Shri Sahjo Bai, a rasik devotee of Braj, a disciple of Shri Charan Das of the Shuka sect.
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Sahajobāī Jī says that Śrī Hari resides within, and with every natural breath, the sacred stream of this inner pilgrimage flows continuously. The sādhaka who turns inward and bathes in this inner pilgrimage, becoming absorbed in Śrī Hari within, becomes free from both sin and virtue and attains the supreme abode of Śrī Hari.
If Śrī Hari bestows His grace, it is indeed great, and even if He does not, it matters not. However, if one does not obtain the grace and mercy of Gurudeva in this life, one's intellect remains shrouded in darkness, and true wisdom can never awaken.
Śrī Śyāmasundara emerges gracefully from the secluded grove (nikunja), His charming crown casting a delightful shade, while lovingly accompanied by His beloved Śrī Rādhā.
He who calls himself a saint, yet behaves like a wicked man, who remains absorbed in arguments, wanders about swollen with pride, and boasts of his own greatness — such a hypocrite is utterly far from being a true saint.
Sahajobāī says: “O foolish one, time is passing away — therefore, while the opportunity remains, chant the Name ‘Hari, Hari.’ Gather your mind and reflect upon this truth: the days that have once passed will never return.”
While awake, one should remain constantly absorbed in remembrance of the Lord, and even in sleep, the mind should remain fixed upon the Lord. Sahajobāī Jī says that devotion should continue in this way without interruption, not even for a single moment — the bond of divine love must never break under any circumstances.
This body is transient, like a bubble upon the water. Therefore, one must resolve to meet the Beloved God and not remain lost in the slumber of ignorance.
One should remember the Lord constantly throughout all eight quarters of the day, with every single breath, and not forget Him even for a moment. This alone is the essence of all the four Vedas, the eighteen Purāṇas, and all sacred scriptures.
Sahjobai says that this world is like an unfathomable ocean of material existence, in which the dense darkness of ignorance constantly pours down like rain. The only means that can safely carry the soul across is the ship of the Divine Name of the Lord.
O Gurudev! I am your child, and you are my true divine Mother, protecting me every moment.
Those who are mad in divine love of God have their entire vision of the world transformed. They no longer see any distinction between a king and a beggar, for they behold their beloved Lord pervading all beings equally.
While describing the signs of a true premi bhakta, Sahajo Bai says that sometimes he stands motionless, deeply absorbed in bhava-samadhi (ecstasy) and loses all outer awareness. At other times, the force of divine love lifts him into spontaneous singing. Sometimes he closes his eyes and sinks into deep contemplation, and at other times he returns to his external consciousness.
The one who is intoxicated in the love of the Beloved Lord Shri Krishna forgets all sense of physical presence. He desires neither worldly pleasures, nor Vaikuntha, nor even liberation. Lost in divine love, he becomes unaware even of his own body.
The tilted, swaying crown of Sri Krishn steals the heart. The charming ‘Natwar’ (the supreme dancer) enchants even Cupid with his dancing. His earrings gleam, and his eyelids flutter with gentle playfulness.
One should perform devotion to God silently and secretly through the mind. Neither the tongue nor the lips should move. It must be done in such a way that only the one remembering and the One being remembered (the Lord) are aware of it. If done to gain attention or display before the world, it loses its essence and sacredness.
Those intoxicated with the divine love of God no longer recognize distinctions of caste, status, or high and low. Sahjobai says—the world may call them mad, but they have transcended the boundaries of society and scripture.
Those intoxicated with the divine love of God may appear strange and speak in ways that seem bewildering. One moment, they shed tears in remembrance of the Lord; the next, they burst into blissful laughter.
Engage in such remembrance (of the Lord) that your focus always remains effortlessly steady. Without engaging the tongue or palate, engage your mind entirely in the nectar of devotion.
Those who are mad in the love of God transcend the boundaries of rules and religions. Though the world may laugh at them, their hearts remain ever absorbed in bliss.
You are virtuous, while I am full of flaws. I have committed countless sins, while under your shelter, O Redeemer of the fallen, Lal Bihari (Shri Krishna).
