Swamiji TV

Other links



Video details

The Glory of Alak Purījī

A spiritual discourse on the names and nature of exalted saints, focusing on Alak Purījī.

"Alak means indescribable; we cannot write that glory."

"Alak nirañjan. Niranjan is that it has no rañja, no black spot on the body, neither on the cloth, nor on the body, and nor on your soul."

The lecturer explains the meaning of 'Alak' (indescribable) and 'Purī' (complete or a city), connecting them to the Nath tradition and saints like Śrī Devapurījī. He describes the state of a true Siddha or Avadhūta, who is without desire and served by spiritual powers (siddhis). The talk emphasizes selfless giving, illustrated by stories including Shiva begging for alms and the sage Dadhīci. A disciple, Dr. Shanti, shares her personal vision of Alak Purījī's form appearing in the Himalayas.

Filming location: Vép, Hungary

Āriyoṁ gurur brahmā gurur viṣṇu gururdevo mahēśvara gurur sākṣāt para brahma smēśrī gurvēnamah. Dhyānamūlaṁ gurumūrti, pūjāmūlaṁ gurupādaṁ, mantramūlaṁ guruvākyaṁ, mūlaṁ gurur kṛpā. Oṁ śānti, śānti, dehi. Alak Purījī, glory. Alak Purījī, Deva dī Devā, Deva Śūr Purījī, glory, Bhagavān Śrīdīp Nārāyaṇa Mahāprabhujī, glory, and our Sadgurudev Bhagavān Śrī Madhavānanjī Mahārāj's glory. Alak Purījī, we, I think you know about the name Alak Purījī. Alak means indescribable; we cannot write that glory. That is the name of Alak and the Purījī. Now, when we see in this name, then many ages was the Purījī. At that time, it was not Śaṅkarācārya. So, Purī has many meanings. Purī means complete. So also is given Ādiguru Śaṅkarācārya Jī the ten different names. And these are known as the ten different kinds of duties given by Śaṅkarācārya Jī. So there is, Purī is for the city, in the city. You know that you will be surprised. Why do we have so many names of cities or villages? Puri. Jodhpur, Jaipur, Udaipur, many Puri. So this is that, that sannyāsī should remain, go and preach in the villages of the cities, Purī. There is Aranya, and they are in the forest. So, like this, there are ten names. It was said that on the whole globe, or the land, where the sādhus should take care of people and their spirituality, their religions, everything, except us. And what if we see there? It's also Śaṅkarācārya jī said in Badriṇāth Purī. Now, Badrināth is God Viṣṇu. And it is called Badarīnāth. Nath has many meanings. Nath means also our master, the giver, protector, and Nath, Badri Nāth, and Nath, there are many meanings. But it begins from the Guru, what we call Śiva. Shiva is Nāth, and that's why he has in both his ears the rings. He has a triśūla, a dhūnī, a fireplace, a tilaka, etc. This is the ornament, and now on, in the name of Śiva. And there are many different Nāth traditions. And there are many, many. And this nāth is known as a siddha. And siddha means incarnation, or God. So when we call that one is liberated, and call like a God, that is a Siddha. It's not easy to become a Siddha. Siddha means they have achieved everything. Then they have the siddhi. And siddhi means whatever you want to get is in your hands. And therefore, it is said that siddhas have no longing. Doesn't matter if you give food or no. It is My Abhūṭa. Sādhu, Siddha is Abhūṭa. Abhūṭa is That Siddha. So our Devapurījī was known as Abhūṭa. After a long time, then Devapurījī became Abhidhūta Siddha. And Abhidhuta or Siddha, they have all the Siddhis. Now people like us, we are longing for one miracle, only one miracle. So when they asked me, "Swamiji, one miracle," I said, "Then, of course, I can do it." Bring a nice eating plate, good vegetables, chapatis, very delicious food. And I will make a siddhi, and I will eat, and I will eat, and look, it's gone. Where is that? So, there are different. There are different, so those who are longing for are Siddhi. Siddhi means perfection. They are longing for it. And for longing, very hard you get. But they are Siddhās. They, without their asking, Siddhi, Siddhi means perfection. Miracles, etc., that Siddhis are servants of the Siddha, or what we call Avadhūta. So for the Avadhūta, in their service is the siddhi, the siddha. At that time, your siddhis run round and round with you, but that siddha or avadhūta, they have no desire, so the siddhis are there in their service all the time. But this is not so easy. But how many inside purifications can... How many times are you changing your thoughts? We have no power to wait for some time. And those who are telling you, "I will give you this, and I will give you that, and give you that mantra and this and that, sit this," then it means... It is nothing. So abdhut is that we call like incarnation, and abdhut is above the incarnation. They are not even, they don't care about Śiva. You know that the story of the one Siddha, Avadhūta, was making his chapati. How and what there are, there have been in this world, and there are many there. That's it. So, avadhūt means they have no desire. If you come or not, and if an avadhūt is sitting in meditation, maybe for five days, or leaning on a tree, he will not even open his eyes that somebody is beside you, standing. Their laganā is in that oneness. They have no thirst, no hunger, no joy, no pain, everything above everything. And so were our Śrī Devapurījī and Alakpurījī. So there is a story of Bhagavān Badrināth, and there are four holy places, and this is in the Himalayas, and one of them is Badrināth. And while there are some different people, so some of that religious conflict, before Ādiguru Śaṅkarācārya, they broke Bhagavān Viṣṇu's statues. So again, the Śaṅkarācārya came and he established again. That's why I call Adi, you know, the Śaṅkarācārya's place there. So his place and his name is in Badrinath, that Śaṅkarācārya Jī. And that's why it's called Badrināth. So even to give the glory of Bhagavān Viṣṇu, they call Śaṅkarācārya Jī's place Badrināth. And there, all the priests or pūjārīs of that Badrināth, they are all ordered by Śaṅkarācārya. Śaṅkarācārya had also, for some time, his tapasyā called Joṣīmaṭ. But the Joṣīmaṭ is a long way to Badrināth. So that's why there's a Purī. And there, this Purī also, Alak Purī. So this is the story. So there are great saints, great ṛṣis. And those siddhas, they are near to Bhagavān Śiva, Bhagavān Viṣṇu, and Brahmā too. So Alakpurījī's name means Alakha. Alak means we cannot write his name. What we can write, whatever we write, is not He. He has no name. So, we try and try, but we couldn't get him. So that's why we said, alak, indescribable, or we cannot write. Alak purī means pūrṇa. And also in the cities where the people are preaching there, so, Badrīnāth. Viṣṇu, it is Bhagavān Viṣṇu. But Bhagavān Viṣṇu is also written as the name Badrināth. It is Shiva. Badrinath, then Puri, is that from also Shiva? So often you will see in many caves, those sādhus are making sādhanā there; they write one mantra in front of them. Yes. That is the mantra that they are repeating. And there is no other one, and that is only written, Alak Niranjan. Alak Niranjan. Niranjan is that it has no rañja, no black spot on the body, neither on the cloth, nor on the body, and nor on your soul. And so Bhagavān Śiva, Śiva going and asking for the food, from cave to cave, rock to rock, village to village. Even Śiva wants to ask her for the food. And that's the story from Annapūrṇā. Annapūrṇā is great, she is like a mother. And where the Śiva goes on her door, for asking for the food, we call the big śa. So, alakh nirañjan. So when you come to somebody, then he or she who has achieved or is trying to achieve, then the first thing is to get rid of everything. So, but that has nothing. Neither to the mother, nor to the father, nor to the brother, nor to the sisters, nor to anybody. Even if he doesn't want to care about the body. Only one Alakniranjan. I am indescribable. And I have no black spot on my ātmā, my soul. So the mantra is alak nirañjan. And when they go for bhikṣā, Almost, asking for the food, they are not beggars. They are not beggars. But it is the great luck of that person on whose door comes Śiva. And you don't know who that is. And that was also our Devpurījī. He has everything. But still, he is going there, and because when you go for bhikṣā, then you have to kill your ego. You are like a beggar. And someone may, they will say, "You go from here." I have nothing here. Go to the other door, and they will go. But then that person's luck is gone. It is gone. Therefore, if one bhikṣu passes by, They are ready to give. And in ancient times, when some six bhikṣus did not come, the whole family members would not eat. They are waiting, "Why today no brahmacārī, means a student, or some saint, why didn't they come to my door?" So that is it, and when they got food, they gave it to the different creatures. And prasad, lucky are those who will give some prasad and eat themselves. So it is that, like that, many. There was only, I saw one video on the television, from one holy saint, and that was Italy. What was his name, what? If someone can speak properly, then I can hear. Everybody just says, "Sasisi, sasisi." I know the sasisi, sasisi, I know also. So he was going for bhikṣā. Yes. And you know, so it was a story. So they were, and it was one, two, his friends or disciples were with him. So lucky are they who can give. Now, also, there are people who have, like, a profession as a beggar. But if you can give, give it. It doesn't matter if they are fake or not. Doesn't matter. Your duty is to give it. If this person is wrong or not good, And even if he is a beggar for earning money, It's also, who are we to judge? Oh God, they will go and drink alcohol. Who doesn't drink alcohol? In your country. Very rare are the yoga people, and some of them also, some time to time, when they're angry with the wife, then touch the bottle. So it is that if you want to give, then give it to that one who today is like a poor. Maybe he is the richest one, but now he's a beggar. And Holī Gurujī used to say something. Holi, Guruji had very nice words always. One thing Holī Gurujī didn't like, and he was angry about that, is smoking. So one day Gurujī was sitting in the railway, and he wanted to smoke. And Gurujī told him, "Open this door and go out." In the train, yeah? Yeah. You can go and sit in the toilet, but don't give out. Just one day, again someone came. It was in first class sitting, Guruji, and some big officer came. So that one was a smoker, so he took his cigarette pocket, but he didn't have a matchbox. That time was not this gas, so he asked Gurujī, "Do you have?" Gurujī said, "You have such a high position, and now?" You are a beggar. I thought you are great. I'm not a beggar. He said, only a beggar can ask, "Do you have something for me?" So Gurujī said, It is said, if you have never been begging, then learn to smoke. So, one day, sooner or later, you will be in front of the beggar, "Please, can you give me a box?" Sooner or later, a smoker will ask others, "Do you have the fire?" Even to your wife or your children. Begging is begging, and so there are things to do like this. So it is, but the big shock: they come and we don't know who is there. So if you have something, give it. It doesn't matter even if it is a fake person begging. That person will say thank you. His ātmā is saying thank you. Though he is not that, he is a cheater, but in this minute, that one is not a cheater; he is a beggar. And then, who are we to give judgment? My God, he will go and buy this cigarette or alcohol. How do you know? And if not, then why not? You came out of the restaurant, you drank their alcohol. And the beggar is standing outside. Maybe he also wants to have alcohol, but they have no money. So, who are we to give judgment? It is like this, you know, there was, I think someone told me, in the Bible or maybe in the Koran, I don't know. So there was a sinner, I don't know if it was a woman or a man, I didn't have a camera at that time, and they gave the punishment to that woman or that man. Give punishment and kill this person by throwing stones. So there were many people round and round. And there was some kind of pond, a water pond, a dry water pond. And they put this person in the middle, and now said, "Who will be the first to throw the stone?" And there are hundreds of them, but after the stones are coming. So it is a moment. To the sinner, only can send the stone who is not a sinner. And if you are a sinner and you send the stone on the sinner, it's not right. So, and I know, so please come to the front, whoever is not a sinner. And everyone who had a rock in their hand, they threw the stone down. None of them dared to say that I am not a sinner. So, somewhere here and there, you blame others. And you think, "Aha, now I give him or her this stone." So first look to thyself. Have you done these things or not? First, clean this, and then clean that. Like in the aeroplane, first the mother should take the oxygen and then give it to the child. So similarly, first look thyself. So how can we say that we should not give? Yes, there are many people telling many things. There are the cheaters, and they are like this and that and that. Now, on Christmas time, or what is it called? It will come now. What is the rabbit eggs? So, when the rabbit brings the egg, I don't know. So, therefore, there is one bhajan, a nice bhajan. I don't know where it's complete, but it's a very, very good bhajan. So, that Bhagavān Śiva comes to the door of one house as a beggar, and he's calling. There is one bhajan, maybe we will know tomorrow; we will play. Shiva himself. So it is said to the house owner, the person at your door. God is standing. Please fill in my bag. Like this, then this bhajan is long, but it is a Shiva. It is said, you will be the great. You will be rich. You will be everything. Many good things. So this isn't, as a human, a human should not deny the humans. And they said, "I did not eat, I want to eat, I will have this." So it is said, when you give a donation, then you have no right to take it back. And if you take that back, you are the biggest sinner. For one rupee, you will have to pay back one million rupees. Therefore, give it. When you give it, then your heart, your soul is so happy. But you say, "No, no, come on, give me, give me back, give me back." Maybe this person will take, give you back. But that one will not be good for you at all. So, anyone, any animal, if you have, give it, and don't ask for it back again. Or you should give, as what you call, the loan: that I give you the money, but you have to give me back. It is not a donation, but the donation, it is great. Through the donation, through the donation, giving, giving, you become a great saint. Give and give and give. One day we will give them our body. There was a great ṛṣi, and that was the time, and so there was one devil, a Rākṣasa, and he was killing people and was very terrible, and many, many were trying to kill him or this. And even from Svargaloka, Indra came to kill this Rāvaṇa, but he could not. So they said, "What to do? Because Brahmā gave the promise to that Rākṣasa." Because the Rakṣasa said to Brahma, "Give me the blessing that no one can kill me." And Brahma said, "No, that I cannot." I can give anything, but I cannot give him immortality. And that's, no one can kill this Rākṣasa, but please, you have to give one point somewhere. And so, what did he say? Brahmā said to that Rākṣasa, "I cannot give you immortality. But you came, and you were begging and begging and many things." You can be killed with one thing. And that is a living human with happiness, and freely give his bones and make an arrow from that. And with that arrow you will shoot, then you will be killed. Otherwise, no weapons, nothing: fire, fighting, this and that. And so he said, "Okay." He thought, "Now who can give his living?" Bones take out, and this and that. Who would be like that? We can't give even our own kidney. When people were asking and cheating, so our government made rules: only your relatives, and that also, if you gave, get permission. So, that Rākṣasa became, and what? Oh, great, everything. But the day came and one ṛṣi, Dadhīci, name was ṛṣi, name was Dadhīci. And that Dadhīci ṛṣi, for the sake of all creatures, and for the sake of all disease and all humans and animals, I give my bones. And he went into samādhi, and they took all his bones out. He made the arrow, arch, and then with that bone's arrow, that Rākṣasa died. Because that was given the word by Brahmā. That can be your success, otherwise no. And so, if someone gave the bones, and we just a few coins, not to give someone. God, standing at the doors, let it stand. Take some, a lot of money, why not? For one euro, when you give, we will not lose anything. But it will be written in your good luck, in your destiny, that you gave one as a donation, and not telling that you will eat meat, or that it will be alcohol or drugs, etc. When we give, it's gone from our hands. We have no rights to give some kind of commentary. So someone said, "I gave you so much donation, and now you have to give it back." And this, it should not be. When you go to the church, and some in church, they are not doing anymore. But they should do it after the holy prayer. Then they have a little long bamboo stick, and there is even a bag, and they will just go like this. Who wants to give, give it. Who doesn't want to give, don't give. Now, how will they use it? Don't ask them, "What will you do with this money?" Then it will say, "Yes, with this money, what you said, we will do." Your karma comes back to you. So if you give in the name of Jesus or in prayer, give it. And so many things in our life to get purification. Then we become, it's called the abhūta, or alak nirañjan. And always, when you will see some videos or some cinema, Śiva, he will come always, Alak Niranjan. So there is one spiritual lineage, it's called the Nāth. And Nath means who holds in the ears, ring. And so they are not. When you see the not, you can say, "Alakniranjan." Alakniranjan. They will also say Alakniranjan. That is how they are greeting, yes. But it has to be great persons, and if you are already an abhūta or not, or that knowledgeable, so one day came one Nāth, and he was long hair, tight hair. I also want hair, but my hair is always too little. I don't know the other way. In the night, my hair became this. Karma. So, and he has his water pot, his triśūl, mālās, many things. And he came to the Holy Gurujī. And he said, "Alak Niranjan." Sumabh Holi Gurujī said, "Alak Niranjan." Come, Nāth. Nāth means that sādhu. Come, Nāth. And have its āsana. Sit. Our Nāth and carry bath. But let us talk, not bathe. This question? She said yes. Gurujī said, "The first question only, and then you can sit." Said, "Not." How many hearts? Heart means this heart. That time was not, maybe no meter or feet. How not? Count the heart. How far is the sky? How many hearts? One, two, three. Then sit down, then we will talk. He said, "Gurudeva, I am your disciple. I came to have your praṇām, Gurudeva." I, please don't ask me questions. I'm coming for learning. So then Gurujī said, "Then what kind of gnat are you?" Then, of course, Gurujī was nice to him and taught him something. So, ask your friends, What is the distance from the earth to heaven? And it helps. There's a measurement. Yes, that I will not tell you. Otherwise, you will cheat other people. I can tell you the story, but I will not tell you the end. Okay? So many, many years you have to do. So, my dear, that is Ālak Purījī. Alak means indescribable. We cannot write His glory. Niranjan means spotless. And from there is our Ālakpurījī. So this is how to learn. And Alakpurījī is here, there. I don't know if it is true or not, but our dear Dr. Shanti was searching for 12–13 years to see the cave and all of this. And when she was near his cave, Devapurījī's cave, she said that she had such big visions of Alakapurījī. But the problem is this: those who saw cannot speak, and those who speak cannot see. So this is a problem. So Dr. Shanti said that she has very clear visions till now, Alagpurījī. And similarly, I also have the same thing. And Alagpurījī, in the rocks, in the Alagpurī glaciers, he appeared to me on the rocks. And in the morning, two times or three times, I had visions of that. White, completely white. Hair white, and cloth was it. Eyes very clear. That time there were no inlets. Alakporī had no inlets, you know. Because at that time, the eyes were strong. And now we are all the time crying, crying, crying. So, it is here; otherwise, we will not worship. The body is gone, but the other parts of life are there; that we call the subtle body. And in that subtle body, everything is there. So I think, Shanti, you said she's gone. You said you have some visions of Alagpurījī. Yes? No, tell loud, say yes. Yeah, you can tell a few words. It's not so long ago, two years ago, When, not three years, when Swamiji was the first time in Badrinath, and we had, after Swamiji, some small groups coming there. And I was organizing the pilgrimage to Alakpurījī's cave. And the last group was a very small group, only three or four people. So I did not have to organize so much. So I said, "Now you take a little rest." And I was sitting on the side of Ālakpurī's cave. And when you sit there, you can see a very far distance, Svarga Rohiṇī. This is where Yudhiṣṭhira entered heaven, and also Cho Oyu, two very high mountains, like 7,000 meters high, Cho Oyu and Makalu. In the far distance. So I was sitting there very peacefully and looking at this wonderful panorama. And then there was good weather, but little, little clouds only. And then suddenly, and I had open eyes, And taking all this wonderful energy inside of me, And then suddenly a very big face appeared over the two high mountains, Chocamba and Balcony. And I saw the face of Alakurichī, very big, very big. Big, like the mountains. And especially his eyes were very gentle, very beautiful. And white, round was white, and a big beard, but I see only, only a huge face. I mean, it was a big blessing. And then it was a few minutes; I don't know how long it was. I am sorry that I cannot paint, because as Swamījī said, till now this picture is very clear for me. And I can tell you, I had several experiences in this area. And it is for me completely clear that Ālak Purījī is existing. Not only there, but here and everywhere. And also, what I found out after this, I said, you know, God can appear every time, in every moment, without announcement. And I'm very thankful; this experience remains in my heart, and I'm very grateful for this. And I also feel the protection of all our Guru Paramparā. Thank you. Thank you. So, sādhanā. Sādhanā, anuṣṭhāna, mantra, meditation. All is very good. But antarākaraṇa, if we have not purified, everything is just hopeless. Antarākaraṇa, the inner actions, thoughts, feelings, etc. What is inside you, you have. And don't think that for some years I will try. Then I don't know what I will do. Perhaps I will see some other master. So, you have already done it. Now, that thing will happen. Even here, so keep it, have it. And if it is like this, there is that which you have with you all the time. The body, the physical body, is nothing. So, this is called the sādhanā. Chetana, the child that we have to do, and in that, we see God Rāma, and Kṛṣṇa is His incarnation. Bhagavān Rāmāvatāra. And there are many, many millions of temples; people are worshiping all over the countries. And when once I was passing by Australia, at Melbourne airport, the government there had made a beautiful decoration of God Rāma, Sītā, and Hanumānjī. You know, it is there for us, and it is that it is not this what you see, it is different, but we try to let it go how it is. God Rāma. Hazurāma. Śrī Rām Jaya Rām Jaya Jaya ... Śrī Rām Jaya Rām Jaya Rām Śrī Rām Jaya Rām Jaya Jaya Śrī Rām Jai, Śrī Rām Jai,... Sītārām, Sītārām... Jaya Rām, Jaya Rām, Sītā Rām, Sītā, Sītā Rām, Jaya, Jaya,... Jaya Sītā Rām, Sītā Rām, Sītā, Sītā Rām.

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:

Email Notifications

You are welcome to subscribe to the Swamiji.tv Live Webcast announcements.

Contact Us

If you have any comments or technical problems with swamiji.tv website, please send us an email.

Download App

YouTube Channel