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Part 1: The Dialogue of Umā: Signs, Truth, and the Power of Nāda Salutations to the adept, O consort of Pārvatī, Har Har... The Umā Saṃhitā is a very beautiful dialogue between Bhagavān Śiva and Mātā Pārvatī. In this dialogue, the mysteries of dharma are revealed. This chapter is an extremely deep and vast conversation filled with questions, and the answers are always given by Mātā Pārvatī, responding in the role of a disciple. It is known as the Bhairava Bhavānī dialogue. It is recognized as a tantra śāstra, a mantra śāstra, a yantra śāstra, a purāṇa, and a gopāla śāstra. This is a very excellent chapter. What is the sign or indication that death will come into our life within a month? First, I will explain in the original language, in Hindi: What happens when the Mahārāj (death) comes close? How can one know if death is going to occur within a month? Speak, Oṃ Namaśivāya. Mātā Pārvatī asks, and Bhagavān replies. Mahādeva says that if suddenly the body turns completely white or yellow, or the body begins to whiten or becomes excessively yellow, and some red also appears on top, then the human attains the state of muddhi among the six mahās. If the skin color turns red, slightly yellow and white, completely white and yellow, with some red as well, it indicates that one will pass away within six months. The signs of death have been described as when the mouth, ears, eyes, and tongue become immobile; when we cannot speak, cannot hear, and cannot see; and the tongue becomes like stone—hard, rigid, and turning black in color. This is not the Viśvapurāṇa Mahāsyu Purāṇa... This is very helpful; you need to go to an astrologer and ask about your age. Six months before, one month before, you can know, you can receive the information, your connection with nature, when you will die. And death is the truth of life. We cannot escape from this reality. This is the truth. Death occurs within a month, as has just been explained, and if one never experiences detachment, it will not happen. It is said that one may see butter in water but it remains separate; yet humans live immersed in so many desires, so many cravings, that they need to be told what is truly with them. When we stop seeing stars in the sky, when the moon also ceases to appear, and we lose the sense of directions—when we forget what is north, what is east, what is south, what is west, when memory diminishes more and more, and we are not able to see Dhṛtārāṣṭra in the north side, and the Saptarṣī, the Seven Stars, in the question mark type in the north side, in the Brahma... If a crow is following you, understand that it signifies death, and if blue flies surround a person, it means their lifespan is only about a month left. There are many such indications. When you close your ears and do not hear the buzzing sound, it is also a sign. Do not get involved in all these things, Paramapujya Sadguru. Mādhavānanda Jī has also given some sūtras for humans to increase their lifespan, and within these, there are sūtras on how to attain immortality, on how we can extend our life. To this, Gurujī answers that first of all, a person should not consume flesh and other impure things. And see, Gurudevī says that if a person accumulates puṇya, if we are engaged in welfare works, charitable acts, and selflessly always ready to help others without any lust, without any domination, without any condition, this too is puṇya. And if you engage in this kind of work, surely we will attain greater ease. Pujya Mādhavānanda Jī Maharāj Jī says that year, month, day, tithi, and date are creations of humans, not of Īśvara. Īśvara has given breaths according to lifespan—that in one minute there are fifteen breaths, in one hour nine hundred breaths, and in twenty-four hours twenty-one thousand two hundred... Please forgive us for Yogashāstra Sadguru Mādhavānanda Jī and how we may forgive... If a person lies, people lose trust in him. Therefore, one should always speak the truth. If we speak truth and live in truth, certainly the longevity of life will increase. And we will attain long life and good health. So this is one point we should note down: if we do not want to die in ignorance, in darkness, we should begin to live life with the truth. Yesterday, we also discussed the truth. Now, please say Namaśivāya. Mādhavānanda Jī Mahārāj, in his book, has given us these particles of immortality; he has shown us how a person should increase their lifespan. A person, in communication, makes contact with others, creates time, gives their time, and takes others’ time. But in this process, they forget that Bhagavān has manifested as the Sadgurū, the Svāmī of the world. They incarnate and come to people in their forms to reveal what in human life are the immortally attained perfections. It is a beautiful thing to explain, Maharaj, how the perfection of nāda is achieved. They say: ghoṣa, kānśya, sraṅga, siṅgā. Abandoning the nine sounds of gaṇṭā, vīṇā, bānsūrī, dundavī, saṅkha, and megha gharjana, practice the tunkār in this way. A yogī who constantly chants in this manner is never entangled in sin. It has been explained what benefits arise from playing each instrument. For example, a person who can play the vāṃśī... It is said that it possesses the power to control others, and the nāda that arises from the ears can immobilize beings, bind the universe, spirits, planets, and so forth—there is no doubt about this. And the third is the sraṅga nāda, the sraṅgī nāda, which in the Varāha Purāṇa of Bhagavān is even described as that which our body is... It is subject to prāṇa; stop the prāṇa, close the nostrils, close the mouth, and it will struggle like a fish out of water, lying everywhere in the house, everything will remain. The mind and body are subject to prāṇa; prāṇa cannot distinguish the mind’s anāda. And here the Śiva Purāṇa says that He is Bhagavān Śiva. Ask Śiva what He is, and Śiva says, "I am nāda, nāda." Therefore, whatever we speak, we must never lie to anyone, Maharaj. Never even think a lie about anyone. For the sake of anyone, we ourselves lose our own well by living in falsehood. If we have faith, faith... Music is the power of existence, the power of God. Saṅgīta is śakti of īśvara. Within it resides Rāma. The rāgī who sings rāgiṇī brings comfort to the afflicted. If a good person sings, even illness can be cured. When the battle between Hitler and Stalin took place, there was a... During the great world war between Hitler and Stalin, Stalin from Russia, a certain captain was unable to fall asleep. Then a great Indian musician met him and requested, "You have... the tānpurā. But the needs of the tānpurā..." What is the necessity? Which rāga, which rāga melody went and brought sleep to him? Music is a very great power. Music is very close to meditation. And what is music? You know, you entertain your mind. That singing, sometimes as Rāma, sometimes as Śyāma—oh, music is not just mental entertainment, it is mental destruction. The music with which you entertain the mind, understand this: it is like a CD, and you have fallen below that CD. You use the stairs, you see the stairs, you can go up, and you can come down. Through music, we ascend... Age increases, Maharaj, prāṇāyāma happens; when we sing and play music, it is the power of Īśvara in which the Lord resides. When a rāgī sings a rāga, the patient finds relief. But one has to learn for years and years, and this learning never ends. Even when I listen to my Gurujī’s singing, I say, “Call your Gurujī,” and they say... There is no way to call my Gurujī; he sings on a string. There were four strings—dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. Tell me the string of mokṣa, and he plays just one note on it. He said, "I will leave when I sing." He said, "I don’t know when I sing; when the mood arises, I get up at two o’clock and start singing, otherwise I remain silent." Disguising himself and changing his appearance, Emperor Akbar, who established the Din-i Ilahi religion, secretly went to Vrindavan to listen to the bhajans and singing of Swāmījī Haridās. Upon hearing them, he began to weep. Such a story is told, and there is also a written text called Keli Māla that recounts it. It says, "We have no interest in your palaces or your kingdoms." So the entire government is seated right here—the owner and master of the whole universe. Haridās told him, "O Akbar, look at the stone you are sitting on; see what that stone is made of." When he opened his eyes and looked, it had no value; it was just his perception that this is soil, this is dust. This is wealth, this is riches, this is victory, this is defeat—none of this exists in the world of saints, Mahārājī. So tell me one thing, what is that which we consider wealth and property? It is nothing but ashes, and what else is it? Because even the one who acquires wealth and possessions will ultimately become ashes, that is why we apply ash—this bhasma of Maheśvara. The meaning of applying this bhasma is now clear: the entire world is like this, this is the true state of the world—everything in the world will become bhasma. This transformation is not a joke of applying ashes. How will one perform Khecarī Mudrā? And if one performs Khecarī Mudrā, then amṛta will drip from the Brahmarandhra above. It is said that there is no need to eat food. This is a practice done by sitting close to the Guru. It can even conquer death—this is our... The story of Umā’s Kālī avatāra and samādhi, and before the surata, the incident of Medhā’s slaying of Madhu-Kaiṭabha by the grace of the Devī—Sūta, you must have heard the Durgā Saptaśatī chant, and perhaps even recited it. That very complete Durgā Saptaśatī has come, the full character of Durgā Mātā is present within the Śiva Purāṇa. Speak of Jagadambā Rāj Rāṇī’s samādhi and Surata—two distinct kings, one a king and the other a vaiśya. We will tell you their story, how it unfolds. See, the incarnation of Kālī took place; regarding the incarnation of Mā Kālī, there is one thing. There is also the fact that Viṣṇu Bhagavān has taken the form of Kālī. How did Viṣṇu Bhagavān become Kālī? Just observe once—Mātā Pārvatī was narrating a story to Śaṅkara Bhagavān in the Umā Saṃhitā. This story is being told among Sūta Jī and the Sāṇakādi and other ṛṣis. Sūta Jī has mentioned the māyā present in this world. And Bhagavān Śaṅkara tells Mātā Umā that you are indeed that jagacchannī māyā. Sūta Jī narrated to the sages like Śaunaka that King Surata is the devoted servant of Bhagavatī, and the king named Surata had many enemies. Whoever is a very talented and virtuous person, certainly people harbor envy towards them. In our life, the lot we have in our life, it means we are progressive. On the roadside, there is a sitting beggar; what hardship he must have in his life, he has no need for security. There is no enemy; you see two homeless people, because he did. So, there was a king, named Rāja Surata, and... Nine enemies unite as one party and attack him. And then he renounced that kingdom, that rājya, that city, and came to the ashram of Medha. Medha Maharṣi is there, and upon coming there, he sat down saying that my kingdom has been taken away, my wife and children have been taken away, today I have become alone, everyone has become my enemy—my secretary, my accountant, all are now my enemies, I have lost everything, I have lost my wife, my home, everything I lose, the king said to Medha Ṛṣi. Medhā Ṛṣi said, "It does not matter." When the world closes its door for a man or a king, then the door of the master, the door of the guru, is always open. The king Surata became very worried, overwhelmed by attachment. And he began living in that ashram. A vaiśya came there as well—a businessman. The same thing happened to him; he lost all his money and business, and everyone started avoiding him. So he too went to Medha Ṛṣi’s ashram. Both the king and the businessman were crying together, lamenting that they had lost everything. They said, "When there is money, everyone stays with you; when there is no money in the pocket, everyone runs away." That is why Cāṇakya said, "Taka dharmo, taka karmo, taka mani," as Cāṇakya teaches. Where there is dharma, there is karma; where there is karma, there is the supreme tapas. Beside that, there is nothing. If there is no money in the heart, then speak accordingly... There is nothing beyond this, it is complete. Look at the beauty of my Sanskrit literature. Satyaṁ vibhāti—oh ho ho. A man’s wealth comes to an end. His wealth is finished. Then that man says, "My wealth is finished, I do not grieve over this." Blessed is the intelligence of India. My... It is a very beautiful śloka. Right now, there is a lot of confusion, many files in the mind, thinking that my wealth is finished, so why have my friends, my companions, my family members, my servants become so disheartened? I have not taken anything from them, so why have they become nervous? In the culture of this country, when a thief enters a house... And when he left empty-handed due to not receiving wealth, he is crying over this, saying, "O Bhagavān, a thief has left from here empty-handed." Nowadays, people even send their parents away empty-handed; no one is awake to keep parents. Yes, let us talk about namas-chivāi, guru, and atithi. For those from whom we are born, the world has not yet awakened; a great, intense Kali Yuga has come. When such people weep, how beautifully they speak. Look at our scriptures—there are different categories of knowledge. Not every person can understand every single thing. Now, to simply tell someone directly... I have deeply reflected on the nature of selfishness in the world; the essence of selfishness in the world is beyond words. My dear child calls me mother, my sister calls me dear brother, my wife calls me her life partner. The son earns and brings home provisions, the mother shows love, the sister calls me dear brother, and the wife calls me her life partner. The son earns and brings home provisions—this is the nature of selfishness in the world. If a man earns money and brings it home, the sister says, "He is my very dear brother," the mother says, "Yes, I am proud of him," the sister says again, "He is my dear brother," and the wife says, "Yes, he is my dear husband." But if a man’s money runs out, all relationships end; all connections vanish. Money holds such a great significance, that is the reality of the matter. So they ask, why do people behave like this? What is the reason for this behavior towards us? When we don’t have money, why do people start ignoring us? We lose money and people change their identity; they forget us. What is the reason? Medhātithi begins to teach them that this is the cause of the Parambā, Māyā, Mahāmāyā. Everyone is under the control of Mahāmāyā, one is māyā and the other is called Mahāmāyā; all are subject to Mahāmāyā, the very Mahāmāyā in whose sway everything revolves. Kabīr Dās Jī says, "Māyā bhaī bhaī, maiṁ jānū re; yogiyoṁ joginiyoṁ meṁ baiṭhī, tīrathoṁ meṁ nānū re. Māyā is the great deceiver, I know it well; she sits among yogīs and yoginīs, and is present even in the sacred waters of the tīrtha. Māyā is the great deceiver, I know it well." That is why Kabīr had to say, this māyā deceives—he asks, deceives whom? He said, who is the man? We are all men; māyā is the great deceiver, Jagadambā, Jagadambā... They are the supreme divine feminine, manifested in the three forms of sattva, rajas, and tamas—Mahākālī, Mahālakṣmī, and Mahāsarasvatī. The king asked how she enchants people; he said, listen to this: when Bhagavān Viṣṇu entered the ear of Madhu-Kaiṭabha... The greatest conflict in the world arises from this very thing: the wife says to the husband, "You don’t listen to me," because there is a "maddhū kaṭab" in the ear. The reason for quarrels between husband and wife is that you have not accepted my choice. In reality, no one in this world truly listens to anyone else. Nobody is listening to others, everyone is just speaking, giving discourses; no one is ready to listen because Madhu and Kaiṭabha, two demons, are in our ears. We hear many good things, but nothing goes in because Madhu and Kaiṭabha throw everything out. In everyone’s ear, the honey katabs are sitting, saying "Viṣṇu Bhagavān." Then they fell, and when their honey katabs came out, Viṣṇu Bhagavān was sleeping. So they ran to Brahmā Jī’s hands where the Vedas were, to eat those Vedas because demons are always scared of knowledge. In the Vedas, in the book of knowledge, what did Brahmā Jī say? First, tell me, how does a person sleep? Part 2: The Three Forms of the Divine Mother: Kālī, Lakṣmī, and Sarasvatī When do we sleep? We sleep when our Śakti, our power, diminishes. When we are tired, we want to sleep. This tiredness is the absence of Śakti, the absence of power. When we lack power, we cannot work, so we want to sleep. At that time, Brahmājī began to pray to Mā Bhagavatī Śakti. This prayer of Brahmājī is called the Rātri Sūkta. It is not elaborated in detail in the Śiva Purāṇa, but its recitation is found within the Durgā Saptaśatī, specifically in the section of Viśveśvarī Jagadātrī. The chant goes like this: "Uṭh jāo tvam, svāhā tvam, sadā tvam hī, vasatkāra svarātmikā." By reciting this lesson, if anyone in the house—be it husband, son, brother, or wife—is lazy, the power of awakening arises in them. Even if misfortune is occurring in the house, this lesson should be recited. This lesson was recited on the twelfth day of the bright half of Phālguna, manifesting as the power that is the gateway to the three worlds. And thus she became renowned by the name Mahākālī. Then the sky, personified, said, "O Brahmājī, do not fear. Today, in the battle, I will kill Madhu and Kaiṭabha and thereby destroy your sorrow." Saying this, she emerged from the leader and face of Hari and others, and stood before the sight of the unborn Brahmā. So, Kālī has emerged from Viṣṇu Bhagavān Himself. Where has Kālī emerged from? She has come from within Viṣṇu Bhagavān. Say, Kālī Mātā—this Mother Kālī has emerged from within Viṣṇu Bhagavān. Knowledge dispels delusion. Chant the name of Jagadambā Mātā, chant the name of Kālī Mātā. If you observe from the state of jñāna, then Kālī is called kriyā, the power of action. When we do not perform actions, sometimes we fall asleep, we do not act; then the grace of Mā Kālī is less. And if you want to act, then worship Mā Kālī. Even if you perform actions and they do not get completed, still worship Mā Kālī. There was a time when the siddha region of Mā Kālī was called Kalkāl. Laziness and no interest in karma, in the work—so one should invoke Mā Kālī. Mā Kālī will give strength to kill the dead cells of our body. Many times demons, asuras, and rākṣasas—negative energy—come into our body, and we want to work but we face this problem in our life. We cannot work because there are Madhu and Kaiṭabha-type asuras in our body. These demons are not outside; they reside within as laziness. A person becomes lazy and does not act. No one has ever seen a great demon outside in their life; these demons are within. Now see, when Mother, Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa arose, Kālī Mā also arose. Even Bhagavān rose, and they fought with Bhagavān for thousands of years. And what do they say? You have never heard in any Purāṇa: they say to Bhagavān Viṣṇu, "We will die only in a place where there is no water." So Bhagavān Viṣṇu expanded His form and with His limb... After drying them, they cut the thigh right there and said that Lord Viṣṇu, on behalf of Kālī Mātā, placed his forehead on their thigh and cut them. This is the origin of Kālī. From here, Mātā Kālī emerged. Mātā Kālī did not kill these two. Please keep this in mind. Mā Kālī is the śakti of Bhagavān Viṣṇu. It is said that Bhagavān Viṣṇu did this because they emerged from the impurity originating from the ear of the demon Bhagavān Viṣṇu, and in their ear too, Maharāj Madhu Kaiṭabha is present. We do not listen to anyone. We are not ready to listen to any suggestion or any guidance from the Mother. Everybody is thinking we are something and we are everything. So this "honey cat" is none other than your own ignorance. When someone speaks to you, you prepare your response inside yourself even before understanding the matter, without thinking, without knowing. You simply see that they have thrown the ball, and you must throw the ball back. You are not seeing that this cannot be a ball; it is a bouquet of gifts besides this. After Mahākālī comes Mahālakṣmī. When a person works hard, when we will work hard, then Lakṣmī will come, prosperity will come into our life. Without Kālī Mātā, no Lakṣmī. Without hard work, no prosperity. So, Kālī is the hard work. When a person works day and night continuously, then how did Mahālakṣmī come? Listen, there was a very great asura named Rambha. He was a very dangerous and very powerful asura named Rambha. And this Śaṇa was Mahiṣāsura. Mahiṣa in the Sanskrit language is very beautiful; Mahiṣa means the buffalo. Argument, debate, reconciliation—understand the meaning, brothers. It is very significant. Now, what does argument mean? It is like having a thick, black skin; nothing penetrates inside. And as our elders say, "Play the flute before an argument." You know, playing the flute before an argument means that no matter how many wise people come into this world, how many Rāmas come, Kṛṣṇa came, the assembly of saints came, but the behavior of man towards humans remains the same. They drive mad elephants against Kabīr, poison Mīrā, and thrust thorns into Mīrā’s ears. When you go to saints, to Bhagavān, what we mean by Bhagavān is one who is a means for fulfilling your desires. So some people conduct business in the market, and some conduct business in the temple. And these people, who are so-called religious, so-called devotees, they have not surrendered to the will of the great master. So whenever we do not surrender, if we are... Businessmen, we will start the same business in the realm of religion. And it is happening everywhere. So what we need for it is to kill a Mahiṣāsura within our insight. This Mahiṣāsura is also a part of our consciousness. Like Madhu and Kaiṭabha, sitting inside the ear. Madhu and Kaiṭabha are not ready to receive any knowledge. For this, even Kālī... They say, "Offer a blood sacrifice before Mā Kālī." No, does Gaurīśa want anybody’s life and blood? Blood and sweat—both are blood, aren’t they? When blood and sweat come out of the body, dead cells are released. Then, will that be devotion to Mā Kālī or not? Chant "Namaḥ Śivāya." We think, "No, this is Mā Kālī." Oh, let us understand the beautiful meanings of our symbols, let us bring those beautiful meanings into life. And Lakṣmī—what do we understand Lakṣmī to be? What is the real meaning of Lakṣmī? Lakṣmī, we think of money, rupees, dollars, euros, yen. But this is not the true meaning of Lakṣmī. And what is the barrier between you and Mā Lakṣmī? Mahiṣāsura—and what is Mahiṣāsura? Playing the flute before a buffalo—this is our stubborn nature, our ego. This ego is the very Māyāsura, and it arises from ego itself: "I am everything, I am all, no need for any knowledge from others." Does a buffalo ever go to school? There are many sayings about buffaloes, like "playing the flute before a buffalo" and "the buffalo is in the water." Now, what does this mean? Especially from there, this Mahiṣāsura—now all the devatās say to Mahiṣāsura that the good souls have begun to suffer, and among the devatās, Bhagavān Viṣṇu and Śiva stand on Kailāsa. All the devatās, including Brahmā, go and express their lamentations to him. They say this is a daitya who will not be subdued by anyone. Tell me some remedy. Then from the bodies of Bhagavān Śaṅkara and Bhagavān Viṣṇu, a flame emerged, and Bhagavān Viṣṇu became extremely angry, his eyes rolled, and from his anger, a storm arose. Say, "Jagadambē Mātā kī," and an immensely fierce energy gathered, taking the form of Mahiṣāsura Mardinī Mātā. That is to say, this... The one who is Mahiṣāsura Mardinī is not just of one man, but of all people through action. When we worship Mother Durgā with devotion, the worship is fulfilled. In that, chant the name of Jagadambā Mātā, chant the true court, and with the brilliance of Bhagavān Śiva and Yamarāja, who became like a child of the Mother, it is said so, and with the brilliance of Varuṇa and Indra. His severed part became the thigh and hip by the brilliance of Varuṇa, and thus, one by one, all these gods and goddesses entered within. The entire description is the same as that which appears in Durgā Saptaśatī—it is of Mahālakṣmī, that goddess, the mother of Surī, and the form of the mother of Surī primarily signifies brilliance, nothing else but brilliance. This is the meditation of Māheśvarī, the worship of Māheśvarī. Sanskrit and Hindi terms include: cakra, prāṇa, kuṇḍalinī, ātmā, Brahman, saṃskāra, dharma, kīrtana, Oṃ, namaste, praṇāma, śakti. All the deities have bestowed their own powers upon you. Now, having taken residence in the Himalayas, it is said that the first battle of Bhagavatī was with Mahiṣāsura in the Himalayas. Bhagavatī will destroy Śumbha and Niśumbha. You all praise this Mother, Devī Bhāgavatī... The kings asked, Vaiśya asked, Medhātithi is telling them, and we all are being told through the sūtras, that she manifested in the form of Mahālakṣmī, rescued that Mahiṣāsura, and along with that Mahiṣāsura, all the other demons as well. The third form of Bhagavatī is Mahāsarasvatī. So, in the form of the Purāṇas, how do we perceive Mahākālī, Mahālakṣmī, and Mahāsarasvatī? When we listen to the stories of the Purāṇas, Mahākālī comes and kills Madhu and Kaiṭabha, and Mahālakṣmī receives the power from all the Devatās and she kills Mahiṣāsura. And when Mahāsarasvatī advances towards you for Śumbha and Niśumbha. But we can choose one thing for this. It is very useful. Mahākālī is a good person. Mahālakṣmī, the Goddess of Prosperity—okay, if we work hard, prosperity and Lakṣmī will come, and money and achievement will come in our life. But if we don’t have Mā Sarasvatī, if we do not have knowledge, then we will lose it. We will lose all our money and achievement, name, fame, everything if we don’t have the blessing of Mā Sarasvatī. If we don’t have knowledge in our life, then here the manifestation of Mā Sarasvatī is described. From the body of Devī Umā, Sarasvatī Mātā emerged, and upon seeing her form, Śumbha, Aśumbha, and Niśumbha became enchanted by her. This Sarasvatī emerged from the body of Umā Devī. And all the deities have praised Mā Umā. Let us also at least meditate on the three forms of Mā Kālī. Although there are many hymns in the Śiva Purāṇa, let us together meditate on Mahākālī, Mahālakṣmī, and Mahāsarasvatī simultaneously. Victory to Bhagavatī Devī, Śivā, Sāmbhavī Śakti, Śaṅkaravallabhā, Bhṛṅganayanā, Vāgvādinī, Bhairavī, Hiṅkārī, Tripurā Pūrṇamayī, Guṇamayī Mātā, Kumārīśvarī. Let us chant Jagadambē Mātā’s name. The infinite meditation on Bhagavatī is described; see, though the entire meditation on Bhagavatī is found in the Purāṇas, the gods and sages have prayed when Mātā Sarasvatī manifested from the body of Umā Devī. So everyone began to chant their praises, and Jagadambā ascended the rock in the Himalayas and sat there. At that time, in the past, there were two mighty warriors named Śumbha and Niśumbha, who were brothers. It was impossible to defeat them. Everyone called them servants of the Goddess. Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, servants of Śumbha and Niśumbha, saw the Devī... Having seen her form, he goes and says, "We saw a very beautiful woman in the Himalayas, who lives in the charming places of the Himalayas, rides a lion." The goddess says about the Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, "You speak the truth, but there is a slight falsehood in your statement. I have made a vow that in battle... He will defeat me, yet I will remain steadfast in my vow. This is my unwavering resolve. So you go and tell Śumbha and Niśumbha about my vow." Sugrīva returned and informed Śumbha and Niśumbha, who then sent their powerful ally, a messenger named Dhūmrākṣa, along with thousands of demons and soldiers. The one with smoke-colored eyes went to the Himalayas; his name was Dhūmrākṣa as well as Dhūmralocana. He was a very powerful demon, and he said to Bhagavatī Bhuvaneśvarī, "O beautiful one, such demons are demons indeed. When will his vision be restored?" Then he said to the goddess, "Do this, do that, otherwise I will come and take him away." If I were to explain in today’s language, Bhagavatī did nothing herself; her entire army was reduced to ashes. When Śumbha and Niśumbha learned that such a mighty warrior, Dhūmralocana, was burnt to ashes by a mere roar, they wondered what they should do. So Śumbha and Niśumbha came to fight Bhagavatī, and look, Śumbha and Niśumbha were great, unparalleled warriors. They had defeated all the number one gods; no one was capable of killing them. A great and fierce battle took place, in which the Devī revealed her nine forms of Navadurgā here: first, Śailaputrī; second, Brahmacāriṇī; third, Chandraghaṇṭā; fourth, Kuṣmāṇḍā; fifth, Skandamātā; sixth, Kātyāyanī; seventh, Kālarātrī; eighth, Mahāgaurī; ninth, Siddhidātrī. Thus, Bhagavatī appears in these nine forms of Durgā. Mahāmāyā, the mother of the world, destroyed all the demons here, including the Raktabīja. And to kill the Raktabīja, who is also a disease of the body, in earlier times, worship of different forms of the Mother was practiced for various diseases, as we have seen. After this, immediately Jagadambā performed aṭṭahāsa, and through this aṭṭahāsa, the Devī told Śumbha, "Now you fight him bravely in battle." The gods cheered, and Bhagavatī killed both Śumbha and Niśumbha with her weapons. Mahārāj, this is a story of nine days; whatever else we take up... The world belongs to Bhagavatī; this is the story of Jananī’s nine days. Bhagavatī killed all the demons, and after that, when the gods became arrogant once again, Bhagavatī also destroyed their arrogance. Here, the story of the destruction of Indra’s pride was also narrated. Bhagavatī revealed the Daśamahāvidyā. In its power, Mātṛśakti has been given great respect, immense reverence, and much worship. Give this blessing to every wife: that you have ten sons and the eleventh son becomes your husband. It means one day the husband looks at his wife, his wife as a mother. You will be surprised why I am telling you this truth. Swāmī Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṃsa, when he... If you realize the essence of Bhagavatī as your own mother, one day you will say among all the women of the world, "Yā devī sarva bhūteṣu mātṛ rūpeṇa sansthitā, namastē namastē namō namaḥ." Devotion to the mother, devotion to Bhagavatī, devotion to Śakti is the solution to all the problems of this world. I am telling you the truth, what real respect can be given to a woman? Not money, clothes, or ornaments. Give her respect, and if we look at respect, a woman loves the one to whom she feels like a son. A mother loves her son the most in the world and no one else. So develop such an attitude towards the men of the world that... What kind of attraction and attachment does a woman have towards her son and husband? This is the divine relationship. Even a brother does not have as much as this, and if she serves as a sister, then in that too, there is a maternal feeling. And the way a man treats his daughter and mother in the world is called the divine attitude. In this way, not worshipping Bhagavatī is very difficult, but until a person practicing yoga attains this attitude, he does not achieve success in yoga either. Therefore, it is very challenging, but it must be done—that is the truth. Devotion to the Mother is precisely devotion to the Devī. It is difficult, yet it must be done because it brings health. This is meditation; this is medicine. And if you cannot manage it, then ask your guru. These days, devotees observe that the first three days are for Mahākālī, the next three for Mahālakṣmī, and then for Mahāsarasvatī. The fruit of the practice of Kriyā Yoga of the Devī and the construction of the Devī’s mūrti and temple has been explained: if a person, with whatever wealth, performs prāṇapratiṣṭhā of Bhagavatī’s mūrti, how it should be done, and if a person builds a temple of stone, wood, or clay for the Devī, listen to the merit of that. Those who worship daily through yoga... It liberates thousands and thousands of generations. You might say, what is so special? You built a temple, and if no one comes to that temple, what will they do? They will bow, and love will flow into their hearts. They will offer their salutations. So, when someone becomes devoted through your instrumentality, that is Bhagavān. Part 3: The Grace of the Goddess and the Path of Śiva When one connects with Bhagavān, one becomes equal to Bhagavān. How great is the puṇya of making someone equal to Bhagavān, how great is the puṇya of giving wings to someone’s consciousness! You make one temple; according to our Mahāśiva Purāṇa, this is very great and noble work. The man who builds a temple for the mother has all his sins destroyed in an instant. Just as the Gaṅgā is distinguished among rivers, the Son Badra among rivers, the Earth in forgiveness, the ocean in depth, and Sūri Deva among all the planets, similarly, among the deities, there is the supreme Paramātmā. It is accepted: say Jagannāmbē Mātā’s name, and the manner of establishing it in Kāśī and Kurukṣetra has been explained in detail. There is also a fear within us that we might get caught up in it for too long. If anyone wants to see, they can refer to the chapters of Umā Saṁhitā within the Śiva Purāṇa. And in the month of Vaiśākha, during the śukla pakṣa, on the day of Akṣayatṛtīyā, one who observes the vow of Jagadambā with complete devotion and worships Mā Gaurī with flowers like belā, mālatī, and many other types, becomes freed from the sins of thousands of births and is blessed with a son as dear as life itself. This is said to be the embodiment of the secret Navarātri. Before that, I have told you that the idols of all Navarātrīs are forms of Bhagavatī. On the Śukla Tṛtīyā of the months of Sāvana and Bhādrapada, the Vidhī-pūrṇak Ambā Vrat and Pūjan is performed, through which one becomes endowed in this world with sons, grandsons, wealth, and so forth. I have previously requested you that... The Śiva Purāṇa describes such practices that if we engage in them, not only are our worldly desires fulfilled, but the ultimate spiritual goal is also attained. This is the remarkable uniqueness of the Mahāśiva Purāṇa. There is so much mystery within that no matter how much you explore, you will not find a single problem in your life for which a solution is not provided within it. But we do not sit for just fifteen days now; say Namaḥ Śivāya, we sit for three hours every day for fifteen days, sitting... They sit for three hours in fifteen days, honestly tell me, the discourse starts at four o’clock, from four to seven, so we three... This is the final phase of Umā Saṁhitā in which the temple of Bhagavatī and the observance of the Navarātri fast are explained. King Suratha is narrated these 13 chapters in the Durgā Saptaśatī. After the 12 chapters, there is also the Stotra of Kuñjikā. This is indeed the method of the path of the Devī, but sometimes a person gets suspended or becomes an epitome in it. For that, it has been explained, and if blame falls on someone, this is what has been told to the devoted devotees: the sādhanā of Bhagavatī, the śakti in this world, grants you both enjoyment and liberation. Śiva Purāṇa says this, and Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself has also worshipped Mātā Durgā in the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa. This is also written in the Bhāgavata. Anyone can worship Īṣṭa. There is a saying in Bengal, "Kālī is Kṛṣṇa." If we meditate on Kālī as Kṛṣṇa for just one hour in the morning, there is a yoga class in this āśrama. Let us practice yoga for one hour because yoga is kriyā yoga, which means devotion to Mā Kālī. So, start meditation and kriyā yoga in our life. As we know, every day in this beautiful āśrama, by the grace of Svāmījī Mahārāj Jī, yoga classes are always going on. So when we practice yoga and dhyāna, Mā Kālī will bestow her blessings, and all the laziness and dead cells will be expelled from our body. And this will be the first step in the worship of Mā Kālī. Bring me the rosary of devotion to Pulī Jagadambē Mātī, bring me that rosary of devotion. Speak of Deva Ādideva Mahādeva, speak of Sādhu Guru Mahārāj, the worship of Bhagavatī has been supported by Mahādeva and also by Sadāraṇa Kārti. Then, through the influence of Navarātra, the kingdom was regained in the world, which had earlier slipped from their hands. If a person truly finds someone who teaches them the sādhanā of a goddess in life, then in life... You can achieve anything, and I look around to see those who have died for me because now it has become routine. Gurujī was late to the office duty, and he said, "Gurujī, I am already married." He said, "I went to my parents and came back." Gurujī said, "Here, take this letter and flowers." Greetings and congratulations. Gurujī said, "What do I need?" When we practice sādhanā, nothing is impossible because the external achievements you see in life are just the surface; inside, your own TV is in front of you where images are formed, but where do those images come from? Similarly, in our world, in life, due to some mistake made by someone at some point... The loss is ongoing, and now the knowledgeable one will tell you that if you fix this thing, that thing will be resolved. In ignorance, we remain unaware and continue to suffer, while the Master always provides the key to the unsolved problem. Many times, we suffer from the same problem again and again, every year, every two years, and you... You may not know the reason for the problem; many times you think it is a global economic problem or your destiny, your fate, your luck. But when you go before the master, the master can see this life, past lives, and the potential for the future. So we just need proper guidance, and I can see everywhere, every day, everyone is living with a lot of struggle, so many problems in people’s lives, what is the point, there are still problems—first passing eighth grade, then tenth grade, then college, then a job. You get a job, you get married, have children, become a grandfather, yet the struggle remains—the same struggle of not having directed life in the right path until now. We are always in struggle or suffering at the age of 12, at 30, at 50, at 60. Why? It means we are not on the path. When we come onto the right path, there is no struggle. And if you struggle on a spiritual journey, this is different. You try to go out from the gate; this is natural. And when we try to go beyond the wall and we hit the wall, injuring our head and body, that is the mistake. This we have been doing for many lives. The fruit of Umā Saṁhitā was revealed—that the consciousness and vows become free from the bonds of the world. By the blessings of Medhā Tithi, a person who, in the bright fortnight of the month of Āśvina, observes the vow properly on the third, fifth, seventh, eighth, and ninth days, on the Caturthī and Aṣṭamī tithis, then amidst the auspicious fragrance of red Kanē Rājī flowers and incense, the goddess... Whoever worships attains all auspiciousness, the complete solution of all problems, the complete solution of any type of problem through the bhakti of goddess Śiva, Bhagavatī, Umā. And by listening to the story of Umā Saṁhitā, we receive all the good fruits of life, and we are never harmed by piśācas or other evil beings. There is no fear, and the growth of progeny also takes place. Now, where do we proceed? We proceed to Kailāsa, the abode of Mahādeva, following the Kailāsa Saṁhitā. We chant the mantra: "Śaṁkara Bhagavān kī Namaḥ Śivāya Sāmbāya Sagaṇāya Sunve Pradhāna Puruṣe Śāya Sargastha Tyāhetave," offering salutations to Bhagavān Śaṁkara. And in this Kailāsa Saṁhitā... The Skanda refers to the dialogue between Kārttikeya and Vāmadīva, and whatever you find in the Skanda Purāṇa, you will also find here in the Kailāsa Saṁhitā. There is also a dialogue between Vedavyāsa and Sūta, as well as between the sages Sūta and Śaunaka and others. The sages Śaunaka and others said, "We have heard many narratives; please describe the Kailāsa Saṁhitā to us." It has been explained here according to the Vidi Vidāna, where the ṛṣi says, may all of you be blessed, because you have inquired about the story that reveals the Śiva tattvas. First of all, what is the Praṇava, that is, Oṁ? Oṁ is described here, and in truth, Oṁ cannot be defined. The Vedas and Purāṇas cannot be inferior. The left-handed deity Bhagavān Śiva is the essence of Vedānta, the intellect of Brahman, whose form is that which interprets Vedānta. Salutations to those who understand the meaning of Vedānta, who are eternally aware of it. Salutations to Skanda, that is, Kārttikeya, who has been praised. Oṁ itidaṁ sarvaṁ, Oṁ iti brahmaḥ. Everything becomes Brahman; what is Oṁ called? This Oṁkāra itself is the symbol. Yogīs constantly meditate on Oṁkāra combined with the bindu, which grants both worldly desires and liberation. Oṁkāra is the path and the root between Devī Pārvatī and Mahādeva. See, in one place in the Dhyāna Sūtra, it is mentioned how to practice Oṁ meditation: you should chant Oṁ for one month. Oṁ Oṁ, alright. Whether it is a pyramid above or a dome, you can do it for three months or for nine months. Try doing it for one month; in the second month, you should not speak Oṁ aloud, but silently within your tongue, internally chanting Oṁ. And in the third month, you should not even speak it with your tongue. Here, we refer to speech as Vāṇī: Parā, Paśyantī, Madhyamā, and Vaikharī. There are five types of speech. The one we are currently using is the vaikharī; it is articulated by the tongue. Speech originates from the nābhī, paśyantī, hṛde, madhyamā, and kaṇṭha, and the vaikharī emerges from the tongue. The speech that the saints utter is called parā vāṇī. The speech spoken by saints is from the body. It does not emerge from the heart; it emerges from the nābhī. The nābhī, which is the nāda, and nāda is Śiva; the speech that emerges from Śiva is like this. Similarly, when you chant Oṁ for three months, then in the fourth month, when you sit, you will not need to chant Oṁ; Oṁ will shower upon you, Oṁ will come to you on its own, and you will hear it yourself. This is a method of the Śiva sūtra that I have shared with you. Everything is attainable through Oṁ; Oṁ alone grants dharma, artha, mokṣa to the renunciant as well as to the householder. In our scriptures, it is even prohibited to overextend the chanting of Oṁ. When we chant Oṁ, we meditate on the form of Sadāśiva. And what is the meditation on Sadāśiva? How does Sadāśiva appear? What is the experience of Sadāśiva? This is wonderfully described in the Śiva Purāṇa along with the Kailāsa. Some people perform abhiṣeka, some wear cedevyāvaraṁ; such people sit down and, while sitting, cultivate the feeling in their mind—ratne kalpita mānasam himajalam cedevyāvaraṁ. Even by cultivating such a feeling, O Maharāja, the worship of Mahādeva is accomplished. This is called the mental worship of Bhagavān, and those who engage in such great worship... In a vessel adorned with gems and precious stones, there is ghee, rice pudding, food, five types of clarified butter, fragrant fruits, a refreshing drink, water mixed with betel leaves, a piece of camphor burning, betel nuts, and with devotion, O Lord, please accept this offering made with the mind’s dedication. Along with the umbrella and the pair of fly-whisks, the ideal, pure, gentle, and without fear, the soft art, the song, and the dance, as well as the obeisance of the sixty-four arts. Praise is manifold knowledge; all this is not dedicated to me in thought. Then, O Lord, the worship of the devotees is performed; the guests are honored, enjoyment arranged, sleep and samādhi follow. Thus, the movement, the steps, the circumambulation, the method, the leaves—all the actions are done with moderation. O Śambho, your worship is my offering. Worship that is done by giving wealth is called vittajā; worship done through the body is called tanujā; and worship done mentally is called manajā, meaning worship of the mind. So, mental worship is also accepted. Thus, there are three types of worship of God: physically, mentally, or through money. You hire a priest or paṇḍita or brāhmaṇa, give him money, and he brings all the items and chants the mantra for you. You give him some money, and he gives you blessings because you do not have the time or perhaps you are physically unable to perform all types of pūjā. But you will say, only mentally—I say, one should do everything that a person should first do with the body, also with wealth. And as it is said, body, mind, and wealth—body, mind, and wealth, all should be offered. What is the use of mine, yours, or theirs? This is all Bhagavān’s. O Govindra, offer everything to You alone. So we give to Bhagavān what belongs to Bhagavān. There is nothing new in this. And finally, be sure to do this: "Kar charaṇ kartam vāk kāyajam karam jamvā"—this mantra is very good: O Bhagavān, please forgive me for whatever I have done with my hands, feet, body, because we do make mistakes. If you observe carefully, even when a person goes to make a payment, he ends up killing an ant or an animal—why is that? Here, it makes us religious, here it makes us devotees of Bhagavān. Please also tell us, Mahārāj, how one should take sannyāsa here, the method for it. Please explain the method of taking sannyāsa according to the Kailāsa Saṁhitā. This country is extraordinary, Mahārāj; in this country, the old man lived his gṛhastha, brahmacarya, and āśrama stages—gṛhastha... One lives in the āśrama, then enters vānaprastha, and then sannyāsa; initially, the lifespan was considered to be one hundred years, divided into periods of twenty-five years each. So this is the very great culture of India. In ancient times, society had no need for old age homes, no need for rehabilitation centers, and there was no sickness. Because people do not have time to fall ill. This is not the time to fall ill, brothers. We have to attain Bhagavān. The age from sixty to fifty years is meant for the gṛhastha āśrama—to live in society as a father, as a son, as a brother, as a good man. Now, the social... now society wants... wants... But if you are not married and your parents allow you, and your Guru allows you, then you can take Sannyāsa. This is the Jñānī Brahmacārī. And in India, Giri, Purī, Bhāratī—these four are the Ādi Gurus Śaṅkarācārya. And do not think that this country is governed by any government. In our four dharmas, four types of āśramas have been established in the directions to protect, serving as this security. Now you see, in Badrināth, there is a pūjārī from Kerala. Nambūdiri Brāhmaṇas are the priests of the south in Badrinath in the north, the priests of the west in the east, and the priests of the east in the west. This is to unite, to connect this culture. What kind of management do we have of the saints? Now you might say to me, "I do not wear the saffron cloth." Not wearing a penna, not wearing orange, this too is described as renunciation. King Janaka’s teaching was that even while sitting at home, you become a sannyāsī. But how to take sannyāsa? This method has been beautifully explained. It is called mood, also called mūrkha. It is the nature of our ātmamūrkha, the nature of foolishness. That is foolishness, if indeed... The one who does not have knowledge of the five elements, nature and destiny are below nature, and this puruṣa is above nature; destiny is below nature, and above destiny and nature is what is called the siṅg nāda. Otherwise, when a man starts living among wolves, he begins to think he is a wolf. Once, a lion cub went among wolves and began to think that it was not a lion but a wolf. The same thing has happened to us. We think we are under the control of others, under the control of nature, under the control of our saṁskāras. Sannyāsa says, "No, brother, you are a puruṣa; your destiny is under your control." Just as the single eye of a crow revolves in both its eyeballs, similarly the puruṣa dwells with both prakṛti and niyati. That which we are resides in prakṛti as well as in niyati, yet both are under our control. We simply do not realize this. Prajñānaṁ brahmaḥ—when the statements of the śruti come into the realm of desires, that is... Knowledge itself is Brahman; then the journey in life begins. Parasmai Śiva Jyoti ke idam namaḥ—then one worships Śiva and practices the sādhana of Śiva. The method is explained here. It is evening time, in such a beautiful moment let us remember our Gurujans, remember the saints, and tomorrow you will have more Kailāsa Saṁhitā. The Vāyavīya Saṁhitā, which comes after the Kailāsa Saṁhitā in the Śiva Purāṇa, is not very large, and the other Saṁhitā is somewhat bigger. Why does Kailāsa wear the Agambara? Why does Mātā Pārvatī ride a lion? All these stories will come. Come, Sadguru Mahārāj’s praises remember Bhagavān, remember the saints; this is a bhajan. He is, Pūjya Mādhavan Jī’s, I have not heard it, ever, but this... Now the jīva... Speak of Sadguru Mahārāj, speak of Sadguru Devapurī Jī Mahārāj, speak of Sadguru Dīp Nārāyaṇa Jī Bhagavān, speak of Sadguru Mādhvān Jī Mahārāj.