Vallabhacharya started the Pushti path of religion in Hinduism.  Five hundred years ago, the Hindu religion was on the verge of extinction. Acharya Vallabh established the worship of the child Krishna in individual Hindu homes, and thus made the adjustment during a difficult time. This is how he gave support (pushti) to the Hindu religion. But this practice, dharma was meant for only that difficult period in history. Vallabh Acharya had said that the religion would last about five hundred years. Today the five hundred years are ending.  Now the religion of the Soul (Atma-Dharma) is coming to light. It has been sung:

‘Murli na naadey, jhoomi Jamuna boli.
Shree Krishna na prakashak aavii gayaa chhe.’

‘At the sound of the flute the river Jamuna bows and sings…..
The One to expose the enlightened knowledge of Shri Krishna has come.’

Lord Krishna was an extraordinary and a super human being; He was a Vasudev (one of the 64 Salakha Purush – human beings with extraordinary, superhuman energies and accomplishments) and He is going to be a Tirthankar in the next cycle of 24 Tirthankars. He was a naishtik brahmachari.

Questioner: What does naishtik brahmachari mean?
Dadashri: It means the one in whom there is constant inner intent of devotion and sincerity towards celibacy (brahmacharya). His discharging karmas are that of non-celibacy but his charging karmas are of absolute, pure and continuous celibacy. Lord Krishna had sixteen hundred queens and yet he was a naishtik brahmachari (celibate). Let me explain how. If a man steals but his constant inner intent is, ‘I do not want to steal,’ then he has naishtik achouriya (inner intent of non-stealing). This inner intent is the account of what is being charged for the life to come. A man makes a charitable contribution but in his deep inner intent (bhaav) he holds, ‘I should take advantage of these people’, in this case, his donation is not considered a donation for the next life. Everything that one sees and experiences through the senses has no impact and is of no value as far as the account of the next life (charging of new karma) is concerned. What is of significance, and has a direct impact in charging new karma is only one’s inner intent. This is happening simultaneously during all overt and external activities. 

Questioner: Then why is Lord Krishna called a man of good conduct?
 Dadashri:  He was a naishtik brahmachari. His conduct has been criticized by some as being sinful and indulgent. Lord Krishna was a Vasudev. What is a Vasudev?  It means one is an enjoyer of everything yet is worthy of moksha. Such a person is an extraordinary person.

Dadashri: You do not get bored (kantado) during the ritual of worship, do you?
Questioner: No.
Dadashri: When you worship, do you worship (puja) a person worthy of worship (pujya) or a person not worthy of worship (apujya)?

Questioner: I am simply a follower of the Pushti-Marg (a traditional devotional path for the worship - bhakti of baby Krishna established by Vallabh Acharya). I worship Thakorji the child Krishna, whose idol image has been worshipped a lot (pratishtha) and is now established in our home.
Dadashri: Yes, but He is worthy of worship and that is why He is respected. You should not worship anyone who is not worthy of worship. Do not worship for the sake of worshipping, but worship with right understanding (pujya buddhi).  Do you have pujyabuddhi for Thakorji? Does Thakorji ever converse with you?

Questioner: I have not had that fortune so far.
Dadashri: Why does Thakorji not speak with you? ‘We’ think it is because, either you are shy or He is shy. Either one of you is shy.

Questioner:  I do the worship of Thakorji, but I am not able to make Him talk.
Dadashri:  You cannot make Him talk, can you? We had gone to the temple of Lord Ramchandraji in Jaipur and Ayodhya and there He started talking. Wherever ‘we’ see a new idol, ‘we’ do pran-pratishta (instilling of ‘life’ in an idol) in it. Birla built the temples in Jaipur and Ayodhya There ‘we’ had done pran-pratishta of Lord Ramchandraji’s idol. At both the places something amazing occurred. Thirty five of our mahatmas were present, when the priest saw Lord Ramchandraji smiling. Since the temple was built, he had seen a displeased look on Lord Ramchandraji. Even the temple was in a state of gloom and so were the worshippers. When the priest saw laughter on Lord Ramchandraji’s face, he ran towards the Lord and placed a garland around his neck. ‘We’ asked him why he did that. He began to cry and said, I have never had such a darshan before. Today you have helped me attain that.” ‘We’ told him, ‘‘we’ have done it for the salvation of people. How can there be salvation for people when Lord Ramchandraji is displeased? Now Lord Ramchandraji is smiling and ‘we’ will leave Him always smiling. Whoever sees Him, he will see Him smiling. ‘We’ have done the pratishtha. A true pratishtha was never done for the idol.” The pratishtha that was done, it was done by someone who harbored worldly desires (vasnas).  If it is done by an Atmagnani (the knower of the Soul, the Avatar), only then will it give results. Do you understand what ‘we’ mean by worldly desire (vasna)? Even the subtle expectation one harbors of, ‘this man will be useful some day’, it is called vasna. The one who has no need for anything in this world, no need for any vishaya (sensual pleasures), no need for fame, no need for anything, is considered desire less (nirvasnik). Such a Gnani can do anything He aims. He can make an idol talk. Do you not talk with an idol? Do you not have the freedom to talk? If the idol does not talk to you, at least you can talk. What is wrong in that? You should say, “Lord, why don’t you talk to me? Do you not have trust in me?” Do people not laugh if you say the same thing to them?  That idol will laugh. Do you have one or two idols?

Questioner: One.
Dadashri: Do you bath Thakorji (the idol)?

Questioner: Yes. I do it everyday.
Dadashri: With cold water or hot water?

Questioner:  With warm water.
Dadashri: That is good. Otherwise Thakorji will feel cold if you use cold water and hot water can scald. Therefore, you need warm water. Do you feed Thakorji everyday or do you make Him fast (agiyaras)?

Questioner: Even I do not fast.
Dadashri: There is no problem if you do not fast, but do you feed Thakorji?

Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: What time do you feed Him?

Questioner:  I put Him to sleep after feeding Him at eight in the morning and then I go to work after taking the food offered to Thakorji (prasad)
Dadashri:  Do you then eat in the afternoon?

Questioner: I eat anywhere I can when I get hungry.
Dadashri: Yes, but do you check up on Thakorji if He is hungry or not?

Questioner: How can I do that when I am at work?
Dadashri: Poor Thakorji would cry then! What can He do if He is hungry? So will you do one thing ‘we’ ask?  Will you?

Questioner: I will definitely do it, Dada.
Dadashri: Whenever you sit down to eat, remember Thakorji and offer him the food first ‘Thakorji eat first. You must be hungry. I will eat after you.’ Then you can eat. Will you do this much? Say yes if you can and no if you cannot.

Questioner: But Dada, I put Him to sleep and then come to work!
Dadashri: No, but even though you put Him to sleep, He would still be hungry would he not? That is why He does not talk! How long will He remain asleep? He will wake up and then go back to sleep, he will do this over and over again. You don’t eat anything that is not suitable for Him to eat, do you? The diet of Hindus’ is satvik (vegetarian) is it not? The diet of Muslims’ is tamasik (non-vegetarian), so you cannot feed Him that. But if there is vegetarian food, you should tell Him, “Thakorji please accept this offering and have it first.” Can you do this much? Then some day Thakorji will talk to you. He will talk to you the day He is pleased with you. Why would He not? Even these walls will talk to you! It is possible for the whole world to talk to you. If you bathe the Lord everyday with warm water, would He remain silent forever? If a man gets married and brings home a wife and she stops talking, then what good is that? What can he do for her if she does not speak? Therefore even the Lord will talk, if your inner intention (bhaav) and wishes are so. This worship that you are doing is because of your family’s good values.

Questioner: When I go out of town I take Thakorji along with me.
Dadashri: You should not perform any action without thinking of the Lord. Actually, Thakorji has said not to eat non-vegetarian food, but what can one do? The most He will do is not speak with you. But otherwise a staunch Vaishnavs cannot even eat outside of his home, nor can he take any water outside the home. What great discipline! That is called being a staunch Vaishnav. Those who bathe and care for Thakorji are considered staunch Vaishnavs. But what can anyone do? The circumstances are such that one can be reprimanded nowadays. The idol does not talk because of circumstances, otherwise it would.  Why would it not if you follow all the rules you have been asked to? Do you have a bronze or a gold idol?

Questioner: A silver one.
Dadashri: Nowadays if a person had a gold idol, his son may go and sell it! Do you like what ‘we’ are saying?

Questioner: Yes, Dada. I like it very much.
Dadashri: So now if you have to eat outside, feed Thakorji first before you eat, then you will have fulfilled your responsibility.