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Part 1: The Auspicious Teachings of Śiva: Rudrākṣa, Tripuṇḍra, and Dharma Dharma kī, Alakhpurī Siddha Pīṭha Paramparā kī, Viśvaguru, Maheśvarānanda, Svāmījī kī, sakala śruti, smṛti, prāṇa kī, sakala sādhu, sant, jñānī, mahāpuruṣ kī, sakala Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara kī, Om Har Har Mahā Dev, Har Har Mahā Dev,... Oṃ Śrī Gaṇeśāya Namaḥ, Vakratuṇḍa Mahākāya, Sūryakoṭi Samaprabha, Nirvighnaṃ Kuru Me Deva, Sarva Kāryeṣu Sarvadā. Oṃ Śrī Sarasvatī Namaḥ, Sarasvatī Namastubhyaṃ Varade Kāmarūpiṇī, Vidyārambhaṃ Kariṣyāmi Siddhir Bhavatu Me Sadā. Oṁ Sarvamaṅgalamaṅgale Śive Sarvārthasādike Śaraṇyetrayambake Gaurī Nārāyaṇī Namastute. Oṁ Asato mā Sadgamaya, Tamaso mā Jyotirgamaya, Mṛtyormā Amṛtaṁ Gamaya, Oṁ Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ. Om Śānti Śānti... I welcome all of you to this auspicious Śivapuram today, the second day. On this second day, we are going to finish the first Saṁhitā, the Vindeshvarī Saṁhitā, and I will start the Rudra Saṁhitā, which is very important and special. Thank you all for participating, attentively listening, and utilizing this time, which is very useful. The more you listen, the more you will feel the energy and importance of this Śivapurāṇa, the knowledge, the ancient wisdom. How can we utilize it in this modern time? How can we interpret it? How can we gain material pleasure as well as liberation, salvation, through this scripture and Purāṇa, and through all the God and Guru’s grace? How can we utilize and maximize this human body? This is the main motto of the Śiva Purāṇa. Today we start with some Śiva Bhāṣaṇas. Without taking the name of Śiva, we cannot proceed. Śiva, the Supreme God, Parameśvara. Without his grace, we are not here; we could not be deliberating any words to each other. Śiva is the ultimate truth. The main motto of the Bhagavad Gītā and all scriptures and Purāṇas is knowing ourself. When we go through the process of knowing ourselves, we definitely need to learn these ancient wisdoms. We might not have time in daily life to read all the scriptures, but now we have time to listen to the summary. I hope everyone will enjoy this time. Now, let’s start with the rhythm of Śiva. Hari Om. Har Har Mahādev, Har Har Mahādev,... Jai Boli Śiv Bhole Bābā Kī, Jai Hara. Hara means the remover. What can he remove? Obstacles, misery, and pain—material pain and worldly pain. All Hara, Hara, please remove, remove. Who can be Hara? Only Śiva. Śiva, the Supreme Master, Supreme Yogī, the first Yogī of this universe, he only can remove. How can he remove? Once you surrender, once you put your head to his lotus feet, he can defeat all the difficulties. That’s why Hara, Hara Hara Mahādev, please remove, remove all the difficulties. That’s the Hara Hara, Hara Bhule. Bhule means the very naive person. It’s not very witty, very simple. And when you salute, when you show your devotion, he can understand easily. This world is like an ocean. In the ocean, if you go to swim and you know how to swim, then you can enjoy it. If you don’t know how to swim, then that will be the last place of your life. The same water is the same. One person goes for swimming for enjoyment and pleasure; the other person sometimes goes for suicide. Both move their hands and feet, their legs, but the difference is one can enjoy, while the other meets death. So, in the same way, the world is also an ocean. If you know how to swim, how to run, how to live, then you can enjoy, you can share pleasure in this world. If you don’t know how to swim, how to live, how to act, how to behave, then this will be your cause of death or hell. To remove all the difficulties and obstacles, this Śiva Mahāpurāṇa exists. And Śiva is the only Supreme Master who can bless you, who can grace you, to remove you from difficulties and bring you into pleasures. So the world and the ocean are not different. That’s why Śiva is always removing your obstacles. The philosophy of this Śiva Purāṇa is dependent on Advaita. Advaita means there is no duality; there are no two things, only one, the Supreme Master. The One, Śiva. That’s why Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi. Tat Tvam Asi. So I am the person, and when you know that reality, then you will know Śiva. Who is Śiva? Śiva is a transcendental stage. When you meditate, you will feel the Śaiva state. If you read any other Granthas as well, they show Advaita. Advaita means only one, no two. No two gods. No matter that it is divided into many pieces, many forms, many names, many actions according to name only, the main energy is Śiva. As we already read yesterday in the Vindeshvarī Saṁhitā, the first chapter of the Śiva Purāṇa, which is wonderful. Now I am heading towards the last section of the Vindeshvarī Saṁhitā. In this Saṁhitā, it says, what is the importance of Rudrākṣa? Mahāprabhujī, Karatā Mahāprabhujī, Karatā He Kevalam Rudrākṣa. Mātā Satyādevī, Mātā Pārvatī asked Śiva, "O Śiva, O Swāmījī, you are wearing Rudrākṣa all the time, and people are adoring the Rudrākṣa as Śiva devotees. What’s the reason? May I please know about this?" And Śiva started to explain, "Pārvatī, O Pārvatī, I cannot stop speaking of the value of the Rudrākṣa." How important is this in Kali Yuga? In all the Yugas, the Rudrākṣa is the beautiful asset for my devotees. He started to explain, "Once I was meditating, and I was meditating for a long, long journey. In my meditative journey, I felt some emotion, and I came into an emotional stage. I was lost because I have got full of love for this world, and I want to remove all the obstacles. I want to help and protect the universe, and I felt emotional. That emotion suddenly opened my eyes, and when I opened them, my tears dropped down. I was meditating at the top of the mountain, but a tear dropped down. That tear went down and established on the earth. That worked like a seed. Later on, that grew into a tree. That tree started to give a lot of fruit. That’s called the Rudrākṣa. That is my emotion, that is my tear. That represents the symbol of love and kindness towards this universe. That’s why all the Śiva devotees love it, and also sometimes I am dwelling with this Rudrākṣa. I am with the Rudrākṣa. Those who worship Rudrākṣa, who wear Rudrākṣa, I will be with them. That’s why I always prefer to wear, and I myself wear, Rudrākṣa." Śiva told this to Pārvatī. Pārvatī again asks, "Well, Mahādeva Śiva, there is a variety of Rudrākṣa, not only one or two dimensions. How come there are many Rudrākṣa? Why not only one? If you go to the mango tree, the mango might be the only one. Or gava or banana, there is one shape only. How come rudrākṣa have got a variety of shapes?" And Śiva told, "Well, there are various value differences according to the value of human life and the level of devotion; the rudrākṣa also differentiates." The first is the one-mukhī rudrākṣa, ek mukhī rudrākṣa. Ek mukhī rudrākṣa bahut Śiva kā sākṣātkar rūp karane vālā hai. One Mukhī Rudrākṣa is the greatest one, so that if somebody wears it, or even feels or sees it, then I will be there, and I can help them to lead towards Dharma, Artha, Kāma, Mokṣa, towards liberation. That’s why I, the One Mukhī Rudrākṣa, create for those people who want to see, touch, or wear the Rudrākṣa. Similarly, he explained various Rudrākṣa. When he came to the second, third, and fourth, he explained about Brahmā. The four Mukhī Rudrākṣa is like Brahmā with the four dimensions it is, and four faces; it represents the creation of this universe. Brahmā represents the four-mukhī rudrākṣa. Similarly, five is Mahākāla. So, if somebody is wearing a five-mukhī rudrākṣa, they can remove all ghost issues. Śrī Śrī... Six, seven, and six for the creation; seven from the prosperity; ten again the unity. He explained till the fourteen Mukhī Rudrākṣa. He told to Pārvatī himself that Rudrākṣa first came in India and various places in Prayāg, Haridwar, and it is spread in various places. So Rudrākṣa is a wonderful thing. Śiva explained all the Rudrākṣa’s values, and Pārvatī was happy that she wanted to know everything. The husband is wearing a rudrākṣa mālā, and the wife doesn’t know what it is. So that’s why she deserves to know those things. That means, whatever you are wearing, whatever you are doing, husband and wife deserve to know each other. This is transparent, and there is no secrecy. Śiva always tells every secret. Later on we will tell the Muṇḍamālā story as well. It was so interesting. Mundamala, Śiva is wearing, that will come later on. While Śiva is explaining the Rudrākṣa Mahimā, Pārvatī knows all those things. But we study Rudrākṣa in Śiva Purāṇa and Rudrākṣa Māhātmya in various books. What about in modern time? How can we believe? How can we wear that? Those who are non-Hindu, non-Sanātanī, or apart from this knowledge, how can they benefit? If somebody wears it, will it be helpful for them? If they are not Śiva devotees, will it still be helpful? Yes, of course. It has been tested, and it has got medicinal value. Śrī Śrī... It is even said that Rudrākṣa has got some magnet inside. This is the only wooden fruit that consists of a magnet. It’s amazing. The magnet should be inside the earth or somewhere else in the mining. But how come inside the Rudrākṣa? Also, Rudrākṣa, normally wood can float in water, isn’t it? That we can see wooden sheep, but rudrākṣa sink down. If that is the original Rudrākṣa, that goes into the water. But in the name of Rudrākṣa, nowadays many people are making money or commercializing it also. They are making fake as well, so always there is Rāvaṇa and Rāma. There is always good quality and bad quality in this world. That’s why we always need to be precious and cautious. We should not blindly go for the Rudrākṣa if somebody is telling something about difficulties or fake Rudrākṣa. Obviously. But according to the Śiva Purāṇa, Śiva mentioned that whoever wears the Rudrākṣa, it doesn’t matter whether they are a Śiva devotee or not, they will equally benefit from it. In medicine, you can go the scientific way, the practical way, then you can see, obviously, there is the benefit. That’s why in Australia I have seen many who don’t know Hinduism, but still they are wearing the rudrākṣa. So that means they know the value. So obviously, if there is an antibiotic in a pharmacy or medical center, it is not written that this is a Hindu antibiotic, this is a Christian antibiotic, or this is a Muslim antibiotic. That works equally for everyone. So similarly, Śiva’s knowledge, Śiva’s wisdom, is equally helpful to everyone in this human society. Whether we want to take it or not, that’s up to you. But Śiva’s knowledge, wisdom, the formula of life, and happiness are equally helpful to everyone in this world. This mention here in Rudrākṣa, there is a long story and a long description. But according to the time frame, I need to explain whatever suits here. Secondly, Pārvatī Mātā asks Śivajī, "O Śivajī, you walk with your head on your head every day." What is the reason for the three puṇḍas? Three puṇḍas, three lines on your forehead while you’re worshipping Śiva and Śivaliṅgas. And Śiva mentions there, "Well Pārvatī, it is not only just for the decoration, it is not only for the fashion, it has a deep-rooted meaning in it." The first line consists of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. The Sattva guṇa, Rāja guṇa, and Tama guṇa are the three guṇas, the three qualities of life that represent and also show all the constituents, all the Devīs and Devatās. So, in the first stage, all the sages, ṛṣis, second, and many Gaḍes, and third, and devotees, and all the Rudra and Śivagaṇas, and all the Chāṣuṁ Ṣaṣṭi Yoginī, that consist of all the 33 million deities and God and Gaḍes. That’s why whoever worships Śiva, you can see the Śivaliṅga, that’s the Tripuṇḍa. And in the middle of the Tripuṇḍa, there is one. That means no matter whatever lines, whatever faith, whatever philosophy is spreading, the origination is only one. There is one middle of the Tripuṇḍa, there is one point, Bindu. So that’s why that’s the Ājñā Chakra, that’s the Jñāna Chakra, that’s the third eye center, which represents the pituitary gland. That consists of thousands and thousands, millions and millions of memory powers in our mind, in our head as well. That’s why here Śivajī explains to Pārvatī, "Oh Pārvatī, Tripuṇḍa is the representation of all Gods and Goddesses. And you are carrying it in your forehead. What a wonderful thing, isn’t it?" So, with Candanā, with Vāvuth, with the Kharānī, yes, that you can make it. It is said that while wearing the Tripuṇḍra and while applying Tripuṇḍra and Rudrākṣa, Śiva told one thing. Those who wear Rudrākṣa and who apply the Tripuṇḍa are not liable to eat any Tāmasī food. You know the tāmasic food, isn’t it? Yes, Tāmasic food consists of alcohol, cigarettes, meat, garlic, onions, and all those foods that make you sensationally hyperactive; that is not good for you. Anyone can wear, anyone can get benefit, but if those people abstain from the Tāmasī food, they will maximize the benefit of Rudrākṣa. Anyone can wear them just blindly, but if they use them with devotion and with certain rules, they will maximize the benefit. That’s why it is said that Śiva always prefers to be a vegetarian, to remain in a sāttvic state. Wearing Rudraksha is sāttvic. On Monday, at least you can start. It’s hard to be a vegetarian. Those who are trying from your childhood time, you are having meat and your diet is meat, and you are facing difficulties, isn’t it? But it says that when you practice and practice and practice, you can do it. It’s Bhagavad Gītā chapter 2, it’s saying that again, that abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyena sa gṛhate. When you practice and practice and practice, definitely it can happen. You can see that is the dharma. Śiva says, "Follow your dharma." Dharma is not only Hindu, Christian, or Muslim dharma. Your humanity dharma, your human dharma, your soul dharma. So that’s a follow. If you see that elephant, elephants from generation to generation, they are vegetarian. They are maintaining the heaviest animal of this earth. And they are always vegetarian. Look at this, what a wonderful, powerful thing. When you go to the doctor’s place, you might be advised that if you eat meat, then you will have power. You have anemia or something. But look at this, the elephant never has anemia, always eats grass, always eats fruits, always eats things. So that’s why, if you see another powerful thing, the horse, it is always vegetarian. And you can see the blue whale in the ocean, always vegetarian. Even though it lives in the ocean, it’s big; it’s like a vacuum pump of the ocean. Mahāprabhujī Dīp Karatā, Mahāprabhujī Dīp Karatā... Mahāprabhujī Dīp. It is saying that if the tiger starts to eat grass, that is not his dharma. And if the human being starts to meet, that is not dharma. So it says that if you want to follow your dharma, just continuously know the sages, Purījī, Purījī... I will always maintain, no matter if I finish retreat or I am far from the Gurudev or anywhere else, my soul is always with him there. So I cannot be doing those things. So you can see the horse children, the elephant children, they don’t just sit and go to a restaurant to eat meat and chicken. Because they always maintain the dharma. And if you see that the chicken, you know, always, early in the morning, what do they do? Yes. So they also make an alarm, isn’t it? Early in the morning? Yes. And no matter if the chicken is in Europe, America, or Australia, they always wake up at four o’clock, and they alarm. So they are always following the Dharma. They don’t say, "I’m in Australia, I’m in Europe, oh, I cannot wake up because I’m a lazy hen, a lazy cock." It doesn’t say so that they are following dharmas. And you can see the sun is always rising every morning. Never mistake, never late. Look at this. Always it is coming, rising and setting: the moon, the universe, the air. Everywhere they are following their dharma, only the human being. They are finding it very hard to follow the dharma. And they are gentlemen when they are in yoga, when they are in pravacana, when they are in the discourse, when they are in front of the guru or in satsaṅg, they are very gentlemanly. Oh, it’s good. Oh, nice. Yes, I’m wise. But when they get a chance, when opportunity comes, then it starts. The same thing. That’s the human being. The human mind is like water from the mountain. It always wants to go down. So everywhere, when the opportunity comes, it goes down. When the opportunity comes, it goes down. So that’s why in spirituality, the gravitation always goes down, but the spiritual powers are always lifted up, always lifted up. So those are the two different things. That is why we always need to follow the upliftment of spirituality. No matter if you read the Śiva Purāṇa or not, whatever grand thoughts always inspire you to elevate and to know yourself. Śrī Śrī... You have to stay here. There is some conflict. That’s why sometimes when you are listening, you have to do like this, or move your legs, or stretch. That comes time to time. That means the mind and body are not together. This is a simple example. But not only this one, everywhere, wherever you go, if your body and mind are not together, that situation arises. Part 2: The Gateway of Yoga Yoga is the gateway that leads toward ultimate balance. Your attentive focus between the soul and the body is yoga. Yoga has sthira sukham—steadiness and ease. When you have a comfortable, flexible place, you can practice yoga nicely. Nowadays, you can see that Śiva is the greatest yogī, and he is everywhere, preaching this dharma. You can see in the world also that yoga is becoming popular. Mahāprabhujī kī Karatā Mahāprabhujī kī Karatā... You can do other exercise, yes. But in other exercise, that doesn’t bring your body, mind, and soul together. If you go to the gym, you will have a backpack, a six-pack, a three-pack—whatever pack you have got. And you have got ego: "Oh, I am—look at this—I am a very beautiful, handsome man, look at this." So that increases your ego; it does not bring it down. You might be healthy, but your ego remains. But in yoga, that’s day to day, that’s humble politeness. Oh, no matter whoever—guru, saint, or simple layman—you see equally. And rich, poor, a powerful person—it doesn’t matter. You always see the equal way, so that’s why it’s a wonderful thing, yoga. And our yogī, the supreme master, is Śiva. Śiva is telling about Rudrākṣa. And Rudrākṣa brings us to the subject that we can definitely try vegetarian. The meat is only needed not for the body; that’s only for six inches of our tongue. That needs taste. Oh, oh my God, that’s on a plate, such decorative meat. That’s only the tongue that needs. Otherwise, the body doesn’t need. For the body, the universe has given a lot of vitamins, fibers, calcium, and proteins—so many vitamins from a variety of herbs, beans, nuts, milk, and yogurts, so many things. So we can replace it, and we can be pure. In this short human life, why should we have to carry the bad karma from killing animals and eating meat, and receive that negative karma? After that, for millions and millions of years, we got this precious human life. So we want to clean up the bad karma of previous lives. We don’t want to take any negativity. That’s why Śiva is telling: wear Rudrākṣa, be vegetarian, try to live a samyak life, be a yogī. Mahāprabhujī karatā he kevalaṁ śiva. Emphasis here: those persons who are wearing Rudrākṣa, they should be far away. They need to abstain from all this tāmasī food and always remain themselves, that focus, and consciously. That is here in this Bindeśvarī Saṁhitā, in the second and second-to-last chapters. Parvatī Mātākī Harī Om. The creativity and how the elements came—the earth, the sky, water, and the wind, everything, whatever is established, and the creation of Śiva and the creativity of Brahmā, Viṣṇu—all those talks of the Vindeshvarī Saṁhitā. From this Saṁhitā, what can we learn in modern times? What can we learn? The first thing is, when you have the Śiva consciousness, you can remove, you will be far from the debate. When there was the debate between Brahmā and Viṣṇu about who is bigger, the ego issue was there, but when Śiva appears, the ego ceases. So, the seizing of the ego is the most important lesson from this Saṃhitā. And the debate from the knowledge people, Brahmā and Viṣṇu, such intellectual people, also sometimes fall into ego and start to debate. But if you have the Śaiva consciousness, you can seize the ego, and you will be free, and you will be yourself. So, the great debate also, if you want freedom, is that you can see. And the other thing, you know, the Dakṣa Prajāpati stories and the Manoj stories, then everywhere, there is, you can see that not only creativity—if you are always that dedicated towards anything, you will get it. You will always get it. And as a human being, we are not only human; we look like human in human form, but our thought is sometimes animal. Sometimes we have got demonic things, and that’s why when Śiva touches, when Śiva consciousness, thought, and wisdom come into our mind, then our head will be changed, like Dakṣa Prajāpati’s head or like a grace head. So we can learn those things. Sometimes, you know, whatever comes in our mind, we are able to do. That is why Śiva is always helping us and meditating. Another thing he talks about: the Saṁhitā, Vindeshvarī Saṁhitā, teaches us to meditate. Meditation, either meditation or medication. What would you like to choose? So, no medication. Meditation is better. So, meditation is fantasy for everything. So, for every sickness, disease, and everything, the clarity of mind and meditation are better. The Śiva order to Brahmā and Viṣṇu: to know themselves, to know the wisdom, to know the self-realization, please meditate. And in meditation only, the only pathways. So the Vindeshvarī Saṁhitā teaches us to meditate. Don’t worry about how to meditate, the process, and these things. You will know just for the sake of it, just to be ready. And practice regularly. So, do you know how many times we brush our teeth? Two times, yeah. Sometimes one, sometimes two. Is it? Sometimes, if you don’t brush, what will happen? You feel very uncomfortable, isn’t it? Eating and you always... You feel that discomfort, and the minute you get a chance, you will go to the bathroom and brush. So we care that much for our teeth, so what about the mind? So what about the mind, and which one is important? Teeth or brush? Teeth or mind? Mind. So, do we brush our mind every day? Very rarely. So do we meditate? No, very rarely. That’s why we always have a hurry, hurry, oh no time, no time, five minutes, okay let’s sit, oh finish, then go. So there’s no time. So the most important thing is the mind. If your mind is not working, if your mind is not sharp, then how can you do anything? How can you perform your work and function your body properly? That’s why meditation is important. This passage, we just don’t listen; we only just listen, and today we listen and tomorrow forget. That’s not the way of listening to the Śiva Purāṇa. Śiva Purāṇa: Allāh taught us to be a yogī, to meditate, to be a yogī. And when you meditate, you will get that amazing benefit. And you see everywhere that the merit and benefit. That’s why we always say, "Hurry up, hurry up, no time," restless person. And it’s monkey mind. That’s why it is said in Hindi, "Jab Tak Jīvan Rahegī, Phursat Na Ho jīgī Kām Se..." Ek samay aisā nikālo, pyār karo Prabhu Rām se, pyār karo Prabhu Rām se. So, until we went to the cemetery, we will not have time. Always busy. There is always something to do. But don’t worry. Make your time for the devotion of Rāma, devotion of Śiva. Always be ready, and that is your main time. We are not leaving now. So, if you are leaving, when you are meditating, you are connecting to your real nature. That is your leaving; otherwise, you are not leaving. Mahāprabhujī Dīp Karatā, Mahāprabhujī Dīp Karatā, Mahāprabhujī Dīp. Work and everywhere, then when you come back home, then we start to count our account, isn’t it? How much we own today, how much we make in benefit, or if you are working in some business shop, how much you sell today. We always calculate, we maintain accounts. What about your spiritual evolution? What about our spiritual benefit? Do we count every day what we learn today, what we practice today? Did we practice something to seize our ego? No, so that’s why always maintain one spiritual diary every day and start meditation. Then you will be the real Śiva devotee. Otherwise, we cannot be pure yogīs, and we can learn from this Saṃhitā, the Bindeśvarī Saṃhitā. Jai Bholiye, Śrī Bhole Bābā Kī Jai. Now we remember the Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa is the one who is dwelling within every human being’s heart. Nara plus Ayana, that is Nārāyaṇa, everywhere omnipresent. So we chant Nārāyaṇa for a while, and then we’ll go for the Rudra Saṁhitā. Nārāyaṇa Nārāyaṇa... Nārāyaṇa Nārāyaṇa... Śrīman Nārāyaṇa Nārāyaṇa... Nārāyaṇa Nārāyaṇa... Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa,... Jag Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa,... Nārāyaṇa. So this time we are going to enter towards the second Saṁhitā, that is called Rudra Saṁhitā. As you know, Rudra, Śiva, Bholenāth—he has got various names. Rudra, Mahādeva, Nīlakaṇṭha, Śaṅkara, Devādideva, Mahādeva, Paśupatināth—he has got thousands and thousands of names. That’s why Sahasranāma, Sahasranāma is Mahādeva’s name. So, Sahasra Nāma Hai Śrī Mahādev Jī Kā. So, unke kām ke anusār alag alag nām hai. Unke Jīo Jīmīvārī ke anusār alag alag nām hai. So, Mahādeva has got several names according to his actions and duties. So, as you are, sometimes you are a mother, sometimes you have to play the role of a sister-in-law, sometimes a daughter-in-law, sometimes a wife, sometimes a doctor, sometimes a nurse, Śrī Śrī Mahādev Mahādev... He has different roles, and according to his different roles, he has various names. So that’s why we call Śivajī by various names, Mahādev. Now we come to our study in this chapter, the second chapter, Rudra Saṁhitā. Nārada is asking Brahmā. So, you know who is Nārada? Whose son is Nārada? Who can get the prize? Yes. Good, Brahmā. So many winners here. And so Nārada is asking Brahmā. So, Brahmā, please ask me, please tell me, how come that ego will go? The ego. So look at this again here. So the stages come here. And in the Rudra Saṁhitā, that time refers to Śiva and the Nārada story here. In Nārada’s story, how do Śiva and Viṣṇu help Nārada to come to a normal stage? So that is the main motto. That means Śiva has got illusionary power. Sometimes we don’t know what is happening, but Śiva has got the reason. And here also, Nārada, Nārada also doesn’t know what is happening. But Śiva will remind and bring him back to the right place. For example, if a patient goes to the doctor’s place and the doctor wants to give him tablets and everything. But sometimes, what about surgery? If he has to do surgery, without surgery he cannot survive. In the last minute, the doctor needs to do surgery, and no matter if it will be painful or hurting, or even though sometimes it is needed to remove your hands if there is cancer, or fingers, and it needs to be removed to protect him. It’s not because of hurting, but for protecting. In the same way here, Rudra Saṁhitā, first things here, once Nārada was told to do Ghor Tapasyā. Śiva Jī gave him a message that, "Nārada, you do tapasyā, you do meditation." Śiva always asks anyone, everyone who is inspired to meditate. So that’s why he told Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and now Nārada as well. So Śiva told, O Nārada, if you want to know the highly divine power, the ultimate truth of this universe, and want to be free from the ego illusion and the anxiety stress, please meditate. When he received this message from Śiva, Nārada went to meditate. And the meditation is not that simple meditation, that Ghor Tapa, Ghor Tapa. Aghor Tapa means that no matter whatever situation happens, that sun, wind, rain, or any disturbances, you will not leave, and you will attentively meditate without any obstruction. That is called the Aghor Tapa. And Nārada wants to go to meditation, according to the advice of Śiva. According to the advice of Śiva. Nārada Muni wants to meditate, wants to do Ghor Tapa. He wants to attain jñāna by force, according to the orders of Śiva. So that’s why he went to do tapā. So Nārada Muni tried to find what is the most beautiful place to meditate. So sometimes we also seek, isn’t it? In our home, which place is good to meditate? So we always make one shrine, an altar, and in front of the altar we meditate. That means, like, what’s the reason behind it? That means when you meditate regularly in one spot, there will be some energy. And when you have a sickness or difficulty, you stay there, and you will receive that energy. That’s why it is saying that you need to make one spot, a clear, clean spot. If you are facing east and the air needs to pass over there, and not clumsy things, then you can meditate over there. Jai Bhūliyā Nārad Muni Kī, Brahmā Viṣṇu Maheśvarī Kī, Jai. When Nārad found out the place, that place was a mountain, and just under the mountain there is a small cave. And in the cave, normally you can find many ṛṣis, munis; many meditate there. We have heard in many stories in this scripture. In the same way, Nārada Muni also went to meditate in a cave, and that cave has been, that was the place of Śiva as well. That place, Śiva meditated there before. Nārad Muni chale gaye dhyān karne ke liye, aur wo cave thā, wo guphā thā ki jahān pe Śivjī ne pahle kī dhyān kar chuke the. That was a beautiful place with Śiva already meditating in that place, and that was a successful place, a beautiful mountain, and the gardens, winds. And he went there. In a little cave, he started to meditate and chant Om, Om,... Akhaṇḍa Om, continuously without any distraction or discontinuation. He was chanting Oms and meditating over there. And while he was meditating, the sound of the Om, the Om, Om, Om, vibrational sound that reaches towards Svarga, you know, heaven, in the heaven. And in heaven there was Indra. Indra was there, ruling his kingdom over there. And he just heard the OM sound from far away while meditating. Maybe some mysterious thing, somebody wants to snatch the power of Svarga, heaven. And he wants to know who is meditating at this time. Maybe some mysterious things. You have heard that Indra is always careful about Svarga, about heaven. And many demons also get power from Śivajī, and they attack heaven. That’s why the heaven means, like, what is our heaven in this time? Heaven is our spiritual goal, spiritual purity. Anytime any demon thinks, it comes and attacks us. That’s why we need to be careful. It’s like Indra in our mental heaven. So sometimes our demons come like family members, and they disturb. Oh, don’t do these things. Mahāprabhujī Dīp Karatā Mahāprabhujī Dīp Karatā... Mahāprabhujī, deep inside, it doesn’t care, but it always wants pleasure. And in the same way, in Svarga, also in the spiritual heaven, we need to be careful to maintain our purity. And Indra is very alert, and Indra... So Indra sent some spies to know, to spy over there, who was meditating and who wanted to snatch this power of heaven. And he sent his ambassadors, the Guptachāra, who found out that Nārada was meditating. Oh my God, why is he meditating? Nārada is already that Brahmachārī. He is the Brahmacārī and the son of Brahmā. Why does he want to meditate? Something must be those mysterious things. Indra has a lot of doubt. That’s why doubt makes that obstacle in your life. What is doubt? Cut it out. So that’s why it is said that before starting your devotion, you can doubt. You can doubt. Before taking Dīkṣā with the Sadguru, you can doubt. Mahāprabhujī karatā he kevalaṁ spirituality also. Once you start a devotion, once you start a guru, once you find a sadguru and sādhikṣā, and once you find the sad guidance with Viśvagurujī and any holy person, just go ahead. And guru is not only the physical form, it’s a spiritual entity. Once you surrender, your inner awakening, your inner truth, when it is already awakening, that will guide you automatically. So that’s why you can go ahead, and in here, Indra has got doubt there. And he sent for Kāmadeva. You know Kāmadeva? Kāmadeva is the God of love, sex, and attachment. So the God of Kāmadeva. Kāmadeva is the God of work, of life, and of attachment, and he’s sending. He’s sending, meaning he’s sending something, attracting things. Karata Mahāprabhujī Karata He Kevalam. His meditative posture and Kāma Deva tried from many angles many times, but finally he tired, and he tired of it, and he came back to Indra’s palace and asked and humbly requested, "Oh Indra, mere to kuch nahī lagā, maine kitne bār try kiyā hai." Ki Nārad ke dhyān bhaṅg karne ke liye, lekin Nārad to vichalit nahī̃ hue, aur meṁ kyā karūṁ, Prabhu? That means, oh Indra, oh my king, oh my lord, I tried to destroy the meditation of Nārada, but I was not able to do it. And then slowly Indra told, "Well, you can try, and you can even try with the other people like Varuṇa and wind and rain." He sent many devatās to destroy his meditation, but Nārada stayed there quietly. So that means meditation should be that attentive. That means if you concentrate on external things, the body, then you will always be in pain. And if you concentrate inside, that will not be painful. But it’s hard in practical life, isn’t it? So it’s easy to tell, easy to speak, easy to talk, but it’s the practice. But it is saying that our scriptures say our ṛṣis, our gurus, our devādideva, our mahāpuruṣas already proved that this is not the difficult stage, you can do it. Just, you need to do two things. For meditation and yoga, you need only two things. Do you know what they are? Is the yoga mat in place? No, is this money to join in yoga? Station? Find a guru? No. Do you need tickets for the retreat to go to the retreat center? No, only two things. Yes. So two things are your body and time, mind. If your body and mind are there, don’t worry, you will always be a yogī and a meditative person. But if your body is there and your mind is not there, you are no yogī. So if the mind is there but no body, then you cannot be a yogī. After death, you cannot be a yogī. This is the beautiful time to practice yoga. After leaving this body, we will have only mind, and we will not have the body to exercise or to perform our duties and dharma. So, this is where that—so that’s why, that’s why the human body is most auspicious. Without this body, we cannot do. And Nārada was continuously meditating and surprising. And after a while, you know, when he finishes meditation... And he woke up, but that was because of Śiva’s illusion, the illusionary divine power. Nārada lost; Nārada went to lose, and he thought, "Oh, I defeated Kāmadeva." Part 3: The Perils of Pride: Nārada's Lesson "I defeated all the obstacles and the attractions of this world. I am a powerful person. I am the winner of Kāmadeva." Before that time, Kāmadeva could be defeated only by Mahādeva, Śiva. At this time, Nārada was defeated, and then he got pride. He didn’t have the wisdom or knowledge. He felt pride: "Oh, I defeated the Kāmadeva." Like sometimes people say, "Oh, I meditated two hours, three hours, you know," so they declare themselves. And if they donated, they said, "Oh, I gave a donation, this many thousands and this many dollars I gave." So that means the ego. Do not see others’ faults and your own merits. Others’ faults and your merits, both are harmful. If you see others’ merits and others’ faults, then you increase your pride. And if you count your benefits and good qualities, that is also harmful for you. So that’s why it is saying, "Do not count others’ faults." And don’t count your prides. Be yourself. Like so many people are here who are better than you. Don’t feel that you are better. Do not look at both; both will cause you to fall. We find paradise on this earth. We don’t need to die for paradise. We can enjoy heaven here, heavenly pleasure here. So, and with the material pleasure, you will have the heavenly pleasure. So that’s why it is saying, don’t count others’ faults. Sometimes we always spend time gossiping, you know. "Oh, this is a silly guy. Oh, this is not the ugly one; it doesn’t know how to wear clothes. Oh, look at this, the guy, he’s not grooming properly or not eating properly. Look at this, full of plates of rice, eating. And not munching properly." Who always spends time for other people? What about that time you can utilize for your own development? It is better. So in the same way here, Nārada has got proud that, "Oh my God, I defeated Kāmadeva." He started to tell that, "Oh God, I am powerful, equal to Śiva, equal to Nārāyaṇa, and equal to Brahmā, because I defeated Kāmadeva. Kāmadeva cannot harm me anymore." Then he has got pride, and he wants to tell those things everywhere, and he even wants to tell this good news to Kailāśa. So who is in Kailāśa? Śiva, yes. And to tell Lord Śiva, Nāradajī went to Kailāśa. "I did this." So he went to Kailāśa and told Mahādeva, "Oh Mahādev, do you know that? One news? That’s good news." And Mahādeva smiled. "What is that news, son?" "Well, I defeated the Kāmadeva, now equal to you. I became the most powerful, like you. I defeated Kāmadeva while meditating, look at this." So Mahādeva smiled and looked at this proudly. The silly man, look at this. Sometimes you know that intellectual people also they get lost and they don’t know what to do. That’s why somebody needs to remind it, awaken it. So that’s why Mahādeva ne bolā ki, "Nārada, āp ne jo bolā hai, mere ko to bolā lekin aur kisī ko nahī̃ batānā hai bāt, kyõki āpne..." It is not good to praise yourself. Mahādeva told Nārada, "Oh Nārada, it is good, but do not tell anyone. It is not good. It is not good... It is not good to tell yourself and preach to yourself that you are great." It doesn’t suit you. You are like a sage, a great sage. And don’t tell anyone, not even Vishṇu, not to tell anyone. Śivājī said that, you know, always the parents want to protect. Even though a child goes down the wrong path, he doesn’t instantly give punishment. He wants to correct in many ways. But Nārada thought, "Well, Śiva said that, but I should tell these things, shouldn’t I? That many people need to know these things. Otherwise, how will people know I am great? Mahādev Jī ne to batā diyā, lekin maiṁ kaisā, Ki me, me ne Kāmadeva Jī ko hara diya. Toh isī liye, usne kyā kyā kiyā, ki bāhar ā gayā, aur wo Viṣṇu ke pās me chale gaye batāne ke liye." Śiva told me not to go anywhere. And particularly in Viṣṇu’s place, please do not share these things. These are not suitable things. So we can know from this story that if you tell your things, that "I’m a great person, I’m doing this," this means, "I have donation, I’ve got this 10 years devotee of my Viśvagurujī, or 20 years experience, and I read this Bhagavad Gītā, I’m this intellectual person, I’m ācārya, I’m guru, I’m saint." That means, I mean, don’t listen to that. Ego comes first. Thus, if somebody inspires you, admires you, "Oh, such a great person you are," and started from there, okay, you can listen. And you say, "Oh, look at this, do you know me? I am the great person. I did a master’s, a PhD, and I am a knowing person, a knowledgeable person. I did this research, and this, I know." That means that doesn’t give you pleasure. That is the first, and then comes the negative energy. That means no matter how big the people are, the great person has little ego. The great people have little ego. For example, Hanuman crossed the ocean but still compared himself to the lotus feet of Rāma. He was never proud, "Oh, I am the great Rāma, you did not cross the ocean, but I crossed the ocean." Look at this, he never told that. So that’s why, the greater the person, the less pride they have. Even after crossing the ocean, Hanumān remained at the feet of Rāma. So that’s why we need to see the Hanumān without abhimān. So the great person has no jealousy, ego, or pride. But here, Nārada, he doesn’t want to stop. He wants to tell. Nārada is talkative, so he went to Viṣṇu’s place finally. And he wants to say to Nārada, wants to say to Viṣṇu, "Oh Viṣṇu, do you know that? I have some good news. Shiva told me not to tell anyone, but anyway, I’ll tell you." So he wants to tell Vishnu. And Vishnu said that he smiled, that they know everything. And he smiled and told what happened. "What’s the good news, Nārada? And please have a seat here." And Nārada has got illusion. "Well, I have got a great power. That’s why Viṣṇu brought me, and he asked me to sit in my āsana, in my stage, in my seat." And he has got illusion, and in Hindi, there is one proverb. He does not listen to anyone, right? So what has been done to Nāradjī? Vishnu has explained, Śivjī has explained, "Do not tell anyone, and even if you are so much a ṛṣi, even if you are a mahātmā, do not insult yourself," but he kept on insulting. So Viṣṇu came to Bhagavān’s mind, he will not listen to the ghost of the Laṭh.... He will not listen to the ghost of the Lath. In the Hindi proverb, that person, the ghost, he needs to be kicked with your leg, not with a word. He cannot be corrected with only words and a polite, humble request. He needs to be slammed, and then he comes to the right track. So those are the things. In Nārada also, Viṣṇu smiled and, oh, Nārada, that’s okay then. So then you defeated Kāmadeva, and he proudly said, "Yes, Viṣṇu, I defeated the Kāmadeva. Then I am now greater than and equal to Mahādeva." And he proudly tells that, well, that’s okay then. So, this is good news, and he smiled, and that’s it. He said blessings, and Viṣṇu just smiled. And Nārada, that he went down, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa,... "I’m great Nārāyaṇa, I’m great Nārada, I’m great Nārada, I’m great Nārada." So, he always tells, and then he goes back everywhere. And later on, the Nārada, Viṣṇu and Śiva, Śiva’s Līlā is amazing. And when he was going, he was passing down, he went down to the earth, and Viṣṇu created one beautiful, wonderful city. Just make the illusion for Nārada. And while he was going, Nārada saw, oh, what an amazing, beautiful town over there. Let’s go and have a look there, what is there. So when Nārada was going, what Viṣṇu did was, he made a beautiful city. "Baitā Diyā Nagar Mein Rājkumārī Thī Aur Rājā Śil Nidhi Ne Rājkumārī Ko Swāmībār Ke Liye Tayārī Kar Rahe The, Aur Uske Liye Bār Dhūṇḍ Rahe The Cāro Diśāon Se. Rājā Ā Rahe The." They wanted to be reborn because she was so beautiful and virtuous. While Nārada was going down, then Viṣṇu set up a beautiful town, and in that town, the king was Śil Nidhi, just an imaginary person. The king is Śil Nidhi, and he has a beautiful princess. "I should marry or not?" Then he is the ego. Because of the illusory power of the divine Mahādeva, in his mind he lost the games. "Oh no, I should marry. Viṣṇu has got a wife, Śiva has got a wife, why not me? Why should I have to maintain celibacy? Let’s try." Then he went to the town, and when he went to the town, the Śilanidhi’s kingdom, then he saw a beautiful princess, and he went inside, "Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa... Narayana." And the armed guards, the gatekeeper told to the Silanidhi, "Oh, there is one saint." When Nārada came to our kingdom, "Jai Bhulia! Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī Jai!" And the kingdom there, the Nārada. He knows that, oh, the Silanidhi invited him inside and asked, "What is the purpose of your coming? This is our great pleasure, like you, a saint, came into our home." And in the middle of the time, the Princess also came there, and he just looked around, oh my God, such beautiful, how can I tell that, that I am coming here proposing to her. So, he was in confusion, but you know that if you want something, willpower cannot stop it. In the same way, good or bad, that needs to come out. And Nārada finally went close, but still hesitated to deliberate his things. And Nārada was there, and the Silvanidhi king told him, "Do you read palms, Nārada?" he asked. And he said, "If I hesitate, if I say no, I cannot tell something about the lady." So he thought, "Well, yes, yes, I know, I read palms, yes, yes..." he told. And he said, "Can you read my daughter’s palm, please?" And of course, yes, well, that’s my pleasure, oh, great. And then the princess came, and then he read the palm. And Śilīnidhi Rājā said, "Look at my daughter’s hand. Will you look at her hand? Yes, I will look at her, Mahārāj. So, see what is written on my daughter’s hand: how will she get a husband, and what will her life be, her family, her children, her grandchildren, what will happen." So he asked, and Nārada was happy. He held her hand and started speaking. So that means Nārada is happy, and then he started to read palms. It just says, obviously, he knows something. And he told that, oh my God, she had an amazing fate and destiny because she was going to marry a person who was equal to Mahādeva and Viṣṇu, a very powerful person. And he is a wonderful person; he can defeat Kāmadeva. That sort of husband she will have. And she will have a beautiful, pleasurable life, and this I can tell from this reading, he told. And then the Silāniḍī Rājā told, "Well, that’s good news to hear, because we’re going to arrange a svayaṃvara." You know the svayaṃvara? Svayaṃvara is the holy ceremony where an unmarried girl can choose her husband herself. Not any forcefully, not arranged marriage, that hundreds of boys come, and among hundreds of boys with the garland, the lady goes, and we were very handsome, and that good person, he garlanded and chose. And after that, the marriage ceremony was held. That is called a Swayambara. Swayam met herself. Bara is choosing. So, what is it? Nārada Muni gave me a hint that this girl will marry a very strong person, like Brahmā or Viṣṇu. And she will be good, and just like me, she will get a husband. This is what Nārada Muni said after seeing her hand. So, after Nārada Muni said this, what did he do? "Okay, come to the Swayaṁvara. If this girl marries you, then it will be very good." So, Nārada said that the prediction from the palm reading was that she would marry a good person, equal and as powerful as Śiva and Viṣṇu. And the Silanidhi king asked, "Are you also interested?" And he said, "Yes, yes, please. Yeah, I am also interested, yeah." So, then come to the Svayaṃvara. He thought that instantly he would get married, he would get a chance. But there was a Svayaṃvara being organized. Suvembar means they have invited many, many heroes there, kings, and then many kings from various states. Nārada thought, "Well, I am the sādhu with this vīṇā, and all the heroes, handsome persons, guys, will stand there. How will the princess choose me?" So that is a little bit. Bad luck for me, I thought. Instead, this is going to marry me, so I have to seek some idea, and he is thinking, "Then I have to seek some help with Bishnu. Let’s go to Bishnu and ask whether he can help me. If he changes my appearance into a handsome guy, then I can definitely marry the princess." And he changed. His mind died, his mind became corrupted. Even after becoming a sādhu, even after becoming a saint, he was destroyed in the love of a girl. And what did he start doing? He thought, "I will go to Viṣṇu as the most handsome man in the girl’s gathering." So he went to Viṣṇu. And Vishnu said, "I will do the work that will be of your benefit." So whatever will be of benefit to you, I will do that. So when he went to Viṣṇu’s place, Viṣṇu asked, "Well, Nārada, why have you come here again?" Nārada said, "Okay, Viṣṇu, I have to say something." So, what would you like to say? Just before you said you are the Kāma Deva, you defeated Kāma. You defeated sex, attachment, māyā, love. You all defeated. "Mahāprabhujīp Karatā Mahāprabhujīp Karatā." He is asking that. So, Vishnu said, "Well, then I cannot say no, but I’ll do whatever is suitable for you, whatever is best for you." So, Vishnu always wants to do, you know, that if children ask for a lighter, will you give the lighter? Even though you love children, you either give them a fake lighter or you divert them, or you can divert their minds with chocolates, ice cream, or something, isn’t it? So, in the same way, Viṣṇu also says, "Well, I’ll do whatever suits you. Okay, don’t worry." And instantly, later on, he changed his body to be like that of Viṣṇu, a beautiful person’s body, except for the face. So, he gave the handsomeness, the feet everywhere. And Nārada became so happy. Oh my God, look at this. Handsome person. That’s good and amazing. But he didn’t; at that time, he didn’t have a mirror or a dressing table. So he looked everywhere, but at that time, Vishnu made the face a monkey face. So the face was a monkey, he doesn’t know, he wasn’t aware of that, but the body was a handsome guy. So he’s so proud, man. Oh, look at this handsome man. I can go and choose that lady, and the princess will garland me, and then I’ll marry. I’ll have the set of the house, and I’ll have a happy, pleasurable life. So Nārada, when Viṣṇu Jī did what, he made the monkey’s face and made the whole body handsome. So Nārada, being happy, went to the court of Śilnidhi. He didn’t know, he didn’t see the mirror, he didn’t see the monkey’s face, so he was sitting in the samādhi. Everyone was touching him, and while touching him, what happened? That girl came, she tied her neck to the other. Nārada came in a lot of anger. So when he became handsome, he directly went to the Silaniri’s palace. He just moved his sleeves up and stood in front of all the kings, and he thought, "No matter," for he had confidence that the princess would come and then garland her, and he will be the groom for sure, and the princess will be the bride that day. And he has confidence, and then the sages stand there, but everyone is mocking him. Oh my God, look at this, he is also here. Oh my God, he is here, but he doesn’t know. His face is a monkey. And that was a leelā, that’s why we don’t know. Don’t misinterpret anything. If you don’t know anything, the lesson is that if you know anyone, don’t misinterpret anyone. So Nārada was standing there. That was the illusionary town, illusionary characters, and Viṣṇu himself, disguised as a handsome guy, standing there. And the lady looked around, the princess came around, had a look around, that tone goes everywhere, but she did not find a suitable husband. And Nārada was there, his tone comes, and Nārada just said, "Here, this is my time. Oh, I am going to marry this lady." He was so happy, but finally the ladies turned the other point, and she went and she saw Vishnu, a disguised Vishnu, a handsome guy, the most handsome guy, and garlanded Vishnu, and Vishnu took her to Vaikuṇṭha, "Vaikuṇṭha me lekar chale gaye Vishnu." Then that girl came, and Nārada became upset. "Oh my God, look at this! Viṣṇu did a trick for me. I am the devotee of his, but he tricked me. That’s not fair. I have to tell you, I am the devotee of his, I am the devotee of his, I am the devotee of his, I am the devotee of his, I am the devotee of his. I have to tell something. I have to go and tell something. I have to take revenge on him," and he was just wondering here and there. But in the meantime, that was the Līlā of Śiva, and Śiva was sending a Śiva Gaṇa, two Śiva Gaṇas, two arm guards of Śiva. And they reminded, "Oh Nārada, why are you wondering?" And Nārada said, "Don’t you know that? That Viṣṇu made me, Viṣṇu tricked me. Look at this. The lady did not garland me. They did not choose me," and the two guys saw the mirror. "Look at this mirror. Your face is a monkey. How come she can choose?" And that has been told by Śiva. And he became so angry, and he started to curse the two guys. "Well, two guys that you saw me, that monkey face, now you curse you. I curse you. You should be born like a demon. Even though you are a Brahmin, you should be born as a demon. You can be a demon, and your form looks like a demon, and you can be a Rākṣasa. This is my curse for you." Both receive a curse, and they don’t know what to do. Shiva sent them, and Nārada cursed them, and the curse is they need to face that curse. It’s not like a Kali Yuga curse now. That curse cannot happen to anyone. Part 4: The Nature of Anger and the Path of the Mahāpuruṣa When Nārada was shown his reflection by Śiva’s gaṇa, he became very angry and cursed them, saying, "You must become demons, and you must remain as demons." After that, Nārada went to Viṣṇu to seek revenge. Because of his curse, the two Śiva Gaṇas had to take birth as the demons Kumbhakarṇa and Rāvaṇa. Nārada went to Viṣṇu’s abode, but he was so lost in anger that he even forgot Viṣṇu was his guru. He began to curse Viṣṇu: "Oh Viṣṇu, you did this! You gave me this monkey face (bandarmukha), even though I appeal to you, asking for your hands in marriage. What is my fault? You must teach a lesson. I curse you that one day you will be separated from your wife, and you will face the same grief I now suffer because of a woman. You will have the same pain." Look at this—what a terrible thing. Even a great saint can be lost in anger. That is why when you are angry, you become like a demon. So how can we avoid anger? In psychology, it is said that all human beings fall into anger, except for spiritual people. How, then, can we be free from it? When Nārada, in his anger, cursed Viṣṇu and Śiva, Viṣṇu received the curse but did not react; he simply smiled. That is the identity of great people. If someone hears abusive words and can still smile, that is a great person. If a dog bites and you bite back, you are not great. The indication of Dharma is that no matter what situation arises, one deals with it consciously, without being lost or angled. Ahiṃsā, satya, asteya, brahmacarya, aparigraha, śauca, santoṣa, tapas, svādhyāya, Īśvarapraṇidhāna. These are the ten principles, akin to the commandments. In Yoga, the steps are Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāra, Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna, Samādhi. So, how can we control our ego and anger? There is a researched formula we can practice. When anger comes, when ego arises, do not be lost in it. Instead, observe your body. What happens when you are angry? Your body may shake, your voice may grow louder, your face may turn red. Just observe these symptoms. When you observe without anger, the anger will disappear, and you can deal with the situation cautiously. This is the solution. It has been proven and experimented with in many places, including psychiatric studies. Any habit of short temper, over small things, can lead to greater anger. If you cultivate this habit of observation, you will slowly develop the ability to remain calm. Even if someone speaks badly, you can smile and still deal with the situation effectively. It does not mean you smile and walk away; you smile and tackle the situation cautiously. This is the Mahāpuruṣa Svabhāva. What is it? Someone may abuse, curse, laugh, or even commit suicide. Yet, while laughing, he deals with the situation. When Nārada cursed him, Viṣṇu Bhagavān laughed. He did not abuse in return; he showed his true nature. I would like to add another story. A great saint in India was traveling and saw a poisonous insect in the water, like a cockroach. He warned others not to put their hand there. When the insect did not stop its poisonous behavior, the Swāmījī said, "Well, he is not stopping his poisonous behavior. I should not stop my good behavior." In the same way, if someone gives you bad behavior, that is their nature. They are not stopping or changing. So why should you change your good behavior to bad? The specialty of the Mahāpuruṣas is that if someone does bad deeds, why should we adopt bad deeds? We should deal with them through good deeds. Viṣṇu Bhagavān accepted Nārada’s curse with a laugh. "Come on, this is the māyā of Śivajī. I will accept your curse. Now go and visit the Śivaliṅga and seek Śivajī’s blessings. Only then will you be able to solve the whole problem. Samādhan hoga." This means that when Viṣṇu smiled, he understood: "Viṣṇu, you caused this; it is the māyā of Śiva. Whatever happens is for a good reason. You cause me to be separated from my wife. That might be the reason, and Śiva is creating that." These are illusory things, so I must obey; it is okay, I can accept it. From this, we can understand the moral of this Mahāpurāṇa: whatever situation comes, do not judge. Every event in this universe has a reason. Do not become crazy, yell, or use abusive words. Sometimes, what seems bad turns out for good. For instance, during the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers in America, many Indians were not in the accident. Why? The accident happened around 9 o'clock, and Indians typically go to the office later. So, at 9 o'clock, they were safe. Sometimes, it is good. Whatever happens, it is good. Consider the Titanic. Many people died when it sank. A farmer had bought a ticket for the ocean voyage. Just one day before departure, a street dog bit his son’s leg. He had to take his son to the doctor, spending the hard-earned money for the ticket. He was supposed to leave the next day for a holiday with his family. He yelled and called to God: "Oh God, look at this. I spent so much money, and now this happens. I cannot go." He even behaved badly toward his wife and son. The doctor said he could not leave because they needed to observe for rabies for 15 days. He had to wait, and the ship left. Three days later, he read the news that the Titanic had sunk. At that moment, he thanked the dog: "Oh dog, thank you for biting my son and saving our lives. Oh God, we do not know your acts. Thank you." So, we saved our life. The same thing happens in your life. If you miss your plane or are stuck in traffic, do not worry; there must be a good reason. You might have forgotten to chant a mantra; a traffic jam is a chance to repeat it. Maybe you are avoiding an accident. Maybe something good is happening. Everything in this universe happens for a good reason. So, what did Viṣṇu Bhagavān do? He understood this is the Līlā of Śiva Bhagavān. That is why you gave the curse to Nārada. "No problem, I will take the curse with a smile. There is some reason for this too. Āpakā koī doṣa nahīṁ hai, ye to māyā kā khel hai." Therefore, the nature of the Mahāpuruṣa is shown. Following Viṣṇu’s advice, Nārada went to Śivaloka and performed parikramā of many Śivaliṅgas. After the parikramā, he returned to his normal state and realized: "Oh my God, I cursed Nārada, I cursed Viṣṇu, which is not supposed to be done. I am silly; I was lost in anger. What happened to me? I do not know." Nārada went to Viṣṇu Bhagavān and said, "Sorry, please forgive me. What can I do? I cursed you." When Nārada realized his mistake, Viṣṇu said, "Do not worry. You had to do this; you are not the true doer. You are just the instrument; the person instructing is somebody else." In our life also, whatever happens, just surrender to God. Not only in pleasure but in everything, it is His sending. If you get something good, give thanks; He arranged this situation. That is why in our life, when we are happy, we forget God and Guru. When we are sad, we start to curse: "Oh, the silly Guru, oh, silly God." We look at our neighbor’s big house, handsome husband, or good property and start to blame. Do not blame any situation. Accept it happily. That is the Śiva Purāṇa’s motto. It says that you still have to act. It does not mean you rely on God all the time. God will guide, but you need to start. You need to start the word; God will complete the sentence. Without you starting the words, God will not give you the complete sentence. Start with beautiful words, beautiful creation, a beautiful journey; He will be liable to complete it. If you take the first step of this spiritual journey with the grace of God and Guru, the Sadguru will complete you, will help you; God will complete you. Therefore, whatever situation comes, accept it happily. "Kāraṇe vālo to vahī hai," so everything is predetermined in this life. When you are supposed to come here, when you have to fly, when you are going to die, when you are married, when you will have a new situation—everything is predetermined. That is why there is karma. There are four types of karma: Sañcita Karma, Prārabdha Karma, Kriyamāṇa Karma, Āgāmina Karma. Sañcita Karma is whatever you did in the past that you must face. Prārabdha Karma is what you are doing now and must face immediately. Kriyamāṇa Karma is karma from action. Āgāmina Karma is karma from your thoughts. Do not worry; whatever you think now builds karma that you will face. If you feel something, it comes as an action; it is converted into action. Jai Boli Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī! After that, when Nārada went to Viṣṇu Bhagavān’s place, Viṣṇu suggested he go back to Śiva. After going to the Śiva Liṅga, he received beautiful blessings and returned to a normal state, realizing this with Viṣṇu Bhagavān. Viṣṇu tried to convince him. Finally, Nārada went to Śivaloka again. On the path, he encountered the two beings he had cursed to remain as demons. They requested: "Oh Nārada, you cursed us. That is okay; we accept it. That was meant to happen." They were convincing themselves; they did not blame. Nārada felt ashamed. "Oh my God, I cursed you. You were supposed to be angry and arrogant with me, but you are saying it is all right. What great people you are. What wonderful thoughts you have. You are real persons. Now I cannot withdraw my curse, but I can guarantee that you will be popular Śiva devotees and will be born into a great sage’s family." He blessed them. The two Śiva Gaṇas then went down to follow their course as Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa. "Nārad ke śrāvak mokṣa karne ke liye, aur dūsrā kyā ban gaye? Ke kumbha gaṇa ban gaye." So both went to pass through the demon life. That is why Kumbha and Rāvaṇa are great devotees of Śiva. Śiva is the common God. He is not only the God of deities; He is the God of Rākṣasas and demons also. He treats everyone equally but always follows justice, Dharma. Nārada went to Śiva: "Oh Śiva, I did not know your līlā. Thank you for telling me. Do not tell anyone. Now, look at my situation. You already advised me. It is not good to tell of my pride to others, but I did; that is my mistake." He realized this, and after that, Nārada came back on track. Śivajī blessed him: "Nārada, do not worry; that was a līlā. It was supposed to happen; it happens to every human being, every saint." That is why you sometimes hear such news. After that stage, they faced some karmas and then came to interact. This is the moral story for all of us spiritual seekers and devotees: we might be lost anytime. We might be attracted to material pleasures, but always remember, this is material attraction. When your mind can instantly correct itself, that is the Śiva Tattva. When your mind goes to negative thoughts, that is the negative tattva. Instantly correct it. When you practice every day, that is good. For example, if you have an urge to smoke, you might think, "Oh my God, what if I just smoke this one time?" Instantly, you record, "Oh no, that is only my desire, my addiction. I need to correct it." Then you come back on track. Again, you need to do everything cautiously. In every essence of your life, do not merely enjoy it; be a witness. That is the motto of all the Qur’ans, Bibles, Tripitaka, and Vedas, as stated already. "Tat tvam asi," know your own true nature. When you know your own true nature, then, like Nārada, you will not be caught in lust or anger. Jai Bholē Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Ko Jai Jai. So now we have got one version, and we can probably finish this session. Everyone, you can clap and re-energize yourself. In the name of Śiva, the more you chant "Śiva, Śiva," the energy and vibration can help open your energy centers. With the grace of God and Guru, you can open your piṇḍanāḍī gland and all energy centers. We can enjoy heavenly pleasure from this retreat. Bhole Bhole Śivāya, Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya, Hari Oṁ Śivāya, Hari Oṁ... Śivāya, Bholē Bholē Śivāya, Hari Oṁ Śivāya, Hari Oṁ Śivāya, Mahādev Śivāya Śivāya... Gaurī Gaurī Śivāya Bolē Ho Jai Bhali, Bhali Bābā Kī. Now we come to a conclusion. In the Śiva Purāṇa, in the Rudra Saṃhitā, the first story with Nārada’s ego teaches us how to seize our ego. No matter what is happening in this universe, it is because of the grace of God and Guru, and the universe is designing our plan. If your plan fails, just remember that somebody’s plan is working there. So, do not worry. If you fail in your plan, leave it to Him. That is why it is said: "Do your best, leave God to rest." Without doing your best, God will not bless you, and the Guru will not bless you. You have to do it, and you will get the fruits. Today we practice this. Ego can come anytime, but how can we control it? In our life, so many bad things happen; we should take them like a test. In your test, just feel, "Oh, I am in a test. I need to act like an examiner, an examinee." In that way, if you follow, everything will come true and be on track. In the Vedas, there are four Vedas with 100,000 verses. Among them, 80,000 are for rituals, the karma khaṇḍa verses. Among the 80,000, 16,000 are prayers, upāsanā. And 4,000 are for knowledge and wisdom. That is why knowledge and wisdom are found in only a few verses everywhere. Gold and diamonds are found in small amounts, but a little amount is great. So, whatever knowledge you get today, just remember. It is said you should listen for many hours and then think for double that time about the situation. That is why the Purāṇa is like that. So, listen, and "sarvāṇām mananam," and do manan. Listen, remember, and then bring it into practice. Until we learn this scripture in our practical life, we become mere word-knowers; we cannot become Brahma-knowers. Until you bring it into practical life, you will be only a word-guru, a word-knower, a word-sādho who can speak nice, sweet words but not live them. Therefore, always try to be a practical person, to preach your practice. Every day we can make our life beautiful. You do not need to leave your house, job, or family. You can stay there and enjoy, just by changing your way of thinking. Just change your vision. You are as you are, your relations are as they are, your family, situation, and job are as they are. Just change your view. When you change your view, you will be happy, and we are always in paradise. That is the main motto of this Purāṇa, the Rāmāyaṇa. Tonight we will have again interesting things in the Purāṇa. Thank you very, very much for attending, listening attentively, and sitting in your Ādhishṭhāna. Adhiṣṭhāna means sitting steadfast like a stone, not moving.