The Mystery of Ambubachi: Science and Tantra Explained

Devotee: Pranam, Gurudev. Pranam. Today, we would like to know from you about a special festival celebrated by the people of our Sanatan Dharma, the Hindu community. As we know, there are 51 Shakti Peethas scattered across the world, where different parts of the Goddess's body are said to have fallen. We want to discuss the significance and details of the festival known as Ambubachi. If you could tell us more about it, we would be able to learn a great deal.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Well, it's actually science-based. People say many things, but science says one thing. The word 'Ambu' means water. It's about preserving or observing rules related to water. There's a saying in our Tantra scriptures: 'Asharasya Prathame Dibase'—the first day of the month of Ashar, when the first rain occurs. We collect that rainwater and use it to bathe the Goddess. We also bathe Devadidev Mahadev with that same water. So, the act of preserving and following rules related to this water is called Ambubachi.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Let me explain the scientific basis first. It's nothing else; look at the months of Baisakh and Jaistha—the summer season. During this time, the Earth gets scorched by intense heat. Then, when it rains in the month of Ashar, new plants and trees are born. During the summer, you could say the greenery almost gets destroyed; the leaves wither away because of the excessive heat. Then, when the water falls in Ashar—that first rainwater—we bathe the Mother with it. This means Nature becomes 'Rajaswala' (menstruating). Without menstruation, creation cannot occur.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: If a woman doesn't menstruate, she cannot have children. Similarly, this Mother Earth of ours—this soil—after the heat of Chaitra, Baisakh, and Jaistha, the ground literally cracks. Then, when the rains come in Ashar, all kinds of plants and herbs are born. From rice to various other crops we need, everything begins to grow. Do you know how the system works in India? Our budget is based on the rainfall.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: In India, we have a system where the budget is prepared based on rainfall estimates. It's not exactly 'counting' the rain, but the budget is prepared based on what the weather office predicts. This is absolutely true; the budget is made according to the expected rainfall. This is because the crop yield depends on the rain.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: So, when the budget is prepared, they keep in mind how the rainfall will be. If there's a drought, it's one kind of budget; if there's good rain, it's another. Two types of budgets are prepared based on the weather office's reports. This is purely scientific. Thus, when Nature is menstruating—that is, when it rains—Nature is essentially going through its cycle. And only then do the seeds sprout, new trees grow, and crops like rice are cultivated. Science says if there isn't sufficient rain, the crops won't be good. And if the crops aren't good, the government's budget will be ruined. So, it's science-based; there's nothing mysterious about it.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Now, if you look at it from a Tantric perspective, we have to go back to the old story. When Sati sacrificed her life, Mahadev became distraught. He took Sati's body on his shoulders and began the 'Pralay Tandava' (the dance of destruction) across the heavens. Vishnu saw that as long as Sati's body remained, Shiva would continue his dance of destruction. So, he released his Sudarshan Chakra. As Shiva wandered through the sky like a madman, the Chakra cut the body into pieces. 51 pieces fell in various places, which is why we have the 51 Shakti Peethas. Among them, the 'Yoni' (the womb/genitals) of the Mother fell in Kamakhya.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Creation starts from there; it starts from the 'Yoni'. When we are born from our mother's womb, we emerge from a living 'Yoni'. And when we die, we enter a 'dead Yoni'. The shape of the cremation pyre is like that of a 'Yoni'. If you look at a wooden pyre or an electric furnace, the internal structure is shaped like a 'Yoni'. Many people don't know this.

Devotee: Wow, we didn't know that, Gurudev.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Yes, it's the shape of a 'Yoni'. A person comes out of a living one and enters a dead one. That's what is said.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: During this time, because Nature is menstruating, the Mother is also considered to be menstruating. There's no difference between Nature and the Mother. So, when Nature undergoes its cycle, the Mother does too. This takes place in the month of Ashar, and it's celebrated as the festival you call Ambubachi. As I said, 'Ambu' means water. Because the Mother is menstruating during these three days, many rules are observed so that the process of 'creation' isn't hindered. In the old days, widows used to follow these rules very strictly; they wouldn't even eat hot food; they only ate cold food. Nowadays, these practices are fading because science has advanced.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: People have realized that some of these are just superstitions. It's just a hoax, nothing else. People go there, see many sadhus, and think it's a huge spiritual event. Most people go there just to beg. During those three days, I've seen many local people go there to beg.

Devotee: Where do they go to beg?

Guru Shyama Khyapa: They stay there because a lot of food is distributed. For three days, you don't have to buy any food. Trucks and trucks of food arrive.

Devotee: Are you talking about Kamakhya?

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Yes! Trucks of food arrive. Two people usually go together; one guards their spot because it's very hard to find a place to stay.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: During those three days, the temple doors remain completely closed. Just as a menstruating woman has to follow certain restrictions—where to go, what to eat, whom to meet—it's all based on ancient beliefs. Why? Scientifically, it was thought that otherwise, the 'creation' might be affected. Today, people don't follow these as much. However, because it's Kamakhya—'Kam-Akhya'—and the Mother's 'Yoni' fell there, she is given that name.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: 'Kama' (desire/lust) is the first of the six 'Ripus' (enemies of the mind). Because 'Kama' exists, the balance of the world is maintained. If 'Kama' didn't exist—for example, if these brothels didn't exist—society would face a terrible downfall. Because these 'mothers'—the sex workers—exist, they absorb so much energy. Every day, so many men go there and expend their vital energy. Besides money, they are losing the 'Birya' (vitality/semen) of their bodies. That's why soil from the doorstep of a sex worker's house is required for Durga Puja—because so much energy is expended there.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Think about how powerful the Mother is, that these women are serving men every day. They are providing joy, service, whatever you call it—but think about how much energy is being spent there every day. That energy is present there, which is why we use that soil. It's to ensure the Mother's body has that immense power. Men go there and expend their strength. If you lose money, nothing is lost. But the vital power of the body—the 'Birya'—they leave it there. Science says the more a man expends his sperm, the shorter his lifespan becomes.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: So, they are taking that energy. The women in brothels are taking the energy of the men who visit. I won't go into more detail on that. It's all science-based. Now, the Mother doesn't literally 'menstruate' in that way. Some people have asked me about the water in the Mother's temple—they say it turns red. I was in Kamakhya, and I checked with everyone there. I found that it's all fake; it's just talk.

Devotee: Just public hearsay, you could say.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Exactly. It's just a rumor. What they do is, after Ambubachi, they bring red cloths, cut them into pieces, and sell them for 100, 200, or 500 rupees.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: In reality, before the temple closes, the Mother is offered a lot of food and jewelry. She is also given clothes. But those clothes don't come out. It's a mysterious thing. Common people go and buy a red cloth, come back, and claim it's the Mother's cloth. I get very angry about this. I've said some very harsh things about it, which I can't repeat here. I tell them that if that actual cloth of the Mother were to come out into the world, the world would be destroyed. There's no doubt about it. Some people go to Kamakhya, chant mantras, and do various things, but nothing actually happens.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: They just show off. They chant some mantras, take people to Kamakhya, and perform huge 'Homas' and 'Yagyas', but there's no real result. Many people have come to me after spending one or two lakhs in Kamakhya, saying nothing happened. Well, why would it? If you go there with the intention of harming someone, the Mother won't accept it. Some say there are 'pure' and 'impure' mothers, but would the Mother take money from a dishonest person? These are just stories. Scientifically, as I said, Nature menstruates. We preserve the first rain of Ashar and use it to bathe the deities.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: This is not just for Kamakhya; in all 51 Shakti Peethas, the doors remain closed for three or four days. Just as women in our homes observe certain rules for four days—not washing their hair, etc.—it's a household matter. But we often eat food from their hands. When girls are menstruating, some people don't touch them or allow them into temples. I say that's completely wrong. If you don't menstruate, you can't create; you won't even be able to hear the Mother's call. So why should I have an objection to eating from your hands?

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Many people don't come to temples during that time. I tell them, if you don't want to touch the deity, just watch from a distance. But anyway, all the temples are closed, so whom would you see?

Devotee: You just mentioned that when women are menstruating, they are often told not to go to the prayer room or touch anyone. We see this in almost every household. Is this actually something that should be followed?

Guru Shyama Khyapa: When women menstruate, their 'Kama' (sexual desire) increases significantly. It increases a lot. Because of this, they might be drawn to other men. It was advised not to go to the prayer room or touch Mahadev during this time as a form of self-control. It's a type of restriction that was put in place.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: The real reason is that their desires are heightened, and they might seek to fulfill them. So, these rules were made to keep them away from the gods—it was a way to instill a sense of fear. 'Don't go to God, don't touch God.' There's no other actual basis. Our scriptures and scholars have bound society with these rules by using fear or misunderstanding. There's no actual foundation for it. The only scientific basis is that a woman's desire increases during her cycle. If she doesn't find her husband, she might look elsewhere.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: What would happen then? It would lead to some form of destruction or impurity. And the children born of such circumstances might not be healthy. I've observed this. That's why society was bound by these rules. In the old days, widows used to drink water from the pond; they wouldn't even drink tea unless it was cold. I've seen this with my own eyes. Also, you shouldn't use a spade or plow the land during this time. The scientific reason is that this is when the seeds are sprouting. If you till the land, many sprouts will be destroyed. That's why it's said that Nature is menstruating—because of the first rain.

Devotee: So, Gurudev, you're saying that what we call Ambubachi is essentially the first rain of the month of Ashar, which we use in various rituals.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Yes, we bathe the Mother with it. Nature is menstruating, and so the Mother is also considered to be in her cycle. There's no difference between Nature and the Mother. One is Purusha (the divine masculine) and the other is Prakriti (Nature/the divine feminine). We consider Nature as the Mother. So, when the Mother is menstruating, we assume all the Goddesses are as well. And without this cycle of the primordial power, creation wouldn't happen.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Our society put some restrictions in place to prevent chaos. Since it's a matter concerning women, these rules were made so they wouldn't act out. It's not about the person themselves; it's because the Mother is undergoing the cycle. Widows especially follow this, though married women don't have to follow it as strictly. We tell them to wear vermilion and alta, eat fish and rice—there's no problem.

Devotee: Gurudev, we've learned the real mystery and subject of Ambubachi from you, which we didn't know before. We offer you a million pranams for explaining it so clearly.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: And remember one more thing—people go to Kamakhya to conquer 'Kama'. Through 'Sadhana' (spiritual practice), they try to overcome desire. If desire remains, you cannot truly worship the Mother. In a temple, you'll see many women, and if you are filled with lust, it's harmful to them and you'll behave inappropriately. That's why 'Kama' must be conquered. Conquering 'Kama' is the meaning of 'Kamakhya'. There's no other science to it.

Devotee: Pranam, Gurudev.

Guru Shyama Khyapa: Pranam.

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