Devotee:
Pranam, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pranam, my son.
Devotee:
To our viewers, I hope everyone is doing well. We are starting a new episode today. Gurudev, I noticed your mood seems a bit heavy today. I'm asking this in front of our audience, please don't mind.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
No, it's nothing like that. My heart is heavy because two of my boys [disciples] are currently performing the Narmada Parikrama [circumambulation of the Narmada River]. The Narmada Parikrama is no small feat. It involves walking nearly 2,500 to 3,000 kilometers on foot. They have started their journey, passing through dense forests. There are dangers—wild animals, bears, and the harshness of the wilderness. I am very worried about them. They are out there performing this sacred walk; they even asked for my blessings before they left so they could complete it successfully.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Performing the Narmada Parikrama on foot takes exactly three years, three months, and thirteen days. That is the traditional rule. They are on their way now. Just yesterday or the day before, they visited the cave of Rishi Markandeya. You must have heard of Markandeya Rishi, who wrote the Chandi. They visited his cave, shared some photos, and continued their journey. They walk about 25 to 30 kilometers a day. One cannot travel faster because of the dense forests. They move from one shelter to another.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Even though I know Mother Narmada is always watchful—her abode is called "Sajag Dham" (The Wakeful Abode)—I still worry. She keeps a close eye on everyone. I have immense faith that Mother Narmada stays with those who perform the Parikrama and doesn't let any harm befall them. Still, a human heart is bound to worry. I remember when Bagla Baba walked to Kamakhya; I was anxious then too. But this is much bigger. They won't be back for over three years. They walk 25 to 30 kilometers maximum during the day, moving from one camp to the next. There are many great saints living along the banks of the Narmada. My boys stay in those camps. They call me occasionally to check in. They mentioned the weather is good, with occasional light rain.
Devotee:
Gurudev, before we dive into our main topic, I apologize for bringing up your mood. The question I wanted to ask you today is about death. Right before someone passes away—say, a day or so before—can they sense it? Can the people around them feel it? I've heard that there are signs.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Only those who are deeply and spiritually connected can truly understand it. Others might see it as a coincidence. About a month ago, someone very close to me passed away. I was with him during his last days. He was admitted to a liver foundation, and top doctors were treating him. Suddenly, while he was on oxygen, he turned to me and said, "I have been discharged."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I was confused. I asked, "Who discharged you? Which doctor gave the order?" He didn't answer that. He just repeated, "I have been discharged," three times. He didn't talk about going home or anything else. Just that one sentence. The day before that, he had called me in a state of terror. He said, "Someone is calling me. They are standing there with sticks, telling me to come with them." He was a stubborn man, so he told them, "I won't go." He complained about how they were bothering him, repeatedly asking him to come along.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
At that moment, I realized that the "Yamdoot" (messengers of death) or certain spirits had arrived. It is a fact that before death, the Yamdoot or some ethereal beings appear to take the soul. He clearly understood what was happening when he said he was "discharged."
Devotee:
This vision of people coming to "hit" him or take him away—is that related to the stories we hear about Yamdoot?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, it is exactly as we have heard. Someone often stands by the door at night right before a person dies. I have seen this with my own eyes. I believe some spirit comes to collect the soul.
Devotee:
And is anything felt after death?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Right before leaving the physical plane, the soul often does something to signal its departure. It's a universal truth. Sometimes a branch of a tree breaks, or a piece of a wall falls. There is always a sign. This recent experience really saddened me. Whenever I asked him how he was, he would only say, "I've been discharged." I remembered a story called "Chutir Ghanta" (The Vacation Bell). I realized his time was up. He passed away that very day.
Devotee:
Gurudev, I've seen many devotees come to you, burdened by life's problems, asking for "Mukti" (liberation or death).
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, that happens. Once, a man even left his keys and a list of his debts with me. He told me that when he gets money—he didn't say from where—I should settle his debts. I asked him, "What are you planning? Are you going to hang yourself at the Kalighat temple?" He didn't answer. He just left. He came back the next day, and I asked, "Didn't you die?" He stayed silent.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Another time, a boy came to me begging for liberation, saying he wanted to die. I told him, "I am not the master of life and death; the One above is. Ask Him for liberation." Two days later, he returned with his wife to tell me he had finally gotten the job he had been desperately seeking. He got what he wanted, and his desire to die vanished.
Devotee:
Does the Mother (Goddess) watch over them until their final breath?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
It depends on the relationship. It depends on how much they love me. If a boy is drowning or dying, why would I go to save him unless there is a bond? When that bond of love is strong, then the intervention happens.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
To our viewers, this was a short but profound episode. I have witnessed many peculiar things regarding death while working with doctors. Just yesterday, a gentleman called me. He was distraught because his wife had a dream that she was sacrificing their son at a Sitala temple. In the dream, at the moment of sacrifice, a goat appeared instead. When she looked at the goat, she felt it had the face of her son. These things happen; I have seen many such cases.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Anyway, my mind is currently with my boys at the Narmada. Performing the Parikrama is a result of the merits of many lifetimes. One of them left a very good job to do this. They just came to me one day and said, "We are going to Narmada." I told them to seek out a certain Mahatma there. They only told me about their decision to walk the full three-year path after they had already decided. They are out there now, cooking simple meals in a single pot and walking. I feel I have to stay spiritually "awake" and watchful for them for these next three years.
Devotee:
Stay well and healthy, everyone. Pranam, Gurudev.