Interviewer:
Pranam, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pranam.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, Durga Puja and Kali Puja have passed, and this Tuesday is Jagadhatri Puja. You have explained this puja many times in various ways. Today, once again, I would like to hear about the significance and the explanation of Mother Jagadhatri from you.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Every year, I speak about all the pujas because new people join and watch these videos. While the old viewers know these things, new people often ask for explanations. After the New Moon of Kali Puja, the Saptami, Ashtami, and Navami follow. Usually, in places like Chandannagar, the puja is held over three days. However, in our region, the puja is primarily celebrated on Navami, which falls on Tuesday. The Navami puja is quite elaborate. In our tradition, the Navami puja is considered the most significant. Whether it is Kali Puja or Durga Puja, the Navami celebrations are the grandest. According to the Tantric and Vedic traditions, the pujas performed during Kali Puja also follow the Navami schedule.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Since the Navami puja is so extensive, we perform the rituals for Saptami, Ashtami, and Navami all on the same day. It takes a long time; one session ends, we prepare for the next, and by the time we finish, it’s late at night.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I have Mother Jagadhatri in my prayer room. You all know this. I once went to Narmada and visited Bhrigu Kamandal. There was a saint there—a \"Digambara\" (clothed in the sky) Sadhu. They were making rotis. I asked for some prasad, and he gave me some. Then he said, “Go, child, go over there. You will get a vision of Mother. Go!” He pointed to a spot. There was a large rock behind a tree. He told me to sit there.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I sat there for about forty-five minutes. It was a Saturday, and it was also Ashtami. I didn't know the date at the time; I found out later. I had a vision of the Mother in her Jagadhatri form. Mother Jagadhatri is essentially Mother Durga herself. The saint told me that Mother Durga frequents that area often. I had gone there specifically for her vision because I had heard that Narmada is a place where many great saints have resided. It is said that one cannot truly be a saint without visiting Narmada.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Later, I learned from the scriptures that every saint should visit Narmada. While the Narmada temple itself is simple, places like Bhrigu Kamandal and Dattatreya are spiritually significant. It was about a five-mile walk from the temple to Bhrigu Kamandal. I kept walking and finally had the vision of Mother in her Jagadhatri form. According to our scriptures, when you have a vision of the Mother in a specific form, you should worship her in that form. When I returned, I stayed for a month and then asked a potter to make an idol exactly as I had seen her. He made a small, beautiful idol. I worshipped her for five years. The rule is to worship for three or five years and then consign the idol to water. However, I didn't immerse her. The idol is still in my prayer room. Every year, she is repainted and worshipped.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
She is the \"Jagadhatri\"—the one who sustains and holds the universe. Her \"Dhyana Mantra\" (meditation verse) describes her beautifully: \"She is seated on a lion, with a crescent moon on her head. She is like a precious gem, four-armed, holding a conch, discus, bow, and arrow. She is adorned with jewels and earrings that shine like fire. She is Durga, the remover of all difficulties.\"
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
This is the form of the Mother. If someone studies the Chandi (Devi Mahatmya) thoroughly, they become an expert in Tantra. About 80% of Tantra is covered if one follows the Chandi properly. There are many hidden meanings in it. Although some of the old commentaries are lost, many still exist. If someone follows them, they become half a Tantric; they cover 80% of the path.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The description I gave you from the Dhyana Mantra is her true form. She controls the entire world. She is the Durga who emerged to sustain the world. She sits on a lion, holding a bow, arrow, conch, and discus. She has a golden hue, and she is magnificent. I have tried to recreate what I saw in my vision. For five years, I performed the puja, fed people, and followed all the rituals. Now, I no longer keep her in this specific temple. In the temple where Mother Kali is—the stone idol—Mother Jagadhatri is also there. Rituals are still performed by others, but I no longer participate in formal puja rituals. In Tantra, there comes a stage where you must renounce everything. I have tiger skins, deer skins, and even human skulls, but the rule is that after a certain stage, you should no longer touch them. You put them aside.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I even have a camel bone, which is quite rare. During a sacrifice (Qurbani), I requested a Muslim friend, and he gave me a leg of the camel. It has great spiritual value. But now, I don't touch these things anymore. I don't even sit on the same prayer mat. This is my personal rule. Once you renounce, you don’t go back.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, during the Durga Puja videos, you mentioned that one should keep Durga or Jagadhatri at home but avoid keeping Kali. You saw Jagadhatri with your own eyes?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, with my own eyes. At Narmada, that saint told me I would see her, and I did. I saw her in her Jagadhatri form. I worshipped her for five years and then stopped. It is a rule that if you see her in a certain form, you must worship that form.
Interviewer:
So, Mother Jagadhatri can be kept at home?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Of course! Why not? Many people keep her. Many people also keep Mother Annapurna. Even though they are Tantric deities, they can be kept at home. They are forms of Durga. Whether it is Annapurna or Jagadhatri, they are the removers of difficulties. She is the one who sustains the world. Everyone can worship her; there is no specific time required like Durga Puja. We have Annapurna Puja, and we call upon the Mother constantly. We have no other way.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, when we recite the \"Deha-bandhan\" (body-protection) mantra, we remember Mother Durga.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, depending on the person, some invoke Kali, some Durga, and some Tara. Some even do \"Tiki-bandhan\" (protecting the hair tuft). But I don't need those anymore. We are \"Bandhan-mukta\"—free from all bonds. We don't need to bind our bodies. People ask me for the mantra, and I give it to them, but I don't use it. I want to be free from all \"pasha\" (bonds). I am even free from God. I don't call upon Him because I don't feel the need.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Earlier, I couldn't eat or sleep without praying. It was puja all the time. Now, that phase is over. Now, I just sit, have tea, and talk. I meet people who come to see me. I do this for the welfare of people.
Interviewer:
One more small question. We see Mother Saraswati in one way, but you say in Tantra she has a fierce form.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, in Tantra, Saraswati killed the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha. She has a fierce form known as \"Nila Saraswati\" in the Tara tradition. This is according to Tantra. But Saraswati is also found in the Vedas. She is the embodiment of the Vedas. We worship her both in Vedic and Tantric ways.
Interviewer:
My question is, does Mother Jagadhatri have other forms, or is this her only form?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
This is her only form. She cannot be divided. This is her singular form. While the puja is held on Navami here, in other places it lasts three days. If they are the same, why are they worshipped separately? That is the mystery. Saraswati comes twice—once during Durga Puja and once for her own puja. The same goes for Lakshmi. Mother Durga also comes twice—once during the Sharadiya (autumn) puja and once as Basanti (spring) Durga. These were decisions made by the scholars and pundits of ancient times. We have followed this since childhood. We already have the grand Durga Puja, yet we have these other celebrations. It’s like the saying, \"Thirteen festivals in twelve months.\"
Interviewer:
For those who cannot visit a temple or be near Mother Jagadhatri, how should they pray?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There is the \"Anjali\" (offering) mantra. The mantra for Durga and Jagadhatri is the same: \"Durga durgati harini, bhavatu na ratno llasat kundala.\" She is Durga herself. The mantra is the same. Dear viewers, this Tuesday is Jagadhatri Puja. This video was made to share Gurudev's insights. Every year he provides new perspectives, and even one new word from him is a blessing for us. You can call her a chapter of the Chandi. Her form and meditation are all described there. You will find it if you open the Chandi.
Interviewer:
We conclude today's video here. May your Jagadhatri Puja be wonderful. Please subscribe to the channel for more such videos. Pranam, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pranam. Be well.