Host:
Greetings, Guru.
Guru:
Greetings.
Host:
Welcome everyone to Shantidham. We invite all our friends to subscribe to our channel, "Gupta Sadhak Shama Khapa." By subscribing, we will be able to share more of the Guru's insightful videos.
Host:
Guru, today we are joined by a gentleman who has traveled all the way from Singapore to see you.
Guru:
He has come from Singapore... I don't know how he found me or how he got news of this place. How did you find us?
Guest:
Through YouTube.
Guru:
Ah, he saw us on YouTube. He has come from Singapore with some questions in his heart. I have tried to answer them; I don't know if he liked the answers or not. He is a very bright young man who regularly recites the Chandi Path and the Gita. He received his initiation from Biraja—which is considered the ultimate destination. We call "Biraja" the Nabhi (center/navel). Tell us, what do you know about Biraja?
Guest:
Biraja is a Maha Shakti Peeth.
Guru:
Where is it located?
Guest:
It is in Jajpur, Odisha. It is one of the eighteen Maha Shakti Peeths. Goddess Durga's navel fell there. There is a place called Nabhi Gaya there as well. Just as we offer prayers in Gaya, we can do the same at Nabhi Gaya. I was there this past Durga Puja, from the sixth to the eighth day of the festival, and I performed the Chandi Path there.
Guru:
Did you do that in Singapore as well?
Guest:
No, I did that in Jajpur. I came from Singapore to the temple of Biraja Devi during Durga Puja specifically for that.
Guru:
So you were at Biraja during Durga Puja, performed the rituals, and took your initiation there?
Guest:
Yes. I try to observe all four Navratris every year at my home in Singapore. Everything required for the rituals is available there. I perform the Chandi Path myself. During this last Durga Puja, I recited it eight times. I started on the first day and continued until Dashami. I also established an Akhanda Deep (eternal lamp) there.
Guru:
That is wonderful. You see, God cannot be "seen" in a physical sense; He must be felt. If you don't touch an electric wire, you won't know if there is a current. We say that you must call out to God constantly. The Upanishads say that He resides in the "space" of your heart (Hridoy-akash). He is within you. Awaken Him there, and nothing else will be needed.
Guru:
If a human being receives God's grace—the "God Particle"—they may not become immortal in the physical sense, but they gain immense knowledge.
Guru:
Regarding the Viroja (Biraja) River: it is said to be the final river. After death, one must cross the Viroja to reach God. But the waves of that river are so fierce that for every inch a person moves forward, they are pushed back five inches. This is why people remain trapped in the cycle of birth and death, as described in the Gita. They cannot cross the Viroja and are sent back. Only a few—perhaps two or four out of billions—who have called upon God with great intensity can cross it.
Guru:
We cross the Baitarani river by holding the tail of a cow, but to cross the Viroja, you need the help of God Himself. Without His help, you will be pushed back to where you started. That is why I advise you to keep a constant connection with Him. I apologize to your own Guru for saying this, but keep calling Him without ceasing. Let there be no gap. Let your soul be constantly engaged with Him.
Guru:
You have a family, children—that is fine. But for an hour or two or three every day, forget the world. Act as if no one else exists but you and God. Then you can return to your family and daily life. People often make excuses, saying they have no time because of their children or work. But if a person sleeps six hours instead of ten, they find four hours for God. People just use their worldly lives as an excuse.
Guru:
Now, tell me about your experience. You are abroad, but God is everywhere. The sun that shines in Kolkata is the same sun that shines in Singapore. Tell us, what have you felt? You can speak in English, Bengali, or Hindi.
Guest:
Actually, my feeling is this: I am not calling God to "get" something. I do it for peace. I often feel sad that I can't do enough for Him. As you said this morning, He is the creator, the sustainer, and the destroyer. He is everything. What can I possibly "give" to Him? I can't give Him anything. So, my only effort is to keep worshipping Him. That is my only wish.
Guru:
I explained this to you briefly. The entire creation is His; what can you give Him? You can give Him your tears. People cry when they lose a child or a parent, but how many cry for God? How many spend their nights in His company? Those who give Him their time, find Him.
Guru:
There is only one power working in this world: Purusha and Prakriti (the Masculine and Feminine principles). Just as you need a positive and a negative charge for a light to burn, God is a magnificent Light—brighter than a billion suns. What can you offer such a Light? If someone says they are "worshipping" Him, I'd say they are being foolish. We don't know the mantras, we don't know the rituals. We only know how to sit before Him.
Host:
I want to ask our friend—you speak Bengali and Hindi so well. Where were you born?
Guest:
I was born in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.
Host:
How do you feel after meeting the Guru here?
Guest:
It feels very good. Discussing the Mother (the Goddess) is always wonderful. The Guru is a much greater devotee than I am. It has been a beautiful experience.
Host:
We will end here for today. Thank you.
Guru:
(Recites a Sanskrit prayer/shloka to Goddess Biraja).