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Part 1: The Radiance of Mahāmṛtyuñjaya and the Transformation of Gunanidhi Om Har Har Mahādev. Har Har Mahādev.... I would like to welcome all of you once again to this evening session. We are going to continue the Śiva Purāṇa. We are in the second chapter, in the second Saṁhitā, and I hope you will listen attentively as we are doing. In this Śiva Purāṇa, it is said that this is a wonderful opportunity. We are chanting Śiva’s name, Śiva bhajans, and Śiva kathās, receiving Śiva energy, elevating our spiritual upliftment together, and drawing close to God and Gurus. So at this time today, we are going to read the Rudra Saṁhitā, from chapters 17 to 19. In that chapter, we will recite what the Śiva Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra is, how we can benefit from the mantras, what the main purpose of the Śiva Purāṇa is, who Kubera is, how we can worship Kubera, and how we can appease Śiva. All these stories are surrounded by Pārvatī, Śiva, and our spiritual nectar, as well as so many valuable scriptures and modern theories. We can differentiate between the theory of spirituality and modern science and the various theories that exist nowadays. Before starting anything, we would like to begin with Śiva’s name. Śiva and Gaṇeśa are the obstacle removers. Obviously, we remember Gaṇeśa. We offer our humble salutation to Gaṇeśa Bhagavān first: “He Gaṇeśa, He Bhagavān, He Sarasvatī Mātā, āp sabhī ko āśīrvād dījiye.” Now we are beginning to read this Śiva Purāṇa. Your blessings will help this progress further. I am grateful for this opportunity given by Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara Svāmī, Maheśvarānanda Svāmī, the Siddha Pīṭha Paramparā, all the saints, and all the people. With today’s bhajan, I will start this Śivapurāṇa from the journey of music. Jai Balīyai Śiv Bhagavān Kī! Jai Bole Bhole Nāth Kī, Bhole Śiva Bābā Kī. So let us now begin the Rudra Saṁhitā of the Śiva Purāṇa. It is said that everything is created twice: first in your mind and second in reality. So everything comes in our mind first. And when the mind has feelings and thoughts, later on that appears in your actions. The actions become karma, karma becomes saṃskāra, and saṃskāra becomes your ultimate goal. That is why everything that Śiva tells us is pure, and it brings purity to your mind—pure thought, pure actions, and pure feelings. In the Rudra Saṁhitā, chapters 17 to 19, it asks, “What is the benefit of the mantras?” This morning we talked about Rudrākṣa and Tripuṇḍas. Similarly, to appease Śiva—Śiva is Bholā, the simple one, easy to appease—there is the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra. This Purāṇa says that the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra is designed for a specific reason: for those people who are seeking material pleasure, worldly and heavenly salvation, and liberation, that mantra can help. It says that if somebody chants five lakhs of Mahāmṛtyuñjaya mantras, then Śiva will appear for darśana. Five lakh mantras will be recited—Śiva jī, sākṣāt darśan ho saktā hai. So Śiva can come and then give you a boon. And if you chant one lakh, meaning 100,000 mantras, your desire can be fulfilled, and your body will become pure. It says that if you chant 200,000 of that Mahāmṛtyuñjaya mantra, you will gain that awakening knowledge, the sense of previous life. That much power you can gain: 200,000. If you can chant 300,000, then you can fulfill your desire—whatever you wish for is fulfilled. Agar āp ye Mahā Mṛtyuñjaya Mantra ko tīn lākh tak jap kar sakte ho, to āpko icchā śakti baṛakar, jo bhī āp icchā karte hain, vah pūrā ho jātā hai. 300,000. Similarly, if you chant 400,000, Śiva will appear in your dream. And it says that if you chant ten thousand, or one hundred thousand, you will be close to Śiva, and Śiva will be your friend. And always, you can ask Śiva like your brother, “Hey Śiva, good morning,” “Hey Śiva, good evening.” So Śiva is always there. Kubera—we are going to talk about Kubera. How many of you have heard about Kuvera Devatā? Yes, many of you. Kuvera is one of the divine gods, and he is the samrāṭ, the emperor of wealth and assets. Whatever he wants, he can acquire. Kuber kyā hai, ki sabse baṛā dhan kā devatā hai, aur Śivjī kā mitra bhī hai, aur Śivjī ke mitra vo kaisā ban gaye, aur what was the reason behind it, aur Śivjī ko mitra banāne ke liye ham kaisā kyā kar sakte hain, to dono taraf kā yahāṁ pe upāy batāyā gayā hai. So, if you chant the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra, definitely you will have all those things. You can remove obstacles and achieve whatever you want. The words are designed to activate all the energy centers and also to please and appease Śiva, Bhagavān, God as well. When Mārkaṇḍeya was about to die, he had a very short life. He was supposed to die at a young age, with no way out. His father requested God and Gaṇeśa, but finally, with the help of one Swāmījī, Gurujī, he went to pray to the Śivaliṅga. In front of the Śivaliṅga, he was chanting the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Japa continuously. At that time, Kāla, time—the god of death, Yamarāja—arrived to take the boy. But he was chanting Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra. Death said, “Oh, he is chanting the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra, I cannot take him,” because Śiva is Mahāmṛtyuñjaya, the God of death. That is why Yamarāja could not take him, and his life was prolonged all the way. Later on, he wrote the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa. So Mahāmṛtyuñjaya is the life-giver. Mahāmṛtyuñjaya is the master of mantras. When you chant the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra, not only can you prolong your physical life’s length and life expectancy, but you can also lengthen your purity and spiritual growth. Let us chant the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra: Oṃ tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭi-vardhanam urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyor mukṣīya māmṛtāt Oṁ Tryambakaṁ Yajāmahe Sugandhiṁ Puṣṭi Vardhanam Uruvārukam Iva Bandhanān Mṛtyor Mukṣīya Mā’mṛtāt... Oṁ Tryambakaṁ Yajāmahe Sugandhiṁ Puṣṭi Vardhanam Urvārukam Iva Bandhanān Mṛtyor Mukṣīya Mā’mṛtāt... Jai Boli Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Kī Jai. That is why Mahāmṛtyuñjaya has great power. When you are just chanting that, you can feel the vibration, and that vibration heats your body, mind, celestial body, and subconscious mind as well. It is said: whenever you have a problem, whenever you are in difficulties, whenever you are in some uncomfortable situation, you can chant the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya mantra. Here it says that if you chant the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya mantra with dhatura offering—dhatura is one of Śivajī’s favorite flowers; dhātur comes with Śivajī’s worship: there is bilvapatra, dhātur, and dūrvā, so this is one of the flowers. If you chant with dhātur offering, it multiplies the benefits and will bring you towards mokṣa, liberation. It says that you will never be alone; you will be connected eternally with Śiva. When you chant the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra, you will be connecting. How can you connect to that in this world? Śiva is everywhere in the cosmic world. And when you chant with vibration, you will be connecting instantly. So it says, like, the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra: “Jab jab karoge aap, kabhī jīvan meṁ akele nahīṁ rahoge, jab tak aap Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra saṅkaṭ meṁ ho.” And if you are in a difficult situation, then you chant this; it will be very beneficial. The Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra is wonderful, and in this Saṁhitā, the Rudra Saṁhitā talks about how if you do the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra with your devotion, that will be more beneficial. And there is no doubt—isme koī saṁśaya nahīṁ hai, ki isme koī phala nahīṁ detā hai. Aur aisā hogā, vaisā hogā, koī nahīṁ. Isme bahut āpko lāpa karanē vālā hai ki Mahāmṛtyuñjaya... Yahāṁ badan kiyā hai, to hum abhī jāte haiṁ ki Śivapurāṇa meṁ kyā hai, ki Kubera kā kaisā avatāra huā, aur Śivjī kā kaisā mitra banne ke liye unko apsarā pradāna huā. Yahāṁ hum ab āge baṛhte haiṁ. Jaya Bholā Bhagavān Śivjī kī. We always worship Kubera in the north direction. If you know vastu, the Vedic feng shui, the harmony of energy—when you open any shop or anything, if you want to place your wealth, it should be put in the north corner, according to Kubera, because Kubera is the owner of the north direction. In ancient times, there was a king named Egya Dutta, a great king. The king’s child became Kubera, and Kubera became a friend of Lord Śiva. How could a child of a forgetful person become a friend of Lord Śiva and Devadit Mahādev? So, can we also become a friend of Lord Śiva or not? And what will be the method? “He kyā rahegā, zarūr se yesī purāṇ hamāre liye kuch na kuch upāy batāegā.” Now we come to know that even a simple man, a layman, can become Śiva’s friend. That opportunity is equally given to everyone. Śiva never differentiates or distinguishes, nor knows any discrimination there. There was one King Egyadatta, a renowned and very nice king. He had one son; the son’s name was Gunanidhi. Gunanidhi—you know that means one who has a lot of qualities, and “nidhi” means “bhandār,” a treasury. So who is Gunanidhi? Jiske nām he kī... Gunanidhi, Ejyā Dattaka Putra Kā Nām Thā Gunanidhi. It is said that always in this material world, people who are not very rich are given names like rich man, like here Dhan Prasad, Dhan Bahadur. And someone who is very weak is named powerful man. So that is sometimes a contrast. Here as well, Gunanidhi was a qualitative person by name, but he was a notorious, silly person. He always tortured and created difficulties for other people. Gunanidhi was a very miserable person in his family. At that time, Gunanidhi was enduring many difficulties, giving pain to his father, Egya Dutta. The Śiva Purāṇa says that Egyadatta later on gave up his attachment. And Gunanidhi went out of the home, wandering here and there for food and finding things. Egyadatta was very sad at that time and said, “Oh my God, my son is like that. I am a devotee of God Śiva, but how come my son is like that?” And Gunanidhi was cheating and wanted to go robbing in temples and the like. He was doing that. One day, Gunanidhi felt very hungry. He thought, “Oh, I have a lot of hunger. Where can I find food?” He thought, “Let’s go to the temple. The temple people are offering prasāda, Mahāprasāda foods.” He went to the temple. But there were so many people, so he waited outside until they left the temple. He waited and waited and waited. It was very dark, and Gunanidhi waited behind the temple, waiting and seeking some food. Mahāprabhujī karatā he kevalam... Śiva shows the light. Look at this: Śiva is very naive and very simple. He thought somebody is lighting a lamp for him, giving a dīyā, so he accepted that. Gunanidhi was there for a different intention, but he found the food. He took the food, ate it, and went back. But at that time, he was trapped by other people—the army or the guard at the temple—and they seized Gunanidhi. Gunanidhi was crying and trying to escape, but he could not. He was punished and executed at that time. When he was executed, the Yamadūtas came to take him to Yamaloka. And at the same time, the Śiva Gaṇa also arrived, surprisingly. He had spent all his life in robbery, cheating, torturing, and doing bad, illegal things. Mahāprabhujī Dīp Karatā, Mahāprabhujī Dīp Karatā, Mahāprabhujī Dīp. Whoever makes a light for Him, He always loves them. That is why it is said that early in the morning and evening, if you light one lamp—he kā dīyā—Bhagavān Śiva bahut prasanna ho jāte hai. Jab Gunī Dīnī chorī karne ke liye mandir meṁ gayā thā, to Śivjī prasanna ho gaye, unko lage ki kisī ne diyā jalā rahā hai. To isī liye kyā hai, ki uskā prasāda to mil gayā. Aur Mṛtu Darṇa kā Sañjaya sunāyā lekin Mṛtu Darṇa ke bādh bhī vah usko Śivagaṇa āke uddhār kiyā aur vah Śivaloka meṁ pahuñc gayā thā. Isliye jalānā hai to dīpaka jalāye, kisī ko mana nahīṁ jalāye. Isliye dīpaka jalaṇe se Bhagavān prasanna hote haiṁ. And it says that in science, how can we convince in the modern time? That communication of human beings—Mahāprabhujī does it solely—and always gives the āratī with light. The light is the source of the soul and the connection. When the light comes, all ignorance goes away. God is the light. When God, consciousness, knowledge comes, all ignorance goes away. That is why it is important for everyone to light the lamp. Lighting the lamp is the most important thing. As darkness goes away from lighting the lamp, ignorance also goes away. Bhagavān kī bhāṣā kyā hai ki dīpak jalānā hai? So that is why in the celestial world, dīpak jalānā, diyā jalānā is one of the important things. That is why nowadays, in modern times, what we are doing: when you have a birthday, “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you,” you light the candle and blow it out. So, the candle being off is not a good luck sign. That is why if you are celebrating your birthday, start with light and say, “Happy birthday,” but do not blow it out. Just put it aside, and then you start. This is longevity, that connection with God. When you blow out your light, how can you celebrate? That is off in the darkness. That is why Śiva always wants the light. So in the morning and evening, lighting of the light has a great scientific reason. If you light a lamp every day regularly in your home with a ghee lamp, if you light a dīpak, then all the bacteria will go away and all negative vibes will go away. That is why in your shrine, every day morning and evening, just light a lamp and ignite a light. Mahāprabhujī Karatā Mahāprabhujī Karatā Mahāprabhujī Karatā... The story does not end there. When Gunanidhi reached Śiva Loka, he enjoyed the heavenly pleasures there for many years. After a long time, he became the king of a place. He came down to earth, and the country’s name was Kalinga. In the Kalinga country, he became a king. At that time, he became so kind and a Śiva bhakta. He started to pray to Śiva, and Śiva gave him a boon because of the light he had offered. As a Śiva bhakta, he announced everywhere in his kingdom: “Please, no matter where you are, make one Śiva liṅga and then give a light.” So a light to Śiva morning and evening. They made a rule in the kingdom, and he became a great Śiva devotee. So for Śiva Jī, lighting a lamp—due to spiritual and physical aspects, due to every aspect—happiness is guaranteed. That is why when Gunanidhi, in the second era, became the king of the earth, of the Kalinga country, he also ordered the lighting of lamps. He started to make one Śivalaya everywhere for everyone, and he became such a great Śiva Bhakta. He died and again went to Śiva Loka. Later on, after another birth, he arrived in Kāśī, where he wanted to meditate on Śiva. This continuation shows that the connection with God and Guru is not only a one-life connection; it might be a connection from many, many lives. That is why Gunanidhi also had a connection with Śiva, and Śiva was connecting with him. He went down to meditate in Kāśī. Śiva is always happy when you meditate, and he came to Kāśī. There, he meditated and meditated and meditated. It is said not only in this Śiva Purāṇa; I have read in different Purāṇas and some scriptures also that the same thing is repeated. He, the Yama, the king of Kāśī, meditated, and he meditated and meditated until he had no flesh left on his body. Part 2: The Power of Unwavering Faith: Stories from the Śiva Purāṇa Charma asti and charma. That means only bone and skin were there. When I was meditating, meditating, all the flesh fell from his body. And while meditating, his body became emaciated, and his bones became prominent. But his meditation was never broken. He was in a state of unbroken meditation. He was continuously meditating, no matter that he had only skin and bone in his body. That was the strong meditation that we can hear about in various Purāṇas and Kathās. But what does it mean? It means that if you put 100% faith in anything, then you will definitely get it. So if you put 100% faith, it will come. That’s why you should always put faith, and faith always brings you fruit. That’s why it is said that if you worship Mahādeva with sand, he will also appear. In ancient times, Pārvatī worshipped Mahādeva with a sand liṅga, and she received the darśana of Śiva. Thus, anything is always possible; nothing is impossible in faith. Mahāprabhujī kī karatā, Mahāprabhujī kī karatā, he kevalam Mahāprabhujī kī karatā, Mahāprabhujī kī karatā. Purījī, Siddha Purījī, Siddha... Purījī, I will protect myself with meditation. There was a yogī who, even though he was a Westerner, meditated inside Hitler’s jail. He was among armies, and many bullets flew around him. But surprisingly, through his meditation and the law of attraction, he was able to come out. And when he came out, he began giving inspirational talks. He wrote a beautiful book, Man in Search of Meaning – that’s a very inspiring book, Man’s Search for Meaning. Even if you search on the internet, you can find many things about Viktor Frankl. Viktor Frankl, one of the philosophers, is an example. If you put faith 100%, it will come. In the same way, many yogīs, Siddha Puruṣas, can sometimes be seen and heard in one place, and sometimes they are in another. How can it happen in this material world? Sometimes the energy simply moves from here to there. There is nothing impossible in this world if you put 100% of your faith. That’s why it is said that in your spiritual progress also, if you have faith, you will attain it. If you have doubt, it will create problems and difficulties. And here also, the Yama is meditating and meditating. Kyā hai ki uskā nām Dharma thā, aur Dharma dhyān kar rahā thā, dhyān karte karte... Uskā haḍḍī aur charma sirf bachā thā, lekin usne apne kabhī dhyān ko nahīṁ tuṭāyā. As we mentioned before, Nārada was meditating. So meditation is of many kinds, and this was the meditation that Yama (whose name was Dharma) was practicing all the time in Kāśī. He was simply waiting for Śiva Darśan. Waiting and waiting – one year gone, two years gone, a hundred years gone, ten thousand years – finally Śiva arrived. That’s why it is said: when you worship anything attentively, when you pay full attention, then God will definitely come. Your prayer never goes in vain; it always gives some fruit. That was the mission, the lesson here. He was meditating and meditating, and at that moment Śiva appeared. Śiva said, “O Dharma, you are meditating here. Now I have come.” And when he opened his eyes, because of Śiva’s light, he became blind. Look at this. That’s why, when we finish our meditation, we rub our palms and open our eyes slowly in a dark space, adjusting our vision – isn’t it? Dharma had been meditating for 10,000 years, and he had accumulated an amazing power. When you meditate, you gain great power. If you have read the Mahābhārata, you know about Gāndhārī. Gāndhārī always kept her eyes closed because her husband was blind, and she wanted to be like him. One day she wished to use the power of her long meditation to protect her son. When she opened her eyes, her son’s entire body became like iron – a metal body – because of that accumulated power. So it is said that meditation holds tremendous power. And amazingly, we connect. How can we prove that meditation is power in today’s world? For example, if meditation were not power and you thought only food was power, you would eat continuously. Suppose you eat hygienic food all day, every day, for three days, but you do not sleep. If you have no sleep and only eat, will your body function properly? No. So food alone is not the only power. We need celestial power as well. That’s why many people can stay without food for many days. Many yogīs, during the Kumbha Melā, live only on phalāhāra. In Nepal there is Dudhahari Baba, who drinks only milk. Nothing else – only milk. Thus, the yogī, through meditation, creates inner hormones. If you practice regularly, those hormones can help you adjust to society and even challenge medicine. There are amazing miracles. In Nepal, a yogī stayed underground for 60 days, and so many people were surprised: how could he survive with no oxygen? It is a miracle that some things science cannot prove. So he survived and came out, witnessed by many cameras and researchers. That’s why in spirituality, when you have faith, amazing things happen. Dharma was meditating, and when he opened his eyes, because of Śiva’s netra, he became blind. After that, Śiva asked, “O Dharma, what do you want?” Bolo Dhammā, maiṁ āpke sāmne āyā hūṁ, to āpko 10,000 baras ke tapas se maiṁ khuś ho gayā. Āp batāiye ki āp kyā chāhte haiṁ, ki āśīrvād ke liye maiṁ taiyār hūṁ. To Dhammā ne bolā hai, ki Prabhu, mere lie kuch nahīṁ chāhiye, ek hī cīz hai ki āpke darśan ke liye āṁkh deejie. To Śivajī. Now, what happened was that the simple-hearted Śivajī gave him eyes. That means whenever he was asking, Dharma said, “Well, Śiva, I don’t need anything at this time. I just want my eyes back because I want to see you, to get your darśana. Please give me my eyes, and that’s it. My desire, my wish is only that.” And Śiva blessed him instantly, and he began to look around. Oh, very nice, those beautiful eyes, then beautiful things. But surprisingly, when he opened his eyes, he saw Umā, Pārvatī, sitting with Śiva. He did not know who Umā was. She was amazingly beautiful, and he thought, “Oh my God, what a beautiful lady! How can she be so beautiful? What sort of prayer did she do? And how can I worship this lady? Who is she?” He became curious and astonished. Rather than placing attention on Śivajī, he continuously watched Pārvatī, staring at her. Pārvatī grew uncomfortable and asked Śiva, “O Śiva, what sort of bhakta do you have? He is staring at me all the time. I don’t know what his intention is. Maybe he is casting the evil eye on me, and he’s not stopping.” He was continuously watching Pārvatī. In his mind, he was surprised that Pārvatī was amazingly beautiful, wondering what prayer or meditation she had performed, and how he had forgotten to worship her. “What sort of deity is she?” That was his mind. But Pārvatī was a little uncomfortable, and she thought, “Why is he staring at me?” Instantly, she cut off one of his eyes, because she thought he was casting the evil eye on her. At that time, Mahādeva came and said, “Oh my God, his eyes are gone, one left eye is gone.” Because on the left side is Pārvatī, and on the right side is Mahādeva. He was watching on the left side, and Pārvatī took out his left eye. Now there was no vision there. He was crying and surprised, and Mahādeva convinced Pārvatī, “O Pārvatī, why did you do this? He is your son, actually. He was attentively watching you just as a mother, with that motherly bhāva. It was not for any other reason, nor the evil eye. He was simply wondering in his mind what sort of deity you are, how he had forgotten to worship you, and how he could worship this beautiful goddess. That was in his mind. But you were misguided.” And at that time, Pārvatī went close to Dharma and said, “O Dhamma, I thought you were putting the evil eye on me. I thought those were wrong eyes. That’s why I took one out. Don’t worry. Śiva has already blessed you, and you will be the owner of the north direction. You will have plenty of wealth and property, fame, name, ownership, and everything in this world. You will be a popular person, and I also bless you. Your eyes will come slowly, slowly, but not immediately.” Purījī, Purījī... Śiva blessed him, and the simple guy who once went to the temple just for a robe, sweets and prasāda became the beautiful Kubera. He became the owner of this universe, owner of assets, owner of property. And furthermore, Śiva blessed him, “O Kubera, I will be your friend. Always, whenever you want, I will be there. And the world will know that I am your friend, Kubera.” That’s why Kubera is the richest person of this world, and that’s why during Dīpāvalī and at other times, Kubera is worshipped along with Lakṣmī Mātā. Kubera is the god of wealth; that is why on Diwali and other occasions we ask. He is a friend of Lord Śiva, and no matter how happy you make Lord Śiva, you too can take the spiritual benefits of life, just like Kubera. So whenever you have faith, the message of this story is that knowingly or unknowingly, if you do something good, Śiva does not discriminate. He always blesses you. Whether with intention or without, if you worship with devotion, Śiva is pleased. That’s the moral of the story. And also, no matter what anyone says, always keep your faith continuously. Nowadays, people rely on others – they are not independent, always dependent. Even a simple example: when you buy a t‑shirt or a suit, you think it is beautiful, yet you ask other people, “How do I look? Can you tell me?” So you’re relying on others. And if someone says, “Oh, it doesn’t look nice,” you take off the clothes. Similarly, you are planning to go to India, and you ask your neighbor, “I’m planning to go to India, how is that?” The neighbor may have a vested interest and say, “Oh, this is not a good time, I don’t think you should go.” So you keep relying. When you rely on others, they have vested interests. That’s why in your faith and spiritual practice, no matter who says what, always keep your faith and practice attentively. That is the moral story of this Śiva Purāṇa. Śiva said that in this material world, people gossip. They keep talking; they never leave you alone. Whatever you do – good or bad – the people of the world never leave you. So they keep talking, but you keep moving forward in your spiritual duty, in your meditation, and you will achieve success. Śiva said: if you always practice and practice and practice, you will achieve success. Jai Bhole Śiv Bhagavān Kī Jai. Then five times we take the name of Śiv Jī. Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya. Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya... Jai Bhole Bhole Bābā Kī, Pyār Se Bhole Bhole Bābā Kī. Why should people bother? Why should they indulge in others’ business? Śiva was saying that people have that kind of mind. It is very hard to remain on your own, and it is very hard for the devotee. Pārvatī always requested, “Can you prove it to me, please, O my Swāmī?” Then Śivajī, who could not refuse his wife’s request, said, “Okay, let’s go.” He went with his vehicle, the bull Nandi. Bhayāl ke sāth meṁ vo saṁsār meṁ ā gaye, Pārvatī jī ke request karne ke vajah se. Kyūṅki Pārvatī ne bolā ki, “Mere saṁsār meṁ āiye. Ki saṁsār ke log āp ne bolā gossip karte haiṁ, to mereko to belief nahīṁ lagtā hai. Kaisā hai, āp dekhāye.” Then they came together into the material world. But in human form, Pārvatī and Śivajī rode the bull. Nandi was the vehicle of Śivajī. Pārvatī sat behind, Mahādeva in front, and the bull walked, passing through many villages. The villagers gathered and said, “Oh, look at this, look at this. What silly people – two of them riding the bull! They have no mercy or kindness. Look, the bull is struggling to walk, and they are riding.” Śiva said to Pārvatī, “Look, the people said something. They always have to say something. Okay, you ride, I’ll drag the bull.” So Śiva came down, and Pārvatī rode the bull, while Śiva dragged it. When they passed another village, people gathered again: “Oh, look at this. What a silly woman! The husband is walking, and she is riding the bull. Mahārāṇī okar wo Nandī me chāḍ rai, sabar ok rai, apne patī de paidal me hai. What a woman! She doesn’t have any respect for her husband.” And people started to talk. Pārvatī said, “What do we have to do now?” Mahādeva replied, “Let’s both come down and walk on our bare feet, and we’ll just drag Nandi.” As they crossed another village, people gathered again and gossiped: “Look at these stupid people! They don’t know how to use the bull. They are walking, and the bull is without any load – the bull is just walking.” They had to say so many things. Pārvatī and Mahādeva asked, “What must we do now to appease the people?” Mahādeva said, “Let’s carry the bull ourselves.” So they arranged to carry the bull. In another village, villagers again gathered and said, “Look at this silly fellow! The bull is supposed to be ridden, but now the bull is riding them! What nonsense people!” Then Mahādeva told Pārvatī, “Look, people are like that. They always have to say something. That’s why, when you are on your journey, don’t stop; don’t listen to what anyone says. Go continuously.” And Pārvatī was convinced. Similarly, in your life, for a simple example: if you are unmarried, people ask, “Oh, when are you going to marry?” When you have a house, where is your husband? Where is your boyfriend? They always ask something. Maybe in Europe less, but here, people ask, “Are you alone? Where is your wife? Are you married? Do you have kids? What’s your job? Do you earn money?” They always have to comment. If you marry, they ask, “Do you have kids? When did you get married? Where did your wife come from?” They always have to say something. If you have one kid, they ask, “Only one? When will the next one come?” They always ask. And if you have many kids, they say, “Oh silly guy, you are always making kids! You have nothing else to do. Even though you are old, you are still making kids.” They never stop. That’s why in our life, when you keep faith, when you are devotional, one sampradāya, another sampradāya, one guru, another guru – they always keep asking, “Are you sure you will have salvation? Are you sure you are following the right path?” They always put a question mark, isn’t it? That is the situation of the world. There is a story of two dogs. One was an intelligent dog, and the other was a young dog who was proud: “I’m young, very young, and I’m a very powerful dog.” They started searching for food in the village. In India, you know, dogs are free; you find them on the street – not like in Europe, where dogs are in cars or at home, well looked after. There, dogs even receive medical treatment in their own hospitals – no such facility here. The dog is simply running around the street. Part 3: The Path of Unwavering Devotion: Lessons from Śiva Purāṇa So the two dogs decided, “In this village, there is not much food. The food is insufficient. Let’s go to another village.” But that village was far away—more than a hundred kilometers—and before reaching it they would have to pass through three or four villages. “And in those villages,” the intelligent dog told his companion, “we need to be very careful, and we need to continue our journey.” The young dog said, “Alright, then we will go.” When they passed through the first village, many local dogs were there and they started barking. They started to bark, and the young dog also started barking back, and they began to fight. The old dog said, “No, no, I am not going to bark.” The young dog asked, “Why not? They are teasing us, they are insulting us, we must fight with them.” And the old dog replied, “Well, you keep fighting, but I will make my journey. No matter who insults me, my main concern is reaching the destination.” And so the old dog walked on and on, but the young dog passed into the next village, found the local dogs, and started to fight. In the third village, he could not go on; he died from the attacks of the other dogs. But the old dog reached the destination. In the same way, there are so many obstacles here and there in our journey. If we cannot keep our path continuous, we become entangled. That is why it is said: if you lose your path, make your own path, like a river. A river does not stop for any path—no matter if there is a cliff, a dense jungle, or any difficult way. It always goes ahead, always goes ahead, and continues until it meets the ocean. This is true in spirituality as well. It looks simple, but devotion—making continuous devotion—is really challenging. And the Śiva Purāṇa always inspires that: How can we make those inspiring things? How can we continuously put forth our devotion? That is the main motto of the Śiva Purāṇa. Jai Boli, Śrī Bhagavān Jī Kī, Śrī Bhagavān Kī Jai. And Śiva is very beautiful—not beautiful physically, but beautiful in his mind, beautiful in his heart. So let us chant the beauty of Śiva, let us chant the glory of Śiva, let us chant the eternal beauty of Śiva. Asitam Madhuram Nayanam Madhuram, Hasitam Madhuram, Nahuram Ridayam Madhuram, Charitam Madhuram, Madhur Adipate Rakhe Madhuram, Adharam Adharam, Badhanam Adharam, Adharam… Badhanam adharam, nayanam adharam, bhaṣitam adharam, nayanam adharam, bhaṣitam adharam, vachanam madhuram, charitam madhuram, vachatam madhuram, charitam madhuram, vasanam madhuram, lalitam madhuram, vasantam marutam, balitam madhuram, chalitam madhuram, ramitam madhuram, charitam madhuram, ramitam madhuram. Madhuradi Pate Rakhilam Madhura, Madhuradi Pate Rakhilam Madhura. Adharam Madhuram, Badharam Madhuram, Adharam Madhuram, Badhanam Nayanam Madhuram, Mahāsiddham Madhuram. Nayanam Madhuram, Mahāsiddham Madhuram, Madhuram, Madhuram… Madhuram Adharam, Madhuram Badanam, Badanam Venu Madhuro, Venu Madhuro Peetha Madhuram, Peetha Madhuram, Peetha Madhuram Peetha Madhuram, Peetha Madhuram Bhuttam Madhuram, Suttam Madhuram Adanam Aduram. Nayanam aduram, mahāsitam aduram, rūpam aduram, tilakam aduram. Nayanam Aduram Hasinam, Nayanam Adaram, Nayanam Hasinam. Ādhāram, ādhānam, madhuram, madhunām, nayanam, madhunām, hasitam, madhanām, nayanam, madhuram, hasitam, mayanam, madhuram, hasitam, mayanam. Jai boliyā se bhagavān kī, boliyā bābā kī, jai boliyā pārvatī mātā kī. So Śivajī is beautiful. It says, “Nayana madhuram”—the eye is beautiful, the eye looks beautiful. And that is why we say, beauty is in the beholder’s eye. So if you see with a beautiful eye, Śiva is beautiful. If you see with the eyes of Dakṣa Prajāpati, Śiva is ugly, a śmaśāna vāsī, one who always remains in the cremation ground. Indeed, beauty is in the beholder’s eyes. Always place beauty there. And the Śiva Purāṇa always tells us: put down your ego. Now I am going to start another story. Here it shows, “How can you cut down ego?” Kubera became very rich, and he became a friend of Śiva. You know, when people become rich in wealth and power, they forget everything—dharma, spirituality. That is why they always need to be calmed down. It is said that first, when a devotee earns a lot of spiritual enlightenment and happiness, they become a king; and when they become a king, they forget everything, and they have to be calmed down again. This cycle moves and moves and moves. Now, Kubera became a very rich person, and he wanted to show something to Śiva and Pārvatī because he had become so wealthy. You know what happens nowadays when someone buys a new house? I do not know about Europe, but in Australia and other places, people invite others for dinner, but really they want to show off the house. Kubera had amassed wealth—Kumbha Melā, Jadān, Oṁ Śrī Akhāṛā, Mahāṁ Karata Prabhu Dīp Karata Mahāprabhudīp Karata He Kevalaṁ—jewelry, assets, everything. And he wanted to invite Śiva and Pārvatī to show how much wealth he had. One day he invited them: “O Śiva, O Pārvatī, I wish to give you a special treat. Can you come to my home? I am going to invite you for dinner.” But Śiva and Pārvatī are very intelligent; they know the intention behind it, why Kubera invited them. They said, “Well, we are not able to come because we are not so hungry, but our children are always hungry. So, can you feed our children? Then we can send them.” “Who are your children?” “Oh, Gaṇeśa. Gaṇeśa will come.” Kubera thought, “Gaṇeśa? Fine. I can feed thousands like Gaṇeśa—that is my pride.” Because I have so much wealth. I have plenty of āṇas, anna, seeds, food, miṣṭānna, meva, and desserts. Mahāprabhujī Karatā, Mahāprabhujī Karatā, He Kevalam. So they kept bringing food and Gaṇeśa kept eating. Normally, a person eats maybe one kilo or half a kilo, but Gaṇeśa said, “No, I am still hungry. Do you give something more?” The servants went and brought whatever they had, and Gaṇeśa kept eating. Even after everything cooked in the kitchen was brought, Gaṇeśa ate it all. Then Kubera came: “Gaṇeśa, how are you? How was the food? Are you happy now?” Gaṇeśa said, “Well, the food was nice, but I am still hungry.” But the food was finished. Gaṇeśa continued, “You promised my parents that you would satisfy my hunger. How come you are not satisfying my hunger now? And you say the kitchen is empty.” Now Kubera was in great trouble. He went to his neighbors’ houses asking, “Do you have something, please? Today we have a special guest in our home.” The neighbors were surprised: “Oh my God, Kubera has come to beg at our home!” So they gave. They came, cooked, and served Gaṇeśa again. “Are you happy now?” “No, I am still not happy. I want to eat.” Kubera went all around the kingdom, whatever food he found he brought and cooked for Gaṇeśa, but Gaṇeśa was still not satisfied. Then Gaṇeśa, feeling really hungry, began to eat even the wooden furniture, the benches, the plates, the glass—everything. Kumbha Melā, Jadān, Oṁ Śrī Akhāṛā, Nāhaṁ Karatā Purī Jī, Siddha Pīṭha Paramparā, Viśokānandajī, Mahāṁ Karatā Purī Jī, Siddha Pīṭha Paramparā, Jadān, Oṁ Śrī Akhāṛā, Nāhaṁ Karatā Purī Jī, Siddha Pīṭha. Kubera rushed to Śiva’s place. “O Śiva, sorry that I could not feed your child. He is going to finish even my house! Please help me.” At that very moment Gaṇeśa declared, “If you are not going to feed me, I will have to eat you—because you told me you would give me plenty of food.” Kubera was in terrible distress, crying, “Trāhi mām, trāhi mām. O Prabhu, bachāo, bachāo, bachāo. Āpke Gaṇeśa ne to sārā khā liyā.” He begged Śivajī to save him. When Kubera reached Śivajī, Śiva told him, “Well, I cannot help you with this. Just go and worship Gaṇeśa. Gaṇeśa is not like that; if you give him a handful of rice, he will be happy. But how come he ate so much today? There must be some reason. Better go, worship, and appease him.” So Kubera went and, with a humble heart, offered just a handful of rice to Gaṇeśa. Gaṇeśa became so happy: “Thank you very much. If you offer with a polite, humble attitude, even less than a handful of rice is enough for me. But you were proud that you could feed anyone, that you could show off. That is why you wanted to invite my mother and father. That is why we wanted to give you a lesson. That hunger was not real hunger—it was māyā, an illusory hunger born of your pride. That is why Śiva always gives you bliss from one hand and from the other, he will slap as well. So you better be careful what you ask for.” This story tells us that human beings are very greedy. Mahatma Gandhi said that the world has enough for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed. Greedy people never say, “I am satisfied”; they always have something more to ask. From the time of their birth, people ask God: “O God, can you give me the certificate? I have to pass HSC or Year Twelve.” They pass. Then, “O God, can you give me a good job?” They get the job. Then they keep asking, “O God, can you give me a beautiful spouse?” That happens. Again, “O God, can you give me a beautiful house?” That also happens. They keep asking and asking. What happens if your child keeps begging you? “Oh Dad, give me the TV. Oh Dad, give me this. Oh Dad, give me that.” Eventually you might not tolerate it; you might slam something or say something harsh. But God is so merciful that He still gives. Look—people never stop begging, begging, begging, until late in life. Even when their death is near, they keep asking. That is human desire; desire is infinite. So the teaching is: do not go on asking before God. Just go and thank God for whatever He has given. Whatever we have received so far, simply thank Him. He wants that. It does not mean He does not know what you deserve and what you do not deserve. If you could receive anything you asked for, people would ask for the whole universe. Mahāprabhujī Karatā He Kevalam Śrī Śrī… We finalize chapters seventeen to nineteen, and here we have more stories: how Kāmadeva and Vasiṣṭhajī married, how Kāmadeva was born, and how he was cursed by Śiva. Everything is there—a very interesting part. But before that, we will listen to some bhajan and speak about another spiritual meaning. Jai, Sakala Bhakta Jana Ki Jai, Our Musicians Ki Jai, Hari Om. You see, Śiva is Sundar—Śiva is the happiest person, and Śiva is merciful. Śiva always gives boons, whatever you ask. He cannot tolerate the suffering of His devotees; the way a bhakta comes and begs before Him, Śiva is always merciful. And that is why Śiva always remains in the śmaśāna, and the śmaśāna is the symbol of fear. People are fearful; nowadays the cemetery is the most fearful place, which is why people do not want to go there. But Śiva can live there. How come Śiva has no fear? He can sit there because Śivajī is the master of fear. So if anyone praises Śivajī, their fear goes away. That is why Śivajī lives in the cremation ground, wears bhasma, and wears a snake garland around his neck. If you understand the full form of fear, you will see that fear is false evidence appearing as real. It is not real, but the false evidence appears as real; thus fear is just an illusion. You might have fears about life, about so many things—tensions, worries, anxieties. But it is said that ninety percent of worries and tensions will never actually exist in this world. People just worry: “Oh, what will happen tomorrow? What about this, what about that?” But ninety percent of those worries do not exist at all—worrying for nothing. You may be sitting here, eating and enjoying spirituality, yet still worries arise: “What will happen? What about the plane tickets? What about the other arrangements? What about my job and family?” Everything comes to mind. Do not worry; everything will be alright. Here is a simple example: in life, we are eating a beautiful dessert right now, but we cannot enjoy its taste because we worry about tomorrow. “Tomorrow, what will happen? Will we have food or not? Will we get what we need?” So we are, today, happy—but worrying about tomorrow. Instead, be in the moment. Shiva is in the present. When you are happy in this moment, you are happy. Do not worry; tomorrow is not here yet, and the past is already gone. So be in the moment. And Śiva is the fearless one; He always teaches freedom from fear. He frees everyone from sorrow. Whatever worry you have in the world, that worry exists at most ten percent, not ninety percent. That is why you should not worry. Go to the refuge of Lord Śiva, chant the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya mantra, and meditate on him. If you believe completely, you will never be made sorrowful. Ye āj tak kā mahāpuruṣ kā anubhav hai, āj tak kā sādhu sant mahant kā anubhav hai, āj tak ke veda grantha kā anubhav hai, ki āp pūrā pūrā viśvās karo, to bhagavān āpko akelā nahīṃ chhoṛegā, āp kabhī akelā nahīṃ ban jāoge. So whenever you are, just remember you will not be alone; you will be connected directly or indirectly. That is why Śiva is the one who removes all fears and obstacles. There is a very genuine question, and many of you know the answer. The cobra is the king of snakes. Śivajī’s neck is precious, so only a precious snake, the king of snakes, can rest there. And that neck is his Nīlakaṇṭha. What is in his throat? Poison. The snake sits there on the poison-filled throat, which means he is free from fear. Unke gale mein kya hai? Poison hai. Jaise sāp kya baiṭhtā hai? To poison ki jo gale mein sāp hai, to that means wo dhar se muktā hai. Gale mein sāp rakhne se bhi usko kush dhar nahī̃ hai. To uskā mūrti mein sāp hone kā artha yehī hai ki be free from the fear. When you take refuge in Śivajī, when you remember Śivajī, you will not feel the pain of material difficulties; you will always be free. Difficulties come and go; every pain has to go. Whatever difficulties there are, they will go. You just surrender yourself to God, to the Guru, and to the Lord; then all your sorrows will be destroyed. Śiva is the forgetful one, and yet Śiva is fully present. You must have heard that Kapālī meditation is done in the śmaśāna. Many sadhus practice there. You might go there, and on the first day you will have difficulties; by the second and third day, you will feel the energy of Śiva. And when you feel that nothing is wrong, you can meditate, and you will find that it is the safest place in the world. No cheaters, no robbers, no dacoits, no one like that will go there. No one can disturb you; only you can meditate. It is one of the safest places—no noise from anyone, and even people from five kilometers away might not want to walk there at night. Even security guards or others do not want to stay there overnight. So it is a beautiful place to meditate. That is why in Kapālī meditation, Śiva always remains in the śmaśāna—which means free from fear. And he also applies the bhasma from the śmaśāna, reminding us that one day we too will have to remain there in that śmaśāna. Part 4: The Mystery of Śiva’s Muṇḍa Mālā and the Spiritual Energy of Kumbha Melā You all know why Śivajī is so innocent. He places his Kharānī here. That Kharānī is to remind us of our cremation place—that we all must go there one day. And to remind us of that, he wears bhasma on his body. That is why he says, “What will the world do to him who does Śṛṅgāra Aṅgāra?” For one who has nothing and needs nothing, no one can destroy him, no one can hurt him. That is Śiva. Śiva says that when you always surrender to God and Guru, when you have the grace of the Guru, then you will be free from fear. That is the stress-healing thing. In the material world, people are panicked; they commit suicide, they suffer from heavy stress. But when they come to spirituality, they are happy. The stress goes away, the fear goes away. That is why the Kumbha Melā is also one of the spiritual fairs. And in this spiritual fair, no matter how many kilometers you are away from the Shiprā Gaṅgā, still you will receive that spiritual energy. And how does that spiritual energy help us? You might ask. If there were a chalk and dust blackboard, I could explain in more detail. But it says that when you are in Shiprā, in Kumbha Melā, you know that Jupiter is in Leo and the Sun is in Aries at this time. So both are generating a heavenly energy, and their energy is radiating into the water. And from the water, that reflection extends forty-five kilometers from the Shiprā River. That is why, no matter how far—up to forty-five kilometers away—the energy is still surrounding. The spiritual energy is activating because the earth’s atmosphere, the vāyu, is the magnetic field. That is why, if you take the holy water from here, it has the power to resist contamination—that holy nectar—for many, many years. And it has been tested in Canada. Someone took water from a normal river, and someone took water from the Gaṅgā. They put it in a refrigerator for two or three years. After three years, they took that water to the laboratory for testing. They found that the normal water was contaminated—obviously, a lot of bacteria—but the Ganges water was purer. There was no bacteria. Look at this amazing thing. That is why, no matter where you carry a bottle of this water—to Europe, Hungary, Portugal, Australia, America, wherever—you can keep it for years and years. That is the wonderful thing. That is why, in pūjā, before worshipping, you can simply put holy water three times into your mouth and then say: “Oṃ Mādhavāya Namaḥ, Oṃ Govindāya Namaḥ, Oṃ Keśavāya Namaḥ, Oṃ Nārāyaṇāya Namaḥ, Hastar Prakṣālanaḥ, Ahaṃ So.” What do we do after this? We perform ācamana before the pūjā to be purified with the water of the Gaṅgā. From the heavens, from Jupiter, from the Sun, that energy accumulates and comes here. And if you know about astronomy, this has been proven by cosmologists and astronomers as well; it has been researched. Why are people coming here without any invitation, without any advertisement, and without any achievement? They are spending thousands and thousands of dollars just to come here from far away, around the world. And there is no invitation, and a long queue, and still they are coming. That is a continuous tradition of this world and these planets, which is wonderful. And when a sādhu, a meditative person, comes closer, it brings energy. And in an energetic place, if we stay here, we become more energetic. So it is full of really good and amazing things. If you know a little about astronomy, Jupiter is the planet of knowledge and intelligence. That is why, O Guru, if you stay here without doing anything, it affects your Chaitanya, your Chitta. It is said that the Kumbha Melā brings and uplifts Chitta Śakti. So that inner beauty, inner Chaitanya, will be uplifted. So if you read, if you practice, you can feel it yourself. Your mind will be free and more capable. Jupiterian energy in astrology means that if you are born under the influence of Jupiter—say you are born in Hungary, and in the sky of Hungary Jupiter was rising as a star—you are supposed to be a spiritual person and you are liable to receive intellectual things. Similarly, if you are under the influence of Mars, you might be connected with the medical sector, or the army, or security; your mind will go there. And if under Venus, you might be a writer, a fashion designer, a singer, or a creative person. That happens. So it is said, “As above, so below.” In astronomy there is a slogan: “As above, so below.” So that is why we are the body. It is like a sandwich: on one side is your birth, on the other side is your death. Whatever you put inside, according to that you have the taste. So life is yours. What sort of sandwich you want to make, you can make it. A beautiful, tasty, spicy sandwich—that’s up to you. Life and death are certain. But in the middle, what are we going to put? Spiritual satsaṅga, or some tāmasic satsaṅga, or some intoxication, or marijuana satsaṅga, or whatever it is. So we can make it according to our choice. That is why it is said that you always have the choice to make a beautiful life, and God will help you. And stress will go away. We are talking about this Kumbha Melā and how it can be useful. Even if you just go and dip down there, the river carries healing capacity. So if you dip, it can heal you. In astrology also, it says that if you are born under a certain yoga—like Mūla, or any other specific planetary situation, Mūla Nakṣatra or Kāla Sarpa or Caṇḍāla Yoga—at that time, if you collect water from nine different places, not one source, perhaps you need to collect from rivers and different places: Mahāprabhujī, dip; Mahāprabhujī, dip; Mahāprabhujī, dip. When you dip down, that is the healing capacity. And not only does it heal your physical body, but it also heals your mental and eternal pain. And you uplift your chaitanya, your chitta. When you uplift the chitta, then you are close to your path, the goal of self-realization. And how can we attain the goal? The first thing is purity. And what is the significance, what are the symptoms of purity? Dhṛtiḥ kṣamā damaḥ śaucam indriya-nigrahaḥ dhīḥ vidyā satyam akrodho daśakaṃ dharma-lakṣaṇam Dhṛti Chama Dāmos Teyam So, practice and faith are beautiful things. In humanity, what happens is that when the time comes, when the opportunity arises, we become gentle, nice people. And when the opportunity is gone, we then show our natural nature, isn’t it? Here in India, there is an old story I always love to share. The people there are very nice, devoted, and dharmic. In one village, a person used to always recite the Rāmāyaṇa before going to bed. He would read one chapter each night. He had a cat, and whenever he started reading the Rāmāyaṇa, the cat would come and stay close by. He would pat the cat, and he started placing a candle light on top of the cat’s belly. The cat wouldn’t move; it stayed there. He read, finished, then took the light off, and the cat would go the other way, and he would go to bed. This happened many days. The neighbor exclaimed, “Oh my God, such a spiritual cat! He reads the Rāmāyaṇa and places a candle on the cat.” What a surprise. And rumors spread quickly, especially here. One person, then another, many people came. “Oh, look! Maybe the cat is the Guru.” They came with money, fruits, clothes. Heaps of fruits, clothes, and money accumulated. Then one person began to make a statement: “Purījī, Purījī…” Then a wise man came. He had a mouse in his pocket. While he was reading the Rāmāyaṇa, he suddenly threw the rat in front of the cat. The cat jumped and ran away. So the cat was gentle only until it found a rat. When it saw the rat, it didn’t care about the light or anything. In the same way, in our lives as human beings, until we get an opportunity, we appear gentle; but people are the most opportunistic. It is said that the human being is the most dangerous and opportunistic animal on this planet. So we need to correct these things. Spirituality is very helpful. Spiritual practice is our asset. And after great blessings and mercy from the great Guru, Sadguru, and God, we get this opportunity. That is why, in human life, by the grace of the Guru and by the grace of Bhagavān, we receive this opportunity. So for that opportunity, we stay here. Jai Boli Śrī Śrī Bhagavān Kī Jai! Jai Boli Śrī Bhagavān Kī Jai! And at the same time, in the Śiva Purāṇa, it says that one day Pārvatī asked Śiva, “O Svāmījī, I have a question for you.” And Śiva said, “Well, if you promise me, I can tell you. Otherwise, I cannot tell you.” Pārvatī promised, and Śiva said, “Now you can ask.” She said: “You wear a mālā around your neck, a beautiful garland. What is the reason for that mālā? What about it?” Śivajī was surprised. “How come you ask this suddenly?” Because Nārada had advised her. When Pārvatī was alone, Nārada went and told her, “O Pārvatī, do you know? Śivajī is wearing a special mālā, but you don’t know. There are sacred things that you still do not know. You need to ask him; you deserve to ask.” Nārada is talkative; he told Pārvatī, and she became filled with curiosity. When Śiva came, she asked the reason. Śiva said, “It was not supposed to be told, but since I promised you, I must tell you.” This is the Muṇḍa Mālā, and it has a great mystery. I must tell you when no one else is around, for no one else should hear. There is an amazing, great story behind it. Śivajī took her deep into the jungle. He played the Ḍamaru, the cosmic drum, so that no one could hear. Then he told the secret. Later, someone did overhear the secret—but that is a long story. For now, I can tell you. Śiva revealed the mystery of the mālā: “You are born many times, and you die many times. Each life is one beat. So whatever number of times you are born and die, that many beats I count and string them into my mālā.” That was the reason. Pārvatī began to cry, “O Svāmījī, I must burn and die. I have undergone many births and deaths. But how is it that you live always? Can you tell me something special? What is the mystery?” And Śiva would later explain further. After that, the story passed from Śukadeva to Vedavyāsa—that is a long story. So it is said that Pārvatī comes and goes, but Śiva always remains. That means Śiva is omnipresent. Yesterday I explained the Advaita philosophy. Advaita philosophy holds that the supreme God, the supreme consciousness, is one, and Mahādeva and all others are manifestations or helpers. That is why there are branches—that is the beauty of Dharma, the many Gods and Goddesses and Sampradāyas. But at the center, there is only Śiva, the omnipresent, and He rules. So if you make Śiva happy, you can always receive His blessings. Jai Bholam Śiv Bhagavān Ko, Jai Śivjī Ke Sa Sat Ne, Bahut Bhagavān Hai, Lekin Sāre To Kyā Hai Sāī Karne Vāle Hai, Śiva To Ek Hai, Advaita Hai. Now it is time to chant with great vibration: Oṃ Namaḥ Śivāya. We can stand, stretch, put our devotion, and chant. You can even dance, or make your beautiful sound, and chant Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya. Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya Bhole Bhole... Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya Bhole Bhole... Harahara Harahara... Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya Harahara Bholē Bholē... Nama Nama Śivāya Oṁ Nama Śivāya Oṁ Nama Śivāya Jai Bholē Bholē Nama Śivāya Har Har Bholē Nama Śivāya Nama Nama Śivāya Hari Oṁ Śivāya Hari Oṁ... Śivāya Bholā Bholā Śivāya Hari Śivāya Śivāya... Hari Hari Śivāya Hari Śivāya Bholā Bholā Śivāya Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya Bholā Bholā... Oṁ Oṁ... Kailāśa Pati Śivāya, Gaurī Mātā Śivāya, Bolo Nāma Śivāya, Śiva Śiva Śivāya, Kailāśa Pati Śivāya, Nīla Kaṇṭha Śivāya, Kailāśa Pati Śivāya, Nīla Kaṇṭha Śivāya, Bolo Bale Śivāya, Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya. Om Namah Śiva, Bholē Bholē Śiva, Om Namah Śiva, Bholē Bholē Śiva, Om Namah Śiva, Jai Bholē Bholē, Om Namah Śiva, Om Namah Śivāya, Om Namah Śivāya... Jai Bolo Bhola Bābā Kī, Kailāśpati Mahādev Kī, Umā Mātā Kī. In this auspicious time, let us chant the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra and bring auspiciousness within ourselves. Let us chant the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra continuously, and appease Bhola Bābā. Can He help us overcome all obstacles to connect with Him? This is the wonderful divine mantra in this Kali Kāla: Oṃ Tryambakaṃ Yajāmahe Sugandhiṃ Puṣṭivardhanam Urvārukamiva Bandhanān Mṛtyormukṣīya Mā’mṛtāt... Oṃ Tryambakaṃ Yajāmahe Sugandhiṃ Puṣṭivardhanam Urvārukamiva Bandhanān Mṛtyormukṣīya Mā’mṛtāt... Oṁ Tryambakaṁ Yajāmahe Sugandhiṁ Puṣṭivardhanam, Uruvārukamiva Bandhanān Mṛtyormukṣīya Mā’mṛtāt... Oṃ Drayaṃ Vakaṃ Yajāmaheṣu Gandhiṃ Puṣṭi Vardhanaṃ Urva Rukame Vavandanātaṃ Ṛtyoraṃ Akcheryaṃ Amṛta. With Śiva’s divine grace, we are able to finish, we are able to complete today’s session. Without His grace, we cannot complete it. It is said that wherever the Śiva Purāṇa is being recited in a holy ceremony, Śiva Himself comes in various forms. Śivajī is obviously here, and we salute that divine power, the divinity. People seek peace and pleasures, and peace and pleasures come from omnipresence. The happy God is Śiva, who is within our own self. And may we ask of the gods: O God, we don’t need anything. Just grant us devotion, and allow us until death to perform our devotions. We ask this continuously, with the divine instruction of our Guru and the divine blessings from God, that we may have the opportunity to connect with You in this form, in this holy Melā, this holy fair. Please bless us so that we may chant Your energy continuously until the last minute of our lives and remember You. O Śiva, we ask this: with Your blessings, may we always be happy and be messengers of peace in our actions, words, and thoughts. We will carry Your spirit and always spread the message of divinity and spirituality. We came in a human form, and we are lucky that we are connecting with You through this Śiva Purāṇa. Thank you very much. We place our heads at Your lotus feet, O Śiva, O Divine Guru, Satguru. Thank you. We have no words to thank You. You have shown great mercy upon us. We can offer you nothing except our devotion. Madhukam Paya Pūjā Chaib Najanāmī Khyāmasya Parameśvarī Yad Pūjitam Mayā Deva Paripūrṇa Tadas Tume, Anyathā Śaraṇam Nāsti Tomeva Śaraṇam Mama. Tasmat Kāruṇya Bhavena Rakṣamam Parameśvara. Karacharaṇa Kṛta Mūḍha, Karma Jaṁ Kāya Jaṁ Mūḍha, Śravaṇa Nayana Jaṁ Mūḍha, Manasaṁ Mūḍha. Paradham, Bhitam Bhitam Mua, Sarameta Dakshya Mashwa, Jai Jai Karunam De Śrī Mahādeva Śambhu. Oṁ Pūrṇam Adaḥ Pūrṇam Idaṁ Pūrṇāt Pūrṇam Udacyate, Pūrṇasya Pūrṇam Ādāya Pūrṇam Eva Avaśiṣyate. Oṁ Sarvavai Pūrṇāhasvāhā, Sarvavai Pūrṇāhasvāhā. Oṁ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ...