Distinguishing Saintliness from Appearance
Learn why saintliness cannot be judged by attire, followers, miracles, reputation, or external behavior alone. This article explains how scripture distinguishes genuine God-realized Saints from spiritual appearances that may mislead seekers.
Question
In your publications you have been consistently using the words God-Realized saint, genuine saint, authentic saint, bona fide saint. What do these words really mean? How can one know who is a genuine saint and who is not?
Answer
All the scriptures unanimously assert that one cannot realize God without the grace of a genuine saint. Our holy scriptures provide the definition of a genuine saint, as
तद्विज्ञानार्थं स गुरुमेवाभिगच्छेत् समित्पाणिः क्षोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम्॥
मुंडको १.२.१२
tadvij~naanaartha.m sa gurumevaabhigacchet samitpaa.ni.h k.sotriya.m brahmani.s.tham||
mu.m.dako 1.2.12
"To know Him, go to the one who is endowed with
- perfect knowledge of the scriptures (क्षोत्रियं) and
- has seen God (ब्रह्मनिष्ठम्)".
Means scriptures advise to seek Guru who has both of those qualities. Yet, of the two attributes latter quality - the one who has seen God, is more important. So, your Guru-Spiritual Master must be a God-realized soul. This attribute is more important because once a jeev attains God, essence of knowledge described in the scriptures automatically becomes known.
गुरु बिन भवनिधि तरई कि कोई ।
जो बिरंचि शंकर सम होई ॥ रामचरित मानस
guru bina bhavanidhi taraii ki koii |
jo bira.mci "sa.mkara sama hoii || raamacarita maanasa
Sainthood is not a Humanly Conferred Degree
Sainthood is not a college or university degree that is conferred upon someone, examining which one can establish the identity of a true saint.
In Kaliyug so many imposters pretend to be saints that it becomes not just difficult, rather impossible to identify a genuine saint. A saint can only be known by a saint of the same level, because like God, true identity of a saint cannot be grasped by the material senses, mind and intellect.
Nevertheless, a saint has to be recognized through perceptual, inferential and scriptural evidence; otherwise no one would have ever attained God since the beginningless time.
So, let us solve this mystery with logic and scriptural evidences based on the philosophy propounded by Jagadguruttam Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj .
To answer this immensely important question Shri Maharaj Ji draws attention to 3 criteria.
First, pay attention towards those characteristics which confuse people into believing that the person, exhibiting them, is a true saint. These characteristics don't confirm true sainthood. So a spiritual seeker must further examine before choosing the person as Guru.
Inconclusive ways to identify a saint
Seeing the following 3 characteristics in a person an aspirant cannot be certain if he is a saint or not. So these are dubious or inconclusive signs
1. Saintly attire : Just because someone dresses up in a saintly attire one should not believe that he is a saint. He could be a saint or an imposter. So, be cautious.
2. Large following : A huge number of disciples is also not a sure sign of a true saint. Many people possess the skill of enchanting people by their fine arts or other specialties. Just by the virtue of being surrounded by a large number of disciple does not qualify one to be a true saint. So be cautious.
3. Built Ashrams : One who has built many gorgeous ashrams too may or may not be a real saint. So be cautious.
Now that we know the inconclusive ways of determining a authentic saint, let us learn the characteristics to unmistakably spot an imposter, pretending to be a bona fide saint. When you notice any of these signs, for your own welfare, salute them from afar and run far away from them. Remember do not have any ill will!
Tell Tale Signs of a Pseudo Saint
Following three signs are the way to recognize an imposter even if he might be pretending to be a Saint
1. Showers Blessings – The one who gives blessings ( asheervaad ) is surely not a genuine saint. A saint possess all the powers and qualities of God. As saint Tulsidas says
जानत तुमहिं तुमहिं ह्वै जाई ।
jānata tumahiṁ tumahiṁ hvai jāī ।
"Once someone knows You they are imbibed with all of Your qualities forever".
God has a power called satya sankalp which means that when God makes a wish it immediately comes to fruition. This is one of the eight powers that God bestows upon a God-realized soul. So, all saints also possess this power. If such a saint utters the words of blessings like “ Be happy!” then from that moment on, the disciple must become free of the vices of Maya (anger, greed, jealousy, lust etc) that interfere with being happy. Moreover, the disciple must attain bliss forever.
Now, if after receiving the blessings from a saint the person continues to suffer like before, then what is the point of those blessings?
Be advised that since a saint’s words are always true , if his blessings do not culminate into reality, then that so called “saint” is an pseudo-saint.
Genuine saints do not shower blessings. They do not curse either. Saint Tulsidas says
संत हृदय नवनीत समाना । कहा कविन्ह पै कह न आना ।
निज परिताप द्रवइ नवनीता । पर दुख द्रवई सुसंत पुनीता ॥
saṁta hr̥daya navanīta samānā । kahā kavinha pai kaha na ānā ।
nija paritāpa dravai navanītā । para dukha dravaī susaṁta punītā ॥
"His heart is softer than butter. Because butter melts when it is heated but a saint’s heart melts, with mercy, seeing the agonies of others."
How can such a person curse? The selfish people curse, when their own selfish motive is not fulfilled. A saint is always ready to give each and every part of his being just like a birch-tree which keeps on giving its skin until its trunk exists.
2. Performs Miracles - Those who impress people by showing miracles are also positively not a saint. History proves that saints like Soordas, Tulasidas, Nanak, Tukaram, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu etc. never showed miracles to impress people. If they ever performed any miracle, that miracle was only to save their dear devotees. But the imposters show miracles deliberately to impress gentry. The goal behind all those miracles is some selfish motive and does not reflect any devotion or interest in God.
3. Initiates Disciples - It is also important to know that a real saint cannot even think of initiating ( deekchha ) a follower until he qualifies to receive the divine power.
Why?
Because initiating or giving mantra in the ear means to infuse divine power in him. Divine power could be given only in divine senses, mind and intellect. Think for a moment: Ordinary beings cannot bear the power of electrical current passing through their body. Then how can such material mind and body have the power to bear unlimited divine power.
गुरू उसे करे जिसे मिले श्याम श्यामा ।
कान फूँकवाने ते ना बने कभु कामा ॥
श्यामा श्याम गीत ८३
Choose the one who has met Shri Radha Krishna as your Guru. Getting an initiation mantra will not connect you to God.
- Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj
Now you know how to spot the pseudo-saints. This is not enough. One also needs to know how to identify genuine God-realized Saint?
By the will of God, God-realized saints stay amongst us. Also, as you would expect they are not found in multitude. Whereas pretenders are plenty. So it is imperative to know the criteria to ascertain who is fake and who is real.
So, now you will learn about those signs which are exhibited only by God realized saints.
Recognizing a True Saint
Bhagavat enumerates the external behaviour of a saint as
बुधो बालवत् क्रीडेत् कुशलो जड़वच्चरेत् ।
वदेदुन्मत्तद् विद्वान् गोचर्यां नैहमश्चरेत् ॥ भा ११.२८.२
budho bālavat krīḍet kuśalo jaḍa़vaccaret ।
vadedunmattad vidvān gocaryāṁ naihamaścaret ॥ bhā 11.28.2
1. Despite possessing perfect knowledge, the saint has innocence of a child . He is equipoised in both admiration and condemnation.
2. Despite being expert in all disciplines, he can have the appearance of a lunatic . One such example of a saint was Rishabha Bhagwan. He abandoned all social norms and behaviors and did bhakti mentally.
3. Despite being a competent scholar, he can behave like an uncivilized person, who rejects all social norms of behavior . The Bhagavata says –
क्वचिद् रुदत्यचुतचिंतया क्वचिद्धसंति नंदंति वदन्त्यलौकिकाः ।
नृत्यन्ति गायन्त्यनिशीलन्त्यजन् भवंति तूष्णीं परमेत्य निर्वृताः ॥ भा ११.३.३२
kvacid rudatyacutaciṁtayā kvaciddhasaṁti naṁdaṁti vadantyalaukikāḥ ।
nr̥tyanti gāyantyaniśīlantyajan bhavaṁti tūṣṇīṁ parametya nirvr̥tāḥ ॥ bhā 11.3.32
"Being intoxicated and drowned in divine love bliss, sometimes they cry in ecstasy, sometimes keep on laughing and sometimes they talk something inconspicuously and become overjoyed. Sometimes they dance and sing being oblivious of the rest of the world and sometimes they become silent."
These are called symptoms of divine love (asht satvik bhav) which occur in the body of a real saint.
Impact on you when associating with a real saint
When you stay in association of such a saint, due to his personality and seeing those asht satvik bhav , your worldly attachments would gradually decrease and love for God increases.
Sometimes, you might experience some initial symptoms ( ratyabhasa ) of divine ecstasy. Now, you will realize within your heart that “there is no happiness in the world, I have to realize God”.
If you ever were to ask such a saint to bestow some material benefit upon you, instead of saying ‘so be it’, he would encourage you to let go of the material desires that you already harbor and advise you to not wish for more.
He would clarify that these material matters are holding you back from reaching God and attaining bliss . In short He will impart the knowledge needed to attain God.
Even though assessing abilities of a Divine Saint are beyond the capability of material beings yet, use these characteristics as a yardstick to assess who is a true saint and who is a pseudo-saint.
Once you are assured that someone is a true saint, follow his (or her) advice “to the letter” to attain God.
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