Interviewer:
Namaskar, viewers. Today we have Gurudev with us once again. On the left of your screen, you can see a very special guest. Today is May 13th (29th of Baisakh), a very joyful day. A very virtuous Mahatma (Maharaj) has traveled all the way from Narmada to meet Gurudev. They are here for a meeting and spiritual discourse on this auspicious day. Maharaj-ji, my respects to you. Gurudev, my pranams to you. Maharaj-ji, could you tell us and our viewers where you have come from and how you learned about Gurudev?
Maharaj:
I have come from Narmada. It is by the grace of the Goddess that I have received the darshan (vision/meeting) of such a Mahatma. I have no fixed place; wherever a Mahatma resides, that is my place. This land of India is the land of Mahatmas. Wherever there is a great soul in every corner of this land, this servant reaches there for their darshan. I am simply here to listen to Maharaj-ji (Gurudev), not to speak.
Maharaj:
When the Lord Himself is standing in front of you, what questions can one even ask?
Gurudev:
He has come from Narmada. He is a very devoted person. He saw some photos and decided he must come for a visit. They have traveled from the Narmada region. In our tradition, it is said that unless a monk or seeker sets foot in Narmada and takes its water upon their head, they cannot truly be called a "Sadhu." That is my opinion. They have come from a great distance, and it brings me much joy. There is a gentleman there, a practitioner of austerities (Tapasya). He sent a doctor from Chhattisgarh to me. That doctor came to me for initiation (Diksha) a few days ago. He said, "Your Guru is there; go to him." Think of it—from Chhattisgarh to here! He took initiation, and his Guru told him, "Go, everything will be fine by the grace of God." He stays in the cremation grounds (shmashana) and practices there. We are also planning a trip to Narmada, to Amarkantak.
Maharaj:
Wherever Mahatmas sit, that becomes an ashram. This entire Bengal is an ashram because of the presence of such Mahatmas. Bengal belongs to them, and we belong to Bengal. This is the light of Bengal. Jai Tara!
Gurudev:
Narmada is ancient. Geologically, it is said to be over 2.3 billion years old. It is an ancient land of Tantra.
Maharaj:
Indeed. If one has not visited Narmada or set foot there, how can they be called a seeker? Narmada has existed through many cycles of time (Kalpas). Even the Ganges comes to Narmada. Whether you worship Tara, Kali, or Narmada, it is all one. In Tantra, she is categorized among the Yoginis; in other moods, she has a hundred forms.
Interviewer:
In that case, where does Kamakhya fit into this hierarchy?
Maharaj:
Wherever the parts of the Goddess's body fell, those places became Peethas (seats of power). They contain the energy of the entire universe. Whether you call her Kamakhya, Tara, or Narmada—when you worship them, you are ultimately worshipping Krishna. From Kali, Krishna emerged. In the Bhagavad Gita, it is said: "In whatever way people surrender to Me, I reward them accordingly." If you worship a tree, He is there. If you worship Tara, Kali, or Narmada, it is all Krishna. He is the one who plays (the trickster), but a Mother never tricks her children. Krishna is the one who plays the games.
Maharaj:
God is coming. Wherever there is love, He is there. Love is the only medium to attain Him. If there is music and song, one attains Krishna. Just as Vamdev (Bama Khepa) fed Goddess Tara, we see that there isn't just one Vamdev—there are thousands. Gurudev here is a living Vamdev of the present.
Gurudev:
In this age of Kali (Kali Yuga), only the Name of God matters. Just chant the name of Hari or Krishna. Sixteen words, thirty-two syllables. That is enough.
Maharaj:
People today lack patience and endurance; that is why they cannot find the path. One must chant and meditate. Consider the material and the spiritual. If you take emotions like lust, anger, and greed and offer them to the spiritual path, they transform. Knowing these things but ignoring them is material; following the path of the Gita is spiritual. The difference is just one inch—the word "adoption." If you believe God resides in a stone, He will manifest there. It is the life force (Prana) you put into it.
Maharaj:
Let me tell you a story. There was a devotee who used to hit a statue of Lord Shiva with a stick every day before eating. It was his "Bhav" (devotion). One day, it rained heavily, and he forgot. He sat down to eat but realized he hadn't "greeted" his Lord with the stick. He ran back through the rain, and Shiva manifested before him. God appears in whatever form or mood you worship Him.
Maharaj:
There is another story about a young girl who worshipped a brass statue of Krishna (Ladoo Gopal). She grew old, had children, and became a grandmother, but she still treated that statue as her living child. One day, she was sick in bed and asked her daughter-in-law to bathe the "child." The daughter-in-law accidentally dropped the statue. The old woman cried out, "You've killed my child! You've hurt him!"
Maharaj:
She demanded a doctor. People laughed—a doctor for a brass statue? But she wouldn't eat or drink. Finally, her son brought a doctor to satisfy her. The doctor, realizing the situation, played along. He took his stethoscope and placed it on the brass statue. Suddenly, the doctor's face went pale. He heard a heartbeat—thump-thump, thump-thump. He realized the world is mad, but God is bound by the love of His devotee. The doctor left everything and went to Vrindavan.
Maharaj:
If you look for God in this human body, He is there. If you look for Him in the forest, He is there. The soul is the Supreme Soul. God is present in everyone here.
Gurudev:
Jai Tara. Jai Tara.
Spiritual Insight
This extraordinary meeting brings together two great souls—the Mahatma from Narmada and Gurudev Shyama Khyapa—in a profound dialogue about the essence of devotion and the unity of all divine forms. Narmada, described as over 2.3 billion years old and an ancient land of Tantra, represents a pilgrimage essential for any true seeker. The discussion reveals the profound truth that whether one worships Tara, Kali, Kamakhya, or Narmada, all paths lead to Krishna. The Maharaj beautifully describes how Gurudev is a living Vamdev (Bama Khepa) of the present age, feeding the Divine Mother through his service. The stories shared—of the devotee who hit Shiva with a stick out of devotion, and the grandmother who heard a heartbeat in her brass Krishna statue—demonstrate that God manifests according to the devotee's faith. The doctor who fled to Vrindavan after hearing the impossible heartbeat understood the ultimate truth: "The world is mad, but God is bound by the love of His devotee."