प्रवृत्ती–निवृत्ती
भक्ती, चैतन्य आणि प्रबोधाचा सहज प्रवास
Pravṛtti–Nivṛtti
The Sahaja Journey of Bhakti, Chaitanya and Prabodha
(A Contemplative Study of Sant Nivruttinath Maharaj’s Abhanga in the Light of Bhagavan Nityananda’s Teachings)
When Bhagavan was asked what the role of a Sadguru is, He replied: “Guru shows the Nivrutti Marg”.
Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti are often thought to be opposite:
- Pravṛtti = worldly life
- Nivṛtti = renunciation
I have shared a brief introduction to Nivrutti Marg
https://nityanandababa.com/2026/07/12/guru-is-one-who-shows-nivrutti-marg/
Taking it further, I find it very interesting that Shree Nivrutti Maharaj, the elder brother and Sadguru of Shree Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, has written an Abhang on Nivrutti Marg. Nivruttinath Maharaj’s vision is subtler. He teaches that the perfected seeker does not abandon Pravṛtti. Rather, Nivṛtti flowers within Pravṛtti. One may continue to live amidst family, society, and duties, while remaining inwardly unattached and established in the Self.
Here is a refined version that preserves your thought while improving the flow, clarity, and devotional tone:
This is exactly what Bhagavan Nityananda repeatedly taught through His simple yet profound instruction:
“Duty First.”
Bhagavan never encouraged escapism or neglect of one’s worldly responsibilities in the name of spirituality. On the contrary, He insisted that every person should first discharge his or her duties sincerely and conscientiously.
If a devotee came to Ganeshpuri for His Darshan on a working day by neglecting office, business, school, or other legitimate responsibilities, Bhagavan would often send the person back. He would firmly remind them that their first obligation was to honour the commitments they had already undertaken. Only after fulfilling those responsibilities properly should they come for His Darshan, following the appropriate course.
Through this simple instruction, Bhagavan taught a profound spiritual truth: the path to God does not lie in escaping one’s duties, but in performing them in the right spirit. True spirituality is not an abandonment of Pravṛtti, but its purification. When duty is performed selflessly, without attachment and as an offering to the Divine, Pravṛtti itself becomes Nivṛtti.
Thus, Bhagavan’s teaching of “Duty First” is not merely practical advice for householders; it is the living expression of Sant Nivruttinath’s declaration:
“प्रवृत्ती निवृत्ती दोन्ही सहज“
Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti are both natural and complementary. The perfected seeker does not abandon one for the other. He harmonises both, allowing outward action and inward renunciation to coexist effortlessly.
The transformation is inward. It moves from,
Sudha Bhavana →
Sudha Bhakti →
Chaitanya →
Prabodha
This abhanga seems to fit naturally into this sequence.
- Sudha Bhavana removes false notions of “worldly” and “spiritual.”
- Sudha Bhakti transforms duty into worship.
- Chaitanya reveals God equally in the forest and the marketplace.
- Prabodha dissolves the distinction between Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti.
Then one discovers:
One may be outwardly engaged in Pravṛtti, while inwardly abiding in Nivṛtti.
That is the hallmark of the Siddha.
This also reminds of another aphorism from Chidakasha Gita:
“When a man attains perfection, the whole universe becomes to him, his Guru.”*
(*63. Bhakti in the beginning, is selfish. Afterwards, there is no selfishness in it. When a man attains perfection, the whole universe becomes to him, his guru.)
Similarly, for Nivruttinath,
the perfected seeker does not divide life into:
- sacred and secular,
- temple and home,
- meditation and work.
Everything becomes an expression of the same Consciousness.
Shree Nivruthinath Abhang on the Pravriti and Nivriti:
संत निवृत्तिनाथ महाराज
प्रवृत्ती निवृत्ती या दोन्ही सहज
प्रवृत्ती निवृत्ती या दोन्ही सहज । जनीं वनीं काज करुनी असती ॥
१. नारायण नाम जपतांचि दोन्ही । एकतत्त्वीं करणी सांगिजे गुज ॥१॥
२. आशेचे विलास गुंफोनिया महिमा । सत्त्वीं तत्त्वसीमा निजज्ञाने ॥२॥
३. निवृत्ती तत्त्वतां मनाचे मोहन । नित्य समाधानें रामनामें ॥३॥
Pravṛttī nivṛttī yā donhī sahaja । Janīṁ vanīṁ kāja karunī asatī ॥
- Nārāyaṇa nāma japatānci donhī । Ekatattvīṁ karaṇī sāṅgije guja ॥1॥
- Āśece vilāsa guṁphoniyā mahimā । Sattvīṁ tattvasīmā nijajñāne ॥2॥
- Nivṛttī tattvatāṁ manāce mohana | Nitya samādhāne Rāmanāme ॥3||
Pravṛtti (worldly engagement) and Nivṛtti (inner renunciation) are both natural.
Whether amidst society or in the solitude of the forest, one continues to perform one’s duties.
Verse 1
By constantly repeating the Name of Narayana while engaged in both,
the secret is to perform all actions established in the realisation of the One Reality.
Verse 2
Having woven together the many playings of hope and desire,
one reaches the highest limit of Truth through purity (Sattva) and Self-knowledge.
Verse 3
True Nivṛtti is the enchantment of the mind by the Supreme Reality;
through the constant remembrance of Rama’s Name arises perpetual contentment.
Considering one of the essences of Chidaksha Geeta – Bhakti–Chaitanya–Prabodha, we find ourselves entering a new phase when we look at the teachings of Shree Nivruttinath Maharaj.
Nivruttinath Maharaj is one of the finest guides for that journey because he unites Yoga, Jnana and Bhakti in a remarkably effortless way.
Several themes have emerged from this single abhanga:
- Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti are not enemies.
- Duty and renunciation are reconciled.
- The world need not be abandoned; only attachment has to be abandoned.
- The Name – Namasmaran, transforms action into worship, Bhakti.
- The seeker does not oscillate between the marketplace and the forest; he carries the forest into the marketplace.
- This is the essence of living in the world while abiding in the Heart Space.
Bhagavan Nityananda repeatedly emphasised “Duty First.” That is not merely practical advice—it is the living expression of Nivruttinath’s vision. Perform every duty with the spirit of Nivṛtti, and there is no conflict between worldly life and spiritual life.
“Bhakti–Chaitanya–Prabodha” is itself another way of expressing what Nivruttinath compresses into “Pravṛtti–Nivṛtti.”
- Bhakti purifies Pravṛtti.
- Chaitanya transforms Pravṛtti into Nivṛtti without external renunciation.
- Prabodha dissolves the distinction altogether.
We have seen,
Adi Shankaracharya begins with Viveka.
Sant Namdev begins with Nama.
Sant Tukaram begins with Bhakti.
Sant Eknath begins with Dharma in daily life.
Sant Dnyaneshwar reveals the universal vision of the Gita.
Sant Nivruttinath stands at the source of them all.
He is not merely the elder brother of Sant Dnyaneshwar. He is his Sadguru.
The stream of wisdom flowing through the Dnyaneshwari first flowed through the silent realisation of Nivruttinath.
His compositions are few in number, yet every abhanga is extraordinarily condensed. Unlike many devotional abhangas that primarily express love for God, Nivruttinath’s abhangas unite the three great streams of Indian spirituality:
- Yoga
- Jnana
- Bhakti
without creating any distinction between them. His language is simple. His realisation is profound.
Our journey over the past months has unfolded naturally.
Studying the Chidakasha Gita, Bhagavan Nityananda repeatedly brought us back to:
- the Heart Space,
- Sudha Bhakti,
- Guru,
- Chaitanya,
- and direct experience.
From these studies gradually emerged a beautiful sequence:
Sudha Bhavana →
Sudha Bhakti →
Chaitanya →
Prabodha
Because Nivruttinath explains this journey without ever explicitly naming it. His language is effortless.
He never separates:
Bhakti from Jnana.
Yoga from daily life.
Pravritti from Nivritti.
Guru from God.
Meditation from Action.
Everything is seen as one continuous movement towards the Self.
The understanding of Bhakti–Chaitanya–Prabodha is incomplete unless we understand another pair of words:
Pravritti and Nivritti
Most seekers imagine these two as opposites.
Pravritti means worldly life.
Nivritti means renunciation.
But is that really what Nivruttinath means?
Or is he speaking of two movements of the same Consciousness?
Bhagavan Nityananda, when asked what the Guru does, He said: “Guru shows Nivrutti Marg!”
Bhagavan Nityananda always emphasised “Duty First”
The opening line
“प्रवृत्ती निवृत्ती दोन्ही सहज“
Remind us of Bhagavan Nityananda’s simple teaching:
Duty First.
He never encouraged escapism. He transformed life itself into Yoga.
Perhaps Nivruttinath is saying precisely the same thing.
The problem is not action. The problem is attachment.
The problem is not the world. The problem is identification.
When identification disappears, Pravritti itself becomes Nivritti.
There is one sentence from Bhagavan Nityananda’s Chidakasha:
“When a man attains perfection, the whole universe becomes to him, his Guru.”
And there is one sentence of Nivruttinath:
“प्रवृत्ती निवृत्ती दोन्ही सहज“
Bhagavan begins with the perfected soul.
Nivruttinath begins with ordinary life.
Both arrive at the same destination.
“प्रवृत्ती निवृत्ती दोन्ही सहज“ — contain an entire philosophy of life.
Bhakti – Chaitanya – Prabodha
Study of Sant Nivruttinath Maharaj
प्रवृत्ती निवृत्ती दोन्ही सहज
Nivruttinath Maharaj has not begun by speaking about God. He has not spoken about meditation. He has not spoken about Yoga. He has not spoken about Samadhi.
He begins with life itself. That itself is remarkable.
Most seekers imagine spirituality begins after leaving the world.
Nivruttinath begins in the middle of the world.
The First Word
प्रवृत्ती (Pravṛtti)
Ordinarily we translate it as:
Worldly Life
But that translation is incomplete.
The Sanskrit root is
√वृत् (vṛt)
meaning
to move, to function, to act
Pra + vṛtti
means
movement outward.
It is Consciousness expressing itself through action.
Therefore Pravritti includes family, profession, society, service, responsibility, creation, learning, teaching, even worship.
Everything that moves outward is Pravritti.
Pravritti is therefore not bondage.
It is simply the movement of life.
The Second Word
निवृत्ती (Nivṛtti)
Again,
we usually translate it as – Renunciation.
But Nivruttinath certainly means something much deeper.
Ni + vṛtti
means
the movement returning to its Source. The river flowing back into the ocean. The mind resting in the Self. The ego dissolving into Consciousness.
Nivritti is therefore not inactivity, not escape, not laziness, not abandoning one’s duties.
It is
the inward movement of Consciousness.
Now comes the Genius of Nivruttinath
He places the two words together.
प्रवृत्ती — निवृत्ती
Most philosophies discuss them separately. He refuses to separate them. Already he is teaching. Then comes one astonishing word
दोन्ही
Both. Not one. Not either.
Both.
This one word destroys centuries of misunderstanding. The saint is not asking us to choose between Householder or monk, marketplace or cave, family or forest.
He says
Both.
Then comes the greatest surprise.
सहज
Naturally, Effortlessly, Spontaneously.
Not through conflict, not through suppression, not through running away, not through violence against oneself.
Spirituality is not unnatural. It is our natural state.
Reading the sentence again
प्रवृत्ती निवृत्ती दोन्ही सहज
A literal translation would be
“Both outward activity and inward renunciation exist naturally together.”
But I think Nivruttinath is saying something even subtler.
Perhaps he is saying
The enlightened person does not alternate between Pravritti and Nivritti.
He lives both simultaneously.
Bhagavan Nityananda immediately comes to mind
How did Bhagavan live? Every moment around Him was a celebration, Utsav, happening. Although, He was silent, still, the environment around Him was very vibrant
Did He remain in a cave?
No.
He built schools. He fed thousands. He dug wells. He constructed roads. He guided devotees. He solved worldly problems. He inspired industries. He looked after the sick.
Outwardly,
unceasing Pravritti.
Inwardly,
perfect Nivritti.
Not the slightest ego.
This, perhaps, is exactly what Nivruttinath calls
“दोन्ही सहज“.
Bhakti – Chaitanya – Prabodha
1. Bhakti
Initially,
Bhakti is expressed through Pravritti.
We worship. We sing. We serve. We perform Manasa Pooja. We repeat the Divine Name – Namasmran, Action predominates.
2. Chaitanya
Gradually,
while performing all actions, we discover the Witness.
The Heart Space. The Guru within.
Pravritti continues.
But inwardly,
Nivritti begins.
3. Prabodha
Finally, there remains neither Pravṛtti nor Nivṛtti as separate experiences. The distinction between action and renunciation disappears. Everything becomes Sahaja—natural, spontaneous, and effortless. Life itself becomes an uninterrupted expression of the Divine.
This is precisely what Bhagavan Nityananda repeatedly emphasised:
“Sadhana should be Sahaja.”
Bhagavan never encouraged spiritual practices performed through force, rigidity, or excessive austerity. If a seeker undertook Sadhana by sheer compulsion or with strained effort, Bhagavan would gently caution that such baljābari (forcefulness) would eventually produce adverse effects. An artificially imposed discipline cannot be sustained for long and may even create physical, mental, or spiritual imbalance.
True Sadhana, He taught, must arise naturally from within. It should be embraced with love rather than compulsion, with dedication rather than pressure. When practice becomes effortless, joyful, and voluntary, it ceases to be a burden and gradually becomes one’s very nature.
This is the state that Sant Nivruttinath calls “Sahaja.” It is not a state of inactivity but of natural harmony, where Pravṛtti (right action) and Nivṛtti (inner renunciation) are no longer experienced as opposites. Outwardly, life continues with all its duties and responsibilities; inwardly, there is complete stillness, freedom, and non-doership.
Thus, the culmination of Sadhana is not forced renunciation but effortless abidance in the Self. When Bhakti becomes pure, Chaitanya awakens, and Prabodha dawns, life itself flows spontaneously. Nothing is abandoned, yet nothing binds. This is the Sahaja Avasthā lived by the great Siddhas, exemplified by Bhagavan Nityananda, and beautifully encapsulated in Sant Nivruttinath’s opening declaration:
“प्रवृत्ती निवृत्ती दोन्ही सहज“ — Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti coexist naturally in the realized soul.
Further, this is exactly why the saints repeatedly use the word
Sahaja Samadhi.
Not a special state. A natural state.
A Thought from the Upanishads
The Īśāvāsya Upanishad opens with:
ईशावास्यमिदं सर्वं…
and later teaches:
कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतं समाः
“Perform action throughout life.”
It does not reject Karma.
It rejects attachment.
Nivruttinath says the same thing in one line.
Therefore, a Sadhak asks,
Am I trying to escape from my responsibilities in the name of spirituality?
Or
Am I becoming so absorbed in responsibilities that I forget my true nature?
Nivruttinath smiles and says
Neither. Live both.
In Sudha Bhakti is precisely that state in which Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti cease to be opposites.
When devotion is still immature, the seeker feels torn: “Should I serve my family or seek God? Should I fulfil my worldly duties or retire into contemplation?” But as Bhakti becomes pure, this conflict dissolves. Every duty is offered to the Guru, every action becomes worship, and inwardly there is no doership. Outwardly there is Pravṛtti; inwardly there is Nivṛtti. The two are no longer in tension—they have become sahaja.
If this understanding is correct, then the very first line of Sant Nivruttinath is not merely about two modes of living. It is an invitation to discover the natural harmony in which Bhakti ripens into Chaitanya, and Chaitanya flowers into Prabodha.
That is the doorway through which this entire abhanga invites us to enter.
जनीं वनीं काज करुनी असती
Janīṁ Vanīṁ Kāja Karunī Asatī
Whether among people or in the forest, they continue to perform their duties.
At first glance, it appears to be speaking of place.
But Nivruttinath is almost certainly speaking of states of consciousness.
जनीं (Janīṁ)
Among people. The marketplace. Society. Family. Business. Office. Responsibilities. Relationships.
The entire world of interaction.
This is Pravṛtti in its fullest expression.
वनीं (Vanīṁ)
In the forest.
Traditionally, the forest represents solitude, silence, meditation, withdrawal, contemplation.
But in Indian spirituality,
“forest” has another meaning.
It represents
the inward journey.
A person may sit in a forest, yet be full of desires.
Another may live in Mumbai, yet remain inwardly established in silence.
Therefore,
Nivruttinath is not contrasting
Mumbai
versus Himalayas.
He is contrasting
outer engagement
and
inner stillness.
काज (Kāja)
This word is extraordinary.
It simply means
Work, duty, purpose, what ought to be done.
Notice,
he does not say – “meditation.”
He does not say – “worship.”
He says
Kāja – Duty.
The Nath tradition has never rejected work.
It rejects
ego.
करुनी असती
“They continue to perform.”
Not occasionally. Not reluctantly. Not under compulsion.
It becomes
their natural mode of living.
This is Karma Yoga
without ever using the word Karma Yoga.
Now the entire line again.
जनीं वनीं काज करुनी असती
The ordinary person thinks
“I work when I am in society.”
“I meditate when I go to an Ashram.”
“I pray in a temple.”
“I become spiritual during pilgrimage.”
Nivruttinath smiles.
The Siddha works, everywhere.
Meditates everywhere. Loves God everywhere. Lives in the Self everywhere.
Bhagavan Nityananda’s Life
Is this not exactly Bhagavan?
Whether at Ganeshpuri, Kanhangad, on the streets of Mumbai, or sitting silently,
He remained the same.
He never became more spiritual because He entered a cave.
Nor less spiritual because He dealt with thousands of devotees.
His state never changed. Only His activities changed.
In the Chidakasha Gita, Bhagavan Nityananda says:
“When a man attains perfection, the whole universe becomes to him his Guru.”
If the entire universe has become the Guru, then where is the distinction between the forest and the town? Where is the need to search for holiness in a particular place? Every place has become sacred because the seeker now perceives the Divine everywhere.
This was not merely a philosophical statement for Bhagavan; it was the way He lived and taught. Whenever a devotee approached Him expressing a desire to undertake a pilgrimage, Bhagavan would often ask:
“Why do you want to go there? What will you find there that you cannot find where you are now?”
He would then remind them:
“Everything is Here and Now.”
Bhagavan’s teaching was not intended to diminish the sanctity of pilgrimage or holy places. Rather, He sought to awaken the seeker to a higher truth: the true pilgrimage is from the mind to the Heart. Until the Divine is discovered within, one may wander from one sacred place to another. But when the Heart awakens, every place becomes a place of pilgrimage, every moment becomes sacred, and the whole universe reveals itself as the living Guru.
This is precisely the state described by Sant Nivruttinath. Whether one is “जनीं” (among people) or “वनीं” (in the forest) makes no difference to the realised soul. The outer surroundings may change, but the inner awareness remains established in the One Reality. Thus, the entire world becomes the Guru’s temple, and every step becomes a pilgrimage.
Looking from Bhakti–Chaitanya–Prabodha
Bhakti
In the beginning, the devotee searches for holy places.
He feels God lives in temples, ashrams, pilgrimages.
This is natural.
Chaitanya
Then, slowly, the Guru reveals
that
the temple has entered the Heart.
Now
wherever one goes, the Guru accompanies him.
The forest has entered the town.
Prabodha
Finally,
there remains neither forest nor town.
Everything is Chaitanya.
This
is why Bhagavan said
“The whole universe becomes his Guru.”
Sudha Bhavana
A purified mind does not divide life into
Sacred and Secular.
Temple and Office.
Meditation and Duty.
Everything becomes Sadhana.
Let us ask ourselves. Why do we become peaceful only during Satsang?
Why only while reading scriptures? Why only while sitting before the Guru’s photograph?
Can we retain the same awareness while speaking to our children, working in the office,
driving through traffic, meeting difficult people, or sitting in a hospital?
If yes, then
Janīṁ Vanīṁ
has begun.
Bhagavan Nityananda often directed devotees not to abandon their lives but to transform the quality of their participation in life. His emphasis on Manasa Pooja beautifully illustrates this. During Manasa Pooja, the seeker learns to offer every thought, every emotion, every duty to the Sadguru. If that attitude is carried beyond the period of worship into daily life, then one is no longer performing Manasa Pooja for a few minutes each day—life itself becomes Manasa Pooja.
Perhaps that is the living meaning of “जनीं वनीं काज करुनी असती.” Whether in the bustle of society or the stillness of solitude, every action becomes an offering, every encounter becomes worship, and every duty becomes an expression of Bhakti. When lived in this spirit, the distinction between the temple and the world disappears. The whole of life becomes the Sadguru’s shrine.
This insight forms a beautiful bridge between Sant Nivruttinath’s teaching and Bhagavan Nityananda’s insistence that the true temple is within the Heart. There, whether one is in जनीं or वनीं, the worship never ceases.
नारायण नाम जपतांचि दोन्ही ।
Nārāyaṇa Nāma Japatānchi Donhī
Both (Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti) are accomplished through the constant repetition of the Name of Narayana.
This is one of the most beautiful transitions in the abhanga.
Until now, Nivruttinath has spoken of life.
Now he tells us how life is transformed.
नारायण (Nārāyaṇa)
Ordinarily we think of Narayana as Lord Vishnu.
That is true. But saints rarely stop with the mythological meaning. The word itself is deeply philosophical.
One traditional derivation is:
नर (Nara) – all beings, all individual lives.
आयन (Ayana) – the resting place, refuge, final abode.
Therefore,
Nārāyaṇa means,
The One in whom all beings arise, live and finally rest.
It is the Supreme Consciousness. The Universal Self. The Paramatma.
Why does Nivruttinath choose “Narayana”?
Why not Shiva? Why not Krishna? Why not Vitthala?
Because he is not emphasising a sect. He is pointing towards the Supreme Reality.
The Name is a doorway. Not a limitation.
नाम (Nāma)
This word deserves our deepest attention.
The saint does not say Think. Reason. Debate. Study.
He says Name.
Why?
Because the Name connects the mind to the Heart. The intellect can understand.
Only the Name can transform.
जपतांचि (Japatānchi)
Not
occasionally remembering.
Not
chanting for ten minutes.
But
constantly.
The word indicates a continuous remembrance.
Eventually, the Name repeats itself. The seeker does not repeat it.
This is Ajapa Japa.
दोन्ही (Donhī)
Again,
Nivruttinath repeats this wonderful word.
Both.
Which both? Pravritti and Nivritti.
What unites them? The Name.
A Wonderful Revelation
Until now we were asking, How can one live in the world without becoming worldly?
Nivruttinath answers in one sentence.
Keep the Name alive.
Then Pravritti never loses its connection with Nivritti.
Bhagavan Nityananda
Bhagavan Nityananda repeatedly emphasised the importance of Namasmarana. He often instructed devotees to repeat their Guru Mantra or the Divine Name. Why? Because the Name anchors the mind in the Divine. Without the Name, action easily becomes centred on the ego; with the Name, every action becomes an act of worship.
Namasmarana is unique because it unites both Saguna and Nirguna Upasana simultaneously. The moment the Divine Name is uttered, the corresponding Divine Form arises in the heart. Likewise, the moment the Form is contemplated, the Name spontaneously resounds within. Thus, Name is Form and Form is Name (Nāma-rūpa abheda).
The Form serves as the support for the mind in Pravṛtti, while the Name silently draws the mind towards Nivṛtti. Outwardly, the devotee continues to perform all duties; inwardly, the current of the Divine Name flows uninterrupted. Thus, Pravṛtti is sanctified by Namasmarana, and Nivṛtti is deepened through it.
This is precisely why Sant Nivruttinath says:
“नारायण नाम जपतांचि दोन्ही“
Through the constant remembrance of the Divine Name, both Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti are harmonized.
In the beginning, the devotee consciously repeats the Name. Gradually, the Name begins to repeat itself. Finally, the distinction between the one who chants, the act of chanting, and the Divine whose Name is chanted disappears. What remains is effortless remembrance—Ajapa Japa. At that stage, every action becomes worship, every breath becomes prayer, and the seeker naturally abides in the Sahaja state described by Sant Nivruttinath.
Looking at Bhakti–Chaitanya–Prabodha framework:
Bhakti begins with the Form (Rūpa). Chaitanya awakens through the Name (Nāma). Prabodha reveals that Nāma, Rūpa, and the Named are One Reality.
That is a profound summary of the spiritual significance of Namasmarana and its relationship to Pravṛtti, Nivṛtti, and Sant Nivruttinath’s teaching.
In Chidakasha Gita, Bhagavan say,
Bhakti in the beginning is selfish. Afterwards there is no selfishness in it.
How does selfishness disappear? Not merely by effort.
The Name gradually erodes the ego. The Name slowly shifts the centre of life.
One day, the seeker discovers that he is no longer acting for himself.
Everything belongs to the Guru.
Bhakti–Chaitanya–Prabodha
Bhakti
At first we repeat the Name. Sometimes mechanically. Sometimes emotionally. Sometimes with faith. Sometimes without concentration.
Still, the Guru tells us Continue.
Chaitanya
Gradually the Name begins to repeat itself.
Now, the seeker discovers that the Name is alive. It carries Consciousness.
Prabodha
Finally, there is no repetition. No repeater. Only the Presence to which the Name
was pointing. The Name merges into the Named.
Manasa Pooja
Manasa Pooja is the process of offering our Vikaras, Vasanas and Samskaras to the Sadguru.
Now see what Nivruttinath is adding. The offering becomes continuous through Nama.
Without Nama, Manasa Pooja remains a practice.
With Nama, Manasa Pooja becomes life itself. Because when you take the Name, the Form manifests within and when Form manifests within, the Name automatically emerges. Thus, Manas Pooja is Nirguna and Saguna Upasana which finally leadns to the Self within.
The sequence,
Notice the order of the abhanga. He did not begin with Nama. Shree Nivruttinath Maharaj, He first established
Pravritti, Nivritti, Janim, Vanim.
Why?
Because the Name is not meant to take us away from life. It is meant to sanctify life.
Thus,
While working, where is my mind?
Does it wander endlessly? Or does some current of the Divine Name quietly continue within?
The world need not stop for the Name. The Name should accompany the world.
Then every duty becomes sacred. Then every relationship becomes purified.
Then every breath becomes prayer.
Bhagavan Nityananda repeatedly brought seekers back to the Heart Space (Hridayākāśa). Sant Nivruttinath, on the other hand, repeatedly brings the seeker back to the Name. At first these may appear to be two different paths. But are they?
Perhaps not.
The Name is what gathers the scattered mind and gently leads it inward. As the mind becomes one-pointed, it naturally settles in the Heart. There, the Name no longer remains merely a sound; it reveals itself as Chaitanya, the living Presence. And when that Presence alone shines, Prabodha dawns.
If this is true, then the progression becomes beautifully complete:
Nama →
Sudha Bhakti →
Hridayākāśa →
Chaitanya →
Prabodha.
The Name is thus not the destination. It is the compassionate bridge by which the Sadguru leads the seeker from outward activity to inward awakening.
Sant Nivruttinath is quietly revealing that bridge, one simple line at a time. And that, perhaps, is why this abhanga is so precious.
एकतत्त्वीं करणी सांगिजे गुज ॥
Eka-tattvīṁ Karaṇī Sāṅgije Guja
The secret is to perform all actions established in the One Reality.
This appears to be a simple instruction.
In reality, Nivruttinath has now revealed the entire mystery of spiritual life.
He first said
Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti.
Then
Live among people and in solitude alike.
Then
Keep the Divine Name alive.
Now he tells us why.
Because everything must be established in
One Tattva.
Word-by-Word Study
एक (Eka)
One. Not numerically one.
But
the One without a second. The Upanishadic One. The One that appears as
Guru, God, Universe, Jiva,
and finally the Self.
This is
“एकमेवाद्वितीयम्“
The One alone exists.
तत्त्वीं (Tattvīṁ)
Established in the Truth. Not merely believing. Not intellectually accepting.
But living from That. There is a great difference. Many people know
“Brahman alone is Real.”
But, few live from that Truth.
Nivruttinath speaks of living in Truth.
Notice the progression. He never says
Realise Brahman first.
Instead
he quietly transforms daily life until Truth reveals itself.
This is the Nath way.
करणी (Karaṇī)
Action. Conduct. Way of living. Not philosophy. Practice. Character. Behaviour. Life.
One’s whole existence. The Truth must become our conduct.
सांगिजे (Sāṅgije)
“It is said.”
The Guru does not impose. He reveals. The Truth cannot be forced. It is shared.
गुज (Guja)
Secret.
Mystery. Not secret because someone is hiding it. Secret because the ego cannot understand it. The intellect cannot capture it. It must be lived.
What is the Secret?
Nivruttinath says
The secret is not to stop working. Nor to run away. Nor to become a scholar. Nor to become a monk. The secret is to establish every action in the One Reality.
Bhagavan Nityananda
Bhagavan repeatedly said
Everything is One.
Sometimes He said, “See everything as God.”
Sometimes “The Guru is everywhere.”
Sometimes “The whole universe becomes the Guru.”
Are these different teachings? No. They are all
Eka Tattva.
Chidakasha Gita
Again,
“When a man attains perfection, the whole universe becomes to him, his Guru.”
Why?
Because he sees only One. Not many. The Guru has expanded into everything.
That is Eka Tattva.
Bhagavan’s Heart Space
Now, something beautiful emerges.
Hridaya Akasha.
What is seen there? Many? No. One.
The Heart is not another place. It is where duality ends. Where One alone shines.
Bhakti–Chaitanya–Prabodha
Now let us view this line through this framework.
Bhakti
Initially, I worship my Guru. God appears separate. The relationship is dual. “I” love “Him.”
Chaitanya
Gradually, I begin to feel His Presence everywhere. The Guru is no longer confined to a photograph, an Ashram, or a temple. He becomes living Consciousness.
Prabodha
Finally, there remains no second. The worshipper, the worship, and the Worshipped merge.
This is exactly what is in Chidakasha Gita: the Omkara first serves as the support for meditation; then it becomes the triad of meditator, meditation, and object of meditation; finally, when even that triad dissolves, Omkara itself is experienced as the Chaitanyamaya Atma.
Is this not
Eka Tattva?
Manasa Pooja
Manasa Pooja becomes complete. Initially, I offer flowers to the Guru. Then I offer my Vasanas. Then my ego. Finally, who remains to offer? Only the Guru. This is the hidden meaning of Manasa Pooja.
Thus,
We ask ourselves during the day:
When I speak, am I speaking to another person,
or
am I speaking to the same Consciousness wearing another form?
When I serve, am I serving someone else,
or
am I serving my own Guru present in another body? If this awareness grows, every encounter becomes sacred.
Under Bhakti–Chaitanya–Prabodha.
The abhanga began with Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti—the apparent duality of life. It then introduced Nama as the means of inner purification. Now it reveals the guj, the hidden secret: all conduct (karaṇī) must be rooted in Eka Tattva, the One Reality.
Seen in this light, Bhakti is no longer directed towards an external object. It becomes the purification of vision. Chaitanya is the dawning recognition that the One Reality pervades all beings and all actions. Prabodha is the irreversible conviction born of direct experience that there never was anything other than That.
Perhaps this is why Bhagavan Nityananda could say that the perfected person finds the whole universe to be his Guru. Once Eka Tattva is realized, every form teaches, every event instructs, every duty becomes worship, and every breath becomes an expression of the One.
To me, this single line—“एकतत्त्वीं करणी सांगिजे गुज“—is one of the finest definitions of living Advaita ever expressed in Marathi. It is not Advaita confined to philosophy; it is Advaita expressed in conduct, in devotion, and in daily life. And that is precisely what both Sant Nivruttinath and Bhagavan Nityananda embodied.
We now arrive at what is considered to be the culmination of the entire abhanga. If the previous line described the gradual purification of the mind, this line describes the fruit of that purification.
सत्त्वीं तत्त्वसीमा निजज्ञाने ॥
Sattvīṁ Tattva-sīmā Nijajñāne
Through purity (Sattva), by one’s own direct knowledge, one reaches the very limit (summit) of Truth.
This is not merely a philosophical statement. It is the culmination of the entire spiritual journey.
सत्त्वीं (Sattvīṁ)
Derived from Sattva.
Normally we translate Sattva as Purity, Harmony, Balance, Serenity
But Nivruttinath means something even deeper. Sattva is the mind that has become transparent. Like a perfectly clean mirror. The mirror does not create the reflection. It merely allows Reality to shine.
Bhagavan Nityananda
How beautifully Bhagavan speaks of this! He repeatedly tells us
“Purify the mind.” Nirmal Man, Nischal Man, Sudha Man
Not because God is absent. But because the mind has become clouded.
The sun never disappears. The clouds disappear.
Connection with Sudha Bhavana
Why did the ancient Acharyas insist upon
Anitya Bhavana,
Asharana Bhavana,
Anyatva Bhavana,
Samvara,
Nirjara,
Maitri,
Karuna,
Madhyastha…
Because all these together produce
Sattva.
Not merely moral goodness. Inner transparency. Perhaps we should not think of the Bhavanas as separate contemplations. They are different methods for purifying the same mirror.
तत्त्वसीमा (Tattva-sīmā)
This is an extraordinary compound.
Tattva – Truth. Reality. The Absolute.
Sīmā – Boundary. Limit. Summit. Completion.
Nivruttinath is not saying
“Know a little Truth.”
He says Reach the very summit of Truth. Where there is nothing more to know.
Is Truth Limited?
How can Truth have a boundary? He is not speaking of Truth’s limit. He is speaking
of the seeker’s journey. When the journey ends, the destination has been reached.
That is
Tattva-Sima.
निजज्ञाने (Nijajñāne)
This is perhaps the most important word in the entire verse.
Nija – One’s own. Innermost. True. Essential.
Jñāna – Knowledge.
But not borrowed knowledge. Not scripture. Not philosophy. Not memory. Direct realization.
This is where Bhakti flowers
Nivruttinath has led us. He never said, Study more books. He never said, Become a philosopher. He led us through Pravritti, Nivritti, Nama, Purity,
until
Knowledge became Experience. That is Nija Jnana.
Bhagavan Nityananda
He repeatedly says The Guru must awaken the Knowledge already present within. He never says The Guru gives Knowledge. He removes ignorance. The Knowledge is already Nija.
One’s own.
Chidakasha Gita
“One experiences that Omkara itself is the Chaitanyamaya Atma.”
Notice the word: Experience. Not concept. Exactly Nija Jnana.
Shree Nivruttinath Maharaj compresses that entire teaching into one word.
Nijajnana.
Bhakti – Chaitanya – Prabodha
Bhakti
The heart is purified. Love becomes selfless.
Chaitanya
The seeker begins to experience the living Presence within. Not merely believe. Experience.
Prabodha
Now Knowledge is no longer information. It becomes identity.
“I know”
disappears.
“I am”
remains.
This is Nija Jnana.
Hridaya Akasha
The Heart Space. Why the Heart? Because knowledge finally descends from the head to the Heart. Until then, it remains Paroksha Jnana (indirect knowledge). In the Heart, it becomes Aparoksha Anubhuti. Direct realization.
Manasa Pooja.
It is not merely a devotional practice. It is the purification of Sattva. Every offering reduces one more layer of ego. Eventually, the mirror becomes clear. Then Nija Jnana shines of itself.
Thus,
A question arises: Have I accumulated spiritual information?
Or
has my heart become simpler, quieter, more compassionate, less demanding, more surrendered? If the second is happening, then Sattva is increasing. And where Sattva matures, Nija Jnana cannot remain hidden.
We now come to what I feel is the final fruit of the entire abhanga. If the previous verse described the attainment of Nijajnana, this concluding verse describes the life of the realized soul.
निवृत्ती तत्त्वतां मनाचे मोहन ।
नित्य समाधानें रामनामें ॥
Nivṛttī tattvatāṁ manāce mohana ।
Nitya samādhāne Rāmanāme ॥
True Nivṛtti is the mind becoming absorbed in the Supreme Reality. Through the constant remembrance of Rama’s Name arises perpetual contentment.
This is one of those verses where every word is luminous.
Nivruttinath now tells us:
What is true Nivṛtti?
The First Word
निवृत्ती (Nivṛtti)
Beautifully the saint has arranged the abhanga.
He began with
Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti.
Now, after taking us through Nama, Eka Tattva, Purification, Nijajnana, he returns to Nivṛtti.
Why?
Because now we are capable of understanding it.
What is Nivṛtti?
Thus, we think Nivṛtti means leaving home. Leaving society. Living in a cave. Wearing saffron robes.
Nivruttinath quietly says No.
तत्त्वतां (Tattvatām)
This word deserves great attention.
It means
abidance in Reality.
Not occasional meditation. Not mystical experience. Abidance. Remaining established in Truth.
This is Sthita Prajna of the Gita.
मनाचे मोहन (Manāce Mohana)
Literally, “The enchantment of the mind.”
Usually the mind is enchanted by wealth, power, relationships, fame, success, even spiritual experiences.
Nivruttinath says
there is another enchantment. The mind becomes enchanted by Truth itself. Now
the world loses its fascination. Not because the seeker rejects it. But because he has discovered something infinitely more beautiful.
Bhagavan Nityananda
Thousands came with problems. Bhagavan listened. Blessed them. Guided them. Yet inwardly He never seemed disturbed. Why? Because His mind was established in Tattva. This is true Nivṛtti.
नित्य समाधानें रामनामें
Now comes the fruit.
नित्य (Nitya)
Always. Not during meditation alone. Not during Satsang. Not during pilgrimage. Always.
समाधानें (Samādhāne)
Usually translated as contentment. But Samadhana has a richer meaning. Inner fulfilment. Freedom from restlessness. A heart that has stopped searching because it has found its Home.
This is not ordinary happiness
Happiness depends upon circumstances. Contentment depends upon Being. Bhagavan’s peace did not depend upon who came, who left, what happened. It flowed from within.
रामनामें (Rāmanāme)
Why Rama? Because Rama here is not merely the historical prince of Ayodhya. He is the indwelling Reality. The Name has now become the living Presence. Earlier the eeker repeated the Name. Now the Name has become his natural state.
The Journey of Nama
Notice how the abhanga has unfolded. Initially, Nama was practice. Now, Nama has become abidance. The Name and the Named have become one.
Bhakti – Chaitanya – Prabodha
Bhakti
“I repeat the Name.”
Chaitanya
“I begin to feel His Presence.”
Prabodha
“There is only His Presence.”
No repetition remains. No repeater remains. Only Rama.
Chidakasha Gita
It said:
ध्यान, ध्याता आणि ध्येय ही त्रिपुटी नाहीशी होते.
Meditation, Meditator, Object of Meditation all disappear. Exactly! Is this not what Nivruttinath has now reached?
Sudha Bhakti
Earlier Bhakti contained desire. Now there is no bargaining. No expectation. No fear. No demand. Only love. Pure. Effortless. Natural.
Hridaya Akasha
Bhagavan repeatedly spoke of the Heart Space. Why? The Heart is not merely the seat of devotion. It is where Nama, Bhakti, Chaitanya, Jnana, and Peace become one.
Thus,
Live fully in the world (Pravṛtti), remain inwardly free (Nivṛtti), sanctify every action through the Divine Name, perceive the One Reality in all, purify the mind until direct knowledge dawns, and finally abide in effortless contentment born of union with the Divine.
When we began, the words Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti appeared to describe two paths. By the end, they are no longer two. The outward movement of life continues, but the inward movement has come to rest in the Self. There is no conflict because the centre has changed.
This, I believe, beautifully mirrors the life of Bhagavan Nityananda. Externally there was immense activity—guiding devotees, building schools, feeding the poor, uplifting society. Internally there was unbroken abidance in the Self. That is why His instruction “Duty First” is not merely practical advice; it is the expression of one who lived Pravṛtti illumined by Nivṛtti.
Sant Nivruttinath has not merely described this journey—he has embodied it in a few deceptively simple lines. The abhanga begins with life as we know it and ends with life as the Siddha lives it.
The brilliance of Sant Nivruttinath: he does not ask us to abandon the world. He teaches us how the world itself becomes the field in which Bhakti matures into Chaitanya, and Chaitanya flowers into Prabodha.
“प्रवृत्ती निवृत्ती दोन्ही सहज“
At first reading, this appears to be a simple devotional abhanga. After contemplation, one realizes that it is a complete philosophy of life. It answers one of the oldest questions in Indian spirituality:
Should one live in the world or renounce it?
Sant Nivruttinath’s answer is astonishingly simple:
Neither.
Transform your way of living. The Harmony of Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti. The ordinary mind divides life into two parts.
Worldly life.
Spiritual life.
Householder.
Monk.
Duty.
Meditation.
Temple.
Market.
Nivruttinath removes every one of these divisions. He does not ask us to abandon action. He asks us to abandon ego. He does not ask us to escape the world. He asks us to discover the One Reality while living in it.
Thus, Pravṛtti becomes the field, and Nivṛtti becomes its fragrance.
The Secret (गुज)
The saint himself calls it
गुज
—the secret.
The secret is not hidden because it is mysterious. It is hidden because the mind always looks for extraordinary experiences, while Truth quietly reveals itself in ordinary life. Perform every duty. Repeat the Divine Name. Purify the heart. See the One in all. Remain established in Truth. This is the entire secret.
If I were to preserve only one sentence from this entire abhanga, it would be this:
True spirituality does not remove us from life; it transforms the consciousness with which life is lived.
I believe this sentence captures the spirit of Sant Nivruttinath, Bhagavan Nityananda, the Bhagavad Gita, and indeed the Upanishads.
My Pranams
Let me conclude with my own pranams to Sant Nivruttinath Maharaj.
He did not ask us to become monks.
He did not ask us to become scholars.
He did not even ask us to become devotees in the ordinary sense.
He asked us to become natural—Sahaja.
And perhaps that is the highest tribute one can pay to both Sant Nivruttinath and Bhagavan Nityananda, for both embodied the same effortless truth:
Live fully. Love purely. See the One everywhere.
Let every action arise from the Heart, and let every breath become worship.
Then Pravṛtti itself flowers into Nivṛtti, Bhakti blossoms into Chaitanya, and Chaitanya culminates in Prabodha.
