The following is an excerpt from a satsang between the Gnani Purush Dada Bhagwan and a spiritual seeker.

Questioner: What is the difference between a sant purush (saints) and a Gnani Purush(enlightened one)?

Dadashri: A sant purush is someone who teaches people to do good deeds and to stop bad ones.

Questioner: You mean the one who saves us from paap karma (sins or bad deeds) is called a sant?

Dadashri: Yes. A sant purush saves you from bad deeds, but a Gnani Purush saves you from both, the good as well as the bad deeds. The sant purush leads you on the right path, whereas a Gnani Purush liberates you. The sant purush are travelers of a particular path. They themselves are walking on a path and encourage others to walk along with them. But a Gnani Purush is the final destination and he gets your work done.

The sant purush are teachers at different levels, for example of the kindergarten, of the first standard, of the second standard etc. But only a Gnani Purush can give you total Liberation. The Gnani Purush is very rare.

Sants can give happiness at a relative level; at the worldly level. The Gnani Purush will give you permanent bliss, which is the true nature of the Soul. He gives you eternal tranquility.

A true sant is one who has no attachment to anything. There are others who have attachment of varying degrees. Who is a Gnani Purush? He is the one who is without ego or attachment. So you cannot refer to a sant, as a Gnani Purush. The sant is not Self-Realized. However, when a sant meets a Gnani Purush, he too makes spiritual progress. Even the sant needs to meet a Gnani Purush. Anyone who has the desire for liberation will have to meet a Gnani Purush. There is no other way. The Gnani Purush is truly a wonder of the world. The Gnani Purush is the manifest Soul.

Questioner: How do you recognize a Gnani Purush?

Dadashri: The Gnani Purush cannot remain hidden. His fragrance and aura are quite unmistakable. His ambience is quite unique. His speech is extraordinary. You can recognize him through his words. You can tell by just looking into his eyes. The Gnani Purush has so many signs of indisputable proof. His every word is a scripture. His speech, action and humility are so beautiful that they will win you over. He has many unique qualities.

What are the qualities of a Gnani Purush? The radiance of the sun and the coolness of the moon are part of his nature. Both these opposite attributes are to be found together in the Gnani Purush. Nowhere in this world can one find such a smile of complete liberation. His serene smile makes one forget one’s miseries.

The Gnani Purush does not have a drop of intellect (buddhi -the light of knowledge which comes through the medium of the ego). The Gnani Purush is aboodh (without buddhi). How many such people are around? Once in a while when such a person is around, he will liberate hundreds and thousands of people. The Gnani Purush does not have even the slightest ego. There is not a single person in this world that is ego-less.

Rarely, every few thousands of years or so, a Gnani Purush is born. There is an abundance of saints and experts of scriptures, but there are no Self-Realized persons. A Gnani has full knowledge of the Soul. The knower of the Soul is full of bliss and does not experience any internal or external suffering. In the presence of such a person, you too can achieve your liberation. He who is Self-Realized can help others achieve Self-realization. Without a Gnani, it is impossible to achieve the knowledge of the Soul (Atmagnan).