Why Bharadwaj Says, “I’ve Been Waiting for You”

Question

In the story, Bharadwaj says to Ram, “I have been waiting for you for a long time.” What does “waiting for a long time” mean here?

Answer

This means that Bharadwaj represents the ācharaṇ-parak man — the conduct-oriented mind. But when does this conduct-oriented mind arise? Only when we become established in Self-knowledge. Without Self-knowledge, such a mind simply does not exist.

So when Bharadwaj — that is, the conduct-oriented mind — says, “I have long been waiting for you,” it symbolizes the mind’s inner call for the awakening of Self-knowledge. The conduct-oriented mind keeps waiting: “When will Self-awareness descend within me? When will I recognize my true Self?”

Because the existence and meaning of the conduct-oriented mind depend entirely on Self-knowledge. Without that inner awakening, conduct has no true foundation. One cannot genuinely live what one knows.

Thus, the statement “I have been waiting for you for a long time” is deeply symbolic — it means that the conduct-oriented mind is waiting for the light of Self-knowledge to appear, for only then does its existence become real and purposeful.