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Characteristics of Sectarians
realities and is therefore Nishchayabhäsi. This sort of onesided thinking is not helpful in arriving at the truth. The people belonging to either of these categories are sectarian (Matärthi), because they try to tread on the path of liberation by resorting to their one-sided viewpoint.
In this chapter Shrimad has described the characteristics of such sectarian people. The first five stanzas are devoted to the characteristics of Vyavahäräbhäsi, the subsequent three stanzas to those of Nishchayabhäsi, and the remaining two stanzas are common to both of them.
બાહ્યત્યાગ પણ જ્ઞાન નહિ, તે માને ગુરુ સત્ય; અથવા નિજકુળધર્મના, તે ગુરુમાં જ મમત્વ.
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Bähya Tyag Pan Jnän Nahin, Te Mäne Guru Satya; Athavä Nijkuldharmanä, Te Gurumän Ja Mamatva.
as
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The sectarian believes those as true gurus, who have outwardly renounced, but do not have enlightenment; or he has affinity for the family gurus, who belong to his sect. (24)
Explanation & Discussion: Spiritual pursuit consists of treading on the path of liberation. When the right path for the purpose is not known to a spiritual aspirant, he needs to know the same from a true Guru. Those, who are truth seekers, can recognize a true Guru from the characteristics given in stanza 10. But a sectarian holds wrong notions about guru. Either he goes in for the outward symbols or attaches importance to the family and sectarian aspects. He is impressed by the external renouncement and would therefore accept such persons as gurus. Those gurus could even be devoid of right knowledge and without any sense of internal detachment.
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