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Swamiji addressed the gathering: “Hello, Pankaj Bhai, Mewada, Dip Narayan, Mahadevaki, Deveshwar Mahadevaki. Listen: those who are tired—if you have children or simply wish to rest—may take a bed to the temple and rest. And those who do not wish to do that, listen quietly to the bhajans. There are many other fine bhajans, and other singers have also come. Everyone will get a turn.” Then, to the musicians: “Kalākār sir, you play and you sing, but the wealth (donation) does not settle in the rāga. Whatever rāga you sing, the wealth should be offered at the same level. This recording is going to the international world—it is going to 180 countries. So the wealth has not been equal to the bhajans this time. Brahmanandajī’s bhajan was very good, but the donation was not good. It would have been good, it would have been good.” He announced the program: “I have been invited by Sāheb Śrī Gurujī to present a program featuring the famous artists of my Saurāṣṭra, who speak the language of Kāṭhiyāwāḍ. So if you keep quiet, you will enjoy listening to the literature. The program is in the language of Saurāṣṭra, which the renowned artists of your Saurāṣṭra relish: stories, tales, within our folk literature. I request you to listen to my Āvartī Kalā, because I do not feel like a Rājasthānī or Mārvāḍī. I have come here from Ahmedabad—Mukeshbhai Barot is my name. So if you listen peacefully, you will enjoy it.” He then began with an invocation, reciting verses that set the mood: “Paṇamadī cintā cintā vighna-vināśanī, Praṇāmadī viśre viśre hati haṁsavāhinī, Hare Hare, yatho maḍī dūr gheḍiyo ne sumati, Ek vaḍlanī ḍāḷ mā̃he Holon-Holī beṭhā tā, Enī nīche pāṛdī śikārī bāṇ tyār karīn beṭho to.” (I bow to She who removes all worries and obstacles. O Lord, as you showed the way... On a banyan branch, two birds—Holon and Holī—were perched; below them a hunter had strung his bow and sat waiting.) “So Holī kevalā gī ghoḷā, apnī nīce kāḷ, apnī māthe kāḷ, be bhaju, be kāḷ che—Holī was in a quandary: death below, death above, on both sides death. And if we want to escape from these two deaths, then what should we do? Holī’s only recourse is confusion; but by singing Hari bhajan, we can be saved. Hari kīrtan karīye to bacchāī—by doing kirtan of Hari, we are saved. Gurujī nā sanidhyā ma jāī to bacchāī—if we go into the presence of the Guru, we are saved. Gurujī jī tāraṇa hār che, and Gurujī tārē to j tarāī—Guruji is the one who can pull us across; only if Guruji saves, can we be saved.” The story unfolded: “Bhajan niyālāgī asar kārī gyū—the power of bhajan took effect. Bhagavān Rukṣmaṇījī Lakṣmīdevī… the Lord, when approached, the devotee pleaded, ‘Prabhu, āpa rakṣas nī vare jāo cho? Āpa ḍaīṭo nī vare jāo cho? To āṭo paṅkhī che, paṅkhī ne bachāvā māṭe āpa kem no jāo?’—‘Lord, do You go to marry a demoness? Do You go to wed a giantess? But here is a bird; why don’t You go to save the bird?’ Then Bhagavān Viṣṇu took the avatār of a snake. Sesayi Avatāra—the incarnation of Śeṣa. Bhagavān Viṣṇuye Śeṣanāga nu rūpa lidhu, taking the form of Śeṣanāga, becoming a snake, Kālotro bhorīng banī barobār pār dī śikārī bāna tyār karī—facing the hunter, He strung his own bow. Mathā cakra bāj itō, nīcā sīkarī itō—above a discus, below a hunter. Thus the soul is threatened, but Mahāprabhujī (the Supreme Lord) can stop that arrow. Kāla ko kāla bhorīṅ desho, dāgā bāja ko bāna lagyo sarārī—death to death you shall give, O snake, and the arrow of the deceitful hawk struck. Bāprī ulrī apne pīyū se kahe, ‘Āyo maraṇo sāmro harārī!’—the poor wife tells her husband, ‘Here comes death imminent!’ Śikārī jo māna sūṭyo sarārī, bāja jo prāṇa haryo harārī—the hunter’s pride was shattered, the hawk’s life was taken.” He then recalled a poet who had gone to the presence of the goddess: “And on that day, it is said that the poet from there, Bhagavatī Sundhanī Devī Jigadhambā, said that mother, in the presence of Chamundanā Sanidhyā, went to Sundhanā Padrā to see this poet and pleaded to her, ‘Mother, Bhagavatī, Mother Jigdhambā, today Guru’s Sanidhyā Mūgī and father came to your feet to see Sundhanī Dhaniyā, and I have come on that day, poet.’ She pleaded. ‘To me, mother Jigdhambā, today I have come into the presence of the Sadguru, but today I will go ahead and see you. Today, I have come in the presence of Bhagavatī, and I am sitting here to sing the praises of the Lord.’ Lord, if Lord Viṣṇu says so, then the life of the hunter on the lower part of the body will be cut off, and the life of the hunter will not be cut off so much, but Lord Viṣṇu said so that the whole and the whole will be said, O Lord, O Kālīyā Ṭhākar, O Kaniyā, O Kṛṣṇa Candra Maṇi, O Lord Viṣṇu, and so the whole and the whole will be said, that the top is dark, and the bottom is dark, and the top is dark, and the top... is dark. With His power, with the power of the Guru, if He would have saved us, then we would have been called Holī and Holo. Lord Kṛṣṇa and the Sadgurū Mahārāj were called, and they were requested. They were called Holī and Holo. O Lord! O Viṣṇu! O Kaniyā! O Mādhava! O Ṭhākar! They were requested.” Then Swamiji recited a Sanskrit stotra in praise of Kṛṣṇa: “Sajīvarāja-maṇḍanam, Samasta-pāpa-khaṇḍanam, Svabhakta-citta-rañjanam, Sadānanda-nandanam, Śubhrāñcita-mastakam, Sunāda-veṇu-vādakam, Nānā-raṅga-veśāgāram, Namāmi Kṛṣṇa-nāgaram, Manoja-garva-mochanam, Viśālolola-lochanam, Vidyut-gopa-śobhanam.” (Adorned with all living beings, destroyer of all sins, delighting the hearts of His devotees, ever-joyful son of Nanda, His head graced with white radiance, sweetly playing the flute, appearing in many-coloured attire—I bow to Kṛṣṇa, the charming lord, who humbles the pride of Cupid, with large, restless eyes, resplendent like lightning among the cowherds.) Then he added: “He Kāliya Ṭhākar, Bāp, Āvā Kālinī Mahālikurthī Āvīn Jo—O Lord of the serpent Kāliya, O Father, coming from such a great lineage of Kāliya… If you have been saved, then such a Guru’s presence—are we experiencing it? If you have attained this, then going to the feet of the Sadguru, that very presence saves the mind. Today, the mighty flood of Gurudev Mahārāj’s grace has spread across the whole of Rajasthan and even reached Gujarat. If an artist comes forward, speak up! Today, in Gurudev’s powerful presence, let someone speak.” Swamiji then outlined the program: “And then we will start with two bhajans, and afterwards I will present you with literature in my language, to give you a program in Gujarati. You always come here to Rajasthan, you always get programs in Rajasthani to listen to, but you rarely get to hear an artist from Gujarat. Today an artist from Gujarat has come for you. Even your Rajasthani people are always going to Gujarat. That is why I said, whoever comes to your house will be blessed with good deeds. We have not come here as artists; we have come as disciples of Bāpū, as sons doing this program. We have not become artists in this house, but we have become the children of Bāpū, the master of this āśram, the disciple of Satgurū Mahārāj. We have come to do this program as his son. And perhaps he has put his own feelings into it.” He then used a metaphor: “One putalī—a puppet—cut the putalī and bring it to him. And he has left it to dance. The artist has infused his own feelings into the puppet. He places the puppet on the drum; the puppet is meant to dance in his hand. Today, he took this art, and on the occasion of Sadgurū Mahārāj, and whatever Gajendra Ṛṣi Rājpūt did, he spoke about this with Kṛṣṇa Kanhaiyā. Rājpūts have a lot of history. And the son of Kaviśaraṇa Bhārata speaks of history. And Kavi Charanana Bharatna Ek Pramāra, Prasvī Pramāra Tani, Pachī Prasvī Tano Vado Pramāra, Rājputu Na Hityas, Kavi Rājuvat Kari Hake, Guru Na Sanidhyanī Rājuvat, Ito Kavi Kari Hake—this is the tradition of the Charan bards of the Parmar lineage, recounting the history of Rājpūts, performing in the Guru’s presence. And today I have come as a poet and an artist. Tārike betho su, bhala manā, tamāro mehman su, hu tamāro paroṇo ṭhāṇe āve su, tamāro mehmān ṭhāṇe āve su, and today in the Guru’s presence, today I have a program. And doing this work will be a joy, because I am not a singer of bhajans; I am an artist of words and literature.” He then launched into a humorous story: “The dogs of Ahmedabad went to Mumbai. The dogs of Ahmedabad went to Mumbai. And after going to Mumbai, they stayed there for five years. The dogs of Ahmedabad went to Mumbai. And after going to Mumbai, they stayed there for five years. And they stayed in Mumbai for five years. And they came back to Ahmedabad for the fifth time. The dogs of Ahmedabad, ten to fifteen of them, were stuck in the mud. So all my friends, like Gajendraji and Radhapuriji, were sitting there. He said, ‘Kavirāj, Bharatjī, Mukeshbhāī, there is one dog on this side and there are 10–15 dogs on the other side.’ But in reality, they didn’t go to fight; they went to meet him. They said, ‘Bhai has come, Bhai has come... Bhai has come.’ Yes, they went to meet him. “Yes, the dogs of Ahmedabad said, ‘Good man, you used to live here in Ahmedabad, so how do you talk, how do you speak, how is your culture, how is your language, how do you sit, how do you speak, and you have lived in Mumbai for 5 years, so you have changed completely, right?’ If you change your eyes, first your Hindi language will change; and if you stay in Ahmedabad, you will be able to speak Pusli, etc. And if you have not stayed in Mumbai for five years, now you will be able to speak Uchi too. The dogs of Mumbai say, ‘You have not come out, you have not visited Rajasthan. Mumbai is the central city of Maharashtra.’ And there is so much traffic on the roads of Mumbai that there is no place to move ahead. ‘Ādī halā hu toh kyā̃ ke accident thai. Mumbai māṁ etlu traffic se, ādī halā hū nī jigyā nati. Ādī halā hu toh kyā̃ ke accident thai.’ (If you move around so much, accidents happen. In Mumbai there is so much traffic, I couldn’t even move. Moving around so much causes accidents.) ‘Kutrā̃ ne khabar padati hoi, ke kadāc hame yevo varg maḷī jāy, yevo deś maḷī jāy, yevā māṇaso maḷī jāy, yevā kadāc jaṅgal mā gayā hoi, hame yevā jānvar maḷī jāy, toh kutrā̃ khabar padat bhusrī zidhī karvi joi.’ (Dogs get wind of things: perhaps we’ll meet such a group, such a country, such people, such a forest, such animals—so dogs insist on making their need known.)” Swamiji continued: “Paramātmā ye jene Prabhu ye, Bhagavān and Sadguru Mahārāj ye, badāī chale sītū, Gāī, Banāvī Ādī, Chalvāno Siddhu, Bheṣ, Banāvī Ādī, Chale Siddhu, Balad, Banāyo Ādu, and Chale Siddhu Paramātmāyan Bhagavān Viṣṇuye, and Sadguru Mahārāj Jñāne, Upho Banāyo.” (The Supreme Soul, the Lord, Bhagavān and Sadguru Mahārāj, created everything noble: the cow, the goat for going about, the bullock cart—all move by His will. The Supreme Lord Viṣṇu and the wise Sadguru Mahārāj made it all work.) “I am a man, I have become a man, and I am a goat, I am a goat. Now, Rajasthani words will come. It is a different state.” He quoted Gajendra Śrī: “He said, ‘Gajendra Śrī, I am a poet. I have seen poets who have made good clothes, who have made good clothes...’ Sabdo Jojo, Ke Kāḷ Kavini Kalamni Su Tākat Che, Ut Kaheya Sabhā Ma, Vakā Ang Vaḷā Bhundā, Bhutal Pasu Ana Pakṣī Apar Che—Look at the power of a poet’s pen! In the assembly, he can describe the past, the present twisted world, animals, and birds beyond. Today, we have come to the place of such a Sadguru Mahārāj, and we will enjoy the joy of literature.” He then narrated a village tale: “There were four or five Bāpās from the Gambhala village who left for Gujarat from Rajasthan. On the highway, the driver of the Khatāṛā left with the car. He said, ‘I want to go to see Mahākālī Māṭājī in Pavāgadh.’ So, he showed his hands, and the five uncles of the village, who are now getting old, the uncle of the Kattara family, who is still alive, our Pava Ghat Abusabhai, these five uncles of the village are now sitting in this Kattara. Dayāvad, yesterday also did it, and yesterday also did it, and changed the gear in the running. Five uncles of the village, black letters, two equal. Palyanai Abhan Mana, Rajasthan Marwad Pragna’s life. And it is said that there were five fathers who changed the gear of the driver in the morning and changed the gear on the road and on the highway. Five fathers of the village were thinking that the car was not moving, but it was not moving. It is said that the car is not moving, but it is not moving. “When the hotel came ahead, the driver-conductor said, ‘Uncle, do you want to drink tea or not?’ We have come from Rajasthan, and we want to go to Pavagadh. ‘Amārī pāse rupiyā paisā ho chā je, tamār chā pāṇī pīyā ho to pīyā ho chā.’ (We have money; if you have tea, water, we’ll have it.) Then a jumble of phrases: ‘Avtā sansār mā vadhigyā chāṇā vakra, gayu bheshu bhuligyā, ghāro ghar badyā vakra. Cha kevuṁ vilāthī āyo pasī vān mā betho, vāṇiyā hare main vātu karī, pasī hoṭel mā peṭho, vāṇiyā manā vakhā paidyā, pasī khaṇḍī nām khaṇḍyo.’ (In this age the world has become crooked, forgetting one’s true nature, homes have become twisted. Tea? From foreign came, sat in the van, the shopkeeper took me, entered the hotel, the shopkeeper paid money, then called it a piece.) ‘Ek hala kabutra, tu paynilo shok vanto, hafal vaaniya hafal, bhakti kartoto Bhagwan ni, nyathi mari vela vali a kaliya thakar Prabhuya Gurupa kari to moras jevi bhai di mali.’ (A crazy pigeon, you are intoxicated with love; the shopkeeper is a shopkeeper; doing devotion to God, otherwise my time is wasted. O Kaliya Thakur, O Lord, by the grace of Guru, I met a brother like a peacock.) ‘E chā pīvā mātā diver conductor be highway upar ubhar yā diver conductor hetha utrin chā pīvā gyā peethanji bhai kala bhai na gitu. Kā karo na āth āth ke, āpne āth karī na gher ghaṭāvī naike.’ (This tea! The driver and conductor got down on the highway, went to drink tea, brother. What to do, eight-eight? We did eight and reduced the house?) “And hold the gear in your hand and push it from the back of the car. Yes, put the gear in the car and put it on one side. When the driver or conductor comes and asks, ‘Is there a gear in this car?’ He says, ‘Don’t push it, get out of the car.’ Nāḍīyā gāḍī nākhe nā bār nā ghaṭai, aje guru nā sani dhyāma beṭha chiye, jai bhajan no dor āgar lai, an jai bhajan na śabdo māṭe, kāl māṭi bachwā māṭe, pradhā māṭi bachwā māṭe, potānu jīvan banāwā māṭe, aje āwa guru nā sani dhyāma, āwa āśram ni. (Don’t push the vehicle out; today we sit in the Guru’s presence, pulling the thread of bhajan forward, for the sake of bhajan’s words, to be saved from death, to be saved from distress, to build our life, today in this Guru’s presence, in this ashram.) Mahilukur Apte Betha Hoi, To Bhai Na Vinanti Karu, Kāṇā Baḍā Kalākāro Che, Āpte Vara Pārthī Varo, Baḍā Ch Kalākār Ne Apsu, An Pramod Bhāī Nā Sāmbhāliye. (If you are seated in a great assembly, then brother, I request you: many great artists are here, you are better than the best; great artists are with you, so listen to Pramod Bhai.)” Swamiji then raised the name of the Lord: “Bhole Dev Nārāyaṇ Jī Bhagavān Kī, Bhole Dīp Nārāyaṇ Jī Bhagavān Kī, Bhole Śrī Magwanand Bhagavān Kī. (Jai to Bhole Dev Narayan, to Bhole Deep Narayan, to Bhole Shri Magwanand Bhagavan.) This is a spiritual lecture about Yoga in the Indian tradition. So you all have to listen to the bhajan. The recording is going on, the cassette will be made. You all sing in the great Marwadi language, sing in Marwadi Raga. Their cassette is not available these days, so our YouTube… That channel runs all the Marwāḍī songs of Nīpal, Jādan, Khaṭṭūkā, Kelās, and all the other Marwāḍī Rāga songs; they are compiled in one year. At least two crore people in Mumbai and Kolkata listen to the Marwāḍī Rāghwāḍā. The rest of them listen to Bollywood Rāghavāḍā. Bollywood Raghwadā is useless. Those who have sung the old Raghwadā, those who have sung it in the beginning, sing that Raghwadā, sing the bhajan. Be it from any saint, but sing more of Bābājī, Bābājī’s Pūrṇitṛti, of Mahāprabhujī and Bābājī. All the great men of Bhajansabhī have the same Bāṇī. A diamond is a diamond, but still, sing a good Māṛwāṛī Rāga. Play some Ḍholak, or else you will get beaten up. Keep your wealth away from each other, and all of you listen. It’s been four to five hours now. After this, a little break, then tea and water. Then a little more Āratī and Prasāda. And Hari Om Tat Sat. Everything else quietly. What else? So, Hari Om and go home. It’s everyone’s turn.” He announced: “Brothers, please come from our Pālī. Two brothers will also sing bhajan. Bhajan kāyī, aur bhī hai, bhajan kāyī, aur bhī hai... bhajan kāyī, (Why bhajan? There is more.) This is a spiritual lecture about Yoga in the Indian tradition. This is what is happening in Nandī. Take the name of the Lord and raise your head high. If you raise your head high and look down, then you are at the bottom of the abode. Now, if you break it, you forget how to get down. Oh Bāvjī, I will give you five gold coins and make an offering. Please take me down. With the expense of five thousand rupees, I have made half a tank of iron for two and a half thousand rupees. If you break it and come down, you will see that there is a lot of air in it.” Then a Rajasthani exchange: “Uttar to uttar to kiyo, Mahārāj, hānā to śohī ghanā kāin karo de? Uttar to uttar to kiyo, Mahārāj, hānā to śohī ghanā kāin karo de? Dapri chāle, aṅgurā nikhavnā kharābhe, apnā dapri chāle, utrī chokho, upram paḍto to pālī, ekīnī bastī, ape tane horī pyār to prasād chaḍno paḍī, chaḍḍeon koī bāt bonī, gāūn rā heṅg, B.T.M. rā horī pyār, hazārī pyār, barābarā, gotre jātī, Ek koi payā māṅgto jog ūṭun, ūṭ liyo, ūṭ bench, gaun rane kio bhaīrī, ūṭ bench nirā payā pati, jaggo ṭhāne, dāl bhāṭī karjo, churmo karjo, mane kī leno deno ko nī, kī baḍiyā bhaī.” (He answered, he answered, Maharaj, indeed, what can one do? A betel leaf is moving, grapes are bad to take out, your betel leaf moves, come down clear, if you fall, then turn, a settlement of one, we love you, so prasad is to be offered, climb on, some talk, village's heng, B.T.M.'s great love, equal, clans go, someone came asking for a mendicant's bowl, picked it up, the bench, the village lane became crowded, the bench's unique husband, wake up at the place, prepare dal-bhati, make churmo, I have no dealing, it's great, brother.) Then more: “Koi Girāik Aiyo Bhai Bhol, Kei Bhai Billī Rahe Toh Dhāī Azhar, En Oot Rahe Pacharī Bhai, Koi Vyāparī Aiyo, Billī Rahe Dhāī Azhar Kun Deve, Koi Hamjun Aāyog Billī Nāge Lejān Tadde Hoon Daye Jār Mein, Mengo Konī, Kio Levo Le Daye Jār, Don Nan Lego, Aāyog Gāme, Gaun Ra Bhata. Naraik, aaj phalan kiyo jogo? Kaale daal bhati churmo aapro karo. Gaame aayon kiyo, bhai? Bench aayogo? Ke kedo? Melo kedo go? Ke uta ra bhau to mola hi jaaye. Pacha ripe bhatiya. Maari billi ra bhau choka. Daye jaar bhatiya. Bal Satguru Devaki.” (A customer came, brother Bhol, said, brother, if a cat stays, run two yards; on that side stays Pachari brother; some trader came, a cat stays, run two yards—who gives? Some we will come, taking the cat naked—then from the right root; not costly, how to take, give the right root; both not taken, we will come to the village, the lane's rent. Narain, today what did you gather? Tomorrow make dal-bhati, churmo, make it for us. Did you come to the village, brother? Bench? What to say? Fair, say what? That one's brother will go to Mola itself. Then creep bhati. My cat's brother is wide. Right root, bhati. Power, Sadguru Devaki.) Swamiji then praised the Guru: “Bhole Satguru Dayāl Kī Jai, Swāmījī Meśvarānandjī Mahārāj Kī Jai, Anant Koḍh Sant Mahāpuruṣa Kī Jai, Gurū Ko Kī Jai Bandagī, Koṭi Koṭi Praṇām, Kīrtan Jāne Braṅg Ko Gurū Kare Āp Samā.” And he recited the revered Guru-stotra: “Dhyāna mūlaṁ guru mūrtiḥ, Pūjā mūlaṁ guru padam, Mantra mūlaṁ gurur vākyam, Mokṣa mūlaṁ guru kṛpā.” (The root of meditation is the Guru’s form, the root of worship is the Guru’s feet, the root of mantra is the Guru’s word, the root of liberation is the Guru’s grace.) “Open the harmonium. Bhole Satguru Bhagavān Kī Jai Ho. This is a spiritual lecture about Yoga in the Indian tradition. So, dear devotees, do not forget that once you have found love, you should do Jai Karo.”