Devotee:
Greetings, Guru.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Greetings, son. Yes, tell me.
Devotee:
Today, I've come to you to seek answers to some unknown questions. These aren't just my questions; they are on many people's minds.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Since you're asking, do I know everything? Whatever I've studied, I can tell you from that.
Devotee:
Still, many people want to know from you.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That's true. People want to know, I agree. But I have my limits too. Anyway, tell me.
Devotee:
Guru, I'm really curious about something. You've performed the Maha Mrityunjaya for three years here.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, indeed.
Devotee:
Many people want to know, and I'm also curious—how did this Maha Mrityunjaya ritual or mantra come about?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Well, it happened like this: Brihaspati's son was Kacha. And the daughter of our Jagatguru Shukracharya was Devayani. Somehow, after satisfying Mahadev, Shukracharya received the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra. Only he had it—Jagatguru Shukracharya.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
At one point, there was a major conflict between the Devas and Shukracharya. After that, Shukracharya declared, "From today, I renounce the Deva clan." There was a disagreement that couldn't be resolved. So, he decided to become the guru of the Rakshas (demons). In this context, Rakshas refers to Muslims or people of other faiths, particularly Muslims.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
He had only one thing given by Shiva—the Maha Mrityunjaya. Only he possessed it. Not even our Jagatguru Shankaracharya or anyone else had it. Eventually, they went their separate ways. One became Jagatguru Shankaracharya (or Brihaspati, if you will), and the other was Shukracharya of the planet Venus.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
After they split, Brihaspati remained with the Deva clan, protecting our earth. Brihaspati is the head of our earth, the guru of the gods. Shukracharya, on the other hand, chose the path of the Rakshas—specifically the Muslims. They accepted Shukracharya as their guru.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There are two planets: Venus (Shukra) and Jupiter (Brihaspati). After their separation, Shukracharya had the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra.
Devotee:
Who had it, Guru?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Jagatguru Shukracharya. One day, Brihaspati used a trick and sent his son, Kacha, to Shukracharya's house so that he could obtain the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra. He persuaded Kacha and sent him there.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
While there, Kacha and Shukracharya's daughter, Devayani, fell in love. Shukracharya warned Kacha many times, but Kacha didn't listen. Finally, Shukracharya drove Kacha away without giving him the mantra. So, the mantra remained with Shukracharya.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That's why when we perform the Maha Mrityunjaya ritual, we keep a picture of Mecca, where Shukracharya established a Shiva shrine. It's still there. We cannot perform the Maha Mrityunjaya ritual without a picture of Mecca because Mahadev is there. The Rakshas (Muslims) have kept him confined.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
It is said that if any Hindu—or anyone else, Christian or Muslim—can offer some Ganga water and wood apple leaves to him, Shiva will be liberated. This is mentioned in the Puranas.
Devotee:
Guru, my question is about the Shiva you mentioned—is it a Shiva Lingam?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
No, no, no. He is the one in the heavens, the Maha Mrityunjaya.
Devotee:
If Shukracharya has him confined, then Shukracharya must be very powerful.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Shukracharya is extremely powerful. Far more powerful than our Jagatguru Shankaracharya or Brihaspati. Brihaspati is protecting us; he's above the earth's head. He absorbs all the meteorites and other threats. That's why Brihaspati is so important to us.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
And the one Brihaspati worships is Maa Tara. So there's a deep connection between everyone. Maa Tara is worshipped by Brihaspati, the planet Jupiter. And the planet Venus, Shukracharya, is worshipped by the Muslims, the Rakshas. I don't know the full truth and don't want to offend any religion, but there were two divisions—Shukracharya and Brihaspati.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That's why when Brihaspati sent his son, Kacha, to get the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra, Shukracharya realized it. Kacha and Devayani fell in love, but Shukracharya eventually sent Kacha away empty-handed and warned his daughter. This is what's recounted.
Devotee:
But Guru, how did we get the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra that we recite today?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
How did we get it? We arranged it for ourselves. Kacha failed, so we created our own version of the mantra. We couldn't go to Shukracharya, so our ancestors and great sages developed a mantra for us to recite. Many people recite the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra now, but the original is with Jagatguru Shukracharya in Mecca.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The Shiva established by Shukracharya in Mecca is the original.
Devotee:
By 'established Shiva,' do you mean a Shiva Lingam?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There is no Lingam; there is a stone. We worship Mahadev, and they also revere it deeply. They worship it as a stone, and we worship it as Shiva. We are not allowed there, but what exists there isn't in the form of a Shiva Lingam; it's a stone that fell from the sky, which Shukracharya established. As far as I know, I could be wrong, but that's what I've learned.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Later, we created our own mantra and began reciting it. In the Kali Yuga, performing the Ashwamedha Yajna or the Maha Mrityunjaya Yajna is repeatedly forbidden. We did it for three years and didn't get good results; in fact, we had poor outcomes. That's when I realized it's true—these rituals are forbidden in this age.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
So, we created this mantra. Our ancestors and great sages developed it, and it has been passed down through the ages.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The actual mantra Shukracharya's disciples know is the real one. In our Hindu Vedic tradition, the Maha Mrityunjaya is given great importance. When someone is on their deathbed or facing death, we tell them to recite the mantra or wear the Maha Mrityunjaya amulet.
Devotee:
Still, Guru, I'd like to hear it from you.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Well, it goes like this: Om Jhu Sah, Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah, Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pustivardhanam, Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Mamritat. Om Namo Maha Mrityunjaya Bhairavaya Shivaya Swaha, Om Girijapataye Swaha.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Girijapataye Namah—it has eight syllables, an 'Ashtakshari.' When we make the Maha Mrityunjaya amulet, we write these eight syllables. There's an eight-petaled lotus, and inside those petals, we write Om Gi-ri-ja-pa-ta-ye Na-mah. Those who make the amulet use these eight syllables. Everything else is part of the ritual, but the core is the Ashtakshari.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Om Jhu Sah, Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah, Om Tryambakam... He liberates us from all bonds; that's why we call upon him. When a person is near death, we recite this mantra, perform rituals, and make the Maha Mrityunjaya amulet. This is well-established.
Devotee:
Guru, moving to another topic. We know about the Kurukshetra War and its connection to Maa Bhadrakali. There's even a Bhadrakali temple in Kurukshetra. Could you tell us more about that?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Bhadrakali is none other than Mahasaraswati. During the war, she was on the side of the Pandavas. Later, she was established there. She is Mahasaraswati herself. There are Bhadrakali temples in many places, including Kurukshetra, as mentioned in the Adya Stotram. She wears a garland of skulls and a tiger skin, has eight arms with eight weapons. She is our Mahasaraswati, whom we call Bhadrakali.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Ramprasad wrote, "You were in the underworld as Bhadrakali, worshipped by many gods with human sacrifices." This refers to the massive loss of life in the Kurukshetra War.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The Bhadrakali temple is proof of that sacrifice, which happened with Krishna's approval. Krishna was behind it, and after the war, her temple was established. You can still see the Bhadrakali temple in Kurukshetra. We call her Bhadrakali, but she is actually Mahasaraswati.
Devotee:
Guru, you've mentioned that 99% of people don't know which Veda they belong to, while only 1% do. If the 99% don't know, which deity should they worship?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Your parents or grandparents would know which Veda you belong to. The Vedas are divided into four parts. The first part is Brahma's domain, where Brahma is worshipped. When Brahma composed the Vedas, Mahasaraswati gave her approval and Ganesha wrote them down. That's what's said.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The four Vedas were spread across different regions. When the Kashmiri Pandits left, some went south, and some brought the Vedic traditions here. Now, many people don't know their Veda. In that case, look at where you were born.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
If you were born in Rajasthan, you belong to the Rigveda. That's the land of the Rigveda. The Samaveda was taken by those in the South—the entire South belongs to the Samaveda. Our region here is the land of the Yajurveda. So, if your ancestors were from the South, you're definitely under the Samaveda. That's Narayan's domain. Rajasthan is Brahma's, and ours is Shiva's—Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The remnants of the Vedas were collected to form the Atharvaveda, which most of us don't read. It's often taught to those who were abandoned by their parents and grew up on the streets. They are brought in and taught the Atharvaveda.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
So, Rigveda is Brahma's, Samaveda is Narayan's, and Yajurveda is Shiva's. Let's set aside Atharvaveda for now. There's also a fifth Veda—Rasayana (chemistry/medicine). The medicines we take, derived from plants and chemicals, constitute the fifth Veda. So there are five Vedas, not four.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Your Veda depends on where you or your ancestors are from. Here, we are Yajurvedic; we follow Shiva. The Samavedic people are in the South—Karnataka and those areas. Chennai, Kerala, and Karnataka are Samavedic. All their rituals follow the Samaveda.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The mantras are different too—Rigvedic, Samavedic, and Yajurvedic mantras are all distinct. Later, Yajurveda was adapted more into Tantra. If you go to Rajasthan, the land of Brahma, Mahasaraswati is worshipped alongside Brahma. Narayan and Lakshmi are in the South. And here, we have Shiva and Durga.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Atharvaveda doesn't have much, and the fifth Veda is Rasayana. This region, up to Bangladesh, is devoted to Shiva and Durga—the Yajurveda. So, your Veda is based on your ancestral roots. That's my view.
Devotee:
Guru, another question. When the Vedas were created, did only Hindus receive them? What about other faiths?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That's not true. It's not that only Hindus got them and others didn't. The Vedas are the strength of the Hindus. Many thousands or even millions of years after the earth was created, when sages began their studies, they realized there's a nature or power in the universe. They began following it and saw things like thunder, earthquakes, wind, and rain.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
They initially identified 24 deities. These 24 were eventually condensed into what you know as the Gayatri Mantra, which is part of the Vedas. It started with the sound of 'Om,' and eventually, we got Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah... This is the essence of the Vedas.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Whether you call it 'Vedic' or 'Baidik,' it comes from the Vedas. It's how things were divided. From the Indus Valley Civilization—or Hindu Civilization—the name 'Sindhu' became 'Hindu' over time. No one can say exactly how old it is.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Honestly, the Quran, Hadith, or the Bible are only about 2,000 to 2,500 years old. Before that, religions existed but perhaps weren't recorded. Hazrat Muhammad later organized the Quran. Islam and Christianity existed before, but they gradually branched off from the Vedas.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The Quran is quite old too, but how old is Hazrat Muhammad's version? Maybe 1,500 years. Christianity is about 2,000 to 2,500 years old. Hinduism is much older. They branched off and formed new groups, but much of what's in the Vedas is what the sages saw and recorded.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I believe Islam and other religions adopted these teachings. They also practice meditation and worship the formless (Nirakar Brahma). We also consider Hazrat Muhammad and other great Sufis and Darveshes who lived long ago. They created a separate religion and didn't follow Hinduism. But I believe everything originated from Hinduism and the Vedas. All religions on earth are part of the Vedas.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That's what I know. I could be wrong, but I believe the Vedas are the root. Later groups formed their own paths, but the Vedas are our strength, just as the Quran is for Muslims and the Bible for Christians.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I believe everything was created from the Vedas. Long ago, there were Sufis and Darveshes who, in their own way, developed the Quran and became a separate group. This was also influenced by Shukracharya, who created a new race, which we call Muslims.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Before that, we had Brihaspati, the guru of the gods, who is at the head of our earth. He is our 'Dev Guru.' And they have Jagatguru Shukracharya. That's why they value Friday (Shukrabar), after Shukracharya. They worship the formless Brahma.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The Bible and Jesus Christ—their focus is on Jesus. You can find their teachings in their books. But reading the Quran is difficult. The Quran came much later than the Vedas. Back then, there were Shukracharya and Brihaspati. Shukracharya created a new race, the Muslims.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
But they aren't that different. What the Quran and Hadith say is also what our Vedas say. And what's written in the Bible—though Jesus didn't write it himself, it was written later based on his teachings. He was very powerful, as was Hazrat Muhammad and our Jagatguru Shankaracharya. No one was less than the other. Religions slowly diverged, and that's what we have today. A scientific explanation would require going much deeper.
Devotee:
Guru, we got the answers to our questions. We are very grateful. Greetings, Guru.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Greetings, son. Greetings.