Speaker 1 (Disciple):
Gurudev, salutations.
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
Salutations.
Speaker 1 (Disciple):
Gurudev, it is the season of Sharodiya (Durga Puja) now.
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
Speak louder.
Speaker 1 (Disciple):
It is the season of Sharodiya. You have already given a message to your disciples and devotees. That is well and good. At this moment, there is a question I am very eager to ask... I will ask that. Why do seekers (sadhakas) not find the Mother (Maa)... I mean, what does "not finding" her mean? You will explain that in detail.
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
It's not about "not finding" her; it's that they don't see her. They cannot see the Mother. This is a grievance everyone has: "You all see the Mother, but I can't." Perhaps the Mother comes home, brings things, listens to our needs and grievances, but I can never see her. Ramprasad also said the same thing. When he was building a fence, he said, "How fortunate you are to see the Mother. But I am building this fence, someone is handing me the rope, yet I can't figure out who it is." But the fact is, someone was supplying the rope. The girls who were supplying the rope went away to play. No one was supplying the rope anymore. Then Ramprasad realized that someone else was supplying it. He understood, but could not say it. Or perhaps the Mother was not revealing herself to him. Because, after all, it's atomic power, God! Now, if you try to confront that, you'll be blown away like a bomb. You'll be blown away. For instance, what is tomorrow?
Speaker 1 (Disciple):
Ashtami.
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
Tomorrow is the Ashtami puja, and there will be the Sandhi Puja. What is Sandhi Puja? It's when 24 minutes are taken from the end of Ashtami and 24 minutes from the start of Navami. So, adding these two makes 48 minutes. During these 48 minutes, the Mother is worshipped as Goddess Chamunda. Because she killed Chanda and Munda, Goddess Durga named her Chamunda. She said, "From today, you shall be famous in the world as Chamunda. You will be worshipped, and everyone will perform puja and rituals for you." This is what Goddess Durga told Chamunda. Mother Chamunda appeared twice on the battlefield. Once to kill Raktabija. The Mother (Durga) couldn't do it; Goddess Durga couldn't slay Raktabija. And another time, she couldn't slay Chanda and Munda. So the Mother (Durga) called her and said, "Please come, it is not possible for me to slay Chanda and Munda; you must slay them." Accordingly, Chamunda said, "Alright Mother, you sit, in due time the heads of Chanda and Munda will fall at your feet." And so it happened; she took Chanda and Munda into the sky by their hair. And there, she cut them, put the heads on a plate, and placed them at the Mother's feet. The Mother was pleased and named her Chamunda because she had slain Chanda and Munda.
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
Another time, during the slaying of Raktabija, the Mother could not kill him no matter what. No matter how many arrows she fired, every drop of blood that fell on the ground turned into another soldier with a roar. The Mother saw that it was impossible to kill Raktabija this way. She invoked Chamunda. Chamunda came and asked, "Tell me Mother, what must I do?" She said, "Extend your tongue. Extend your tongue, and when I strike, you lick up all the blood with your tongue. Then Raktabija will die from blood loss." And so it happened; as much as the Mother struck, Mother Chamunda licked it all up. After that, Raktabija died from blood loss. "Goddess, the slayer of Raktabija and the destroyer of Chanda and Munda." This is the form of the Mother.
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
So, this generally happens during tomorrow's Sandhi Puja. The gods reside in a particular galaxy. They have to be drawn from there and given life (prana-pratishtha). Is that clear? This is the work of seekers; seekers or Brahmins—seekers mostly—bring life from the galaxy and place it in the Mother's... it is placed in the Mother's form. Then smell, taste, form, sound, nose, tongue, eye, ear, speech, hands, feet, genitals, nature, intellect, delusion, ego... these twenty-four elements are given to the Mother. And the Mother sees. Look, humans do not have three eyes. Only the gods have them. As a result, even if the gods can see, the seekers cannot, because they don't have three eyes. To say they don't have three eyes is not quite right. They do have three eyes. And with what is called the "third eye," they realize everything... telling someone something, knowing something, all of this...
Speaker 1 (Disciple):
But we common people cannot see that?
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
No. Since you haven't practiced spiritual discipline (sadhana), you will never be able to see it. To see this, special sadhana is required, and one must open the third eye. Even a Gurudev cannot do it for you; no one else can; you have to open the third eye yourself. You have to open it and see everything. Do you know Ramprasad used to say, "I look with my two external eyes, I don't want to open my eye of wisdom"? Ramprasad used to tell the Mother, "Look, I see things all around me with these two eyes, but my eye of wisdom... the third eye... I have never opened it or looked through it." That's why he says he sees everything with these two eyes but hasn't looked with the eye of wisdom. "I have never opened the eye of wisdom, I haven't wanted to." That is the third eye. You'll see the third eye on the Mother's forehead; all gods have a third eye on their foreheads. The only other reason is that they can see far. Which we can't. To see far, the third eye is necessary. And that is given to God beforehand—the third eye. Humans generally see distant and near objects with their first and second eyes. But they see nothing with the eye of wisdom. The eye of wisdom has to be opened and looked through. Then you will see things far away. Those who are seekers, or those who have said these things, made prophecies... each of them has a third eye. And they have seen by opening their third eye and told you that this will happen or that will happen. Is that clear?
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
Therefore, the third eye is a formidable thing. Today is Maha Saptami. Tomorrow will be Maha Ashtami, and there will be Sandhi Puja. At that time, if a mustard seed is placed on the horn of a buffalo or a cow, the Mother visits the Earth for as long as it takes for that seed to fall. She will come. The stir people feel, that "Sandhi Puja is happening, Sandhi Puja is happening," that is the only reason. The time it takes for a mustard seed placed on a cow's horn to fall to the ground—the Mother comes to Earth for that brief duration. Then she leaves again. Is that clear? Now, the fact is that seekers can understand that... when they invoke her, when they perform the life-giving ritual, when they perform the ritual of "giving eyes" (chakshu-daan), then seekers can know... no one else can know. Is that clear? And the gods come to Earth for a short while, they come for a few seconds and then leave. Is that clear?
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
That's why we say, "Open the third eye, open the three eyes, open the three eyes." Whatever is in the three eyes is there, and you will never see the Mother there. No seeker has seen the Mother to this day... they haven't come face-to-face. Just like some say, "Oh, I saw the Mother, I did this, I did that"—not one of those is true. To see the Mother... she is such a powerful entity... if a seeker sees her, the seeker himself will die. Nothing will happen to the Mother; the seeker will die... such a terrifyingly powerful entity. That's why, whether you grieve or whatever you do... this is the only thing, that we couldn't see the Mother. The reason is just this, nothing else. The Mother is so powerful, so powerful, that if the Mother is seen, death is inevitable. No one can stop it. No one's father has the power to stop it. So, therefore... it's not that people don't see her out of ignorance. Their end is also terrible.
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
I can give an example. Some people came here to play the drum (dhak). It was late at night, past twelve. Everyone had gone to sleep, including them. Suddenly they saw a little girl playing ekka-dokka (hopscotch). So one gentleman, one of their own... from the drummers... he got up and said to the girl, "What are you doing here? Go, it's twelve at night and you're playing hopscotch. Go away from here now." The man did not survive the next day. He died that very day. He died that very night. No one can say how he died. He just died. So that's how it really is. This is the truth. Yes, speak. Speak.
Speaker 1 (Disciple):
No Gurudev, I listened to you... I didn't know this much, anyway... I didn't know this much. Now I know. And every year, like you do during Durga Puja... I know it couldn't happen this time due to illness... those mantras for Shoshthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami...
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
No, I have performed Durga Puja for fifty to fifty-five years. So my experience is immense. Many people come to me... to learn, to know. So I say, "Child, we have become naked. If you can become naked, come to me, I have no objection."
Speaker 1 (Disciple):
Absolutely, absolutely. I heard this from you. I heard this. We suffered a lot while doing all this, and from what I experienced, I understood that the Mother cannot be seen. If anyone sees her... whoever sees her will die, this much I can say... no matter how great a seeker he may be.
Speaker 1 (Disciple):
Gurudev, there was a request. Tomorrow is Maha Ashtami. There are many people who are very elderly or something, or those who cannot go out due to severe illness. They also wish to offer Anjali (offering of flowers) to the Mother or something, but that doesn't always happen. For them, though you say it every time, it was my request if you could pronounce the mantra for Ashtami Anjali... say those who couldn't go or go out, they could watch yours and...
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
Just saying the Anjali won't work, but I can say it if someone can remember...
Speaker 1 (Disciple):
If you could just do the main part, then they could listen and repeat it; even that would bring some peace of mind.
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
Ayurdehi, yashodehi, bhagyam, Bhagawati dehime. Putrandehi, dhanamdehi, sarbaan kaamashcha dehime. Bhagawati bhayachchede, bhabobhabini kaamode, Shankari Kaushikitong-hi Katyayani namostute. Namo hara papam, hara klesham, hara shokam, harashukam, hara rogam, hara khobham, hara maarim, hara priye. Kali Kali Mahakali Kalike papaharini. Dharma artha mokshade devi Narayani namostute.
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
These three are the main mantras for the Anjali. After that, there's more...
Speaker 1 (Disciple):
Anyway, as much as you heard, and as much as Gurudev said... I won't make Gurudev speak much more because, as you know, Gurudev has COPD problems, and besides, his health is poor now; various treatments are ongoing. He is at home. He is under strict restrictions. Even so, I was nagging him, and he said, "Fine, do it." Gurudev also has the desire. So that's why, though in previous years Gurudev used to make a video for each of those days and we would release them, this time it wasn't possible due to Gurudev's physical illness. His mental strength is so great that he doesn't pay much heed to his body. Gurudev's mental strength is so great that he spoke so effortlessly.
Speaker 1 (Disciple):
Anyway, so you all spend the Puja well, spend it with joy, and travel around carefully. And everyone stay healthy, stay well. Salutations, Gurudev.
Speaker 2 (Gurudev):
Salutations, salutations, salutations, salutations.
Spiritual Insight
Guru Shyama Khyapa reveals the profound truth about why seekers cannot see the Mother—not because she is absent, but because her power is so immense that witnessing her directly causes death. Like Ramprasad building his fence, devotees may feel her presence supplying the rope, yet never see the hand that holds it. The third eye (the eye of wisdom), which alone can perceive divine reality, must be opened by the seeker through dedicated sadhana—no Guru can open it for them. During Sandhi Puja, when 48 sacred minutes bridge Ashtami and Navami, the Mother descends to Earth for the brief time it takes a mustard seed to fall from a cow's horn. The terrifying story of the drummer who saw a girl playing hopscotch at midnight and died the next day illustrates the fatal consequences of encountering divine forms unprepared. The Anjali mantras, passed down through fifty-five years of the Guru's Durga Puja experience, offer the only safe way to approach the Mother—through devotion rather than direct vision.