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Sandhyā means the joining—the connection of day with the sun and night with the night light. It is the connecting point. We are connected to God, to the cosmos, to our evening time, to our Gurudevs, and to all the many deities. This connection is not limited to male or female forms. We have prayers for Śakti, and that Śakti has 52 parts, and more. There is no difference between that Śakti and power itself. In worldly life, we may think in terms of male or female, but in essence, all possess the same power, the same śakti. It is said: first is the mother. Mātṛ Devo Bhava—"Revere the mother as God." Then comes the father: Pitṛ Devo Bhava. After that come the teachers—the school teacher and all guides—which is called Ācārya Devo Bhava. The Ācārya, the teacher, is also God for us, from primary school to university. They teach us, and we call them our teacher, our master, our guru. Here too, there is no difference whether it is a male or a female. First is Mātṛ Deva, the mother. Then Pitṛ Deva, the father. Then Ācārya Deva, the teacher who gives us knowledge. Then it is said, the guru, the ācārya also, and that guru is above everything. Therefore, it is very important to come and adore everyone: adore your mother, adore your father, adore your teachers, and adore the guru. Within that, we enter. After that, all knowledge is given. Then it is seen if we are capable to teach or not, if one is capable to be a guru. Everyone has many gurus. The guru is everyone, but there are different kinds of gurus, from worldly ones to higher spiritual ones. Therefore, it is said that even the one who teaches you how to drink water, how to walk, how to get up, is a guru. Someone holds a child's finger so it can walk. Toys, a cycle, a horse, a car—all that teaches us is our Guru. You may forget later, but when your teacher taught you, it was your Guru. It does not matter who or how it is. When your Master comes, you should first greet them. They are always giving blessings, receiving praṇām, and they are our teachers in everything. Then we call the spiritual master the guru. There are different principles regarding gurus. There are animals, and these animals also have their guru. They go with their mother, eating, etc. These four-legged animals need no training to go into water and swim. But humans cannot; humans have to learn. Some people in other countries say a child, when put in water, will swim. But if we do not do it, we must teach them. That human teacher is also our guru. There are birds that fly in space. When they come out from the egg, they already have little wings and can move and eventually fly. There are other animals, like the snake, which has no hands, no legs, and no voice, but it can swim. Nature has endowed each with its own knowledge, but it is very limited. That is called Khānā, Pīnā, Bhōganā. Khānā means eating. Pīnā means drinking. Bhogana means to procreate, to give children. All animals can do this. Humans can do this too, but we can do more. We have knowledge given by our parents, friends, and teachers. This knowledge has no end. We call Sarasvatī Mātā, Mother. Sarasvatī is the wife of Brahmā and, at the same time, his daughter. What is a daughter? They say, what is that? It is both mother and daughter. What is that daughter physically? But that knowledge is different. Brahmā's daughter is that knowledge, and she is Vidyā. In India, in our schools, colleges, and universities, there is a statue or a large picture of Sarasvatī. When we come to school, everyone makes praṇām to Sarasvatī. She is seen in a white dress—white meaning no black spot, a completely pure body. In one hand she holds a book. Though she is the goddess of knowledge, she still holds a book. In another hand she gives blessings, and she holds a triśūla, etc. Some depictions show four hands; they vary. In our Kriyānushṭhāna, our chakras, Kuṇḍalinī, and all these chakras, each chakra has different deities where Sarasvatī appears. First, of course, we take Gaṇeśa, because Gaṇeśa is the highest of all. Even Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva adore Gaṇeśa. There is a story: Gaṇeśa is Pārvatī's son. One day, Pārvatī was bathing and washing her dress. She said to Gaṇeśa, "Please sit at the door, and do not let anybody come in until I finish." Then Śiva came and wanted to enter. Gaṇeśa, her son, said, "Mother told me not to let anybody in." He stood with arms crossed. He was a young boy but fought with Śiva. Unfortunately, Śiva struck off the head of Pārvatī's son. Pārvatī came out, and there was a long story. Śiva was very sad. Pārvatī said, "Bring my son back to life." Śiva said, "I will bring your child back." There was a little baby elephant, and Śiva took its head and placed it on Gaṇeśa. He became alive again, with an elephant head and a human trunk. Pārvatī was angry. Śiva was sorry. Gaṇeśa said, "No problem, father." Śiva and Pārvatī have two sons: Kārttikeya and Gaṇeśa. They said, "Who will be the highest among the gods?" The test was to go around the whole globe and return to the parents. One son, Kārttikeya, rode on a peacock and went around the whole globe. But Gaṇeśa, like an elephant, cannot walk quickly. What did Gaṇeśa do? He walked round and round in front of his mother and father and said, "Śivjī, I have walked around the whole globe." Then Kārttikeya returned, and they argued. Gaṇeśa said, "I am the first." Kārttikeya said, "No, you only went from this side to that side." But Gaṇeśa had a very good brain—that is why elephants are intelligent. He said, "My mother and my father are standing on this earth. For me, the whole globe is my mother and father. I performed parikramā. I went around, and I am in front of you." So they declared, "Gaṇeśa is the highest." Now, Gaṇeśa is even higher than Śiva, Pārvatī, Brahmā, and Viṣṇu. That is why we first give blessings to Gaṇeśa. Holy Gurujī has a beautiful bhajan for him. Gaṇeśa is very pure, clean, and knowledgeable. Every problem he can solve. We have a little prayer: "Jaya Gaṇeśa, Jaya Gaṇeśa, Jaya Gaṇeśa..." Therefore, from the mother—first is the mother. The father is Śiva; he is the seed, but the body is made by the mother. So, Mātṛ Devo Bhava—first, God is the mother. Some may say it is the father, and the seed is the father, but it is still within the mother. So first is the mother, then the father, then your school teachers and all friends, and then your guru, called Satguru. Of course, there is Śiva, Brahmā, and Viṣṇu. These are three, yet they are one. They are always transforming. Therefore, it is the Guru. Thus: Guru Brahmā, Guru Viṣṇu, Guru Devo Maheśvara. Guru Sākṣāt Para Brahma, Tasmai Śrī Gurave Namaḥ. At that time, the first mūrti we give is to Gaṇeśa, because Gaṇeśa is the highest. Dhyāna mūlaṁ guru mūrtiḥ, pūjā mūlaṁ guru pādaṁ, mantra mūlaṁ guru vākyaṁ, mokṣa mūlaṁ gurur kṛpā. The root of meditation is the guru's form. The root of worship is the guru's feet. The root of mantra is the guru's word. The root of liberation is the guru's grace. We worship the holy feet of the Gurudeva. We drink the water that has washed the feet of the Gurudeva. When they give that water in the mouth, it is not ordinary; those feet are not merely human. At that time, it is Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. Further, the guru. Mantra mūlaṁ guru vākyaṁ: the best mantra is the guru's word. What Gurudev said, you have to do. If you say no, it is cut. You are there, but you have lost it. It is like a string; when you say no, it is cut. So: Dhyāna mūlaṁ guru mūrtiḥ, pūjā mūlaṁ guru pādaṁ, mantra mūlaṁ guru vākyaṁ, mokṣa mūlaṁ gurur kṛpā. Liberation comes through that mantra. These are the two mantras: "Gurur Brahmā, Gurur Viṣṇu, Gurur Devo Maheśvaraḥ. Guruḥ sākṣāt Para Brahma, Tasmai Śrī Gurave Namaḥ." Therefore, I bow down to the Gurudeva. Now, who is a Gurudeva? It must not be someone in orange dress. You are sitting here; perhaps some of you are gurus. It is not about dress or external knowledge. From this knowledge comes realization. In realization, it is finally what it is. It is not about studying the Vedas again and again; you can go ahead but still not be there. And without even the Vedas, you can become the highest. This vidyā is different: physical reading is one thing, and the inner heart, where you truly are, is another. We are sometimes gone because we say, "Not good, not this," and it is finished. That beautiful big tree with beautiful leaves—sooner or later, the leaves will fall because it was not completed, and it will die again. As it is said: patta tutta dāl se le gayā pavan. When leaves fall from the tree, the wind takes them away. Patta tuta dāl se, hawa le gayī. The leaf does not know where it will go, to the other side of the hill. Ab pata kab mileṅge? The leaf says, "When will I meet my tree again?" When we have a connection, we are connected like leaves to the tree, which is the guru. But it can happen that the wind takes them away. This is a poem from Kabīr Dās. There is much knowledge inside it, in which direction they are saying, we do not know. In your language, you may understand, but I cannot. There are other stories. In the Czech Republic, there is a song or poem: an angel comes and sits on a tree branch, cleaning its wings because it is going to its beloved. It is cleaning its wings, and then someone catches it. The angel says, "Please, don't kill me." This is a very nice song. This is the story I told you today. From that time's song, I know. I have forgotten the other half, but many people here know it. Sing, come on. Who is that? From you, all of you... your husband is gone, finished. So you can... yes, my God, this girl lost my... okay, good, but loudly. I don't know, you are only here is the thing, come here. The parish, your grandfather must be here now. Good, yes. There's nothing here. Very good, thank you. Well, you see, this kind of little song or poem has so many meanings. It is not only about a lover. It can be about your body and your knowledge, your nostrils and your eyes, many things. Whoever wrote this poem, I do not know when, but no one can make it wrong. It will always be exactly like that. That is the knowledge we have inside. Poems, bhajans—these are forever. In that way, Gaṇeśa is that. He said, "I am standing on my earth, and this is a globe. I walked around my parents, and for me, the whole earth globe is myself, my parents." This is a kind of feeling to bring into our heart: to know what is right and what is wrong.