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Poojya Swamiji begins this talk by sharing this verse from the Uddhava Gita which states that all our devotional ritualistic and other involvements have their relevance only until the mind grows and develops dispassion. The dawning of dispassion marks the outliving of all religious involvements. Rituals are a very strong force and they are necessary as a time and result bound performance alone. The moment dispassion dawns in the mind, these rituals become irrelevant.

Rituals are meant for gaining something here or in the other world. Once dispassion towards both worlds grows, then one does not desire them.

We may or may not be dispassionate but we must have an abiding devotion to listening to and reading of the divine stories and excellences of God. We must replace the worldliness of the mind with the divine stories and engross the mind in them. If we are devotionally resigned, liberation is not necessary. That is because we become addicted to the lotus feet of the Lord and go on singing, dancing, talking of the Lord alone. Moksha is substituted by the elixir we enjoy from being addicted to His lotus feet.

Shlokas chanted in the Track:

तावत्कर्माणि कुर्वीत न निर्विद्येत यावता
मत्कथाश्रवणादौ वा श्रद्धा यावन्न जायते

– Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.9

प्रयोजनमनुद्दिश्य न मन्दोऽपि प्रवर्तते
(From works by Kumarila Bhatta)

तुष्टे च तत्र किमलभ्यमनन्त आद्ये
किं तैर्गुणव्यतिकरादिह ये स्वसिद्धाः
धर्मादयः किमगुणेन च काङ्क्षितेन
सारं जुषां चरणयोरुपगायतां नः
– Srimad Bhagavatam 7.06.25

धर्मः प्रोज्ज्हितकैतवोऽत्र परमो निर्मत्सराणां सतां ….
– Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.2

PR 28 Dec 2011