Devotee:
Greetings, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Greetings, brother. Greetings.
Devotee:
Gurudev, for some time now, through this channel, we have been seeing that various sadhus (holy men) have been coming to Shantipur. They are of different kinds; some are dressed in red, some in black. But we have always seen you in white clothes, with no beads or garlands. We see them sitting beside you; you offer them a seat, and you talk to them.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, everyone comes. I ask them why they come from so far to see me. Just the day before yesterday, someone came from Mayong—from Kamakhya. He said he came because he received an instruction, a command from Mahakal. I had nothing to say. He said, "I will perform puja (worship) all night." I said, "Go ahead and do the puja; what's the problem? Since you have the command from Mahakal, you must do it." He performed rituals and fire sacrifices all night and left in the early morning. Similarly, another sadhu came and told me that Mahakal had sent him, that the command came from above. I realized he was a high-level practitioner. We discussed many things, especially about black magic. He said, "I don't do black magic without reason; it is not our way. We are not just tantriks; we are Aghoris. We are pure Aghoris." When he sat for puja at night, I saw he was dressed in black and followed their specific customs and rituals. They brought their own materials and performed the worship. Two other sadhus also came; you might have seen them. Both were good—one from Sorsona and another from Kolkata. They are all sadhus. I often ask them, "Why do you come to me? What is the need? I am not a sadhu." To be honest, I don't even have the attire of a sadhu. I have great respect for the attire, though. Whether someone is a true sadhu or not, if they wear red, I respect that cloth immensely. I respect saffron and red robes for one reason only.
Devotee:
They might have less knowledge or come to you to ask many things. When you answer, they seem satisfied and say, "You are a very wise person, I will come again." They offer their respects. But once they leave, many don't return.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Many sadhus have come from Bangladesh as well, from various sects. They have come and spoken with great respect. I have many photos with these sadhus. I cannot go anywhere, and since I am not a sadhu, how can I mingle with them? If I had the attire, the beads, and the look, I could have merged with them. My style doesn't match theirs. I've asked many times, "Why have you come?" They say, "We saw you on YouTube, we liked your words, so we came to meet you." We sat, had tea, and shared our thoughts. It's fine; there's no problem. This keeps happening. You see, a sadhu is a sadhu in the mind, not just in the dress. If the mind and body aren't right, what is the use of wearing the robe? Do you know why they wear red robes?
Devotee:
No.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Red robes are worn because red signifies a warning. Even a train stops when it sees red. Planes, everything stops for red. If you wave a red flag, even a train will stop from a distance. Similarly, the Mother Goddess (Shakti/Kali) is "danger." It is very difficult to worship the Mother. She roams with the brilliance of a hundred billion suns. How can we worship her? We are fools to think we can worship her. We get sunstroke from just one sun; she has the power of a billion. It’s not just for show. Wearing red is also a way to show the Mother, "Look, I am also 'danger.' You are dangerous, and I am dangerous too." It's like two powerful forces meeting. That is why red is worn—to face the Mother. And the red tilak (mark on the forehead) is a mark of victory. In the past, kings wore it when going to war or after a victory. Now, practitioners wear it to say to the Mother, "I am a formidable force; don't take me lightly."
Devotee:
Gurudev, that was about red clothes. You mentioned different colors for different sects.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, there is saffron, black, and red.
Devotee:
Red has its significance, but is there more to it?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Who will explain that significance? There aren't many people left who can. When we see red robes, we either stay away out of fear or stand with folded hands because we don't know what might happen. Yellow is for Mother Bagalamukhi; that also makes me feel a sense of awe. Then there is saffron, which you see associated with various groups now. Everyone has taken a color to "threaten" the Mother.
Devotee:
And what about black clothes?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Black is actually for the Aghoris. They are the disciples of Baba Gorakhnath. He was a very powerful and formidable person. They have their own manners and customs. I wouldn't say they are all bad. Aghoris eat the flesh of the dead; they use tongs to pick up and eat it. They are known to associate with the dead in various ways; these are true facts. But there are also many "good" Aghoris who do not prefer such things. Just like among us, there are "bad" people who drink and indulge in vices while performing puja, and there's another group that goes quietly, performs their meditation, offers their prayers to the Mother, and returns. I met a very "good" Aghori who was like a friend. We talked a lot. He said, "Gurudev, don't think all Aghoris are bad. There are good people among us too, just as there are in your line of Tantra." I've seen some sadhus come to me accompanied by women, which is not right. That is not the characteristic of a true sadhu. A sadhu should be beyond such attachments.
Devotee:
Without company.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, without female company. They should practice celibacy (Brahmacharya). In this path, the touch of a woman is not permitted as it is believed to break one's celibacy. There are many views on Brahmacharya. Look at Ravana; he was such a great man because he practiced Brahmacharya all his life. His gatekeepers were Mother Chamunda and Mother Kali. Imagine what a great practitioner he was that the Mother Herself guarded his door!
Devotee:
The one for whom the Mother herself acts as a guardian.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, and it is said that where Brahmacharya is practiced, the Mother stays there and protects the place with her veil. During our "Poite" (sacred thread ceremony), we don't look at the sun for three days. We don't touch any female except our mother. We eat what the mother cooks. We don't allow any "bad" person inside, and we don't see the sun because the sun is considered "Sudra" in that context, and a Brahmin shouldn't look at the sun's face then. There are many such rules.
Devotee:
Are those three days of the ceremony a practice of Brahmacharya?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Absolutely. That is the true Brahmacharya. During that time, we don't look at the sun. The sun is "Sudra," and a Brahmin will not look at the face of a Sudra. This means a Brahmin is considered even greater than the sun. These are matters of debate, of course. Some will say we can't survive without the sun, but these are esoteric matters. We were kept in a dark room, and if we had to go to the toilet, we had to cover our heads with a cloth so as not to see the sun. The Mother protects the place where Brahmacharya is being practiced. Even powerful forces cannot come near. Some say the Mother is "Brahma" or "Brahmamayi" (equivalent to the Supreme Creator). The Mother loves and respects the practice of Brahmacharya deeply.
Devotee:
Gurudev, you explained the different colors and types. But regarding your own time of "Sadhana" (intense practice)—you've crossed a lot of time now—we have seen you wearing robes then. Was there a specific time or moment for that?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Of course, that must be followed. When we perform the "Sandhi Puja" during Durga Puja, we bathe and sit for the worship in wet clothes. It is better to perform the puja of the Primal Power (Adi Shakti) while being unclad; I have done that many times. During that specific time of Sandhi Puja, the Mother descends. I have witnessed this myself. We have performed many such pujas, sitting in wet clothes after a bath. It took a toll on the body, but we had to maintain the discipline. And look, the 51 letters of the alphabet (vowels and consonants) correspond to the 51 skulls in the Mother's garland. They are "Varnamala" (garland of letters). Ordinary people might see them as skulls of thieves or dacoits and feel afraid, but they are actually representations of the letters. Each skull represents a color; there are 51 colors. This is a very deep tantric concept. To understand this, one must associate with a true Tantrik.
Devotee:
Gurudev, regarding "Pran Pratistha" (consecrating an idol and bringing it to "life")—nowadays many priests do it. Is the Mother "awakened" in all those cases?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That depends on the "Siddhi" (spiritual attainment) of the practitioner. If it were that easy, a person wouldn't be formed out of billions. Why do people come to me when there are thousands of others performing puja? It doesn't happen for everyone. The way we have done it is a different matter, and it's better not to speak of it openly. But we have seen the Mother move; we have seen tears in the Mother's eyes. I have seen this with my own eyes. I have performed many Durga Pujas and Kali Pujas. I have seen the Mother in front of me many times.
Devotee:
One final question. Regarding "Pran Pratistha," is it about taking some power from the "billions of suns" and placing it within the Mother's idol?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, one must take the solar energy and place it within the Mother's body. There are specific mantras for this. There's a mantra involving "Om Ang Rang Lang Bang..." which is used to draw the rays from the sun and place them into the idol. You are calling upon the "Tejomaya" (radiant) and "Amritamaya" (immortal) being from the sky and establishing them within the form. Once the life is consecrated, the Mother's brilliance increases immensely. Then, when it is time for immersion, that brilliance fades; she becomes pale. I have seen the Mother looking sad and having tears in her eyes during the immersion.
Devotee:
You bring her in the evening and immerse her before sunrise?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, that is the tradition for "Rakshakali." We prepare everything, perform the puja at night, and before the sun rises, she is immersed. The Mother should not see the sun's face. If she stays longer, it is said to cause harm. That is why she is immersed quickly. Even the image of "Adya Shakti" was created by someone who had seen her, and it was instructed that she should be worshipped and then immediately immersed, away from public view.
Devotee:
So, there is only a picture from which everything started?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, it was sketched based on how the practitioner saw her. The instruction was: "Worship me and then immerse me in water, away from the eyes of people."
Devotee:
In today's episode, we discussed why different sadhus come to Gurudev and why he treats them differently. We discussed the significance of the colors of their robes and some esoteric rituals like "Pran Pratistha." We will end today's episode here and return with more topics later. Greetings, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Greetings to all. Greetings.