Bhajan evening in the Jadan Ashram
The senses are powerful and create the entire world of entanglement. The ten senses within the body are difficult for any yogi to fully master. The world is ensnared by their play, particularly by the lower senses like taste and procreation. All beings, from Brahma to animals, are bound by these senses. Their force is the great delusion that must be conquered.
"The senses are a powerful force of delusion; what has this entangled world become?"
"All beings of the world are under the control of these senses. What has this world become, so entangled?"
Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India
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Bhajan singing in the Jadan Ashram
The promise to the divine must be fulfilled. A vow made to the Guru and the Lord is an absolute commitment that defines the spiritual path. This promise is the essence of devotion and the means to liberation. The devotee's role is to uphold this word above all else, regardless of the coming and going of other followers. The ultimate aim is to realize one's divine nature, supported by grace. Fulfilling this sacred promise is the core duty.
"He has to keep his promise to the Lord."
"When I die into my eyes, they will mutely say, 'I will be God.'"
Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India
Being a human
Spiritual discipline guides one from ignorance to enlightenment.
Human life is a rare opportunity among countless life forms. Animals possess innate discipline, but humans are given specific principles—conduct, thought, diet, and recreation—to cultivate goodness and occupy the mind positively. These rules, including fasting and observing holy days, were established by sages to prevent negative actions. Every action creates a corresponding reaction, good or bad. By following these disciplined observances, known as saṃskāras, one progresses spiritually. Without such discipline, one remains bound to the cycle of karma and rebirth. The goal is to become absorbed in the formless, eternal Brahman.
"God knows everything, does He not? God knows what you will say, what you will do."
"Where there is action, there will be reaction. Good action yields good reaction. Bad action yields bad reaction."
Filming location: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
The place where the past is hidden
The human body is a system of dormant energy and consciousness centered in the chakras. The Ātmā is one with the formless Supreme, whose light is within all. The physical body is one of five layered sheaths. Energy flows through 72,000 nerves, primarily through Iḍā, Piṅgalā, and Suṣumṇā. Where Iḍā and Piṅgalā intersect along the spine, energy circles form a chakra, a storehouse of dormant power. These nadis connect to eight major glands governing hormones and health. Blockages in these three principal nadis can cause severe physical and energetic disturbances. The Mūlādhāra Chakra at the base of the spine holds past karmas and desires, representing the unconscious mind and the border between animal and human consciousness. Its principle is ego, and its imbalance manifests as physical ailments. Mastery of sleep, breath, and purification practices is essential to awaken this latent energy and consciousness.
"Chakras are given their name because energy always moves in a circle."
"All past karmas, good or bad, all desires, are dormant, hidden in the Mūlādhāra Cakra."
Filming location: Vancouver, Canada
Shiv Mahapuran: Tulsi and Shankachuda
The demon Śaṅkhacūḍa’s invincibility stems from his wife Tulasī’s pativratā dharma. Nārada asks Brahmā why Viṣṇu went to Tulasī’s house, unveiling the origin of Śāligrām and tulasī’s sacredness.
Śaṅkhacūḍa, a Dānava born to Dhūmra through penance, gained Brahmā’s boon of being undefeated by gods. He married Tulasī, a yoginī devoted solely to purity. Their union amplified his power, and he tormented the gods. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva conferred. Śiva fought Śaṅkhacūḍa for ages but could not defeat him due to two protections: a Kṛṣṇa-given armour and Tulasī’s unbroken marital fidelity. Viṣṇu devised a plan. Disguised as a beggar, he tricked Śaṅkhacūḍa into surrendering the armour. Then, assuming Śaṅkhacūḍa’s form, Viṣṇu deceived Tulasī. Realizing the betrayal, Tulasī cursed Viṣṇu to become stone. Śiva intervened, consoling her that her mind remained pure. She shed her body, becoming the Gaṇḍakī River, while Viṣṇu, by her curse, became Śāligrām stone. Tulasī merged into Vaikuṇṭha and is ever worshipped with Viṣṇu. Śaṅkhacūḍa, weakened, was slain by Śiva’s trident and returned to Kṛṣṇa. The pativratā dharma of a wife grants immense strength; breaching it dismantles that power.
“Viṣṇu Bhagavān Śāligrām Ho Kar Rahe. Isliye Śāligrām Ko Viṣṇu Bhagavān Ke Pratīk Manā Jātā Hai.”
“Śāligrām ke andar me cakra Sudarśana cakra dikhāī detā hai, Viṣṇu kā. Gaṇḍakī me jāke snāna karegā, āśirvād milegā aur sārā pāp chhuṭ jāyegā.”
Filming location: Ujjain, India
