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What Is The Guru

A morning satsang discourse on Guru's Day (Guruvāra), exploring sacred geography, spiritual practice, and the nature of the eternal Guru.

"This earth is our Karma Bhūmi, where we do our karmas."

"Gurudev is... 'Brahmanandam paramsukhadam kevalam jnanamurti'—the bliss of Brahman, the highest happiness, the very embodiment of wisdom."

The lecturer addresses the global gathering, beginning with the significance of Thursday, the day of Jupiter (Bṛhaspati), the Guru of the Devas. He explains the concepts of Janmabhūmi (birthplace), Karmabhūmi (place of work), Dharmabhūmi (land of spiritual duty), and Mokṣabhūmi, emphasizing Earth's unique role for spiritual development. He critiques modern materialism and the misappropriation of spiritual knowledge, urging honest work and protection of spiritual heritage. Through a story of a farmer's evolving perception of his Guru, he illustrates how sincere practice transforms one's vision, leading to the realization of the Guru as the formless, all-pervading Brahman—unmoving, spotless, and beyond duality.

Filming location: Vép, Hungary

Oṁ Sukharāṁ Ketāṁ Gagan Sadṛśaṁ Tasmaiyādi Lakṣaṁ Ekāṁ Nityaṁ Vimalāchalaṁ Sarvādhiṣakṣibhūtaṁ Bhavātītaṁ Triguṇarahitaṁ Satgurutāṁ Namāmyaham. Oṁ Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ. Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān, Kīcayā. Deveśvara Mahādeva, Kīcayā. Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandajī Bhagavān, Kīcayā. Good morning to everybody, all dear ones here in this hall and outside, around the world, who are with us through the webcast. Welcome. Today is the most beautiful day; it is Thursday, Guruvāra. These seven days, the Ṛṣis created and gave the name of the Saptaṛṣis. It is very interesting to know. Why only seven days? For ages, we were not able to change. We cannot change. Because that is called Brahmavākya, the words of Brahman. If someone tells you that it will be, then you answer: Brahmavākya Janārdhanam. These words of Brahman will be successful, will come true. What they said, Insha'Allah. God knows; God will do it. Sapta Ṛṣis, seven Ṛṣis. These seven Ṛṣis are still living in Antarīkṣam. In the peace mantra, where we pray for peace on all the seven layers of the universe above us. The Śānti Mantra: peace on the earth, in the water, in the vegetation, in Antarīkṣa. Antarīkṣa is that astral world. And these seven Ṛṣis have their seven planets or stars. You can see in the night the seven Ṛṣis there. They are immortal, and they have their seat in these planets. Among all these planets, one is called Jupiter. Jupiter is dedicated to the Guru of all the Divine Ones. Devas, Svarga Loka, you may call it heaven. Svarga is still better or more than the name heaven. And the king of Svarga Loka is Indra. And Jupiter, Bṛhaspati, in Sanskrit, Bṛhaspati. Bṛhaspati is the guru of the Devas. It means the master of Devic Śaktis, divine energy. Among all, the seven planets are even included in Sūrya. So Bṛhaspati is even more than Sūrya. People who know astrology: in astrology there are nine planets. But it is very interesting. In astrology, our Earth is not counted as a planet. We sometimes call our planet the living planet, the blue planet. But it has no name as a planet. This is called the mortal world. Among the many, many layers of the universes, this is called Mṛtyu Loka. Mṛtyu means death. So here is connection, exchanging. It is a junction. It is a transaction, coming and going. No one's territory. You are in between. It is said that without coming to this earth, your development will not be there. You came here to make karma, work. Therefore, it is called Karma Bhūmi. Bhūmi means the earth. So this earth is our Karma Bhūmi, where we do our karmas. So, literally, we also say, "merī janma-bhūmī." Janma, where you were born. You can say, "My dharma-bhūmī is Hungary, Budapest. My karma-bhūmī, where I do my karma, my work, is, let us say, Austria." And my dharma-bhūmi, my spiritual land? It is India. Again, understand. Give some feedback, yes or no. So, in some way, Bhagavān Rāma said in the Rāmāyaṇa, he said, "My janma bhūmi, my place of my birth, is for me much more than Svargaloka. I was the blessed one, I was the luckiest one, that in this world, I had the first privilege to step on this Mother Earth." That which gave me a center, that is my Janmabhūmi. So you should be thankful to your Janmabhūmi. When Bhagavān Rāma went for fourteen years into the forest, he took the earth from Ayodhyā where he was incarnated, or born. Wherever he rested at night or sheltered for a few days, weeks, or months in the forest, he opened this little bag, and he put the flower, and he saw two things in that: as his Janmabhūmi, as the soil of his birthplace, and his own mother. Because wherever he went, he did not feel separated from his Janmabhūmi. Now, in this modern civilization, we have lost these feelings when the loved ones are gone. "Oh, my darling is lost and gone forever." But for us, it did not go forever. We are still here, and we know. But it does not mean that you discriminate against other parts of the earth anywhere on this earth. Because then comes the pride that we are citizens of this earth. The whole world is one God's family. And we are the children of that, Janmabhūmi, Karmabhūmi. Where are you working? What are you working? Work honestly. Be loyal. If all will do like this, there will be no financial crisis in the world. The greedy people, the greedy ones made too much manufacturing. Where it was needed only 1,000 pieces, we manufactured 5,000. Who will buy? Then they made a scheme. "Well, we shall make something which they can't use again—use and throw. Or it has no long life; it will be very soon the instrument is finished. Then you have to buy again." My dear, there was a time in the last century, there were certain countries, name "made in," and said, "Wow, it's made in that country." Now they lost their name. Made somewhere else, and they will give a stamp of their name and their country. That's not correct. Yoga is the spiritual, intellectual heritage of India, of the Ṛṣis. And now people are utilizing it under different names. And they don't want to have those Ṛṣis or Gurus. They lost the quality. "Thou shalt not steal" means not only money; you can steal many things. Also, the spiritual wealth, intellectual wealth, the artist, the music, and many, many things. That's why some good people, like you, somehow try to protect. So we are the copyright. Now, people are very clever. You have the copyright, but you make a Xerox and give it to some other people. Unfortunately, honesty disappears. And that's why the whole world is confused, threatened, scared, lost. There is no solid ground under our feet. Because we neglected Brahmavākya, Ṛṣi-Vākya. Janmabhūmi, Karmabhūmi, Dharmabhūmi. These are the three places for us. Three places, and the fourth one is this beautiful, our Mother Earth. There was one astronaut, and he went into space. When he came back, the media interviewed him. They asked, "You went so many million kilometers, and you saw the beauty of everything. And you saw from above Earth also, which planet or which you like the best." He said he had tears in his eyes. You know, we are emotional beings. This body is full of emotion, love. It doesn't matter how we are or how someone is, but love is there. That mercy is there. Maybe for the time being you are angry and hate, and like this. He said, after this, all I can tell you: the most dear and beautiful was Earth, my Earth. My jānma bhūmi, karma bhūmi, dharma bhūmi, and mokṣa bhūmi. Here you can get mokṣa. Understand me? Yes. After these four different earths, spots, more than that again coming, and my body, where I get a shelter. My body is permanent as long as I will be on this earth, my permanent mobile house. It doesn't matter where you will be, which country, which place, you may lose your house, your flat, but as long as you are alive, this body is with you. Therefore, it is said, your body is the temple of your spirit, the temple of your soul, your soul, your ātmā. Those who have seen God, how can we define God? But we can do within ourselves. We put our temple very pure and clean, and similarly, we have to keep our body very pure and clean. And the visitor in your body temple, all are the devotees. All our great devotees, bhaktas, go to the temple. And who are these? Our good words, good qualities, our good qualities. And if it is some cave of the devils, where a devil kitchen, very big and big, big cooking pot, you know. Many, many days the bones are boiled. There goes negative quality. Both good and bad are in us. Guru Nānak Sāhib said, "I went to see and search for bad things, bad people, but I didn't find any. When I searched my inner self, myself, my heart, no one was worse than me." So bad thoughts, bad energies awaken in you, then you become a sting that infects everyone. That's it. Therefore, it is that science and it is that beauty where we are living. So, through nourishment, through practices, through the societies or companions, we shall keep a pure atmosphere. So this is then the fifth one, is our body. Dharma Bhūmi, our Janma Bhūmi, Karma Bhūmi, Dharma Bhūmi, and my earth, blood, home, and my body. These are the five. And we are committed to protecting and keeping in good condition. Therefore, every Ṛṣi has the right. Let's say, for one example, the Holy Quran is spoken by Muhammad. As far as I know, now somebody will write and say, "It was my Quran." Let's say, Christian Koran, Hindu Koran, it cannot be. You can give the name, but it's wrong. The Bible, who wrote it? But it is dedicated to the life of Jesus. Now you can say, "This is our Bible, we don't believe in Jesus. We don't need Jesus." It will not function. Similarly, you said, "Our yoga, we don't want Indian yoga." From where did you get this yoga? You are causing bad karma; you are stealing that science, intellectual property. Because many people are doing it for business. And where there is a business, there is no more spirituality. Business is good, but not so far, so it is said. "Oh my Lord, give me that much that I can feed my whole family and also I do not remain hungry. Lord, bless me with that much, that anyone who comes to my door doesn't go hungry or empty-handed. More than I don't need this." These are the thoughts of the wise one. There is a bhajan here the girls sing it sometimes: "What did you bring with you when you were born? And what will you take with you when you die? Everything you have, you will leave, and you will go." Therefore, the Brahmavākya, Brahmajñāna, if all will work in this spirituality, and spiritual and ethic education is missing, so those Ṛṣis, Sapta Ṛṣis, these Sapta Ṛṣis are there all the times. And from that, one of them is Bṛhaspati. And today is Bṛhaspati day. So, according to the science of palmistry, palmistry is known as a Samudra Śāstra. Samundar is the ocean, the philosophy of the ocean. When you dive deep in the water, you will see. On the surface are waves, but down is peaceful. And you see the pattern on the bottom in the sand. Similarly, as we spoke yesterday about the lines of destiny. This is your Samundar Śāstra: your foot sole, your palms, your face. Face reading, and this, the index finger, this point, the root of the index finger, that's called Jupiter. And if you look to your palm like this, and if the index finger has a higher root, your guru is very strong, and that is good luck. So, some people always try to put their fingers like this, but that is artificial. So you see, when you look, my hand, this is your guru, is very strong. I said, "Yes, my Gurujī was very strong." Anyhow, let's go further. So, these Ṛṣis, they are in Antarīkṣa space. And this Antarīkṣa is connected with lokas, four lokas above. And every Ṛṣi has their place. And there is one more story, which does not belong to this subject today. There was a great bhakta, his name was Dhruva. And Dhruva's mother died. And his father was married again. So his stepmother was jealous of him. Whenever Dhruva goes to sit on the lap of his father, she was jealous and said, "Come here, do this, do this." And she had one son, she put her son on his lap. A young boy, Dhruva, was very sad. He thought he lost the rights of his father. And he went into the forest, sat under a tree, meditated, and cried. A young boy, five, six, seven years old. Doesn't matter how your parents are, but still you love them. So the story is long, but I think God came and he said, "My son, you are a bhakta Dhruva. You are a great bhakta. I will give you the lap of the father, the permanent, unmovable. No one can move you." From there, he gave him the place as the star Dhruva, we call the polar star. That is the symbol of the Dhruva, a permanent āsana of the Dhruva. All others are moving, but that is now achal, not movable. So there are beautiful things in the universe, and here. But in this modern education system and this way of living, the roots of the humans have rotted, and that is spirituality. So every planet has its place dedicated to the Saptaṛṣis. And you can read in Purāṇas, and therefore every Ṛṣi has written some book, and that's called Upaniṣad. And after every Ṛṣi, is written one Purāṇa. Purāṇa means the past knowledge, the knowledge of the Ṛṣis. What we call the symbols, the name, what it means, and so on. So, for example, there is the Mahāśivapurāṇa. Mahāśiv Purāṇa is on Śiva. When you read the Mahāśiv Purāṇa, or you see now the Mahāśiv Purāṇa video, now there are two or three. One is done in a modern way. For my old people, like me, funny, but young people like this, psychologically. Mahādevāṅkadev, the Mahādev means Śiva. Mahādevāṅkadev, Mahādev is the god of the gods. And in the Mahābhārata, there is also this Yajñāgyavana Purāṇa, so many, many Purāṇas. All these Ṛṣis, they are miracles. When you read the Bible and you compare it to the Purāṇas, the Bible has only 16 miracle stories. And these 16 miracle stories you find in the Purāṇas. So we are linked in oneness. That's it. So it is the wisdom coming from those Ṛṣis, Purāṇas. So today is that day, Wednesday, Thursday, the Bṛhaspati, and he is blessing us. So today, when you are fasting, then you get this brilliant, pure Prāṇa energy in your body, the Śakti. Every one of us has a Śakti. But look within thyself, how many pollution layers you have over yourself. This pollution began when you came to the mother's body. Till today, how much have you done? This is an impression on your layers of layers. And that we can purify through the Brahma Kriyās, Brahma Vidyā. Therefore, it is it. Brahma Vidyā only you can realize and listen through the mouth, the words of your Gurudev. That becomes Upaniṣad. So what is a Gurudev? Not only this physical body, but it is said, "Brahmanandam paramsukhadam kevalam jnanamurti." That Gurudev is known as brahmānandam, the bliss of Brahman. Not this five-element body. Brahmanandam paramasukhadam, highest happiness, highest bliss. Only the embodiment of the wisdom, knowledge, jñāna. Now, from vidyā became the jñāna. Yesterday we spoke about vidyā and jñāna, different, no? Kevalaṃ jñāna-mūrtim. This is the embodiment of wisdom, only knowledge, knowledge, knowledge. Not this body, in your fist. It is a very precious thing, or maybe precious can be anything. For me, the precious thing is my Gurujī's hair. Nothing can be more precious than that. Yes. Now this, my fist has value because what is inside is very precious. So in Brahmajñānī, in that, is that spirituality, that means something, not the body. You have to develop the knowledge. I will tell you one story. Because some of you are maybe sleeping, so one honest disciple. Okay? Should I tell a story or continue the lecture? I have to tell this śloka. So, but I think this story will fit there. One master, many kilos, was looking like a bodybuilder, because all disciples, all bhaktas, feed him. So they think this is a machine, that means we must feed this machine. Somebody bring nice this, somebody bring nice this, somebody bring nice this. And I think they are mostly spoiled. You can kill someone in two ways: with the poison or with good eating. Anyhow, he came to a small village and was giving satsaṅgs, and many bhaktas were thinking. So there was one very nice farmer. He never saw any Gurujī. And he came, and he liked it. Many people became disciples. Mantra. So he said, "Gurujī, can you accept me also as a disciple?" He said, "Do you understand what it means?" He said he didn't know anything. "But they are all doing something, so I think I should also do." Gurujī gave him a mantra. And before going away, after a few days, Gurujī went away. All people were going and working, and the farmer was sitting beside him. Gurujī said, "Bhakta." "Yes, Lord." "What do you think of me?" He said, "Gurujī, should I be honest?" He said, of course, you have to be honest. You must tell everything that Gurujī asks you. "Well, you look like a wild bull in the forest." He says, "Thank you." He said, "Buffalo bull, you know." Gurujī said, "Practice mantra. I will come in one year; we will meet again." And after one year, again, Bhakta was sitting there alone. And Gurujī said, "What do you think of me?" "Well, I always think of you. You have a good life. We are working very hard, and you just speak something, and then everybody is giving a meeting, and you are... It's a good life. We are working physically hard, and you work mentally, that's all." Gurujī said, "Okay, thank you." Guruji was thinking, at least he made me now from the buffalo to human. How the British changed, they keep on practicing mantra. After one year, again Gurujī came. And he asked Bhakta, "What do you think of me?" "Well, we are the people of ignorance, and I think you are a wise man, at least." Now he may be a wise one. Practice, please. While practicing, antaḥkaraṇa will become pure. Fourth time that Gurujī came back. And before he could ask him, he stood up and said, "Guru Brahmā, Guru Viṣṇu, Guru Devo Maheśvara, Guru Sākṣāt Para Brahma, Tasmai Śrī Guruve Namaḥ." Guruji said, "Sit down." He said, "Sorry, Guruji, my words last time, what I told you, but I was honest to you. But I see now you are not body or anything, but Brahman, Parabrahman." This comes through practice. We have to awaken within us that consciousness. Therefore, we need the practice: Brahma-vidyā kriyās and practices. Slowly, step by step. It's not for one weekend or one week. It will be long, years long, with dhyānas coming. When we start this subject, it seems we are now in the first level of the kindergarten, nursery school. That we could walk till the nursery school, but we have to finish the university, and after that, some special education, higher education, so it will take time. Brahmanandam param sukhadam, kevalam jnanamurti, only the knowledge. Gandha atītam, I have no dualities, no conflicts, equal vision. One thinks, "Gurujī loves this disciple more and me not more." That is on the surface. It is in everyone's heart, in every heart, in every consciousness, dwelling equally. Don't think that someone takes more oxygen and I can't take more oxygen. Here we go for a walk. Oxygen is for everyone equally. It's not Mother Nature's mistake. The mistake is yours, that your lungs are not anymore capable because you didn't take care of the lungs. So you are sitting beside others sitting, equally the supply of oxygen is there, but why doesn't your body accept that much oxygen? Similarly, everyone is sitting near Gurudeva, but all cannot take all as it is. He is away from this bandha, no duality. Gagan sadṛśyam. Gurudev's vision and Gurudev's kṛpā dṛṣṭi is equal like the sky. Gagan sadṛśyam. Gagan means sky, sa means like, dṛśya means the vision. When we look to the sky, it is equal. Nowhere are the holes. And like that, to become our everyone, aim is this: become like that. He, He is only one, only one Brahman. Other is duality. We will come and we will go. But he is always here. How many ancestors have seen the sun rising and setting? You think the sun will go away with us? You think the sun will not rise when you will not be here anymore? Don't think, my dear, the sun is rising only for us. Therefore, that is like that. And that we want to achieve that knowledge, Brahma Vidyā, Brahma Jñāna, Ekam Nityam Vimal. It has no spot on it. It is pure consciousness, Vimala, acchalam, unmovable. Can you see the sky is moving? When there is an earthquake, do you think the sky is moving? Yes. Moving, because you are dizzy. Then you think that object is moving. This is called confusion, entanglement, illusion. When you sit in the car, the car is driving, and you see, look to the forest, the forest is moving. Now, you think the forest is moving or your car is moving. Often, when you sit in the train after riding on the train a long time, and the train is standing at the railway station, and another train is standing beside, now slowly the other train is moving, but you think your train is moving. This is called an illusion. So we are in illusion. That's called antośo, that's this one. This is illusion. Illusion is ignorance, māyā. So he is unmovable, pure, spotless, everlasting. And he knows about each and every entity here, not only bhaktas. Because he's dwelling in all. He has no eyes, but he hears. He has no eyes, no ears, but he hears. That's called the One without a second. He's above this bhāva, "I like, I don't like." Sometimes he's happy, sometimes he's unhappy. That doesn't have the Brahmajñānī. Bhava atītaṁ tri-guṇa rahitaṁ, because he or she is above the three guṇas. The body has guṇas, but is not anymore affected by these guṇas. Tri guṇa rahitam, without three guṇas, satguru tam namah amyam. To that Gurudev, my seduction, adoration. And that is our Devapurījī, Mahāprabhujī, the Holy Gurujī. And we are all bhaktas trying to achieve, to realize that knowledge within us. Therefore, it is said, "Oṁ Namaḥ Śrī Prabhu Dīpanārāyaṇam." Hamsabdhasprabhosaranaparayam ... Oṁ Śrī Prabhudeepan Oṁ Śrī Prabhudeepan Nipunarayan Bhagavān Kī Devpurīsamādhi Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandajī Bhagavān Kī. Oṁ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ. Now you understand the embodiment, the symbol, the meaning of Gurudev, the Brahmajñāna, the Ṛṣivākyas, etc. And now we will have a practice, and therefore the webcast will not be there for practices. I will see you this evening, 7:30 according to Hungarian time. God bless you all, my dear ones. Oṁ Śānti.

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:

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