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Part 1: The Guru’s Grace: The Sole Path to Shiva’s Knowledge This feeling, this state, closes the doors of learning in our mind and life. The meaning, therefore, is that the disciple’s heart is open to receive the truth of Shiva, and here Śrī Kṛṣṇa is behaving as a disciple. He is sitting at the feet of Upamanyu Ṛṣi. Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa is indeed Bhagavān Himself—the Supreme Bhagavān. Kṛṣṇa needs no proof of His divinity, yet He demonstrates that even Bhagavān becomes a disciple; even Bhagavān meditates. For the sake of Gurudam, for the sake of Gurudam—how can one who is merely a guru become a disciple, and how can one who is merely a disciple first pass the test of discipleship to become a guru? For Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, it is said: Vasu Deva Sutam Devam, Kaṁsa Cānūra Mardanam, Deva Kī Paramānandam Śrī Kṛṣṇam, become the joy of the world. He is the disciple of Upamanyu Ṛṣi. One who is ready to surrender is granted knowledge; through discipline, one attains eligibility. If someone is ready to surrender, they are on the path of truth. Surrendering at the feet of the master, a saint, a monk, or a sannyāsī—this is certainly within our capability. This is our eligibility; the element is given only within the vessel. First, we become the vessel ourselves. Govindra Swāmī is telling us this by becoming the vessel, because the element of Bhagavān Śiva is so profound, so full of mysteries, so exalted—the element of Śiva is very deep, very wide. Either very high, or very subtle, very minute—common intellect cannot comprehend it. A common intelligence cannot understand, and so-called doctors and engineers, even they cannot grasp the tattva of Shiva, the tattva of Maheśvara, the tattva of Guru, the elements of Shiva. So how do we refine the intellect? How can we make our intelligence purer and more observant? We simply need daily practice and the presence of the master. In the presence of the master, awakening happens. You can also see many times, when the master comes, your spine straightens automatically, and you become very conscious, more aware; thoughts disappear automatically. You are not making an effort, and you are meditating alone. There is a lot of traffic in the thought process. You sit alone in meditation before the Guru, and gradually you will realize it yourself. This is how Bhagavān Śiva, Mahādeva, reveals the direct experience through the ṛṣis. Upamanyu says, “Yadunandana, O Govinda, O Dvārikādhīśa, Śiva always dwells with Śakti. Śiva Śakti rūpinī namaḥ. Bhagavān Śiva is always known with Śakti, known as power—the power of Pārvatī and her māyā, her śakti. The attachment to the world, attachment to matter—we are all caught in this. By whose grace? Now that you are drawn towards Mahāparvatī, for liberation you must devote yourself to her; liberation resides at her feet. In ancient times, some sages who desired freedom from the bonds of the world pondered together, meeting day after day, to contemplate what the cause of this universe is. The ancient story from the Vedic times: all the ṛṣis and munis would gather together for a great seminar or assembly at one place. And first, they would present one question before all the ṛṣis and munis: “What is the cause of this world? What is the reason for this world, what is the reason for life?” Even today, after constructing tunnels that are many kilometers long into the universe… The mysteries that are being attempted to be uncovered—Higgs, boson, what do they say—are about discovering life. But, my brothers, thousands and millions of years ago, from whom did this life originate, and from whom do we sustain life? Who is our Adhiṣṭhāta? Who has organized this unparalleled arrangement of the universe? And who organized this great and mysterious arrangement? Look, breath comes through the nose, the lungs are breathing, food is being digested, blood is being formed, the kidneys filter 500 gallons of blood daily. Our small kidneys purify 500 gallons of blood circulation, and in the brain, there are so many tiny fibers that no machine has been able to fully observe them. Who is that Paramātmā? How honest were the people in the ancient Vedic times—they did not give a name. These are not so-called religious people, and there is no religion here, just a question of consciousness. They posed such questions. There are many questions that arise in those seminars of all the Rishis and Munis. They say, such is their satsaṅga, such is their samāyoga, which continued for a long time. Even when the jīvātman becomes conscious, why does suffering and pain occur? What is the reason for our suffering and pain? In this way, all those people were meditating. That the direct power of Parameśvara is about to sever all bonds—Upamanyu is telling Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa this. “O Śrī Kṛṣṇa,” thinking thus, everyone fell silent. Finally, the people stopped and went into silence, and they closed their eyes. Umā, the vision of Bhagavān takes place in the heart; Bhagavān resides in the heart itself. And when the grace of Śiva and Śakti is bestowed, then liberation comes into hand. Even insects and worms are freed by their grace. For the knowledge of Bhagavān Śiva, the jīva needs a Guru—one’s own Guru and… One should not perceive any difference in Shiva. Whoever does so is never truly embraced by Mahādeva. The grace of Ādeva is not attained; therefore, the knowledge of Shiva comes only through the grace of the Guru. See, there are two beautiful lines regarding the Guru. O seekers, such is the feeling of the Guru, O seekers, words mean all; the renunciants, seekers, seekers—such is the feeling of the Guru. We require a Guru who daily teaches us and pours the rasa, the juice of the Brahmānanda. Seekers, such is the feeling of the Guru who drinks and makes us drink the full cup of rāga and raṅga. One who himself is in samādhi and also leads others into samādhi—he carries the nāda hidden within the body, so that no one in the mind can perceive it. That nāda, nāda meaning Shiva, Shiva meaning nāda; from nāda, Shiva manifested. He carries the nāda hidden within the body, so that no one in the mind can perceive it. Shiva is in the heart of our master, Shiva is in the mind of our master. And nobody can approach there, nobody can reach that stage of the Guru. The eyes of my Guru are like the sun and the moon—cānda-sūraja kā locana Guru kā. The eyes of my master are like the sun and the moon—dekhe aura dikhāve. What is the difference between our eyes and the master’s eyes? The Master is looking at us, the Master is looking outward, and the Master is also looking towards God. So his eye is looking in every direction, at least three sides minimum. He looks at himself, he looks to God, and he looks at all our problems and struggles and the root of the problem. The seven supreme swan gurus are like the essence; when the guru is the supreme swan guru, then he is the supreme swan. That supreme swan is the essence of all beings, and they have been given the simile of the swan. The guru is the supreme swan, meaning the master and giver of those swans, the essence. When he dwells in the heart, when our Gurudeva is present in our nāda, nāda, the Oṁkāra, whatever is spoken is the Oṁkāra. It goes, it becomes Oṁ, it becomes praṇāma. When our Paramahaṁsa Guru is seated in our heart, in the innermost core, then there is no darkness. Darkness exists only when Gurujī is not in our heart. The voice of true saints sings the melody of Oṁkāra. After Guru Bhakti, after devotion to the Guru, love for the Guru, surrendering to the Guru, whatever we speak does not matter; our entire world, our life is with Oṁkāra. When life itself becomes one with Oṁkāra, then let us sing this for a moment or two. Gradually, everyone will sing it, learning step by step, everyone will sing it first. If the master is coming into life, it means spring is arriving in our life, a rainbow in our life, a multitude of colors in our life, no sadness, no suffering, not even any worry about mukti, no worry about enlightenment. This is the ancient tradition of India: when someone takes saṁnyāsa, dīkṣā, or initiation, all their responsibilities become the Guru’s responsibility. The Guru takes on all the responsibilities, and the tapasyā of the master, the blessing of the master, works in their life. In our country, there was a tradition that when a person took sannyāsa or became a disciple of a guru, it was said that the bābā would be punished as if he had set an entire village on fire. To make one disciple, to shave one disciple’s head, meant committing a sin equivalent to burning down a whole village. How so? The liberation from the bondage of the chain of karma that each individual carries is given only by the Guru. To make a person pure means that the Guru accounts for all the accumulated, ongoing, and destined karmas of that person. The Guru says, “I will act according to my karma,” and the Guru’s active karma in this birth is so deeply absorbed in samādhi. The guru is no less than Mahādeva; there is no difference between the guru and Maheśvara. The guru is the reincarnation and is present everywhere. According to me, according to my knowledge, the Paramakuñja Sadguru is… I am telling you that the story of the venerable Sadguru Devpurī Jī Mahārāja, the Viśvabandhanīya, is also published in a small booklet. From there, we have gained some knowledge of that story—that the Guru is within, the Guru is everywhere, the Guru is the master everywhere. And you all know, it is a very famous place, there is… Very famous mountain, Mount Abu, on the border of Gujarat and Rajasthan, there is a lake named Nakki Lake, and there was an āratī going on there. The British police came and stopped the noise of the āratī. According to them, this was noise, so they stopped it and put all the devotees of Mahādeva, devotees of God, in jail. When all the Brahmins were afraid and scared and started using it for the Brahmins, and… For the British police, for the police… He crossed the bridge and chanted the japa, drank all the acid and did not die. People who are bahirmukhī, extroverted, do not know about the inner science. So this science is the inner science. For this, you do not have to go outside, nowhere to go. Just sit silently at the feet of the master, and you will enter the school of the master. And this school—many times you are here, and your master, your guru, our Maheśvarānandajī, may be physically elsewhere, but we are connected. But we are with him, in front of him. And suppose through the webcast, people are watching you, you are watching them, you are watching TV, but Alakhpurījī Mahārāja, Devpurījī, Parama Sadguru, Deva Nārāyaṇajī Mahārāja, Dharma Samrāṭ Mādhavānandajī, they are always watching us. Why, why… Bridges make us bridges. They make bridges. This makes bridges. This makes bridges… This bridge is made by Mahādeva and Dīpa Nārāyaṇa Jī and Mahādeva and Mādhavānandajī and Mahādeva and Maheśvarānandajī. Never think about this, and do not even speak this truth to everyone, because not everyone can understand this truth. Here, it is said: When you have found the diamond, why keep untying the knot repeatedly? When the mind is content, why speak then? Your own is with you, your pot is full—why open your eyes outwardly? When the mind is content, why speak then? When you get the Kohinoor, the very big diamond, then put… Keep it in your pocket, do not show it to everyone; our master is our diamond. Deposit it in the bank of our heart; the heart is the most secure treasury. Place it there, and there is no need to share this divine experience with everyone. And all divine dreams, divine thoughts, and divine experiences cannot be shared with everyone. Sometimes we have a spiritual dream in which we have seen saints, have had the darśana of the Guru, and experienced a certain feeling. Sometimes, you may feel that you have sat in the very place where you are sitting now before. Occasionally, you might sense that the conversation happening now has occurred before, yogī after yogī… Yoga, yoga, regular yoga, regular… The yoga of the master, for whom there is complete surrender to the master’s vision alone—only such people receive this kind of vibration, aura, and inner truth. We have this kind of experience and many such stories, and you all may know them better than I do. Līlāmṛta Deva Purīṣa Deva Nārāyaṇajī Līlāmṛta Deva Purīṣa Deva Nārāyaṇajī. But I am also a blessed one like you people, and I begin to share some experiences from my life. Here, Upamanyu Ṛṣi is imparting this knowledge to Lord Kṛṣṇa and declaring and appealing to all of us. O Vāsudeva, the knowledge of Param Tattva, the knowledge of Shiva, only the Guru can give. Therefore, to those who recognize the Guru, it is said: when both Guru and Govinda stand before you, bow to the Guru. The Guru reveals Govinda to you; the attainment of Govinda happens through the Guru, it is through the Guru. Today, our respected Bhāṭī Jī has given me a very beautiful bhajan, so I will request him to begin with its first line, and then we will proceed to the feet of the Guru. It is such a beautiful and dear episode that one does not wish to move forward. Very interesting and very divine chapter coming in this Mahāśiva Purāṇa, the… The glory of the Guru and who can impart the knowledge of Shiva. So Upamanyu declared this, Upamanyu appealed to everyone, without the Guru we cannot attain enlightenment or the knowledge of Shiva, the knowledge of Viṣṇu. So, let us first offer our salutations to our own Gurudeva, and then proceed further. The giver of everything, the compassionate lamp, the benefactor who alleviates the poverty of countless lifetimes. Glory to Śrī Dīpa Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān, Glory to Deveśvara Mahādeva, Glory to Mādhav Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān, Glory to Swāmī Maheśvarānandajī, Glory to Sattva Gurudeva. May all be granted by the Divine Light, may all be granted by the Divine Light. Parama Kujya Svāmī Mahiṣvānandī Sadguru Mahārāja kī guru kī mahimā Upamanyu jī kahte hain, "Hama karoṛ jīva ho jāeṁ to bhī hama nahīṁ gā sakate, kyoṁki guru argha kaise dete haiṁ." Dekhiye, prātaḥkāla agar hama sūrya udaya ke paścāt uṭhate haiṁ to āpa samajha lījiye apane usa dina kā puṇya to usī… The day has been taken away by this Sūrya Bhagavān, who is none other than Śiva Himself—this sentiment has been expressed here. Sūrya Bhagavān can also be offered in a suitable vessel, but not in a silver vessel; rather, Sūrya Bhagavān should be offered in a gold or copper vessel. Some even offer in silver vessels, but... They say, "Argha de," you will connect with them; you yourself are Rudra, By such a mantra, you yourself are Rudra, you yourself are Viṣṇu, you yourself are Brahmā in the form of Sūrya; salutations to you, peaceful Śiva. In this way, one should offer arghya to Sūrya Bhagavān. So before beginning any other pūjā or work, we should start our day—after the bath—by offering water, kumkum, and flowers, and we should give arghya as if we are performing abhiṣeka on Him. Mahādeva, so we should give, we should offer water to Bhagavān. Sūrya is the direct manifestation of Brahmā; this very Sūrya is the essence of rasa, the essence of light, the Lord of the world. Worship of Bhagavān has been described, and please tell us the names of the incarnations of Bhagavān Śiva, who is his own avatāra. The līlā of his incarnations is truly unfathomable; even one side has not yet been understood, and already one phase has ended—tomorrow... Part 2: The Journey of Faith and Surrender: Teachings from the Mahāśiva Purāṇa This is the last day of the Mahāśiva Purāṇa program. But do not think that the Mahāśiva Purāṇa itself ends tomorrow. The program will conclude, but that is a separate matter. I never consider that satsang ends tomorrow. Tomorrow is a beginning. From tomorrow, the journey of applying the knowledge we have received from the Mahāśiva Purāṇa into our lives will commence. Upamanyu Bhagavān, like Bhagavān Kṛṣṭi, is an avatāra of Bhagavān. He names his disciples: Śvet, Sutār, Madan, Suhotra, Kaṅkalo, Gākṣhī, Māyāvī, Jaigī, Sabhya, Dadīvāh, Raśva, Munī, Ugra, Atrī, Śupālaka, Gautama, Vedaśhirā, Gaukaraṇa, Guhāvāsī, Śikhaṇḍī, Jaṭāmālī, Aṭṭha, Hāsa, and Dāruka. Lāṅgulī, Mahākāla, Sūlī, Daṇḍī, Muṇḍī, Sahiṣṇū, Soma, Sarmā… Since the seventh manvantara, twenty-eight yogācāryas have manifested. They are considered the twenty-eight incarnations of Bhagavān Śiva. And Nakuliśa Bhagavān, as he has revealed, his kāya varohana tīrtha still exists today in Gujarat. This is our devotion towards Bhagavān Śiva and also towards Mā Pārvatī. We need faith—this is what the tenth chapter of the Vaivya Saṁhitā reveals. The tenth chapter of the Vaivya Saṁhitā imparts the knowledge of Śraddhā and Viśvāsa. Śraddhā is trust, Viśvāsa is confidence—faith in Śiva and Pārvatī. And this is the contemporary problem of society. We are all losing trust and faith. You might ask, “Where is this faith?” It is in Mahādeva and Pārvatī. You might then ask, “What are Mahādeva and Pārvatī?” The Guru is Mahādeva, and this work and this vision are Pārvatī. When we trust the Guru, within yourself you will recognize the soul as Mahādeva. The day we develop complete faith in ourselves, we lose faith in others. Understand that a person who insults others is himself filled with self-reproach. The one who feels insulted is the one who insults others. Having faith in Mahādeva does not mean placing your faith on a stone śivaliṅga and becoming a blind believer. This is not a story of blind faith; rather, it is a story of breaking all blind beliefs and blind actions. People do not even trust their own brothers. Trust has been lost in marital relationships, trust has been lost between children and parents. The faith we place in Śiva and Pārvatī—where does that faith yield results? It begins to shine in every aspect of life, but you must first sow the seed somewhere. If we have devotion towards Bhagavān Śiva, will anything diminish from Mā Pārvatī? No, it is we who suffer loss—a great loss, the loss of life itself. What does Mahādeva lose? When do we ever distrust Bhagavān? When do we ever lose faith in Bhagavān? It is only when we begin to seek experiences for Mahādeva, and when we start calculating why things are happening to us—why it goes well for others but badly for us. Then we begin to lose śraddhā and viśvāsa, because we want to live life according to our own way. When we want to live life according to our own mind, our condition is like that of a farmer. If it were in a man’s control, he would be like a farmer. Just yesterday I told someone a story about a farmer who thought, “O Bhagavān, you don’t know when it will rain, when to apply heat, when to dry, when frost will fall. I will tell you how much rain, how much sunlight, what temperature should prevail.” Bhagavān gave him one chance in the cycle of time: this season’s crop is in your name. The farmer knew this and cultivated the land very skillfully. When the time came to harvest, the crop had grown very tall, but there were no seeds in it; no wheat emerged. It was said, “Sadguru Mahārāja, please explain a little to them.” This story is about speaking for the sake of knowledge and self-purification. We speak for the sake of gyāne svajjē. In the U.S.A., the Fahrenheit scale is used, which is different; they do not calculate like Celsius. And God is always like parents, like mother and father. God said, “Okay, you decide the weather this year, and I will not be responsible for any loss.” The farmer replied, “Okay, you will witness the growth of my wheat and my agriculture.” God answers, “I am always observing, always watching what people are doing.” The farmer was very experienced. Like a machine, like a robot, he gave the proper amount of water—not less, not more—and maintained the proper temperature, not too much heat, not too little, a pleasant atmosphere. Often crops get scorched by hot sun rays, and the farmer gets upset. So this time he controlled the temperature. After six months, when he was ready to cut, the growth was remarkable—five, six feet, whereas before it was only three or four feet. This time it reached seven feet. But when he cut, there were no seeds inside. This seed is ātma, this seed is the soul. Many times disciples think their master does not know about the work he is doing now, that in old age he does not know how to deal with people. “When he gives me the post and the job and grants me freedom, I will maintain the āśrama, I will maintain the temple, and I will provide the new book of the Vedavyāsa Purāṇa.” That is why in the Vedic era, the master holds a stick in his hand. What is the meaning of this stick? This stick is the spine. This stick is dharma. This stick is not for punishment. Holding the daṇḍa in hand reminds them of their dharma. You are not here to torment anyone. The very effort to live, the attempt to say “I will live,” is when disbelief arises. There is a beautiful song: “jāhī viddhī rākhe Rām, tāhī viddhī rahiye”—as Bhagavān keeps us, so should we remain. Not swimming, just floating. You all sing this bhajan. Complete surrender according to the master. When I speak, I use two words: master and Bhagavān, Guru and Bhagavān—there is no difference. Some people, even after meeting a Guru, continue to search for Bhagavān. I tell those people they have not yet truly met a Guru. The scriptures have so glorified the position of the Guru; the Guru alone is Bhagavān, and Bhagavān alone is the Guru. When do we lose śraddhā and viśvāsa in life? It is when we try to confine life within our own frame. I have a friend who left India and settled abroad. I asked, “Brother, have you thought about making something of your child?” Then what will Mahādeva think? I have thought this: decide one thing—you will not take any decision. Take this decision: you will make no decision. Indecision—this is what is called surrendering, this is samarpaṇ. Samarpaṇ means think that now I will think nothing. Just think this: I will think nothing. In our list of priorities, where does Mahādeva stand? And where is the web of desires in life? Reflect on this. And one more thing: if you ever make someone your Guru, understand that you have found Mahādeva. To make someone your Guru means you have found Mahādeva, the devotion to Bhagavān Śiva and His bhajans. What is the glory of ananya bhajana? Ananya means one hundred percent devotion, not 0.1 percent less. When water is heated to 100 degrees, only then does it turn into steam; even at 99.9 degrees, steam does not form. To become vapor, it must be heated fully to 100 percent. Similarly, when a person is offered like camphor—why do we offer camphor? You too have to become camphor. Just as the wick of the lamp burns, a little of the soul remains behind. That is why we perform the āratī of camphor, as if the camphor has disappeared. In your love, I too have burned and disappeared, Mahādeva. It disappears in such a way that no seed remains behind. This is the ordinance of devotion: you completely dissolve into it. That is why it is said: the destroyer of the world’s impurities, the mine of the nectar of the Guru—even if the head is given to the Guru, it is considered a sacrifice. Just as water evaporates and nothing remains of camphor, where does it go? The light of the flame vanishes. Similarly, the diversity of life, the account of life, the mathematics of life, is complete. The inner mathematics is completely reversed. Here, by losing, we gain; when we lose, we are victorious, we become truly benefited. If we gain, if we obtain something, then we lose something. How? The seed is destroyed, ego is destroyed—only then does one meet the Lord. In the oceans of the world, first there is a transaction: “Tell me, what will I get?” After all, we are Mārwāṛīs, aren’t we? They said, “Seṭjī fell into the pit,” and everyone shouted, “Seṭjī, give your hand, give your hand, lift him up!” Seṭjī enjoyed it: “Give your hand, give your hand.” They simply did not know how to give. So a paṇḍitjī standing in front said, “Tell them to take my hand.” Then people become content with the small, trivial things of the world. This path is closed for them; it has not opened for them. Consider it a blessing that this door has not opened. Otherwise, if you offer hundreds of thousands of rupees to Bhagavān, and Bhagavān comes to you with a burden of two or three crore rupees, what will we do with Bhagavān? “Bhagavān, you have such expensive gold around your neck—please give it to us so we can make our necklace. O Bhagavān, sell your beautiful arm.” From selling that arm, desire began to earn crores from rupees. Desire moved from money to thousands, from thousands to lakhs, then to millions and billions. Desire moved from bottle to bottle, from bottle to the brothel, from the brothel to the streetwalker—yet desire did not end. Therefore, desire is desire. Drinking refreshes our desire. Now see, our desire has turned everything into a marketplace. This is the very first kind of kathā in which no one can intervene between Bhagavān and the kathā. In 1999, when we first began the kathā, we were trying to immerse ourselves deeply in the prema of the kathā. Suddenly someone came and placed a radish in front, placed a bottle gourd. I said, “Where did the bottle gourd go in Goloka? Here the divine discourse of Bhagavān is going on, Goloka is unfolding, the union of Bhagavān Śiva and Kṛṣṇa is happening, and this bottle gourd has come?” A person will only bring what belongs to his life. This decision must be one hundred percent, not less. Many so-called avoidable people from society attain God. But the so-called religious people who go to the temple every day are very far from God, because they have turned the temple into a marketplace. Those who have turned dharma into a business—even Bhagavān fears them, flees, and abandons the battlefield. Yes, O my Lord, this world is a marketplace; here, everything is sold. They say Śiva is sold by the piece, faith is sold in the Qur’ān, faith is sold in the Purāṇas, and here even the sweat of the laborer is sold. The sweat of the laborer is sold in such a way that it is signed for a certain price, taken to God and sold. And those who sell have indeed sold and are selling. So this first time when the Oṁ vision appeared on this earth, in the history of the earth, the temple being built in the shape of Oṁ is not just any temple. Scientists from Russia have conducted a thesis on Oṁ. You can see your own picture. You can see yourself. … From the element of sin, sin was created; early in the morning, the father was called sin. Now even preserved dead bodies are called mummies. There is a mummy kept in Japan as well, in Albert Hall. That is why we desire sin and mummies; we want a mummy who fulfills every wish—of the son, the daughter, the father—even if it means committing sin, as long as the desires are fulfilled. Tie the bandage on Gāndhārī’s side—even if the eyes are there but blind, one cannot commit sin. Just come as you are, but show something, do something. You have gone to the temple, but the reason for going to the temple was never asked in the heart. Ask yourself, why am I going to the temple? Ask yourself, do I need Bhagavān? Vyāsajī was narrating the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa and said, “He is the Murliwāle, the Eternal One who listens. Around His neck is the Vaijayantī mālā, and on His chest is the Kaustubha. On His arms are such beautiful, precious jewels, on His wrists such exquisite gems…” Even jewel thieves have appeared in the kathā, chanting “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa…” Now Paṇḍijī had heard that in Bhaṇḍīr Ban, people go to graze cows. He read in the Bhāgavata Śāstra that Lord Kṛṣṇa goes with many cows and protects them in Bhandīrvana, a famous forest with much greenery and grass, so all the cows are very happy there. A thief remembered Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa there with exclusive devotion, and Bhagavān has only one condition: if someone remembers Him with exclusive devotion—one hundred percent feeling—then He comes. The thief, with great exclusive devotion, said, “O Vāsudeva, O Yadu Nandana, O Lord of Rādhā, I swear by Yaśodā Mātā, just come once and give me your darśan.” He swore by his mother and father with one hundred percent determination, and Bhagavān gave him His mālā, His bracelets, His anklets. Bhagavān said, “I wear golden anklets, keep these,” and all the thieves… Part 3: The Embrace of Sanātana Dharma: From Exclusive Devotion to the Living Mantra Leaving God aside, he kept only that; those sitting in temples, all thieves, are taking from God. And the one who gave it to them was Paṇḍitjī, the one who gave the discourse. So, Paṇḍitjī went and gave one or two of God’s jewels to him as well, saying, "Here, take these jewels of God." He asked, "Where did you get them from?" He replied, "From the address you gave." He had given the indication and said to me, "Life will pass by telling stories." Brother, I am a devotee in surrender; my devotee never faces destruction. We are engaged in business; you cannot trade with Bhagavān saying, "I will give you this much, you give me that much." Now just think, that person must have gone to Bāṇḍīravan. If we go to Bāṇḍīravan and light a lamp before a tree for Bhagavān Viṣṇu, we do not at that moment think that this is Bhagavān Viṣṇu; we sit with our eyes closed, but it is not certain that we will have a vision of Bhagavān. Why is it not certain? Because our condition is exactly like this: just as in a village, when a yāga is to be performed for the rains, and the priest is about to conduct the yāga, the son asks the father for an umbrella—this is called ananya bhāva, exclusive devotion. And if there is trust that Ram is the one who will pay the price, then there is the true joy of bhakti. Otherwise, there is no joy. This is the essence of Bhagavān Śiva’s teaching, therefore Bhavānī Saṅkaravande. Śraddhā and Viśvāsa rūpino—this is from the tenth chapter of the Mahāśiva Purāṇa, the Vāyvīya Saṁhitā. It speaks of faith, that there must be śraddhā and viśvāsa, and with a devoted heart, if one worships, then Bhagavān will manifest. If you go, no task in life will remain possible, and you will say, speak with us. Speak, Sadguru Maharaj. The eleventh chapter describes the duties of the varṇas and āśramas, as well as the dharma of women, and expounds on the significance of bhajana, contemplation, and jñāna of Bhagavān Śiva. This final saṃhitā is the seventh saṃhitā... How to attain Bhagavān is refined knowledge, and to attain that refined knowledge is refined knowledge... If Shiva’s intellects, the intellects of even the person... how long will it take to reach the village of sanyāsīs and monks? Please tell me which path is going to the village and when I will reach there. In how many minutes, how many hours will I reach the village? We are going to the village. We are going to the village... After this, the sannyāsī will rise, and then another will rise, and then another... and then another after that... Our determination will be the deciding factor; the speed, intensity, and totality will determine when we will attain that paramparā, that blessing. How many days will it take for us to attain Bhagavān, when will we receive the grace of the Guru, how will we know this, my brothers? How much urgency do you have? Intensity. Are we 100%? Are we half-hearted? Are we doing something? Are we thinking of something else? No, no way. So, all that is needed is complete devotion to our master, and this devotion will assist us moment to moment, moment to moment. Moment to moment, help is given; moment to moment, help will be needed. And a person needs help every moment. Dear ones, help is needed every single moment. Now, if you get up from here, take the prasād, and go outside, then after that you will separate. When you reach home, you will separate even more, and then when you interact and converse with someone, it will be completely different. That is why help is needed every moment. Therefore, those devoted to Bhagavān have said: on the rosary of breaths, I will thread Your name, O Bhagavān. I will make a rosary of breaths with the name of Bhagavān. And when the method is explained here, what is the method of chanting the name? With which rosary, with which mantra will it be done? Every word must be made into a mantra; every breath must be made into a rosary. Speak, Om Namaḥ Śivāya. What is the dharma of the Varṇāśrama? In the Varṇāśramas, you see we have Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras. But in the present age, if you observe, this system has diminished. Yet even today, you will see that all the soldiers are Kṣatriyas, all the teachers are Brāhmaṇas, and whoever is serving... The classification of varṇa based on karma has been explained. Here, the dharma of those living in the brahmacarya āśrama, those in the gṛhastha āśrama, those in the vānaprastha āśrama, and those entering the saṃnyāsa āśrama has also been described. This is a significant matter, especially for the gṛhastha. What is dharma? This chapter appears in all the Purāṇas, in fact, in all the Purāṇas there is the dharma of varṇa, the dharma of āśramas, and what is the dharma of nārī. See, I will briefly tell you all this teaching—that we are all gṛhasthas, who are sitting here before me. In the Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā, the Bhāgavatī, and the Mahāśiva Purāṇa, three duties are described as essential for household life. What are those three duties? Mātṛ pitṛ devo bhavā, ācārya devo bhavā, atithi devo bhavā. These three are the deities for you all, and respecting the deities, ṛṣis, and ancestors is household life. The most essential dharma is this; besides that, they must apply the five strengths and also have arrangements for fire. And for the brāhmaṇas, brāhmaṇasṭha, mukhamāsid, bāhū rājanya kṛtah, there should also be this tube in their mouth; otherwise, the children in your home will become asuras, they will become rākṣasas—children themselves will become rākṣasas. So, doctor sahab, fish, ruby, bali will take everything, but the most missing thing is this: no one wants to live with their parents. The mother-in-law was once a daughter-in-law, remember that, and the daughter-in-law today will also become a mother-in-law tomorrow. And someone will treat her tomorrow the way today’s daughter-in-law is treating her mother-in-law. This is the truth. There is an old saying in science that behind every cause, there is a great deal of science. This science was born in our village because it was created by observing life, by understanding life. So first, you should not seek the salvation of your ancestors and your parents, and your ancestors and your parents should not seek salvation, until the family is reunited together; until then, the salvation of the spirit will not occur, until then, the salvation of the spirit will not occur. Like in Europe and maybe in the States, I was in America—one family living in one town, but the children are living in different flats, the parents are living separately; they have many excuses for it. But I want to say just one thing: life is very short. One day, parents will cry for their son, saying, "Oh my son, please sit with me, have breakfast with me, have tea with me, have lunch with me." The children say, "I don’t have time, father." Today, when we send our children to the hostel because we have to do our work, so one day, today maybe we don’t have time for our children. And one day these same children will give the excuse, "Oh my parents, I don’t have time for you. You can take money from me, you can go to..." New things don’t last long; for a few days, you go on a ship to roam around, maybe for 15-20 days. Mother sends you off, saying, “Go roam, stay on the ship, stay amidst the ocean of existence.” Stay in the midst of the ocean of existence, don’t meet, don’t meet. Take money, but if you measure us, this tradition is also continuing. And what is the use? It has happened like this: Māta Devī is giving knowledge to Kapilev here, Aṣṭāvakra is giving knowledge to his father, but it is not like that. Sukadev is giving knowledge to his father Vyās, and Vyās began to weep. Vyās thought that as long as his son Sukadev remains at home, they will understand each other’s pain. You will understand only when you live together, but that knowledge comes very late. In the school of life, in the university of life, the exam comes first and the lesson is taught afterward. So, the examination of life is very difficult. Therefore, what to do and what not to do? If you have faith, if you have trust, then listen to the message your master is giving you. And embody that message in your life. And do not stray far from the feet of the master. We have a word here, nugrā—oh ho ho, there is no greater insult than this one word: kṛtaghna. And we are all kṛtaghna. Between Māta Pārvatī and Mahādeva, it is said that the greatest sin in the world is this kṛtaghnatā. This entire knowledge of the ṛṣis is upon all of us. Now the guru does not want money from you in return; when you bring that knowledge into your life and realize it, you will become blissful. That is what the guru wants. Today, these statues of our sadgurus placed before you—why is this statue of Abhilelo here? It is here because with this statue... The message of Parabrahman that is spread throughout life within this mūrti—go and grasp that message. That message is the river Bādhī, it is the Gaṅgā, it is the Yamunā. Until we bring that message into our lives, the grace and natural expressive essence of the Gurus will not fully manifest upon us. Because of this, Shiva is called Vācya, and the mantra is considered Vācchaka. This relationship between Shiva and the mantra as Vācya and Vācchaka has been continuing since anādi kāla. So connected are you to that name that when you utter it, that very tattva will awaken, and this mantra has been flowing since anādi kāla. There are many ailments in the world, but the remedy is only one; therefore, it is certain that the perfect and ever-auspicious Śiva, who liberates beings from the ocean of worldly existence, is always present. Hence, the jīva should not wander here and there. Once, when Mātā Pārvatī asked Mahādeva about the glory of this mantra... Then Mahādeva said, O Devī, in the Kali Yuga, a person who takes shelter in my supreme enchanting pañcākṣarī vidyā and, with devotion, becomes absorbed in bhakti, can be liberated from the bondage of the world. These are ineffable, inconceivable. Mahādeva Himself says, Lord Śiva giving, telling the glory of Om Namaḥ Śivāya. The mahā mantra, the pañcākṣara mantra, the five-letter mantra, are ineffable. The five-word name Śivāya, the five words in this mantra—the mind cannot think about this mantra, and it is free from the defects of mental, vocal, and physical impurities. If somebody is not pure by body, physically, mentally, and vocally... And his voice, his way of talking is also not pure and is ungrateful, merciless, and very cruel and very cunning. If they also start chanting this mantra slowly, slowly by the grace of the masters and through complete proper... By this mantra, they will receive purity through guidance. The goddess said, if a person is sinful, then how can they attain it? So Mahādeva says, this is a very good question; this is a confidential matter. Undoubtedly, the person who commits sin is destined for hell. But if someone is sinful and performs tapasya by drinking water and breathing air, then even their sins will be atoned for. At the time of pralaya, when the entire moving and non-moving world is destroyed, all the manifestations merge into prakṛti and dissolve there. And when I remain alone, with no one else present, at that time, the goddess along with all the deities reside within my pañcākṣara mantra, meaning within these five elements of the Namaḥ Śivāya mantra. I enshrine all the deities, I refer to all the deities as Mahādeva, I enshrine them within it. Come. Tomorrow is Rakṣā Bandhan and I am sure Svāmījī is also watching this webcasting. On behalf of all of you, I offer my salutations to Svāmījī and on behalf of all of us, I am saying Taran Dhok Bandhan. Revered Svāmījī Mahārāj, the culture of this country, which is Sanātana... Culture is not the right of any individual; it is as if it belongs to the pure, to the best, it belongs to everyone. And that which is to be renounced, which is inferior, belongs to no one and does not require renunciation. So, festivals are celebrated so that through these celebrations we become pure. The festival of Rakṣā Bandhan is the festival of brother and sister... Now it has come to this point that the brother might come home at seven, and the sister comes home at two. This culture has developed where the brother sits at home at seven, and the sister arrives at two. So how will the brother protect her now? The culture has reversed; that brave one has been given the homeland, saying, "I will remain as your gatekeeper here." So, at Bali’s place, Bhagavān is standing outside his palace holding a wooden stick in his hand. Lakṣmī came and made Bali her brother, and in return, took her husband as a gift. Meanwhile, at Bali Maharaj’s place, Bhagavān took the form of Vāmana and stood as the gatekeeper, and no one... They are ensuring that the cow calf does not enter the palace of Bali, providing this protection so that no demon enters. There is also a story in which Indra’s wife tied a rākhī to her husband Indra; even between husband and wife, the bond of rākhī exists, as mentioned in the Purāṇa. I have proof of this; I will not speak to you without proof. We tie this bandhan on your hand, O my master, now you will protect us. You will help us, that is why people also tie rākhī to Bhagavān on the day of Rakṣā Bandhan. You see, because He is Bhagavān the brother, He is Bhagavān the father, He is Bhagavān the son, He is Bhagavān the husband, He will protect that Bhagavān from any darkness. He will protect us from the misguidance that we ourselves invite. It is we who invite misguidance. All types of demons, the Āsurī Pravṛttis. How do we invite them? Just as we keep the gate of our Āśrama open. Everyone will come—whether positive or negative. So for our enmity, hatred, death, enmity, and for the enmities of our own enmities... Tie a rākhī to Bhagavān Govinda and your Gurudev as well, for Bhagavān Govinda will protect you from all types of negativities. This beautiful festival is celebrated with deep sentiment in India, and it always has been and will continue to be so. Therefore, celebrate tomorrow’s rākhī with a touch of divinity. And tomorrow is also the last day of this chapter of the Śiva Mahāpurāṇa, so actually it is the beginning day. Tomorrow is the beginning, not the end. But we will pause this program. We will pause, not end. Yet our true beginning will start from tomorrow. We will see how we implement and how much we implement this knowledge in our life. I am always surprised—we never talk about food. We never talk about water, and not even about the formula of water, H₂O, D₂O, and yet we just drink it and talk about God. We do not drink. There is an Upaniṣad called Raso Veśā; it is Bhagavān Rasa, Raso Veśā Upaniṣad. So we should start living the truth, not just stop talking. So every day here the morning yoga class is being conducted. Therefore, we should make a commitment to yoga and meditation. And it should be a commitment. Svāmījī should go to India on August 14. So, when he should go... It should be for us. How to live truth in our life, in daily life—not just theoretical, but practical. And now we will do the Āratī. And tomorrow is the last day, so we might be a little late. Tomorrow’s concluding ceremony will be accompanied by the Prasādam. Bhati Ji has arranged the Prasādam, the Āśrama has arranged the Prasādam for all of you as a blessing. So, if there is any other news... Then Svāmījī Gyaneshwar Ji Maharaj and Bhati Ji will give it to you. Recite: Om Devisvar Mahādeva kī sadu Guru Mahisvarānan Jī Maharāj kī.