Daily Devotion - Oct 27, 2025 (English)- Choose Wisely

God's ansh, meaning the souls which are parts of God, are of two kinds:

1. Svānsh, and
2. Vibhinnānsh

Svānsh - These are the non-different forms of God. Therefore, by worshipping them, you can attain liberation from Maya.
Vibhinnānsh - These are parts of God who are separate from Him, such as the celestial deities and the beings of the material world characterized by sattva, rajas, and tamas guṇas. They are bound by Maya.

However, the mind is like a guesthouse - you can invite whomever you wish inside. You will reap the fruits of whomever you choose to love.

The question, therefore, is: What do you desire? What is your goal?

If the entity you love is under the influence of Maya, you, too, will be under the control of Maya. Many celestial deities are bound by Maya; they cannot be compared to Durga, who is a personal expansion of God, because they cannot grant freedom from Maya. To attain freedom from Maya, one must worship God's personal expansions (svānsh). The vibhinnānsh cannot grant liberation from Maya. Therefore, keep those who belong to the material world at a distance - neither bring them into your heart through love nor through hatred. Yet remember, you must not harbor ill feelings toward them either.

Whether it is the sun or the moon, both have originated from God's very form - they are His powers. The sun manifested from God's divine transcendental eye. Similarly, all the saints possess divinity. But as one desires, so one becomes -
sā yathā yathopāsato tathaiva bhavati
This means that although the Kalpavriksh, the divine wish-fulfilling tree, possesses many things. Ten people standing beneath it will each ask for different things according to their individual desires. However, only by surrendering to a personality who is beyond Maya (that is, God-realized Saints) can one become free from Maya.

Even among the God-realized Saints, there are distinctions according to their class. In other words, whoever you worship - whether Lord Shiva or any saint - they can take you only as far as the spiritual level they themselves have attained. If a gyāni has attained liberation, that is what he can bestow upon you. However, the sweetness of pastimes that quickly attract individual souls can only be found in Shri Krishna's descent. This sweetness is not present even in the descension of Shri Ram. How can we worship Lord Narasimha, before whom even Lord Shiva is afraid to stand?

If you desire the highest exalted bliss of Braj - the bliss of divine love - which is superior to all other forms of bliss - the Bhagavatam instructs you not to become entangled with others, for they cannot bestow it:
yenārcito haristena tarpitāni jagaṃtyapi।
rajyaṃte jantavastatra sthāvarā jaṃgamā api॥

When you worship the Whole, the Source (aṁshī) and attain His love, all His partial expansions automatically become pleased. The bliss of Braj can only be obtained by those who have themselves received the bliss of Shri Krishna and Kishori Ji. In other words, it can only be received from Radha-Krishna Themselves.

So, if our goal is the highest, then worship of those below will happen automatically. Any desire below that goal is easily attainable, but anything above the goal will be difficult to attain. This is why God is hesitant to grant His devotion. He would rather have the devotee ask for something else so that He may remain at ease.

For example, kāgabhuśuṇḍi māṃga vara, atiprasanna mohi jāni - God asked Kāgbhushundi to ask for siddhis (mystical powers) instead, so that He would not have to bestow devotion. But truly wise is the one whose Guru is of the highest order - such a Guru teaches him never to ask for anything except service to God and His love, and never to settle for anything less. God becomes defeated by such a devotee, for such a devotee learns only to give, never to take.

Recommended books by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj related to this topic:

Hum Do Hamare Do - Hindi