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Part 1: The Divine Procession: Śiva's Marriage and the Essence of Celebration Bhagavān Śiva declared, "From today, the wedding is fixed exactly after seven days. Within these seven days, everyone should get organized." Within these seven days, Kailā Himvān honored everyone and called Viśvakarmā Jī to arrange a very beautiful yajña. Nowadays, when people get married, they hand over the entire affair to event management. They entrust this entire responsibility to Viśvakarma Jī. A great assembly of Bhagavān Vaiṣṇavas has gathered, a great assembly of ṛṣis has come together. Bhagavān Śaṅkara said to His people, then Nandī and others like Bhrāṅgī, Surāṅgī went to the cremation grounds where all the spirits, ghosts, and demons in the Brahmāṇḍas of Bhagavān reside. Now, the devotees began adorning Bhagavān Śaṅkara. All the celestial beings, the hosts of gods, and the divine vehicles gathered, auspicious and benevolent, to illuminate the surroundings. Everyone was engaged in adorning Bhagavān Śaṅkara, and they fashioned a crown from His matted hair. Upon it, the snakes were like a peacock; Śivajī transformed the snakes into kuṇḍalīs and completely embraced the snakes within His body. Even today, when in this world someone is in the company of strange, unusual types of people, it is said that this is like the procession of Bhāī Saṅkar. Such a wondrous procession of Bhagavān Saṅkar’s attendants—so many Gaṇeśvara, Saṅkaraṇa, Kēkarākṣa, Vikarta, Viśākha, Pārijāta, Vikartānana, Ḍuḍumba, Kapāla, Sandāraka, Āveśana, Kuṇḍa, Parvataka, Chandratāpana, Kāla, Kālaka, Mahākāla, Pūrṇabhadra, Nīla, Chatravakta—ahead, Lord Śaṅkara is seated upon Nandī. A grand celebration has taken place. Observe the culture of this country; I wish to present it to you all who are seated here, and perhaps even to those watching from beyond their own efforts. In our country, every occasion is a celebration. Yesterday was Tīj, Tiyā, Choth, and then there is Ubha Chhath. What is the meaning of these festivals? Why are there so many festivals in India? Because it is said that life is joy. Celebrate marriage in life, celebrate birth as well. Yajñas, purification, Upanayana saṃskāra—there is an indication here to celebrate every event. The festival of Dīvālī is always towards the saint, and at all eight prāhars, the face is radiant, so there is bliss at every moment. Such a sparkling pearl is this saguṇa form of Bhagavān Śaṅkara; it is the subject of yogīs’ meditation, it is the subject of liberation. The vision of this form is not granted to Hari, for He is nirguṇa, nirākāra, and niṣkala. And what is the importance of marriage in our life, in our family, in our society, in our city, nation, and the entire world—this has been shown by Bhagavān through marriage itself. What is the importance of marriage in life and how does it affect society, the nation, and the world? Without a stable married life, no family can endure, and even society cannot manifest in the spiritual sense. Without the concept of marriage, no animal or bird is ever settled. Today, in the new society, this has been explained. In the Bhāgavata, Kardama Ṛṣi’s sacred marriage is described at the time of the creation of the universe. How essential marriage is, Mahārāj. And to establish marriage firmly, the principles of Śivatva and Pārvatī are required. You will say, "We are already 60 years old, Paṇḍitjī, to whom are you giving the message of marriage now?" Look, this message is for your forest-dwelling ones—how marriage should be conducted. When Mother Pārvatī performed tapasyā, then marriage was done. A person who tries to attain sādhana without tapasyā will not succeed in their sādhana. Before the marriage, Parvatī engaged in intense tapasyā, meditation, and samādhi, and she discovered the source of divine light within herself. Here, it is said that when a child is young, they are told, "Brother, get married and you will be happy; get a job and you will be happy." This is the teaching that is given. And if you think that another person will give you pleasure, enjoyment, and happiness, this is our great mistake. Happiness and enjoyment come from within. It was Pārvatī who revealed this to the world; Pārvatī first found Śiva within herself, and only then did she meet Śiva externally. Before marriage, any girl or any boy should attain samādhi; that is why in our country there was the brahmacarya āśrama. Brahmacarya means that before worldly life, one finds bliss within oneself. Therefore, after the gṛhastha āśrama comes the brahmacarya āśrama, and after brahmacarya... If we are empty from within, if we are empty from within, the marriage of Śiva also tells you something about how much it is celebrated. How much tapasyā did Pārvatī perform, and Mādev himself performed tapasyā. Why was this tapasyā revealed to us even before Pārvatī’s birth? It was told to us because, my brothers, if there is a tapasvī before marriage, he experiences marriage as a yogī. What does it mean to experience it as a yogī? A bhogī does not endure it; a bhogī becomes afflicted, but only a yogī can truly endure the world. Who, in our country, understands this tradition of the brahmacarya āśrama? In this tradition, when all the people began to enter Himachal, Mother Pārvatī quietly went to Brahmā Jī. Brahmā Jī then went to Viṣṇu Bhagavān and said, "Mahārāj, these ghosts and spirits..." Why do you count these piśācas with us? Brahmā, Brahmā, and others will go; the society of ṛṣis will be separate, and Dūlā will come behind with his attendants. Bhagavān Śaṅkara understood that we have been separated, excluded from the nyāta and society because His very form was such. What does Śaṅkara mean? It means to accept everything—everything is accepted, something... One of Immā Jī’s disciples told Bhagavān Śaṅkara that Mādeva does not like lies. Lord Śiva accepts everything; the only thing He never accepts is untruth. Hypocrisy is like the Ketakī flower—when it lies, it is rejected. This was said during Śivarātri at the South Florida Hindu Temple in America. The pūjā was performed during the four kāla of Śivarātri, and there was a little five-year-old girl from Maharashtra who did not sleep until two o’clock at night. Everyone asked her, and the paṇḍit said, “What? When will the one whose birthday it is arrive? I am telling you from here, what is samādhi to me? My tears have come.” What did this child ask? We perform pūjā, we offer water, we offer milk, we keep performing actions. I was in the USA and we all were worshipping Lord Śiva on Mahāśivarātri, in the month of February or March, it is approaching, and at midnight, 2 am, a little girl named Umā asked me, "Paṇḍitjī, we are celebrating for Lord Śiva and worshipping Him, yet I remain awake, wondering when He will come." Only innocence can behold the eyes of truth. We all have eyes, but we lack māsumyat. In this marketplace, marketplace means everything is being sold and bought. What do we lose? We lose our innocence, we lose our purity. We lose connectivity, self-centralization with the self. We have lost something of ourselves in order to protect ourselves from being deceived. It is written in the Bhagavān Garg Saṃhitā that in the Kali Yuga, if a person dedicates even one full day to God, they will attain siddhi, meaning they will find the path. This is written in the Garg Saṃhitā: if we give our 24 hours with honesty and purity to God, the gate... will open the way for the future, for the right path. But we do not have time. But time itself has passed away; we have indeed experienced the pleasures, we have indeed been the enjoyers; the thirst has indeed been quenched, and old age has indeed come upon us. We think we have merely passed the time. We are listening to the story of Śiva’s marriage for this reason, as it describes the form of Bhagavān Śiva. You might think Bhagavān Śiva is seated on Kailāsa, or at Mānasa Rāra, or at Amarnārtha, or at Ujjain, or at Tāḍake Śvarchim. Where is Bhagavān Śiva seated? On which Nandī is He seated? Look, in the temple of Bhagavān Śiva, there is a tortoise seated—pratyāhāra, self-centralization, the tortoise is seated. He is practicing pratyāhāra, turning inward. You see, Gaṇeśī symbolizes prāṇāyāma, the yama and niyama—that is, truth, non-violence, non-stealing, celibacy, non-possessiveness. For this, there were five disciplines in the temple; the other five disciplines of niyama are cleanliness, contentment, austerity, self-study, and devotion to Īśvara, prāṇi, and meditation. And Nandī, this steady sitting posture, the āsana is steady and comfortable. Nandī, the one who is sitting... now we won’t do this, Madhavaḥ is a little thirsty, Madhavaḥ needs water. Some water has come out from His jaṭā, there are two very beautiful lines. Speak of Śaḍguru Mahārāj; the sole purpose of recounting the divine pastimes of Bhagavān is to awaken within us the desire to attain Him. There is only one reason for listening to all these stories: our heart and every breath begin to yearn for the Almighty God. This is the cause and this is the reason for listening to many Purāṇas, numerous stories, and the Bhagavatam and Mahāśiva Purāṇas. Gośvāmī Jī says, when people saw Him holding a triśūl and a damaru, well adorned, mounting the bull, the devas wondered, who would be the bride for Him, brother, behind whom such ghosts, spirits, rākṣasas, kāṇe, lūle, the lame, and others follow? Bhagavān Viṣṇu says... A truly obedient person is not just a brother, but one who laughs heartily, eagerly listening to Viṣṇu’s words, the gods smile, each with their own retinue singing heartfelt songs. Everyone accepted the words of Bhagavān Viṣṇu, and each formed their own distinct community. You know, it’s natural—great men are those with wealth, they have their own... You also give good clothes to the driver. Suppose you are very rich and your servant or your driver is wearing very dirty clothes, you will feel insulted. If your own driver also wears bad clothes, it does not feel good. They say to wear good clothes. Now the driver thinks, I am loved. They say, brother, you do not love; now you cannot even say this to Bhagavān Śaṅkara. With great difficulty, they agreed to the marriage, and even then, they cannot say, "Attach this one, attach that one." Everyone climbed onto their own tree; some climbed onto the shelves of their own homes, and the mynah itself climbed onto its own palace. In the Śiva Purāṇa, it is written that to see Bhagavān Śaṅkara, one must look at the bridegroom; to see the bridegroom, one must look at the bride. And why do our wedding guests walk ahead? It is just like that with Śiva Jī—the guests walk ahead, and Śiva Jī walks behind. When Śiva Jī runs ahead, understand that behind is Bhasmāśura. Śiva Jī runs away from His devotees because of this. There have also been devotees like this; someone became Rāvaṇa and said, "I will make him a scholar from the head." For the ritual, Rāvaṇa was invited and in return, he said, "Just give me Laṅkā." That is why his name is Bholē Nāṭ; he is truly innocent because he dwells in the cremation ground. And the one who is truly innocent is the most wise of all. For the children, for the children... The story is about Jñāneśvar Jī, a renunciate who came and started living in a cremation ground. When asked why he lived there, he replied that it was the right place to stay. One day, the poor man came to Jaipur and was sleeping at night when someone took his bag, water pot, rudrākṣa mālā, and clothes. Then, someone asked me about the Gītā inside the kachēṛī. Why don’t they give the thief the Rāmcaritmānas or the Śiva Purāṇa? Because Bhagavān was also a friend to thieves. Some people even call Him the Makhan Chor. So, thieves too have some sympathy for Him. Salutations to Bhagavān, the chief don of thieves, the lord of all thieves, whose name is Kuluñcā. This is the chief of thieves, such a name has come. See, the one who gives strength to the thief to steal is also Bhagavān. The one who gives power to the police to catch the thief is also Bhagavān. What does Bhagavān mean? Listen to the Kalpa Vṛkṣa. Go beneath the Kalpa Vṛkṣa; whatever you ask for, you will receive. In this world, whatever you ask for, you will receive. If you think that everyone is your enemy, then everyone will become your enemy. If you think everyone is your friend, then everyone will become your friend. Whatever you think will happen. In the West, people have even made a movie called The Secret on this subject, and it is true, therefore... Bābājī, we will catch the thief for you quickly. Leave it, I am going. I know where he will come. Then we went and sat at the cremation ground in that town. Bābājī, where will you come to the cremation ground? He said, everyone comes here—the thief, the moneylender. Oh, he said, they will only give blessings; they will not curse you. They will give, that is why they sit in the cremation ground, because everyone has to reach there—good, bad, friend, enemy, everything will reach there. That is why Bhagavān Śaṅkara said that even among those in the cremation ground, one who has to become sinful does so; such a one does not become Mahādeva. Whoever comes with you, may that union be like the one with the Śivaliṅga. So even the ants are climbing on the Śivaliṅga, and Mahādeva is pleased. If a fly falls into your milk, then the milk... After that, the assembly of Brahmā came, people saw those endowed with the brilliance of Śiva and said, "Wow, these must surely be the ones." Hearing Śiva’s discipline, everyone came; Prabhupāda, like water, pure and true, no, no vehicle... No, no disguise; the Śiva society sees itself as such. Bhagavān Śaṅkara is not like Pulchitājī, who has a defective or incomplete face. The procession of Brahmā Jī went by in a strange manner, the procession of Viṣṇu Bhagavān also passed, and just then, as the community of Śaṅkara Bhagavān entered the village from behind, those who were sitting on the rooftops jumped down into the courtyard and said, "Run! Oh, a ghost!" They asked, "Son, what happened? You had gone to see the bridegroom, what has happened to you?" He said, "Mother, I am performing the harman chāli ritual. Leave the dūlā; there are so many ghosts and spirits in the village. Today, our entire Himachal will be destroyed. So many demons, so many ghosts, and chāṇḍālas are present in our village. Just as the dūlā is made, the wedding procession becomes a spectacle and confusion arises." The entire mountain shone brightly, both small and large, illuminating the world; it was neither small nor vast, beyond description. In the world, all the small and large mountains had come here. Even the greatest of people were anxious upon seeing Bhagavān Śiva’s procession. A wife asked her husband, “Why are you hiding and huddling under a quilt in this intense heat? What are you so afraid of?” He said he had gone to see the dūlā, but then said he didn’t see the dūlā, he became ill with a fever. He said, whoever survives will see the dūlā. Leave the dūlā, close the doors, son, go and take the name of Bhagavān. Something unexpected is going to happen to Viṣṇu Bhagavān. Here in Himachal, Maināvatī is deeply impressed upon seeing Bhagavān Viṣṇu; she thinks, this must be the dūlā, Viṣṇu. Bhagavān said, no, no, we are the wedding guests, so we think, if the wedding guests are so beautiful, then how beautiful must the bride be. Maināvatī is standing above, and it is absolutely true, Maharāj. Whoever lives giving the procession, as the thread increases, does the right thing; Umā’s marriage, the matter of the house, the real daughter-in-law says. Part 2: The Divine Wedding of Shiva and Parvati With a thud, the myna fainted and fell down. Narataji was standing beside her at that moment, sprinkling water and chanting "Narāyaṇa Narāyaṇa." When she opened her eyes and saw the form of Bhagavān, she repeatedly fainted again and again. As soon as Bhagavān Śaṅkara’s gaṇas came to eat, what method did they have? They took a big drum and stood while eating. Since the day Bhagavān Śaṅkara’s gaṇas first ate standing up, their own bees have been going to appease their mother while standing and eating. But Mother Myna is absolutely... She became angry and said to Nārada, "What birth’s revenge have you taken on me? Tell me this. You roam around acting like a great scholar. You gods have conspired together and treated us humans with such cruelty. Scorpions and vipers hang from your ears. I could kill Pārvatī right now, but I will not do so." Thus she spoke. "It is never possible for Bhagavān Śiva to take the form of a leaf," said the myna, getting angry. The myna said to Brahmājī, Nāradajī, and everyone else that she had already said she would choose only Śiva, but she knows that whoever has taken refuge in Śiva has to face destruction. "It seems my daughter will not have a wedding today; she is talking as if she is about to die," Pārvatī lamented. "It would be better if your body itself were to perish. I could tear your body into pieces, but how could I give you to these ghosts, spirits, and demons?" Pārvatī spoke these words rightly. In the Śiva Purāṇa, Nārada Jī says, "O husband..." Nārada Jī always used to say that no lock remains unbroken when mastered, and if it does, Nārada Jī would bring his key. Nārada Jī would say, "No, no, this is very beautiful." So I said, if it is beautiful, then tell them to come before me in that beautiful form. Nārada Jī said that they came in their divine form, having renounced this form. This time, the gaṇas of Bhagavān did not prepare Bhagavān Śaṅkara; instead, the responsibility was given to Indra, as Indra has a great fondness for preparing. So, Indra adorned him like a deity. Bhagavān came with his jaṭā-vaṭa opened and wearing a crown, and when Meṇā saw this beautiful form of Bhagavān, she became delighted. And look, Mainā says, "I am a devoted woman; I cannot comprehend that form of yours." Now Mainā said, "Bābā’s āratī is being performed." Here, the āratī of Bhagavān Śaṅkara is being performed. This Śaṅkara Bhagavān has been spoken of extensively. Now, upon seeing Bhagavān Śaṅkara, everyone began to praise Paṅgirjā, Girrāj, Himān, and others profusely. Mehnā’s face also filled with joy upon seeing her son-in-law so handsome; she too became delighted and began praising Viṣṇu Bhagavān. Lord Śaṅkara, that is, the bridegroom, brought many ornaments and decorations on behalf of the bridegroom’s side, including those from Viṣṇu Bhagavān and Virmājī. And there is a custom here, you see, regarding Bhagavān Śiva... The marriage with Pārvatī Devī and the rituals of that marriage should still be performed by us today. First, the royal bath should be given, then ācamana and a little of such rites should be done, and then Śiva and Śivā should be worshipped. Fine clothes and offerings should be prepared. When the time for the giving away of the bride (kanyādāna) arrived, Gargācārya, from the Himātala, along with Śrī Śaṅkara, and... But what fault could there be with Himavān here? Himavān said, "Alright," and quickly performed the kalyāṇa jān. Then he said, "Tatāstu," and undertook the pāṇī grahaṇa saṃskāra. He prayed, "O Sambhū, please grant me the introduction to your gotra, the name of the pravara kula, the exposition of the Veda branch, and who is the mother and who is the father of Bhagavān Śaṅkara—after all, He is the father of all. You must have accumulated some great puṇya that today, through your son’s tapasyā, you have had the darśana of Bhagavān. These are nirguṇa; no one can have darśana of this form. Śiva alone is the creator, lord, and Brahmā. There is not just one Brahmā; there are thousands of Brahmās here, thousands of Indras, and none of them have a fixed form. They have no nature; they are nirguṇa, nirākāra, yet they are Brahman, they are Paramātmā. Even though they are without lineage, they are the highest." Gu Būrma Jī began to say, "Oh, this is the unique grace of Bhagavān Śiva that, O Śailavāj, they have come to your home." Nārada said, "O Mahā Śaila, the one who gave birth to Śiva, O Himavān, listen to me about your daughter. Give it into Śaṅkara’s hands and, in a playful manner, assume this form. Now, if you truly wish to listen, then listen: what is the gotra of Bhagavān Śaṅkara? Their gotra is nāda; the gotra of this Mahīśvara is nāda. Understand this well—Śiva is in nāda, and nāda is in Śiva. This music, this Oṃ, is that nāda. The nāda sound is formed from the syllables ‘naka’ and ‘daka.’ If you understand nāda, you will understand Śiva. However, nāda cannot be easily discerned, and the one who comprehends the distinction of nāda becomes a sura, a human, a muni, a devatā, and Īśvara. Understand the distinction of nāda, O king, and your life will become fruitful." "There are types of nāda: āhata nāda and anāhata nāda. Within the āhata nāda, there are five types of instruments: tata, vitata, ghana, avanaddha, and suṣira. And within the anāhata, when you can hear beyond the sound of your own prāṇas, another sound—the sound of the ātman—then you enter the realm of anāhata. Within the anāhata nāda resides Bhagavān Śaṅkara’s ḍamaru, and through Bhagavān Śaṅkara, the sound of Oṃ in the tejas of the brahmāṇḍa is manifested. Oṃ is not a sound; when you are in silence, Oṃ manifests. The Oṃ that we pronounce is a natural expression arising from our inert body. When we enter complete silence, we will realize Oṃ, we will realize nāda. And when we say nāda to you, we can translate this word, we can say sound, but that is not exactly correct—there is no word for nāda, no word for laya. For them, there is only this word and no other word; their sound is not even nāda, because there are many sounds. Nāda is Śiva, and Śiva is in nāda. It is only this word that is called nāda. O Himavān, may you attain contentment and your... Give this maiden’s hand into the hands of Bhagavān." Then, perform the kanyādāna in this manner: "Imāṃ kanyāṃ tubhyaṃ dadāmi parameśvara bhāryārtha parigraṇeśva prasīda sarveśvara." I give you this maiden; accept her as your wife, O Sarveśvara. Be pleased and satisfied with this kanyādāna. Even today, when a marriage takes place, the groom is considered Bhagavān, the bride is regarded as Pārvatī or Lakṣmī, and the groom as Viṣṇu or Śaṅkara. With such divinity, our sixteen saṃskāras do not involve any human emotions; that is why the groom is fanned with a cāmara and is worshipped as Bhagavān, embodying divinity. It is observed, and now those who perform sādhana, regarding the bandha and the vivāha saṃskāra, about carrying forward... What will happen to Lakṣmī when someone goes away sneezing to receive her? They go away sneezing, not to receive Lakṣmī, so how will Lakṣmī be attained? And then the person does nothing; he has turned life into a business, Mahārāj. Society has done this, Mahārāj Bhagavān... With great enthusiasm, Himācala entrusted his daughter, Pr̥thvī Jananī Pārvatī, into the hands of that great deity Rudra. In this way, placing Pārvatī into the hands of Śiva, the king of the mountains was inwardly very pleased, and today he thought, "Ahaha, my life has become blessed, behold, the power of mantras." The Brahmans performed the uccāraṇa, in the earth, in the sky, even in heaven, there was celebration. Let us also celebrate a little the wedding of Bhagavān, let us sing a few songs related to Bhagavān’s wedding. But since we are seated here in the great nirguṇī and nirvāṇī place, we shall sing nirguṇa bhajans at the feet of Bhagavān Śiva. Speak, Umā, the worship of Mahīśvara Bhagavān, the nirguṇa bhajan of Sadguru Dīpa Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān—here is Vedānta of our Brahmānanda Jī Mahārāj, the venerable Brahm... It is said that come, come, friends, to our land—where all of us, who are disciples, who belong to our Guru Mahārāj, must one day reach the feet of the Guru. The feet of the Sadguru alone are called that land, and the attainment of the feet of the Sadguru is described as that supreme land. The light of the sun and the moon is indeed the light of the lamp. Firstly, the lamp that we light in the temple of Bhagavān with ghee and cotton; secondly, when a person himself becomes a lamp. Wherever we sit, that is the very lamp—the universal lamp. This is not the light that comes from the sun and the moon; rather, the sun and the moon receive their light from this universal lamp. The explanation here is about that Brahmānanda, that Paramānanda. The explanation of the marriage of Śiva and Pārvatī is incomplete, partial here. And the meaning of marriage here is samādhi; the meaning of marriage here is to attain Śiva, to attain Maheśa. And the method to attain them is given to you. In the Mahāśiva Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Purāṇa, and Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, it is said that one who sits at the feet of the Sadguru of Rāmacandra is considered to have attained God. I have just received the information that our Svāmījī is also watching this broadcast. So, on behalf of all of you and myself... On my part, I bow and offer my praṇāma to Svāmījī, acknowledging that we do not possess the capability to comprehend the profound depths of the Mahāśiva Purāṇa. It is by their grace, their blessing, that we are here seated, receiving the āśīrvāda under the benevolent shadow of these revered Gurujans for this satsaṅga. The Mahāpurāṇa of Bhagavān Śiva, the glory of Śiva, the worship of Śiva—these truths can only be revealed by one who truly knows Śiva. So here, we are seated at the feet of the most venerable Dīpa Nārāyaṇa Jī, Mādhvānan Jī Mahārāj, and seeing all of them embodied in the revered Jyoti Pūjya Maheśvarānanda Jī, whose... By the grace and blessings, we will once again behold all those auspicious realities of Śiva. It is the supreme compassion, the highest grace, that in our lives we have such a wonderful, unique, and extraordinary, yet true opportunity to witness such Sadgurus and to behold them. One can indulge in the play of speech endlessly, and there is much emotion, but the story of the Śiva Mahāpurāṇa is immensely vast, enormous. Vyāsajī Mahārāj condensed one crore verses into one lakh, and then, out of compassion for us beings, he further reduced them to 24 thousand verses. Then 16 women came, and those 16 women bestowed the blessing of good fortune upon us. Here, seven women come and give their blessings. Sixteen women have come here, among them one woman whose husband was not alive. Ratī came and bowed at the feet of Bhagavān and said to Kāma Deva, "You are alive; now leave my palace." So, Kāma Deva left, for where Bhagavān Śiva is present, there is no place for Kāma. If the kāma deva is expelled, then entering into bhakti means that if you become niṣkāma in life, if you keep asking in everything, you will get nothing; if you do not ask, you will receive a lot. If you stretch out both hands, even the sky can fit into them. But if we become narrow-minded, constricted, we cannot even hold a drop of water in our hand, and when we open our hand, the sky seems to rest in it. Therefore, there is benefit in being niṣkāma; there is no benefit in being sakāma. Become niṣkāma, become surrendered. Once, a bhajan of Bhagavān Śiva and Pārvatī should definitely be presented. So now, we will present one bhajan. Everyone surrenders at Svāmījī’s feet, surrendering to Bhagavān Dīpa Nārāyaṇa, surrendering at Bhagavān’s feet, surrendering at Bhagavān Śiva’s feet. And the very name of this bhajan is Samarpaṇa Himavān—giving everything as a dowry. But in the end, Himavān surrendered to Bholā for his liberation. We have surrendered ourselves at Bābā’s feet; we are also surrendering devotedly before Bholā Bābā. Dedicated, dedicated... this life of yours is dedicated to you. Speak of Śaṅkara Bhagavān, the Sadguru Mahārāj. Bhagavān, along with Mātā Pārvatī, at the insistence of Himavān, rested for four nights. Now Brahmā Jī and the others, having already offered their obeisance, began to take their leave. And Mainā said, "My Śivā will worship you well. O Āśutoṣa, from childhood, she has devotedly worshipped you. If any person in life... What could be better than desiring to attain Bhagavān? From early childhood, like Mā Pārvatī, this child has been a devotee at your lotus feet. We have dedicated this child to you. Whether awake or asleep, O Svāmījī, she has cared for nothing but you. If someone were to criticize you, Pārvatī would become as if dead. The divine character of Pārvatī is described in this way: see, who can sit beside Bhagavān Śiva? Such unwavering devotion is shown by this Śivā, who can never bear to hear your criticism." Burmajī says that all the deities, along with Śiva, come with great enthusiasm to perform pradakṣiṇā of Bhagavān Śiva. They were undertaking a very beautiful journey; everyone had set out from Himācala to Kailāśa. Let me tell you the glory of the Pārvatī Khaṇḍa: the person who listens to the entire Pārvatī Khaṇḍa never experiences the troubles of worldly existence in their life. And the one who recites, listens to, and meditates on the Pārvatī Khaṇḍa ultimately attains even Śivaloka. Through the Gaṅgā, Skanda was born, and due to the worship by Kumāra Kārttikeya, he was named Kārttikeya. Along with the divine army, the story of Kumāra Kārttikeya’s fierce battle unfolds. So, let us come to the fourth section of the Rudra Saṃhitā, where Śaṅkara was residing on Kailāsa with Paramā Bhagavatī Umā, and their marriage was being solemnized. The gods desired that the child born from them would avenge Tārakāsura. The auspicious Bhagavān Paramātmā Śiva, the all-powerful, who had married Pārvatī for the birth of a son, narrates how their son was born. Nārada Jī says that this child was born from the Gaṅgā and... He became the beloved and cherished one of the deities; they bestowed upon him various kinds of substances, sciences, powers, and weapons. Savitṛ, Gāyatrī, and Sarasvatī granted him all kinds of perfected knowledge. In this way, the boy began to grow up. Brahmā Jī says that once all the deities came and said, "Give us this boy, give us your child for the sake of defeating Tārakāsura." Brahmā Jī replied, "Bhagavān Śaṅkara is compassionate; anyone can give anything to someone, but he does not give his own son." They said, "Take him and kill Tārakāsura." Upon receiving orders from Bhagavān Śaṅkara, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and all the other deities took the role of commanders and advanced to strike the string of the tāra. At that time, the great celestial voice declared to the army of Kumāra, the commander of the army of Ṣaḍānana and Kārttikeya, "O gods, you who are about to go to war under the leadership of Kumāra... So in this battle, you all will defeat the demons." Earlier, there used to be ākāśavāṇī; does it not happen today? It still does, but our ears fail to hear it. This morning, when we were seated, Bhāratī Jī told us, Bhagavān Jī said, Mahārāj, the wind is blowing well, but this wind is the wind of famine. Inside India, there is a very big department for the monsoon, for weather. But they cannot declare what will happen tomorrow, whether rain will come or not. The reason is very simple: scientists think, if they do not connect with nature. How can they explain and how can they diagnose what happens in nature? And the first step to connect with nature is the beginning of Yoga Anuśāsana. Begin yoga, and then you will connect with nature. To connect with prakṛti, there is no need to open a grand laboratory; this is the greatest laboratory. This body is like Brahman, yathā piṇḍe tathā brahmāṇḍe. Part 3: The Divine Play of Creation and the Wisdom of Gaṇeśa When you begin to contemplate the journey of this body, even today there is amazement. When a two-rupee phone can transmit voices from such a distance, when a camera can send your message through the internet to the world—people can see you, and you can see them through Skype—then consider what our mind, which has made so many inventions, is truly capable of. Yet we do not use our mind and senses properly; we forget how to use this divine voice. Even today, this ākāśavāṇī occurs. Earlier in the village, you would remember, dogs would start barking, indicating, "Oh, the dog is barking in the street; it seems someone’s death is near." This is ākāśavāṇī. So it is, but man has forgotten. The devas heard the heavenly voice; the mighty warrior Tāraka, with a great army, began to wage war against the devas. That fierce Tāraka, driven by the desire for battle, even made Indra anxious. And his battle was indeed with Kumāra Sadānan. He fought with Sadānan, uttering harsh words to the devas, which would pierce the hearts of the devas. Then Kārtikeya remembered the lotus feet of Bhagavān Śiva and contemplated the words of Tāraka. The Kumāra, filled with fiery passion, began to roar and stood firm in battle alongside a great army near Tāraka Sura. In the war, the warriors were highly skilled—the six-headed one, that is, Kumāra Kārtikeya. Kumāra Kārtikeya, before the gods, delighted the gods by rescuing the tāraka sur and killed Tāraka. Praise be to Kumāra Kārtikeya! Everyone began to sing the praises of Kumāra. "You destroyed Tāraka—hail to you, O son of Śaṅkara, O Parvatī's son! You are the one who embodies the prāṇa of the bāṇā sūra, and without the praṇambā sūra, your form is supremely pure. We bow to you." Now, this pralambā sūra will appear in the future story of the bāṇā sūra and is mentioned here. Ahead, the stories of the bāṇā sūra, the devotees of Bhagavān Śiva, will come. This Tārakā Sura was also a devotee of our Bhagavān Śiva. With the gods, Kumāra Skanda came to Śiva on the vimāna, and there was great celebration. Now see, the origin of Bhagavān Gaṇeśa is about to take place. Speak of Gajānana Bhagavān, and between Nārada and Brahmā, the story of Rudra Saṁhitā is unfolding. Remember this: at that time, they had entered the great bathing hall of Mātā Pārvatī. At the time when she was bathing with her witnesses, Mother Pārvatī did not face any trouble, but Jayā and Vijiyā said, "Look, Mother, all these gaṇas belong to Rudra; we do not have a single gaṇa here. All these people are devoted to following the orders of Bhagavān Śiva, who are the supreme gaṇas of the detached ones, and among them, we have none. All are standing at the door, having surrendered to the command of Śiva. It is true that we will form our own separate group, thinking that we will create our own distinct group." Thinking this way, Śaṅkarī’s consort, Jagat Jananī Pārvatī, began to create a being from the impurities of her own body, whose form became like that of a human, endowed with great strength and extraordinary prowess. The word came from His mouth, mā. The word mā is a mahā mantra. Just this simple word mā, when you say mā, it also becomes a worship of the mother who gave you birth, and when you say mā, it is the worship of the mother of the entire universe, Jagat Mātā, Ambikā, Bhagavatī. Śiva said, "Son, you become the guardian of my door, my command. Know this well: without permission, no one can enter my palace." One day, when Mother Pārvatī was taking a bath, the chief Śivagaṇas like Nandī came and said to Gaṇeśa that they needed to deliver a message to Mother Pārvatī. Gaṇeśa stopped them, and when Gaṇeśa stopped them, they said to Bhagavān... Then a battle broke out between the gaṇas of Bhagavān Śiva and Bhagavān Gaṇeśa. The gaṇas of Bhagavān Śiva were defeated because the being is also born from the Paramā, who grants power to Bhagavān Śiva. Whoever is born from the power of Śiva cannot be defeated by anyone in the three worlds. Brahmā came, Viṣṇu came, the great battle intensified greatly. When Śūla Pāṇi Maheśvara heard that in his own Kailāsa, a boy was preventing him from meeting his own wife, Mahādeva’s attendants, bloodied and wounded, went to him. Nandī and others, upon seeing this, made Mahādeva angry. Without hesitation... Then he saw and unleashed his triśūla; the triśūla struck, the head separated, the torso separated. When the world-knower, the supreme Bhagavatī Ājñā, was invoked, the blazing flames spread in all four directions, the entire earth began to tremble, all the deities were overwhelmed, and through numerous stotras, the devas and ṛṣis, Brahmā, and Bhagavān Viṣṇu... She prayed, "O Mother, the most auspicious of the auspicious, Śiva said that my child has been killed. You all, such great people, just watched, and my child died. Bhagavān Śaṅkara, will your child come back to life? Do not worry. The first creator of life, whom they call Mahādeva, even severed Dakṣa’s head..." If a mother is sleeping with her back turned towards her child—since an elephant’s body is large, the elephant mother, by coincidence, was sleeping with her head turned away from her small child. Then the Gaṇas brought the severed head of the elephant’s child and showed it to Bhagavān Śaṅkara. Bhagavān Śaṅkara then... He placed it on the head and said to Pārvatī that this will now become the foremost revered one; your service has been fulfilled by me. Until now, it was entirely yours. Now, this little boy was narrating this story to his own head. Then he asked me, I am telling the truth, witnessed with my own eyes. No, what has happened in life is that a little child asked me, "Father, Parvatī’s son has come alive, but what about the grandmother of the tigress?" I was about to consult the scriptures, but there was not enough time, so within a few hours Bhagavān gave me the answer. The swastika that we create is like the half-cut head of that elephant; it is the elephant’s child whose head was placed on Gaṇeśa Jī—this is the swastika. What is a svastika? The elephant we make is not a svastika; the svastika is that elephant whose head is placed on top of Gaṇeśa. Before making Gaṇeśa, on what do we seat Gaṇeśa? On the svastika. That is the very life of the elephant. Then Gaṇeśa comes alive within us. So, small children do not speak nonsense; sometimes they ask such questions. They awaken in our lives the understanding that you can see Bhagavān in small children; you can definitely see God in the children. Jesus himself has said that my God’s own temple is the temple... Tell me, this light of the lamp is coming from which place? That child said, "Yes, Bhagavān, the lamp will go later," and he blew on it and extinguished it. He just blew on it, blew on it, and turned it off—the lamp went out. Then the child asked Svāmījī, "Svāmījī, please tell me, where is this? If one wants to gain knowledge, can it also be taken from small children?" Dāta Trejī Mahārāj also explains this, that those in whom the impressions of bhakti arise even in childhood attain Bhagavān. Look at our Gaṇeśa Jī, see any of his images, he is seated in the lap of Mātā Pārvatī—how great! Did Gaṇeśa Jī not grow up? He did grow up, but no one is ever greater than their mother and father. We all remain children, whether we are 60, 70, or 80 years old, but when our mother or parents come before us, we are children. We are children, so age has no relevance. If you look into the eyes of small children, you can have a vision of Bhagavān. Brahmājī, Viṣṇu Bhagavān, Śaṅkar Bhagavān, even Mātā Pārvatī herself, and all the deities worshipped Gaṇapati and made him the foremost revered one. Look at this country, it is called Gaṇatantra; how large are Gaṇeśa’s ears! All this has been explained in Śivapurāṇa by Mahārāj. We should have very large ears, meaning the ability to listen deeply. And that is why Kabīr Jī says, keep away the fault-finders from your courtyard. You must have the capacity to listen. Gaṇeśa Jī’s ears are large—the symbol of the big ears means you are ready to listen to everything about yourself. Whatever anyone says into your ear, accept it, and the stomach is also very large. He also has a very big stomach. In our country, there is an idiom for this: "Tere peṭ meṁ koī bāt nahīṁ pacatī"—nothing settles in your stomach. Now, what does this mean? Is the stomach a pressure cooker where things are digested? No, you cannot digest just anything. When knowledge and wisdom come, restrain them, digest them. Whatever you give, the Gaṇeśa tattva digests it. A big stomach is a sign of this, and the forehead and brow are also large, indicating greater intellect. But he is the rider of mice, Mahārāj—the rider of mice. No matter how great you become... The large, massive body of Gaṇeśa is a symbol of this; ṛddhi and siddhi always accompany Gaṇeśa. Wherever the smaller ones are cared for, there will be ṛddhi and siddhi. Here, the story of the Gaṇeśa Chaturthī vrata is also narrated. Whoever observes the Gaṇeśa Chaturthī vrata, all kinds of desires in their life are fulfilled. The one who undertakes this vrata and celebrates it for a year, feeding Brahmins outside and performing the kalaśa ceremony, will... If one establishes this and stays awake at night to complete this task, this routine, and worships Lord Gaṇeśa with faith, then all the obstacles, all the difficulties can be removed if we start the worship of Lord Gaṇeśa. The ādhāra cakra was made their primary seat of worship, established in the position of Gaṇādheya, and their auspiciousness began to spread throughout the entire world, with praises being sung. In the Śiva Mahāpurāṇa, there is a description of the playful exploits of Svāmī Kārtikeya and Gaṇeśa as children, depicting how both boys... Sitting in solitude, Śiva and Śivā both contemplated when their two sons would become worthy of marriage. They thought it would be very pleasing if the great father could see his children settled. They began to think, "We will marry off the elder one first." Gaṇeśa is indeed dear, but they fell into worry, wondering, "Whom should we marry off first?" When they were discussing this, both Śiva and Śivā overheard it. It is not certain what vivā means, but one said, "I will perform vivā first," and the other said, "I will perform vivā first." They kept insisting repeatedly and began to dispute with each other. Then the Lord of the universe gave both of them a game. Śiva and Pārvatī said, dear children, listen. We have established a rule that is beneficial for both of you. To us, you both are dear sons, and both should be married. But there is one condition: who has set out to circumambulate the entire earth, sitting on the peacock, yet Gaṇeśa... The mind was deeply intelligent and stood firm there, repeatedly reflecting within itself, "What should I do? Where should I go? Circumambulation is certainly possible for me." You all, please sit on this āsana. Śiva and Pārvatī both sat on this āsana. Gaṇeśa performed the prescribed worship of his parents and repeatedly offered his obeisances. And after circumambulating with them twelve times, son Nārada, you are indeed an ocean of wisdom, so said the parents. Gaṇeśa said, "O mother, O father, please listen, answer my question: Is your circumambulation superior to the circumambulation of the earth? You are the parents of the world. What does Śivāśiva say?" If you have worshipped your parents in your life, have bowed to them, have dedicated your life at their feet, then neither gods nor demons can harm you, because who is our first guru, our first all-encompassing Bhagavān? Bhagavān is none other than whom? Tvameva. O Mother, O Bhagavān, you are our Mother. We may not have known Bhagavān, but we have said, "O Bhagavān, you are like a mother." What greater comparison could anyone give to Bhagavān than to say you are like a mother? Lord, you are Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who, while performing the Rāsalīlā with the gopīs, said that in this world there are mother, father, guru, and... Īśvara is the only one among the three elements in the world that brings about the welfare of the jīva, has done so, and will continue to do so. However, it is not necessary for parents to have Brahmavidyā, but we cannot reach the element of Īśvara without it. Therefore, the element of the guru alone is such a realm that can bring about the welfare of the jīva. Say, Sadguru. When Mahārāj learned in Kārtika that the son who worships his mother and father receives the fruit of circumambulating the earth, and the daughter attains the easily accessible fruit of circumambulating, the man who leaves his parents at home and sets out on a pilgrimage, those parents... And if there is any untruth in my words, then you may refer to the Vedas, consult the Upaniṣads, and examine the month of Kārtika. The matter may not be fully established, but all the deities, all the great ṛṣis have honored the words of Bhagavān Gaṇeśa, and the worship of parents, Śiva, and Pārvatī has been sanctioned. Since that day, Svāmījī Kārttikeya said that I will remain youthful, a kumāra. His name became famous for kumāratva, the state of being a kumāra, although he began to live as a brahmacārī. On Kārttika Pūrṇimā, all the devatās, ṛṣis, tīrtha, munīśvaras, and the eternal kumāras have darśana. The Krauñca mountain is also called Krauñca island in America, just as this is called Jambu. The island is America, around the Atlantic. There is mention of the Crunch Island. People went to live on Crunch Island. On the day of Kārtik Pūrṇimā, when the Kṛttikā nakṣatra was in conjunction, Svāmījī, to grant happiness to his beloved, went as Bhagavān Śaṅkara himself to a part of that mountain, and the bliss-giving Mallī Kārcjuna was there. Those who have manifested as the Jyotirliṅga there are the transcendental nature of sattva puruṣas, fulfilling the desires of all their devotees. Parvatī's son Kumāra goes to see them; on the new moon day, Śiva himself resides there, and on the full moon day, Pārvatī visits. O munīśvaras, you have observed Svāmī Kārttikeya and... You have heard the story of Gaṇeśa Jī’s end. Here I will tell you how it was. Tārakāśura had three sons: Tārakākṣa, Viddhanamāli, and Kamalākṣa. They pleased Brahmā and received a boon from him, and through the demon Māyā, three cities were... What was created and its decoration was so magnificent that even Śiva would want to reside there. See, it is also mentioned in the Rāmcharit Mānas that all asuravī are great tapasvīs. So, if a jīva performs tapasyā, it can create the entire sṛṣṭi. Here, Tārakākṣa, Viddhunvālī, and Kamalākṣa performed intense tapasyā. Brahmājī was pleased with his tapasyā and granted him a new city, a new world. The influence of Tāraka’s sons was so immense that all the deities returned to Triloka Mahādeva. Now, by the command of Bhagavān Śiva, he said, "Look, now you go under the refuge of Viṣṇu. Bhagavān Viṣṇu will enchant the deities and shower them with teachings; only then will the influence of the Tāraka sons be significant." In the assembly of Indra and others, they all advised one another. The deities said, "O Lord of the three worlds, the Tāraka sons, along with Mayāsura and others, have tormented the celestial beings of Svarga. We have come to your refuge in sorrow; please find a remedy for their speech." Brahmā said, O gods, one should not fear those demons especially; I will tell you the remedy for their speech. Bhagavān Śiva will bless you. I have a very beautiful story about these demons. The three brothers, sons of Tāraka, challenged Indra... Having overcome all the assembled deities, everyone was terrified. Part 4: The Path of Dharma and the Grace of the Guru The deities approached Bhagavān Śaṅkara. Śaṅkara said, "O deities, at this time, that great and virtuous Tripurādhīśa cannot be defeated by anyone. I know all the great hardships of the deities, but let me tell you one thing: they performed tapasyā." Through tapasyā, they have gained immense strength. Those sons of Tāraka are all endowed with virtue; therefore, none of them has ever deceived anyone. Otherwise, try and see—look at those who have done so. Even in the Bhāgavata, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa advised Sudāmā that one should never deceive. Betrayal by a guru and theft by a friend—whether it be by a blind person or a fool—are considered the greatest sins, even greater than the two great sins of Brahmā. To deceive or betray a guru and a friend is something no one can justify; it has been described as a very great mahāpāpa. In the Purāṇas, you all are well-versed in this: brahmaghne ca surāpe ca stene bhagnavrate yathā niṣkṛtir vidhīyate sadbhiḥ kṛtaghne nāsti niṣkṛtiḥ. The Śiva Purāṇa states that a person who attains everything by killing a Brahmin but later forgets the Guru and becomes ungrateful commits the greatest sin. Therefore, the poet says—when someone asked Jaishankar Prasad what India is, he replied: It is the country where the people are ungrateful. Gratitude is Brahman, O gods, and as long as they are engaged in my devotion, it is impossible to defeat them. You all go to Viṣṇu Bhagavān and tell Him to first break their tapasyā, make them angry, and disrupt their discipline. And listen, when their dharma is taken away, only then will they perish. There, at Mayāsura’s place, women have not abandoned their duty towards their husbands. Where men have control over their senses, and where women surrender themselves to their husbands, that is where destruction occurs. The dialogue of Vyāsa is ongoing, within this story with the celibate princes. From the time of Sūta Jī, Saunaka and others, when the Pūrvāṣya brothers abandoned their dharma, then Bhagavān Viṣṇu and Brahmā all came to Kailāsa and said, "Mahārāj, we have caused them to abandon their worship through our māyā." Say, "Oṁ Namaśivāya." When a person begins to rise early every morning in their life... This does not happen just like that; first, your aura gets disturbed, your aura becomes disrupted, and then all these misfortunes occur. Therefore, if you firmly adhere to your discipline and sit at the feet of Gurudev, continuously worshipping Bhagavān, then your time will be auspicious. O Lord, protect us; we praise Bhagavān Śaṅkara. Folding their hands in añjali, they began to weep when the deities were given the Maheśvara stavana here. By performing this stavana, by reciting this stavana, Bhagavān Śaṅkara liberates you from enemies; such is the stavana given here. Śiva’s mind became pleased; sitting on the beat of Nandī’s sound, He embraced Bhagavān Viṣṇu and, placing His hand on Nandī, stood up. And looking with the gracious and benevolent gaze at all the deities, He said, "O gods of creation, O deities, even if you kill me..." Bhagavān Śaṅkara asked thus. When the creator Brahmā saw that this Śaṅkara Bhagavān was engaging in philosophical questions and answers today, not granting boons or favors, Brahmā said, "O Prabhu... We cannot destroy the attachments that arise within you; only you can destroy them. Please show some grace—if a person devoted to you even abandons some rituals under the influence of worldly illusion, no one can destroy that devotion." As they began to say this, when the wives and children of the gods became restless, then Śiva said... "If you are happily calling me the emperor of the gods, then I do not possess the qualifications or the resources to accept such a position, because neither do I have any... Tripura of Tripura..." Then Bhagavān granted liberation to all three children of Tārakāśura. After mounting the chariot and returning from the battle, when all the deities worshipped him, at that time they gave him the name Paśupati. Sanat Kumār here narrates to Vyāsa Jī this story: "O sage, grant profound wisdom." Upon hearing this from Bhagavān Śaṅkara, all the deities became concerned about their progeny; their minds grew troubled. Then, understanding their feelings, all the devas assisted Bhagavān, and now Bhagavān Śiva... There is a story here about the worship of Gaṇeśa, that once Bhagavān Śiva himself performed the worship of Gaṇeśa, and we too should perform that worship in the month of Bhādrapada. The gods praised Bhagavān Śiva because he saved the gods, and they worshipped Gaṇeśa. The deities here are once again praying to Bhagavān Śiva. Let us take a moment; the next story is... Because of the dharma of pativratā, no one can harm him. He was also a devotee of Bhagavān Śiva from Jalandhara. Before entering into his story, let us bow twice at the feet of Sadguru Mahārāj in the presence of Bhagavān Śiva. Praise be to Devādideva Mahādeva, praise be to Sadguru Mahārāj. Speak, O Devādideva Mahādeva Sadguru Mahārāj, it is our tradition in the Purāṇas; there is a sentiment of grace in our Purāṇas. In the stories, there is the role of the sūtradhāra and the listener. Even within our society, there are people inclined towards āsurī tendencies, and there are those endowed with daivī wealth, as well as those endowed with āsurī wealth. A religious person is connected to Bhagavān Śiva... A devotee should understand that anyone endowed with divine powers and the wealth of the Goddess, who progresses in good deeds with pure intentions, whether in society, family, nation, or the world, awakens the Āsuric forces prevalent there, which become restless to destroy him. The practitioners here should reflect that we must not let the flame of the lamp extinguish, we must not lose the light. Therefore, prayers are offered: asato mā sad gamaya, tamaso mā jyotir gamaya, mṛtyor mā amṛtaṁ gamaya. In the Purāṇas, repeatedly, the stories of asuras, rākṣasas, and devas are mentioned. The story of the battle inspires us in our lives when obstacles, difficulties, and hurdles arise. It shows us that even great deities and Bhagavān face challenges. Their playing radio and tape with filmi songs and if something happens, suppose you are going to the temple and at any point you get stuck... In the traffic, you just get harassed and you sing, "Oh my God, what has happened, Bhagavān, what has happened to you?" When struggles come in your life, when hurdles and problems arise in your life, do not become disheartened at that time. That is why these stories and these battles have been narrated; otherwise, the Purāṇas... I have given the answer in the Purāṇas on how to deal with these wars, these stories, and repeatedly how to address the problem of water to uplift all of us and society, how to tackle the problem of water, how to handle the problem of population, how to deal with the problem of global warming—read with open eyes. Read this, and let me tell you a true thing: the greatest remedy to heal your own problem is to start healing someone else’s wound; in doing so, you will forget your own wound. You won’t even realize when your wound has healed. The temple is far from home, so why... One of them has a wife named Dannu, some people also call her Diti... It is said that discrimination is intellect; it divides—this is me, that is the neighbor, this is my mother-in-law. Within them, there is division; their intellect is narrow, narrow-minded. The son of a broad mind was pride. Pride arises, you see, ego. The name of its son was pride, which causes discrimination. There is hypocrisy, where inside there is a narrow-mindedness of yours and mine; that also carries ego and ignorance. But see the special quality of that hypocrisy—they listen to the words of the Gurū. When they made Śukrācārya their Gurū, they received the mantra of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Taking the mantra of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, they... In the sacred place of Puṣkara Tīrtha, he performed austerities for millions of years. There, all the people humbly addressed Viṣṇu Bhagavān, the lord of the three worlds and creator of all beings. The deities said, "We do not know what cause has arisen, nor by whose brilliance... We are distressed, but we do not know what kind of power this is." Upon hearing the words of Vipracitti, Bhagavān Viṣṇu smiled and said, "Be calm, do not be afraid. Nothing will go wrong. Why does a person become fearful over a chair? The king says, ‘Oh, my pocket, no one should pick it,’ or ‘Oh, my country, no one should take it away.’ This is how worry arises." When Bhagavān Viṣṇu spoke thus, everyone’s restlessness subsided and they returned to their respective homes. Bhagavān Acchuta also came to Puṣkara to grant boons, and seeing the devotee named Dambha performing tapas, Bhagavān Śrī Hari spoke in a sweet voice, "Ask for a boon, my son." Hearing the words of Bhagavān Viṣṇu, Dambha responded with great devotion. He who can conquer the three worlds and whom no deity can defeat—Bhagavān Viṣṇu said, "What kind of boon have you asked for? But you have done so. Until now, I have never granted a boon to any demon; you are the first demon. And so be it." Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa was the leader of the attendants. Sanat Kumār here is narrating to Vyāsa Jī that Śrī Hari granted him such a boon, and he returned home with pride. In a short time, his fortunate wife became pregnant, illuminating the inner part of the house with her radiance and beginning to shine. O sages, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s foremost devotee among his companions was a cowherd named Sudāmā. The very one whom Rādhājī had cursed entered her womb. In the Bhāgavata, Rādhājī’s name is not mentioned, but Rādhājī was cursed by a friend named Sudāmā. He had cursed her that she would not meet for a hundred years. Subsequently, the very one who had cursed Rādhājī came into her... He was born with the impressions of actions and deeds, and was named Śaṅkhacūḍa. Śaṅkhacūḍa became a demon by that name. Why was he given such a name? Because in his father’s house, on the auspicious side, the wick of the moon began to grow; he was extremely radiant. Thus, in his childhood itself, he learned all the sciences and at that time, deeply absorbed and focused, he brought his senses under control. While practicing the Brahmavidyā as instructed by the Guru, during his tapasyā in Puṣkara, even Brahmājī came to grant a boon to the demon king Śaṅkhacūḍa. Brahmājī said, "Speak, son, what boon do you desire?" He replied, "I want to become invincible, so that no one can defeat me." Then he gave the conch and the crown as a gift of Kṛṣṇa’s armor, the armor of Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān, and said that Brahmā Jī had instructed him to go to Badrināth Jī. He was speaking of Badrī Viśāla Bhagavān, the great Badrī Viśāla Bhagavān, in this divine āśrama when in the office. When I sit, I look at the picture of Bhagavān of Badrinātha, and my heart expands greatly. "Run, come, Badrinātha, Badrī Viśāla." Bhagavān is still engaged in tapasyā, and why is He doing that tapasyā? I did not tell you this yesterday; this point remained. He is performing that tapasyā so that the disciplined and virtuous person may transcend his actions. Those men who have self-control and discipline will receive the fruit of their tapasyā. The fruit of Bhagavān’s tapasyā in Badrināth will not be granted to any chair-seeking leader or protester. Those who are practicing sādhana and sincerely seeking to attain Bhagavān will receive the fruits of His tapasyā, and He will assist them. That is why it is said to become Badrī, the bearer of the Dharma flag. The maiden Tulasī was performing tapasyā there with a desire for worldly fulfillment. Brahmājī said, "Marry her," and immediately he entered into meditation. Along with the cūḍā, whose every desire had been fulfilled by the power of tapas, in Puṣkara itself, he took the auspiciousness of all auspiciousness of the world and tied the kavaca around his neck. And according to Brahmājī’s command... He went to Badrinātha where the daughter of Dharmadhvaja, Tulasī, was performing tapas. He married that beautiful Tulasī. There are three locks: the mūla bandha, uḍḍīyāna bandha, and jālandhara bandha. The yogīs apply the jālandhara bandha by placing a lock on the throat, called kavaca, and because of this, it is named so. Jalandhara has also been mentioned; there is a Jalandhara in Punjab as well. Through his tapasyā, he established his reign over the three lokas and even made Śukrācārya his guru. Now, when the guru is with the husband, what remains for the wife? It is said, "Whose guru is merciful, even his donkey..." The guru frees us from the snare of māyā. The guru is greater than Hari. It is said so because only when the guru is with you can you truly say "guruḥ brahmā guruḥ viṣṇuḥ guruḥ devo maheśvaraḥ." Why is this said? Because when the guru is with you, all tasks are accomplished. See, the lord of the gaṇas has become the master of the asuras. He became very brave and would attack the devas without reason, defeating all the devas who were ultimately defeated by Śaṅkhacūḍa. "Today you are the leaders of the gods, and what boon have you been granted that all of us gods have been defeated?" When the gods praised in this way, Bhagavān Viṣṇu said, "This is rare even for the Vaikuṇṭha yogīs." You say, "Who has come here? What suffering have you caused?" They began to tell Bhagavān about their problems. Bhagavān said to Brahmājī, "I know the entire story of Śaṅkaracūḍa. In a previous birth, he was my great radiant cowherd, who was my devotee. The establishment of this Goloka, which is connected to his story, was done by Bhagavān Śaṅkara himself in the Śiva Purāṇa. You heard this on the second day of the discourse. Goloka Bhagavān..." Śaṅkara established it and installed Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa there. It is said that Rādhājī also resides there. The gopas, dressed in the finest garments, live at the sacred place there. However, the gopas, enchanted by Śambhu’s līlā, have now descended into the forms of snakes and demons, entering the realms of dānavī beings. Viṣṇu Bhagavān is saying that Śrī Kṛṣṇa has already determined his death by Rudra’s trident. Thus, abandoning the demon body, he will again become the attendant of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, do not fear; take refuge in Bhagavān Śaṅkara. Oh, the one whom Bhagavān Viṣṇu and Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa have blessed, they themselves will break him, Śaṅkarajī will redeem him, and bring him back to Himself. See, Bhagavān Śaṅkara had two disciples, whom Nāradajī, who is a devotee and follower of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa,... By mistake, one has become a rākṣasa, which means being a rākṣasa is not necessarily a bad thing; even rākṣasas are devotees of Bhagavān. However, they have just strayed a little off the track, their path has been somewhat disturbed. One’s own work should be done, one’s seat should not be lost—just secure your seat firmly, and everyone will reach Śivaloka. That which was supremely divine and nirādhāra—oh, what do we mean by nirādhāra? Nirādhāra means that which has no support or foundation. No, it does not require any support. There, Bhagavān Śiva is surrounded by His attendants and is especially radiant. Everyone looks beautiful and all are blissful. We will call them again when there is no work to be done in the office. There is one bābū who sends the work of another bābū; if one color belongs to another color, then there will be rounds from office to office. After all, they are not deities, so they are on a good diet and losing weight. We will start the discourse every day at 4 p.m., and if Svāmījī happens to be present, then greetings to all of you on your behalf. You all can also come forward and offer your salutations and touch the feet of Svāmījī in front of the camera. Now, as we praise Bhagavān Sadguru Mahārāj, we will prepare for the āratī. Say, "Sadguru Mahārāj kī..."