Host:
Salutations, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Salutations to you.
Host:
Friends, today we have come with Gurudev to Goria, to the residence of his disciple, Biswajit Da. The Jagadhatri Puja is being held here, and the Navami Puja is currently underway. Gurudev is seated right in front of the Mother (the Goddess). Once the sound of the bells subsides, we will ask Gurudev to share some words about the Mother. We have previously done an episode where Gurudev spoke about the Jagadhatri Puja. Biswajit Da is here with me; I'll ask him to request Gurudev to speak.
Biswajit:
Salutations, Gurudev. Heartfelt greetings and best wishes for the Jagadhatri Puja to all the viewers and listeners on YouTube. It feels wonderful to have Gurudev at my home today. Gurudev, since you have come for the Jagadhatri Puja, could you please say a few words about the Mother?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There isn't much to say, really. You see, I didn't know the Mother very well initially. When I was on the Narmada pilgrimage (Narmada Parikrama), I had a vision of the Mother in her Jagadhatri form at Dehu Kamandala. That's when I first learned about this deity. This was about 40 years ago—actually, it must be around 30 to 40 years ago that I saw her at Dehu Kamandala. According to our tradition, the form in which you see the Mother is the form in which her clay idol must be made and worshiped. The rule is to perform the puja for five years before immersion. Following that, we have been worshiping her for five years, and after that, we offer her to the water and do not look back. When you told me there was a puja at your house, I decided to come and see the Mother. That is why I am here.
Biswajit:
Gurudev, you previously mentioned the Arghya (offering) that is placed on the Mother's head. If you could explain that once more, it would be wonderful.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The Arghya is quite significant. You take a large Alata leaf, a Wood-apple (Bel) leaf, and apply red sandalwood to it. Then, 108 stalks of Durva grass and 108 grains of Atap rice are gathered and tied together. This Arghya is offered when the Shankha (conch) is sounded. It is placed on the Mother's head while reciting the mantra: "Durvakshata-samayuktam bilvapatram tathaparam, Shobhanam shankhapastrastham grihanarghyam Harapriye." This offering is very precious and hard to obtain. Keeping it in one's home brings great auspiciousness and well-being.
Host:
Is this offered only once a year?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, it is offered once. There are three days of puja—Saptami, Ashtami, and Navami. Today is Navami, which is the most elaborate and significant day. After this, there will be the Homa (fire ritual) and the Dakshina (final offering), which will conclude the puja.
Host:
And what about Dashami?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Dashami is tomorrow. The Dadhikarma ritual will take place then.
Host:
Gurudev, the Mother seems to love being adorned.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Indeed. All the gems and jewels of the world belong to her. As it is said in the scriptures, she is seated on a lion, adorned with emeralds, four-armed, holding a conch, a discus, a bow, and an arrow. She is decorated with armlets, tinkling golden anklets, and earrings that shine like the moon. Om Aim Hrim Jagadhatryai Namah.
Host:
Gurudev, would it be possible for us to hear a bit of the Chandi Path (recitation of the Devi Mahatmyam) from you? Just a little bit.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Do you have the book? I can recite the Arghya Stotram.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Reciting the Chandi is no small feat. Anyone who can recite the entire book is considered to have the authority of a great Tantric. It contains 80% of all Tantra; the remaining 20% is gathered from outside. Reciting the Chandi is very beneficial. Though I am quite unwell, since you've requested it, I will do it. You have blessed me by inviting me to this puja at your home.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
"Raktavarnam Mahadevim... Sarvabharana-bhushitam..." (He continues to chant various verses describing the beauty and power of the Goddess, including the Dhyanam of Kali, Bagala, and the Chandi).
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
(The recitation continues with the Argala Stotram: "Jayanti Mangala Kali Bhadrakali Kapalini... Rupam Dehi Jayam Dehi Yasho Dehi Dvisho Jahi...")
Biswajit:
Gurudev, during this puja, specifically during Saptami, Ashtami, and Navami, I heard that the Sandhi Puja is not required?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Sandhi Puja takes place during the transition between Ashtami and Navami. It covers the last 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami—a total of 48 minutes. In Kolkata, since we often perform the rituals of three days in one, people sometimes think it isn't necessary, but according to the scriptures, that 48-minute window is a "non-time" where neither humans nor gods receive the puja offerings—only Goddess Chamunda (the primordial power) is worshiped then.
Host:
Friends, you just saw Gurudev reciting the Chandi before the Mother. I was repeatedly asking him to stop because he is unwell and needed his inhaler; he was becoming breathless. I apologize if the footage was a bit shaky or if Gurudev had to stop briefly—please understand the situation. We will end today's episode here. Stay well, stay healthy. Salutations, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Salutations to you all.
Spiritual Insight
Jagadhatri, the "Holder of the World," reveals herself to those who walk the sacred geography with eyes of devotion. Guru Shyama Khyapa's vision of her at Dehu Kamandala during his Narmada Parikrama demonstrates how pilgrimage becomes revelation—the outer journey mirrors and catalyzes the inner awakening. The meticulous details of the Arghya offering (108 Durva grass stalks, 108 rice grains, Alata and Bel leaves with red sandalwood) encode deep tantric symbolism: the number 108 represents the 108 vital energy channels (nadis) in the human body, while the combination of elements balances the cosmic forces. The Guru's recitation of the Chandi—even while struggling with breathlessness—shows the tantric understanding that the Mother's power flows through the voice regardless of physical limitation. His explanation of Sandhi Puja as a "non-time" when only Chamunda receives worship reveals the esoteric dimension of Durga Puja, where the fierce form of the Goddess claims the liminal moments between day and night, between forms, between worlds.