TV Channel

Part 1: The Devotee’s Battle and the Yoga of Surrender Chant the name of Devādideva Mahādeva, chant the name of Sadguru Maharāj, chant the name of Bhagavān Śivāvatāra Dīpa Nāyana Ji Bhagavān, chant the name of Devādideva Mahādeva, chant this Har Har... In yesterday’s story, Mahādeva, we all saw that with his five hundred hands playing instruments, Bāṇāsura tells Bhagavān Śiva that there is no warrior equal to him. Bhagavān Bāṇāsura’s devotee desires his own welfare. And see one more thing: the person who wishes well for his disciple, his son, his friend, or his relative speaks to them clearly. And one who speaks clearly sometimes cannot speak sweet words; that is, he cannot say the words that even Viṣṇu, the lord of the three worlds, once came to ask as a Brahmin before that mighty one. See, your own lineage of masters includes Bali’s father Virocana, who, when Indra came to ask at his door, cut off his own arm and then his head to give to him. And Virocana’s father was Prahlāda, who manifested Bhagavān Narasiṃha from a pillar made of inert elements. And you say such a thing that no one can fight with me. Either you can fight, but how can I fight with you? My hands are itching. Then Bhagavān says, “Now all your troubles will be resolved.” Hearing this, at that moment he says, “Mahārāja, if you can keep Bhagavān in your kingdom, keeping Him is no joke.” If you resolve to light a lamp daily for worshipping Bhagavān, then for that lamp you will need cotton, matches, a wick, and ghee or sesame oil. And if Bhagavān comes to reside in your home along with His attendants, then many things will be required. He had to sit at home, so he called Bhagavān along with all the Gaṇas to his Śoṇitapura. Bhagavān then said, “Alright, you have called me as if you have tamed an elephant. Now make all the arrangements for us.” Bāṇa would play the svar, and he only asked for one thing: “O Mahādeva, let me fight no battles. If possible, any warrior equal to me whom I go to fight surrenders. When I speak to Yamarāja, he says, ‘Lord Śaṅkara has said that the day your flag falls without the wind god, without the Vāyu god, understand that your enemy will set out for you from somewhere.’” Very much so. At that time, in the Dvāpara Yuga, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa Candra’s consort’s desire was fulfilled, and she saw a very handsome man in her dream. She then said, “Now I will die from the fire of separation; I need that man.” At that time, there was no internet, no Facebook, no Twitter, but there was a science even better than that—the science of Dharma. It has always been present; even today, there is the science of Dharma. However, the hands and feet of the science of Dharma have been cut off. If, in some places, the science is propagated through Dharma, then it becomes a different matter. Just as this event of narrating the Śiva Mahāpurāṇa took place, information was disseminated, calls were made, and pamphlets were printed. Through the instruments that have gone, you have been given the message that there is no need for material things like these. The mouth publicity and not the heart publicity—through the heart publicity, the preaching of Bhagavān takes place, and that alone is supreme. Eighty-eight thousand munis have been seated in Naimiṣāraṇya for infinite time; this is the science of Dharma. We have placed Dharma above everything, but the day we lead science forward on the chariot of Dharma, that day the earth will be filled with fragrance, a new beginning will arise on this earth. This imbalance—these demons first changed the means of Dharma, altered human desires, changed human needs, and now... The development of Dharma remains as it is, and science is advancing in ways unknown. The sincere effort of our saints, of Sadguru Maheśvarānanda Ji, is that through knowledge, a vision is created in your life. First, an image of Bhagavān Balarāma was made, then it was said, no, make one of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, then one of Pradyumna was made, and it was said... Now we have come quite close. Aniruddha Ji made it, so he said, “Yes, this is it, this is the one I saw in the dream.” You are seeing the second, the subtle body, and the third, the causal body. The causal body consists of kriyamāṇa karma, prārabdha karma, and sañcita karma. The causal body ends through sañcita karmas, and the knowledge of the subtle body comes from understanding the prārabdha. And it is through kriyamāṇa karma that your gross body functions. In the morning, when you freshen up and take a bath, at that time the prāṇa in your body starts functioning automatically. When you perform pūjā and other rituals after bathing, your prāṇa is awakened at that moment. In the body flows the suṣumṇā nāḍī, just as on your left side is the candra nāḍī and on the right side is the sūrya nāḍī. Through this science, those images were engraved and created. Lekhā, overnight by her māyā, transferred the imprisoned Aniruddha from his chamber into the lap of Uṣā. Not just for a day or two, but for months, Aniruddha’s marriage was arranged with Bāṇāsura’s daughter. One day, a soldier of Bāṇāsura, while watching Dvārakā, said that your daughter now appears as if married even without a marriage, and some other man lives in her lap. When Bāṇāsura came to know of this, he went to fight him, first sending ten thousand soldiers of the Asuras. Aniruddha Ji killed them, then also killed the others. When Bāṇāsura himself came to fight, Aniruddha Ji continued to fight. Later, using illusion and his māyāvī power, he bound him with snakes nearby, and the snakes began to bite Aniruddha Ji, who was the grandson of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Now, this Bāṇāsura is said to reside in the Sutala loka. Tala, Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talātala, Mahātala—these are the realms beneath the earth, the six layers beneath the surface. About six kilometers below the earth, beneath the sea near Cambay, Khambhat in Gujarat, Dvārakā lies submerged in the ocean. The Chief Minister of Gujarat had said that if something very significant... If we try to arrange wealth, it is about extracting it, because the mystery that nature, that Bhagavān has created—only then do they say Alakh, which no one can write; they say Alakh Nirañjan, which no one can write. Along with this, there is a name we used to hear in childhood as well: Śiva Gorakha. Do not forget, when we were children... They came from here and where they went, we do not know. We used to see them from the age of four or five, saw them for a few years, then they disappeared somewhere, never seen again. So, they used to call that sāma like this: Alakh Nirañjan, Śiva Gorakha, Bhūlā Mat, Chet. Now, what does Bhūlā Mat mean? Where does Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa reside? Is it in the door? Where has Aniruddha gone? He is in the Sutala loka. Just now, Bhagavān gave Andhaka the Vitala loka. Now, Sutala loka was not made by the gods. Bhagavān had given Sutala Loka to Bali, to King Bali. Now see, Nārada went to Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa and said, “Mahārāja, there has been a great disturbance.” Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa had sixteen thousand one hundred and eight queens, among whom eight were chief queens. Each had ten sons and one daughter. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa had countless millions, billions, and trillions after that, then comes the number ten. Then again, there was the blue one—Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa—who had millions, even crores, of children. His children’s children and grandchildren were being born, yet Bhagavān did not have a grandson because there was simply no time. At that time, Aniruddha Ji meditated on Mā Durgā, worshipped Mā Durgā, and practiced sādhanā dedicated to Mā Durgā. See, when a stigma was placed on Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā, He went to the forests to cleanse that stigma. At that time, it was the month of Caitra. Nārada Ji recited the Devī Bhāgavata to Vasudeva Ji, Māta Dev, and Rohiṇī Ji, who is actually Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s sister. So Durgā is taken by Nanda Gopa, Yaśodā is pregnant—this Durgā comes as the daughter of Nanda Bābā, becoming the sister of Bhagavān. Now see, Aniruddha is worshiping Bhagavatī, performing her pūjā. Come, let us also take a moment to honor Māteśvarī. We may not be near the Nāga, but we are close to our own. We are bound by the nāga close by, and perhaps no one can escape. We ourselves are caught in the webs we have woven. Therefore, it is only through satsaṅga and the blessings of the Gurudeva that we are freed from it. So, remember Bhagavatī. Chant the victory of Jagannāmbē Mātē! I chant the victory of Śrī Śaṅkara Bhagavānī! The lord of the gateway, leading his army, has reached Śoṇitapura, and the first battle is about to take place. Bhagavān, folding his hands before Bhagavān Śaṅkara, says to the lord of Dvārakā, “O Lord, the boon you granted and...” The promise given to Bāṇāsura was to shatter his pride; that is why I have come. Bhagavān Śiva says, “Look, Dvārakā is strong; you have come to fulfill our promise, but I too stand to protect that kingdom.” So now, in the course of devotion, Bhagavān has to fight. Today, devotees fight with the Lord, and people think of Bhagavān as Bhagavān. There can be no battle in me. The war of Bhagavān Śiva is even more intense than the great battle of Mahābhārata. The Gaṇas of the great Bhagavān Śiva are fighting; just imagine how terrible that war must be. Now, the Gaṇas of Bhagavān Śiva are fighting; just imagine how terrible that war must be. Now Bhagavān... Śiva’s Gaṇas are engaged in battle; just imagine how fierce this war is. The parvatāstra and all these other weapons are fighting. Even the vāyu astra operates in your home—when the fan runs strongly and papers fly, the vāyu astra is at work. So, the paperweight is like the parvatāstra. The methods of knowing have been explained, and now the Jṛmbhaṇāstra has been unleashed. In front of Bhagavān Śaṅkara, everyone yawned and fell asleep. Jṛmbhaṇāstra means yawn or stretch. Bhagavān Śaṅkara and his attendants all comfortably fell asleep. Imagine, in the midst of battle, all the soldiers fell asleep. Then Bhagavān came and stood, saying, “Now this is mine alone.” The given Sudarśana is to be taken care of; I am the one who has given you this Sudarśana. O Nārāyaṇa, so what does Nārāyaṇa say? See, He says, “I am currently in the form of a man,” and look at what I have done with the weapons you have given—did I not once use the Sudarśana cakra even on a devotee of Śiva? The protocol of the Sudarśana cakra is fixed; Bhagavān Śaṅkara said that you have... Nārāyaṇa has done His own work; whoever will describe, listen to, or witness this battle, the conflicts in their life will come to an end. He had a fever called Triśirā Jvara, Triśirā, meaning a fever with three heads. They said he also developed diabetes, or they said he had a fever, typhoid worsened, hemoglobin decreased, platelets dropped. It is done, these three types of techniques have been completed, Triśirā and Bholenātha, to explain the Śiva Purāṇa, one had to look into the Śiva Purāṇa itself, and from it, threads kept unraveling from threads, rays kept emerging from rays, and such intricate knots kept untying. The answer lies within the Śiva Mahāpurāṇa, whose explanation is a prayer. It is a prayer to Mahādeva such that if one prays in this manner, the planet Śani does not cause any disturbance to a person up to the age of sixteen years. It also details which type of Rudrākṣa a person should wear and how one should perform the worship of Śivaliṅga. Let me also add this for you: treatment is prepared before the illness, the answer is written before the question, the meal is arranged before the hunger by Paramātmā. Now it is the human being who neither searches for it nor digs deep. And the greatest thing is that they do not want to be free from bondage. We begin to cry even in happiness, and in sorrow... I do cry, even in happiness, in our life we do not want to avoid sorrow; we want to embrace sorrow. Yoga is to break that pain body. By breaking that pain body, you see today in the world that a girl’s father sends the son-in-law to jail, demanding dowry as well. Once, upon hearing such a decree, he imprisoned his son-in-law, and a fierce battle ensued. When Bhagavān Śiva became pleased, then two types of recitations should be done. You see, those that are purāṇic are havanātmaka, meaning they can be offered in a havana; those that are śravaṇātmaka can be recited aloud; and those that are pāṭhātmaka can be read or chanted. And this is jñānātmaka; by taking their jñāna, we even make a dough ball of any problem in life. There is flour, and from that flour, how much work you do—that is the essence. Oṃ Namaḥ Śivāya. So still, some people watching, they do not understand Hindi, or not—I am waiting for your indication. Hindi is okay, you know, there is no problem. But our duty and our responsibility—there is one sister in front of me. So just for two minutes, let me briefly explain to her. This is a good thing. Śiva and... About Gauḍa Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Bāṇāsura, Bāṇāsura... Bāṇāsura, Bāṇāsura... An example of one lady: one lady was reading a newspaper and watching TV, and at the same time she was using the internet. One phone was ringing, so she attended to the mobile phone, and another call was coming from the landline. So, see, very often we say, “Come, let us meditate.” Let’s start the meditation. But this is a very beautiful thing and a very interesting reality: we cannot do meditation, we cannot do yoga, because all doing is action. When we stop all action, then yoga or meditation begins. So meditation means doing nothing, simply being in harmony with nature. Whenever we are engaged in any activity, we cannot enter into meditation. So all these stories simply indicate: surrender, surrender at the feet of the master, surrender at the feet of Lord Śiva. A very beautiful thing comes to my mind to share with you all: until when should we continue our sādhanā? Bāṇāsura surpassed Bhagavān Śiva, and yet he kept saying, “More, more...” Oh, once you have surpassed Bhagavān, you do not stop your sādhanā. When you ride a bicycle, you keep pedaling until you reach home. Once you have reached home, then you stop cycling. So what happened to the asuras? The asuras attained Bhagavān, all of them, but even after that, they were not satisfied. And even after that, they continued performing their karma. So this situation arises in sādhanā, where one day we can see the futility of the action. The futility of karma: All action is unnecessary at that time, no action is needed. That time requires only relaxation, not action. So many times action cannot give you the light, but relaxation gives you light. Relaxation means having nothing to do. Whenever you are doing, and many times when you do let go or śavāsana, you think you are doing nothing, but your mind is doing a lot of things. So surrendering means bhakti, means being still, as if you are frozen. Samādhi is like frozen pānī, jam gayā. This is the true meaning of bhakti; otherwise, we too would become asuras while practicing bhakti, thinking, “I have done this, now you do that,” always moving forward. Bhagavān took His son and great-grandson and left, and became the son-in-law of Bāṇāsura. Part 2: Shiva’s Incarnations and the Power of Bhairava Bāṇāsura also gave many gods as dowry and kept them in his house. They came to fight but ended up becoming wedding guests. They went as baraatis, and sometimes this happens, right? Nowadays, we see people going as baraatis, going to fight wars, and within a year or two, they are seen fighting wars. Why did this happen? Tell me, because there is no Shiva in life, and all of us… this is the story from the Mahā Śiva Purāṇa… There is no place for Shiva, that is, welfare, in mangoes. When we say, "May everyone be well, O Bhagavān, may everyone be well, O Bhagavān," only then does Shiva, that is, welfare, come into every action of our life. And if Shiva comes into battle, then see, a great fight was destined to happen, and it did happen. The conflict arises immediately because there is no feeling of welfare. There is no sense of śivatva; it is the feeling of śivatva alone that gives such bliss in life that even your battles transform into love. This story is being told by Sanatkumāra to Vedavyāsa. They are like a flame of a lamp, these are nāṣṭik brahmachārīs. From their very curse, Jaya and Vijaya became the boar and the lion, and the boar’s bed was formed. This is what Vyāsajī is narrating; these Sanatkumāras are also called Saṃkādis. Maharaj, their shrine is at Badrināth. Listen to the description of that character in Badrināth, where he killed the demon named Nīnāda Dundu. You know, Kaśyapa’s wife is Diti, and her son Hiraṇyākṣa was killed by Viṣṇu. Then Devaśatru Dundu Pinihād gave his word and decided that he would kill the brāhmaṇas. When asked where he should go to kill the brāhmaṇas, he was told to go wherever the brāhmaṇas were. Earlier, the brāhmaṇas used to live in Kāśī, which is also known as Ānanda Vana. So, go to Kāśī. Once, he began killing brāhmaṇas. It was Śivarātri, and during Śivarātri, everyone was worshipping Śaṅkara Bhagavān along with their gurus and brāhmaṇas. He took the form of a tiger. When the lions went into the forest, he would take the form of a lion and devour them. No one could realize that he was actually a rākṣasa. Now, when he went to kill the devotee of Bhagavān Śiva, Bhagavān Śiva could not tolerate this. The Śivaliṅga shattered and manifested, Mahārāj, and he seized Vyāghra by the tip of the trident and began to strike him. Then he started praying to Bhagavān Śaṅkara and said, "O Lord, please have mercy on me, make me Your servant." Then Bhagavān killed him and made the skin of his body into a seat for himself. It is said, Śaṅkara Bhagavān, that we are reciting the Rudra Saṁhitā, and the war section of the Rudra Saṁhitā is ongoing, which contains matters of war. The composer of the Purāṇas, Vyāsa Jī, has composed the Purāṇas in such a way that I want to tell you all that there is no action of the story itself, but the action lies in the subject matter. For example, in the story of Śaṅkar Jī, all the instances of Śaṅkar Jī’s story with various people at different times have been edited together. Then it was made like this, they said kaṇḍuka, which in Sanskrit means a ball. With a ball, Bhagavān Śaṅkara is playing gilli-danda with Pārvatī-jī, and the līlā of Bhagavān Śaṅkara with the ball is truly wondrous, Mahārāj. When Bhagavān throws the ball, Pārvatī-jī, enchanted by the form of Pārvatī, goes up into the sky, and two demons named Utpal and Vidal, taking the form of Bhagavān Śaṅkara’s gaṇas, come forth. Bhagavān Śrī said, Baba looked into their eyes and said, "O Maharaj, a person is recognized by their eyes. Everything is revealed through the eyes. Therefore, if someone speaks to you while avoiding eye contact, understand that there is something hidden within. In our country, the Rājput community used to say, ‘Speak with eyes meeting.’" When a father spoke to his son and the son averted his eyes, the father would immediately understand that the son was speaking deceitfully. Speak looking into the eyes. The Kṣatriya assembly then threw that ball (gainda), that is, Śaṅkar Jī, onto those demons, and both of them fell there. But as they were dying, they said, "Bhagavān, you are here…" But here, a Kandukeśvara Mahādeva, that is, a gourd-like Bhagavān Śivaliṅga was established, and a sacred area was also created here called Kāśī. Kāśī is where the main story of Viśvanātha Bhagavān’s son and the sages like Śaunaka unfolds, with other narratives changing in between. You may ask why this is so, in our country… The eternal culture is such that no storyteller, no kathā vyāsa, or the main narrator of the kathā ever says, "Ādi Nārāyaṇa said this," or "Ādi Nārāyaṇa says," or "Bhagavān Śiva said this to Pārvatī." The chain of kathās proceeds in this manner; no one claims, "I said this," even a little. It happens, they say, "I did this, I did that," signature—there is no signature here. What does ṛṣi mean? Even today, there are ṛṣis. No matter how many professors there are, doctors, or whatever creativity is involved, that person is a devotee of Bhagavān, that person is a ṛṣi. All artists, all sexes, all minds, all professors—these all are ṛṣis. Come, in the Śatarudra Saṃhitā… It is narrated that there is a dialogue between Śaunaka Jī and Sūta Jī. Sūta Jī says, "Śaunaka Jī, now I will describe the incarnations of Bhagavān Śiva to you. Listen to these incarnations with joy." Śāntakumāra Jī once heard a story from Nandīśvara Jī. Earlier, Śāntakumāra Jī used to address Vyāsa Jī as the speaker, but now he has become the listener. And Nandī, the Nandī form of Bhagavān himself is narrating the story, and what a beautiful story it is. Let us enter into this story and explore the various incarnations of Bhagavān Śiva. Before the incarnations, let us bow down for a moment to Sadguru Mahārāj. Speak, the glory of Bhagavān Śiva of Sadguru Mahārāj is being heard by the grace of the Guru. When one truly meets Sadguru, the disciple is instantly transformed from a worm to a bee and is absorbed. I surrender immediately to the five faces of Bhagavān Śiva. Sadyō jātaṃ prapadyāmi, sadyō jātyave namaḥ namaḥ — this is the first form of Bhagavān Śiva. Vāma devāya namaḥ — this is the second face of Bhagavān Śiva. Then, "Tata puruṣa tata puruṣaaya vidamahe mahā devāya dhīmahi tannu ra"—this is the fourth face of Bhagavān Śiva, and Īśāna is the great Īśāna, the fifth face of Bhagavān. These forms of Bhagavān are being described, explaining when and which form Bhagavān assumed. Nandi is narrating this to the ṛṣis like Śaunaka, and Nandi is telling this to the Sanatkumāras. I say to my intellect that Bhagavān, who is the Unnīśavā kalpa, known by the names Śveta and Lohita, manifested the avatāra called Sadyōjāta Śiva in that kalpa. At the time when Brahmā was meditating on Brahman, a Śikhādhārī boy, one Śveta and the other Lohita varṇa, was born. Seeing him, Brahmā thought to himself… Once it was decided that this man is the Brahmā-like Paramēśvara, they folded their hands in añjali. Similarly, later when the middle kalpa came, in that kalpa Brahmājī took a body of red color. At that time, Brahmājī was meditating with the desire for a son, and from that meditation, Bhagavān Śaṅkara incarnated in the form of Vāmadeva with a red complexion. Brahmā is the creator who arises, and the creator arising from Brahmā is Bhagavān Śiva; the entire creation is in Śiva. Salutations to Him. His marriage took place with Viśoka and Viśva Bhāvan Vīrjā, and from Viśoka Viśva Bhāvan, four sons were born. They all wear red clothes. After this, in the 21st kalpa, there is Pīta Vāsā. Wearing yellow clothes, Brahmā Jī was meditating… The Ādeva Gāyatrī was created. Similarly, after the self-manifested Brahmā’s era in that Bītavan Kalpa passed, the next Kalpa was initiated, named Śiva. In the ninety-first decade, a thousand divine years passed. Brahmā Jī was distressed with the desire to create beings, wondering how the expansion of my creation would proceed. At that time, Bhagavān appeared in the form of black color; even the sandalwood was black. This form was called the Aghora form, Aghorī. For Lord Shiva, for these rituals… for Lord Shiva’s manifestations… the form of the Aghora, the form of the Aghora… The direction Aghora is not called North East by humans; North East is the domain of Bhagavān Shiva, the lord of directions. When it is North East, Bhagavān Shiva is the one who brings auspiciousness to the gṛṣṇīs. Jāṭī, Muṇḍī, Sikhṇḍī, Ardha Muṇḍa are his children. Besides this, you know that Bhagavān is seated in the eight directions—East, West, North, South, Agni, Nairṛtya, Vāyavya, and Īśāna. These are the eight directions, and in each of these eight directions, different forms of Shiva are seated. North-East, South, and West—these are four directions, four sides, and four… Kaunas, like the North-East, South-East, South-West, North-West, and North-East, has eight directions. So, according to Vāstu, there are eight types of Shiva seated. The names are Śiva, Sarva, Bhava, Rudra, Ugra, Bhīma, Paśupati, Īśāna, and Mahādeva. And all of these were also made into deities, controlled by the deities themselves—Pṛthvī, Jala, Agni, Vāyu, Ākāśa, Chetargya, Sūrya, and Candra. Now here, in the Varāha Kalpa, there are different kalpas, and in these various kalpas, there are incarnations of Bhagavān Śiva. Their descriptions have come down. I will tell you the story of the incarnation of Nandīśvara. Nandīśvara himself says— Who was he, the ṛṣi named Śilāda, who said, "Bhagavān, grant me a son, a son who never dies, such a son who never dies, Bhagavān and ayoni, born by you, birth by you." O Śiva, he said, "Alright," then Nandī is narrating his story that who were my fathers, Śilāda Ṛṣi. So one time, many ṛṣi, muni, and brāhmaṇa began a great yajña, and while searching for a good land, a proper place for the yajña, they found a small child, a newborn baby, whose name was Nandī. Śilāda Ṛṣi brought him to himself for some time when he was a child. After some time, Nandī, at the age of twelve, came to the Ṛṣi as an astrologer and saw the lines on his hand and forehead and predicted that this boy would die soon or become an immortal son. If not this, then Nandī replied to Śilāda, his father… "O My Great Father, Please Don’t Cry. I Will Do Tapasyā. Everything Is Controlled. We Can Control If Lord Shiva Is Happy With Us. I will perform tapasyā for Bhagavān Śiva; if I please Him, then everything will happen." Bhagavān Śiva manifested for Nandī. And the father also let go of his attachment to his son, thinking, "He will die anyway." He distanced himself from Nandī, reasoning that if the death occurred, it would only make him more upset and unhappy. So he also began the worship of Lord Shiva. After many years of sādhanā, when Lord Shiva arrived, Nandī asked, "O Lord Shiva, why is my father worried about my life?" Then Lord Śiva completed the story. Śiva said, the two astrologers are my disciples, and I send them because you are my form. When Lord Shiva touched Nandī, suddenly Nandī had five mukha, five faces, three eyes, and many hands. Worshipping the deity as a god, Bhagavān makes His devotees like Himself. In any story of Bhagavān, if you follow it, He makes those who worship Him like Himself. He even told Nandī that you are no less than Me. There is no servant and no master in the world of God. All the devotees of Lord Shiva are like Lord Shiva Himself. There is no master and no servant. Lord Shiva makes everyone a king. So, Nandī was the ultimate coordinator of all the gaṇas of Shiva. And there was a grand celebration on Earth, in the Śilāda family; everyone was happy at the Śilāda household that Nandī had become the leader of our Bhagavān’s gaṇas. And since then, Bhagavān Śiva entrusted all the responsibilities of his attendants to Nandī. Seeing this, Umā also accepted Nandī as her own son. Now, Nandīśvara became very dear to both Bhagavān Śiva and Mātā Pārvatī. I want to tell you the names of the famous attendants of Bhagavān, whom Bhagavān made equal to himself. There are famous devotees of Lord Shiva endowed with great power—Nandīśvara, Hanumān, Bhairava, and Kubeja. So here is the story of Lord Bhairava. The story of Bhagavān Bhairava is coming, and the meaning of Bhairava is derived from bhaya, meaning fear. So when we worship Bhagavān Bhairavanātha… All the fear disappears. Fifty-two types of Bhairava govern the entire earth. Fifty-two types of Bhairava and sixty-four Yoginīs. Bhairava means effort; Bhairava means action with totality, action with complete determination. So if somebody has a problem in their life, he is feeling, he… If someone thinks, "I cannot do any work, my body is very weak, my mind is weak, nobody supports me, and many enemies always criticize me," then he or she should worship Lord Bhairava. Bhairava Nātha, Bhairava Nātha… I am just chanting the mantra of Bhairava Nātha Jī. I meditate on Bhairava Baba for two minutes, and all of us worship Bhairava Jī for a moment. Our accounts sometimes mention the creation of Bhairava Jī; once, when Brahmā spoke the word "jūṭ," Bhairava Jī was also formed. If our work is not going well anywhere, then worship Bhairavajī; immediately the work will start progressing because Bhairavajī demands a sacrifice, so Bhairavajī is appeased with a drumbeat. Victory to the power of time, the wise and discerning cause; victory to Baṭukanātha, the accomplisher of the siddhis of the practitioners; victory to Baṭukanātha, the accomplisher of the siddhis of the practitioners. Hail to Bhairava Nātha Bhagavān. On this Mārgaśīrṣa Kṛṣṇa Aṣṭamī, the person who fasts near Kāla Bhairava is freed even from sins as grave as Brahmahatyā. Like when somebody commits any aparādha, any offense, at the same time he writes and decides the punishment. So let us worship Bhagavān Bhairava, Mārgaśīrṣa Śiṣh… Mārgaśīrṣa comes around December, on the day of Mārgaśīrṣa Kṛṣṇa Aṣṭamī, which is also called Bhairava Aṣṭamī. On this day, one can be freed from sins. So, the worship of Bhairava is about attaining purity, cleansing some sins created by us in ignorance. We can purify ourselves, we can remove all our darkness through the worship of Lord Bhairava. And a person also attains spiritual progress through this; the importance of awakening is explained. Awakening during Śivarātri, awakening during Navarātri, awakening during Bhairava Aṣṭamī—what is this awakening about? It is about Nirañjana, Alakṣa, awakening, because we are asleep. Bhairava calls us to awaken, Śiva calls us to awaken, and the worship of Mother Durgā calls us to awaken. Awakening, awakening… Why do you wake up? First, you become awake, then you rise. But it is said, "Uṭh jāg"—wake up, because you only rise when you are awake. Yet, it is not that you are first told to rise and then to awaken. It is said, "Utiṣṭha jāgarataṃ prapyavaraṇi buddhata"—arise, awake, and learn the supreme wisdom of the Upaniṣads. Part 3: The Path to Superconsciousness and the Tales of Śiva’s Incarnations When will you awaken fully? Then you will reach the superconscious. And we are slaves to three things. Without vāsanā, we cannot live; there is no day in our life when we do not sleep, do not eat, and do not have any desire. Desire keeps arising—it keeps arising for these three things. Here, there is the worship of Mahā Kālī, Mahā Lakṣmī, Mahā Sarasvatī, the worship of Bhūr, Viṣṇu, Maheśa, and the worship of Bhairava. And the reason we have childhood, youth, and old age is so that we can gain control over these three stages, Maharaj. Now see, in the same way, why the incarnation of Vīrabhadra took place—you all know that when Dakṣa’s wife Satī was burned to ashes in Dakṣa’s yajña, Mahādeva created Vīrabhadra and Mahākālī from the matted locks of his hair. It is also said that Bhagavān’s incarnation is like this: see how Bhagavān Śiva, pleased, went to the hermitage of Viśvānara Muni. Listen to that story from ancient times. On the beautiful banks of the Narmadā, there was a village called Narmapur, where a muni named Viśvānara lived. He was born in the Śāṇḍilya gotra. Śāṇḍilya is known as a knower of the Bhakti Śāstra, and he was married to a maiden named Sucismatī. Nandīśvara says that when he married the maiden named Sucismatī, she said, “O Prāṇanāta, there is only one desire in my heart, and that desire is that I may be blessed with a son like Bhagavān Śaṅkara.” What extraordinary women! It was said that a son like Mahādeva should be born; this is also the complete incarnation of Bhagavān Śaṅkara. Upon hearing his wife’s words, Viśvānara began to think, “Ah, what rare words my wife has spoken.” The creator of all creativity, all nature—who can create him?—he went to Vārāṇasī to perform intense austerities to fulfill his wife’s promise. He established the Vireśa Liṅga, and a year earlier, when he practiced this sādhanā with devotion, performing trikāl arcana, on the thirteenth day, Tripadgāminī G found a child. That naked infant had eyes and ears covered, and there was a deep redness on his lips. He was adorned with sacred ash and funeral pyre ashes, and he said, “Namaskār to you.” Harade, Viśvānara began to speak: “Bhagavān, you seem to be under the influence of illusion.” To this, He said, “The wife whom you wished to attain is indeed difficult to obtain.” Viśvānara then performed a prayer to Bhagavān Śiva there. In the Vasū Purāṇa, Śatarudra is mentioned similarly, and thereafter, from the womb of Sucismatī, Mahādeva was born. The natural process also took place; the child was consecrated by Brahmā, he was named Grahapati, Nārada Ji also foretold his future, and with his father’s permission, Grahapati went to Kāśī and performed the rituals. The establishment of Au was done; the stories of Śiva’s other incarnations were narrated, and we also tell you the story of the Yakṣeśvara incarnation and Śiva’s Dūrvāsā incarnation. Once, Atri Ṛṣi said “Atreva,” meaning the one who resides in the present is called Atri. You can also understand Atri to mean beyond time and living in the moment in the Sanskrit language. Beyond time and living in the moment—in the Sanskrit language, here our mind’s entire contemplation remains in the past. The whole thought process and the process of the mind are always thinking about the past or the future. We never live in the present. Atri Ṛṣi means one who lives here and now and works here and now, just in the present, just in the moment. That is why his wife—the wife being the symbol of buddhi in Sanātana Dharma—that is why his wife’s name is Anasūyā. Anasūyā means one who never envies anyone. Anasūyā, a buddhi, an intellect, never compares herself to others, never feels jealousy towards others. Anasūyā, asūyā, anasūyā. What does the buddhi do? What is the work of the buddhi? It is always thinking and looking at the progress card, loss and profit. This is the work of the buddhi. “I have one crore rupees, one million—why does he have two million?” This is the work of the buddhi, the buddhi. In this world, once Nārada Ji, after eating the prasāda prepared by Mātā Anasūyā, exclaimed, “Ahaha, today I truly enjoyed the prasāda made by Mātā Anasūyā’s hands.” He then went to Brahmaloka and told Brahmāji’s wife, Brahmāṇī, about it, and upon going to Vaikuṇṭha, he told Kamalā as well. The three of them began to feel envious. Such is the story, and... So Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśa go to Anasūyā’s place, having become sādhus, having become ṛṣis, and as detached ascetics. Mātā Anasūyā comes to test them. They say, “We have come for the test of the wives of the devotees, the test of dharma,” says Mātā Anasūyā. Taking water in his hand, she sprinkled it on the three—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśa—and they all turned into small children. Tears began to flow from Nārada’s eyes as he said, “O parents of the world, today you have become children yourselves.” The Lord said, “This is very good; we were very tired from the affairs of the world. Now we too have found parents.” They became eternal orphans and are now living happily at their homes. If the wives do not get their husbands, they become afraid and retreat to the distant mountains. The women of India are like that; speak of Anasūyā Mātā, and say, “Return our husbands to us.” She says, “I will return them on one condition: these three must incarnate from my womb—these three being Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa manifested today in the house of Atri Ṛṣi.” And Bhagavān Brahmā incarnated as the moon. Who became the guru of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa? Sandīpani and Dūrvāsā Jī. The knowledge of advaita—there is no other in the world. This is advaita knowledge that Dūrvāsā Jī gave to Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa. Rāma and Kṛṣṇa also have Gurus, Maharaj. If they come to the earthly realm, they too sing the glory of the Guru in their daily worship. How can one describe the greatness of the Guru, that even Rāma and Kṛṣṇa had Gurus? This is the glory of the Guru. When Lord Kṛṣṇa or Rāma come, they also need guidance from the Guru. So Guru is more powerful than Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśa. In our country, there is a tradition: if you are not satisfied with any guru, or you feel that no one is worthy to be your guru, then you go to the Śiva temple and offer flower garlands and coconut, and other worship practices, and a request to Lord Śiva: O Lord Śiva, become my guru and guide me to become a master. If you do not find a guru in life, then pray to Śaṅkara Bhagavān. Śaṅkara Bhagavān is the giver of gurus. One meaning of Śiva is guru, and another meaning of Śiva is welfare. One meaning of Śiva is beauty, and another meaning of Śiva is truth. Bhagavān Śaṅkara, becoming a guru himself, assists Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa. When Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa incarnated and decided to depart from this world, the act of Dūrvāsā Ṛṣi is commendable and praiseworthy, for he... He was served a kheer so potent that when Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa tasted it, the sole of his foot became weak. To declare Rukmiṇī as the best disciple in the world, she and Kṛṣṇa sat plowing the field instead of the ox. Meanwhile, Dūrvāsā Ji and Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa themselves... Dūrvāsā, Dūrvāsā—I shall speak of that Dūrvāsā who eats dūrvā grass or wears patchwork clothes. Even today, O Maharāj, Dūrvāsā is renowned. Dūrvāsā is the well-known manifestation of Lord Śiva and is famous for his anger. This is the story of Lord Dūrvāsā. Dūrvāsā gave five mantras to Kuntī, and Kuntī invoked the five devatās; this is the backstory, the foundational story of the Pāṇḍavas. And when Kuntī called the sage, the deed was done. Just imagine what Dūrvāsā Ji did with Kuntī. Kuntī had been given in foster care from Varṣaparvā. When Kuntī was called Pṛthāputrī, Varṣaparvā’s eyes were on her. So, when Varṣaparvā’s eyes fell, the news of Kuntī’s arrival was conveyed between the kings and Dūrvāsā. Rasī Dūrvāsā Ji answered, saying, “Should I inform you before coming, or should I come without informing you? Will you call me then or not? I am your servant. When I inform you, the message is sent to Karṇa, and then Karṇa is told to give good firewood. Karṇa has his own bed, which is made of good wood.” He was given a wooden stick to beat him, then Karṇa was blessed. Kuntī used to go to sleep at night, and there would be a bell. When the bell rang, now he said, stop it again. Such work was done by Dūrvāsā Ji; there is proof of this. Kuntī would prepare the best food and feed it to the dogs, give the milk to the cow, and eat nothing herself. Kuntī would say, “Today we won’t eat anything, or if nothing is made, we’ll get something made.” If it was made, then it would be wasted. Kuntī did not sleep for three months; the atmosphere itself changed. And as they were leaving, five mantras were whispered into her ear, saying, “Speak only when necessary.” So, by simply invoking these mantras, those very five deities appeared. Such a great sage, Dūrvāsā Ṛṣi, Dūrvāsā Jī, performed countless līlā-s and bestowed curses that no one else ever received; rather, those were blessings. None of Dūrvāsā Jī’s curses were truly curses—they were all blessings. It used to happen, but in the eyes of the world, he seemed like a serpent. Duryodhana thought that by his command, these Pāṇḍavas were taking ten thousand men with them. Dūrvāsā Ji is such that he makes himself appear bad to prove others good. Dūrvāsā Ji himself plays the negative role. But when the divine pastimes of Bhagavān are magnified, the qualities are also enhanced. Such is the description of the character of Dūrvāsā Ji. Now Nandīśvara says to the Sanat Kumāras: O sages, now I shall have you listen to the character of Hanumān Ji. In the form of Hanumat, Śiva has bestowed a great boon. Speak of the dark-complexioned Rāma Chandra Bhagavān, the son of the wind—Pavana Suta... Hanumān Jī Mahārāja has done the supreme welfare of Bhagavān Rāma. Wherever Hanumān Jī listens with tears in his eyes, he is an expert in understanding what is truly important. Otherwise, usually, a person, out of affection, ends up harming the patient. He says, “He is my yajamāna, Daśaratha; why should I call Śṛṅgī or anyone else?” A brāhmaṇa was very expert in Putreṣṭi Yajña and was called upon. He felt that an injustice was being done to him because Kekai had discarded her share, which was then taken away by a hawk and given to Añjanī. From this, Añjanī gave birth to Añjanī Nandana, Bhagavān Hanumān. Bhagavān Śiva... Starting with Añjanī Ji’s place, Hanumān Ji is invoked through garbha dhāraṇa. In various other Purāṇas, all the ṛṣis have declared this kārya as the most beloved to Rāma Ji. If anyone in the world was dearer, it was Bharata. When Hanumān Ji had to give the greatest compliment, he said, “You are my dear brother, like Bharata.” He did not speak beyond this, Śrī. If anyone was most beloved to Rāma, it was Hanumān and Bharata, and the greatest gift to Hanumān was to serve here. Whenever there is an avatāra, there is always a triad of three: Jāmbavān is the form of Bṛhaspati, Hanumān is the form of Śiva, and in the form of Viṣṇu, Śrī Rāma Himself is present. See, when we perform our sādhanā, Viṣṇu comes to take avatāra. When He takes avatāra, Śiva Himself assists Him. And when Śiva takes avatāra, Bhagavān Rāma Himself attends to His tasks, following behind His feet. Such is the grand character of Hanumān Ji. Dadhīci was a sage’s descendant in our country; even today, there are Dadhīci Brahmins. Their tradition is that Dadhīci was an ardent devotee of Bhagavān Śiva. When Dakṣa performed the yajña, you will recall—I had pointed this out to you just a few days ago in the discourse—that on the occasion of Dakṣa’s yajña, Dadhīci had already pronounced a curse. Even Viṣṇu Bhagavān and other deities, where there is no share of Mahādeva, only the wise will be present in that yajña. The devas, to protect their weapons from the asuras, gave their weapons to Ṛṣi Dadhīci, and Ṛṣi Dadhīci consumed those weapons. And before Ṛṣi Dadhīci, the deities appeared once again and said, “We must create a great weapon inspired by Viṣṇu Bhagavān and Brahmā Ji, because the wielder of the Viśvarūpa has been defeated.” Tvaṣṭā’s son was Viśvarūpa, who taught the Nārāyaṇa Kavacha. It happened that once Bṛhaspati Ji, who is the guru of the gods, was with Indra... Guru Indra became displeased, Guru Indra became displeased, Bṛhaspati Ji, so Guru left from there, and after Guru Ji left, his son Viśvarūpa was born. He used to offer āhuti to the devas, and he also gave āhuti to his maternal uncle, the asuras. This greatly angered them, and they killed him. Killing the ego is the greatest affliction in the world; no one can save you from it. To kill Vṛtrāsura, a very powerful weapon was needed. This Vṛtrāsura was also, by the curse of Bhagavatī, the supreme consort of Bhagavān Śaṅkara, in his previous birth the king named Tū, who became a demon. Now, to kill this Vṛtrāsura, the devas came and... Who said, “You have your body, right? You have to make it a weapon.” They said, “Go ahead, tell me to kill you.” They said, “You keep your spine very straight, don’t you? It has become very powerful.” And our master, too, Aditi Ṛṣi said that everyone does their own work, but the one who is useful to others is called a human being. When someone else’s pain comes, it becomes their own. People say that the meaning of a man’s life is to do some charity, but the greatest charity is to give up one’s ego. They said, “We will establish a dharma state.” He surrendered his body into the fire of yoga at the feet of Bhagavān Śambhu. Indra, having forsaken his own pride, also killed Vṛtrāsura. The lamp said to Ṛṣi Dadhīci, whose wife was... It is a part of you, so she sat under the Pīpal tree waiting for her unborn child, and she remained seated under the Pīpal tree until the child was born. The son who was born was named Pippalāda. Distressed and troubled by the planets, they came to Pippalāda, and that compassionate Pippalāda composed a stotra such that by reciting it, children from the age of one year to sixteen years are not affected by the malefic influence of the Śani planet. Pippalāda’s son, Pippalāda, also protected from such cruel planets... Which mantras should be used, which types of upāsanā should be practiced—this method was given by Ṛṣi Pippalāda. Say, Pippalāda Mahārāja has come in the form of Pippalāda, in the form of Dadhīci, in the form of Mārkaṇḍeya; they are not in the body of the guru. Realize the essence of the guru. The essence of the guru’s essence... When you begin to describe or compare, you inevitably miss something, you lose something. So close your eyes and simply realize and feel the Guru Tattva. There is a beautiful bhajan; respected Bhatiji gave me a very beautiful book of the bhajan collection, titled “Devpuri Anubhau Prakāś.” So once again, we will remember our Devpurījī Mahārāj. Please sing all together. The master of the body’s consciousness was revealed by Devpurī Jī; the master of the consciousness of awareness was revealed by Devpurī Jī.