Devotee:
Friends, welcome to our YouTube channel "Gupta Sadhak Shyama Khyapa." Gurudev, my respects to you.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Blessings, my son. Speak.
Devotee:
In light of today's global situation, a few lines come to mind that I'd like to share with you.
Devotee:
"When wildfires, crop failures, storms, and plagues unite, Know that the king is tyrannical and devoid of light. If the king's mind is sinful and deceptive, Death and fear spread through the land, becoming perceptive. If a king ever acts against righteousness and law, Famine will strike, and the subjects will feel death's claw. Unseasonal floods in Baisakh, drought in Ashar, Surely the king will lose his kingdom, near and far."
Devotee:
We aren't surprised that these words resonate so strongly with our current times.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Absolutely. They resonate deeply.
Devotee:
Gurudev, these are the "Sayings of Khona" (Khonar Bochon).
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, every single one of them.
Devotee:
In today's episode, we want to learn more about Khona, an extraordinary and legendary woman of India.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Well, what can I say? She was a brilliant, learned woman born in India. It is said she lived sometime between 800 and 1200 AD. Her exact birth details are shrouded in mystery. Some say she was born in Deulia village in the Barasat region of North 24 Parganas, currently known as Chandraketugarh. Others, according to legend, claim she was a princess of Sri Lanka (Singhal).
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There is a gap of nearly 400 years in the records of her birth, so nothing is definitive. However, we know there was a wise woman named Khona. As I said, some legends place her birth in Barasat, while others say Sri Lanka. Her father's name was Atnacharya. She was named "Khona" because she was born at a very auspicious moment (shubho-khon). From khon (moment) came the name Khona.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
She was highly educated, and her real name was Lilavati. Eventually, she became part of the court of King Vikramaditya. At that time, the famous astronomer/astrologer Varaha was in the court. Varaha had a son named Mihir, hence the name Varahamihira. Varaha was a great scholar and a favorite of the King.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
When Mihir was born, Varaha calculated his horoscope and predicted the child would die within a year. To spare himself the pain of seeing his son die, he placed the infant in a pot and set him adrift in the sea. The pot floated to the shores of Sri Lanka. The King of Sri Lanka found the boy and raised him as his own. This boy was Mihir.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Both Khona and Mihir became masters of astrology. On several occasions at King Vikramaditya's court, Khona, Varaha, and Mihir engaged in debates. Khona consistently outperformed them. Varaha began to fear for his position in the royal council. He realized that while he was an astrologer, Khona was a true astronomer and scientist. Her predictions always came true, whereas theirs often failed.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There is a symbolic meaning here. She understood the science of the stars, while Varaha and Mihir were more focused on traditional astrology. People say that if one follows Khona's advice, their household will never lack peace or prosperity.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Varaha felt so threatened by Khona's accuracy that he thought he would lose his job. He eventually ordered Mihir to cut out Khona's tongue so she could no longer speak. Despite being her husband, Mihir, under his father's pressure and the fear of losing their status, cut out her tongue.
Devotee:
Gurudev, I'd like to add a detail. King Vikramaditya had Nine Gems (Navaratnas) in his court, and he had actually named Khona the "Tenth Gem."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, he did. Her sayings were incredibly beneficial for farmers. For example:
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
"A journey started on Tuesday or Wednesday, go wherever you please." "The farmer who has a cow but doesn't plow, suffers forever." "If it rains at the end of the month of Magh, the king is blessed and the land is holy." "If it rains in Falgun, the harvest will be double." "Plant rice in the sun, plant betel leaf in the shade."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Farmers benefited immensely from her knowledge. Not just farmers, but her understanding of the weather was extraordinary. Even today's weather offices with all their machines can't match her accuracy.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
After her tongue was cut out and fell to the ground, legend says a lizard ate it. That is why, when we are talking and a lizard makes a "tik-tik" sound, we say "Truth, truth." It's believed the lizard possesses Khona's tongue of truth.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There's another interesting bit of history. In the Odia language, they call her "Khona" as well, but with a different spelling. In Odia, "Khona" means "mute." Because her tongue was cut, she couldn't speak, and thus the name stuck.
Devotee:
Gurudev, could you explain the meaning of a few more of her sayings? For instance, "If it rains at the end of Magh, the king's land is blessed."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
It means that late winter rain is perfect for crops, leading to a massive harvest, making the kingdom prosperous. "If it rains in Falgun, crops will be double," because that rain helps the sprouts grow healthy and strong.
Devotee:
She also said, "Birth, death, and marriage—these three even Varaha doesn't know."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Again, she was challenging Varaha's expertise, saying that these fundamental events are beyond his calculations.
Devotee:
And, "First the mother eats, then the child receives."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
This refers to the health of a child. If the mother is well-nourished, she can provide good milk for her baby. Her sayings had layers of meaning that were often hard to grasp but always practical.
Devotee:
We have almost forgotten these teachings.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, we have. Khona knew she would be silenced or killed because she could predict the future so accurately. Before she was silenced, she had someone record her sayings, which is how we have them today.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Today, you see many people calling themselves "Khona Ma" and making predictions that never come true. Those are not the real Khona.
Devotee:
You've often said that India is a land where great saints and wise women have been born in every corner. But the misfortune is that Indians have forgotten them.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Exactly. We are embracing Western education while ignoring our own. We adopt the bad habits of the West—like smoking—but we don't adopt their discipline.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Look at what COVID-19 taught us. It forced us to wear masks, use sanitizers, and maintain distance—things that were common practices in some cultures but ignored here. For 70-75 years, we didn't learn, but the pandemic forced us to. It brought a certain kind of discipline back, even if by force.
Devotee:
Friends, you heard Gurudev talk about Khona today. Please subscribe to our channel "Gupta Sadhak Shyama Khyapa" and reflect on these teachings.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I wanted to say one more small thing... actually, never mind, let it be.
Devotee:
Thank you, Gurudev.