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The Guru-Purnima message

(Guru Purnima: 7 July)
th

(Excerpts from Pujya Bapuji’s satsang)

Guru-Purnima infuses the Jiva, who has been wandering for countless lives, with the blessedness of
knowledge, Bhakti and Yoga. Through the teachings of the preceptors, God and the scriptures and
through the jiva’s own experience and makes him capable of saving himself from the agony he has

1
been suffering in mothers’ wombs and entitles him to attain to the Supreme State. Guru-Purnima is
the day of making one’s mind holy by recalling the memory of God-realized Gurus like Maharshi
Veda Vyasji who make one capable of attaining to the Supreme State. This is the day of practising
penance and taking pious vows. It is the day when one should undertake some new resolve according
to the guidance of the preceptor. ‘These are the shortcomings in my mind; these are the
shortcomings in my conduct; these are the shortcomings in my life…’ After such introspection, one
should take a resolve to undertake some observance, japa or anushthana which one is capable of so
as to weed out the shortcomings and then one should resolve to move ahead in one’s spiritual
journey. It is the day when one should take stock of the spiritual endeavours made by him in the past
year and the spiritual experiences had thereby and should look to the Guru for tips for making
further progress. After the Vyas Purnima, schools of spirituality open and new lessons are taught.
In summer the land becomes parched; the rain comes around Vyas Purnima and the earth is infused
with a new life as are the trees. Similarly, Vyas Purnima brings new spiritual awakening, new
radiance, new joy and new vigour in the sadhaka’s life and inspires him to move forward to a new
life. Inspired by this pious festival, the Jiva can endeavour to realize God. Maharshi Veda Vyasji
commenced writing the world’s first ever spiritual treatise, ‘Brahman-Sutra’ on this day. The
Mahabharata was completed on the Guru-Purnima day and gods blessed this day saying, “The
sadhaka, who worships his Guru on this day, who propitiates his Guru and determines his spiritual
path with his Guru’s guidance, will earn the religious merit of doing all virtuous deeds throughout
the year.” Since then man has been celebrating the pious festival of Guru-Purnima with great zeal
and enthusiasm. Not only Indians but demigods and the yogis living in the heavens too celebrate
Guru-Purnima with great zeal and enthusiasm.
This is not the occasion for longish tales; it is the occasion for sitting near the lotus feet of Satguru. It
is not the occasion for discourses; it is the occasion for coming back to and reposing in the
Transcendent True Self, the Bliss Absolute where all discourses emanate from and roll back to. It is
an utsava. Utsava is made form the syllables ut (near) and sava (yajna or sacrifice). The yajna of
realizing by the True Self, the Bliss Absolute, the nearest of the near, is the utsava of Vyas Purnima.
Other utsavas we celebrate but the utsava of Vyas Purnima like a mother cajoles us. A mother
cajoles her child saying, “Come here my child! You have been playing in the dirt for quiet some time
and have thereby become dirty. Now take a bath and clean yourself. I will give you butter and sugar
candy.” Similarly Vyas Purnima says, ‘O Jiva! You have been wandering for several lives. Now come
back to your real nature of Pure Consciousness, to Selfknowledge, to the Lord, the Giver of life.’
A mother cajoles the child and thereby cleans and nourishes him. Vyas Purnima cajoles us and
thereby purifies our mind, imbues it with virtues like humility, modesty etc. and very kindly endows
us with the capability to assimilate Satguru’s experience of omnipresence through worshipping Him.
Our minds are invaded by violent winds of all kinds. Now we are plagued by doubt and now by fear
or other such feeling. If the mind gets restive or gets derailed from the path of sadhana and Bhakti
because of bad company, the sadhakas make new resolutions and resume their journey with renewed
vigour.
After the Vyas Purnima, the wandering, Self-realized saints stay at one place. There, they study
Brahma-Sutra and other scriptures and commence writing new spiritual books.
At times people in a society slide down towards degeneration. Demonic nature, dualistic thoughts,
casteism and feelings of mine and thine spread through the society. Divorced from the non-dual
reality, people are plagued by dualistic feelings which make them unquiet. The result is
narrowmindedness, strife and unrest in the society. But when Self-realized Gurus disseminate their
Knowledge in the society, people’s minds are imbued with virtues like oneness, peace, love,
magnanimity, forgiveness, rectitude and purity etc. and sadhaka is filled with the prasad of the
Supreme Consciousness.

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Man either makes progress or slides downwards. It is good to make progress but to save himself
from sliding down, the sadhaka should submit to some Sattvik vows. Take some pious vows for daily
observance in your life. Write the vows on a piece of paper. To make the mind serious in observance
of the vows, touch the paper to the Barhdada (sacred banyan tree in the Ashram infused with divine
potency by Pujya Bapuji) or to the rostrum (from where Pujya Bapuji delivers satsang) and keep it
with you. You can touch the paper to the place where you offer prayers or meditate at your house.
Take some vow like, ‘I will do japa for so many counts of the rosary; I will do so many Pranayamas;
I will observe silence for so many hours in the week, I will reserve one, two, or five days in a month
for intensive spiritual practice; I will live in complete solitude for so many days in the year; I will
spend so many days in the year for spreading the messages of dharma; I will employ my time and
resources in Gurudev’s divine endeavours in order to propitiate Him and to attain to the Supreme
State…’ If the sadhaka takes some pious vow of this nature on the Vyas Purnima day desiring to see
Maharshi Veda Vyasji in the form of a God-realized saint adorn the throne in his heart, his efforts
will be aided by the good wishes of gods and the grace of Gurus and his goal will be accomplished
sooner rather than later.
There is improvement at times and deterioration at others in one’s spiritual orientation; one happens
to be in good company at times and in bad company at others. The animate beings other than man
are subjected to bearing the fruits of their past actions but God has given some freedom to man. Man
can go up also and he can slide down as well. He should try to make progress but should definitely
strive not to slide down and to that end should observe some pious vows in life.
The true and worthy disciples apply themselves whole-heartedly in body and mind to worshipping
the Guru. If the disciple maintains the attributes required of a disciple, the gift of assimilating
Guru’s spiritual experiences is bestowed upon him.
If the Guru is a true Guru and maintains the attributes of a Guru, he can bless his disciples with the
gift of realization. Those who deserve to be granted the gift of Godrealization are sadhakas or
disciples and those who are capable of granting such gift are Gurus. The congregation of such true
disciples and Satgurus is the festival of Vyas Purnima. On this day, the sadhaka takes moderate and
light food like milk and fruits and with the help of activities like meditation, devotional activities,
selfless service, remembrance of God, observing silence etc. makes a firm resolve to awaken his latent
potencies. By and by as he is blessed with the gift of realization within, he becomes sinless. This is a
festival of becoming sinless, of being blessed with the gift of realization within and in due course of
time of bridging the gap between Guru and disciple, God and the devotee, breaking the cycle of
birth and death and realizing the Supreme Consciousness, the Ultimate Truth beyond the power of
nature. _

Only the Guru’s Compassion can Shower Auspiciousness

Guru is Brahma, Guru is Vishnu, Guru is Shiva, Though Guru appears to be a human being,
Actually He is God. He, who is blessed with the Guru’s grace, Needs nothing else to get. One who gets
Guru’s grace serves his parents like Ganesh, who served Shiva and Uma.’ They’re relieved of
inferiority complex, have no trace of anxiety Though Guru appears to be a human being, Actually He
is God. All events become auspicious and the milieu is changed completely. The vicious cycle of birth
and death gets over Attachment and aversion no longer overpower. Whose devotion to Guru
borders on obsession Keeps the God not at a distance Miracles take place with special grace He
makes people chant with clapping Dance the people of India and abroad His living is worthwhile
Who has received the blessings of Guru. Though Guru appears to be a human being Actually He is
God.
 K.P.Singh
Additional District and Session Magistrate Gwalior (M.P.)
3
 Curious Context
Bhai Manjh’s Steadfast Devotion to the Guru
One, who remains engaged in the Guru’s service unruffled by the obstacles, hurdles and enticements
in life, becomes a deserving disciple of the Guru. One who has assimilated the grace of a perfected
Guru, assimilates the knowledge of the absolute Truth as well. He alone leads a blessed life, who
remains steadfast in his devotion to the Guru even in the face of various adverse circumstances. A
landlord called Manjh came to Guru Arjan Dev and said, “Please make me your disciple.”
“Who do you follow at present?” asked Guru Arjan.
“Sakhi Sarwar. We also have a temple in its name at home.”
“Go, pay obeisance to it for the last time and come back after razing the temple to the ground.”
“Yes Sir, as you command.”
Breaking the temple was not so easy but the landlord had faith in the Guru and didn’t care for
anything so long as he was carrying out the Guru’s orders. So, he destroyed the temple. The people
ostracized him for desecrating the temple and criticized him severely. The landlord went to the feet
of Guru Arjan Dev. Seeing a deserving disciple in the landlord, Arjan Dev bestowed initiation on him
and taught him the method of sadhana.
Now the landlord would remain engaged in meditation and in doing japa of the Guru-mantra
without wasting his time in rites and rituals. His whole life-style was changed. He would give less time
to farming. He was put to one test after another. Soon his horse died, then some of his bullocks, next
thieves came and took some of his possessions. He now started facing more opposition from the
people and all of his creditors demanded immediate repayment. The landlord mortgaged his land,
cleared all his debts and himself started working on a farm. At that time the level of interest was such
that it was almost impossible for anyone who mortgaged his land to rise again. Once a landlord,
Manjh was now working as a labourer himself, but his love for the Guru’s feet never decreased.
After some time Manjh had to move to another village along with his wife and children. He began to
make his livelihood by cutting and selling grass. Arjan Dev inquired about him and found out that he
was living as an outcast, the whole society had ostracized him, but his faith was intact. Arjan Dev
was pleased to know this. Ostracized by the society, Manjh had won a place for himself in the
Guru’s heart. After some time the Guru again inquired about him and found out that he was leading
a hand-to-mouth life. Guru Arjan sent one of his disciple to deliver a letter to Manjh.
“Be sure to demand twenty rupees as an offering before you give him the letter,” the Guru told the
disciple.
Why would the Guru need money?
However, He tries the disciple to test his faith and enhance his ability. And it is true that gold has to
pass the test of fire several times to become pure. Manjh asked twenty rupees from his wife for the
Guru’s letter. Twenty rupees in those days would be equal to around five to seven thousand rupees
today. The wife replied, “Lord! I have two wedding bangles and other ornaments. Sell these and send
the money to Gurudev.” The bangles were sold and rupees twenty sent to the Guru. Gurudev saw
that his faith was still intact! After some time the Guru sent Manjh a second letter, for which he was
to make an offering of twentyfive rupees.
From where was he to bring the money? There was not a single pie at home. He remembered that
the headman of the village had once asked if his son could marry Bhai Manjh’s daughter. The caste
system was prevalent in those days and the headman belonged to a lower caste. Manjh proposed to
4
the headman, ‘I will marry my daughter to your son but I want only twentyfive rupees as marriage
settlement and nothing else.”
Manjh did not mind marrying his daughter to a boy of a lower caste, sending his daughter into a
family of people with mean mentality.
Great is his faith in the Guru! The Guru saw that his faith had not wavered yet. He sent a message,
“Come here and look after the ashram’s kitchen. Work in the kitchen and serve food to the people.”
Manjh carried out the Guru’s command implicitly and started working in the kitchen.
“Manjh looks after the kitchen, but where does he take his food?” the Guru asked one of his disciples
after a few days. “He gets his food from the free community kitchen after serving food to every
body,” the disciple said.
“Bhai Manjh is not doing real service,” said the Guru, “He is taking a wage in the form of food. This
is not selfless service.” Manjh took the Guru’s gesture as a command. From the next day on, Manjh
served in the kitchen during the day and went to the forest to cut wood. He then sold the wood in the
bazaar and used the proceeds to buy food for his family. This went on for a few days. One evening,
Manjh went to the forest to cut wood, which was needed for the Guru’s kitchen. A great storm blew
up after he had finished cutting the wood. He tried to seek refuge under a tree with his bundle of
wood on his head but the wind was so fierce that it blew him into a well.
Suddenly Guru Arjan Dev called some of his disciples and set out towards the forest with a long rope
and a wooden board. The disciples were surprised. “Manjh is at the bottom of this well,” said the
Guru when they reached the well. “Shout down to him and tell him that we will lower a board tied to
a rope. Tell him to cling to the board and we will pull him out.”
He then spoke something into a person’s ears and told him to say that to Manjh. The person told
Manjh, “Brother, see the wretched condition you are in. Why do you follow such a cruel Guru? Why
don’t you abandon and forget him?”…..(Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine).

Guru Bhakti Yoga

-Swami Sivananda

_ As every event, in order to take place, requires an external agency, the aspirant is in need of a
Guru to enable the manifestation of the knowledge within him. The disciple and the Guru are two
complementary entities or bits of universal process acting on each other in a reciprocal manner.
The factors that bring about the rise of knowledge in the disciple are the receptive capacity of the
disciple and the consciousness-force of the Guru. There cannot be such a knowledge-interaction if
the psychic condition of the disciple is not well-prepared and made ready to fit in with the nature of
the entry of the consciousness of the Guru into it. This condition has to be fulfilled when any event
in this universe takes place. No interaction of any kind can take place anywhere unless two
complementary phases of universal process came together.
That knowledge can rise of its own accord from within by self-analysis and that an external Guru is
not necessary at all is not a universally acceptable tenet. History has shown that the educational
process is in great need of the intense activity of teachers in any branch of learning. If knowledge can
naturally rise in everyone without any aid whatsoever there would be no need for schools, colleges
and universities in the world. Even those who try to propound this misleading theory of the self-
competency of the individual who can act independent of teachers are persons who have been trained
by teachers. Yes; the effort on the part of the disciple or student is not, in any way, a small factor in
5
the revelation of knowledge; it is as important as the need for instruction by a teacher. In this
universe the subject and the object stand on the same level of reality, which fact is proved by the
possibility of a mutual interaction of the two. There is no reaction between forces of different planes
of consciousness, though in the case of the action of the Guru it is possible that he may focus his
higher consciousness through the medium of a lesser plane in which the disciple is placed, in order to
bring about the required transformation in the mind of the latter. This process of the action of the
Guru’s consciousness is called Shakti-Sanchara or the descent of movement of the power of the Guru
in the disciple. There are cases where Gurus have even done Sadhana for the evolution of the
disciples by bringing about the purification of the mind of the disciples through direct intervention of
a higher consciousness.
There are people who carp and say: “We can find out good and evil, right and wrong, truth and
falsehood, by consulting our conscience. There is no need for an external Guru.” It should be
remembered that the conscience will not help a person in attaining to correct understanding unless
he has reached the height of purity and desirelessness. The impure conscience cannot give right
suggestion. (Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine).

Without the accumulation of virtuous deeds, the proximity of Saints

is inconceivable
A being’s virtuous deeds become accrued as he performs japa, meditation, adoration, devotion; takes
a holy dip in the sacred waters, gives charity etc. As a result, he gains the vicinity of great beings, his
mind starts attaining fondness for the company of saints & sages. Without amassing meritorious
deeds, one cannot sit in the company of saints. One cannot even attend or reach the divine discourse
of a Self-realized saint without merits.
Revered saint Tulsidasji rightly espouses: “Without the accumulation of virtuous deeds, Proximity of
Saints is virtually inconceivable.”
Such great beings are inaccessible without the accumulation of virtuous deeds. If per chance, it
happens, one fails to establish faith in them.
‘One cannot have faith, O King, without a sufficient stock of meritorious deeds.’ -Pujya Bapuji _

Awaken the Memory of Guru Tattva

 Pujya Bapuji
Guru-Purnima is the pious festival that reminds you of your innate all-pervasiveness howsoever
small you may be in physical and material status. If a wave believes itself to be an individual entity
separate from the sea, it proceeds towards death. However, if it considers itself to be the ocean, it
comes to know of its vastness. Similarly, if the Jiva, sees himself as Supreme Brahman, as Pure
Consciousness, he will experience his allpervasiveness. Even though you have a small body, are
occupied in a small vocation and are engaged in small endeavours, you are an eternal part of the all-
pervading Brahman. The Purnima that reminds you of this fact; develops in you the virtues of shama
(the attainment of calmness), dama (self-control) titiksha (forbearance; tolerance; the ability to
withstand opposites like pleasure and pain, heat and cold, etc., with equal fortitude) samadhan
(removal of doubts) and Ishwarapranidhana (offering of one’s life to God) and initiates you into a
healthy, happy and honourable life is known as Guru-Purnimaa. It is called Jnana-Purnima as well.
It falls in the month of Àshadha. Therefore, it is called Àshadhi purnimÍ as well. In honour of
Maharshi Veda Vyasji, who compiled and edited the Knowledge of Vedas systematically in four
6
volumes and wrote the first philosophical treatise of the world, this Purnima is called Vyas Purnima
also. On this pious day, the Jiva worships his Brahmanishtha Satguru the living
embodiment of Maharshi Veda Vyasji and by merging his little self into the all-pervading Supreme
Self, experiences all-pervasiveness. One, who worships his Gurudev on this pious day, in effect
worships all that is to be worshipped. No deity remains to be worshipped after that. Even if you
worship all the deities known to you, some deity or other entity worthy of worship may remain yet to
be worshipped but if one has assimilated the Knowledge of Brahman in his life by the grace of a
BrahmajnÍni Satguru, no entity remains to be worshipped by him. One, who worships the Satguru,
who imbibes the Knowledge imparted by Satguru, need not worship any other entity. Vyas-Purnima
teaches us that one who venerates the Satguru becomes venerable. I venerated my Satguru; I cannot
count the number of people who venerate me. Had I been devoted to wealth or luxuries, my life
would have fallen into the pit of absurdity but I devoted my life to the Guru and it was imbued with
divinity. Crores of men are making themselves holy by partaking of that prasad of divinity. You see
this with your own eyes. When you worship Shaligram, you are not worshipping a piece of stone, you
are worshipping Lord Vishnu; when you are worshipping the Shiva-Lingam, you are worshipping
Lord Shiva. In the same way, venerating the Guru is venerating Knowledge; it is revering the
Consciousness, Supreme Self for revealing That in one’s heart. So long as man thirsts for Knowledge,
for real life, the pious festival of Guru-Purnima will continue to be celebrated. The message that
Guru-Purnima gives is that you should cut off the intricate knots of individuality and awaken the
memory of the Guru Tattva, the all pervading Consciousness hidden in you. Lord Krishna’s message
is –memory of the True Self and self-control. Maharshi Veda Vyasji’s message is –memory of the
True Self, self-control and realization of one’s all-pervading Being.
‘The Lord is in you; the Lord is in me; the Lord is in all the beings.
Love one and all; nobody is an outsider to you.’

The Nectar of Love for Gurudev Makes All Poisons

Ineffective!
(Excerpts from Pujya Bapuji’s satsang)
Vasishthji says in the ‘Sri Yogavasishtha Maharamayana, “O Ramji! Who in the three worlds can remain
happy by disobeying the saint?”
Saints are supremely benevolent. We should be determined to do what they say. In this lies our
supreme good. We should not fail to act on their orders.
Lord Shankara says: ‘One should never ignore the orders of the Guru, be it just or unjust. Carrying
out His behests, one should live, day and night like a servant with the Guru.’
The disciple should not doubt the Guru’s words even if they appear false to him. He should carry out
His orders in right earnest.
The story dates back to the time when Delhi was ruled by Akbar. Akbar had made his son Jehangir
the ruler of Lahore. Jehangir was very fond of hunting and also of the flesh of wild ducks. Once he
planned a hunting expedition for seven days along with his bodyguards, soldiers and hunters in the
dense forest of Gurdaspur near Lahore. He had also taken his cooks along with him. Everyday they
would kill and eat the flesh of wild ducks.
Once in the course of their expedition, they lost their way in the jungle. Some of them went towards
the north while the others proceeded towards the southern direction. The battalion which had took
7
off towards the north reached the ashram of a saint named Bhagawandas. The saint, along with his
disciples lived in the natural, pure environment of that place called Pindori. Taking recourse to
spiritual discussions and silence, they would remain reposed in the Brahman.
Bhagawandasji Maharaj had a disciple named Narayandas. One day the Guru said to him, “Son!
Strength is depleted through speech. Be silent and do japa of ‘›’ or ‘SOHAM’ with the incoming and
outgoing breaths. You will experience natural joy by this. Stay here till I come.”
‘Only the saint knows what obedience and service to the Guru is. The ignorant knows not what it is.’
Having listened to the Guru’s command, Narayandas bowed in reverence and became silent. Now
Jehangir’s soldiers came to Narayandas and asked him, “We have lost our way. Where does this
road lead to?” Narayandas was silent, he didn’t say anything. The soldiers shook him telling him to
speak. They also threatened him but when they saw it having no effect upon him, they thought, ‘Let
us take him to Jehangir’s camp. He will speak when he is punished and beaten.’ They took
Narayandas, the true and worthy disciple, along with them and hurled all kinds of abuses on him,
scolded and threatened him but Narayandas had made a firm resolve, ‘The Guru has ordered me to
remain silent till he comes. I will carry out his orders even at the cost of my life.’ He bore the beatings
and abuses but did not say anything.
Be it the material world or the spiritual world, without faithful adherence to a particular rule,
without self-effort or without going through tests and trials, one is not blessed with any great
endowment and even if he is, it does not last. I too had to face many trials and difficulties at the
Guru’s place. Hurdles, obstacles and difficulties make us capable of receiving divine endowments.
Therefore, we should not fear or lose heart.
The soldiers presented Narayandas before Jehangir, who as he was tired, said, “We will see him
tomorrow.” The soldiers were Muslims and Narayandas was the disciple of a Hindu Sadhu. They had
lost their way and he was silent. Angered at this, they said, “He is a hypocrite and causing trouble to
us. He is our enemy and an infidel!”

Now the soldiers were many and Narayandas was alone. Yet he bore their beatings and abuses.
How great was his determination! In the morning, the offender was presented before Jehangir. He
had not committed any offence, he was just obeying his Guru’s order to remain silent. Jehangir
scolded and threatened him. Carrying out his orders, the soldiers beat him up but he didn’t speak
a word. Jehangir was more furious, “We are inquiring him and he doesn’t speak! What does he
think he is! Take him to Lahore. There he will be made to speak through severe punishment.”
When Narayandas refused to speak even after being severely tortured in Lahore, Jehangir was
mad with anger. He ordered, “Make him drink poison.” The poison was prepared and brought, in a
bowl.
Narayandas looked one-pointedly at the bowl, remembered his Guru and contemplated, ‘Aum
Aum… this poison can do no harm to me. I will not be affected by the poison.’
He gulped down the poison while mentally repeating ‘Aum’. When he has obeyed the Guru, how can
the poison disobey him? Jehangir stood shocked with his eyes wide open. He waited for Narayandas
to stagger and collapse but there was the same peace and fearlessness on his face. Fuming with anger,
Jehangir said, “There is no effect on you yet! Give him a second bowl.”
Narayandas drunk the second as well. When the third was given and there was again no effect on
him, Jehangir thought that the poison must be artificial. It was given to a cat which died
immediately. Jehangir stood dumbfound. He exclaimed, “The poison is strong. How come he is not
affected then? Give him a fourth bowl.” He drank the fourth as well. Then the fifth and the sixth.
Jehangir in his anger continued with his atrocity just like a defeated gambler who bets double the
amount he had staked in the previous game.

8
Narayandas had such firm faith in his Guru that through the power of remembering his Guru and
through his firm resolve, he rendered the poison ineffective till he was given six bowls to drink.
However, Jehangir didn’t want to stop. He said, “You don’t speak yet, nor do you die! Give him the
seventh bowl.” When the seventh bowl was given, Narayandas prayed to God, “May Your Will be
carried out.” Amazing is the sport of the Supreme Lord, the Lord of the universe, Who dwells in all
hearts! While it was Narayandas, the obedient, true and worthy disciple of Bhagawandas, who had
drunk the seventh bowl of poison, it was Jehangir who was affected by it!
“Touba, Touba…! Allah…!! I am dying…” saying so, he staggered and collapsed to the ground….(Read
full article in Rishi Prasad magazine)

An Earthly God and a Heavenly God

(Excerpts from Pujya Bapuji’s satsang)
There are two types of Godly beings.
One lives on earth and the other in heaven. By performing penances and meritorious deeds, a
human being becomes a heavenly god. There he indulges in pleasures associated with wealth,
happiness, and the music and dance of celestial nymphs. Thus his balance of merit dwindles. On the
other hand, the god of earth endures difficulties, practices austerities, does japa, follows a daily
discipline of sadhana, pleases his Satguru and endeavours to attain Selfrealization as exemplified by
his Satguru.
In addition, he performs karma for the sake of it and not for the sake of enjoyment or for reaching
heaven. He offers the fruits of his karma to God and to his Satguru. A heavenly god destroys his
merits by enjoying the company of celestial nymphs (apsaras) whereas an earthly god performs
penances, destroys his sins and awakens into his Blissful Self.

Truth is not attained by using Logic

(From the precepts of Samarth Swami Ramdasji)
Truth is attained through constant search (Self-enquiry). O mind! Knowledge dawns gradually. One
attains wisdom about the Self but this is possible only by acquiring a Sri Satguru, the God endowed
with body and attributes, by living in his company and by receiving His compassion and love. Hence,
derive benefit from Satguru’s satsang and attain a firm stance in Brahman.
One cannot attain fulfillment through the knowledge of the body and the cosmos. The essence of
Truth cannot be realized through intellectual reasoning, inference and intellectual knowledge.
Neither is it known by being engaged in action, performing yajnas or renouncing sense enjoyments
on the physical plane. Spiritual fulfillment, removal of doubts and peace can be attained only
through the gracious glance of Sri Satguru and His love. ‘Tat-tvam-asi’ (You are That) mahavakya
(great sayings) of the Upanishads, the essence of Vedanta, the principles of Panchikarana described
in the Vedanta – all these are hints given by Sri Satguru to indicate the Supreme Brahman who
defies description. The true disciple has to experience the revelation of Brahman in his heart with the
help of the hints given by his Guru. To illustrate this point, consider this example. A man who has
seen the moon points to the crescent moon of the second day of the fortnight in relation to a branch
of a tree as a hint. The other man follows this hint of the branch of the tree. He has to move beyond
the branch of the tree and look at the moon himself. And so long as he does not see the moon, he
keeps asking again and again the person who has seen it and eventually succeeds in seeing it himself.

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 Diksha Elevates Life
(Excerpts from Pujya Bapuji’s Satsang)
The life of a person who is not initiated by a Brahmanishtha Satguru is worthless. It is like the make-
up and dressing of a widow. You may attain secular education but it is necessary to bridle it with the
rein of Vedic diksha. Not only is the life of an uninitiated person is ruined, but those who come into
contact with such a person are also ruined. To eat, drink, suffer pains and enjoy pleasures, and die
without having Knowledge of immortal Self is the life of such people.
Without diksha one cannot attain freedom from the cycle of birth and death. A blind man can run
without an assistant no doubt, but is sure to meet with an accident. Without a Guru one cannot
realize the hollowness of this material world, and without Knowledge the jiva cannot attain freedom
just like a boat in deep sea can never reach the shore without a navigator. One cannot attain diksha
from the Guru by dint of wealth, honor and status. Only the calm, humble and modest disciples
endowed with faith can attain diksha. The vanity of wealth and power and vices like lust, anger,
avarice, delusion, etc. get dissolved in the elixir of faith. The elixir of faith removes worry, fear and
makes one intoxicated with divine love. One forgets his inferiority related to the transient body and
even his egotism. After attaining diksha, the devotee endowed with faith, progresses towards his
eternal nature. Hence diksha, faith and satsang are essential in life. There are three types of Gurus
who give mantradiksha.
One is the commercial guru, who gives diksha for a business.
‘You are my disciple, I am your Guru, give me dakshina. Whether you become free or die, I am least
concerned..’
Such people are wayward. They are themselves addicted to tobacco and indulge in all kinds of evil
acts and give mantradiksha to others at the same time! To give mantra-diksha is not a joke. It
involves a great deal of responsibility and the Guru has to transfer his spiritual power to the disciple.
Commercial Gurus are ignorant about this. Swami Vivekananda criticized such people severely.
The second type of guru is the sectarian guru who gives mantra of his sect. If someone belongs to
Ramananda’s sect he will give the mantra ‘Sitaram Sitaram’. If he belongs to Vaishnav sect, the
mantra will be one of the names of Lord Vishnu and if he belongs to the Shaiva sect it will be ‘Om
Namah Shivaya’. A mullah or maulvi will teach one to say, ‘Allah-o-Akbar’ according to his sect and
religion. It is some rare ones, the saints of the people (lokasant), who give mantras according to the
Vedic tradition. They have no sect of their own. They give mantras keeping in mind the good of the
recipients. (Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine)

Do not Doubt the Efficacy of Japa

(Excerpts from Pujya Bapuji’s satsang)
The practice of Japa generates a divine aura, divine bliss and sattvic vibes in the environment which
eradicate the thoughtpollution prevalent in the atmosphere today. Japa of the divine name creates a
divine armour which protects the japaka from negative elements and helps the person progress on
the path of spiritual and material development.
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Once you get a mantra from the Guru, half of your sadhana is completed by the power of diksha and
if you do not repeat your past sins and bad habits, you are absolved of those sins and you become free
from vices. As your japa increases, your sins will be gradually eradicated. However, more
anushthÍnas1 are required in the case of a great sin. There was a great scholar named Vidyaranya
Swami in the order of Lord Adi Shankaracharya. He was initiated with the Guru mantra and was
told to perform an anushthana by his Guru.
The Ishtamantra2 is perfected by doing 1,11,110 number of japas if it is a monosyllabilic mantra. In
case of mantras which have more than one syllable in them, the japa should be performed for as
many times as the number of syllables in the mantra multiplied by 1,11,110. By performing an
anushthÍna, one gets protection from negativity and the inauspicious, and the presiding deity of the
mantra is revealed. Vidyaranya Swami performed many anushthanas but saw that his presiding
deity, divine Mother Bhagwati, had not yet revealed herself. No miracle of any sort had happened.
“All this is humbug. I should not have got entangled in this”, he thought, and collected some wood at
the solitary place where he had built a hutment for himself. He lit a fire and offered all the religious
books, articles of worship, rosary, gomukhi etc. to the fire-god.
As everything was being engulfed by the fire, a divine lady with a magnetic aura around her
manifested herself and said to Vidyaranya Swami, “What are you doing?” He replied: “Mother! All
this japa is nothing but humbug. I have performed several anushthanas and found that mantra japa
is useless. Now I will spread the information among people that they should not waste their time by
becoming religious. Let them earn, eat, enjoy and make merry. I will spread atheism. There is no
God. All this talk about mantras is useless.” The goddess said, “Well! You may do whatever you like
but at least turn around and look.”
Vidyaranya Swami saw that just like the fire which was burning before him, there was a
conflagration behind him and huge boulders of the size of mountains were falling from above into it
and were being blasted to pieces. One after another, several such boulders were being destroyed in
the fire with a deadly sound. Dumbfounded, he thought, “What is this that I am seeing? The lady
who spoke to me must be aware of the mystery behind this.” He turned around but the lady had
disappeared! Where did she go?
He wandered in the woods calling out to the goddess, “O Mother! O goddess!! O Mother of the
world!!! Be gracious. You revealed yourself and have now disappeared. I don’t know who you really
are. Please guide me.”
A heavenly voice was heard, “You have abandoned dharma, japa and the refuge of the Guru’s
command. You are now an orphan. Go and wander according to the whims of your mind. There are
many such orphans who wander, and after death they flow into the drain when they don’t get a
mother’s womb to be reborn in. You too may go and do as you please. Will the sun become extinct by
your saying that it does not exist? Will God perish by your propagating atheism?”
“Mother! I saw huge boulders being destroyed in the fire. What does that mean?” The goddess
replied, “The great sins of your past lives have been destroyed one by one by anushthanas.”
“Mother! Kindly guide me.”
The goddess said, “You have shown disregard to the mantra given by the Guru. Worship and pray
to the Guru to forgive you. If you once again perform an anushthana, considering your Guru’s
touch, the mantra and the rosary given by Him as the supreme means for your good, you will
experience the efficacy of the japa and gain supernatural powers.”
Vidyaranya Swami fell at his Guru’s feet, cried and narrated the whole incident to Him. The
compassionate Guru again gave him a rosary and the required scriptures, etc. and said, “You will
now become successful by performing a single anushthana.” He did as he was told and became such a

11
great siddha (enlightened master) that he composed a scripture, which helped me (Pujya Bapuji)
attain Self-realization. Lord Krishna’s Gita blessed Arjuna with a divine intellect capable of
comprehending the Real Essence (Tattva).
Similarly, the Guru’s mantra destroyed the dangerous darkness caused by his mahapatakas
committed by Vidyaranya Swami in his past lives to bless him with a divine intellect capable of
realizing the Ultimate Truth. He composed the famous scripture ‘Panchdashi.’ The sadhaks of
Vedanta and all the saints and devotees who follow the path of Wisdom are acquainted with this
scripture.
So, it is not that if you do japa, you will get the result instantly. Japa first purifies the body, the mind
and our past karma. Only after that past debt is cleared, will something be deposited in your
account. …(Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine).

All That is Yours’ should Become Mine

(From the spiritual discourses of Pujya Bapuji)

King Brihadashwa worshipped his Gurudev with devotional faith. Quite often, he would sit in front
of his Guruji. He would look at him with fixed gaze as if looking at God without even blinking his
eyes. So the grace of the Supreme Self manifest in the form of his Guru showered on him and his
merits went on increasing. In his kingdom, there was much yield of agricultural produce due to
proper and timely rain. Nature becomes favorable & bestows its bounty upon a virtuous emperor.
Seeing his affluence and prosperity grow manifold, the king thought: ‘I should perform Ashwamedha
Yajna. One who completes 100 such yajnas becomes Indra, the king of god’s. So the king started
the endeavor. He went on performing the yajnas one after the other.
At that time, Brihadashwa’s Gurudev was in samadhi in a secluded place. When he came out of his
samadhi, he thought, ‘I wonder what my disciple Brihadashwa, who gazed one-pointedly at me with
reverence and looked at me with a sense of oneness, is doing?’
The Guru perceived that Brihdashwa was entangled in the vain desire of amassing merits through
the performance of one hundred ashvamedha yajnas. ‘Till date, he has already accomplished ninety
two yajnas. He will certainly try to reach the set target of one hundred yajnas. After leaving this
mortal sheath, he will attain the coveted seat of Indra and then for thousands or millions of years, he
will enjoy heavenly pleasures. While living in my company, he gained merits but his indulgence in the
celestial enjoyments will deplete his merits. Thereafter he will become a man once again. O my God!
Where is he heading to? From the human birth, he can still descend towards lower births like that of
a deer, rabbit or even of an insect.’
The Guru willingly cast off his body and entered another. Such jivanmukta great men never identify
themselves with the body. They always revel in the eternal transcendent Being ‘I am Brahman’. To
enter a body or to cast off the physical body is nothing but a mere sport for them. King
Brihadashwa’s Guru came in the guise of a nine year old celibate boy exactly in the same way as the
Lord Vaman had come in the form of a celibate boy before his devotee Bali. By this time,
Brihadashwa had already completed ninety nine yajnas. The last yajna i.e. the hundredth one was
being performed. One cannot escape three things even after death. The first thing is one’s actions.
Till the karmas are not burnt by the fire of Knowledge imparted by a Self-realized Guru, one cannot
escape them. One cannot part with the Supreme Consciousness, God, Who never abandons us. And a
true worthy disciple cannot escape the grace of Satguru.

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The Guru came to Brihadashwa in the guise of a nine year old dwarf Vamdev. The king stood up to
honor him. After worthy adoration of his lotus feet, the king offered him a venerable seat.
Brihadashwa said,
“My Lord! I seek for your command! Any Brahmin, who happens to reach my doorstep, gets his
wishes fulfilled. It is ordained for the person who performs ashavamedha yajna that the begging
Brahmin should be provided anything he asks for. My Lord! There is nothing in this world which is
impossible for me to gift to you. So, I wait for your orders. I’ll certainly give it to you.” The Brahmin
young boy said, “What if you so back on your word?”
“Maharaj! I’ll never do that.”
“Then make a donation pledge.”
Lord Satguru asked the king to swear exactly the same way as Lord Vaman had put Bali under an
oath by giving water in his palm.
The Brahmin: “Make a pledge that you will provide me whatever I ask for.” Brihadashwa:
“Maharaj! I promise to give you everything you ask for. You may demand one thousand gold coins,
or maybe ten thousand gold coins. Even if you ask for my entire kingdom, I’ll have to give, for the
performer of Ashvamedha yajna is ordained to keep his promise.”
The Brahmin said “I do not ask for any thing else except that ‘all that is yours’ should become mine.”
The compassionate Satguru asked for that which would make Brihadashwa a liberated man. Such a
liberated soul would never become destitute, never would he have to bear the afflictions in mother’s
womb, never is he subjected to attacks of passion and never does he suffer the consequences of
virtuous and sinful actions.
“Neither it is desirable to indulge in enjoyments, nor to bear sufferings;
If one is intelligent, it is desirable to attain the Supreme.”
The disciple was performing yajnas for sense enjoyments. The Guru said,”All that ll thatis yours’
should become mine.”
The king was oblivious of the fact that the Brahmin was his Guru. Thinking him to be a brilliant
Brahmin, the king gave him all that he possessed. Thereafter Vamdev said, “You’ve given me the
dana. Now give me the dakshina.
At this the king started looking towards his son but Vamdev said, “Brihadashwa! All your
possessions are already given to me.” Wherever his mind went, the Guru reminded him of the fact
that now he owned everything the king possessed earlier. The king became discomposed. His mind
was agitated and he dozed off for a moment. Maybe it was his own reverie, the sacred resolve of his
Guru or the effect of divine Maya. The king saw his own death and was taken to the infernal world
where his account of karmas was being checked. The messengers of the god of death told him,
“You’ve not accomplished the targeted one hundred yajnas. The count reached ninety nine only. So
you are not eligible for the coveted celestial seat of Indra. Yes, you can be considered for the post of’
‘Upendra. ( Indra’s younger brother)’ With the sense of doership you have performed virtuous
actions, you will experience happiness as the consequences of your virtuous deeds. But the effect of
aberrations and miscalculations also falls into your account. For the performance of so many yajnas,
you exploited your subjects by levying numerous taxes upon them. In the process of offering libations
to the fire-god, many insects were consigned to fire…. All this will result into nothing else but misery
which you are bound to suffer. So, whether you want to enjoy the pleasures of Upendra or bear the
wages of your sins, the choice is purely yours.”
Brihadashwa said, “It is better to suffer the miseries first and then enjoy the pleasures.”
The next moment he was thrown into a desert. …(Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine).

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 The Supreme Means of Liberation
Seeker of the mystery of Supreme Being, Lord Brahma engaged Himself in severe penance for one
thousand years of gods (gods’ year = 365 human years). Pleased with Lord Brahma’s intense and
severe penance, Lord Vishnu appeared before Him. Lord Brahma said to Lord Vishnu, “Lord!
Instruct me in the mystery of the Supreme Being.”
Lord Vishnu was greatly pleased and praising Lord Brahma heartily with ‘Sadho-Sadho’ (well
done), said, “There is an Upanishad by the name of ‘Param-Tattva-Rahasya’ in the Devadarshi
branch of Atharva Veda. It contains the dialogue between a Guru and a disciple and is well known to
all from ancient times. Listening to that dialogue destroys all bondage completely. The Knowledge of
this Upanishad unravels all mysteries. The disciple was calm and composed, in full control of his
senses, immensely pure, devoted to the Guru and highly ascetic. He was fortunate to come by a Self-
realized Guru. A true and worthy disciple circumambulated the Guru, prostrated before him and
joining his hands in all humility said, “My Lord Gurudev! Instruct me in the supreme means of
liberation.”
The Guru said, “When the virtuous deeds done in the course of a number of past lives fructify, one
comes by the company of saints, which in effect is the essence of Vedas and other scriptures. Satsang
tells us about the dos and don’ts and one gets engaged in righteous conduct which eventually destroys
all sins and one’s heart becomes extremely pure.
“The pure heart then yearns for Guru’s grace. With a minimal of Satguru’s grace all the psychic
powers are attained, all bondage is destroyed and all obstacles to beatitude are gone. All virtues
automatically come to him. One blind since birth has no idea of any form. Similarly, without Guru’s
teaching, one cannot attain Knowledge of Supreme Being even in billions of ages. And that
Knowledge of Supreme Being is attained instantly with the minimal grace of Satguru. “With
Satguru’s grace alone one gets inclined towards and becomes devoted to listening to the narration of
the Lord’s divine play and the praises of Lord’s glory and practice of meditation. The knots of evil
passions get destroyed thereby. With this one gets rid of all one’s desires and the heart becomes pure.
In the pure heart, God is revealed. Intense devotion to Lord Vishnu is kindled in the heart and
dispassion towards sense-enjoyments grows which in turn leads to Self-knowledge dawning in the
intellect. With practice that Knowledge is perfected and stabilised.
With the experiential Knowledge being perfected and stabilised, one becomes liberated while living
in the world. All good and evil deeds and desires are destroyed. Then there grows in the heart
immensely strong, pure and sattvik desire leading to supreme devotion. By supreme devotion, the all-
pervading Lord Narayana appears in all states. The entire universe appears then as a manifestation
of Lord Narayana. One conducts oneself in the world imbued with the conviction that there is
nothing apart from Lord Narayana.
This state of constant, natural and effortless samadhi passed on by disciplic succession makes one
behold the Lord in all states and beings.” _

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 Non-dual ‘I-ness’
(Excerpts from Pujya Bapuji’s satsang)
Sanjay was relating the happenings on the battle-field to King Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra asked
him, “Sanjay! Tell me who is going to win?”
Sanjay parried the question for some time but finally said:
“Oh King! Wherever there is Krishna, the Lord of Yoga and wherever there is Arjuna, the archer,
there is prosperity, happiness, victory and firm policy; such is my conviction.” (The Gita: 18.78)
Dhritarashtra is stunned, “What are you saying?”
“If it doesn’t come true, then don’t consider me a disciple of Maharshi Veda Vyasji.”
A worthy disciple is proud of having acquired a Self-realized Guru and a Satguru too is proud of
having acquired worthy disciples. This is pride but this pride is not associated with the body. It is the
pride associated with the Real Self. It is real Selfesteem. What worldly people call selfesteem is in
fact the ego based on individuality or the subtle body. But the pride between a Satguru and his
disciples is the pride based on the Supreme Brahman. There are three types of ego. “I am the body;
my height is this much and weight this much…” - this is bodily ego. “I am a devotee, a sadhu, a Yogi,
a sadhaka…”—this is subtle ego. However, “I am You and You are me, That is me and This is me…”
- this is the pride of Oneness, of non-duality, of Wisdom. This pride, is one which helps man cross
obstacles, which delivers man from the material world. My Satguru, Sri Sri Lilashahji Bhagwan,
once having judged the state of my mind, carried out an immensely generous act. Even today it
comes to my mind.
It was early morning about 4-5 A.M. A satsang was going on and two-three of us disciples were
sitting near Gurudev’s feet. Even after Gurudev had showered His grace, sometimes doubts would
still linger in my mind. Showering his compassionate glance, Gurudev presented an incident. He said
in the course of the satsang, “Many people, many poor disciples, because of past samskÍras, present
efforts, the grace of God and the Satguru, do experience the Truth but before they get settled in that
experience, they slide down from it. They have doubts, ‘Where do I have the power like what my
Gurudev, Sai Lilashahji has? Many people have faith in Gurudev. Many come to listen to Him. But
nobody pays attention to me … “Such doubts like ‘paying or not paying attention,’ ‘having or not
having power’ are states of the mind. Even those sadhakas, who attain to the experience beyond these
states of mind, don’t settle there. In fact, they are held back comparing their experience on the
measuring scale of worldly gains.”
Then my Lord Gurudev looked at me. Lowering my head, I looked at His feet and at His face,
overwhelmed with reverence.
Gurudev cast another compassionate glance at me. He said, “If you agree to what Lilashah says, well
and good, otherwise listen…” and He cast another glance at me.
. “Asaram! This is the Gita and this is the Upanishad. I place them on my head and swear by them
that what Lilashah is, you Asaram are also That. You are what I am and I am what you are.”
This is the experience of Self-pride. Satguru wants a disciple to reach such a stage in which he can
make the sadhaka experience: “I am what you are. You are what Lord Krishna is. You are what
Lord Rama is. You are what Lord Shiva is. You are what Ma Amba is. You are the entire universe
15
and the universe is you.” A great soul who is constantly on the lookout for leading a disciple to such
an experience of Selfrealization – we call such a soul a ‘Satguru’.

Food and Devotional Practice

Food and devotional practice are both essential for us. Just as we cannot live without food, we are as
good as dead even without devotional practices. Devotional practice nourishes our subtle body in the
same way as food nourishes our physical body. We should understand the necessity of both for the
overall development of the body. It is common experience that without food, one cannot carry out
devotional practice properly. Similarly, if we all vow not to have food without carrying out
devotional practice, we can forge a relationship with God instantly.
Lord Krishna says:
‘Yoga becomes the destroyer of pain for him who is always moderate in eating and recreation (such
as walking, etc.), who is moderate in exertion during his actions, who is moderate in sleep and
wakefulness.’
(Gita: 6.17)
Diseases afflict the body only due to lack of moderation in eating, which then creates obstacles in
devotional practice.
‘Devotion cannot be practiced on an empty stomach, O Gopala.
I return your necklace of beads and rosary to You.’
It is only due to giving importance to food and forgetting devotional practice that today the country
is almost famine stricken at various places. The power of devotional practice is great. We should
establish a complimentary relationship between food and devotional practice in life. Those devotees
who gave importance to devotional practice, have never had to face shortage of food.
Swami Ramsukhdas Maharaj has said,
“Japa of the divine name and Kirtan changes one’s destiny. One attains what is nonattainable,
the impossible becomes possible -this is the experience of saints. If one cries out to and repeats the
name of the One who has ordained the fruits of karma, what wonder if his destiny is changed! If the
beggars who do not get food to their fill, start doing japa of the divine name with a sincere heart,
there will be no dearth of anything for them. However, japa should not be done for changing destiny
or destroying sins. Just as it is not wise to exchange coal for precious stones, so also it is unwise to use
the priceless wealth of divine name for the fulfillment of petty desires.” Pujya Bapuji too says,
“Those who practise Trikal Sandhya, never have to beg for food – this has been declared by the
scriptures.”

The Need for a Guru

The treasure of Knowledge is hidden in each and every man. That is to say the Being of Guru is
present in every man. The Guru is required so as to reveal it. To acquire knowledge of any subject,
the Guru (master) of that subject is required. If one wants to become a doctor, a lawyer, a scholar or
a thief, one has to go to an expert doctor, lawyer, scholar or thief respectively and seek the knowledge

16
of that particular faculty. How then can one attain the Knowledge of the Supreme Being, the
Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute, the treasure trove of real joy, without the help of a Guru?
Why does one need a perfected being in flesh and blood as a Guru for Selfrealization? One should
first get convinced of the fact that perfected beings – true saints or Satgurus – are manifestations of
the Lord Himself. There is no difference between the Lord and a true Satguru. The ego is the only
veil separating man from God. True saints destroy this veil and become one with God as a river
becomes one with an ocean. Because of his physical limitations, man is verily incapable of having a
vision of the non-physical Being of God. He can approach God only if God assumes a human form
and meets him at the physical plane. The merciful Lord does exactly the same for the deliverance of
man. He assumes human form and comes to the world. This human form of God has been named the
Guru. That is to say Guru is God in human form. God awakens the Jivas through His human form
and through His grace makes them one with His own Self. Diksha is the means of liberation.
We should find a Guru, who is endowed with Knowledge and dispassion. (Read full article in Rishi Prasad
magazine).

Who Constantly Worship Me…

 Pujya Bapuji
Lord Sri Krishna says : To them who constantly worship Me with love, I give the Yoga of
discrimination by which they come to Me.
(Bhagavad Gita: 10.10)
‘Constantly’ does not mean that at all times you keep doing japa on your rosary or that you remain
seated in the temple. Yes, at the time of doing japa on your rosary, do so. At the time of going to the
temple, do so. Yet, being a witness to all this and observing the falsity of this world, keep plunging
into that Source who is the controller of all phenomena. Those who constantly repeat the Name get
immersed in and become one with the act of repetition. However, one should not remain confined to
the repetition, rather should progress further to understand, love and repose in the Real Self.
Once, Sant Tulsidasji, after performing his daily ablutions, came to a well in a forest. He heard the
singing of verses from the well. Goswami Tulsidasji was surprised. He thought – “Who is singing my
verses inside this well?” Tulsidasji exclaimed –
“Whoever is singing these verses inside the well, be you human, yaksha, rakshasa,
gandharva, kinnar, visible or invisible, whatever you are, I must definitely get a reply about your
identity.
A voice replied – “O great sage, Tulsidasji! We were five friends. We used to chant ‘Rama-Rama’,
but were ignorant of the eternal nature of Lord Rama. We also used to sing the verses and couplets
composed by you. One day while wandering we arrived in this forest. One of our friends came to this
well to fetch water. Being a novice at drawing water from a well, the rope slipped from his hands.
Having lost grip of the rope, he lost his balance and fell into this well. In a thoughtless effort to save
him, the second friend and then the third also fell into the well. In the rescue effort even the fourth
one fell into the well. The last one thought, “How can I show my face to the world?” –and
intentionally jumped into the well. We have all regressed and died. Now we are not getting mothers’
wombs to be reborn in. However, due to our having constantly repeated the verses in the past, we still
remember them, which we continue to repeat. Tulsidasji, we did not get to know the foundation on
which our continuous chanting of the verses rested. Now, please bless us!”…(Read full article in Rishi Prasad
magazine).

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 Let such be your faith in the guru
All disciples do have love for their Guru but if the devotion of a Guru Bhakta reaches such a height
that whatever the Guru says becomes proof for him, he will never find a single fault in his Guru. A
patient of jaundice sees everything yellow around him. Similarly, that disciple sees God in
everything.
One day Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa was trying to teach a particular subject to one of his
disciples, who though being simple, had an arguing nature and hence was unable to accept his
views. His logical arguments went on even after Paramhansji tried to make him understand three
to four times. Ramakrishna then told him in a slightly angry but sweet tone, “What kind of a
person are you? Why aren’t you convinced when it is I who am saying that?” The disciple’s love
for the Guru was awakened and he said with a bit of shame, “Your Holiness! Forgive me. I
should have been convinced when you were saying so. I was arguing uselessly for so long by the
power of my intellectual strength.” Ramakrishna laughed as he said, “I will tell you how one’s
devotion to the Guru should be. Whatever the guru says, the disciple should start seeing it
immediately in exactly the same way. Arjuna was accompanying Sri Krishna, when suddenly, the
Lord said pointing towards the sky, ‘Arjuna! Look ,what a beautiful dove is flying over there!’
Arjuna immediately replied looking towards the sky, “Yes sir! What a beautiful dove!’ But again
Sri Krishna said, “No no Arjuna! That is not a dove.’ Arjuna again replied, ‘True lord! It doesn’t
look like a dove.’’’ “Now you should note that Arjuna was very truthful. He didn’t say this just to
flatter Srikrishna but he had so much faith and devotion for Krishna that he started seeing
exactly what the Lord had told him.” Every human being possesses this divine power to a greater
or lesser degree. Therefore, a sadhaka engaged in devotion to the Guru, ultimately attains to
such a state that the divine power itself gets revealed in him to dispel all the doubts of his mind
and helps him realize the esoteric secrets of the spiritual truth. Thereafter, he doesn’t have to
seek any other place for clearing his doubts….(Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine).

Somvati Amavasya & Amritsiddhiyog

(22 June, 2009)
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Somvati Amavasya or no moon day falling on Monday creates such an auspicious moment that
Ganga, Pushkar & the divine cosmos along with all the revered pilgrimages on this earth shower
their exceptional spiritual benediction on the being who performs worship, japa, meditation on this
auspicious day. The significance of this day is considered equivalent to the auspiciousness of ‘the
Solar Eclipse.’ Taking a holy dip, performance of charitable acts and Shraddha (giving oblations in
the name of manes) on this day is considered to be perennial & everlasting. Observance of vow of
silence followed by a holy dip in the sacred waters bestows the being with the meritorious effect
equivalent to that of giving a thousand cows in donation. It is ordained to worship and
circumambulate Lord Vishnu & the sacred Pipal tree. Prior to the sacred ambulation, the following
prayer is done:
O Sacred Tree! From the root, you’re the symbol of Lord Brahma, from the trunk, you’re the
epitome of Lord Vishnu and the forehead is veritable representation of Lord Siva. My salutations to

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you! I humbly pray for the acceptance of my reverential worship and eradication of my sins. My
offer my deferential salutations to the pious tree whose mere gaze eradicates the being’s physical
ailments, a simple touch extirpates the sins and the blissful patronage provides long life to the doer!
Out of the said number of one hundred and eight, eight circumambulations are done by enwrapping
the Pipal tree with raw thread. One hundred and eight pieces of fruits are kept aside; later on these
are distributed to the Brahmins. Such a practice helps in the longevity of progeny. P.S. When the
‘Mriga Nakshtra’ falls on Monday, it is acclaimed as ‘Amritsiddhiyog.’ Luckily, this time on Somvati
Amavasya, this auspicious confluence is occurring. On 22 June, from dawn till 11.45 P.M, it is the
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pious confluence of ‘Amritsiddhiyog.’

Gurupushyamrit Yog
(On 25 June, from dawn till 3.29P.M.)
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Shiv Puran explains ‘Pushya Nakshtra’ as the majestic personage of Lord Shiva. The effect of
‘Pushya Nakshtra’ is so virtuous that even the most calamitous disorders become futile or reach near
eradication. Rather these become conformable to the ‘Pushya Nakshtra’ and favour us positively.
The scriptures ordain the Pushya Nakshatra as favorable to ‘All Accomplishments.’ The oblations
performed in this auspicious period bestow utmost contentment on the manes. The doer too is
endowed with progeny & prosperity.
The planet of Lord Brihaspati (Jupiter), who is the preceptor of gods, originated in Pushya
Nakshatra only.

So the Pushya as well as Lord Brihaspati enjoy an integral combination.

Pushya Nakshtra, the most nurturing one, when falls on Thursday which again is considered as the
supreme day; it is one of the rarest and unique combinations known as ‘Gurupushyamrit Yoga.’
‘For the accomplishment of pious & auspicious tasks, ‘Gurupushyamrit yog’ proves to be a great
benediction.’
The performance of Japa, meditation, and charitable deeds are benedictory in this unique union of
nakshtras, but all auspicious tasks relating to marriage are prohibited during this period. _

Some other Fasts and Festivals

*18 June ( 3.05 P.M.onwards till 19 June: Yogini Ekadashi.
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*2 July: Devshayani Ekadashi (smarth) commencement of Chaturmas vratas.

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*3 July: Devshayani Ekadashi

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(Bhagwat).
*6 July : Poornima (12.23 onwards) *7 July : Guru Poornima (Till 2.51 P.M.)
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*8th July: the Culmination of Poornima as well as the beginning of the month of
Shravan.

Purification of the Body

As much importance we give to the nourishment of the body that much importance we should give to
the purification of the body as well. If the excretory system does not work efficiently to remove the
excreta the functions of digestive system will get impaired and it may stop completely.
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There are mainly four organs responsible for excretion. Intestines, kidneys, lungs and the skin. These
organs excrete about 2.5 litres of water, 25 gms. Nitrogen, 250 gms. carbon and 2 kilos of other
elements from the body of a healthy person.
1. Intestines: Everyday, undigested and residual food matter, bacteria, carbon dioxide, hydrogen
etc., wind, water and other elements are excreted in the form of fecal matter.
The following bad habits destroy the efficiency of the intestines:
*Checking the urge to defecate
*Consuming food without chewing,
eating hastily, over eating, eating at wrong times, consuming unwholesome foods *Lack of manual
tasks and physical exercise *Keeping vigils, sleeping till late in the morning *Constant agitation,
anxiety and grief.
The following practices keep the intestines clean and strong:
*Fasting (once a week or once a fortnight remaining completely without food)
 Drinking six measures (each measure is equivalent to that obtained by cupping both hands
together with palms facing upwards) of water that has been kept overnight in the morning
before sunrise· Going for a brisk walk in the morning and evening
*Performing yogasanas, uddiyanbandha and mulbandha
*Consumption of wholesome food
2. Kidneys: The kidneys daily filter 170 to 200 litres of blood to produce 1.5 to 2 litres urine.
Excess water, nitrogen, salt, uric acid etc. is excreted with urine. The following conditions
reduce the efficiency of the kidneys and the urinary bladder : *Repeatedly checking the
urge to pass urine *Drinking water, eating food or having sex while checking the urge to
pass urine.
*Consumption of heavy and very dry food, eating excessively hot and spicy foods, excess salt,
eating non-vegetarian food
*Having intoxicants
*Some allopathic medicines
*Emaciation of the body
The following habits keep the kidneys and the bladder fit and healthy:
*Consumption of adequate quantity of pure water.
*Drinking six measures (as mentioned earlier) of water that has been kept overnight in the
morning before sunrise
*Passing urine before going to bed at night, on waking up in the morning, after physical exercise
and after taking food
*Performing katipindamardanasana and padapashchimottanasana
3. Lungs: The respiratory system (lungs) excretes approximately 250 ml. water, 200 gms carbon,
heat and 50 gms of other elements every day.
The following conditions cause pulmonary dysfunction:
*Checking the urge to defecate, to pass urine, to sneeze, to belch etc.
*Taking exercise on empty stomach
*Overexertion
*Excessive consumption of dry and
cold foods
*Air pollution
*Loss of dhatus
The following make the lungs clean and active:
*Performing pranayama, (nadi shodhan, bhastrika, kapalbhati, ujjayi pranayama etc.
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*Roaming in the open air in areas where there is an abundance of life force like in the hills, in forests
or on the banks of a river.
4. Skin: The skin excretes about 600 ml. water, 5 gms carbon, 3-4 gms nitrogen, salts, ammonia and
other elements every day through sweating.
The following conditions vitiate the skin:

*Consumption of incompatible foods (like milk with fruit, sour or salty foods)
*Eating sour, hot, fried foods.
The following means make the skin clean and firm:

*Massage
*Having a bath with ubtan (a mixture made of certain ingredients and water)
*Sun bath: One should take sunbath everyday early in the morning covering head with a piece of
cloth. It cures various diseases and gives life sunbath improves the efficiency of all the excretory
organs. Take
5-7 basil leaves and10-15 neem leaves in the morning. It increases immunity and purifies the body.
Accumulation of impurities in the body gives an open invitation to serious ailments and their
complete elimination from the body brings freshness, alertness and complete health. _

The Sacred Words of Guru are Vedic Hymns…

My sixteen year old son Divyesh Kumar suffered from congenital deafness. We
tried allopathic treatment but he was not cured. I came to know from some sÍdhakas
of the ashram that at the time of shaktipÍt on the Sacred Banyan tree at Onjal
ashram, revered Gurudev had said, “The extract of the aerial roots of this tree will
cure deafness.”
I’ve practically experienced the fact that if one trusts the words of saints with devotional faith,
Nature serves him willingly. ‘MantramÜlam GurorvÍkyam…’ means the sacred words that beget
from revered Gurudevji’s holy mouth are equivalent to Vedic mantras. This verse of shastras is
absolutely true. The only requirement is that you should have staunch faith in the sayings of the
Guru. I instilled the extract of aerial roots of ‘Badh BÍdshÍh’ (the sacred Banyan tree) in my son
Divyesh’s ears. When my son, a congenitally deaf boy, heard the first sound; his joy knew no bounds.
Our entire family is overwhelmed with gratitude at the lotus feet of revered Gurudevji. My
innumerable salutations to Adorable Satgurudev, whose kind and selfless benevolence relieves the
people of their miseries and vexations.
 Dhanaji Bhai Patel

Bhinar, Distt. Navsari (Gujarat)

This Banyan tree is Kalpavriksha

My three year old daughter suffered from congenital dumbness. She was treated at many places, we
consulted many quacks and exorcists as but to no avail. At last, I took recourse to revered Bapuji’s
lotus feet. In my family, everybody except me had been fortunate enough to seek initiation from
revered Gurudev. I prayed to adorable Bapuji from the core of my heart and made a pledge at
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‘Badh- Dada’ (The wish fulfilling banyan tree of the ashram), saying I’ll bring my daughter for
darshan at Ahmedabad Ashram if she starts speaking. In the due course of time, my prayers were
duly answered. About six months back, my daughter started speaking. I took her to the Ashram and
made her circum-ambulate the sacred Banyan tree. I find no words to describe the boundless grace
of revered Gurudev. In this Kaliyuga, Pujya Bapuji is an avatar and the Banyan trees charged with
his spiritual power are no less than the ‘Kalpavriksha’ (the wish fulfilling tree.)
 Jitendra Pandya,

Banswara (Rajasthan) _

Satsang News
On 23 April, Pujya Bapuji arrived at Solan ashram (H.P.). Though He had visited the place for the
bliss of the solitude yet as an army of bees swarms to gather nectar from flowers, similarly the lovers
of satsang had thronged the ashram in the far-fetched terrain of inaccessible mountains. Seeing the
amount of endurance & penance the seekers had exercised, the Compassionate Guru gratified them
with his blissful ‘Darshan & Discourse.’ On 26 April, during the satsang discourse at Simla which is
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known for its cool & pleasant climate, the seekers were blessed by the inner tranquility. Solving the
perplexities of minds entangled in wealth, power and knowledge, Pujya Bapuji said, “Attaining
wealth or power etc. is not considered vicious but definitely its ego is a known evil. The avarice of
wealth, power or worldly knowledge makes the being miserable. These material pursuits are
ephemeral whereas the True Self is everlasting and perennial. So considering oneself either miserable
or conceited on account of these is nothing else but sheer ignorance.” On 27 April, seeking the
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benediction of ambrosial satsang, Bilaspur and its suburb considered itself blessed one. At last the
devotion of the aspirants could succeed in pleasing Pujya Bapuji who had come to seek the bliss of
solitude at Nadaun ashram. Consequently the blissful evening of 28 April came to the lot of
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Nandaunians. Not only the satsang venue remained packed to the brim throughout, the ground also
wore a majestic look.
30 April & 1 May, the ambrosial shower of satsang doused Hamirpur (H.P.).
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In Pujya Bapuji’s discourse, along with the elixir of satsang, the devotees attained the key to
multifarious developments & the scintillating splendor of true Self-knowledge also. Thousands of
devotees received initiation from Bapuji & hailed the commencement of spiritual practice under the
patronage of the adorable Guru. Elucidating the significance of selfcontrol and noble thinking,
Guruji said, “The countries that are bereft of self-control, pious satsang, and noble thoughts where
the blissful rays of ‘Sat-Chit-Anand, the immortal soul do not penetrate; virtually such places are the
haunted ones that beget the coming generation with the traits of lewdness, greed, anger, exploitation
and terrorism. For the first time, experiencing inner peace& tranquility in the blessed vicinity of
affable Gurudev, the natives of Hamirpur took a pious dive in the inner realm of meditation.

On 3rd May, Dehradun (Uttarakhand) was blessed with Bapuji’s sacred discourse.
About nurturing culture & impressions on the young minds, Bapuji espoused,
“The first university in a child’s life is his mother. If the mother
inculcates good traits in the child, the child’s mind remains inclined towards
goodness only. On the other hand, those who regularly visit theatres or
lavishly bedeck themselves to dance in the clubs can never beget a promising
progeny like Gandhiji. Such mothers can only give birth to children with the

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traits of monkeys. So it is advisable for mothers to refrain from cheap
literature, films or useless chatters. Rather they should instill divinity in
their lives by seeking tutelage in the Lord’s pious name & discourse so that
the divine souls that are waiting to descend on this sacred land can get an
opportunity to do so.”
From 8 to 10 May, The sacred ocean of deep faith & devotion manifested itself during the Poonam-
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darshan and the satsang programme that was organized on the holy land of Haridwar. The
mammoth gathering of devotees dwarfed the huge pavilion erected for the satsang. The infinite
ocean of devotees surged its waves in gusto reminding the occasion of ‘Mahakumbha.’ The presence
of millions of devotees from the far-ends of the country was perceived with an all pervasive reign of
unusual tranquility! It seemed as if the ever coquettish air had suddenly grown steady & imparted its
somber stillness to the Pacific Ocean. Bestowing the key for awakening the True Self, revered
Gurudevji said, “When we abide by the wishes of a drunkard, gambler or drug-addict, we retain
their peculiar traits & habits respectively. Similarly by conforming ourselves to the sweet will of the
Supreme Lord, we’ll attain ‘His’ supreme traits which are verily our inherent ones. “The
authenticated fact is that either praise or criticism, nothing is true. Your virtues or vices are also
untrue. But the supreme fact that the Indweller is in you and you dwell in His Supreme Self, is very
much true and an authenticate one.” After the culmination of satsang, adorable Gurudev enjoyed the
bliss of solitude for in Haridwar some time. The seekers were blessed by the ambrosial satsang that
was overflowing with divine bliss. This discourse is truly a benediction for the proclivity of spiritual
aspirants on the eternal path. This discourse is readily available on VCD ‘Kya Karoon?’ and MP3.
The ardent aspirants must benefit from it.
Narayana Narayana Narauana

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