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Sajjanon, today's satsaṅg is supremely bliss-bestowing. It is the destroyer of the sins of living beings and the means for them to attain knowledge. The true means to supreme happiness is satsaṅg. All creatures in the world desire only happiness; no one desires sorrow. Yet, the means to happiness seen in the world are themselves filled with many kinds of sorrows. This is why, even when we perform small acts of worship or undertake penance, it remains very difficult to find peace. To bestow true happiness, Paramatmā Gurudev is a most auspicious incarnation. Merely by taking his name, many problems and sorrows are removed. Merely by seeing him, sorrows are dispelled. When his feet are placed upon one's head, it becomes one's destiny; one becomes fortunate. Therefore, to remove the sorrows of the world and to give true happiness, the benevolent incarnation of divine beings takes place. They set many other beings to work diligently for the sake of Ātmā-Paramātmā. Until today, no one in this world has attained the Ātmā-Paramātmā without Gurudev, and no one ever will. No matter how much you practice, you may become pure through yoga, but Gurudev bestows Self-knowledge. Without Gurudev, there is no knowledge. Without knowledge, there is no end to sorrows. Without knowledge, the tears of the tongue do not cease. Even if you acquire gold all over the world, the ignorance of the Jīva (the individual soul) does not depart. That Self-knowledge is obtained only through the Supreme Satguru. This is why it is written in the Rāmāyaṇa: "Śiva, Viṣṇu, Brahmā, saṁhoi, guru vinā bhav nidhi tīre na koi." Meaning, even Śiva, Viṣṇu, and Brahmā cannot cross the ocean of worldly existence without the Guru. There was a great soul in Mahārāṣṭra, Saṅghdev Jī. He had attained great Siddhis through Sādhanā. He would sit atop a lion and wore a black snake as an ornament. His Siddhi was so elevated that when the time of death came, he would relinquish his life force, and once that moment passed, he would be released. Practicing thus, he declared, "I will not die," and lived for 1,400 years. Yet, ultimately, he did not attain the knowledge of the Soul. Then, the enlightened saints Gyāneśwar, Muktābāī, and Nivṛtināth—two brothers and a sister, all three living, liberated knowers—were sitting on a wall. Saṅghdev had a very large and magnificent house. He decided to go see them. The people of the city were in awe seeing him. When he entered the city, his disciples and retinue made a grand display. The king and queen came out singing hymns of joy. The saints of knowledge remained seated on the wall. They said, "Come," and beckoned to the wall. So the wall moved and came. Upon witnessing this, the eyes of Saṅghdev Jī were opened. He realized, "They are the living, conscious beings, while I am lifeless (in comparison). They are greater than I." Saṅghdev fell at their feet, and Sant Gyāneśwar bestowed upon him Self-knowledge, liberating him. Thus, without saints, without Satgurudev, one cannot attain liberation. The direct realization of the Ātmā is not possible (without them). In South India, there was a Swāmī named Bhāskarānanda. He had attained great Siddhis. He was a great tantric, had studied all the Āyurveda śāstras, and bowed to no one. He would defeat everyone in debate and have them sign a document stating that he had won. He was very egoistic. His tantric power was such that he could press his face to the ground and seal his mouth through his purity. Thus, he became arrogant, thinking, "There is no one as pure as I; I am the Guru of the world." He heard the name of Bhagavān Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa Mahāprabhujī. He thought, "He is called 'Mahāprabhujī'? We cannot cross the limits of the Lord, so how can someone be a 'mother' (Prabhu)? I will see. No one in this world has ever defeated me. I will see this too." He traveled from Bombay in an Ambassador car, with two or four vehicles, and arrived at Bola Gurdāśram. He stood before the gate. Gurudev was sitting in the hall. Bhāskarānanda asked, "Who is this Mahāprabhujī?" He was told, "He is the one." Looking at him, Bhāskarānanda thought, "He looks like an ordinary human being." Mahāprabhujī then spoke: "Aao dandi, odi irandi, o dhundi randi, wapakandi, arre ghamandi dandi, teri vidyā thandi, arre dandi teri ye lakhani, tumhe śarmānī ātī hai, namratā dhāraṇ karnī cāhīye, aur ahaṅkār avamānī sab pāpoṁ kā mūl hai, kyā harāyā, harāo antar ke duśmanoṁ ko, kāma, krodha, moha, lobha, ahaṅkār, duśman, janman, janma ke sāth hai. Usko harao. Yeh kya tumne dhāraṇ kiyā hai?" As soon as Mahāprabhujī's gaze fell upon him and he heard these nectar-like words, Bhāskarānanda's consciousness transformed. He fell at his feet and said, "Gurudev, your command is enough. All these faults are with me; these enemies are with me." And he said, "Gurudev, upon having your darśan, I was filled with joy and bliss. I realized the blessings of my entire life were fulfilled today. I found inner peace without any other means. I am completely free. My life is fulfilled." Gurudev said, "Heat is found near fire, cold near ice. As soon as the light of the conscious being falls upon a person, their inner fire is pacified." Then he worshipped Gurudev, renouncing all notions of victory and defeat, and departed. Thus, a Mahātma has said: "Kabuk deva bhayog karni kar, kabuk indra kailayo, kabuk bhut vishash nisa sarkhayo, toy nidayo satguru apke mo jagayo." Sometimes, by performing certain actions, a being becomes a god; sometimes, by the same actions, he becomes Indra, the king of gods. And sometimes, he becomes a ghost, an insect, a snake, or a scorpion. He takes birth in water, on earth, in the sky, yet finds no rest. This world is a dream that keeps recurring. This is a dream, O Anādi (the beginningless one)! Hold fast to the Guru's Śabda (Word). When the light of true knowledge dawns, the dream is recognized as a dream. When the soul is enlightened, this worldly dream ends. And within oneself, in the soul, the liberation of the Supreme God is attained; one becomes eternally blissful. That bliss can only be given by Gurudev. One who is truly blessed by Gurudev, who is established in divine power, who is fully illuminated by divine light, who can live freely in the form of God—such beings are rare. There are many other sādhus who spend their days chanting mantras, reciting Vedas, and singing hymns. Some spend their days with water rituals, some with astrology. Without the knowledge of the true Self, they pass their lives engaged in various religious complexities (prapañca). True beings have no need for such complexities. Wherever Mahāprabhujī would sit, 100, 200, even 400 people would eat daily. Someone once asked, "Bāpujī, where does all this provision come from?" Gurudev replied, "I come from Satya Loka. I gave an order to Nature that I must feed 200 people. So Nature has to make the arrangements. I don't have to do it." Thus, everything is a Siddhi. You simply stand at his feet and all work is accomplished. That is why the man of God is supremely pure. Today is the auspicious day of his manifestation. In this ashram, I lived at his feet. I would sweep and perform all kinds of service for him. Remembering those days fills me with great happiness, and also with sadness knowing the Lord has left his physical form. What can I say? We have witnessed many of his divine plays (Līlās). God is the source of all bliss. Without a true Guru, no one can attain true bliss. If you wish to attain bliss, then engage only in satsaṅg. Through satsaṅg, one crosses the ocean of worldly existence. "Jahāṁ sat saṅge jag meṁ khevaiyā." Blessed, blessed are the Mahātmās and sādhus. Seeing the world burning, the Lord sent down knowledge. Blessed, blessed is this rain of nectar-like words. The world is burning; the clouds in the form of saints shower this nectar of words. Through this, the three types of afflictions are pacified. All doubts flee. Upon hearing the words of the saints, even if the sun and moon were to collide and fall, the fear within the heart can be removed by Gurudev. But for this, devotion to the Guru is essential. A human without devotion is like an animal. Without devotion, it wanders aimlessly. With the wealth of devotion, we are born to be happy. Therefore, devotion should be offered to God. We must take refuge in the true Guru. We must practice the mantra received through Dīkṣā. Without Sādhanā, Siddhi is not attained; how else will one attain the desired fruit? Therefore, one must perform Sādhanā, perform service. "Dhyāna mūlaṁ Guru mūrti" – the root of all meditation is the form of the Guru. One should meditate on the form of Gurudev. "Poojā mūlam Guru padha" – the root of all worship is the lotus feet of the Guru. By worshipping his feet, the worship of all deities in the three worlds is accomplished. It is said the root of all... the fruit of the true Guru... Guru Nānak says: "Śatguru Brahmavetā ko khoje, Maheśvar Nānak Brahmagyānī, āpī Parmeśvar." Brahmavetā is a seeker of Brahman. He has a desire to see Lord Śiva. That is why Lord Śiva has manifested here and has elevated many people. By the grace of Lord Śiva, many have been saved from starvation. Many of his devotees were blessed with good health, and many patients were cured. He gave life to the dying. God, possessing such amazing power—here, people could not take full benefit. And in the name of Allah, people fulfill their wishes and find happiness. "Śraddhā Guru Nām Jahā Je Chaḍe Sa Uṭre Pār Jo Śraddhā Karṣe Ve Guru Pār Uṭṭāran Har Gurudev Kā Nām Hai Bhavsāgar Se Pār Karne Kī Jahā Je Śraddhā Se Uṣ Nām Ko Dhāraṇ Kare To Nām Mahān Śakti Sālī Aur Mahān Siddhi Dene Vālā Hai." If one chants the Guru's name with faith, one will surely reach the shore. The name of Gurudev is for crossing the ocean of worldly existence. Whoever with faith meditates on that name, that name is immensely powerful and bestows great Siddhi. If you take the name of the Guru with firm faith, you will not fail to get results. Therefore, the name of the Guru should be remembered, devotion should be practiced, and the wealth of devotion should be earned. This human life is priceless. Devotion can only be performed in human life; it cannot be done in other births. Eating, drinking, enjoying, sleeping—animals also know this. If these are the only pursuits, then one is like an animal. An animal cannot perform bhakti, dhyāna, japa of mantras, or sādhanā. A human who does not do these does not live a truly human life; he remains indistinguishable from animals. Therefore, one should earn devotion in this attained life. One should undertake penance. One should perform penance and attain success in life. Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī Jai!