Narrator:
Pranam, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pranam, son. Pranam, pranam.
Narrator:
As you can see today, sitting beside Gurudev is Brahmananda Brahmachari Mahasaya, who has come all the way from Jhargram. I will now ask Gurudev to introduce him and share a bit about their conversation.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Certainly. When he first arrived, he told me that his Guru is Nirmalananda Maharajâa name that commands immense respect and even a bit of awe. Although we are like brothers in the spiritual path, those masters are at a very high level, a stage we haven't reached yet. Hearing that name made my heart leap with respect. I asked him to sit down so we could record this episode and share his words. Tell us, Maharaj, about your initiation, your journey, and your vision for the future.
Devotee:
Firstly, I received my initiation a long time ago. In our tradition, initiation happens only once. I wonât go into all those details, but I will say this: I came here specifically to meet you. I had heard so much about you. Seeing the way you carry yourself at this age is truly amazing. To us, you are a great soul of this era. We listen to your words; they feel good. We see how much you serve people. Seeing it today with my own eyes makes me feel very proud. Being able to sit and talk with you is an honor.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
No, son, listen. I am old now; I must vacate my place. You are the youth; the future belongs to you. We have to leave the space for you, and I am ready. I can't do much anymore. You must grow, hold the world together, and think of the welfare of the world. That is all I desire.
Devotee:
That is your love, Father. Secondly, I have traveled to many places, stayed at large ashrams, and met many great monks. But the hospitality and the love I found here are rare. After meeting Gurudev today, I feel certain that I have come to the right place. It feels like Iâve found one of my own. Seeing that we are on the right path, as youâve shown us, is a blessing.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
You must stay on that path, son. I want you to stay. There is no harm in it. I want you to inspire others so that everyone benefits. If you do good, good will happen to you. The One above looks after you. If you do good, He will take care of you. You donât have to do anything else. And we must do good for people. You have become a monk; if you donât do good for people, who will? People are suffering so much right now. If you come here at 3:00 PM, youâll see 50 to 100 people. We perform rituals, prayers, and sacrificesâall free of cost. We don't charge a single penny. It is written right there: "Do not spend a single penny in this temple."
Devotee:
I saw that with my own eyes todayâhow the devotees are served and how the Mother (Goddess) is served with such devotion. It felt wonderful. The Prasad (consecrated food) of Guru Bamdeb and the Mother is provided right on time. This doesn't happen everywhere, even in big temples.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
We are humble people, son. We serve what the Father lovedâpuffed rice (muri) and fritters (chop) in the afternoon. We have maintained that tradition. In the morning, various offerings are made to the Mother between 10:00 and 11:00 AM, and then we feed everyone who comes for the Motherâs Prasad. We donât take money.
Devotee:
It was good to hear your words. A Guru should be like this. You shouldn't look at people differently. Everyone should be seen with the same eyes.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Exactly. You are a monk; you have your beard and your robes. That is your identity, perhaps even a sense of spiritual pride. I stopped wearing the red robes a long time ago. I wear these simple white clothes now.
Devotee:
You don't need them. The light and aura you have while sitting thereâyou don't need specific clothes for that. Anyone can see it. We can feel the attraction from a distance.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Thatâs kind of you. I want you to grow, serve people, and hold the world together if you can. If you canât, thatâs okay too. Not everyone can help everyone. But I was born for this. I have helped hundreds of thousands of people. I could have been a millionaire; I could have driven luxury cars. But I realized those are bad things. It is better to drink snake poison than to "eat" the money of the poor. I say this from my heartâpeople work so hard for their money; how can anyone take it? Iâd rather die than take that money.
Devotee:
I wanted to ask one more thing. You mentioned Shmashan Kali (Kali of the cremation grounds). Can you tell us about that?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I have spent a long time calling out to the Mother, the Goddess of the cremation grounds. I performed many spiritual practices there. There are many videos of it. I did everything that was required; I left nothing out. But now my body is failing. My legs shake. My disciples have to carry me or help me sit. Iâve been to the hospital five times recently. They told me, "Stop helping people, because every time you help someone, you end up back here." I have about 20 to 25 doctors who are my disciples. That is why I am still aliveâthey take such good care of me.
Narrator:
Tell them about the Mother who arrived yesterday.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Ah, yes. A house was being demolished, and they found an idol of the Mother underneath it. It is 102 years old. They asked me what to do. Iâve been waiting for her for a long time. She is Dakshina Kali, but in a fierce form. There is blood coming from her mouth and on her body. Itâs quite intense. I wondered why she came in this form. We have done much worship at Tarapith and other places, but those days are over for me. Now I just sit here and hope for her mercy. Iâve given everything away to the people. I will live a few more days because of the company and blessings of people like you. Otherwise, I am ready to leave. I canât take it anymore. The world is in such a state of chaos. The violence, the greedâpeople canât live like this. Greed has increased so much that people are ready to kill one another. And now, whoever has money is king. Everyone bows to money. For a person like me, it is better to leave. I tell the Mother, "Take me away and end this."
Narrator:
I donât want to make this episode too long as Gurudev is getting emotional. Maharaj, would you like to say anything else?
Devotee:
I came to see him, and I have seen him. I won't say much more. I have some private things to discuss with him. I am very happy with how he welcomed me. You can feel the Motherâs presence here constantly.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Please come again whenever you can.
Devotee:
I will try to come back whenever I am in this area, especially to see you.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
People come here from all overâJhargram, Jharkhand, even from all over the world. Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland... they all come. They say, "The world is still turning because people like you are still in it." Thatâs all they say.
Narrator:
We will end this video here. Stay well, Maharaj. We end this episode with a Pranam to Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, son. Do that. Do that.