Host: My dear viewers, as you can see, a fire is burning. In this crematorium, the wooden cots used to carry deceased bodies are being burned. I was just discussing this with Gurudev, and I thought I should share his insights with you all. I noticed that after a long time, Gurudev is watching an open fire like this, and he seems to be in a very reflective mood.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: You see, why does this happen? Let me tell you. These cots that cannot be repaired are burned. The ones that can be fixed are refurbished. A cot costs about 300 rupees. Sometimes they are sold for 200 or 250 rupees to those who are poor and have lost a family member. They contact these people and get the cots at a cheaper price.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: However, the significance of these cots peaks on the night of Kali Puja. People come from various places in trucks or vans. They select these cots, break them down, and burn them to perform Homa (sacrificial fire rituals) at night. It is quite a sightâan intense ritual.
Host: Yes, I've seen itâthe drums beating, the intense atmosphere. But watching you today, Gurudev, I feel like you're getting back that old "vibe" as the wood crackles and pops in the fire.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Well, that's natural. It's nothing new for me. I have been in this crematorium for 30 or 35 yearsâperhaps even longer. We've become accustomed to these things. However, we never use this wood for our own Homa. We use Bel wood (wood from the stone apple tree). we buy Bel wood, cut it, and use that for rituals. We never use these funeral cots for our sacred fire.
Host: Gurudev, you were saying that fire consumes whatever is given to it...
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Yes, that is the nature of fire. Fire has no "consciousness" (Chaitanya). Does water have consciousness? No. Someone with consciousness acts with thought and deliberation. But fire? It will burn a child just as easily as anything else. That is the rule because fire lacks individual consciousness. Ramakrishna Paramahansa used to say, "May you gain consciousness," because consciousness is the most important thing. Without it, whether it is fire or water, it will just flow and consume without any sense of mercy or attachment.
Host: Gurudev, one more thing. Usually, when people come here, they pray to the "Mother" (Goddess Kali). But during Homa, you tell everyone to speak to the Fireâto "Agni." Why is that?
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Because Fire is Jatavedaâit is from the Vedas. In ancient times, no ritual or worship was possible without lighting a fire. Fire is the "knower of all births." There is a mantra: "Vaishvanaro Jataveda Ihabaha Lohitaksho SarvakarmÄni Sadhyaye SvÄhÄ." It means Fire accomplishes all tasks. Whatever you have to say, you say it to the Fire first with folded hands.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Fire has eight colors and many names. We call it Vaishvanaro Jataveda, Lohitaksho (the red-eyed one)... there are names like BÄmÄng Agni, MeghÄloyang Agni, KarÄling Agni, Subarna, and Lohit. Fire is the mouth of the universe, and it nourishes the world. That's why I prefer Fire. During the thousand-day Maha Mrityunjaya ritual and the year-long Tara and Pratyangira rituals we performed, Fire was central. Fire is very dear to me; I believe in it deeply.
Host: I'll stop Gurudev for a moment and turn to his two disciples sitting beside him. You know Sujit Sir; he is a geophysicist who provides us with a lot of information. Beside him is Angshuman Babu, a disciple who has come from Amarkantak; he is a doctor.
Host: Sujit Sir, you deal with the elements in your work. Gurudev was feeling that "old vibe" watching the fire today. What is the significance of fire in spiritual practice (sadhana)?
Sujit Sir (Geologist): In sadhana, fire is extremely important. All our internal strugglesâgreed, anger, hatredâmust be sacrificed into the fire. Only after surrendering these can one think about the welfare of humanity. That is why we offer ourselves to the Agnikunda (fire pit) first. We surrender our egos and everything else. As Tagore said, "I know I must give back all my wealth and all my words." Everything must be relinquished. This total surrender is only possible through Fire or sometimes through the Ganges (water).
Guru Shyama Khyapa: When we perform a lot of Japa (chanting), the body gets irritated and starts shaking. At that time, we surrender that energy either to the Ganges or to the Fire. Because they lack individual consciousness, they can absorb it all without being affected.
Host: Sujit Sir, you also tell people to talk to the Fire. What happens when they do?
Sujit Sir: Fire is the doer of all actions. Since I have surrendered my everything to it, if Fire does something now, it will be for the good. So, I tell people to ask the Fire to alleviate their pain and suffering.
Host: I want to ask the Doctor a question. Gurudev receives many visitors, and lately, many are coming with physical ailmentsâspecifically back and waist pain. Is this a "post-COVID" thing, or something else?
Dr. Angshuman: The issue with back pain or joint pain usually involves the parts of our body that bear the most load. The lower back (lumbar spine) bears the weight of the body, and the neck (cervical spine) bears the weight of the head. There are seven vertebrae in the neck and five in the lumbar region. Between each bone, there is a "cushion pad" called a disc.
Dr. Angshuman: Back in 2020, during the pandemic, I said that our future generation would become "crippled." The reason is a total lack of exercise and physical activity. We can no longer say that young people are fit. We see 18 or 20-year-olds coming in with severe neck and back pain. When we examine them, we find that their spinal musclesâwhich are supposed to be the strongest in the bodyâhave lost their "tone" or elasticity.
Dr. Angshuman: When we operate, we have to split these muscles carefully to reach the bone. But nowadays, young people's muscles are weakening, and their bones are decaying.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Why is the bone decaying?
Dr. Angshuman: There are many factors. For young people, it's often due to addictionsâsmoking, alcoholâand an excessively high-protein or junk food diet. This increases certain contents in the body that lead to joint pain. People think the "bones" are moving, but it's often the "facet joints" and the nerves passing through them. Nerves like the sciatic nerve get compressed because the discs are slipping. Twenty years ago, we only saw these issues in the elderly or in post-menopausal women. Now, it's everywhere because of lifestyle.
Host: Sujit Sir, you work with many students. Gurudev gets many parents coming to him because their young children are suffering from nerve issues or have run away from home without a word. Why is this happening to the younger generation?
Sujit Sir: The doctor might explain the medical side, but from my experience, I see an extreme sense of loneliness in children today. Families have fewer children now, so the "sharing attitude" never develops. They get everything they want, which creates a psychological state of greed and the urge to snatch things from others. They think, "Whatever I want, I must have."
Sujit Sir: Parents also stop disciplining them. In schools, discipline is now discouraged. So, the child never learns what is right or wrong. When they hit adolescence, they are given a smartphone. With one click, the whole world is in their hands. They lose their curiosity because all "knowledge" is instantly available.
Sujit Sir: This results in a very negative mentality. They become cruel and disrespectful. They blackmail their parents. If a parent says "no," the child threatens suicide. In our time, if we said that, we'd get a slap! But now, parents are terrified because they only have one child. So, the child becomes a "blackmailer"âof parents, teachers, and eventually, society. They become self-centered and lack empathy. This is leading to a social breakdown where everyone will eventually be alone and hollow.
Host: Gurudev, you see so many people who are distressed by family matters...
Guru Shyama Khyapa: I tell you, if you sit here at 3:00 PM, you will see the state people are in. It will blow your mind. Cancer is now in every household. People call me saying their mother has cancerâwhat can I do? There is no "answer" for cancer. Yet they come for a blessing.
Host: But I know of a cancer patient who came here on a stretcher and is now walking and moving about!
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Well, that happened somehow...
Host: That is why people have so much faith in you. But about the family disputes...
Guru Shyama Khyapa: It will only increase. The planetary positions are very difficult right now. From the 29th (of October), you will see so many families breaking apart. It's the play of Saturn, Mars, Rahu, and Ketu. What can we do? We are just humans. We are entering a period of Mahapralaya (Great Cataclysm). God has taken away our powers for a while. During this time, we are told not to interfere. Just stay home and stay quiet. If you try to do too much, you will face the consequences.
Host: I won't make the video any longer. You've heard from Gurudev, the Doctor, and the Professor. It was a short but beautiful discussion. I hope you found it insightful. Stay healthy, stay well. Gurudev, my salutations to you.
Guru Shyama Khyapa: Bless you, my son.