Swamiji TV

Other links



Video details

The Eternal Pilgrimage

The eternal pilgrimage is a journey to the sacred confluence within. This place is the king of all holy sites, where waters from ancient sages converge. Since the dawn of time, seekers have performed penance here. The immortal nectar from the cosmic churning never perishes; its essence permeates this ground. Your singular intention to reach this place has transformed you; you have become a living confluence. A house without a saintly guest is a cremation ground while still inhabited. The human body is a moving temple, yet society is fractured by imposed divisions. Other faiths do not bar entry based on such distinctions, yet Hindus are divided. The rivers appeared for all beings, not for one sect alone. A mind carrying discrimination cannot taste purity, even while bathing in sacred waters. The rivers themselves come to wash their sins at the feet of saints. To nourish the entire tree, water the root of Guru devotion.

"The house where no devotee, saint, or guest has set foot... such a house, even while inhabited, is like a cremation ground from the moment of birth."

"A person who carries the sense of discrimination within, even if he comes here and bathes, that discrimination will not leave him."

Filming locations: Triveni Tat, Prayagraj, India

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Amen. Satguru Mursadhako Mera Saheb Yaarabako Kisarani Koni Avesa, Satguru Mursadhako Satguru Mursadhako Kalpa kā bhikṣārīya miliyā, kei kalpa kā bhikṣārīya miliyā. Dilmilā ke mana bharakī kiliyā, Dilmilā ke mana bharakī kiliyā. Usalamī malikkō, mekar usalamī malikkō, Satgurur sādhkō, satgurur mur sādhkō, Merā sāyam yā rabakkō. God bless you. Purījī, Satguru Deva kī jaya. Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara Śrī Svāmī Jīśrat Purījī Mahārāja kī jaya. Sabhī bhakta-sajjanon ko āraddha Gurudev kā śubha śubhat. Āp sabhī bhāgyaśālī haiṁ, pūrva janma kī chhe karma kī phala svarūpa. Aapko yahan ish tapo bhūmi Pavitra tīrātrāj Prayāg me aane kā śubhāgya prāpth hua. This sacred place is called Trivenī Tāṭ. It is the confluence of the three rivers: Gaṅgā, Yamunā, and Sarasvatī. The water that comes from the banks of the Himalayas, from the feet of the sages living there, the water from all three sources and the holy rivers of India, along with the sanctity from the feet of sages, flows here. That is why this place is considered the king of all Tīrthas. Since ancient times, in Satya Yuga, Dvāpara Yuga, Tretā Yuga, and even in this Kali Yuga, ṛṣis and munis have come here for penance. Great Maharṣis like Bharadvāja and Yājñavalkya, among others, performed yajña here. It is said that when Viśvāmitra came, there were thousands of ṛṣis, sannyāsīs, and their disciples. Kāśī is the place of knowledge, and Prayāg is the place of penance. No one knows how many crores of sages and billions of devotees have come here to worship and perform sādhanā and anuṣṭhāna. The throne of their feet is still present here. In the Satya Yuga, during the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan), fourteen gems were obtained, the primary one being Amṛta. As soon as the nectar was obtained, a conflict arose between the asuras and the devas over it. If viewed from a modern perspective of rights, the asuras also deserved a share, for they too participated in the churning. But the divine will was for the devas to possess it. As Bhagavān Dhanvantarī emerged with the nectar, the desire for it poisoned the minds of all, leading to discord. In the ensuing struggle in space, some drops of that nectar fell. Some may say that millions of years, countless centuries, have passed since then, and that the nectar must have diluted back into the sea. But this is not so. By its very name, it is Amṛta—the immortal essence. It never perishes nor drifts away. Its element, its power, has spread everywhere. That Amṛta is eternal; no one can erase it. Just as no one can approach the sun to extinguish it, no one in this Brahmāṇḍa can destroy that immortal element. Therefore, its influence and power remain here even now. When you traveled hundreds of miles from your homes, what was your intention? You faced difficulties on the way—crowded vehicles, tractors, rain, no place to sit. But your intention and goal were singular: to reach the Saṅgam and take a bath. Night and day, this was your resolve: "We are going, and we will attain something." People asked, "Where are you going?" You replied, "I am going there." Through that walking and that constant thought, that power entered you so profoundly that by the time you arrived here, you yourselves had become a living Saṅgam. It has permeated you so deeply; as you sit here, breathing the air and water, your entire ābhā maṇḍal (aura) has been transformed. That is why in our culture and religion, when someone returns from a pilgrimage—be it to Kāśī, Prayāg, Kedārnāth, Badrināth, Gaṅgotrī, or Yamunotrī—after bathing and a journey of four days, they are welcomed grandly. Today, it is our great fortune that you have come to our village. This is the specialty of our devotees' culture and of India. It is true that this spiritual power enters a place through such pilgrims. It is said that when a saint comes to a house, it is as if sixty-four or sixty-eight pilgrimages have been completed there. The house where no devotee, saint, or guest has set foot, where there is no devotion to the eternal Sanātana Dharma—us ghar jam ḍerā diyā, jīvat hī śmaśān—such a house, even while inhabited, is like a cremation ground from the moment of birth. We have witnessed many events. All are pure by birth; caste is formed by karma. As the Gītā says, one's nature determines one's role. But when adharma enters, it begins to divide society. Originally, there were not four castes. Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa clearly states in the Gītā: our intellect is Brāhmaṇa, our courage is Kṣatriya, our heart (enterprise) is Vaiśya, and our feet (service) are Śūdra. These four are our inner organs. Our soul resides within this. The human body is a moving Tīrtha, a moving temple. Yet, irreligious people have created such divisions that today Hindus cannot sit together. People ask, "What is happening in our country? When will Hindu society be saved?" How can it be saved when Hindus themselves cannot unite? The Christian does not ask about caste before allowing entry to church. The Muslim does not forbid anyone from the mosque. The Buddhist does not ask. Yet, Hindus are barred from entering certain temples. It is said that our great Śaṅkarācārya sits here, but they do not allow others into their sphere. Then they claim to be the world teacher (Jagadguru). Is that the name of the world teacher? No, he is only the teacher of his own sectarian thoughts. How will such an approach protect our country, society, and religion? Ask them: have they ever visited tribal areas? Many unethical forces there are converting our people. Are they doing anything about it? Nothing at all. It is a tragedy that we have split into factions because someone has poisoned our minds and made us leaders of castes. Not four, but thirty-six (Sattīs) Kumbh? Then who are those other people? This is why you suffer. After coming to this Tīrtha, understand that Gaṅgā, Yamunā, and Sarasvatī did not manifest only for Hindus or any single religion. They appeared on this earth for the sake of all living beings and for the entirety of nature. Therefore, I believe that if we Hindus come here with the right understanding, we will be blessed. There can be no blessing with a divisive mindset. Bhagavān Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa Mahāprabhujī says that in halvā, there is a spoon (khaṙpā, khaṙpī), but the spoon cannot taste the halvā. Even if an iron spoon is in honey (Madhu), it cannot taste the honey. Similarly, a person who carries the sense of discrimination within, even if he comes here and bathes, that discrimination will not leave him. Where you are immersed in the river, you might see water from gutters mixing in, or other impurities flowing. All the villages and cities along the river, all their waste water, enters the river. Yet, when you come, you do not think, "I am a Hindu, in whose bathroom water should I bathe?" Look for yourself. Whether Muslim, Hindu, or Harijan, everyone washes their face and goes into the Gaṅgā, and they attain a heavenly state. We are the ones who are deluded. Whatever impurity comes to the Gaṅgā becomes pure. If you purify your thoughts, will you not become pure? That is why people from all over the world come to bathe in the Gaṅgā to wash away their sins. Similarly, Gaṅgā, Yamunā, and Sarasvatī also wish to wash away sins. But where do they wash? Once, four or five people from Gujarat came to see Gaṅgājī. When asked, they said they wished to bathe in her waters and have her darśana. They were told that if they did so, their journey would be successful. They decided to stay and eat at the place of someone who had seen Gaṅgājī. They found a sādhu's hut about two kilometers from the river and stayed there. The Gujarati devotees wondered, "Should we ask Bābājī if he has ever bathed in the Gaṅgā?" The sādhu replied, "What else? I must bathe in the Gaṅgā." They stayed for dinner and sought satsaṅg at 9 p.m. They asked, "Bāpū, how far is the Gaṅgā from here?" Mahāprabhujī responded, "What is this Gaṅgā?" They said, "The river Gaṅgā where people bathe." He said, "I have never seen it. If you wish to bathe, there is a well here with a bucket; you can take water from there." Mahārāj Jī had never bathed in the river Gaṅgā. "Oh Rām, Rām,... Rām." The Gujarati devotees were troubled. They had practiced strict observances for two to three months to offer to Bābājī on the riverbank, and now their faith felt shattered. Mahārāj Jī gave them another hut to stay in, but the devotees could not sleep. They felt their vows had been broken. On the night of Pūrṇimā, at 1 o'clock, three black cows appeared. The Gujarati devotees wondered where they came from. As they neared the āśrama, there were four black cows. Then, when some white figures approached, the Gujaratis thought, "Bābājī is a Tāntrik, and some evil spirits are coming. Now we will be consumed." The Gujaratis were in great delusion. As the figures came closer, one was sweeping, another cleaning utensils, and a third bringing clean water from a pot. One Gujarati pleaded, "Sister, who are you? I am sorry if I ate something from Bābā's place. I will give you money. Please don't harm me; I haven't done anything. Who are you?" One figure replied, "No, brother, we are not ghosts (Dhākan Bhūtan). My name is Gaṅgā, his name is Yamunā, and his name is Sarasvatī." They explained, "People of the world bathe in us all day and wash their sins in us, but where do we wash our sins? So we come to the feet of the saints to wash our sins." That is why, even though millions bathe in them, when a saint places his feet in their waters, the burden of Gaṅgā Māyā's sins becomes a little lighter. Therefore, it is said: "The house where saints do not worship and are not guests, when that house is built, life itself is a cremation ground." So a saint is a great devotee. One who touches the feet of his Guru attains the fruit of all pilgrimages. But only one who knows can understand this. Others, whether from village or city, Hindu or otherwise, wander in confusion. If you water each leaf of a tree individually, you will not nourish the tree. But if you pour the same water at the root, the entire tree receives it. That root is Gurudev, Guru Bhakti. And Guru is Śiva himself. It is Śrī Gurubhakti that has called you to this sacred place for bathing and spiritual gain. You are becoming fortunate. Now see, I tell you: you are bathing there. Let five or six crore people bathe. You are bathing here, and another is bathing next to you. You are breathing the same air and immersed in the same water. Now, do something meaningful. Just do it. Isn't that right? Why don't you go home? Why don't you go home? Why don't you go home? Why don't you go home? Why don't you go home? Why don't you go home? Why don't you go home? Why don't you go home? Why don't you go home? Why don't you go home?

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

Email Notifications

You are welcome to subscribe to the Swamiji.tv Live Webcast announcements.

Contact Us

If you have any comments or technical problems with swamiji.tv website, please send us an email.

Download App

YouTube Channel