Speaker 1: Gurudev.
Gurudev: Yes, greetings. Tell me.
Speaker 1: Well, Gurudev, what is the connection between Parashara Muni and the Mahabharata?
Gurudev: Parashara Muni was a very powerful man. There is a Parashara Gotra (lineage) even today. Those who belong to his lineage are called Parashara Gotra. He was incredibly powerful. Vasistha Muni was his grandfather. Yes, his grandfather was Vasistha Muni. And Shaktimuni was his father's name. His mother's name was Adyashanti.
Gurudev: Now, his father was killed, and later, Vyasadeva was born. Vyasadeva's mother's name was Satyavati. There is a very beautiful story about this. Satyavati had a smell of fish on her body. We used to call her a "fisher-girl" or Matsyakanya. A fishy smell used to come from her body.
Gurudev: She used to ferry people across the river. One morning, she came to ferry people and saw a sage sitting there. The sage sat with his eyes closed, saying nothing. She also said nothing. The sage opened his eyes, saw her, and asked, "Dear, have you come to ferry me across?" She said, "Yes, I am Satyavati, the Matsyakanya. I ferry people across."
Gurudev: He then asked, "Will you take me to the other side?" She replied, "It is currently my prime earning time. If you give me my due fare, I can take you across." He said, "I don't have any money to give you. But I will give you something so precious that you will never be able to forget it in your life. I will give you such a gem that you won't forget."
Gurudev: Satyavati was a bit intrigued. He was a sage, after all. She thought, "A sage is offering something, who knows what it might be?" Out of curiosity, she said, "Alright, please sit in the boat, I will take you across. But you must fulfill what you promised." He said, "Yes, I will give you something you can't even imagine."
Gurudev: He boarded the boat to cross the river. In the middle of the river, he used his mystical powers to create a thick fog all around. Through his magic or mantras, he covered everything in fog so that no human could see. In that dense fog, he conceived a child with Satyavati.
Gurudev: He then said, "I have given you what I had to give. The fishy smell on your body will disappear, and from today, you will have a son. His name shall be Vyasadeva." This is what is said. There are many stories, but this is one of them. Parashara Muni also wrote the Garuda Purana and Vishnu Purana, as far as I remember.
Gurudev: As I mentioned, his grandfather was Vasistha, so his lineage was great. When he learned from his mother that his father had been killed, he became very angry and sought revenge. But someone stopped him, saying, "Do not take revenge." He knew his father had been murdered.
Gurudev: When Vasistha used to chant the Vedas, Vyasadeva would listen from within the womb and would later recite those same mantras. He studied the Vedas from within the womb. Whatever Vasistha Muni recited, Vyasadeva heard it all. Later, he became an expert in the Vedas and could recite all the Rigvedic verses by heart, thanks to the grace of his grandfather, Vasistha Muni.
Gurudev: Parashara was a very powerful person. In the Mahabharata, Vyasadeva has a significant role. Satyavati eventually married King Shantanu, but the lineage did not continue as expected. Vichitravirya was born, he married three times, but he died.
Gurudev: Then Satyavati called Vyasadeva and said, "Come and expand your lineage, otherwise, this dynasty will perish." Vyasadeva agreed. He then fathered children with the queens. When he approached the first queen, she was terrified by his appearance and closed her eyes. As a result, Dhritarashtra was born blind.
Gurudev: When he was called to the second queen, she was also afraid and sent her maid instead. From that maid, Vidura was born. Vidura is often called the son of a maid. Finally, when he was called to the youngest queen, Pandu was born. This is how Vyasadeva's character appears in the Mahabharata.
Gurudev: Vyasadeva has another role as well. When Gandhari gave birth, it was a lump of flesh. Vyasadeva divided that lump into 100 pieces and kept them in earthen pots. From those pots, the 100 sons of Gandhari were born. This is called Vyaskut.
Gurudev: Vyasadeva was a very great and powerful sage. Vyasa and Kalidasa were two great poets of India. Vyasa can certainly be compared to Kalidasa. Before the Kurukshetra war, Vyasadeva came and warned the Kauravas, "Do not fight this war; it will lead to total destruction." But they did not listen to him. Because they didn't listen, the war began, and destruction followed. Vyasadeva wrote down everything he saw.
Gurudev: The most amazing thing is the names he suggested—Dhritarashtra, Shakuni—these names are very significant. Every name matches the character's personality perfectly—Duryodhana, Duhshasana. That is why it is called Vyaskut. Solving the "Vyas code" was something only Lord Ganesha could do. When the Vyaskut was being composed, Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati, and Lord Brahma all supported it. Only Ganesha had the power to transcribe it. Of course, Narayana himself can do anything.
Speaker 1: Gurudev, given the current weather, it would be good if there were some rain. Can you arrange for some rain?
Gurudev: It's just not raining. There is no rain on our side. A few drops fall and then it stops. The clouds gather and turn dark, but then they clear up and the sky becomes blue again. A little wind blows, a few drops fall, and that's it. Every day they say it will rain heavily, but it doesn't.
Speaker 1: There was a cyclone called "Mocha." Will it affect us?
Gurudev: No, Mocha won't happen here. It will hit Digha. Whatever happens will be in Digha. They say it might hit Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, it's "Mokha," and in Digha, it's "Mocha." They have issued alerts in Digha, West Midnapore, and Kharagpur.
Gurudev: We are forced to hope. If you pour water on the head of a Shiva Lingam while chanting mantras, it rains. If you pour water on the head of Gokuleshwar Baba in Kalighat, rain comes. That is their matter, I can't say for sure. But it is raining in some places, and the weather is quite cool now. That scorching heat is gone.
Speaker 1: Gurudev, are you seeing people now?
Gurudev: People are coming; I saw about 15 to 20 people today. I'm not saying anything on YouTube because then crowds will gather. I can manage 10, 15, or 20 people, but seeing a massive crowd is not possible for me right now. My health is not that good. I come at 4 o'clock, and if there are 15 or 20 people, I see them. But a huge crowd is impossible.
Gurudev: I've tried that before through YouTube, and it became a sea of people. I don't want that. I will definitely sit and see people; that is my work. But my body isn't permitting it, and various problems are arising. One thing is certain—God will not let us remain in peace. This is God's play. From 2023 to 2030, there will be catastrophes and great destructions. God won't let us work; He will keep us confined to our beds. If we try to work too much, things won't happen.