NARRATOR:
Obeisance to the esteemed hidden practitioner, Sri Sri Syamakhapa. Greetings. Paying our respects to Gurudev Guptasadhak Sri Sri Syamakhapa, we begin our program from Shantikunja. Let us all listen to the invaluable words of the Gurudev.
DISCIPLE:
Salutations, Gurudev. In the previous episode, you spoke about Ponumananda Ji. Could you please tell us something about his Guru?
GURUDEV:
Yes, certainly. Ponumananda had a headmaster named Birandralal Bhattacharya who loved him dearly. One day, Birandralal noticed Ponumananda wandering about in a restless, distracted state. He asked him, "What has happened to you? Come, I will take you to someone."
GURUDEV:
Ponumananda initially refused, but later returned and agreed to go. The headmaster took him to Gorakhpur to meet his own Guru, the great yogi Gombhirnath Ji. As soon as Gombhirnath Ji saw Ponumananda, he exclaimed, "Whom have you brought? He is a Janmasiddha Purush (a soul born with divine realization); he is an incarnation of Lord Shiva!" He then initiated him. I should have mentioned this before, but there it is.
DISCIPLE:
Gurudev, I have another question. In our society, when a husband passes away, we see wives becoming widows and removing their shakha (conch bangles) and sindoor (vermillion). However, during my recent visit to Tarapith about three months ago, I saw a woman who was a widow but was still wearing her shakha and sindoor. Is this possible?
GURUDEV:
Yes, it is possible. Everything is possible through the immense grace and discipline of Bama Khepa Baba (the famous saint of Tarapith). There are several such women in Tarapith who live near Baba's samadhi.
GURUDEV:
I once did an episode about a particular lady—I forget her name at the moment—who had lost two husbands but never removed her shakha or sindoor. Bama Khepa Baba used to say that the female practitioners (Sadhikas) who stay in Tarapith will never be widows in the traditional sense. Even if their husbands die, they must continue to wear their shakha, sindoor, and red clothes. This was his specific blessing and instruction.
GURUDEV:
There is a true story regarding this. Baba once initiated a couple and told them, "Go home and practice your sadhana together. Do not do it separately." Eventually, the husband passed away. Baba had strictly instructed the wife never to remove her symbols of marriage.
GURUDEV:
However, about 100 to 150 years ago, social customs were very rigid. When the villagers saw her continuing to wear those clothes and symbols after her husband's death, they were furious. They demanded, "How can you not observe widowhood?" She replied, "My Guru has forbidden me from removing them."
GURUDEV:
The villagers tortured and harassed her, threatening to cast her out of the village. This news reached Bama Khepa Baba. He was outraged by the society's behavior and went to her village. The villagers didn't recognize him at first; they had heard of the "mad saint" of Tarapith but had never seen him.
GURUDEV:
Baba asked the woman what had happened. Then, he challenged the villagers and took the woman to the very pond where she had been forced to remove her bangles and vermillion. He told her, "Dive into the water and bathe."
GURUDEV:
As she emerged from the water in front of the entire village, she was miraculously wearing her shakha, sindoor, and red clothes once again. The villagers were stunned into silence. Baba then declared, "This is my blessing. She will never be a widow." When they realized he was Bama Khepa, they all fell at his feet.
GURUDEV:
Even today, we have Gouri Ma in Tarapith who follows this. She has lost two husbands but still wears the shakha and sindoor. This is the great blessing of Bama Khepa.
GURUDEV:
Baba taught that for those under his shelter, there is no concept of Asauch (ritual impurity) following a death. In Tantra, we believe that if you are performing a puja and a parent passes away, you must not stop the puja. My own grandmother passed away during an Ashtami puja I was performing. Despite the family's distress, I did not stop the rituals because that is the Guru's command—you must finish the service to the Divine first.
GURUDEV:
Furthermore, Baba strictly forbade his followers from participating in Preta-karma (funeral rites or shraddha). He believed that those who perform such rites lose their right to perform the higher worship of Goddess Durga or Kali. While many priests today do both for money, in our tradition, it is forbidden. Those who have taken refuge at Baba's feet do not observe traditional widowhood or ritual impurity.
DISCIPLE:
Friends, please subscribe to the Guptasadhak Syamakhapa YouTube channel, like the videos, and leave your thoughts in the comments. Salutations, Gurudev.
GURUDEV:
Blessings to you, my child.
NARRATOR:
You were listening to the words of Gurudev Guptasadhak Sri Sri Syamakhapa. Please let us know how you liked this episode. To hear his invaluable teachings regularly, please subscribe, like, share, and comment. To contact Gurudev, please send a WhatsApp message with your name, location, and phone number between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Gurudev will call you back as soon as possible. WhatsApp Number: 8080539595. With respects to Gurudev and wishing everyone his blessings and well-being, we conclude today's program. Stay well. Namaskar.