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Part 1: The Gift of the Sudarśana Cakra and the Essence of Śiva Worship O dispeller of the darkness of ignorance, O refuge in the ocean of knowledge, by whose grace the eyes are opened—salutations to that revered Guru. The root of meditation is the Guru’s form. The root of worship is the Guru’s feet. The root of mantra is the Guru’s sacred word. The root of liberation is the Guru’s grace. I bow to the divine Lord, the supreme Guru of the gods. I bow to the cause of the universe. I bow to the one adorned with serpents, the bearer of the garland of snakes. I bow to the lord of animals. I bow to the sun with the moon, the one with eyes like a fish. I bow to Mukunda, the beloved. I bow to the refuge of devotees, the bestower of honor. I bow to Śiva, Śaṅkara. In the experience of the self, the prāṇa accompanies as a companion; the body is the abode where it resides. Worship is performed, and the senses partake in enjoyment. Creation appears as sleep and dreams. Movement occurs through steps, circumambulation, and rituals. Hymns and praises are recited. Whatever actions are undertaken, they are measured and controlled. O Lord, O Hari, O Mahādeva, be pleased and protect us. In its latter part, we will listen to the bhakti of Bhagavān Viṣṇu. Yesterday, we heard the story of the twelve Jyotirliṅgas. Today, human beings in the world are troubled, sorrowful, distressed, and despairing due to the unfulfillment of various desires. The day our auspicious time begins, we will be in solitude... Sitting down, going to the sadguru, or sitting in the Bhāgavata Kathā, and beginning to worship Mahādeva—whoever is listening to or watching this kathā should know that... And the story of Mahādeva, the month of Śrāvaṇa, and how to worship Mahādeva—who else can guide us better than the Mahāśiva Purāṇa? Today’s discourse is on how Bhagavān Bhūtanātha Bholēśaṅkara and Dharāṇī Bhagavān Mahādeva gave their Sudarśana Cakra to Bhagavān Viṣṇu. It is indeed a marvel that this is written in the Mahāśiva Purāṇa. Already this is a very auspicious month, Śrāvaṇa Māsa. Śrāvaṇa Māsa is known for the worship of Lord Śiva, Lord Sadāśiva. So today we will listen to how very kind, very compassionate Bhagavān Sadāśiva gave his Sudarśana Cakra to God Viṣṇu. The discourse takes place between Sūta Jī and Vedavyāsa Jī. Vedavyāsa Jī narrates the story to Sūta Jī, and Sūta Jī narrates it to Śaunaka Jī. It is a very beautiful narrative. The Mahādeva who appeared is called Hariśvara Mahādeva—Mahādeva of Hari. Mahādeva is one and the same. When the moon worshipped Him, He was called Somnātha; when Śrī Rāma worshipped Him, He was called Rāmeśvara. Whichever devotee worships Him, He becomes known by that devotee’s name. Such is the wondrous, spontaneous nature of Mahādeva. Lord Śiva is in this forest itself; this note is divided into twelve parts. Suppose you begin the devotion, the bhakti of Mahādeva, and suppose our Svāmījī Gyāneśvarjī begins a tapasyā of Mahādeva. This is a tradition in India: when a sannyāsī, a monk, passes away, the devotees and disciples begin worshipping Lord Śiva. And prāṇa pratiṣṭhā, Deveśvara Mahādeva culture is that when the body of a saint departs, then that saint’s... Wherever they create a samādhi for a sage, they place a statue of Mahādeva Bābā there, and then they begin to call that Mahādeva by the name of that saint. But there is a Mahādeva seated within as well—this one, the Mahādeva inside, this sitting, in here, inside. That Viṣṇu Bhagavān is none other than the one who emerged from the limbs of Mahādeva; the immortal element of Mahādeva is Viṣṇu. When the devatās and Brahmā, troubled by the asuras, approached Viṣṇu Bhagavān, Viṣṇu Bhagavān thought, "My..." They used to perform the lotus with a thousand lotus blossoms. And today, in the Mahāśiva Purāṇa, the Śiva Sahasranāma—the Thousand Names of Lord Śiva—is an incentive, like patience. Just as there is the Viṣṇu Sahasranāma, the Gopāla Sahasranāma, similarly, there is the Śiva Sahasranāma, recited by Lord Viṣṇu. The Viṣṇu Sahasranāma is thus from Viṣṇu Pitāmaha. Gopāla has said the Sahasranāma of Mahādeva, and Mahādeva’s Sahasranāma, that is, Śiva’s thousand names, were spoken by Bhagavān Viṣṇu Himself. With each of those thousand names, he would offer a flower. Viṣṇu used to offer one new name of Mahādeva along with offering one lotus, like all the masters. Mahādeva even took an exam—what did he do? He made a lotus flower disappear. He used to do this with similar flowers. Look, you write "Rāma" on a bilva leaf and offer it to Mahādeva. How do we offer it? We pluck one, two, or even torn pieces, and just place them as an offering. You say that you give clothes of the same size to everyone, right? You give the same clothes, and even the color is the same. I said, I will offer one thousand bilva leaves of the same size and the same color to Mahādeva, and on each leaf, I will write "Rāma." The entire month will be spent just doing this. But these worships take place in our lives when we begin to love Bhagavān, and when we do not love, our patience diminishes. Without patience, we cannot perform love-filled worship. If we begin to love Mahādeva, then... Someone asked, "How will love arise?" He said, love will arise when you serve them with your mind, words, and actions. They asked, "When will we do that?" He replied, "When love arises." They asked, "When will love arise?" He said, "When you serve." In other words, they are two sides of the same coin: if there is love, there will be service; and if there is no love, then every now and then, after ten or fifteen minutes... Serve with enthusiasm, and then love naturally arises; the feeling blossoms. When you practice bhakti and your devotion begins to bear fruit, you develop greater love for your iṣṭa deva. This is the story of the bhakti, the devotion of Lord Viṣṇu. So one day, Lord Sadāśiva Bhagavān Mahādeva took an exam of Bhagavān Viṣṇu when he was busy in the worship of... The Bhagavān Śiva, he was accustomed to this; this was the rule of pūjā. The rule of pūjā... the rule of pūjā. Viṣṇu gave one of his eyes to Mahādeva because other gods had manifested, and then he restored that eye. And he said, "Son, what do you want?" He replied, "I am yours, created by you, a part of your body, the immortal essence that is your share. I was born in Kāśī itself. The demon people have troubled Lord Viṣṇu greatly, and they are not dying even from my weapon. So, please give me a good one that can destroy darkness." And provide a means to clear the path for those who are like the gods. Bhagavān handed over the Sudarśana Cakra, which was in his hand, to Viṣṇu Bhagavān. And here, Viṣṇu, with a thousand names, worshipped Mahādeva, and these thousand names are described in the Koṭirudra Saṁhitā within the Mahāśiva Purāṇa. Since time is limited, we cannot tell you everything. Bhagavān Śiva appeared, posed questions, gave the Sudarśana Cakra, and returned to Kailāsa, while Kamalāpati Viṣṇu came to Vaikuṇṭha. Those who are Vaiṣṇavas... They also recite the Sudarśana Kavaca, such as the Brahmāstra, Pāśupatāstra, and Sudarśanāstra. Now, in the Mahāśiva Purāṇa, there is a very beautiful narrative about which vows please Bhagavān Śiva. The second chapter is very beautiful and helpful. For all the devotees, now about Bhagavān Śiva. Sūta Jī is telling this story to the Sāṇkādiyas and other sages. Sūta Jī is narrating this tale to thousands of munis. Please tell us how to worship Lord Śiva and how many fasts to observe, like today is Ekādaśī and tomorrow... The fast of Śivarātri, which falls in the month of Phālguna, should be observed. Besides Śivarātri, if it coincides with the Aṣṭamī tithi and the moon, meaning if it is a Monday, then the fast should also be observed. One should also fast on Caturdaśī, the fourteenth day, and on Ekādaśī, the eleventh day, one should either have a single meal or remain fasting. Bhagavān Śiva has revealed to them the means to attain satisfaction. He has spoken of the four methods of Sadāśiva Bhagavān: worship of Bhagavān Śiva, chanting of Rudra mantras, meditation in Śiva temples, and dying in Kāśī. These four things grant liberation. Now, we shall discuss the worship, chanting, and temple rituals of Bhagavān Śiva. Worship in Varanasi and death in Kashi—these four things grant liberation. This fourfold path will grant liberation, mokṣa, according to the Mahāśiva Purāṇa. The observance of Mahāśivarātri holds great significance for the devotees of Bhagavān Śiva. So, fasting on Mahāśivarātri is very important for all devotees of Lord Śiva. It is coming in February and March when the moon is in the Citrā Dhaniṣṭhā nakṣatra in the Capricorn sign. When the moon enters Capricorn, we observe this at night. There is also an ancient story that on the day of Mahāśivarātri, Bhagavān married his Umā, Pārvatī. Marriage is also performed with the mother, and what is the procedure for this, what is the story behind it—this is from the final chapter of the Koṭi Rudra Saṁhitā. Even if we do not have offerings made by joining five fingers, we can offer bhoga to Bhagavān by making gestures like yāṅga, raṅga, laṅga, vaṅga. Such is the procedure. The method of the Lord has also been explained: there are sixteen treatments and five treatments. We can offer to Lord Śiva five things or sixteen things. The five elements within us are citti, jala, pāvaka, gagana, samīra—there are five elements in our physical body as well as outside. Pṛthvī, earth, vāyu, air, ākāśa, sky, jala, water, pāvaka, that is agni, fire—these five elements constitute the world. So, when we offer these five things to Bhagavān, say to Sadāśiva Bhagavān, this is what the hundred and eight-step pūjā is about. In the morning, when we perform the āviśeṣa, what is the essence of it? It is the pañca-upacāra. What do we do in pañcopacāra pūjā? We offer light as pāvaka, agni, and dīpa; we offer dhūpa. So, what is the quality of dhūpa? It spreads through vāyu. If we light a wick for Bhagavān, then the agni element is present, and we offer naivedya to Bhagavān—the food, whatever it is, is the representative of the pṛthvī element. So, the worship of the five elements, the pañcopacāra pūjā, involves the earth (pṛthvī), water (jala), fire (pāvaka), sky (gagana), and wind (samīra) elements. The ṣoḍaśopacāra pūjā, on the other hand, is about the desires for dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa. It involves the ten indriyas, one mind, eleven faculties, and the four puruṣārthas. So that the indriyas come under our control, the mind comes under our control, and the four puruṣārthas are fulfilled. That is why we perform ṣoḍaśopacāra pūjā. We invoke: O Bhagavān, please come. Invocation to God: O God, please give the seat, the chair, please sit here. Invocation: āvāhanam. Now we begin. The feet of the Lord and the Guru and the Master, āvāhanam, āsanam, then pādyam—when someone comes into the house, you first wash their feet. First, āvāhanam, āsanam, pādyam, and then what do you do? The main āsanam. Then offer water in the mouth—put water in the mouth and clean, freshen up a little. Then sarvāṅge... After the bath, we bathe Bhagavān. We treat Bhagavān in the same way as we treat a guest. It is just like being with God, just like being with our nearest guest. This is what happens with water, the practice you perform. You know, earlier our country had this culture. Earlier, when someone came to the house, they were offered madhuparka, yogurt, and honey. We offer this as the ancient tradition of India. When somebody comes home, if you eat dahī, and even if you eat rice elsewhere, your stomach will not get upset. Come, let us take the name of Bhagavān for two minutes. Say Sadāśiva Bhagavān kī Śivāyoṁ namasivāyoṁ. Har har bole namasivāyoṁ. Namasivāyoṁ namasivāyoṁ. Har har bole namasivāyoṁ. Everyone sing, chant Har Har, Gaṅgā Dharāya Śiva, Gaṅgā Dharāya Śiva... Gaṅgā Dharāya Śiva... One day, spend the night awake in the dark of night; stay awake all night—this is the first fruit of Mahāśivarātri. Besides this, if you love Mahādeva, then I believe you will also find it difficult to stay awake. It is said that after practicing this discipline for 14 years, one should celebrate it. There are many ways to pray; we can pray to Śakrapā or Mahādeva. Pray to Mahādeva, saying, "O Mahādeva, I wish to worship you; please show me the way." So, the first rule of pūjā worship is to pray to Mahādeva and request, "O Mahādeva, please let us know how we can begin your pūjā," and you will give us strength or power so we can complete your pūjā, we can perform your pūjā, please help us, we want to do your pūjā. When Mahādeva is pleased, by His grace we will be able to perform the pūjā; without Hari’s grace, no one receives it. Without satsaṅga, there is no discrimination, and without the grace of Rāma, nothing becomes easy. We all know that satsaṅga, the company of truth, and involvement with the masters are helpful for progress, but this only happens when direct existence blesses us. So, when you meet the Guru and involve yourself with the masters, it is definitely the blessing of Bhagavān. Without the blessing of Bhagavān, we cannot meet the Guru, nor can we begin satsaṅga or worship. There is a very beautiful story of Mahāśivarātri: suppose someone is fasting on the night of Śivarātri, neither eating nor sleeping, yet unknowingly (ajñāna mēṁ) does not realize that it is the night of Śivarātri. By chance, if someone neither eats nor sleeps—if unknowingly, devotion to Mahādeva arises—what is the result of that? Unknowingly, first of all, some deliberately adopt it, and that certainly bears great fruit. What happened unknowingly was that in a past life, he was a hunter; it was Śivarātri that day. By coincidence, that is not the story of Śivarātri that we ourselves are hearing. He was a hunter who went into the forest to hunt. One story comes from Mahāśivarātri. There was a hunter family, and one evening, by chance, it was Mahāśivarātri, a very auspicious day. The hunter went to the forest for hunting. It is said that merely by seeing the bilvapatra, Bhagavān Śiva becomes pleased. He went and sat at one of its branches, and nearby there was a sarobara, a small lake. Look at the nighttime and misfortune; good people make wells, some drink water, and the wicked even take prāṇa. This is a very unfortunate thing, and we human beings make ponds and lakes to help the animals, but some... Below the branch, there was a śivaliṅga. Some people say that under that tree there was a stone, a round one. The Śivapurāṇa says that there was a round stone like the śivaliṅga of Mahādeva. And as we know, every stone is Bhagavān. So he was sitting on the tree, waiting for the animals and... Suddenly, a female deer came, the female deer came and began to drink water. The hunter made his body still, intending to kill her, but she saw him and pleaded with the hunter. That doe said to that hunter, that tiger, that Bhīl, "Let me go home once, I will return. My husband is responsible for the children, and I also have a sister; I will come to see her." It was evening because Sāyam had left the house, so consider this the first worship of Śivarātri, around eight or nine o’clock, before ten. "I want to entrust the responsibility of my children to my husband, to his father, and to my sister. If I were to die, it would be for your greater good." That day was Śivarātri; he had been fasting for a long time and had eaten nothing. The Bhīl was sitting on the branch of the tree, and I felt compassion in my heart. And when it moved, a bilva leaf fell, and near it, there was a separate vessel kept for drinking water. Some drops of water from the upper part of the tree fell on the liṅgam of Mahādeva, along with a bilva leaf. Unknowingly, a form of worship was performed. The hunter said, "If you do not return, tell me, what am I to do?" To this, the doe replied, "If I do not come back, then you tell Bhagavān, tell the creation." I say to the Lord, to Bhagavān, to Śiva, that may I receive the very sin that befalls a brāhmaṇa who neglects the three daily sandhyā rituals, and the sin that befalls a woman who disobeys her husband’s command and betrays his trust, as well as those sins that affect dharma and faith. May the sin of those who deceive and betray fall upon me alone if I fail to return. The hunter asked the doe, the female deer, "How can I believe you will come back?" Then the female deer requested the hunter, "I will definitely come back; otherwise, all my puṇya will be lost. All my welfare, all the fruits of my charitable or welfare work will be lost. In the next life, nature will punish me if I do not fulfill my commitments. I will not fulfill my commitment if I do not come, and this will be a great sin, a grave wrongdoing. If I do not come, existence itself will be punished. As an existence, it is said that a Brahman who does not pray three times a day is punished; existence will be held guilty. I will definitely come, believe me, otherwise I am your guilty one. Lord Śiva will punish me if I do not come. I am. Telling you on this auspicious day, this auspicious night, I will just go to my house and entrust the responsibility of my children to my husband, and then I will definitely come. This is my commitment." The hunter said, "Okay, you go, and I am waiting here. You will come; at that time I will kill you." And the mṛgiṇī, the female deer, went away, and again he started waiting and watching for another animal, as well as for the same hariṇī. And inwardly he was thinking, I know, no one will come. In times of difficulty, everyone makes many commitments, but when good times arrive, people forget those commitments. The hunter thought that in bad times, a person makes all kinds of promises. Difficult times remind everyone of Bhagavān, but when good times come, people forget the Guru, Bhagavān, and everyone. Today, I gave him the gift of prāṇa; he did not believe it would come. By doing this, I extended his life by two more hours. Between ten and twelve at night, a sister of that deer came. Then the disease said, now I will kill him. As it moved to kill, water from the nearby loṭā fell down, and a bilva leaf also fell from above, by itself. Mahādeva accepted this as a second worship through it. All this is happening spontaneously, the second time, why? He was already hitting me while I was drinking water. I hadn’t even taken a sip yet. The hen said, "Oh brother Vyāghra, forgive me, please let me go. I will come back. I have children at home too, I have responsibilities towards them, towards my younger sister or her husband..." What kind of promise do you make that you will return? To this, the hariṇī said, I will certainly come back; if I do not return, then I shall become a denizen of hell, just as I would be called a sinner, in the same way as that person... One night, an unarmed female deer came near that pond, and the hunter wanted to kill her. Then she also requested the hunter, "Please let me go; I will come back. I want to say my last goodbye to my sister and her children and attend to some responsibilities. If I do not return, I swear by God, by God Viṣṇu, I definitely will..." Come, if I do not come, Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Mahādeva will punish me as a criticizer, because in the Sanātana Dharma, because in the Hindu Dharma, if somebody criticizes Lord Śiva, Lord Śiva... Lord Śiva... Lord Śiva, Lord Śiva... My home and be eating, his mind was completely disturbed. I said, "Alright, you also go," and sent him off like that. Then I started thinking in my mind, it is twelve o’clock at night, someone at home must be hungry, I am also hungry here, what should I do? There is no solution, no mantra or charm either. Oh, do not torment me, do not trouble me. Listen to what I say: I will return, and if I do not return, what sin will befall me? At the time of Sāyam, the person who indulges in sensual pleasures, who becomes entangled in lust during Sāyam—this has been clearly condemned in Hindu Dharma, in Sanātana Dharma. In the Bhāgavata, in the Śiva Purāṇa, in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, in the Garga Saṁhitā, the time of Sāyam is for the worship of Bhagavān, so I should be considered to bear the sin of not worshipping Sāyam, this is the teaching being given to us. Let me bear that sin, and also the sin of a person who snatches away another’s share or right. The sin that befalls him, let that sin befall me as well. For that, there is a provision of punishment here in our scriptures. Apart from this, may all my puṇya be exhausted. The one who causes pain to others’ hearts, the sin that befalls him, and the one who, without worshipping Bhagavān Śiva, applies bhasma and takes food—If any sin befalls him, let it befall me instead; if I do not return, understand that this is the matter between twelve midnight and two o’clock. You must know that the worship of Mahādeva during the third watch is performed on Śivarātri. So just a few minutes to explain in another language: this is the rule in the Śivarātri pūjā. Four times we worship Lord Śiva in the night. And three-hour four pūjā also doing, so this is midnight time, is between twelve to a.m. Mahā Kāl Rātrī, a male deer came near the lake, near the points for drinking water, and that hunter again tried to kill him and he requi— He said this is the third time. Two deer went away, they were spared, and this one was also spared. Part 2: The Hunter's Transformation and the Essence of Śivarātri How will I be hungry, and what about the hunger of my children and my parents? The hunter thought in his mind: if I do not kill this deer, my wife, my parents, and my children will remain hungry. This is my duty, my profession, and my family profession. My father and grandfather all used to do this work—killing animals for us to eat. But this dear request came very forcefully: God will punish me if I do not come; Mahādeva will punish me. If I do not come, I will be punishable—just as, suppose, a person who does not meditate in the evening, who does not do āratī in the evening, commits a great sin. This is mahāpāpa, not performing sandhyā in the evening. This is a great sin if we do not meditate in the evening. As we know, there are three types of prāṇa nāḍīs in our bodies: iḍā, piṅgalā, and suṣumnā. In the evening, the prāṇa naturally flows through the suṣumnā, and if at that time we eat, enjoy, or drink, it is very harmful for our spiritual journey and also very harmful for our physical body. The deer pleaded: "I am also a hunter, so please do not kill me. I will return; if I do not, God will punish me, just as He punishes those who take possession of others’ property. All my welfare and all my good karmas will continue if I... If I do not fulfill my commitment, then the bilva leaf and water are wasted." So what is happening? Three times, when the hunter offered a little bit—just one bilva leaf, the auspicious leaves, three leaves, which Śiva likes, because Śiva is trinetra. The bilva leaf with three leaves went automatically onto the deity of Śiva, the stone looking like a Śiva Liṅga, and a water drop of the water went into the Śiva Liṅga. In the Stone Age, we know everything is God—every tree, every stone, every wall, every river, sun, moon. The whole existence is the age of God. We worship God everywhere. We can see Him in the sun, we can see Him in the river, we can see Him everywhere, we can feel Him. So this is the glory, this is the pūjā technique. On Śivarātri, we perform abhiṣeka to Lord Śiva four times. The time for the fourth pūjā, the last pūjā between two a.m. to four a.m. in the morning, is for not eating and not killing. All three deer—two female deer and one male deer—and their kids were all in the caves in the forest, and they started thinking: we made the commitment; we will surrender our body to that hunter. All the deer, all the children began to think that we have given our word to that hunter to give our bodies. A man who breaks his promise after giving it is the greatest liar in the world, a great sinner. If we are to give our bodies, then that deer said, "I will give. I am a human after all." The children cannot live without their mother, so the mother—those does—said, "No, no, what is life without a husband?" The children said, "What is life without mother and father?" So, in their home, as a servant... Tears welled up in the hunter’s eyes at that moment; his tears fell upon Mahādeva, and a bilva leaf landed on Him. This was Mahādeva’s fourth pūjā, performed on the night of Śivarātri. This is the last pūjā. "I will give my body to the hunter as well." Then the children request their parents, "No, no, we will also give ourselves. Without the parents, how will we survive? You are our god." So the children and the deer all come near the lake and the Śiva temple, and they request the hunter, "O hunter, please kill us." When the hunter saw this situation—all were sacrificing their bodies for one deer—a lot of compassion and kindness arose in his mind, and suddenly a transformation took place. Within the mothers, an extraordinary devotion manifested, and it is said that at that very moment, Mādeva appeared there. The gods, the sages, all were hungry for Mahādeva; the deer were hungry, and the hunters were also hungry. The hunter’s family also suffered from hunger; everyone fasted unknowingly. But the hunter felt compassion. Mahārāj, when someone feels compassion for another living being, this too is the devotion of Mahānāth. The worship is not only offering some stuff to God. When we show kindness to other creatures, to other life forms, to animals, to human beings, this is the true bhakti of Sadāśiva. Thus, Lord Sadāśiva appeared there and bestowed His blessings. This hunter then became a friend of Lord Śrī Rāma. This hunter, by the grace of Mahādeva, became a friend of Bhagavān Śrī Rāma and went to Śṛṅgaverapura. When Rāma went into exile, this Bhīla welcomed him, and Rāma stayed with him. In that very birth, he attained such great eloquence, and having had the darśana of Rāma, does he not attain mokṣa? I always tell you this. When Bhagavān Śiva becomes pleased, what does He give? Viṣṇu gives, Rāma gives. And when Bhagavān Rāma becomes pleased, Śiva gives. So here, Bhagavān was pleased by the worship of that night, and being pleased, what did He give? He gave the friendship of Rāma, and this person became a friend of Rāma, of Bhagavān Śrī Rāma, because this is the miracle, this is the glory. When Lord Śiva is pleased with the devotees or disciples, He gives the best gift. And what is the best thing in Śiva’s life? Rāma is the best thing. So He gifts Rāma, the bhakti of Rāma. He gives to him. And if Bhagavān Viṣṇu is with you... One should not do that. There is only one Bhagavān, and we should develop the capacity to perceive Him. This discourse teaches us one more thing: compassion, isn’t it? To be compassionate. Compassion is the root of dharma. The root of sin is arrogance. In the Aṣṭādaśapurāṇa, in the words of Subhyāsa, there is the concept of favor for merit, sin for harm, and causing pain to others. Dharma is not just a river, brother, and beyond that, there is no suffering; heartfelt welfare to all... O members of the eternal Sanātana Dharma, speak of Bhagavān, speak of Sadguru Mahārāj. Come, let us bow for a moment at the feet of Sadguru Mahārāj and then move forward. Swāmī, make us steadfast; awaken us by the sound of the word. Gurujī, let me become the dust beneath your feet. O Swāmījī, listen to me, awaken this world. O mother and father, what have you done to me? O mother, please call me to your lap. Prabhuchī sir called me, heard these words, I heard the words like this, what is written on the body, heard these words like this, these words are from the head, everyone heard these words, I heard the words like this, put them on me. Give them the realization that I am a Svāmī. How beautiful is the word Svāmī, meaning the master, the Bhagavān. If we look at the chariot of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, it seems as if we have made Bhagavān the driver who is pulling the chariot. Is Bhagavān a driver who is driving the chariot? Is Arjuna the owner? No, that is not the case. Look carefully, this chariot is our life. The mind is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the soul is the self; if the reins of the mind’s senses are in the hands of the mind, then the horses will run off in unknown directions. But if the reins of the senses are in the hands of the self, the Ātman, the Paramātmā, then you will win the battle. Hearing the word Swāmī awakens me. My mother and father gave birth to me; they did indeed bring me into this world, and they will expect from you to go out into the world, make a name, be ambitious, and become a threadbare horse. But the Guru is like a roaring lion; He reminds us that you are, in fact, a lion. Aṣṭāvakra narrates this story to King Janaka: a lion’s mother died when it was just a cub. The lion forgot that it was a lion and began living with wolves and jackals. Even though it was a lion, its behavior became like that of the wolves. Whenever the lion entered the forest, it would forget that it was a lion. He too ran like the deer and like the wolves at the approach of the lion. Once he grew up, his body would be larger than that of a sheep. He had the body of a lion, but he meowed, he bleated. He was a lion, yet he made the sound of a sheep, behaving like the deer. The lion came, and everyone fled, and indeed, he was a roaring lion. He saw and wondered what had happened—our lion was roaming among the wolves, and he had even become a madman along with the sheep. He went and saw, caught him by the neck from behind, and said, "Bacchu, where are you running?" He replied, "Let me go, I am here." They said, "You were not born just to say ’I, I.’ Just look at me." You said, "Leave me," I said, "What do I leave you?" You asked, "Do you know what I am?" I said, "I am a frog." You said, "You are not a frog, you are not part of the crowd." Grabbing its neck, I said, "Come back with me to the lake, to the pond, to the pool." I said, "Look at my face." It said, "Yes." I said, "Now look at your face." He said, "Yes, the face is there, now speak with my voice, speak with a voice like mine." So he also voiced, and the roar he let out was the roar of a sanyāsī svāmī—that I am the master of this world, not a slave to it, not a football to be kicked here and there. I consider the world as a football—this is the roar of being a devotee of Bhagavān. The voice to recognize one’s own ātman was the voice of the ātman itself, and the lion said, “Today I have found the rightful heir of the forest, so I am the king.” We are born as kings; we are not meant to be slaves. The lord of lords, the owner, the master of the cosmos, is within us. So we are not slaves. This is eternal. We are not subject to death; we were never born to die, and in fact, we were never born at all. Listen to this truth: we are unborn. O Swāmījī, awaken me by uttering the sacred word. And what is that ocean in which we shall behold? This is why our Yām Mahānt says—when love becomes infinite, when every fiber becomes saintly, when it becomes Vṛndāvana, only then does the body and mind become great. When the mind becomes great, then this is the story of Śivarātri, the essence of Śivarātri. It is the story of awakening in all four times. Awake! The method of the night is taught for becoming awakened. If we count the life of a person, how miserable it is. When asked about the age, they say seventy years. Out of seventy years, forty years are spent in sleep. If we count a person’s life, they say seventy years, but out of seventy years, forty years are just going here and there. You have to book a flight ticket, catch a train, catch a bus, going here and there, back and forth—this is how life passes by. They say they have to study, then it goes chasing after money. They speak like this: bālasa tāvata krīḍā rakta, taraṇas tāvata, taraṇī rakta, vardhasa tāvata, cintā maganā, pāre brahmanī kopina laganā. Chant Govindam, chant Govindam, Govindam, chant with a humble mind. Ādi Guru Śaṅkarācārya says in the Charpaṭa Mañjarī: when we are children, we are simply absorbed in play and games, with many distractions in the mind; when we are young, we attract the opposite sex, man seeking woman, woman seeking man. A lot of marriage—you will ask how a lot of marriage? Alright, one may engage in disputes, but in the mind, the entire world revolves around it; otherwise, the market would close, the cinema would shut down—this drama of desires is what runs the world. Whatever corruption exists in the world, the cause is the person themselves, no one else. The reason for corruption lies in our lust, in our confusion. And when knowledge enters the mind, we realize that we ourselves are also the cause of the darkness. Therefore, here the emphasis is on awakening. Whether it is Navarātrī or Śivarātrī, or Bhāiyā Jāgo, the Śivapurāṇa is for awakening, the Rāmāyaṇa is for awakening, the Bhāgavata is for awakening, the Upaniṣad is for awakening—this is an opportunity to awaken. For those who wish to remain uninvolved, indifferent, awakening through devotion to Mahādeva is better. Because Mahādeva is living in a family but he is uninvolved, udāsīn; he does not interfere in the world. And you see the family of Mahādeva—he is riding Nandī, the bull, and Mātā Pārvatī is riding on the lion. Both of them are opposites. First, see and enjoy the essence of Hindi. One day, Baba said, "Let’s go meet my beloved wife." He entered deep samādhi many times. Bhagavān said, "Let us first take care of your wife." So first, they went to meet Mātā, Umā, Bhagavatī, Jagadambā, Parāmbā, Bhavānī. As soon as they arrived there, they spoke softly in their palace, and Nandī with his horns like this... He said, "Come on, Baba, let’s go." I asked, "Why? It’s only been two minutes." He said, "This lion sitting beneath your dharma wife, my mother Pārvatī, I am afraid just looking into its eyes. It will devour me in one paw." Bhagavān Śaṅkara said, "Look, I have come to meet my wife, and this one is not even letting me meet her." So what happened then? Tell me, should I meet the elder son? Mallikārjuna said, "I am going." Bhagavān Śaṅkara left. The son Kārtikeya said, "How are you?" There was a snake around his neck, hissing. He said, "Baba, let’s go quickly from here." He said, "It’s only been two minutes." He said, "Come, look, the mongoose eats the snake. The snake sometimes goes this way, sometimes that way, and there is no snake at all." Here too, snakes, here too, snakes,... here too, snakes. Mahādeva said, "Run away from here." Come on. Bhagavān Śaṅkara said, "Come, I have made Gaṇeśa the first to be worshipped in this world. I have made Gaṇeśa the most revered and famous in this universe. So, I will go meet my son Gaṇeśa; there you will find peace." As soon as he arrived, the mouse started squeaking and said, "Drive them away quickly." He asked, "Why?" The mouse replied, "My father has come to meet." The mouse kept saying, "Go quickly, go quickly." Mahādeva said, "Until now, it was always Nandī speaking to me, sometimes Mahādeva, but now this snake is speaking..." If there is no friction, then no one likes anyone; no one likes anyone else. This is like a parliament building—some like something, others do not. Even five fingers are not exactly the same. When we speak, we say five fingers are not equal. So, in India, it is said that empty vessels... The sound comes, and we say, keep the vessel empty, do not fill it, fill it with love, then the sound will not come. The vessel is empty, so the sound will come. So fill the vessel with water, fill it with love, fill it with essence, then the sound will not come. So what is the greatest fruit of the abhiṣeka of Mahādeva? I will tell you, what is the fruit of devotion to Mahādeva? I will tell you that. So I have shared this with you as a jest; the greatest fruit of devotion to Mahādeva is that even beings with opposing natures become one. I see, when asked to give or keep a Śivaliṅga of Mādev Jī, they do not keep a Śivaliṅga in the house. They say, how can we keep Mādev Jī’s Śivaliṅga at home? I do not forcibly tell anyone to do this, but I certainly request... This feeling that "We are devotees of Viṣṇu, so we do not revere Mādeva" is ignorance; it is a petty mentality and nothing beyond that. Rāma himself says, "One who is hostile to Śiva cannot be called my servant." Rāma says, "If someone is an enemy of Śiva and claims to be my servant, I do not even like him in my dreams." Our Rāma performs the worship of Mahādeva himself. There is a very beautiful story that Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa narrated along with Umā. In the Dvāpara Yuga, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa went to Kailāsa with his wife Jāmbavantī and performed worship there. The complete Puruṣottama, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa Śrī... Speak of the Lord of Dwārakā, the Lord of Dwārakā. Here, Bhagavān Himself, Mahādeva, has come to Kailāsa along with Jāmbavantī to perform worship. And what worship are they performing? They are offering bilva leaves with the mantra Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya, performing pūjā with sandalwood paste and fourfold offerings. For what purpose are they doing this? Because Jāmbavantī was not having a child, she wanted a beautiful child. Jāmbavantī was tribal, an ādivāsī. Actually, all of us are ādivāsīs in this world; those who live in the forest are called vanavāsī. They are the vanavāsīs who live in the forests... Śivaṁ sundaram, Mādev is the most beautiful; why is He beautiful? Because Mādev embodies satya, and that which is satya is auspicious. And that which has the power to bring about the welfare of others is beautiful. How beautiful are flowers, because they emit fragrance. He does not need deodorant or good shampoo or soap. A unique divine radiance will come from within. Those who put on makeup, no matter how much you wash them, will still look very unattractive from the outside. Say Namaḥ Śivāya. Śiva, so beautiful a story—Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa started worshiping Bhagavān Śiva for a beautiful son with this wife Jāmbavantī... Jāmbavanta Jī... Jāmbavanta Jī... Jāmbavan... The storm has arisen; when He came in the Vāmana form, I was young, and now I have grown old. Where is the Satya Yuga during Bali’s time? Jāmbavān exists in every age. The story of Kāga, Vusandī, and Jāmbavān is told at Mahādeva’s place, on the Nīla Parvata, in Kailāsa, so... By the grace of Mā Pārvatī, Sāmba was born; he will be born to you as well. And listen, this Sāmba is indeed a part of Bhagavān Sūrya. Once, the sages cursed Sūrya that he would be born in a human form, so he became your son. In this way, Paramēśvara Śiva, having attained complete blessings, Girirāja Kumārī pleased Śivā and said to that ascetic, Śiva-devotee Mahātmā Vāsudeva, "Pārvatī-jī says, ’O Vāsudeva, I am pleased with your tapas.’ So tell me, what do you desire?" Then Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa said, "May your grace be upon both of you, and I shall always honor the brāhmaṇas. And may there never arise any hatred in my mind towards the devotees of Bhagavān Śrī, nor may there be any in my lineage. I shall honor my ancestors and partake only of pure food with reverence. May my love remain steadfast with my brothers and companions—this is the blessing that Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa asked from Mā Pārvatī." You might say, he asked this from Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa. What is the need to tell us? They are telling us to ask this from Bhagavān. Maybe Lord Kṛṣṇa does not need this blessing because he is already God, created by Lord Śiva, the reincarnation of Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, and Kṛṣṇa appealed to Mā Pārvatī, requesting, "O Mā Pārvatī, give me this blessing, I... I want to always stay in the joint family. Māṁ Pārvatī, please bless me, me, and the whole generation. Respect to all the masters, all the sages, all the monks, all the brāhmaṇas, if they are our deities, if they are our ancestors, our forefathers, our ancestors. Ṛṣis, our teachers, our masters are happy with us today, then what is impossible for us? We can attain everything if our ancestors, our parents, and our guests who come without prior notice—atithi—and our ṛṣi are pleased with us. By the blessings of devatā, ṛṣi, and brāhmaṇa, and by the happiness of atithi, we can achieve anything. If we can attain anything, here Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa has described the devotion of Mahādeva. He devoted himself to Mahādeva. Now see, here neither is there a description of hells nor any purpose explained. Chapter 27 explains about 27 types of hells, and even this much has been mentioned. What is the root of sin? It is said to be physical, verbal, and mental. Physically, we commit some wrong actions that are not beneficial for our future life. Verbally, we commit some pāpa karmas through our tongue, through our vāṇī. How? We speak lies. We criticize others in falsehood. We praise someone in falsehood. We do this just to make someone happy for some selfish reason. Because of some selfishness, we want to make somebody happy. So, there are two types of tendencies in our mind: if we see some rich people and we have some selfishness inside, we start trying to make others happy; and when we see some weak people and want to help them, we start criticizing. So, two complexes are always going on inside us. Superiority complex, attraction towards others, or ignorance—when we start ignoring others, we begin to avoid them. This creates a problem in our mentality. Do not do this. It is said that if you do this, you become excessively attracted to someone. When we become excessively disturbed by someone, it is also a kind of deficiency or obstacle in our sādhanā. Similarly, from the body, from the mind, and many other types of negative thoughts arise within us about others—"How is that Bhagavān ahead of me?"—all due to some competition or comparison in our mind. We criticized others, we felt bad for others, so this is very pāpa karma; this is very bad karma in the spiritual journey. And all these things lead us to naraka. To avoid these narakas, and the path that leads to these narakas has also been described in great detail, like in the Garuḍa Purāṇa. May Bhagavān grant that you do not have to hear of a very terrifying path where no one supports you. Do not think that there is a best friend here, that it will be useful later—nothing is of use. Everyone is left behind; they remain right here. Even this body does not accompany you; in fact, the body itself is left behind here. Therefore, how much we... This is the password for our email, this is my mobile, how much to manage everything... The scriptures mention millions and five sets of five hells in sequence, totaling 140 hells. O King, if you hear about these 140 hells, you will be frightened and understand that all this is due to sin. Because, O King, all of us commit sins knowingly and unknowingly, and due to the various types of hells, there are different kinds of sufferings. If the deities like Kūkara Vālī and Kākā Vālī grant us something, then we should offer sacrifices daily to dogs, crows, and the like; otherwise, it incurs great sin. Part 3: The Power of Truth and Righteous Action By giving various kinds of donations, we can be freed from sins. So, I say this is my duty. Few people can enter the temple and sit before Mahādeva and the Mahāśyu Purāṇa. This is my moral duty; I do not wish to give you fear of the Purāṇa. I want to share positive things—what to do, what good deeds to perform. These Śiva Mahāpurāṇas, when we talk about water harvesting and saving rainwater today, they say, "Make a pond or lake and save the rainwater." These Śiva Purāṇas have said this for thousands of years, and today meteorological departments and even NASA contemplate the same. How to solve the problems of the earth—leaving aside the earth itself, the solutions for the cosmos and space are already written. Mahārāj, revered Sadgurū Svāmījī Mahesra Nanji Mahārāj has been working across the earth for 40 years, traveling for the world's welfare, carrying the message of the Mahā Śiva Purāṇa and the Upaniṣads. Ādarinīya Bhāṭījī told me they installed over fifty thousand vārcas in the āśrama near Jādon in Jodhpur. This is what the śāstra says. The person who creates a pond, who constructs a reservoir, participates in great virtuous deeds. That well, pond, and reservoir wash away people's sins. The Śiva Purāṇa and Umā Saṁhitā provide information about true welfare and righteous deeds. What are puṇya karmas? Is making a pond and saving rainwater a puṇya karma? In our country, this is called dharma. This country proclaims that if you save rainwater, worship water, plant many trees—this is dharma, this is religion. The cow, the brāhmaṇa, and the virtuous person—whichever well's water they drink, whichever reservoir's water they drink from, even that person's generations are liberated. Not only does that person receive the fruit of that deed, but the next 21 generations also receive it. The benefits of such meritorious actions—creating ponds, helping others, beautifying the earth with greenery, treating nature with friendliness—this is what is called 'eco-friendly' today. It means to consider nature as our mother. We do not just behave with nature as a friend; we say nature is our mother. Such beautiful messages are what today's generation needs. We must convey to today's youth that these scriptures are not for mere singing or playing; through them, we can transform this earth into heaven. The entire vision for this earth is contained within these ancient texts. If we read them with true sincerity and determination, then this globe... A line carries many meanings, all beneficial for human beings. Digging ponds, planting trees, performing yajñas—this is indeed the duty of a brāhmaṇa. satyameva parabrāhma satyameva parantapaḥ | satyameva paroyajya satyameva parasurutam || satyam supte sujāgratī satyam ca paramuṁ padam | satyaḥ nevagrataḥ pratvī satyaḥ sarvapratiṣṭhitam || satyam yajyasta podhānam mantrā devī sarasvatī | The words of the true Bhagavān, the true Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān, the true eternal dharma. What is said here condenses the entire meaning of the Vedas into the Umā Saṁhitā; the essence of the Vedas and Upaniṣads comes in this chapter. Why is it called the Umā Saṁhitā? Because this is the discussion between Bhagavān Śiva and Umā, Mā Pārvatī. Before the conversation between Bhagavān Vedavyāsajī and Sūtajī, Nāradajī and Brahmājī, the Umā Saṁhitā is the conversation between Bhagavān Śiva and Mā Umā. The entire tantra, the entire mantra, all the ancient teachings of Lord Śiva are conveyed to Mā Pārvatī. The entire dialogue, also known by the names Bhaṭṭāraka and Bhāvanī, reveals that Bhaṭṭāraka Mahādeva is the ultimate truth. The truth is the supreme divine; this truth itself is the highest austerity, tapasyā. There is no yoga, no technique of the enlightened, only the truth. Just live in truth. Satya is the greatest yajña, and there is no action, no yajña other than truth. Truth is the ultimate, so we should never speak a lie. I request you, mothers and brothers, truth is very difficult. Raise your hand and tell me, has anyone lived in truth for 24 hours? Have we not even once thought a lie, spoken a lie, or done a lie? That is simply not possible. In 24 hours, some falsehood inevitably enters. We cannot live in complete truth for 24 hours. If we speak to our wife what is in our mind, she may leave us. If we speak to our friend what is in his mind regarding his actions... Many times we speak one thing and think another. We tell lies; life has become a lie. The entire business of the world runs on falsehood. An innocent baby, innocent children are born. Parents reprimand, "Son, do not lie," yet they themselves lie. So where will the children go? No child is born a liar, a criminal, or with lust. It is by observing us that they develop these habits. There is the pāramārthika satya (absolute truth), a vyāvahārika satya (practical truth), and a prātibhāsika satya (empirical truth). We think that in practical life, business cannot happen without some falsehood; a little falsehood is spoken. But the command of the Śiva Purāṇa is that none of us should speak falsehood. If we do, I believe it should be alongside the truth. Walking in truth is the greatest and most difficult tapasyā of this age; it is the ultimate truth. Therefore, the first verse of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is true, the last verse is also true. If someone asks about the explanation of Bhagavān Śiva, you would say satyam śivam sundaram. Bhagavān Śiva is truth; Śiva means truth. Śiva is everywhere, at all times, but when we begin the practice of truth, then our eyes will be able to see Śiva. Because of the lie, because of the many faces in our mind, the many types of behavior, we cannot see the real truth. Make a resolve today itself. Tomorrow is the last Monday of Śrāvaṇa. Tomorrow is also Pradoṣa. We will not tell lies. Now there is only one solution: if the mother-in-law speaks to the daughter-in-law, then one has to lie. What to do? How can one speak the truth? And if it is the mother-in-law, then the mother-in-law shuts up. If one thinks about the servant, one has to lie. The servant thinks about the master, so one has to lie. This is the kingdom of lies. Such a small lie reaches the vast Paramātmā. Such a vast hand—wherever it does not awaken, little lies, little impurities ultimately cause loss; they lose the divine. A small lie snatches the supreme truth from us. It is very difficult, Mahārāj, to live in truth. That is why our Bhagavān’s name is Satya Nārāyaṇa. If you speak the truth... Mahātmā Gandhi wrote in "My Experiments with Truth." In our Bīkāner, many years ago, 35 years ago exactly, tell people one thing: if you have a fever, say, "Yes, stop speaking lies, and your fever will stop." As long as you keep speaking lies, you will have a fever. If you stop, no fever will come. When you are angry, automatically the digestive power weakens; when you are in lust, your breathing changes. When you speak a lie, like in a police narco test, the voice changes, the heartbeat changes, the breathing changes. A lot of dust—we offer mud and dust on our soul when we speak lies. It is from that very soul that Paramātmā is connected; it is pure truth. Why are we afraid of truth? We think, "If we speak the truth, our stomachs won’t be full, we will remain hungry." I say, we need sorrow because of untruth; speak the truth. Do not cast blame on Mādevjī. Speak only the truth and do nothing else; if you cannot speak, then remain silent. Nothing will happen to us; people will speak behind our backs. Rāma nāma is the truth, even when carrying the funeral bier. Ground yourself solely in truth. Begin today itself to speak the truth, to live in truth, to rise in truth. Truth is the only way. Walking together is like a fleeting madness; if the mind worships Radhe Śyāma, then... Bhagavān Candra adds to Saṅkarṣaṇa in front of it. How great the truth is, Mahārāj. The sun, moon, mother, and earth will all come under control. There is great power in truth. Therefore, today make this vow: even if born in falsehood, when the funeral bier is raised, then truth will be with us. There is no crowd, it doesn’t matter, but truthfulness must be with you. Go home, take a glass, and look into your own eyes with your own eyes. How much truthfulness do I live in? Your own Śiva Purāṇa will tell you. Say namaḥ śivāya. We are living this life, brothers, and its price must be paid. But if, after paying the price of truth, one attains Bhagavān, this is precisely what is called the valid guru of eternal nectar. This is the living truth; we live in the light, we live in the darkness. Darkness is hypocrisy; darkness means many faces. Darkness means we behave differently with other people, differently with relatives, differently with our own; this is falsehood. And what is this falsehood? What is the meaning of sanyāsa, the meaning of saintliness, the meaning of bhakti? To live in truth means you have set your boat afloat in the water. I have set my boat afloat in the ocean; now the responsibility of the boat is no longer mine. Once afloat, the ocean will take care of it. When the boat is set in the water and steered through the storm... the boat is the storm, my friend. I drop my boat in the ocean, and the ocean will guide me; storm and tsunami will guide me. I challenge the ocean and the storm and tsunami—what is achievement, what is loss? Is there losing, or is there only the loser? Win, remember this: when we say defeat, Ari met Bali, and Rāja Bali gave his head, and he attained. So here, losing is winning. It is also said, then what is crossing over? What is the delight when one abandons the desire for pleasure and begins sādhana? Then what is a flower, what is a coal? Then what difference is there between fragrance and stench, or between a flower and its scent? Where death is a blessing, then this prāṇa is like a boat; for warriors, this departure is the journey. Then what is victory and what is defeat? This is a verse written by a sanyāsī: Flying is the work of the bird, its rest is only on the wind. Birds have very little home; there is no home of the birds. They are resting on the air, resting in the sky. ākāśa hī nijadhāma hai, phir pāsa kyā aur dūra kyā. When you are flying in the sky in ecstasy, then there is no near thing and no distance because you are seeing the horizon. You are looking at the sky—the place where earth and sky meet. We have made the mind simple by drinking the poison of the world. No one says, "This person is very simple." Becoming simple is not easy, brother. Someone strikes from the outside, someone from within; only then does one become simple. When one becomes in the form of Śaṅkara, then what is ash, what is adornment? Mādevī became like this by applying ash. No one becomes Mādeva just like that. The one who drank poison became Śaṅkara; the one who drank poison became Mīrā. To become Mādeva, one has to drink poison. Mahārāj, one does not become such a Mādeva without drinking poison; the one who drank poison became Mīrā... The impurity that was cut away became a diamond, the seed that was sown became a pearl. So, if we truly want to liberate our life, if we are sincere for our mokṣa, then the first step is śāṭhya? What is the aṣṭāṅga yoga: yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna, samādhi. This is precisely the practice; Patañjali says this is called siddhi. It is said, "It has been accomplished," meaning it has been realized. Why has it happened? Because it is the victory of truth. It is said, namasyu āya. Chanting the name of Hari is the abode of bliss; in this world, life is but two days. Chanting the name of Hari is the abode of bliss... Sin and deceit are wrought by māyā; those who are proud are but travelers of the body. Sin and deceit are wrought by māyā; those who are proud are travelers who abandon all, deceived travelers. Hope arose in the forest with the chanting of Hari’s name, the abode of bliss. Life in this world is but two days; the body is a spectacle of allure, like a flickering lamp scattered in the fire. All sorrows are barren. The lamp that dispels sorrow, the lamp that illuminates, the lamp that delights... If we gather all the pens of the years and sit down to write, still it is said to be difficult. Asita Giri, if the problems were to write with kohl in the ocean’s vessel, having embraced Sarasvatī, the essence of all times, it would bestow the qualities of the supreme. Asita Giri, the problems, with kohl in the ocean’s vessel, turning the entire ocean into ink, and all the mountains—make paper of the entire earth and sit down to write about Mā Sāradā. O Saṁbhu, even your qualities cannot be fully sung; you are so vast, O Bhagavān. What power does a human have to speak about Mahādeva? There, the eyes cannot go, the speech goes along with the mind but returns empty; the speech goes away. The village is subscribing to the stories of Mahādeva, in which today truth prevails. It is mentioned in Umā Saṁhitā that Bhagavān is the truth; there is immense power in the truth, Mahārāj. There is no greater power than truth in this world. Forget the past life; perhaps in ignorance, in some darkness, we did some type of dirty karma, aglī karmā, if we have done bad deeds, pāpa karma. Make this decision: we will never speak a lie, we will not speak falsehood. Even by saying just this much, speech becomes accomplished; just by saying this, a person’s words gain power—that I will not speak a lie. Such is the power of satya, my friends. There is immense power in satya. You may ask, what is the definition of satya? Satya is the mother of God. How, from truth God is born, yes, because Bhagavān is awake everywhere, but truth is not awake everywhere. Wherever truth is practiced, there Bhagavān manifests; elsewhere, He remains dormant. If you want a solution to any problem in your life, come into the truth. Such is the glory of truth—truth is that supreme offering in the yajña. There is a side story by Tolstoy where two women come forward; one says, "This is my son," and the other says, "He is my son." He was a connoisseur, the author. Once, a case came to a judge where two mothers claimed the same child. The judge’s mind was perplexed. At that time, one does not understand. In third or fourth grade, first comes Guru Govind, both standing—kākilā, upāya, balihārī, guru, āpke govind. A person may win a Nobel Prize and do advanced studies, but only then do they understand what the Guru-tattva is. Perhaps even then they understand. It does not come easily, because to understand the guru, one must first dispel their own darkness. It is like a house where a woman lives, and a maidservant also resides; the maidservant is with the child... Mother said, no, do not do this, for truth is what we take from others, listen to others, read in books, and then say, this is truth. People give knowledge, "vāsaṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya"—the body is like a garment over the soul. So if there is pain, if the car gets scratched, and anger arises, calling the police, even thinking of killing the person—right now the car is scratched, where has your knowledge of the Gītā gone? Because the truth is not with us. The pain of childbirth is described as very intense and dangerous. When a person is dying, it feels as if hundreds of scorpions and snakes are biting the body—very hard and painful. And another pain is giving birth. The woman knows this is very dangerous. Earlier, mothers in the villages used to say, son, there are three or four types, which in scientific terms are called labor pains. They put you in the labor room, the child is about to be born. Nowadays, they perform a cesarean, but even in this pain, there are many kinds; similarly, in death, there are various types—sometimes sudden, sometimes an accident, sometimes a person dies slowly. In that book, Mahiṣānjī writes that you should make us your disciples. Svāmījī says, awaken me. If you do not accept us, then this body is useless; it would be better to die, to commit suicide. When we go to the Guru... Everything is available in one package—only some dakṣiṇā, some food, and some clothes. Such a grand temple is nowhere else. Petrol has become expensive, yet Bhagavān and Gurudev are so inexpensive that with just a lotā of water from Bhagavān, everything is attained. Just one lotā. How did this happen in Gayā? Is this the truth? The greatest pain is to give birth to the soul, because right now we are the body, right now we are the mind, right now we are thoughts. Until the soul is born, and from that soul the Paramātmā is born—that is, the seed sprouts and the tree grows—until then... This is the greatest pain, this pain is endured—it is spiritual suffering. Therefore, three types of sorrow are described: ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, and ādhidaivika. The spiritual suffering is about "Who am I?" It does not work to rely on others; one has to find their own Rāma, realize their own truth, and for the knowledge of truth to arise... Books do support us. Yesterday we saw that a small child in Ujjain brought a stone from outside, mistaking it for Mahādeva, and began to worship it. He neither knew the mantra nor the procedure of worship. I myself do not know the procedure; I have come empty-handed. Which procedure should I use to please Him? All procedures become effective if there is thirst within. Without thirst, perform thousands of yajñas, undertake thousands of treatments, yet you will not attain. First ask yourself, do I have the thirst for Paramātmā or not? Do you want God or not, do you want the truth or not? Then start thinking. First there will be thirst, then desire, and then its fulfillment. First, have the desire, brother—first desire for the truth, then you will wait for the truth. When there is desire, there will be patience; then dīkṣā, initiation. Desire, patience, dīkṣā—then there will be darśana, and then liberation. These are the steps of sādhanā, and for these, we need patience. Not for one or two days, but for one or two years, always waiting... You are the divine desire of the deep; then please see this world and its problems, the fatality of action, the momentariness of life. Be a little detached and uninvolved with all karma. Great people were doing all effort for God, for the true ultimate truth, because where we have come from, who we are, who am I, and where we come from, which place, and where we will go—this simple question marks the beginning of our spiritual journey. One day, by the grace of Mahādeva, we will attain the true master. We all, including you, are very fortunate; we are seated in the presence of the great Mahāvatār. Dīp Purījī Mahārāj, Dīp Nāyanjī Mahārāj, Mādhvanjī Mahārāj, Mahiṣraṇjī Mahārāj—so you all remember your guruvās, remember your iṣṭa deva. In this sandhyā, after chanting Oṁ twice and performing the āratī, tomorrow’s kathā will enter into the Umā Saṁhitā and other Saṁhitās, the Vaive Saṁhitā. Chant the sound of Oṁ with me three times, keep your eyes closed, and remain silent for two moments. Just close your eyes, do not move your body, just sit silently in nothingness. There is nothing to do. Evening time is the time of blessing. Jhāl.