Bhagavan Nityananda’s Message
to
a Householder Devotee
Just a few days before His Mahāsamādhi, Shri Hegde, overwhelmed by the inevitability of the moment, approached Bhagavan Nityananda with a heart full of surrender. Until then, he had made every effort—both outer and inner—to withhold the approaching Samādhi, but all such attempts had failed. At last, accepting Bhagavan’s will completely, he placed himself at His Lotus Feet and asked a simple yet profound question:
“What path should I follow? How should I live as a devotee?”
Bhagavan Nityananda’s reply was direct, compassionate, and deeply revelatory—especially for those living the life of a householder:
“You are a Samsārī. You have to cultivate Nishkāma Bhakti, Nishkāma Bhāvanā, and Nishkāma Prema.
You should cultivate Nishkāma Prema towards ‘This One.’
If you have that, then ‘This One’ will ever be with you.
‘This One’ will never leave you.”
Bhakti is devotion, and Prema is love. Both words express love, but their direction differs. Love directed toward God or one’s Sadguru becomes Bhakti, while love directed toward fellow beings and all creatures is Prema. Yet Bhagavan makes it unmistakably clear that in both cases this love must be Nishkāma—free from desire, expectation, bargaining, or demand.
Why did Bhagavan emphasise Nishkāma Bhakti, Nishkāma Prema, and Nishkāma Bhāvanā? And why did He specifically instruct Shri Hegde to direct this love toward “This One”?
By the term “This One,” Bhagavan was not referring merely to His physical form or personality. He was pointing to His Nijaswaroopa—the Supreme Consciousness, the all-pervading Reality that is the source and substratum of all existence. Bhagavan was revealing a profound truth: for a householder, devotion is not confined to ritual worship or personal attachment to the Guru’s form alone. True devotion matures into a vision where the Guru is experienced as the one Essence manifesting through all names and forms.
Thus, a Samsārī is asked not only to love the Sadguru unconditionally but also to extend that same unconditional love to the entire creation—seeing no separation, no “I” and “mine,” no “other.” This is Nishkāma Bhāvanā: a state of being where love flows without discrimination, rooted in the understanding that the same Consciousness pervades all.
When such love arises—pure, desireless, and universal—the householder naturally abides in Samabhāva, an equal vision toward all beings. Life continues with its duties and responsibilities, but the inner stance is transformed. The world is no longer seen as separate from the Guru; it is experienced as the living expression of the Sadguru Himself.
Only when a Samsārī-householder lives with this triple discipline—Nishkāma Bhakti toward the Sadguru, Nishkāma Prema toward all beings, and Nishkāma Bhāvanā rooted in non-dual vision—does Bhagavan’s assurance come true:
“This One will ever be with you.
This One will never leave you.”
In these few words, Bhagavan Nityananda encapsulated the entire spiritual path of the householder—not renunciation of the world, but renunciation of desire; not withdrawal from relationships, but the sanctification of all relationships through unconditional love rooted in Supreme Consciousness.
There are 4 comments on this post
Bhagwan Nityananda, the Supreme Self is a blessing on all of us. The writings are His prasad to all who seek Him and nishkam seva of Gopalkrishna Shenoy ji. I am indeed blessed to have these writings which can transform a householders life into a life filled with Divine Baba.
Baba never Left. He holds our hand and walks with us.
🙏Om Namah Bhagawate Nityanandaya 🙏
Thank you Roshniji for your kind feedback which are like blessings.
Thank you, Sir, for the incredible work you are doing in sharing these insights. We are truly grateful to you for bringing Baba’s life and work to light. We feel deeply blessed to have you as our guide.
Minakshiji,
I am sharing only what I have received from my elders. I am one among you all and I cannot claim to be any guide. I am simply sharing what came to me becuase in sharing His Grace, I get the joy of being connected with Him
By Bhagavan’s grace, both my maternal and paternal grandparents were direct devotees of Bhagavan Nityananda. So too were my aunts and uncles. Over five generations, our family was blessed with His close association, through which a rich wealth of authentic experiences and insights has been preserved.
We had the great fortune of being in Bhagavan’s presence for nearly three decades. During this time, many instances of His Leela were directly witnessed within our family, and through these, we came to understand various aspects of His divine nature.
My family lived with complete faith in Him—He was not separate from our lives, but an integral and living presence within it.
Having said this, whatever I share is nothing but Prasad received from my elders and from devoted souls who walked closely with Him. I merely pass it on.
Thank you Minakshiji for your kind words. When devotees like you share and give your feedback, it goes long way to inspire me. I seek your blessing to continue this Seva of distributing the Prasad.
All is by His Grace alone.
In His Prem,
Gopalkrishna