Host:
Salutations to the great mystic, Sri Sri Shyamakhapa. Greetings. With salutations to Gurudev Gupta Shadhok Sri Sri Shyamakhapa, we are starting today's program from Shantikunj. Let us all listen together to the invaluable words of Gurudev.
Devotee:
Greetings, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Greetings. Tell me.
Devotee:
We often hear about "Bhagya Vidhata" (The Provider of Destiny). We would like to know more about this from you.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Whether there is a specific "Bhagya Vidhata," I do not know. But one must accept that what is written on one's forehead (destiny) is true. "What is written by destiny cannot be undone"—this is the law of providence. This is a very common belief here.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
See, when a child is born—whether a boy or a girl—on the night of the sixth day, the mother sits with the baby on her lap. An inkpot and a pen are kept nearby. This is known as Setra Puja. People have a firm belief that the Provider of Destiny comes to write the child's fate. This is a matter of faith. Whether it is true or not, cannot be proven. But there is a story about this. Would you like to hear it? It is a very good story.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
One night, a saint was meditating. It was the middle of the night. Suddenly, his meditation was interrupted. He opened his eyes and saw a tall gentleman running past. The saint got up quickly to see who it was—was it a thief or a dacoit? He stood in the man's way and blocked his path.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The tall man asked, "Why are you blocking my path?"
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The saint replied, "You must tell me who you are. Otherwise, I will not let you pass."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The man was in a hurry and said, "Please, let me go. I have work to do."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The saint insisted, "I will not let you go."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The man said, "Fine, since you are a saint and won't let me go, I will tell you. In this village, two children were born six days ago. One is a girl in a landlord's house, and the other is a boy in a milkman's house. I am the Provider of Destiny, and I am going to write their fates."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The saint said, "Alright, but you must tell me what you are going to write."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The Destiny God replied, "I don't mind telling you since you are a saint. I will write that the boy born in the milkman's house will grow up to be very wealthy. He will have many houses, horses, and elephants. He will be a great philanthropist.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
And for the girl born in the landlord's house, I will write that she will end up in a brothel when she grows up. However, it will also be written that every single day, someone or other will come and provide her with food. Her food will never stop."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The saint was satisfied and let him go. The Destiny God went on his way.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Many years passed. The saint became curious to see if what the Destiny God wrote had come true. He went to the milkman's house and was amazed. The boy was indeed wealthy, donating rice, clothes, and money to many people. He had a massive house with horses and elephants.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Then, the saint went to the landlord's house. It was in ruins. He asked an old man, "A girl was born here many years ago, where is she?"
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The old man replied, "She is not here. She is in a brothel now. The landlord lost everything, and she had no choice."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The saint went to the brothel to find her. He remembered what the Destiny God had said—that she would never lack food. The saint decided to challenge destiny.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
He approached the woman and asked for some water. After drinking, he said, "Mother, you are in great danger tonight. Do not let any customers in. If you let anyone in tonight, your death is certain."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The woman, being a landlord's daughter by birth, was frightened and agreed. The saint then climbed a tree in front of her house to watch and see if the Destiny God's word would fail.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
As the night progressed, several customers came, but she turned them all away. The saint thought, "Tomorrow morning, this girl will have nothing to eat. Let's see how the Destiny God provides for her today."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Towards the end of the night, the saint saw the same tall man he had seen years ago—the Provider of Destiny. The man approached the door, and it opened on its own. He left something for the girl and walked away. The door closed behind him.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The saint climbed down from the tree and blocked his path again. The Destiny God asked, "Are you mocking me? I told you who I am."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The saint said, "You said she would receive food from a customer every day, but no one came tonight."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The Destiny God replied, "I know you were testing me. I wrote her destiny, and if no one came to provide for her, my word would have been proven false. Since no one else came, I had to come myself to provide for her needs. I brought her what she needed for tomorrow."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That is the Provider of Destiny. Whether he exists or not, I cannot say for sure, but the story is beautiful.
Devotee:
What does this teach us, Gurudev?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That destiny cannot be erased. We see this in society every day. One person works hard all day but cannot maintain his family, while another person, without any hard work, gains so much wealth. This shows us that we cannot go beyond what providence has written for us. If things start going against that destiny, providence itself intervenes to set it right.
Devotee:
Gurudev, you mentioned in a previous episode that the Tarapith temple was struck by lightning because of a Brahmin's curse. Does destiny apply to the Gods as well?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, absolutely. Even the Goddess Tara could not stop the lightning because it was a "Brahma Shapa" (Brahma's Curse). No one has the power to undo a Brahma Shapa. Even the Great God Mahadev, or Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwar, must step aside. When a true, righteous Brahmin who meditates on God utters a curse, it must come to pass.
Devotee:
So, is the Provider of Destiny above the Three Gods (Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwar) and the Primal Power (Maa Durga)?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
No, this concept of destiny applies primarily to humans, not to the Gods. He is a deity who writes the fate of human beings.
Host:
You were listening to the words of Gurudev Gupta Shadhok Sri Sri Shyamakhapa. Let us know how you liked it. To listen to Gurudev's invaluable words regularly, please subscribe, like, share, and comment on the Shyamakhapa channel. 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.
Host:
Salutations to Gurudev. Wishing you all the blessings and well-being of Gurudev, we end today's program. Stay well. Namaskar.
Spiritual Insight
This profound story of the Provider of Destiny reveals the unchangeable nature of fate and the mysterious ways providence operates in human lives. Through the saint's encounter with the Destiny God, Gurudev Shyama Khyapa teaches us that while destiny is written, the Divine ensures its fulfillment—even personally intervening when necessary. The tale reminds us that true understanding lies in accepting the mysteries of providence while recognizing that even the Gods themselves are bound by certain cosmic laws.