Host:
Hello viewers. Greetings to you from Shantikhunj. A warm welcome to our new friends of the Gupta Sasthra Samakya YouTube channel, and I request our old friends to stay by our side. Greetings, Gurudev.
Gurudev:
Greetings.
Host:
Gurudev, two days ago, we did an episode on Ambubachi. On that occasion, you spoke only about nature. However, there is another great goddess associated with Ambubachi whom we didn't hear about from you. Perhaps it was skipped. Please tell us about her.
Gurudev:
Oh, you mean Ma Kamakhya. She resides on the Nilachal hills. It is said, "Salutations to the mother of the universe in the form of the Yoni (vulva)." She is worshiped through the Yoni-Mudra because that is where her Yoni fell. It is a famous place. Ordinary people shouldn't really go there; it is a place for sadhus and tantric practitioners. It is a place meant for those who seek to conquer desire. But as things stand now, the practitioners have been driven out, and it is mostly local or domestic people who go there now to perform rituals and worship.
Gurudev:
The truth is, I stayed in Kamakhya for a long time. I was there during the time of Ambubachi. People tell many stories—for instance, that the water there turns red. I say nothing like that happens. The water doesn't turn red at all.
Gurudev:
However, on the day before Ambubachi, the temple is closed. Clothes and food are placed inside, and the temple remains shut for four consecutive days. Some people buy red cloth and leave it there. They have arrangements with the Pandas (priests) to include their cloths. Later, those cloths are brought out and sold for 50 or 100 rupees—or even 5,000 rupees if sold by a "Shastri-ji." They claim the Mother herself opened the door and gave the cloth to the Shastri-ji, who then sells it.
Gurudev:
I have seen this with my own eyes. People would often come to me after Ambubachi saying, "I have brought a red cloth, would you like to buy it? Give me 50 or 100 rupees." I have become accustomed to this every year. Actually, it is all nonsense. There is no logic or scientific basis for it. It is just a way to fool people—telling them they will become kings or wealthy if they keep a piece of red cloth in a locket. It's entirely unscientific.
Host:
Regarding Ambubachi, you discussed it from a scientific perspective last time. I asked you about the relationship between nature and women, and you brought up Ma Kamakhya. What actually happens there during Ambubachi?
Gurudev:
Nothing happens. Nothing at all. The temple is simply kept closed. I have stayed there and seen that it's all false—just a way to earn money. I stayed in a rented room within the temple complex for three months. I spoke with many of the priests there, and none of them admitted to these myths. It is all a business. People go there just for business. The common belief that the Goddess menstruates and the water turns red is just a way to lead people like sacrificial goats.
Host:
Through this episode, you are warning the general public not to follow such paths.
Gurudev:
Exactly. I didn't realize people could be so foolish. I was foolish myself at first and didn't understand, but after staying there and practicing sadhana, I saw the truth. All the pundits there know me.
Host:
You haven't spoken about Kamakhya before. Today's discussion is a bit of a departure from our previous talk on Ambubachi.
Gurudev:
I didn't connect the two before because there is no real connection. What is happening at Kamakhya and what Ambubachi truly represents are worlds apart. People have just dragged the myths into it for profit. I explained this today because some people do it out of enthusiasm but mostly as a business.
Gurudev:
The situation there has worsened, especially regarding the places where rituals like Homa and Yajna are performed. We recently sent "Pagla Baba" there, and he returned saying the conditions are very bad and proper rituals can no longer be performed there. It has become quite unsightly.
Host:
So, viewers, through this episode, those of you who travel to Kamakhya to visit the Mother should take some precautions as Gurudev has advised. Following his guidance will be for your own good.
Gurudev:
Yes, it's for the best. Ordinary people shouldn't really go to Kamakhya. What will they do there? Some want to see one of the 51 Peeths (shakti shrines), but there is no need to make such a fuss about it. There are many other shrines.
Host:
We will leave it at that for today. Greetings, Gurudev.
Gurudev:
Greetings.