Interviewer:
Pranam, Gurudev.
Gurudev:
Pranam, pranam, my son.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, on this rainy evening, our viewers might have a slight problem with the audio quality due to the noise. So, friends, I am letting you know in advance—please bear with us regarding the sound. Gurudev, in a recent episode, you mentioned that "Why should we carry the burden of the sins of dishonest people?" In that context, you mentioned that Bamakhepa was involved with the RSS. But regarding that, I wanted to ask—according to the records we have, the RSS was founded nearly 14 years after Bamakhepa left his mortal body.
Gurudev:
No, no, that's incorrect. It was established much earlier. Much earlier. The RSS was founded long before that, even if it wasn't officially on paper. To start any organization of that scale, there is a long period of preparation beforehand. That preparation was already underway. Bama Baba (Bamakhepa) loved it dearly. Because of that, Bama Baba protested many times. If you look back, he was always protesting. The preparations had started long before Bama Baba passed away.
Interviewer:
So, you are saying the groundwork for the RSS was active long before the official date of 1925?
Gurudev:
Definitely. These things don't happen in a single day. All of India was in a state of upheaval. Then came the official establishment. Even with the Vishva Hindu Parishad, these things are planned and organized long before they receive official certification or legal status. I have seen and spoken to people who were in the RSS 80 years ago. One person is 95 years old now.
Interviewer:
Yes, Gurudev, we have seen that you highly respect Keshab Maharaj like a father. He is 95 years old. Have you discussed this with him?
Gurudev:
Yes, I've had many discussions with him.
Interviewer:
So, you're saying that even if the official date is 1925, the activities were already ongoing?
Gurudev:
Absolutely. These things aren't built in a day.
Interviewer:
Moving to another topic, Gurudev. A gentleman named Dipankar Roy wants to know if there is a connection between the "Shada-Ripu" (the six internal enemies: lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride, and envy) and the planets Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu.
Gurudev:
It's not exactly like that, but there is one thing: the planets certainly influence these six vices. You might think, "Here comes a man." If he is influenced by Ketu or Rahu, he will come to you and give you bad advice. You will get caught up in it. No matter what your parents say, you won't listen. You will maintain a relationship with that person because your time for downfall has come. That person will be the instrument of your downfall. On the other hand, if someone influenced by Jupiter comes along, they might lift you to great heights. So yes, they are related.
Gurudev:
Right now, Mercury, Rahu, and Venus are aligned together. Along with them, Saturn and Mars are positioned together. Do you understand what that means? It could mean an impending famine. It's hard to say.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, it seems a disaster is already on the way. Just look at the storm "Yaas" we had yesterday. So many fish farms and crops were destroyed.
Gurudev:
I told you before. A few days ago, when the flag and the pole broke at the Jagannath Temple, I said, "Who knows what is coming?" The situation is not good. Because Mercury and Rahu are in the same house, and Saturn and Mars are sitting together, how can things be good? Disasters will keep happening. There will be no peace for people. Do you understand? The planetary positions are not good, and neither is the human condition.
Gurudev:
Actually, humans themselves act as planets. When your time is bad, a "Rahu-influenced" person will come to you, advise you, and you will be ruined. Then a "Jupiter-influenced" person will come and lift you up. This is a game. We think planets are just celestial bodies, but they manifest through people.
Interviewer:
It could be a friend, a relative, or even a stranger who leads us into danger or helps us?
Gurudev:
Exactly. Both. One person might come and ruin everything for you with their advice, while another's advice might make you successful. These are "human planets." When your time is bad, bad people will flock to you. When your time is good, you will see many good people reaching out. I believe in this planetary play.
Interviewer:
This viewer, Dipankar Roy, asked a very relevant question then.
Gurudev:
Yes, he spoke very correctly. What he wrote was very good.
Interviewer:
He specifically asked about the relationship between Saturn, Rahu, Ketu, and the six vices.
Gurudev:
There is a definite link. When your time is bad, these planets come to you in the form of people. No celestial body will descend; humans will come and mislead you. They will lure you toward alcohol or other bad habits. But then a "Jupiter" person might come and elevate you.
Gurudev:
I've seen this with my own eyes. People come as planetary influences and destroy others. Someone might come to you, Pradip da, and offer you alcohol or lead you toward vices—that's the work of Ketu. If a person is "Ketu-struck," they will influence you that way. You won't listen to your parents or friends because that "planet" has taken hold of you.
Interviewer:
But Gurudev, we have seen some "Ketu-struck" people go in a good direction as well.
Gurudev:
Ketu does two things. Ketu is the master of secret knowledge (occult). If Ketu favors you, it can make you extremely successful. But if Ketu strikes you, it ruins you completely. It pulls you down to the very bottom. That is Ketu's nature. Great doctors, famous lawyers—they cannot succeed without the help of Ketu. Ketu also worships Dakshina Kali.
Gurudev:
If you look at the calculations, each planet is associated with a deity. Rahu is associated with Chhinnamasta. Mercury is with Kamakhya. Jupiter is with Tara. Every planet has a presiding goddess. We don't worry much about planetary influences because we work with the core deities. We worship the Ten Mahavidyas. Since we worship the goddesses who control the planets, the planets themselves are somewhat afraid of us. But they still give "Danda" (punishment).
Gurudev:
You have to endure the punishment. If someone has a bad Saturn and they do something wrong, they must face the consequences. Saturn will punish them. Even if you try to mitigate the planetary effects, you still have to experience the results of your actions. That is the law.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, let's return to politics. Some believe that religious leaders should only focus on religion and not look elsewhere.
Gurudev:
I have spoken about this before.
Interviewer:
We received many comments, including one from a young man, likely named "Tirthankar Job Alerts" on his profile. He argued that religious gurus can and should participate in politics to judge right from wrong.
Gurudev:
They don't do it directly. Look at Indira Gandhi. When she was in politics, she used to visit Ma Anandamayi. She followed her advice. In the time of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, there was political guidance. In the time of Prahlad, there was Narada. In the time of Chanakya, there was Chandragupta. Chanakya advised Chandragupta. Even Jagadguru Shankaracharya used to advise a king named Sudhanva.
Gurudev:
The duty of a religious guru is to protect the country. If the country goes astray, it is the guru's job to guide the ruler. That is the job of a guru. Some people say we aren't "religious gurus," but I don't care what they call us. If I see something wrong, I will speak out. I have spoken about Mamata Banerjee many times. I knew I might get arrested! I have spoken about Modi Sahab as well. When I see something bad, I say it immediately. When something good happens, I acknowledge that too.
Gurudev:
I've spoken in such a way that I thought the police would show up at my door. Fortunately, they didn't. But we must speak out. If we only focus on God, then sin and corruption will only increase. Gurudevs are the ones who must liberate society from sin.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, you are showing people a direction.
Gurudev:
That should be the duty of a guru. To manage the state correctly and provide a healthy society. Every great king had a religious guru whose advice they followed. If you look at Chanakya's verses, you will see how he advised both the king and the citizens.
Interviewer:
I saw that when you spoke about politics, some people were unhappy. But on the other hand, many viewers shared their opinions in the comments. We used to think that gurus only did religious work, but that's not possible. A guru must also address other issues.
Gurudev:
If I, as a guru, see something wrong happening right in front of me and I don't protest, what kind of person am I? Just because I focus on God? God resides within people. I practice religion for the sake of people. So, if people go astray, I must speak up. My job is to tell people: "Don't do this, do that; it will be better for you." I give this advice to the common man and to those in power.
Gurudev:
Don't think a religious guru can't say anything. It is part of their duty. While serving the people, if something is wrong, we will speak out—we might even use harsh language. I have criticized the priests at Tarapith and Kalighat when I saw wrongdoings. They used to extort money in the name of the Goddess. We protested against that constantly, and now it has been banned.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, one more thing. A viewer with the profile name "Mahakal" mentioned something you once said: "What great virtues have you earned that you expect to see or attain God?" He seemed unhappy and asked if you have seen God. He even called you a fraud.
Gurudev:
He is free to call me a fraud. If there are 200 comments, one bad one is bound to happen. There's no point worrying about it. The reason my name is known worldwide today is because I have seen the truth. How many people know his name? The whole world knows me. One person's comment doesn't change anything.
Gurudev:
Dishonest people will make dishonest comments. Good people will make good comments. If I am wrong, people should definitely tell me. I don't claim that everything I say is absolute truth. I am open to criticism, but it should be done respectfully, not vulgarly.
Gurudev:
As for whether I have seen God—why should I tell you? Who are you? You are questioning me when people all over the world acknowledge me? Who are you, "Haridas Pal," to make such comments?
Gurudev:
These people should be sent to a mental asylum. People like this are mentally damaged. If they stay in society, they will only harm it and rot it further. Stay away from such people and try to refute their logic if you can. They never do any good, nor do they acknowledge the good done by others. They are ungrateful and treacherous. They are "brain damaged." They belong in an asylum. That's what I think, Pradip da.
Interviewer:
So, friends, you heard Gurudev's discussion. It's a rainy evening here at Shantipur, and the sound of the rain might have caused some issues. We apologize for that. Gurudev, we conclude today's episode by offering our pranam to Ma Bama Tara and to you. Pranam, Gurudev.
Gurudev:
Pranam.