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A Welcome and Discourse on Śiva, Śakti, and Kuṇḍalinī

A spiritual discourse on Śiva, Śakti, and Kuṇḍalinī delivered at a retreat.

"It is my earnest desire that we shall participate in this with all good wishes and send them throughout the world."

"Kundalini means the Shakti... this is a science, it is energy, it is purity, it is protective, it is harmonizing."

Following a welcome address from a retreat participant expressing gratitude, Swami Vishwaguruji leads the session. He explores the divine principles of Śiva (pure consciousness) and Śakti (creative energy), explaining their inseparable union and presence within every individual. He delves into the nature of Kuṇḍalinī as the coiled feminine energy, describing its awakening, path through the chakras along the suṣumnā nāḍī, and its ultimate goal of uniting with Śiva to achieve higher consciousness. The talk includes chanting, analogies, and practical insights into this spiritual science.

Filming location: Vancouver, Canada

It is a great honor to be here with Swāmījī. My husband and I are sharing this retreat, and we feel very blessed, as I am sure all of you do, to be in this august company of our beloved Swāmījī. Under the blessings of Mahāprabhujī, we are able to conduct this beautiful seminar. We are having a very peaceful, wonderful time while imbibing the great wisdom of our Swāmījī, our Viśwa Gurujī here. I would like to convey my best wishes to all of you, and to please participate in this, and to think about how fortunate we are in not just finding Viśwa Gurujī as our guru to lead us through this turbulent world of today, with all the turbulence around us and all that we have to do in order to survive and have a peaceful existence. I feel, and I'm sure you will all share with me in this great honor, and also count our blessings, as they say. This is not a small blessing; this is a very big blessing, and I find myself to be one of the very lucky few. Let us think of those people around the world who are having a much less, what shall I say, blessed time. They are going through difficult periods in their lives. Many are away from their homes. In this retreat, under our beloved Gurujī's leadership, we shall be thinking of them and praying that they all return and find good homes, and that they all return to wherever they wish to be. It is my earnest desire that we shall participate in this with all good wishes and send them throughout the world, not just in this beautiful place that we are in. Once again, I wish to welcome all of you and, of course, I want to say my obeisance to our Viśwagurujī. Under him, the seminar is going extremely well, and every day, every morning and evening, we are showered with his wonderful knowledge and wisdom in such a beautiful way that it can go straight to the heart. Of course, it has to go to the head too, so that we can continue to follow it, but his way of delivering this message, Vishwagurujī's way of delivering this message, is so unique. I have been in many retreats and seminars, but this is one of the best that we are enjoying, and so I wish to share. We shall be thinking of all of you, and our good wishes go out to you from here, as does Vishwagurujī's blessings. Thank you very much. Hari Om. Hari Om, Tatsat. Hari Om, Hari Om, Tatsat. Hari Om, Tatsat. The Mahāmantra, the Mahāmantra is this: Hari Om Tat Sat, Hari Om Tat Sat, Hari Om Tat Sat. Do japa, do japa, this is the great mantra: Hari Om Tat Sat, Hari Om Tat Sat, Hari Om Tat Sat. Namaḥ Śivāya, Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya, Namaḥ Śivāya, Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya, Har Har Bholī, Namaḥ Śivāya, Har Har Bholī, Namaḥ Śivāya, Namaḥ Śivāya, Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya, Namaḥ Śivāya, Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya, Har Har Bholī Namah Śivāya, Har Har Bholī Namah Śivāya. Oṁ Namah Śivāya, Oṁ Namah Śivāya, Har Har Bholī Namah Śivāya. Śaṅkar Bhagavān Kī, Devadhī Devalak Purījī Mahādev Kī. Dev Purīṣa Mahādev Kī. Bhagavān Dīp Nārāyaṇ Mahāprabhujī Kī. Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandjī Bhagavān Kī. Satya Sanātana Dharma Kī. Blessed self, dear spiritual seekers, sisters, brothers, all the aspirants here and in different parts of the world. Blessings are coming to you from the most beautiful countryside. The forest is called the rainforest near the beautiful city Vancouver, and it's called Bowen Island. Blessings can come everywhere, from everywhere, and to everywhere. Blessing, blessing. Only, we need nothing but only blessing. Blessing is the presence of God. Blessing is the mercy of God. Mercy, āśīrvād. We don't need anything. We don't ask anything of God, but only one blessing: give the blessing, give the blessing. You also have a blessing in your heart to give others the blessings. If we all will give each other the blessings... but don't tell everybody that you bless you, okay? Only the holy saint can bless. Only the father and mother can bless. Only an elder brother or sister can bless. Be careful. Therefore, we ask them for your sake, for your blessing. Your kindness, your good wishes are a blessing. So, this blessing today we got, and we were very happy and fortunate ones that this morning we had a few very golden words of the Divine Mother. She was just sitting with you and telling you something, words to inspire us, words to follow. That was important, and that was a great blessing. Namaḥ Śivāya, Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya, Har Har Bholē Namaḥ Śivāya. Bhole, Bhole Nāth. If you can meet somewhere a Bholenāth, it gives you everything. You know what Bhole Nāth means? Yes, Bholenāth, Mātājī. What does Bhole mean? Bhola means a very generous, very kind, blessed one. Without thinking, he just gives everything, like a mother. When a small child cries—a small child cannot speak—so we say, without crying, even a mother doesn't give you milk. But the mother is so kind, generous, innocent. Innocent means in his thoughts, in his feelings, in his intention, there's no negative. And that's why Śiva is one of the highest, greatest, and most powerful Bhagavān, Lord. Lord is too little to say, because there is also the property called Lord. The house, Lord. Who is the Lord of this house? Etc. But there is a Mahādeva, Śiva. Now, Kuṇḍalinī. Yes, that is something great. So, Kuṇḍalinī Yoga, Yoga is that science which is given by Bholenāth, by Śiva, for the well-being of all and to come back to Śiva. All tantra, yantra, mantra, all yoga, science, language, everything is coming from Śiva. So when you tell someone, and you are talking to someone like you are great, and you tell them that you make a correction, then the wise person said, "Don't teach the mantras to Śiva." Shiva is the creator of the mantra, so Shiva. Shiva and Shakti. Now, only there is one. Shakti is with only that one who is the Shiva. And Shakti means energy. Shakti means abilities. Shakti means the health. Shakti means the wisdom. Many, many things. The form of the Śakti is a thousand things. Without Śakti, this tree cannot stand. And without Shakti, all these trees will dry, and they will be rotten and will fall down. Shakti. In your words, there is a Shakti. In your behavior, there is a Śakti. In your thoughts, in your feelings, everything is a Śakti. Śiva is pure consciousness. Shiva means liberation. Shiva means supreme. Satyam. Shiva means the truth. Shiva means the beauty of the entire universe. Satyam Śivam Sundaram. Satyam Śivam Sundaram. Satyam means the truth, the ultimate truth. Shivam is that Shiva is the liberation, the blessing, mokṣa. And Śundaram, there is no one more beautiful than Śiva. Satyam Śivam Sundaram. Satyam Śivam Sundaram. Satyam Śivam Sundaram. Satyam Śivam Sundaram. Har Har Bholī, Har Har Bholī, Har Bholī Namaḥ Śivāya, Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya, Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya. Oṁ Satyam Sundaram, Satyam Śivam Sundaram, Satyam Śivam Sundaram. Har Har Bholē Namaḥ Śivāya, Har Har Bholē Namaḥ Śivāya. Yes, this forest, this nature, this is just that forest where Śiva walks. That's called Vihar. You remember yesterday we spoke about Āchar, Vichār, Āhar, and Vihar. We have. So in such a forest, Śiva and Śakti are dwelling all the time. They are with them, they are with us, they are with everything. Shiva consciousness, beauty, balance. So Shakti, Shiva is pure consciousness. So this pure consciousness has no desires and can't do anything. Chetan means consciousness, and that consciousness has no desire. There is no desire, and this material can't do anything. Red material can't do anything. Consciousness is here. Do you think that through a stone you get a child or grow something? Chetan jad means dead material. Then how did the sṛṣṭi, how did the creation begin? That's called icchā śakti. Icchā śakti. That desire, that energy. Then it comes together, this power, the life and energy. Creation begins. So Śiva and Śakti, they are always with. In each of us, we have Śiva Śakti. The half part of us is Śakti, and the half part of us is the Puruṣa. Purusha means masculine and Shakti means feminine. Now, a man, a masculine, a man has more in his feelings and thoughts and visions; it is the masculine. Always, the man is thinking about women. Even, you may think of your wife, or your sister, or your mother. So the more tendency in us is much more feminine, as a man. And women, they have all the time thoughts of a man, a father, a brother, or a husband. All the time they are searching, "Whom can I have as my friend or husband?" Yes. So, they are feminine, but they have more tendency of masculine. So, in both, otherwise, these things will not happen. What things? Which kind of things? The creation. So, this is a call from both sides, an attraction, and that is nature. And in nature, when the seed falls on the ground, then the earth is a mother. And it gives the beautiful tree, beautiful growth. That's it. So, Kundalini means the Shakti. Kundalini, Shakti. And there is, sometimes they call it the Śakti path. There was one Swāmījī, Muktānandjī, from Ganeśwar Dhām or Ganeśpurī. And Swami Muktānandjī, he used to give, called the Śaktipāt. So when he was giving Śaktipāt, the person was sitting in meditation, and suddenly, when he did meditation, something was inside. So in that time, in the time of the 1960s, '70s, till the '80s, then he passed away. So there was a whole spiritual people and hippies also. They moved towards to get a Śaktipāt. What? Śaktipāt. Swāmījī did not speak English. He was talking only Marathi or Hindi. Someone or the other was translating. But when he was looking, suddenly they had an awakening. But path, this is a different word. Path means a patan, Śaktipāt. Energy comes up and falls down, and you are lost. But for a time being only, that time, then people, but because the hippies, they have one chilam. You know that? And for a while, being like this, and then again, gone. So they ask me, "Swāmījī, can you do the Śaktipāt?" I say, no, no, no. I don't do Śaktipāt. I do Śakti Uthāna. You remember? You know what it means? Uprising energy. And Shaktipat going down. So, this Shaktipat is a temporary feeling, and then it's gone. But we should have something which is permanently rising up. That's a Kuṇḍalinī that is rising up. Very good. I became divine, divine feelings. I drank. What did I drink? I drank the juice, the nectar of God's name. The God's name is that nectar, and when you can get that nectar, you are all the time in the beautiful consciousness. You are always higher and higher, Kundalinī. What means kuṇḍalinī? This is another question, very good. Kundal. Kundal means the ring, a ring. It has no end. When a man carries the ear ring, then it's called a kuṇḍal, a big ring. Earring. That is a kuṇḍal. Sometimes you see in the moon there is a circle round. That's called a kuṇḍal. And sometimes it is a circle, but one is open one way. That means now rain will come. So there are different indications which are given by the moon that we know. Kundal means kundalinī means coil. Where a snake is sitting, he just coils himself and sits there. Then he puts his chin on his own body, relaxing and observing who is coming. And who comes nearly? Quickly, he can say, "Come, friend." That is to be careful. Kuṇḍal now, kuṇḍal is a masculine and... Therefore, Śiva has a kuṇḍal, and there is some other spiritual movement they call Nāth, and they also have a kuṇḍal. And this kuṇḍal must be, everyone must be, male and female, all must have this, this kuṇḍal. And this is a symbol, energy, that there are many, many benefits of this, having this. So you see, you have everybody here, no? You have pinching in your ear, no? Yes, I have one ear, and I have this side also, two sides. Yes. But Kundalini is feminine, and therefore it is a Shakti. This is, that's why, and Shakti is a power. Shakti is a power. You see this paper? Is this paper? This paper. Pure, clean, nice, spotless paper, yes? It has not big value. It is a value, of course, but still not this. In one cent, you can get more. This is a paper. This is the masculine. What do you think? What do you think? Do you think the masculine has no values? Of course. But this is the consciousness, pure, nothing. And now, you know what is ink? Ink is masculine or feminine, the written thing. Now, when you write on this paper, "two million billion dollars," how heavy is this paper? The value? Very big value. This you will just use it and throw it. But when it is a check, and you have written on the check, "value." So, unless the Shakti comes, there is no value. That is Śiva and Śakti. If there is no Śakti, you can't move your small finger. If you have no Śakti, you can't move your eyelid. If you have no Śakti, you can't say, "Hello." When you are very weak and very ill, you have little Śakti. Then you say, "Hello. How are you?" Yes, I am. I am okay. And when you get old, you get older and older, Śakti goes down. Before, you were talking and giving a lecture, very nice. Yes, my dear friends, hey. And when now your heart is... yes, please sing, "Namaḥ Śivāya, Namaḥ Śivāya." Yes, that is a game of the Śakti power. Śakti means not woman, and Śakti means also not a man. This is that strength, the power, the qualities, the life, the activities, everything. So, we say, "Māyā." Generally, people say māyā means a woman, but man is also māyā. So, māyā is that which gives us a temptation, gives us inspiration. It gives us path direction, it gives us knowledge, everything. So our buddhi, buddhi is masculine, and jñāna, the knowledge, is masculine. So the buddhi has jñāna, knowledge; intellect has knowledge, and knowledge has intellect. So you can't separate; it is both, becomes one. And so, kuṇḍalinī, kuṇḍalinī śakti, and that's why kuṇḍalinī belongs, kuṇḍalinī is, and kuṇḍalinī śakti, and that needs Śiva's power. Now, these nāḍīs, which we were talking about yesterday, and we were at the Ājñā Chakra. Remember you? Third eyes. And Trinitra, what did we call that yesterday? Trinitra, the third eye. And when the third eye opens to Shiva, then everything is finished. And as long as his eyes are closed, the third eye, he is a Bholā Nāth. So these 72,000 nerves, from these three, Suṣumnā, Iḍā, and Piṅgalā, these three nāḍīs come, and then they are moving like this. Sushumna is going directly, and these two, Iḍā and Piṅgalā, are like that vine which climbs on the tree. So, they hold on to the Suṣumnā Nāḍī. So, they go like this, serpent way. Where they cross, there is energy. That is energy. Like, if you remember, day before yesterday we spoke about the glands, yes? And then I told you that where there is a gland, the knot is on any branch of the tree. Where the knot is, there comes the new branch; otherwise, not. So that is the energy, that is the Śakti, from which a new branch can come. Single is only this piece of wood; there, nothing can come out. So, glands, so when you get married, husband and wife, in India, in the tradition, they put the cloth together, tie the cloth together. And they ask you, "Why do you tie the cloth?" The husband's shawl and his wife's sari. So they, I think, no? I didn't marry you, no. I must know. Yes, you did also? Yeah. And that means, what does that mean? No, but what was the symbol of that? Union. Okay, so people think only of this Shiva-Shakti or union, but the meaning is different. In the Vedas, this meaning is different. So, and it is said that this knot should not open lifelong, this knot should not open. But what does this mean? So that is called gut bandhana; the name is called gatha bandhana. Gatha bandhana means to make a knot. Now it means, now you are husband and wife, and now you will have children. Like when a knot, a gland, develops on the branch of the vegetation, then there the roots or the branch comes. So this is a gāthā bandhana. So, Vedic Sanskritī, Vedic science, Vedic dharma, Vedic tradition is that very scientific. And so, this granthi—granthi means the gland—this gland should be healthy. If the gland is not healthy, you will not get a child, or you will lose the child. This granthi must be very, very healthy, and how to keep this granthi healthy? Both sides should be equal: harmony, understanding, and the feelings. Otherwise, maybe you get a brand new, but not any more useful, because the children nowadays don't follow. After some years, children said, "Hey, father, is my life not your life, okay? Are you many, many things?" So, this Śakti and Śiva, it is called consciousness and energy. So, now the Suṣumnā Nāḍī comes and goes through the spine, and then this Nāḍī is coming and going like a serpentine. And that's why its name is given, snake, like a serpent. And at the end, it comes; there becomes a granthi, a knot. Now, in allopathic medicine and in anatomy, they say this nerve comes only till below the manipūra, and before svādhiṣṭhāna, it disappears. But the yogī said, no, because you are thinking now about the physical. But that is further after going. That is fine energy channels, energy channels. And therefore, if you make an operation there, you can't cut your kuṇḍalinī. Many times people say, "Oh, Swāmījī, I had an operation, do you think my mūlādhāra is out?" I say, "No, mūlādhāra is still there, don't worry." So this comes down to the Mūlādhāra Chakra. This we have in our books and our chart. Unfortunately, we did not bring it with us. This is a very interesting thing. This is a Śivajaya, you know, this. He's open. But I told him, open with positive thinking, Śiva, okay? So he's looking kindly on you, I told him. So when he opens like this, generally, then he is so happy, he is looking at his children. And we are his children. But when he is angry, he is called ṭeḍā. Teda means half. When teda in ajar, if you look at someone like this, you know what it is? Or you look like this. So this half, then Śiva opens fire. And if it is like this, then there are two meanings. When his eyes, how are his eyes? The whole bhṛumadhya is changing. The whole brown eyebrows, they are changing, everything. Mudras, this is a mudra. You know the mudras? Mudra means indication. So you can say, the South Indians are very expert in making mudrās in the South Indian dance, no? Yes? No? Okay. So, Seva Dignī. And so you have seen in your book, but this is the Mūlādhāra Cakra. Now, in the Mūlādhāra Cakra, here in the middle, there is a Śiva Liṅga. And around the Śiva Liṅga, this is the ending of the Suṣumnā Nāḍī. That is Śiva. That is the seat of Śiva, and these energies from Śiva are coming here. There is a Śiva Liṅga here. It is ending, and then comes the Iḍā and Piṅgalā, and then the three Nāḍīs all together come and go around the Śiva Liṅga, coiled three and a half circles. Then the snake head is going down this. These three are sattva, rajas, and tamas guṇas: Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva. Past, present, and future: consciousness, energy, and the soul. So there are different meanings in it. When the kuṇḍalinī begins to awake, then this snake, which is coiled down, is going up. That means the rising of the kuṇḍalinī or the awakening of the kuṇḍalinī. So, from here, this awakening of kuṇḍalinī means happiness, joy, knowledge, devotion, harmony, divine light, and a feeling of liberation. This is the meaning of the kuṇḍalinī. But who? Others, they said, when kuṇḍalinī awakes, my God, there's such strong energy, it shakes the whole body, and a snake goes up, and then you can only say, "Now, Śiva, please, Śiva, close your eyes, Śiva, and control me, please, and control my energies going up." Oh Shivji, Shivji. So the Śaktipāt, Śaktipāt ho rahī hai. Yeh Shaktipāt kī koī nahīṁ hai bāt. Yeh jhūṭhī bāt hai. Samajh ke? So, awakening of the Kuṇḍalinī means awakening of our unconsciousness into the superconscious, higher conscious. And then work is going on, that from the Mūlādhāra we go up. And so there are so many symbols in the chakras, so that we will speak further. It goes then from Mūlādhāra to Svādhiṣṭhāna, Svādhiṣṭhāna to the Maṇipūra, Maṇipūra to Anāhata. So now it is not that one day is in the Mūlādhāra and the next day in Maṇipūra. No, it's not like that. There is a train, and the train has certain stoppages. But there is what is called the express train. It doesn't stop anywhere. It goes from here to there through. And so is that Kuṇḍalinī, when it awakes from Mūlādhāra, it goes straight up to the Sahasrāra Cakra. So the nāḍīs, the nerve systems in this, what we call 2000, 60-2000 nāḍīs, are in this area. So they are very few, they are not all 2000, 60-2000 cannot put all on this. But these are the more main, important nerves in our body, which we... and there is a net, a net of the energy, full of the energy, full of the energy. So this is how the kuṇḍalinī awakens Śiva and Śakti. Śiva and Śakti. So we have half in us, masculine and one half feminine. One and a half. And this balances us. This keeps us together. This keeps our life going on. Now, there is a call, Puruṣa. Puruṣa means male. But we are not declared as male. Male is only one in this kind of creation. There are four ways in which the jīvā, the soul, comes to this earth. One is coming through the sprout, the seeds, the bark. Everything that is sprouting has life. Second, bacteria. From sweating, these impurities, the bacteria develop. Bacteria are also alive, and third are eggs. Egg. Some fish lay eggs, some fish give birth to babies. The dolphin, I think the dolphin gives the baby. The rabbit gives the baby. All these animals, they give the baby, and other reptiles, and they give the eggs. So, we are in that state where we are all born as ready-made babies. That's it. Now, everyone who is born as a whole body, the baby, they still have the sign of the chest. Sign of the chest. Why did God give them this chest, for a man? It's not necessary to give the milk unnecessarily. But God may have thought, in an emergency, it can develop. If he has it, that means love for the baby. So this means it is a feminist call. Only one is a man, and that is a horse. Only the horse doesn't have the sign of the chest, or other, what we call the animals. The cows have, buffaloes have, deer have, goats have, humans have, everyone has. But only a horse doesn't have. So the horse is counted as a pure puruṣa, the pure male. So there are many things in nature to count. Therefore, where the horse is, there will not come a ghost. Where the horse is, there will not come certain negative energies. It's very important to have a horse somewhere around nearby us. And a horse came out of the ocean churning in the time of the Satyugas. From the fourteen special, what we call the fourteen dwarves, and out of that came the elephant, the horse, and the cow. These three were coming by ocean journey, so those who understand and those who go to the more deep research, otherwise, those who are listening to my lecture, there was Swāmījī, make us, all of us, now he's making feministic. I'm a man, I'm not a woman. Yes, you are, but that is a different thing. So, Kundalini, it is a science, it is energy, it is purity, it is protective, it is harmonizing, it is balancing our whole being, and at the same time, it safely brings our consciousness to the Supreme Consciousness, to Śiva. So, Kundalīnī Yoga, without Kundalīnī Yoga, there is no yoga. That's it. And in our body, we have 72,000 chakras. As many nāḍīs, that many cakras. And cakras here are the energy centers. It's like a powerhouse or a transmitter, the transformer. So, what they call acupressure. In acupressure, when you use an electric instrument, you have a monitor and some needles. So you touch. Only the monitor will give the measurement if you find what they call the center, the meridian. And when you touch there, immediately the monitor goes up. And if this chakra is not functioning properly, the needle will move, but it will not go very far. Sorry. So then they are activating, touching again and again. It means now taking energy from different centers to flow to this one. And then you will see the needle is moving completely. This is a proof for us. This is a practical proof. So this is very important. So there are so many hairs, no, sorry, the nerves, that many chakras we have. Now, the chakras, the earth chakras, are connected with the soles of the feet. Then, from the ankle joints to the knee, vegetation. From the knees to the hip joints, animal chakras. And then from there up till the Viśuddhi is a human chakra. And then from Ājñā chakra till all the chakras, divine chakras. So, divided into different categories of the chakras. When we understand this exactly, all then our kuṇḍalinī is gone up, and we can take that benefit which the books are writing or this. So we will speak again in the afternoon. Wish you all the best, and think over about your kuṇḍalinī. And though you have the masculine tendency, you are a feminist, okay? Or, you have, you are a masculine, okay? So don't think that this is, but I told you, this is consciousness and energy. Without that, they don't come together; creation doesn't take place. Hari Om, Deep Nayan, Bhagavān, Devadhī Dev, Deveśvara, Mahādeva. Kī Jai Satguru Swāmī Madhavānandjī Bhagavān Kī Jai Satya Sanātana Dharma Kī Jai.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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