THE RISE AND FALL OF A SEEKER IN THE PATH OF NAAM-SADHANA

A saint came to meet Premananda Maharaj. He said, “Maharaj ji, one of our fellow sadhaks spent twelve years in Chitrakoot doing naam-japa (chanting the Divine Name). Then a desire arose in his mind to build a kutia (hermitage). With that thought, he went to Ayodhya to read the Ramayana. There, he paused his spiritual practice and began narrating Ram-katha. After that he built an ashram and acquired some land. Due to the influence of his storytelling, provisions began to flow abundantly, more than what was needed. Gradually, he lost his spiritual freedom and became bound by worldly dealings.

Maharaj ji, why does this happen?”

What follows here is the essence of what Premananada Maharaj said in response:

A seeker’s journey begins with purity of intent and that intent is to remember the Lord, to let the Holy Name echo through every breath. When one takes to naam-japa, the mind gradually turns inward, the senses grow still, and worldly attractions lose their colour. The chanting purifies the heart; it melts the inner hardness and draws the Lord nearer with each repetition.

Yet within the seeker’s stillness, hidden embers of ego and desire continue to smoulder. The deh-abhimaan, the identification with the body, remains strong, and with it, the longing for recognition and comfort. When the mind that once chanted ceaselessly begins to wander, the quiet spark of desire finds new life. Then begins a subtle shift. What was once devotion slowly turns into ambition; bhajan gives way to activity; renunciation gives way to enterprise.

At first, these changes seem harmless. The seeker believes the Lord Himself is blessing his work. People come, offerings flow, comforts increase. Yet beneath this abundance, something delicate is lost. The freedom of the spirit becomes entangled in the cords of name, fame, and property. The seeker who once lived only for Ram-Naam now begins to live for the applause that follows it.

Sometimes people think, “We are working for the welfare of the world.” But this is a great delusion. The world is already pervaded by Sitaram. How can you improve what is already divine? All beings, moving and unmoving, are established in Sitaram. Knowing this is true wisdom. That is why the ancient Gurus first made their disciples deeply rooted in bhajan (devotion). They would say: “First realize God; then act according to whatever He or your Guru commands.”

If the Guru later instructs, “Now initiate disciples,” or “Now speak of the Lord,” then one should obey. Because at that time, the Guru Himself takes responsibility. There is then no danger of getting caught in ego, fame, or sensual pleasure. If a seeker begins to preach based on his limited experience, the danger of downfall increases. Because worship (upaasanaa) does not destroy desires; it only makes them subtle. Only Bhagavat-sakshatkar, direct realization of God, can completely annihilate desire.

Until that realization, a devotee must live with constant caution, aware that fame, respect, wealth, and praise can destroy him spiritually. This happens often, when the mind starts to believe, “Now life is comfortable - good food, respect, adoration, peace.” Then the need for divine yearning disappears. But the goal of a true seeker is only this:

Biraha kamandal kar liye, bairagi do nain,
Maange daras madhukari, chhake rahe din rain.

(With the bowl of longing in hand and two eyes of renunciation, the seeker goes begging only for the vision of the Lord, day and night.)

This thirst for divine vision is the true essence of life. Hence, the Gurus have always said: as long as desires remain, stay immersed in devotion. Only when all desires have vanished may one move freely. The great saints were seen as humble, gentle, meek, and filled with the feeling of smallness – that is why they became beloved of the Lord and attained His abode.

Nowadays, many seekers abandon bhajans after learning a little and run after public praise. That is the way to lose the path. Fame, recognition, position, all these are traps.

It is God Himself who prepares certain individuals for the welfare of the world, not human effort or education. When He prepares someone, even if that person speaks in rustic language, his words carry divine power across the world. When a seeker remains steadfast in naam-japa, his fame naturally spreads. God’s grace abides on him, and he gains nearness to the Divine abode.

Even noble seekers can sometimes stumble into the play of desire and become confused. But one should not lose heart. If ever you fall, take a firm vow and resume your bhajan. All faults will be erased, and you will become dear to the Lord again.

Human birth is meant only for bhajan. Chant the Lord’s name day and night.

Bholanath Maharaj used to say:
“Naam swaas do bilak chalat hai, inko bhed na moko bhaave,
Swaase naam, naam hi swaasa naam – swaas ko bhed mitaave,
Rom rom aur rag rag bole, sab kuch swaad naam ko aave.”

(As yet, my breath and my chanting move apart, their being two still aches my heart. O Lord, when will that blessed moment arrive, when breathing becomes chanting, and chanting as effortless as breath? When every pore and every vein hums Thy Name, only then shall I say, I have truly tasted the sweetness of Naam.)

Naam-japa is the highest siddhi (spiritual attainment). If the Name continues within, sadhana is being fulfilled. If the Name stops, all sadhana becomes empty.

Goswami Tulsidas ji has said in Vinay Patrika:
“The moment you stop chanting the Name, the very merit earned through your japa turns traitor. Māyā rewards it with her glittering gifts.
She gives you honour, fame, and pride, and in that subtle deceit, steals away the sweetness of the Name from your lips.
Thus, the merit that was meant to free you becomes the chain that binds you.
You become ‘special’ in the world’s eyes, but within, dry and desolate, bereft of love for Naam.”

That is why Shri Prabhodananda Saraswati ji said:
Sammanam kalyaanam ghoram garalam, neechapamaanam sudha.

(Regard honour as poison, and humiliation from the lowly as nectar.)

No spiritual practice can directly bring us to God, but if the Name continues, then:
Sumir pavan sut paavan Naam, apne bas kar rakhe Ram.

If you try to catch a kite, you cannot do so without the string, but if the string is in your hand, you can draw it near. Similarly, God is supremely free, He cannot be bound by any practice, but if the Guru gives you the Name, the string is in your hand. Now where can God go?

The Lord’s Name is that divine thread that forever connects the soul with God. Through the thread of naam-japa, the Lord manifests within our hearts. This alone is the success of human life. Everything else, rank, reputation, fame, is momentary play. Only bhajan is eternal. The great ones did bhajan only for God’s sake. Hence, we must hold one truth firm in life. Not even a single breath should pass without the Name of the Lord.

Wherever a naam-japa devotee places his feet, that place becomes a tirtha (holy site).
Where the holy ones once sat chanting the Name, people now worship even the seat on which they sat. That very seat fulfils desires because of the power of naam-japa.

Therefore, chant the Lord’s Name constantly. Avoid outer applause. Worldly praise hollows out the seeker from within. The moment the feeling arises, “I am someone,” Maya raises a question, and only the Lord of Maya, Shiva Himself, can answer that question.
So, live ever in humility and caution, and chant the Lord’s Name without ceasing.

~ Raj Supe (Kinkar Vishwashreyananda)
Editor, The Mother