Gist of Anurag Sagar Page 155: -
Dharmdas ji asked that – O Lord! You explained the Trap of Kaal. Now please tell me that what a soul should do to attain you?
“Satguru’s (Kabir Ji) Statement”
Sixteen Qualities (Ornaments) of a Devotee
Supreme God Kabir Ji said that – O Dharmdas! To get across this ocean of world, that is, to escape from this Kaal-Lok, the power of Bhakti is needed. For the attainment of God, it is imperative for a soul to have sixteen (16) characteristics. These are said to be the sixteen ornaments of a soul.
(Gyaan) Knowledge 2. (Vivek) Prudence 3. (Satya) Truth 4. (Santosh) Contentment 5. (Prem Bhaav) Loving nature 6. (Dheeraj) Patience 7. (Nirdhosha) Devoid of deceit 8. (Daya) Kindness 9. (Kshma) Forgiveness 10. (Sheel) Polite 11. (Nishkarma) Without any expectation of results 12. (Tyaag) Renunciation 13. (Bairaag) freedom from wordly desires 14. (Shanti Nij Dharma) Peaceful 15. (Bhakti kar nij jeev ubaare) To salvage one’s soul by doing bhakti 16. (Mitra sam sabko chit dhaarae) Considers everyone to be a friend.
Meaning: - A devotee should have some special characteristics for the attainment of God. These 16 ornaments are mandatory.
Tatvgyaan (True and Complete Spiritual Knowledge) 2. Prudence 3. Speak the truth 4. Have contentment in whatever is given by God and consider it to be the wish of God. 5. Do Bhakti with love and speak politely with others. 6. Have patience. Have patience in the success of the knowledge given by the Satguru. Do not rush for the result. 7. Do not deceive anyone. 8. Be kind. 9. Forgiveness is also an ornament of a devotee and a saint. One should also forgive one’s enemy. 10. One should be polite. 11. Do Bhakti without expectation of any result. Do not do it with the aim of obtaining worldly benefits. 12. It is imperative to have the feeling of renunciation. 13. One should be free from wordly desires. For salvation, it is very important to have a special attachment to God considering the world to be vain and one’s life to be temporary. 14. A special quality of a devotee is peace. This is also mandatory. 15. To do bhakti, that is, to get one’s welfare done by doing bhakti. 16. One should behave like a friend with everyone.
After having these abovementioned qualities, one would be able to go to Satyalok. Apart from these, serve the Guru; have faith in the way of worship given by the Guru. It is compulsory to do Bhakti of God and organise Sant Samagam (congregation of saints).
Summary of Anurag Sagar Page 156 and Page 157:
These pages also have the same knowledge. One should give up all the vices; only then one’s bhakti will become successful.
Summary of Anurag Sagar Page 158-159:
Supreme God told that an initiated person should hold a religious ritual, that is, a ‘Paath’ every fortnight. If one cannot do it fortnightly, then one should definitely do it in a month. For a poor person, God has said that – if someone is poor, then one should do it twice a year or certainly once a year. If one does not even hold a ‘Paath’ once a year, then that devotee will be called a ‘Saakat’ (devoid of Bhakti). Even if one gets one ‘Paath’ done a year, he/she will still get salvation.
One should recite the name of Kabir with devotion, that is, one should take name of Kabir Ji with pride. One should not feel ashamed thinking that – ‘How can this be the name of God?’ Do not be afraid of those who say this. Do not shy away, and along with this, people should take your (Dharmdas) name also respectfully.
The purport is that God stayed with respected Dharmdas; He took him to Satyalok and gave His true introduction to him. Dharmdas ji has done the human society a great favour by writing what he saw with his own eyes and the spiritual knowledge he heard from Supreme God in Kabir Sagar, Kabir Bani, Kabir Bijak, Kabir Shabdavali. Therefore, one should also sing the glory of Dharmdas ji.
A devotee must do bhakti-sadhna and obey the rules until the last breath. Like a warrior either kills in the battlefield or he himself attains martyrdom. He does not retreat. The battlefield of a saint and a devotee is recitation of the Bhakti-mantra and obeyance of the rules. A disciple who turns away from the Guru and disconnects his/her naam (mantra) will naturally find some fault in the Guru. Due to which, he/she will fall in the firepit in hell. If on turning away from the Guru, one abandons bhakti, he/she also incurs a lot of damage.
Example: - Like an inverter is being charged. If in the middle, the charger is removed, then to whatever level the inverter has been charged, it will only give benefit till then. It will only last that long. Then suddenly all the facilities will stop. Consider the state of that disciple to be the same. While remaining in the refuge of the Guru and complying with the rules, for whatever days one did bhakti, the power of bhakti got accumulated in the soul; the soul got that much charged. The day one turns away from the Guru, the power of bhakti stops coming from that very day. If even after turning away (abandoning the guru by opposing him) from the guru, one does the sadhna mantra etc, one gets no benefit. Like after the connection of electricity is disconnected, if one keeps switching on the fans, motor, or bulb, neither the fan functions nor the bulb. Similar would be the state of a worshipper who has abandoned the guru. Then one will go to hell. Supreme God Kabir Ji has stated that: -
Kabir, maanush janm paakar khovae | Satguru vimukha yug-yug rovae ||
Kabir, Guru vimukh jeev katahu na bachae | agni kund mein jar-bar naachae ||
Koti janm vishdhar ko paavae | vish jwala sahi janm gamaavae ||
Bishta (faeces) maahi krami janm dharayi | koti janm narak hi parahi ||
Meaning: - A soul who will abandon the Guru will not be saved. He will suffer by (jal-bal) boiling in the firepits built in hell. He will (naachae) dance there due to the suffering of fire, that is, he will oscillate in the fire.
Then he will obtain crores of lives (bodies) of a snake. A snake is very much troubled by the heat of venom inside its body. In hot weather, to prevent itself from that heat of venom, a snake wraps around a sandalwood tree to obtain coolness. Then that Guru-Vimukh, that is, Guru-Drohi (who has abandoned guru) obtains the life of a worm in (bishta) feaces. In this way, a person who has gone away from guru bears extreme suffering. If the guru is fake, then one does not incur any sin by abandoning him and going in the refuge of a complete guru.
Kabir, Guru dayal to Purush dayal | jehi Guru vrat chhuye nahin Kaal ||
Meaning: - O Dharmdas! If a Guru is merciful to a disciple, that is, if the Guru has a good image of the disciple in his heart that the disciple obeys all the rules, then God is also happy with that devotee. Otherwise, the disciple will have to bear the abovementioned hardships.
FAQs about "Sixteen Qualities of a Devotee"
Q.1 What are the characteristics of a true devotee?
A true devotee must possess 16 characteristics as mentioned in Anurag Sagar. The sixteen characteristics of a true devotee are Knowledge, Prudence, Truth, Contentment, Loving nature, Patience, Devoid of deceit, Kindness, Forgiveness, Politeness, Doing Bhakti without expectation of results, Renunciation, Freedom from worldly desires, Peacefulness, Doing Bhakti to salvage one's soul, and Considering everyone to be a friend.
Q.2 Why is the power of Bhakti considered essential for attaining God in Anurag Sagar?
The power of Bhakti is considered essential for attaining God in Anurag Sagar because it is seen as a means to escape from worldly entanglements and attain God. Bhakti is the path to salvation, and having these qualities of a devotee helps in achieving it.
Q. 3 How often should an initiated person hold a religious ritual?
An initiated person should hold a religious ritual, a 'Paath,' every fortnight. If that is not possible, it should be done at least once a month. For poor individuals, it is acceptable to hold a 'Paath' twice a year or at least once a year.
Q.4 What happens to a devotee who abandons the Guru and disconnects their mantra or naam?
A devotee who abandons the Guru and disconnects their mantra or naam will not obtain any benefit from their spiritual practices. They will suffer in the firepits of hell and endure extreme hardships. Their soul may go through countless lives in unpleasant conditions, such as being reborn as a snake or a worm in feces.
Q.5 Why is it important for a devotee to consider everyone as a friend, as mentioned in Anurag Sagar?
In Anurag Sagar, it is important for a devotee to consider everyone as a friend because it reflects a compassionate and non-discriminatory attitude. This quality fosters unity and love among all beings, aligning with the path of Bhakti and devotion.
Q.6 Why is it necessary for a devotee to have patience in their spiritual journey, according to Anurag Sagar?
Patience is essential in a devotee's spiritual journey, as stated in Anurag Sagar because one should not rush for immediate results or worldly benefits. A patient devotee patiently awaits the fruits of their devotion and does not expect instant gratification.
Q.7 How is contentment explained in Anurag Sagar in the context of a devotee's qualities?
Contentment, as explained in Anurag Sagar, is about accepting what is given by God as His wish. A devotee should be satisfied with whatever they receive from God and should not harbor desires for more or different material possessions because God takes care of every need of a devotee like a mother.
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Samrath Agarwal
I've thoroughly read the entire article and am genuinely impressed by the qualities it talks about. However, it seems incredibly challenging to live by these virtues in today's society. Even great spiritual leaders don't seem to possess such qualities in the current age of Kalyug. How can one realistically follow these virtues?
Satlok Ashram
Dear reader, we deeply appreciate your engagement with our article. It's indeed a challenge to uphold these virtues in today's world. However, it's crucial to understand that when a devotee takes initiation from a genuine and complete saint, the blessings of God are bestowed upon them, making it more attainable to follow these virtues. We recommend reading the book "Jeene Ki Rah" and listening to the spiritual discourses of Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj to gain a more profound understanding of spirituality.