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Om Namah Śrī Prabhudeepa Nārāyaṇam. Śrī Deep Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī Devādhi Dev, Deveśvara Mahādeva Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandjī Bhagavān Kī Alak Purījī Mahādevakī Jai. Om Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ... Good evening to all our dear sisters and brothers. Today is the day of Bhagavān Śrī Śaṅkarācārya. In all ashrams, great saints worship Śrī Śaṅkarācārya. We know that the essence of Sanātana Dharma is Śaṅkarācārya. He is the one who brought people back to Satya Sanātana when they were lost. From a very young age, after his father passed away, he began this work. His father had given him much knowledge—chanting, Sanskrit, and more. His mother was also a great spirit. Śaṅkarācārya, having received knowledge from both parents, wished to become a sannyāsī. His mother said no, as she had only him. He replied, "Mother, I will be there for you, but I must also go forth to restore reality and truth." There are many books detailing his long story. He asked his mother for permission to become a sannyāsī, but she refused. One day, while he was bathing in the water, he went a little farther out. A very large crocodile appeared and wanted to kill him. He cried out, calling, "Mother, come quickly!" He then said, "Mother, how can you save me? If you permit me to become a sannyāsī, perhaps the crocodile will release me." She said, "Yes, yes." He then walked through the water. Of course, these stories may be legends; many people have written various accounts. He then told his mother, "You are my mother, and when you need me, I will be with you." Śaṅkarācārya traveled all around India and the world. The time came when his mother was about to die. In those days, women did not attend funerals because they were considered too emotional, whether for a husband or children. But Śaṅkarācārya had promised, "Mother, I will be with you. I will come to your funeral." He came, and everyone questioned him: "Why have you come? You are a sannyāsī; you cannot touch dead bodies or attend funerals." He said, "Yes, but I promised my mother." All the other men left. He alone took his mother to the funeral pyre and performed the rites. Śaṅkarācārya Jī's is a great story; there is even a beautiful film about him. He was great. He established four maṭhas in the four directions of India, creating a great ashram and many others. If you wish to know the greatest of the great writers, it is Śaṅkarācārya. We should read his literature to see how profound and excellent it is. We have seven Śaṅkarācāryas. All the sannyāsīs in orange robes are different; Śaṅkarācārya said they should be in different places, and sādhus should be spread here and there. In this way, many sannyāsīs protected India and Sanātana Dharma for others. Today is the day of the great, great God, Śaṅkarācārya Jī. He had four principal disciples, as you can see depicted. It is all great. There were also many other ṛṣis of different kinds. Ṛṣis are very spiritual sages. In those times, there were fewer humans; now we are many. People were then chosen based on their merit. Some liked meditation and Pūjā; others worked in gardens or traveled. Śaṅkarācārya Jī provided different paths for these different natures, and these paths continue today. It was not easy to become a sannyāsī or a great saint who seeks to become one with God. There is a story written about a ṛṣi named Lomāśa. He had many cows, a beautiful forest, and disciples—perhaps 20 or 30. Gurudev would teach them early morning meditation and prayers. After sunrise, they would wash and then tend to the cows and other work. Gurujī, the Ṛṣi, blessed them all. There was a small village about 20 kilometers away. In it was a young child who wanted to go to the ashram and become a sannyāsī. His parents said, "No, you are too young," but he insisted. He was about ten years old. Every day he would say, "I want to go to Gurujī's āśram." One day his parents took him. His name was Upamanyu. His father brought him to the ashram, stood at the door with him, and said, "Gurudev, Ṛṣimuni, I wish for him to be your disciple. From the time he began to speak, he has spoken of gurus." The boy's name was Upamanyu. He expressed his desire to stay. His Gurudev said, "Sit down there." The father left. Upamanyu stood there for two or three days before the ṛṣi told him to come in. Gurujī knew he was a great soul, already like a god, but wanted to test him. For many days, Gurujī simply said, "Go, graze the cows in the grass and bring them back," giving him no food. After two weeks, the ṛṣi asked, "What are you eating? I did not give you food, yet you go with the cows and return." Upamanyu said, "Gurudev, I drink the milk of the cows." Gurujī said, "You take the milk meant for the calves? Do not drink that." "Okay, Gurudev." After a few days, Gurujī asked again, "Upamanyu, what are you eating now? You do not drink milk anymore." He replied, "Yes, Gurudev. When the little calves drink milk, some foam forms, and I eat that." Gurujī said, "What? These cows live for you. Do not take that. Do not eat it. Do not do anything like this." "Okay, Gurudev, I will not." After a few more days, he went for bhikṣā (alms), ate, and returned. Gurujī asked, "What are you eating? You do not drink milk or eat foam?" He said, "Gurudev, I go for bhikṣā and take something." Gurujī replied, "I did not tell you to go for bhikṣā, but it is okay. A sannyāsī should go for bhikṣā. However, when you receive bhikṣā, you should bring it and give it to Gurudev. Then the ṛṣi will decide to give it to you or not." So Upamanyu brought the bhikṣā to Gurujī and sat there for half an hour, one hour, two hours. Gurujī finally said, "Go with the cows, go." He went again. Gurujī asked again, "What do you eat now?" Upamanyu said he had gone for bhikṣā again, but Gurujī said it was not good to trouble poor people twice. His duty was with the cows. So then, Upamanyu began eating leaves from trees. Gurujī asked, "What do you eat?" "I eat some tree leaves." "Tree leaves? Do not eat them. They are so nice. I will not eat anything at all." "Yes, Gurudev, but some are otherwise." One day, he ate some kind of leaves or roots and became blind. It was afternoon, turning to evening. All the cows started returning to the ashram. He tried to follow them but fell into a deep, dry well about twenty meters deep. The cows came home. In the morning, Gurujī asked, "Where is Upamanyu? Did he not come with the cows?" Some devotees said, "Gurujī, you have tormented him too much. He has gone home." Gurujī said, "No, my Upamanyu will not go. He will not go. Go and search for him." They searched everywhere. The next day, the third day, some people passing by heard a sound: "Gurudev, Gurudev, Gurudev!" They said, "There is someone in this well." All the disciples said, "Gurudev, you cannot do this." He replied, "You do not know. He is Gurujī. He is Bhāṅgāhaṅgarī." Paramahaṁsa said, "Gurudeva, Gurudeva." Upamanyu answered, "Yes, Gurudeva. I ate some roots of a tree, and my eyes became blind. I fell down inside. Did all my cows come home or not?" Gurujī said, "Yes." "You are hungry," Gurujī said. Upamanyu replied, "Gurudeva, as you wish." Gurudev gave him food. Upamanyu said, "Gurudev, I cannot eat without first offering food to someone. Either you come, Gurudev, or I give to someone, and then I will eat." At that moment, Bhagavān, God Himself, said, "Yes, Upamanyu, I am here." "Are you God?" "Yes, I am." Then his eyes opened. He became very strong. Gurujī said, "Upamanyu, you are that Upamanyu." It is a great story, a big story about how you were. Otherwise, we just say, "Yes, my Gurujī," and "Okay, Gurujī, I will be yours," and that is that. But this is just like dust. There is another part: water was flowing out of his farm field at midnight. The ṛṣi said, "Water is going out. Go, all disciples, please..." Nobody went. They said, "Guruji, water will come again tomorrow night. We will not go." But Bhīma (likely referring to Upamanyu) knew what it was. He said, "Gurudev, I will go." Gurujī said, "No, no, you are too young, boy." He insisted, "No, I will go, Gurujī." He went where the water was flowing out, fell down there, and took the earth... that is the story. It is written beautifully in Holy Gurujī's book. Then, if you are a disciple, you will be one. It is not a matter of one day yes and then no. That is it. Nowadays, most disciples are not like that. But those who are in the true paramparā, the lineage, continue. Next time, with Holy Gurujī's grace, I will tell you more stories of how Holy Gurujī himself walked and the many things he did. Many things Gurujī did not want written, as Holy Gurujī said, "Maybe some bhaktas will become very sad." But that is our Gurudev, our Mahādvānanjī Bhagavān. So when you said "Gurujī, yes," then it was a yes. But afterward, you go and then you fall down. What are you doing then? You go into Kali Yuga. Kali Yuga has so many [temptations/distractions] now, you cannot imagine, like mosquitoes. In your house, in your sleeping room, there are so many mosquitoes. How do they come like that? It is by the grace of Gurudev (Kripa Gurudev ki). Gurudev's bhajans are many. Mahāprabhujī also has very good and nice bhajans, and Gurujī's disciples have very, very nice bhajans. This is that Gurudev. Śaraṇa Tumhārī Ṭaḍe, Tumhārī Cintāme De, Dayā Dayā Lu Lagāde, Dayā Lu De, Śaraṇa Tumhārī Ṭaḍe, Mātā Pitā Kaur Bhanī Hamār, Mātā Pitā Kaur Bhanī Hamār. Jal Bahar Bachāde Gurudev, Nā Tumhārī Chintā Merī Mitā De Gurudev. Śaraṇa tumhāri chiṅve, saṅsāra rūpi daryākā bhāri. Tu kīrpā bachāde, rabu kīrpāde bachāde, gurude sāraṇā, tumhāri cintāde. God bless you, God bless you,... God bless you. Japa tapa na khove mujh se, yehi Prabhu ārajāhe. Japa tapa na khove mujh se, Prabhu ārajāhe. Karuṇā tu hata de, karuṇā tu hita de, śaraṇa tumhāri, cintā meri mitāde. Śaraṇa tumhāri cintā meri mitāde, śaraṇa tumhāri cintā meri mitāde,... śaraṇa tumhāri cintā meri mitāde. Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān kī Devadhī Dev, Dev Purīṣa Mahādeva kī Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandjī Bhagavān kī Alak Purījī Mahādeva kī Satya Sanātana Oṁ Śānti śānti... śubhrātri.