Samachitta” means one who sees God in all living creatures. Therefore, they respect everyone and never expect anything in return due to their mood of a servant of their Lord. Such devotees are Amani (who never expects respect from anyone) and Maanada (who gives respect to all). “Prashanta” means one who is indifferent to pleasure and pain, respect and disrespect, etc. Such a sadhak's mind doesn't get deterred from the contemplation of Radha Krishna by external circumstances. “Vimanyava” means lack of anger. We get angry at the slightest hurt. When someone describes our shortcomings, we immediately become angry. When there is a little discomfort of the body, we think, 'why aren't there enough fans here?'. Some people say 'I cannot tolerate injustice'. How do you tolerate injustices inside yourself? Why don't you punish yourself for your injustices first?

There was a sadhu who used to keep a sickle with himself always. He promised to himself that if he ever got angry he would kill himself with the sickle. He decided to punish himself for causing injustice to others (since everyone experiences pleasure and pain according to their past actions, then why should we become angry with anyone?) Therefore, one must promise to himself 'I will never cause injustice to others'. Don't see what others are doing. When a person feels he is about to get angry while talking to someone, he should immediately leave the place. 

Later, when his mind has quietened off and the other person has also centred himself, he can talk to smooth things over. But at that point of time, he could have said something with anger boiling inside him and the other person sensing that would reply something in a similar fashion and things will escalate into a fight. This is why anger is our biggest enemy. “Suhrida sadhava” means one who is a well-wisher of all and respects all. The sadhak must fold his hands and bow down to everyone, regardless of whether they have faults or not. He must respect everyone, never find faults in anyone, never consider anyone as lowly and consider everyone as better than himself. In this way, the sadhak might avoid Aparadh Jata Anarthas.

Other qualities of a sadhu are detachment from material things, “Niskinchan” (never asks for anything from anyone), never collects things more than that needed for his survival, sees his Lord in every living creature etc.

To be continued...