Disciple:
Welcome, dear audience, to Shantipur. Today, Gurudev will discuss a specific topic, and I hope you will listen closely. Please think deeply about this so you can truly understand it. Often, those on the path of spiritual practice miss the core essence. If you can analyze this correctly and instill it in your mind, I believe it will be of great benefit to you and help you learn something new.
Guru:
No, no. I tell you repeatedly that no one can fully understand my episodes by watching them just once or twice. If you watch an episode and then just leave it, you won't grasp it. You need to watch an episode at least five to seven times to get even a portion of the essence. And even then, without comprehensive knowledge, you won't get that essence. One needs deep insight; otherwise, it's not possible. That's the reality.
Disciple:
Gurudev, my respects to you. Offering my respects to you and Ma Bama Tara, I begin this episode. Gurudev, in the last episode, while delivering your speech, you mentioned some profound things that we might not be aware of.
Guru:
Which episode?
Disciple:
The one where you spoke about the Maha-Aloy episodeâwhat happens here, or the mother's worship. My point is, Gurudev, you have been practicing spiritual discipline for a long timeâ40 years of your life. Yet, to this day, we don't know, or rather, we don't understand what you have gained. What have you sought and received? Or why do thousands of people come to you like this?
Guru:
Even I don't understand that. If I understood that, it would be everything. Look, you have seen in the Mahabharata when Draupadi's clothes were being stripped awayâno one can say who provided the endless cloth. They couldn't finish uncovering her. This is a fact, isn't it? So, who is providing? How are they providing? Where does the power come from? I don't know either.
Guru:
I once went to a very high-level spiritual practitioner (Sadhu). I asked him, "These things are happeningâwho is doing them?" I had a curiosity back then. He arrived at the cremation ground (Chita) and stood beside me. I was performing a ritual at the time. After finishing, I asked him, "We are doing these rituals, but who is completing them? I am sitting here performing them; I'm not going anywhere or doing anything else, but the ritual gets completed. Who does it?"
Guru:
He said, "Son, don't ever think about these things. It's not right. You don't need to know who is doing it. You just keep doing your work." This is what Krishna said: Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachanaâfocus on the work, do not hope for the result. That's what he was trying to explainâjust keep doing your work; you don't need to know who is doing it.
Guru:
Everything happens behind the scenes. Nothing happens in front of my eyes. I don't go to anyone's house to do anything. I sit here; people come and speak, I listen, and I perform the ritual to the best of my ability. Some find success, others don't. This is a significant thing.
Guru:
Among them, there's another thingâI can sense from a distance when people arrive, who has devotion and who doesn't. You understand? Many come casually, offer a greeting, and talk about their worldly problems. But out of 100 people who come to me, I only perform rituals for about five. I don't do it for the rest because they lack that sincerity, that devotion, that love, and that faith. They think just giving some money is enough.
Guru:
Someone comes and immediately opens their bag or pulls a zipper to give money. When I forbid it... it happened today as well. When I forbid it, they stop giving money. Now, the question is, who is doing it? If I could know that, it would be a huge revelation. I haven't been able to find out to this day.
Disciple:
Gurudev, haven't you ever wished to know? Like, "I must find out?"
Guru:
Well, that high-level Sadhu I mentioned... after hearing his words, I didn't pursue it further. I didn't feel the need. I've realized one thing: I have to perform the rituals, and I do. Whether they work or not is another matter.
Guru:
Many people call me, so many people call. "Please look into my matter," "Please do this for me." Some of them later tell us, "I asked you, and my work has been done." For instance, a man from Guwahati had land in Dinhata that he couldn't sell. He told me, "If it sells, you will get some money." I told him, "Withdraw those words. Withdraw them, or the work won't happen." He sold the land, completed the registration, and then called me to say it was done. I have many disciples in Dinhata; I told them to help out, and they did. So, these are the things. How can I explain? I don't have the power to answer your question.
Disciple:
You're saying you don't even know how you did what you did. That's the wonder!
Guru:
It's not that I don't know. Perhaps I did it. There was someone in the hospital in the ICU. It was my responsibility to get them out. I did the work, and the next day or the day after, they were out of the ICU. They called to say they were out and the doctor said they'd be released in four or five days. Or take Gargi's husbandâat midnight, she called me saying he had foam at the mouth, was unconscious, and had collapsed. They first took him to R.G. Kar Hospital, but it didn't work out. Then they went to another good place. Eventually, he recovered and went home. Now, how did all this happen? How can I say? My phone is kept on all night for this one reason. Suddenly a call comes: "A child is sick and going to the hospital; Gurudev, please look into it." Seeing that desperation and hearing the crying... it's overwhelming. So these things happen every moment. I have to do these tasks. I perform the ritual, and the problem is resolved. Whether they live or die, I don't look into it further, nor do I call them.
Disciple:
There was a reason I asked this today. One of our 'Guru-brothers' was saying that his daughter was flying in from Bangalore, but the flight couldn't land because it was raining so heavily. He called you, and you told him, "Leave the house, go pick up your daughter; the rain will stop." And that's exactly what happened.
Guru:
Yes, that's a fact. Many such incidents have occurred. These are small things to me; I don't make a big deal of them. I just say whether they should leave or not.
Disciple:
You performed the ritual. But could you tell us how you did it?
Guru:
You see, there are deities. I have performed penance for them for many years. For instance, Indra, the primal power; Varuna Dev; Pavan-putra Hanuman. I have meditated on them for a long time, so they keep my word. I might have said something, and they honored it. This is the amazing part. I've worshipped them for many years and performed Homa and Yagya for them. Indra, Varuna, Agniâit's about requesting them. You have to request: "I have served you for so long; please keep this one word of mine."
Guru:
Even in the case of the cremation ground (Shashan), I say it. Suppose someone is at the brink of death. I go to the cremation groundâmentally or spiritually. I go to the pyre and request: "Take whoever you want, but spare this one." Because the cremation ground needs 'food,' it will take someone. But I go and request, and they honor that request. The person returns healthy. I can't explain these things. But I've done a lot of work with them, many years of penance for the Sapta-Mandal and others. That's why when I request, they honor it.
Disciple:
Gurudev, you've developed a relationship with these gods and goddesses. Because of that relationship, you are able to do these things. You didn't want to tell us, but you did today.
Guru:
I'm saying this because I performed penance for so many years. Suppose there's heavy rain or a stormâIndra is the god of storms. Let me tell you one thing: our Sujit Kar knows very well. When he hears from the weather office that a massive storm is coming, but it doesn't come... he says, "You've heard, so the storm won't happen." Even the rainâit wasn't as heavy as predicted on TV. It rained, but just a drizzle, not the 'very heavy' rain or the storm that was expected. We have to think about these things because many people will suffer if there's a big storm or a lightning strike. When we hear about it, we immediately request Varuna, Agni, Indraâthe gods of rain and storms. I've performed Vedic penance for them for many years, so we have a relationship. It's not right to talk about it, but since you keep probing... they keep my word. That I know.
Guru:
Or if you are coming to see me and it's raining heavily. I told you once, "Until you reach home, the rain will stop."
Disciple:
That happened in my case, Gurudev! When I was here, I couldn't leave because of the heavy rain. When it eased a bit, you said, "Go now; until you get home, it won't rain."
Guru:
I said it with conviction: "I am holding back the rain."
Disciple:
You said it exactly like that: "I am holding back the rain; you reach home, and then maybe the rain will come."
Guru:
And that's how it happened for you, and for many others. What else can I say?
Disciple:
Gurudev, we really wanted to know. We've been with you for a long time, we interact with you, we keep you in our thoughts.
Guru:
The gods have now become like close family to me. Extremely close. They keep my word.
Disciple:
Gurudev, you mentioned that Dr. Sujit Kar told you there would be heavy rain and storms, but he knew that once it reached your ears, it wouldn't happen.
Guru:
Yes, he said, "You will fall ill." And I did fall ill for three or four days. Whenever something worldly is about to happen and I intervene, I fall ill. It happens suddenly.
Disciple:
That happened this past Wednesday. There was supposed to be heavy rain and storms, but it only rained for about an hour and nothing else happened.
Guru:
That's because we think about the peopleâwhere will they go, what will they do with their homes and children if there's a big storm? Then we sit in prayer. We don't tell anyone. We pray: "You are my friend; please do this for me." I have to do this, whether it's for Mahadev, Vishnu, or Brahma. It's the result of immense penance. Perhaps that's why these things happen.
Disciple:
Gurudev, let me ask again the question I started with: What did you gain? You stop the rain, you stop the storm, you save people from dangerâbut what did you gain?
Guru:
That... that isn't about 'gain' or 'loss' in the way people think. 'Gain' usually means money, land, or jewelry. People's gain is that. My gain is completely different. It's about people in danger being able to live in peace. That's why I perform Homa-Yagya. I've performed a thousand days of Homa-Yagya and a thousand days of Mahamritunjaya Yagyaâno one can say if this has happened anywhere else in history. But we do it to satisfy the divineâtins of ghee, truckloads of wood. Why? To satisfy them. It was done according to Vedic and Tantric rites. For three years, I didn't eat, sleep, or go anywhere; I was busy in their service. So they have become like friends. The cremation ground is my friend. If I request, they honor it. I've observed this. I get a sense of over-confidence when I receive an indication: "No, this person will live."
Guru:
For example, there was a gentleman here, Gopal Biswas. When his grandson was born, I said a year in advance, "Decide who will liveâthe tree or the fruit." He said, "If the tree lives, there will be fruit again." With that, I left. They consulted many Tantriks and others. When the boy was born, he needed four bottles of blood. He was born with jaundice. One day I went to their house to eat, and suddenly a call came that the boy had died. I left my meal and said, "Bring your car here. I will give you a root (sekhor); you must touch it to his head. Because of the work I have done, the boy must live. He cannot die." The police had even arrived at the house because he was declared dead. Anyway, he brought the car, touched the root to the boy, and the boy survived. He started moving. The doctors came; he was in a glass incubator, they brought him out, and everything became fine. Today, that boy is 18 years old.
Disciple:
So both the tree and the fruit survived.
Guru:
Both survived. When I was giving that root, one gentleman asked me, "Why are you doing this? He won't live; he's already dead." I told him, "You son of a... get out of here." I used exactly those words, believe me. "My Mother has said I have worked, so it will work. He will live."
Disciple:
Your mental strength was so great that even a 'dead' person could live.
Guru:
And now he is 18. Such incidents have happened many times in my life. Not just once, many times.
Disciple:
We were eager to know this. Dear audience, I made a mistake earlierâthat episode was about "Attaining Immortality." In that episode's comments... no, sorry, in that episode you said, "What did I gain?" So today our question was, Gurudev, you have to tell us what you gained, whether directly or indirectly.
Guru:
There's always a matter of seeking and receiving from God.
Disciple:
You have received so much, Gurudev! You say you haven't, but you have received a lot.
Guru:
In the case of ordinary people, what would you say? "Give me money, give me jewelry." My view is different from yours. I want people to be well, to be happy, to be free of disease. This is my hope. These thousands of people who come every week, or the high-profile people who come... isn't that the fruit of what you have gained? You didn't get money, fine, but you have received immense respect.
Guru:
So what? I am a dog.
Disciple:
You can't say that; we know who you are.
Guru:
I am a street beggar. In the state of a dog.
Disciple:
That may be, but that's how you've chosen to live your life. You thought, "I will serve people, but I won't take anything for myself." You've done that. And you've received incredible respect.
Guru:
Yes, I've received that. But that 'receiving' isn't really receiving. Others get money but no respect. You get respect, not money. But when they come and cry, "Father," I say... today an incident happened. Someone got better. A year later, he calls about his grandson. I said, "You ungrateful... leave it. When I was ill, didn't you come to see me even once? And now you're calling me again? Is it your father's property?" I spoke like that today, believe me. His problem was solved. I don't want money, but couldn't he ask how I am? Or when I'm sick, couldn't he call or visit? None of that. I told him, "Father has gone to the Kaaba Mosque, go." People's nature is bad. They take the benefit and then forget. That's why they fall into danger repeatedly. Those who forget the favor fall into danger again and then come back to him. That's the pattern. You come from so far, get your work done, everything is fineâyou should at least check in once: "Gurudev, how are you? I heard you weren't well." But no. That's why I drive most people away. Those I've helped a lot, I drive them away. "Get out of here. You are traitors, ungrateful. I won't work for you." I am a very blunt person in this regard.
Disciple:
Yet, many still come to you; many haven't forgotten you. Those who come repeatedly, they come with respect. So, through your stories today, you told us about various incidents. You fascinated us today.
Guru:
Well, it's the truth I've told. Telling the truth isn't a sin. When they come and cry "Father, Father"âyou can't imagine. Old men and women holding my feet and crying. Then they are saved, and I never see them again. Until another grandchild is in trouble, then they reappear. In between, they don't even bother to ask how I am. It brings pain and sorrow to the heart, doesn't it? I did so much for you; won't you even check on me? I'm not asking for money. Just a call: "How are you?" People don't even do that. Such ungrateful traitors. That's why I call people 'cobras' (keute shap). When someone comes from afar, I say, "Look, a cobra is coming; he's going to strike me."
Disciple:
You said a while ago, Gurudev, that out of 100 people, you only perform rituals for five. You choose them. You do the work for them. The other 95 fall into that 'ungrateful' category.
Guru:
They will keep coming back, circling around. And some come for no reason. "There is unrest in my house." If there is unrest, why come to the cremation ground? Come to the cremation ground for peace. Leave the unrest at home; maintain the peace that is here in the cremation ground. I tell them plainly; I don't hold back.
Disciple:
So, dear audience, you heard Gurudev share many things through his stories. He explained how he performs the rituals. You must have heard. I didn't think I could get this out of him, but we did. For that, we are grateful to Gurudev. My respects to you today, Gurudev.
Guru:
Yes, yes.