Swami Prakashanand Saraswati concludes his illuminating discourse by emphasizing the eternal Vedic system’s adaptability for spiritual seekers in any stage of life. Building on the insights from Parts 1, 2, and 3, he underscores that while dharma, rituals, and yoga offer gradual purification, bhakti—infused with divine love and longing for God—is the most direct and powerful path to God-realization.
According to Swami Prakashanand Saraswati..
The system of the four orders of life is a part of the eternal Vedas. Therefore, it is also eternal. It is made for everyone but can be adopted to suit the individual situations. For instance, suppose someone has a very pure mind and is longing for God. The Vedasays when you have a deep desire to find God, renounce the world at any time in your life, whether you are young or old; it makes no difference. There is no rule for the person who is aiming only for God. The aim of the Vedas is to bring every soul towards God by purifying the mind and correct understanding.
Purification is a simple term which means a longing for God’s vision. When there is no longing for God, there is no purification. If you long for worldly entertainment and pleasure, that is called impiousness.
Some Scriptures tell about doing good deeds in the world. Any kind of good deed you do, it will purify your heart to some extent. It is called “dharma”. Vedic rituals also help to purify your heart.
Another path is called Ashtang yoga. It was revealed by Maharishi Patanjali. Yoga and meditation practices purify your heart. This means of purification is faster and better than dharma and rituals, but the practice of yoga also takes a very long time to purify the heart. In the meantime, you collect more dirt. It is like earning ten dollars and spending twenty dollars; you are at a loss.
God Himself said there is one sure and simple way to purify the heart, and that is the path of ‘bhakti’. We have many words in the Sanskrit Scriptures which de- scribe this path such as “bhakti”, “prapatti”, “sharanagati”, and “pushti”. They all mean the feeling of divine-love-consciousness, and spiritual longing.
When you are longing for God’s vision, that feeling hits your attachments and purifies your heart directly. It is very attractive because it has a double force, your devotional feelings and the Grace of God.
Other forms of heart purification don’t directly reduce your attachments to the world. They do some heart purification, but attachment remains in worldly possessions and relations.
Bhakti reduces your attachments and increases your longing. Therefore, it is the shortest path to God. It is clear from the writings and teachings of our Saints that we should do bhakti and enter into divine-love-consciousness. That is the highest path to God-realization, and is the essence of all our Scriptures, religions, and teachings of the Saints.
Conclusion
Through the four parts of his enlightening discourse, Swami Prakashanand Saraswati has masterfully guided us on the path to God-realization. Beginning with the eternal principles of creation and the interplay of maya and individual souls (Part 1), he illustrated how Saints and Scriptures illuminate the divine path (Part 2). He then emphasized the need to transcend mere intellectual study and embrace a longing for God through a life guided by the four orders of Vedic living (Part 3). Finally, in Part 4, Swami Ji revealed bhakti as the most direct and powerful means of heart purification, reducing worldly attachments, and attaining divine-love-consciousness. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati’s teachings serve as a timeless roadmap, urging seekers to adopt the highest ideals of devotion and align their lives with God’s eternal grace. His profound insights inspire us to move beyond material pursuits and embrace the blissful journey toward divine realization.
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