वाल्मीकि रामायण

कौशल प्रदेश, जिसकी स्थापना वैवस्वत मनु ने की थी, पवित्र सरयू नदी के तट पर स्थित है। सुन्दर एवं समृद्ध अयोध्या नगरी इस प्रदेश की राजधानी है। वैवस्वत मनु के वंश में अनेक शूरवीर, पराक्रमी, प्रतिभाशाली तथा यशस्वी राजा हुये जिनमें से राजा दशरथ भी एक थे। राजा दशरथ वेदों के मर्मज्ञ, धर्मप्राण, दयालु, रणकुशल, और प्रजापालक थे। उनके राज्य में प्रजा कष्टरहित, सत्यनिष्ठ एवं ईश्‍वरभक्‍त थी। उनके राज्य में किसी का किसी के भी प्रति द्वेषभाव का सर्वथा अभाव था।

एक दिन दर्पण में अपने कृष्णवर्ण केशों के मध्य एक श्‍वेत रंग के केश को देखकर महाराज दशरथ विचार करने लगे कि अब मेरे यौवन के दिनों का अंत निकट है और अब तक मैं निःसंतान हूँ। मेरा वंश आगे कैसे बढ़ेगा तथा किसी उत्तराधिकारी के अभाव में राज्य का क्या होगा? इस प्रकार विचार करके उन्होंने पुत्र प्राप्ति हेतु पुत्रयेष्ठि यज्ञ करने का संकल्प किया। अपने कुलगुरु वशिष्ठ जी को बुलाकर उन्होंने अपना मन्तव्य बताया तथा यज्ञ के लिये उचित विधान बताने की प्रार्थना की।.
उनके विचारों को उचित तथा युक्‍तियुक्‍त जान कर गुरु वशिष्ठ जी बोले, "हे राजन्! पुत्रयेष्ठि यज्ञ करने से अवश्य ही आपकी मनोकामना पूर्ण होगी ऐसा मेरा विश्वास है। अतः आप शीघ्रातिशीघ्र अश्‍वमेध यज्ञ करने तथा इसके लिये एक सुन्दर श्यामकर्ण अश्‍व छोड़ने की व्यवस्था करें।" गुरु वशिष्ठ की मन्त्रणा के अनुसार शीघ्र ही महाराज दशरथ ने सरयू नदी के उत्तरी तट पर सुसज्जित एवं अत्यन्त मनोरम यज्ञशाला का निर्माण करवाया तथा मन्त्रियों और सेवकों को सारी व्यवस्था करने की आज्ञा दे कर महाराज दशरथ ने रनिवास में जा कर अपनी तीनों रानियों कौशल्या, कैकेयी और सुमित्रा को यह शुभ समाचार सुनाया। महाराज के वचनों को सुन कर सभी रानियाँ प्रसन्न हो गईं।
राम, भरत, लक्ष्मण और शत्रुघ्न का जन्म

मन्त्रीगणों तथा सेवकों ने महाराज की आज्ञानुसार श्यामकर्ण घोड़ा चतुरंगिनी सेना के साथ छुड़वा दिया। महाराज दशरथ ने देश देशान्तर के मनस्वी, तपस्वी, विद्वान ऋषि-मुनियों तथा वेदविज्ञ प्रकाण्ड पण्डितों को यज्ञ सम्पन्न कराने के लिये बुलावा भेज दिया। निश्‍चित समय आने पर समस्त अभ्यागतों के साथ महाराज दशरथ अपने गुरु वशिष्ठ जी तथा अपने परम मित्र अंग देश के अधिपति लोभपाद के जामाता ऋंग ऋषि को लेकर यज्ञ मण्डप में पधारे। इस प्रकार महान यज्ञ का विधिवत शुभारम्भ किया गया। सम्पूर्ण वातावरण वेदों की ऋचाओं के उच्च स्वर में पाठ से गूँजने तथा समिधा की सुगन्ध से महकने लगा।
समस्त पण्डितों, ब्राह्मणों, ऋषियों आदि को यथोचित धन-धान्य, गौ आदि भेंट कर के सादर विदा करने के साथ यज्ञ की समाप्ति हुई। राजा दशरथ ने यज्ञ के प्रसाद चरा को अपने महल में ले जाकर अपनी तीनों रानियों में वितरित कर दिया। प्रसाद ग्रहण करने के परिणामस्वरूप परमपिता परमात्मा की कृपा से तीनों रानियों ने गर्भधारण किया।

जब चैत्र मास के शुक्ल पक्ष की नवमी तिथि को पुनर्वसु नक्षत्र में सूर्य, मंगल शनि, वृहस्पति तथा शुक्र अपने-अपने उच्च स्थानों में विराजमान थे, कर्क लग्न का उदय होते ही महाराज दशरथ की बड़ी रानी कौशल्या के गर्भ से एक शिशु का जन्म हुआ जो कि श्यामवर्ण, अत्यन्त तेजोमय, परम कान्तिवान तथा अद्‍भुत सौन्दर्यशाली था। उस शिशु को देखने वाले ठगे से रह जाते थे। इसके पश्चात् शुभ नक्षत्रों और शुभ घड़ी में महारानी कैकेयी के एक तथा तीसरी रानी सुमित्रा के दो तेजस्वी पुत्रों का जन्म हुआ।

सम्पूर्ण राज्य में आनन्द मनाया जाने लगा। महाराज के चार पुत्रों के जन्म के उल्लास में गन्धर्व गान करने लगे और अप्सरायें नृत्य करने लगीं। देवता अपने विमानों में बैठ कर पुष्प वर्षा करने लगे। महाराज ने उन्मुक्त हस्त से राजद्वार पर आये हुये भाट, चारण तथा आशीर्वाद देने वाले ब्राह्मणों और याचकों को दान दक्षिणा दी। पुरस्कार में प्रजा-जनों को धन-धान्य तथा दरबारियों को रत्न, आभूषण तथा उपाधियाँ प्रदान किया गया। चारों पुत्रों का नामकरण संस्कार महर्षि वशिष्ठ के द्वारा कराया गया तथा उनके नाम रामचन्द्र, भरत, लक्ष्मण और शत्रुघ्न रखे गये।

आयु बढ़ने के साथ ही साथ रामचन्द्र गुणों में भी अपने भाइयों से आगे बढ़ने तथा प्रजा में अत्यंत लोकप्रिय होने लगे। उनमें अत्यन्त विलक्षण प्रतिभा थी जिसके परिणामस्वरू अल्प काल में ही वे समस्त विषयों में पारंगत हो गये। उन्हें सभी प्रकार के अस्त्र-शस्त्रों को चलाने तथा हाथी, घोड़े एवं सभी प्रकार के वाहनों की सवारी में उन्हें असाधारण निपुणता प्राप्त हो गई। वे निरन्तर माता-पिता और गुरुजनों की सेवा में लगे रहते थे। उनका अनुसरण शेष तीन भाई भी करते थे। गुरुजनों के प्रति जितनी श्रद्धा भक्ति इन चारों भाइयों में थी उतना ही उनमें परस्पर प्रेम और सौहार्द भी था। महाराज दशरथ का हृदय अपने चारों पुत्रों को देख कर गर्व और आनन्द से भर उठता था।
अहिल्या की कथा

प्रातःकाल जब राम और लक्ष्मण ऋषि विश्वामित्र के साथ मिथिलापुरी के वन उपवन आदि देखने के लिये निकले तो उन्होंने एक उपवन में एक निर्जन स्थान देखा। राम बोले, "भगवन्! यह स्थान देखने में तो आश्रम जैसा दिखाई देता है किन्तु क्या कारण है कि यहाँ कोई ऋषि या मुनि दिखाई नहीं देते?"

विश्वामित्र जी ने बताया, "यह स्थान कभी महात्瓥0;ा गौतम का आश्रम था। वे अपनी पत्नी अहिल्या के साथ यहाँ रह कर तपस्या करते थे। एक दिन जब गौतम ऋषि आश्रम के बाहर गये हुये थे तो उनकी अनुपस्थिति में इन्द्र ने गौतम के वेश में आकर अहिल्या से प्रणय याचना की। यद्यपि अहिल्या ने इन्द्र को पहचान लिया था तो भी यह विचार करके कि मैं इतनी सुन्दर हूँ कि देवराज इन्द्र स्वयं मुझ से प्रणय याचना कर रहे हैं, अपनी स्वीकृति दे दी। जब इन्द्र अपने लोक लौट रहे थे तभी अपने आश्रम को वापस आते हुये गौतम ऋषि की दृष्टि इन्द्र पर पड़ी जो उन्हीं का वेश धारण किये हुये था। वे सब कुछ समझ गये और उन्होंने इन्द्र को शाप दे दिया। इसके बाद उन्होंने अपनी पत्नी को शाप दिया कि रे दुराचारिणी! तू हजारों वर्ष तक केवल हवा पीकर कष्ट उठाती हुई यहाँ राख में पड़ी रहे। जब राम इस वन में प्रवेश करेंगे तभी उनकी कृपा &瓥2360;े तेरा उद्धार होगा। तभी तू अपना पूर्व शरीर धारण करके मेरे पास आ सकेगी। यह कह कर गौतम ऋषि इस आश्रम को छोड़कर हिमालय पर जाकर तपस्या करने लगे। इसलिये हे राम! अब तुम आश्रम के अन्दर जाकर अहिल्या का उद्धार करो।"
विश्वामित्र जी की बात सुनकर वे दोनों भाई आश्रम के भीतर प्रविष्ट हुये। वहाँ तपस्या में निरत अहिल्या कहीं दिखाई नहीं दे रही थी, केवल उसका तेज सम्पूर्ण वातावरण में व्याप्त हो रहा था। जब अहिल्या की दृष्टि राम पर पड़ी तो उनके पवित्र दर्शन पाकर एक बार फिर सुन्दर नारी के रूप में दिखाई देने लगी। नारी रूप में अहिल्या को सम्मुख पाकर राम और लक्ष्मण ने श्रद्धापूर्वक उनके चरण स्पर्श किये। उससे उचित आदर सत्कार ग्रहण कर वे मुनराज के साथ पुनः मिथिला पुë瓥;ी को लौट आये।

ऋषि विश्वामित्र का पूर्व चरित्र (1)

मिथिला के राजपुरोहित शतानन्द राम से विशेष रूप से प्रभावित हुये। शतानन्द जी ने कहा, "हे राम! आपका बड़ा सौभाग्य है कि आपको विश्वामित्र जी गुरु के रूप में प्राप्त हुये हैं। ऋषि विश्वामित्र बड़े ही प्रतापी और तेजस्वी महापुरुष हैं। ऋषि धर्म ग्रहण करने के पूर्व ये बड़े पराक्रमी और प्रजावत्सल नरेश थे। प्रजापति के पुत्र कुश, कुश के पुत्र कुशनाभ और कुशनाभ 瓥#2325;े पुत्र राजा गाधि थे। ये सभी शूरवीर, पराक्रमी और धर्मपरायण थे। विश्वामित्र जी उन्हीं गाधि के पुत्र हैं। एक दिन राजा विश्वामित्र अपनी सेना को लेकर वशिष्ठ ऋषि के आश्रम में गये। उस समय वशिष्ठ जी ईश्वरभक्ति में लीन होकर यज्ञ कर रहे थे। विश्वामित्र जी उन्हें प्रणाम करके वहीं बैठ गये। यज्ञ क्रिया से निवृत होकर वशिष्ठ जी ने विश्वामित्र जी का खूब आदर सत्कार किया और उनसे कुछ दिन आश्रम में ही रह कर आतिथ्य ग्रहण करने का अनुरोध किया। इस पर यह विचार करके कि मेरे साथ विशाल सेना है और सेना सहित मेरा आतिथ्य करने में वशिष्ठ जी को कष्ट होगा, विश्वामित्र जी ने नम्रता पूर्वक अपने जाने की अनुमति माँगी किन्तु वशिष्ठ जी के अत्यधिक अनुरोध करने पर थोड़े दिनों के लिये उनका आतिथ्य स्वीकार कर लिया।

"वशिष्ठ जी ने कामधेनु गौ का आह्वान करके उससे विश्वामित्र तथा उनकी सेना के लिये छः प्रकार के व्यंजन तथा समस्त प्रकार के सुख सुविधा की व्यवस्था करने की प्रार्थना की। उनकी इस प्रार्थना को स्वीकार करके कामधेनु गौ ने सारी व्यवस्था कर दिया। वशिष्ठ जी के आतिथ्य से विश्वामित्र और उनके साथ आये सभी लोग बहुत प्रसन्न हुये।

"कामधेनु गौ का चमत्कार देखकर विश्वामित्र ने उस गौ को प्राप्त करने के विचार से वशिष्ठ जी से कहा कि मुनिवर! कामधेनु जैसी गौएँ वनवासियों के पास नहीं, राजा महाराजाओं के पास शोभा देती हैं। अतः आप इसे मुझे दे दीजिये। इसके बदले में मैं आपको सहस्त्रों स्वर्ण मुद्रायें दे सकता हूँ। इस पर वशिष्瓥6; जी बोले राजन! यह गौ मेरा जीवन है और इसे मैं किसी भी कीमत पर किसी को नहीं दे सकता।

"वशिष्ठ जी के इस प्रकार कहने पर विश्वामित्र ने बलात् उस गौ को पकड़ लेने का आदेश दे दिया और उसके सैनिक उस गौ को डण्डे से मार मार कर हाँकने लगे। कामधेनु गौ क्रोधित होकर उन सैनिकों से अपना बन्धन छुड़ा लिया और वशिष्ठ जी के पास आकर विलाप करने लगी। वशिष्ठ जी बोले कि हे कामधेनु! यह राजा मेरा अतिथि है इसलिये मैं इसको शाप भी नहीं दे सकता और इसके पास विशाल सेना होने के कारण इससे युद्ध में भी विजय प्राप्त नहीं कर सकता। मैं स्वयं को विवश अनुभव कर रहा हूँ। उनके इन वचनों को सुन कर कामधेनु ने कहा कि हे ब्रह्मर्षि! एक ब्राह्मण के बल के सामने क्षत्रिय का बल कभी श्रेष्ठ नहीं हो सकता। आप मुé瓥;े आज्ञा दीजिये, मैं एक क्षण में इस क्षत्रिय राजा को उसकी विशाल सेनासहित नष्ट कर दूँगी। और कोई उपाय न देख कर वशिष्ठ जी ने कामधेनु को अनुमति दे दी।

"अपनी सेना तथा पुत्रों के के नष्ट हो जाने से विश्वामित्र बड़े दुःखी हुये। अपने बचे हुये पुत्र को राज सिंहासन सौंप कर वे तपस्या करने के लिये हिमालय की कन्दराओं में चले गये। कठोर तपस्या करके विश्वामित्र जी ने महादेव जी को प&#瓥381;रसन्न कर लिया ओर उनसे दिव्य शक्तियों के साथ सम्पूर्ण धनुर्विद्या के ज्ञान का वरदान प्राप्त कर लिया।

"इस प्रकार सम्पूर्ण धनुर्विद्या का ज्ञान प्राप्त करके विश्वामित्र बदला लेने के लिये वशिष्ठ जी के आश्रम में पहुँचे। उन्हें ललकार कर विश्वामित्र ने अग्निबाण चला दिया। अग्निबाण से समस्त आश्रम में आग लग गई और आश्रमवासी भयभीत होकर इधर उधर भागने लगे। वशिष्ठ जी ने भी अपना धनुष संभाल लिया और बोले कि मैं तेरे सामने खड़ा हूँ, तू मुझ पर वार कर। आज मैं तेरे अभिमान को चूर-चूर करके बता दूँगा कि क्षात्र बल से ब्रह्म बल श्रेष्ठ है। क्रुद्ध होकर विश्वामित्र ने एक के बाद एक आग्नेयास्त्र, वरुणास्त्र, रुद्रास्त्र, ऐन्द्रास्त्र तथा पाशुपतास्त्र एक साथ छोड़ दिया जिन्हें वशिष्ठ जी ने अपने मारक अस्त्रों से मार्ग म瓥75;ं ही नष्ट कर दिया। इस पर विश्वामित्र ने और भी अधिक क्रोधित होकर मानव, मोहन, गान्धर्व, जूंभण, दारण, वज्र, ब्रह्मपाश, कालपाश, वरुणपाश, पिनाक, दण्ड, पैशाच, क्रौंच, धर्मचक्र, कालचक्र, विष्णुचक्र, वायव्य, मंथन, कंकाल, मूसल, विद्याधर, कालास्त्र आदि सभी अस्त्रों का प्रयोग कर डाला। वशिष्ठ जी ने उन सबको नष्ट करके ब्रह्मास्त्र छोड़ने का लिये जब अपना धनुष उठाया तो सब देव किन्नर आदि भयभीत हो गये। किन्तु वशिष्ठ जी तो उस समय अत्यन्त क्रुद्ध हो रहे थे। उन्होंने ब्रह्मास्त्र छोड़ ही दिया। ब्रह्मास्त्र के भयंकर ज्योति और गगनभेदी नाद से सारा संसार पीड़ा से तड़पने लगा। सब ऋषि-मुनि उनसे प्रार्थना करने लगे कि आपने विश्वामित्र को परास्त कर दिया है। अब आजप ब्रह्मास्त्र से उत्पन्न हुई ज्वाला को शान्त करें। इस प्रार्थाना से द्र瓥7;ित होकर उन्होंने ब्रह्मास्त्र को वापस बुलाया और मन्त्रों से उसे शान्त किया।
"पराजित होकर विश्वामित्र मणिहीन सर्प की भाँति पृथ्वी पर बैठ गये और सोचने लगे कि निःसन्देय क्षात्र बल से ब्रह्म बल ही श्रेष्ठ है। अब मैं तपस्या करके ब्राह्मण की पदवी और उसका तेज प्राप्त करूँगा। इस प्रकार विचार करके वे अपनी पत्नीसहित दक्षिण दिशा की और चल दिये। उन्होंने तपस्या करते हुये अन्न का त्याग कर केवल फलों पर जीवन-यापन करना आरम्भ कर दिया। उनकी तपस्या से प्रन्न होकर ब्रह्मा जी ने उन्हें राजर्षि का पद प्रदान किया। इस पद को प्राप्त करके भी, यह सोचकर कि ब्रह्मा जी ने मुझे केवल राजर्षि का ही पद दिया महर्षि-देवर्षि आदि का नहीँ, वे दुःखी ही हुये। वे विचार करने लè瓥;े कि मेरी तपस्या अब भी अपूर्ण है। मुझे एक बार फिर से घोर तपस्या करना चाहिये।"

त्रिशंकु की स्वर्गयात्रा

मिथिला के राजपुरोहित शतानन्द जी ने अपनी वार्ता जारी रखते हुये कहा, "इस बीच इक्ष्वाकु वंश में त्रिशंकु नाम के एक राजा हुये। त्रिशंकु ने वशिष्ठ जी से कहा कि वे सशरीर स्वर्ग जाना चाहते थे अतः आप इसके लिये यज्ञ करें। वशिष्ठ जी बोले कि मुझमें इतनी सामर्थ्य नहीं है कि मैं किसी व्यक्ति को शरीर सहित स्वर्ग भेज सकूँ। त्रिशंकु ने यही प्रार्थना वशिष्ठ जी के पुत्रों से भी की जो दक्षिण प्रन्त म瓥75;ं घोर तपस्या कर रहे थे। वशिष्ठ जी के पुत्रों ने कहा कि अरे मूर्ख! जिस काम को हमारे पिता नहीं कर सके तू उसे हम से कराना चाहता है। ऐसा प्रतीत होता है कि तू हमारे पिता का अपमान करने के लिये यहाँ आया है। उनके इस प्रकार कहने से त्रिशंकु ने क्रोधित होकर वशिष्ठ जी के पुत्रों को अपशब्द कहे। वशिष्ठ जी के पुत्रों ने रुष्ट होकर त्रिशंकु को चाण्डाल हो जाने का शाप दे दिया।
"शाप के कारण त्रिशंकु का सुन्दर शरीर काला पड़ गया। सिर के बाल चाण्डालों जैसे छोटे छोटे हो गये। गले में हड्डियों की माला पड़ गई। हाथ पैरों में लोहे की कड़े पड़ गये। त्रिशंकु का ऐसा रूप देखकर उनके मन्त्री तथा दरबारी उनका साथ छोड़कर चले गये। फिर भी उन्होंने सशरीर स्वर्ग जाने की इच्छा का परित्याग瓥नहीं किया। वे विश्वामित्र के पास जाकर बोले कि ऋषिराज! आप महान तपस्वी हैं। मेरी इस इच्छा को पूर्ण करके मुझे कृतार्थ कीजिये। विश्वामित्र ने कहा कि राजन्! तुम मेरी शरण में आये हो। मैं तुम्हारी इच्छा अवश्य पूर्ण करूँगा। इतना कहकर विश्वामित्र ने अपने उन चारों पुत्रों को बुलाया जो दक्षिण प्रान्त में अपनी पत्नी के साथ तपस्या करते हुये उन्हें प्राप्त हुये थे और उनसे यज्ञ की सामग्री एकत्रित करने के लिये कहा। फिर उन्होंने अपने शिष्यों को बुलाकर आज्ञा दी कि वशिष्ठ के पुत्रों सहित वन में रहने वाले सब ऋषि-मुनियों को यज्ञ में सम्मिलित होने के लिये निमन्त्रण दे आओ।

"आज्ञा पाकर वे निमन्त्रण देने के लिये चले गये। उन्होंने लौटकर बताया कि सब ऋषि-मुनियों ने निमन्त्रण स्वीकार कर लिया है किन्तु वशिष्ठ जी के पुत瓥#2381;रों ने यह कहकर निमन्त्रण अस्वीकार कर दिया कि जिस यज्ञ में यजमान चाण्डाल और पुरोहित क्षत्रिय हो उस यज्ञ का भाग हम स्वीकार नहीं कर सकते। यह सुनकर विश्वामित्र जी ने क्रुद्ध होकर कहा कि उन्होंने अकारण ही मेरा अपमान किया है। मैं उन्हें शाप देता हूँ कि उन सबका नाश हो। आज ही वे सब कालपाश में बँध कर यमलोक को जायें और सात सौ वर्षों तक चाण्डाल योनि में विचरण करें। उन्हें खाने के लिये केवल कुत्ते का माँस मिले और सदैव कुरूप बने रहेँ। इस प्रकार शाप देकर वे यज्ञ की तैयारी में लग गये।"
कथा को आगे बढ़ाते हुये शतानन्द जी ने कहा, "हे राघव! विश्वामित्र के शाप से वशिष्ठ जी के पुत्र यमलोक चले गये। वशिष्ठ जी के पुत्रों के परिणाम से भयभीत सभी ऋषि मुनियों ने यज्ञ में 瓥57;िश्वामित्र का साथ दिया। यज्ञ की समाप्ति पर विश्वामित्र ने सब देवताओं को नाम ले लेकर अपने यज्ञ भाग ग्रहण करने के लिये आह्वान किया किन्तु कोई भी देवता अपना भाग लेने नहीं आया। इस पर क्रुद्ध होकर विश्वामित्र ने अर्ध्य हाथ में लेकर कहा कि हे त्रिशंकु! मैं तुझे अपनी तपस्या के बल से स्वर्ग भेजता हूँ। इतना कह कर विश्वामित्र ने मन्त्र पढ़ते हुये आकाश में जल छिड़का और राजा त्रिशंकु शरीर सहित आकाश में चढ़ते हुये स्वर्ग जा पहुँचे। त्रिशंकु को स्वर्ग में आया देख इन्द्र ने क्रोध से कहा कि रे मूर्ख! तुझे तेरे गुरु ने शाप दिया है इसलिये तू स्वर्ग में रहने योग्य नहीं है। इन्द्र के ऐसा कहते ही त्रिशंकु सिर के बल पृथ्वी पर गिरने लगे और विश्वामित्र से अपनी रक्षा की प्रार्थना करने लगे। विश्वामित्र ने उन्हें वहीं ठहरने &#瓥325;ा आदेश दिया और वे अधर में ही सिर के बल लटक गये। त्रिशंकु की पीड़ा की कल्पना करके विश्वामित्र ने उसी स्थान पर अपनी तपस्या के बल से स्वर्ग की सृष्टि कर दी और नये तारे तथा दक्षिण दिशा में सप्तर्षि मण्डल बना दिया। इसके बाद उन्होंने नये इन्द्र की सृष्टि करने का विचार किया जिससे इन्द्र सहित सभी देवता भयभीत होकर विश्वामित्र से अनुनय विनय करने लगे। वे बोले कि हमने त्रिशंकु को केवल इसलिये लौटा दिया था कि वे गुरु के शाप के कारण स्वर्ग में नहीं रह सकते थे।

इन्द्र की बात सुन कर विश्वामित्र जी बोले कि मैंने इसे स्वर्ग भेजने का वचन दिया है इसलिये मेरे द्वारा बनाया गया यह स्वर्ग मण्डल हमेशा रहेगा और त्रिशंकु सदा इस नक्षत्र मण्डल में अमर होकर राज्य करेगा। इससे सन्तुष्ट होकर इन्द्रादि देवता अपने अपने स्थानों कí瓥; वापस चले गये।"

राजा नृग की कथा

एक दिन लक्ष्मण ने श्रीराम से कहा, "महाराज! आप राजकाज में इतने व्यस्त रहते हैं कि अपने स्वास्थ्य का भी ध्यान नहीं रखते" यह सुनकर रामचन्द्रजी बोले, "लक्ष्मण! राजा को राजकाज में पूर्णतया लीन रहना ही चाहिये। तनिक सी असावधानी हो जाने पर उसे राजा नृग की भाँति भयंकर यातना भोगनी पड़ती है।"

लक्ष्म&#瓥339; के जिज्ञासा करने पर उन्होंने राजा नृग की कथा सुनाते हुये कहा, "पहले इस पृथ्वी पर महायशस्वी राजा नृग राज्य करते थे। वे बड़े धर्मात्मा और सत्यवादी थे। एक बार उन्होंने तीर्थराज पुष्कर में जाकर स्वर्ण विभूषित बछड़ों युक्‍त एक करोड़ गौओं का दान किया। उसी समय उन गौओं के साथ एक दरिद्र ब्राह्मण की गाय बछड़े सहित आकर मिल गई और राजा नृग ने संकल्पपूर्वक उसे किसी ब्राह्मण को दान कर दिया। उधर वह दरिद्र ब्राह्मण वर्षों तक स्थान-स्थान पर अपनी गाय को ढूँढता रहा। अन्त में उसने कनखल में एक ब्राह्मण के यहाँ अपने गाय को पहचान लिया। गाय का नाम 'शवला' था। जब उसने गाय को नाम लेकर पुकारा तो वह गाय उस दरिद्र ब्राह्मण के पीछे हो ली। इस पर दोनों ब्राह्मणों में विवाद हो गया। एक कहता था, गाय मेरी है और दूसरा कहता कि मुझे यह राजा ने दान 瓥50;ें दी है। दोनों झगड़ते हुये राजा नृग के यहाँ पहुँचे। राजकाज में व्यस्त रहने के कारण जब कई दिन तक नृग ने उनसे भेंट नहीं की तो उन्होंने शाप दे दिया कि विवाद का निर्णय कराने की इच्छा से आये प्रार्थियों को तुमने कई दिन तक दर्शन नहीं दिये, इसलिये तुम प्राणियों से छिपकर रहने वाले गिरगिट हो जाओगे और सहस्त्रों वर्ष तक गड्ढे में पड़े रहोगे। भगवान विष्णु जब कृष्ण के रूप में अवतार लेंगे तब वे ही तुम्हारा उद्धार करेंगे। इस प्रकार राजा नृग आज भी अपनी उस भूल का दण्ड भुगत रहे हैं। अतषव जब भी कोई कार्यार्थी द्वार पर आये, उसे सदा मेरे सामने तत्काल उपस्थित किया करो।"
राम का आदेश सुनकर लक्ष्मण बोले, "राघव! ब्राह्मणों का शाप सुनकर राजा नृग ने क्या किया?"

इस प्रश̴्瓥;न के उत्तर में श्रीराम ने बताया, "जब दोनों ब्राह्मण शाप देकर चले गये तो राजा ने अपने मन्त्री को भेजकर उन्हें वापिस बुलाया और उनसे क्षमायाचना की। फिर एक सुन्दर सा गड्ढा बनवाकर और अपने राजकुमार वसु को अपना राज्य सौंपकर उस गड्ढे में निवास करने लगे। ब्राह्मण के शाप का भारी प्रभाव होता है।"

राजा निमि की कथा

श्रीरामचन्द्रजी बोले, "हे लक्ष्मण! अब मैं तुम्हें शाप से सम्बंधित एक अन्य कथा सुनाता हूँ। अपने ही पूर्वजों में निमि नामक एक प्रतापी राजा थे। वे महात्मा इक्ष्वाकु के बारहवें पुत्र थे। उन्होंने वैजयन्त नामक एक नगर बसाया था। इस नगर को बसाकर उन्होंने एक भारी यज्ञ का अनुष्ठान किया। पहले महर्षि वधिष्ठ को और फिर अत्रि, अंगिर, तथा भृगु को आमन्त्रित किया। परन्तु वशिष्ठ का एक यज्ञ के लिय瓥#2375; देवराज इन्द्र ने पहले ही वरण कर लिया था, इसलिये वे निमि से प्रतीक्षा करने के लिये कहकर इन्द्र का यज्ञ कराने चले गये।
"वशिष्ठ के जाने पर महर्षि गौतम ने यज्ञ को पूरा कराया। वशिष्ठ ने लौटकर जब देखा कि गौतम यज्ञ को पूरा कर रहे हैं तो उन्होंने क्रद्ध होकर निमि से मिलने की इच्छा प्रकट की। जब दो घड़ी प्रतीक्षा करने पर भी निमि से भेंट न हो सकी तो उन्होंने शाप दिया कि राजा निमे! तुमने मेरी अवहेलना करके दूसरे पुरोहित को वरण किया है, इसलिये तुम्हारा शरीर अचेतन होकर गिर जायेगा।। जब राजा निमि को इस शाप की बात मालूम हुई तो उन्होंने भी वशिष्ठ जी को शाप दिया कि आपने मुझे अकारण ही शअप दिया है अतएव 瓥0;पका शरीर भी अचेतन होकर गिर जायेगा। इस प्रकार शापों के कारण दोनों ही विदेह हो गये।"

यह सुनकर लक्ष्मण बोले, "रघुकुलभूषण! फिर इन दोनों को नया शरीर कैसे मिला?"

लक्ष्मण का प्रश्‍न सुनकर राघव बोले, "पहले तो वे दोनों वायुरूप हो गये। वशिष्ठ ने ब्रह्माजी से देह दिलाने की प्रार्थना की तो उन्होंने कहा कि तुम मित्र और वरुण के छोड़े हुये वीर्य में प्रविष्ट हो जाओ। इससे तुम अयोनिज रूप से उत्पन्न होकर मेरे पुत्र बन जाओगे। इस प्रकार वशिष्ठ फिर से शरीर धारण करके प्रजापति बने। अब राजा निमि का वृतान्त सुनो। राजा निमि का शरीर नष्ट हो जाने पर ऋषियों ने स्वयं ही यज्ञ को पूरा किया और राजा को तेल के कड़ाह आदि में सुरक्षित रखा। यज्ञ कार्यों से निवृत होकर महर्षि भृगु瓥ने राजा नुमि की आत्मा से पूछा कि तुम्हारे जीव चैतन्य को कहाँ स्थापित किया जाय? इस पर निमि ने कहा कि मैं समस्त प्राणियों के नेत्रों में निवास करना चाहता हूँ। राजा की यह अभिलाषा पूर्ण हुई। तब से निमि का निवास वायुरूप होकर समस्त प्राणियों के नेत्रों में हो गया। उन्हीं राजा के प्रम पुत्र मिथिलापति जनक हुये और विदेह कहलाये।
राजा ययाति की कथा

इस आश्‍चर्यजनक कथा को सुनकर सुमित्रानन्दन बोले, "हे प्रभो! ऐसे ही शाप की कोई और कथा हो तो सुनाइये।"

लक्ष्मण के जिज्ञासा देखकर कौशल्यनन्दन बोले, "नहुष के पुत्र राजा ययाति के दो पत्‍नियाँ थीं - एक शर्मिष्ठा और दूसरी देवयानी। शर्मिष्ठा दैत्यकुल के वृषपर्वा की कन्या थी और देवयानी शुक्राचार्य की। राजा को शर्मिष्ठा से विशेष स्नेह था। शर्मिष्ठा ने पुरु को और देवयानी ने यदु को जन्म दिया। दोनों ही बालक बड़े तेजस्वी थे। देवयानी को उचित &#瓥360;म्मान न पाते देख यदु ने उससे कहा कि माता! इस असम्मानजनक जीवन से क्या यह अधिक उचित न होगा कि हम अग्नि में प्रवेश करके यह जीवन समाप्त कर दें? यदि तुम मेरी बात नहीं मानोगी तो भी मैं यह जीवन धारण नहीं करूँगा।

पुत्र की यह बात सुनकर देवयानी ने सारी बातें अपने पिता भृगुनन्दन शुक्राचार्य को बता दी और स्वयं भी जल मरने को तैयार हो गई। उसने कहा कि ययाति मेरा ही नहीं आपका भी अनादर करते हैं। इससे क्रोधित होकर शुक्राचार्य ने ययाति को लक्ष्य करके शाप दिया कि दुरात्मने! तुम्हारी अवस्था जराजीर्ण वृद्ध जैसी हो जाये। तुम बिल्कुल शिथिल हो जाओ। इस प्रकार शाप देकर वे मौन हो गये।"
लक्ष्मण ने पूछा, "इसके बाद क्या हुआ प्रभो! राजा ययाति ने फिर क्या किया?"

श्रीराम बोले, "इस शाप के फलस्वरूप राजा ययाति को ऐसी वृद्धावस्था ने आ घेरा जो दूसरे की युवावस्था से बदली जा सकती थी। ययाति ने यदु से अनुरोध किया कि तुम मुझे अपना यौवन देकर मेरी वृद्धावस्था ले लो। कुछ समय पश्‍चात् मैं तुम्हारा यौवन तुम्हें लौटा दूँगा। यह सुनकर यदु ने कहा यह सौदा आप अपने लाडले पुरु से करें। जब उन्होंने पुरु से यह बात कही तो पुरु ने राजा का अनुरोध सुनकर तत्काल वृद्धावस्था के बदले में अपना यौवन दे दिया। सहस्त्रों वर्षों तक यज्ञ आदि का अनुष्ठान करके उन्होंने पुरु को फिर उनका यौवन लौटा दिया और यदु को शाप दिया कि तुमने मेरी आज्ञा का उल्लंघन किया है, इसलिये तुम्हारी सन्तान राजा न瓥#2361;ीं होगी। हे सौमित्र! यह सब प्राचीन आख्यान मैंने तुम्हें सुना दिया। अब हमें उसी प्रकार करना चाहिये जिससे हमें किसी प्रकार का कोई दोष न लगे।" ये कथाएँ सुनाते-सुनाते रात्रि व्यतीत हो चली और ब्राह्म-मुहूर्त का समय हो गया।

वेद व्यास का जन्म

प्राचीन काल में सुधन्वा नाम के एक राजा थे। वे एक दिन आखेट के लिये वन गये। उनके जाने के बाद ही उनकी पत्नी रजस्वला हो गई। उसने इस समाचार को अपनी शिकारी पक्षी के माध्यम से राजा के पास भिजवाया। समाचार पाकर महाराज सुधन्वा ने एक दोने में अपना वीर्य निकाल कर पक्षी को दे दिया। पक्षी उस दोने को राजा की पत्नी के पास पहुँचाने आकाश में उड़ चला। मार्ग में उस शिकारी पक्षी को एक दूसरी शिकारी पक्षी मिल गया। दोनों पक्षियों में युद्ध होने लगा। युद्ध के दौरान वह दोना पक्षी के पंजे से छूट कर यमुना में जा गिरा। यमुना में ब्रह्मा के शाप से मछली बनी एक अप्सरा रहती थी। मछली रूपी अप्सरा दोने में बहते हुये वीर्य को निगल गई तथा उसके प्रभाव से वह गर्भवती हो गई।
गर्भ पूर्ण होने पर एक निषाद ने उस मछली को अपने जाल में फँसा लिया। निषाद ने जब मछली को चीरा तो उसके पेट से एक बालक तथा एक बालिका निकली। निषाद उन शिशुओं को लेकर महाराज सुधन्वा के पास गया। महाराज सुधन्वा के पुत्र न होने के कारण उन्होंने बालक को अपने पास रख लिया जिसका नाम मत्स्यराज हुआ। बालिका निषाद के पास ही रह गई और उसका नाम मत्स्यगंधा रखा गया क्योंकि उसके अंगों से मछली की गंध निकलती थी। उस कन्या को सत्यवती के नाम से भी जाना जाता है। बड़ी होने पर वह नाव खेने का कार्य करने लगी एक बार पाराशर मुनि को उसकी नाव पर बैठ कर यमुना पार करना पड़ा। पाराशर मुनि सत्यवती रूप-सौन्दर्य पर आसक्त हो गये और बोले, "देवि! मैं तुम्हारे साथ सहवास करना चाहता हूँ।" सत्यवती ने कहा, "मुनिवर! आप ब्रह्मज्ञानी हैं और मैं निषाद कन्या। हमारा सहवास सम्भव नहीं है।" तब पाराशर मुनि बोले, "बालिके! तुम चिन्ता मत करो। प्रसूति होने पर भी तुम कुमारी ही रहोगी।" इतना कह कर उन्होंने अपने योगबल से चारों ओर घने कुहरे का जाल रच दिया और सत्यवती के साथ भोग किया। तत्पश्चात् उसे आशीर्वाद देते हुये कहा, तुम्हारे शरीर से जो मछली की गंध निकलती है वह सुगन्ध में परिवर्तित हो जायेगी।"
समय आने पर सत्यवती गर्भ से वेद वेदांगों में पारंगत एक पुत्र हुआ। जन्म होते ही वह बालक बड़ा हो गया और अपनी माता से बोला, "माता! तू जब कभी भी विपत्ति में मुझे स्मरण करेगी, मैं उपस्थित हो जाउँगा।" इतना कह कर वे तपस्या करने के लिये द्वैपायन द्वीप चले गये। द्वैपायन द्वीप में तपस्या करने तथा उनके शरीर का रंग काला होने के कारण उन्हे कृष्ण द्वैपायन कहा जाने लगा। आगे चल कर वेदों का भाष्य करने के कारण वे वेदव्यास के नाम से विख्यात हुये।

कृपाचार्य तथा द्रोणाचार्य की कथा

गौतम ऋषि के पुत्र का नाम शरद्वान था। उनका जन्म बाणों के साथ हुआ था। उन्हें वेदाभ्यास में जरा भी रुचि नहीं थी और धनुर्विद्या से उन्हें अत्यधिक लगाव था। वे धनुर्विद्या में इतने निपुण हो गये कि देवराज इन्द्र उनसे भयभीत रहने लगे। इन्द्र ने उन्हें साधना से डिगाने के लिये नामपदी नामक एक देवकन्या को उनके पास भेज दिया। उस देवकन्या के सौन्दर्य के प्रभाव से शरद्वान इतने कामपीड़ित हुये कि उनका वीर्य स्खलित हो कर एक सरकंडे पर आ गिरा। वह सरकंडा दो भागों में विभक्त हो गया जिसमें से एक भाग से कृप नामक बालक उत्पन्न हुआ और दूसरे भाग से कृपी नामक कन्या उत्पन्न हुई। कृप भी धनुर्विद्या में अपने पिता के समान ही पारंगत हुये। भीष्म जी ने इन्हीं कृप को पाण्डवों और कौरवों की शिक्षा-दीक्षा के लिये नियुक्त किया और वे कृपाचार्य के नाम से विख्यात हुये।
कृपाचार्य के द्वारा पाण्डवों तथा कौरवों की प्रारंभिक शिक्षा समाप्त होने के पश्चात् अस्त्र-शस्त्रों की विशेष शिक्षा के लिये भीष्म जी ने द्रोण नामक आचार्य को नियुक्त किया। इन द्रोणाचार्य जी की भी एक विशेष कथा है। एक बार भरद्वाज मुनि यज्ञ कर रहे थे। एक दिन वे गंगा नदी में स्नान कर रहे थे। वहाँ पर उन्होंने घृतार्ची नामक एक अप्सरा को गंगा स्नान कर निकलते हुये देख लिया। उस अप्सरा को देख कर उनके मन में काम वासना जागृत हुई और उनका वीर्य स्खलित हो गया जिसे उन्होंने एक यज्ञ पात्र में रख दिया।
कालान्तर में उसी यज्ञ पात्र से द्रोण की उत्पत्ति हुई। द्रोण अपने पिता के आश्रम में ही रहते हुये चारों वेदों तथा अस्त्र-शस्त्रों के ज्ञान में पारंगत हो गये। द्रोण के साथ प्रषत् नामक राजा के पुत्र द्रुपद भी शिक्षा प्राप्त कर रहे थे तथा दोनों में प्रगाढ़ मैत्री हो गई।

उन्हीं दिनों परशुराम अपनी समस्त सम्पत्ति को ब्राह्मणों में दान कर के महेन्द्राचल पर्वत पर तप कर रहे थे। एक बार द्रोण उनके पास पहुँचे और उनसे दान देने का अनुरोध किया। इस पर परशुराम बोले, "वत्स! तुम विलम्ब से आये हो, मैंने तो अपना सब कुछ पहले से ही ब्राह्मणों को दान में दे डाला है। अब मेरे पास केवल अस्त्र-शस्त्र ही शेष बचे हैं। तुम चाहो तो उन्हें दान में ले सकते हो।" द्रोण यही तो चाहते थे अतः उन्होंने कहा, "हे गुरुदेव! आपके अस्त्र-शस्त्र प्राप्त कर के मुझे अत्यधिक प्रसन्नता होगी, किन्तु आप को मुझे इन अस्त्र-शस्त्रों की शिक्षा-दीक्षा देनी होगी तथा विधि-विधान भी बताना होगा।" इस प्रकार परशुराम के शिष्य बन कर द्रोण अस्त्र-शस्त्रादि सहित समस्त विद्याओं के अभूतपूर्व ज्ञाता हो गये।

शिक्षा प्राप्त करने के पश्चात द्रोण का विवाह कृपाचार्य की बहन कृपी के साथ हो गया। कृपी से उनका एक पुत्र हुआ। उनके उस पुत्र के मुख से जन्म के समय अश्व की ध्वनि निकली इसलिये उसका नाम अश्वत्थामा रखा गया। किसी प्रकार का राजाश्रय प्राप्त न होने के कारण द्रोण अपनी पत्नी कृपी तथा पुत्र अश्वत्थामा के साथ निर्धनता के साथ रह रहे थे। एक दिन उनका पुत्र अश्वत्थामा दूध पीने के लिये मचल उठा किन्तु अपनी निर्धनता के कारण द्रोण पुत्र के लिये गाय के दूध की व्यवस्था न कर सके। अकस्मात् उन्हें अपने बाल्यकाल के मित्र राजा द्रुपद का स्मरण हो आया जो कि पांचाल देश के नरेश बन चुके थे। द्रोण ने द्रुपद के पास जाकर कहा, "मित्र! मैं तुम्हारा सहपाठी रह चुका हूँ। मुझे दूध के लिये एक गाय की आवश्यकता है और तुमसे सहायता प्राप्त करने की अभिलाषा ले कर मैं तुम्हारे पास आया हूँ।" इस पर द्रुपद अपनी पुरानी मित्रता को भूलकर तथा स्वयं के नरेश होने अहंकार के वश में आकर द्रोण पर बिगड़ उठे और कहा, "तुम्हें मुझको अपना मित्र बताते हुये लज्जा नहीं आती? मित्रता केवल समान वर्ग के लोगों में होती है, तुम जैसे निर्धन और मुझ जैसे राजा में नहीं।"

अपमानित होकर द्रोण वहाँ से लौट आये और कृपाचार्य के घर गुप्त रूप से रहने लगे। एक दिन युधिष्ठिर आदि राजकुमार जब गेंद खेल रहे थे तो उनकी गेंद एक कुएँ में जा गिरी। उधर से गुजरते हुये द्रोण से राजकुमारों ने गेंद को कुएँ से निकालने लिये सहायता माँगी। द्रोण ने कहा, "यदि तुम लोग मेरे तथा मेरे परिवार के लिये भोजन का प्रबन्ध करो तो मैं तुम्हारा गेंद निकाल दूँगा।" युधिष्ठिर बोले, "देव! यदि हमारे पितामह की अनुमति होगी तो आप सदा के लिये भोजन पा सकेंगे।" द्रोणाचार्य ने तत्काल एक मुट्ठी सींक लेकर उसे मन्त्र से अभिमन्त्रित किया और एक सींक से गेंद को छेदा। फिर दूसरे सींक से गेंद में फँसे सींक को छेदा। इस प्रकार सींक से सींक को छेदते हुये गेंद को कुएँ से निकाल दिया।

इस अद्भुत प्रयोग के विषय में तथा द्रोण के समस्त विषयों मे प्रकाण्ड पण्डित होने के विषय में ज्ञात होने पर भीष्म पितामह ने उन्हें राजकुमारों के उच्च शिक्षा के नियुक्त कर राजाश्रय में ले लिया और वे द्रोणाचार्य के नाम से विख्यात हुये।

Tantra Mantra

Tantra (Sanskrit: तन्त्र "weave" denoting continuity), tantricism or tantrism is a science or sadhana (spiritual practice) any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. It is powerful (Hindu) ritual acts of body, speech, and mind.It exists in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain forms. Tantra in its various forms has existed in India, China, Japan, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Korea, Cambodia, Burma, Indonesia and Mongolia. In Hinduism, Tantra deal with popular aspects of the religion, such as spells, rituals, and symbols. Buddhist tantric (Taantrik) literature, believed to date from the 7th century or earlier, has reference to numerous practices, some involving sexual activity, that have no basis in canonical literature. Tantra is mainly associated with the Hindu God Shiva in connection with his Shakti (the Goddess, energy of the deity, usually called kundalini) as a unified absolute. In certain Tantra and Shakta Upanisads, it is the Goddess who is the primary object of worship as the personified Shakti. (The Lakshmi Tantra and Vishnu Tantra). The tantrik scriptures are generally in the form of a dialogue between the god Shiva and his wife Parvati. In treatises where Shiva answers the questions, they are called agama; where Parvati answers it is a nigama. The majority of these are written in Sanskrit, Pali, Prakit, Tibetan, Hindi, and Bengali. These texts are encyclopedias of esoteric wisdom, covering topics such as creation and destruction of the universe, worship of the gods, spiritual disciplines, rituals, occult powers, and meditations. They also discuss the subtle anatomy of the body including the chakras (spiritual centers) and the connection paths between them through which the kundalini energy travels.

Mantra is a set of particular words in a particular configuration and rhythm, eg - Calling somebody through a meaning full word. Chanting Mantra in particular pre-decided tone and pitch one can fulfil one's wish.

Tantra, the way means a method to perform a worship in a systematic way.

Yantra is a geometric figure inscribed on a metallic plate or paper and is the confluence of the powers of the concerned God.

Taantrik tantrik, tantric or thantrik are the same name for the practitioner of Tantra.

"Tantra is beliefs and practices which, working from the principle that the universe we experience is nothing other than the concrete manifestation of the divine energy of the Godhead that creates and maintains that universe, seeks to ritually appropriate and channel that energy, within the human microcosm, in creative and emancipatory ways.

Tantra evolved even before Aryans' culture
Tantra is often called the "Yoga of Sex." While there is a kernel of truth in this phrase, the popular press has created a misleading impression that Tantra is about having better orgasms or about becoming a better lover. Since tantric practices are designed to expand consciousness, they can expand a person's capacity to give, receive and experience pleasure, not only in the sexual realm but in all areas of life, provided that person is willing to do the work. It is important to be aware that Tantra is not an easy path; it is "the way of the hero who neither rejects nor fears any aspect of life."

Many Western Tantra teachers emphasize very powerful techniques for enhancing sexual pleasure and intimacy, while some traditional teachers (Indian Guru) discourage students from exploring sexual Tantra at all.


You believe or not, tantra works if performed with accuracy and tradition irrespective of faith or belief of the practitioner. Ucchatan, vashikarana, marana, mohan (sammohan), aakarshana (akarshan),Vidveshan are main six types of Tantra practice used for wordly problems. Also used for liberation of soul.

Tantra, Mantra and Yantra, their effects and significance: All of us know that for accomplishing something, one needs to actually work hard for it, Tantra and Mantras here can help you to fix your concentration on your goal, provide spiritual help for them and lay an effect or two on your goal. Mantras and Tantra provide a 100% complete solution to your elite goal, so think about it.


Mantra Can not and should not be recieved through phone, internet, books, website or unknown person.(Although there are some exeptions.)

Mantra can only and only be recieved from a Guru.

The Mantras in our Website (Guide) are on different aspects of life, such as for the accomplishment of some goals or for helping you for progressing in a field. Mantras that we offer are for personal achievements and gains.Some mantras can help you to get rid of your enemies. That is a good thing. There is no negative in getting rid fom your enemies (Physical or mental or spritual). A tantra Guru always say in his blessing : 'satrunam budhi vinashanam - be your enemies thinking power vanish' - to his pupil with other blessings.

Once you have read and understood everything within this website, you are most welcome to proceed further and test the rest the original Tantra! Tantra came to be viewed by some as a "cult of ecstasy", combining sexuality and spirituality in such a way as to act as a corrective force to Western repressive attitudes about sex. Tantra is the ideal religion of the modern era. It is the most transgressive and violent path to the sacred. As Tantra has become more popular in the West it has undergone a major transformation, which has made Modern Tantra, or the New Age interpretations of Tantra, more properly called Neotantra, different from the original Tantric traditions of India. For many modern readers, "Tantra" has become a synonym for "spiritual sex" or "sacred sexuality", a belief that sex in itself ought to be recognized as a sacred act which is capable of elevating its participants to a more sublime spiritual plane. Though Neotantra may adopt many of the concepts and terminology of Indian Tantra, it often omits one or more of the following; the traditional reliance on guruparampara (the guidance of a guru), extensive meditative practice, and traditional rules of conduct - both moral and ritualistic.
The worship of Baglamukhi who is also famous as 'Pitambara Vidya' and Valgamukhi ( yellow Colour is prominently used in her worship) for protection against the enemies and to defeat them, to get victory in the legal matters, to acquire wealth, to clear away the debts and to attain power of oratory etc.

In her worship yellow clothes, garland made of turmeric, yellow seat and yellow flowers are used. She is the presiding goddess who has a desire of annihilating the demons in her individual form and carries on the destruction of commodities according to the wishes of the almighty God .

She has her abode amidst the ocean of ambrosia where her canopy decorated with diamonds is situated and her throne is decorated with the jewels.

Her complexion is yellow, wears yellow apparels, ornaments and a garlands which is also of yellow colour. In her one hand is a tongue of an enemy and in the other hand she holds a mace.

In the 'Satyuga' period once the whole world was threatened by a terrific cyclone. Lord Vishnu being concerned about the safety of the whole humanity went near to Haridra reservoir situated in Saurashtra, to please Goddess Bhagawati by his penance.

Baglamukhi appeared before him, manifesting from the water of Haridra wearing yellow apparels. She controlled the powerful current of the threatening flood and destructive nature.

Goddess Bagla helps the almighty god by punishing and controlling those negative powers that try to trespass the natural flow, She controls our speech knowledge and movement. She is capable of giving powers (Siddhis) and fulfilling all the wishes of her devotee like a "Kalpa-Taru".

Gorakhnath

Gorakhnath (also called Goraksanatha) was an 11th Century Hindu yogi who founded the Kanphata yogis.

The legend states that Guru Gorakhnath, the eternal sage and traditionally associated with Hatha Yoga (one of the branches of Yogic practices), has been around for thousands of years watching the welfare of humanity. Different legends ascribe different stories to his birth and the period of his worldly existence, and they vary greatly. The Nath Rahashya, which literally translates into the mystery of the masters, recounts birth, work, and death of nine such Naths (masters), and Guru Gorakhnath was the ninth Nath, preceded by his Guru, the eight Nath, namely, Matsyendranath.

Traditionally, Guru Gorakhanath is believed to have been born sometime in the 8th century, whereas some believe it to be anytime from 8th century to several centuries later. He has traveled widely across the Indian subcontinenet, and accounts about him are found in some forms or others several places including Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Punjab, Sind, Uttar Pradesh, Nepal, Assam, Bengal, Maratha, and even Sri Lanka.

Gurkhas of Nepal also take their name from this saint. Gorakhpur, the district headquarters of Gorakhpur District, is believed to derive its name from Guru Gorakhnath.


LIVE IN THE HEART, DON'T TALK OF THE SECRET, SPEAK NECTAR-SOAKED WORDS.

WHEN OTHERS BECOME FIRE, O AVADHU, YOU BECOME WATER.

GORAKH SAYS LISTEN AVADHU, LIVE IN THE WORLD LIKE THIS:

EYES SEE, EARS LISTEN, MOUTH SAYS NOTHING.

NATH SAYS, KEEP YOUR SOUL, DON'T INSIST ON DEBATE.

THIS WORLD IS A GARDEN OF THORNS, PLACE EACH STEP ALERTLY.

BALANCED ASANA, BALANCED FOOD, BALANCED SLEEP

GORAKH SAYS LISTEN SONS, SUCH A MAN NEITHER DIES NOR GROWS OLD.

ONE WHO EATS DIES, ONE WHO DOESN'T EAT DIES

GORAKH SAYS O SONS, ONLY SANYAMI, THE BALANCED ONE TRANSCENDS.

ALWAYS RESIDE IN THE MIDDLE

MIND DOESN'T MOVE, BREATH BECOMES STILL.



As long as truth is concealed, these tales of awakening won't be stopped

As long as religions persist and prosper, these tales of awakening won't be stopped.

O people of the mind, you are free to construct your systems

but the very walls will dance, the mad ones won't be stopped.

This tulip and rose, moon and stars -- see them and be silent priest!

this tavern is not closed, this tavern won't be stopped.

Moths will go on becoming candles, burning themselves up laughing, smiling

in the cruel houses of superstition the moths won't be stopped.

This mocking and blaming is nothing, nothing but promises of love

'Ravish', this world is and the it's story won't be stopped.



[Note: the above last couplet follows the ghazal tradition of not all couplets having to share the same content.]



As long as god is hidden, people who uncover him will go on arising.

As long as truth is concealed, these tales of awakening won't be stopped

As long as there is a veil on the face of the beloved, there will be talk of religion, songs of prayer will arise.

As long as truth is concealed, these tales of awakening won't be stopped

as long as religions persist and prosper, these tales of awakening won't be stopped.

This story of the search for god will continue as long as god has not been found. But the search for god is individual. An individual can find. Then the search of the one who finds is complete. But the search continues for the multitude of others that are straying in the dark.

Religion will remain on the earth as long as a single man is still sleeping, as long as all have not awakened, as long as the lamps of all have not been lit.

O people of the mind, you are free to construct your systems

O intellectuals, O pandits! O people of wisdom! Those who place trust in intellect, in logic...

O people of the mind, you are free to construct your systems

... go on building walls of scripture, go on erecting prisons of words, go on casting chains of theoretical systems.

O people of the mind, you are free to construct your systems

but the very walls will dance, the mad ones won't be stopped.

But those who have heard the call of the whole will start dancing even within the walls. With them the walls of the prison will start dancing too. And no matter how many theoretical systems you make, you won't be able to eradicate the mad ones from this world. No theory satisfies. Theoretical systems remain superficial, life is not given juice by them. A system remains echoing in the head, being remains untouched by it.

O people of the mind, you are free to construct your systems

but the very walls will dance, the mad ones won't be stopped.

No matter how many jail systems you erect -- Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsi, Jaina, Buddhist, Sikh. They are all prisons. In the name of temples factories are made for casting chains. In mosques your slavery is being cast. But still the beloveds of god raise a dance in the middle of all these chains. For them even chains make the jingling of ankle bells. If you know dancing even chains become ankle bells, if you don't know dancing even ankle bells are chains. If you know dancing even a prison is a dance hall, if you don't know dancing what will you do sitting in a dance hall? If you know how to drink then whatever you drink is wine. And if you don't know drinking then even if a stream of nectar is raining down what will you do with it?

This tulip and rose, moon and stars -- see them and be silent priest!

These flowers, tulip and rose, these suns, this moon, these stars... O so called intelligentsia, can't you be quiet? O pandits, won't you fall flat in the dust? Because whatsoever you are doing is against beauty. Whatever you are doing is against this festival of moon and stars.

Religious scholars have given man very dismal beliefs. Flowers will not bloom in these dismal beliefs. The stench of graves comes from these sad beliefs. In these dreary beliefs the moon and stars do not shine, there is deep darkness in these gloomy beliefs.

This is why the whole humanity seems religious, but still where is religion? If there were religion there would be celebration. Then flowers would be blooming on peoples faces, or there would be moons and stars in their eyes, or veenas would be playing in their hearts, or dance would arise in their life. Where is dance? Where are sparkling eyes? Where are dancing people? Where are joy filled souls? And it is said that god is enjoyment, raso vaisah. God is enjoyment, but your mahatmas are not enjoying. Those who have broken you off from god are your saints. Those who have erected a wall between you and existence, erected a China wall, are your so called pandits and priests. And as long as a person is not free of pandits and priests he cannot be free of intellect. And unfortunate is the man who lives only in his intellect and dies only in his intellect. He will never know the secret of life. He will never have any awareness of the mysteries of life.

This tulip and rose, moon and stars -- see them and be silent priest!

the tavern is not closed, the tavern won't be stopped.

Although you continue your appeals, you continue calling out, nevertheless somewhere or other a tavern is born. Where a Gorakh is born a tavern is born. Where a Kabir arises a tavern arises. Where a Jesus walks a wine hall opens. Where Buddha sits there is a great celebration.

the tavern is not closed, the tavern won't be stopped.

Still wherever taverns form, very quickly the wine halls are finished and temples and mosques are erected there. Near Buddha a sweet nectar was raining, but then come Buddhist scholars and their ilk. Very quickly the wine hall is made into a dismal temple. Dance quickly turns into rites and rituals. Soon a deep sigh arising in the heart turns into formal prayer. Wherever the emergence of living truth had happened, now there is only talk about truth.

It has happened like this with Jesus. It has happened like this with Krishna. The same has happened with every master. Where is the sound of the flute in a Krishna temple now? Where is the beat of the drum in a Krishna temple now? It is a strange trap man weaves, man uses even emancipators in his search for unfreedom. But it is fortunate that in spite of all of our planning, in spite of all of our organizations and regulations, someone or other blossoms, somewhere a lotus blooms, somewhere a fragrance begins to fly towards the heavens, somewhere the notes of prayer are heard, somewhere life returns to its ecstasy.

... the tavern is not closed, the tavern won't be stopped.

Moths will go on becoming candles, burning themselves up laughing, smiling

in the cruel houses of superstition the moths won't be stopped.

It is good that the moths will not be bound in the darkness of blind beliefs. They are eager to be burnt. And if they don't find candles they become candles themselves. Moths themselves become candles if there are no candles burning. But moths will not be bound by blind belief.

This earth is filled with the darkness of blind belief. And blind belief is so ancient that it seems that blind belief is life itself. Do you believe in god? Then you are a blind believer. God is to be known, nothing will happen through believing. Belief is very cheap. Belief is not worth two cents. One who believes is irreligious. He has to be known. Anything less than knowing will not do. But for knowing one must gather courage. For knowing the moth must become a burning candle. And for knowing one must give ones life as an offering. For knowing life has to be put at stake.

Religion is not for the curious, religion is not merely an itch on the skin -- religion is gambling with life. This is why only a few courageous people have become religious. Religion is not for the fearful, it is not for cowards. Cowards become escapists. Religion is for those who in the war of life, accept the challenges of life in their totality. Who live life, live life completely. Who don't escape, who don't become afraid, who are not shaking. Those who brace their feet and take on the struggles of life. From this very struggle the soul is born. In these very challenges the soul ripens, the being is strengthened.

The sutras of Gorakh can make your life into a wine hall. The sutras of Gorakh can make you a moth -- and a moth such that if he doesn't find a flame he will become a flame himself. These sutras are marvelous. Get immersed in each sutra, drink it. Let each sutra fill the cup of your heart.

LIVE IN THE HEART, DON'T TALK OF THE SECRET, SPEAK NECTAR-SOAKED WORDS.

WHEN OTHERS BECOME FIRE, O AVADHU, YOU BECOME WATER.

LIVE IN THE HEART...

Right now you are living outside. You don't yet know the art of living within. This is why you are unhappy. One who is outside is unhappy, one who is inside is happy. One who is outside is in hell, one who is inside is in heaven. Living outside means living in desires: getting money, getting power, getting fame, getting prestige, getting respect. Living outside means if you get something you will be happy. Living inside means you already have that from which happiness comes.

Remember this distinction very subtly. Living outside means if you get something you will be happy. Happiness is conditional. There is a condition. Someone says that if I have a million rupees then I will be happy. He has put a condition on happiness. Now until he has got a million he will be unhappy. And he will get another great shock the day he gets a million. As long as he hadn't got a million he was sad because he had put a condition on happiness. Whoever puts a condition misses, because happiness happens unconditionally. Happiness is our nature. We come bringing happiness. Happiness resides within us. And you have gone outside to seek it. And you have put conditions on happiness. If you search outside you will have to put conditions otherwise what will you look for? Search means a method to fulfill a condition. Someone has said that until I become prime minister I will not be happy. He has made a condition. Now in a country of six hundred million to become prime minister is a long journey. It is unlikely you will make it while you are still living. So your whole life will be spent in unhappiness. Until the conditions are fulfilled, how can you be happy? And a man who has lived his whole life in misery will be more surprised when he becomes prime minister, because by living his whole life in unhappiness, unhappiness has become a habit. Being prime minister the habit of being miserable will not drop so quickly.

You know that habits are dropped only with great difficulty. Now if the man who has sixty years practice in the habit of misery -- continuously, day and night, morning and evening, awake and asleep he is seeing only this one dream, how to become prime minister -- if after sixty years he becomes prime minister -- if he becomes, the possibility is very slight, most people will die and won't be able to become prime minister -- but someday it will be the good fortune of some cat that the hanging pot breaks, as Indira's pot breaking was Morarji's luck. If it breaks, still the person will not be able to be happy. Now where to get rid of sixty years of continuous practice? Those habits of being unhappy, the mind that is used to living in misery, how will it be dropped? It is not that you can just put it down. Now unhappiness has become your very flesh and bones. It is not like clothes you can just take off, then put on other clothes. Now misery has become your skin. Now it will be very difficult to take misery off. So the mind will arrange new misery.

You haven't got a million so you are unhappy until you get a million. As soon as you get a million you will find the mind saying, "What's so great about a million? At least ten million is needed." This is why no desire can be fulfilled, because by the time fulfillment comes one is addicted to unhappiness. You make a new projection. You make a new condition to be miserable. You push the condition ahead. You say if you get ten million then you will be happy.

And you all know -- there is no need to become prime minister for this -- you all know, you all have thought if I get this car, if I get this house, if I get this shop -- you got it: Are you happy? You had thought if you get this woman: you got her. If I get this man: you got him. Are you happy? Where is happiness?

Perhaps you do not remember the day you got your desire that very day it became worthless. That very day you began making new plans. The mind starts seeing new dreams -- how to reach further ahead. You have put a new condition. You have pushed the condition ahead. You will go on pushing conditions ahead your whole life and you will remain miserable.

Happiness happens unconditionally. It has no conditions. And one who has understood that happiness is unconditional immediately turns inward. We are going out in order to fulfill conditions. Conditions can only be fulfilled outside, how can conditions be fulfilled inside? Inside neither money can be produced nor power can be produced. Going on sitting with eyes kept closed you will not become prime minister. Nor sitting with eyes kept closed will a heap of Kohinoor diamonds gather. Nor sitting with eyes closed will your reputation in the world grow. No, inside no condition can be fulfilled. One goes within who has seen the foolishness of conditions. One who has seen that even if all conditions are fulfilled, nothing is fulfilled. One who has seen this truth goes within.

And one who goes within, finds happiness -- because happiness is present within. Happiness is your nature.

LIVE IN THE HEART...

The meaning of live in the heart is living within. To live where you are. Don't budge from there. If you move from there you have gone astray. What pushes you away? Desire pushes you. Wanting pushes you. Ambition pushes you. Ambition says, "What are you doing sitting inside here? Get up, move, there is much to be done in the world. There are great journeys to make. Complete them. Like this you will waste your life."

We all move. The whole rest of the world is moving. Hence it seems that only movement is right. Movement is right because everyone is moving. Man is a follower. The father is moving, brothers are moving, friends are moving, neighbors are moving, all are moving outwards -- you should also run. You too should be diffused from your center. You have also begun the business of the mind. You say, "If this happens, if that happens. When I have all this I will be happy."

And I want to say to you, and enlightened persons have always said this, that if you want to be happy, then there is no need to go anywhere. Lao Tzu has said there is no need to even leave your room. Happiness is your treasure. This is the fundamental truth of religion: that happiness does not have to be earned, you already have happiness, happiness is grace, prasad. Existence itself has given it. But when will you look at this grace? You have turned your back on prasad. You go on fleeing outwards. You don't stop even for a moment. Your running continues day and night. You think all day: you are running in thinking. You dream all night: you are running in dreams. You keep on running. When will you stop? When will you pause? The day you pause, the day you stop, is the day you will be suddenly shocked, you will not be able to believe it, you will remain speechless, dumbfounded -- why did I go on running meaninglessly? -- that which I was seeking is present within me.

LIVE IN THE HEART, DON'T TALK OF THE SECRET...

And don't tell anyone about the experience you have within the heart. Why? Why not tell this secret? Because this secret is such that whoever you tell it to will laugh. And it is possible that you are not yet capable of enduring the laughter of others. Whoever you tell this secret to will think you are mad. And it is possible that you are yet unripe, you are very new on the inner journey, so don't let the laughing of others put you in disarray. Don't let it people start calling you mad and you too begin to doubt -- who knows?

Man lives according to the opinions of others. You believe what people say. Where else will you find recognition? Right now you don't have the capacity, you don't have the awareness that you can find recognition within yourself. You find respect outside. This is why you are so eager that someone praise you, and you are so afraid that someone might insult you. There are so many people in the world who appear moral. It is not because they are moral. The whole reason is they are afraid of what people will say. They are fearful people. There is fear in their morality. If they are convinced that they will not be caught, that there is no way that they can be caught, then all these people will fall into immorality.

This is why it ordinarily happens that when people get into power they become immoral. Lord Acton's famous statement is: 'Power corrupts and corrupts absolutely.' Not just partially but totally corrupts. Why? I both agree and disagree with Lord Acton's statement. Agree because the fact can be seen that power corrupts people. Good people are corrupted as soon as they get into power. Simple direct people who you had never thought would be corrupted if they got in power. Moving into power immediately the hood springs up within them and poison glands emerge. What happens to people who get in power? So it seems that Acton's statement is factual that power corrupts people, because it is seen every day.

Look at the disciples of Gandhi Baba. What have they been doing in this country for thirty years? They were good people. It cannot be said that they were bad people. As long as they were not in power no one could think that they would prove themselves bad. They neither drank nor ate meat. They wore homespun khadi, they wove with their hands, they spun the spinning wheel. No cigarettes, no betel, no tobacco. They followed vows and fasted. They served the country. They were good people -- they were servants. Then what happened? How did their faces change when they got in power?

So Acton's statement seems correct, still I say there is an error in it. And the error is that power does not pervert people, power merely uncovers peoples real face. Power does not pervert them, power only makes them naked. Before being in power the man was hidden in clothes, because before being in power he was afraid you would catch him. How much strength have you got? How much capacity? Arriving in power, strength comes into your hand. Then you can do what you want. Who is going to catch you? You are the one who catches people, who will catch you? The whole power is in your hand. And, 'the buffalo belongs to the one who holds the staff.' The staff of power convinces you that now you can do with open heart what you always wanted to do and could not do because you didn't have the power to do it. You would be caught.

Power does not corrupt anyone. In my estimation only people who are corrupted are eager to get into power. But they haven't had a chance to openly play their corruption. Their hands are weak. The heart is filled completely with fire, but they are afraid that if they reveal it now the little respect they have will also be taken. When you reach power who is going to take away your respect? When you are in power whatever you do is right. Whatever the powerful do is right. No law is enforced on the powerful, the powerful are above the law. The law is in force for everyone else. This is why it appears that power corrupts. Power does not corrupt. Power merely uncovers you. Power makes evident your naked picture: how you are, who you are, what you are.

We want people's praises so we are moral. We are afraid of peoples insults so we move with thought and care to insure we are not insulted. We take every step with caution. This is why Gorakh says when you begin to feel the inner experience and you start to feel unconditional happiness and a waterfall of nectar bursts inside of you, don't tell anyone. Gorakh is saying something worth noting: don't reveal the secret. This is a new shoot emerging, people will jump on it and break it. And people are eager to break it because this shoot has not emerged in them; and "How are you so bold? We are all miserable and you have become happy." Jealousy will be provoked, terrible jealousy will be provoked. Perhaps you will not be able to endure their jealousy, if you are new on this inner journey.

... DON'T TALK OF THE SECRET...

So when nectar begins surging up inside, flowers start blooming, don't tell it to anyone, quietly hold and protect it. Tell it to your master, tell it to your fellow disciples, tell it to those who can understand. But don't declare it to people. Don't start dancing on the streets when dance comes inside of you, otherwise the police will catch you and take you away. Your very family will take you to a psychotherapist, asking for injections, saying something has gone wrong with him. They will request electric shock treatment saying something is wrong with him. Does anyone dance in the street?

Bertrand Russell went for the first time to an aboriginal society. A full moon night... and when the aboriginals started dancing and sounding the drums and playing cymbals, it arose in Russell's mind: how much civilized man has lost! What do we have in the name of civilization? We don't play drums, we don't play cymbals, nor is there any capacity for dancing left. The feet have forgotten how to dance. Russell wrote: that night under the full moon, seeing naked tribal people dancing beneath the trees a question arose in my heart, what have we gained in the name of progress? And he also wrote that if I return to London and start dancing in Trafalgar Square, I will be immediately apprehended. People will think I have gone mad.

People think unhappiness is health and think bliss is insanity. Conditions have become so disturbed that only mad people laugh in this world, when do the rest, the sane and sensible people have time to laugh? The hearts of the sane have dried up. The sane are entangled in counting money. The sane are climbing ladders of ambition. The sane say lets go to Delhi. Where is the leisure to laugh, to sing a couple of songs, to play an ektara, to dance beneath the stars in the shade of a tree, to look at the sun, to talk to the flowers, to hug the trees -- where is the time? These are the last things when everything is complete -- when there is money, power, prestige then we will sit under the trees. But this day never comes, it never has come, it never will come. You pass through this life crying and grumbling. As you come, so you go -- come empty-handed, go empty-handed.

So if ever the inner nectar takes birth in you and the inner taste starts coming to you... and it doesn't take time to come, just turn in and everything is present. You have turned your back on the river, this is why you are thirsty. Change your direction, turn your back on the world and face yourself. And you will be surprised: why were you thirsty for so long? You will cry because so much was wasted and you will laugh because it is so amazing that you were searching for what you have! You went in search of what you already have and you agonized and were troubled because you didn't find it. And you couldn't find it, because what is inside, you cannot find outside. It can be found where it is.

But never say it -- because the feeling to immediately declare arises in that moment, the feeling naturally arises -- go and tell others, who are straying in the dark. But the straying ones will not agree with you so easily. Their egos have become part of their straying. If you go and tell them, "Don't stray off, you are wandering meaninglessly. Look I have attained. Look at me, look into my eyes." They will laugh. They will say, "One more man has been wasted. You have gone mad."

The great Western psychologist R. D. Laing has come across a new discovery. Laing tried to demonstrate that in Western insane asylums there are many people who if they had been born sometime in the past in the countries of the East they would have been thought of as 'paramahansas'. The ones people called 'mast fakirs' -- ecstatic saints, the ones people worshipped. And when a thoughtful psychologist like R. D. Laing says something there is meaning in it. After a lifetime of studying the insane he gave the statement that there are many people locked up who would be Ramakrishnas if they were in the East. And you can be sure that if Ramakrishna was in the West he would have been put into some hospital and considered a hysteria patient. It was just a coincidence that he was born in India and a coincidence that the time was good when he was born. Now if he were born in Calcutta, he would not be in Dakshineswar Temple, he would be in Bade Bazaar hospital. No matter how much he screamed, who would listen? If he screamed that I have become enlightened people would say, "Relax, it happens to all mad people." If he went on saying I am seeing visions of Mother Kali people would say, "Relax, you are hallucinating."

Even now psychologists say that Ramakrishna had epilepsy, it was hysteria. This going unconscious and falling down is no samadhi or anything. Psychologists say that Jesus too was insane. Only an insane man talks to the sky. Does a sensible person talk to the sky? Jesus bowed down, went to his knees and spoke to the sky. And spoke as if there was someone in the sky. He called to his father : Abba -- daddy! Has he gone mad? What daddy is in the sky? Psychologists will say it is hallucination. This man has become ill, give him an injection of insulin, or electric shock treatment. Bring him back to his senses, put him back on the path.

It is good that Buddha, Mahavira, Krishna and Christ have already come and gone. There are problems now. The problems have increased. Gorakh is right, his suggestion is totally correct for a seeker.

LIVE IN THE HEART, DON'T TALK OF THE SECRET...

Don't tell anyone what is going on inside. Enjoy it quietly, inwardly. Drown in it. Yes if sometime you meet someone, a pilgrim of the inner, converse with him. This is the meaning of satsang: where four divine madmen are sitting. Telling each other, hearing each other. Tell it where people can understand, keep it hidden from the rest. This secret is not to be told to everyone.

DON'T TALK OF THE SECRET, SPEAK NECTAR-SOAKED WORDS.

Never give any message about what has happened inside of you, but in your statements its nectar will bubble up. Don't say anything about it, that, "I have found the source of nectar inside of me, I have met god, I have found my soul." Don't say it. Don't be in a hurry. It should be declared in the last moment, when even if the whole world goes against you it won't make any difference to you. Even if you remain alone no doubts will arise in you. Being alone doubts will start to arise; this happens to a new seeker. This is because we think that where the most people are going is where the truth is. If not then why are so many people going? This is why throughout the world religions try to increase their crowd. The bigger the crowd the more our faith becomes certain that the truth is with us.

If the Christians say that they have the truth, what is the reason? The reason is that about one third of the world is Christian with them. If the Jainas put forth a claim, what claim can they make? At the most there are three million Jainas. Christians are one billion. Three million Jainas! Twenty five hundred years have passed since Mahavira. If he had convinced only thirty couples then by now they would have three million children. Children increase this fast -- and in India! Thirty couples are sufficient, because if twelve each are born to each couple, then again to each of these twelve, twelve are born then in twenty five hundred years the number will be much more than three million: you can figure it out. Three million people? It is clear that they cannot have the truth. Otherwise why were so few people convinced?

This world lives following the crowd. A man was telling Bernard Shaw, a Christian was telling Bernard Shaw, that so many people believe so it must be true. Bernard Shaw said, excuse me, this many people believe it, so it cannot be true. Truth happens only infrequently. It manifests only in the life of the few, everyone else lives in lies, because living in lies there are great consolations, in lies there is great comfort. Lies are the way to pull over the blankets and go to sleep. Untruth is sleep. Most people are asleep. Truth is found by the awake.

Keep quiet until such a state arises within you, until such firmness happens that even if the entire world says you are mad, that even then doubt does not arise within. Until then go on ripening. Until then let maturity arise. Until then let firmness arise. Until then let roots grasp -- deeper and deeper into your consciousness. Let the tree of this knowledge spread. Yes, one day when the tree has become so strong that it no longer needs support ropes, then the declaration will happen by itself, then there is no need to do anything.

But now you are worried about every small thing. Think, if you told someone that meditation is happening to you and he said, "Are you in your senses? Meditation does not exist. These are all illusions of the mind." And you will start doubting. At night you will become worried, does meditation exist or not? When you sit down to meditate this doubt will hang around you, does it even exist or not? Are you just wasting your time? And if you meet many people who say it, it will become very difficult.

Your mind is still swayed very much from the outside, so keep quiet. But in your voice nectar will start flowing. Don't talk about nectar, but a sweetness will come into your voice. In your voice the taste will begin to flow. Don't say directly what you have found, but in your living, in your every movement the difference will start to show, transformation will begin. You will speak and your speech there will have a sweetness that was never there before. In your speech there will be a song, a rhythm that was never there. This rhythm will bring those people near you who are in search of rhythm. This rhythm will start to attract people. They will start to ask you, what has happened to you? When someone comes very close to you and enquires about liberation then you can tell him, otherwise keep the secret hidden.

LIVE IN THE HEART, DON'T TALK OF THE SECRET, SPEAK NECTAR-SOAKED WORDS.

WHEN OTHERS BECOMES FIRE, O AVADHU...

And if the person facing you gets fired up, flies into a rage, goes wild in anger, goes crazy YOU BECOME WATER. Then completely melt. When someone in front of you is ignited with anger then melt, then rain on him like water. Let this be your style of life. Let this be your individuality. Let this be your expression. Through it those who are searching will slowly slowly begin to know. They will get a clue. It does not need to be declared, does not need to be proclaimed from the house tops. In this way slowly slowly your fragrance will reach to the nostrils of the eager, of the seekers. The veena that is playing within you will slowly slowly transform your individuality. And from the sound of your strings the veena inside those who search, those who are thirsty, will also start echoing. People will come, they will start coming from far away. Who here does not want to search for the eternal? Who here is not seeking bliss? People are searching in wrong directions, but people are seeking bliss. And whenever they meet an individual who is blissful, their influence is unavoidable.

Rahim has said:

Both appear as one, as long as neither speaks

only in the spring, are crow and cuckoo unveiled.

The crow and the cuckoo look similar as long as they don't speak. But when spring comes the difference is made clear. When spring comes the difference is heard. Both crow and cuckoo are black. On the surface no difference is apparent.

When you speak, when you act, when you take someone's hand in your hand, when you embrace someone, then the difference will be known.

only in the spring, are crow and cuckoo unveiled.

Your love, your sweetness, your grace will open in the spring, at that time the difference will be known.

WHEN OTHERS BECOME FIRE, O AVADHU, YOU BECOME WATER

And understand this, it is a very surprising thing, but it must be understood.

A lady came to meet me. A lady from a very rich family, well educated. She told me, "I have come to learn meditation. But before I learn meditation, I have to ask something. If I learn meditation will it create any difficulty in my marriage relationship, in my family life?"

Before I could say anything she herself said, "I know... why should difficulty arise? Meditation is a good thing. Why should problems come from meditation? But I am asking because my husband told me to ask this before learning meditation."

I told that woman, "Then it is better that you don't learn meditation, problems will come."

And the amazing thing is that if you learn something bad then no great problem arises. For example if the wife or husband starts to drink alcohol, then only a little difficulty arises. If he starts to gamble only a little difficulty arises. And the truth is, perhaps no problem at all will arise. And it can also happen that where there had previously been a problem, that problem also goes away, becomes easier.

You will be a little shocked, because you are not aware of the deeper secrets of the mind. Wives enjoy greatly correcting their husbands. If the husband is completely right and proper, the wife has nothing left to enjoy. If the husband drinks wine, if he smokes cigarettes, then the wife becomes dominant over him. The wife becomes holy. So far Indian women haven't managed the courage to drink wine and smoke cigarettes. So she cannot do these things herself, she doesn't have the courage. The weight of centuries has broken her courage. Even in imagination she doesn't think that she too can drink wine and smoke cigarettes, it is not possible. But she gets one consolation, she gets the consolation of insulting her husband. And it makes it easier for her to take possession of the husband. When the husband comes home he comes home afraid: because he smokes cigarettes. If the husband should completely stop smoking cigarettes and drinking wine then the mastery of the wife who has been the master for twenty years will fall. The enjoyment she had will be lost. People are not so disturbed by evil, because the man who does evil becomes humbled and becomes a reason for others to feed their egos.

We all want that other people are more humbled than we are, are inferior to us. This is our inner desire. There are two methods: one is that we become superior, then they become inferior. And the other is that they become humbled and we remain just as we are, but we become superior. Ordinarily your so-called religious people renounce and do ascetics, take vows and fast only because there is no more convenient way to feed the ego than this. By renouncing the small things they ascend the lion's thrown -- they don't smoke cigarettes, they don't chew betel, they don't chew tobacco, they don't drink water at night, they drink filtered water, they don't eat this or don't eat that. On the basis of all these small things their ego gets great status. Who will give up ego and worship that are received so cheaply? What is man not willing to do for ego? This is a very cheap renunciation, what's in it? If someone in the family in the family is doing something degrading then the others find it easy to dominate him.

I said to that woman, "I cannot say that no problem will come from doing meditation. Great difficulty will come from doing meditation. All the politics at home will change. There will be a great shuffling of politics at home. If you meditate then difficulties will start. You will become peaceful, the husband will fly into a rage and you will remain calm. Can you imagine what a blow that will be to your husband's ego? So come deliberately. You go, then come deliberately. There will be differences." And every day I experience that there are differences.

One woman has meditated some three years, difficulties have begun, because now she has no interest in sex. And her husband is becoming absolutely insane. He is going completely mad.

I told that woman, "At least you can fake it, what is the use in having a fight every day? Fulfill the husband's demands -- do it just as acting." She said okay. A meditative person can do acting very easily. Only a meditator can act! The inside is far away, play-act on the outside. But when the wife was playing on the outside, still the husband had difficulty. The husband came to me. He said, "You have given her a new instruction. Now I feel even more like an idiot. She is just playing. And when someone else is just acting with me I can see clearly that she is not interested. She is only showing interest, so I feel more repentant. You have ruined my whole life."

So I told that woman, "You go and ask again before coming. Differences will come. Meditation will increase your heights, it will increase your depths. The whole arrangement of your house will certainly change. What yesterday was higher than you will start to fall below you. What yesterday was deeper than you will start to feel shallow. All their egos will feel hurt. They will take revenge."

It has been five years, that woman never returned.

Take note, as soon as a little inner flame awakens in your life, differences will come. If you don't say, still differences will arise. If you hide the distinctions, still differences will come. You cannot go on behaving like you were until yesterday. Spring has come, now the difference between the crow and the cuckoo has become clear. The crow will be angry. The crow will be very angry with the cuckoo. Naturally, the cuckoo is cooing and everyone one is in ecstasy. The poor crow also tries very hard to get someone to clap their hands. And people do clap their hands -- to shoo him off, go, get away, and don't come back here again.

A crow was flying. A cuckoo asked him, "Uncle, where are you going?"

He said, "I am going to the East. Now I'm not going to live here. The people here are bad. No one here welcomes my song, my singing. I am going to the East. I have heard that people in the East are very good."

The cuckoo said, "I have to tell you one thing, whether you go to the East or to the West, wherever you go as long as your throat remains as it is, you will experience difficulty everywhere. Transform your throat. Nothing will happen by going East and West. The people in the East are the same."

A Sufi story. A man was sitting at the gate of a town, an old man. A rider stopped, a horse rider and asked him, "what are the people of this town like?"

The old man asked, "Why do you ask this?"

The rider said, "The people of the town I have come from are very indecent. I was upset and disturbed by them. I had to leave that town. Now I want to become a resident of some new town. So I am asking you how the people of this town are."

The old man said, "Brother, you had better move on. The people of this town are even more vile, more wicked, more indecent. Here you will get into trouble, go look somewhere else."

The rider moved on. Just behind him a bullock cart came to a halt and a man looked around and said, "Grandfather, how are the people of this village? I am searching for a new residence."

The old man asked again, "How were the people of the village you have left?"

Tears came to the eyes of that man. He said, "I didn't want to leave, helplessly I had to leave. The people of that village were very loving. Now wherever I live the memory of those people will torment me. I was helpless, I was in economic difficulty. I had to leave it so that I can earn something, I need to try my luck somewhere else. But I have just one ambition that whenever my luck improves, I will return there. I will reside in that village, in the end I want to die in that village. If I cannot live there then at least I want to die there."

That old man said, "You are welcome. You will find the people of this village even more loving than the people of that village."

A man was sitting there listening to all this. First he heard what the horse rider said and the old man's answer. Then he heard what this man on the bullock cart said and the old man's answer. The man said, "You have really surprised me. You said to one man that this village is very vile and wicked, just move on. And to the other you said this village has very loving people, you have no need to go further, you are welcome! The old man explained, "People are just the way you are. Everywhere men are the same. The real thing is your question."

Adi Shankaracharya

Introduction:
Locating information on the life and teachings of Shankaracharya was not difficult. By scanning the glossary of most Yoga and Indian philosophy books, one finds references to him even if only a few words everywhere. The topic of traditional and contemporary sannyasa is covered comprehensively in ‘Sannyasa Darshan’, a book written by Paramahamsa Niranjanananda Saraswati. Swamiji’s book contains a collection of lectures given during a Sannyasa Training Course held at Munger in 1991. According to Paramahamsa Niranjanananda, sannyasa as we know it today, is a vision of sannyasa life, introduced by Shankara in order to spread Advaita Philosophy among the people.
Another absorbing piece of literature is ‘Sankara Digvijaya, The Traditional Life of Sri Shankaracharya’ by Madhava-Vidyaranya. This translation of the original authors work, preserves its poetic aspect, relating stories of mythological type events, yet still manages to convey to the reader some basic understanding of the great Acharya’s life.
There are several other authors who have made attempts to write about Shankara’s life and they too supply adequate information. Unfortunately some writers bring to the reader’s attention the many contradictions regarding the chronological order of events of Shankara’s life. Such was the impact of his reformation of the nation’s spiritual beliefs, that there have been recordings of as many as thirty-five other philosophers bearing the same name. Shankara established Maths in the four corners of India, the heads of these modem day Maths are known as Acharyas, meaning teacher, and over the ages some Acharya’s have borne the same name as their renowned predecessor. It appears that this has caused some confusion and inaccuracy concerning which events should be accredited to Sri Adi Shankaracharya, the first Shankaracharya.
This however, does not detract from the potency of his teachings, the lineages he created nor the spiritual aspects that have been nurtured by his followers for centuries.

Childhood:
According to Paramahamsa Niranjanananda Saraswati who is the author of one of the source texts called Sannyasa Darshan, Shankara was born around the year 686AD, in the village of Kaladi in the Karali state. Approaching middle age and still childless, his parents Shivaguru and Vishishta Devi spent some time on the Vrishna mountain near their village. They worshipped Lord Chandra Maulishwar Shiva in the temple, living off fruits, berries and roots and it was during this period of austerities that Lord Shiva came to Shivaguru in a dream. Acknowledging his sincere devotion, Lord Shiva asked Shivaguru of his greatest wish, to which he replied, “Bless me with a long living omniscient son”. Lord Shiva told him an omniscient son would be short lived and a long living son would not be omniscient, so Shivaguru prayed that his son would be omniscient. Lord Shiva replied “Your wish will be fulfilled, I myself will come to your family as your son”
Shankara proved to be a remarkable child with divine abilities that were obvious to all. His father vowed to send him to the gurukul for spiritual training when he reached the age of five, unfortunately Shivaguru passed away before the time had arrived and Vishishta Devi went to live in the home of her father with her young son. However, when Shankara reached his fifth year his mother honored her dead husband’s last wish and returned to their village to send her son to the gurukul.
Vishishta Devi received glowing reports about her son from those who travelled between the Ashram and her village. In just two years Shankara had mastered studies that would normally take twenty years or so to complete, therefore at the age of seven he returned to his mother’s home. Many stories of this remarkable boy spread all over India including tales of his miraculous powers.
Four Brahmins who had come to meet the young boy in his home asked to see Shankara’s horoscope, from this they predicted that he would become a great teacher wandering all over the country, but that his life would be short. They said that he would die at the age of eight, sixteen or thirty-two.
After the visit from the Brahmins, Shankara begged his mother to let him take sannyasa and go in search of his guru, she was reluctant to see her son leave home once again but after much persuasion Vishishta Devi realised that she had to let him go. Shankara assured his mother that in her last hours she would just have to think of him for him to appear before her, and she would receive her Lord’s Darshan.(Materialised form)
As is the tradition, his mother dressed him in Ochre robes, gave him a staff and kamandalu (water pot). Shankara lit the fire himself and performed his own initiation. The whole village came to witness the ceremony and watched as he left the village, just eight years of age and on his own.

Guru:
Govindapada, was said to be waiting for someone, he had heard tales of the young boy and awaited his arrival. Shankara’s journey toward his guru took him over hazardous terrain where dangerous confrontations with evil men or wild animals were conceivable. He had been told of an ancient guru living in a cave beside the Narmada River at Omkareshwar. The Narmada was north of his village and within two months he approached the cave of his guru.
It was soon obvious to Govindapada, himself an enlightened being, that Shankara was Shiva come to earth in human form (Incarnated). He was delighted with his new pupil who observed the traditional rules that must be applied between teacher and disciple. Under the guidance of Govindapada, Shankara mastered everything in Hatha, Raja and Jnana Yoga in only three years, after which he received initiation in the knowledge of Brahma.
According to Swami Satyeswarandana Giri in his biography series Babaji, Vol 1, ‘The Divine Himalayan Yogi’, Shankaracharya was also blessed by the Ageless Yogi, Maha Muni Babaji, who taught him perfection of the Raja yoga disciplines. He practiced in the Himalayas at Kedarnath how to attain the spontaneous state of consciousness.
Shankara’s new knowledge of the secrets of Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi expanded his spiritual powers and accomplishments. It is said that during the third year of his stay with his guru, the monsoons caused the river Narmada to rise threatening to flood Govindapada’s cave. Shankara placed a water pot at the entrance of the cave and this one pot miraculously drew all the floodwaters.
Govindapada told Shankara of his guru’s guru, Sukadeva, who had predicted the coming of someone who would do a fete such as he had. “That person I absolutely know to be you Shankara, your mission is to assimilate all of the Vedic teachings of the Brahma Sutras and spread the truth throughout the nation”.
It is unclear to me at this stage exactly when it was that Shankara left his Guru. According to Paramahamsa Satyananda in one of his satsangs, Shankara spent eight years with Govindapada studying scriptures such as the Upanishads. This would have made him sixteen years of age when he set out on his crusade to the four corners of India. Or was it at the age of sixteen that he went into the Himalayas where he encountered Babaji, l am unsure, the texts are sometimes a little vague when it comes to chronology of events.
Never the less, as written in Paramahamsa Niranjanananda’s book, after Shankara left the cave to begin his mission, Govindapada closed his eyes, focused on his eyebrow centre and directing his prana at the Thousand Petalled Lotus of Sahasrara, attained Maha Samadhi and Moksha ( liberation from the cycle of rebirth and absolute oneness with the divine).

Babaji
Sri Adi Shankaracharya was also a disciple of the immortal Yogi Babaji. This has been revealed by very reliable Yogic authorities and sources such as: the Himalayan Yogi Swami Satyeswarananda Giri in his Biographical text “Babaji (Volume 1) the Divine Himalayan Yogi “ ©1984 has stated that the immortal Mahamuni Babaji initiated the great Monist Sri Adi Sankaracharya into Raja Yoga (sometimes called the “astanga” eightfold path – which includes concentration of mind with the breath along the Sushumna, and dissolving the mind into Samadhi) in Benares, and that Shankaracharya practiced his Sadhana in the Himalayas at Kedarnath so that he could attain the spontaneous state of consciousness. Swami Satyeswarananda Giri was told this by Paramhansa Brahmananda. The Danish Yogi, Swami Janakananda Saraswati in his Yoga School’s journal Bindu No:5 has stated that according to Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Kriya Yoga today comes from a group of Swamis who have kept it secret, and used it from generation to generation. Initially, Swami Satyananda says that “it can be traced back to Sri Adi Shankaracharya in the eighth century A.D”.

Teachings:
Advaita philosophy was originally known as the “Forest Philosophy”. It got this name because it was so sanctified that it was not allowed to be preached to the people and was only practiced in the forests by monks who passed their secrets on to other sannyasins. (Swamis)
Western students of philosophy find the teachings of Shankaracharya intellectually demanding because although he preached the non-duality of Advaita Vedanta philosophy, he worshipped at Shiva temples, contradicting the non-duality theory. Other western critics, when referring to the Maya Doctrines that describe the world as a snare of delusion, point out that the Upanishads have a more optimistic and positive view of life.
Paramahamsa Satyananda during his video Darshan series mentions that at the age of sixteen Shankaracharya wrote commentaries on the Upanishads and other philosophies. This statement is supported by Swami Nikhilananda in his book ‘Self Knowledge of Sri Sankaracarya (note the different spelling of his name) who writes of Shankara’s commentaries of the Bhagavad Gita, the Brahma-Sutras and the principal Upanishads. Swami Nikhilananda also states that Shankara reformed the Sanatan Dharma, which is the ancient religion of Hindus. He rewrote this in a more simplified and logical format, which was easy for the ordinary people understand, inspiring them to once again follow a spiritual path.
For children, Shankara wrote the Bhaja Govindam, a musical rhythmic verse, which was so lyrical that children would sing it to themselves over and over again unaware of the profound effect it was having on their spiritual evolution. He also wrote of attachment in the Moha Mudgara, which removed the delusions of the youth and reaffirmed the faith of those who were already following his beliefs.
It was not by his penmanship alone that Shankara won the hearts of his countrymen. A tireless worker for twenty years, he moved around their country, not only debating with other great spiritual leaders but also winning the debates. Many of his adversaries in fact became his disciples. He was also a mighty organiser and diplomat, establishing Maths, opening places of education and founding temples wherever he went.
The establishment of four Maths in the four corners of India brought about a major reformation in Indian spiritual life. For years various forms of ascetics, yogis and sadhus had been wandering the country. Shankara’s vision was to consolidate their spiritual strengths in a more unified sannyasa arrangement; this is the nucleus of the Dasnami Order of Sannyasa of which there are ten orders. Shankara gave a significant title to each of the orders, our lineage of Saraswati being one of them and along with the title, they were assigned a particular Upanishad on which to focus. Each of the orders were allocated to a particular Math:

Saraswati, Bharati and Puri Shringiri (South)
Tirtha and Ashrama Dwarka (West)
Giri, Parvata and Sagara Jyotir (North)
Vanam and Aranyam Govardhan (East)

The sannyasins were encouraged to wear Geru (ochre coloured cloth) and to communicate the Advaita philosophies to the people, through spiritual gatherings. In turn, the sannyasins would be provided for by the members of society who followed their teachings. Strong emphasis was placed on renunciation of all worldly attachments if they were to receive liberation from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. An authentic Living Guru/Disciple (Lineage) tradition was thus created.

Disciples:
Shankara had numerous disciples. As mentioned previously, so impressed were many of his adversaries in debate that they and their followers became devotees of his teachings. The most acknowledged of his disciples were those chosen and instructed by Shankara to travel to the four corners of India to head the established teaching Maths of the Dasnami Order. These disciples were great scholars in their own right and have been recognised for their contribution to the ancient scriptures, each was bestowed the title of ‘Acharya’
Padmapada was sent to Puri in the east, Trotakacharya went north to Badrinath. Hastamalaka went to Dwarka, the western most point of India and Sureshwaracharya was ordered to travel to Sringiri in Southern India.
Each of the disciples received a Crystal (Sphatik) Shiva-Linga from Shankaracharya to be used as objects of worship and Meditation. Shiva-Lingas are regarded as being the missing link between the manifest and the unmanifest realms of the psyche (Symbol of our Astral body) and through the presence of these Shiva-Lingas worshippers and Meditators may aspire to greater stages of consciousness.

Final Days:
After giving his disciples their final instructions, Shankara’s mission was complete. It was the year 718AD and as had been prophesied by the Brahmans when he was a small child, Shankara had reached the final year of his life. He was just thirty-two years of age and his work (Mission) was complete, opposition to his Vedic beliefs had subsided and his followers were to carry on his work.
Setting off from the Jyotir Ashram (Badrinath) in the Himalayan north of India he headed toward the nearby Mountainous region of Kedarnath,. the place that was destined to be his final resting place. His four chief disciples accompanied him part of the way, but then Shankara insisted they go no further as the final part of his journey was to be completed alone. Even to this day there is a spring of hot water, which is said to have been manifested by Shankara to alleviate the suffering of his disciples from effects of the cold in the snow-clad mountains.

Now alone at Kedarnath, Shankaracharya sat and merged into Samadhi. In this state he communed with the highest levels of consciousness which allowed access for Shiva’s present physical form to return to its pristine state in Shiva-Loka (Shiva’s heavenly abode).

Conclusion:
Shankaracharya has been paralleled with the great spiritual teachers, such as Buddha and Christ in that they were Avatars (Divine Incarnations) each said to be highly evolved spiritually at birth. In the ancient tradition of India such individuals have had a greater and more lasting impact on the population and culture than people of wealth or political power. Such is the spiritual influence Shankaracharya has had over mankind through the ages.
Shankara’s commentaries on the Vedantic texts, his interpretations of the Upanishads and his poetry and hymns are written in an overtly poetic and lyrical fashion. In contrast to modern texts, literature coming from that period is extremely poetic and written so enchantingly that one is sometimes taken away within the realms of fantasy. There is no denying the reality of Shankara’s existence, nor his legacy to mankind, in particular to the people of India. His knowledge of the Vedic texts and his dedication in unifying the spiritual beliefs of the nation has made him a legendary figureof India who is deservedly recognised as a reincarnation of the Lord Shiva.

mayavadi
According to mayavadi philosophers, vedanta refers to the sariraka commentary of Shankaracharya. When impersonal philosophers refer to vedanta and the Upanishads, they are actually referring to the commentaries of Shankaracharya, the greatest teacher of mayavadi philosophy. After Shankaracharya came Sadananda-yogi, who claimed that the vedanta and Upanishads should be understood through the commentaries of Shankaracharya. Factually this is not so. There are many commenatries on vedanta and the Upanishads made by the vaishnava acharyas, and these are preferred to those of Shankaracharya. However, the mayavadi philosophers influenced by Shankaracharya do not attribute any importance to the vaishnava understandings.

There are five different sects of vaishnava acharyas - the shuddhadvaita, vishishtadvaita, dvaitadvaita, dvaita and acintya-bhedabheda. All the vaishnava acharyas in these schools have written commentaries on the vedanta-sutra, but the mayavadi philosophers d o not recognize them. The mayavadis distinguish between Krishna and Krishna's body, and therefore they do no recognize the worship of Krishna by the vaishnava philosophers.

Lord Chaitanya admitted that Shankaracharya was an incarnation of Lord Siva, and it is known that Lord Shiva is one of the greatest devotees (a mahajana) of the bhagavata school. There are twelve great authorities on devotional service, and Lord Shiva is one of them. Why, then, did he adopt the process of mayavadi philosophy? The answer is given in Padma Purana, where Lord Shiva states:

maayaavaadam asac-chAstraM
pracchannaM bauddham ucyate
mayaiva kalpitaM devI
kalau brAhmaNa-rUpiNA

"The mayavadi philosophy is veiled Buddhism." In other words, the voidist philosophy of Buddha is more or less repeated in the mayavadi philosophy of impersonalism, although the mayavadi philosophy claims to be directed by the Vedic conclusions. Lord Shiva, however, admits that this philosophy is manufactured by him in the age of Kali in order to mislead the atheists. "Actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead has His transcendental body," Lord Shiva states. "But I describe the Supreme as impersonal. I also explain the vedanta-sutra according to the same principle of mayavadi philosophy."

In the Shiva Purana the Supreme Lord says:

dvAparAdau yuge bhUtvA
kalayA mAnuSAadiSu
svAgamaiH kalpitais tvaM ca
janAn mad-vimukhAn kuru

"In the beginning of the dvApara-yuga, directed by My orders, many sages will bewilder the people in general by mayavadi philosophy."

In the Padma Purana Lord Shiva personally tells BhagavatidevI:

SRNu devI parakShyAmi
tAmasAni yathA-kramam
yeShAM SravaNa-mAtreNa
pAtityaM jNAninAm api

apArthaM Sruti-vAkyAnAM
darSayaL loka-garhitam
karma-svarUpa-tyAjyatvam
atra ca pratipAdyate

sarva-karma-paribhraMSAn
naiSkarmyaM tatra cocyate
parAtma-jIvayor aikyaM
mayAtra pratipAdyate

"My dear devi, sometimes I teach mayavadi philosophy for those who are engrossed in the mode of ignorance. But if a person in the mode of goodness happens to hear this mayavadi philosophy, he falls down, for when teaching mayavadi philosophy, I say that the living entity and the Supreme Lord are one and the same."

Sadananda-yogi, one of the greatest mayavadi acharyas, has written in his book, vedanta-sAra: "The Absolute Truth of eternity, knowledge and bliss is Brahman. Ignorance and all products of ignorance are non-Brahman. All products of the three modes of ma terial nature are covered by ignorance, and all are different from the supreme cause and effect. This ignorance is manifested in a collective and individual sense. Collective ignorance is called vishuddha-sattva-pradhana. When that vishuddha-sattva-pradhana is manifest within the ignorance of material nature, it is called the Lord, and the Lord manifests all kinds of ignorance. Therefore He is known as sarvajNa." Thus according to mayavadi philosophy, the Lord is a product of this material nature, and the living entity is in the lowest stage of ignorance. That is the sum and substance of mayavadi philosophy.

If, however, we accept the import of the Upanishads directly, it is clear that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a person with unlimited potency. For example, in the Shvetashvatara Upanishad it is stated that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the origin of everything and that He has multiple potencies. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental to the cosmic manifestation. He is he origin of all religion, the supreme deliverer and the possessor of all opulences. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is just like the sun, profusely distributes His energies while situated beyond the cloud of this material cosmic manifestation. He is the master of masters and He is the Supreme of the supremes. He is known as the greatest Lord, the Per sonality of Godhead. His energies and potencies are multiple and variously distributed. It is also stated that Vishnu is the Supreme and that saintly persons are always anxious to see His lotus feet (Rg veda 1.22.20). In the aitareya Upanishad it is als o stated that the cosmic manifestation came about when the Lord glanced over material nature (1.1.1-2). This is also verified by the Prashna Upanishad (6.3).

In the negative descriptions of the Lord which occur in Vedic literature (as in apani-padah) there are indications that the Lord has no material body and no material form. However, He does have His spiritual transcendental body and His transcendental fo rm. Because the mayavadi philosophers misunderstand His transcendental nature, they explain Him as impersonal. The Lord's name form, quality, entourage and abode are all in the transcendental world. How can he be a transformation of this material nature? Everything connected with the Supreme Lord is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge.

In effect, Shankaracharya preached mayavadi philosophy in order to bewilder a certain type of atheist. Actually he never considered the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, to be impersonal or to have no body or form. It is best for intelligent persons to avoid lectures on mayavadi philosophy. We should understand that the Supreme Personality of Godhead Vishnu is not impersonal. He is a transcendental person, and the basic principle of the cosmic manifestation is His energy. mayavadi philosophy canno t trace the energy of the Supreme Lord, but all Vedic literatures give evidence of the Supreme Lord's various energetic manifestations. Vishnu is not a product of material nature, but material nature is a product of Vishnu's potency. The mayavadi philosophe rs understand Vishnu to be a product of material nature, but if Vishnu is a product of material nature, He can only be counted amongst the demigods. One who considers Vishnu to be a demigod is certainly mistaken and misled. How this is so is explained in Bhagavad-gItA: "Deluded by the three modes, the whole world does not know Me who am above the modes and inexhaustible. This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome, but those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it." (Bg. 7.13-14)

When explaining the first aphorism of the vedanta-sutra, Shankara most unceremoniously tried to explain that Brahman, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, is impersonal. He also cunningly tried to switch the doctrine of by-product into the doctrine of change. For the supreme Absolute Truth, there is no change. It is simply that a by-product results from His inconceivable powers of action. In other words a relative truth is produced, out of the Supreme Truth. The Supreme Absolute Truth, Brahman, is immutabl e, and when we find a by-product - the living entity or this cosmic manifestation - it is a transformation, or a by-product of the Supreme. It is like milk being transformed into yogurt. In this way, if we study the living entities in the cosmic manifes tation, it will appear that they are not different from the original Absolute Truth, but from Vedic literatures we understand that the Absolute Truth has varieties of energy and that the living entities and the cosmic manistation are but a demonstration of His energies. The energies are not separate from the energetic; therefore the living entity and cosmic maniestation are inseparable truths, part of the Absolute Truth. Such a conclusion regarding the Absolute Truth and the relative truth should be acceptable to any sane man.

The Supreme Absolute Truth has His inconceivable potency, out of which this cosmos has been manifested. In other words, the Supreme Absolute Truth is the ingredient, and the living entity and cosmic manifestation are the by-products. In the Taittriya Upanishad it is clearly stated, yato va imani bhutani jayante: "The Absolute Truth is the original reservoir of all ingredients, and this material world and its living entities are produced from those ingredients."

Unintelligent persons who cannot understand this doctrine of by products cannot grasp how the cosmic manifestation and the living entity are simultaneously one and different from the Absolute Truth. Not understanding this, one concludes, out of fear, tha t this cosmic manifestation and the living entity are false.

The sun has been producing unlimited energy from time immemorial, and so many by-products result from the sun; yet there is no change in the heat and temperature of the sun itself. Despite its being a material product, if the sun can maintain its origin al temperature and yet produce so many by-products, is it difficult for the Supreme Absolute Truth to remain unchanged in spite of producing so many by-products by His inconceivable energy? Thus there is no question of transformation as far as the Supreme Absolute Truth is concerned.

In Vedic literatures there is information of a material product called "touchstone" which simply by touch can transform iron into gold. The touchstone can produce an unlimited quantity of gold and yet remain the same. Only in the state of ignorance can one accept the mayavadi conclusion that this cosmic manifestation and the living entities are false or illusory. No sane man would impose ignorance and illusion upon the Supreme Absolute Truth, who is absolute in everything. There is no possibility of change, ignorance or illusion being in Him. The Supreme Brahman is transcendental and completely different from all material conceptions. In the Supreme Absolute Truth there is every possible inconceivable energy existing. In the Svetashvatara Upanishad it is stated that the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead is full of inconceivable energies and that on one else possesses such energies.

By misunderstanding the inconceivable energies of the Supreme, one may falsely conclude that the Supreme Absolute Truth is impersonal. Such a deluded conclusion is experienced by a living being when he is in an acute stage of disease. In Srimad Bhagavatam also there are statements to the effect that the supreme atma, the Lord, has inconceivable and innumerable potencies. (Bhag. 3.33.3) It is also stated in Brahma-sutra that the supreme spirit has many variegated and inconceivable energies. Nor should one think that there is any possibility of ignorance existing in the Absolute Truth. Ignorance and knowledge are conceptions in this world of duality, but in the Absolute there is no duality. It is simply foolishness to consider that the Absolute is co vered by ignorance. If the Absolute Truth can possibly be covered by ignorance, how can it be said to be Absolute? Understanding the inconceivability of the Absolute is the only solution to the question of duality. This is because duality arises from the inconceivable energy of the Absolute. By His inconceivable energies, the Supreme Absolute Truth can remain unchanged and yet produce this cosmic manifestation with all its living entities, just as touchstone can produce unlimited quantities of gold an d yet remain unchanged. Because the Absolute Truth has such inconceivable energies, the material quality of ignorance cannot pertain to Him. The true variegatedness which exists in the Absolute Truth is a product of His inconceivable energy. Indeed, it c an be safely concluded that this cosmic manifestation is but a by-product of His inconceivable energies. Once we accept the inconceivable energies of the Supreme Lord, we will find that there is no duality at all. The expansion of the energy of the Supr eme Lord is as true as the Supreme Lord. As far as the manifestation of the Supreme energy is concerned, there is no question of transformation. The same example can be cited: in spite of producing unlimited quantities of gold, the touchstone remains th e same. We therefore hear same sages say that the Supreme is the ingredient or cause of this cosmic manifestation.

Thus this cosmic manifestation is not false, as Shankaracharya maintains. Actually there is nothing false here. The mayavadis say that this world is false because of their ignorance. It is the conclusion of vaishnava philosophy that this cosmic manifesta tion is a by-product of the inconceivable energies of the Supreme Lord.

Sripada Shankaracharya has inceremoniously obscured the Krishna consciousness described in the purusha-vedanta-sutra by manufacturing an indirect interpretation and abandoning the direct interpretation. Unless we take all the statements of vedanta-sutra as self-evident, there is no point in studying vedanta-sutra. Interpreting the verses of vedanta-sutra according to one's own whim is the greatest disservice to the self-evident Vedas.

Actually in the first two chapters of vedanta-sutra the relationship between the living entities and the Supreme Lord is explained, and in the third chapter the discharge of devotional service is explained. The fourth chapter deals with the relationship which results from discharging devotional service. The natural commentary on vedanta-sutra is Srimad-Bhagavatam. The great acharyas of the four vaishnava communities (sampradayas) - namely, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, Vishnuswami and Nimbarka - have also written commnetaries on vedanta-sutra by following the principles of Srimad-Bhagavatam. At present the followers of all the acharyas have written many books following the principles of Srimad-Bhagavatam as the commentary on the vedanta. Shankara's commenta ry on vedanta-sutra, known as sariraka-bhashya, is very much adored by the impersonalist scholars, but commentaries written on the vedanta written from the materialistic point of view are completely adverse to the transcendental service of the Lord. Consequently Lord Chaitanya said that direct commentaries on the Upanishads and vedanta-sutra are glorious, but that anyone who follows the indirect path of Shankaracharya's sariraka-bhashya is certainly doomed.