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Aptavani-8
Narsinh Mehta (renowned 15 th Century Gujarati poet) who
was a great thinker, did much critical analysis! Was he just any
old Nagar (a Brahmin caste)? ‘Nagar child can never be weak’
(Nagar baccho kabhi na hoy kaccho) – He can never be
feeble. He has done an incredible amount of analyzing. And then
he said:
“Jaha lagi Atma tattva chinhyo nahi;
tyahaa lagi sadhana sarva joothi.”
“Until you have attained the element that is Atma, all
your efforts will have been in vain.”
So, he is telling us that his own efforts (sadhana) of
attaining the Atma were wrong! So what does it mean to
know the element that is the Atma (the Self)? It is to know
‘What it is’ and it is to know ‘What it is not’ – that is called
the element of the Atma (Atma tattva)! But if you only know,
‘What is not’, then just that much would be enough for me.
Because if you know ‘What is not’, then ‘What is’, is
understood. And that which is understood, is true anyway, so
if you do not know that, it is perfectly fine. However, you have
to know this, ‘What is not’. However, people have understood
that, ‘What is’, and so they keep singing about it. Even while
they are eating laddus (sweets)...can such thing happen? This
is what has happened all along, which is why infinite lifetimes
keep occurring.
‘What Is Not’- How Do We Know This?
Questioner: Now regarding that negative side, can you
explain how we are supposed to know the negative side?
Dadashri: I will explain all that to you on that day. At that
time you will learn about all that negative. You will enjoy these
talks better after that. That is when what I am telling you will
reach you.
That is why I tell these people to go and find out ‘What