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Part 1: The Divine Union of Śiva and Pārvatī Oṁ Śrī Gaṇeśāya namaḥ. Oṁ Śrī Sarasvatī namaḥ. Sarasvatī namastubhyaṁ varade kāmarūpiṇi, vidyārambhaṁ karīṣyāmi siddhir bhavatu me sadā. Oṁ Śrī Gurve namaḥ. Guru, Guru Brahma, Guru Viṣṇu, Guru Deva, Maheśvara, Guru Sākṣāt, Paraṁ Brahma, Tasmai Śrī, Guruve Namaha. Oṁ, Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinaḥ, Sarve Santu Nirāmayāḥ, Sarve Bhadrāṇi Paśyantu, Mā Kaścid Duhkhabhāg Bhavet. Oṁ, Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ,... Oṁ Asato Mā Satgamaya, Tamaso Mā Jyotirgamaya, Mṛtyor Mā Amṛtaṁ Gamaya. Oṁ Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ. Maṅgalya Pūjā, Pratham Pradhān, Gṛhanām Pūjā, Bhagavān Namaste, Hari Oṁ, Oṁ Śrī Purāṇa, Puruṣāya Namaḥ, Śrī Gaṇeśāya Namaḥ, Śrī Sarasvatī Namaḥ, Śrī Gurudev Namo Namaḥ. I welcome you all to this special Śiva Purāṇa session. We are at the concluding part of the Rudra Saṁhitā. Please accept the greetings of Ācārya Rajan Śarmā. Wherever you are listening from, with the blessings of the Guru and the grace of God, I invite you to today’s discourse. This evening, we will purify our minds with the nectar of Lord Śiva’s words, making our minds pure and loving. We will explore how Śiva and Pārvatī reunite, the questions Pārvatī asks Śiva, his answers, and how we can implement those principles in our lives. We will understand the purpose of Śiva Pūjā and the message Śiva and Pārvatī wish to give the universe. You are aware that Satī Devī immolated herself in the sacred fire of Dakṣa’s yajña. After that, Śiva remained alone on Mount Kailāśa. Wherever parts of Satī Devī’s body fell, 51 Śakti Pīṭhas emerged around the world, which are still visited as pilgrimage sites. Now, I will explain how Satī Devī obtained a second life, was reborn, and how Mahādeva and all the deities supported the marriage of Pārvatī and Śiva. This is an amazing story. In the Śiva Purāṇa, Nārada, the son of Brahmā, asks, and Brahmā explains how Śiva meets Pārvatī. This is the reunification of masculine and feminine energy. I will explain how nature (prakṛti) and the conscious spirit (puruṣa) come together and cannot be separated—the fundamental rule of this universe. Jai Bholē Bābā Kī Jai. In today’s Satsaṅg, I wish to tell you that after Satī Devī gave up her body in the first year of her marriage to Śiva, the Lord wandered the world. During his prolonged absence from Kailāśa, all the deities became sorrowful, and the entire structure of the universe was disturbed. This is from the second chapter of the Rudra Saṁhitā in the Mahāśiva Purāṇa. With the Lord’s grace, I will explain the last chapter in detail. At this time, Pārvatī Mātā was born as the daughter of Himālaya. Satī Devī’s soul was reborn in the lap of Himālaya Parvat because the mountain king performed intense penance to receive a divine daughter. This shows that penance yields results. In the Purāṇas, the greatest emphasis is on meditation. Meditation is the key to everything. Sādhanā can take many forms: chanting, meditation, yoga, prayer, and worship. Himālaya Parvat was fortunate to receive this divine child. From the moment of her birth, the princess was radiant and began chanting Śiva’s name: “Oṁ namaḥ śivāya.” She constantly worshiped Śiva, making śivaliṅgas from sand and dedicating herself to devotion. This is her divine play (līlā). If one has saṃskāras from a past life, one is naturally attracted to God and eternal truth from birth. Some people awaken to this later in life. If you have such saṃskāra, you will be connected to the divine regardless of where you are born. Similarly, Pārvatī had a great connection with Śiva from her previous life. You may wonder: How can Śiva and Pārvatī marry again? Is it the same wife, the same person? The principle is that Prakṛti and Puruṣa, Śiva and Pārvatī, are never separate. Just as day and night, the north and south poles, or the earth and sky are inseparable, so too are Śiva and Pārvatī. Śiva represents the transcendental state; when you meditate, truth and nature come together effortlessly. Bhagavān Śiva and Pārvatī have been together in all ages—sometimes as Satī Devī, sometimes as Pārvatī. When she was born as Himālaya’s daughter (Himālaya Putrī), she was virtuous from childhood. While playing with friends, she would make śivaliṅgas from mud and sand and worship Lord Śiva. Her saṅginīs (friends) would ask what she was doing. Her sole aim was to have Lord Śiva as her husband. This was not mere infatuation; it was pure devotion. Pārvatī worshiped Śiva attentively from the first day of this birth, sustained by the connection from her past life. You, too, can connect your present life with past lives. There are various theories, including regression meditation—a simple practice where you can gradually connect. By reading the biographies of great souls (mahāpuruṣas), you learn they could recall past lives. Every human being can become a mahāpuruṣa with proper practice of thought. For example, in regression meditation, you close your eyes and reverse your memories: a few minutes ago, before starting the Purāṇa, we offered devotion; before that, tea time; before that, the morning; and so on, going back to last night, yesterday, last week, last month, last year. With daily practice and the blessings of God and Guru, you can gain clarity. Isī ne yahāṁ pe bhī kiyā hai ki Pārvatī jī ko pūrva janma kā yād thā, to vo laukik rūp meṁ manuṣya kī putrī ho kar āyī thī. Lekin unkā sanskār, unkā jīvan kā jo sanskār hai jo pūrva janma se judā rahtā hai, to kabhī bhī vo Bhagavān se vimukh nahīṁ hote haiṁ. If you are connected from a previous life, you cannot be deviated. You cannot change your direction away from the ultimate truth, God, and the Guru. At this point, Pārvatī was worshiping Śiva constantly from childhood. One day, her friends asked her, “Why do you want Śiva? He is not very handsome. He has long matted hair, an ascetic’s body, and lives in cremation grounds. You are a king’s daughter, from a beautiful family. How can you choose him?” She always had one reply: “I do not wish to hear such things. Śiva is my target, my goal. I cannot be separated from him. I do not judge by bodily appearance.” Similarly, you see some people who from a young age are very talented, knowledgeable, and spiritually connected—like Śaṅkarācārya, who by age seven had mastered all scriptures. Many saints and enlightened beings have shown extraordinary wisdom from youth. Therefore, we should not judge by age, thinking, “You are too young to teach or guide.” They may have blessings from past lives; this may not be their first life. You can explore this through the power of meditation. Pārvatī always said that Śiva is her aim, that he is omnipresent and beyond time. He never grows old because he is above time. You can realize that in God’s realm, there is no time. Modern theory and even the Bible affirm this. When the Yahoodis (Jews) questioned Jesus about the difference between his realm and the spiritual realm, he replied that in God’s realm, there is no time. When you meditate or are deeply engrossed in something enjoyable, you feel time stands still. Time is relative to your activity. If you are waiting outside a toilet, time feels long; if you are inside, it also feels long. Time differs based on your situation. If you are waiting outside a hall, even half an hour can feel like hours. But if you are inside listening and enjoying, time passes quickly. Similarly, when meditating or with a beloved person, you forget time. Waiting 10 minutes for someone can feel like hours, but spending two hours with them can feel like one. Wherever your mind is joyful, free from stress and pain, you do not count time. During an exam, a focused student does not notice time. In the same way, when you are absorbed in devotion, time loses its meaning. Pārvatī used to say that Śiva is very easy to please. She was attentively meditating, “Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya,” playing with the śivaliṅga, happy in her worship. As she grew older, she continued her devotion. Mahādeva observed her and decided to test the depth of her devotion. He wanted to see if her desire for him was genuine or superficial. One day, as Pārvatī was meditating, chanting “Oṁ namaḥ śivāya,” Mahādeva disguised himself as Viṣṇu and approached her. He said, “O Pārvatī, I am here. Do you know I am Viṣṇu?” Pārvatī looked at him and said, “Why are you here? I did not invite you; I am not worshiping you.” The disguised Śiva said, “I have come because I am concerned for you. Mahādeva is not a compatible match for you. You are a beautiful princess, and he is an ascetic with matted hair, who smokes bhaṅg and lives naked. How is he suitable for you? You should reconsider. I am a handsome hero and can look after you. I am the best person for you.” Pārvatī asked, “Who are you?” He replied, “I am Viṣṇu. See, I bear the Śaṅkha, Cakra, and Gadā. I am happy to marry you; do not miss this opportunity.” Pārvatī responded firmly, “No, wrong number. I do not wish to hear this. If you continue speaking like this, I will have to curse you. I am a devotee of Mahādeva; I desire only him. If you keep speaking and touching upon this matter, I will curse you.” As Pārvatī spoke thus, Mahādeva revealed his true form and said, “Do not worry. I am the one you seek. I am Śiva. I came only to test you. Now ask, what do you want?” Pārvatī exclaimed, “Oh, my glory! Oh, my God! Oh, my Almighty! You are Śiva. I did not know you were testing me. Thank you, my Lord. Your presence itself is my blessing; I need not ask for anything.” Śiva said, “When anyone pleases me, I must grant a boon. Please ask, what do you desire?” Pārvatī said, “Mahādeva, I have only one goal in life: to have you as my husband. This is my destiny from my previous life. I have been waiting for you; you are my husband, and I cannot be separated from you. I seek that blessing from you. I have no other desire.” Mahādeva said, “Tathāstu (so be it).” He blessed her, “Tathāstu, Tathāstu, Tathāstu.” Pārvatī was overjoyed. Mahādeva disappeared, and she returned to her father’s home in the Himalayas. She shared the good news with Himālaya Parvat: Mahādeva had blessed her and would marry her. Himālaya was a king, and it seemed impossible for an ordinary person to marry God. Yet, through her supreme devotion, she achieved this. Is that not amazing? That is the power of devotion. Why does this story exist? To show that these unions cannot be separated. It is said that both marriage and death are predetermined. People often say, “I want to choose a beautiful partner,” or “I do not like that person; I will marry someone else.” But marriage and death are destined. Wherever there is a karmic connection, you must resolve that karma. Perhaps there is a link from a past life. Therefore, whoever your partner is, understand that you are resolving karma with them. You have accounts to settle. That is why it is said nothing happens without a reason. There is a reason for everything that happens to you and to all of us. Pārvatī’s destiny was also designed. God has already charted the map; we only need to walk the path. Therefore, always feel that whatever happens is by His will. However, you must also act. If you sit crying inside a room, you will not find your partner. You must make effort, and the connection will manifest. Here, when Pārvatī Mātā was worshiping, her greatest desire was to have Śivajī as her husband. This was her supreme dharma and desire, rooted in her previous birth. At that time, Bhagavān observed that Pārvatī was performing severe penance—sometimes in the jungle, sometimes by the river, sometimes at home, sometimes hungry, sometimes sleepless, yet always demonstrating unwavering devotion and dharma. Therefore, Bhagavān was pleased, and Śrī Mahādeva approached. While Pārvatī was doing tapasyā, chanting “Oṁ namaḥ śivāya,” Śrī Mahādeva, to test her, changed his form and went to her in the guise of Viṣṇu. Pārvatījī was told, “O Pārvatī, open your eyes, for you have come to the place where you are destined to be.” Pārvatī opened her eyes, and there stood another person. Part 2: The Test of Devotion and the Auspicious Union Pārvatī asked, "Who are you?" Śiva, who had changed his attire, told her, "I am Viṣṇu." Pārvatī responded, "I have never worshipped Viṣṇu. Why have you come?" When Pārvatī asked this, Mahādeva, who had changed his attire to appear as Viṣṇu, said, "Mahādeva is a jaṭādhārī; he sits in the cremation ground, he eats bhaṅg and dhatūrā, and he is never happy for a beauty like you. So, if you make a beautiful person like me..." At this, Pārvatī stood up and got ready to curse him. "I do not want to listen to even one bad word about Mahādeva," she declared. Because a devotee is always a devotee of Bhagavān. He or she always wants to listen to Bhagavān's love. That is why she stood up. When she was ready to offer the water of the curse, Mahādeva became scared and said, "Pārvatī, stop, stop... because you are looking for the same Śiva. That is why I became Viṣṇu to test you." When Śiva showed his true form, Pārvatī started crying with joy. "O Mahādeva! O Devādidev! You have done a very good deed. You have come. My wish has been fulfilled." Then she began to say, "Mahādeva, wherever I go, I bless you. You also say what you want." After listening to Pārvatī's words, Mahādeva said, "You should ask for a boon." Pārvatī said, "Mahādevjī, I have only one goal in my life: I want to get you as my husband. I want you to come in the form of my husband." Mahādeva said, "As you have asked, so it shall be." Pārvatī became very happy, and Mahādeva returned to Kailāśa. Pārvatī, overjoyed, went home to make her father and mother happy. This is a story from the Śiva Purāṇa. This is a story of Amṛt. Keep listening to it. It is a very mysterious thing. It is not a story written by someone; God himself has presented it. This is Amṛt Bāṇī. It is very interesting in Amṛt Bāṇī that in today's life, if someone is not motivated by devotion, then this is a good example for you. If you keep worshipping something continuously, then you will definitely get success. Never leave your path. Never take yourself away from the path. Because starting something good is half the success. When you keep moving forward, it is good. That is why, here also, Lord Śiva came for the honour of women, for the honour of women's devotion; he himself came for darśan. That is why, in Sanskrit, it is said: "Yatra nāryastu pūjyante ramante tatra devatāḥ." So, this is why wherever women are worshipped, there the Gods are pleased. If you worship, if there is honour, if a woman is honoured, that house, that place, God will be happy. That’s why in Sanskrit, if you honour any woman or respect her, then God will be appeased. You can appease God. And that’s why it is said that Mahādeva also honoured Pārvatī’s devotion. He came. But at that time, the many Nāradas and Brahmā and Viṣṇu, all the goddesses and deities, they worshipped Mahādeva. "Oh Mahādeva, Pārvatī is doing very hard meditation, and you have to go and bless her. Otherwise, she might be upset, or she is going to die." And that’s why Mahādeva was there in disguise. He appeared in a different form. And now the story is going ahead, and here Mahādeva was worshipped by many deities, gods and goddesses. And they are asking, "Oh, Mahādeva, the right time has come. Now we have to go. We have to make a bridal party. We have to go to arrange a bridal party with Pārvatī. This is the high time, and the auspicious muhūrta." And Devādideva, everyone, they decided the auspicious time. You know that everything has to be done at a good time. If the time is not right, it is not good. Even though something good is going to happen, it will turn out badly. That’s why it is said that everything needs to be done according to the Muhūrta. So, do you know about Muhūrta? In Muhūrta, there is a five-segment Pañcāṅga. Pañcāṅga: Tithi, Vāra, Yoga, Karaṇa. There are five segments. Tithī is the lunar day. Vāra is the solar day. Yoga is the combination of the planets. Nakṣatra is the constellation which is residing in the belt of the earth’s constellation, and karaṇa is the combination of the energy. That is why the five segments, the five energies, if they are balanced, that day you can... perform anything auspicious. That’s why in our astrology, in our calculation, there is a specific time calculation theory and methods as well. Nowadays, people are unhappy because they don’t do the compatibility. They don’t do the things before marriage or anything according to the Vedic Muhūrta. So if you follow all the rules, it is definitely a science that works. In modern society, many people nowadays go dating first, they fall in love, and when they are emotionally attached, they go to an astrologer’s place. "Oh, how is our compatibility?" By that time, they are already attached, and they have made it a problem for the astrologer. So if the astrologer says, "Oh, this marriage is not good," and they might actually... do you have any idea? Please, yeah, don’t say that. So they want to see all these good things. That’s why, before dating, the Vedic tradition is: before dating, just check your chart first, and if your energy is matching, then you can go longer. So that’s the Vedic tradition, and you can enjoy your conjugal life and live happily forever. Similarly, Śiva and Pārvatī also did the compatibility and also found out the time, the muhūrta. That means there is a karmic connection, obviously, but it’s still that you can do and connect with each other. That’s the muhūrta. In the Vedic era, in the Vedic scripture, there is a calculation of the optimal time for conceiving a baby as well. So that says, like, what sort of baby you want to make, what sort of kids, generation you want to bring into this earth. That’s also the Vedic calculation; the Muhūrta has given the baby conceiving a specific time as well. So if we follow, definitely that comes at a good time. If you plant anything in summer, like paddy, if you plant the paddy in summer... The paddy will not grow properly. If you plant the paddy in the raining season, that grows nicely. So everything has got a season. And here, although on this planet also, there is the season, that good weather of the cosmic energy, and if you follow that energy, it is wonderful and fruitful. Parāśara Ṛṣi, he was the father of the Veda Vyāsa, who wrote all the scriptures. And Parāśara Ṛṣi also found out the good muhūrta for the conceiving, and that brilliant Vyāsa arrived. In the same way, there is some muhūrta, and it’s not happened just without anything. So if you go back to Rāma and Sītā’s marriage as well, Rāma and Sītā, so when the svayaṃvara finished, Rāma and Sītā’s svayaṃvara finished, then later on the astrologers, jyotiṣīs, they said, like, Rāma is maṅgalik, and maṅgalik means, like, he will not have conjugal pleasure, conjugal life pleasure. He’s supposed to live separately from his wife. And that is told by jyotiṣīs, and that message went to Sītā’s mother. Normally, a mother is very worried. And she said, "Well, the svayaṃvara is finished, but I don’t want to marry with Rāma. I don’t want to give my daughter’s hand to Rāma." Because Rāma doesn’t have the beautiful and pleasurable conjugal life. "So why should I want to ruin my daughter’s life? Better not to marry." She wanted to stop it at that time. And the svayaṃvara had already finished; the Śiva dhanu was already broken by Rāma, but how come the marriage is not going to happen? Then what happened is they went to Vasiṣṭha Ṛṣi, they went to Viśvāmitra Ṛṣi to find out some solution, and they see that, and it is saying that in the Veda, there is always a solution. If there is a problem, there is a solution as well. Where there is a problem, there is a solution as well. And they said, like, well, then you have to choose a special Muhūrta. So, a muhūrta can heal a being, and it is also auspicious. And they found out, calculated, and according to the Jyotiṣa or Muhūrta, if you find Uttara Nakṣatra, that’s the best constellation for marriage. And Rāma and Sītā decided to marry in Uttara Nakṣatra. All was arranged; they waited for that time. But there was confusion with the divine energy. If Rāma marries at the best auspicious time, he will be happy with his wife, and who will go to kill the demon Rāvaṇa? Then that will not be fair. Rāma’s Janma, Rāma Janmaka Hetu, Aneka Parama Bichitra, Ekatu Ekata. So, Rāma... He was not only to be married to Sītā; he had a great purpose to come into this universe. That’s why what happened is, the devatās, the deities, they did a trick. "Okay, if you are going to marry in Uttara, we have some trick." And they sent one beautiful dancer from heaven, and when they were about to marry, at that time, he started to dance outside, and everyone was attracted there. And he danced more beautifully and amazingly attractively, and everyone was indulging. The time had passed away; the Uttara Nakṣatra was gone, so they could not get that auspicious time. Later on, they worried, "What will be the solution?" And again, the sages received advice that, "Well, that was the desire of the universe. Try to find out the solution, but this happened. Everyone is attracted; even though I’m a great sage, then I also lost that time. So what can we do? That is maybe the līlā from God and Guru. That’s why, let them marry now." And they married, and whatever happened obviously: Sītā and Rāma married, but they didn’t have that much pleasure, conjugal life in regards of married life. Sometimes Rāvaṇa kidnaps, sometimes he had to go into exile, sometimes she went down inside the mother earth, so they hardly stayed together for a longer time. So that was the story as well, how the connection, muhūrta, and the marriage time. Here also, I would like to explain that, and Devādideva, they all, they found out the auspicious muhūrta when Pārvatī and Mahādeva are going to be married. Here the Śiva Purāṇa says that now all the Devas did what? For the excellent muhūrta for Śiva Bhagavān’s marriage, they searched for the excellent muhūrta. Without an excellent muhūrta, any work remains incomplete. Therefore, Himālaya, for the marriage of his daughter Pārvatī, everyone arranged for the best auspicious time. So at that time, all the astrologers and great men had calculated the best auspicious time. So our Vedic Śāstra tells us that if you do any work at the right time, then you will be blessed with good luck. If the auspicious time is not good, then the auspicious things also become inauspicious. So this is the example of the marriage of Śrī Rāma and Sītā Jī. In the marriage of Śrī Rām and Sītā Jī, when Rām Jī was found to be Maṅgalik through Jyotiṣa Śāstra, Sunayanā, who is the mother of Sītā Mātā, had rejected the marriage. But according to the advice of Jyotiṣa Parāmarśa, Vasiṣṭha Ṛṣi, and Viśvāmitra, she was arranged for marriage in Uttara Nakṣatra. But when Devādideva decided to marry in Uttara Nakṣatra, he decided to stay with his wife in Sukhaśaila and not to kill Rāvaṇa. So Devādideva sent a very good dancer from heaven to avert this time. When it was time for marriage in Uttara Nakṣatra, he started dancing very well. He started dancing, and while dancing, what happened? All the best sages, Viśvāmitra, Rāma, all of Janaka and Daśaratha forgot and watched the dance, and the auspicious time went by. The auspicious time went by. After that, what happened? Śrī Rāma’s marriage did not take place in Uttara Nakṣatra. And what happened later? That, if this is the grace of God, then we should marry at any time. Then what did we do? By the order of Viśvāmitra, after crossing the Uttara Nakṣatra, he got married. That’s why you can know Sītā and Rāma’s marriage. So Sītā and Rāma could not sit together. Sometimes Sītā had to go into the possession of Rāvaṇa, sometimes into the earth, so sometimes Śrī Rāmajī himself, for the protection of religion, Rajadharma, when it was time to follow, Sītā had to go out. So this is a small part about the importance of time. That’s why it is said, "Yatra nāryas tu pūjyante ramante tatra devatāḥ." What happens by worshipping a woman, by honouring a woman? Not only the deity of the house, but the deities of the world also become happy. If in our society, if we know that in society, whenever there is the practice of dowry, and female infanticide, and all things... Therefore we listen to these śāstras and purāṇas not only for stories. For social change, for personal change, and to bring a new thought to society, we do this. So for this, even if we do it one by one in the business, it becomes very good. Jai Bhole Bābā Kī, Jai Jai Bhole Śiva Bhagavān Kī. So at this time, the preparation for the marriage of Śiva and Pārvatī was done by Devādideva. Everyone took out a good, auspicious time, and it was time for the wedding. And with all the Saptaṛṣis, elephants, horses, chariots, and Śiva Gaṇa, all of them went to Himālaya’s house to ask for the hand of Himālaya’s daughter. And with Viṣṇu, as soon as they went, what did Himālaya do? Himālaya Parvata welcomed them. So what did Śiva do by welcoming them? Śiva welcomed Śiva. "Śiva, we are blessed to have a son-in-law like you. We have earned this from our previous birth. That’s why we will be happy to marry you. Bring a good son-in-law." So what did he do? His engagement was done, and as a good son-in-law, Śiva and Devādideva went to Pārvatī’s mother’s house. Then we will have a little song. And after that, we will continue. And this time, the Śiva Liṅga is one of the wonderful ideals that we can worship. And Śiva can be appeased, and it’s the energy, it’s a channeling energy. And we can worship the Śiva Liṅga now, wherever you are. Just close your eyes and remember the Śiva Liṅga. Worship with your full devotion, and place your hands on your heart, on the heart chakra. Remember the Śivaliṅga, and we chant this. If you are not following, just listen, and that vibration definitely gives you an amazing experience. Wherever you are, close your eyes and remember this voice; that is the Śivaliṅga. Hari Om. Brahma Murāri Surārcita-liṅgam, Nirmala-bhāṣita-śobhita-liṅgam, Janamaja-duḥkha-nāśaka-liṅgam, Tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva-liṅgam. Tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva-liṅgam. Brahmā murāri śrī-arcita-liṅgam, Nirmala-bhāṣita-śobhita-liṅgam, Janamaja-duḥkha-nāśaka-liṅgam, Tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva-liṅgam. Tat Praṇamāmi Sadāśivaliṅgam Devamuni Pravarārchitaliṅgam Kamadahana Karuṇākaraliṅgam Rāvaṇadarpadabhinaskaliṅgam Tat Praṇamāmi Sadāśivaliṅgam Tat Praṇamāmi Sadāśivaliṅgam... Sarva-sugandhi-sulipita-liṅgam Buddhi-vibhardhana-kāraṇa-liṅgam, Siddhasurāsura-surabandhi-liṅgam, Siddhasurāsura-bandita-liṅgam, Tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva-liṅgam. Tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva-liṅgam.... Kanaka-mahā-maṇi-bhūṣita-liṅgam. Phaṇi-pari-veṣṭita-śobhita-liṅgam. Dakṣas Ugya Bināsa Kāliṅgam, Tat Praṇamāmi Sadāśiva Liṅgam, Tat Praṇamāmi Sadāśiva Liṅgam. Brahma-murāri-śurārchita-liṅgam, Nirmala-bhāṣita-śobhita-liṅgam, Janma-dadukha-vināśaka-liṅgam, Tattva-pranamāmi-śādā-śiva-liṅgam, Tattva-pranamāmi-śādā-śiva-liṅgam. Tat praṇamāmi sādāsevaliṅgam, Jaya bhūliyā bhūliyā bhavakī. Very energetic. It’s the name of the Śiva-liṅgam. How come liṅgas takam? The 108 names of the Śiva-liṅgas. So when you chant 108 times, that is the purification. So you might already know that. Why 108 times? Why not 109 times? Why not only 100 times? Because 108 is an auspicious number. So that’s why you can see many Swāmīs or Siddha Puruṣas’ names also. There is 1008 Śrī Śrī... Mahārāj. So why is that? Because if you add that numerically, that 1 plus 0 plus 0 plus 8 is equal to how much? 9 is a complete number. How come it is complete? If you multiply 9, 9 multiplied by 2 is equal to 18. And 8 plus 1 is equal to 9. So 9 multiplied by 3 is 27. And in 27, 2 plus 7 is equal to 9. So if you multiply whatever with nine, that comes finally to nine. That’s why that’s the complete number; it’s a perfect number. If nine multiplies ten, it’s ninety, and if it’s ninety, nine plus zero is nine. So that’s why always nine is complete. So, one hundred and eight times this, or everything, is it happens? We have said that every time there are 108 times. In Liṅga Āśrama also, the name of Śiva Liṅga is chanted 108 times. Why 108 times? Why not 9? Why not 100? So it is written here that whatever you do, 1, 0, 0, 8 means 9 times 108 times means numerically you get 9: 1 plus 0 plus 0 plus 8, so it becomes 9. And if you multiply anything by 9, then what happens? It becomes 9 again. For 9, you multiply 2 by 2; 9 multiplied by 2, 18 comes. In 18, 1 and 8 are added together, then 9 comes. So if you multiply anything by 9, then it comes to the same thing. So 9 is a complete number. So in the Liṅga step, we have done this, that for Śivajī, for that, his name of Śiva Liṅga and his name of Śiva Liṅga is very beautiful, very beautiful. That’s why we live in this world, but keep doing dharma, be it gṛhasthī, be it sādhu, be it sant, be it mahant, be it anyone, keep doing your daily routine to yourself. But do not get away from devotion. When you get away from devotion, then what is it? When in the river, in the cloud, which was on the bank of the river, the boat which you forgot to tie, what happens to its condition? It becomes unmanageable. That is why here also in Śivapurāṇa, it is like this, that for the display of devotion, this is an example; Pārvatījī had done excellent devotion. That is why, to get Pārvatī as his wife, Śivajī gave his blessings. And Śivajī went to the house of Himālaya Parvata with all his Śivagaṇa and Viṣṇu, Devādideva. And Himālaya Parvata invited him to the house of Himālaya Parvata. So when will we get such good luck? So he married him at the best time. Jai Bholē Bhale Bābā Kī Jai. After that, Pārvatī and Śiva returned to Kailāśa Parvata with happiness. Śivajī, Pārvatī then asks Śivajī various questions and asks, "Hey Śiva, you tell me, what is it that I have a lot of curiosity in my mind? You tell me." So at that time, whenever he asks questions, and it happens after knowledge, what is it in time and time that God also, to meditate on Pārvatī and Pārvatī to remember the divine God, Lord Śiva explains to us that in 24 hours, 6,000 thoughts come to our mind. And in 6,000 thoughts, most of them are negative thoughts. When we remember God, negative thoughts do not give us time to come. That is why we will keep on thinking about the positive thoughts. That is why the scientist Lode has written that you have to define yourself. You have to define yourself, or else the world will define you. Every time, you have to know your form. Jai Bhole Bābā Kī! Jai! So, here is the story when Mahādeva went to Himālaya Parvata’s house. Then, Himālaya Parvata is so happy, and they arranged the great wedding. It’s not like a low-key wedding; there is Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa, the trideva, was there. All the Śivagaṇa was there, and they went that time, not in a limousine? Not in Mercedes; they went with a Nandi, with a bull. So, they went with all Devatā, Deva, divine goddess, and happily they did marry. And Gandharva was dancing, and Nandi was dancing and singing, "Om Namah Śivāya, Hara Hara Bhola," everything. And Śivajī kā śādī ho gayā, to isī lie kyā hai ki jab Śiva and Pārvatī kā śādī ho gayā, usī din ko samjhanā śuru, āj tak duniyā mein ham Śiva rātri manāte hain. Jai bholā Śiva Bhagavān kī Jai. So that’s why, in commemoration of the marriage of Śiva and Pārvatī, we always celebrate Śiva Rātri. So Śiva Rātri, that is when Himālaya, Pārvatī, and Śiva got married. So that day we memorize on that day as well. That’s why many girls fast and wait for their auspicious husband on that day. The fasting rituals, the rituals of offering the Bilvapatra, and also the worshipping rituals go on that day. So that was Śiva’s and Pārvatī’s wedding, and when they finished, when they completed the wedding ceremony, Śivajī with all his Nandī, Bṛṅgī, Cañcu, Ṣaṣṭī, Yoginī, and all Deva-Dī, they went to Kailāsa, and Kailāsa is the highest place, the mountain, is always where Śiva is residing. Look at this. I think this is the auspicious time, the wedding time. So, maybe because of this weather, I think we have to take a break for 10 to 15 minutes, and we’ll be back soon. Part 3: The Divine Abode and the Test of Faith Welcome back, and I thank you for sitting and attentively participating in this Śiva Purāṇa. This is, as mentioned, a wonderful opportunity born from connections over many lives. We are in the Rudra Saṁhitā of the Śiva Purāṇa, where Śiva and Pārvatī are now married. After the divine marriage, Śiva brought Pārvatī to Kailāśa Parvata. Upon arriving, Mahādeva showed her a small, tiny hut, saying, "This is our house." Pārvatī, raised in the royal palace of the Himālaya kingdom, entered the hut without complaint. Inside, she found only cobwebs and no food, yet she remained happy. When she came out, she saw Mahādeva, who had become unconscious after smoking bhaṅg and had fallen asleep. Pārvatī waited patiently. When Mahādeva awoke hours later, he asked, "Oh Pārvatī, you are here? Why didn't you prepare food for me? Where is my food?" She simply smiled. Mahādeva said, "Yes, I eat," and when he implied she should have given him food, she smiled again, tasting Śiva's divine play. She remained without complaint, considering it her divine blessing. Then Śiva stood up and kicked the wall of the small hut. Instantly, the grand Kailāśa Darbār appeared. Jai Bholenāth! Bhagavān kī Kailāś Parbat kī jai! Pārvatī said, "I know that whether there is the great Kailāśa palace or a small hut, I am happy with you, my dear." This is the essence of happiness. If we have high expectations, we will never be happy. Expectation is a main cause of suffering. In your home, if there is conflict, it is better not to expect, or to expect less, from your partner. If you think, "I was alone before marriage and I am alone now, so I must prepare my own meals, iron my own clothes," then even if your partner helps with little things, you feel grateful and happy. But if you expect, "You are supposed to cook, you have to iron," and that expectation is not met, conflict begins. Thus, Pārvatī is shown as an honest, exemplary person. The Śiva Purāṇa gives us the ideal morality for human life: how to remain happy in any situation. That is the main moral of this story. When Lord Śiva took Pārvatī to Kailāśa Parvata, he first showed her a simple hut. Pārvatī honored what she had and honored the time. Time is very important. If you forget the value of time, ask: - The value of one year? Ask the student who failed an exam and must wait another year. - The value of one month? Ask the mother who had a miscarriage in the eighth month. - The value of one week? Ask the editor of a weekly paper who misses a deadline. - The value of one minute? Ask the person who missed a train by a minute. - The value of one second? Ask the person who could not avoid an accident. - The value of one moment? Ask the Olympic athlete who lost by a moment. Every moment is powerful and important. Our scriptures teach this through stories because, in this Kali Yuga, people do not want mere theory; they learn through narrative. A story is easy to remember. Pārvatī was happy with Mahādeva, whether in a palace or a poor hut. If you have love and company, you can enjoy. There is no condition. Nowadays, conjugal life often becomes a business, a give-and-take. If you give this, I will give that. It is conditional love, which does not survive. Unconditional love always flourishes. Here, Pārvatī was happy to enter even a small hut without any negative reaction. That is ideal morality. The Śivapurāṇa teaches how to maintain peace in society, showing that even the poor, without money or assets, can be happy. Happiness does not come from external, material things like gold. This is emphasized in the Purāṇa. Now, the story continues. Pārvatī asked Mahādeva about the time when Rāma was wandering in the forest. At that time, Rāvaṇa had kidnapped Sītā. In separation from Sītā, Rāma was walking with Lakṣmaṇa. Pārvatī asked Mahādeva to explain the Līlā of Nārāyaṇa. Mahādeva said, "You can see instantly now; Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa are walking in the forest because Rāvaṇa kidnapped Sītā. Rāma is the form of Nārāyaṇa." Pārvatī did not believe. She said, "How can Nārāyaṇa not protect his wife? How can Rāvaṇa kidnap her? If he is God, why is he worried, stressed, and wandering? I cannot believe, my Lord." She then disguised herself and went to the forest to test Rāma. When Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa were searching for Sītā, Pārvatī, in another form, approached. From a distance, Rāma saw her and said, "Oh Pārvatī Mātā, what are you doing here? Where is Śivajī?" Pārvatī was very ashamed and began to bow down, realizing he was the true form of Nārāyaṇa. This was his divine play (Līlā). Who knows in what form God may appear? That is why we should never judge anyone merely by their outer appearance or activities. This story leads to the point: When Sītā Mātā was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa, Pārvatī went to cross-check if Rāma was truly the incarnation of Nārāyaṇa. She disguised herself, and when Rāma addressed her as "dear mother," she was embarrassed, saluted him, and returned to Kailāśa. You may recall that Nārada had once cursed the Śivagaṇa. He also cursed Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu), saying, "Viṣṇu, you disguised me and gave me a monkey face. Because of a woman, I could not get my desired wife. I curse you: one day you will also suffer because of your wife." When Nārada cursed Nārāyaṇa—"You made a monkey face for me, and because of that, at the svayaṃvara of Śilanidhi's daughter, she did not garland me. Therefore, I curse you to suffer separation from your wife"—that curse manifested. Śrī Rāma, as an incarnation, was searching in the jungle for Sītā. For that curse, he was roaming there. When Pārvatī did not believe, she went to check. That was the time when, due to the śāpa from Nārada, he was in the forest. Nārada had said that when in a critical situation, help would come from the monkey god. Thus, Hanumān appeared, and Mahādeva was there to help Rāma. It is said that even a lord is not free from karma. How can human beings be free? Therefore, before taking any step, one must consider whether it is connected with dharma or not. In ancient times, people would think: Is there dharma? Is it pure? Will I get the fruits of dharma? Nowadays, people think: Will I get a commission or benefit? They ignore dharma, and thus bad karma comes. The scripture says that before stepping, calculate your dharma. If it is not dharma, better leave it. Trouble comes twice in human life. If you follow truth, trouble comes first, and later you will be happy. If you follow falsehood, you may enjoy first, but later you will be in trouble. The choice is yours: trouble first or later? That is the moral here. Also, when you pray to God, He cannot remove your karma. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad Gītā to Arjuna, "I cannot help him." Other devotees asked Kṛṣṇa, "If you are God, why did you not protect Draupadī when she was in the rājasabhā and Duḥśāsana was disrobing her?" Or, "Why could Kṛṣṇa not help Abhimanyu?" Kṛṣṇa said that everyone must go through their karma; He can only advise on how to become strong. No one is free from karma; even God cannot bypass it. When Nārāyaṇa was cursed, he too had to experience separation from his wife (Patnī Viyoga). Jai Bholenāth! Viṣṇu Bhagavān kī jai! Śiva Bhagavān kī jai! Whatever work we do, first think whether there is dharma in it. Earlier, we used to consider dharma. Now, before any work, we ask: How much benefit? How much financial gain? That is why we suffer. Trouble comes either first or later. If you walk the path of truth, pain may come first, but happiness follows. If you walk the path of unrighteousness, happiness and fame may come first, but later you will be covered in sorrow. On the path of truth, you may have to walk alone, for it is not crowded. Many walk the other path. We must take the name of truth in every work. Now we will have a small bhajan and then continue the Purāṇa. Let us chant the Śiva Pañcākṣarī Stotram to activate your energy centers. Put your hands on your Anāhata Chakra, listen attentively, and visualize Śiva's energy beaming to your eyebrows. Close your eyes, hold your hand on your chest, remember Śiva in your third eye, and chant. Nityāya śuddhāya digambarāya, tasmai nakārāya namaḥ śivāya. Manda-ākinī-sallila-candana-carcitāya, nandīśvara-pramathanātha-maheśvarāya. Manda-āra-puṣpa-pahu-puṣpa-supūjitāya, tasmai makārāya namaḥ śivāya. Śivāya gaurī bada nabja brinda, sūryāya dakṣyadhur nasakāya. Śrī nīlakaṇṭhāya vṛṣadhojāya, tasmai śikharāya namaḥ śivāya. Vasiṣṭa-kumbhu-dabhagautamārya, munīndra-devar citta-sekharāya. Candrārka-vaisva-nara-locanāya, tasmai vakārāya namaḥ śivāya. Eka-cakṣu rūpāya jaṭādhārāya, pināka-hastāya sanātanāya. Dhibyāya dhibyāya digambarāya, tasmai yakārāya namaḥ śivāya. Oṁ namaḥ śivāya... Oṁ namaḥ śivāya... Hara hara bhūle namaḥ śivāya... Har har bhūle namaḥ śivāya... Jaya jaya bhūle jaya śivāya... Har har bhūle namaḥ śivāya... Once, Śiva was meditating, and Viṣṇu arrived on his vehicle, Garuḍa, the king of birds. Around Śiva's neck was the king of snakes. The snake is the natural enemy of Garuḍa. When Viṣṇu arrived with Garuḍa, and Garuḍa stood near Śiva, the snake asked, "Oh Garuḍa, how are you?" Garuḍa became furious. The snake repeatedly asked about his health. Garuḍa finally said, "I could explain my health to you if you were not in Mahādeva's neck." This illustrates that it does not matter who or where you are; if you are close to Śiva, no one can harm you. No matter how weak or poor you are, if you are under Śiva's protection, you are safe. The place of blessings is important, not the people. When Garuḍa came with Viṣṇu, Śiva was meditating with a cobra around his neck. They were talking, and the snake asked Garuḍa. The story teaches: Never feel alone or weak when you remember God, are connected with God and Guru, and have blessings. You will always be protected. Jai Bholenāth! Śiva Bhagavān kī jai! Part 4: The Simplicity of Dharma and the Līlā of Liberation That spiritual world is amazing; we cannot predict it. So many miracles happen, so many amazing things occur. That is why sometimes you might feel that when you remember somebody, that person will call you. Isn’t it? What a coincidence. Sometimes, if you remember somebody, the person will appear. And if you are not supposed to do something, then some reason appears. At that time, you might be upset, but later you will find the real reason why it did not happen. Therefore, you must always connect and trust. Life becomes easy. Dharma is our dharma. Sanātana dharma is very simple; it is not complex. Many people explain it as very complex, but it is simple, very simple. Once, a person went to a guru’s ashram. He asked, "Oh Guru, can you teach me some dharma?" As he was entering the room, he put his shoes aside mercilessly and carelessly. He opened the door with a big noise and went to the guru. He asked, "What is the dharma?" The Guru said, "If you really want to know the dharma, please go back and ask forgiveness from your shoes." The man was surprised. "How come I need to apologize to shoes?" The Guru replied, "Because you did not honor the shoes; you need to place them properly. That is dharma first. Also, you banged the door when you entered. That is adharma. So you need to go and ask forgiveness from the door as well." The man went back. Later, the guru was drinking water. The guru said, "If you put this glass down without any care, the water spills, and this is adharma. If you place it nicely without making any noise, that is dharma. Now do you understand? Now you may go." The guru meant that dharma is simple; it is whatever is in nature. You just follow the natural rules. That is the dharma; it is nothing different. If you follow these things, slowly you will become accustomed to it. Is the Bhagavad Dharma our main dharma? In the Śiva Purāṇa also, it is said that Śiva is always giving lessons to everyone, not just one person. We have great ego, and Śiva goes and corrects it in ways you can see. Take Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa. When Śiva’s attendants (Śivagaṇa) received a curse from Nārada, they became Kumbhakarṇa and Rāvaṇa, the rākṣasa. But before entering that evil life, they asked Viṣṇu, "Oh Viṣṇu, without any reason we have to become demons. Do you have any idea how we can be liberated? How can we come out of the demon’s life?" Viṣṇu told them, "Well, you have gotten this curse, but after three generations, three incarnations, you will have liberation. In your last demonic role, you will be liberated. I will come to liberate you." That was the word from Viṣṇu. That is why, when Nārada cursed Nandi and the Śivagaṇa, the Śivagaṇa said, "You people must always be demons and remain in the form of demons." Then Lord Śiva went to Lord Viṣṇu and said, "Lord Viṣṇu, you had promised to go with them. But when we went, Lord Nārada gave us a curse in vain. In the end, we had to accept the curse, though we had made no mistake. What shall we do?" So what did Lord Viṣṇu tell them? He promised them they should become demons for three lives. That is why Madhu and Kaitabha were rākṣasas, and in this way, Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa, whom Rāma had to give salvation, became demons for three births. In the end, during the war with Rāma, Rāvaṇa was saved by holding the feet of Rāma. Jai Boliyā Siyābara. Rāmacandrajī kī Jai. Therefore, the moral story is that even a demon can get liberated at the last moment. I already mentioned that Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa were Śivagaṇas before becoming Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa. They went to Viṣṇu’s path. Viṣṇu told them, "You just need to take three incarnations as a demon. After that, I will come to rescue you and give you shelter." What happened was, Viṣṇu gave them this instruction, they came to the universe, incarnated as Kumbhakarṇa and Rāvaṇa, and when the conflict happened with Rāma, at the last point, Rāma sent Lakṣmaṇa to Rāvaṇa. Rāma said, "Lakṣmaṇa, go and learn something from Rāvaṇa." Even though Rāvaṇa was a pāpī, a sinner, he had great devotion to Śiva and was a great political person. "Go and learn something about the education of politics." Lakṣmaṇa went and asked, "Oh Rāvaṇa, can you teach me? My brother sent me. Do you have some idea about politics?" He went near Rāvaṇa’s head. Rāvaṇa told him, "Who are you? You are Lakṣmaṇa. You want to know something from me. If you want to learn something, you have to sit towards my feet, not towards my head. If you want to learn—that is why it is said that if you want to learn something, you always have to become polite. If you think, 'I know that I know,' will anyone tell you? No one is going to tell you. But if you say, 'I would like to know something, can you please explain?' then definitely you will be told." The same thing happened. Lakṣmaṇa asked Rāvaṇa, "Can you tell me?" Rāvaṇa told him some lessons. You might have heard them already. If not, it is a very notable blessing that Rāvaṇa told at the end of his death. He told, "Oh Lakṣmaṇa, never make an offering first to your cook. Always make offering first to your guru. If you make offering first to your cook, he might put some poison or something may happen. That is why always respect your guru. Keep a distance from your guru? No, always respect your guru. And never conflict with your doctor. At that time, by Dhanvantari, never conflict with the doctor. If the doctor is upset, what will happen? Instead of an antibiotic, he might give poison or some other tablet. Like that. Also, never conflict with your brother or your family members, because they know all your secrets. That is why never conflict; even if you have conflict, better to keep some distance, but never go to war. Similarly," he said, "never ever conflict with a woman. A wonderful woman—if she wants, she can destroy; if she wants, she can make the world; if she wants, she can destroy the world." So Rāvaṇa told that. Lakṣmaṇa said, "Well, if you are that much of a knowledgeable person, why did you kidnap my sister-in-law, Sītā Mātā?" Rāvaṇa said, "Well, even though I kidnapped her, you know that I am going to Vaikuṇṭha before you. Still, I am winning. Also, you know that while I was alive, I never allowed you to touch this kingdom. When I am dead, then you may enter. My duty, Rāj Dharma—Rājā ke Dharma kyā hai, ki apne jagā meṁ, apne usmeṁ koī bhī śatru ko ānā nahīṁ denā." (What is the duty of a king? It is to not allow any enemy to enter his own territory.) Then what happened was, Rāvaṇa finally asked Lakṣmaṇa, "Lakṣmaṇa, look, you challenged me that I am in hell. But you know that your brother is the king of Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha, who is the king? Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu, Rāma is standing there. But what did Rāvaṇa do? Even though Viṣṇu is there, I go to Vaikuṇṭha." Rāma challenged, Lakṣmaṇa challenged, "How come you will go to Vaikuṇṭha? You are the sinner." Rāvaṇa said, "Look here, I will go." And he grabbed Rāma’s lotus feet and put his head over there. "Rāma, please forgive me, and I surrender to you. I am going to surrender to you." And Rāma is merciful. Rāma said, "Well..." Rāma never... even he told... that even a śatru, even your enemy, you never take revenge if he surrenders to you. If he surrenders, he will never die. That is why Rāvaṇa came to surrender and went to Vaikuṇṭha. Why is this connected? Because when Nārada gave a curse to the Śivagaṇa, at that time Viṣṇu gave his word that one day he would come to rescue and liberate them. In the same way, Rāma liberated Kumbhakarṇa and Rāvaṇa. That is the moral. In Hindi, when Nārada had cursed Śiva’s gaṇa, the Śivagaṇa went to Viṣṇu and requested, "Viṣṇu Bhagavān, we have been cursed. We had no mistake, but Nārada cursed us that we had to become demons." So Viṣṇu Bhagavān said, "Nārada has cursed you, but you have to be demons for three lives, and then you will be free." At that time, in the same way, the boon was given. Now, when it was the time of Rāvaṇa’s death, what did Rāvaṇa do? Rāma sent Lakṣmaṇa to take the education. Lakṣmaṇa went near Rāvaṇa and asked him to teach the knowledge of politics. And what did Rāvaṇa say? You should never fight with a cook. You should never argue with your guru. You should never have a quarrel with your brother. And you should never have a quarrel with your wife. If you do this, you will become a successful ruler. When he said this, Lakṣmaṇa asked, "You talk like a scholar, but you are a sinner. If you are such a scholar, then why did you kidnap Sītā?" Then Rāvaṇa said, "I am the real king. As long as I was alive, I did not let you enter my kingdom. When I was about to die, I accepted you. But still, see, Lakṣmaṇa, first of all, I am still victorious. I have not lost. Now, first of all, I reach Vaikuṇṭha before Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa." Lakṣmaṇa said, "How will you go? Show me." So what did he do? He took the feet of Rāma. He held them to his head and said, "O Rāma, you are the saviour." Rāma is the ocean of mercy. We have read Dāya Sindhu in the Rāmāyaṇa. So Rāma gave the blessings. Then Rāma... and Vaikuṇṭha... Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa were in Laṅkā, but Rāma and... Vaikuṇṭha... Rāvaṇa left with the blessings of Rāma. That is why, in this way, Kumbhakarṇa and Rāvaṇa got liberated. In the same way, if you read the Bhagavad Gītā, there also you can see amazing wisdom. This is not a story we can merely take. This is an amazing, divine, godly written story. On the last day of Kṛṣṇa, he told two words, and those were amazing miracle words. You might have already heard them. What were the two blessings, two knowledges, two wisdoms? That was given in Dvāparayuga. That was the last preaching of Kṛṣṇa. Have you heard about this? Yes, that was Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was under the banyan tree, from far away somebody came and shot an arrow. The hunter thought Kṛṣṇa’s foot was a deer’s ear, an animal’s ear. So he thought, "This is an animal," and he shot the arrow. The arrow entered from the feet and went to the head. Kṛṣṇa finished his bodily, human life. While he was there, when he received the arrow, the hunter came and was scared. "Oh my God, what happened? Sorry, sorry, Kṛṣṇa, I mistakenly shot. I thought it was an animal. You are... oh my Lord, please, can you forgive me?" He was in a great panic. He started to regret. At that time, Kṛṣṇa said two things: "Don’t say sorry for the past. Don’t worry what will happen in the future. Just be in the present. I am not doing anything to you. What happened is supposed to happen; it is meant to be. That is why you shot me? Don’t worry." So, Kṛṣṇa’s two words—you can write them in your hands, diary, wallet, everywhere: Don’t say sorry for the past, whatever happened. And don’t worry for the future. That is meant to happen. That is going to happen because of the māyā, the līlā of God. And that is the wonderful thing. Why did it happen? Why could Kṛṣṇa not even protect himself? That might be the question if we don’t go into a deeper meaning. But it says that while Rāma was fighting with Vālī, Rāma was hiding and shot an arrow to kill Vālī, and that was truly unjust. At that time, Vālī’s son, Aṅgada, asked Rāma, "Oh Rāma, can you give me blessings? What is the blessing? Can I take revenge on my father’s enemy?" And Rāma said, "Well, yes." Vālī’s enemy was Rāma, and Aṅgada received the blessings. Aṅgada said, "Well, not this era, not this age, but in Dvāparayuga. Not in Tretāyuga, in Dvāparayuga you will take the revenge." And that was the Līlā. In Dvāparayuga, the hunter was Aṅgada. He was Aṅgada, and with the māyā, with the līlā, he came and shot Kṛṣṇa. So that was amazing, the līlā. That is why, how is the līlā of God? No one can know. So whatever is happening in the world, what is it? First of all, this story teaches you to increase acceptance. When Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān was sitting under the tree, someone came in the form of a hunter, and that hunter hit him, thinking he was a deer, and he fell on Kṛṣṇajī’s feet. And what happened to Kṛṣṇajī? On the last day of Dvāparayuga, Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān said at the time of leaving his body, "Don’t be afraid. Whatever happened in the past will happen in the future. Whatever will happen in the future will be good. That is why don’t be afraid." This is the game of Māyā. Because I had blessed Aṅgada in the third age... That means whenever you have pain in your life, whenever you have an uncomfortable situation, whenever you have difficulties, just feel that you are paying off your bad karmas. Just be happy. If you have a loan on your mortgage, when you are paying it off, that day you don’t feel that you are paying off; you feel happy because you are reducing your loan. In the same way, we have many karmic loans, knowingly or unknowingly, accumulated from many lives. So if you have problems, if you have difficulties, if you have tragedy, if you have it in time, just feel that, "Oh, that’s the opportunity. I just paid off some bad karmas. Oh my God, such wonderful things." That is why one saint had cancer. During his cancer, everyone asked, "Oh saint, you are a great yogī, you are supposed to enjoy your life, but how come you are suffering from cancer and you are crying? It looks like you are not the real pure saint." The swāmī said, "Well, this is me paying off the karma. So many of you will not get this chance, but I am enjoying this so that I am paying off my karma, and after this, I’ll be free." That was the thing. One time, the saint had to go to the hospital. In the hospital, the doctor told him, "Oh, you have cancer in your hand." Everyone suggested, "If there is any way without cutting off the hand, we can heal it." The doctor said, "There is no choice. You have to remove your right hand." Everyone was crying that day. "Oh my God, oh my guru, oh my saint, you are going to be one-handed or disabled. How can we tolerate these things?" But the saint smiled. "Well, don’t worry. I’m still happy." The doctors removed the right hand, and he was smiling, dancing. Oh my God, everyone was surprised because all were crying, but the saint was laughing and smiling. What’s the reason behind it? The saint smiled and told them, "Well, still, I have got another hand. There are so many people in this world who don’t have two hands, but still, I have... God at least gave me one hand. He is so merciful. Thanks, God, at least I have one hand." And he was happy. So that is why, whenever you have a problem, just feel that. Don’t see the glass as half empty; just say it is half full. When you see the flower, don’t see the thorn; just see the flower. That is the beautiful thing of your vision. You are always happy. For a spiritual person, there is no more sorrow and no pain. You will convert every pain into pleasure, every difficult situation into a possible and easy situation. That is why you always see the positive things. When you have positivity in your eyes, you will convert everything. Whenever you have a difficult time, rather than finding the karma and cursing, you will remember what the positive things are around. If your car breaks down in the middle of the street, it is better than crying and cursing. Then you will find what the positive things are there. In the same way, if anything happens in your life, find what the positive things are around. There is always a silver lining in the dark cloud. So it is said that when you are in pain, never be afraid of the pain. Like the saint who got cancer and went to the hospital, he had to cut off one of his right hand, but all the people were crying while he was laughing. Everyone asked, "Saint Mahātma, your hand is going, why are you laughing? All your devotees are crying because you are becoming apaṅg (disabled)." Then the saint smiled a lot and said, "So what is the miracle of God? God should be thanked, because he has still kept the other hand." So this is the art of life. Spirituality teaches us the art of life: how to live, how to motivate, how to inspire, and how to cross our pain. That’s spirituality. And it’s not that you will get some achievement, but you will make your life heaven here. Simply, you can smile; you can tackle every situation happily. So at this time, we just chant one song, and we just need to clap... that they are doing really good efforts. One good time, we can clap. When you clap, you can create energy, and you can do acupuncture, helping yourself and helping other people as well. Okay, so this is the time. For today, we need to take rest, and tomorrow we’ll continue. Tomorrow morning we have a special thing. We will talk about, not only Śiva Purāṇa, but also other granthas connected with it, and the first word of the Sanskrit language, the first formula of the Sanskrit language. We’ll talk, and also that is connected with Śiva Purāṇa, and how Śiva Purāṇa gives us the phonetic yoga as well, not only hot yoga—how we can create the sūrya yoga, how we can enjoy that. We are also going to practice that tomorrow. You can bring your friends and family members, and we will be attending here tomorrow morning at eight o’clock as usual. The Sukhilyaṣṭaka, the Rāmanāmakīrtana, the Nikāla, the Tāmbūla, the Bogāra, the Śivāliṅga, the Broccoli, the Rucaka, the Vikāsa, the Sphūrti, the Mahāmantra, the Haṁsa, the Kīrtana, the Sūtra, the Āścarya, the Vikalpa, the Līlā... Kibarimi also suck up the hay, or in a VK zindagi, we are out in a given case. We are suku or support a genie kick, a lassie process exactly, a whiskey leham call Subey. Our project is such a catechism, maybe. Hey, you can come with your friends, brothers, and everyone. Welcome, everyone. I bid you farewell from today’s session. Blessings of Sarasvatī Mātā. God’s blessings. And by the grace of the Guru and God, I give this rest to today’s session. Everyone, please accept this invitation of Ācārya Rajan Sharma. And now we will complete the part and give this session a rest. Oṁ Pūrṇamadaḥ Pūrṇamidam Pūrṇāt Pūrṇamudacyate Pūrṇasya Pūrṇamādāya Pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate Oṁ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ... Oṁ Sarvavai Pūrṇahā Svāhā Sarvavai Pūrṇahā Svāhā Oṁ Yad mayā bhaktiyuktena patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ jalam Niveditaṁ sanāyedyam tad gṛhāṇānukampayā Pooja chaivin na janami, khyamascha parameshwari. Anyatha Saranam Nasti, Tomevam Saranam. Mama tasmāt kāruṇya bhāve narakṣimāṁ parameśvara karacaraṇaṁ kitam vā karma jaṁkāya jaṁ vā śravadhanayana jaṁ vā manasāṁ vā paradhāṁ vihitāṁ vā vihitam vā sarvam etat kṣamāsvā. Jaya jaya kāruṇāvade śrī mahādeva śambho. Har Har Mahādeva, Har Har Mahādeva,... Hari Oṁ Dāsa, Hari Oṁ Dāsa.